Rhythmic Variations and “Arkansas Traveler,” Part 1: Melody

from: Advanced Flatpicking Guitar with Scott Nygaard

This lesson is part of the course Advanced Flatpicking Guitar with Scott Nygaard.

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Learn the essential techniques of bluegrass flatpicking guitar through classic and lesser-known songs and tunes, from bluegrass blues to old-time fiddle tunes to country swing sounds.

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Home Sweet Home

In Part 2 of the lesson on crosspicking, you'll learn the first part of Scott's arrangement of "Home Sweet Home," which mostly uses the traditional 3-3-2 roll. Since crosspicking is usually used to play song melodies, it's a good idea to learn the melody of a song before tackling a crosspicking arrangement, so Scott starts by making sure you know the melody to "Home Sweet Home" and then takes the arrangement apart phrase by phrase (or roll by roll).

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Rhythmic Variations and “Arkansas Traveler”

Rhythmic Variations and “Arkansas Traveler,” Part 1: Melody

Rhythmic Variations and “Arkansas Traveler,” Part 2: A Part Variations

Rhythmic Variations and “Arkansas Traveler,” Part 2: B Part Variations

“Arkansas Traveler” Play-Along Track

Rhythmic Variations and “Arkansas Traveler,” Part 1: Melody

“Arkansas Traveler” is a must-know tune for flatpickers and all roots music musicians. In this lesson, you’ll learn a basic guitar arrangement of it and then Scott uses it to show you some different rhythmic variations, including rhythmic displacement and three against four phrasing. In this first video, Scott walks you through his arrangement of both parts of “Arkansas Traveler,” phrase by phrase.

"Arkansas Traveler" (Available to subscribers)

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