How to Play Like Hendrix

By Tao Schencks

I think every guitar player has wanted to play like Jimi Hendrix. From the slow and soulful blues to the distorted heights, Jimi was a master of the electric guitar and although many have tried to emulate his playing style, most have failed. If you want to learn to try and play like Jimi Hendrix, here are a few tips that will help you become the next Voodoo Child.

A little known fact is that Hendrix is left handed, but plays a right handed guitar. To do this, he took off all of the strings, flipped the guitar over and put them all back on again, turning a lefty into a normal guitar. Although this will make no difference to the overall sound of the guitar, apart from the pickups working in a reverse order, it might add some kudos to your image.

One of the best tips would be to get the same guitar as Jimi used. He favored the Fender Stratocaster for many years as well as a Marshall amp too. The Strat was the guitar that gave Jimi his own sound and allowed him to create the tunes that are famous today. Although he was probably not aware of it at the time, he was a pioneer of Fender guitars and helped turn the into the massive company they are today.

Once you have your upside down guitar, you will want to add some effects into the mix. Start with a Wah-wah pedal as used at the beginning of Voodoo Child and throw in a heavy distortion pedal too. For the complete sound, add a fuzz pedal and perhaps an overdrive too, turn up the volume and start playing.

Now we have the technical stuff sorted, it's on the playing itself. Jimi was a unique player with a very individual style. Copying this is not going to be easy. It will be easier to start out knowing that you will not be able to get as good as Jimi and start from there. He was also very inventive and was known for using odd chord shapes or scales, so throw all of your knowledge out of the window when you start to learn.

The best advice would be to get yourself the back catalog of Hendrix tunes, find some song books and tab versions of his most famous tracks and start to learn them. The techniques you will need to learn will be pretty advanced, but they will pay off if you concentrate on them and practice them for long enough. Practice does make perfect when learning Hendrix songs - and once you have learn them chord by chord and note by note, evolve the sound, invent your own licks and get creative.

Take a look at the excellent prices of the Fender Stratocaster guitar, as used by Hendrix and many other famous guitarists. You might pick up a bargain at this site when you want to Buy A Rock Guitar.

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5 Easy Acoustic Guitar Songs From the 60s

By Gary Fletcher

The 60s is known as the golden age of pop, a time when this music was fresh and new, a time too when some of the best guitar music was made by legendary groups like The Beatles and the Rolling Stones. This article presents 5 easy acoustic guitar songs from the swinging sixties.

The Beatles, Love, Love Me Do

The emblematic pop group of the sixties The Beatles stormed the charts world wide with numerous hits. Love Me Do was their first single released on 5 October 1962 and is easy to play with four simple guitar chords. It's also easy to get everyone to sing along to, everybody knows this one. On the verses the song alternates between G and C chords. For the bridge play D, C, F and G twice.

The Rolling Stones, Can't Get No Satisfaction

The Rolling Stones is another legendary group with its origins in the 1960's. Released in 1965, I Can't Get No Satisfaction became their fourth UK number one and is one of their most familiar hits. The song made the number two spot in Rolling Stone magazines 2004 list of the 500 greatest songs of all time. All you need to play this legendary title are the easy open guitar chords A, D and E.

Simon and Garfunkel, Sound Of Silence

Think of the sixties and acoustic guitar and the sounds of the duo of Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel is never far away. These beatnick poets symbolise the spirit of 60s America. The Sound Of Silence is their best known hit and propelled them to stardom, reaching number one on new year's day 1966. Play it on acoustic guitar with Em, D, C and G chords.

Bob Dylan, Blowin' In The Wind

Another hugely influential artist of the sixties American folk scene, Bob Dylan's discography offers numerous opportunities to find easy acoustic guitar songs to play. I've chosen Blowin' In The Wind, the first song I ever learned to play on guitar with the three open guitar chords A, D and E. Check out more Bob Dylan titles for easy to play acoustic guitar songs to increase your repertoire.

Donovan, Colours

Another acoustic guitar song I learned early on from British folk singer Donovan. This beautiful song sounds really great with a simple finger picking arrangement, but you can simply strum along and it will sound just fine. Uses the open guitar chords D and G for the verse and an additional A7 on the chorus.

Want to learn to play guitar? Take the next steps to becoming a better player? Gary Fletcher shares tips and lessons you can use at http://www.notplayingguitar.com.

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The New James Taylor Easy Guitar Tab Book

By Eddie Kisah

James Taylor certainly is one of my all time favorite artists, although mostly known as a singer to evergreen numbers such as Fire and Rain, Carolina In My Mind and You've Got a Friend, he is also a virtuoso fingerstyle guitar player in his own rights. His intricate finger picking style is prominent in his songs that never fail to make their way in to our hearts. If you're looking for an easy way to learn some of these classic tunes on the guitar, now you can.

'The New Best of James Taylor for Guitar: Easy TAB Deluxe' is a highly accurate transcription of some of the best songs recorded by the artist. It is notated with a guitar 'TAB' and also features complete lyrics for every track. With this book, you can expect to learn 12 songs which are: Cooperline, Country Road, Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight, Fire and Rain, Mexico, Millworker, Shower the People, Steamroller, Sweet Baby James, Walking Man, You've Got a Friend and Your Smiling Face.

If you're a complete beginner, it would be a good idea to spend some time on dedicated finger picking lessons, as a through understanding of the basic in this style of playing will help you a great deal when working with this book.

One thing about TAB books is that, it will only be the most useful when you already know what a particular song should sounds like prior to studying it. For that reason, you are going to need the original recording by your side as reference. By the way, there's nothing better than hearing the original recording by James Taylor himself.

If you're a James Taylor fan that plays guitar, this is a really great book worth checking out. Drop by to my blog and find out where you can get great deal for the book. Thanks for reading!

http://edguitarlessonsresources.blogspot.com/

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Arrangement Example of Yesterday For the Keyboard

By Hilary Daglish

Yesterday is a well known pop song written by Paul McCartney in 1965, although it was credited to both Paul McCartney and John Lennon. The lyrics could be interpreted as sadness about a lost loved one. It was originally recorded for the Beatles album Help in 1965.

