EricStrat
Verified buyer
05/25/26
Great introduction to pedal steel tricks.
50 Country Guitar Licks You MUST Know
Crucial country phrases, concepts and techniques you MUST know
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About this course
Top educator, performing artist and Nashville twang ace Joe Dalton draws from years of experience in the studio and on stage to present these 50 hot-country guitar licks you MUST know! Dalton's handpicked range of phrases, concepts and techniques takes you through a variety of country styles to help guide your development of the tools, techniques and vocabulary you'll need to take your country guitar playing to the next level.
Joe shares his favorite go-to moves and licks, including pedal steel lines that incorporate bends against stationary notes with hybrid right-hand picking techniques.You'll explore acoustic riffs, chicken pickin' techniques and alternate picking. Joe demonstrates bending multiple strings and double-stops. You'll learn bluegrass-inspired riffs, which can then be moved up and down the fingerboard. Infusing major pentatonic runs with blues notes is also covered as well as other country staples like Dobro riffs, banjo rolls, string slapping, Travis picking and advanced concepts such as linking licks and voice leading.
Master these 50 Country Guitar Licks You MUST Know and you'll have the knowledge to deliver powerful, evocative solos over a wide variety of country, alt-country, twang, roots-rock and country-rock grooves.
Joe shares his favorite go-to moves and licks, including pedal steel lines that incorporate bends against stationary notes with hybrid right-hand picking techniques.You'll explore acoustic riffs, chicken pickin' techniques and alternate picking. Joe demonstrates bending multiple strings and double-stops. You'll learn bluegrass-inspired riffs, which can then be moved up and down the fingerboard. Infusing major pentatonic runs with blues notes is also covered as well as other country staples like Dobro riffs, banjo rolls, string slapping, Travis picking and advanced concepts such as linking licks and voice leading.
Master these 50 Country Guitar Licks You MUST Know and you'll have the knowledge to deliver powerful, evocative solos over a wide variety of country, alt-country, twang, roots-rock and country-rock grooves.
Release date: 09/21/2009 • 1h 48m runtime
Sample lessons
Pedal Steel Imitation 5
Lick 5
Bluesgrass 3
Lick 12
Repetition
Lick 21
Banjo 4
Lick 26
What's included
52 lessons • 50 charts • 38 Jam Tracks
50 Country Guitar Licks
Welcome to 50 Country Licks You Must Know. In this course you will learn more than great licks. You will also learn the essential scales, techniques, phrasing, rhythms, articulations, and soloing approaches that are unique to country guitar playing. We take you through various eras and styles that are the roots of modern country music. There are a variety of examples that cover double and triple stops, pedal steel bends, banjo and dobro imitation, bluegrass licks, Travis picking, rhythm playing, Western swing, adding blues scale notes to major pentatonic licks, and some recording tricks of Nashville recording pros. The idea here is that each of these licks might open a new door for you and jump start your playing, maybe get you off of that plateau you have reached and send you in a new direction- developing your own ideas. So, enjoy. If you're not already in tune, we have a Standard Tuning file waiting in the media folder.
You’ll need to apply these examples to different keys and different positions. Before we begin, here’s a tip on learning licks and using them. You should take the time necessary to transpose all of the licks you learn to all of the other keys. The best way to do this is to know the root of the lick and to know the names of the notes on the entire fret board. We’ll investigate more about the roots of the licks as we go along. To memorize the notes on the fret board first find all the Es that match the first string open E. That would be the first string open, second string 5th fret, third string 9th fret, fourth string 14th fret, and fifth string 19th fret. The same pitch can be found as a harmonic on the 6th string at the 24th fret position and at the fifth fret position. Spend some time memorizing this and then add some other notes to it. For instance, the first string open, 1st, and 2nd frets are E, F, and G. Now go to the second string and play E, F, and G at the 5th, 6th, and 8th frets. Then go to the third string 9th, 10th, and 12th, etc. I think you get the idea. Once you feel confident about your command of these notes in the different positions, do the same thing with the second string notes B, C, and D. To get a sharp you just move one fret toward the bridge. F is at the 1st fret. F# is at the second fret. Don’t try to do this all at once. Take on one step at a time and before you know it (maybe a week or two if you work on it every day) you’ll know the entire fret board.
