The "Roll in My Sweet Baby's Arms" Lick

A piece by piece breakdown of an essential Earl Scruggs lick

This lesson series will teach you all the pieces of a classic Earl lick and show you how to put them together. You'll learn the Roll pattern that is being used in the lick, and add extra components in each lesson. We'll add a fretted note to the roll pattern in one lesson, examine and practice a technique such a hammer-on, pull-off, or slide, then add that slide in with the roll and fretted note. Each lesson will leave you with a usable version of this lick. The final lesson will of course be the full-fledged Scruggs riff.

1

Overview

This lesson series will help you learn an Earl Scruggs riff, we'll go step-by step and learn all the techniques necessary to play it. Earl had a broad vocabulary of licks that defined his style of ...
2

Rolling Along

The Forward Backward Roll

If you are not familiar with this roll then definitely spend sometime with it here. If you need to, hit pause and play one note at a time. Worry about playing in time after you can play all the not...
3

A Little Bit Can Add a Lot

Adding a Fretted Note to the Forward Backward Roll

Not adding anything wild here, just one fretted note being used in the roll. Remember to play at a tempo that's comfortable for you.
4

A Little Bit More

Adding Another Fretted Note to the Roll

Once again, altering one note in a lick can really change the sound. Use your first finger on your fretting hand to play both of these notes. This fingering is used to prepare your hands to play th...
5

The Blue Note

Putting the Blues into Bluegrass

Adding this note on the 3rd fret of the G string really changes the sound. It's what is known as a "Blue Note". It's a note that's not a natural part of the key. It's called that because these note...
6

Slide Rule

An Exercise in Scruggs Style Subtlety

The goal of this is to have your slide land on the third fret at the same time you pick the B string. This is definitely a "pat your head while you rub your tummy" type of exercise and is a key com...
7

Sliding in First

Adding the Slide to the Lick

If you struggle adding the slide to this lick, try a few of these things to help out:
8

Pulling. It. Off.

Preparatory Pull-Off Exercise

Sometimes, Earl's slides, hammer-ons, or pull-offs, would complete at the same time of the picked 16th note that would follow. Other times, he would complete them just before the next picked note. ...
9

The Whole Enchilada

An Official Scruggs Lick

Here it is folks, the moment we've been waiting for. If you struggle with any piece of this lick, go back and work on the part of the lick that is troublesome. If it's all troublesome, just go as s...
10

Saving the Best for (almost) Last

Playing the lick on the second half of a measure

So far, we've learned this lick at the start of a measure. As stated previously, Earl was just as likely to put this lick at the end of a measure as he was to put it at the start. This exercise dem...
11

Hurricane Scruggs

A Finger-Busting Exercise

If you want a little challenge, this should do it. Notice, as the first lick is completed, after the pull-off, you slide your first finger toward the back half of the 2nd fret to make room for your...
12

Practical Lick Application

"I'm Using My Bible as a Roadmap" as a Vehicle to Demonstrate Using the "Roll in My Sweet Baby's Arms" Lick in a Song

Check out this video to see this signature Scruggs lick in an action. Earl used this all the time. He'd use it on a G chord, going into a C chord, going out of a C chord, going out of a D chord, an...
13

Where to Next?

Scrugg Life, Baby!

If the Scrugg life chose you, check out a few of these tunes and lessons that focus on learning from the master. The songs start simple, without hammers, slides, or pull-offs. They can get even sim...