Woody Guthrie Guitar Tutorial - Part 1: Accompaniment

I've had some requests to produce a Woody Guthrie guitar tutorial video, ...so here it is. In it I teach the basic guitar technique that Woody Guthrie used when accompanying his singing, using chord shapes from the key of C (i.e., C, F & G7). These were the chord shapes that Woody used most of the time, although he often used a capo so that he could play these and sing in different keys (e.g., D and Eb).

[@Alex-rk5mo]

Fantastic lesson... people underestimate just how hard it is to be "simple"

[@JezsAcousticGuitarSongbook]

Thanks very much Alex!

[@aitorkevineteomba6431]

Probably one of the most beautifully explained guitar lessons I've ever watched. Thank you !

[@JezsAcousticGuitarSongbook]

Wow, thank you very much Aitor! 😊

[@peterfarrell66]

Very well done! Love how you also explain the background to his technique, building on Mother Maybelle and Jimmie Rodgers.

[@JezsAcousticGuitarSongbook]

Thanks very much Peter! Glad you like it.

[@stephengibert4722]

No BS, Just really good honest teaching!

[@JezsAcousticGuitarSongbook]

Thanks very much Stephen!

[@Curarkaig]

Over twenty years with my guitar and I never quite picked up how Woody Guthrie did it. I could make it sound close but something always sounded a bit off to me. I just happened to stumble upon your video today and now I’m getting Woody’s sound exactly right. In some cases, nothing will ever beat a simple demonstration. Thanks for the breakdown.

[@JezsAcousticGuitarSongbook]

Thanks very much! I’m glad you found this helpful - Jez👍

[@pebaker2]

Thank you for explaining the differences between Maybelle Carter, Jimmie Rogers, and Woody. They are the of my favorites, main influences, and I am so glad you pointed out those subtle yet striking differences. Much appreciated!

[@JezsAcousticGuitarSongbook]

Hi Philip. I'm glad you found that useful. Best wishes, Jez 😊

[@351c4v71]

Awesome lesson, thanks a bunch

[@JezsAcousticGuitarSongbook]

Thanks very much!

[@michealscolfield5535]

this is the best guitar teaching video online I have ever seen!!! this helped me so much, so thank you heaps!! If you ever did one of these on what Bob Dylan does and Hank Williams it'd mean a lot! I can't say enough how much this video helped me so thanks again!

[@JezsAcousticGuitarSongbook]

Thanks very much Michael! I'm pleased you found it useful. :D

[@benbam6519]

Thanks for the lesson. Very useful technique. I applied it, and it's wonderful.

[@JezsAcousticGuitarSongbook]

I'm pleased you're finding it useful - Jez

[@almorefame4147]

Dear Jez, my highly esteemed teacher... I am thoroughly enjoying this particular lesson in which there are at least two topics intertwined. Everything related to the history of 'bluegrass', so well explained and documented by you, has led me to, after doing some research on my own, play your lesson with thumb and banjo picks, just like Maybelle Carter used to do. This is the first time I write to you, but I follow many of your excellent classes that demonstrate the great talent you possess both in performance and teaching. With all my respects, thank you very much, a hug and greetings.

[@JezsAcousticGuitarSongbook]

Thanks very much for those positive words. Much appreciated. I’m really pleased you’re finding my videos useful. Happy pickin’! Best wishes, Jez

[@wighatsuperreggie]

This is a very clean, very simple, but universally important video. Totally nailed that sucker, thanks so much.

[@JezsAcousticGuitarSongbook]

Wow, thanks very much Rolf!

[@ozten]

Parts 1 & 2 are amazing! Thanks for the background on Maybelle Carter as well as the differences between Woodie's technique. Super helpful!

[@JezsAcousticGuitarSongbook]

Thanks Austin! I'm really glad you found them helpful. All the best, Jez

[@bobbymcgeorge]

I've been waiting for 20 years for this video - man I thank you

[@JezsAcousticGuitarSongbook]

Wow. I'm glad you've found it useful - Jez 😊

[@saam6768]

never learned anything so fast. good video mate.

[@JezsAcousticGuitarSongbook]

Thanks! That’s good to hear. 👍

[@michelemerson138]

Very well done.

[@JezsAcousticGuitarSongbook]

Thanks very much Michele!

[@LawrieFWhite]

Just gone back to this tute- I’ve been neglecting that basic strum (bass down up). Takes a while to bring it up to speed. Thank you so much.

[@MatthewEdwardsMr]

Incredible video, many thanks 🙏🏼

[@JezsAcousticGuitarSongbook]

Thanks very much Matthew!

[@quadoe]

Amazing! Best lesson I’ve seen yet I like the zooming in full screen it draws attention really well

[@JezsAcousticGuitarSongbook]

Thanks very much for those positive comments! Much appreciated. 😊

[@bertaga41]

very helpful. clear explanation.Thanks!

[@RocknRollSongbook]

Thanks! I'm pleased you found it useful.

[@lenowoodlawn8586]

Love how simple you explain things. I have been playing this style for awhile but still trying to improve the technique.

[@JezsAcousticGuitarSongbook]

Thanks Leno! I'm very pleased if you found my video useful. All the best, Jez 😊

[@hanveyhsiung3381]

I've long admired your uke vids. This was amazingly helpful in helping me parse what I was hearing on the recordings. I was trying to find a way to port it over to the uke so I could sing "Ship in the Sky' to my daughter, but I couldn't figure it out. Guess I'll have to learn to use a pick with the uke! Thanks again!

[@JezsAcousticGuitarSongbook]

Thanks very much Hanvey!

[@istvanxyl]

Great tutorial, clear explanations, much appreciated!

