Playing Bill Cheatum without a capo will require some 3 fret stretches and nimble shifting. Make sure to try and use a fret per finger in many situations. Use that pinky! There are a couple four fret stretches in the licks as well. For the crosspicking in measures 2 and four, use a partial bar to grab the A chord notes on the second fret. That will free up your other fingers and help to get a really smooth sound. All this challenge is definitely worth the effort. You can get some really amazing sounds and licks when playing this tune open.
