Bluegrass Rhythm Guitar; Complex Simplicity, Do the least, groove the most, rhythm guitar lesson

Want a free bluegrass rhythm guitar video lesson? Click here: alexgrafmusic.com/free-video-...
Accelerate your bluegrass guitar journey with me: www.skool.com/alexs-acoustic-...
In this episode of guy with guitar talking I’ll tell you all about bluegrass rhythm guitar and how I approach it. Don’t take it from me, listen.

[@hypoflipzy1157]

Another great video! You are the best bluegrass guitar teacher on KZbin and I’m so thankful you continue to share this knowledge for free.

[@alexgraf8417]

Very kind! I’m so glad you’re getting something valuable from the videos. Cheers!

[@johnnylayton1672]

Yes thank you! This lecture was perfect timing for me. The more I learn about bluegrass guitar the more I am recognizing its vital role in gently defining & articulating the chord progession behind the driving beat, lyrics & melodies of a bluegrass tune.

[@alexgraf8417]

Absolutely

[@leakingmud]

Never stop doing this man, I’ve been learning so much licks in bluegrass cause of you bro. Thank you on some real shit bro. Never stop.

[@alexgraf8417]

🫡🫡🫡

[@Schwoaz1909]

Thank you man! Im from Austria and no one knows something about this great music. I‘m so grateful for your lessons. 🙏🏻

[@alexgraf8417]

Very cool. Thanks so much! I'm glad you found it valuable.

[@BrandonBunch-ft3ww]

Alex, that quote “Do the least, Groove the most” should be on a t-shirt! Love the videos man!

[@alexgraf8417]

Haha heck yea. Thanks!

[@JPMGuitarPicker]

I was in a jam session about a month ago and I started to get carried away playing rhythm. The guy next to me looked at me and said “Dude, I can’t hear the soloist!” I was very thankful for him saying that.

[@alexgraf8417]

That’s a wake up call! Haha.

[@JPMGuitarPicker]

@@alexgraf8417 And it was from a banjo player!

[@MP-td2qd]

Your passion for bg guitar is contagious man ❤

[@alexgraf8417]

That’s what I like to hear!!

[@nicolasmayrand7157]

​​​@@alexgraf8417 i am new in bluegrass i just bought a brand new d 18 , what kind of setup you would reccomend for easy playing and à good tone regard of the nut or bridge (sanding or not ) action ,strings and picks thank you bro !!!!

[@alexgraf8417]

@@nicolasmayrand7157 I play with the lowest action without string buzz. Daddario XS medium

[@makeitcount179]

Heh! Alex Evenmore, you are worth much more than a grain of salt. Appreciate y'all. I like your music chat; describing the what the why the how do you do. Active listening, thats key for me. Really thankful you did this.

[@alexgraf8417]

Cheers!!

[@Danspielmanmusic]

👏🏻 👏🏻 👏🏻 love your videos man! Keep ‘em comin!

[@alexgraf8417]

🫡🫡

[@BanjoSamurai]

Easy and approachable with respect for the genre but not rigid into someone’s definition of it. I already take lessons from my BG guitar idol, if I didn’t, your approach is one I would be drawn to. Cant wait to see some more advanced BG chord theory, syncopation, and real time improv instruction from you. Keep up the good work.

[@alexgraf8417]

Thanks! Keep on keeping on!

[@kennethrobinson6771]

Thanks you ,,,👍great stuff

[@alexgraf8417]

Cheers!

[@BulldoggerJK]

Love this! Years ago I think I was watching a Mark Shatz video and he showed you all these cool runs and at the very end he said BUT if you’re playing bluegrass you should keep it simple and stick to the 1 and 5. That stuck with me. A good bass player is unnoticed until they leave. My goal is to play every instrument the way Barry Bales plays bass. You should make part 2 and talk dynamics. This was so good. Keep it up.

[@alexgraf8417]

Wise words!!! Absolutely spot on.

[@flatpickindan]

Great thoughts here. Thank you for the great content!

[@alexgraf8417]

Thanks Dan! I love your playing dude.

[@flatpickindan]

@@alexgraf8417 that means a lot from you! You are a monster on the guitar, love your style. 😊

[@ambroseharper8316]

This is great stuff 😊 👏

[@alexgraf8417]

Thanks!

[@Dlee966]

Cool video man. Keep em coming

[@alexgraf8417]

Thanks!

[@chrisrosettidoubledown]

Awesome way to explain Bluegrass help save my life, bro. We don’t live too far so I’m sure one day. We will meet when I book at festival in CO I usually gig with Evan Ogborn from pretend friend

[@alexgraf8417]

Ha thanks! I'm sure we'll cross paths here soon. Cheers.

[@manuelborrego1616]

Don’t get yourself stuck showing people licks n how to. You have so much soul go rip man. At the same time you have a talent for explaining your thoughts

[@alexgraf8417]

Cool thing about it is that teaching and playing are not at odds with one another. For me, they go hand in hand and only act to elevate the other. Yin and Yang. Cheers.

