12 Tony Rice Licks That You Need To Know!

0:00 - introduction
1:26 - Lick #1 - Blues in Open G (aka “The Tony Rice Lick”)
2:43 - Lick #2 - The Basic G tag
3:37 - Lick #3 - G Blues Up The Neck
4:41 - Lick #4 - The “7-11” lick over Em
5:55 - Lick #5 - The “Me And My Guitar” lick
6:45 - Lick #6 - The “Minor-Mixolydian” lick
7:34 - Lick #7 - The “Old Train” intro
8:18 - Lick #8 - The “Major 7 Arpeggio” Turnaround
9:26 - Lick #9 - The “Roane County” lick
10:58 - Lick #10 - The “Syncopated Sliding Seven”
11:47 - Lick #11 - The “Triple Triplet” lick
12:41 - Lick #12 - The “Altered V Chord” lick
I own more Tony Rice albums than any other artist, a fact that might surprise some of my subscribers. Aside from perhaps Duane Allman, I can’t think of any other musician who has shaped my ideals of what music (and guitar in particular) should sound like. The deliberate and precise manner in which he sought to achieve his musical goals is the high water mark for me and countless others. Someone once said, “Tony Rice doesn’t have fans, he has disciples." I have certainly found that to be true in my experience.
With Tony’s death this past Christmas, we lost perhaps the greatest acoustic guitar innovator the world has ever known. Very few artists have left such a mark on music that they forever changed the way their genre would be remembered. Names like Coltrane, Hendrix, Ellington, Segovia, and Pastorius leap to mind, and indeed Mr. Rice deserves to be mentioned in the same breath.
The purpose of this video is to shine a spotlight on the tools that helped Tony create his legacy. Never before had a performer so singularly defined how the guitar should be played in a Bluegrass ensemble, and the material featured here is just a tiny glimpse into Tony’s world. I hope that viewers will enjoy the video and get something out of it. Now that Tony is gone, it will be up to us to keep his music alive by passing the torch to the next generation.
As always, if you enjoyed this video and feel compelled, donations are gladly accepted and much appreciated. No amount too small or large! My PayPal address is [e-mail]. Happy picking and long live Tony Rice!
#TonyRiceGuitarLesson
#MartinD28
#MartinD18
#1935Herringbone
#HendersonGuitars
#HendersonOM42
#TonyRiceLicks

[@reddvolkaert1374]

Awesome playing!!

[@VirtualWoodshed]

WOW! This is probably my favorite comment ever. I’m sure you don’t remember this, but I met you briefly at the national folk festival when it was here in Richmond years ago. You were very gracious and we talked telecasters for a few minutes. Made a big impression on me. I’m a huge fan of your playing! Thanks so much for the comment 🎶

[@jeffloewi5632]

FYI, Lick 2 came easy and I've even added to it but I've been practicing Lick 1 now for about a month, every day, 100 or more times a day. It has taken me forever to get it right and now I've almost got it up to speed. Practice, practice, practice. I've been playing since I was 8 and I'm going on 80, never too late to learn something new. Thanks.

[@VirtualWoodshed]

I love this, Jeff. Thank you so much for the comment and the inspiration! Keep on pickin’! 🎶😎

[@andysingletonefc]

Well done Jeff i’m 28 years behind you, i knew about Doc but Billy S has give me another chapter in my life, who’d of thought i love bluegrass, it’s challenging and tough and exciting 👍

[@mninblk7]

Well, I just turned 70 and picked up my guitar after almost 30 years. I know I can't expect to get to the technical level I would like to (Rice and Blake) but I am enjoying relearning and finding videos like this to help me raise my playing skills. Thank you! Awaiting your video on Norman Blake!

[@craigdouglasmartens7037]

Of all the greats from Clarence White to Billy Strings Tony had the most amazing gift for innovation and tonality. They are all my heroes, Clarence, Tony, Doc Watson, Bryan Sutton, DanTyminsky, Ron Block, Sierra Hull, Molly Tuttle, Sullivan Tuttle, Marcus King, Chris Eldridge, Russ Brandenburg, Eric Weissberg and so many other great young players coming through. Your tutorials have helped and inspired me in a land bereft of bluegrass pickers other than the great Wiam Orro,, Sez Adamson and the late Hugh Cumming. Please keep 'em coming! Best regards, Craig Martens from KwaZulu Natal, South Africa.

