Hi, I’m Jeff, the guy behind The Gospel Pickin’ Post.
I started playing guitar when I was about ten years old, the day I watched my uncle sit down and play “Wildwood Flower.” Something about the sound of that old tune grabbed me and wouldn’t let go. From that moment on, I was hooked.
Back then, I didn’t have YouTube or fancy lesson sites. I had a worn-out Mel Bay book, a cheap guitar, and a whole lot of frustration. I struggled for years trying to make sense of chords, runs, and little snatches of melody. I’d catch bits and pieces, but it always felt like there was a secret nobody was explaining.
Eventually I started playing rhythm guitar at church, just doing whatever I could to keep up. Any time a picker came through—somebody who could really play—I’d watch their hands like a hawk and try to soak up as much as I could. But most of them either couldn’t explain what they were doing, or they just wouldn’t share their licks and techniques. So I kept doing what I’d always done: picking up a little here, a little there, trying to glue it all together.
Over the years, something finally clicked. All those scraps of rhythm, licks, walk-ups, and song pieces started to come together in a way that made sense to me—simple, practical, and usable in real church music, not just bedroom playing.
Now I’m on a mission to share what I’ve learned.
The Gospel Pickin’ Post is my way of giving you what I wish I had all those years ago: clear, slow, step-by-step gospel guitar that actually shows you how to play the licks, fills, and songs you hear in your head. No guarded secrets, no “figure it out yourself,” just a fellow picker walking you through it and cheering you on.
If you love gospel music, if you’ve ever wanted to dress up your church playing, or if you just enjoy a good country-gospel lick in your living room—I’d be honored to have you pick along with me.