Flatpicking Experience: Who It’s For (And Who It’s Not)

When people look for guitar lessons, they are often looking for very different things.

Some want fast results.
Some want tricks.
Some want to keep moving from one lesson to the next.

Others are looking for something else.

They care about the sound of the guitar.
They enjoy taking their time.
They want to understand what they’re doing, and why.
And at some point, they don’t want to learn alone anymore.

This is the spirit behind Flatpicking Experience, my instructional channel.

Flatpicking Experience is where I teach.
But it’s not only about lessons.

It’s for people who care about tone, touch, and musical meaning — not just speed.
It’s for players who like working slowly, with attention.
And it’s for those who feel that learning together, in a respectful space, makes a real difference.

At the same time, it’s probably not for everyone.

It’s not for people looking for shortcuts.
It’s not about collecting licks or racing through material.
And it’s not about comparison or proving something.

For me, Flatpicking Experience is a small human space around the guitar.
A place where questions are welcome.
Where progress is personal.
And where the guitar is treated as something more than a technical exercise.

If this way of learning feels close to you, you can learn more about Flatpicking Experience here:

https://www.truefire.com/h2343

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

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