Advanced Guitar Course

In this first step we look at how to strum the verse/chorus as well as the more complex intro.

To make it sound nice, focus on how you change the dynamics of your strumming hand, maintaining the rhythm.

Let’s take a look at those four licks played during the intro in detail.

There is lots to learn from here, the unexpected b9 bends, the call and response between chord VI and I. Let’s learn this note for note.

Let’s play the complete song. Simply play along with me and the singer in the video.

Whenever I play the intro chords, play the licks and focus on getting them perfect.

This step is a minor and major pentatonic check-up extravaganza.

The first five exercises move each shape between chord VI – II – III. The last five loop chord I – IV – V.

Let’s move those perfect intro licks to all areas of the neck.

This will be a great way to check how well you know those minor and major pentatonic shapes.

In this step, we work on playing the vocal melodies of the chorus and verses.

We do this in the open position and focus on what intervals are used as well as playing the syncopated rhythm just as written.

Let’s play the chorus melody in all shapes as this will help us identify intervals in relation to chord shapes.

The ultimate goal is that you can play through all shapes in one go, just like the last TAB loop does, without looking at the TAB.

Today we do what we did in the last step but with verse 2’s vocal melody.

Focus on what interval each phrase start and end with and you will be on to great things.

Before we can start playing Sunshine Of Your Love, we have to ensure we can play the minor blues scale in Dm and Gm.

We do this as the riff is based on this very scale. First, we play the scale, then the riff.

Let’s find 10 ways to play this riff all over the neck in D and G.

By adding more notes to fatten it up and expression techniques like slides and bends, we can make this sound more or less bluesy.

By borrowing a dom7#9 from Spanky Wilson’s cover version, we can further expand on the main riff.

We also work on how to play the turnaround in a few ways.

In this step, we play the complete song with a singer. There is a 4 page, complete TAB transcription available.

However, it would be a better idea to look at the fretboard and find the riff in an improvised way, than to focus on the TAB.

It’s time to summon the spirit of Eric Clapton and play his solo in eleven individual licks.

Our mental coach is Mr. Miyagi who will assist us with the wax on, wax off slow-motion learning technique. You can do this!

The tempo is now fast enough so we can add a rhythm guitar and play longer phrases from the solo.

If you have prepared well, playing these five examples will be possible.

You’re almost there when you completed this step as we now play the solo in its entirety.

First in two halves at 96 BPM, then the full solo at 108.

In this final step, you play with me and the singer again, although now you play the solo.

For a 2nd rhythm guitar part, don’t play the riff in the same area as me and keep changing it!

In this first step, we take an overview of the chord progression which has so many important lessons in itself, especially if you want to learn more about song writing.

We also look at the initial transcriptions of bass line, horns and strings to get this arrangement going.

It’s time to start learning a bunch of variations on the verse.

The question is, how do we combine horns, keyboards and bass line into a one acoustic arrangement?

In this step we dive into the bridge and discover how it can be varied using chord extensions and bass lines.

Since the verse is varied leading into this section this is also included in all examples.

The chorus is what is put under the microscope in this step.

The horns have an important part to play here, so does the bass. Put these together and you have a part.

The final missing bits of the arrangement are here clarified. This includes the intro, m8 and outro.

If you know the previous parts well, this is not too difficult to achieve.

In this step we start putting the entire arrangement together.

Simply play along with the TAB loops and you will complete the first half of this one acoustic guitar arrangement.

Let’s play the 2nd half of the arrangement, this includes the m8 and outro.

The verse and chorus now have all embellishments such as hammer-on, slide, mutes etc. Nail it note for note using TAB loops.

After discovering all the great secrets of this composition, you are now finally ready to play the complete song.

Play it along with me and a singer.

In this first step, we look at some bass line transcriptions from the original recording for the chorus and verse.

This is followed by playing some back beat rhythms using all our CAGED chord shapes. Do this to map out the fretboard.

Let’s start working on how to combine the bass line of the chorus with some chords.

This will eventually become a one acoustic guitar part that can be either memorised or improvised.

In this step we, we keep working on that chorus part, now focusing on the 2nd half of the chorus.

