Jamorama Beginner Lessons For Guitar

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use Jamorama, Chordinator, Jayde Musica, Guitearit, Advanced Learning Techniques for Guitar, Guitar Tuner Pro and other Rock Star Recipes Ltd products and services for your personal and private use only. Jamorama, Chordinator, Jayde Musica, Guitearit, Advanced Learning Techniques for Guitar and Guitar Tuner Pro remain the property of Rock Star Recipes Ltd, and may not be resold, repackaged or otherwise transferred. Course and bonus product materials may not be duplicated or distributed in any way without expressed, written permission from Rock Star Recipes Ltd. Rock Star Recipes Ltd, retains all rights to these products. Copyright 2004 Rock Star Recipes Ltd.
Contents
Preface .............................................................................................. Introduction - The guitar and getting into position.......................................... Lessons: Lesson 1 - Introduction to chord diagrams, chords A and D, strumming...................................................................................... 12 Lesson 2 - Introduction to guitar tablature, jam track No. 1......................... 19 Lesson 3 - Notes on the treble clef, 4 time signature, notes on the 1st string, notes on the second string, jam track No. 2............................................. 25 Lesson 4 - E major chord, the repeat sign, jam track No. 3, notes on the 3rd string........................................................................................... 30 Lesson 5 - G major chord, C major chord, jam track No. 4, notes on the 4th string, 35 jam track No. 5...................................................................... Lesson 6 - A minor chord, turn around progression, jam track No. 6, jam track No. 7, notes on the fifth string............................................................ 41 Lesson 7 - Eighth note rhythm patterns, F major chord, the chromatic scale..... 48 Lesson 8 - Dominant 7 chords, A7 chord, D7 chord, E7 chord, jam track No. 8... 52 Lesson 9 - Silent stroke symbol, jam track No. 9, notes on the sixth string, jam track No. 10................................................................................... 61 Lesson 10 - G7 chord, C7 chord, two bar rhythms..................................... 66
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4 6
Lesson 11 - B7 chord, blues in E major, jam track No. 11...................... 70 Lesson 12 - Notes on stave: first position, bass note picking................... 74 Lesson 13 - 4 Time signature, jam track No. 12, bass note picking in 4 , jam 76 track No. 13....................................................................... Lesson 14 - Suspended chords, Asus4 chord, Dsus4 chord, Esus4 chord, jam track No. 14, scales, the major scale, C major scale, jam track No. 15...... 80 Lesson 15 - Asus2 chord, Dsus2 chord, jam track No. 16....................... 88
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Supplementary Chord Reference.......................................................... 92
Preface
Welcome to Jamorama The Ultimate Guitar Learning Kit! First of all we want to let you know that you have made a fantastic decision in purchasing this course. Youre about to discover amazing methods to learn how to play virtually any guitar song you hear, with the timing, rhythm and magic of a professional. For many of you, this course is going to be life changing! Have you ever been to a party, or a friends house, or some other social situation where there was a guitar lying around and someone picked it up and started playing heaps of popular songs that everybody loved? Did you ever wish that that could be you? Have you ever dreamed about being a famous rock star or being the life of the party by being able to play lots of well known songs? We have great news. It can be this way and we are going to share with you everything that you need to know, step-by-step, about how to play the guitar with fluency. You are comprehensively going to learn how to play virtually any guitar song you hear. And you are going to learn how to play well known songs right from the start! Weve made each song very easy for you to learn by breaking them down into small parts, so you can practise each part individually and then put it all together. This is truly powerful knowledge you are tapping yourself into. We know what you are probably wondering will this course work for me? We assure you, this powerful course has been proven time and time again to work for thousands of guitarists worldwide. No matter what kind of guitar music you want to play, no matter what level you are at (beginner, intermediate or advanced), this information applies to you, and in some cases, youll even amaze yourself! But well level with you. There is a catch. So what is the catch? The catch is, you have to actually take action and practise! Most people who fail with guitar do so because they stop practising. They dont have the willpower to take their guitar-playing to a new level. They dont see the bigger picture. They dont foresee the immense personal satisfaction theyll gain by mastering the art of playing the guitar. But we ask you this. What is scarier? To practise and become the guitar player that you dreamed of being or to stay the same and not grow? Continued over page...
What we can assure you is this: if you listen to what we have to say, practise daily and keep yourself motivated, you will see the results. And youll start seeing them quickly. We also must add that while this book is an invaluable resource for your guitar learning, the guidance of an experienced guitar teacher is also recommended as they will help keep you on task, motivated and can quickly point out important things about your technique that will help accelerate your learning, things you may not notice yourself. Good luck with your guitar learning, its going to be a really life-changing ride! Yours sincerely, The Jamorama Team Jamorama.com
Introduction
How to get the most out of your Jamorama Kit

By now you would have noticed that the Jamorama Kit contains a great deal of content. Let us tell you how to get the most out of this course. Lets start by looking closer at the books. Basically the books are the cornerstone of the course. All of the bonus software and Video examples accompany the books and their content. They have been written by the Jamorama Team, with you the learner in mind. All of the lessons within the books have been written in guitar tablature and video and each lesson is accompanied by helpful video. The video lessons are excellent accompaniments to the book as you can SEE and HEAR exactly what you are meant to be doing. Icons have been added to the books at the relevant places to show you when and where there are examples available. When you see this icon you will know that there is video available:
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To access the video for each exercise, you will need to log in and download it from our members area. Essentially, the books are the foundation. Read them, study them, love them then read them all again! The bonus software and games that come as part of the Jamorama course consist of the following: Jayde Musica Guit-ear-it Guitar Tuner Pro Jamorama Metronome - How to tune your guitar - Advanced guitar learning techniques
These extra bonuses are tools to help motivate you and keep your interest levels up. We strongly recommend that you use these for at least 10 minutes each a day. This will very quickly improve your music sight reading, train your ear and increase your skill at playing in time. These programmes are available in our members area also. Install these programs onto your computer and use them from there.
Right now, we want to introduce you to the key that we will be using throughout this course. From time to time you will see icons at the side of the page. Below is a guide as to what each of them mean:
This is a lesson or some advice that could save you a lot of valuable time. A hot tip can be a number of things: A quick pointer, a hard learned lesson or a cheeky shortcut to get you there faster. Take note of each tip and they will serve you well. From time to time, we like to add some deeper thought into the mix; an idea, a belief, a word from the wise just to keep you on your toes and thinking about the way you think about playing and learning guitar.
This is the warning symbol. We use this to steer you away from any guitar learning no nos and put you on the road of righteousness. Pay close attention to the warning symbol as bad habits can creep in unnoticed at any point of your development. Jam Track Icon. When you see this icon, it means there is a Jam Track available. Basically, the Jamorama Jam Tracks are there to get you jamming with the band and to put all those newly learned skills into practise.
Did you know that the first guitarist to intentionally use a distorted guitar sound was Link Wray. He achieved the sound by punching holes in the speaker of his amplifier and it can be heard on the 1958 recording of his song Rumble. You guessed it! When you see this symbol you get a pretty trivial fact - useless, but interesting nonetheless.
Pretty self-explanatory really. This is something important that you really need to take note of and remember. When you see this icon, study up on the relevant information until you know it inside and out. That way you will be ready for everything in the lessons that follow.
Now that weve got that covered, its time to start learning. We hope youre ready for the ride...
The Guitar
Before you begin working through the lessons in this book, you will need to know what the various parts of the guitar are called and how to get into position holding your guitar. Lets start by taking a look at the acoustic guitar.
The Acoustic Guitar
The following diagram illustrates the various parts of an acoustic guitar:
Headstock Fingerboard Frets Position markers Truss rod Strings
Tuning machine heads Nut
Neck
Heel
Waist Body Bridge
Sound hole Pick guard Bouts
Saddle Bridge pins Soundboard End pin
The Electric Guitar
The following diagram details the various parts of an electric guitar:
Headstock Fingerboard Frets Position markers
Tuning machine heads Nut
Neck Truss rod Strings
Pickup selector switch
Body
Pickups Bridge Volume controls Tone controls Output jack End pin
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Getting into position

Sitting Positions
There are two sitting positions for holding the guitar - the classical and casual positions.
1. 2. 3. 4.
Pick up the guitar and make sure that the guitar body is supported by your leg. Position yourself on the front half of your chair. Ensure that your back isnt arched, ensure that it is straight but not so that it is tight. Lean the guitar back towards you slightly.
Casual position
Classical position
Standing Position

1. Pick up the guitar and place the strap over your shoulder. Adjust the strap so that the guitar is positioned mid-body. 2. Use your fingering hand to support the neck of the guitar. 3. Rest your strumming hand over the bridge of the guitar.
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Hand Positions
It is important that you relax your wrists and hands when you are first learning about finger placement because straining them can cause injury. Front view Rear view
Make sure that you never position your thumb too low:
Fretting
Your thumb should never be placed too low on the neck of the guitar as it puts unneccessary strain on your wrist and thumb.
When you play the guitar, you use the fingers of your fingering hand to press down the strings on the fret board of the guitar and use your strumming hand to pluck or strum the strings at the bridge end of the guitar. Which hand you use will depend on whether you are left-handed or right-handed. Using your fingering hand to press the strings on the fret board is called fretting. Here are some tips to help you with fretting:
1. Keep your fingernails short as you will need the tips of your fingers to press the strings. 2. When making a chord, be sure that each fingertip is placed as close as possible to the fret, the closer they are they less chance there is for buzzing strings. 3. Check to make sure that each string rings clearly and is not muted or buzzing. 4. Its important to make sure that your fingers approach the strings on the neck at a perpendicular angle. If they are at right angles to the neck there will be less fret buzz.
As a beginner guitarist, it may hurt your fingers to play. This is normal. Every guitarist starts this way for the first couple of weeks. With practise, you will develop guitar fingers (hard skin on your fingertips).
Holding the Pick

1. Position the pick between thumb and index fingers as shown in the diagram below.
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Lesson One
Now that youve read the introduction, you are ready to start your first lesson. Your aim in this lesson is to learn the A and D major chords and to introduce yourself to reading guitar tablature. This first lesson is quite a big one, so do your best to really focus. Following this, in lesson two, youll get into something called tablature and by lesson three youll be able to play along with one of our jam tracks. Sounds hard, but its not. Let us start with a tip concerning practising your guitar.
It is more beneficial for you to practise multiple times during a week than to practise for one long session. This is because your brain processes information in chunks at a time and it can only hold a certain amount in short-term storage. For example, with phone numbers, it is very difficult to remember any more than seven digits at a time. Yet, if you give yourself time between practising, even if it is just ten minutes, youll find that your brain is much more efficient at turning your short-term practise into long-term knowledge. For more information on effective learning, read our free bonus book, Advanced learning techniques for guitar.
Okay, that aside, lets get started on the lesson. To start with, have a look at the guitar neck diagram below and take note of all the relevant pieces of information.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Frets
The guitar neck is divided into what we call frets, making a fret board. Most guitars have around 20 frets. In this first book, we will focus on the first four, also known as the first position. In Book Two, we will move beyond that. Notice that we number each fret starting with one at the head of the guitar.
String Numbers
6 54 321 EADGB E
Tuning
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Note that each string on the guitar is numbered. When you hold your guitar in the casual playing position, the 1st string is at the bottom and the 6th string is at the top.
Notice also the term Tuning at the bottom of the above diagram. Tuning refers to the notes that the guitar strings are tuned to. In the previous diagram, we have given a very common tuning called standard E tuning that consists of the notes E, A, D, G and B. Strings 1 and 6 are both tuned to the note E. The open 6th string is called low E. The open 1st string is called high E as it is two octaves higher than the 6th string open E. We will explain notes and octaves to you later in this book, but for now, you only need to know the names of the notes in standard open E tuning.
To get a better grasp on this, open the Jamorama Guitar Tuning software and set it to standard open E tuning. Listen to each note as you play it in the tuner. To continue in this book, you need to tune your guitar to that tuning (for more help on tuning, see our book - How to Tune your Guitar).
We will stick to standard E tuning throughout this book, and you can find other tunings to play in the Jamorama Tuning Software.
Intoduction to Chords
The first things that we will look at in this book are chords. Guitarists use many different chords to make progressions or riffs that can then be used to create songs. If you are not familiar with some of these terms, its ok. We will cover everything in good time. A chord is defined as a combination of three or more notes played together. To examine this, take a look at chord diagrams. Chord diagrams are used to illustrate how a chord is played. They are very easy to use because they look very much like the neck of the guitar. In fact, the Jamorama chord diagram is a guitar neck.
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Chord Diagrams
5th 6 5 4 Strings 3 2 1 4th Frets 3rd 2nd 1st We use a photo of a guitar neck for our chord diagrams so they are very easy to relate to.
Jamorama Chord Diagram
Versus Standard Chord Diagram

