How to FINGERPICK like Billy Strings. (doc's guitar tutorial)

With Tab! Billy Strings is one of the foremost flatpickers of our time, and I don't think there are too many folks out there looking to dispute that. One aspect of his playing though that's too often overlooked his jaw-dropping fingerstyle playing. Today I want to take a look at his arrangement of Doc Watson's tune, "Doc's Guitar" - from a live recording May 25th, 2024 at the Armory in Minneapolis, MN - and hope to give you some insight into the ways in which he not only pulls from the folk tradition, but also how he pulls away from it.
If you want to download the TAB, join up at the Dusty Level on the Patreon!
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[@NagoyaHouseHead]

This is also clearly the inspiration for Dylans Don't Think Twice Its Alright

[@MehrunesDagon552]

Yes they sound extremely similar

[@samuelhatman8995]

All of us... all of us... are genuinely self-effacing. You tabbed this thing for us, slowed it down, broke it into bite sized verbal pieces. That such sacrifice of mental and physical machination is never lost on this Doc and Billy finger style lover! Can I just mention a couple guys for your to enjoy? Pat Donohue and Mike Dowling. I've met both. Wonderful brothers in the craft and way out there on the edge of awesome for decades. They share our humility. Mike Dowling once held the start of his Workshop in St. Paul for an hour while I battled traffic from Mound Minnesota. My penance? Sure... Mike sat me next to him at the chalkboard and tutored me as his back up to a tune of his he called Caravan. I am modest and humble now for life. Awesome video!!!

[@kostringworks]

Thanks for the kind words and suggestions! I am very familiar with both those guys. Would love to get them in for an interview/lesson sometime. So amazing.

[@kmac2134]

Thanks for making this video. Great job! Up to speed this tune is really daunting, but your breakdown makes it seem (almost) attainable for we mortals.

[@kostringworks]

Totally! It’s so doable!

[@als1023]

Excellent Video ! Great tab and demo,, Billie would laugh out loud , if he saw this video. He is not that far from his Traverse City roots ,, Loves and appreciates his fans , everyday.

[@kostringworks]

Ha! Thanks dude! I hope he’d get a kick out of it, but I’m sure glad you did too!

[@pecosnick45]

Definitely want to see more finger style and banjo tunes from billy.

[@kostringworks]

Dude for sure. The stuff he's doing on this piece totally seems banjo informed too. Absolutely mind-bending to get my right hand around at first.

[@floatingcoffin]

Mach 1 speed was almost exactly "When the Night Comes" by Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys. Think he said his dad wrote it. Awesome song check it out!

[@kostringworks]

Ha, I will! Yeah it amazing to me how much the speed changes thing!

[@nilspeereboom3000]

Nice!

[@kostringworks]

Time to shred!!

[@alexhaugen7530]

Hey bro, love the video, do you have a tutorial on the song you played at 2:35? Sounds great

[@kostringworks]

The Doc Watson version? I do actually have that one tabbed out over in my patreon. Haven’t made a tutorial video of it though. Be a fun one!

[@alexhaugen7530]

@@kostringworkscool what the name of that song it sounds so familiar

[@gerrynelsonmusic]

Do you mean Heart and Soul? It's what everyone plays on piano.

[@elginphelps5291]

There are plenty of pickers world wide who can do this. Billy knows. He doesn't trumpet his talent. He remains humble.

[@holzhausholz8215]

Is it possible to play Doc's Guitar too fast? 🤔 Great analysis of Billy's cover- thanks!

[@kostringworks]

I’ve yet to see it! Thanks bud!

[@dustinroadway6108]

are you in MN.

[@kostringworks]

Yup! Up in Duluth.

[@dustinroadway6108]

Cool im from Rochester. Own a house close to downtown.

[@firecrackerheart]

fantastic-and with tab! niiice .. . it never ceases to amaze me, the annoying and unfortunate vitriol billy receives from a segment of the bluegrass community. he's unconventional, yes, but an amazing and a unique voice in modern music-above and beyond genre....... billy strings is a stellar guitarist, songwriter, and musician .. .

[@kostringworks]

Totally. Seems most folks that are ahead of the game get the most grief!

[@CorneiliusLibowitz]

Otherwise known as Grassholes...

[@monoped8437]

i don't think i've ever heard billy called underrated

[@VictorVectorMusic]

Fingerpicking means not using a plectrum.

[@kostringworks]

Precisely!

[@JustBurnOil]

Billy strings is a flat picker

[@russsalsman3512]

Lifelong finger picker and I always use a thumb pick. Sounds tighter than a thumb.

[@joshwalowe756]

Tommy Emmanuel's version is even faster