guitar beginner rock songs

SONGS: GUITAR: BEGINNER ROCK

In this course, you will learn some classic Rock songs at the beginner level. Each songs addresses aspects of guitar playing,like developing rhythm guitar technique, expanding strumming technique, learning movable chord shapes, and many otheressential guitar skills. Learn to play 'Stairway to Heaven,' 'Black Dog,' 'Wish You Were Here' and many other Rock classics.

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COURSE LESSON TEACHER DESCRIPTION

Songs: DevelopingRhythm GuitarTechnique

That's All RightMama: Chordsand StrumPattern

Susan Mazer So much of the '50s rock and roll came out of the traditionalblues sounds and That's All Right Mama is no exception.Although many people covered this tune, Elvis made itpopular. His blend of gospel and blues created his immediatelyrecognizable rock and roll sound. This song uses the G7, C7,and D7 chords. When dominant 7 chords are put together inthis way, you create a really bluesy sounding tune. Thestrumming pattern also has some syncopation to it, giving theentire tune a little swing.

Songs: DevelopingRhythm GuitarTechnique

Horse With NoName: EasyStrum

Susan Mazer The band 'America' released its self-titled debut album inEurope, and, with only moderate success. Looking for a songthat would be popular in both the United States and Europe,the group re-released the album with an additional tune:'Horse With No Name.' Originally, it was entitled 'Desert Song.'It was intended to capture the feel of the hot, dry desert thatthe writer remembered from his childhood. Even someonewho doesn't think they can sing can try to belt out this tune.During the verses, the same two notes are sung repeatedly,with no variation. I think we can handle that.

Songs: ExpandingTechnical Skills I

Wish You WereHere I: Chordsand Strums

Jeff Bihlman Roger Waters and David Gilmour of Pink Floyd have beensome of the most prolific and interesting songwriters in rockhistory. We're going to take a look at one of their mostrecognizable and straightforward tunes, 'Wish You Were Here,'from the Pink Floyd album of the same name. It uses all openstring chords. So even if you're just a beginner, this one'spretty easy to nail down and even people who aren'tnecessarily Floyd fans know this one. It's a great addition toyour cover tune repertoire. So let's get cracking.

Songs: Introductionto Barre Chords

Stairway toHeaven: The Introand OpeningVerses

Tobias Hurwitz Since 1972, one song has stood alone as the yardstick formeasuring rock guitar ability: 'Stairway to Heaven,' thegreatest classic rock tune of all time. This beautiful andcomplex composition was penned by Jimmy Page and RobertPlant of Led Zeppelin. I can still remember racing my friendsto learn it as a teenager, arguing over the accuracy of ourversions, comparing notes, and sweating over the song forcountless hours. Finally, after watching and rewatching 'TheSong Remains the Same,' wearing down my copy of Zoso tothe bone, and scouring every available transcription, I couldplay it perfectly, straight through. It's very helpful to click onthe songs button and get the sheet music and also purchasethe CD; but, watching my fingers on the neck and having medescribe every move in detail will also be tremendouslyhelpful. It'll take several lessons to cover the whole song; so,this is Part I in the series. We'll begin with the first threesections: the intro, the verse, and the variation of the introwhich leads to the first strummed section.

Songs: Introductionto Barre Chords

Stairway toHeaven: TheChorus, MiddleVerses, and Pre-Solo

Tobias Hurwitz &Jeff Bihlman

This lesson continues where Stairway to Heaven parts one,two, and three left off. It will cover the middle sections of thesong, parts four, five, and six after the slow introduction, butbefore the solo. As always, it's suggested that you click on thesong's button to purchase the sheet music and the song, which

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will be very helpful in mastering the tune. One of the mostbeautiful guitar strumming passages ever recorded is taughtin this lesson, so let's get started.

Songs: ExpandingStrummingTechnique

Wild Night (VanMorrison):Chords andStrum Pattern

Susan Mazer The tune 'Wild Night' was written by Van Morrison and coveredby John Cougar. It's a real classic rock tune. What gives thissong its edge is the fast strumming pattern and occasionalriffs. I'll show you how to play the song with and without thelicks. All the chords, you problably already know and arefamiliar with, the E minor, G, C, and D. Most songs have aclear cut verse, the part that tells the story, and chorus, thepart that repeats both melody and words to reinforce the maintheme of the song. This tune has a third section that's playedone time, sometimes called the bridge. There's a lot going onhere with just four chords.

