Online Guitar Lessons Report

Video Lesson: The Killers – Mr Brightside

Kenny — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 21:50:04 +0000

The Killers’ Mr Brightside, from their album, Hot Fuss is one of my favourite songs of the decade. It was also the song that catapulted the Las Vegas band to stardom and propelled that debut album to the top of the charts.

It’s not an easy song to learn, however, as you’ll know if you’ve ever tried to learn it. And if you do a quick trawl of YouTube looking for lessons or cover versions, you’ll find, as I did, all sorts of weird and wonderful versions.

The Mr Brightside lesson I’ve posted below is an excellent combination of detailed, accurate information and a presenting style that does the song justice and will keep you interested all the way through.

Watch it all the way through once, de-tune your guitar a semi-tone and get playing!

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Video Lesson: Eric Clapton – Crossroads

Kenny — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 22:28:00 +0000

Robert Johnson’s Crossroads has been recorded many, many times by many different artists. But the definitive version has to be the Cream live version, featuring Eric Clapton on guitar and vocals, which has appeared on just about every Cream and Eric Clapton compilation ever released.

Clapton has continued to play the song live throughout his career varying it from the full on blues of the Cream version to funk, and even a low tempo jazz-style version.

It’s the Cream version, however, that displays both the song and Clapton’s guitar playing at its very best. And then there’s Jack Bruce’s virtuoso bass and Ginger Baker’s driving drums.

That’s the version being taught in the lesson below, by one of my favourite You Tube teachers, Justin Sandercoe of Justin Guitar. Justin’s explanation of the notes and chords and his laid back style of presentation make it very easy to play along.

Below the video of Justin’s lesson is one of Cream playing Crossroads at the band’s farewell concert in London’s Royal Albert Hall in 1968.

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Video Lesson: Neil Young – Like a Hurricane

Kenny — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 09:48:24 +0000

It’s summertime and the start of the festival season here in the UK. And to celebrate, this lesson is a song by one of the stars of the 2009 festival season.

Neil Young has already headlined the Isle of Wight Festival, and this weekend he’ll headline Hard Rock Calling in London’s Hyde Park on Saturday, and Glastonbury on Sunday.

There are dozens and dozens of Neil Young tracks I could have chosen for this lesson, but I went for one which isn’t just one of my favourite Neil Young songs, but also features some great guitar playing.
Young is almost as well-known for his unique style on his Gibson Les Paul, nicknamed Black Beauty, as he is for his songwriting. And Like a Hurricane features both.

In the lesson below, Steve Levine does a great job of not just taking you through the chord changes, but explaining that all-important lead intro too. And he even does it on a 1957 triple-humbucker black Les Paul Custom, which is a little reminiscent of Young’s own ‘Old Black’ — a 1953 Les Paul Goldtop which, by the time Young acquired it, had received a black paint job and to which he added a mini-humbicker from a Gibson Firebird in the bridge position, and a Bigsby tailpiece.

Enjoy the video and remember to enter your name and email address in the box to get a regular stream of free online guitar lessons in your inbox.

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Video Lesson: More BB King Technique – from the great man himself

Kenny — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 10:17:38 +0000

I enjoyed last week’s BB King technique video so much, that I decided to find some more video on You Tube teaching how to play in the style of the great man. There are literally dozens showing everything from how to play various licks, how to get the sound and the BB King technique, to how to play songs like Thrill is Gone.

To my mind, and ears, however, this one beats them all, simply because BB King himself is the teacher.

The video is an excerpt from DCI Blues Masters Vol 3 and features BB showing the presenter of the series how he would phrase licks over a chord progression in the key of G.

BB King has such a great, easy going manner and a terrific voice, which makes me want to grab my guitar and get practicing. There is, of course, a whole lot more to BB King’s technique and style than just the way he puts notes together and how he uses that famous vibrato, but by watching and listening carefully, we can all learn a huge amount from this blues legend.

Enjoy the video and remember to enter your name and email address in the box to get a regular stream of free online guitar lessons in your inbox.

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Video Lesson: Rodrigo y Gabriela

Kenny — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 21:16:48 +0000

Although I’d always say that blues is my favourite music to both listen to and play, I love lots of different styles of music. These include jazz, rock, and flamenco, so you won’t be surprised to learn that one of my favourite albums of recent years is Rodrigo y Gabriela by Rodgrigo y Gabriela. It’s a wonderful blend of flamenco, jazz, and, a little weirdly, thrash metal, and features fantastic covers of Led Zeppelin’s Stairway to Heaven and Metallica’s Orion, as well as the wonderful Tamacun.

Rogrigo y Gabriela met in Mexico City while playing for thrash metal band, Tierra Acida. They later moved to Dublin, Ireland after becoming frustrated with the limitations of the music scene in Mexico. Once in Dublin they busked on Grafton Street and Temple Bar and got their break when Damien Rice asked them to support him.