This is more complicated, but using the TAB loops you will soon be able to play the chorus in its entirety.

It’s time to work out how to play the verse, now the original bass line won’t be able to form the foundation like it did in the chorus.

Instead we have to create a part that incorporates the bass drum on beat 2 and 4, into our one acoustic guitar part.

Before we can play the complete song, we need to learn the famous instrumental section.

This also means we have some variations on the verse part to implement in order for the two sections to connect better.

Finally, you get to actually play the complete song. I walk you through all the TAB in detail before you play with me and the singers.

You can then choose to improvise up a part along with us, copy me, or find parts that work with what I play. Or even better, do all these things!

Let’s understand, learn and develop the chorus vocal melody.

Since this is sung in harmony, it’s not easy to identify what the actual melody is.

In this final step, we put the verse vocal melody under the microscope as we play along with the singer, note for note.

This is followed by a very difficult 2nd guitar part which will give you plenty of ideas to play with me and the singers again.

1. All ‘Cannonball’ chords
2. Strumming parts for the same song

1. Building add9, madd9 and sus2 chords
2. Turnaround and end TAB for ‘Cannonball’

1. Add a 9th to the Minor Pentatonic
2. Add a b6th to the Minor Pentatonic

1. Em, Dm and Am Aeolian scale shapes
2. A complete ‘Cannonball’ chart

1. The Gm and Cm Aeolian shapes
2. The verse melody for ‘Cannonball’

1. The chorus melody of ‘Cannonball’
2. Improvise using the Aeolian mode

1. ‘Angels’ chord progression
2. The strumming pattern for the same song

1. Building towards the Ionian mode
2. ‘Angels’ chart

1. A, G and E major pentatonic shapes with maj7
2. ‘Angels’ verse/bridge melody

3. Major pentatonic with an added 4th
4. ‘Angels’ vocal melody

1. Two more Ionian scale shapes
2. The vocal melody for ‘Angels’

1. All Ionian scale shapes
2. ‘Angels’ chorus melody

1. Two Etudes for fingerstyle guitar
2. Intro and outro for ‘Scarborough Fair’

1. ‘Scarborough Fair’ verse/chorus
2. Minor Pentatonic add 6th

1. Dm and Cm shaped Dorian scale shapes
2. ‘Scarborough Fair’ chart

1. Dorian in thirds, Dm and Cm shapes
2. ‘Scarborough Fair’ vocal melody

1. Three Dorian shapes
2. Improvise over ‘Scarborough Fair’

1. Dorian in thirds
2. Improvise over ‘Scarborough Fair’

1. All min7 shapes in difficult keys
2. All dom7 shapes in difficult keys

1. All maj7 chord shapes
2. Maj7, dom7 and min7 through the cycle of 4th in the same position

1. Ionian in two shapes, key of Ab
2. ‘Over The Rainbow’ chorus and outro TAB

1. Ionian in three positions, key of Ab
2. ‘Over The Rainbow’ intro and verse TAB

1. Ab Ionian in thirds
2. ‘Over The Rainbow’ solo section

1. 7th note chords through the cycle of 4th
2. ‘Over The Rainbow’ chart

1. Revise the minor and Major Pentatonic scale shapes for the last time
2. Revise ‘Wish You Were Here’

1. Revise ‘Cannonball’
2. Revise ‘Angels’

1. Connect Aeolian and Dorian scale shapes
2. Revise ‘Scarborough Fair’

1. Revise Ionian
2. Revise ‘Over The Rainbow’

1. Min7 chord shapes, new exercise challenge
2. Dom7 chord shapes, new exercise challenge

1. Connect Maj – Maj7 shapes
2. Maj7, Dom7 and Min7 through the cycle of 4th

1. All five shapes of the min7 and maj7 chord shapes
2. ‘Roxanne’ TAB

1. ‘Roxanne’ chart
2. TAB for for the same song without a capo

1. Improvise over ‘Roxanne’ using pentatonic scales
2. Add a b9 to the Minor Pentatonic, build towards Phrygian

1. Five shapes of the Phrygian mode