Paul McCartney was accompanied solely by a string quartet for this first official recording. According to the Guinness Book of Records it has over 3000 cover versions which is the most cover versions of any song ever written. And here is a verbal explanation of another version or arrangement example of Yesterday for the Keyboard.

Here are the changes applied to Yesterday

1. Introduction: A four bar introduction was added using 1 chord for each bar namely the tonic, subdominant, dominant seventh and tonic chords. As the piece is in the key of F major then the chord sequence is F Bb C7 F. There are other chord sequences which would work; this is just one idea. The idea of the melody line was thought up because Yesterday includes minims and quavers in scale like passages and so it seemed appropriate to add them to the introduction using the chords as an indicator for notes to use.

2. Melodic Changes: These occur at various places throughout the piece compared to the original. Here they are: Please note that the bar numbers refer to the arrangement example which has included the extra four bars at the beginning for the introduction.

a. Rhythmic Changes at bars 12, 15, 17, 30, 32, 33
b. Addition of Appoggiaturas at bars 14, 16, 18, 46, 48, 50
c. Octaves in Right Hand at bars 19 and 23. The right hand plays the 'a' as written plus the 'a' one octave higher at the same time.
d. Chord Voicing at bars 9 last beat to 11, 16 last beat to 18. Chord Voicing is where you can add harmony notes in the right hand to blend in the the chord and notes played in the left hand.
e. Added Ending at bars 53 and 54.

3. Modulation: A modulation is the process of passing from one key to another key. This can be done abruptly, by using the dominant seventh of the new key followed by the tonic chord of the new key or gradually over a progression of chord changes where the general rule is to finish with the key chord of the first piece, followed by a common chord in both keys, the dominant seventh chord of the new key and then the tonic chord of the new key. As there is a repeat section in Yesterday a modulation into another key was added to create interest.

The tonic key of Yesterday is in F major. The new key chosen is G major. G major was chosen because the Beatles played a G major version in the Tokyo concerts during their 1966 tours. The type of modulation used was abrupt ie the dominant seventh chord of G major followed by the tonic chord of G major, namely D7 to G. This happens in bars 34 to 35 and then the rest of the piece continues in the new key of G major. Therefore all the notes and chord names move up a second.

4. Keyboard Settings: As this version of Yesterday is for Keyboard, then keyboard settings need to be added to the piece. These include the style of the background rhythm, voice (s), tempo, autofill and harmony.
The keyboard used for the arrangement of this piece is a Yamaha Portable Grand DGX-220

Settings are set before playing commences and the ones used in this arrangement are:

style: arpeggio: number 141
voice: flute: number 92
dual voice: oboe: number 72
harmony: duet
autofill: A throughout whole piece
tempo: 80 throughout whole piece

This is how the settings were used throughout this arrangement example of Yesterday. The accompaniment and sync start buttons have to be pressed to sound the style or rhythmic background.

bars 1 - 11: single voice - flute
bars 12 - 27: dual voice on - flute and oboe ( press dual button )
bars 28 - 35: single voice ( press dual button again to release dual effect )
bars 36 - 43: harmony on ( press harmony button )
bars 44 - 52: harmony on with dual voices ( press dual button )
bars 53 - 54: accompaniment off ( press the accompaniment button to release the rhythmic effect.

It was decided to have a melodic ending only as a repeat of bars 51and 52 but one octave higher and getting quieter and slower.

This arrangement example of Yesterday for the Keyboard is just one version, one idea. People have varying ideas of what they like to see in a piece. But the method of creating your own arrangement of any tune is the same. You decide on the various aspects like introductions, endings, changes of melody line, modulations, keyboard settings and how you will use the settings in the piece to create interest.

For Yesterday and other sheet music ideas take a look here. If it is the instrument you want then take a look here.

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Playing the Rolling Stones

By William Wyman

In the early sixties the Rolling Stones were just a cover band, playing other people's songs. Gradually they began to write their own songs, probably because they realised that if they wanted to be successful they had to have original songs. Nobody ever made much money playing other people's songs in those days.

In those early days they were using standard tuning on their guitars, only later did they add open g tuning (probably around 1969). If you're learning to play guitar then you're almost certainly using standard tuning. All the early hits are played in standard tuning. So, for example, you can play Satisfaction, All Over Now, The Last Time and Not Fade Away (although this has a 12 string guitar in standard tuning). Pick any track form one of the early albums and you'll find that the guitars are in standard tuning.

Honky Tonk women is the first example of open g tuning, followed by Brown Sugar, Tumbling Dice, Street Fighting Man and then on to Start Me Up. You Can't Always Get What You Want is recorded in open e tuning with a capo on the 8th fret, but it too is normally played in open g when played live.

Tuning your guitar to open g is easy enough, here's how to do it:-

To change to open g we only need to detune 3 strings, the 1st (thinnest), 5th and 6th strings. Tune the 1st string down a tone to D - check it against your 4th string (which is a D). Do the same for the 6th string, down a tone to D - check it against your 4th string. Then finally tune your 5th string down to G - check it against your 3rd string (which is a G). Keith usually takes the top 6th string off, so you might want to do that too.
If you now strum the guitar from the 5th string down you have a G chord! No fretting required, which is why it's called open g tuning!

Keith only has 5 strings on his guitar. If you would like to know how to play Honky Tonk Women in open g tuning then go to http://stonesmusic.co.uk/songs/. Next you'll need to learn a few chords in open g tuning, but they're really quite easy to learn. Then you too will be able to play Rolling Stones music in their authentic style!
William Wyman has played in a Rolling Stones cover band for over 10 years. http://www.stonesmusic.co.uk

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How to Play Like Carlos Santana

By Michael Caroff

First, of all, realize that everyone has a unique playing style, and certainly Carlos Santana has a signature sound that is instantly recognizable. While you'll never be Carlos, you can incorporate some of his approach into your own playing.

