Behold… a perfect song to play in a balmy breeze on an island under a coconut tree.

But while this song sings of sipping margaritas and a laid-back lifestyle. If you look under the surface it actually has undertones of mistakes made in a relationship.

Ever been there?

Well, jamming this song just might help you out.

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

Who Wrote Margaritaville?

"Margaritaville" was written by the legend Jimmy Buffett (RIP) and his producer Norbert Putnam. Buffett was an American singer-songwriter and musician known for his laid back tropical vibes. He recorded over 30 albums in his career. 

“Margaritaville” was released in 1977 on his album Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes. It became one of his most well-known songs, and it was recorded at Criteria Studios in Miami, Florida.

The song sings about the relaxed life of a man who is sipping margaritas while reflecting on how he ended up in a tropic...

Want to know the secret to making your guitar really sing?

Well, you won’t find the answer to this by learning a million pentatonic scale patterns – or cramming your head with theory. But you can start to unlock it by mastering string bending and vibrato. 

This is particularly important if you want to become a competent blues guitar player and develop your own voice. Vibrato is unique to every guitar player. Each one of us has what I call a “sound concept” inside our minds that is unique to us. In this post, I want to share with you 5 blues guitar vibrato mistakes I hear all the time starting with…

1. The nervous vibrato

The nervous vibrato is something that exposes an insecure beginner player right away. It comes about almost as an involuntary reflex. They hit a note, and are holding it. But then suddenly become extremely unconfident in this note. Almost as if they were caught naked in public and immediately began to shake the note. Often in an overly wide vibrato that sounds n...

Ever wanted to play the G blues 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 G blues scale on guitar. How to practice the G blues scale, and even songs that use the G blues scale. Plus we’ll also cover some music theory and a few other common questions about the G blues scale.

All right, no long blathering build-up.

Let’s jump straight in, starting with…

What is the G blues scale on guitar?

The G blues scale on guitar is a simple series of 6 notes in a row. It’s important to point out, when musicians say G “blues scale” 9 times out of 10 they mean the G minor blues scale. Which is what we are going to be covering in this lesson. It’s a way of grouping together a specific set of notes that can be used for solos, understanding chords, and music theory.

What notes are in the G blues scale?

The notes in the G minor blues scale are: 

G - Bb - C - Db - D - F - G 

The...

Behold… one of the most iconic feel-good pop hits from the '60s.

It moved listeners then, and it’s still moving them now. 

In fact, check out what people are saying on YouTube:

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“This song feels like frolicking in a flower field with someone you love”

Or… 

“This is the song that plays in the heads of every Golden Retriever on the planet 24/7.”

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Those may be true.

In this post, I’m going to break down the guitar style behind this gem. So grab your axe, and let’s dive into this “Happy Together” chords and guitar lesson!

Who Wrote Happy Together?

"Happy Together" was written by Gary Bonner and Alan Gordon. Two blokes who were a part of the Brill Building songwriting community. The Brill Building songwriting community refers to a group of songwriters, producers, and music publishers who worked in and around the Brill Building, a famous office building located at 1619 Broadway in New York City, during the 1950s and 1960s. This building became a central hub for popular mu...

If you've ever been to Colorado... then you may have experienced the Denver Blue and "Rocky Mountain High".

This is what inspired John Denver to write this acoustic country folk classic in the 70s.

The song has a gem of a guitar part, combining fun riffs, beautiful chords, and syncopated rhythms. In this post, I’ll break down what every guitar player needs to know.

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

Who Wrote Rocky Mountain High?

"Rocky Mountain High" was written by John Denver and Mike Taylor. It was released in 1972 on Denver’s album Rocky Mountain High and has gone on to become one of his most signature songs. He wrote many great tunes, but this one was inspired after he moved to Aspen, Colorado in the early 70s. He fell in love with the majestic Rockies and felt a strong connection to the outdoors. This along with the Perseid meteor shower he experienced while camping in the mountains, which is referenced in the lyrics...

Have you ever wondered how to actually get good at fingerstyle guitar?

