RockinA
Verified buyer
10/20/26
Bluegrass Guitar Kickoffs
Tyler has offered an enormous amount of material in this course. Easy to follow . My playing has improved already .
Bluegrass Guitar Kickoffs
Learn the Building Blocks of Jam-Ready Bluegrass Intros
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About this course
In Bluegrass, the kickoff is how you set the scene. It’s the first phrase of the story, the cue that tells the band what’s coming and gets everyone grooving together. A strong kickoff not only locks in the tempo and key, but also sets the energy for the entire tune.
In Bluegrass Guitar Kickoffs, Tyler Grant walks you through the essential techniques and musical ideas that bring a kickoff to life. You’ll start by building a solid rhythmic foundation, then layer in melody phrasing, crosspicking textures, and stylistic licks that capture the authentic Bluegrass sound. Each lesson is designed to show how rhythm and lead parts work together, helping you craft intros that sound great and set up the band with clarity and groove.
“We’re going to work together through a variety of popular bluegrass jam standards in multiple keys. We’ll go over the foundations and techniques you’ll need to practice the kickoffs I’ve prepared for you, as well strategies that will help you develop the confidence to craft your own kickoffs,” says Tyler.
You’ll work on:
So grab your guitar and let’s kick things off with Tyler Grant!
In Bluegrass Guitar Kickoffs, Tyler Grant walks you through the essential techniques and musical ideas that bring a kickoff to life. You’ll start by building a solid rhythmic foundation, then layer in melody phrasing, crosspicking textures, and stylistic licks that capture the authentic Bluegrass sound. Each lesson is designed to show how rhythm and lead parts work together, helping you craft intros that sound great and set up the band with clarity and groove.
“We’re going to work together through a variety of popular bluegrass jam standards in multiple keys. We’ll go over the foundations and techniques you’ll need to practice the kickoffs I’ve prepared for you, as well strategies that will help you develop the confidence to craft your own kickoffs,” says Tyler.
You’ll work on:
- Rhythm foundations including boom strum patterns and melody strums
- Lead melody approaches and phrasing for Bluegrass standards
- Crosspicking variations and double stop licks to enhance your intros
- Kickoff construction in multiple keys and song forms
- Practical strategies to build and deliver your own kickoffs
- Full performance studies to demonstrate each concept in a musical setting
So grab your guitar and let’s kick things off with Tyler Grant!
What you'll learn
- Play a complete arrangement of Jesse James in G at performance tempo (110 BPM)
- Perform at multiple tempos (70 BPM practice, 115 BPM performance)
- Apply Nashville number system to understand chord progressions
- Perform with backing track featuring bass and mandolin
- Understand how to navigate holds and timing in live bluegrass settings
Release date: 09/03/2025 • 3h 22m runtime
Sample lessons
Roll On Buddy in G
Overview
Roll On Buddy in G | Licks
Lesson & Demonstration
Roll On Buddy in G | Kick Off
Lesson & Demonstration
Roll On Buddy in G
Performance
What's included
43 lessons • 33 charts • 26 Jam Tracks
Hey there, it's Tyler Grant. In Bluegrass music, tunes often begin with a kickoff – a short, instrumental introduction that sets the tempo, key, and signals where to begin playing. As flat pickers, there are some tried and true approaches that sound authentic and musical. That's exactly what we'll explore in this course.
We'll work through a variety of popular Bluegrass jam standards in multiple keys. I'll cover both rhythm and lead melody techniques, including cross picking, essential licks, useful scales, and much more. This will give you the context to learn some great kickoffs I've prepared for you, as well as strategies to craft your own with confidence.
We'll practice and play together using TrueFire's learning tools. I'll show you examples, and we'll put everything into action over a backing track. Alright, flat pickers, grab your guitars and let's kick it off!
We'll work through a variety of popular Bluegrass jam standards in multiple keys. I'll cover both rhythm and lead melody techniques, including cross picking, essential licks, useful scales, and much more. This will give you the context to learn some great kickoffs I've prepared for you, as well as strategies to craft your own with confidence.
We'll practice and play together using TrueFire's learning tools. I'll show you examples, and we'll put everything into action over a backing track. Alright, flat pickers, grab your guitars and let's kick it off!
In this lesson series, we'll dive into the foundational rhythm of bluegrass guitar, focusing on the "boom-strum" technique, which alternates bass notes with strums. We’ll start by learning the basics of playing the G chord with this rhythm, using a unique way of fretting it, and dampening unnecessary strings for a cleaner sound. We’ll also explore variations of this rhythm using C and D chords, learning how to switch between them smoothly while keeping the rhythm tight. Along the way, you'll get a deeper understanding of how to use bass notes effectively and how to introduce variations, like incorporating the G run, to add more flavor to your rhythm playing. Through practice tracks, you’ll have the opportunity to play along with the bass and mandolin, locking into the groove while refining your strumming technique. By the end of the lesson, you'll be comfortable with this core rhythm style, and ready to explore more complex variations and rhythms in future lessons.