Timing, timing, timing

There's a saying in real estate: the three most important things are "location, location, location." A similar analysis can be made about Santana's guitar style: the three most important facets are timing, timing, and timing.

The fact is, most of Santana's famous solos - Black Magic Woman, Oye Como Va, Evil Ways, Europa, Smooth - are comprised of the reliable old pentatonic (or "blues") scale, with a few extra notes thrown in for color. But a big part of what makes those solos so memorable is the way Carlos plays with the timing.

Most players lay their notes into predictable grooves: quarter notes, eighth notes, 32nd note triplets, etc. But Santana will both "anticipate" (play early) and delay (play late) his notes, setting up phrasing that is both unexpected and compelling.

In order to capture the feel that he delivers naturally, you may have to "force it" at first. But after a while, some of that off-time sense may start to creep into your own solos.

That magic sustain

Ah, we all know the notes that never end. Here's a "secret," though: without a specific technique, it's virtually impossible to make notes last forever, as Santana does. How does he accomplish this seemingly magical sustain? Several factors.

1) You do need a heavy-bodied guitar with good natural sustain, in addition to humbucking pickups that will enhance it.
2) You do need an overdriven amp that offers a rich, saturated distortion. It doesn't have to be a Mesa Boogie - lot's of amplifiers today offer that kind of overdriven sound.
3) Most important of all, you need to find the "sweet spot." Huh? Turn your amp up to performance volume, than hold a specific note, and walk around until you find the exact place in the room where the note will feed back enough to keep going, but not enough to "squeal." Mark that spot with tape, and stand there when you want an endless note. And there you have the Santana secret.

It's a matter of balance

Carlos' solos work in two ways: they stand alone as strong melodic statements, and they perfectly complement the accompaniment. Sounds simple, but it's hard to do.

Here's a trick, though: Record a solo over a rhythm track. Does it fit the groove of the song? Work well with the chord progression? Great. Now, listen without ANY other parts. Does your solo STILL have movement and power? If not, keep finessing it until it works with the background AND on its own. Do that, and you'll begin to capture some of the musical genius that has made Carlos Santana such a legend.
Good luck!

Ultimate Santana is the most comprehensive Santana website online, with information about Santana songs, albums, guitar and amp gear, history, products, and much more.

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Beatles Guitar Chords - A Great Way to Teach Yourself Guitar

By Adam Fry

Learning The Beatles guitar chords is an excellent way to teach yourself guitar. Love them or hate them, the music of the The Beatles has endured and stayed relevant for more than 40 years for a very good reason.

Their early sound tipped conventional music of the time on its head and the The Beatles' style continued to evolve throughout their careers. While known for their faultless vocal harmonies, the musical ideas and techniques that the The Beatles used were filled with color and were the envy of many a rival. This is the reason that their music remains relevant today.

When learning any instrument it can be difficult to stay motivated long enough to improve beyond beginner level. I taught myself guitar as a teenager by listening and playing along with the music I enjoyed. For me, the music of the The Beatles opened up a whole new world of ideas and techniques, and of course The Beatles guitar chords have been reused by musicians ever since. Playing along with The Beatles songs absolutely took my guitar playing ability to a new level and years later I can still discover something new as I play along with some of my favourite albums.

Another great thing about learning The Beatles songs is that there is something for every guitarist, from the absolute beginner to the advanced expert. As a beginner, you can focus on simple recordings such as "Ob-la-di, Ob-la-da" or "Yellow Submarine" which use simple The Beatles guitar chords and progressions.

More advanced players can explore complex recordings such as "Strawberry Fields Forever" or "I Am The Walrus" which feature interesting chord shapes and unexpected progressions. It is worth mentioning that although those last two songs featured rich complex arrangements on the final recordings, they are both based on very simple musical ideas, which translate very well to a basic acoustic guitar. That is the beauty of the The Beatles music, even when you strip away the color and decoration of orchestras and layers of interesting instruments, the songs are still truly great at their core.

So if you are new to the guitar or have been playing for some time and you are looking for a way to challenge yourself and improve, then I highly recommend picking up a copy of any The Beatles album, perhaps a greatest hits album, and picking up your guitar.

Adam Fry is a Beatles fan and Internet Marketer with a passion for the guitar.
Beatles Guitar Chords
Beatles Chords

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How to Play Fast Part 2 - A Lesson From John Petrucci

By Reynato Basister

Last time we talked about John Petrucci's lesson on how to play fast. And playing fast is not about cheating but it involves technique. And if you have enough technique you can play fast at your desired speed and talking that technique into the next level.

In this second part of lesson, we are going to do a series of licks going up the neck not necessarily in the key but using symmetrical. There are three different shapes that we are going to do. The first shape is it involves the fingers 1, 3 and 4 on the 2nd, 4th and 5th fret. The second is fingers 1, 2 and 4 on the 4th, 5th and 7th fret. And the third is fingers 1, 2 and 4 on the 5th, 7th, and 9th fret with the stretch. To show you the illustration for this, look at the figures below and it was written in tablature form.

e---------------------------------------------------------

B---------------------------------------------------------

G--------------2-----4-----5----------------------------

D-------5------------------------------------------------

A---------------------------------------------------------

E---------------------------------------------------------
Figure 1

Figure 1 is the first shape. Play it twice then move on the next shape in figure 2.

e---------------------------------------------------------

B---------------------------------------------------------

G--------------4-----5-----7----------------------------

D-------7------------------------------------------------

A---------------------------------------------------------

E---------------------------------------------------------
Figure 2

Figure 2 is the second shape. Play it twice then move on the next shape in figure 3.

e---------------------------------------------------------

B---------------------------------------------------------

G-------------5-----7------9---------------------------

D-------9------------------------------------------------

A--------------------------------------------------------

E--------------------------------------------------------
Figure 3

Figure 3 is the third shape. Again play it twice then go back to the first shape but this time moving up one whole step in 7th, 9th and 10th frets. Then moving up one whole step again, following the second shape on the 9th, 10th and 12th fret and then the third shape. Continue until you run out of fret.

