Ragtime Annie is a quick tempo, trad fiddle tune, played in the key of D (capo 2). It’s a great session tune, and this guitar arrangement features double stops & triads as part of the melody, making it a challenging tune to pick. As we break down the tune slowly, it is quite manageable, all with the aim of once memorised, you’ll be able to dial up the tempo as needed! Go to lesson...
Turkey In The Straw is an American folk song with a well known melody, commonly played as a tune in a bluegrass session. It’s a popular tune is in the key of G, and this is the second arrangement found on Pickin’ Lessons. The first is a beginner friendly version, while in this arrangement, we’ll up the ante, filling in the space in a typical fiddle tune style, ending up with a more challenging version which is great fun to play! Go to lesson...
We Wish You A Merry Christmas is a traditional English carol, and in this guitar arrangement we’ll look at a bluegrass style version in the key of G, with two variations of the melody. The first variation is the basic melody, suited to the advanced beginner; while the second is a bluegrass inspired take on the melody, suited to the advancing picker. Go to lesson...
In many styles of music, having some knowledge of how to phrase licks and ‘get the sound’ is important, and in this lesson, we’ll do exactly that, by learning some great sounding bluegrass licks! In the key of G, we’ll focus on licks played over the G, C & D chords, while looking at how to link and transition between the chords. Go to lesson...
Handsome Molly is a traditional ballad and in this banjo arrangement we’ll look at a Scruggs style version in the key of G (standard tuning). There are three variations of the melody, up and down the neck with a focus on Scruggs style, but also featuring a little melodic at times and I’d suggest this would suit the advancing intermediate picker.
Cripple Creek is a popular fiddle tune, played in the key of A. This is the second version on the site, with the first version found in the flatpicker crash course. In this arrangement, there are four variations, starting out with a basic version of the melody, through to more advanced variations featuring double stops, ornaments, blue notes and embellishment around the melody. Go to lesson...
Ragtime Annie is a quick tempo, trad fiddle tune, played in the key of D. It’s a great session tune, and this arrangement features double stops – built to be played with power and at speed, great for a rowdy session! As we break down the tune slowly, it is quite manageable, all with the aim of once memorised, you’ll be able to dial up the tempo as needed! Go to lesson...
Forked Deer is an awesome fiddle tune, played in the key of D (aDGBD). This is the second version on Pickin’ Lessons, and this arrangement mainly features the single-string technique, with a little melodic on the side. It’s well suited to the advanced intermediate picker, working as a great study for the single-string technique.
Black Mountain Rag is a popular fiddle tune, commonly played in 3 parts. This version is in the key of A (capo 2) and will pair great with the version in D. It’s a popular way to play the tune, jump back and forth between the two keys! I’d suggest the arrangement is suited to the advancing intermediate picker, but as always, in this lesson we’ll break down the tune and look at some helpful tips. Go to lesson...
Cripple Creek is a popular bluegrass tune, played in the key of A. In this arrangement, we’ll cover four variations, beginning with an intermediate version, progressing into advanced variations that include some great techniques, double stops and bluesy embellishments on the melody. It’s a great tune, popular with banjo pickers, and with this mandolin break, you’ll keep up with the best of them! Go to lesson...