Years ago I was sitting in a music class with blues guitar grand puba Kenny Burrell…

He didn’t have his guitar with him that day. But he did have a grand piano in the room.

So he walked over to it and played the notes:

E

G

A

Bb

B

D

E

In that order, slowly, he hunted and pecked at the keys. (Kenny isn’t a piano player. But, he would often use the piano to demonstrate certain sounds he was talking about.)

He then looked up at the class and said, “Do you know what that is?”

The room was silent.

He said, 

“That’s the blues scale.”

Then he paused and said,

“Do you have that worked out? All over your instrument?... 

…because if not you’re going to want to do that.”

Decades later, I still remember this lesson. And as I became a more proficient musician. I’ve only seen MORE value in it. 

You see, when I play lead guitar, in pretty much ANY style, I rely on knowing the blues scale on my instrument. The blues seems to always sneak its way into my soloing somewhere.

But whe...

Have you ever gone to great lengths for someone in love?

You made sacrifices and did what you thought was the “right thing”.

This may sound like a great idea… until they don’t reciprocate. Then, it can end in utter tragedy. But today, I want to share with you a song about that.

Now, all the other lessons online are missing this one little trick I am going to show you that makes all the difference. 

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

Who Wrote Yellow?

"Yellow" was written by Chris Martin, Jonny Buckland, Guy Berryman, and Will Champion– all four members of the British rock band Coldplay. It’s one of their most iconic songs that first appeared on their debut album, Parachutes, released in 2000.  

It was co-produced with British record producer Ken Nelson. 

Apparently the song’s inception began one evening during a recording session at Rockfield Studios in Wales. The band had just finished the track "Shiver," and took a break outside. ...

Want to play an instantly recognizable epic rock guitar riff?

Well, if so, this post could be just what you’re looking for. 

You see, this riff is often cited as one of the greatest classic rock guitar licks of all time. 

It's been heard on TV shows like The Simpsons and King of the Hill. 

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

Who Wrote China Grove? 

China Grove was written by Tom Johnston, a founding member, guitarist, and lead vocalist for the American rock band The Doobie Brothers. 

It’s one of their most iconic songs, loaded with rock ‘n' roll energy, killer guitar riffs, and a quirky little twist of small-town storytelling.

The driving guitar riff powers the song. Johnston said he came up with the groove during a jam session. The piano part was laid down by Bill Payne, keyboardist of Little Feat, who played on the session. Johnston later said Payne’s opening piano part was so infectious, it helped him come up with the whole v...

If you want to play incredible lead and rhythm guitar… then you’re going to need to know chords.

Below I’m going to share 10 Epic (Minor) Blues Guitar Chords Every Guitarist Should Know.
So grab your 6-stringer and let’s dive in, starting with…

1. Open Em

In my humble (but accurate) opinion, this is one of the greatest guitar chords of all time.

For many players, it may have even been the first chord you ever learned. Yet it sounds so good – especially if you drag your pick from the treble to the bass strings like this:

A great bluesy song that uses this Em is “I Put A Spell On You” as recorded by Creedence Clearwater Revival. The original was done by Screamin' Jay Hawkins, but it’s an AWESOME 16-bar blues:

2. Moveable Minor

This chord is the same basic idea as the open Em chord but it makes it moveable. This can be tough if players have not learned to play bar chords effortlessly yet. But once you get it down, it can open up a lot of doors.

You see this can now be played ...

Stressed out or got problems?

Here’s a pro tip: put on some Bob Marley and drift away. 

His deep reggae grooves and feeling can help ease your mind, and they are also a TON of fun to play on guitar. 

Below I’m going to break down some essential reggae guitar tips and tricks used in one of Bob Marley’s most popular songs.  

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

Who Wrote Three Little Birds?

“Three Little Birds” was written by Bob Marley and released by Bob Marley & The Wailers on their 1977 album Exodus. Like many of Marley’s tunes, it was credited to Bob Marley alone.

The lyrics on this gem are very uplifting and reassuring, the chorus sings the famous lines: 

===

Don’t worry about a thing,

‘Cause every little thing is gonna be all right.

===

It’s a beautiful tune with a positive outlook on life. 

According to some accounts, Marley was inspired by actual birds that he would see outside his home in Kingston, Jamaica. He ...