When you become comfortable with this shape, try to play it backward. And then play it up and down the neck. Start slowly then gradually build up your speed. Again try to work on your weak points. To make these licks more interesting, you can try it in B and high E string. You can also try it in low E and A string. Good luck and have fun! Start practicing.

You can watch the whole video of this lesson by visiting my site.

Learn more about improving your guitar playing Visit My Site. Reynato Basister has been playing guitar for more than 15 years and willing to help you to develop your own guitar playing.

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How to Play Fast Part 1 - A Lesson From John Petrucci

By Reynato Basister

When John Petrucci started to learn to play fast he was emulating Steve Morse and Al de Meola. He picks every note when practicing like Steve and Al and then he switches gears into a legato mode. Legato means playing all the notes with only his left hand fingers and his right hand doing nothing.

When he was younger he saw those guys playing and it looks like cheating but its not and it sounds really smooth and fast. Playing fast is not about cheating but it involves technique. When you have enough technique you can play fast at your desired speed and you can take your speed to the next level. To give you an example, try this pattern in figure 1 shown below in tablature form.

e---------------------------------------------------------

B---------------------------------------------------------

G-------7----4----5----7--------------------------------

D--------------------------------------------------------

A--------------------------------------------------------

E--------------------------------------------------------

Figure 1

Play it repeatedly with picking each note. Start slowly then gradually increase your speed. Now in figure 2, play it with legato by picking only the first note then pull off and hammer on the remaining notes.

e---------------------------------------------------------

B---------------------------------------------------------

G------7-----5----4----5-----7-------------------------

D--------------------------------------------------------

A--------------------------------------------------------

E--------------------------------------------------------
Figure 2

Then after that, try to play the combination of the two picking each note and then the legato.

Taking that licks further and makes more licks out of it. The next example in figure 3 below is picking the first note which is the G in D string in 5th fret instead of the G string. Picking the first four notes and pull off the next two notes which is the C# and D in G string. Then end up by picking the G note in D string in 5th fret.

e---------------------------------------------------------

B---------------------------------------------------------

G------------2----4----5-----4------2------------------

D-------5-------------------------------------5---------

A--------------------------------------------------------

E--------------------------------------------------------
Figure 3

In the case of this licks it uses fingers 1, 3 and 4 which is a bit difficult and you need dexterity between fingers 3 and 4 which is really difficult to do. But you can do exercises to practice your weak points. You can do hammer on and pull off exercises that you can thrill those two fingers. It might be easier to do that licks if you use fingers 1, 2 and 4 rather than 1, 3 and 4. You must try to concentrate on your weak points to do the combination of these licks.

Watch out for the second part of this lesson from John Petrucci. Learn more about improving your guitar playing Visit My Site.

Reynato Basister has been playing guitar for more than 15 years and willing to help you to develop your own guitar playing.

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Blues Guitar Lessons - Play the Blues Like Clapton

By John Tuggle

Today I want to give you a few tips on how to play the blues guitar like Eric Clapton. He is often cited as one of the world's most known blues guitarists of this generation. He has played with all the greats and been inducted into the rock and roll hall of fame 3 times.

These three things will get your playing more close to this blues guitar master.

1. Using triplets in your playing - This is where you count 3 notes per beat, and is often played over a 6/8 time signature, but 4/4 will work as well. Eric uses triplets all the time and you should too to sound more like ol' Slowhand.
2. Develop a strong vibrato - Vibrato is one of the most recognizable traits of a guitarist. You can usually tell how skilled a player is by the sound of his vibrato. If your vibrato is very uneven and shaky sounding, then you will have a hard time sounding like Clapton. His vibrato is very relaxed and natural. You will have to develop this to sound like the blues Master.
3. Don't overplay - A sign of a mature blues guitar player is the ability of restraint. You don't have to always play fast, and loud to play the blues. Often times it will be better to play some simple phrases to build up the drama of your playing.

This is just the start of learning to play the blues like Clapton. You will also need to learn scales, and how to use them, and also how to present the feeling of the blues in your guitar playing.

To learn more about playing blues guitar like Eric Clapton, sign up for my FREE 5 part Blues Guitar Lessons mini-course here http://www.learningguitarnow.com.

I've taught thousands of students of the past 15 years and I want to help you achieve that Eric Clapton sound.

John W. Tuggle

Gibson recommended Blues Guitar Teacher

http://www.learningguitarnow.com Let's Learn the Blues

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Simple Guitar Lessons With the Beatles

By Keith Dean


Once again, the music world has turned its attention on The Beatles. The new video game featuring the Fab Four and the re-release of the newly mastered Beatles collection have served to focus the spotlight back on the music of the boys from Liverpool.

As a guitar player, the study of Beatles songs could literally be a full time endeavor. A close listen to their music reveals a variety of influences in writing styles. Traces of blues, country, pop, early rock, middle eastern and classical can be heard in their tunes, and efforts made by guitar students - of any generation - learning Beatles songs, would be time well spent.

Lennon and McCartney were arguably one of the greatest songwriting duos in history. From the love songs of McCartney, to the prolific message oriented songs of Lennon - the pair have penned tunes that will go on to live for ages. In addition, George Harrison and Ringo Starr went on to become accomplished writers in their own right.

The beauty of the Beatles music lies largely in its simplicity. Even a new guitar player will quickly ascertain that the chord progressions of their songs are not typically overly complicated or hard to play.

But, although not difficult to execute, there were strokes of genius in the structure of their chord progressions. The fluidity from verses to choruses, and the interesting twists that bridges took - were at times, brilliant. And the brilliance resides in the absolute simplicity of it all.

