Born In The USA
The Ultimate Roots-Americana Course
Get this course and 1,000+ more with All Access
Try 14 days free. Cancel any time.
TrueFire
Educator
Genres
About this course
Born In The USA is a collection of TrueFire lessons curated by Guitar World Editor-in-Chief Damian Fanelli. Damian’s selection of lessons from top TrueFire educators is designed to give you the tools you’ll need to switch back and forth with confidence when treading those most American of genres — bluegrass, country, and blues (and almost everything in between)!
”I’ve played a myriad of styles during my decades of guitarism, but what really gives me goosebumps these days (like, literally while I'm playing guitar) is a crafty bluegrass run or country lick that can be incorporated into a rock or blues solo — or vice versa. Luckily, TrueFire is teaming with lessons by talented guitarists who can help you become an “inter-genre-ational” player!
We kick things off with Tyler Grant introducing some handy bluegrass licks in G (“the bluegrassiest of all keys”). It’s easy to imagine where you’d “go from here” while building a solo over I-IV-V changes (or similar changes in that neck of the woods) when starting with these licks. I suggest checking out Tyler Grant’s other lessons — if only to see how perfectly level he holds his Martin!
From bluegrass, we take the very short trip to country guitar — with Jason Loughlin as our guide. Now we’re getting into that goosebump-inducing stuff I mentioned in my intro — clever, magnetic licks that make longtime pentatonic players scream, “I need to know how to do that!” Which is funny because Study 1 in particular is very pentatonic indeed. When I hear these licks, especially Study 2, I picture them with some nice slap-echo in a rockabilly setting, where they’d sound equally killer.
Then we make a pit stop — and catch our breath — somewhere between country and blues with Tim Sparks. You might want to lose the pick, by the way; we’ve entered fingerstyle country!
Then it’s onto one of the finest blues players on TrueFire, Matt Schofield, who — besides showing you some infinitely steal-able licks — delves into the important concept of playing over the changes in a blues progression, something that separates the spine-tingling from random tinkling!
You already might’ve suspected Andy Wood was immensely talented based on his old “Betcha Can’t Play This” videos on GW’s YouTube channel — and now he leaves no doubt! In these lessons, Andy takes us back where we started and shows you how to add some country to your rock and blues licks. If you like these videos, be sure to check out the lessons where he shows you how to add some rock flavor to your blues.”
Who better than the top editors of our cherished guitar magazines to lend their eyes, ears and guitar acumen to help guide how we put our precious practice time to optimal use? Thanks Damian!
You’ll get standard notation and tabs for all of the performance studies. Plus, you’ll be able to use TrueFire’s learning tools to sync the tab and notation to the video lesson.
You can also loop or slow down the videos so that you can work with the lessons at your own pace. All of the backing tracks are also included to work with on your own.
Grab your guitar and let's dig in with Guitar World Editor-in-Chief Damian Fanelli’s curated collection of TrueFire lessons!
”I’ve played a myriad of styles during my decades of guitarism, but what really gives me goosebumps these days (like, literally while I'm playing guitar) is a crafty bluegrass run or country lick that can be incorporated into a rock or blues solo — or vice versa. Luckily, TrueFire is teaming with lessons by talented guitarists who can help you become an “inter-genre-ational” player!
We kick things off with Tyler Grant introducing some handy bluegrass licks in G (“the bluegrassiest of all keys”). It’s easy to imagine where you’d “go from here” while building a solo over I-IV-V changes (or similar changes in that neck of the woods) when starting with these licks. I suggest checking out Tyler Grant’s other lessons — if only to see how perfectly level he holds his Martin!
From bluegrass, we take the very short trip to country guitar — with Jason Loughlin as our guide. Now we’re getting into that goosebump-inducing stuff I mentioned in my intro — clever, magnetic licks that make longtime pentatonic players scream, “I need to know how to do that!” Which is funny because Study 1 in particular is very pentatonic indeed. When I hear these licks, especially Study 2, I picture them with some nice slap-echo in a rockabilly setting, where they’d sound equally killer.
Then we make a pit stop — and catch our breath — somewhere between country and blues with Tim Sparks. You might want to lose the pick, by the way; we’ve entered fingerstyle country!
Then it’s onto one of the finest blues players on TrueFire, Matt Schofield, who — besides showing you some infinitely steal-able licks — delves into the important concept of playing over the changes in a blues progression, something that separates the spine-tingling from random tinkling!
You already might’ve suspected Andy Wood was immensely talented based on his old “Betcha Can’t Play This” videos on GW’s YouTube channel — and now he leaves no doubt! In these lessons, Andy takes us back where we started and shows you how to add some country to your rock and blues licks. If you like these videos, be sure to check out the lessons where he shows you how to add some rock flavor to your blues.”