You’ll need to apply these examples to different keys and different positions. Before we begin, here’s a tip on learning licks and using them. You should take the time necessary to transpose all of the licks you learn to all of the other keys. The best way to do this is to know the root of the lick and to know the names of the notes on the entire fret board. We’ll investigate more about the roots of the licks as we go along. To memorize the notes on the fret board first find all the Es that match the first string open E. That would be the first string open, second string 5th fret, third string 9th fret, fourth string 14th fret, and fifth string 19th fret. The same pitch can be found as a harmonic on the 6th string at the 24th fret position and at the fifth fret position. Spend some time memorizing this and then add some other notes to it. For instance, the first string open, 1st, and 2nd frets are E, F, and G. Now go to the second string and play E, F, and G at the 5th, 6th, and 8th frets. Then go to the third string 9th, 10th, and 12th, etc. I think you get the idea. Once you feel confident about your command of these notes in the different positions, do the same thing with the second string notes B, C, and D. To get a sharp you just move one fret toward the bridge. F is at the 1st fret. F# is at the second fret. Don’t try to do this all at once. Take on one step at a time and before you know it (maybe a week or two if you work on it every day) you’ll know the entire fret board.
Pedal Steel Imitation 1
These are some of the coolest licks and the slickest sounds a lead player can show off. Sometimes I'm using pick and fingers in the picking hand. The fretting hand requires supporting the bend with trailing fingers and holding another string at pitch simultaneously. The accuracy of the bent strings pitch is of primary concern. You will need to practice this many times to get it just right. You hear something like this at the beginning of Linda Ronstadt's Silver Threads and Golden Needles.
Pedal Steel Imitation 2
Here's a similar lick. This time we are using all three notes of the chord. This makes a great fill sound when sustained. Notice the use of this lick in the variations. By taking the basic lick, you can arpeggiate or just change the order of the notes to create different melodies. Bends and returns need to be played in a mechanical fashion to imitate the mechanics of the pedals and knee levers of the steel guitar.
Pedal Steel Imitation 3
Although you heard this on some Dwight Yoakam upbeat tunes, this lick works well as a fill on slower songs as well. This is your typical sus4 sound. The primary lick illustrates the interval of a 6th. Sometimes it's good to vary this and use the entire triad as shown in the variation. In this lick, the bend is not supported.
Pedal Steel Imitation 4
Now it's time to link these ideas over changes. When the chord changes reflect a 1 to 4 or 5 to 1, this particular "walk up" (or "walk down" when the changes are reversed) comes in handy. This is definetly a cliché lick, but see if you can add something to this rhythmically or with arpeggiation to customize.
Pedal Steel Imitation 5
Here's a meatier sound. You may use this the same way you may use lick 2. We are still bending the second in to the third of the chord. This time the root and the fifth are below the bent instead of above. The bend is not supported here either. You'll be surprised how often you can go to this sound.
Pedal Steel Imitation 6
A great 4 1 5 1 move awaits you. This one's got double bends (both unsupported) and once you get this into your fingers you can add a slide. Remember, steel guitars slide as well as bend. I use this on fast songs as well as slow tunes. It has a classic country feel to it, but remember all modern music has its roots.
+ 45 more lessons
Reviews
20 results
guentherstangl
Verified buyer
08/08/24
50 Country Licks you must know
Great Stuff !
Dave58
Verified buyer
04/28/23
The real Twang
A wonderful introduction course with all the necessary licks and techniques to feel like a real country guitarist. An interesting addition of techniques to the Big Twang course. Joe is a great guitarist and a fascinating teacher. His approach are lessons that you quickly become familiar with. These licks are therefore not everyday examples, but just that little bit more. Great!
rem4444
03/13/23
Nice, nice!
Joe Dalton, you sure know how to play and you sure know how to select licks that start off easy and progress to more challenging. I'm pretty new at guitar and this is one (of many) course(s) that makes me want to play and practice. Great job!
Osokin
Verified buyer
01/18/23
Great Country Licks!
This is a great collection of top quality country licks, and Joe Dalton provides clear explanations as to how to play them. A very enjoyable course to work through, which will add lots of great techniques to your playing.
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