[@jeffreywinsor350]

You're a great teacher, Alex. Keep them coming. I'd love to see some of your technical exercises. I don't know about others but my practice is part technical and part music. Sometimes you have to grind technique in order to get to a place to express ideas musically.

[@alexgraf8417]

Hey Jeff! Great to hear from you!! I’ll work a video up.

[@StarDarkAshes]

Obviously, there’s a little bluegrass background there, but the rhythm playing of Bob Weir when you’re talking about not getting in the way of the other players and sort of just falling to the background except when needing to annunciate he is pretty darn good at that. A lot of times when I used to listen to the Grateful Dead, it was hard for me to pick him out of the mix because he was so good at blending in with all the different sounds. Now, when I listen, I can really hear what he’s doing. Where is before? I really had to listen to hear what was him and not Some of the other players because he plays right in the middle almost becoming part of every other sound. If you listen to some of the isolated tracks of him playing rhythm and there are a few on KZbin it almost sounds strange. The first time I listen to his isolated playing, I almost thought that there was something wrong.Now that I’ve really listened to a lot of his playing consciously. I can appreciate more of his whole take on rhythm playing

[@alexgraf8417]

You are so spot on with this!!!

[@jonhart-dj7fn]

cool!

[@gratefuldawgs2738]

nice work man! ive gotta get a D-18 fast 😉😄

[@MrMikeonio]

Super engaging and interesting videos! Love your passion, it’s contagious, made me pick up bluegrass a few months ago and I’m super grateful i stumbled upon your channel. As a request, any tips on muting strings when flatpicking? I struggle with orphan notes ringing out and it generates a muddy sound that I’m trying to get rid of. Keep it up love the content!! 🎉

[@alexgraf8417]

Thanks! That’s great to hear. It really depends on what strings we’re talking about and when. Are you talking about when playing rhythm or picking? Will you describe it a bit more?

[@MrMikeonio]

@@alexgraf8417 Mostly picking is what I’m worried about! Especially with the high strings, when going through runs down to lower strings I struggle to keep things clean. I was wondering if I should use my right hand to mute with my palm or my left hand and sort of lightly mute as I go. Hope I cleared things up! I’m using Earthwood Rock&Blues 10-52s btw. Thanks for the reply! Saludos desde españa! ✨💃

[@alexgraf8417]

@@MrMikeoniogotchya. Yeah I wouldn’t really recommend trying to mute so much with your right hand (assuming you’re right handed), rather you should just work on accuracy with that hand. If you’re going to mute at all it would be better suited for left hand, though again, accuracy of right hand is the bigger issue it sounds like. Might need to slow down your picking for a few days and just really focus on playing slow and clean.

[@MrMikeonio]

@@alexgraf8417 Thanks for the advice! Really appreciate it.

[@HomedogNik]

Inspiring stuff man, could listen to stuff like this for hours. Keep it up!

[@alexgraf8417]

Thanks!!

[@kelisonaraujo3602]

Oh, man. Can you make a list of these musicians you mentioned in the video. I'm new to bluegrass and I only know Tony Rice, Billy Strings and Doc Watson.

[@BanjoSamurai]

Clarence white is another. If you want to see what is possible with just a guitar and mandolin, check out the Thile and Daves album. Daves shines on that album. It’s a bit more rowdy than some of the old BG stuff. Also Jimmy Martin and Larry Sparks. They know how to rhythm.

[@alexgraf8417]

Bill monroe Flatt and Scruggs Stanley Brothers Reno + Smiley Red Allen Osborne Brothers The Bluegrass Album Band Johnson Mountain Boys Hazel Dickens New Kentucky Colonels Clarence White Blue Highway

[@MacHeath699]

@@alexgraf8417Another great rhythm player is Russ Barenberg. I had the good fortune to take a few lessons with him some years back, and when he played rhythm behind me I felt like I was being lifted up and carried along in the best way possible. Your analysis here is very insightful and articulate-thanks!

[@kelisonaraujo3602]

@@alexgraf8417 Thanks a lot.

[@dustindevinemusic]

Jimmy Martin was one the finest bluegrass rhythm guitarist of all time

[@WhyJesusWaits]

Love you videos Alex. Good work! What BlueChip pick do you use? What's your take on 'open fist' vs 'closed fist' when picking / strumming? I am a D-18 guy too :)

[@alexgraf8417]

Many thanks is! Awesome to hear you’re getting something from the videos! I tend to use closed fist a bit more when picking and open when strumming though I am not necessarilydogmatic about it.

[@tonalambiguity3345]

It’s funny how close gypsy jazz is to bluegrass guitar. So many technical and stylistic similarities. Also both have their origins in communal music for rural dwellers and vagabonds (one in the European steppes and one in the Appalachian backwaters). Any serious student of non classical guitar should be at least semi fluent in one of these genres.

[@alexgraf8417]

It’s that aural/oral tradition. Absolutely unmatched. Cheers.

[@Emmetgriffin9]

❤❤❤🎉🎉🎉

[@makeitcount179]

Is " Pine Mountain Railroad" on the bluegrass map?

[@alexgraf8417]

Don’t really know em