
Steal inspiration, vocabulary, and picking techniques from legendary acoustic players.
Intermediate
Beginner
- Improve your alternate picking.
- Discover how to use the ācountryā scale.
- Create a deeper understanding of chord shapes across the neck.
There have been many bluegrass guitar icons, from the pioneering Doc Watson, Clarence White, and Tony Rice, to such modern masters as Bryan Sutton and David Grier. Today, younger players like Molly Tuttle and Carl Miner keep the genre alive.
Traditionally, bluegrass is played on acoustic instruments. Some people will tell you that putting the words āelectricā and ābluegrassā in the same sentence creates an oxymoron, like ābaroque jazz.ā Although those purists have a valid point, electric bluegrass and newgrass are accepted genres that take influence from the early pickers and apply it to more modern instrumentation. And thatās exactly what weāll do right now.
This lesson will focus on the fundamental techniques and note choices youāll need to unlock the essence of flatpick guitar. Once you digest the basics, youāll be ready to steal endless amounts of vocabulary from the masters of the style. The first thing to discuss is alternate-picking technique. Traditional flatpickers exist in a purely acoustic world, and being heard over loud banjos, Dobros, and fiddles is extremely important. The best way to achieve this is with a strong picking hand thatās capable of projecting each note to the audience.
Ex. 1 is a simple ascending and descending G major pentatonic scale (GāAāBāDāE). This is played with strict alternate picking: Begin with a downstroke, then follow it with an upstroke, then play a downstroke, and so on.
The problem with alternate picking will always be when you cross strings. (Note: Entire books have been devoted to this subjectāweāre just scratching the surface here.) The two aspects weāll examine right now are āinsideā and āoutsideā picking.
Outside picking is what happens when you pick a string, and then while targeting the next one, you jump over it and swing back to pick it. The flatpick attacks the outside edges of the two strings.
In Ex. 2, play the A string with a downstroke, then the D string with an upstroke. This is outside motion. Each subsequent string crossing motion uses this outside picking technique.
Most players find the outside mechanics easier than the more restrictive inside motion. As you may be able to work out, inside picking technique is where your pick is stuck between two strings.
The following lick (Ex. 3) uses only this inside motion. Play it slowly and then compare how fast and accurately you can play it relative to Ex. 2.
You wonāt have the luxury of structuring all your phrases to eliminate one motion or the other, so itās best to accept this reality and develop the skills needed to get by with both approaches. The best of the best didnāt make excuses, they just played down-up-down-up over and over for decades.
Ex. 4 features one note per string. This fast string-crossing motion requires a good level of proficiency with both inside and outside approaches to build up any sort of speed.
The secret to alternate picking isnāt to always alternate pickstrokes between notes, but to keep the motion of the hand going. In short, the hand will move in the alternating fashion whether or not you strike a string. If you have a stream of eighth-notes, theyāll be alternate picked, but if there are some quarter-notes thrown in, the hand wonāt freeze and wait for the next note. Youāll play the note with a downstroke, move up and not play anything, then drop back onto the strings and play the next note with a downstroke (Ex. 5).
This way all your downbeats are played with downstrokes and upbeats are upstrokes. Youāll see people refer to this as āstrict alternate picking.ā With that out of the way, itās worth looking at the note choices of a typical bluegrass player.
A quick analysis of some bluegrass tunes will reveal this isnāt harmonically complex music. Nearly all of the chords youāre going to be dealing with are major and minor triads, so note choice isnāt going to break the brain.
One approach would be to play a line based on the major scale of the key youāre in. For example, if youāre playing a song in G, the G major scale (GāAāBāCāDāEāF#) makes a good starting point.
A more stylistically appropriate approach would be to use the ācountry scale,ā which is a major pentatonic scale with an added b3. In G that would be GāAāBbāBāDāE. Ex. 6 shows this scale played beginning in the open position and moving up on the 3rd string.