[@davidtobin6563]

I can't give a bigger compliment than Redd Volkaert but this is the best compilation of Tony Rice licks I've seen, complete with solid theoretical explanations. I've been trying to capture some of the minor pentatonic sounds Tony played which you so beautifully illustrated in Lick number one, but I didn't realize he was adding things like major 7th arpeggios which I just learned you can do over both minor (3 half steps up) and Dom 7 chords (one step down), and of course that helps explain how Tony got such a sophisticated sound out of his bluegrass runs. Well done!

[@BrettPenza]

This is tremendous. Book 3 of the Bible right here!!!! Thanks for this. Tony Rice Iconic!

[@5150show]

Another reason why I love this channel

[@ccor9582]

A great breakdown of Tony Rice's brilliant playing

[@kemikalsound902]

Awesome! not a lot of talking...getting straight to the point. I wish more people did it this way. Subbed

[@jcsmith9518]

Wow! I needed that inspiration and demonstration. Great stuff here. Thank you sooo much.

[@nickgehmanproductions]

this video is great! trying to unlock some of tony's playing is really difficult, and a video like this makes it really accessible. thanks!

[@mackmor]

Great tutorial! Using the Slo-Mo feature is a huge help on Bluegrass licks in particular. For those who may have never used the Slo-Mo feature it is located at the bottom right of KZbin videos and looks like a cog wheel. When you click it you'll see "Playback Speed" and you can slow it down to .75, .50 or .25 of normal speed. Invaluable!!! ENJOY!

[@VirtualWoodshed]

Thanks for that. Yeah the tool has changed a bit since I made the video. Glad you enjoyed it!

[@davidisenberg125]

thank you for a neet lesson into the style of the greatest flatpicker i ever heard.....i knew danny gatton and roy buchannon but always was blown away by tony rice .....

[@JulienFoucaut]

Man thank you very much ! Always good to learn new tony rice licks! We want more vidéo of Tony rice licks !!🤩

[@stevengrinold3203]

Recently discovered your channel! Thanks man, this is great stuff!

[@Hsandov8175]

These are all gems. Thanks

[@kenvickers3752]

Thanks...played clean and at a speed that is learnable...great sounding guitar also.

[@prettyboyfreud]

I love that you pointed to the KZbin controls…

[@georgenourse2328]

Really good stuff!!! Thanks so much for making this available. It shows that you are truly a pro. Thanks again for sharing !!

[@VirtualWoodshed]

My pleasure! Just trying to pay it forward a little bit. Happy picking!

[@kansasblues]

You make it look easy, thanks for this!

[@randywilliams_songs]

Excellent job! Thanks so much!

[@rogerwatterson2648]

Excellent job. Thanks

[@clstrat837]

Great video lesson. Thank you for posting.

[@planetearth391]

Thank you, there's a lot going n there that pickers can take away with lots of practice!

[@Cape5string]

That collection of Tony records in the back is sweet! Good video man, one of the best Tony lick videos I’ve ever seen!

[@VirtualWoodshed]

Thanks!

[@gregfabb869]

Great kesson thank you. Slowly working my way through. New to flatpicking so strating off with building some licks and strumming patterns. Had to slow to .25 speed to get the pick direction on the first one. 😂. The hammer on bit confounds me.

[@cebastianlayneOffical]

Great work !!

[@jeffreyogden8802]

Fun stuff! Great video. Thx.

[@billlowe6883]

Excellent.

[@devanhansonmusic]

Amazing video! Love the info before the licks ✌️👍🔥

[@VirtualWoodshed]

Thanks! Glad you caught that.

[@MrSachtleben]

This is fantastic, I love the licks and how you play it at speed and then slow it down. You unleashed a blue grass lion. LOL

[@wilhelmrogue1]

Oh man glad i stumbled onto thid vid,, thks so much!

[@iloverumi]

great video and selection of licks

[@w.l.graves7228]

very excellent lessons thank you !!

[@EricMooreGuitar]

Outstanding video!

[@CatfishCounts]

Good stuff, Willie!

[@aaronburch1]

So Great!!! Thank you!!!

[@Mas4449]

Dope video, love tony rice

[@cadejones7880]

You get absolutely killer tone out of that guitar! Nice video!

[@Flat_Stanley]

A nice guitar helps but a lot of what you is in his fingers.

[@bender44444]

Awesome video thanks for the history in between the licks! Would love to see something like this on Norman Blake.

