Sittin' On Top of the World Guitar Lesson - DOC WATSON STYLE

[@PaddyByrne931]

Some day I hope to be able to play this

[@kanamugirechristian9527]

What a blues groove 🥰 I can't get enough of it ❤️🤞

[@zenji9550]

Awsome lesson, you r good teacher.. Just finish my lesson both deep river blues and sitting on top the world... Love it , cheer..

[@Andy_Fallon]

Amazing! I loved learning Deep river blues with you (took me 4 months), but now feels really easy to play. I really hoped you would add this Doc Watson classic. I look forward to spending another few months in your company again. :)

[@Veggie_Tray]

You learned it yet? 😂

[@Andy_Fallon]

​@@Veggie_Tray Hey Ryan, I certainly did! I've also just learned how to play 'Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright'. John is a great teacher.

[@realhacky5789]

@@Andy_Fallon Same!! I learned the Billy Strings version of 'Don't Think Twice, It's Alright'. Super awesome song on acoustic

[@normanwylie1530]

Thank you! The black mountain picks are great! I really appreciate your lessons. You are well paced and explain actions very well

[@BluesGuitarInstitute]

Glad the lessons help, Norman. Play on!

[@whs4754]

Thank you for this. I like the way you teach and have been looking for good instruction on this tune.

[@BluesGuitarInstitute]

Thanks so much! Hope it's helpful to you. - John

[@johnnyrocker7495]

Great John, always a pleasure. Much respect from Donegal, Ireland.

[@BluesGuitarInstitute]

Many thanks!

[@bestself2438]

This was in my feed and I heard of Doc Watson once before so I clicked on it. I instantly loved it. I am not a great player by any means but I have been at it a while. Just by dumb luck I can play this almost instantly. It's very slow and easy. I leaned a song once called Windy and Warm (Tommy Emmanuel's version) and its much more difficult but almost exactly the same type of picking as this (but Windy and Warm is way faster). Anyway, thanks. I suck at guitar but I can play the hell out of this kind of thing and learn it as fast as you teach it, which is very rewarding. I think I am a good example of the Dunning-Kruger Effect (only on the good/competent side of that equation). I have also played a tune called Little Martha which is in this same tuning so I'm used to it. Train Whistle...I love it.

[@danielfox2290]

Legend John! I was only thinking last night that I want to learn this song and “I wish John had a tutorial on it”. Thanks!

[@BluesGuitarInstitute]

Woah! That is crazy 🤯

[@MyDadWasALifeguard]

Doc Watson!

[@BluesGuitarInstitute]

Man he was great!

[@BeStill-zy5ye]

Nailed it

[@jordenmcgrath3175]

John! Thanks so much for this! Both your doc lessons are 👌 Cheers bro

[@BluesGuitarInstitute]

Glad you like them! What a player, every time I dig into his stuff it humbles me and after a ton of practice, I come out the other side much better at certain things.

[@GuitarguyRichard56]

I play a much different version. This is great thou. Keep rockin

[@BluesGuitarInstitute]

That's one thing I love about this tune is just how many different ways it sounds great! Thanks for the comment. Cheers!

[@TheoPraza]

Banjo amateur here, about what you said at 30:27. Why not play the 4th string with the index finger? This question comes from a desire to meld finger picking guitar with scruggs style, is the index finger forbidden from playing bass? Disclaimer: I've been learning this without a thumb pick.

[@BluesGuitarInstitute]

The thumb usually picks the 6th, 5th and 4th strings as part of the alternating bass patterns. Part of the reason to use the thumb for this is that the 4th string bass is played on beats 2 and 4 and you can push through and play the third string along with it. You get that boom-chick sound happening (Merle, Tommy Emmanuel, etc). I think it would be hard to pick with the index finger because your picking upward and I think you'd lose the attack of the boom-chick sound. I guess the real answer to your question is that it's a very common picking style and has a great sound. But there are no rules, just common practices I guess and sometimes, I'll break my own convention to play strings with a different finger. But the thumb on 6, 5, 4 is my default setting...many others too. Great question.

[@donaldbeal2807]

Saw Doc twice way back when in NYC, one with Merle... he's been a favorite ever since. Maybe I missed it but I can find the link to the tabs you mentioned. I'm going to need them in order to find my thru this..

[@BluesGuitarInstitute]

That's great, Donald - I would have loved to see him play. The tabs are linked in the description to the video. There's a nice one on Ultimate-Guitar.com

[@michhaws]

Is anyone aware of a version of this tune with just the guitar and no vocals? I really loved the tutorial and after a few months I'm able to play along note for note through the point in the song where the tutorial ends - now I'm trying to learn it just based on listening to the Doc Watson version of the song but it's difficult to separate his (admittedly wonderful) voice from the guitar to make sure I'm playing it correctly. Any advice or assistance would be appreciated; I cannot speak highly enough of this tutorial.

[@kennethb.drinkard2010]

I think it a bit geeky that im watching this still in a beginner stage,when im still slow at bar chords and tripped by theory talk.

[@TroubadourAtHeart]

Will there be tab for this for members? Thanks!

[@udayanmustafi3963]

🎸

[@greenfox4362]

hard as Pantera's solos

[@xx-ev2sq]

just found your channel.. gone stay here for a while. great job

[@BluesGuitarInstitute]

Thanks and welcome!

[@dongriffiths3898]

Great lesson until I couldn’t find the tab link.😢😢

[@BluesGuitarInstitute]

Hey Don, there are three Tab resources linked in the description below the video.

[@dongriffiths3898]

@@BluesGuitarInstitute Thank you,got it!

[@chawkinz]

I get the feeling that Doc did not analyze every note - probably just winged it.

[@nicksilver_music]

Impressive picking, now sing and play it lol

[@RyeRyeShnatBat]

Talk way too much just sayin