Walls of Time: Ricky Skaggs Solo, Part 1

from: Intermediate Bluegrass Mandolin with Sharon Gilchrist

This lesson is part of the course Intermediate Bluegrass Mandolin with Sharon Gilchrist.

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Learn to play solos on classic bluegrass songs and instrumentals using bluegrass mandolin techniques like tremolo, double stops, two-string melodies, and more.

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I'm Going Back to Old Kentucky

In this lesson you’ll learn the bluegrass standard “I’m Going Back to Old Kentucky” using a common technique in bluegrass mandolin: playing melodies on two pairs of strings. Sharon starts this lesson by talking about the basic right-hand technique for playing two pairs of strings at a time. She shows you how to keep the pick out on the edge of the strings and not let the pick dig in past the strings as well as how to slightly rotate your wrist so you can play all four strings (both pairs) at once. Sharon also gives you advice on practicing this technique with a metronome, with some ideas for exercises you can do.

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More than 55 great bluegrass tunes and songs to play
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High-quality video with multiple camera angles so you can see close-ups of both hands in action
Play-Along videos so you can practice what you’ve learned
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Walls of Time: Ricky Skaggs Solo

Walls of Time: Ricky Skaggs Solo, Part 1

Walls of Time: Ricky Skaggs Solo, Part 2

Walls of Time: Ricky Skaggs Solo, Part 3: Play-Along Track

Walls of Time: Ricky Skaggs Solo, Part 1

Ricky Skaggs’ solo on the Bill Monroe/Peter Rowan song “Walls of Time” (from Ricky’s album Ancient Tones) is a contemporary bluegrass mandolin classic, an update of Monroe’s classic style with lots of eighth-note downstrokes, triplets, position shifts, and bluesy licks. Sharon walks you through the solo, which is in the key of B, phrase by phrase, showing you the position shifts, how to pick the triplets, etc. You’ll learn the first half of Ricky’s solo in this video.

"Walls of Time" (Available to subscribers)

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← Ricky Skaggs’ “Old Home Place” Solo, Part 4: Practice Track

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Walls of Time: Ricky Skaggs Solo, Part 2 →

Previous Lesson

← Ricky Skaggs’ “Old Home Place” Solo, Part 4: Practice Track

Next Lesson

Walls of Time: Ricky Skaggs Solo, Part 2 →

Previous Lesson

← Ricky Skaggs’ “Old Home Place” Solo, Part 4: Practice Track

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