How to Play Deep River Blues (Doc Watson) – Fingerstyle Guitar Lesson

Описание: Learn fingerstyle blues classics from Texas to the Delta https://jimbruceguitar.com/texasdelta...

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This lesson breaks down Deep River Blues fingerstyle: chord shapes, alternating (or monotonic) bass feel, and a clean right‑hand pattern you can loop for timing. We’ll walk through the main progression, key licks, and left‑hand transitions to keep it smooth. Great foundation for country/delta fingerpicking and moving toward ragtime bounce. Next recommended step: Blind Blake thumb roll to add drive and syncopation.

0:11 Intro where Doc Watson plays Deep River Blues original
0:36 Jim Bruce performance
1:59 Tuition intro - versions
2:25 Doc Watson Picking technique - Deep River Blues difficulty
2:42 Jim demonstrates Doc Watson one-finger fingerstyle technique
3:18 Tuition with guitar tab, both hands clip 1
3:41 Tuition with guitar tab, both hands clip 2
4:04 Tuition with guitar tab, both hands clip 3
4:26 Tuition with guitar tab, both hands clip 4
4:44 Tuition with guitar tab, both hands clip 5
5:03 Tuition with guitar tab, both hands clip 6
5:23 Tuition with guitar tab, both hands clip 7
5:48 Tuition with guitar tab, both hands clip 5
6:00 Thumb-jumps demonstration
6:50 Doc's finger movement and how to 'fudge' it
8:00 More tuition and variations

Deep River Blues lyrics

Let it rain, let it pour, let it rain a whole lot more
'Cause I got them deep river blues
Let the rain drive right on, let the waves sweep along
'Cause I got them deep river blues

My old gal's a good old pal, and she looks like a water fowl
When I get them deep river blues
Ain't no one to cry for me, and the fish all go out on a spree
When I get them deep river blues

Give me back my old boat, I'm gonna sail if she'll float
'Cause I got them deep river blues
I'm goin' back to Muscle Shoals, times are better there I'm told
'Cause I got them deep river blues

Let it rain, let it pour, let it rain a whole lot more
'Cause I got them deep river blues
Let the rain drive right on, let the waves sweep along
'Cause I got them deep river blues

If my boat sinks with me, I'll go down, don't you see
'Cause I got them deep river blues
Now I'm gonna say goodbye, and if I sink, just let me die
'Cause I got them deep river blues

Let it rain, let it pour, let it rain a whole lot more
'Cause I got them deep river blues
Let the rain drive right on, let the waves sweep along
'Cause I got them deep river blues

In this video, I'm going to teach you how to play Deep River Blues. This fingerstyle guitar lesson is great for beginners and intermediate players who are looking for a challenge and want to explore some new techniques. After watching this video, you'll be able to confidently play the Deep River Blues on any guitar!

Deep river blues guitar lesson pdf

Doc Watson's picking style was very different many blues guitar picking styles. Doc Watson put more emphasis on the melody side and extensive use of his thumb, which jumped around a lot like Reverend Gary Davis.

It may have been the fact that he was blind, but he showed a great ability to hear subtle harmonies between his chord changes.

Deep River Blues chords

There are not tricky chords ion Deep River Blues and they are easily memorized. He begins high up the fretboard with a very attractive chord inversion which he slides down one fret before reverting to basic chords.

The chord shapes down by the nut are not difficult but it's the timing that might get you! Some players use more than one finger to get that intricacy but Doc just used one finger for all.

He got that syncopation by jumping across the strings with his thumb, which is not uncommon for the blues, and he has a very strong melodic feel for the entire chord sequence.

The song Deep River Blues by Doc Watson was one of his most popular songs. It starts with a minor third and goes up, up, up in a way that always sounds fresh and surprising even for the most jaded of listeners. I love this song just as much as my old professor, Mike Seeger.

Doc Watson's Song deep river blues is a bit slow, but not meant to be a speedy toe-tapper. The song has a very gentle swing to it and I enjoy listening to the elements that make up this beautiful tune.

Doc Watson was an incredible fingerstyle guitarist and Deep River Blues was his masterpiece. He didn't write it and it had many variants, but nobody else captured the spirit of this tune better than Doc did.

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