Now that you have learned all of the other essential elements of the bluegrass tune, Steve demonstrates how to play the melody.
Taught by Steve Eulberg in Bluegrass Guitar with Steve Eulberg seriesLength: 37:00Difficulty: 3.0 of 5
Phrase 1: She’ll be comin’ ‘round the mountain when she comes.Once a tune is broken down into its individual phrases, some features of each phrases must be observed.
Phrase 2: She’ll be comin’ ‘round the mountain when she comes.
Phrase3: She’ll be comin’ ‘round the mountain, she’ll be comin’ ‘round the mountain, she’ll be comin’ ‘round the mountain when she comes.
1. Beginning with the first note, does the melody line go up, down, or stay on the same?Take a look at the first three notes of the melody. The first note is D. The next note played is an E. D to E is an example of step-wise motion. The melody then moves from E up to G. Since the F# in the G scale was skipped over, this movement is an example of a leap in the melody.
2. Does the melody move in step-wise motion? A melody that moves from G-A-B-A moves in stepwise motion. Or, does the melody contain any intervallic leaps. Any interval larger than a major second is referred to as a leap. Playing G to B is one such example.
Open the “Supplemental Content” tab while learning each phrase. This way, you’ll be able to reference the music while Steve discusses it.B. Phrases 2
As you learned in the last lesson, when a bluegrass melody is played on guitar, the melody is typically combined with rhythmic guitar playing. For this reason, the fingering Steve uses to play the melody is all relative to the chord being played at the moment. For example, he leaves his third finger planted on the third fret of the E string. He also leaves his second finger planted on the low E string. When Steve switches from playing the melody to strumming chords, his fingers are already in position to play the G chord. This technique is an absolute necessity since the tempo most bluegrass tunes is quite fast.
At 3:05 Steve gives you an opportunity to play this phrase while he plays the accompanying rhythm.
Repeat the same process to learn the second phrase. The chord progression remains on G for the second phrase. However, the chord progression changes to D at the last note of this phrase (A). This section of the melody requires that you lift all of your fingers from the G chord grip.Chapter 5: (7:53) The End of the Melody Due to the length of this phrase, Steve has broken it down into two smaller sections. Once again, repeat the same process from letter A to learn this portion of the melody. Make sure you are playing the F# at the end of the tune with your pinky finger. Carefully observe when Steve chooses to strum chords and when he is playing single note lines. What do you notice?
Once you become comfortable with the second phrase, put the first and second phrases together. Finally, add the final phrase to complete the tune.
1. A consecutive series of eighth notes, triplets, sixteenth notes, sextuplets, or thirty-second notes must always be played with double picking.Note: There are a few additional exceptions to these rules. Economy picking as well as sweep picking are two of such examples. Check out Brad’s Phase 2 “Speed and Technique” lessons for details regarding these techniques.
2. A quarter note is always played with a downstroke.
3. When a rhythm is comprised of a combination of eighths and sixteenths, the eighth notes are played with downstrokes, and the sixteenths are played with upstrokes. The rhythm that features a sixteenth-eighth-sixteenth note is one exception to this rule. This rhythm is played with a downstroke followed by two upstrokes.
Bluegrass is one of the most recognizable styles of guitar. Some refer to bluegrass as a celebration of the simple things in life. Dive into this series to learn the essential components of the bluegrass guitar style.
Steve demonstrates basic, essential bluegrass techniques. In this lesson, you will learn the bass/chop technique.Length: 16:00 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Now that you have the bass/chop down, Steve demonstrates additional bluegrass techniques.Length: 21:06 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Steve takes our bluegrass song one step further in this lesson. He demonstrates how to play a walking bass line between chords.Length: 21:07 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
In this lesson, Steve discusses hammer-ons and pull-offs and how they are used in the bluegrass genre.Length: 33:34 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Steve explains double picking, also known as alternate picking. He teaches a scale that enables you to play an awesome bluegrass lick.Length: 30:04 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Steve teaches a widely used bluegrass lick.Length: 22:34 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
In this lesson Steve teaches a descending bluegrass lick.Length: 34:00 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Steve gives tips on playing a melody line in the bluegrass genre.Length: 37:00 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Steve demonstrates how you can use "closed chord" voicings in order to raise the octave of the melody. Great lesson!Length: 38:00 Difficulty: 3.5 Members Only
Steve demonstrates some bluegrass licks that serve as introductions, endings, and transitions within a song.Length: 23:00 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Steve Eulberg teaches a classic bluegrass song entitled "I Am a Pilgrim." He covers strumming, the melody, and walking bass lines.Length: 28:57 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Steve teaches a bluegrass waltz titled "Angel Band."Length: 28:09 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Steve dives deep into another classic Bluegrass lick that you can use to flare up a jam session or song.Length: 20:46 Difficulty: 2.0 FREE
Steve Eulberg teaches the first part of the bluegrass classic, "Wabash Cannonball."Length: 18:52 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Steve continues his two part "Wabash Cannonball" series by teaching how to develop the basic rhythm and melody into unique solo sections.Length: 23:53 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Steve Eulberg teaches this old tune as if it were being played back in the old days. Here, Steve demonstrates the verse, chorus, and melody. Enjoy the story behind this one!Length: 15:26 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
In his second lesson of "The Ballad of Jesse James," Steve Eulberg demonstrates a more in depth look at how to play the song in a bluegrass form. This lesson is all about double stops, and when combined...Length: 21:53 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
About Steve Eulberg
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An Award-winning multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter, Steve Eulberg weaves mountain and hammered dulcimers with a variety of unusual instruments to create thought-provoking, smile-inducing, toe-tapping acoustic experiences.
He has sung and composed for religious communities, union halls, picket lines, inter-faith retreats, mountain-top youth camps, as well as the more familiar venues: clubs, coffeehouses, bookstores, festivals, charity benefits and showcase concerts.
Born and raised in the German-heritage town of Pemberville, Ohio, Steve was exposed to a variety of music in his home. Early piano lessons were followed by trumpet in school band, and he became self-taught on ukelele and guitar and harmonica. Mandolin was added at Capital University where, while majoring in History, he studied Ear Training, Voice and took Arranging lessons from the Conservatory of Music.
While at college, he first heard hammered and mountain dulcimers, building his first mountain dulcimer just before his final year. Seminary training took him the west side of Denver where he built his first hammered dulcimer. With these instruments, he was able to give voice to the Scottish, English and Irish traditions to which he is also heir.
Following marriage in 1985 to Connie Winter-Eulberg he settled in Kansas City, Missouri. There he worked cross-culturally in a church of African-Americans, Latinos and European Americans, with music being a primary organizing tool. He moved with his family in 1997 to be nestled beside the Rocky Mountains in Fort Coillins, Colorado.
Founder of Owl Mountain Music, Inc. he teaches and performs extensively in Colorado and Wyoming with tours across the US and the UK. He delights in introducing the â€œsweet musicâ€ of dulcimers to people in diverse settings and in addition to his own recordings, has included dulcimers in a variety of session work for other musicians.
In 2000 he was commissioned to create a choral composition featuring dulcimers for the Rainbow Chorus in Fort Collins. It was recorded in the same year (BEGINNINGS). He is currently at work on a commissioned symphony that will feature hammered dulcimer and Australian didjeridu.
Eulberg passionately believes that music crosses cultural and language barriers because music builds community. Influenced by a variety of ethnic styles, his music weaves vital lyric with rap, rock, folk, gospel and blues. Audiences of all ages respond well to his presentation and to his warm sense of humor.
Steve is a member of Local 1000 (AFM), The Folk Alliance, BMI and BWAAG (Better World Artists and Activist's Guild).
Our acoustic guitar lessons are taught by qualified instructors with various backgrounds with the instrument.
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