The Finnish Polka is a traditional polka, in the key of Bm. This arrangement is played with the capo at fret 2, and features the 2/4 time signature, played at quite a brisk tempo. For the intermediate picker wanting to work on increasing speed, this lively tune is a great technique workout for the right-hand, but equally as fun for the more experienced picker! Go to lesson...
Old Grimes is an excellent traditional bluegrass tune, in the key of D. This arrangement is played in the open D position and is well suited to the intermediate picker. It will be a great addition to your repertoire! It’s a wonderful tune to pick and the combination of melody & chord movement has certainly moved this tune to quickly become one of my personal favourites. Go to lesson...
Blackberry Blossom is a popular bluegrass fiddle tune in the key of G. In this lesson, we’ll look at a straight ahead, basic version of the melody, well suited to the intermediate flatpicker. You’ll need to have a solid technique in both hands to play this tune well, and if you have a solid grasp of the open position G major scale, it will certainly help. Go to lesson...
Whiskey Before Breakfast is a wonderful fiddle tune, a real standard in Bluegrass sessions. This is the second arrangement on Pickin’ Lessons, and is a nice basic, straight ahead version of the tune, well suited to playing at a faster tempo. Having a solid right-hand technique is crucial to playing any fiddle tune well and in this lesson we’ll work through this and other important areas to focus on. Go to lesson...
Pig Ankle Rag – Version 2 – Advanced! As a follow up to the basic version of the tune, here is a great version with variations up the neck, embellishment of the melody and loads of blue notes and chromatic passages, which really suits the style. We’re in the key of D (capo 2), and I’d suggest you check out the basic version here first, if you haven’t already. Go to lesson...
Pig Ankle Rag is an awesome fiddle tune in the key of D (capo 2). There are 2 parts to the tune and it has the typical characteristics of a rag and is well suited to the advancing intermediate picker. Featuring a shuffle groove, crosspicking and syncopation there are some challenges in performing this arrangement, but we’ll break it down together in the lesson. Go to lesson...
The Blarney Pilgrim is a lively, traditional Irish jig, played in the key of G and this guitar arrangement is well suited to the advanced picker. While the left hand positions are relatively straight forward, the right hand has some difficult rhythms & picking patterns to contend with, all played at a fast tempo. 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...
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...
Black Mountain Rag is a popular fiddle tune, commonly played in 3 parts. While the key can vary depending on the instrument/version, a popular variation is to play in the key of D. This arrangement is in standard tuning (capo 2) and features some great crosspicking passages for the right-hand and plenty of left-hand challenges to build your picking strength! Go to lesson...