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White Freightliner Lesson
White Freightliner Lesson
White Freightliner Lesson
• Cascading Roll
• Small Chords
• Hammer-Strumma
• Double-stops
• 3+3
• G-runs
Cascading Roll
This is not only a great crosspicking roll to learn, it’s also a terrific string-crossing exercise. Try the
following pattern while holding an Em chord. Practice the exercise slowly on several different chords
until you can play the technique smoothly and all the notes ring clearly.
espagnetnicolas@gmail.com 05 Aug 2023
Em
In measure 1 of “White Freightliner,” hold an Fmaj 7 chord and play a cascading roll. You’ll use your
pinky to play the last note of the measure.
Small Chords
Small Chords are 3-note chords that are very useful in bluegrass and country music. The advantage of
these simple chords, is that they make it possible to play lead and rhythm at the same time, and they
make double-stops easier. In this song, we use a small C, a small F, and a small G chord.
Hammer-strumma
Make sure you are holding the small C chord before you start the figure. Practice slowly and
rhythmically over and over until you can play the technique smoothly and clearly.
C
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Double-stops
Double-stops are when two notes are played at the same time.
3+3
Repeating groups of 3 notes are very common in bluegrass music. It’s somewhat reminiscent of three-
finger banjo rolls. Here’s the same lick written differently, so you can see the repeating pattern. Each of
these would sound the same.
G-Runs
The most common lick in bluegrass music is a G-run. In this case, it’s really a “C-run,” played over a C
chord.
The song
I hope you enjoy learning this version of “White Freightliner.” Remember to be patient with yourself as
you are learning. When you come to a new technique, take time to learn it well, before trying it in the
song. Practice slowly at first, and don’t be afraid to practice the same section over and over. Good luck!
Andy Hatfield
espagnetnicolas@gmail.com 05 Aug 2023
espagnetnicolas@gmail.com 05 Aug 2023