Letās put all this into practice. Ex. 7 shows a line built around a G chord using this strict alternate-picking motion applied to string crossing mechanics in both directions. This sticks closely to the country scale, but thereās also an added C in the third measure to allow the 3 to land on the downbeat of measure four.
This next line (Ex. 8) uses the same idea, but now beginning up at the 5th fret area and moving down over the course of the lick.
Itās worth looking at each string crossing to categorize it as inside or outside. This will help further your understanding of the importance of these two picking techniques.
Hereās another idea around G (Ex. 9), but to create some smoother motion, this time we add notes from G Mixolydian (GāAāBāCāDāEāF), as well as a bluesy Db (b5) as a chromatic passing tone. The trick here is nailing all the position shifts as youāre going from the 3rd fret up to the 10th fret.
Our final example (Ex. 10) takes what weāve learned about approaching a major chord and applies it to two different chords. First, we have two measures of G, then C, and back to G.
When playing over the C, your note choice changes to the country scale, but now built from C (CāDāEbāEāGāA). Switching between these chords poses a technical challenge, along with a visual one. Take your time with a lick like this, and make sure youāre able to see the underlying chord at all times.
- Pluck 'Em! A Crash Course in Country Guitar - Premier Guitar āŗ
- Michael Daves: Bluegrass' Jekyll and Hyde - Premier Guitar āŗ
- 10 Commandments of Bluegrass Guitar - Premier Guitar āŗ
- Rig Rundown: Rob Ickes & Trey Hensley - Premier Guitar āŗ
- Rob Ickes & Trey Hensleyās New Songbook - Premier Guitar āŗ
Sleep Token announces their Even In Arcadia Tour, hitting 17 cities across the U.S. this fall. The tour, promoted by AEG Presents, will be their only headline tour of 2025.
Sleep Token returns with Even In Arcadia, their fourth offering and first under RCA Records, set to release on May 9th. This new chapter follows Take Me Back To Eden and continues the unfolding journey, where Sleep Token further intertwines the boundaries of sound and emotion, dissolving into something otherworldly.
As this next chapter commences, the band has unveiled their return to the U.S. with the Even In Arcadia Tour, with stops across 17 cities this fall. Promoted by AEG Presents, the Even In Arcadia Tour will be Sleep Tokenās only 2025 headline tour and exclusive to the U.S. All dates are below. Tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday, March 21st at 10 a.m. local time here. Sleep Token will also appear at the Louder Than Life festival on Friday, September 19th.
Sleep Token wants to give fans, not scalpers, the best chance to buy tickets at face value. To make this possible, they have chosen to use Ticketmaster's Face Value Exchange. If fans purchase tickets for a show and can't attend, they'll have the option to resell them to other fans on Ticketmaster at the original price paid. To ensure Face Value Exchange works as intended, Sleep Token has requested all tickets be mobile only and restricted from transfer.
*New York, Illinois, Colorado, and Utah have passed state laws requiring unlimited ticket resale and limiting artists' ability to determine how their tickets are resold. To adhere to local law, tickets in this state will not be restricted from transfer but the artist encourages fans who cannot attend to sell their tickets at the original price paid on Ticketmaster.
For more information, please visit sleep-token.com.
Even In Arcadia Tour Dates:
- September 16, 2025 - Duluth, GA - Gas South Arena
- September 17, 2025 - Orlando, FL - Kia Center
- September 19, 2025 - Louisville, KY - Louder Than Life (Festival)
- September 20, 2025 ā Greensboro, NC - First Horizon Coliseum
- September 22, 2025 - Brooklyn, NY - Barclays Center
- September 23, 2025 - Worcester, MA - DCU Center
- September 24, 2025 - Philadelphia, PA - Wells Fargo Center
- September 26, 2025 - Detroit, MI - Little Caesars Arena
- September 27, 2025 - Cleveland, OH - Rocket Arena
- September 28, 2025 - Rosemont, IL - Allstate Arena
- September 30, 2025 - Lincoln, NE - Pinnacle Bank Arena
- October 1, 2025 - Minneapolis, MN - Target Center
- October 3, 2025 - Denver, CO - Ball Arena
- October 5, 2025 - West Valley City, UT - Maverik Center
- October 7, 2025 - Tacoma, WA - Tacoma Dome
- October 8, 2025 - Portland, OR - Moda Center
- October 10, 2025 - Oakland, CA - Oakland Arena
- October 11, 2025 - Los Angeles, CA - Crypto.com Arena
Bergantino revolutionizes the bass amp scene with the groundbreaking HP Ultra 2000 watts bass amplifier, unlocking unprecedented creative possibilities for artists to redefine the boundaries of sound.
