Solo Flatpicking Guitar taught by Rolly Brown

This lesson focuses on solo flatpicking guitar, both for creating interesting accompaniments for singers, and for playing solo instrumental tunes and breaks. Starting with a discussion of the mechanics of good right and left hand technique, you'll learn:
• 3 BASIC FLATPICK RHYTHM TECHNIQUES
• PLAYING A MELODY
• KEEPING THE BEAT
• CONNECTING CHORDS WITH BASS RUNS
• SYNCOPATED BASS RUNS
• CROSSPICKING AND ROLLS
• DEVICES FOR MELODY
• THE MIGHTY MIDDLE FINGER
• FLOATING AND ARPEGGIOS UP THE NECK
• FIDDLE TUNE EXAMPLES
90 minutes • Level 2 • Tab/Music material is on the DVD as PDF files
For details go to: www.guitarvideos.com/#!/Solo-...

[@saschaw.7251]

This is quite a usefull lesson, I have learned a lot. To often, the basic details are neglected. You are a good teacher. Thanks a lot!

[@KeithWarter]

100% agree. So many good tricks in this.

[@kennethpace9887]

I've been playing for 30 years and have never been able to use a pick. Finally bought a Martin and I'm determined to learn flatpicking. I hold Bryan Sutton in high regard and this is an expanded version of what he has said in other videos. Thank you, brother.

[@donaldstopp5781]

Thanks for posting, I needed this. With my right hand I was going at it 180 degrees opposite of what you show. I had the angles backwards. After watching this video I was instantly able to pick faster and more comfortably.

[@Tubularll]

Finally, an in depth lesson on right hand technique! Thank you, Rolly! Enormous help!!!

[@tomellis37]

In 8 minutes, you provided me with invaluable picking techniques that I'm struggling to master. Thank you SO much for such wonderful, to-the-point flat-picking instruction! Can't wait to start working!

[@incrediblesloth85]

This is great, I learned in 10 minutes what I was doing incorrectly for the last 5 years. I mostly grow up and punk heavy metal and rock and roll but also classic country Americana and Bluegrass and with me getting ready to start a Bluegrass project with some friends this is going to be completely invaluable information. Thanks for posting this guitar workshop

[@amandas1270]

eeek! if u have been practicing mistakes for 5 years u must be pretty good at them :) just kidding (or am i?)

[@nathanielstoppelman9630]

Joshua Fite that bluegrass project ever work out?

[@alan4sure]

@@nathanielstoppelman9630 apparently not.

[@spanishflyevh9606]

Dear diary.....

[@emersonhixson4228]

Have you heard of Billy Strings? I've been playing more bluegrass after playing blues and rock for 15 years after listening to him alot. Great music

[@RandySchartiger]

Some of the most accurate info I've found online, great stuff!

[@fiddlinmike]

I’m 4 years late, but I have to agree... this is a great digest of all the best right hand advice I’ve seen after weeks of watching.

[@paulandlesson]

"my good friend Brian Sutton" you have some cred immediately. I have be using the phrase "relaxation and economy of motion" for over 25 years. Those exact words!

[@TomDurkin1987]

A lot of excellent tips for beginners here. Cant believe the difference using the side of the pick makes - so much smoother and easier to pass over the strings

[@99borwork]

This info. Is gold! All the guitarist in rock , country, blues, and classical. Know and implement this info.

[@rtcommodore9354]

Really good lesson: concise, precise, and helpful. Thank you for posting it.

[@bayrider2690]

Best instruction without the need for chords or notes yet. Purely technique.

[@epicfluffingfail]

excellent. Turning the pick so that on the downstroke the front edge strikes first makes the pick feel bouncy and effortless. Thanks.

[@davidfisher7995]

Excellent tutorial. Some invaluable advice for beginners. Thank you!

[@perryguitar1]

Great with some serious teaching!

[@jimstevens7584]

Thanks for the helpful tutorial. A few simple adjustments to my pick angle attack provided pretty quick improvement in speed and fluidity of my playing. Wish I’d learned this years ago.

[@JohnJones22856]

OK, so after struggling a bit to incorporate these techniques into my playing, I couldn’t help but notice on your demo that your wrist wasn’t arched, and the backs of your fingers weren’t resting on the pickguard either!

[@rodvanhoose9312]

Great tips. Right hand technique is the crux of playing all styles. This video is very very well done and certainly helpful. Thanks Rolly.

[@toddanderson9643]

Excellent. Clearly explained, With tremendous insights everywhere. Been playing 30 years And am now teaching my daughter. .. Would definitely recommend this lesson to her.

[@angelialvares]

what an authentic sound, the way you sing and play......the tips are truly appreciated but I loved the last part most of all..

[@RobertoDallaVecchia]

Mine of gold, thank you Rolly!

[@rostmaier]

a lot of details, verry helpful, you are a good teacher my friend, thank you !

[@MyBoyMurphy1681]

what a fantastic video! thank you!

[@startraveler3157]

Excellent teaching. Thank you.

[@rickharris7786]

Thank you Rolly. I learned a lot. Really well presented.

[@spacemanspiff2012]

Excellent. Very helpful. That little guitar really sounds great too.

[@Spreadswings]

Very nice. Something basic which few instructors are able to teach. You nailed it.

[@user-yx7dp2pl8t]

I've just started this technique on a metal thumb pick, the greater range of sound is definitely heard with a tilted pick angle. i also found a new technique by playing a string and letting off into the next fret before lowers and dulls the sound and pressing into the fret infront raises the pitch and length of the note. i was amazed

[@littleblackcar]

Ah, this is JUST what I needed. I'm re-learning guitar from scratch after several years of not really playing, preceded by years of playing backup for square-dance bands. I have a lot of habits to unlearn.

[@kieransoregaard-utt8]

Good luck bro

[@Ariztid]

Immediate results! Best picking lesson on the net.

[@petmoxey2177]

Simple and straight to the point. Cheers 👍

[@fred-zt3vd]

Great stuff. Some people didn't realize what a valuable lesson this was.

[@tmarti3207]

This is just a way. He talks about downward pickslanting. But you could play upwardpickslanting or two way pickslanting. And even better than all those, crosspicking. Check Troy Grady channel if you want to learn about picking

[@brianreed9774]

Why do people put up such negative comments? Stop the criticism and open your mind to learning. Do you want the man to play the guitar for you? His friend Bryan Sutton is the best so you should listen...

[@allenronaldson4381]

Dude, social media has given people a license to bloviate and bitch about things without being accountable. Sports fans are ruining it for eve ruins else. Used to be, the only info you got after a game was an article by a beat reporter that covers the team, now you have Twitter, reader comments, and fan message boards, where people can vent. With music, and guitar players in particular its a bully pulpit to vent what basically amounts to jealousy. Have you heard the joke about how many guitar players it takes to change a lightbulb? Six. One to change the lightbulb, and 5 to debate how they could do it with more speed, clarity, soul, and flawless technique. Bluegrass players don't typically argue, but rock players, in particular the shred heads.

[@GlennFarrow]

Excellent introduction to the basics of proper flatpicking technique.

[@kieransoregaard-utt8]

Thanks for your input

[@gitzilla2000]

Great stuff Rolly! Thanks!

[@DennisMike]

Excellent teacher!! This was very clearly explained. Thank you!

[@cdntrd759]

Thank you very much !! Great Lesson ! and nicely presented and explained !

[@algorhythmy]

Great info on the different picking angles! Thanks for posting :)

[@Curitibaas]

Great teacher and very useful!

[@JasonFerguson1283]

Great video. Always learning… Thank you!!

[@peonwarrior]

Essential lesson here!

[@danbromberg5909]

Great tips, thanks! It would be helpful if you had a bulletized checklist available but am about to prepare one as a memory jogger.

[@jesuschrist2373]

Very great lesson.

[@cratecruncher6687]

Nice! Great teaching skills. There was a lot of information packed into 11 minutes of video.

[@sonja_rademacher]

Very well explained, thank you very much!

[@colleencorbett7282]

Thank you just turning that pick helped a lot .

[@Indygranite]

Excellent video! Thank you.

[@nmitchell2458]

Tom Mitchell - Thanks for for the great tips on flatpicking. I was also very interested in your fingerpicking style. I been trying to play Hesitation Blues for a while and my progress is really slow. Can you do a lesson on that in the future? Thanks again.

[@johnpeterson5354]

Excellent lesson!

[@HankWright777]

Great teacher.

[@davidg22100]

Great Lesson, thank you!

[@paulandlesson]

just started video. Beautiful guitar!

[@brianbillings6815]

The right hand picking techniques are great information, seldom taught!

[@roberteberhart1139]

I wanted to learn flatpicking for 40 years. Watched this video and decoverd it's just picking. And I've been doing it for 40 years. I feel stupid now😜

[@kieransoregaard-utt8]

Cool story

[@Bavinee]

Thank you so much!. This is very helpful indeed.

[@Gainule]

Fantastic, thanks so much! Love, Louise in London x

[@InstruMentalCase]

The third angle in regard to Bryan’s playing is discussed in greater depth in Troy Grady’s bluegrass KZbin video. Apparently, he predominately plays runs with an upward angle, as opposed to what’s demonstrated here.

[@bobclaymier9050]

Rolly this is Bob Claymier from Clark Hall at Kent State. This is another great video. Thanks for all you do to help others learn. Your videos are always great. Hope you're doing well.

[@kieransoregaard-utt8]

Nice to meet you

[@jessicafalstein]

excellent, very helpful. thank you!

[@charlesschmitz8498]

That's a good lesson !

[@stillybrings6251]

Really appreciate this information. Very helpfull

[@stevenjgw9]

Thank you for an excellent lesson. The thing behind the nut is not a capo it is a device that clips over the strings to hold them in a straight line through the nut to stop the strings jamming at the nut. This helps with staying in tune; I saw this on You Tube the other day.

[@jasonslayton2970]

It is absolutely a capo

[@haviskam]

Very helpful. Thank you.

