Hello in There
by John Prine • Lesson #295 • Apr 5, 2020
Video lesson
Licensed Song Sheet 5 pages
Follow along with my print-friendly guide for this song! It’s available for purchase at Musicnotes.com, the web’s leading provider of licensed sheet music.
On the fence? Here's a guide I made showing the purchase & print process, including answers to common questions about my song sheets.
Buy at Musicnotes.comEditor’s notes
Hey friends! Here’s a lesson showing you how to fingerpick the intro to “Hello In There” by John Prine, as heard on his fantastic self-titled debut album from 1971. This tutorial will get deep into the travis picking technique that Prine uses in this song, which is defined by the right thumb playing alternating strings (bass notes) while the right index & middle fingers play the melody notes independently. This fingerstyle technique can be tricky to learn, but as with all my lessons – I’ll break things down step by step for you, guiding you along the way. And of course, my PDF chord sheet will give you the tabs, explanations, and diagrams you’ll need to learn the necessary skills.
Here’s the timestamps for this video, jump ahead if you know what you’re looking for:
- 0:00 Lesson overview
- 1:56 Capo 5th Fret & Chord Shapes
- 4:01 Chord progression & counting
- 5:25 Travis picking: right-thumb technique
- 9:33 Travis picking: adding the melody notes
- 15:44 Full intro playthrough with tab
- 17:12 Farewell & parting advice
And be sure to check out my other John Prine lessons if you’re a fan of his music!
- Clay Pigeons (full song lesson) - http://playsongnotes.com/lessons/294/
- My Old Kentucky Home, Goodnight - http://playsongnotes.com/lessons/238/
- Travis Picking basics (using Clay Pigeons) - http://playsongnotes.com/lessons/173/
Enjoy my lessons? Buy me a beer!
If this and my other lessons have proven helpful to you, please consider making a one-time donation to my tip jar. Contributions of any amount help make this project possible (including the many, many hours I put into it).
Fun & Helpful Tools I've Made
Subscribe to my YouTube channel
Be sure to never miss a lesson by subscribing on YouTube. I put out 2-3 new videos every week. These include full song lessons, as well as covers, practice tips, behind-the-scenes updates. Thanks!
Recent Lessons
-
May 10, 2024
"Wichita Lineman" by Glen Campbell
-
May 1, 2024
Tour of My New "KeyMaster" Web Tool
-
April 24, 2024
13 Must-Know Riffs with Droning Strings
-
April 18, 2024
"Moonshadow" by Cat Stevens
-
April 12, 2024
Playing Songs "Correctly" vs. When to Cut Corners
-
April 9, 2024
Chords & Music Theory... 9 New Lessons!
-
March 30, 2024
Gordon Lightfoot's "Carefree Highway"
-
March 22, 2024
Lead Guitar & the F1 Theme Song
-
March 15, 2023
Pink Floyd's "Breathe" - with Simpler Chords Included
-
March 6, 2024
Q&A: 8 Tips to Avoid Muting Strings
-
March 1, 2024
Blues Shuffle Riffs - Using Just 2 Strings!