Have you ever turned on your favorite blues recording, started playing along, but then got lost?

It’s frustrating. And, this is super common. In fact, most guitar players can not play through a simple blues without dropping the form. This means playing the wrong chords at the wrong time or getting completely lost.

Years ago when I studied with blues guitar master Kenny Burrell he would always test students with playing a simple blues. He viewed it as a great leveler. It was a quick way to assess how fluent someone is with most American music from the past 100 years.

If this has happened to you, then today I want to share some simple ear training exercises to banish this problem for good.

Now, of course, there’s only so much I can do in one quick video. And, there’s no way I can tell where you are at with your ear. Ear training is a deep topic, and if you practice things out of order, then your results aren’t going to be as solid as following a system.

But...

Have you ever wondered how someone can play just two guitar chords, and make a stadium full of music lovers go crazy?

Well, today I’m going to share with you those two secret chords and more from an iconic song.

It’s been said that this song was inspired by The Beatles' "All You Need Is Love", during the love and peace movement of the 1960s.

So grab your guitar and let’s dive into this “Give A Little Bit” guitar lesson!

Who Wrote Give A Little Bit?

"Give a Little Bit" is a song by the British rock band Supertramp. Its writing credits are given to Rick Davies and Roger Hodgson, although it is a Hodgson composition. It was first released in 1977 on their album Even in the Quietest Moments... 

The song sings a simple, positive message about the importance of giving and sharing love and care with others. The track was recorded at The Record Plant in Los Angeles, where multiple layers of 12-string guitars were meticulously overdubbed to create its...

Behold…

A powerful song with guitar parts under the influence of legends like Jimi Hendrix, Curtis Mayfield, and Cornell Dupree. 

You only need a couple of chords to be able to start jamming it along with the iconic recording. 

This song has moved the world, and was even placed in a famous TV show in a seaons finale scene for “Friends”. 

So grab your guitar and let’s dive into this “Yellow Ledbetter” guitar lesson!

Who Wrote Yellow Ledbetter?

"Yellow Ledbetter" was written by Eddie Vedder (vocals), Mike McCready (guitar), and Jeff Ament (bass). Three members of the American rock band Pearl Jam.  

The music was composed by Mike McCready, and the lyrics were written by Eddie Vedder. The song has a loose, jam-like structure and features guitar work from McCready that is straight out of the Hendrix school of rhythm guitar.

While the exact meaning of “Yellow Ledbetter” is ambiguous due to Vedder's mumbled and...

If you’d like a perfect song to delight your audience with this fall…then folk-rock legend Neil Young may just have a solution for you.

There’s something special about this tune that blends beautifully with a cup of coffee, and a chill in the air.

You only need a couple of chords to play it. 

So grab your guitar and let’s dive into this “Harvest Moon” guitar lesson!

Who Wrote Harvest Moon?

"Harvest Moon" was written and performed by Canadian singer-songwriter Neil Young. It was released as the title track on his 1992 album Harvest Moon.

Harvest Moon is often considered a sequel to Young's earlier album Harvest from 1972. It was recorded at a few different locations, including Young's Broken Arrow Ranch in Redwood City, California.  

The recording sessions involved many of the same musicians who played on Young's original Harvest album, including Ben Keith on pedal steel guitar, Tim Drummond on bass, and Kenny Buttrey on drums....

If you want to learn how to play all your favorite songs without tabs or watching videos online… then you are going to need to develop some basic ear training skills.

Just like playing your instrument, you have to train your fingers to go to the correct strings and make the chords on the beat.

You need to culture your ear to accurately process the sounds you hear in music. You see most untrained ears when they hear music it’s like watching a fuzzy old television. Everything is just blurred and messy. 

But once you start building up your ear from scratch. That’s when you start to develop a crisp and clear picture in your mind of the sounds you are hearing. 

One of the skills you will need to develop is chord quality recognition.

This lets you figure out…

How To Tell If A Chord Is Major Or Minor 

Have you ever been frustrated playing your guitar with a song trying to figure this out? 

Not knowing if you are hearing a major chord, a minor...

If you want to learn to play guitar like a thunderous rock god.

Here's a powerful riff to help set you on your way. 

