Learn “St. Anne’s Reel,” a Lovely Traditional Melody and Jam Session Flatpicking Favorite

With its charming and surprisingly complex melody that works well on the guitar, “St. Anne’s Reel” is a favorite among flatpickers. The tune is popular at jams and is played in the bluegrass, old-time, and Irish traditions, among others. It is also a regular selection at flatpicking competitions, as it features a unique chord progression that offers plenty of possibilities for advanced guitarists to explore. Additionally, it’s a great song for instrumentalists to use when pretty background music is requested at weddings, parties, and other formal events.

“St. Anne’s Reel” is in the key of D major, presented here in the C shape with a capo at the second fret. My first recommendation is to become comfortable with the chord changes noted above the staff. The melody, particularly in the first half, closely follows the shapes of the underlying chords, and knowing these chords and their locations will be helpful as you begin to tackle the lead. The second half of the song becomes more intricate, with constantly shifting chords and a melody that swirls around these relentless changes. Again, having a solid understanding of the chords and the song’s form is key to learning this tune.

For the fretting hand, focus on letting notes ring out and bleed into one another. For instance, notice the scalar line that starts in measure 1 and descends into the following bar. The open E string can ring out as you move down the scale to the second string. You can then hold the first-fret C with your first finger and let it continue to ring as you move to the third string, followed by the fourth. This technique creates a cascading effect that transforms a simple scalar line into a beautiful passage that highlights the guitar’s unique voice.

My favorite part of this arrangement is in the B section, from the middle of measure 12 into 13. The slide from frets 2–4 on the third string is best played with the second finger, followed by the first finger on string 2, fret 3. Hold this finger as a short barre, covering the first string at the same fret in measure 13. In other words, your hand will form what is sometimes called the F shape, with your second finger on string 3, fret 3, and your first finger barring strings 1 and 2 at the third fret. Together, these notes create a complex sound—a G triad (G B D) ringing over the underlying C chord (C E G) in bar 13, resulting in a Cmaj9 sound (C E G B D). This example shows how letting notes ring can profoundly impact how a simple melody unfolds.

As always with flatpicking, the right hand should focus on alternating picking, with pick directions shown in the tab. The video at the top of this page further explains both the picking approach and the left-hand techniques described above. Give this sweet tune a try, and you’ll quickly understand why so many guitarists love it.