Behold a song brimming with American spirit and blistering rock guitar parts. 

It’s been played in countless party bands and kept audiences on the dance floor rocking all night long.

You only need to know 6 chords and a few simple riffs to get playing it like the record today.

So grab your guitar and let’s dive into this “American Girl” guitar lesson. 

Who wrote American Girl?

The song "American Girl" is a classic rock song written by Tom Petty and recorded by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. It was released in 1977 as the second single from their debut album, also titled Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. 

The song captures a sense of restlessness and longing for freedom, typical of many young Americans. The song was even recorded on the Fourth of July, 1976, adding a layer of American spirit to the theme.

The album Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, which includes "American Girl," was made at the Shelter Studio in Hollywood, California....

Guitar World magazine named this song one of the greatest guitar songs of all time 

Below I am going to share with you interesting insights behind it no one is showing on the internet.

You see it was released in 1969 but the riff comes straight out of the blues. It was inspired by the old-school masters Muddy Waters and Willie Dixon.

So grab your guitar and let’s dive into this “Whole Lotta Love” guitar lesson.

Who wrote Whole Lotta Love?

"Whole Lotta Love" was written by the iconic rock band Led Zeppelin. It was released in 1969 as the opening track of their second studio album, Led Zeppelin II, the song is widely regarded as one of the greatest rock anthems of all time.

Jimmy Page came up with the main riff for "Whole Lotta Love" after listening to the Muddy Waters track "You Need Love," written by Willie Dixon. Led Zeppelin then adapted the riff and added their own lyrics and arrangement to it.

“Whole Lotta Love” was recorded at various...

Here’s a haunting song with an interesting backstory.

Originally performed by the Nine Inch Nails, producer extraordinaire Rick Rubin convinced Johnny Cash to do a cover, which catapulted the song to major fame.

In this post, I’ll be covering the guitar played on Johnny Cash’s legendary recording.

So tune up, and let’s get started with this Hurt Johnny Cash guitar lesson!  

Who wrote Hurt?

"Hurt" was originally written and recorded by Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails (NIN). They released it on their second studio album, The Downward Spiral, in 1994.

Here’s more of the backstory…

Trent Reznor wrote "Hurt" as the closing track for The Downward Spiral. It was recorded in 1993 at Le Pig, Trent Reznor's home studio in Beverly Hills, California. The studio was famously located in the house where actress Sharon Tate was murdered by members of the Manson Family in 1969. Reznor rented the house to work on the album, adding an eerie layer...

If you’re a fan of music from the 70s, here’s an iconic tune that captures the essence of the folk-rock style during this time.

It’s got a 12-string, acoustics, electrics, and even a lap steel melody that is sure to transport you back in time to this wonderful era of music. 

It’s a crowd-pleasure to play at parties. In fact, I’d recommend every guitarist add it to their setlist. 

So grab your guitar, tune up, and let’s dive into this Sister Golden Hair guitar lesson.

Who Wrote Sister Golden Hair

"Sister Golden Hair" was written by Gerry Beckley, one of the founding members of the American rock band America. It was released in 1975 on their album Hearts. 

Beckley has said that the song is about a person who is hesitant about love and unsure about making a serious commitment. The title character, "Sister Golden Hair," is often interpreted as a symbol of an idealized love interest who represents both attraction and the fear of...

Today I want to share with you a song that is often considered one of the greatest Beatles songs.

It came about at a turbulent time for the band. It was 1969, the same year that John Lennon informed the other members of the band that he was leaving.

This song was primarily written by John Lennon, and it's a raw and heartfelt plea that expresses his vulnerability and dependence on Yoko Ono.

So grab your guitar and let’s dive into this “Don’t Let Me Down” guitar lesson!

Who wrote Don't Let Me Down?

"Don't Let Me Down" is a song by The Beatles, primarily written by John Lennon and credited to Lennon-McCartney. It was released as a single in 1969, with "Get Back" as its B-side.

The recording sessions for "Don't Let Me Down" took place in January 1969 during the Get Back/Let It Be sessions, which were famously fraught with tension among the band members. Despite the strained atmosphere, the song emerged as a powerful expression of emotion.

“Don’t Let...

Are you primarily a rhythm player but stuck with how to start moving into soloing?

Well… 

This post contains a very important message for you.

Every day I talk to guitar players in this exact spot. They have played some rhythm, but what they really want to do is…

SOLO

I mean, who wouldn’t want to be able to step out into the spotlight, be the star, and play a lead that makes the crowd go wild?

Or play expressively over jam tracks/looper pedal at home…

Well, over the past 25+ years of playing music for a living. Ripping solos on stages all over the world, and most importantly teaching others how they can too.

There is one place I’ve found to start, that works better than any other option you’ll find guaranteed. In fact, it can make all the difference in your solos. 

Why?

Because it’s simple. 

When you start with this it means you won’t get stuck with:

• Hearing common chord changes you need to know how to solo over
• ...

Here’s an epic rock riff that’s sure to get your hands grooving like a well-oiled machine. 

This one takes us back to 1967. It’s a legendary song that has been in movies and played at parties, and it’s often cited as one of the first heavy metal songs.

I believe it’s a must-know for every rock guitar player. So grab your axe and let’s dive into this “Born To Be Wild” guitar lesson.

Who originally sang Born To Be Wild?

“Born To Be Wild” was originally written by Canadian musician and songwriter Mars Bonfire (a stage name for Dennis Edmonton). He shopped the song around to other bands first, but Steppenwolf was the band that took it and turned it into a hard rock anthem.

You see, Mars originally wrote it as more of a slower, introspective song. But it ended up taking on a harder, more aggressive tone with Steppenwolf. “Born To Be Wild” was recorded in 1967 at American Recording Co. in Studio City,...

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...

Here’s a funky, bluesy groove you can use to improve your timing and have a ball playing. 

It’s been proven to keep an audience twisting and shaking on the dance floor, all night long. It’s been played in party bands for decades and below I’m going to show you how to play the iconic guitar parts and lock into a foot-tapping groove.

So put on your dancing shoes and let’s dive into this “Play That Funky Music White Boy” guitar lesson.

Who wrote Play That Funky Music White Boy?

"Play That Funky Music" was written by Rob Parissi, lead vocalist and guitarist for the American funk rock band Wild Cherry. The song was released in 1976 and became a huge hit. It’s become a classic from the disco era.

Rob Parissi, was inspired to write "Play That Funky Music" after the band kept getting repeatedly asked to play more disco and funk songs during their live shows. 

Wild Cherry initially played rock music, but they noticed the rising...

Came a question:

===

Everytime i hear about the caged system its followed by someone saying its bad and its crappy and blah blah blah...

Why would it be considered bad and why should/shouldnt i learn it?

===

Ok.

Where do I start.

First of all…100% of people that knock it, this is an immediate clue that they have no idea what it is. If they did, they would never say this.

Why?

Because it’s the fundamental code of the way the fretboard works. Imagine you wanted to learn to speak a language. And someone said, “No don’t learn the alphabet. That’s bad.” That’s the same kind of baboon shyt these players are spewing out when they diss the CAGED system.

Knowing CAGED is like having the Rosetta Stone for the way every scale, arpeggio, and lick is laid out on the guitar. While it’s not the only method for learning the neck. It’s the best one I’ve ever seen in my past 25+ years of trying all of them. Some things (like the fretboard)...