Who better than the top editors of our cherished guitar magazines to lend their eyes, ears and guitar acumen to help guide how we put our precious practice time to optimal use? Thanks Damian!
You’ll get standard notation and tabs for all of the performance studies. Plus, you’ll be able to use TrueFire’s learning tools to sync the tab and notation to the video lesson.
You can also loop or slow down the videos so that you can work with the lessons at your own pace. All of the backing tracks are also included to work with on your own.
Grab your guitar and let's dig in with Guitar World Editor-in-Chief Damian Fanelli’s curated collection of TrueFire lessons!
What you'll learn
- Master go-to scales and modes for each chord in common blues progressions
- Use chord tones as melodic material anywhere on the neck
- Play the right note at the right time over blues changes
- Apply diminished sounds over blues changes
- Understand why minor pentatonic alone is limiting and what's missing from basic blues solos
Release date: 07/07/2021 • 1h 24m runtime
Sample lessons
Tumbling Down the Hill
Lick 2
Chicken Pickin': Study 2
Introduction
Chicken Pickin': Study 2
Performance
Chicken Pickin': Study 2
Breakdown
What's included
26 lessons • 16 charts • 9 Jam Tracks
Born In The USA
Born In The USA is a collection of TrueFire lessons curated by Guitar World Editor-in-Chief Damian Fanelli. Damian’s selection of lessons from top TrueFire educators is designed to give you the tools you’ll need to switch back and forth with confidence when treading those most American of genres — bluegrass, country, and blues (and almost everything in between)!
”I’ve played a myriad of styles during my decades of guitarism, but what really gives me goosebumps these days (like, literally while I'm playing guitar) is a crafty bluegrass run or country lick that can be incorporated into a rock or blues solo — or vice versa. Luckily, TrueFire is teaming with lessons by talented guitarists who can help you become an “inter-genre-ational” player!
We kick things off with Tyler Grant introducing some handy bluegrass licks in G (“the bluegrassiest of all keys”). It’s easy to imagine where you’d “go from here” while building a solo over I-IV-V changes (or similar changes in that neck of the woods) when starting with these licks. I suggest checking out Tyler Grant’s other lessons — if only to see how perfectly level he holds his Martin!
From bluegrass, we take the very short trip to country guitar — with Jason Loughlin as our guide. Now we’re getting into that goosebump-inducing stuff I mentioned in my intro — clever, magnetic licks that make longtime pentatonic players scream, “I need to know how to do that!” Which is funny because Study 1 in particular is very pentatonic indeed. When I hear these licks, especially Study 2, I picture them with some nice slap-echo in a rockabilly setting, where they’d sound equally killer.
Then we make a pit stop — and catch our breath — somewhere between country and blues with Tim Sparks. You might want to lose the pick, by the way; we’ve entered fingerstyle country!
Then it’s onto one of the finest blues players on TrueFire, Matt Schofield, who — besides showing you some infinitely steal-able licks — delves into the important concept of playing over the changes in a blues progression, something that separates the spine-tingling from random tinkling!
You already might’ve suspected Andy Wood was immensely talented based on his old “Betcha Can’t Play This” videos on GW’s YouTube channel — and now he leaves no doubt! In these lessons, Andy takes us back where we started and shows you how to add some country to your rock and blues licks. If you like these videos, be sure to check out the lessons where he shows you how to add some rock flavor to your blues.”
Who better than the top editors of our cherished guitar magazines to lend their eyes, ears and guitar acumen to help guide how we put our precious practice time to optimal use? Thanks Damian!
You’ll get standard notation and tabs for all of the performance studies. Plus, you’ll be able to use TrueFire’s learning tools to sync the tab and notation to the video lesson.
You can also loop or slow down the videos so that you can work with the lessons at your own pace. All of the backing tracks are also included to work with on your own.
Grab your guitar and lets dig in with Guitar World Editor-in-Chief Damian Fanelli’s curated collection of TrueFire lessons!
”I’ve played a myriad of styles during my decades of guitarism, but what really gives me goosebumps these days (like, literally while I'm playing guitar) is a crafty bluegrass run or country lick that can be incorporated into a rock or blues solo — or vice versa. Luckily, TrueFire is teaming with lessons by talented guitarists who can help you become an “inter-genre-ational” player!
We kick things off with Tyler Grant introducing some handy bluegrass licks in G (“the bluegrassiest of all keys”). It’s easy to imagine where you’d “go from here” while building a solo over I-IV-V changes (or similar changes in that neck of the woods) when starting with these licks. I suggest checking out Tyler Grant’s other lessons — if only to see how perfectly level he holds his Martin!
