Alan Barnosky

Kenny Baker's arrangement of "Carroll County Blues" is an excellent study for budding flatpickers, as it introduces some essential language, licks, and techniques that are foundational to the approach. Kenny Baker and Josh Graves' duo albums from the early 1970s are hidden gems for acoustic guitarists and bluegrass fans alike.

A handful of smartly placed harmony notes in a melody can transform a flatpicking arrangement from simple to stunning. While speedy licks have their place, I find that a slower song with a hummable melody is best served by a solo that builds off the vocal line. In this lesson, I walk through how I approach the task, using strums, arpeggios, and cross picking over the classic song "Little Darling Pal of Mine." Example 1 presents the melody and chords in the key of G major.

Like many Ray Davies songs, “Sunny Afternoon,” the Kinks’ hit released in 1966 on Face to Face, isn’t quite what it seems on the surface. Over bouncy, cheerful music, Davies sings in the voice of a rich man loafing in the sun while complaining about taxes, the loss of his yacht, and the girlfriend who fled his drunken cruelty. Musically, the song’s highlight is its descending bass line, heard in the intro and the end of the chorus.