In this lesson series, we'll dive into the foundational rhythm of bluegrass guitar, focusing on the "boom-strum" technique, which alternates bass notes with strums. We’ll start by learning the basics of playing the G chord with this rhythm, using a unique way of fretting it, and dampening unnecessary strings for a cleaner sound. We’ll also explore variations of this rhythm using C and D chords, learning how to switch between them smoothly while keeping the rhythm tight. Along the way, you'll get a deeper understanding of how to use bass notes effectively and how to introduce variations, like incorporating the G run, to add more flavor to your rhythm playing. Through practice tracks, you’ll have the opportunity to play along with the bass and mandolin, locking into the groove while refining your strumming technique. By the end of the lesson, you'll be comfortable with this core rhythm style, and ready to explore more complex variations and rhythms in future lessons.
In this lesson series, we'll dive into the foundational rhythm of bluegrass guitar, focusing on the "boom-strum" technique, which alternates bass notes with strums. We’ll start by learning the basics of playing the G chord with this rhythm, using a unique way of fretting it, and dampening unnecessary strings for a cleaner sound. We’ll also explore variations of this rhythm using C and D chords, learning how to switch between them smoothly while keeping the rhythm tight. Along the way, you'll get a deeper understanding of how to use bass notes effectively and how to introduce variations, like incorporating the G run, to add more flavor to your rhythm playing. Through practice tracks, you’ll have the opportunity to play along with the bass and mandolin, locking into the groove while refining your strumming technique. By the end of the lesson, you'll be comfortable with this core rhythm style, and ready to explore more complex variations and rhythms in future lessons.
In this lesson series, we'll dive into the foundational rhythm of bluegrass guitar, focusing on the "boom-strum" technique, which alternates bass notes with strums. We’ll start by learning the basics of playing the G chord with this rhythm, using a unique way of fretting it, and dampening unnecessary strings for a cleaner sound. We’ll also explore variations of this rhythm using C and D chords, learning how to switch between them smoothly while keeping the rhythm tight. Along the way, you'll get a deeper understanding of how to use bass notes effectively and how to introduce variations, like incorporating the G run, to add more flavor to your rhythm playing. Through practice tracks, you’ll have the opportunity to play along with the bass and mandolin, locking into the groove while refining your strumming technique. By the end of the lesson, you'll be comfortable with this core rhythm style, and ready to explore more complex variations and rhythms in future lessons.
In this lesson series, we'll dive into the foundational rhythm of bluegrass guitar, focusing on the "boom-strum" technique, which alternates bass notes with strums. We’ll start by learning the basics of playing the G chord with this rhythm, using a unique way of fretting it, and dampening unnecessary strings for a cleaner sound. We’ll also explore variations of this rhythm using C and D chords, learning how to switch between them smoothly while keeping the rhythm tight. Along the way, you'll get a deeper understanding of how to use bass notes effectively and how to introduce variations, like incorporating the G run, to add more flavor to your rhythm playing. Through practice tracks, you’ll have the opportunity to play along with the bass and mandolin, locking into the groove while refining your strumming technique. By the end of the lesson, you'll be comfortable with this core rhythm style, and ready to explore more complex variations and rhythms in future lessons.
In this lesson series, we'll dive into the foundational rhythm of bluegrass guitar, focusing on the "boom-strum" technique, which alternates bass notes with strums. We’ll start by learning the basics of playing the G chord with this rhythm, using a unique way of fretting it, and dampening unnecessary strings for a cleaner sound. We’ll also explore variations of this rhythm using C and D chords, learning how to switch between them smoothly while keeping the rhythm tight. Along the way, you'll get a deeper understanding of how to use bass notes effectively and how to introduce variations, like incorporating the G run, to add more flavor to your rhythm playing. Through practice tracks, you’ll have the opportunity to play along with the bass and mandolin, locking into the groove while refining your strumming technique. By the end of the lesson, you'll be comfortable with this core rhythm style, and ready to explore more complex variations and rhythms in future lessons.
+ 36 more lessons
Reviews
5 results
VinceNoSco
Verified buyer
03/20/26
Confidence Booster
First, Tyler Grant is a great teacher! Kickoffs and brakes are the most challenging parts of a jam. I really appreciate it the progression of starting with melody/strum and working my way up to Cross picking and single note. The course really helped my confidence. It shows in the jam.
garyross
Verified buyer
01/12/26
Bluegrass Guitar Kickoffs
In the last few years I’ve been leaning towards bluegrass playing. Tyler Grant has always been one of my favorite instructors in various genres and no doubt one of the top bluegrass and flat picking players around. His instructions are always straightforward and easy to understand.
frankhond
Verified buyer
12/06/25
Exactly what is needed to survive a jam
This is exactly what is needed to survive a jam. I solves the “how do I play common songs besides boomchick” problem.
daemery
Verified buyer
11/22/25
Keep at it!
Just getting my feet wet with this offering. So far I like how the course is laid out and the tunes offered are great to have in your pocket for a jam.
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