Bergantino Audio Systems, renowned for its innovative and high-performance bass amplification, is proud to announce the release of the HP Ultra 2000W Bass Amplifier. Designed for the professional bassist seeking unparalleled power and tonal flexibility, the HP Ultra combines cutting-edge technology with the signature sound quality that Bergantino is known for.
Operating at 1000W with an 8-ohm load and 2000W with a 4-ohm load, the HPUltra offers exceptional headroom and output, ensuring a commanding presence on stage and in the studio. This powerhouse amplifier is engineered to deliver crystal-clear sound and deep, punchy bass with ease, making it the perfect choice for demanding performances across any genre.
The HP Ultra incorporates the same EQ and feature set as the acclaimedBergantino FortĆ© HP series, offering advanced tonal control and versatility. It includes a highly responsive 4-band EQ, Bergantinoās signature Variable RatioCompressor, Lo-Pass, and Hi-Pass Filters, and a re-imagined firmware thatās optimally tuned for the HP Ultraās power module. The intuitive user interface allows for quick adjustments and seamless integration with any rig, making it an ideal solution for both seasoned professionals and rising stars.
As compared to previous forte HP iterations (HP, HP2, HP2X), Ultra is truly its own amp. Its behavior, feel, and tonal capabilities will be well noted for bass players seeking the ultimate playing experience. If youāve been wishing for that extreme lead sled-type heft/force and punch, along with a choice of modern or vintage voicings, on-board parallel compressor, overdrive; high pass and lowpass filters, and moreāall in a 6.9 lb., 2ru (8ā depth) package...the BergantinoHP Ultra is worth checking out.
Building on the forteā HP2Xās leading edge platform (including a harmonic enriching output transformer (X) and 3.5db of additional dynamic headroom (2),the HP Ultraās power focus is not about playing louder...itās about the ability to play fuller and richer at similar or lower volumes. Many players will be able to achieve a very pleasing bass fill, with less volume, allowing the guitars and vocals to shine thru better in a dense mix. This in turn could easily contribute to a lower stage volume...win-win!
Key Features of the Bergantino HP Ultra 2000W Bass Amplifier:
- Power Output: 1000W @ 8ohms / 2000W @ 4ohms, 1200W RMS @2-Ohms (or 1700W RMS @2.67-Ohms-firmware optimizable via USB
- Dual Voicing Circuits: offer a choice between vintage warmth and modern clarity.
- Custom Cinemag Transformer: elevates harmonic enrichment to new heights
- Variable Low-Pass (VLPF) and Variable High-Pass (VHPF) filters, critical for precise tone shaping and taming of the most challenging gigging environments.
- 4-Band Tone Controls: Bass: +/-10db @40hz, Lo-Mid:+/-10db @250hz,Hi-Mid: +/-10db @ 1khz, Treble: +/-10db @ 3.5khz
- Punch Switch: +4db @110hz
- Bright Switch: +7db @7kHz or +6db @2khz ā user selectableā Built-in parallel compression - VRC
- 3.5dB of additional dynamic headroom
- New Drive Circuit featuring our proprietary B.S.D (Bergantino SmartDrive) technology
- Auxiliary Input and Headphone Jack: for personal monitor and practice
- Rack Mountable with optional rack ears
- Effects send and return loop
- Studio quality Direct Output: software selectable Pre or Post EQ
- UPS ā Universal power supply 115VAC ā 240VAC 50/60Hz
- Weight: 6.9 pounds
- Dimensions: 13.25āW x 8.375āD x 3.75āH
- Street Price: $1895.00
For more information, please visit bergantino.com
The NEW Bergantino FortƩ HP ULTRA!!! - YouTube
When you imagine the tools of a guitar shredder, chances are you see a sharp-angled electric 6-string running into a smokinā-hot, fully saturated British halfstack of sortsāthe type of thing thatāll blow your hair back. You might not be picturing an acoustic steel-string or a banjo, and thatās a mistake, because some of the most face-melting players to walk this earth work unpluggedālike Molly Tuttle.
