Premium
VIP
Beta Tester
Improvised guitar pickin' on "The Gambler"
Lesson #207 • Jan 16, 2019
Video lesson
Instructional PDF 3 pages
Editor’s notes
As I was recently practicing “The Gambler” by Kenny Rogers, I found myself improvising a bit and settled into this fun little sequence I wanted to share. This uses the same chord progression and suggestions of the melody heard in the Gambler - but combines those with some familiar elements I’m fond of, such as alternating bass notes & muted strumming & some fun flourish notes. The result is a nice little exercise I’m sure I’ll find myself coming back to, and I wanted to make this lesson and share it with you. I’ll not only show you the tab for the exercise I’m playing, but more importantly explain the building blocks I’m using to create this sequence. Enjoy! (- David Potsiadlo, Jan 16 2019)
Video timestamps
- 0:00 Playthrough & lesson overview
- 1:44 Start w/ the chords & progression
- 3:00 Alternating bass notes
- 4:41 Alternate chord voicings for G and A
- 6:55 Adding palm muting
- 7:35 Walking up to each chord
- 9:23 Adding pinky flourish notes
- 10:48 Putting it all together
Full exercise
E ––––––––|–––––2––––2––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––|–
B ––––––––|–––––3––––3––––––––––––––3–––––3–––––3––––3–––––3–––––3–––––3––––3––––3–––––––––2––––––––|–
G ––––––––|–––––2––––2––––––––––––––4–––4–4–––2–2––––2–––––4–––4–4–––2––––––2––––2–––––––––2––––––––|–
D ––––––––|––0––––––––––0–0–2–4–––5––––––––––––––––4–––––5––––––––––––––––4––––0––––––0–2––––––4–2––|–
A ––0–2–4–|––––––––0––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––4–––––––––––––––|–
E ––––––––|–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––|–
D G D G D D A
E –|–––––2––––2–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––2–2––––––||
B –|–––––3––––3––––––––––––––3–––––3–––––3––––3–––––3–––––3–––––3––––3––––2–––––––––3–3––––––||
G –|–––––2––––2––––––––––––––4–––4–4–––2–2––––2–––––4–––4–4–––2–2––––2––––2–––––––––2–2––––––||
D –|––0––––––––––0–0–2–4–––5––––––––––––––––4–––––5––––––––––––––––4––––2––––4–2–0–––––––––––||
A –|––––––––0––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––||
E –|–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––||
D G D G D A D
Chords needed & progression used
Shapes: Progression:
E –––2––––3––––0––– | D . . . | G . D . | G . D . | D . A . |
B –––3––––0––––2––– | D . . . | G . D . | G . D . | A . D . |
G –––2––––0––––2–––
D –––0––––0––––2–––
A ––––––––2––––0–––
E ––––––––3––––––––
D G A
Alternating bass notes
Here’s how to play the alternating bass note for each of the three chords we’ll use:
Chord: Simple: Advanced:
E ––2–– ––––––2–––––2––––– ––––––2–2–––––2–2––––
B ––3–– ––––––3–––––3––––– ––––––3–3–––––3–3––––
G ––2–– ––––––2–––––2––––– ––––––2–2–––––2–2––––
D ––0–– –––0–––––––––––––– –––0–––––––––––––––––
A ––––– –––––––––0–––––––– –––––––––––0–––––––––
E ––––– –––––––––––––––––– –––––––––––––––––––––
D
Chord: Simple: Advanced:
E ––3–– ––––––3–––––3––––– ––––––3–3–––––3–3––––
B ––0–– ––––––0–––––0––––– ––––––0–0–––––0–0––––
G ––0–– ––––––0–––––0––––– ––––––0–0–––––0–0––––
D ––0–– ––––––0–––––0––––– ––––––0–0–––––0–0––––
A ––2–– –––––––––2–––––––– –––––––––––2–––––––––
E ––3–– –––3–––––––––––––– –––3–––––––––––––––––
G
Chord: Simple: Advanced:
E ––0–– ––––––0–––––0––––– ––––––0–0–––––0–0––––
B ––2–– ––––––2–––––2––––– ––––––2–2–––––2–2––––
G ––2–– ––––––2–––––2––––– ––––––2–2–––––2–2––––
D ––2–– ––––––2–––––2––––– ––––––2–2–––––2–2––––
A ––0–– –––0–––––––––––––– –––0–––––––––––––––––
E ––––– –––––––––0–––––––– –––––––––––0–––––––––
A
For the G, you can also use this chord shape:
Chord: Simple: Advanced:
E ––––– –––––––––––––––––– –––––––––––––––––––––
B ––3–– ––––––3–––––3––––– ––––––3–3–––––3–3––––
G ––4–– ––––––4–––––4––––– ––––––4–4–––––4–4––––
D ––5–– –––5––5–––––x––––– –––5––5–5–––––x–x––––
A ––––– –––––––––5–––––––– –––––––––––5–––––––––
E ––––– –––––––––––––––––– –––––––––––––––––––––
G
Bringing in alternative chord voicings
For the G and the A, let’s get used to playing them with these voicings.