[@amandas1270]

this discussion on technique helps immensely! tnx 4 sharing. iam pretty much a beginner, but have been playing long enuf to understand these concepts. i mean, the economy of motion thingy really makes sense... once at a jam i ask a good flat picker how can he play so fast? he said "u have to play slow to play fast" hmm? it dint make sense then, but it does now:) if we play too fast B4 we're ready... it only gets sloppy

[@ricknoorlander9129]

great...incredible

[@kmiloxix]

Thanks, I think these are great instructions 👍🏼👍🏼

[@lennardbonapart5266]

You rock!

[@thespiritof76..]

You did flatpickin a solid👍🏻

[@demolitionwilliams7419]

Man this was useful. More please

[@allenronaldson4381]

Too all the mopes complaining about there being too much talk, there is this thing called "free will", it will allow you to stop reading and move on to playing HALO or Candy Crush. It's really cool, check it out. All the kids are doing it!

[@jameswagner549]

I' m a little late to the party but where I come from the "talking" is call teaching.

[@buddyollie180]

ram 40 good point

[@ThoseWhoDare]

Most kids today dont have the patience to learn how to play instruments. Poor them ... They are so techo-stressed

[@jesuschrist2373]

+ThoseWhoDare 18 year old reporting in, yes we still play guitar.

[@sunrisesunset7]

Play first, then talk. If you suck, we can move on.

[@toddbrooks1548]

Great info, thanks.

[@adamjbond]

Good task analysis.

[@webadage]

Excellent instruction. Unfortunately, when I click on the link for the full 90 minute version it says the page is no longer available???

[@MrXanxabar]

Great video!!!

[@14thetruth]

Nice contribution to peoples picking educatioin. Thanks. B.

[@TheNightbird78]

That thanks you , it's so help full to me

[@jimquantic]

Thank you very much

[@girliedog]

excellent instruction, picked up some tips

[@cburns3256]

Rolly's the best !

[@janepritchard9201]

Very good clear lesson. I would have liked to learn how to play the song though.

[@SuperWeedPower]

important lesson for all players!

[@dr05guitar]

good stuff, thx!

[@pressedearth9492]

Thanks man. Winfield, Here I come.

[@musik102]

All you should ask is...what did Django do?

[@johnsmith-uh1gs]

I see what looks like alternate picking in the video. Guess I misunderstood what flat picking is. Thanks for posting this video.

[@leggoego]

Yup, alternate picking is done in the flat picking style.

[@stillness984]

Very helpful. Thx.

[@moreme40]

I saw Brian Sutton in person. What a monster on guitar

[@nanciannecianci1784]

Everything Rolly states is true about Bryan Sutton's technique with one major exception. In actuality, Bryan keeps his pick inside the strings on the upstroke. He aims for a rest stroke on both the down and upstroke and does NOT suggest that the upstrokes go up and outward. In his videos, Bryan suggests that the down and up strokes remain even.

[@alokebanerjee1990]

great ... i got instant result.

[@qwertylang108]

Okeyyy. He actually makes 2 way escape as wall as 1 way escape with land on upper string if you look closely. And he keeps his wrist absolutly relaxed

[@robbylee1074]

Yo this is very useful!

[@betrayed_edu_pro_wh_loser7002]

When discussing angles of the right hand, you suggested slightly arching the right wrist. Throughout the entire video, I did not observe you doing this. It appeared you broke your wrist in the other direction (cupped).

[@Since-UniqueOriginalPersonaliz]

Thanks, Rolly. So few good videos on RH technique. I've been playing for 100 years, and only recently realized how much I've neglected the basics. We met at Steve K's Flatpicking Camp in 1998 - I know, I know - ancient history. Looking forward to watching more. Steve G

[@Mrfailstandstil]

Хорошее видео=)

[@bndeyo]

I'm an ok finger picker, but always been a mediocre flatpicker, which I need to work on, due to a long dormant but newly resurgent desire to play HotRod Lincoln on gigs...I really did learn useful stuff from this ..... but there's this one nagging problem... as near as I can tell, I STILL need to ....like... put in time practicing....do you concur, or am I doing something wrong?

[@esgatch]

When I'm flat-picking, I use my small finger as a brace on the pick-guard.

[@guitarreilly]

steve gatch I use my penis

[@thegratefulbrad3072]

I use my small finger for nose picking.

[@mannymccash9660]

me too - I don't agree with his advice about where to put the back of the picking hand fingers - I'd be interested to hear what Doc Watson, Tony Rice et al did for that

[@alan4sure]

@@guitarreilly that explains your lack of popularity.

[@usernamemykel]

Bryan suggests NOT to have a flexible (picking hand) thumb knuckle? I know that Steve Kaufman advocates that it be allowed some flexibility. Please respond. Thank you!

[@startraveler3157]

He said at 2:08 the backs of the fingers rest on the pickguard. His instructor told him that the back of his fingers keep connected on the pickguard all the time. But if you watch him play, his fingers are NOT in constant contact with the pickguard.

[@MtnLiner]

That bastard !!

[@luckyjinxer]

Wish I had this. Learned alternate picking by trial and error.

[@Ant_Man211]

That’s the funnest way to learn

[@geauxtiga1]

@@Ant_Man211 helps you develop your own technique as well

[@jeremysaum693]

Good tune at the end! What song is that?