Learning bluegrass guitar is simpler than you might think. However, you will still need a strong overall guitar foundation before getting started. If you’re still just starting out, I recommend going through my more beginner-friendly guide to learning guitar first.
However, if you’re ready to kick things up to the next level in your acoustic guitar journey, read on to discover how to learn bluegrass guitar.
You’ll learn:
- How to learn bluegrass guitar in 7 easy steps
- Who the 30 best flatpickers are to listen to/learn from
- The 3 best acoustic guitars for bluegrass music
- The best guitar strings for bluegrass music
- 3 bluegrass guitar licks in the style of Tony Rice, Bryan Sutton & Norman Blake
Let’s get started!
How to learn bluegrass guitar in 7 easy steps
Bluegrass is one of my favorite genres of music to play, so I’m super excited be sharing my tips on how to learn bluegrass guitar with you.
In the post below, I walk you through how to learn bluegrass on the guitar step by step. We’ll start by making sure you have the right gear, and then work through chords, rhythm, licks and solos in bluegrass guitar music:
Bluegrass In 7 Steps
Learn Bluegrass Guitar: 7 Simple Steps
- We’ll start by making sure you have the right gear, and then work through chords, rhythm, licks and solos in bluegrass guitar music.
The 30 best bluegrass flatpicking guitarists to listen to and learn from
Bluegrass flatpicking guitar music is what first inspired me to pick up the acoustic guitar so many years ago. This genre has so many incredible players (many of whom are criminally underrated), that I thought I’d write a full guide post to give them the attention they deserve:
Listen & Learn
30 Best Bluegrass Flatpickers
- These are the 30 best players to study if you want to learn bluegrass guitar in the style of the greats:
The 3 best acoustic guitars for bluegrass music
To really get the most out of your bluegrass guitar playing experience, it’s important to have the right instrument.
With this in mind, I present my 3 all-time favorite bluegrass acoustic guitars. I own 2 out of these 3 instruments (I’ll let you know which ones I own below) so you can be sure I’m really walking the walk and not making blind recommendations. I really can vouch that these are amazing bluegrass instruments:
Best Guitars
3 Best Guitars for Bluegrass Music
- There are many acoustic guitars on the market, but not all of them are best suited for playing bluegrass music…
The best guitar strings for bluegrass music
With so many acoustic guitar strings on the market, it can be tough to decide which is best suited specifically for playing country and bluegrass music.
That’s why I decided to make a helpful post diving into all the details of what to consider when trying to find the best guitar strings for playing country and bluegrass on your acoustic:
Best Guitar Strings
Best Guitar Strings for Bluegrass Music
- With so many acoustic guitar strings on the market, it can be tough to decide which is best suited specifically for playing country and bluegrass music…
3 bluegrass guitar licks in the style of Tony Rice, Bryan Sutton & Norman Blake
When it comes to playing bluegrass guitar, three of the greatest lead players to learn from are Tony Rice, Bryan Sutton, and Norman Blake.
I want to share 3 of my favorite bluegrass guitar licks with you; one in the style of each of these 3 great players.
Whether you are a beginner, intermediate or advanced guitarist, I think there’s a lot to learn from these bluegrass licks:
Best Bluegrass Licks
3 Best Bluegrass Guitar Licks
- Develop your own style of soloing as a guitarist by learning licks from these bluegrass masters:
Bottom Line | What’s the best way to learn bluegrass guitar?
Aside from learning from the guides above, I also always recommend people get started on guitar by learning their favorite songs.
This may sound overwhelming at first, but I guarantee you that most of your favorite bluegrass songs are easier to play than you think.
If you want to get started, check out the Learn A Song section where I give chords, tabs, and video lessons for some awesome songs to learn on the guitar.
Best of luck on your guitar journey!
Your pal,
-Corbin
PS: You can also get a head start by grabbing my free guide to 100+ song chords, tabs, and lessons by signing up for my email list via the form on this page.
Ready to Get Better at Guitar, Faster?
Whenever you’re ready to take your guitar playing to the next level, check out a few of my favorite resources below:
The Best Acoustic Guitar Strings – A unique polymer coating makes these guitar strings last for months or even years at a time, making for an exceptional value. They provide the perfect mix of boom, range, twang, and brightness that acoustic music is known for. — CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE
The Best Acoustic Guitar – Beloved by everyone from Paul Simon to Gordon Lightfoot, the Martin D-18 is one of Martin’s most legendary guitars ever… It’s an excellent, premier quality acoustic guitar for bluegrass, country, folk, rock and more. This is also what I play myself — CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE
Chords, Tabs & Video Lessons for 100 Epic Songs – This free guide that I created for fellow guitarists gives you chords, tabs, and video lessons for the 100 best songs to learn on guitar… I spent many hours putting this guide together to help you get better at guitar, faster. — CLICK HERE TO GET IT FREE
Fingerpicking vs Flatpicking Guitar – Learn which picking style is right for YOU by exploring examples, history, and popular players of each style. Discover essential techniques and pros and cons of each approach. — CLICK HERE TO GET IT FREE