Style
Style Lessons
One of the easiest and best sounding ways to harmonize any melody is through the use of sixths. Sixths are an interval of two notes that land pretty comfortably on guitar and give the player an easy way to spice up his sound. Whether you are playing Fingerstyle or trying get an unmistakably Caribbean sound, sixths are a great way to make music.
In a jazz setting the guitarist is often in an accompanying or “comping” role. Many nights I have been on a bandstand with an amazing big band looking out over a sea of dancers on the dance floor as I play this style of comping.
Playing octaves on guitar is an easy technique to have in your musical bag of tricks. They are useful in a variety of musical settings and styles—from Jazz to Rock.
Funk String Popping [NO VIDEO]
One of best sounding and relatively easy techniques that make for great guitar sounds is string popping. Whether you’re playing some Stevie Wonder funk or chickin’ pickin’ a country song, this technique will add a unique color to your playing and should be in every guitar player’s bag of tricks.
When Arkansas became a state in 1836 the "Arkansas Traveler" was its state song. "Arkansas Traveler" has gone on to become a standard bluegrass song played by Bill Monroe and Chet Atkins and commonly played at bluegrass jam sessions.
This lesson shows you how to take standard chord forms and adjust them to create numerous melodies which are useful in a variety of styles from Rock to Jazz and Fingerstyle to Blues.
Tired of playing the same old chord forms all the time over a progression. With a little creativity you can create amazing grooves that will make your guitar part stand out in any setting. This lesson gives you several techniques and ideas that can be applied to the blandest of chord changes. This lesson uses a simple R&B; major 7th chord progression as a foundation.
Chord substitutions are a great way for a guitarist to get an immediate change in the sound of his chords and soloing.
Learn the classic foundational blues double stop and build your technique for the long run.
Ever wanted to know how to get a great delay sound like U2? Here are some great tips for using your delay to build guitar part like “The Edge” (guitarist for U2). I’ll show you how to set your delay to the quarter note and the dotted eighth of the song’s tempo you are playing. Then, by using just a few notes, build a great sounding “Edge” like guitar part.
Eric Johnson Triads [NO VIDEO]
One of the guitar legends of our day is the great Eric Johnson. Eric’s amazing speed and musicality changed the landscape of Rock guitar. His soloing is immediately recognizable by his use of open triads with large intervals. These “Eric Johnson Triads” can add color and depth to your guitar sound, and this lesson teaches these unmistakable triads and how to incorporate them to make great sounding solos!
Johann Sebastian Bach composed this piece as part of a suite for lute. It has since become one of the most popular works in the classical guitar repertoire. It is in the key of E minor which is the same as the key of G major. Bourrée uses only two voices—a melody and a bass line—often times moving in opposite directions. Occasionally a non-standard fingering is required and those fingerings are notated with the small numbers above or beside certain notes. Performance tempo should be 98 bpm.
Arrangement by Steve Krenz.
Bluegrass: "Wildwood Flower" [NO VIDEO]
The song “Wildwood Flower” was first recorded by the Carter family in the 1920s. It has become a standard for bluegrass guitarists to know ever since. Maybelle Carter played the song in C on guitar but often capoed up so it actually sounded in a higher key when she sang along.
One of the most important progressions in Jazz is called the turnaround. Turnarounds are often four separate chords over a two-bar phrase whose purpose is to connect the phrase that just happened with the one that is coming.
Jazz Guitar Arpeggios [NO VIDEO]
Wouldn’t it be great to look at a chord and immediately have a great sounding arpeggio to play over it anywhere on the neck? The arpeggio forms in this lesson can get you there. With a little time and effort learning the forms, you’ll get a tremendous payoff in your playing and soloing. This lesson focuses on jazz arpeggios, specifically seventh chord arpeggios. You’ll learn arpeggios for major 7th chords, minor 7th chords, dominant 7th chords, and even a half-diminished 7th chord. Add in some hammer-ons and pull-offs to make them smooth and fast.
This lesson covers one of the most helpful chords you’ll ever know—some might even say it’s the ultimate jazz chord, the tritone augmented chord. Don’t let the complex name fool you. This chord is relatively easy to form and gives an immediate “jazz” sound to almost any chord progression.
Johann Sebastian Bach composed this piece around 1710 as part of a much larger work. It has since become one of the most recognizable melodies in the world. It is in the key of G with a consistent triplet pattern used throughout. Occasionally a non-standard fingering is required and those fingerings are notated with the small numbers above or beside certain notes. Performance tempo should be 40 bpm. Arrangement by Steve Krenz.
Larry Carlton's Super Arpeggio [NO VIDEO] [NO TAB]
Four-time Grammy winner, Larry Carlton, was one of LA’s top studio guitarists during the 70s-80s. Much of the music we associate with that time period was the work of Larry Carlton. Larry is still as active as ever playing and touring all over the world. Larry Carlton is known for his lyrical soloing. He has described his approach to soloing in a concept called the “Super Arpeggio.” If you’re tired of playing old licks and pentatonic patterns when you solo, then check out this super arpeggio concept for a fresh way to get some exciting new sounds when you solo.
Fingerstyle guitar is a very expressive and enjoyable way to play guitar, requiring some new dexterity in the picking hand.
Jazz guitar playing is filled with tremendously rich sounding chords. Jazz uses a lot of color tones beyond the normal 3-note triad based chords, like sevenths, ninths, and thirteenths.
Here is a lesson on using a “must have” pedal that allows you to create some amazing sounds and swells but also gives you the flexibility to tune hands free on stage without being heard. The simple volume pedal is one of the most creative and useful workhorses on any guitarists pedal board.
Learn three classic blues riffs to use in a variety of keys and take your blues playing to the next level.
One of the many chords to define Jazz guitar playing is the ninth chord. Ninth chords add incredible color and richness to create a distinctive jazz sound to any progression. This lesson covers major 9th, minor 9th, dominant 9th chords and altered ninth chords like the sharp 9 and flat 9 chords. These few chord forms can transform a bland sounding chord progression into a colorful sounding jazz chord progression.
Here is a simple Fingerstyle arrangement of the Christmas classic Silent Night. The song is in the key of G and uses mostly open chord forms. Keep as many notes ringing as possible to give the song a flowing sound. Have fun working it up and playing it for friends and family over the holidays. Arrangement by Steve Krenz.
Here's a fingerstyle arrangement of this Christmas classic in the key of D. Arrangement by Steve Krenz.
Rock Rhythm Patterns: Major to Sus4
One of the most recognizable rhythm patterns for Rock guitar is the major chord to the four chord progression. This pattern has been the basis for countless classic rock songs, like the iconic guitar intro to "Start Me Up" by the Rolling Stones.
"Canon in D" or "Pachelbel's Canon" is clearly one of the most recognizable melodies in all of music. I have played this arrangement of this song for countless weddings and other gigs.
Have you ever heard a guitarist rip through a fast run as he plays some solo or song? You may wonder, “How is he doing that?
Blues guitar playing is defined by certain riffs. This lesson covers an easy blues riff that can be used in a variety of settings.
Guitar Effects: Distortion Pedals [NO TAB]
You can’t play electric guitar in any sort of rock or blues band without one or more distortion pedals. Distortion defines the sound of Rock guitar playing. But, there are so many different types of distortion pedals. How do you know which one is right for your playing? This lesson covers the basics on the types of distortion pedals, how they work, their sounds, and which ones work best in certain styles of guitar playing.