This week, the music business lost a bright light.

Dolly Parton has gone on to join the choir invisible.

And with all the stories and clips of her flying around, I was reminded of my favorite riff of hers.

It’s like French toast on Sunday morning.

(mmmm...)

I’ve played it for years with various bands. 

But upon looking up the song online, I noticed most guitar instructors don’t teach it accurately to the recording.

They show you how to play the chords and a campfire strummy version.

Which is fine, but the real guitar parts (played by top Nashville session musicians) are much more powerful.

At the root of this riff is a mighty technique called Travis picking.

In this lesson, you’ll learn:

* Why Travis picking is the key to sounding like the original recording.

* How a song with 195 million plays on YouTube Music is built around just 3 chords.

* The instantly recognizable riff broken down step-by-step in more detail than any other lesson on Al Gore's internet.

* What spe...

“Take Me Home, Country Roads” is one of the most famous folk-country anthems in American music history.

But many guitarists play it wrong.

Below, I want to share with you some insider tips on the guitar style behind it.

We’ll look at how to strum it, how to Travis pick it, and even an easy version that uses a capo.

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

Who wrote Country Roads?

“Take Me Home, Country Roads,” or more commonly known as “Country Roads,” was originally written by Bill Danoff, Taffy Nivert, and John Denver.

The song was not originally intended for John Denver at all. In fact, Bill Danoff and Taffy Nivert were working on the song with Johnny Cash in mind. They thought the country imagery would suit him. But before it went to Cash, Danoff and Nivert performed the unfinished tune for John Denver after one of his concerts in Washington, D.C. 

Denver immediately loved it and helped them complete the final lyrics. 

In 1...

If you’re a fan of fingerstyle guitar and great songs… then I think you’re going to enjoy this post. 

In it, I’m going to share some insider tips on Paul Simon’s legendary guitar style and one of his most famous tunes with Simon & Garfunkel.

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

Who Wrote Homeward Bound

“Homeward Bound” was originally written by Paul Simon and is a part of the legendary Simon & Garfunkel catalog. Simon wrote it in late 1965 while he was touring solo in England.

The inspiration for the tune came while he was waiting for a train at Widnes railway station in Cheshire, England. The opening line, “I’m sittin’ in the railway station,” was real. He was beat down, tired from touring, and wanted to go home.

But the “Homeward Bound” chorus section isn’t just about a physical destination; it’s also him struggling to feel connected to life. With lyrics like, “Every day’s an endless stream of cigarettes and magazines,” and “T...

Here's a song about a man slowly waking up to the realization that his love is dead and his relationship is over. 

It’s an underrated Beatles song, but it packs a punch.

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

So grab your axe, and let’s dive into this “For No One” chords and guitar lesson!

Who Wrote For No One?

“For No One” was written by Paul McCartney. But, like all Beatles songs, it’s credited to the Lennon/McCartney songwriting partnership. The song is about coming to the realization that a relationship has ended. The man’s love has detached, and he’s waking up to it. Perhaps not in its fullest sense and complete truth. But still, the protagonist remains calm and stoic. McCartney wrote this about his relationship with Jane Asher.   

“For No One” was included on The Beatles’ 1966 album Revolver, which is often cited as one of the most influential records in history. It was recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London, and features an...

Paul McCartney sang: 

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Now, somewhere in the black mining hills of Dakota

There lived a young boy named Rocky Raccoon

And one day, his woman ran off with another guy…

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Here’s a mighty song from The Beatles' legendary 9th studio album, also known as The White Album. 

In this post, I’m going to share with you some insider tips on the guitar style behind it.

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

Who Wrote Rocky Raccoon?

“Rocky Raccoon” was primarily written by Paul McCartney. However, it is credited under the Lennon/McCartney songwriting partnership, like all The Beatles’ songs. It first appeared on The Beatles' 9th studio album (commonly known as The White Album), released in 1968.

McCartney wrote “Rocky Raccoon” while on a retreat in India with Yogi Maharishi Mahesh. The rest of the band was there, along with Donovan Leitch (a Scottish folk singer).

The song tells the story of a young man named Rocky Raccoon whose woman...

After hearing this legendary John Prine song, a listener online commented:

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How lucky I am to hear the sounds of the human heart.

So much that passes as life is absurd, inconsequential, tragic. But, from time to time, something sneaks in--something of abject beauty, of (at the same time) abject truth.

Make me an angel that flies from Montgomery...    Just give me one thing that I can hold onto....

Perhaps in Heaven I will have the opportunity to buy Mr. Prine a drink.

===

Well said.

Below, I’m going to share some insider tips on the guitar style behind this classic John Prine tune.

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

Who Wrote Angel from Montgomery?

“Angel from Montgomery” was written by the great American singer-songwriter John Prine in 1971. The song is sung from the perspective of a middle-aged woman. Despite John being a guy, many have felt he captured a unique angle. He often cited his fascination with story...

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...

Here's a song Paul McCartney started writing as a mock French tune to perform at parties.

It's got a soothing, melodic charm to it.

It wasn't until John Lennon told McCartney to develop it into a full song, and as they say, the rest is history…

Below, I want to share some insider tips on the guitar style behind it.

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

Who Wrote Michelle?

“Michelle” was primarily written by Paul McCartney, although it’s credited to the Lennon/McCartney songwriting partnership. It was featured on The Beatles’ monumental album Rubber Soul, released in 1965.

One of the other unique things about “Michelle” is that, as far as I’ve heard, this is the only Beatles song with French lyrics. McCartney sought the help of Jan Vaughan, a French teacher and wife of his friend Ivan Vaughan, to write some authentic French phrases. She contributed the iconic lines “Michelle, ma belle” and “sont des mots qui vont très bien ensemble,...

Have you ever wanted to fingerpick and strum in the same song?

It’s easy to switch between these two, when you have good systems for how.

But let me tell you story from yesteryear that led me to figuring out the best ways:

One of the first real gigs I ever got as a pro guitarist was with this Disney artist. She was 15, had a great voice, and was super talented.

Her manager ended up landing her a gig to open up for this kid named Jesse McCartney. (Another pop star of the early 2000s.) The gig was at what was called back then the “Universal Amphitheatre”, right by Universal Studios in Hollywood. Last I checked, it’s now called, the “Gibson Amphitheatre”.

This place is a killer venue that holds 6,189 people. In fact, I’ve see Clapton play there, Yes, and many other world-class artists. You should see backstage all the names written on the wall. It's pretty cool. But the show was on, and this was gonna be the largest audience I’d ever performed for. 

The plan was we would perform ...