3 a.m. - Gregory Alan Isakov
Hello everyone, and welcome to this new tutorial! Today, I’m excited to share a song I first discovered live at a Gregory Alan Isakov concert: 3 a.m.. This track is built around vocals and a delicate fingerpicking pattern—calling it "difficult" would be an understatement. It took me months to figure out the right notes and even longer to be able to play it smoothly.
Luckily for you, I’ve already done half the work! Jokes aside, here are some useful tips to help you learn it. First, let’s break the song into two main parts: the intro (which also serves as the interludes), the verses, and the chorus on one side, and the bridge on the other. For the first sections, the key is to learn the bassline played with your thumb. Once you’ve got that down, adding the higher notes will feel much easier. I remember how frustrating it was at first, but this song has a certain flow—once you settle into it, everything starts to fall into place. As for the higher notes, you can play them with your index and middle fingers, though using your ring finger for the high E string can make things more comfortable.
The bridge, however, is a different story. Unlike the previous sections, where the bassline provides a solid structure, the bridge feels looser. I had the same impression when I played it live. From what I’ve noticed, Gregory plays the first chord and the second note of each measure in the bridge with his thumb. In the video, you’ll see that I play the D minor chord with my index finger instead of my thumb, but that’s just a matter of personal comfort. Don’t stress about getting the exact picking pattern in the bridge—it’s meant to sound a bit raw, and that’s part of what makes this song so special. As long as you’re playing the right chords, you’re good to go.
And trust me, I’m not just saying this for my own benefit: to learn this song properly, you really need the full sheet music in front of you. The on-screen tabs alone might not be enough!
You can find the Tabs in PDF on my Patreon profile!
