At 18 years old, Van Morrison sang:  

=== 

And here name is...

G… 

L…

O…

R…

I…

GLORIA. 

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You only need 3 chords to play this epic garage rock anthem.

And it's a perfect song for newer players, and advanced ones too.

Below, I’m going to share some insider tips on the guitar style behind it.

So grab your axe, and let’s dive into this “Gloria” chords and guitar lesson!

Who Wrote Gloria?

“Gloria” was written by Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician Van Morrison at just 18 years old.  It was first recorded in 1964 by his Belfast band Them, during a session at Decca Three Studios in West Hampstead, London.

Though the track was originally the B-side to “Baby, Please Don’t Go,” it quickly took on a life of its own through a massive amount of airplay and live gigs. 

At its core, “Gloria” thrives on a primal rock 'n' roll energy and teenage lust.

There’s not much more that needs to be said in the lyrics. It’s just raw expression and a chorus that spells out her na...

Elvis Presley could swivel his hips and make the girls go crazy singing, “Hound Dog”, or “Blue Suede Shoes”. 

But, he could also bring the energy down, and sing a beautiful heartfelt ballad like no one else.

Below, I want to share with you an example of this.

Plus, the guitar part (played by legendary session musician Reggie Young) is fantastic. 

So grab your axe, and let’s dive into this “In The Ghetto” chords and guitar lesson!

Who Wrote In The Ghetto?

“In the Ghetto” was written by Mac Davis, a country-pop singer-songwriter who wrote several hits in the late '60s and '70s. Davis originally titled the song “The Vicious Circle,” which reflected the tragic cycle of poverty and violence described in the lyrics.

He later explained the idea came from a friend who grew up in a Chicago ghetto, and the song was inspired by the hopelessness that urban poverty breeds from one generation to the next. “In the Ghetto” tells the heartbreaking story of a boy born into poverty in a neglect...

Behold…

A fascinating song, born out of a love triangle in one of Eric Clapton’s darkest periods.

You see, he was in love with George Harrison’s wife (Pattie Boyd), and even confessed it to her. Later, after she divorced George, she married Clapton. 

But then divorced him too, just the same.

Below, I’m going to share some insider tips on the guitar style behind it.

So grab your axe, and let’s dive into this “Bell Bottom Blues” chords and guitar lesson!

Who Wrote Bell Bottom Blues?

“Bell Bottom Blues” was co-written by Eric Clapton and Bobby Whitlock and performed with Derek and the Dominos. Clapton famously wrote it about his then-love, Pattie Boyd. She was married to George Harrison at this time. She had asked him to bring back a pair of bell‑bottom jeans from the U.S., and that became the genesis for the song. 

Bobby Whitlock also contributed, particularly to the song’s latter verse, and was later added as co‑writer. “Bell Bottom Blues” was recorded on September 2, 1970, a...

Elvis Presley sang: 

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Your kisses lift me higher

Like the sweet song of a choir

You light my morning sky

With burning love 

===

Here's a rocking tune about love that consumes you. It was a huge hit for Elvis Presley. 

Below, I’m going to share some insider tips on the guitar style behind it.

So grab your axe, and let’s dive into this “Burning Love” chords and guitar lesson!

Who Wrote Burning Love?

Despite being recorded famously by Elvis Presley, “Burning Love” was actually written by Dennis Linde in 1971.

The legend has it, he wrote the lyrics and riff in about 20 minutes. This is a pattern I’ve seen with many songs. Sometimes they just fall out of the ether. Linde wrote it while at home playing around with a drum kit. Suddenly, a spark of inspiration turned into one of rock history’s most fiery hits.

The track was first recorded by Arthur Alexander in late 1971. His version has more of a boogie R&B sound. 

However, Elvis’s version put the song on the map.

The ...

Here’s a haunting song about the end of a relationship.

It wasn’t released as a single, but over the years it’s become a Bob Dylan fan favorite.

Below, I’m going to share some insider tips on the guitar style behind it.

So grab your axe, and let’s dive into this “It's All Over Now Baby Blue” chords and guitar lesson!

Who Wrote It's All Over Now Baby Blue?

“It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue” was written by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan. It was released as the final track on his 1965 album Bringing It All Back Home. 

The recording was tracked on January 15, 1965, at Columbia’s 7th Avenue Studio in New York City. Tom Wilson was at the helm as producer, and the arrangement was sparse. It features Dylan on acoustic guitar and harmonica, and bassist William E. Lee.

