The Country Sound
Country guitar is all about bending into chord tones, using open strings as drones, and hybrid picking for that snappy, percussive attack.
Lick 1: Open String Run
Key of G: e|--0--3--0--2--0------------| B|-------------3--0----------| G|-----------------0--2--0---| D|---------------------------|
Lick 2: Pedal Steel Bend
Key of A: e|--5---------5-------------| B|--5b7-------5-------------| G|--6---------6--6b7--6-----| D|--------------------------| (bend strings 2 and 3 together for steel effect)
Lick 3: Chicken Pickin'
Key of E: e|--x--12--x--12--x--9--x--9--| B|--x--12--x--12--x--9--x--9--| G|-----------------------------| (x = muted snap with middle finger)
Lick 4: Banjo Roll
Key of G: e|--0-----0-----0-----0------| B|----0-----0-----0-----0----| G|------0-----0-----0-----0--| D|----------------------------| (use hybrid picking: p-i-m pattern)
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The major pentatonic is the go-to scale for country guitar.
Open in full appCountry Practice Progression
GCDG
Play your country licks over this classic progression.
Next Steps
Develop hybrid picking for authentic country attack and add double stops for more vocabulary.