[@VirtualWoodshed]

I’ve been thinking about doing that, thanks. Please subscribe and stay tuned. ✌️

[@allenvinson]

Great job nice and clean

[@Dlee966]

Just found your channel!! Awesome stuff

[@quanotech3374]

Great video.. ty

[@TomSnediker]

You are awesome, sir Willie!

[@VirtualWoodshed]

🤘🎶

[@brianreed9774]

Hey man thanks for that video!

[@Bamagolfandguitar]

Great shit, my brother! You know I dig this stuff, so thanks for shooting me the link in Messenger. Stealing them right after I type this 🤘

[@kylecravens6501]

It's amazing how much of this is blues once you slow it down. Similar to how Robben Ford fuses blues and jazz so effortless, I think Tony could do the same with bluegrass and his other influences. These players have gotten to a level where they just obliterate the rules and barriers, yet they know the rules well enough to remain rooted in a structure/tradition - making their music both fresh and familiar.

[@nerse6363]

Great​ Lesson, Thanks​ Brother🤠🙏

[@VirtualWoodshed]

You bet. 👍

[@thomasjohnson4697]

Love the shirt.

[@defkind]

Great video, cheers

[@VirtualWoodshed]

Thanks!

[@matthooper5059]

very cool

[@williamhurrelbrink3324]

Learned most from 9 for sure. Beeeeeyouteeful stuff

[@franklinfolsom1]

Thank you!!! :)

[@FlyingV344]

thank you☼

[@StokesMusicStudiosOnline]

Yes sir!

[@baleksydon6517]

Nice playing!! Killer OM.

[@VirtualWoodshed]

Thank you! It’s a prewar OM-42 copy built by Wayne Henderson in 2008.

[@countryalexander7175]

Very good demo without a lot of talking.

[@roadrunnerzendejas333]

🙌🏾🔥

[@Saladzingers]

Great stuff, thank you. Lots to work on. I can get to about 80bpm and then it starts to fall apart…

[@hamdog8872]

Hell yea bruddah

[@concretecullen]

Thank you for this, brilliant content does anyone know the opening tune

[@andorrasrevenge1683]

Is that a Wayne Henderson? Nice. Oh and great great playing my friend!

[@VirtualWoodshed]

Yep sure is, and thank you!

[@jeremylrichardson]

These are great! I’m trying to get the first one cause it sounds really cool but I can’t decipher what notes I hear

[@j_gains]

Great content. You've made a new follower out of me.

[@752brickie]

Is that a Martin 000-42 ? Nice sounding guitar . Thank you for the great video !!!

[@VirtualWoodshed]

Thanks! It is a Wayne Henderson OM-42.

[@guitardoctordon]

Great stuff! #5 is very similar to Johnny Winter lick.

[@VirtualWoodshed]

Interesting observation. I certainly hadn’t thought of it in that context, but I kind of hear what you mean.

[@johnPiercey]

cool

[@dougmullinaxsr8020]

Great video , could you tell us what kind of strings you use please .i have been using 80/20 pb and was think i have to try those retro nb strings to get that blue grass Tony rice tone ?

[@VirtualWoodshed]

Hi Doug and thanks for the comment. I use Elixir light gauge PB nanoweb strings. I mainly use those because they last forever and being a musician for a living, that is important to me. If I'm recording in the studio I will use either John Pearse PB mediums or Thomastik-Infeld Plektrums in medium-light, depending on which guitar I'm using. Both sound amazing. Tony used weird strings. Nickel wound D'Aquistos I believe. I tried them once and really hated them! But you can give it a try and see what you think. I get all my strings at www.juststrings.com and they have an amazing selection. And no, they didn't may be to say that! lol. Best of luck on your tone quest!

[@bjohnson515]

Thanks!! The syncopation of Tony is tough to capture. This vid will help big time.

[@VirtualWoodshed]

Practice with a metronome if you can!

[@JeffWhittington1]

I think there are a lot of your followers who would like to see you explain and demonstrate using your phone and final cut pro to produce your multi-players videos. They are way cool and some of us old guys don't quite get it but, We want to. I bet you know good Flying Burrito Brothers selections too. Just a hunch.

[@VirtualWoodshed]

Thank you man! I appreciate the kind words. Although I think a video like that is beyond my ability to teach. And there are already so many great tutorials on KZbin about how to use that software. But I’m glad you are enjoying my content. And yes, I am a Gram Parsons fan.