Lyrically their songs followed the same course. Solid hooks with highly sing-able, and remember-able melodies permeated the Beatles early music. Even later, throughout the "psychedelic" years - as the progressions became more complicated, as songs took on multiple meters and rhythmic patterns (as though a number of songs were "pieced" together), and lyrics became more nonsensical - the overall theme always seemed to revert back to the "simple".

Guitar players of later generations that became fixated on speed and flash - influenced by the VanHalen's and the Yngwie's of the day - would be well served to take a deep breath and ingest the slow meanderings of George Harrison on the fret board.

His easy going, melodic solos were such a tasteful compliment to the simple chord progressions of Lennon and McCartney, that they often went un-noticed by the guitar playing community - and Harrison's style is still largely underrated and underestimated.

Guitarists and songwriters of all ages can learn some good lessons from the simplicity of the Beatles songs. The fact that their music is ageless, and as popular today as when it was first recorded, is a testament to the power and beauty of keeping things "simple".


Over 40, 50, 60? For Free Video Guitar Lessons designed for Active Adults go to http://www.adultguitarlessons.com/amember/free_lessons-1225ez.php.

Keith Dean is founder of http://www.AdultGuitarLessons.com and a 30 veteran of stage and studio. He toured extensively as a road musician throughout the US and Europe, was a former lead guitarist for Jason Aldean and has shared stages with Little Big Town, Wild Rose, Winger, Confederate Railroad and more. He is a published songwriter, owned and operated a successful music store, and has instructed numerous students in guitar.

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Learning Guitar With the Beatles

By Keith Dean

There seems to be yet another resurgence in the popularity of the Beatles. I say "yet another" because, since the mid-eighties, there have been new Beatles explosions every decade or so. Recently, the launch of a new video game, of which sales are skyrocketing, and the re-release of the complete Beatles catalog, all digitally re-mastered have served to expose the music of John, Paul, George and Ringo to another whole new generation.

And for those of us who can still remember listening to "Love Me Do" through the scratchy speaker of a transistor AM radio, all this Beatles hoopla opens a floodgate of memories and re-ignites our passion for the Fab Four.

One of my earliest childhood musical memories was listening to my mother's 45 RPM record of "I Want to Hold Your Hand". And I have admittedly been a die hard fan ever since. Years later, when I started playing guitar, it was a natural gravitation toward learning the songs of the Beatles that - in retrospect several decades later - had a profound effect on my playing and songwriting.

A beginning guitar student could do a lot worse than strive to learn the music of the Beatles. With styles ranging from the simplicity of the early Liverpool days, to the psychedelic orchestrations of the latter years, there is a wealth of guitar chords, progressions, lead licks, and song structure to be gleaned from a study their music.

Whether your parents let you stay up late to watch the "British Invasion" on Ed Sullivan, or you are hounding your parents to buy you the re-mastered collection - guitar players of all generations would be well served to devote a good portion of study time to one of the most legendary groups in modern history - The Beatles.

Over 40, 50, 60? For Free Video Guitar Lessons designed for Active Adults go to http://www.adultguitarlessons.com/amember/free_lessons-1225ez.php.

Keith Dean is founder of http://www.AdultGuitarLessons.com and a 30 veteran of stage and studio. He toured extensively as a road musician throughout the US and Europe, was a former lead guitarist for Jason Aldean and has shared stages with Little Big Town, Wild Rose, Winger, Confederate Railroad and more. He is a published songwriter, owned and operated a successful music store, and has instructed numerous students in guitar.

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The Easiest Guitar Song in the World

By Keith Dean

You don't have to take guitar lessons very long before you realize that many of the hit songs you've heard on the radio over the years, are actually composed with only a handful of chords.

That revelation tends to shock many new guitar students, previously under the impression that most popular music is complicated and musically out of reach.

The fact is that the three chord song form is one of the most common in modern music. From blues to rock to country to pop, three chord songs are everywhere. For a beginning guitarist this is great news. It means that the newbie only has to learn a few basic open chords, and will have everything they need to play a ton of popular songs. Today we will make it even easier by learning the "easiest guitar song" in the world!

I don't make that statement based on any official claim or scientific research. It's solely based on the fact that in my 30 years as a gigging guitar player I have played a million three chord songs, a half a million two chord songs - but rarely a one chord song!

But here it is, the song is called "Coconut", and was made popular in 1971 by Harry Nilsson. The most famous line in the song is "you put the lime in the coconut and drink it all up...". This song has been re-recorded by several artists so chances are you've heard at least one of the versions.

There is one chord in this song, C7. That's it!

Here's the way it can be played:

E------------------------------------------------------------------

B------------1------------1----------------1-------------1-------

G----------------3-------------3---------------3-------------3---

D----------------2-------------2---------------2-------------2---

A-------3-------------------------------3--------------------------

E---------------------3-------------------------------3------------

The best way to play this is to hold your hand in a C7 chord in the open position.

Then play the root note, C (3rd fret of the 5th string) followed by the notes of the C7 chord as indicated.

Next, using your 3rd finger, but still keeping the C7 chord positioning, play the G note on the 3rd fret of the 6th string, followed by the notes of the C7 chord as indicated.

This is a common "alternating bass" pattern that you can use for many songs.

The whole song is played simply by holding the C7 chord position and alternating the 3rd finger between the bass notes on the 3rd fret of the 5th string and the 3rd fret of the 6th string. Easy!

Actually, the hardest part of playing this song is also the easiest because holding your hand in the same position for four and a half minutes can get tiring after a while.

So now, even if you only know one chord on the guitar (C7), you can play a complete song from beginning to end!

Enjoy!

Over 40, 50, 60? For Free Video Guitar Lessons designed for Active Adults go to: http://www.adultguitarlessons.com/amember/free_lessons-1225ez.php.