2. Improvise over the verse of ‘Roxanne’ using only modes

1. Improvise over bridge and chorus of ‘Roxanne’ using modes
2. All m7b5 chord shapes

1. Min7b5 chord shapes through the cycle of 4th
2. Exercises for all 7th note chords using the same rhythm

1. Sweeping exercises 15-18 using pull-offs
2. ‘Creepin’ In’ intro, verse and chorus

1. Chromatic exercises 19 and 20 using hammer-on and pull-offs
2. All ‘Creepin In’ sections, including the end

1. How to play all Lydian shapes using hammer-on and pull-offs
2. An (almost) complete chart for ‘Creepin’ In’

1. Mixolydian shapes with hammer-on and pull-offs
2. ‘Creepin In’ solo TAB

1. The ripple technique used in the verse of ‘Close To You’
2. The broken triplet in the chorus for the same song

1. How to play all Phrygian shapes using three rhythms
2. How to play the intro, verse and chorus of ‘Close To You’

1. The instrumental section for ‘Close To You’
2. The end section for the same song

1. Connect all Phrygian shapes in two keys
2. A complete chart for ‘Close To You’

1. Sweeping and chromatic exercises 15-19
2. How to play ‘I Shot The Sheriff’

1. Maj7, dom7, min7 and min7b5 chords through the cycle of 4th
2. ‘Take Me To The River’ in two keys

1. Revise Mixolydian, Ionian and Lydian in every shape
2. Revise ‘Roxanne’

1. Revise the Dorian, Aeolian and Phrygian modes
2. Revise ‘Creepin’ In’

1. Revise all minor modes
2. Revise ‘Close To You’

1. Chords around the major scale in three positions
2. The two basic fingerstyle techniques of ‘Blackbird’

1. Two more positions of the ‘chords around the major scale’ exercise
2. How to play the ‘Blackbird’ verse

1. All chords around the major scale in five positions, key of F
2. How to play the chorus and chorus tag for ‘Blackbird’

1. Chords around the D major scale
2. A full chart for ‘Blackbird’

1. Chromatic exercises 21-23
2. Chromatic exercises 24-25

1. Chords around Ionian in the key of C, three shapes
2. Chords around Ionian in the key of C, two shapes

1. Chords around the scale shapes in the key of A
2. ‘Tears In Heaven’ intro and verse

1. Chords around the scale shape in the key of A
2. The bridge, m8 and end sections of ‘Tears In Heaven’

1. Chords around the scale shape in the key of Bb
2. A complete ‘Tears In Heaven’ chart

1. Chords around the scale shapes in the key of D
2. Five rhythmical exercises

1. Two sweeping speed exercises
2. Five min7 arpeggio shapes

1. Three more sweeping speed exercises
2. The dom7 arpeggio

1. All Phrygian shapes
2. Two shapes of the Phrygian Dominant scale

1. Three shapes of the Phrygian Dominant scale
2. A simple chart for ‘Don’t Wait Too Long’

1. Four maj7 arpeggio shapes
2. ‘Don’t Wait Too Long’ verse TAB

1. Maj7 arpeggios and licks
2. ‘Don’t Wait Too Long’ bridge TAB

1. Four positions of the min7b5 arpeggio
2. ‘Don’t Wait Too Long’ solo

1. Min7b5 Am shape exercises and licks
2. ‘Don’t Wait Too Long’ chart

1. Maj7 and dom7 through the cycle of 4th
2. A simple chart for ‘Baby Won’t You please Come Home’

1. Min7 and min7b5 arpeggio shapes
2. ‘Baby Won’t You Please Come Home’ TAB chart

1. The dim7 arpeggio
2. ‘Baby Won’t You Please Come Home’ solo

1. Revise the three minor modes
2. Revise ‘Blackbird’

1. Revise the three major modes in the G, E and D shapes
2. Revise the three major modes in the C and A shapes

1. Revise the maj7 and dom7 arpeggios
2. Revise ‘Tears In Heaven’

1. Revise the min7 and min7b5 arpeggio shapes
2. Revise ‘Don’t Wait Too Long’

1. Looped versions of Chromatic Exercises 21-25
2. Revise ‘Baby Won’t You please Come Home’

1. Revise the sweeping speed exercises
2. Revise chords around Ionian in the key of F