Guitar Practice
Let's Learn a Progression
Today, we have a short chord progression to learn. It's basically a quick, repeating GM7 > EM7 progression, but we jazz it up with some different chord voicings. The first Emaj9 chord has a particularly tricky stretch. The E chords also use some (optoinal) open strings. In the example audio track, I played it fingerstyle with my right hand.
Guitarist Spotlight
Billy Strings
With lightning-fast picking, a genre-blending style, soulful singing, and great songwriting, Billy Strings has taken the bluegrass world by storm in recent years.
An overnight success story nearly 30 years in the making
Born William Lee Apostol in 1992, Billy Strings started playing guitar at age 4. He was nicknamed "Billy Strings" by his aunt due to his remarkable talent with stringed instruments. A few decades later, that name is gracing the marquee of sold-out arenas and amphitheaters around the world.
Raised in Michigan, Billy was introduced to bluegrass early on by his stepfather, Terry Barber - an amateur bluegrass musician who was into legends like Doc Watson, Bill Monroe, and Tony Rice.
Even though he grew up surrounded by bluegrass, Billy was also drawn to rock and metal, playing in punk and indie bands as a teenager. When he returned to bluegrass, he didn't just stick to tradition - he brought that same high-energy, no-rules attitude with him.
Billy infused his music with jam-band energy, and a bit of psychedelic flair. His fiery live performances quickly gained attention, and he grew a passionate fan base - largely through word-of-mouth.
Through constant touring, Billy had built up a pretty significant (but still relatively underground) following. He had released a couple more traditional bluegrass albums (including a release of fiddle tunes with Don Julin), but it was his 2019 album Home that was his breakout release. His guitar playing had always been there, but he took his songwriting to another level with the batch of songs written for that album. Home went on to win the Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album, putting Billy on the map - not only in the bluegrass world, but showcasing him to a broader market of music fans.
His follow-up album, Renewal (2021), pushed the boundaries even further, incorporating everything from psychedelic rock to deep, introspective storytelling. His most recent release, Highway Prayers (2024) has a bit of a return to more traditional bluegrass, while still showcasing Billy's infectious songwriting.
Billy remains deeply connected to his roots, often paying tribute to the legends who inspired him while forging his own path forward. Whether he’s shredding through a fast-paced instrumental, delivering a heartfelt ballad, or jamming for extended improvisational stretches, he plays with an intensity and passion that few can match.
With a devoted fan base, sold-out shows, and a fearless approach to music, Billy Strings isn’t just carrying the torch for bluegrass—he’s lighting the way for a whole new generation.
Key Gear (check out a Rig Rundown vid with Premier Guitar):
- Preston Thompson custom dreadnought guitar
- 1948 Martin D-28
- Blue Chip TP48 pick
- D'Addario XS Phosphor Bronze 13-56 strings
- Chase Bliss mood pedal
- Kemper Profiler modeling amp
- Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive
- Electro-Harmonix Micro POG
- MXR Bass Envelope Filter
- DigiTech Polara reverb
- Jam Pedals Waterfall
Check out Billy's song Gild the Lily:
Check out Billy Strings: Website | Instagram | Facebook
Gear Showcase
Snark Clip-On Tuner
While this section usually features guitars, amps, and guitar effects, today we're looking at a small item that goes for around only $14.99, that can make guitarists' lives easier.
Gone are the days of pitch pipes, tuning to an audible sound, and tuners you plug into with a cable.
With the Snark tuner, you simply clip it on your guitar's headstock and turn it on. It automatically detects what string/note you're trying to tune. As you turn the tuner knobs on your guitar, Snark's lit-up color screen shows red if you're below pitch, green when tuned accurately, and yellow if you're tuned too high.
Snark Tuner Features:
- Excellent accuracy
- Works for Acoustic, Electric and Bass, and Violin
- Display Rotates 360 Degrees
- Stay-put clip that won't damage your guitar's finish.
Check out the Snark Tuner
There is also a Super Snark version that has longer battery life and vulcanized rubber joints for longevity, and a Super Tight version.
Trending
- Guitar World chatted with Fender’s EVP of Product Justin Norvell to talk about their decision to start producing their new Standard Series line of guitars in Indonesia. Opening up building in other countries could be a sign of them getting ahead of threatened tariffs on Chinese and Mexican imports to the U.S. - especially for models where they're trying to keep prices low. It will be interesting to see how their Standard Series competes with similar-priced guitars from Squier (which Fender also owns).
- Gibson expanded their Murphy Lab acoustic guitar collection with some heavy-aged vintage recreations.
- Behringer introduced a new B-TRON III envelope filter pedal.
- The Know Your Gear Podcast released an episode discussing more guitar companies merging, and 2025 NAMM gear. Apple | Spotify
- Gibson released a Falcon 20 12W 1x12 Combo Amp in Black Taurus - exclusive to Chicago Music Exchange. MSRP is $1,799 USD.
- Taylor announced a Koa version of their Circa 74 2-in-1 acoustic guitar/vocal amplifier.
Recommended Reading:
The Inner Game of Fingerstyle Guitar: How to Blend Your Intuition, Intellect, and Emotions to Achieve Guitar Mastery
I really enjoyed this book by Adam Rafferty. The title is a bit misleading, as isn't very specific to fingerstyle guitar, and it has advice that applies to all guitar players. Part of the book focuses on the mindset side of guitar playing - from silencing your inner critic, to dealing with stage fright, and performing well in any situation. The book also gets into other topics like developing an effective practice routine, developing your own “voice” and touch on guitar, getting out of guitar ruts, finding new performance opportunities, and more.
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