The Flat 3rd is EVERYTHING in Bluegrass

[00:00:02]All right, a couple weeks ago I did a video about maybe a month ago or so did a video about the flat third and [music] and how important that was and somebody asked recently said, "Well, can you do more on this? Can you expand on this?"

[00:00:15]>> [music] >> Okay, so the flat third is the biggest deal in bluegrass music. It's it's in the heart of the music. Every time the banjo player goes, you know, >> [music] >> or uh you know, Monroe's mandolin, you know, he had a lot of flat third in there. Um we got the G run.

[00:00:37]>> [music] >> So, if you don't know how to find it, you got to be able to count to three.

[00:00:41]Here is E.

[00:00:43]There's three. 1 2 3 4 [music] 5.

[00:00:47]Okay, there's the third, there's the flat third, okay?

[00:00:51]And I like to say >> [music] >> the flat third goes up, the flat third goes down. Okay?

[00:00:56]Flat third up, flat third down.

[00:00:58]>> [music] >> And that's the same in A.

[00:01:03]And the same in D.

[00:01:06]Now G, [music] 1 2 3 4 5.

[00:01:11]Flat third up, flat [music] third down.

[00:01:14]Same in C is 1 2 3 4 5.

[00:01:20]Okay.

[00:01:21]So, let's start working this thing.

[00:01:24]Okay, so I'm going to go I'm going to start with the G run.

[00:01:27]>> [music] >> Okay.

[00:01:32]>> [music] >> C.

[00:01:41]>> [music] >> G.

[00:01:46]Here's a D.

[00:01:48]>> [music] >> Or if you want to >> [music] >> And then Okay?

[00:02:02]>> [music] >> Let's add a lick to this. I'm going to do this lick.

[00:02:07]Starting in G now. [music] I'm starting from the octave. Root, third, fifth, octave. It's spelled out for us on the guitar. Root, third, fifth, octave. Go like this.

[00:02:16]>> [music] >> Do it twice.

[00:02:20]And then let's end it.

[00:02:26]>> [music] >> Okay. Let's do that in C. Root, third, fifth, [music] octave. It's the same setup. Start on this note.

[00:02:36]Do that twice. [music] It'd be nice if [music] I could do it twice or once. Back to G.

[00:02:47]>> [music] >> Here's the D.

[00:02:58]Oh, we don't have a low note. So, we got to pop back [music] up to the D.

[00:03:02]And then the Okay?

[00:03:10]Now, we're going to incorporate this flat third up and flat third down we've been doing. So, I'm going to go >> [music] >> Do that one time.

[00:03:19]And then flat third up, flat [music] third down.

[00:03:23]Do that again.

[00:03:28]Now to the C. Same thing.

[00:03:36]Back to G.

[00:03:42]And [music] now to D.

[00:03:47]>> [music] >> Got to make that a a run. Back to G.

[00:03:53]>> [music] >> Okay.

[00:03:55]Let's go again. G.

[00:03:58]This time I'm going to come down from the octave. [music] Flat third up.

[00:04:05]Finish it like a G run.

[00:04:10]Now in C. [music] Now in G. [music] Now D.

[00:04:22]>> [music] >> Now back to G.

[00:04:29]>> [music] >> Okay. Now I can do a couple things.

[00:04:35]>> [music] >> Okay.

[00:04:42]So how about [music] C, both of those things?

[00:04:50]>> [music] >> How about a D?

[00:04:56]>> [music] [music] >> Back to G.

[00:05:11]>> [music] >> Ooh, there we go. Now we're talking. See how we put those together? Cuz at the end of the G run, I always say like you know, here's the end of the G run. Well, here's the start of the next run.

[00:05:22]Right? So that that last note is the same. So watch this.

[00:05:29]>> [music] >> Okay.

[00:05:35]Now [music] I'll put them together.

[00:05:43]Right?

[00:05:44]Or >> [music] >> Or >> [music] >> Okay.

[00:06:00]So, those are good just picking runs.

[00:06:02]So, if I'm in just going through a >> [music] >> three chord progression >> [music] >> I could do some of that.

[00:06:26]I get There's a little transition in there. I get it. Okay. So, [music] it's it's not the easiest thing, but it's a start.

[00:06:39]>> [music] >> So, if if the three licks we worked on were the G run, [music] pick every note on the G run for a while.

[00:06:50]And then we did this one >> [music] >> where you play those three notes twice.

[00:06:59]And then the flat third up, flat third down.

[00:07:03]>> [music] >> And we put that with this.

[00:07:08]>> [music] >> And then we did this.

[00:07:12]>> [music] >> Finish it like a G run.

[00:07:18]Can I use that in a song? I don't know.

[00:07:19]Let's try it.

[00:07:21]Um I'll probably do it on a C chord.

[00:07:24]Um I'll probably try putting it on Bury Me Beneath the Willow.

[00:07:29]My heart [music] is sad and >> [singing] >> I'm in sorrow weeping for the one I love.

[00:07:38]>> [music] >> When shall [singing] I see her?

[00:07:48]>> [music] >> I'll try it on the >> [music] [music] [music] [music] >> It'd be nice if I could be a little more accurate. Okay.

[00:08:26]Okay? Yeah. So, um some fun concepts to hang out with >> [music] >> and uh hey, I teach lessons, andeeslessons.com.

[00:08:36]And uh come grab a lesson sometime and we can work on what you want to work on, okay?

[00:08:42]So, [music] thanks a lot. Have a great day.