Today I want to share with you how I play “Are You Gonna Go My Way” as recorded by Lenny Kravitz. 

I’ve noticed a few things about this song in particular. Things that will help players elevate both their blues and rock playing simultaneously. 

This song is a great example of how blues guitar led straight into rock. For example, the main riff to “Are You Gonna Go My Way” is a straight-up blues riff. 

In fact, so much so, that it sounds like it could have been played in Muddy Waters’s version of “Catfish Blues.”  

In this post, I’ll walk you through this iconic riff, the chords you’ll need, and even some scales to further explore your own style with it.

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

Who wrote Are You Gonna Go My Way:

"Are You Gonna Go My Way" is a song written by Lenny Kravitz and Craig Ross. Kravitz, an American singer-songwriter and musician, composed the music...

Gregg Allman once said, 

“There's nothing like music to relieve the soul and uplift it.” 

I couldn’t agree more, and that’s exactly what I want to do today in this “Midnight Rider” guitar lesson.

In this post, you’ll discover how to play the chords, signature riffs, and even the solo to this iconic Allman Brothers Band song step-by-step. 

So grab your guitar tune up and let’s get started!

Who wrote Midnight Rider?

"Midnight Rider" was written by Gregg Allman and Robert Payne. It was first released by the American rock band The Allman Brothers Band on their 1970 album Idlewild South. The song has since become one of the band's most iconic and lasting tracks.

The song features a bluesy and soulful sound, with Gregg Allman's distinctive vocals and the band's signature dual guitar harmonies, courtesy of Duane Allman and Dickey Betts. 

The lyrics of "Midnight Rider" convey a sense of restlessness and the longing for...

Today I want to share with you an awesome Gary Clark Jr. guitar lesson. We’ll dive deep into his soulful song “Bright Lights”. 

This tune is a one-chord blues, and I’ll break down how to play the rhythm and lead step-by-step.

So grab your guitar and let’s jam the blues! 

Who wrote Bright Lights? 

The song "Bright Lights" was written by Gary Clark Jr. himself. Gary Clark Jr. is an American musician and singer-songwriter known for his skillful guitar playing and blending various genres such as blues, rock, and soul. "Bright Lights" is one of his popular songs and has received critical acclaim for its energetic and soulful sound.

Although "Bright Lights" by Gary Clark Jr. has a similar title to another very famous blues song “Bright Lights, Big City”, by Jimmy Reed. The two songs are very different musically. They only really share similar titles and that’s it. To prove this I also have another lesson explaining the guitar...

Over the years countless students have come to me and said, “I’m not really a blues player”, but then in the same breath tell me about how they are working on tunes like “Come Together” or “Johnny B. Goode”. And that’s what they really want to play… Not the blues…

Well, here’s the thing…

You can’t play any popular music from the past 120 years without playing the blues.

If you play guitar, you have to learn the blues. And even if you think you don’t, you’ll still be learning it inadvertently through other songs you want to play.

So today I want to show you how “Come Together” is deeply rooted in blues. 

When you can identify patterns, like what I’m going to share with you in this lesson, you can learn songs WAY faster. 

It gets EASIER, and songs make more sense.

Plus after sitting in at countless jam nights, and with various bands I can say with certainty that...

Today I want to share 3 essential Chuck Berry-style blues guitar licks with you. These 3 licks will give you immediate insight into some of his signature guitar moves, including tricks like staccato bends, double-stops, and repetitive phrases.

All of these licks are in the key of Bb major. But once you get them down, you can move them to any key you want by simply changing the fret they start on.

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

Lick # 1

Lick #1 starts off with a quick bend on the 8th fret of the 3rd string. Here we are right away going to be a signature Berry technique, staccato bends. A staccato bend is a bending technique where the bent note is played with short and distinct, separated articulation. 

So instead of sustaining the bent note, it is played briefly and quickly released, creating a crisp and punchy effect. The staccato bend adds rhythmic emphasis and can be used to create a dynamic and expressive playing style. This note is going...

The 12-bar blues is one of the most used chord progressions of all time. In fact, if you’re a guitarist who wants to play popular music, this is one of the most valuable things you can study.

