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