How are your calluses?

Guitar can be tough as nails.

There’s so much information and so little organization on the internet for a consistent thread of study. But in this post, I want to share with you 7 essential guitar chords for beginners. Plus some easy diagrams and tips so you can build a strong foundation for playing your favorite songs on guitar.

Starting with the good ole’...

1) D Major

In my humble (but accurate opinion) this is a great first chord to try. It’s not too difficult like a full C chord because your fingers can remain relatively close. It sounds really good, and you can use this in millions of songs. 

To play a D major chord on guitar in open position, follow these steps: 

• Index Finger (1st fret hand finger) – Place it on the 2nd fret of the G (3rd) string.
• Middle Finger (2nd finger) – Place it on the 2nd fret of the high E (1st) string.
• Ring Finger (3rd finger) – Place it on the 3rd fret of the B (2nd) string.
• ...

If you were around in the early ‘90s, here’s a little ditty you couldn’t escape. 

It was on the radio, MTV, and playing in the background of countless coffee shops and dorm rooms. But here’s the crazy thing: R.E.M. never expected it to be a hit.

Below I’m going to break down how to play guitar in the style of this iconic tune. So grab your axe and let’s dive into this “Losing My Religion” chords and guitar lesson!

Who Wrote Losing My Religion?

“Losing My Religion” was written by all four members of the American alternative rock band R.E.M. Including Michael Stipe (vocals), Peter Buck (guitar, mandolin), Mike Mills (bass, keyboards), and Bill Berry (drums). It was the lead single from their 1991 album Out of Time, and despite having no traditional chorus, no electric guitar riff, and being built around a mandolin, it became their biggest song. 

While at a first glance, it’s easy to think the song...

Behold... the first music video from an Irish band to hit 1 billion views on YouTube.

The video was so polarizing it was banned in certain countries. The message behind the song and powerful imagery were meant to reflect the religious and political turmoil in Ireland during the early 90s.

Below I’m going to share with you some insider tips on how to play in the guitar style of it. It’s not too difficult and is a great choice for newer players.

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

Who Wrote Zombie?

"Zombie" was written by Dolores O’Riordan, the lead singer of the alternative rock group The Cranberries. O’Riordan composed the song alone, both the lyrics and melody, during the band's 1993 tour in the UK.

It was a protest anthem written in response to the 1993 IRA bombing in Warrington, England. This tragic event killed two children: three-year-old Johnathan Ball and 12-year-old Tim Parry. The bombing was...

Let’s talk about how to play the harmonic minor scale on guitar. This scale is a great scale to know whether you are a beginner or an advanced player. 

In this post, I’ll share two different ways to play the A harmonic minor scale on guitar. How to practice the A harmonic minor scale. And finally, a few examples of songs that use the harmonic minor scale, so you can hear the sounds in context. 

So make sure you’re tuned up. And let’s get started!

What is the A harmonic minor scale on guitar?

The A harmonic minor scale on guitar is just a series of 7 notes in a row. It is a way of grouping together a specific set of notes similar to the A natural minor scale but with one change. The A harmonic minor scale has a very specific sound to it, and the notes form the foundation for putting together chords in a minor key.

What notes are in the A harmonic scale?

The notes in the A harmonic minor scale are:

A - B - C - D - E - F - G# - A

This scale is based...

Have you ever wondered how to hold a guitar pick?

Or which one you should use?

Or if you should even use one at all.

Well, in this post I’m going to share some insider tips for these questions. 

So grab your guitar and let’s start off with…

How To Hold A Guitar Pick

If you’re using a standard flatpick, I believe the best way to hold it is between two fingers. I use the thumb and the index finger.

First, curl your index and place the pick with the point of the pick following your index finger:

Then simply place your thumb on top like this:

I think gripping the pick with your thumb and index is best. However, there are players that have broken this rule. For example, Eddie Van Halen was known for holding the pick between his thumb and middle finger. This allowed him to keep his index finger free for fret tapping – another key technique in his playing style.

This approach gave him a more fluid transition between picking and finger-tapping. 