1st Fret 2nd Fret
For educational purposes, this is what a standard chord diagram looks like. We wont be using them in the Jamorama guitar course.
3rd Fret 4th Fret
As stated above, the Jamorama chord diagrams are going to be pictures of an actual guitar neck so its easy to make the connection between strings and fingering. There is also a picture of the type of chord diagram that appears in most other Guitar learning guides. Be aware of that form of standard chord diagram because you may want to use it when writing up chords on your own paper.
So, now that you know what a chord diagram looks like and how it matches with the neck of your guitar, its time to come back to what we said earlier about a chord being a combination of three or more notes played together. Finger placing symbols are added to the chord diagram so we know which notes to play. To start with, lets look at your fingers.
1 2 3 4
We give each playing finger a number that we can then match up on the chord diagram (see next page).
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And now, lets look at a full chord diagram. We will use the example of the A major chord:
Chord diagram - A major chord

In the chord diagram below you can see that the A major chord uses fingers 1, 2, and 3. Take note of how this chord diagram looks - we will use this style from now on.
2 3
The A major chord is constructed of the notes A, C# and E. We will cover notes a little later. For now, we will make chords without knowledge of individual notes.
Note that there is a red dot marking the nut of the 6th string on the above chord diagram. The red dot tells you that you are not to play that string. The sixth string of the A major chord is not played, but you play the rest.
Throughout this course, every chord diagram will be accompanied by a picture of the chord being held on the fret board and video of the chord being played for you to check with. Pictured below is the A major chord being played.
A major chord
1 Exercise: Playing the A major Chord
Position each finger with care, according to the above diagram. Make sure that each fingertip is placed as close as possible to the fret. Firstly, pluck across the strings one by one with your pick, checking that each string rings clearly and is not muted or buzzing. Play the first video example to hear how the chord should sound. Now that weve looked at chord diagrams, move on to strumming.
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Introduction to Strumming
In a strum there are two types of guitar stroke. They are the up stroke and the down stroke. Throughout this book these strokes will be notated as follows: Up stroke
Down stroke When you play a stroke, you strum across the strings just in front of the bridge of the guitar with the pick in your strumming hand. When strumming a chord, make sure that you play all the necessary strings in the chord. The stroke direction will depend on which stroke is indicated; up or down as shown above.
Exercise: Strumming the A major Chord

Position each finger with care, according to the chord diagram (right). Make sure that each fingertip is placed as close as possible behind the fret. Firstly, pluck across the strings one by one with your pick, checking that each string rings clearly and is not muted or buzzing. Once you are sure that you are holding the A major chord correctly, practise strumming the chord in single downward strokes as indicated below:
A major chord
2 3
A major
Stroke Count 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
While you play this, see if you can say out loud an even 4 count. Another option is to use the jamorama metronome - it will help you to stay in time.
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4 4
T A B
A Major
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
You can listen to the audio CD to hear a recorded example of the last exercise. Try your best to start from the fifth string each time you strum. A major doesnt sound bad if you accidentally hit the top string, but if you want your music to sound professional, youll want to play this chord properly. Remember to stay relaxed. Your fingers may hurt a little but they will get stronger. Now that you are playing the A major chord properly, lets take a look at strumming another chord - D major.
Exercise: Strumming the D Major Chord

Position each finger with care, according to the chord diagram (right). Make sure that each fingertip is placed directly behind the fret. Firstly, pluck across the strings one by one with your pick, checking that each string rings clearly and is not muted or buzzing. Watch the first video example to hear how the chord should sound. Practise strumming the D major Chord in single downward strokes as indicated below:
The D Major Chord
The D Major Chord is constructed of the notes D, F# (F sharp) and A. It is played using fingers 1, 2 and 3:
1 2
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4 4
T A B
D major
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
3
Note: The top two, or fifth and sixth strings are not played in the D major chord. Make sure that you start your stroke from the fourth string each time you strum D major. It doesnt sound bad if you accidentally hit the fifth string, although as with A major above, if you want your music to sound professional, you need to play this chord properly.
D major
Stroke Count 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
As before, see if you can say out loud an even 4 count as you play or use the Jamorama metronome.
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Lesson Two
Hi there and welcome to Lesson Two - great to see that you are still with us. The next few lessons are very important, so you may want to go back and make sure that you are taking note of everything that we are teaching you. In this lesson, we are going to get you learning about something called tablature... We hope youre ready for it!
Keeping an Open Mind
Learning to play the guitar might not be what you had expected. Just remember to keep an open mind and try to forget any preconceived notions that you may have had about learning an instrument. Things might be harder to learn than you first anticipated and you may find yourself less motivated to continue practising. You need to counter this by taking up the challenge and enjoying it. Try different things to keep your practise interesting and most importantly, have fun with it.
Reading Guitar Tablature
Guitar tablature (also known as tab) is probably the easiest and most used method for guitar notation. On the internet, you can find guitar tab notation for almost any song that you want to learn. Tablature is easier to learn than traditional music notation because it relates directly to the fret board of the guitar, indicating where your fingers should be placed. Although it is an easier method to learn it still has its weak points, the main one being that you cant easily indicate rhythm on tablature. This means that when you learn a song you have to learn the strum from the song itself. The following diagram shows you how tablature relates to the guitar fret board: Fret number: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
1 2 3 4 5 6
The word TAB at the beginning of the tablature score is the abbreviation for tablature. Tablature score:
T A B 20
Tablature has six lines that indicate the six strings of the guitar.
1 2 3 4 5 6
Strings
We use numbers to indicate the string and the fret position that you are supposed to play. Each fret is numbered, starting at the nut of the guitar at O and moving upwards towards the bridge of the guitar. The following diagrams demonstrate this principle.
T A B
Tab. diagram 1
The 3 on the above tablature score (Tab. diagram 1) indicates to you that you place a finger on the third fret of the sixth string. It is the note G.
T A B
Tab. diagram 2
The 1 on the above tablature score (Tab. diagram 2) indicates to you that you place a finger on the first fret of the second string. It is the note C.
T A B
0 Tab. diagram 3
The O on the above tablature score (Tab. diagram 3) indicates to you that the third string is to be played open. This means that you dont need to place a finger on it. It is the note G.
Chords and Tablature
Chords are indicated by a set of numbers that tell you which frets need to be played and which dont. The following diagram on the next page demonstrates how an open A major chord is constructed with tablature.
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The A Major Chord

T A B
O 2 2 2 O X
The first and fifth strings are played open while the second, third and fourth strings are played at the second fret. The sixth string is not played in the A Major Chord and this is indicated by an X. Often tablature is written beneath traditional music score or stave. The two together look like this:
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T A B
Now that we have looked at that, lets take a look at playing the A major and D major chords together.
Exercise:
Practise strumming the A major and the D major chords to the following down stroke pattern. Strum four down strokes over the A Major chord and then four down strokes over the D Major chord and then repeat. You should aim to get a smooth change between the two chords so that the whole piece flows and is in time. Play along to the video or metronome until you have mastered it. The tablature for this exercise is on the next page.
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Chord Stroke Count
A 4 4
T A B
0 2 2 2 0 X 0 2 2 2 0 X 0 2 2 2 0 X 0 2 2 2 0 X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
This exercise may be difficult on your first few attempts. You may find that your fret hand struggles to co-ordinate each chord change with your strumming hand. This is natural and will take a bit of practise to break. Try to focus on getting strumming hand consistency first and your fret hand should follow with practise.
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Jam Track No. 1
At Jamorama, we believe that there is no point learning chords and techniques if you never get to put them into practise with a band. For this reason, we want to introduce you to the idea of contextual learning. Throughout the Jamorama course, we will take what you have learned and use Jam Tracks to put it into context. So here we are, you have been invited into the Jamorama Band as the rhythm guitarist. Below is TAB of what you need to play (note that each Jam Track will only use skills that you have already learned). There are two audio tracks for each Jam Track, one with your guitar part being played and one that you can play along with where the rhythm guitar has been left out. Okay lets get started. Strum Count 1
0 2 2 2 0 X 0 2 2 2 0 X
2
0 2 2 2 0 X
A
0 2 T 2 A 2 B 0 X
D
2 3 2 0 X X 2 3 2 0 X X 2 3 2 0 X X 2 3 2 0 X X
A
0 2 2 2 0 X 0 2 2 2 0 X 0 2 2 2 0 X 0 2 2 2 0 X
D
2 3 2 0 X X 2 3 2 0 X X 2 3 2 0 X X 2 3 2 0 X X
0 2 T 2 A 2 B 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
D
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
A
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
D
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
0 2 T 2 A 2 B 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
D
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
D
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
0 2 T 2 A 2 B 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
D
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
A
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
D
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
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0 2 T 2 A 2 B 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
D
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
D
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
A
0 2 T 2 A 2 B 0 X 0 2 2 2 0 X 0 2 2 2 0 X 0 2 2 2 0 X
D
2 3 2 0 X X 2 3 2 0 X X 2 3 2 0 X X 2 3 2 0 X X
A
0 2 2 2 0 X 0 2 2 2 0 X 0 2 2 2 0 X 0 2 2 2 0 X
D
2 3 2 0 X X 2 3 2 0 X X 2 3 2 0 X X 2 3 2 0 X X
0 2 T 2 A 2 B 0 X
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Lesson Three
Now that we have integrated both chords and strum, take a look at some musical theory and apply it to the guitar. The following table details the types of notes that we will be using throughout the course. At this stage you do not need to know the theory behind these notes, just make sure you know what the notes look like and what beat or count value they represent. You will be able to refer back to this table as you see fit:
4 counts 2 count 1 count 1/2 count
Adding a dot (.) to a note adds half that notes value:
whole note (semibreve) half note (minim) quarter note (crotchet) eighth note (quaver)
= 3 counts
= 1 1/2 counts
Notes on the Treble Clef
A clef tells you which notes are represented by each line and space on the musical stave. We will look at the G clef or treble clef. It looks like this:
E F
The clef is placed on the stave at the very beginning of a piece of music. When it is the treble clef, the stave is called the treble stave. Treble stave looks like this:
There are seven notes in the musical alphabet. They are: A, B, C, D, E, F and G. These notes are indicated by the placement of musical notes on the lines and spaces of the treble stave. Using the treble clef, the bottom line on the stave represents the note E. The subsequent notes, F G A B C D, continue up the stave so that F sits in the space above E, G sits on the line above F, A sits in the space above G, and this continues up the stave until E is reached, near the top of the stave and then the cycle starts again. Notes can be placed off the stave on what are called ledger lines (see the following diagram).The following diagram will help you to remember the notes on the treble stave.
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C D E F G A B C D E F G A B
Ledger Lines
Please note that ledger lines can go above or below the stave depending on how high or low the notes are played.
The notes in the above diagram (e.g.
) are called quarter notes.
Four Four Time Signature
Time signatures tell you what time you are to play a piece of music in. They are written as two numbers, one above the other. This is the four four time signature:
The diagram on the next page shows you where the time signature sits on the stave. There are some other things on the diagram that you should note.
4 4
4 4
Four four time signature. This is a bar line. Bar lines are used to divide the stave into sections that are called bars or measures. This is a double bar line. Double bar lines indicate the end of a piece of music.
In a time signature, the upper number specifies the number of beats there are per bar. In the above example: the upper number is 4 which tells us that there are 4 beats allowed per bar. The lower number specifies the note value that is equivalent to one beat in the bar. In the above example: the lower number is 4. Because a time signature is a fraction, we can read the bottom number in the above example as ; a quarter. Therefore, in the above four four example, a quarter note (e.g. ) holds for, or is equivalent to, one beat in the bar. So, four bars of quarter notes of E in four four time would look like this:
4 4
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Now that you have some knowledge of music on stave, go and open Jayde Musica. Jayde Musica is a fantastic tool for learning how to sight read music and not to mention a heap of fun to use. Try to use this great musical game for 10 minutes each day and you will see some fantastic results.
Lets now apply some of that music theory to the guitar fret board.
Notes on the First String
Knowledge of the notes that are on each string is necessary for understanding guitar theory. The first string is also known as the high E string. The main notes in the first position on the first string are E (open), F (1st fret) and G (3rd fret). The first position refers to the first 4 frets of the guitar.
Fret 5 Fret 4 Fret 3 Fret 2 Fret 1
We will use the notes in the above example to introduce to you the concept of note picking.
Exercise:
Note picking is a skill that is used in all types of music. For now, we will use it to familiarize ourselves with the note names on each string in the first position. Pluck these first string notes with a downward picking motion. Notice that your fingers should match the fret number when playing in the first position:
T A B
4 4
O O O O 1 1 1 1
3 3 3 3
3 3 3 3
Count:
Fingering:
1 2 3 4
none
1 2 3 4
1 2 3 4
1 2 3 4
5
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Notes on the Second String
The second string is also known as the B string. The main notes in the first position on the second string are B (open), C (1st fret) and D (3rd fret).
Fret 5
Fret 4
Fret 3
Fret 2
Fret 1
If you are having trouble getting each note to ring out clearly, try placing your fingers directly behind the fret, applying pressure until it starts to produce the crisp, clear sound that you seek.
Exercise:
Pluck these second string notes with a downward picking motion:
4 4
T A B
3 3 3 3
3 3 3 3
O O O O
1 1 1 1
Count: Fingering:
1 2 3 4 none
1 2 3 4 1
1 2 3 4 3
1 2 3 4 3
Its a fact that Jimi Hendrix actually preferred right-handed guitars. Despite being left handed, Jimi found that playing Fender Stratocasters upside down meant that he was able to use the controls and tremelo arm, hence then being at the top, in his own unique way.
29
Jam Track No. 2 Strum Count

