The ParTs of Your GuiTar 2The Acoustic Guitar 2The Electric Guitar 2
Which GuiTar is BesT for Me? 2hoW To hold Your GuiTar 3The aMPlifier 3The riGhT hand 4The lefT hand 5hoW To Tune Your GuiTar 6GeTTinG acquainTed WiTh Music 7GeTTinG acquainTed WiTh TaBlaTure 8The sixTh sTrinG e 9
Sixth-String Riff 1 9Sixth-String Riff 2 9More Riffs 10Still More Riffs 10Rockin’ Bass Line 11
Silent Guitar Calisthenics 1 and 2 11sound-off: hoW To counT TiMe 12
Four Kinds of Notes 12Time Signatures 12
The fifTh sTrinG a 13Jamming on 5 and 6 13Two-String Rock 13
easY rock riffs on The 5Th and 6Th sTrinGs 14
Repeat Signs 14King Louie 14As I Arrive 15Ferrous Guy 15They Can Rock 16
Silent Guitar Calisthenics 3 16The fourTh sTrinG d 17
Fourth-String Riff 171950s Rock Lick 17Foggy Lake 18Ladder to the Sky 18Crazy Kid 19
PlaYinG TWo noTes ToGeTher 19Blues in 3 20
The Third sTrinG G 21Cash 21
Introducing the Quarter Rest 22Ode to Joy 22Rockabilly Sound 23
PoWer chords 24Three-Chord Progression 24Down You Go 25Rock Duet 26Bop the Blitz 28
The second sTrinG B 30Classic Rock Lick 30Five-String Rock 31Satisfying Lick 31Don’t Miss the Train 32Give Me a Hand, Lady 32Rockin’ in D 32
The firsT sTrinG e 33Jamming with E, F, and G 33
Review 34Aura Lee 34
The Major scale 35C Major Scale Exercise 35
six-sTrinG eM chord 36Quarter-Note Slash 36
Em Strumming Exercise 36five-sTrinG a7 chord 37
Strumming the A7 Chord 37Strumming Em and A7 Chords 37Minor Two-Chord Rock 38
inTroducinG hiGh a 39Rockin’ in Dorian Mode 39
Ties 40Rainforest Romp 40Nice Attire 41
eiGhTh noTes 42Eighth-Note Exercise 42Ellis Island 43
four-sTrinG d7 chord 44D7 and A7 Chord Exercise 44D7 Chord with Notes 44
six-sTrinG e chord 45Introducing the Eighth-Note Slash 45
Eighth-Note Slash Exercise 45Strumming Exercise with E Chord 45
five-sTrinG a chord 46Minor and Major 46Vacate the Sky 47Doo Dah, Poo Bah 47
eleven classic rock sTruMMinG PaTTerns 48
Rough Evening 49Always Been Crazy 49Keep It to Yourself 50
sharPs ≥, flaTs ≤, and naTurals Ω 51The Chromatic Scale 52
Chromatic Rock 52Bluesy Accidentals 53Wet Duet 54
siGns of silence 55Take a Rest 55Ugly Times 56Stop-Time Bass Line 57
PlaYinG TWo noTes ToGeTher: Blues PaTTerns 58
E Blues Boogie 58A Blues Boogie 59
Move uP The neck on The 6Th sTrinG 60Practice A, B, and C 60Two Positions on the 6th String 60
Move uP The neck on The 5Th sTrinG 61Practice D, E, and F 61Two Positions on the 5th String 61
Move uP The neck on The 4Th sTrinG 62Two Positions on the 4th String 62
Move uP The neck on The 3rd sTrinG 62Two Positions on the 3rd String 62Classic Rock Lick with 5s and 7s 63
More on PoWer chords 64Power Chords Are Moveable 64
Power Chord Rock 64More Power Chord Rock 65
six-sTrinG G chord 66chords in sTandard noTaTion 66
Chords in Notes 67Rockin’ the Bach 68Party, Party 69
rock and Blues licks and Tricks 70Rock Lick 1 70Rock Lick 1 with a Bend 70Rock Lick 2 70
The e Minor PenTaTonic scale 71Pentatonic Lick 1 71Pentatonic Lick 2 711950s Blues-Rock Tune 72
a Minor PenTaTonic scale 73A Minor Pentatonic Call and Response 73
incoMPleTe Measures or PickuPs 74House of the Rising Sun 7412-Bar Blues Duet 76Good Times Bad Times (Intro) 78
GuiTar finGerBoard charT 80
Teach Yourself To Play Rock Guitar
NathaNiel GuNod, l. C. harNsberGer, roN MaNus
Alfred Music P.O. Box 10003 Van Nuys, CA 91410-0003
alfred.com
Copyright © MMXIV by Alfred Music All rights reserved Printed in USA
ISBN-10: 0-7390-9950-7 (Book & DVD) ISBN-10: 978-0-7390-9950-6 (Book & DVD)
Cover photos: Courtesy of Gibson USA (left) • Courtesy of Schecter Guitar Research (right).
