SONGS: GUITAR: BEGINNER ROCK In this course, you will learn some classic Rock songs at the beginner

level. Each songs addresses aspects of guitar playing, like developing rhythm guitar technique, expanding strumming technique, learning movable chord shapes, and many other essential guitar skills. Learn to play 'Stairway to Heaven,' 'Black Dog,' 'Wish You Were Here' and many other Rock classics.

Return to Course Catalog List COURSE Songs: Developing Rhythm Guitar Technique LESSON That's All Right Mama: Chords and Strum Pattern TEACHER Susan Mazer DESCRIPTION

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So much of the '50s rock and roll came out of the traditional blues sounds and That's All Right Mama is no exception. Although many people covered this tune, Elvis made it popular. His blend of gospel and blues created his immediately recognizable rock and roll sound. This song uses the G7, C7, and D7 chords. When dominant 7 chords are put together in this way, you create a really bluesy sounding tune. The strumming pattern also has some syncopation to it, giving the entire tune a little swing. The band 'America' released its self-titled debut album in Europe, and, with only moderate success. Looking for a song that would be popular in both the United States and Europe, the group re-released the album with an additional tune: 'Horse With No Name.' Originally, it was entitled 'Desert Song.' It was intended to capture the feel of the hot, dry desert that the writer remembered from his childhood. Even someone who doesn't think they can sing can try to belt out this tune. During the verses, the same two notes are sung repeatedly, with no variation. I think we can handle that. Roger Waters and David Gilmour of Pink Floyd have been some of the most prolific and interesting songwriters in rock history. We're going to take a look at one of their most recognizable and straightforward tunes, 'Wish You Were Here,' from the Pink Floyd album of the same name. It uses all open string chords. So even if you're just a beginner, this one's pretty easy to nail down and even people who aren't necessarily Floyd fans know this one. It's a great addition to your cover tune repertoire. So let's get cracking. Since 1972, one song has stood alone as the yardstick for measuring rock guitar ability: 'Stairway to Heaven,' the greatest classic rock tune of all time. This beautiful and complex composition was penned by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin. I can still remember racing my friends to learn it as a teenager, arguing over the accuracy of our versions, comparing notes, and sweating over the song for countless hours. Finally, after watching and rewatching 'The Song Remains the Same,' wearing down my copy of Zoso to the bone, and scouring every available transcription, I could play it perfectly, straight through. It's very helpful to click on the songs button and get the sheet music and also purchase the CD; but, watching my fingers on the neck and having me describe every move in detail will also be tremendously helpful. It'll take several lessons to cover the whole song; so, this is Part I in the series. We'll begin with the first three sections: the intro, the verse, and the variation of the intro which leads to the first strummed section. This lesson continues where Stairway to Heaven parts one, two, and three left off. It will cover the middle sections of the song, parts four, five, and six after the slow introduction, but before the solo. As always, it's suggested that you click on the song's button to purchase the sheet music and the song, which