T A B
3 3 3 0 3
1
3
2
3
3
0
T A B
T A B
T A B
T A B
T A B
T A B
T A B
T A B
30
Lesson Four
Well, youve made it through to Lesson Four - nice work. In this lesson, we are going to add to your memory store of chords by introducing to you the chords E, G and C and later in Lesson Five we will take a look at the concept of the turn around progression that will greatly increase the number of chord progressions you are able to play!
Patience and discipline
Patience and discipline are two qualities that all great musicians have. You should try to nurture these qualities in yourself. Do not be discouraged by any signs of slow progress. It takes time to learn the guitar. Be patient and clock up those consecutive days, even if it is only 15 minutes a day. At the very least, you should keep your brain thinking about the guitar every day. Enjoy the thirst and hunger that you have for knowledge and experience. At the end of the day, you are the one responsible for your own practising. Learning the guitar is like learning a language. Those who speak great English speak it everyday. Those who speak broken English probably dont use it as much, or have not used it for as long as others. The same goes for guitarists. Those who play great guitar, practise everyday. Those who play average guitar are probably not practising as much as they should.
The E Major Chord

The E Major Chord is constructed of the notes E, G# (G sharp) and B. It is played using fingers 1, 2 and 3:
2 1
31
Exercise:
Practise strumming the E Major Chord using the following strum. Chord Stroke E
E 4 4
T A B
0 0 1 2 2 0
Count
2 3 4
Remember to start slowly. It is easier to pick up on any mistakes when you play slowly.
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
The Repeat Sign
This sign is used to inform you that instead of finishing on the last bar you go back and repeat the piece from the beginning.
Exercise:
Practise strumming A, D and E to the suggested strum. Note that there is a repeat sign after four bars which means that you go back to the start and repeat the piece. Strum: Count: 1 2 3 4
A 4 4
T A B
0 2 2 2 0 X 0 2 2 2 0 X 0 2 2 2 0 X 0 2 2 2 0 X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
8
32
Maintaining a high level of motivation. Motivation is your set of internal systems that drive you to achieve your goals. When you lack motivation, your practise will be lacking also. Think about yourself for a second. What is your motivation for learning to play the guitar? Maybe you want to impress your boyfriend/girlfriend. You might be motivated by fame or success. It could be a desire to fit in. Whatever it is that drives you to learn, that is your starting point. It is from there that you will progress and your motivation for learning will change. You will find that the act of learning the guitar will motivate you to learn more. It is true that the people who simply cant live without the guitar and who live for their musical passion are the ones who may have the staying power to progress onto becoming an elite player. With enough passion and practise, you can become an elite player.
Jam Track No. 3 How are you enjoying these Jam Tracks? Playing as part of a band is one of the best ways to improve your skills as a musician. Usually the most common reason people want to learn guitar is so that they can play songs to their friends or with their friends in a band situation. Hopefully these Jam Tracks will help you with that. They enable you to hear the other instruments and to keep in time with the drummer. Keep on rockin! Strum Count 1 2 3 4
0 2 T 2 A 2 B 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
A
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 T 2 A 2 B 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
D
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
A
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
33
0 2 T 2 A 2 B 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
D
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
A
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 2 T 2 A 2 B 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
D
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
A
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
E
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 2 T 2 A 2 B 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
D
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
A
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
E
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
A
T A B
0 2 2 2 0 X
2 3 2 0 X X
0 2 2 2 0 X
E
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 2 T 2 A 2 B 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
D
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
A
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
E
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 2 T 2 A 2 B 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
D
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
A
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
E
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
A
T A B
0 2 2 2 0 X
34
It is normal for your fingers to ache. However, if you practise each day your fingers will become strong and more used to the movements required to play the guitar.
Notes on the Third String Exercise:
The third string is also known as the G string. The main notes in the first position on the third string are G (open), A (2nd fret) and B (4th fret)
Pluck these third string notes with a downward picking motion.

4 4
T A B
O O O O
2 2 2 2
4 4 4 4
4 4 4 4
Count:
Fingering:
1 2 3 4 none
1 2 3 4 2
1 2 3 4
1 2 3 4 4
9
Many people believe that when Chuck Berry released the song Maybellene in 1955, it was the birth of rocknroll. It combined elements from both country music and blues in a completely new way.
35
Lesson Five
The key to good practise
Be sure to allow enough time for practise. In your busy and complex life, it can be very hard to find some time to sit down and work on your guitar. You need to stick to a plan. A routine means that you have designated practise times for each day. If you know the times that you will practise during the week, you will be able to maximize your practise productivity and maintain a constant rate of learning. Of course, there will be times when your plan gets interrupted by the unexpected. You might have friends drop by or a party to go to or a doctors appointment to attend. These things will never stop. You really just need to have a flexible plan so that your practise fits in with your life. The amazing thing is that over time, your lifestyle and friends will change because of your practise and your passion for music.
The G Major Chord
The G Major Chord contains the notes G, B and D. It is played using fingers 1, 2 and 3. 2 1
Note that finger 1 plays a B note, finger 2 plays a G note, and finger 3 also plays a G note. According to music theory a G Major chord MUST contain the notes B, D and G. In the above G major chord diagram, the D note is sounded by the open D string (4th string). Remember to consider that open string notes are included in chord make-up and not just the notes played by your fingers. Remember to watch for chords like this one throughout the course.
36
Exercise:
Play the following: G major chord
G 4 4
T A B
3 0 0 0 2 3 3 0 0 0 2 3 3 0 0 0 2 3 3 0 0 0 2 3 3 0 0 0 2 3 3 0 0 0 2 3 3 0 0 0 2 3 3 0 0 0 2 3
The C Major Chord
10
The C Major Chord is constructed of the notes C, E and G. It is played using fingers 1, 2 and 3.
2 1
11 Exercise:
Play the following:
C 4 4
T A B
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
37
Jam Track No. 4
Okay, you are really starting to get some great things happening! Something to try and do next time you have a spare 40 mins is go back through the last 4 Jam Tracks and play them again, over and over and over. Listen to the drums, listen to the lead guitar and the bass. Start to learn and know the Jams inside out, become familiar with them, get confident with them. Confidence is a major factor in playing with other people. Once weve built your knowledge and practise up, your confidence levels with naturally grow. Keep going, youre doing REALLY well! Stroke Count 1 2 3 4
D
2 3 T 2 A 0 B X X 2 3 2 0 X X 2 3 2 0 X X 2 3 2 0 X X
A
0 2 2 2 0 X 0 2 2 2 0 X 0 2 2 2 0 X 0 2 2 2 0 X
C
0 1 0 2 3 X 0 1 0 2 3 X 0 1 0 2 3 X 0 1 0 2 3 X
G
3 0 0 0 2 3 3 0 0 0 2 3 3 0 0 0 2 3 3 0 0 0 2 3
D
2 3 T 2 A 0 B X X 2 3 2 0 X X 2 3 2 0 X X 2 3 2 0 X X
A
0 2 2 2 0 X 0 2 2 2 0 X 0 2 2 2 0 X 0 2 2 2 0 X
C
0 1 0 2 3 X 0 1 0 2 3 X 0 1 0 2 3 X 0 1 0 2 3 X
G
3 0 0 0 2 3 3 0 0 0 2 3 3 0 0 0 2 3 3 0 0 0 2 3
D
2 3 T 2 A 0 B X X 2 3 2 0 X X 2 3 2 0 X X 2 3 2 0 X X
A
0 2 2 2 0 X 0 2 2 2 0 X 0 2 2 2 0 X 0 2 2 2 0 X
C
0 1 0 2 3 X 0 1 0 2 3 X 0 1 0 2 3 X 0 1 0 2 3 X
G
3 0 0 0 2 3 3 0 0 0 2 3 3 0 0 0 2 3 3 0 0 0 2 3
2 3 T 2 A 0 B X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
A
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
G
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
2 3 T 2 A 0 B X X
38
Exercise:
Practise strumming D, A, C and G to the rhythm below. Strum: Count:
4 4
T A B
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
12 Notes on the Fourth String

Fret 5
The fourth string is also known as the D string. The notes in the first position that are on the fourth string are D (open), E (2nd fret) and F (3rd fret). It is played using fingers 2 and 3:
Fret 4 Fret 3 Fret 2 Fret 1
Exercise:
Pluck the fourth string notes with a downward picking motion.
4 4
T A B
0 0 0 0 1 2 3 4
2 2 2 2 1 2 3 4
3 3 3 3 1 2 3 4
2 2 2 2 1 2 3 4
Count:
Fingering:
none
13
39
Jam Track No. 5
The Jam Tracks throughout the book are designed to be of numerous different musical styles and flavors. The reason for this is to firstly broaden your musical horizon and secondly to show you that any style of music is actually MUCH easier to play than you probably once thought. For example, this next example is in the style of Dance or Drum and Bass. Now, lets crank this Jam up. Strum Count 1 2 3 4
T 4 A B
T 4 A B
T 4 A B
T 4 A B
T A B
Continued next page...