[@chrislombardi8870]

Excellent video!! Do you have the tabs for these by chance? Thank you!

[@VirtualWoodshed]

Thanks! No tabs, sorry.

[@rockinrolltide]

@@VirtualWoodshed I'd pay for the tabs for this, I can't slow it down enough to follow.

[@SjaakShirly6559]

These are EXCELLENT TR licks! Some licks I have never heard before. Thank you! (ps. you don't have TABS for these licks I assume?)

[@VirtualWoodshed]

Not yet, but hoping to add tabs soon. Thanks for the comment!

[@SjaakShirly6559]

@@VirtualWoodshed I was so impressed by these licks you brought to us. I did make a GP file and tabbed them out for you. I you are interested, let me know. There are 2 or 3 licks that I am still try to write them correctly but other licks works out right well. Greetings from the Netherlands.

[@VirtualWoodshed]

@@SjaakShirly6559 wow! That is amazing thank you! Yes I am interested. Please send what you’ve got to [e-mail]. Many thanks from the US.

[@mgibby63mg]

@@SjaakShirly6559, that was very kind of you to do for him and us.

[@SjaakShirly6559]

@@VirtualWoodshed I just saw your reaction. Sorry. I will send you today what I have got.

[@younglord00]

know this isn't a duane lesson but just wanted to say it'd be really cool if you could make a video connecting duane's playing to his jazz influences. like specifically coltrane/davis licks that duane used & modal stuff they did that ended up in allman songs

[@VirtualWoodshed]

That’s an interesting idea. I’ll have to think about that, thanks.

[@gabrieln3613]

@@VirtualWoodshed Followed by connecting Duane's slide playing to Little Walter's harp playing! I am sure you have heard the Dickie Betts quote saying Duane always said his slide playing was hoping to capture and emulate the harmonica. I saw Duane in '71, the April Sarasota Robard's Arena Concert.....up near the front. I also played harp on some shows with "The Poindexter Band" (their photo is on the back cover of Dickie's first solo album "Highway Call") who backed up Dickie on that record. This is cool, I have always commented on your Duane Allman videos which are great. I grew up living literally on Highway 41 (Ramblin' Man reference) and still have family there who are friends with Dickie. Now Bluegrass, how cool. I did not meet Tony Rice but once had a cool jam session with someone in a band with his brother, in Florida. I started in Bluegrass on harmonica, did get to play festivals and be invited to sit in with Chubby Anthony, also to open for Doc & Merle in '76 (in FL with the Poindexter's) & in'78 in California. Also if you watch the video "from Doc Watson to Carl Miner"- Carl played in my swing band when he was 17/18 and we would hit it on some Bluegrass sometimes. He's been in Nashville quite a while now. Great to hear you playing this style as well as the Duane Allman licks.

[@VirtualWoodshed]

@@gabrieln3613 great stuff! Loved the stories, thanks much!

[@gabrieln3613]

@@VirtualWoodshed we all have our stories right! Did you ever meet or know Chris Anderson? Guitar player/singer, grew up where I did Gulf Coast Florida, I believe he's up in Nashville but did some playing with the Allman Brothers (The outlaws, Blackhawk, grinderswitch, Lucinda Williams, etc.). Easy to imagine you two have crossed paths? We went to high school together so I would play harp sometimes with their southern rock band in the mid '70s called Southern Express. He played the Dickey Betts parts and another friend played the Duane parts, They did the Allman Brothers material excellent, Even double drummers.

[@TrappedInANap]

Awesome! What's the tune in the opening sequence? Is it a Tony Rice tune?

[@VirtualWoodshed]

Thanks! It’s just some random Tony licks that I string together.

[@TrappedInANap]

@@VirtualWoodshed ah ok, love the minor vibe.

[@gianlucasacomani9904]

1,2,4,5,7,8

[@johnbourscheid9961]

Do you know if these licks or others like it are transcribed or tabbed out somewhere?

[@VirtualWoodshed]

Not a hundred percent sure. But I hope to have transcriptions available here in the near future. Thanks!

[@joshuabaker9611]

Hey virtualwoodshed do you have or know where i can get a copy of" the bluegrass suspects" album

[@VirtualWoodshed]

Hi Josh, I am not familiar with that one, sorry. But for any obscure or rare bluegrass recordings, I would try County Sales in Floyd, VA. They are really great at tracking down hard to find stuff.