Many players try to learn but give up quickly when they feel like they aren’t making progress. Or they don’t have the “natural” talent required. But this can be easily fixed when you know how. And fingerstyle guitar can easily be one of the most rewarding ways to play – especially alone. 

It gives you easier access to be able to cover multiple parts at once on guitar. This is how legendary fingerpickers like Chet Atkins, Tommy Emmanuel, and Jerry Reed are all able to sound like a full band by themselves – without singing.

In this post, I want to share with you 7 mistakes beginner fingerstyle guitar players make, starting with…

1. Playing patterns that are way too complicated

I see this all the time. In fact, in Los Angeles where I live, there are very few fingerstyle players. There are more in Nashville for this style. But many times a guitar student will ask their instructor to teach them fingerstyle but th...

There’s a sneaky little chord that comes up in many songs. And if you’re a guitarist who wants to play all your favorite songs, then you might want to know about it. It’s called a “sus” chord.

In this post, I want to reveal some insider tips on what every guitarist needs to know about sus chords and how you can start playing them like a pro today.

Let’s get started with…

What are suspended chords?

Many guitarists I’ve spoken with over the years think that “sus” stands for sustained. But it actually stands for suspended. 

A suspended chord is a type of chord that on guitar typically replaces the 3rd note of the chord with the 2nd or 4th degree from the scale. Suspended chords in music create an unresolved feeling. They give the music a slight sense of tension and anticipation.

They can be applied to simple major and minor chords, as well as sophisticated jazz chords. In a typical major or minor chord, the third note determines the quality of the triad. Whether the chord sounds ...

Here’s an iconic song, that can at first feel slightly romantic. Until you dive deeper into the stories behind it and uncover a sinister undertone.

Now, I’ve got to let you know upfront, this song ain’t for beginners. Playing the iconic guitar parts requires seriously stretchy chords and articulate playing. It’s an advanced guitar song for sure.

So, you’ve been warned…

If you’re still with me, grab your axe, and let’s dive into this “Every Breath You Take” chords and guitar lesson!

Who Wrote Every Breath You Take?

“Every Breath You Take" was written by Sting (a.k.a. Gordon Sumner) the bassist and vocalist for British rock band The Police. It’s become one of their most iconic songs and has an interesting history.  

Sting wrote the tune during a rocky period in his personal life, specifically around his separation from his first wife Frances Tomelty. While the vibe of the tune can feel romantic at first, it has sinister undertones. Sting himself has described it as a “dark” song...

If you're looking for a song to play on guitar that taps into deep blues roots, but still keeps the sound mainstream… then this could be a perfect tune for you.

The song is a mix of blues, pop, and folk styles. Over the years, it’s appealed to a wide audience. Because of this, I think it’s a good one to add to your setlist or call at your local blues jam. 

So grab your axe and let’s dive into this “Give Me One Reason” chords and guitar lesson!

Who Wrote Give Me One Reason?

"Give Me One Reason" is a hit song written and performed by American blues and folk artist Tracy Chapman. She wrote the song in the 80s and began performing it live during her early shows. The bluesy groove resonated with audiences and by the time she went to record it – in the mid-90s – the song had already shown promise. 

(Playing live like this is a great litmus test for your new material. You can get an immediate gauge on whether or not a song resonates.) 

Sure enough, it became one of her most well-know...

If you’re looking for some great beginner fingerstyle songs to learn… then in this post I’m going to share 10 that could potentially be just right for you.

Now, obviously everyone is different, and the majority of these songs are what I would call more “picking pattern” songs. These are simpler kinds of fingerstyle songs to start with and don’t require a lot of finger independence. (More on that later) But they are good if you’re new to fingerstyle. They can also help advanced players too, and they are just a lot of fun to boot. 

Now before we go any further let me first define fingerstyle guitar, as I define it, and that is simply anything not using a standard flat pick. The idea is that you can’t tie up two fingers with your pick. So a thumpick is ok, you could also go bare fingers or use nails. That’s what I would consider fingerstyle, and those are the approaches I would take for these examples.  

So grab your guitar, tune up, and let’s get started with…

#1 Ain’t No Sunshine...