Keith Dean is founder of http://www.AdultGuitarLessons.com and a 30 veteran of stage and studio. He toured extensively as a road musician throughout the US and Europe, was a former lead guitarist for Jason Aldean, and has shared stages with Little Big Town, Wild Rose, Winger, Confederate Railroad and more. He is a published songwriter, owned and operated a successful music store, and has instructed numerous students in guitar.

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Learn to Play Guitar Like the Beatles

By Edgar Z. Johnson

Great Beatles Electric Guitar Rock Riffs

While The Beatles were not known as a riff band in the same way that The Rolling Stones or Led Zeppelin were, they did write and play some great guitar riffs over the years. Among The Beatles riff-based songs that really stand out are "Day Tripper," Paperback Writer" and "And Your Bird Can Sing."

You can learn how to play all of these great guitar riffs on your guitar if you get some high quality guitar lessons online. Yes, you read that correctly! You can get high quality guitar lessons online. You don't have to hire a private guitar instructor to learn how to play the guitar like The Beatles.

Great Beatles Acoustic Guitar Songs

The Beatles didn't have one guitarist like Led Zeppelin or The Who. They had three (George Harrison, John Lennon and Paul McCartney) and each of them wrote and played great acoustic guitar songs as Beatles. For example George Harrison wrote and played "Here Comes The Sun," John Lennon wrote and played "Julia" and Paul McCartney wrote and played "Blackbird." You can also learn how to play acoustic guitar songs such as these with your online guitar lessons too.

Online Guitar Lessons

In the "bad old days" you had to hire an expensive guitar teacher to teach you how to play guitar like The Beatles. You would have to pay for each and every lesson and that would really add up over time. You don't have to do that now. Now you can download guitar lessons online and have unlimited access (without ever having to pay for each lesson individually).

CLICK HERE to find out how you can Download Jamorama Online Guitar Lessons 24/7/365. With Jamorama you will learn how to play guitar like The Beatles (and any other band or guitarist).

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Wanna Play Blues on Guitar? You Gotta Hear These Guys

John Lee Hooker via last.fm

Wanna Play Blues on Guitar? You Gotta Hear These Guys by Jason Michael Scott

The blues go back a long way, all the way back to the late 1800's. Deep rooted in the south, the blues has been a way of self expression for many people. There have been many artists that have been involved in the blues, but most of the famous ones played guitar. To play blues on the guitar and have a good understanding you really need to listen to the guitarists that paved the way. I'm going to list a few artists that are on every top blues guitarists list of favorites.

Robert Johnson - If you don't know who Robert Johnson is then you need to go and buy his album. He is widely known as the grandfather of rock and role and is considered by some, including Eric Clapton, as the most important blues musician who ever lived. All his songs can be found on one double album, he died shortly after recording them so there really isn't a lot out there to hear. But what is out there is pure gold and probably some of the rawest and most expressive music you may ever hear. The man who made selling your soul to the devil a must for any guitarist is at the top of the list of must hear blues musicians.

Muddy Waters - This guy is without a doubt a major player in the history of music. In the late 50's he was touring England and provided the first exposure to what would pave the way for the british invasion. In 1958, during said tour, he gave the British their first exposure to amplified modern blues. The influence is quite obvious as pretty much every group that came out of England during the invasion was emulating his sound and style. If you take any guitarist from that era and ask him who his first real influence on the guitar was, there's a real good chance they'll be talking about Muddy.

John Lee Hooker - His guitar playing was very similar to the boogie woogie style often heard on piano. He had a very unique style of playing that wasn't totally bound by a set rhythm and was accompanied by his almost spoken lyrics. Quite a number of his songs have been covered by some very influential artists and bands including Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, R.L. Burnside, the MC5 and the White Stripes, just to name a few. He has a signature sound that will forever be echoed in the blues.

Stevie Ray Vaughan - Probably the best guitarist out of all the great blues guitarists. His life was cut way too short by a helicopter crash but his legacy will live forever. Stevie's playing could be fast and aggressive or slow and laid back. His best song is considered to be a cover of the Jimi Hendrix classic Little Wing, an instrumental that quite easily could be considered better than the original. He recorded 6 studio albums, one with his idol Albert King, all of which are prime examples of modern blues.

Well these are just a few of some of the truly great blues guitarists. There are many more out there I encourage you to find and listen to. Listening to some of the greats will have a positive influence on your playing no doubt.

Well these are just a few of some of the truly great blues guitarists. There are many more out there I encourage you to find and listen to. Listening to some of the greats will have a positive influence on your playing no doubt. If you are interested in more positive influences on your playing, visit http://www.BecomingaBetterGuitarist.blogspot.com.

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Creating the Band (Part 3): The Gigs and Publicity

Last week we covered equipment needed for a band. This week is all about the gigs and publicity.

There are many ways to create public awareness of your band. The most obvious are publicity, competitions, and live performances. The easiest way to make a name for your band is to enter competitions. Don’t be too selective about which competitions you enter. Any publicity is good! The more competitions you enter, the more experience your band will get playing under pressure. You may also want to try putting your hand up to play at functions or at public events, like school fetes.

Organizers are always looking for cheap entertainment, and it’s a great opportunity for the public to hear your sounds. Who knows what type of people the audience may include! When you first start playing in public, avoid original songs. Popular cover songs are much safer, as they are just that – popular! Play them well and the audience will warm to your band. Once you have built up an audience, then you can slowly try mixing in original material.

Even though playing cover songs may go against your creative processes, remember that if you want to make it as a live act, you are at the mercy of your audience. You must do everything to attract and hold your audience. A proven formula is the cover song. Find ones that genuinely reflect the type of band you are. This will give the audience a feel for your band without hitting them full on with your presence. It is easier to build up a fan base this way.

Just because you are playing covers doesn’t mean that you can’t be unique either. Research other bands, see what they are doing, and do things differently. Play against the norm. It’s a lot easier to attract attention when you are swimming upstream. Your uniqueness will stand you out from the crowd.