In fact, few guitar riffs hold as much raw energy as this one. It blends elements of the blues with searing rock guitar solos. 

I’m going to share its most iconic moments in this post. 

So grab your guitar and let’s dive into this “Stranglehold” guitar lesson.

Who wrote Stranglehold?

“Stranglehold” was written by American guitarist, singer, and songwriter, Ted Nugent.  While Ted is often credited with the song, Rob Grange, the bassist, also played a significant role in its creation. 

Apparently "Stranglehold" is a song that evolved from a spontaneous jam session. The riff came about during a rehearsal, and then quickly took shape as the band experimented with different musical ideas. 

The recording captured the band's live energy, with Nugent's guitar work being a standout feature. His extended guitar...

If you want to master the art of rock guitar, then you are going to need to do something very important.

And that is...

Listen to great rock records.

So below are 10 epic rock guitar albums every guitarist should know.

As I go through them, I’ll some share key points I’ve gleaned from studying these masters of rock guitar.

So without further ado, here they are (in no particular order):

1. Back In Black AC/DC

Angus Young is one of the greatest grand pooh-bahs of rock guitar. Malcolm gets credit too. But Angus was a master at creating killer riffs. He also plays the h3llz out of them in a stadium full of fist-pumping rock fans.

2. The Dark Side of the Moon Pink Floyd

David Gilmour’s soaring leads with Pink Floyd have no doubt moved the world. Everything on this album from the way he bent strings, to the chord progressions, to even the use of psychedelic sounds is incredible.

3. Rumours Fleetwood Mac

Take a listen to tunes like “Go Your Own Way”....

Here’s an edgy song made famous in the classic film “The Graduate” in 1967.

It all started with a bluesy riff Paul Simon mashed together with a catchy sing-along melody that made history.   

I’m going to share facts about the song and go through some of Paul Simon’s iconic guitar work in this post. 

So grab your guitar, and let’s dive into this “Mrs. Robinson” guitar lesson.

Who Wrote Mrs. Robinson?

"Mrs. Robinson" was written by Paul Simon, one-half of the American folk-rock duo Simon & Garfunkel. The song was released in 1968 and is famously associated with the film "The Graduate," directed by Mike Nichols. 

Nichols, a fan of Simon & Garfunkel's music, initially wanted to use their existing songs for the movie's soundtrack. But Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel decided to write new material. 

At the time, Simon had been working on a song titled "Mrs. Roosevelt," which evolved into "Mrs. Robinson."...

If you like playing along with your favorite recordings or even jamming songs with friends, then here’s a quick and easy tune to add to your setlist and have blast playing.

You only need 3 chords to get through it. And, you’ll potentially unlock a lot of powerful guitar skills like:

• Improving your rhythm
• Improving your fingerpicking
• Improving your strumming
• Combining licks and chords
• Playing lead guitar

So grab your axe and let’s dive into this “Can’t You See” guitar lesson!

Who Wrote Can’t You See?

"Can't You See" was written by Toy Caldwell, the lead guitarist and primary songwriter for the classic Southern rock group the Marshall Tucker Band. Caldwell was known for his distinctive guitar playing and made big contributions to the band’s iconic sound.

He wrote "Can't You See" while recovering from a motorcycle accident. The song's bluesy tone and reflective lyrics show Caldwell's emotional state during his recovery.  

...

Have you ever been frustrated trying to figure out a song by ear?

It’s not easy when you’re banging your head against the wall trying to figure out a certain chord, lick, or melody.

Years ago, I was playing a gig with this brilliant organ player who Downbeat magazine rated “Organist Of The Year” and he was talking to me about transcribing Steely Dan. There was one chord, that he had on loop, and was just banging keys on the piano trying to find it.  

For some guitarists, this seems to come naturally for others they need to focus more on the fundamentals of ear training. 

Below I share with you some tips on guitar started (as a guitarist) and simple steps forward to improve your ear.

1. Simple Pitch Matching Skills:

Start by becoming more tuned to the sounds around you. It could be as simple as hearing a doorbell, or noticing a truck backing up. Try to match the note back. This is the most basic level of ear training called pitch matching, and...