E –––––––––– E ––––x––––– <== muted by left index
B ––––3––––– <== left index B ––––2––––– <== left index (barred)
G ––––4––––– <== left middle G ––––2––––– <== left index (barred)
D ––––5––––– <== left ring D ––––2––––– <== left index (barred)
A –––––––––– A ––––0–––––
E –––––––––– E ––––––––––
G A
Adding stretched pinky notes to the D and A chords
For the D chord:
E ––––2–––––2–––– E ––––2–––––2––––
B ––––3–––––3–––– B ––––3–––––3––––
G ––––2–––––2–––– G ––––2–––––2––––
D ––––0–––––4–––– <== use left pinky finger D ––––0–––––x––––
A ––––––––––––––– for the 4th fret note A ––––––––––4–––– <== use left pinky finger
E ––––––––––––––– E ––––––––––––––– for the 4th fret note
D D/F# D D/C#
For the A chord:
E ––––x–––––x––––
B ––––2–––––2––––
G ––––2–––––2––––
D ––––2–––––4–––– <== use left pinky or left ring finger
A ––––0–––––0–––– for the 4th fret note
E –––––––––––––––
A A*
I made a lesson about this:
Palm muting
I mention the palm muting strumming technique in the video - here’s my previous lesson on that topic:
Walking up to the D and G
E ––––––––––––––2––– E ––––––––––––––––––
B ––––––––––––––3––– B ––––––––––––––3–––
G ––––––––––––––2––– G ––––––––––––––4–––
D –––––––––––0––0––– D ––0––2––4––5––5–––
A ––0––2––4––––––––– A ––––––––––––––––––
E –––––––––––––––––– E ––––––––––––––––––
D G
Good luck!
I hope this was helpful - let me know if you have any feedback or questions! Thanks and all the best.
Browse Related Lessons
Click any tag below to view other lessons I've made in that category:
Enjoy My Lessons? Show Your Support!
Most of the lessons on my website are 100% free. If you have the means, please show your support with a tip jar contribution. I put many hours into every lesson — but it only takes you a minute to make a donation. You have my thanks!
Looking for More Song Lessons?
Featured Courses
Fun & Helpful Tools I've Made
Coming soon is Jambox – which shows all the video jam tracks I've made. It's note quite ready for the spotlight, but check it out if you like!
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
-
Sept 10, 2025
Diagonal Pentatonics, Explained!
-
August 29, 2025
"Margaritaville" by Jimmy Buffett
-
Aug 22, 2025
First Steps with Double Stops — 16 Page Handbook Included!
-
Aug 3, 2025
Fingerstyle Fun feat. Ozzy Osbourne's "Mama I'm Coming Home"
-
July 31, 2025
[Updated] "Lola" Instrumental Intro, with Melody
-
July 25, 2025
"Sloop John B" by The Beach Boys
-
July 22, 2025
[Updated] Beginner Blues Groove in A minor
-
July 18, 2025
Minor Key Handbook – Now Available!
-
July 11, 2025
Melody & Chords, Together! ft. Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah"