I Am a Pilgrim (Guitar Lesson)

Chapter 1: (00:24) Musical Introduction Steve plays through the traditional son "I Am a Pilgrim" to kick off the latest installment in the Phase 2 Bluegrass series. Merle Travis originally popularized this song.
Chapter 2: (10:00) I Am a Pilgrim Lyrics

There are different sets of lyrics that are often sung with this song. All of the verses can be found in the "Supplemental Content" section.

New G7 shape

This particular chord voicing doubles the 7th of the G7 chord. Compare the sound of this chord voicing to the sound of the G7 that you already know. It is much more difficult to switch from the G chord to this G7 due to the fact that you must use all four left-hand fingers to fret the chord. Drill this change at a very slow tempo until it becomes effortless. This exercise can be found in the "Supplemental Content" section. Typically, the 7th is not doubled within a chord. However, this chord grip for G7 frequently find its way into many bluegrass songs. Also practice switching between this chord and a C7 chord. This is a relatively easy switch, because the grip is quite similar for both chords.

Walk-up

At one point in this arrangement, the band stops playing with the exception of the bass player. The bass plays a chromatic walk from the G chord to the dominant chord, D7. Watch as Steve demonstrates this bass walk at 03:15. This feature of the song can easily be imitated in the context of a solo guitar arrangement. Begin on the note B after strumming the G chord with a staccato strum. Then, walk up chromatically in half steps to the note D.

The Entire Chord Progression

Once you become acquainted with all of the individual chord changes, begin to practice the entire chord progression. A transcription of how Steve plays the chord progression at 07:20 can be found in the "Supplemental Content" section. Bars 12-17 are the hardest. The chords change every measure. Spend extra time with this section if necessary. Remember that there are two ways to play a basic open G chord. Use the fingering that is easiest in relation to the chord proceeding it and the chord that follows.

Start out by playing the progression at a very slow tempo. Then work up to the tempo that Steve plays in the lesson video. This tempo is about 150 beats per minute. Chapter 3: (02:33) Fun Bluegrass Licks Some bluegrass licks and bass walks can be added to the progression to give the song more of a bluegrass feel. For example, you've learned a simple walk from G major to D major or D7 in previous bluegrass lessons. These walking lines can be applied to the first two measures of the song. The F# note in this walk can either be fretted by the thumb or the first finger. Spend a significant time practicing the walk with both fingerings. Then, decide which version is more comfortable for you.

Note: A version of the chord progression with licks and bass lines added can be found in the "Supplemental Content" section.
Chapter 4: (04:59) More Bluegrass Licks G Chord Lick

A G major blues scale lick that you have already learned in this series can be played over the G chord in bar 5.

C Chord Lick

Steve demonstrates a brand new lick that can be played over the C chord in measure 8. This lick is based on the G major pentatonic scale. Hopefully, you are beginning to see that the major pentatonic scale and its corresponding blues scale are used quite often for bluegrass licks. A variation of this lick is used at the end of the tune as well to give some finality to the form. This lick employs the major pentatonic blues scale.

Practice the licks in the context of the chord changes on your own at a very slow tempo. Increase the metronome speed by one notch at a time until you reach the goal tempo of approximately 150 beats per minute. Then, play along with Steve at 03:44.
Chapter 5: (06:44) Playing the Melody Steve teaches you how to play the melody to the song in this scene. Notice how he chooses to play all of the B notes on the G string. If you let the open B string ring against the Bb blues notes in the song, it will sound like a horror movie, which is not the desired effect for this song. Practice the melody a phrase at a time. Learn the rhythms from "Supplemental Content." Then, look at how the rhythms and melody relate to the lyrics written on Steve's marker board. Once again, practice on your own at a very slow tempo to start out with. Then, gradually work up the tempo.
Chapter 6: (01:02) Playing the Melody with Steve Steve gives you an opportunity to play the melody on guitar while he strums the chords and sings the melody. If the rhythms you play do not match up with Steve, take another look at the notation in the "Supplemental Content" section. Then, make any necessary adjustments.
Chapter 7: (01:24) Play Along In this scene, Steve provides you with an opportunity to accompany him with the chord progression. Steve sings the remaining verses in this scene. If you make a mistake, just keep going. When you reach the end of the song, go back and address any mistakes that you made.
Chapter 8: (01:44) Finishing Up Steve plays an interpretation of the melody in this scene. This can be used as a great instrumental verse to use in between or at the end of verses that are sung. Notice how he doesn't play the melody exactly as it is written in the score. Instead, he embellishes the melody with some licks that give the song a distinct bluegrass feel.

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