From bluegrass, we take the very short trip to country guitar — with Jason Loughlin as our guide. Now we’re getting into that goosebump-inducing stuff I mentioned in my intro — clever, magnetic licks that make longtime pentatonic players scream, “I need to know how to do that!” Which is funny because Study 1 in particular is very pentatonic indeed. When I hear these licks, especially Study 2, I picture them with some nice slap-echo in a rockabilly setting, where they’d sound equally killer.
Then we make a pit stop — and catch our breath — somewhere between country and blues with Tim Sparks. You might want to lose the pick, by the way; we’ve entered fingerstyle country!
Then it’s onto one of the finest blues players on TrueFire, Matt Schofield, who — besides showing you some infinitely steal-able licks — delves into the important concept of playing over the changes in a blues progression, something that separates the spine-tingling from random tinkling!
You already might’ve suspected Andy Wood was immensely talented based on his old “Betcha Can’t Play This” videos on GW’s YouTube channel — and now he leaves no doubt! In these lessons, Andy takes us back where we started and shows you how to add some country to your rock and blues licks. If you like these videos, be sure to check out the lessons where he shows you how to add some rock flavor to your blues.”
Who better than the top editors of our cherished guitar magazines to lend their eyes, ears and guitar acumen to help guide how we put our precious practice time to optimal use? Thanks Damian!
You’ll get standard notation and tabs for all of the performance studies. Plus, you’ll be able to use TrueFire’s learning tools to sync the tab and notation to the video lesson.
You can also loop or slow down the videos so that you can work with the lessons at your own pace. All of the backing tracks are also included to work with on your own.
Grab your guitar and lets dig in with Guitar World Editor-in-Chief Damian Fanelli’s curated collection of TrueFire lessons!
Happy in the Country
We're going to get started with a standard bluegrass lick called "Happy in the Country" in G. A whole lot, if not most, of bluegrass is in G, so we'll dive right in here.
Tumbling Down the Hill
Here's a lick I named "Tumbling Down the Hill". It's a descending bluesy lick in the key of G. We're taking advantage of the G minor pentatonic scale in the open position on this one.
Crosspicking Shuffle Lick in G
Here's another lick in the key of G. Take note that we're crosspicking here, which means using a down-up pattern across a group of strings to get a rolling effect. Also take note of the shuffle feel, another popular bluegrass rhythm that you'll want to get familiar with.
Chicken Pickin': Study 1
Chicken pickin' is probably the most identifiable sound associated with country guitar. So much so that the name itself is synonymous with country guitar playing. We're starting with this technique because it's the building block of almost every technique to follow in this course. Players like James Burton and Roy Nichols are some of the early pioneers of this technique. Chicken pickin' is a type of hybrid picking that is extremely percussive. The sound is achieved by muting and popping strings in tandem. The muting can be done with the palm or by releasing tension in the fretting hand. The fingers should pluck hard enough to slap the string against the frets. In this example we'll be applying chicken pickin' to single strings while mixing in bends, hammer-ons and slides.
Chicken Pickin': Study 1
Chicken pickin' is probably the most identifiable sound associated with country guitar. So much so that the name itself is synonymous with country guitar playing. We're starting with this technique because it's the building block of almost every technique to follow in this course. Players like James Burton and Roy Nichols are some of the early pioneers of this technique. Chicken pickin' is a type of hybrid picking that is extremely percussive. The sound is achieved by muting and popping strings in tandem. The muting can be done with the palm or by releasing tension in the fretting hand. The fingers should pluck hard enough to slap the string against the frets. In this example we'll be applying chicken pickin' to single strings while mixing in bends, hammer-ons and slides.
Chicken Pickin': Study 1
Chicken pickin' is probably the most identifiable sound associated with country guitar. So much so that the name itself is synonymous with country guitar playing. We're starting with this technique because it's the building block of almost every technique to follow in this course. Players like James Burton and Roy Nichols are some of the early pioneers of this technique. Chicken pickin' is a type of hybrid picking that is extremely percussive. The sound is achieved by muting and popping strings in tandem. The muting can be done with the palm or by releasing tension in the fretting hand. The fingers should pluck hard enough to slap the string against the frets. In this example we'll be applying chicken pickin' to single strings while mixing in bends, hammer-ons and slides.
+ 19 more lessons
Reviews
No reviews yet
Complete this course and be the first to share your experience.
Stop searching. Start improving with All Access.
Try 14 days free. Cancel any time.
