If you’re a fan of music from the 70s, here’s an iconic tune that captures the essence of the folk-rock style during this time.

It’s got a 12-string, acoustics, electrics, and even a lap steel melody that is sure to transport you back in time to this wonderful era of music. 

It’s a crowd-pleasure to play at parties. In fact, I’d recommend every guitarist add it to their setlist. 

So grab your guitar, tune up, and let’s dive into this Sister Golden Hair guitar lesson.

Who Wrote Sister Golden Hair

"Sister Golden Hair" was written by Gerry Beckley, one of the founding members of the American rock band America. It was released in 1975 on their album Hearts. 

Beckley has said that the song is about a person who is hesitant about love and unsure about making a serious commitment. The title character, "Sister Golden Hair," is often interpreted as a symbol of an idealized love interest who represents both attraction and the fear of commitment.

The album Hearts was produced by the mae...

Today I want to share with you a song that is often considered one of the greatest Beatles songs.

It came about at a turbulent time for the band. It was 1969, the same year that John Lennon informed the other members of the band that he was leaving.

This song was primarily written by John Lennon, and it's a raw and heartfelt plea that expresses his vulnerability and dependence on Yoko Ono.

So grab your guitar and let’s dive into this “Don’t Let Me Down” guitar lesson!

Who wrote Don't Let Me Down?

"Don't Let Me Down" is a song by The Beatles, primarily written by John Lennon and credited to Lennon-McCartney. It was released as a single in 1969, with "Get Back" as its B-side.

The recording sessions for "Don't Let Me Down" took place in January 1969 during the Get Back/Let It Be sessions, which were famously fraught with tension among the band members. Despite the strained atmosphere, the song emerged as a powerful expression of emotion.

“Don’t Let Me Down” was recorded at Apple...

Here’s an epic rock riff that’s sure to get your hands grooving like a well-oiled machine. 

This one takes us back to 1967. It’s a legendary song that has been in movies and played at parties, and it’s often cited as one of the first heavy metal songs.

I believe it’s a must-know for every rock guitar player. So grab your axe and let’s dive into this “Born To Be Wild” guitar lesson.

Who originally sang Born To Be Wild?

“Born To Be Wild” was originally written by Canadian musician and songwriter Mars Bonfire (a stage name for Dennis Edmonton). He shopped the song around to other bands first, but Steppenwolf was the band that took it and turned it into a hard rock anthem.

You see, Mars originally wrote it as more of a slower, introspective song. But it ended up taking on a harder, more aggressive tone with Steppenwolf. “Born To Be Wild” was recorded in 1967 at American Recording Co. in Studio City, California. 

Their arrangement added the iconic heavy guitar riffs and faster t...

Here’s a funky, bluesy groove you can use to improve your timing and have a ball playing. 

It’s been proven to keep an audience twisting and shaking on the dance floor, all night long. It’s been played in party bands for decades and below I’m going to show you how to play the iconic guitar parts and lock into a foot-tapping groove.

So put on your dancing shoes and let’s dive into this “Play That Funky Music White Boy” guitar lesson.

Who wrote Play That Funky Music White Boy?

"Play That Funky Music" was written by Rob Parissi, lead vocalist and guitarist for the American funk rock band Wild Cherry. The song was released in 1976 and became a huge hit. It’s become a classic from the disco era.

Rob Parissi, was inspired to write "Play That Funky Music" after the band kept getting repeatedly asked to play more disco and funk songs during their live shows. 

Wild Cherry initially played rock music, but they noticed the rising popularity of funk and disco and decided to adapt their s...

The year was 2002…

I had just bought tickets to see the Who at the Hollywood Bowl and was ecstatic.

You see, Pete Townshend was one of my idols, and seeing him do the windmill arm live was definitely on my bucket list.

The show I had tickets to was on a Sunday night…

But something tragic happened the Friday before the show...

News broke that John Entwistle had passed away...

My heart sank as I thought this is it, I’m not going to the Who. They are going to cancel the shows.

So they canceled Friday night's show and Saturday’s show. But the first show back was the show I had tickets to on Sunday night.

And wow was it a powerful night…

In fact, Roger Daltrey came up on the mic, and the first thing he said to 17,500 Who fans at the bowl was…

“Tonight we play for John”...

Another amazing side-note to this story is that legendary bass player Pino Palladino had stepped in and learned all of John’s bass parts for the whole show in two days. 

What a legend.

Today I want to share...