Songs: Using the R?Pattern

Good Riddance--Time of Your Life(Instrumental)with TobiasHurwitz

Tobias Hurwitz Green Day recorded 'Good Riddance' in 1997 on the CD'Nimrod.' And in no time flat, it was the biggest acoustic classicof the decade. The song is wonderful because it's very easy toplay but everyone likes it, from Punk rockers to the boy or girlnext door, to maybe even your grandmother. You canpurchase the sheet music and the song by clicking on the'Songs' button. But, it will also be helpful to have me take youthrough the moves and teach you the easy chords, pickingand strumming patterns that Billie Joe actually used. This isthe kind of song that you can play at a school talent show,even if you've only been playing for about a year. Or you canplay at a gig if you've been playing a lifetime. So, let's getstarted.


Good Riddance--Time of Your Life(Sung) withSusan Mazer

Susan Mazer The tune that we're going to learn in this lesson is called 'GoodRiddance' or 'Time Of Your Life' by Green Day. I chose itbecause it combines four very common chord shapes: G,Cadd9, E minor, and D. It also uses a fingerpicking pattern atthe beginning. Although I've heard versions where there'spicking throughout, I chose to switch to strumming on the firstverse. By changing my right-hand pattern, I'm emphasizingthe dynamics of the song. Any tune can be turned into anacoustic solo tune. Even if you hear it with a full band, you canmake your own arrangement.


If I Had a MillionDollars: Chordsand StrumPattern

Ian Campbell &Jeff Bihlman

If I Had a Million Dollars is one of, if not the oldest writtenBarenaked Ladies song. In its earliest form it was writtenwhile Steven Page and Ed Robertson were counselors at asummer music camp as a simple improvised song. On the wayhome from camp, Robertson played the tune for the campers,randomly listing amusing things he would buy with a milliondollars. He shared the idea with Page and the two fleshed outthe song. The song has become an icon of Canadian cultureand before The Barenaked Ladies ever hit it big in America,Canadian concertgoers would go crazy for this song. You gotto love a good sing-along. This song is simple to play and justway too much fun to play for a crowd. So get your guitar,some Kraft dinner, your lotto tickets, and let's get started.


Whole LottaLove: EasyChords

Tobias Hurwitz This lesson will teach a simplified version of Led Zeppelin'sclassic hit, Whole Lotta Love. Led Zeppelin II opened with thisawesome tune and the world has never been the same since!In this simple version, we're going to skip the long noisysection in the middle, the solo, and just give you some basicfirst position chords with which to strum the song. If you'restill within your first year or so of playing guitar, you may wishto try this version instead of the complete, authentic versionthat is also available here at Workshop Live.

Songs: ExpandingStrumming

Horse With NoName:

Susan Mazer The song Horse With No Name was a number one hit and thealbum quickly went platinum. The most common critism of the

Technique EmbellishedStrum

song, even mentioned in their liner notes, was its similarity toNeil Young in sound and style. In fact, Horse with No Namepushed Young's Heart of Gold out of the number one spot.There's nothing fancy about the chords or melody to this song,but the lyrics and the overall feel of the song make it reallyfun to play.


It's Been Awhile:Chords andDropped DTuning with JeffBihlman

Jeff Bihlman Hey rockers! Come on in and let's talk about Dropped DTuning and massive distortion. With their hook-laden powerpop, Staind has become one of modern rock's biggest bands.Today we're going to take a look at one of their biggest hits,It's Been Awhile. If you're not familiar with Dropped D Tuning,this'll be a great introduction for you. Although not all thatnew, Dropped D is such a popular tuning in rock music today,that it's essential to get a grip on it if you want to cover someof today's hottest tunes. So let's get going, shall we?


Hotel California:Easy

Susan Mazer Hotel California was the fifth album by The Eagles. It sold over16 million copies and was number one for eight weeks in themid 70s. As if that's not enough, it won album of the year in1977. Rolling Stone named the album the 37th greatest albumof all time. Hotel California is a self-admitted concept album.It's about the decline of America into materialism anddecadence. Don Henley, who was one of the writers said thathe wanted to wake people up and say that we've got tochange if we're going to continue to be around. There areseveral other theories about underlying messages in the song.The nice thing about lyrics is that everyone gets somethingdifferent out of them.