Songs: Developing Rhythm Guitar Technique

Horse With No Name: Easy Strum

Susan Mazer

Songs: Expanding Technical Skills I

Wish You Were Here I: Chords and Strums

Jeff Bihlman

Songs: Introduction to Barre Chords

Stairway to Tobias Hurwitz Heaven: The Intro and Opening Verses

Songs: Introduction to Barre Chords

Stairway to Heaven: The Chorus, Middle Verses, and PreSolo

Tobias Hurwitz & Jeff Bihlman

will be very helpful in mastering the tune. One of the most beautiful guitar strumming passages ever recorded is taught in this lesson, so let's get started. Songs: Expanding Strumming Technique Wild Night (Van Morrison): Chords and Strum Pattern Susan Mazer The tune 'Wild Night' was written by Van Morrison and covered by John Cougar. It's a real classic rock tune. What gives this song its edge is the fast strumming pattern and occasional riffs. I'll show you how to play the song with and without the licks. All the chords, you problably already know and are familiar with, the E minor, G, C, and D. Most songs have a clear cut verse, the part that tells the story, and chorus, the part that repeats both melody and words to reinforce the main theme of the song. This tune has a third section that's played one time, sometimes called the bridge. There's a lot going on here with just four chords. Green Day recorded 'Good Riddance' in 1997 on the CD 'Nimrod.' And in no time flat, it was the biggest acoustic classic of the decade. The song is wonderful because it's very easy to play but everyone likes it, from Punk rockers to the boy or girl next door, to maybe even your grandmother. You can purchase the sheet music and the song by clicking on the 'Songs' button. But, it will also be helpful to have me take you through the moves and teach you the easy chords, picking and strumming patterns that Billie Joe actually used. This is the kind of song that you can play at a school talent show, even if you've only been playing for about a year. Or you can play at a gig if you've been playing a lifetime. So, let's get started. The tune that we're going to learn in this lesson is called 'Good Riddance' or 'Time Of Your Life' by Green Day. I chose it because it combines four very common chord shapes: G, Cadd9, E minor, and D. It also uses a fingerpicking pattern at the beginning. Although I've heard versions where there's picking throughout, I chose to switch to strumming on the first verse. By changing my right-hand pattern, I'm emphasizing the dynamics of the song. Any tune can be turned into an acoustic solo tune. Even if you hear it with a full band, you can make your own arrangement. If I Had a Million Dollars is one of, if not the oldest written Barenaked Ladies song. In its earliest form it was written while Steven Page and Ed Robertson were counselors at a summer music camp as a simple improvised song. On the way home from camp, Robertson played the tune for the campers, randomly listing amusing things he would buy with a million dollars. He shared the idea with Page and the two fleshed out the song. The song has become an icon of Canadian culture and before The Barenaked Ladies ever hit it big in America, Canadian concertgoers would go crazy for this song. You got to love a good sing-along. This song is simple to play and just way too much fun to play for a crowd. So get your guitar, some Kraft dinner, your lotto tickets, and let's get started. This lesson will teach a simplified version of Led Zeppelin's classic hit, Whole Lotta Love. Led Zeppelin II opened with this awesome tune and the world has never been the same since! In this simple version, we're going to skip the long noisy section in the middle, the solo, and just give you some basic first position chords with which to strum the song. If you're still within your first year or so of playing guitar, you may wish to try this version instead of the complete, authentic version that is also available here at Workshop Live. The song Horse With No Name was a number one hit and the album quickly went platinum. The most common critism of the

Songs: Using the R? Good Riddance-Pattern Time of Your Life (Instrumental) with Tobias Hurwitz

Tobias Hurwitz

Songs: Expanding Strumming Technique

Good Riddance-Time of Your Life (Sung) with Susan Mazer

Susan Mazer

Songs: Expanding Strumming Technique

If I Had a Million Dollars: Chords and Strum Pattern

Ian Campbell & Jeff Bihlman

Songs: Expanding Strumming Technique

Whole Lotta Love: Easy Chords

Tobias Hurwitz

Songs: Expanding Strumming

Horse With No Name:

Susan Mazer

Technique

Embellished Strum

song, even mentioned in their liner notes, was its similarity to Neil Young in sound and style. In fact, Horse with No Name pushed Young's Heart of Gold out of the number one spot. There's nothing fancy about the chords or melody to this song, but the lyrics and the overall feel of the song make it really fun to play. Jeff Bihlman Hey rockers! Come on in and let's talk about Dropped D Tuning and massive distortion. With their hook-laden power pop, Staind has become one of modern rock's biggest bands. Today we're going to take a look at one of their biggest hits, It's Been Awhile. If you're not familiar with Dropped D Tuning, this'll be a great introduction for you. Although not all that new, Dropped D is such a popular tuning in rock music today, that it's essential to get a grip on it if you want to cover some of today's hottest tunes. So let's get going, shall we? Hotel California was the fifth album by The Eagles. It sold over 16 million copies and was number one for eight weeks in the mid 70s. As if that's not enough, it won album of the year in 1977. Rolling Stone named the album the 37th greatest album of all time. Hotel California is a self-admitted concept album. It's about the decline of America into materialism and decadence. Don Henley, who was one of the writers said that he wanted to wake people up and say that we've got to change if we're going to continue to be around. There are several other theories about underlying messages in the song. The nice thing about lyrics is that everyone gets something different out of them. One of the great songs from Green Day's American Idiot CD is Boulevard of Broken Dreams. This song is a bit of a production number for a band that is generally thought of as a modern day punk-rock power trio. On the recording is an acoustic guitar part that runs throughout the song and that's what we'll be learning in the first lesson. The cool thing about this acoustic part is that you can play it all the way through the song and makes for a nice unplugged version. In the next two lessons we'll also have some fun with the electric parts, but for now get out your acoustic guitar and a capo and let's get strumming. The electric rhythm parts for Boulevard Of Broken Dreams are similar in many ways to some of the acoustic parts but now we won't be using the capo. The electric part also includes the clean single-note riff that colors the end of the verse and precedes some classic Green Day style power chords. In the first scene, we'll be playing that clean line with the delay set to eighth notes. Let's get to it. In this final Boulevard lesson we'll be playing a solo which uses octave shapes that are typical of Green Day style guitar solos. We'll also play a pretty mean outro overdub part and that's all there is to this song. What more can I say? Hey there, how you doing? Come on in and let's talk about learning some tunes. Certainly one of the most fulfilling experiences for a musician is to learn how to correctly play one of our favorite tunes from one of our favorite artists. Today we're gonna learn to play one of my personal favorites 'She Talks To Angels' by the Black Crowes. This is a very easy song to play on the guitar, especially if you know the one trick to it. And, since I'll be showing you this tune, I guess I'll have to reveal this trick! So grab your axe and let's get cookin'. The band known as The Eagles formed in 1971 when Linda Ronstadt's then manager, John Boylan, extracted Glenn Frey,

Songs: Expanding Strumming Technique

It's Been Awhile: Chords and Dropped D Tuning with Jeff Bihlman

Songs: Expanding Strumming Technique

Hotel California: Easy

Susan Mazer

Songs: Expanding Strumming Technique

Boulevard of Broken Dreams: Acoustic Rhythm Guitar Part

Ralph Agresta

Songs: Expanding Strumming Technique

Boulevard of Broken Dreams: Rhythm Guitar

Ralph Agresta

Songs: Expanding Strumming Technique

Boulevard of Broken Dreams: Solo

Ralph Agresta

Songs: Movable Chords

She Talks to Angels: Open E Tuning and Chords

Jeff Bihlman

Songs: Movable Chords

Lyin' Eyes: Chords and

Ian Campbell

Strum Pattern

Bernie Leadon, and Randy Meisner from their other affiliations. They were short a drummer until Frey phoned Don Henley whom he had met at the Troubador in Los Angeles. They backed up Linda Ronstadt on a two-month tour, then decided to form their own band, and the rest, as they say, is history. Just listening to their brilliant harmony is itself a lesson in good music. Raleigh Green Holiday, by Green Day, was released in 2004, off of their 7th studio album, American Idiot. It was written as a prelude to Boulevard of Broken Dreams and it is not exactly a heart-felt ballad, or happy-go-lucky stroll on the beach type of song. Instead, it's a rock-infused, punk anthem, which happens to feature some awesome Green Day style guitar riffs. In the intro to the tune, you'll be sliding around tenths based on barre chords. And in the verse, I'll show you how to shift distorted power chords around the fretbord with both speed, and precision. Ready to rock? Welcome to Paradise was first released on Green Days 1991 album Kerplunk!, then re-released again in 1994 on the hit album Dookie. Billie Joe Armstrong says the song was written about his experience living in a broken-down warehouse, after moving out on his own. Not only is the song fun to play, it is also a textbook example of Green Day's classic punk influence, featuring tons of distorted power chords and a relentlessly fast tempo. The song was originally recorded with the guitar tuned down a 1/2 step, but Green Day has been known to play it in standard tuning as well. Wake Me Up When September Ends is the fourth single from Green Day's seventh studio album, American Idiot. Released on the 13th of June 2005, it became Green Day's second Top 10 single. This lesson will cover in detail all of the riffs and licks found in the intro and verse of this awesome tune. As you'll soon discover, the song features all sorts of cool musical devices like chord arpeggios that combine fretted notes and open strings, slash chords, and movable barre chords. So, grab your guitar because here we go! In the last lesson, we examined the Intro and Verse of Green Day's masterpiece, Wake Me Up When September Ends. Now, in this lesson, we'll study the rest of the tune. First, we'll check out a special passing chord designed as the pickup to the chorus and I don't mean truck. After that, we'll have a detailed look at the chorus from top to bottom. Then, we'll switch to the electric guitar and step on the distortion pedal for the burning guitar solo. Once you get to the end of the lesson, we'll celebrate with a final jam. Pink Floyd - the band that created an epic rock sound and made its performances into amazing spectacles. In this lesson, we will discuss the song Hey You off the album The Wall. So, put on your tie-dyed tee shirt and get ready for the spacey sounds of the 70s. Pink Floyd's double-disk concept album, The Wall, recorded in 1979, upheld the band's fine tradition of lamenting the loss of their original frontman Syd Barrett to insanity, while simultaneously poking fun at mainstream society. David Gilmour's guitar work stays sublime throughout, with his axe barking funky commands under Roger Waters' inspired lyrics, especially on Another Brick In The Wall Part II, which is certainly one of The Wall's shining moments. This lesson, and the next one, will get you through the rhythm guitar work of the song, and of course the solo is covered in detail in an additional three lesson series. So let's get to it!