The year was 1975 and famously Aerosmith at this time was living a pretty debaucherous lifestyle…

And this led to boiling tensions in the band.

But out of their unwavering dedication to the music…

Some amazing tracks came out of this period for them.

Today’s riffs are from the classic album Toys in the Attic.

And this song all started with a grooving bassline that Tom Hamilton stumbled upon one day in the studio. 

I’m going to break it all down for you step-by-step in this “Sweet Emotion” guitar lesson!

Who wrote Sweet Emotion?

The song "Sweet Emotion" is a classic rock anthem written by Steven Tyler and Tom Hamilton, members of the American rock band Aerosmith. It was released in 1975 as part of their album Toys in the Attic. The song has an infectious groove, of course, powerful vocals from Steven, and some epic guitar riffs.

Recorded at the Record Plant in New York City, "Sweet Emotion" features Steven Tyler on vocals, Joe Perry on guitar, Tom Hamilton on bass, Brad Whit...

Today I want to share with you a song that started off as an underground garage rock anthem...

And then went on to become a Woodstock showstopper and change rock and roll history forever...

It’s a 3 chord masterpiece...

It's a perfect example of less is more.

So grab your guitar and let's dive into this "Wild Thing" guitar lesson.

Who wrote Wild Thing?

“Wild Thing” was written by Chip Taylor (real name James Voight, brother of actor Jon Voight), he wrote the song under the pseudonym "Chip Taylor" in 1962.

The lyrics are intentionally ambiguous and open to interpretation. Some view it as a celebration of youthful freedom and untamed energy, expressed through themes of dancing and having fun. Others interpret the lyrics as metaphorically alluding to sexual desire, with lines like "wild thing, you make my heart sing" and "I think you move me." The open-ended nature of the lyrics contributed to its widespread appeal.

The Troggs' version was recorded at Decca Studios in London in...

A few years back I got a call for one of the most exciting recording sessions of my life

It was here in a recording studio in Hollywood, California. As I walked into the studio carrying two guitar cases (one in each hand). I set them down and a guy walked up to me and put out his hand and said, “Hey what’s up I’m Jules.”

I shook his hand and that was when I first met and recorded with Hey Jude.

Jules is one of the nicest guys I ever worked with. If you want to hear the song we recorded that night I’ll link it up below. But today I want to share with you a tune that Paul McCartney wrote for him that has moved the world.

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

Who wrote Hey Jude?

"Hey Jude" was written by the legendary English rock band The Beatles. It’s a timeless classic that was released as a non-album single in August 1968. While officially credited to the Lennon-McCartney partnership, "Hey Jude" was primarily written by Paul McCartney. He orig...

I’m sitting down to write you this while stuck in the Haneda airport in Tokyo Japan…

My flight just got delayed, and I still have a long and tiring travel day ahead…

But while in Japan…

Some cool things have happened…

Like I got to go to the world’s one and only Fender store.

They had all kinds of old-school Fender ads on the walls:

Take a look at this staircase that leads up to the custom shop floor:

Not bad eh?

Well, this brings me to today’s lesson…

I’d like to share with you a song that was inspired during a drive through a desolate desert area of southern Morocco. 

It’s one of Led Zeppelin’s most mysterious and hypnotic songs. In fact, Jimmy Page even said that he wished Led Zeppelin was known more for this song, than “Stairway To Heaven.”

The riff is in an unusual open tuning and I’m going to break it all down for you step-by-step in this “Kashmir” guitar lesson.

Who wrote Kashmir?

"Kashmir" is a rock epic by the legendary band Led Zeppelin. It was released ...

On the journey to becoming a great rock guitar player, there are many skills and techniques we need to develop...

In this post, I want to share with you some of those crucial areas to focus on so you can get the songs of the songs we all know and love. Specifically in this lesson, I’ll be addressing things like power chords, palm-muting, and how to “lock in” your eighth-note rhythms.

So grab your guitar, get tuned up, and let’s dive into this “Hold On Loosely” guitar lesson!

Who wrote Hold On Loosely?

"Hold On Loosely" is a classic rock anthem by the American band .38 Special, released in 1981 on their album Wild-Eyed Southern Boys. The song's origins go back to guitarist Don Barnes, who was facing personal struggles in his marriage. He confided in co-writer Jim Peterik, expressing his wife's lack of support for his musical aspirations.

From this raw emotion, the first line, "Hold on loosely, but don't let go," emerged. It captured the essence of navigating challenges while sta...