40
T A B
T 4 A B
T 4 A B
T 4 A B
T 4 A B
T 4 A B
41
Lesson Six
What is Talent?
Talent is a term that we attach to people, or to skills that people have, when we believe that they are really good at what they do. Sometimes it seems that some people have talent, or an advantage or strength at a particular skill due to some innate force. Although it may appear this way, the chances are that they were not born with their talent. It is more likely that they had to learn it. Talent is gained through complex interactions between an individual and their environment over a period of time. Children who are brought up in a musical environment are more likely to become talented musicians than children bought up in a less musical environment. If you were constantly surrounded by music as you grew up, you will probably have a good mental database of sounds. It is your database of sound that influences your playing and creating of music. A good database of sound is important if you want to be a great musician, but it wont make you talented on its own. There are other factors that contribute to being talented such as discipline and a sense of artistry. Think about these questions: When you like something, do you do it a lot? Do you put all of your energy into it? Do you try to extend yourself both physically and mentally? If you answered yes to these questions, then you may have the discipline it takes to become a talented musician. Discipline is important because without it, you will not practise and without practise you will not have the practical skills to be talented. So you have a good database of sounds and you feel that you have the discipline that it takes to be great, but do you have a sense of artistry? Well, lets see. Think about the following questions: Do you experiment with what you already know in order to learn new things? Do you try to be creative for the sake of it? Do you have a vivid imagination when it comes to sound? Do you feel a need to be original? If you answered yes to these questions, then you are well on your way to being talented! Hard work is where its at. Practise, listen and experiment with your music. Like a sponge, you really just need to soak it up. Any musical knowledge that you dont already know is out there for you to learn. Learn it and work hard on it, and you will be talented.
42
Minor Chords
So far, the chords that you have learned have all been major chords. Major chords give music a happy feel. Minor chords, on the other hand, lend a sad or melancholy feeling to music. Minor chords are constructed in the same way as major chords except that the third or middle note of the chord is flattened (something that will be explained in full later in this book).
Exercise:
In this exercise first play the A major chord followed by the A minor chord. Listen and hear the difference in feeling between the two chords.
A major chord
The A Minor Chord
The A Minor Chord is constructed of the notes A, C and E.
2 3
2 1
Exercise:
14 Am
Strum the A minor chord as indicated by the tab below:
4 4
T A B
0 1 2 2 0 X
0 1 2 2 0 X
0 1 2 2 0 X
0 1 2 2 0 X
0 1 2 2 0 X
0 1 2 2 0 X
0 1 2 2 0 X
0 1 2 2 0 X
15
43
The E Minor Chord
The E Minor chord is constructed of the notes E, G and B.
In the following exercise first watch the E major chord and then the E minor chord, listen to the difference in the sound again. The E minor chord will then be strummed along with the metronome and you can play along.
Exercise:
Play the following:
Em 4 4
T A B
0 0 0 2 2 0
0 0 0 2 2 0
0 0 0 2 2 0
0 0 0 2 2 0
0 0 0 2 2 0
0 0 0 2 2 0
0 0 0 2 2 0
0 0 0 2 2 0
16 Exercise: Turnaround Progression

A turnaround progression is a sequence of chords that can be continually repeated due to strong sounding chord movement between the ending and starting chords. What exactly does strong sounding mean? Well the technical musical terminology is that the progression has been resolved, which means that the end chord of the progression and the starting chord of the progression have a close obvious sounding musical relationship. Try the following turnaround progression:
44
In this example, a strong sounding chord change between A and D resolves the progression back to its starting point. Strum: Count:
D 4 4
T A B
2 3 2 0 X X
Em
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
0 0 0 2 2 0
0 0 0 2 2 0
0 0 0 2 2 0
0 0 0 2 2 0
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
17
Exercise:
Play the following progression. Once again a strong sounding chord change (D to G) resolves the progression back to its starting point. Strum: Count: 1 2 3 4
4 4
T A B
Am
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
0 1 2 2 0 X
0 1 2 2 0 X
0 1 2 2 0 X
0 1 2 2 0 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
18
45
Jam Track No. 6
Strum Count 1 2 3 4
G
3 0 T 0 A 0 B 2 3 3 0 0 0 2 3
Am
0 1 2 2 0 X 0 1 2 2 0 X
C
0 1 0 2 3 X 0 1 0 2 3 X
D
2 3 2 0 X X 2 3 2 0 X X
G
3 0 0 0 2 3 3 0 0 0 2 3
Am
0 1 2 2 0 X 0 1 2 2 0 X
C
0 1 0 2 3 X 0 1 0 2 3 X
D
2 3 2 0 X X 2 3 2 0 X X
3 0 T 0 A 0 B 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
Am
0 1 2 2 0 X
0 1 2 2 0 X
C
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
D
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
G
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
Am
0 1 2 2 0 X
0 1 2 2 0 X
C
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
D
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
3 0 T 0 A 0 B 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
Am
0 1 2 2 0 X
0 1 2 2 0 X
C
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
D
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
G
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
Am
0 1 2 2 0 X
0 1 2 2 0 X
C
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
D
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
3 0 T 0 A 0 B 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
Am
0 1 2 2 0 X
0 1 2 2 0 X
C
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
D
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
G
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
Am
0 1 2 2 0 X
0 1 2 2 0 X
C
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
D
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
3 0 T 0 A 0 B 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
Am
0 1 2 2 0 X
0 1 2 2 0 X
C
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
D
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
G
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
Am
0 1 2 2 0 X
0 1 2 2 0 X
C
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
D
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
3 T0 A0 0 B 2 3
46
Notes on the Fifth String
The fifth string is also known as the A string. The main notes in the first position that are on the fifth string are A (open), B (2nd fret) and C (3rd fret).
Exercise:
Play these fifth string notes with a down/up picking motion. Down/up picking:
Down
Up Down
Up
4 4
T A B O 1 O 3 2 2 2 2 4 2 3 1 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 4 2 Count:
Fingering:
none
19
The 1978 album Van Halen has become one of the most influential albums for guitarists since Hendrixs Are you experienced? Eddie Van Halens use of guitar sound, rhythm, right hand tapping, harmonics and control of feedback all combine in a musical style that many guitarists have since tried to emulate.
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Jam Track No. 7
Strum Count 1 2 3 4
T 4 A B
1 0 4 0 4 0 4 0 0
1 0
T 2 A B
1 0
3 4 0 4 0 4 0 0
T 4 A B
1 0 4 0 4 0 4 0 0
1 0
T 2 A B
1 0
48
Lesson Seven
In this lesson, we want to introduce to you the concept of Eighth note Rhythm and by the end of the lesson you will have a whole lot more to play with. Before that however, read a few words on healthy learning.
Healthy learning
The basis of good learning is good health. On average, people who lead healthy lifestyles have a much higher rate of learning. What type of lifestyle do you promote? Do you have a healthy lifestyle or do you live like there is no tomorrow? In the end, only you can decide what is right and what is wrong for you, but if you want to learn well, it pays to live well. Good food in your diet is essential. Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables and make sure that your body gets all the nutrients that it needs to function well. Your diet should be all about balance. Adding a little sport to your week will keep you fit and feeling good. Try 45 minutes a day of exercise and you will start to notice a change in your energy levels quite quickly. A daily walk will help your bodys metabolism and maximize the goodness that you get from nutrients in your diet. Sleep is important. You need at least eight hours a night to be at your best. Try changing your sleeping patterns so that they are regular and consistent. This way, your body learns to get the most out of sleep and you will feel far more alert from the moment that you wake to the moment that you sleep. It could be the best thing you will ever do for yourself. Remember, life is a long journey. If you want to maintain a long musical life, look after yourself.
Eighth Note Rhythm Patterns
So far we have used rhythms that follow a quarter note pulse. It is counted 1 2 3 4. For example: Note Count

1 2 3 4
The quarter note becomes an eighth note when halved. The eighth note looks like this:
In terms of time, a quarter note is the equivalent of two eighth notes:
Eighth Note
(two eighth notes)

49
By halving the quarter note pulse we can make an eighth note pulse. It is counted as follows: 1+2+3+4+
Note Strum Count

1 + 2 and + and 3 + and 4 + and
The F Major Chord
The F major chord requires you to hold down the first and second strings with your first finger. You will need to play these strings with the flat of your finger rather than the tip.
2 1
Exercise:
First play through the F major chord in a standard quater note strum, then play the same chord but in an eighth note strum pattern. Follow along on the video.
F major chord in quarter note strum:
4 4
T A B
20
1 1 2 3 X X
1 1 2 3 X X
1 1 2 3 X X
1 1 2 3 X X
1 1 2 3 X X
1 1 2 3 X X
1 1 2 3 X X
1 1 2 3 X X
50
F major chord in eighth note strum: Strum Count
4 4
T A B
1 1 2 3 X X
1 1 2 3 X X
1 1 2 3 X X
1 1 2 3 X X
1 1 2 3 X X
1 1 2 3 X X
1 1 2 3 X X
1 1 2 3 X X
1 1 2 3 X X
1 1 2 3 X X
1 1 2 3 X X
1 1 2 3 X X
1 1 2 3 X X
1 1 2 3 X X
1 1 2 3 X X
1 1 2 3 X X
Exercise:
Play the following chord progression. Notice the chord changes between chords C and G. These changes take place halfway through bars 2 and 4.
Strum Count 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
F 4 4
T A B
1 1 2 3 X X 1 1 2 3 X X 1 1 2 3 X X 1 1 2 3 X X 1 1 2 3 X X 1 1 2 3 X X 1 1 2 3 X X 1 1 2 3 X X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
21
At first it will be hard to land that F chord and then change to C and G and back to F. Dont worry, a little practise each day will improve your new skill.
51
The Chromatic Scale

