anyonecanplayguitar

Miserlou by Dick Dale

Happy New Year to you all! I trust you all had a good holiday season. I thought I'd kick off 2020 with a look at what is probably the ultimate surf guitar track. This video has been in the works for a while simply as there's quite a lot involved, and I wanted to do such a classic track some kind of justice. So I went back to the original recording and did a detailed transcription, made the backing track, researched the history of the tune and the theory behind it, and spent quite a bit of tim...

Memphis Soul Stew Backing

Here's the backing track to accompany this week's video. It's just a one chord loop E7. Use it to practice the lick; you could also try improvising some rhythm or lead ideas of your own - E minor pentatonic/blues/major pentatonic/mixolydian will all be good. Have fun!

Nice Lick - Memphis Soul Stew

Hello all. For the final video of 2019, I have a Nice Lick for you. This time it's not one of mine, it's a Cornell Dupree lick taken from the King Curtis track Memphis Soul Stew. The lick uses some funky double stops, and it ties in nicely with the video I did a few weeks back on 6ths taken from the mixolydian mode. Here's the link: https://youtu.be/p4HVgEHsQGU

Tab PDF and Guitar Pro files are attached below. I've incl...

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

Hello patrons!

Hope you're all doing well.  I thought I'd bring you the Christmas video this week, just to give you a bit of time to practice what is a quite tricky chord melody arrangement of this festive classic. For those UK-based patrons feeling a little depressed this morning, I hope this lifts your spirits a bit. (What could I possibly be referring to?!)

Here's a link to the video: https://w...

New York - Sex Pistols

Hello patrons!

Following on from the Anarchy in the UK video I did a few weeks ago, here's my take on a less well-known Pistols song. From a guitar point of view this is a really interesting one. Lots of power chord riff-age, and a couple of very nicely done guitar solos.

Here's the link: https://youtu.be/2kqWffP-Uu4

Music/tab can be found below. 

I'm in the studio today working on some new thing...

Bombora Backing Track

Here's the backing for this week's lesson. Enjoy playing along. The structure is exactly as on the original recording. (Incidentally, the acoustic rhythm parts were really hard to record - very fast 16th notes for 3 minutes. Killed my strumming arm/hand! Obviously I need to work on my strumming stamina.)

- Adrian

Bombora

Hello patrons! As promised, this week I have some surf for you. This is a true classic of the genre from Australian band The Atlantics. There's a full tutorial, and I also discuss surf gear and tones towards the end of the video. Hope you enjoy playing this one as much as I do.

Here's the link: https://youtu.be/jxsHNUwivpw

Usual tab and Guitar Pro files can be found below. (For those of you who aren't familiar wi...

Mixolydian 6ths Backing Track

Here's the track I'm playing over in this week's video. I've looped it a couple of times to make it longer. Use it to practice the piece, to explore 6th ideas of your own, or feel free to do any blues-in-G-type stuff you like. Have fun!

The Sweet Sound of Sixths

Hello all. This week's video is all about soloing using sixths derived from the mixolydian mode. No idea what that last sentence meant? I hope this video will make things clear. This is a great, easy to use sound, that can be worked into a whole range of styles, not just blues.

Here's the link: https://youtu.be/wKn84jylh0k

I've tabbed out the piece I play at the start of the video as well as put together a little...

Getting out of the bedroom

Morning all! In this week's video I'm talking about how to get started playing with other people. The subject of this video was actually suggested by one of you patrons a little while back (I love requests, suggestions for future videos - keep them coming!) and I think it's something that many bedroom players wonder about.

This will primarily be of interest to players at the beginner end of the spectrum, but if you're a more advanced player who has yet to play with others, there should ...

The Happy-Go-Lucky Guitar Backing Track - Short Version

This version skips the steel guitar solo and is what I play at the start of the video. 

The Happy-Go-Lucky Guitar Backing Track - Long Version

This version of the backing track is just like the recording and includes the steel guitar solo section. 

Don Rich - The Happy-Go-Lucky Guitar

Afternoon patrons!

This week I have a great country guitar instrumental for you. It's full of nice licks and country guitar vocabulary. Even if country isn't your thing, I think there's plenty to be learned here.

Here's a link to the video: https://youtu.be/jQQJdmtiABM

The music/tab can be found below. The backing track will follow in the next post.

Have fun with it. Speak next week,

Adrian

Fan Club by The Damned

Morning all! I have some classic UK punk for you this week in the shape of Fan Club by The Damned. I know a few of you have requested I take a look at a Damned song, and this one was a lot of fun for me to figure out and learn. Here's a link to the video:

https://youtu.be/JjT7BPtek0Q

I've attached the tab/Guitar Pro file below. 

Enjoy learning the song. I'm going back into the studio now to work on nex...

Halloween - Backing Track

Here's the backing track I've put together for this week's lesson. The arrangement is exactly like the studio recording, not as I play it at the start of the video which is a slightly condensed version. It's got a great bass part too - worth learning for those of you who play with 4 as well as 6 strings. 

Have fun playing along!

Halloween - Siouxsie & the Banshees

Hello all,

This week I thought I'd use Halloween as an excuse to look at some more great guitar work from John McGeoch. Here's the link to the video:

https://youtu.be/pm18BQ2C5A0

I've tabbed everything out below, and I've also made a backing track which can be found in the next post.