A large part of attracting an audience is publicity. Make sure you play to this by getting as much publicity as you can. Local media is a good start. They are always looking for a new story. Contact your local newspaper or radio station before gigs or after any success in competitions. Tell them what you are up to. Often they will find an angle to it and it may lead to some much needed free publicity. Developing your own website is always useful as well. It may come as a shock to newbies, but the fact of the matter is that the product only counts for 10% of the success. 90% is advertising and publicity, so do what you can to spread the word!

No matter how popular the cover songs you pick are, or how frequently you perform, your band will fail without performance consistency. After working so hard to attract an audience, you don’t want that audience labeling your band as inconsistent. There is no excuse for a bad day in the live music industry. If you’re going to take this seriously, make sure you have had enough practice, and air out any problems (be they technical or personal) before you hit the stage.

Now you have all the parts to forming and maintaining a successful band! It can be a tricky process. There will be ups and downs for any band. The test of a good band will be how they survive the lows. Keep working at it, because the highs completely over shadow the lows.

WRITTEN BY ELMORE MUSIC: Learn the Acoustic or Electric Guitar in 30 days! Highly recommended! Check out: http://www.guitartips.com.au/cgibin/affiliates/click.cgi?id=1593

Creating the Band (Part 2): The Equipment

Last week we covered formation and foundation of a band. This week is all about the equipment.

Your band is now up and running. You're beginning to churn out the tunes like a well oiled machine. Perhaps you have even attempted one or two original pieces. It's decision time!

Do you stay as a fun band, playing for self satisfaction only? Or do you take the next step up and see what you can make out if this? For those squarely in the latter, your first task will be to pick up some serious equipment and get used to using it. This is a crucial time in your bands life. Some serious group decisions will need to be made. Have a band meeting to discuss the matter of equipment. Make sure everyone has a voice. Most importantly, remember that solid equipment is the most important thing after the talent of the band. The equipment you go for will depend on the type of music you play. Do your research thoroughly!

Guitar Tips recommends guitarists look at Ibanez, a Marshall stack, and Digitech or Boss multi effects racks. Make sure you are careful with your choice of PA equipment. "One of the most important aspects of your overall sound is your PA equipment. Simply put, it is a set of speakers (large ones, small ones, foldback ones) and a sound mixer to plug it all into. My personal recommendation is to have all players go through their usual amp equipment but turned down slightly. Then plug everyone into the PA equipment and have someone mix the sound for you from their position. " - Chris Elmore; owner of Guitar Tips Online.

You should also think about running everyone through the PA system after running them through their own equipment. This will create a good overall sound. The rumor that PA systems are only for vocalists is not true. Get everyone plugged into the PA system and make sure that you have someone in the know at the mixing unit. Their job is to ensure that all band members are in the right place and at the right level in the overall sound. Here are some general tips for producing a clear sound:

Lead Guitarist: Must be loud during his lead breaks
Bass Guitar: Always follow the drummer's bass drum
Rhythm Guitar: Not be too loud
Drummer: Ensure that a foldback amplifier and speakers are placed next to them so they can hear the band in front of them
Vocalist: Always the most important. Must be clearly heard above everyone else

Keep all volumes on your guitars slightly lower as it prevents feedback from amps. Remember that you must be confident and familiar with your equipment before you try a live gig. Try performing in front of friends and/or family first. Once you are comfortable with your performance, it's time to try your hand at a live gig in front of the ever-demanding public eye!

WRITTEN BY ELMORE MUSIC: Learn the Acoustic or Electric Guitar in 30 days! Highly recommended! Check out: http://www.guitartips.com.au/cgibin/affiliates/click.cgi?id=1593

How to Start Your Own Band (Part 1): Formation and Foundation

Bands are a prime source of inspiration for many guitar players out there, both young and old. As your guitar skills progress, it is often a logical step to start thinking about forming a band, especially if you know people who have some musical flair as well. So how does one start a band?

There is no set way to start a band, as bands like The Killers, U2, and Hanson, have all proved. You can start a successful band in a variety of different ways:

Putting an ad in a newspaper
Playing with your mates
Getting the family involved!

However, all good bands have one thing in common -- a solid foundation. Creating a solid foundation for your band is important to prevent structural failure (commonly known as splitting up!) down the track. Continual success for the band (whether you judge that by the amount of gigs you play, the enjoyment you get out of jam sessions, or the amount of hits on your website) is largely dependent on getting all the components right from the start. This is the foundation. Building on a faulty foundation will produce a shaky structure at best. It is therefore wise to iron out even the smallest issues in the band from the very beginning. Here are a few tips to getting a band started and building a solid foundation.

The first components to think about are the people, the music, and the instruments. They all need to meld together seamlessly for your band to get off the ground. Decide what music you would like to play, decide on the people you would like in the band, and know what instruments those people play. Difficulties will arise if the people in the band don't want to play similar music, or you wind up with three drummers and no vocalist, or if you all have different ideas.

Talk in depth with the people you would like involved in the project. Once you have that sorted, do you have the minimal instrumental requirements for a band? The basic band will have a vocalist, a guitarist, a bassist, and a drummer. At the very least, do you have these covered?

When you have the right people, and have sorted out their roles, it's time for a jam session. The jam session is where creative difference, individual playing styles, and personal thought processes will become apparent. It will also be one of the most crucial times for the band, as differences of opinion frequently arise. Be patient! Your first jam session could be difficult as you learn each others styles and habits. Take notes on the events of the jam session. Also allow solo time for each individual member, letting them voice their thoughts as well.

Finally, you need to open up channels of communication between band members now! Band members should have the opportunity to express their thoughts on the other members playing styles, as well as the general direction of the band, and the music that the band is playing. It will be impossible to survive if you take each others advice and suggestions as criticism. Don't site Oasis as a reason to continually feud. It is only a very special kind of relationship that can turn feuding into productivity!

