How to End a Song in the Key of C — Stylishly (and With a Smile)

Ten months ago, my left-hand index finger and I went through a little adventure: surgery for Dupuytren’s contracture. Since then, we’ve been in daily “recovery training” — thirty minutes of stretching and strengthening every single day.

Progress? Slow. Very slow. So slow that a second surgery might be in my future. But I’m not giving up. For guitar players, our hands are our treasure. Getting older might bring its share of interesting surprises, but we keep going, adapt, and try not to lose our smile (or our sense of humor).

If you’re new here, you might also enjoy my Flatpicking Guitar 101 Crash Course — it’s a free beginner-friendly guide to get you started with solid picking technique.

Why Endings Matter in Guitar Playing

While I’ve been working my way back to full strength, I’ve been reminded of something important: a great ending can turn a good song into a memorable performance.

That’s why I just uploaded a new flatpicking guitar lesson on YouTube: how to end your songs in the key of C with style.

A Closing Lick from Low C to High C

In this lesson, I teach a beautiful closing lick in C that starts on the low C note and climbs all the way up to the high C on the first string, 8th fret. It’s a quick journey, but packed with expression.

We’ll go through the lick note-by-note so you can play it cleanly and musically. I also cover two essential techniques that make this lick stand out:

• Dynamics — controlling volume for expression

• Ritardando — slowing down naturally to signal “this is the end”

These tools aren’t just for this lick — they’ll improve your overall guitar phrasing and give your endings more character.

Watch the Free Flatpicking Guitar Lesson

You can watch the full lesson here: https://youtu.be/gYwDPf4JU9I

Whether you’re a beginner learning your first C chord or an experienced flatpicking guitarist looking to polish your arrangements, this lick is a great way to give your songs a professional, satisfying ending.

Music and Life: Both Are a Climb

In a way, this lick feels a little like my recovery — starting low, moving step by step, and enjoying the journey to the top. Whether you’re climbing the fretboard or climbing out of a challenge, every step counts.

So pick up your guitar, try this lick, and see how it changes the way you finish your songs. And if you’d like to learn more bluegrass flatpicking licks, you can explore my Flatpicking Experience channel, where I share exclusive licks, arrangements, and techniques.

Happy picking,
Roberto

A Sweet Chord Variation on Wildwood Flower (Flatpicking Guitar Idea)

If you're like me, you’ve played Wildwood Flower more times than you can count. It’s one of those timeless flatpicking guitar tunes that never gets old — but it also leaves space for personal touches.

In this short post, I want to share a simple but expressive chord variation you can use in the B part of Wildwood Flower. It’s an idea that gives the melody a new emotional feel while staying true to the traditional structure.

🎵 The Idea: C → E7 → Am

Traditionally, the B part of Wildwood Flower sits on a C chord for two bars. Instead of staying on C, I move through:

C → E7 → Am

It’s a small change — but it creates a lift, a little tension, and a sweeter resolution. The E7 adds brightness, and the Am brings a warm, reflective sound that fits beautifully behind the melody.

🎸 Watch the Example

I recorded a short video where I play just the main section of the B part with this variation.
It’s filmed at home, on the stairway, to capture some nice natural reverb.

🎥 Watch it here:
👉 https://youtu.be/lJcIK_7mzKI

I kept it short — just enough to demonstrate the idea and let the sound speak for itself.

💡 Why Try Variations on Traditional Tunes?

One of the beautiful things about flatpicking guitar is that we’re not just repeating old songs — we’re in conversation with them. These tunes are living music, and part of the tradition is adding your own voice.

Changing just a few chords can open up a whole new feeling in a tune you thought you already knew.

Want to Go Deeper?

If you enjoyed this idea, I’ve got a free Flatpicking 101 crash course that covers tone, pick direction, and phrasing — all the fundamentals that help variations like this shine.

📥 Download it here:
👉 https://bit.ly/4isGBmG

And if you’re looking for a deeper experience, come join us at my Guitar Camp in the Italian Alps. It’s the perfect place to learn, play, and connect with other musicians.
🏕️ More info here: https://bit.ly/4lCyw1j

Thanks for reading — and for keeping this music alive in your own way.
Let me know if you try this variation or create your own. I'd love to hear it.

—Roberto

One Melody, Three Places – A Simple Exercise for Guitar Growth

Hi friends,

This week, I uploaded a new video on YouTube that I think many of you will enjoy—especially if you're working on this month’s challenge!

The idea is simple: take the first phrase of Amazing Grace (just a few notes!), and play it in different areas of the fretboard. Always in the key of G.
It’s not flashy or complicated—but trust me, it’s powerful.

Here’s what this exercise helps you develop:

• 🎸 Fretboard awareness – You start “seeing” the same melody in multiple shapes and positions.

• 👂 Ear training – Hearing how the melody sounds as you move it around sharpens your musical ear.

• 🧠 Mind–finger connection – You build that important link between what you imagine and what your hands do.

These are the small but deep things that help us grow as guitar players.

And yes, this connects directly with July’s Challenge of the Month, where we’re exploring Oh! Susanna in three different fretboard positions. So if you’re working on that challenge, this video might give you a few ideas or a helpful warm-up.

👉 Watch the video here:
https://youtu.be/EkK892C8y2M

Hope you enjoy it—and as always, let me know what you think!

Thanks for following the journey,
– Roberto

A New Warm-Up for Your Picking Hand: String Skip Groove

This week, after a long time without it, I renewed my Netflix subscription. My wife and I ended up watching the mini-series Adolescence in one night.
I have mixed feelings… The story probably could have been told in two hours, but I really appreciated how deeply it explored the world of today’s teenagers. Raw, honest, and quite intense at times.

On a completely different note — I want to share a new right-hand exercise I recently came up with, and it’s now on YouTube.

🎸 It’s called String Skip Groove.
It’s a simple but effective warm-up that focuses on alternate picking and string skipping, while changing chords throughout. It helps improve coordination, accuracy, and overall groove.

It’s become one of my favorite ways to warm up the right hand — and I think it can be useful for late beginners and early intermediate players who want to level up their picking.

🎥 You can watch the full video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Z7LJj6lUkA

Try it out, and let me know how it feels!

Until next time,
Roberto

A Crosspicking Exercise That Does More Than One Job

As I get older, I’ve become more selective about how I practice. Time is short, energy isn’t endless, so I look for exercises that make the most of both. My favorite ones are those that help you grow in multiple areas at the same time — not just dry drills, but things that connect technique with real music.

In my latest YouTube lesson, I teach a very common crosspicking pattern (on strings 4, 3, and 2) and show how to apply it across the fretboard to all the shapes of C, F, and G chords.

It’s a simple idea, but very effective:

• You work on your right-hand picking

• You learn chord shapes in the key of C

• You stay connected to the sound and feel of real music

There’s no tab, but the video is easy to follow by watching and listening.

▶️ Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/sMI1UhVgJNQ

And if you’d like more lessons like this — including breakdowns, exercises, and in-depth videos — come visit my TrueFire channel:
🎸 https://www.truefire.com/h2343

Hope you enjoy it,
Roberto