{"id":147775,"date":"2025-07-02T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-07-02T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/acousticguitar.com\/?p=147775"},"modified":"2025-07-01T19:05:11","modified_gmt":"2025-07-02T02:05:11","slug":"explore-the-art-of-flatpicking-through-two-standout-billy-strings-solos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/acousticguitar.com\/explore-the-art-of-flatpicking-through-two-standout-billy-strings-solos\/","title":{"rendered":"Explore the Art of Flatpicking Through Two Standout Billy Strings Solos"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-embed-handler wp-block-embed-embed-handler wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Flatpick Like Billy Strings: Learn Solos from Two Classic Tunes\" width=\"1290\" height=\"726\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/DaKy5ZpJSzY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Billy Strings has brought the art of flatpicking guitar to a huge audience, with playing that\u2019s both deeply rooted and highly adventurous. In this column we\u2019ll take a close look at his style by way of two standout guitar solos, both from Grammy-winning albums: Tony Trischka\u2019s star-studded <em><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/44ubstY\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Earl Jam<\/a>, <\/em>and Strings\u2019 own <em><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/46kYtgH\">Live Vol. 1<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Banjo legend Trischka has been a fixture on the acoustic scene and a household name among bluegrass fans since the 1970s. <em>Earl Jam<\/em> is his tribute to the great Earl Scruggs, featuring appearances from some of the finest musicians in bluegrass. Strings kicks off the album with a hard-driving take on \u201cBrown\u2019s Ferry Blues,\u201d first recorded by the Delmore Brothers and later codified as a standard by Doc Watson. The track opens with Strings picking the lead, as shown in <strong>Example 1<\/strong>, backed only by Sam Bush\u2019s signature mandolin chop on the backbeat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Like most flatpickers, Strings uses an alternating picking technique, striking down on the beats and up on the <em>ands<\/em> (pick directions are shown above the tab). This technique underpins the drive and bounce of his sound. Notice how his fretting hand frequently mirrors the chord shapes of the underlying harmony (chords shown above the notation). Using these shapes as a reference, he outlines the melody while striking adjacent strings to fill out the sound\u2014a fundamental flatpicking approach that defines much of Strings\u2019 style. His solo also features classic flatpicking vocabulary, including G runs (measures 5 and 13), cross picking (measure 7), and fluid slurs (measure 14).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-embed-handler wp-block-embed-embed-handler wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Tony Trischka - &quot;Brown&#039;s Ferry Blues&quot; (feat. Billy Strings)\" width=\"1290\" height=\"726\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/9jm6Q3263sc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Live Vol. 1, <\/em>which won the Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album this year, showcases what Strings arguably does best: perform live. The album opens with his original \u201cDust in a Baggie\u201d before diving into spacious improvisations more reminiscent of sprawling electric jam bands than a traditional acoustic five-piece. One such moment comes in \u201cFire Line &gt; Reuben\u2019s Train,\u201d the latter a deep cut from the American folk songbook.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Strings begins his solo on \u201cReuben\u2019s Train\u201d by emphasizing the melody, adding pulsing syncopations and generous slides, hammer-ons, and pull-offs (<strong>Example 2<\/strong>). For players unsure how to solo over droning tunes with minimal chord changes, this example offers a roadmap. By splicing the melody with subtle rhythmic and melodic variations, Strings crafts a compelling solo before launching into a fiery diminished run. While some of his moves push boundaries, his playing remains firmly rooted in the flatpicking tradition. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"755\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/AG353-BILLY-STRINGS-SOLOS-EX-1.png?resize=755%2C1024&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Music notation and tablature for Billy Strings' solo on &quot;Brown's Ferry Blues&quot; \" class=\"wp-image-147778\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/AG353-BILLY-STRINGS-SOLOS-EX-1.png?resize=755%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 755w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/AG353-BILLY-STRINGS-SOLOS-EX-1.png?resize=369%2C500&amp;ssl=1 369w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/AG353-BILLY-STRINGS-SOLOS-EX-1.png?resize=768%2C1042&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/AG353-BILLY-STRINGS-SOLOS-EX-1.png?resize=221%2C300&amp;ssl=1 221w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/AG353-BILLY-STRINGS-SOLOS-EX-1.png?w=1079&amp;ssl=1 1079w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 755px) 100vw, 755px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"763\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/AG353-BILLY-STRINGS-SOLOS-EX-2.png?resize=763%2C1024&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Music notation and tablature for Billy Strings' solo on &quot;Reuben's Train&quot; \" class=\"wp-image-147779\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/AG353-BILLY-STRINGS-SOLOS-EX-2.png?resize=763%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 763w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/AG353-BILLY-STRINGS-SOLOS-EX-2.png?resize=372%2C500&amp;ssl=1 372w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/AG353-BILLY-STRINGS-SOLOS-EX-2.png?resize=768%2C1031&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/AG353-BILLY-STRINGS-SOLOS-EX-2.png?resize=223%2C300&amp;ssl=1 223w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/AG353-BILLY-STRINGS-SOLOS-EX-2.png?w=1079&amp;ssl=1 1079w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 763px) 100vw, 763px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/store.acousticguitar.com\/products\/no-353-july-august-2025\" name=\"magazine\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" style=\"width: 150px; height: 198px; margin: 0px 20px 10px 0px;\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/001_353_Cover-150px.jpg?w=1290&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Acoustic Guitar magazine cover for issue 350\"><\/a>\n<p style=\"font-family: sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 15px 0px;\">This article originally appeared in the <a href=\"https:\/\/store.acousticguitar.com\/products\/no-353-july-august-2025\">July\/August 2025<\/a> issue of <em>Acoustic Guitar<\/em> magazine.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>These solos from two classic American tunes, \u201cBrown\u2019s Ferry Blues\u201d and \u201cReuben\u2019s Train,\u201d highlight the flatpicker\u2019s deeply rooted and highly adventurous style.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":147777,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"These solos from two classic American tunes, \u201cBrown\u2019s Ferry Blues\u201d and \u201cReuben\u2019s Train,\u201d highlight the flatpicker\u2019s deeply rooted and highly adventurous style.","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1655,2],"tags":[1968],"ppma_author":[1589],"class_list":["post-147775","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-flatpicking","category-lessons","tag-july-august-2025"],"blocksy_meta":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Bily-Strings-041125_SavannahGA_JesseFaatz-4029.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"authors":[{"term_id":1589,"user_id":0,"is_guest":1,"slug":"alan-barnosky","display_name":"Alan Barnosky","avatar_url":{"url":"https:\/\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Alan-Barnosky.jpg","url2x":"https:\/\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Alan-Barnosky.jpg"},"author_category":"","user_url":"https:\/\/www.alanbarnosky.com\/","last_name":"Barnosky","first_name":"Alan","job_title":"","description":"Alan Barnosky is a guitarist based in Durham, NC. He performs solo as a songwriter as well as in bluegrass and folk bands."}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/147775","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=147775"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/147775\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":148142,"href":"https:\/\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/147775\/revisions\/148142"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/147777"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=147775"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=147775"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=147775"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acousticguitar.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=147775"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}