Teach Yourself To PlaY rocK guiTar 9
&
TAB
œo œ œ œ
0 0 0 0
œ1
œ œ œ
1 1 1 1
œ3
œ œ1
œ
3 3 1 1
œo œ œ œ
0 0 0 0
≥ ≥ ≥ ≥ etc.
E F G F E
the sixth string e
E
F
G
FRET 1
FRET 2
FRET 3
1
33
sixth-string riff 1
sixth-string riff 2
Use only down-strokes, indicated by ≥ The symbol L under or over a note means open string Do not finger
Play slowly and evenly
* Though no photo is shown for the open string, the fingers of the left hand should remain slightly above the string, ready to play the correct fret when needed The thumb should also remain in its proper position
A riff is a short, repeated melodic pattern
It is easy to tell the notes E, F, and G apart E is the note under the three lines below the staff F is on the third
A FINAL DOUBLE BAR SHOWS THE END OF AN EXAMPLE OR SONG
Track 2
line below the staff G is under the two lines below the staff
Track 3
&
TAB
TAB
œo œ œ1
œ
0 0 1 1
œ œ œ3
œ
0 0 3 3
etc.
œ œ œ œ
0 0 1 1
œ œ œ œ
0 0 3 3
&œ3
œ œ œ
3 3 3 3
œo œ œ œ
0 0 0 0
etc.
œ1
œ œ œ
1 1 1 1
œ œ œ œ
0 0 0 0
E E E EF FG G
GE EF
Track 4
&
TAB
TAB
œo œ œ1
œ
0 0 1 1
œ œ œ3
œ
0 0 3 3
etc.
œ œ œ œ
0 0 1 1
œ œ œ œ
0 0 3 3
&œ3
œ œ œ
3 3 3 3
œo œ œ œ
0 0 0 0
etc.
œ1
œ œ œ
1 1 1 1
œ œ œ œ
0 0 0 0
E E E EF FG G
GE EF
OPEN STRING*(not fingered)
1st FRET 3rd FRET
6th string,open
6th string,1st fret
6th string,3rd fret
&
TAB
w
0
E
&
TAB
w
1
F
&
TAB
w
3
G
44 Teach Yourself To PlaY rocK guiTar
&
TAB
TAB
44 œ œ œ œ
0 03 0
œ œ œ À À
30 0
À À
D 7
( )
œ œ œ œ œ
0 03 0 0( )
˙À À
1
À À
D 7
&5
œ œ œ œ
0 03 0
œ œ œ À À
30 0
À À
D 7
( )
œ œ œ œ œ
5 3 13 3( )
˙ À À
3 À À
D 7
© 2013
& 44 À À À ÀD 7
À À À À À À À À À À À À
& 44 À À À ŒA 7
À À À ŒD 7
À À À ÀA 7
À À À ŒD 7
À À À ŒA 7
Count: 1 2 3 4 etc.
& 44 À À À ÀD 7
À À À À À À À À À À À À
& 44 À À À ŒA 7
À À À ŒD 7
À À À ÀA 7
À À À ŒD 7
À À À ŒA 7
Count: 1 2 3 4 etc.