The 31-year old Californian bluegrass and folk artist has been performing live for roughly 20 years, following in a deep family tradition of roots-music players. Tuttle studied at Berklee College of Music, and has gone on to collaborate with some of the biggest names in bluegrass and folk, including BƩla Fleck, Billy Strings, Buddy Miller, Sierra Hull, and Old Crow Medicine Show. Her 2023 record, City of Gold, won the Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album.
The furious flatpicking solo on āSan Joaquin,ā off of that Grammy-winning record, is the subject of this unplugged episode of Shred With Shifty. Shiflett can shred on electric alright, but how does he hold up running leads on acoustic? Itās a whole different ballgame. Thankfully, Tuttle is on hand, equipped with a Pre-War Guitars Co. 6-string, to demystify the techniques and gear that let her tear up the fretboard.
Tune in to hear plenty of insider knowledge on how to amplify and EQ acoustics, what instruments can stand in for percussion in bluegrass groups, and how to improvise in bluegrass music.
Credits
Producer: Jason Shadrick
Executive Producers: Brady Sadler and Jake Brennan for Double Elvis
Engineering Support by Matt Tahaney and Matt Beaudion
Video Editor: Addison Sauvan
Graphic Design: Megan Pralle
Special thanks to Chris Peterson, Greg Nacron, and the entire Volume.com crew.
A touch-sensitive, all-tube combo amp perfect for clean & edge of breakup tones. Featuring a custom aesthetic, new voicing, & Celestion Creamback 75 speaker.
Debuted in Spring 2023, the Revv D25 is a clean/crunch combo amplifier perfect for pedals that released to widespread critical claim for its combination of touch-sensitive all-tube tone & modern features that make gigging & recording a breeze. 'D' stands for Dynamis, a series of classic-voiced amplifiers dating back to the early days of Revv Amplification, when A-list artists like Joey Landreth helped give feedback on voicings & designs. Joey is a longtime Revv user & personal friend of the company, & the D25 immediately became a favorite of his upon release.
While the D25 already had features Joey was looking for, we wanted to collaborate to celebrate our long relationship & give players a unique option. Weāre proud to announce the D25 - Joey Landreth Edition. Featuring custom aesthetic, new voicing & a Celestion Creamback 75 speaker. The D25 is designed to solve problems & remove the barrier between you & your music - but more importantly, it just plain sounds great. It features a simple single-channel layout perfect for clean & edge of breakup tones. With organic tone you can take anywhere, the D25 - Joey Landreth Edition empowers you to focus on your music on stage, in the studio, & at home.
The D25 - Joey Landreth Edition 1x12 Combo Amplifier features:
- All-tube design with two 12AX7, two 6V6, & selectable 25w or 5w operation.
- Level, treble, middle, bass, & volume controls with switchable gain boost voice.
- Perfect for clean & edge of breakup tones
- Organic, touch-sensitive feel, perfect for pedals.
- Pristine digital reverb & transparent buffered effects loop.
- Two-notes Torpedo-embedded mono direct XLR out reactive load & impulse. responses for zero-compromise direct performance & recording.
- Celestion 75W Creamback Driver
- 32 lbs. Lightweight open-back construction
- Manufactured in Canada.
- 2 year limited warranty
Revvās D25 Joey Landreth Edition has a street price of $1899 & can be ordered immediately through many fine dealers worldwide or directly at revvamplification.com.
For more information, please visit revvamplification.com.