Did you know one of Kansas’ most iconic songs all started with guitarist Kerry Livgren trying to improve his fingerstyle guitar? 

The best guitar players are always searching for how they can improve their skills. They don’t rest on their laurels. In this post, I want to share with you how a tiny little fingerpicking pattern became the genesis for a massively huge hit.

So, grab your guitar, and let’s dive into this “Dust In The Wind” chords and guitar lesson!

Who Wrote Dust In The Wind?

"Dust in the Wind" was written by Kerry Livgren the guitarist for the American rock band Kansas. The song has an interesting backstory. You see, it all started with him looking to improve his fingerpicking guitar techniques. He picked up a book that had a bunch of fingerpicking patterns in it, and he started experimenting with them.

One day, as he was sitting at home in between tours practicing, his wife walked by and said, “That sounds really nice”.

He said, “Nah, it’s just an exercise.” Sh...

Here’s a haunting song with an interesting history. 

You see it was originally rejected by the record label. They thought it was not going to be a commercial success. So it flew under the radar for many years. 

Until finally some cover versions of it came along and brought the song forward to national fame.

In this post, we’ll be diving into the original as well as the most popular covers. We’ll unpack the different approaches each one takes and how you can play it on your guitar.

So tune up, and let’s dive into this “Hallelujah” guitar lesson.

Who wrote Hallelujah?

The magnificent “Hallelujah” was originally written by Canadian singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen. He reportedly spent years crafting the lyrics, with some estimates saying it took around five years and countless revisions. 

"Hallelujah" was recorded at Quadrasonic Sound in New York City. It was put on Cohen’s album "Various Positions" which was produced by John Lissauer. Despite the depth of the song, Cohen's label...

Very few songs ever created move the world like this one…

The story behind it is powerful and emotional, and the chords and melody fit the sentiment of the tune perfectly.

It’s a complete masterpiece from beginning to end.  

So grab your guitar and let’s dive into this “Tears in Heaven” guitar lesson. 

What is the story behind Tears in Heaven? 

Tears in Heaven" was written by Eric Clapton and Will Jennings. It was released in January 1992 and is one of Clapton's most iconic and personal songs. 

The song was written about the tragic death of his four-year-old son, Conor. Conor fell from a 53rd-floor window in a New York City apartment building. The lyrics powerfully express Clapton's grief and his contemplations about the afterlife and whether he would be reunited with his son in heaven. 

Eric Clapton co-wrote "Tears in Heaven" with songwriter Will Jennings, who initially hesitated to write about such a personal and tragic subject but was ultimately persuaded by Clapton's d...

Behold a magnificent song every fingerstyle guitar player should know.

The story behind it is quite interesting, and the melody and chords have stood the test of time.

So grab your guitar and let’s dive into this “Sound of Silence” guitar lesson.

Who wrote Sound of Silence?

“Sound of Silence" was written by Paul Simon, one half of the iconic American folk-rock duo Simon & Garfunkel. He wrote it in February 1964 and it was first released on the album "Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M." in the same year.

It’s a haunting song that has lyrics about isolation, alienation, and the lack of communication in society. While the actual meaning of the tune is unknown.

The story behind "Sound of Silence" is quite interesting. Simon wrote it when he was only 21 years old and was feeling disillusioned with the state of the world. He wrote the song in his bathroom at his parent's house while they were out. He turned off the lights so he could focus.

Initially, the song didn't gain much attention, an...

One of the most rewarding ways to play guitar behind a singer or back up another musician is to play fingerstyle.

This means playing guitar without a standard flatpick. 

Many great artists have used this technique to play on countless hit songs. There are many different types of fingerstyle. I would consider this style a singer-songwriter fingerpicking style.

Today I want to share with you how the Beatles did this, in this “Dear Prudence” guitar lesson.

So grab your guitar and let’s get started!

Who wrote Dear Prudence?

"Dear Prudence" is a timeless classic from the Beatles' 1968 album, The Beatles (also known as the White Album. 

"Dear Prudence" was written during the Beatles' transcendental meditation retreat in Rishikesh, India, in 1968. The song was aimed at Prudence Farrow, sister of actress Mia Farrow, who was also attending the retreat. Prudence was known for her introverted nature and tendency to stay in her room meditating. 

John Lennon wrote the song with possible...

Want to learn fingerpicking guitar?