This chord uses three fingers. Place your 1st finger on the 2nd string, 1st fret, and 2nd and 3rd fingers on the 3rd and 1st strings. Only strum
&
w
ww
w
#
D7
D7
1
32
Four-striNg D7 ChorD
D7 and A7 Chord Exercise
D7 Chord with Notes
Track 53
Track 54
Track 55
This example combines the D7 chord with single notes.
Remember to practice the changes slowly, and then gradually increase the speed as you become more comfortable changing chords.
the 4th through 1st strings. Do not strum the 5th or 6th strings. Play four measures of the D7 chord. Count out loud and keep the rhythm
even. Remember to strum firmly and directly downward across the strings to produce a nice full sound.
Teach Yourself To PlaY rocK guiTar 51
≥ SHARPS raise the note a half step. Play the next fret higher.
≤ FLATS lower the note a half step. If the note is fingered, play the next fret lower. If the note is open, play the 4th fret of the next lower string —except if that string is G (3rd string), then play the 3rd fret.
Ω NATURALS cancel a previous sharp or flat.
When added within a measure, sharps, flats, and naturals are called accidentals. A bar line cancels a previous accidental in the measures that follow.
shArPs ≥, FlAts ≤, AND NAturAls ΩThe C Major Scale (page 35) is created from half steps (one fret) and whole steps (two frets). Sharp ≥, flat ≤, andnatural Ω signs change the notes you already know.
E
G
A
B
D
E
F
Half StepHalf Step
F≥ G G≥
Half StepHalf Step
WholeStep
WholeStep
WholeStep
A
F G A B
HALF STEPS NO FRET BETWEEN
WHOLE STEPS ONE FRET BETWEEN
•
•
Mini Music Lesson
62 Teach Yourself To PlaY rocK guiTar
two Positions on the 4th string
Just as you did on the 5th and 6th strings, you can move up the neck on the 4th string. The next notes in the
5th fret1st finger
3rd finger7th fret
G
A
MovE uP thE NECk oN thE 4th striNg
two Positions on the 3rd string
MovE uP thE NECk oN thE 3rD striNgJust as you did on the 4th, 5th, and 6th strings, you can move up the neck on the 3rd string. The
5th fret
4th fret1st finger
1st finger
3rd finger7th fret
C
B
D
Track 79
Track 80
alphabet, G and A, fall on the 5th and 7th frets.
&
TAB
TAB
44 œo œ#1
œ2
œ3
0 1 2 3
œ#3
œ1
œ#2
œ3
4 5 6 7
w#3
8
& ..
.
.
œb3
œ3
œb2
œ1
8 7 6 5
œb3
œ3
œ2
œb1
4 3 2 1
wo
0
Two Positions on the 4th String
© 2013
next natural notes in the alphabet, B, C, and D, fall on the 4th, 5th and 7th frets.
&
TAB
44 œo œ#1
œ2
œ#3
0 1 2 3
œ3
œ1
œ#2 œ3
4 5 6 7
w# 3
8
B
Teach Yourself To PlaY rocK guiTar 71
The pentatonic scale has five notes, hence the name (penta is the Greek root for “five,” think pentagon). Many rock and blues guitarists consider the E minor pentatonic scale one of the easiest tools for creating lead guitar solos.
1fr
2 3Open
3fr
DAE EG
BE
Following are some fun licks to play using this scale.
thE E MiNor PENtAtoNiC sCAlE
Pentatonic lick 1
Pentatonic lick 2
Track 90
Track 91
The notes in the E minor pentatonic scale are: E G A B D. They are shown below on the 6th, 5th, and 4th strings. Play through them from the lowest note to the highest. It’s a good idea to repeat the first note an octave higher at the end, as shown below.
&
TAB
44
o 3
0 3
o 2
0 2
o 2
0 2
&
TAB
44 ..
.
.
œo œ3
œo œ2
œ2
œ2
0 30 2
32
œ œ œ œ œ œ
0 30 2
3 0
Pentatonic Lick #1
&
TAB
44 ..
.
.
œ2
œ œ3
œœo œ
2 23
20 0
œ œ œ œ˙
2 23
20
Pentatonic Lick #2