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 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.  

...

True story: 

The first time I ever heard this song was when one of my childhood best friend’s played it at a high school talent show.

I remember sitting in wooden fold-down chairs, in the school auditorium when they came on to perform. But something looked a little bit different with the rhythm section. The drummer (who played with my friend) managed to cover keys and drums at the same time. He moved away the floor tom and played the synthesizer part on a keyboard setup where the floor tom would be with his right hand. The rest of his body played the rock drum beat.

I was blown away. My childhood friend sang the lead, and the crowd loved it.

There’s just something about this rock anthem that is so satisfying to listen to and play.

So grab your guitar and let’s dive into this The Cars’ “Just What I Needed” guitar lesson!

Who wrote Just What I Needed?

"Just What I Needed" is a classic rock song by the American rock band The Cars. It was...

While the Rolling Stones may be known for their hard rock songs…

If you’re gonna go “acoustic” this is how you do it.

Below I’m going to share a beautiful song featuring raspy vocals from Mick Jagger, and a soulful groove from the rest of the band. Including a beautiful 12-string guitar part I believe to be played in a mysterious open tuning with a partial capo. 

Fear not though, if you want to stay in standard tuning, I am going to cover both.

So grab your guitar and let’s dive into this “Wild Horses” guitar lesson! 

Who wrote Wild Horses?

"Wild Horses" was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, the two principal songwriters in the English rock band The Rolling Stones.

The inspirations for "Wild Horses" have been somewhat debated. Mick Jagger has said the song is about his relationship with Marianne Faithfull, a singer and actress he was romantically involved with in the late 1960s. Faithfull herself has claimed that...

Here’s an iconic song about an unusual love triangle between music legends Eric Clapton, and the wife of his fellow friend and musician George Harrison of The Beatles.

It’s got searing rock guitar riffs fit for any stadium. And also later became a mellow acoustic version featured on Eric Clapton’s famous Unplugged record.

I’m going to unearth little-known facts about this song, and break down key points to Eric Clapton’s guitar style.

So grab your axe, and let’s get started with this “Layla” guitar lesson.

Who wrote Layla?

"Layla" is a rock song written by Eric Clapton and Jim Gordon, first released by Derek and the Dominos. Jim Gordon, an American drummer and songwriter, co-wrote the piano ending for "Layla." It’s like almost like a completely new journey after the first part of the song. 

"Layla" was recorded in 1970 at Criteria Studios in Miami, Florida. It was produced by Tom Dowd.

The backstory goes…

"Layla" was...