Boulevard ofBroken Dreams:Acoustic RhythmGuitar Part

Ralph Agresta One of the great songs from Green Day's American Idiot CD isBoulevard of Broken Dreams. This song is a bit of aproduction number for a band that is generally thought of as amodern day punk-rock power trio. On the recording is anacoustic guitar part that runs throughout the song and that'swhat we'll be learning in the first lesson. The cool thing aboutthis acoustic part is that you can play it all the way throughthe song and makes for a nice unplugged version. In the nexttwo lessons we'll also have some fun with the electric parts,but for now get out your acoustic guitar and a capo and let'sget strumming.


Boulevard ofBroken Dreams:Rhythm Guitar

Ralph Agresta The electric rhythm parts for Boulevard Of Broken Dreams aresimilar in many ways to some of the acoustic parts but nowwe won't be using the capo. The electric part also includes theclean single-note riff that colors the end of the verse andprecedes some classic Green Day style power chords. In thefirst scene, we'll be playing that clean line with the delay set toeighth notes. Let's get to it.


Boulevard ofBroken Dreams:Solo

Ralph Agresta In this final Boulevard lesson we'll be playing a solo whichuses octave shapes that are typical of Green Day style guitarsolos. We'll also play a pretty mean outro overdub part andthat's all there is to this song. What more can I say?

Songs: MovableChords

She Talks toAngels: Open ETuning andChords

Jeff Bihlman Hey there, how you doing? Come on in and let's talk aboutlearning some tunes. Certainly one of the most fulfillingexperiences for a musician is to learn how to correctly playone of our favorite tunes from one of our favorite artists.Today we're gonna learn to play one of my personal favorites'She Talks To Angels' by the Black Crowes. This is a very easysong to play on the guitar, especially if you know the one trickto it. And, since I'll be showing you this tune, I guess I'll haveto reveal this trick! So grab your axe and let's get cookin'.


Lyin' Eyes:Chords and

Ian Campbell The band known as The Eagles formed in 1971 when LindaRonstadt's then manager, John Boylan, extracted Glenn Frey,

Strum Pattern Bernie Leadon, and Randy Meisner from their otheraffiliations. They were short a drummer until Frey phoned DonHenley whom he had met at the Troubador in Los Angeles.They backed up Linda Ronstadt on a two-month tour, thendecided to form their own band, and the rest, as they say, ishistory. Just listening to their brilliant harmony is itself alesson in good music.

Songs: A StringForms MovableChord Forms

Holiday: Introand Verse

Raleigh Green Holiday, by Green Day, was released in 2004, off of their 7thstudio album, American Idiot. It was written as a prelude toBoulevard of Broken Dreams and it is not exactly a heart-feltballad, or happy-go-lucky stroll on the beach type of song.Instead, it's a rock-infused, punk anthem, which happens tofeature some awesome Green Day style guitar riffs. In theintro to the tune, you'll be sliding around tenths based onbarre chords. And in the verse, I'll show you how to shiftdistorted power chords around the fretbord with both speed,and precision. Ready to rock?

Songs: A StringForms MovableChord Forms

Welcome toParadise: Introand Verse

Raleigh Green Welcome to Paradise was first released on Green Days 1991album Kerplunk!, then re-released again in 1994 on the hitalbum Dookie. Billie Joe Armstrong says the song was writtenabout his experience living in a broken-down warehouse, aftermoving out on his own. Not only is the song fun to play, it isalso a textbook example of Green Day's classic punkinfluence, featuring tons of distorted power chords and arelentlessly fast tempo. The song was originally recorded withthe guitar tuned down a 1/2 step, but Green Day has beenknown to play it in standard tuning as well.


Wake Me UpWhen SeptemberEnds: Intro andVerse

Raleigh Green Wake Me Up When September Ends is the fourth single fromGreen Day's seventh studio album, American Idiot. Releasedon the 13th of June 2005, it became Green Day's second Top10 single. This lesson will cover in detail all of the riffs andlicks found in the intro and verse of this awesome tune. Asyou'll soon discover, the song features all sorts of cool musicaldevices like chord arpeggios that combine fretted notes andopen strings, slash chords, and movable barre chords. So,grab your guitar because here we go!