Have fun. Speak next week,

Adrian

Minor Blues Rhythm & Lead Backing Track

I've put together a backing track to this week's lesson. There are six 12 bar choruses, so you'll be able to play the entire piece 3 times. You can of course just jam along and improvise your own ideas in B minor.  

There's a 2 bar count in, and you'll need to come in on beat 4 of the second bar with the pickup phrase.

Have fun!

Minor Blues Rhythm & Lead

Greetings all! I've gone all tasteful this week with video that looks at the minor blues. In particular the focus of this lesson is on how to combine rhythm and lead guitar in the same piece. This is a really fun skill to develop and sounds particularly good if you're playing on your own or in a band with no rhythm player. Here's a link to the video:

https://youtu.be/8X9BL2h3hOY

I've tabbed everything out below (...

Nice Lick: Let's Learn It 10

Morning patrons. I have a Nice Lick for you today. As usual, I think understanding the concept behind the lick is just as important as learning the lick itself. This one is all about using arpeggios to outline a chord whilst ascending the fretboard using slides. I've tabbed it all out below. I've included some picking markings to show how I would pick the lick, but it's not the only way to do it, so feel free to experiment. Here's the link to the video:

2019-10-11 11:01:28 +0000 UTC View Post

Vestapol

Hello all! This week I'm in acoustic mode and will be taking a look at Vestapol. Is it a tuning, a place, a piece of music? I attempt to get to the bottom of things in the new video:

Here's the link:

https://youtu.be/fQ0DNDy6Tc8

The tab is attached below in PDF and Guitar Pro formats. It's seems some of you had problems downloading the tab last week, so fingers crossed it's all OK today. Any issues, feel fr...

Anarchy in the UK

Afternoon all,

As promised, I have some classic punk for you this week. We have some easy power chord riffs, and some surprisingly sophisticated soloing. Link to the vid below. And I even managed to get through the whole lesson without mentioning Brexit once. 

https://youtu.be/uFhiG1g43zI

The tab and Guitar Pro file are attached below.

Have a lovely weekend everyone. Speak next Friday,

Adri...

Nice Lick 9...jazz

Afternoon everyone! This week it's Nice Lick number 9. It is in fact a complete jazz blues solo based on one simple phrase. In the video I also get into a bit of theory about playing over jazz blues chord changes. But you don't necessarily need to be a jazz player to get something out of this lesson. Hope you enjoy, but if jazz just ain't your thing then, fear not, I have some classic punk coming up next week!

Here's the video: 2019-09-20 15:16:31 +0000 UTC View Post

Make Scales Sound Awesome

Hello all. This week's video is about using scales in a musical way. The lesson was prompted by an excellent request from one of you lovely patrons that I do something on this subject. (Do keep the lesson requests coming - I am listening.) It's in fact something I get asked about quite a lot, and something many players struggle with. 

The points I make in the video should apply to any style of music, and I hope that players at every level of ability will find the tips helpful. ...

Feeling Gravitys Pull by R.E.M.

Morning patrons! In this week's video I'm taking a look at one of my favourite R.E.M. songs. It contains some great and inventive riffs. In particular, this song provides a great way to work on picking accuracy when arpeggiating chords. 

Here's the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYpRRuWIpZQ

For some reason, I didn't explain the last few notes of the main riff, but it's shown on the tab ...

Hong Kong Garden Backing Track

Here's the backing track I put together for this week's lesson, complete with xylophone and gong sounds. It follows the arrangement of the original recording, so check that out if you're not sure which riff goes where. Enjoy playing along!

Hong Kong Garden by Siouxsie and the Banshees

Hi patrons! This week I'm looking at a track which according to a quote I saw on Wikipedia is "arguably the most important of the early post-punk hits". There are lots of inventive and catchy rhythm parts to be found in this one. Here's the link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zbi4_kWASTw&feature=youtu.be

And I'm attaching the tab and GP file below. 

Have fun wi...

Life During Wartime by Talking Heads

Hello all,

I'm currently on my way back to London after a very nice break in France. 

In this week's video - which I filmed a couple of weeks ago - I'm looking at a Talking Heads classic. This one is all about the groove. Slow it down and count out the rhythm carefully if you need to. 

Here's a link to the video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJx6HUJ1odQ&...

Ceremony Backing Track

Here's the backing track. I've extended it so that it follows the arrangement of the original recording. I suggest you listen to the original to get a feel for which bit goes where, how many repeats etc. as it can get a bit disorientating with no vocals to give you a sense of the structure. 

Have fun playing along. If anyone feels like sharing  video/audio of themselves giving it a go on this page then please do so - would be great to hear how you get on with learning the song...

Ceremony by New Order

Hello from rural France! I'm here on holiday for the next couple of weeks. Internet is slow and patchy, but I've managed to get this week's video happening for you. 

Here's the link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUXsXRYVdFc&feature=youtu.be

A lot of people have requested that I look at this one. It's a classic song, and fairly easy to play. As usual I try and ...

Nice Lick 8!

Afternoon all! It's nice lick time once again. This one's a useful rock 'n' roll or rockabilly kind of phrase. In the video I also get into a bit of 7th chord inversion theory which I hope you'll find interesting. Here's the link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Di1NzWnVPiM

And I'm attaching the usual PDF and Guitar Pro files of the music/tab below. 

Hope you all have a great week. Speak...