I Am a Pilgrim, Part 1: Basic Melody

from: Advanced Flatpicking Guitar with Scott Nygaard

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

Get immediate access to this lesson and all of the lessons in this course when you subscribe.

Start Course
Browse Courses

About This Course

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.

Try a Sample Lesson

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).

Try a sample lesson

The Advanced Flatpicking Guitar Subscription Includes:

84 in-depth flatpicking guitar video lessons
Detailed tab/notation for all lessons
In-depth lessons on the styles of flatpicking masters Clarence White, Tony Rice, Norman Blake, and more with accurate solo transcriptions
67 complete tunes and/or solos
Lessons on learning the fingerboard geared toward bluegrass and roots musicians
High-quality video with multiple camera angles so you can see closeups of both hands in action
Play-along Tracks so you can practice what you’ve learned

$20/Month For One Course

Additional courses only $10/month each! • Save 20% with an annual subscription

Start Course

Get started now!
Use promo code ScottLand at checkout

and get your first month free or $20 off an annual subscription.

I Am a Pilgrim

I Am a Pilgrim, Part 1: Basic Melody

I Am a Pilgrim, Part 2: Clarence White Style

“I Am a Pilgrim” Play-Along Track

I Am a Pilgrim, Part 1: Basic Melody

The gospel favorite “I Am a Pilgrim” has been played by many guitarists in many styles. It was a favorite of fingerpicker supreme Merle Travis, and it also became a signature instrumental for Clarence White, who first recorded it with the Kentucky Colonels on Appalachian Swing, a recording that features some remarkable contrapuntal interplay between Clarence’s guitar and his brother Roland’s mandolin. It also demonstrated Clarence’s remarkable sense of timing and highly syncopated “vocal” approach to a melody. In this lesson Scott gets you started on a basic version of the melody (always a good place to start), and adds a couple chordal fill licks, so you get a good sense of the vocal phrasing of the melody and how it relates to the chords.

"I Am a Pilgrim" Basic Melody" (Available to subscribers)

Previous Lesson

← “Beaumont Rag” Play-Along Track

Next Lesson

I Am a Pilgrim, Part 2: Clarence White Style →

Previous Lesson

← “Beaumont Rag” Play-Along Track

Next Lesson

I Am a Pilgrim, Part 2: Clarence White Style →

Previous Lesson

← “Beaumont Rag” Play-Along Track

Next Lesson

I Am a Pilgrim, Part 2: Clarence White Style →

Guitar Articles

Fraulini Angelina

Fingerstyle blues virtuoso Mary Flower demonstrates her vintage-inspired flattop.

Guitar Videos

Andy Powers and Scott Nygaard: "Summertime"

Taylor Guitars master luthier Andy Powers stopped by with two new Taylor models for 2016. He and Scott Nygaard took them for a spin on the standard "Summertime."