Country Guitar Primer Pt. 1

By: Scott Gilliam

Posted in: Guitar Basics

What constitutes country music these days certainly warrants a discussion. What isn't up for debate, is the fact that country music of all eras features some of the best guitar playing one could ever hope to hear. From the fingerpicking mastery of Chet Atkins, to the chicken pickin of Albert Lee, to the pyrotechnics of Brad Paisley, country guitar has something all fans of the instrument can dig into. The country guitar genre is so vast, one could be confused as to where to begin. It's like saying - "I want to learn rock!" This lesson will cover some basic concepts to get you going, and in future installments we will dig deeper into specific licks and styles.

The first area to cover is basic open position chords. Chances are most of you know these, but what might be new to you is some traditional country rhythm guitar patterns.

Ex.1 is a Carter family inspired rhythm in the Key of C. The bass notes tend to fall on the strong beats (1 & 3 ) while the higher notes of the chord ( melody & harmony ) fall on the weak beats (2 & 4).

Ex.2 is an expansion of that idea with an alternating bass pattern. This is known as the "Boom Chuck" rhythm and you'll recognize this sound in many songs by the legendary Johnny Cash.

Ex.3 adds some more bass notes to connect the chords together in a I-IV-V progression in the Key of C ( C-F-G). I have also added some 8th note strums to the treble strings to make the accompaniment more lively.