...

Behold…

A moody, vibey, and iconic song inspired from an absolutely tragic divorce.

There are not that many legendary hit songs tunes where the drummer is the writer, and also the lead singer. But this is one of them. You only need 3 chords to play it.

So grab your axe and let’s dive into this “In The Air Tonight” chords and guitar lesson!

Who Wrote In The Air Tonight?

In the Air Tonight" is one of Phil Collins’ most iconic songs. It’s got a haunting atmosphere, dark lyrics, and one of the most famous drum fills in rock history.

Phil Collins wrote "In the Air Tonight" entirely on his own. It was the lead single from his debut solo album, Face Value (1981). The song is often interpreted as being about anger, betrayal, and personal loss—largely inspired by Collins' painful divorce from his first wife, Andrea Bertorelli.

Collins has said that Andrea was the one who initiated the breakup. As most women do, statistics show about 7 to 8 out of...

Here’s a song from an interesting period during the Rolling Stones’ career.

It has a slightly mellow feel to it in contrast to many of their more high-energy tunes. But the groove is deep and the song also features legendary jazz saxophonist Sonny Rollins

Grab your axe and let’s dive into this “Waiting On A Friend” chords and guitar lesson!

Who Wrote Waiting On A Friend?

“Waiting On A Friend” was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. But like many Rolling Stones songs, it was a collaborative effort. It all came together with significant contributions from the other band members and also some guest musicians.

Lyrically, the song is a departure from the Stones’ usual themes of love, sex, and rebellion. Instead, it leans more into the value of friendship and companionship. Mick Jagger has said in interviews that the song isn’t about waiting for a woman but rather about the camaraderie between friends. Given the Stones’...

You might get a kick out of this…

In 2006, I went to Borders bookstore and bought John Mayer’s new album Continuum.

I came home, popped the CD into my player, opened up the jewel case to look at the liner notes, and got lost in the music. The first track is “Waiting On The World To Change”. 

Shortly after this, I played “Waiting On The World To Change” to my friend who was the bass player in my band at that time. He said, “Oh… these are some gospel changes.”

My ear wasn’t as developed as it is now. But his comment got me thinking.

I later learned the chord progression to “Waiting On The World To Change”, and noticed it was (almost) exactly the same as “People Get Ready” by Curtis Mayfield.

But then something else happened…

I figured out the solo too. It's all played on one string… it just slides up and down the neck and uses bluesy bends. Then later, I learned the solo on...

Would you like to start something up?

A new relationship?

A new skill?

An exciting night out on the town?

Well, here’s an iconic rock song to get you going. 

Below I’m going to break down the guitar style behind it. You only need 4 chords and a couple of blues guitar moves to make it all happen.

So grab your guitar and let’s dive into this “Start Me Up” chords and guitar lesson!

Who Wrote Start Me Up?

“Start Me Up” was originally written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, the two primary songwriters for the Rolling Stones. Their collaborations produced some of the band's biggest hits, and this song is no exception.

The lyrics for “Start Me Up” sing about energy, confidence, and the excitement of getting going — both literally and metaphorically. "Start Me Up" is one of the Rolling Stones’ most iconic songs. It was released in 1981 and was a part of their Tattoo You album. 

The song had an interesting...

Are you struggling to get your guitar in tune?

I don’t think there is anything worse than circling round and round, trying to get each string in tune, then finally playing a chord, and it STILL sounds off. 

Perhaps you even broke a string trying to tune your guitar.

Well, in this post I am going to share with you 3 easy ways to tune a guitar. These work for both acoustic and electric guitars. Need to tune a guitar at a music store, home, on stage, or even in the middle of nowhere camping without electricity? No problem. After this, you’ll know how to tune a guitar so you sound like a pro anywhere and all the time.

Now, I must give you this one sweet caveat.

You see, I’m going to share with you 2 of the most common ways to tune a guitar – which you absolutely should try first. And then, I’m going to share with you my own special way of tuning. I came up with this special method that you won’t hear about anywhere else on the internet. It just...