So today I want to share with you an easy 12-bar blues guitar lesson in C. The key of C is a perfect key to start with because it uses all-natural notes. This means these notes are not modified by accidentals such as sharps (#) or flats () etc.

We’ll cover the chords and how to remember a 12-bar blues. Plus how to take a riff through the blues progression, and even end with learning the blues scale in C.

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

What are the 3 chords used in the 12-bar blues? 

The 3 core chords to a standard 12-bar blues in C are C7, F7, and G7.

Here is how I would play each of these shapes. 

C7 is like a typical open-position C chord, but here we’ll put our pinky finger (in the fretting hand) down on the 3rd fret of the 3rd...

One of the secrets to John Lee Hooker’s sound is how he played fingerstyle on electric guitar. Today I’ll break down some of his exact techniques in this “Dimples” guitar lesson.

The combination of fingertips and electric guitar with a bit of breakup to the sound is a magical tone for blues guitar. There are two main sections we are going to cover in this lesson, the blues groove and an 8-bar blues chord progression. So tuneup, and let’s get started!

Who wrote Dimples?

"Dimples" was written by blues legend John Lee Hooker. The original version featured Jimmy Reed’s backup band. John Lee Hooker played the riff on slide guitar in the original version.

Dimples Chords

“Dimples” is in the key of E and uses just 3 chords E7, A7, and B7. These 3 chords are 3 most common chords in blues tunes and are often referred to as the I, IV, and V chords in the key.

E7 = I chord

A7 = IV chord

B7 = V chord

Also, check out how all the chords are dominant...

Today I want to share with you how I play the very first single released by the Jimi Hendrix Experience in 1966, “Hey Joe”.

In this “Hey Joe” guitar lesson, I’m going to break down key insights into Hendrix’s signature guitar style as well as discuss the background of this song. It is most commonly associated with Hendrix but it was actually originally written by Billy Roberts. 

It’s relatively simple. You’ll only need 5 chords to play the whole thing. I’ll walk you through it step-by-step. So make sure you’re tuned up and let’s get started.

Who originally sang Hey Joe?

"Hey Joe" is a song that is most associated with the legendary guitarist Jimi Hendrix. But it was actually written by Billy Roberts, an American folk musician, in the early 1960s. 

The first known recording of "Hey Joe" was made by Roberts. He performed the song in a simple acoustic arrangement. Yet this version formed the basis for...

Hey Friend! 

Today I want to share with you 10 easy blues songs on guitar. When I was starting out with blues guitar. I didn’t know which tunes to focus on. 

Many times I would start one and then get frustrated if it was too hard.

I see this all the time with students. In fact, a big tip for progressing faster with guitar and staying motivated is making sure you pick the right songs to work. We don’t want it to be too hard or we can easily feel discouraged. 

So below is a list of 10 easy blues guitar songs for beginners. To help avoid that pitfall.

Are you ready? You are. Great.

Let’s go!

1. Green Onions” – Booker T. & the M.G.'s

"Green Onions" is an instrumental blues that was released in 1962 by Booker T. & the M.G.'s. The track is widely recognized for its distinctive Hammond organ riff, played by Booker T. Jones, which serves as the song's main hook. It was a major hit, reaching number three on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and...

Today I want to share with you the song that put Led Zeppelin on the map.

I am talking about “Good Times Bad Times” the opening track from their debut album Led Zeppelin. Aka Led Zeppelin I

The song showcases the whole band’s incredible musicianship and energy. 

In this “Good Times Bad Times” guitar lesson we’ll cover the origins of the song, the chords, rhythms, and scales you’ll need to know to start playing like Jimmy Page today.

So make sure you’re in tune and let’s get started!

Who wrote Good Times Bad Times? 

"Good Times Bad Times" was written by all four members of Led Zeppelin: Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones, and John Bonham. The song is credited to the entire band, as was the case with many of Led Zeppelin's early compositions. 

This collaborative approach to songwriting played a significant role in shaping their unique sound and contributed to their lasting impact on rock and blues music.

The...