Temperance Reel, Part 3: Variations on the Melody

from: Advanced Flatpicking Guitar with Scott Nygaard

This lesson is part of the course Advanced Flatpicking Guitar with Scott Nygaard.

Get immediate access to this lesson and all of the lessons in this course when you subscribe.

Start Course
Browse Courses

About This Course

Learn the essential techniques of bluegrass flatpicking guitar through classic and lesser-known songs and tunes, from bluegrass blues to old-time fiddle tunes to country swing sounds.

Try a Sample Lesson

Home Sweet Home

In Part 2 of the lesson on crosspicking, you'll learn the first part of Scott's arrangement of "Home Sweet Home," which mostly uses the traditional 3-3-2 roll. Since crosspicking is usually used to play song melodies, it's a good idea to learn the melody of a song before tackling a crosspicking arrangement, so Scott starts by making sure you know the melody to "Home Sweet Home" and then takes the arrangement apart phrase by phrase (or roll by roll).

Try a sample lesson

The Advanced Flatpicking Guitar Subscription Includes:

84 in-depth flatpicking guitar video lessons
Detailed tab/notation for all lessons
In-depth lessons on the styles of flatpicking masters Clarence White, Tony Rice, Norman Blake, and more with accurate solo transcriptions
67 complete tunes and/or solos
Lessons on learning the fingerboard geared toward bluegrass and roots musicians
High-quality video with multiple camera angles so you can see closeups of both hands in action
Play-along Tracks so you can practice what you’ve learned

$20/Month For One Course

Additional courses only $10/month each! • Save 20% with an annual subscription

Start Course

Get started now!
Use promo code ScottLand at checkout

and get your first month free or $20 off an annual subscription.

Temperance Reel

Temperance Reel, Part 1

Temperance Reel, Part 2

Temperance Reel, Part 3: Variations on the Melody

Temperance Reel, Part 4: Play-Along Track

Temperance Reel, Part 3: Variations on the Melody

When you start thinking about coming up with variations (or even improvising) on a fiddle tune like “Temperance Reel,” it’s good to narrow your sights a bit and just take it a measure or two at a time. Start by finding the melodic signposts that give the tune its character and then try getting to those places in different ways. You can also just try changing a note or two in a simple melodic phrase. Scott demonstrates both approaches in this lesson.

“Temperance Reel” Variations (Available to subscribers)

Previous Lesson

← Temperance Reel, Part 2

Next Lesson

Temperance Reel, Part 4: Play-Along Track →

Previous Lesson

← Temperance Reel, Part 2

Next Lesson

Temperance Reel, Part 4: Play-Along Track →

Previous Lesson

← Temperance Reel, Part 2

Next Lesson

Temperance Reel, Part 4: Play-Along Track →

Guitar Articles

Lowden F-50 Tiger Myrtle | Winter Limited Edition

Introducing a limited edition of 25 guitars made with beautiful Tiger Myrtle back and sides.

California Bluegrass Reunion: “Suzanne’s Journey”

All-star band of Peghead Nation instructors Bill Evans, Chad Manning, Sharon Gilchrist, and John Reischman, along with Darol Anger and Jim Nunally, play one of John’s new original tunes.

Temperance Reel, Part 3: Variations on the Melody

About This Course

Guitar Articles

Guitar Videos