Songs: A String Forms Movable Chord Forms

Holiday: Intro and Verse

Songs: A String Forms Movable Chord Forms

Welcome to Paradise: Intro and Verse

Raleigh Green

Songs: Movable Chords

Wake Me Up When September Ends: Intro and Verse

Raleigh Green

Songs: Movable Chords

Wake Me Up Raleigh Green When September Ends: Chorus and Solo

Songs: Movable Chords

Hey You: Part 1, Chords and Strumming Patterns

German Schauss

Songs: Movable Chords

Another Brick in the Wall: Rhythm Guitar, Verse and Pre-Chorus

Tobias Hurwitz

Songs: Movable Chords

Another Brick in the Wall: Rhythm Guitar, Chorus, and Solo Chords

Tobias Hurwitz

This lesson will complete the rhythm guitar parts and arrangement of Pink Floyd's classic, Another Brick in the Wall Part II. The keyboard chords that accompany the guitar solo are also arranged here for guitar, and of course, the layered guitars of the chorus, which we didn't get to last time, are included. This lesson is full of cool, funky licks, so without further ado, let's get into it! Hi, and welcome to the fourth installment of Stairway to Heaven. You've made it through the solo. Congratulations! But now you need to learn the rhythm guitar part underneath the solo, the next rhythm part before the last solo, and two key overdubs. So that's exactly what were about to cover. Hang in there! Soon you'll be able to infuriate music store owners wherever you go. So without further ado, let's get into it! Led Zeppelin's Black Dog was originally recorded on the untitled album which is now unofficially known as ZOSO, the same album that spawned Stairway To Heaven. The band was at its peak during this period, and Black Dog is a wonderful example of Zep at their best. This lesson will teach you the mysterious intro, plus the next three explosive riffs of the song. So, let the rockin' begin! The 80s! Spandex, big hair, and silly synth sounds. In this lesson, we'll discuss Owner of a Lonely Heart by Yes. It is one of the songs that made the 80s what they were. Let's get the big hair and spandex out and enjoy this trip back to the past. Led Zeppelin's sophomore effort, simply titled Led Zeppelin II, was recorded in 1969, and opens with Whole Lotta Love. This massive hit has stayed popular ever since, and is mercifully easy on the fingers of aspiring guitar wizards like you, unlike much of Page's other work. This lesson will teach the first three rhythm guitar parts to Whole Lotta Love. These parts will get you through most of the song, and you can finish it off by checking out the next two lessons in the series. Let's do it!

Songs: Pentatonic Major and Combining Pentatonic Scales

Stairway to Heaven: Solo Rhythm Part, Final Verse Chords and Licks

Tobias Hurwitz

Songs: Pentatonic Major and Combining Pentatonic Scales

Black Dog: Intro, Verse, and Chorus Riffs

Tobias Hurwitz

Songs: Developing Rhythm Guitar Technique II

Owner of a German Schauss Lonely Heart: Part 1, Rhythm Guitar

Songs: Developing Technical Skills III

Whole Lotta Love: The Intro, Verse, and Chorus Riffs

Tobias Hurwitz

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