How to Play "Deep River Blues" the Easy Way (Doc Watson acoustic fingerstyle)

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Howdy, friends! Today we're looking at Deep River Blues by Doc Watson, a terrifically fun acoustic fingerstyle classic. Instead of racing to show you exactly how Doc Watson plays it (which I'd consider fairly difficult), this lesson is more of a getting started guide for this song. It'll walk you through the necessary chords, picking, and strumming skills needed – but in a step-by-step manner.

In total, I'll teach three different arrangements inspired by Watson's version: a very simple version, a semi-simple version, and then a "full" version which starts to capture some of Doc Watson magic, without being quite as difficult to play. No matter your skill level, this will ensure you're able to have fun with this treasure of a song. Let's get to it!

0:00 Lesson Summary
2:17 Chord Progression
3:06 Chord Shapes
6:21 Version 1 of 3: Simple
7:58 Version 2 of 3: Moderate
11:55 Version 3 of 3: Full
16:50 Final Tips & Farewell