The song’s lyrics – like most Dylan tunes – are rich in surreal imagery. He paints pictures in your mind with his masterful songwriting. This one in particular captures a raw “farewell energy” of the end of a relati...

Here’s a song about the baddest man in the whole damn town…

His name is Leroy Brown. 

Below, I’m going to share some insider tips on the boogie-woogie guitar style behind it.

So grab your axe, and let’s dive into this “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown” chords and guitar lesson!

Who Wrote Bad, Bad Leroy Brown?

“Bad, Bad Leroy Brown” was written and performed by American singer-songwriter Jim Croce. It was released in March 1973 as the lead single from his album Life and Times.

From there, it went on to become his biggest hit. 

“Bad, Bad Leroy Brown” reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in July 1973 and remained there for two weeks. It became his only chart-topping hit during his lifetime and was later ranked the #2 song of the entire year by Billboard.

Croce wrote the song based on a real-life tough guy he met during his time in the Army. This bloke was over 6 feet tall. He was from Chicago, carried a gun, and was known as a dangerous man. Leroy sang he’s "meaner than a junkyard dog." How...

I don’t think there’s anything quite like that first day of clear skies after the rain.

Whether you’ve been holed up during the winter or it’s just a stormy season, then, things change.

Here’s a song about just that. 

Below, I’m going to share some insider tips on the guitar style behind it. 

So grab your axe, and let’s dive into this “I Can See Clearly Now” chords and guitar lesson!

Who Wrote I Can See Clearly Now? 

“I Can See Clearly Now” was written by American singer-songwriter Johnny Nash.

It’s a timeless pop-reggae anthem released in 1972 as the lead single from his album of the same name.

The song has a great vibe of hope to it. 

Nash recorded “I Can See Clearly Now”  in London with the renowned Jamaican band the Fab 5. They began as a high-energy show band, but quickly rose to become Jamaica’s leading live group by the early ’70s. Over their five-decade-long career, Fab 5 released 28 albums, achieved numerous number-one hits in Jamaica, and became staples on the ...

Are you struggling to understand music intervals as a guitarist?

This is something that boggled my brain for a while. But once I cracked the code on it, guitar parts in songs, music theory, and my ear training improved a lot. You see, most guitar players have never done any ear training before.  

It wasn’t something I ever did until I went to music school. And to make matters worse, not 1 in 1,000 guitar instructors knows how to properly teach it either. 

There are some so-called “ear training experts” out there. But they don’t have a complete step-by-step system from scratch, and they often go way too fast. They’ve forgotten what it’s like to have a beginner's mind when it comes to music and ear training.

This means that if a player is not already experienced or advanced, then they can easily end up stuck, frustrated, and spinning their wheels – just like I was. 

An interval is simply the distance between 2 notes. Below I want to dive into the 12 most common music intervals I ...

Here's a tune that was originally rejected by famous artists like Billy Idol, Bryan Ferry, and even The Fixx.

It wasn’t until Simple Minds recorded it, and it was placed in the film The Breakfast Club, where it really took off.

Below, I’m going to share some insider tips on the guitar style behind it.

So grab your axe, and let’s dive into this “Don't You Forget About Me” chords and guitar lesson!

Who Wrote Don't You Forget About Me?

“Don’t You (Forget About Me)” was written by two songwriters, Keith Forsey and Steve Schiff, specifically for the 1985 film The Breakfast Club. 

This tune has become one of the most iconic songs of the 1980s, but its backstory is surprising. It was first offered to several famous artists like Billy Idol, Bryan Ferry, and even The Fixx, to record. But they all declined the offer. It eventually landed with Simple Minds – who also weren't keen on recording someone else’s material.

The band finally agreed to record it after being shown a rough cut of ...

Here’s a controversial tune from the 1960s that’s even been linked to a fan’s death.

The band is The Rolling Stones, and you only need to know a handful of chords to play it.

Below, I’m going to share some insider tips on the guitar style behind it.

So grab your axe, and let’s dive into this “Under My Thumb” chords and guitar lesson!

Who Wrote Under My Thumb?

“Under My Thumb” was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, two members of the English rock band The Rolling Stones. 

It was recorded in March 1966 at RCA Studios in Hollywood and released later that year on the album Aftermath. One of the unique things about this track is its distinctive use of the marimba, played by Brian Jones. 

This was not a common sound to mix into rock and roll – especially during the 60s. Along with the marimba, Keith Richards played both acoustic and electric guitars. The track was produced by Andrew Loog Oldham.

Lyrically, “Under My Thumb” tells the story of a relationship in which the ...