[@JezsAcousticGuitarSongbook]

Thanks very much! I'm glad you found it useful. I'm planning to produce another Woody Guthrie guitar accompaniment tutorial. There are two or three other picking and rhythm techniques that I've learned from his recordings. Mostly simple stuff, but really useful.

[@istvanxyl]

@@JezsAcousticGuitarSongbook that would be awesome, I'm still fairly amateur but love this style of guitar! Look forward to the next woody guthrie tutorial, Subscribed

[@hypewalliams629]

Absolutely fantastic, thank you so much

[@JezsAcousticGuitarSongbook]

Thanks very much Hype. I'm pleased if it was useful to you. 😊

[@jimsapp7969]

Thank you❤❤❤

[@vincentabbott8704]

Good lesson...thanks 👍

[@JezsAcousticGuitarSongbook]

Thanks very much Vincent!

[@uhoh007]

Nice job on this one :)

[@JezsAcousticGuitarSongbook]

Thanks!

[@livinlargeinva]

Leslie Riddle.

[@JezsAcousticGuitarSongbook]

A great man!

[@kevinmoores8603]

Hi Jez. Snap on the Martin 000! Nice lesson thanks. I play in a band doing mostly original material but someone suggested a Woody Guthrie song so I thought I'd check out his technique. Thanks. Great little video.

[@JezsAcousticGuitarSongbook]

Thanks very much Kevin! Woody's songs are very adaptable, and work very well in a band set up. Although I find that this bass picking technique can get a little lost when there are other instruments competing with it. :D

[@kevinmoores8603]

Jez's Acoustic Guitar Songbook We’re a skiffle band so it’s a pretty sparse sound with a focus on rhythm. We’re doing I Ain’t Got No Home In This World Any More which is in G and from how I’m hearing it from the recording sounds like it’s an open G (no capo) with very low bass notes. Quite tricky to pick out with my old ears!

[@JezsAcousticGuitarSongbook]

Great! I'm a big fan of skiffle, and often play it myself -- solo and in a group. You can't beat banging away on a three chord song! Whilst 1950s skiffle groups often played Woody's songs, there are some numbers they didn't seem to pick up on, like 'I Ain't Got No Home', 'Do Re Mi', 'Hard Ain't It Hard' and 'Blowin' Down This Old Dusty Road'. If you fancy a look, here's a video of my skiffle group from a few years ago: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qGnLqqB-aKijgMU

[@kevinmoores8603]

@@JezsAcousticGuitarSongbook That's probably my favourite skiffle song (especially The Vipers version) and one I'm lining up next.

[@JezsAcousticGuitarSongbook]

Yep, The Vipers' were great. My favourite of the professional skiffle groups of the 1950s.

[@3D_Medusa]

awesome

[@JezsAcousticGuitarSongbook]

Thanks Joel!

[@raktimparashar]

Hi thank u for the lesson.But I have a question like if I am playing a Harmonica along with the capo so will the key of my harmonica changes to according to the capo used in which fret

[@JezsAcousticGuitarSongbook]

The pitch is raised by one semitone with every fret on the guitar fingerboard. Hence, if a song is in the key of C without a capo, then adding a capo on the 1st fret would change the key to C#; a capo on the 2nd fret would change the key to D; a capo on the 3rd fret would change the key to Eb; and so on. I hope that makes sense.

[@raktimparashar]

@@JezsAcousticGuitarSongbook Thank you so much for getting back. So, if I am using a capo on the second fret I would be needing a harmonica in the key of D right since the song is originally in C? Thanx again

[@JezsAcousticGuitarSongbook]

If you're wishing to play the melody of a song in a major key, then that's correct.

[@raktimparashar]

@@JezsAcousticGuitarSongbook Ah ok got it. Thank u so much.Really appreciated

[@JezsAcousticGuitarSongbook]

No problem.

[@gregoryasumadu-boakye6585]

sir please good afternoon. please i would be pleased if you will provide me the tabs for this lesson please

[@JezsAcousticGuitarSongbook]

Hi Gregory. I'm sorry, I don't have any tabs for this lesson. I play only C, F and G7 open chords, however, and I explain all the fingering and picking I use.

[@gregoryasumadu-boakye6585]

@@JezsAcousticGuitarSongbook sir please Good Morning do you have a lesson on Jimmy Rodgers or Maybelle Carters finger-picking pattern?

[@elipkau]

Hi ! Would you be so kind as to show me how to play Ryestraw by woody Guthrie?

[@JezsAcousticGuitarSongbook]

Hi Elisa. That's not one I've ever played. Woody played the fiddle on his recording of that instrumental whilst someone else accompanied him with some fingerpicked guitar.

[@elipkau]

@@JezsAcousticGuitarSongbook would you know how this guitar would go approximately? I promess to show you some of the songs I’ve managed to play from woodys repertoire in exchange

[@ignacio.carral]

Thank you so much for this tutorial. Are you sure he always played using a pick?

[@JezsAcousticGuitarSongbook]

Thanks! And that's a good question. These tutorials aren't intended to explain every technique that Woody used, but the technique he used most of the time. Sometimes he played fingerstyle, as in this film clip: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fWaxe36ubbSVers

[@ignacio.carral]

Yeah, I was just seeing that video! I thought while watching that he might've been using a thumbpick as well.

[@E621_Rule34]

Think these could work for beginers?

[@JezsAcousticGuitarSongbook]

Yes, I think so. As long as they build up the technique slowly and in stages, as I describe in the video. The most basic bass strum is easily achievable, and the chords are pretty simple. I know beginners sometimes struggle mastering the F chord, but the bass strum techniques I describe can be used with any song based on a 'three chord trick' (e.g., folk and country songs arranged in the key of A, using the chords A, D and E).

[@E621_Rule34]

@@JezsAcousticGuitarSongbook sounds good...i find a lot of minor chords like b minors as well so i guess they work as 2 different versions