Part 1 - Single Bass Notes

We'll begin by letting individual bass notes stand out within a strum on static chords using G and C.

Part 2 - Multipul Bass Notes

This concept will now be expanded to include all the other choices of bass notes within each of those chords. This creates the dynamic, alternating bass note effect you'll recognize in many songs.

Part 3 - Short Strum Variation

To add a burst of interest into this technique I'm introducing this short strum variation. It's quick and highly useful for rapidly changing up bass notes within chords.

Part 4 - The D Chord

In this lesson I'll introduce the D chord and show you how to use your bass notes within it, this way the progressions can grow quite organically with the key of G.

Part 5 - The Em Chord

As for D, I'll add an Em Chord and demonstrate how to incorporate all the same effects, as your chord vocabulary grows and you learn how to apply bass notes to each one you'll be able to include this style of playing to any progression you come across.

Part 6 - Bass Note Shuffle Strum

The fantastic thing about this technique is that you can change strums and still keep it working! In this lesson I'll show you exactly that and switch to a shuffle based strum.

Part 7 - Bass Notes and a 3/4 Strum

We'll use a 3/4 strum now and applying bass notes plus some famaous progressions you'll see how it works to bring out extra character and a new level of style that goes beyond 'beginner guitar level'.

Part 1 - The Chords

Here are the chords we'll be using for this vide series of adding lead-in lines, bass lines and ornaments into our progressions.

Part 2 - The Strum

To keep things simple I've kept it all down to just one strum pattern. This will allow you to concentrate on the harder parts of the lessons - the ornaments.

Part 3 - Ornaments in a G Chord

For each chord we'll use 3 ornaments, here they are for the chord of G

Part 4 - Cycle the G Ornaments

These sections are crucial. In order to be able to do the upcoming progressions you must be able to cycle the variations around on a static chord.

Part 5 - Ornaments in a C Chord

Now let's take our second chord of C and learn the 3 ornaments associated with it.

Part 6 - Cycle the C Ornaments

We want to be confident with the lead-in lines for each chord, repeat the cycling exercise now for the C Chord.

Part 7 - Ornaments in a D Chord

There's a nice surprise here... you've actually already learned them all in the last lesson without knowing. We just have to transpose them up the fretboard.

Part 8 - Progression No.1

Now we're at the stage where we can put all the elements together and take a big leap forward out of just strumming chords all the time.

Part 9 - Progression No.2

In the second chord progression I'll show you how it's simple to switch variations at will and come up with improvised ornaments on the fly as you play.

Part 10 - Progression No.3

This is our final progression. It's really important at this stage that you've taken the time to practise the earlier static cycles enough to make them automatic!

Hybrid Technique 1

This is the start of a new series of lessons. This technique is presents a very pure way of playing acoustic guitar. It should add a much wider dimension to your playing once the series is complete.

Hybrid Technique

Let's apply that same strum pattern now to a decending bassline progression.

Blues Guitar Lessons

Blues Chords

Here are the blues chords you'll need to play the examples to come. It's really important for every guitar player to understand blues and how to play the basic forms. Blues is like a 'common language' which every musician around the world can speak!

Blues Rhythm

Now for the standard Blues Rhythm to apply to each exercise, it's simple to get and very distinctive in it's effect.

The 12 Bar Blues

Here's the classic structure of the blues, learn it really well until you know it by heart.

Turnaround 1

With the use of turnarounds we can get our blues playing sounding nice and authentic

Turnaround 2

Here's the second classic variation...

Complete Blues with Turnarounds

Now let's put everything we have so far together...

Walking Blues Bass Line

Finally let's try an 8 bar blues form but instead of using chords we'll going to employ a classic walking bass line to replace each chord. In future lessons this idea among others will be expanded upon so get a head start by learning it now.

Fingerpicking Lesson 1

Welcome to a series on Fingerstyle guitar. It's a technique which all guitar players... including beginners, should have. Once you have done the necessary work to memorize the patterns you can apply the technique to any progression and produce a totally different feel and dynamic from strumming.

Fingerpicking Lesson 2

In this series we take you from ground zero and gradually build up fingerstyle patterns and progressions all of which are within reach for beginners with a bit of regular practice. As you become more proficient you'll find that this technique becomes as easy and as natural as strumming.

Fingerpicking Lesson 2.1

Each step of these lessons are shown in close up so you can see exactly what I'm doing.

Fingerpicking Lesson 3

Aside from the standard forms we also take a further step and apply shuffle rhythms to our fingerstyle patterns. This injects an immediate sense of colour to your chords.

Fingerpicking Lesson 4

THE most important thing when going through this module is to have patience and practice the patters slowly. It's only when they become so well learned as to be natural that your playing will flow freely in fingerstyle guitar.

Fingerpicking Lesson 5

I've also used some clever chord shapes to make things as easy as possible for you in the beginning stages. A very beautiful D chord variation is utilized to not only make the fingerstyle patterns more regular but also to 'hint' at what's to come in further lessons on this subject.

Guitar Style of Johnny Cash (Part 1)

This style of guitar playing has become very popular lately with many students wishing to learn how to play these kinds of songs. You'll find that once you put the work into learning the basic strum pattern and alternating bass notes associated with each chord, actually playing the songs involved is quite easy.

Guitar Style of Johnny Cash (Part 2)

It's very important to put your focus and attention on getting the strumming patterns down first before attempting any of the songs! In the following tutorials we'll focus and isolate each technique you'll need to create the full effect along with how to apply it to each individual chord you'll come across before finally going into the most famous songs.

Guitar Style of Johnny Cash (Part 3)

Remember to keep your strumming hand very close to the strings for these techniques. Normally we aim for a free flowing and wide arc in our strumming but with these bass notes and the fact that we must isolate them as they alternate requires us to be much more exact and accurate.

Guitar Style of Johnny Cash (Part 4)

If you've already learned your Chord Bass Notes from the earlier lessons then you're going to have a head start in some of these lessons. It's great news and it means you'll get there quicker!

Guitar Style of Johnny Cash (Part 5)

Aside from the basic technique we also want to be able to vary our pace from slow to very fast, this gives you maximum freedom but requires a very relaxed wrist action. Make sure you check out earlier strumming lessons if you have trouble producing that 'warm' sound from your wrist action.

Guitar Style of Johnny Cash (Part 6)

By now you should be getting very close to that distinctive Johnny Cash sound, especially if you have your alternate bass notes happening. Remember that it's all about SLOW PRACTICE. Going slowly now will pay off big time in the future when we'll be speeding up.

Guitar Style of Johnny Cash (Part 7)

OK! Now make sure you check out the Johnny Cash songs in easy guitar songs : When you can put it all together with the real songs you'll know that you have it securely learnt. From then on any time you want to learn a song in that style you'll have a great head start in technique.