The video below features the duo explaining their technique and showing you how to play just like they do. It’ll take a ton of practice but if you listen to what they say and keep at it, you’ll enter a wonderful world of flamenco thrash jazz fusion.

Enjoy the video and remember to enter your name and email address in the box to get a regular stream of free online guitar lessons in your inbox.

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Video Lesson: Dire Straits Sultans of Swing

Kenny — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 22:22:23 +0000

I’m not going to tell you that Dire Straits were my favourite band of all time, nor that Mark Knopfler is the greatest player ever. However, they were an iconic band. They had one of the biggest hits of the eighties with Money for Nothing, played at Live Aid, and were partly responsible for ushering in the CD era with Brothers in Arms.

On top of that, Mark Knopfler is a great guitar player and one of the very few who can reasonably claim to have a style all of his own. His mix of lead and rhythm playing was truly original and very hard to copy.

We’ve tried to take some of the difficulty out of it for you, with this video tutorial from the guys at The Next Level Guitar

Enjoy the video and remember to enter your name and email address in the box to get a regular stream of free online guitar lessons in your inbox.

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Video Lesson: BB King licks and techniques

Kenny — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 21:43:06 +0000

If you’ve been paying close attention, you’ll have noticed that I have a bit of a thing for Blues. It’s without a doubt my favourite type of music to listen to and to play. I’ve posted video lessons for Jimmy Reed, Lightnin’ Hopkins, and Billy Gibbons, so now it’s time for the boss, or should I say King, BB King.

Much as I love Lightnin’ Hopkins, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eric Clapton, and Muddy Waters, BB King has to be my favourite guitar player.

He even has the de rigeur folk tale attached to his guitar and how he came to name it Lucille. For more on that, see this post on the Epiphone BB King Lucille

I’ve seen BB King in concert twice and both times he was sensational. Now, having said that he would only tour in the US from now on due to his age, he’s coming back to Europe for one last time.

To celebrate, here’s not one but two videos showing you the great man’s technique and how to play his licks.

Enjoy the video and remember to enter your name and email address in the box to get a regular stream of free online guitar lessons in your inbox.

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Video Lesson: Hey there Delilah

Kenny — Sun, 31 May 2009 22:15:24 +0000

The Plain White Ts’ Hey There Delilah is a great acoustic rock song. For me it brings to mind a wonderful week spent in Cornwall in August 2008. I had it on a playlist I made for my iPod for that holiday and now whenever I hear it, I think of that holiday.

However, the first time I heard it, I didn’t like it that much. Maybe it was because the radio DJ hyped it too much. I just couldn’t see what the fuss was about. It really grew on me though. And now, it has a really personal meaning, I love listening to it.

So, it was natural that I decided to learn how to play it, and as usual, I turned to YouTube for a guitar lesson.

This is the best one I found, it’s from the guys at Guitar Jamz.

Enjoy the video and remember to enter your name and email address in the box to get a regular stream of free online guitar lessons in your inbox.

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Video Lesson: Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door

Kenny — Fri, 29 May 2009 21:38:10 +0000

Bob Dylan’s Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door is one the classic songs of the last forty years. Whether it’s Dylan’s original, Eric Clapton’s reggaae inspired version, Guns n Roses rock anthem, or Warren Zevon’s moving cover on his final album, it’s a song that has stood the test of time.

It’s also a very straightforward song to learn, having only four basic chords throughout and a couple of strumming patterns that shouldn’t tax you too much.

In this lesson from Kick Start Guitar you’ll learn to play Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door. The great thing about this guitar lesson is that not only does it show you the chords and the strumming patterns, but it displays them on screen, in tab form, overlaid so that you can play along with the video. It’s brilliantly explained and an excellent video lesson.

Enjoy the video and remember to enter your name and email address in the box to get a regular stream of free online guitar lessons in your inbox.

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VIdeo Lesson: The Police: Message in a Bottle

Kenny — Thu, 28 May 2009 21:35:04 +0000

The Police had a very distinct sound. Bridging the divide between punk and the synth pop of the ’80s wasn’t easy, but by keeping the band to three members, and taking cues from both genres, they just about managed it.

Key to the sound of The Police was guitar player, Andy Summers. Summers, like the punk guitar players, avoided lengthy solos, but he did like to put together creative, inteligent guitar parts that called upon the relatively new effects available to guitarists.

One great example of Summers’ playing is the intro to Message in a Bottle, it sounds fantastic, yet is deceptively simple.

In the lesson below the guys from Jamplay show you, step by step, how to play Message in a Bottle.

Enjoy the video and remember to enter your name and email address in the box to get a regular stream of free online guitar lessons in your inbox.

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