True story:

I used to live in Box Canyon, where the psychopathic serial killer/cult leader Charles Manson used to hang out with his “Manson Family”.

Now, I lived there some 30 years later, things have changed quite a bit. I even recorded an album deep in the canyon. (Which you can listen to online called Songs From Box Canyon.)

But apparently Manson believed The Beatles’ had coded messages in their songs to him. Now what’s even scarier is I used to take little hikes out my back porch into the canyon when I lived in Box. And on one sunny day, I came around a bend and saw carved in a rock the words “Helter Skelter”.

I kid you not, it gave me the heebie jeebies.

However, the phrase "helter skelter" is a reference to a British amusement park slide, but Manson took it to mean impending doom and destruction.

So grab your 6-stringer, and let’s dive into this “Helter Skelter” chords and guitar lesson!

Who Wrote Helter Skelter?

“Helter Skelter” was primarily written by Paul McCartney...

Have you ever been at wit's end in a relationship trying to work it out?

Well, maybe you were able to work it out… or maybe you didn’t.

But that’s what this song below is about. 

Grab your guitar, and let’s dive into this “We Can Work It Out” chords and guitar lesson!

Who Wrote We Can Work It Out?

"We Can Work It Out" was co-written by Paul McCartney and John Lennon. It is credited to the Lennon and McCartney partnership. McCartney wrote the A section and Lennon wrote the B section with the lines, "Life is very short".

Apparently McCartney came up with the main idea for the song when experiencing ups and downs in his relationship with Jane Asher. Asher is an English actress, author, and businesswoman. She met Paul McCartney in 1963 when she was just 17 years old. She was interviewing the Beatles for Radio Times and quickly became romantically involved with McCartney.

The song is essentially about the importance of resolving conflicts in a relationship. McCartney's verses carr...

If you want to play any popular American music from the past 150 years… then you’re going to want to be familiar with the blues. 

When you do this makes learning your favorite songs so much EASIER.

You’ll start to identify the fundamental patterns beneath the surface of the music. And you won’t feel like you have to start back at square one, every time you go to learn a new song. In this post, I want to share with you 3 simple ways to play the 12 bar blues progression. 

These examples are going to be in the key of A major. However, the blues can be played in any key – major or minor. So let’s start with the…

12 Bar Blues Progression Chords

There are 3 main chords to a simple blues progression. These are called the I, IV, and V chords. The I, IV, and V chords are the most common chords in Western music and are essential for understanding harmony. They come from the major scale of a given key and are built on the 1st, 4th, and 5th notes (or degrees) of that scale.

In the key of ...

Have you ever listened to a song and it just captivates you?  

It takes you away to another world?

Well, this one does that for me.

And it’s also done it for many other people as well. 

It’s an older song from back in 1931, and it’s become a standard. Below I’m going to dive into some pro tips on how to play it – particularly the version as recorded by The Mamas & The Papas. So grab your axe and let’s dive into this “Dream A Little Dream Of Me ” chords and guitar lesson!

Who Wrote Dream A Little Dream Of Me?

The music for "Dream a Little Dream of Me" was written by Fabian Andre with lyrics from Wilbur Schwandt and Gus Kahn. Gus was one of the most prominent lyricists of this era. He also wrote the lyrics for many other famous tunes like "It Had to Be You", and "I’ll See You in My Dreams".

“Dream A Little Dream Of Me” is a romantic ballad that sings about a couple parting. The singer asks their lover to "dream a little dream of me" even after they’ve gone. It’s filled with nos...

Ever been in deep emotional pain?

Well, here’s an epic Rolling Stones’ 12-string tune that might be just about that.

It wasn’t as popular at first as say tunes like “Satisfaction”, or “Paint It Black.”  

But it’s definitely become a crowd favorite over the years. So grab your axe and let’s dive into this “As Tears Go By” chords and guitar lesson!

Who Wrote As Tears Go By?

"As Tears Go By" was written by Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and the Rolling Stones’ manager Andrew Loog Oldham. This collaboration was unusual in that it marked a rare songwriting contribution from Oldham – who was largely involved in the production side but also contributed lyrics.

“As Tears Go By” is an introspective tune possibly about heartbreak and the passing of time. The lyrics sing about deep sadness, and themes of loss. The song was written when the Rolling Stones were still in their early stages of stardom. Oldham thought of "As Tears Go By" as a more "pop-oriented" song, specifically written for t...