The chromatic scale is based around the seven notes of the musical alphabet (A, B, C, D, E, F and G), however, it contains a few extra musical notes. In its entirety it runs as follows:
A#/Bb A B C
C#/Db D
D#/Eb E F
F#/Gb G
G#/Ab
You have probably noticed that some of the notes in the chromatic scale have two note names. These notes are called accidentals. They can either be sharp notes, in which case we we use the symbol #, or flat notes, in which case we use the symbol b. This can be more easily seen on the keyboard diagram below: C#/Db D#/Eb F#/Gb G#/Ab A#/Bb
C D
F G A
B C D E
F G A
B C D
On the piano keyboard, the black keys are the sharp/flat notes. The note name that you use depends upon the key that you are playing in. We will look at keys and scales later in this book. For now, just realize that these notes can either be flat or sharp. The chromatic scale applies to your guitar in the same way as it does a piano: First Position
Fret 1
E B G D A E
Fret 2
F#/Gb C#/Db A E B F#/Gb
Fret 3
G D A#/Bb F C G
Fret 4
G#/Ab D#/Eb B F#/Gb C#/Db G#/Ab
Fret 5
Fret 6
Fret 7
Fret 8
Fret 9
Fret 10
Fret 11
Fret 12
F C G#/Ab D#/Eb A#/Bb F
A E C G D A
B A#/Bb F#/Gb F C#/Db D G#/Ab A D#/Eb E A#/Bb B
C#/Db C G#/Ab G E D#/Eb A#/Bb B F#/Gb F C#/Db C
D A F C G D
D#/Eb A#/Bb F#/Gb C#/Db G#/Ab D#/Eb
E B G D A E
Each string on the guitar follows the chromatic scale going up the guitar neck. Once you get to the 12th fret on each string, the scale repeats itself. At this point, take some time to familiarize yourself with the above diagram. Once you know how the chromatic scale concept works, you can start to use the whole fret board of the guitar.
52
Lesson Eight
Dominant 7 Chords
So far we have looked at major and minor open chords. Some of these chords can be made into dominant seventh chords by changing the shape of the chord on the guitar. Dominant 7 chords (often called sevenths) are built by adding the minor seventh note of the major scale to the major chord. For example the A major becomes A dominant 7th if you add a G note to the chord (G is the minor seventh note of the A major scale).
Exercise:
In this exercise first play the A major chord followed by the A7 chord (shape 1). Listen and hear the difference in feeling between the two chords. In the second part of the exercise, strum the A7 chord (shape 1) as indicated by the tab below:
A major chord
2 3
The A7 Chord (Shape 1)
The A7 chord consists of the notes A, C#, E and G
1 3
Strum Count
4 4
T A B
22
A7 (shape 1)
3 2 2 2 0 X
3 2 2 2 0 X
3 2 2 2 0 X
3 2 2 2 0 X
3 2 2 2 0 X
3 2 2 2 0 X
3 2 2 2 0 X
3 2 2 2 0 X
3 2 2 2 0 X
3 2 2 2 0 X
3 2 2 2 0 X
3 2 2 2 0 X
3 2 2 2 0 X
3 2 2 2 0 X
3 2 2 2 0 X
3 2 2 2 0 X
53
The open A7 chord comes in two shapes. Both shapes consist of the same notes that make up the A dominant 7th chord. The first shape adds a finger, changing the open E (1st string) to a G and creating the minor seventh in the chord. The second shape removes the note A on the 3rd string and therefore becomes G which is the open string. In this way both shapes have added a G to the A major chord to become A dominant 7. The second shape is shown below:
The A7 Chord (Shape 2)
There is an alternative way to play the A7 chord. It still consists of the notes A, C#, E and G.
1 3
Strum Count
4
T A B
23
A7 (shape 2)
0 2 0 2 0 X
0 2 0 2 0 X
0 2 0 2 0 X
0 2 0 2 0 X
0 2 0 2 0 X
0 2 0 2 0 X
0 2 0 2 0 X
0 2 0 2 0 X
0 2 0 2 0 X
0 2 0 2 0 X
0 2 0 2 0 X
0 2 0 2 0 X
0 2 0 2 0 X
0 2 0 2 0 X
0 2 0 2 0 X
0 2 0 2 0 X
This particular A7 chord is most commonly used version of the A7. It is generally easier to play than the first example that we have shown you, however they are both correct. Simply, you should play the version that you find easiest. The following exercises introduce some more some open dominant seventh chords for you to learn. You will see that the dominant seventh adds a nice blues sound to your chords and progressions.
54
Exercise:
Play the following:
Strum Count
T A B
4 4
A7 (shape 2)
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 0 2 0 X
0 2 0 2 0 X
0 2 0 2 0 X
0 2 0 2 0 X
0 2 0 2 0 X
0 2 0 2 0 X
0 2 0 2 0 X
0 2 0 2 0 X
24
Positive Thinking
A lot can come from positive thinking. People treat you kindly when you are positive. Youll also find that positive thinking will help you be more productive when you are learning guitar. More productivity means better practise and that leads to a better band, a better recording and a better record contract. If you want to go anywhere with music it pays to think positively about it.
Born in 1944, Jimmy Page is referred to as one of the major players to emerge from the 1960s, He has been credited with defining the sound of progressive heavy rock. Initially Page started out as a session musician recording tracks for other bands then went on to play with The Yardbirds. In 1968 Page formed the hugely influential Led Zeppelin with fellow members Robert Plant, John Bonham and John Paul Jones. Led Zeppelin was one of the first modern sounding heavy rock bands, a sound where the guitar was supported by a rhythm section with low, thick-textured bass and drum sounds.
55
The D7 Chord
The D7 chord consists of the notes D, F#, A and C. Note also that the fifth and sixth strings are not played on this chord.
2 3
Exercise:
Play the following (note on the video, the major chord is played first as to compare with the dominant 7 sound):
Strum Count
4 4
T A B
D7
2 1 2 0 X X
2 1 2 0 X X
2 1 2 0 X X
2 1 2 0 X X
2 1 2 0 X X
2 1 2 0 X X
2 1 2 0 X X
2 1 2 0 X X
2 1 2 0 X X
2 1 2 0 X X
2 1 2 0 X X
2 1 2 0 X X
2 1 2 0 X X
2 1 2 0 X X
2 1 2 0 X X
2 1 2 0 X X
25
56
Exercise:
Strum Count
Play the following:
D 4 4
T A B
2 3 2 0 X X
D7
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 1 2 0 X X
2 1 2 0 X X
2 1 2 0 X X
2 1 2 0 X X
2 1 2 0 X X
2 1 2 0 X X
2 1 2 0 X X
2 1 2 0 X X
26
The E7 Chord (shape1)
The E7 chord consists of the notes E, G#, B and D. It is played using fingers 1, 2, 3 and 4. 2 1
The E7 Chord (shape2)
There is also an alternative way to play the E7 chord. It still consists of the notes E, G#, B and D. 2 1
3 4
57
Strum Count
4 4
T A B
E7 (shape 1)
0 3 1 2 2 0
0 3 1 2 2 0
0 3 1 2 2 0
0 3 1 2 2 0
0 3 1 2 2 0
0 3 1 2 2 0
0 3 1 2 2 0
0 3 1 2 2 0
0 3 1 2 2 0
0 3 1 2 2 0
0 3 1 2 2 0
0 3 1 2 2 0
0 3 1 2 2 0
0 3 1 2 2 0
0 3 1 2 2 0
0 3 1 2 2 0
27
Seventh chords can be used in place of major chords to add variation to a piece of music.
Exercise:
Strum Count
Play the following:
E7 4 4
T A B
0 0 1 0 2 0
(shape 2)
0 0 1 0 2 0
0 0 1 0 2 0
0 0 1 0 2 0
0 0 1 0 2 0
0 0 1 0 2 0
0 0 1 0 2 0
0 0 1 0 2 0
0 0 1 0 2 0
0 0 1 0 2 0
0 0 1 0 2 0
0 0 1 0 2 0
0 0 1 0 2 0
0 0 1 0 2 0
0 0 1 0 2 0
0 0 1 0 2 0
28
Once again the second variation of this chord is the easiest to play and usually the most commonly played version. But again, learn both and you decide what is best for you.
58
Exercise:
Strum Count
Play the following:
29
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
4 4
T A B
E7
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 3 1 2 2 0
0 3 1 2 2 0
0 3 1 2 2 0
0 3 1 2 2 0
0 3 1 2 2 0
0 3 1 2 2 0
0 3 1 2 2 0
0 3 1 2 2 0
Exercise:
Play the following using shape 1 of the chord A7 and shape 2 of the chord E7: There is an uneasy sound created between the first and seventh notes of the dominant seven chord. This is known as dissonance. Also, note that we are using a new strum pattern here, listen to the example and play along, it will be much easier than you think. Strum Count
4 4
T A B
A7
D7
4 4
T A B
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
3 2 2 2 0 X
3 2 2 2 0 X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 1 2 0 X X
2 1 2 0 X X
A7
E7
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
3 2 2 2 0 X
3 2 2 2 0 X
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 0 2 0
0 0 1 0 2 0
30
59
Exercise:
Strum
Play the following:
31 G E A7
Count 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
D 4 4
T A B
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 2 0 2 0 X
0 2 0 2 0 X
0 2 0 2 0 X
0 2 0 2 0 X
0 2 0 2 0 X
Exercise:
Strum
Play the following:
Count 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
32 E C D7
G 4 4
T A B
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
2 1 2 0 X X
2 1 2 0 X X
2 1 2 0 X X
2 1 2 0 X X
2 1 2 0 X X
2 1 2 0 X X
Strum Count 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
33 C G E7
A 4 4
T A B
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
0 0 1 0 2 0
0 0 1 0 2 0
0 0 1 0 2 0
0 0 1 0 2 0
0 0 1 0 2 0
0 0 1 0 2 0
60
Jam Track No. 8
Stroke Count 1 2 3 4
This Jam Track is in a Jazz style. Here you will be playing single notes on single strings, much like a basic lead line.
T A B
T 2 A B
T 2 A B
T 2 A B
T 2 A B
T A B
61
Lesson Nine
This next lesson is a short one, and it is very important. By the end you will be playing with some complex rhythm patterns and expanding your musical horizons. Lets get it on!
Silent Stroke Symbol
In Lesson Seven we covered an eighth note strum pattern that involved a continuous down/up strum pattern:
1 +
2 + 3 + 4 +
We will now introduce the idea of a silent stroke and incorporate it into this continuous down/up strum pattern.
When you see these symbols: you do not stroke the strings but let your strumming hand continue to move over the strings so that the down/up pattern of strum is not broken. This is something that you are already doing natually, we just havent notated it yet. Silent stroke symbols allow us to write more complex strumming patterns because we can start to miss out those strokes that fall on the beats 1, 2, 3 and 4 as the following exercise demonstrates.
Exercise:
Play the following chords using the strum provided. Make sure that you dont hit the strings on beats + of 1 and 3, this is called an off beat. On beat refers to the beat when it falls ON the count i.e. the 1, 2, 3, or 4 count. The off beat refers to when the beat falls OFF the count i.e. all the + (and) beats. Strum Count 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
34 D Em D
Em 4 4
T A B
0 0 0 2 2 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 0 0 0 2 2 0
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
0 0 0 2 2 0
0 0 0 2 2 0
0 0 0 2 2 0
0 0 0 2 2 0
0 0 0 2 2 0
0 0 0 2 2 0
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
62
Jam Track No. 9 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
0 0 T 0 A 2 B 2 0
Em
0 0 0 2 2 0
0 0 0 2 2 0
0 0 0 2 2 0
0 0 0 2 2 0
0 0 0 2 2 0
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
Em
0 0 0 2 2 0
0 0 0 2 2 0
0 0 0 2 2 0
0 0 0 2 2 0
0 0 0 2 2 0
0 0 0 2 2 0
D
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
0 0 T 0 A 2 B 2 0
Em
0 0 0 2 2 0
0 0 0 2 2 0
0 0 0 2 2 0
0 0 0 2 2 0
0 0 0 2 2 0
D
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
Em
0 0 0 2 2 0
0 0 0 2 2 0
0 0 0 2 2 0
0 0 0 2 2 0
0 0 0 2 2 0
0 0 0 2 2 0
D
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
0 1 T 0 A 2 B 3 0
0 1 0 2 3 0
0 1 0 2 3 0
0 1 0 2 3 0
0 1 0 2 3 0
0 1 0 2 3 0
0 1 0 2 3 0
0 1 0 2 3 0
0 1 0 2 3 0
0 1 0 2 3 0
0 1 0 2 3 0
0 1 0 2 3 0
A
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 1 T 0 A 2 B 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
A
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 0 T 0 A 2 B 2 0
Em
0 0 0 2 2 0
0 0 0 2 2 0
0 0 0 2 2 0
0 0 0 2 2 0
0 0 0 2 2 0
D
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
Em
0 0 0 2 2 0
0 0 0 2 2 0
0 0 0 2 2 0
0 0 0 2 2 0
0 0 0 2 2 0
0 0 0 2 2 0
D
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X

