Free lessons
New Gentle on My Mind
Travis Picking Basics with nice internal harmonies
Freight Train Right Hand
Rugged Cross Birth of the Blues Grand Old Flag
Right now there is only sheet music for Birth of the Blues.ÂÂ
Joyful Joyful We Adore Thee
This is the most joyful hymn I know of. With wonderful lyrics and music by Beethoven, it is fun to sing and play as a Chords and melody piece, as well as a nice challenge using both versions included in the lesson. It is also interesting to listen to...
Here Comes the Sun
My Country 'Tis of Thee
From Class 06172024
TI Ex 9-11 and When the Saints No Sync
Syncopated O When the Saints
Thumb Independence Ex 1-8
I learned this set of exercises from the ProGuitar website and Emil Ernebro.
Sound of Silence
Using the key of Em to allow for playing a chord melody using mostly chord tones. This allows playing this iconic acoustic rock song as either an instrumental or to accompany yourself or a singer. Pretty cool!
O Canada
Absolutely one of my favorite songs to play, and it's the Canadian National Anthem. By the way, God Save the Queen is the Royal Anthem of Canada.ÂÂÂ We also teach My Country 'Tis of Thee on the site here, and since it has the same melody as God ...
Jingle Bell Rock Lesson
Homeward Bound
One Note Samba
This arrangement has two refrains. an easier and more difficult one.
And I Love Her
The Lion Sleeps Tonight
House of the Rising Sun
Three variations on the Am,C,D,F Am, E, Am chord progression that can only be done in C tuning. Great arpeggio practice!
Ear Training
A review of the Frets, Notes and Chords (French), then 5 songs to practice picking out melodies with: The ABC's, When the Saints Go Marching In, Silent Night, The Lion Sleeps Tonight and Deck the halls.
Freight Train Block Chord Picking
Ukraine's National Anthem
"Ukraine has not yet perished..."That's how the Ukrainian National Anthem starts. Ukraine is a beautiful country, and because I have friends there, I know they're a very giving and loving people. They helped me build this website.Current events are ...
Freight Train
Hammer-on s and Pull-offs
Basic Silent Night
This will be the base line for all the frills we'll insert into this arrangement as we go.
Deck the Halls in G
This is an arrangement with a little easier bridge but sounds a bit darker than the version in C.Â
A harmonized E major scale
Puff and Complete JTTW
Double Video Lesson...but the downloaded music is with the single Puff lesson.
Boogie Blues and JoyttWorld
Two lessons. One complete exercise and the intro to Joy to the World
Joy to the World melody
Pentatonic Lick
Played off of three different chords. G, C, and D. The G and C licks look remarkably alike.
Silent Night Block Chords and Ending
Here is the Christmas carol with just chords and block picking. It will help create a sold foundation for the Arpeggios version. The left hand stays theÂÂ same for both versions. Ending options are provided.
Silent Night Arpeggios
Starting at measure 17, this Lesson involves 11 measures or 1 verse equivalent of Silent Night. Since it uses arpeggios, each measure is demonstrated and carefully repeated to get it under the hand. It is also a detailed practice session too..
Wipe Out
An iconic surf tune from the 60's. Originally played in B. Used Youtube "Transpose" to put it in the key of E for ease of learning. Also slowed it down to 70% speed.
Yellow Bird
The Lord's Prayer
Away in a Manger
The perfect Christmas lullaby, though it can be used any time of year. In the key of C, this rendition is true to the tune that has been used for years. It has some phrases with quicker chord changes than you might normally expect in a slower song. ...
Deck the Halls
A traditional Christmas, yuletide, and New Years' carol. The melody is Welsh dating back to the sixteenth century, and belongs to a winter carol, "Nos Galan", while the English lyrics date to 1862. This is a Christmas carol that's expresses the joy ...
A'Soalin (advanced addendum)
This is my attempt to combine the last few measures of the Paul's counterpoint motif with the descending scale that Peter plays in the last two measures.
Sloop John B
Played through a couple of times. A traditional West Indies tune. Popularized by The Kingston Trio, they adapted it from Carl Sandburg's The American Songbag. Years later the Beach Boys changed the title to "Sloop John B," and had a hit song.
A'Soalin
Peter, Paul and Mary,recorded this as "A' Soalin", including all the verses as well as parts of "Hey, Ho, Nobody Home" and "God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen". The musical arrangement was copyrighted by Peter, Paul and Mary.
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
A great children's Christmas song for all ages! This has a spoken inroduction including all the reindeer names, then a nice alternating bass section and more chord changes than you would expect.
Picking Practice One FSG
Silent Night
Arguably the only Christmas carol of the historic Christian faith written for guitar. The history is exaplained in the video, and it's played in two levels of difficulty. Enjoy it every Christmas, and learn to play it from the video, then add your ...
