If used correctly, instrumental breaks can be just as exciting as any chorus. Country music has countless of these breaks that fans can remember from their first note to their last. Below are three country songs that have instrumental breaks that steal the show.
“Tennessee Whiskey” (Chris Stapleton) (live versions)
If you’ve ever heard the original recording of “Tennessee Whiskey” by David Allan Coe, you’d wonder how Chris Stapleton ever landed on his version. While Coe’s original is stellar in its own right, it’s certainly not a smoky, bluesy number with heart-wrenching vocals. Stapleton decided to take “Tennessee Whiskey” in an entirely new direction. Luckily for him, that new direction gave this song a life it never had before.
Stapleton’s recorded version flexes his guitar skills, but it’s really the live renditions that shine the brightest. When he’s on stage, Stapleton adds even more emotion to the instrumental break during the bridge of “Tennessee Whiskey”. It’s arguably the best part of the song, really driving home the sultry saunter of this country hit.
“Blue Eyes Crying In the Rain” (Willie Nelson)
The instrumental break in Willie Nelson’s “Blue Eyes Crying In the Rain” has a pastoral vibe. You close your eyes, and you can see an old-timey cowboy plucking along to this iconic guitar solo. More than that, Nelson’s guitar playing in this country hit sets the somber scene for the lyrics. His vocals evoke emotion, but it’s the background he sets for them that gives them scope.
Many of Nelson’s songs have stellar instrumental breaks, but if I had to choose just one, I’d pick “Blue Eyes Crying In the Rain” to stand out above all the rest when it comes to guitar playing.
“Chattahoochee” (Alan Jackson)
There are a couple of fiddle breaks in Alan Jackson’s “Chattahoochee”. Though the chorus is the most famous thing about this song, the fiddle solos add a lot of color to this country classic. It unarguably wouldn’t be the same song if they were left out.
The bridge also features a guitar solo that plays off the song’s titular riff. This bridge flexes Jackson’s playing and helps to drive the energy up. Needless to say, Jackson knows the power of leaving space in his songs for a break or two.