Well, here’s a great song that is perfect for beginner and intermediate students wanting to get into fingerpicking.

One of the best ways to get started playing fingerstyle guitar. Is to learn a few simple fingerpicking patterns. 

Learning a few patterns like what I am going to share in this lesson below can give your playing a whole new sound.

You can use these patterns to make any chord progression sound new and interesting.

It also helps develop your fine motor skills and jumpstarts your fingerpicking hand

So grab your guitar, tune-up, and let’s dive into this Landslide guitar lesson.

Who wrote Landslide?

"Landslide" is a hauntingly beautiful song written by Stevie Nicks. It first appeared on Fleetwood Mac's self-titled 1975 album, recorded at Wally Heider Studios in Los Angeles. 

Despite not being released as a single initially, "Landslide" resonated deeply with listeners and has become a fan favorite.

Some of its credits include

• R...

Fingerpicking the blues is a ton of fun!

Now, I love Chet Atkins and the boom-chick style that he played.

And this style has been carried on by players like Tommy Emmanuel and many others…

But what a lot of people don’t know about, is how the blues players played differently than this classic Chet style.

Sure, they didn’t use a flatpick and had alternating bass movements etc. 

But there is much more to getting the sound. 

And it’s quite different from any other style of fingerpicking. 

Today I want to share with you some of these differences. 

And also break down how to play like Mississippi John Hurt using my 2-step method.

So put away those picks for today and let’s get started with this fingerstyle blues guitar lesson!

Fingerstyle Blues Guitar Lesson Step 1:

Let’s begin with learning the chord progression and alternating bass line. There are only 3 chords we’ll use in this song D, G, and A. We’ll play them in open position.

D major we’ll play from the 5th string down ...

Today I want to share with you how to play “Can’t Find My Way Home” on guitar. This song has a beautiful chord progression to it that has been used in countless classic rock songs. Once you learn this progression you’ll immediately start to recognize it as a familiar sound from other songs as well.

There are many ways to approach the guitar part in this song, in fact, all of the other lessons online focus on playing this song with a flatpick. However, to me, it sounds like fingerstyle on the recording. So for this lesson, I will be focusing on a fingerpicking approach. This approach is very similar to how Eric Clapton later played many tunes from his iconic Unplugged record. 

Who wrote Can’t Find My Way Home?

"Can't Find My Way Home" is a timeless classic, written by Steve Winwood and originally performed by the band Blind Faith. It was first released on their self-titled album in 1969. "Can't Find My Way Home" has been covered by a ton of great artists over the years. It really ...

Today I want to share with you how to play “Fast Car” by Tracy Chapman on guitar. If there's one song that beautifully encapsulates the essence of Tracy Chapman's profound storytelling and soul-stirring melodies, it's undoubtedly "Fast Car." 

This timeless fingerpicking tune resonates with people from all walks of life, and you only need 4 chords to play it. Whether you're new to this style or a seasoned player looking to add this classic to your repertoire, this post will guide you through the fingerpicking and strumming for "Fast Car". Plus show you to harness the emotive power of this remarkable tune.

So make sure you’re tuned up and let’s dive in!

Who wrote Fast Car? 

"Fast Car" was written by Tracy Chapman, an American singer-songwriter and musician. Born on March 30, 1964, in Cleveland, Ohio, Chapman rose to fame in the late 1980s with the release of her self-titled debut album, which included the iconic hit song "Fast Car."

Released in 1988, "Fast Car" resonated deeply w...

Today I want to share with you how to play “People Are Strange” as recorded by The Doors on guitar.

This song is a great one to help elevate your fingerpicking guitar skills. However, it can also be played with a flatpick as well, but Robby Krieger played it without a pick. He used his fingers instead.

Krieger developed a distinctive and influential guitar style that has had a lasting impact on rock music. His approach blended various genres, including blues, rock, flamenco, and jazz, resulting in a unique sound that helped define The Doors’ music. 

Krieger's playing incorporated fingerpicking, flamenco-inspired techniques, and occasional slide guitar parts. Plus his jazz background allowed him to explore complex chord progressions and voicings, expanding the harmonic palette. 

Overall, Krieger's guitar style was a fusion of diverse influences, making him a highly influential guitarist in the world of rock music. In this lesson, I’ll be taking a fingerstyle approach to this time...