When the band feels harmonious, and the jam sessions are going well, it is time to belt out some tunes. Avoid doing original material first! Producing original material is a complex task at the best of times. It should not be attempted immediately by a fresh band. Instead, get a list of five simple cover songs that everyone in the band likes. Get band members to write a list of five simple songs on a piece of paper. From each list, allow the band to vote on one song to play. Everyone will then have a song from their list, and everyone will be happy with the songs chosen.

Finally, take it one song at a time. Allow plenty of time to get a song right. If one is clearly not working, move on or leave it for another day. But be prepared to put what you learnt in your jam sessions to good use. Take notes, keep communication lines open, make suggestions. You're band should now be well on it's way to belting out some solid tunes… you're thinking about performing live now right?

WRITTEN BY ELMORE MUSIC: Learn the Acoustic or Electric Guitar in 30 days! Highly recommended! Check out: http://www.guitartips.com.au/cgibin/affiliates/click.cgi?id=1593

New Guitar Software To Help Improve Your Playing

After hours of struggling along in front of your computer, completing your homework, work reports, university assessments, or what not, you head for your guitar to let the keyboard typing tension flow from your fingers into your strings. However, as some of you may have already discovered, you don't necessarily need to leave your computer to get that relaxing feeling you get from picking up your guitar! Instead, let your computer open up another dimension of guitar playing.

Today, there is an abundance of computer software that can enhance your playing experience. Software ranges from the most small and basic shareware (some of which is quite practical), to the extremely elaborate, technically advanced, and expensive industry standard software. For people who are just starting to feel their way around the world of guitar software, the choices can be quite confusing. Here are some software applications that are definitely worth checking out.

"I'm a Mac user!"

The choice is simple. If you are just starting to explore playing guitar and using computers to enhance the experience, check out Garage Band (http://www.apple.com/ilife/garageband/). It's available in the iLife 04 software package. Garage Band is a thorough but simple application that allows you to record, edit, and create your own music. It is specifically designed for beginners to intermediate musicians, and includes pre-recorded loops from multiple instruments with a drop and drag interface. You can be your own one man band without even having to be able to read music! Keep at it, and you will eventually progress to serious musician. At this stage, you will want to take a look at Logic Pro 7 (http://www.apple.com/logic/). This could set you back some serious pocket money and is recommended only for people mad about their music. It uses plug-and-play and allows you to network computers to create a massive audio lab. There is not much that Logic Pro 7 can't do.

"Hold up… I use Windows!"
Not to worry, Windows users have a far greater selection of software to choose from. But with greater choice, comes the task of sorting out the good from the bad. To save you some time, check out Cakewalk (http://www.cakewalk.com/).

Cakewalk offers numerous applications for the guitar user who is PC literate. They offer software that ranges from to easy-to-use studio applications for all guitar players (Guitar Tracks Pro), to sophisticated production tools (Sonar 4 Production Edition). Their website is worth a visit, as it lists in details all their software and what you can achieve with it.

Another handy piece of software exclusive to Windows users is Power Tab Editor (http://www.power-tab.net/). As the name suggests, it is a tablature editor specifically designed to create scores for acoustic and bass guitars. It is designed for beginners and advanced players alike. Smart inclusions are a chord and tuning dictionary and printable power tab scores. Best of all, it's free and can be downloaded from the website.

"Now that I've married my guitar to my computer, is there anything else I should check out?" Of course, there is plenty of stuff out there! To get you started, here are three very practical websites that Guitar Tips Online recommends.

http://www.chordfind.com: A site that allows you to find chords at the click of a button using easy to read diagrams.

http://www.metronomeonline.com: An online metronome with too many user options to list. You'll never miss a beat!

http://www.actiontab.com/view_actiontab.html: A great way to supplement you Guitar Tips learning process is with this easy to use guitar tutor website.

Have a look around the Internet and guitar shops to get a better idea of the range of software available. There is a lot to choose from, and it varies in quality and price. Unfortunately the latter doesn't necessarily affect the former, so if the software is going set you back some hard earned cash, always try to demo it first.

WRITTEN BY ELMORE MUSIC: Learn the Acoustic or Electric Guitar in 30 days! Highly recommended! Check out: http://www.guitartips.com.au/cgibin/affiliates/click.cgi?id=1593

How To Protect Your Guitar and Make It Last Longer

Last year a friend of mine flew overseas for 2 years and left his Shergold Masquerade Guitar in the shed -- fully strung! For those of you who don't know -- Shergold guitars were hand made guitars and there were only 12 of them built back then. Today those are priceless! So you can imagine the value of these things if you do manage to get your hands on one of them! When he got back he found the entire guitar neck bent right out of place! You could imagine the look on his face!

Today I thought I'd run through a few maintenance tips! It's always a good idea to maintain your guitar as not only will it keep it's value if you decide to sell it, but it also lasts longer and keeps it sound!

TIP #1: If you are going away, always take the strings OFF! This reduces tension and prevents it from bending or bowing at the neck.

TIP #2: Always keep it in a dry place. Once moisture gets into the wood, it dulls the sound and increases the chances of bending when pressure if placed on it.

TIP #3: Use cleaning agents on the body of your guitar. Don't sting on cheap stuff. Go for good quality cleaning agents. Polishes oils, gloss coats e.t.c. Layer it onto your guitar. Do not let it crack or splinter.

TIP #4: Your fingers have natural oils on them and it gets into your strings every time you play. Try to wipe your guitar strings after you finish. This prevents the oil from your fingers getting into the strings and rush appearing on your strings.

TIP #5: Always, always, always buy a carry bag for your guitar. I know they cost money and don't seem like a worthwhile thing as you'll never bump it -- but get one. They keep your guitar in a dry place, prevent knocks, chipping as well as offer security as most guitar bags have locks on them.

WRITTEN BY ELMORE MUSIC: Learn the Acoustic or Electric Guitar in 30 days! Highly recommended!

Check out: http://www.guitartips.com.au/cgibin/affiliates/click.cgi?id=1593