OK… so you’ve been learning some chords and really starting to get a handle on this whole “playing guitar” thing. Congratulations – you’ve already progressed farther than many people ever will! It’s time to take things to the next level, though. Playing basic chords is one thing, but if you’re…

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Let’s learn this blues-rock classic! Like many blues tunes, this song uses a “swing” rhythm (also known as a shuffle or boogie rhythm), which gives it a great bouncy feel. In swing rhythms, the off-beats aren’t half-way in between the main-beats: they come late, just before the next beat. Instead…

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Alright, let’s learn this powerful rock classic! This song has great examples of musical “hooks” – short repeated ideas that catch your ear and draw you in. Think about the “Thun-der!” in the intro or the fast high guitar part that repeats throughout the song. If you pay attention to…

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Let’s learn to play this jazzy ballad! This song features a rhythm that’s very common in jazz and blues – each main beat is divided into 3 notes, called triplets. You can count these along with the song by saying 1-2-3 over and over. “idontwannabeyouanymore”, made famous by Billie Eilish…

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Let’s learn to play this iconic rock song! This song is a textbook example of the power of syncopation (playing on the off-beats), which gives a strong sense of tension and momentum. The strong beats in songs are usually 1, 2, 3, 4 – those are the ones you tap…

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Let’s learn this beautiful and fragile song, built using layers of vocals and just a minimal piano accompaniment. The song is composed in a 3/4 meter, which means that instead of the typical four you count in three in every bar. It gives the song its slightly swinging feel –…

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Alright, let’s play this iconic classic rock tune! You’ll notice it has a straight-ahead groove you can’t help but stomp your foot to, but many of the strong notes and chords start in-between those stomps. This combination of on-beat and off-beat (syncopated) notes is what gives the song such a…

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Let’s learn to play this moody pop ballad! Notice the stripped-back instrumentation and repetition gives it an intimate, hypnotic feel. The tempo is quite slow, but the syncopated (off-beat) chord pattern keeps it moving forward. “Ocean Eyes”, made famous by Billie Eilish, is now availab…

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Let’s learn this moody pop song! You may notice it has a 4-bar chord progression that repeats throughout the entire song. This pattern of 4’s is a common way to build songs: 4 beats in a bar, 4 bars in a chord progression, and even 4 times through the chord…

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