63
0 0 T 0 A 2 B 2 0
Em
0 0 0 2 2 0
0 0 0 2 2 0
0 0 0 2 2 0
0 0 0 2 2 0
0 0 0 2 2 0
D
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
Em
0 0 0 2 2 0
0 0 0 2 2 0
0 0 0 2 2 0
0 0 0 2 2 0
0 0 0 2 2 0
0 0 0 2 2 0
D
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
0 1 T 0 A 2 B 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
A
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 1 T 0 A 2 B 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
A
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 0 T 0 A 2 B 2 0
Em
64
Notes on the Sixth String
The sixth string is also known as the low E string. 3 1 0
Exercise:
Pluck the following notes. This time, play the notes with a down/up picking motion.
T A B
4 4

O O O O O O O O 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
Count:
Fingering:
none
35
Jam Track No. 10
G
T A B
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
E
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
G
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
G
T A B
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
G
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0

65
D
T A B
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
D
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
D
T A B
2 3 2 0 0 X
2 3 2 0 0 X
2 3 2 0 0 X
2 3 2 0 0 X
2 3 2 0 0 X
2 3 2 0 0 X
0 1 0 2 3 0
0 1 0 2 3 0
0 1 0 2 3 0
0 1 0 2 3 0
0 1 0 2 3 0
0 1 0 2 3 0
G
3 0 0 0 2 3
G
T A B
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
E
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
G
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
E
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
G
T A B
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
E
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
G
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
D
T A B
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
D
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
D
T A B
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
D
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
G
T A B
3 0 0 0 2 3
66
Lesson Ten
An old piano teacher of mine used to record my playing at different times throughout my terms work. At the end of the term she would give me a tape that contained a selection of pieces that I had played running from work that I had completed early in the term to the things that I was working on at the end of the term. I would take this tape home and I would play it to my friends and family. People listening to the tape would say, Man, youre getting good. This did two things for me. First of all, it made me go back to my teacher for more lessons. Secondly, it made me practise more because I could see the benefits of working on something over time. Basically, the progress that I could hear on the tape motivated me to progress further. I strongly recommend that you begin to record your practise sessions for future reference - Jon Coursey - CEO Rock Star Recipes
Progress and Motivation
The G7 Chord
The G7 chord consists of the notes G, B, D and F. It is played using the fingers 1, 2, and 3. 3 2
The C7 Chord
The C7 chord consists of the notes C, E, G and Bb. It is played using fingers 1, 2, 3 and 4. 3 4
2 1
67
Strum Count
4 4
T A B
G7
1 0 0 0 2 3
1 0 0 0 2 3
1 0 0 0 2 3
1 0 0 0 2 3
1 0 0 0 2 3
1 0 0 0 2 3
1 0 0 0 2 3
1 0 0 0 2 3
1 0 0 0 2 3
1 0 0 0 2 3
1 0 0 0 2 3
1 0 0 0 2 3
1 0 0 0 2 3
1 0 0 0 2 3
1 0 0 0 2 3
1 0 0 0 2 3
36
Strum Count
4 4
T A B
C7
0 1 3 2 3 X
0 1 3 2 3 X
0 1 3 2 3 X
0 1 3 2 3 X
0 1 3 2 3 X
0 1 3 2 3 X
0 1 3 2 3 X
0 1 3 2 3 X
0 1 3 2 3 X
0 1 3 2 3 X
0 1 3 2 3 X
0 1 3 2 3 X
0 1 3 2 3 X
0 1 3 2 3 X
0 1 3 2 3 X
0 1 3 2 3 X
37
Two Bar Rhythms
So far, the rhythm patterns given play for one bar only and are then repeated for every following bar. We will make things a little trickier now by introducing some two bar rhythms. A two bar rhythm is a rhythm phrase that lasts for two bars, see the following exercises.
68
Exercise:
Play the following chord progression using the two bar rhythm provided. Note that both F and C are held for two bars each. Strum Count 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + Bar 1 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + Bar 2
4 4
T A B
1 1 2 3 X X
1 1 2 3 X X
1 1 2 3 X X
1 1 2 3 X X
1 1 2 3 X X
1 1 2 3 X X
1 1 2 3 X X
1 1 2 3 X X
1 1 2 3 X X
1 1 2 3 X X
1 1 2 3 X X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
38
Exercise:
Here are some more two bar rhythms. This time we use two new chords, G7 and C7. Notice that in this exercise, there are chord changes that occur half way through the two bar rhythm. This could be hard to coordinate at first. Stay with it though and remember to keep your strum hand consistent.
Strum Count 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + Bar 1 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + Bar 2
A7 4 4
T A B
0 2 0 2 0 X
D7
G7
0 2 0 2 0 X
0 2 0 2 0 X
0 2 0 2 0 X
0 2 0 2 0 X
0 2 0 2 0 X
2 1 2 0 X X
2 1 2 0 X X
2 1 2 0 X X
2 1 2 0 X X
2 1 2 0 X X
2 1 2 0 X X
1 0 0 0 2 3
1 0 0 0 2 3
1 0 0 0 2 3
1 0 0 0 2 3
1 0 0 0 2 3
1 0 0 0 2 3
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
39
69
Strum Count 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + Bar 1 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + Bar 2
C7 4 4
T A B
0 1 3 2 3 X
D7
0 1 3 2 3 X
0 1 3 2 3 X
0 1 3 2 3 X
0 1 3 2 3 X
0 1 3 2 3 X
0 1 3 2 3 X
1 1 2 3 X X
1 1 2 3 X X
1 1 2 3 X X
1 1 2 3 X X
1 1 2 3 X X
1 1 2 3 X X
2 1 2 0 X X
2 1 2 0 X X
2 1 2 0 X X
2 1 2 0 X X
2 1 2 0 X X
2 1 2 0 X X
2 1 2 0 X X
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
40
Your Gear
Buy the best gear that you can and maintain it. Good gear is definitely good for motivating yourself when it comes to practise time. If you save your money you will be able to reward yourself for reaching your practise goals. To keep things interesting, try going through the routine that youve been playing using a new guitar effect. Practising with a delay or distortion effect on, for example, may change the way that your fingers play something. Always keep your gear in tune. Practise is never good when your gat is out of tune, especially if youre in a band situation. Good habits during practise will strengthen your motivation.
70
Lesson Eleven
Good to see you are still with us. In this lesson we are going to look at a blues progression which is very exciting as blues has played a big role in forming music as we know it today. You are doing well with the lessons, keep up the good work!
The Musical Language
Its amazing how people will argue over tab and traditional notation. You might hear things like,Tab is best for guitarists and things like Classical notation is good if you want to be a session musician. The truth is, for every positive point that tab has, traditional music notation has an equally positive point. The idea is to use both. Tab can be an extremely useful tool to learn some skills fast and easily. Traditional notation, on the other hand, relates to every instrument. Knowing it enables you to relate to all types of music and musical instruments, also it is much easier to note down melody ideas on stave music than it is to TAB out on guitar TAB everytime. Realize that at some point along the way, you are going to learn all the ways that you can communicate music. Do not ever limit yourself. Learn it all!
The B7 Chord
The B7 chord consists of the notes B, D#, F# and A. It is played using the fingers 1, 2, 3 and 4. 2 3 4
71
Strum Count
4 4
T A B
B7
2 0 2 1 2 X
2 0 2 1 2 X
2 0 2 1 2 X
2 0 2 1 2 X
2 0 2 1 2 X
2 0 2 1 2 X
2 0 2 1 2 X
2 0 2 1 2 X
2 0 2 1 2 X
2 0 2 1 2 X
2 0 2 1 2 X
2 0 2 1 2 X
2 0 2 1 2 X
2 0 2 1 2 X
2 0 2 1 2 X
2 0 2 1 2 X
41 Exercise: Blues in E major
Now that we have covered the basic open dominant 7 chords we can play a blues in E major. Use the suggested strum and make sure that you keep the chord changes smooth and clear. Start out slow and as you get better, increase the speed of your strum. Within this piece there are two endings, a first ending (1) and a second ending (2). Once the first ending has been played, the piece is played again from beginning (this is indicated by the repeat sign ) and ends after the second ending has been played (indicated by a double bar line ), i.e. you dont play the 1st ending ,(1), the second time around.
Strum Count 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
E 4 4
T A B
0 0 1 2 2 0 0 0 1 2 2 0 0 0 1 2 2 0 0 0 1 2 2 0 0 0 1 2 2 0 0 0 1 2 2 0
E7
E7
0 0 1 0 2 0
0 0 1 0 2 0
0 0 1 0 2 0
0 0 1 0 2 0
0 0 1 0 2 0
0 0 1 0 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 0 2 0
0 0 1 0 2 0
0 0 1 0 2 0
0 0 1 0 2 0
0 0 1 0 2 0
0 0 1 0 2 0
72
A 4 4
T A B
0 2 2 2 0 X 0 2 2 2 0 X 0 2 2 2 0 X 0 2 2 2 0 X 0 2 2 2 0 X 0 2 2 2 0 X
A7
E7
0 2 0 2 0 X
0 2 0 2 0 X
0 2 0 2 0 X
0 2 0 2 0 X
0 2 0 2 0 X
0 2 0 2 0 X
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 0 2 0
0 0 1 0 2 0
0 0 1 0 2 0
0 0 1 0 2 0
0 0 1 0 2 0
0 0 1 0 2 0
B7 4 4
T A B
2 0 2 1 2 X 2 0 2 1 2 X 2 0 2 1 2 X 2 0 2 1 2 X 2 0 2 1 2 X 2 0 2 1 2 X
(1)
A7
E7
B7
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 0 2 0 X
0 2 0 2 0 X
0 2 0 2 0 X
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 0 2 0
0 0 1 0 2 0
0 0 1 0 2 0
2 0 2 1 2 X
2 0 2 1 2 X
2 0 2 1 2 X
2 0 2 1 2 X
2 0 2 1 2 X
2 0 2 1 2 X
B7 4 4
T A B
2 0 2 1 2 X 2 0 2 1 2 X 2 0 2 1 2 X 2 0 2 1 2 X 2 0 2 1 2 X 2 0 2 1 2 X
(2)
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
42
73
Jam Track No. 11
0 2 T 2 A 2 B 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
2 3 T 2 A 0 B X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
A
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
E
T A B
0 0 1 2 2 0 0 0 1 2 2 0 0 0 1 2 2 0 0 0 1 2 2 0 0 0 1 2 2 0 0 0 1 2 2 0
D
2 3 2 0 X X 2 3 2 0 X X 2 3 2 0 X X 2 3 2 0 X X 2 3 2 0 X X 2 3 2 0 X X
A
0 2 2 2 0 X 0 2 2 2 0 X 0 2 2 2 0 X 0 2 2 2 0 X 0 2 2 2 0 X 0 2 2 2 0 X
E
0 0 1 2 2 0 0 0 1 2 2 0 0 0 1 2 2 0 0 0 1 2 2 0 0 0 1 2 2 0 0 0 1 2 2 0
Pete Townshend started out by learning the Banjo and joining a New Orleans Jazz band. Throughout the 60s Townshend became well known for his use of controlled feedback through his amplifier, his onstage antics including the windmill arm swing and the smashing of musical equipment. He is also credited with the invention of the rock power chord (Book Two) that is widely used today in modern rock music.
74
Lesson Twelve
Practise tips
The place where you practise is very important. Your practise room needs to be free of distractions and a place you can feel totally comfortable in. The best advice is to set up a permanent practise space in an area that is free from all audio distractions. You want to be able to leave your gear there exactly how you want it when you return. Get yourself a table and a comfortable seat and make sure that you have everything you need available to you. Make sure that you have the right amount of light so that you arent straining your eyes when reading music.There are some helpful tools available to you that make practise a lot better. A tuner will make things a lot easier and sound a lot nicer. A stereo, tape recorder, metronome, music stand, and instrument stand are also essential to good practise.
Notes on Stave: first position

