Bluegrass Bass Place - - Instructional

Basic Chord Patterns

While there are numerous chord progression patterns, several patterns are very common in
bluegrass.

Pattern #1

1 / 1 / 4 / 4
1 / 1 / 5 / 5
1 / 1 / 4 / 4
1 / 5 / 1 / 1

To name just a few songs that use this progression are: Ain't Nobody Gonna Miss Me, Are
You Waiting Just For Me, Bury Me Beneath The Willow, Hold What You've Got, I'm On My
Way Back To The Old Home, Lost Highway, New River Train, etc..

Pattern #2

1 / 1 / 4 / 4
5 / 5 / 1 / 1
1 / 1 / 4 / 4
5 / 5 / 1 / 1

To name just a few songs that use this progression are: If I Lose, Knockin' On Your Door,
Think Of What You've Done, etc.

"Buffalo" Bob Knebel has been gracious enough to put together a PDF diagram of Bass
Chords, which can be downloaded here as well as diagram of note position on the fingerboard
located here.