Premier Guitar features affiliate links to help support our content. We may earn a commission on any affiliated purchases.

Video Lesson - "Open String Fling"

PG's Pat Smith walks us through his lesson "Open String Fling" published in the November '09 issue of Premier Guitar. In this video lesson, Pat gives us some insight, advice and examples to whiz up and down the fretboard with speed and flair by using open string licks and phrases. These types of licks often heard and seen in country chicken-pickin', flamenco, bluegrass and even Pat's hero Lenny Breau. It involves adding in open strings between the fingered notes so that you get "a nutty cascade of coolness" with relative ease. In addition to the cascading coolness, you get a droning effect from the open strings creating an illusion that smear a bit and sound much bigger.



PG's Pat Smith walks us through his lesson "Open String Fling" published in the November '09 issue of Premier Guitar.

In this video lesson, Pat gives us some insight, advice and examples to whiz up and down the fretboard with speed and flair by using open string licks and phrases. These types of licks often heard and seen in country chicken-pickin', flamenco, bluegrass and even Pat's hero Lenny Breau. It involves adding in open strings between the fingered notes so that you get "a nutty cascade of coolness" with relative ease. In addition to the cascading coolness, you get a droning effect from the open strings creating an illusion that smear a bit and sound much bigger.