Many people don’t know this, but one of Jimi Hendrix's biggest influences was Curtis Mayfield. 

Mayfield’s style was unique. And you can hear strands of it in the DNA of Hendrix’s playing on tunes like “Little Wing” and “Wind Cries Mary.”

Below, I’m going to share some insider tips on this style. 

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

Who Wrote People Get Ready?

“People Get Ready” was originally written by the great American singer-songwriter Curtis Mayfield. The message of the song is one of hope and spiritual readiness. It was first recorded by The Impressions in 1965, and blends gospel, soul, and blues in a powerful way.

The Impressions' take was recorded at Universal Recording Corporation in Chicago. The arrangement is simple and combines gospel-inspired harmonies with Mayfield’s iconic guitar style. 

Upon its release, “People Get Ready” became a hit for The Impressions, reaching #3 on the Billboard R&B chart and #14 on th...

I don’t know about you...

But one of my all-time favorite grooves to play is a... 

SLOW BLUES!

There’s just something about the FEELING of it that other groove can copy. Picture a smoky blues club at 12AM. The band is about to kick off the next song... 

What will they play?

Well, above is a brand new video on 9 slow blues tunes that could be perfect options for you.

Hope you enjoy!

Jon MacLennan

Behold… One of the best-selling Christmas songs of all time!

It wasn’t written by Elvis, but his version is certainly one of the most famous. 

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 “Blue Christmas” chords and guitar lesson!

Who Wrote Blue Christmas?

“Blue Christmas” was originally written by Billy Hayes and Jay W. Johnson in 1948. However, Elvis Presley has one of the most famous versions of it.

The song, as it says, is about a “Blue Christmas”. The main character is alone and feeling sad during the holidays because they are missing a loved one. The first recording of “Blue Christmas” was by Doye O'Dell in 1948, and his version has a classic country sound:

It wasn’t until 1957 that Elvis recorded his version at RCA Studios in Nashville, Tennessee. The King’s version was featured on his album, Elvis’ Christmas Album, as song 5.

While there are many jolly Christmas songs, this one captures the...

RHYTHM:

LEAD:

Level: 🎸🎸🎸Advanced

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...

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...

J.J. Cale sang:

===

After midnight… We're gonna let it all hang out.

===

It’s true. 

Below, I’m going to break down the guitar style behind this classic song. It’s also been covered by a ton of legendary guitarists as well, like Eric Clapton and Chet Atkins. 

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

Who Wrote After Midnight?

“After Midnight” was written by American singer-songwriter J.J. Cale. The song’s laid-back groove helped form the foundation for what would later become known as the “Tulsa Sound." 

J.J. Cale originally recorded “After Midnight” in 1966, releasing it as the B-side to his single “Slow Motion.” At the time, Cale was working as a studio engineer in Los Angeles, having moved from Tulsa, Oklahoma. But the track never took off. 

It wasn’t until 1970 when Eric Clapton covered it on his self-titled debut solo album that the track and J.J. Cale’s writing were brought to a broader audience.

Clapton was introduced ...

Let's talk about one of the most important techniques to master as a guitarist.

In fact, this one thing can make a huge difference in whether your playing sounds like an amateur or a pro. And, this applies to everything you play. Whether that’s strumming along to a song, or ripping a solo.

What’s the technique?

Well, it’s something every player should know and that’s how to mute strings on guitar. 

So, let’s get into the first point and that’s understanding:

1) Strum hand muting

(Demonstrate a G major scale) 

When a player plays without proper strum hand muting, they will get all kinds of unwanted noise. In my years of teaching, I’ve noticed many students aren’t even aware this is happening.  

So first start by taking stock and listening to your sound. 

On acoustic this can be tougher to hear. Sometimes players won’t realize it’s happening. Their playing sounds unclean. If they switch to electric guitar, and crank up the volume, that’s often when things sticks out. The unwa...