Author Archive
Study Piece | Rumble – Link Wray
Hi all, This lesson we’re going to look at one of the earliest pieces of bona fide rock & roll from 1958 called ‘Rumble’. This record has an interesting history of how it came to be, including the fact that the speakers of the guitar were perforated to give the sound a ‘fizz’, more like [...]
The B7 Chord
Hi all, This lesson is about a very popular chord in guitar playing – the B7 chord. A seventh chord contains one extra note than our standard 3 note triad (major, minor chords). The extra note, which we refer to as the seventh, adds a certain tension to the chord and therefore needs to be resolved, ie, followed [...]
Tomorrow! B7 chord – including backing track
Hi all! Last week we saw a lesson on using the G major scale. Tomorrow we will learn how to play a B7 chord, which will open up your musical possibilities greatly! Backing Track and Study Piece As usual, there is a full band backing track for you to practice the chord to. This will require [...]
Using the G Major Scale – Study Piece
Hi all, Last lesson we looked at the G Major Scale and how to play it, so in this lesson we are looking at using the G Major scale in a piece of music by way of a study piece. If you haven’t completed the last lesson then I strongly suggest you do so before attempting [...]
The G Major Scale
Hi all, Time to get positive!! So far we’ve mostly been working on minor scales, which are known for their sad, slightly sombre feel. Major scales however sound much brighter and happier. If you hear a happy, upbeat song then chances are it’s written in a major key. In this lesson we are looking at [...]
The B Minor Chord
Hi all, In this lesson we are going to learn how to play the chord B Minor. Like the F chord, the chord Bm will come up often in your guitar playing career and can add a real sense of depth to a song in the key of Em. This means that if you wanted [...]
Guitar Technique 4 – Bends
Hi all, This lesson is going to be a little longer than usual, so now is the time to grab a tea/coffee or (insert your favourite beverage here) and switch off the phone, lock the doors and draw the curtains as we’re going to need to do some hardcore guitar practice – I’ll have a [...]
Tomorrow! Technique part 4 – String Bends
Hi all! Last week we saw the 3rd in my techniques series – pull offs. When you’ve finished with that, you will pleased to know that the 4th in the series ‘string bends’ is out tomorrow morning at the usual time of 10am! The lesson includes an introduction to different types of string bends – [...]
Guitar Technique 3 – Pull Offs
Hi all, Earlier in the series we looked at a couple of useful guitar techniques for moving between notes, mainly slides and hammer ons. This lesson we will be looking at the opposite of the hammer-on, which is the ‘pull off’. How to pull off the ‘pull off’… The video below shows a pull [...]
Study Piece | Power Chords (5 chords)
Hi all, Last time we looked at power chords and how to play them using a simple two fingered shape. This lesson we are going to look at finding power chords using the chromatic scale. After this you will be given a piece to play, along with a chord chart to read. Note – You [...]
Musical Alphabet | Chromatic Scale pt 2
Hi all, Last week we looked at the musical alphabet, otherwise known as the chromatic scale and how to count up the scale using sharps. This week we are going to look at the other side of the scale, counting down using flats – symbolised by an italic look ‘b‘ (♭). First of all, let’s remind [...]
Musical Alphabet | Chromatic Scale pt 1
Hi all, Today we are going to be looking at the musical alphabet, otherwise known as the chromatic scale. The chromatic scale contains all of the notes you will find on your guitar. The musical alphabet is similar to our english ABC alphabet but it doesn’t go past G, in fact after G we start [...]
Power Chords | 5 Chords
Hi all, Today we are looking at power chords, the corner stone of ROCK!! Actually, power chords are used in many different kinds of music and serve as a very useful tool in our vocabulary. A two note chord, the sound it produces is a thick, heavy sound and is neither minor nor major, which [...]
Using the Em Pentatonic Scale
Hi all, In this lesson we will be looking at last week’s scale and playing a short track with it. The track uses techniques we have covered from past lessons such as slides and hammer-ons; if you are not familiar with them then I strongly suggest you visit them first. In this short piece you [...]
The Pentatonic Scale | E Minor
Hi all, This lesson we are looking at what is possibly the most famous scale of all, the pentatonic scale! A pentatonic scale is one of the most frequently used scales in music all over the world and can come in many different forms but the one we are looking at today is the one [...]
