Getting Started with Flatpicking on Guitar

Learn the subtleties of bluegrass flatpicking guitar

In this path you'll learn the basic down and upstroke flatpicking technique that you know and love from your favorite recordings. First, we'll go over the picking hand movement and then you can use the interactive Tunefox tab for practice.

5 Video Lessons

1

FreeThe Foundation for Flatpicking - Downstrokes

Downstrokes with Open Strings

This lesson series focuses on picking hand technique for flat picking melodies on guitar.
2

FreeFlatpicking Step #2 - Upstrokes

Practicing Upstrokes with Open Strings

As you know, the upstroke is the opposite of the downstroke and it's an essential movement for building speed on guitar. For the upstroke, practice imagining the weight of your hand moving up thro...
3

Combining Down and Up Strokes

The Essential Technique for Speed

You've practiced both Down and Upstrokes individually, now it's time to put them together!
4

Flatpicking Practice Exercise #1

Two Notes Per String

This is a practice variation for you to play along with to help you hone your alternate picking technique.
5

Flatpicking Practice Exercise #2

One Note Per String

This is the final exercise in this series, where you'll practice crosspicking, or just playing one note per string.
6

BONUS: Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star

Practicing Down and Up Strokes

This tab will help you learn and practice the nursery rhyme, "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star." The tab is notated as all downstrokes for the first time through the melody and then switches to altern...

FreeThe Foundation for Flatpicking - Downstrokes

FreeFlatpicking Step #2 - Upstrokes