A Dave Rawlings Take on "Smothered In Hugs"

Lesson description: This arrangement came about as I was strumming along with my favorite Guided by Voices record, Bee Thousand. I noticed that the melody of the classic "Smothered In Hugs" could actually be something I'd hear Gillian Welch write, so I grabbed my trusty old Goya acoustic, capoed up a lá Rawlings, and arranged it as I think he would.

For those of you not familiar with Carter-style playing (named after Mama Maybelle Carter), it's a deceivingly tricky way to play! These arrangements sound simple but are actually quite complex. You have to be very accurate with your picking hand to ensure it's exactly where it's supposed to be for every beat of the bar. This is something I notice students are somewhat negligent of. We all tend to pay a lot of attention to our fretting hand and let that picking hand swing wild and lazy. This mashup is a fun way to work on that problem!

Video version: https://youtu.be/77HPLsLLwJ4

Format: Sibelius-created digital score with tabs & standard notation

Delivery: Tablature is available as convenient .pdf download, and my custom made backing track is included as a free extra! You'll find the download links on your checkout page and in your email. We encourage you to make a customer account when you check out, so all your future purchases can be found in one place.