Wake Me UpWhen SeptemberEnds: Chorus andSolo

Raleigh Green In the last lesson, we examined the Intro and Verse of GreenDay's masterpiece, Wake Me Up When September Ends. Now,in this lesson, we'll study the rest of the tune. First, we'll checkout a special passing chord designed as the pickup to thechorus and I don't mean truck. After that, we'll have adetailed look at the chorus from top to bottom. Then, we'llswitch to the electric guitar and step on the distortion pedal forthe burning guitar solo. Once you get to the end of the lesson,we'll celebrate with a final jam.


Hey You: Part 1,Chords andStrummingPatterns

German Schauss Pink Floyd - the band that created an epic rock sound andmade its performances into amazing spectacles. In thislesson, we will discuss the song Hey You off the album TheWall. So, put on your tie-dyed tee shirt and get ready for thespacey sounds of the 70s.


Another Brick inthe Wall: RhythmGuitar, Verse andPre-Chorus

Tobias Hurwitz Pink Floyd's double-disk concept album, The Wall, recorded in1979, upheld the band's fine tradition of lamenting the loss oftheir original frontman Syd Barrett to insanity, whilesimultaneously poking fun at mainstream society. DavidGilmour's guitar work stays sublime throughout, with his axebarking funky commands under Roger Waters' inspired lyrics,especially on Another Brick In The Wall Part II, which iscertainly one of The Wall's shining moments. This lesson, andthe next one, will get you through the rhythm guitar work ofthe song, and of course the solo is covered in detail in anadditional three lesson series. So let's get to it!


Another Brick inthe Wall: RhythmGuitar, Chorus,and Solo Chords

Tobias Hurwitz This lesson will complete the rhythm guitar parts andarrangement of Pink Floyd's classic, Another Brick in the WallPart II. The keyboard chords that accompany the guitar soloare also arranged here for guitar, and of course, the layeredguitars of the chorus, which we didn't get to last time, areincluded. This lesson is full of cool, funky licks, so withoutfurther ado, let's get into it!

Songs: PentatonicMajor andCombiningPentatonic Scales

Stairway toHeaven: SoloRhythm Part,Final VerseChords and Licks

Tobias Hurwitz Hi, and welcome to the fourth installment of Stairway toHeaven. You've made it through the solo. Congratulations! Butnow you need to learn the rhythm guitar part underneath thesolo, the next rhythm part before the last solo, and two keyoverdubs. So that's exactly what were about to cover. Hang inthere! Soon you'll be able to infuriate music store ownerswherever you go. So without further ado, let's get into it!

Songs: PentatonicMajor andCombiningPentatonic Scales

Black Dog: Intro,Verse, andChorus Riffs

Tobias Hurwitz Led Zeppelin's Black Dog was originally recorded on theuntitled album which is now unofficially known as ZOSO, thesame album that spawned Stairway To Heaven. The band wasat its peak during this period, and Black Dog is a wonderfulexample of Zep at their best. This lesson will teach you themysterious intro, plus the next three explosive riffs of thesong. So, let the rockin' begin!

Songs: DevelopingRhythm GuitarTechnique II

Owner of aLonely Heart: Part1, Rhythm Guitar

German Schauss The 80s! Spandex, big hair, and silly synth sounds. In thislesson, we'll discuss Owner of a Lonely Heart by Yes. It is oneof the songs that made the 80s what they were. Let's get thebig hair and spandex out and enjoy this trip back to the past.

Songs: DevelopingTechnical Skills III

Whole LottaLove: The Intro,Verse, andChorus Riffs

Tobias Hurwitz Led Zeppelin's sophomore effort, simply titled Led Zeppelin II,was recorded in 1969, and opens with Whole Lotta Love. Thismassive hit has stayed popular ever since, and is mercifullyeasy on the fingers of aspiring guitar wizards like you, unlikemuch of Page's other work. This lesson will teach the firstthree rhythm guitar parts to Whole Lotta Love. These parts willget you through most of the song, and you can finish it off bychecking out the next two lessons in the series. Let's do it!

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