T A B 0 1 2 3 4 0 1 2 3 4 0 1 2 3 0 1 2 3 4 0 1 2 3 4
0 1 2 3 4
String: Note: Fingering:
6 6 6 6 6 5 5 5 5 5 4 4 4 4 4 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1
E F F# G G A A B C C D D E F F G G A A B C C D D E F F G G * 1 2 3 4 * 1 2 3 4 * 1 2 3 4 * 1 2 3 * 1 2 3 4 * 1 2 3 4
Exercise:
The notes written above can all be found within the first position on the guitar fret. To get familiar with them, start on the low E note and play up to the top G note. From G play each note back to the low E note naming each one as you play it. Play this with an down/up picking motion. Remember to play each fret with its corresponding finger (e.g. 1-1, 2-2, 3-3, 4-4)
43
75
Tab
T A B
0123 01234 43210 01234 01234
01234
01234
T A B
43210
3210
43210
43210
43210
As you worked through that last exercise, you may have noticed that the space between the notes B and C, and the notes E and F, is only a fret. This space is called a semi-tone. All the other notes on the fret board are two frets apart - called a tone. Keep this in mind as we will come back to it when we cover scales in another few lessons.
Bass note picking
Bass notes are those notes that are played on the 4th, 5th and 6th strings. Bass note picking is a technique where single bass notes are played and then followed by a full chord. See the following exercise.
Exercise:
In this progression, see if you can play the bass notes while holding each chord shape with your left hand for the full 4 counts of each bar.
Strum: Count: 1 2 3 4
C 4 4
T A B
Am
X X X X 3 X 0 1 0 2 3 0 0 1 0 2 3 0
X X X 2 X X
X X X X 0 X 0 1 2 2 0 X 0 1 2 2 0 X
X X X 2 X X
X X X 3 X X 1 1 2 3 X X 1 1 2 3 X X
X X X 3 X X
X X X X X 3 3 0 0 0 2 3 3 0 0 0 2 3
X X X X 2 X
44
76
Lesson Thirteen
Caring for your Gear
As mentioned earlier, when you buy gear, get the best that you can afford. You definitely get what you pay for when it comes to musical equipment. Only share your gear with people you really trust. Most people wont look after your gear like you would. Protect your gear. An excellent practise habit is to place your guitar in a stand when it is not in use. If you are really passionate about music, youll probably end up spending a lot of money on it, so invest in some protection. Get a hard case for your gat, one that can handle a few knocks. Keep a nice clean cloth to wipe down your strings after practise. When you clean your gat, remember to push down firmly on the strings and dont neglect any place along the fret. Keep the surface of your guitar clean. Clean, shiny guitars look beautiful. Keep a moisture-collecting pad in your case and change it regularly. Have a spare packet of strings at all times. If your guitar gets broken, pay a professional to fix it. You are one of a new breed of guitarist, one who knows all the details of how a guitar is made and maintained. Learn about your guitar. Take a day trip to the library and read some books about guitar craft, pickups and electronics. This way, you will always have well-maintained and reliable gear.
Time Signature
A time signature denotes two numbers (e.g. 4/4). The upper number specifies the number of beats per bar and the lower number specifies the note value of each beat. Example: 4 4 indicates 4 beats per bar indicates that the beat value is a quarter note (crotchet)
Therefore, a bar of 4/4 (in its simplest form) would look like this:
4 4
Count: 1 2 3 4 Another term for 4/4 is common time It is written with the letter C
C
77
3/4 Time
Until now, all exercises have been written and played in 4/4. Let us now take a look at 3/4 time signature.
3 4
indicates 3 beats per bar. indicates that the beat value is a quarter note (crotchet)
Example:
3 4
Count:
Exercise:
Play this 3/4 rhythm over the E major chord. Strum: Count: 1 + 2 +
0 0 1 2 2 0
3 +
0 0 1 2 2 0 0 0 1 2 2 0 0 0 1 2 2 0 0 0 1 2 2 0 0 0 1 2 2 0 0 0 1 2 2 0
E
T A B
0 0 1 2 2 0
Exercise:
Strum:
Play the following chord progression using the 3/4 strum provided.
45
1 + 2 + 3 +
E 3 4
T A B
0 0 1 2 2 0 0 0 1 2 2 0
Count:
B7
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
2 0 2 1 2 X
2 0 2 1 2 X
2 0 2 1 2 X
2 0 2 1 2 X
78
Jam Track No. 12 Note: This Jam Track is in 3/4 time. 1 + 2 + 3 +
0 1 T 2 A 2 B 0 X
Am
0 1 2 2 0 X
0 1 2 2 0 X
0 1 2 2 0 X
0 1 2 2 0 X
0 1 2 2 0 X
0 1 2 2 0 X
0 1 2 2 0 X
C
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
2 3 T 2 A 0 B X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
0 1 T 2 A 2 B 0 X
Am
0 1 2 2 0 X
0 1 2 2 0 X
0 1 2 2 0 X
0 1 2 2 0 X
0 1 2 2 0 X
0 1 2 2 0 X
0 1 2 2 0 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
2 3 T 2 A 0 B X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
3 4
T A B
Exercise: Bass note picking in 3/4 A G
0 0 2 2 2 0 X 0 2 2 2 0 X
3 3 0 0 0 2 3 3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 1 0 2 3 X 0 1 0 2 3 X
0 2 3 2 0 X X 2 3 2 0 X X 2 3 2 0 X X
46
79
Jam Track No. 13
Note: This Jam Track is in 3/4 time.
G
T A B
3
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
C
3
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
D
T A B
0 2 3 2 0 X X 2 3 2 0 X X 0 2 3 2 0 X X 2 3 2 0 X X
G
3 0 0 0 2 3 3 0 0 0 2 3 3 0 0 0 2 3 3 0 0 0 2 3
C
0 1 0 2 3 X 0 1 0 2 3 X 2 0 1 0 2 3 X 0 1 0 2 3 X
G
T A B
3
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
D
0
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
C
T A B 3
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
0 1 0 2 3 X
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
3 0 0 0 2 3
D
0
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
80
Lesson Fourteen
Good Technique
Good technique is the result of regular practise of exercises such as scales, licks and arpeggios. Because these skills can be played in different timings and at different speeds, achieving good technique requires loads of practise. Take the example of a turn-around chord progression like one of those that you have learned already. It could be put into a 4/4 time and be very simple and easy to play, but how does the same progression sound in or with a reggae strum or with jazz chords? At the end of the day, the more techniques you have the better your technique will be and the more versatile your song writing will become. Someone with good technique will be able to play a progression fast or slow or with a different feel and still play with precision and clarity. You must realize that speed comes from practise. To gain speed initially, you need to start slow and build up slowly. Its best to cement a particular skill by playing it slowly. Then once it has stuck, you should practise it at speed to enable yourself to perform that skill at any speed you like. This produces precision. Without practise, you will find that most people have a speed/accuracy trade off. The faster you go the bigger the mess.
Suspended Chords
Suspended, or sus chords are used by guitarists because they provide an open and incomplete sound. There are two types of sus chord. One type is sus4 and the other is sus2. Sus chords are built the same way that major chords are built except that their middle note changes from that of the major chord. Major chords are built from notes 1, 3 and 5 of the major scale (we look at the major scale later in this Lesson). The middle note in a sus chord, however, is replaced by either notes 2 or 4 of the major scale, hence the name Sus2 and Sus4. Sus4 is made of the notes 1, 4 and 5 of the major scale and sus2 is made of the notes 1, 2 and 5. Because the middle note in the sus chord is different to that of a regular major chord, there is an unresolved feel to its sound.
The Asus4 Chord
The Asus chord consists of the notes A, D and E. Notice that the 3rd finger remains on the 2nd fret even though the 4th finger is placed on the 3rd fret of the same string. The reason for this is that it allows you to move easily between the Asus and the A chord. 1
81
Strum Count
4 4
T A B
Asus4
0 3 2 2 0 X
0 3 2 2 0 X
0 3 2 2 0 X
0 3 2 2 0 X
0 3 2 2 0 X
0 3 2 2 0 X
0 3 2 2 0 X
0 3 2 2 0 X
0 3 2 2 0 X
0 3 2 2 0 X
0 3 2 2 0 X
0 3 2 2 0 X
0 3 2 2 0 X
0 3 2 2 0 X
0 3 2 2 0 X
0 3 2 2 0 X
47
The Dsus4 Chord
The Dsus chord consists of the notes D, G and A. Notice that once again there is a double-up of fingers on the same string. This is common and you will see it in other chords. Usually it makes movement between certain chords easier.
1 2
82
Strum Count
4 4
T A B
48
Dsus4
3 3 2 0 X X
3 3 2 0 X X
3 3 2 0 X X
3 3 2 0 X X
3 3 2 0 X X
3 3 2 0 X X
3 3 2 0 X X
3 3 2 0 X X
3 3 2 0 X X
3 3 2 0 X X
3 3 2 0 X X
3 3 2 0 X X
3 3 2 0 X X
3 3 2 0 X X
3 3 2 0 X X
3 3 2 0 X X
The Esus4 Chord
The Esus chord consists of the notes E, G, A and B.
2 1
Strum Count
49
1
4 4
T A B
Esus4
0 0 2 2 2 0
0 0 2 2 2 0
0 0 2 2 2 0
0 0 2 2 2 0
0 0 2 2 2 0
0 0 2 2 2 0
0 0 2 2 2 0
0 0 2 2 2 0
0 0 2 2 2 0
0 0 2 2 2 0
0 0 2 2 2 0
0 0 2 2 2 0
0 0 2 2 2 0
0 0 2 2 2 0
0 0 2 2 2 0
0 0 2 2 2 0
83
Exercise:
Strum Count 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
A 4 4
T A B
0 2 2 2 0 X 0 2 2 2 0 X 0 2 2 2 0 X 0 2 2 2 0 X 0 2 2 2 0 X 0 2 2 2 0 X
Asus4 A
Dsus4
0 3 2 2 0 X
0 3 2 2 0 X
0 3 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
3 3 2 0 X X
3 3 2 0 X X
3 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
A 4 4
T A B
0 2 2 2 0 X 0 2 2 2 0 X 0 2 2 2 0 X 0 2 2 2 0 X 0 2 2 2 0 X 0 2 2 2 0 X
Asus4
0 3 2 2 0 X
0 3 2 2 0 X
0 3 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
D 4 4
T A B
2 3 2 0 X X 2 3 2 0 X X 2 3 2 0 X X 2 3 2 0 X X 2 3 2 0 X X 2 3 2 0 X X
Esus4
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 2 2 2 0
0 0 2 2 2 0
0 0 2 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
50
84
Jam Track No. 14 Strum Count 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
0 2 T 2 A 2 B 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
Asus4 A
0 3 2 2 0 X 0 3 2 2 0 X 0 3 2 2 0 X 0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
D
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
Dsus4 D
3 3 2 0 X X 3 3 2 0 X X 3 3 2 0 X X 2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
0 2 T 2 A 2 B 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
Asus4 A
0 3 2 2 0 X 0 3 2 2 0 X 0 3 2 2 0 X 0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
E
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
Esus4 E
0 0 2 2 2 0 0 0 2 2 2 0 0 0 2 2 2 0 0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
2 3 T 2 A 0 B X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
A
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
E
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
Esus4 E
0 0 2 2 2 0 0 0 2 2 2 0 0 0 2 2 2 0 0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
2 3 T 2 A 0 B X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
Dsus4 D
3 3 2 0 X X 3 3 2 0 X X 3 3 2 0 X X 2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 3 2 2 0 X
Asus4 A
0 3 2 2 0 X 0 3 2 2 0 X 0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 0 T 1 A 2 B 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
Esus4 E
0 0 2 2 2 0 0 0 2 2 2 0 0 0 2 2 2 0 0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 2 2 2 0
Esus4 E
0 0 2 2 2 0 0 0 2 2 2 0 0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
2 3 T 2 A 0 B X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
Dsus4 D
3 3 2 0 X X 3 3 2 0 X X 3 3 2 0 X X 2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
Asus4 A
0 3 2 2 0 X 0 3 2 2 0 X 0 3 2 2 0 X 0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
85
0 0 T 1 A 2 B 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
Esus4 E
0 0 2 2 2 0 0 0 2 2 2 0 0 0 2 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
Esus4 E
0 0 2 2 2 0 0 0 2 2 2 0 0 0 2 2 2 0 0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
0 0 1 2 2 0
Scales
A scale is defined as an ascending or descending collection of pitches proceeding by a specified scheme of intervals. Lets take a look at one particular type of scale - the Major Scale.
The Major Scale
The major scale is probably the most common scale used in music. It has a happy quality about it. It feels complete, with no need for resolve. An example of a major scale is shown below.
T A B
1
Tone
2
Tone
3 4 Semi- Tone Tone
5
Tone
6
Tone
7 8 Semi-Tone
86
Exercise:
Play the above scale from start to finish and then play the scale in reverse, back to the starting position on C on the fifth string. Each note in a scale is given a number. You may notice that between the notes 3 and 4, and the notes 7 and 8 there is a distance of one fret; this is a semi-tone. All the other notes are separated by two frets or a whole tone. This is the case for all major scales.
4 4
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
0
T A B
51
Brian May, guitarist for Queen, built his own guitar to use in live gigs and for recordings. Rather than using a standard plectrum Brian prefers to use an old English sixpenny piece.
87
Jam Track No. 15 This Jam Track utilizes the C major scale. Its quite funky and hopefully by the end of this you will be an expert on your C Major Scale.
T A B
0 2
0 2
T A B
0 2
0 2
T A B
0 2 3
1 3 0 2 3
1 3 0 2 3
T 0 2 A 0 2 3 B 3
1 3 0 2 3
1 3 0 2 3
1 3 0 2 3
T A B
0 2
0 2
T 0 2 A 0 2 3 B 3
1 3 0 2 3
1 3 0 2 3
1 3 0 2 3
88
Lesson Fifteen
The Rounded Musician
Apart from lessons and exercises, what else should you do to learn your craft? One idea is to build a library of music books. These could be anything that you are interested in, from flute to old piano music. Many books can be found at garage sales or second hand bookshops. Collect old and new. Keep updated by reading guitar magazines. If you love an artist, buy the official book, listen to the CD and play along. An excellent skill is to be able to play a song all the way through with a CD on in the background, especially when the tune pushes your ability. Start a black book. Alphabetically file every new scale and riff or lick you are learning and have mastered. Take a lick or scale every once and a while and use it in your practise. Play the lick all over the guitar. Start slow and play until your fingers are breaking the sound barrier. For those who wish to push their brain, try to play every lick or solo or scale you have learned, in reverse (a couple of months work right there).
The Asus2 chord
The Asus2 chord consists of the notes A, B and E.
89
Strum Count
52
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
4 4
T A B
0 0 2 2 0 X
Asus2
0 0 2 2 0 X
0 0 2 2 0 X
0 0 2 2 0 X
0 0 2 2 0 X
0 0 2 2 0 X
0 0 2 2 0 X
0 0 2 2 0 X
0 0 2 2 0 X
0 0 2 2 0 X
0 0 2 2 0 X
0 0 2 2 0 X
0 0 2 2 0 X
0 0 2 2 0 X
0 0 2 2 0 X
0 0 2 2 0 X
The Dsus2 Chord
The Dsus2 chord consists of the notes D, E and A.
Strum Count
53
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
Dsus2 4 4
T A B
0 3 2 0 X X 0 3 2 0 X X 0 3 2 0 X X
0 3 2 0 X X
0 3 2 0 X X
0 3 2 0 X X
0 3 2 0 X X
0 3 2 0 X X
0 3 2 0 X X
0 3 2 0 X X
0 3 2 0 X X
0 3 2 0 X X
0 3 2 0 X X
0 3 2 0 X X
0 3 2 0 X X
0 3 2 0 X X
90
Exercise:
Strum: Count:
Try the following progression. It uses both types of sus chord and major chords.
1 +
2 + 3
+ 4 +
54 A Asus4
A 4 4
T A B
0 2 2 2 0 X 0 2 2 2 0 X 0 2 2 2 0 X 0 2 2 2 0 X 0 2 2 2 0 X 0 2 2 2 0 X
Asus2
0 0 2 2 0 X
0 0 2 2 0 X
0 0 2 2 0 X
0 0 2 2 0 X
0 0 2 2 0 X
0 0 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 3 2 2 0 X
0 3 2 2 0 X
0 3 2 2 0 X
0 3 2 2 0 X
0 3 2 2 0 X
0 3 2 2 0 X
D 4 4
T A B
2 3 2 0 X X 2 3 2 0 X X 2 3 2 0 X X 2 3 2 0 X X 2 3 2 0 X X 2 3 2 0 X X
Dsus2
Dsus4
0 3 2 0 X X
0 3 2 0 X X
0 3 2 0 X X
0 3 2 0 X X
0 3 2 0 X X
0 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
3 3 2 0 X X
3 3 2 0 X X
3 3 2 0 X X
3 3 2 0 X X
3 3 2 0 X X
3 3 2 0 X X
Jam Track No. 16
T A 2 B 0
2 0 2
0 0 2
2 0 2
T 2 A 0 B
2 0 2
0 0 2
2 0 2
91
T A 2 B 0
2 0 2
0 0 2
2 0 2
T 2 A 0 B
2 0 2
0 0 2
2 0 2
A
T A B
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
Asus2
0 0 2 2 0 X 0 0 2 2 0 X
A
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
Asus4
0 3 2 2 0 X 0 3 2 2 0 X
0 3 2 2 0 X
0 3 2 2 0 X
D
T A B
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
Dsus2
0 3 2 0 X X 0 3 2 0 X X
D
2 3 2 0 X X
2 3 2 0 X X
Dsus4
3 3 2 0 X X 3 3 2 0 X X
3 3 2 0 X X
3 3 2 0 X X
A
T A B
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
Asus2
0 0 2 2 0 X 0 0 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
Asus4 A
0 3 2 2 0 X 0 3 2 2 0 X 0 2 2 2 0 X
0 2 2 2 0 X
T A B
0 2 2 2 0 X
Congratulations on making it to the end of Book One!