[@joshuabaker9611]

@@VirtualWoodshed thank you!!

[@matteoanceschi3098]

Hi, great work! Can you share the Tabs? Thanks!

[@VirtualWoodshed]

Email me through my website and I’ll hook you up. www.williewilliamsmusic.com

[@ubuntu2382]

What's the song in the intro? Awesome video btw!

[@VirtualWoodshed]

It’s just me messing around with some Tony style licks over a Dm vamp. Thanks!

[@jaycob456]

What guitar is that? Sounds real sweet, almost like nylon string guitar.... (e- minor, I´d say :-)

[@VirtualWoodshed]

@@jaycob456 Wayne Henderson OM-42. Thx.

[@Flat_Stanley]

Does anyone know where this tab can be found? Until I get it down it would help a lot to not have to strain to see it in slo mo and keep replaying it to make sure I am playing it correctly!

[@lunar-ix9vu]

Record it on your phone, get an app that slows the speed of recordings, and learn it by ear. That’ll make you a better player and improviser.

[@Flat_Stanley]

@@lunar-ix9vu Playing by ear is great and all but having sheet music or a tab will get you going much faster. I have heard countless guitar legends, Vince Gill being my favorite talking about learning by ear listening to Chet Atkins and others and it taking forever. He and many others have said that if they had ultimate guitar or other tab sites, they would have made it to Nashville much sooner. I am sure there is value in only playing by ear, practicing a lot more probably being the big one, but there is a difference between good practice and practice where half of it is rewinding and spinning your wheels. I have been playing it at .25x and got it figured out for the most part tho

[@dudeimdudely]

In Lick 1 you use the 1st fret 2nd string but as far as I know it isn't in the open G scale. Would that be a blue note in that scale then?

[@VirtualWoodshed]

Yes. Flat 5. That lick is based in G minor pentatonic, not G major.

[@dudeimdudely]

@@VirtualWoodshedthank you! Been playing guitar for 12 years and just recently started learning scales and keys so it’s still quite a headache haha

[@JeffWhittington1]

What kind of camera and video editing software do you use ? That's my kind of music on your videos like You ain't goin nowhere

[@VirtualWoodshed]

Thank you! Just an iPhone and Final Cut Pro, nothing fancy.

[@JeffWhittington1]

@@VirtualWoodshed Thanks for sharing. I was going to try and do some stuff like that and liked what you have done. I will send you message when I get one cut with banjo, guitar. pedal steel , etc.

[@TMoody]

Hey man, where can I get the tab for this??

[@azcharlie2009]

Is that a Princeton Reverb behind you? Wish I had one....

[@VirtualWoodshed]

Yes it is. 1964. ✌️

[@azcharlie2009]

@@VirtualWoodshed Nice! And the guitar? An OM 28? I'd love to have both, but my playing skills don't warrant that kind of expenditure. (-: I'm in the Orangewood skill category.

[@VirtualWoodshed]

@@azcharlie2009 it’s a Henderson OM-42. Keep pickin’ 😎

[@azcharlie2009]

@@VirtualWoodshed Oh my! Well, it's beautiful. And, your playing is worthy...

[@jonprice3063]

Is that a Wayne Henderson guitar he is playing?!

[@VirtualWoodshed]

Yep!

[@bluegrasspointofview5191]

Look on the piano.

[@djw0051]

Sir, I am just curious... do you have tabs?

[@VirtualWoodshed]

Email me at [e-mail]

[@seanrandall9654]

Thank you, love the simplicity of this video and your playing is impeccable. I learned em all! But not all are quite up to speed. On lick 10 I can’t help but feel like the beat is reversed.. like the pickup should come in after beat 4 instead of beat 2. I guess that’s the syncopation. On lick 11 I can’t tell the meter or the length of the riff- that one has me a little flummoxed.

[@whiskeypunkfart239]

So basically most of these licks can be transcribed to almost any key??

[@VirtualWoodshed]

With a capo, yes.

[@jasonb7812]

Are TABS available yet please?

[@VirtualWoodshed]

Email me via my website. www.williewilliamsmusic.com

[@workdays8280]

Can't see the left hand

[@mikebastiat]

Cool licks. Too hard to follow without tabs.

[@rogermcgrady2019]

Not way you Lear fast he goes