You can now move on to Book Two.
92
Supplementary Chord Reference

Major chords in open position.
A
Fret 4 Fret 3 Fret 2
2 1 3 3
A#/Bb
2
B
Fret 1 Fret 4
2 3 1
Fret 2
Fret 3
Fret 2
Fret 1
C
Fret 4 Fret 3
3 2 1
C#/Db
4
3 1 2 3
D
Fret 2
D#/Eb
Fret 5 Fret 4 Fret 3 Fret 2 Fret 1 Fret 4 Fret 3
3
E
Fret 2
2
3
Fret 1
1 1
F
3 3
F#/Gb
2
G
Fret 3 Fret 2
1
Fret 1
93
Minor chords in open position.

G#/Ab Am A#m/Bbm
Fret 3
3 2
1
Fret 4
Fret 3
Fret 2
Fret 1
Fret 4
Fret 3
Fret 2
Fret 1
Fret 4
Fret 2
Fret 1
1
4
2
1
Bm
3 2
1
Cm
1
C#m/Dbm
2 3
1
Dm
3
1
D#m/Ebm
Em
Fret 3 Fret 2
2
Fret 1
2
1
Fm
3
F#m/Gbm
3
Gm
94
Dominant Seventh chords in open position.

B7
2 2 3 2
A7
A#7/Bb7
Fret 3 Fret 2
Fret 1
3 4
C7
Fret 4 Fret 3
3 4 2 1 3 4
C#7/Db7
Fret 1 Fret 4 Fret 3 Fret 2 Fret 1 Fret 4
2 1
D7
Fret 2
2 3
D#7/Eb7
1 2
E7
Fret 3 Fret 2
2 1
F7
3 4
F#7/Gb7
3 3 2 1
G7
Fret 3 Fret 2
2
G#7/Ab7
1
1 2
95

Jamorama Beginner Lessons For Guitar

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Supplementary Chord Reference.......................................................... 92

How to get the most out of your Jamorama Kit

The Acoustic Guitar

The following diagram illustrates the various parts of an acoustic guitar:

Headstock Fingerboard Frets Position markers Truss rod Strings

Tuning machine heads Nut

Waist Body Bridge

Sound hole Pick guard Bouts

Saddle Bridge pins Soundboard End pin

The Electric Guitar

The following diagram details the various parts of an electric guitar:

Headstock Fingerboard Frets Position markers

Tuning machine heads Nut

Neck Truss rod Strings

Pickup selector switch

Getting into position

Holding the Pick

Jamorama Chord Diagram

Versus Standard Chord Diagram

3rd Fret 4th Fret

Chord diagram - A major chord

1 Exercise: Playing the A major Chord

Exercise: Strumming the A major Chord

Exercise: Strumming the D Major Chord

The D Major Chord

Keeping an Open Mind

Reading Guitar Tablature

Chords and Tablature

The A Major Chord

Chord Stroke Count

Jam Track No. 1

4 counts 2 count 1 count 1/2 count

Adding a dot (.) to a note adds half that notes value:

Notes on the Treble Clef

The notes in the above diagram (e.g.

) are called quarter notes.

Four Four Time Signature

Notes on the First String

Notes on the Second String

Pluck these second string notes with a downward picking motion:

Jam Track No. 2 Strum Count

Patience and discipline

The E Major Chord

The Repeat Sign

Notes on the Third String Exercise:

Pluck these third string notes with a downward picking motion.

The G Major Chord

Play the following: G major chord

The C Major Chord

Jam Track No. 4

Practise strumming D, A, C and G to the rhythm below. Strum: Count:

12 Notes on the Fourth String

Pluck the fourth string notes with a downward picking motion.

Jam Track No. 5

Continued next page...

The A Minor Chord

The A Minor Chord is constructed of the notes A, C and E.

Strum the A minor chord as indicated by the tab below:

The E Minor Chord

The E Minor chord is constructed of the notes E, G and B.

Play the following:

16 Exercise: Turnaround Progression