My Country Tis of Thee
"My Country, 'Tis of Thee", is a patriotic song, whose lyrics were written by Samuel Francis Smith. The melody used is the same as that of the national anthem of the United Kingdom, "God Save the Queen". The song served as one of the de facto ...
TAB and Chord Diagram Explanation
This video will give you a introduction to reading Chord Diagrams and interpreting Tablature (TAB).ÂÂÂÂ Remember, the Chord Diagrams shows the left hand chord formation, and the TAB shows what your right hand fingers select to be played of that...
Quick Tune
This video provides you with several minutes of listening to different guitars that are in tune. You can match your strings with their strings, and then you'll be in tune. The tuning discussion which is also on the "Rules of Thumb" provides you with ...
Guitar Tuning and Discussion
The first part of this tuning discussion is a brief demonstration comparing and contrasting the keys on the piano with the strings and frets on the guitar. It shows where the guitar strings and associated notes fretted up the fingerboard are situated...
God of Our Fathers
The national hymn of the United States. Perhaps one of the more difficult arrangements on the website. This arrangement is in the key of C, and has some triplet organ/trumpet flourishes which we imitate with a C chord and some fancy strums. It also ...
Hark the Herald Angels Sing
One of the "Great Four Anglican Hymns. This wonderful hymn uses Charles Wesley's lyrics, and William Cummings adaptation of a Felix Mendelsshon Cantata, to create a Christmas carol that we know and love. It has some nice musical movement and fits ...
America the Beautiful
Our second national anthem, in my opinion. A beautifully written melody with wonderful lyrics, that's also easy to sing and enjoy. Perfect to be performed any time or place, especially home school. Remember it has more than one verse, and there is a ...
The ABC's in C
The iconic children's song. Actually its melody works for three children's songs: The ABC's, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, and Baa Baa Black Sheep. Taught at three levels, melody only, basic chords and melody, and a moving bass/chord arrangement. ...
All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name
"All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name" is a popular hymn sung by many Christian denominations.The hymn is often called the "National Anthem of Christendom". The lyrics, written by Edward Perronet while he served as a missionary in India, first appeared ...
God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen
A nice chord study in the key of A minor. It's provided in two levels of complexity, and can be played at a moderate or lively pace. Lots of block chords which make a very nice chord melody. Also there are a few nice chord progressions with some bass...
Come Thou Long Expected Jesus
A good example of a standard melody upon which many lyrics have been written. Here are a few of them: "Jesus, What a Friend for Sinners" "Alleluia! Sing to Jesus!" "Earth was Given as a Garden" "Love Divine, All Loves Excelling" "Jesus, I My Cross ...
The Star Spangled Banner
This is a challenging arrangement.ÂÂ I believe many national anthems and historic hymns are not appropriate for simplification musically, where they lose the power of their melodies and chords, and the amazing emotional power of their ...
Glorious Things of Thee are Spoken (German National Anthem melody)
In the key of C, this stately melody moves between the first and fifth frets using a bar to play a C G/B and Am forms. Those chords will take some practice. The last phrase moves up to the 8th fret and then back down melodically to the first fret. So...
O God Our Help in Ages Past
Written by Isaac Watts and is a paraphrase of Psalm 90. The hymn was originally part of The Psalms of David Imitated in the Language of the New Testament, published by Watts in 1719. The hymn is often sung as part of the Remembrance Day service in ...
Good King Wenceslas
The legend is based on the life of the historical Saint Wenceslaus I, Duke of Bohemia or Svatý Václav in Czech (907–935). Wenceslas was considered a martyr and a saint immediately after his death in the 10th century, when a cult of Wenceslas grew...
O Little Town of Bethlehem
This Christmas carol may arguably be the best imagery and description of Luke's Christmas story, and the proclamation of the gospel in music and lyrics that I know of. The two verses included demonstrate that in my opinion.ÂÂ It is a more ...
Angels from the Realms of Glory
A hymn of the historic Christian faith, written probably around the early 1800's. Played through twice. The first time using block chords (left hand chord formations, played with with the right hand where the right hand thumb and fingers pluck their ...
Angels We have Heard on High
This Christmas carol is a good challenge for fingerpickers. Though played at a moderate tempo, the right hand picking, particularly in the chorus and chord changes throughout will give your hands a workout.ÂÂ I think people like the happy melody,...
Of the Father's Love Begotten
A Christmas carol based on the Latin poem Corde natus by the Roman poet Aurelius Prudentius. The ancient poem was translated and paired with a medieval melody called Divinum Mysterium, an ancient chanting melody which appears in manuscript form as ...
O Come All Ye Faithful
The Christmas carol which was most significant in inspiring this website. It is well known and a joy for people to sing at Christmas. It is not only up tempo, and musically interesting but it can be brought under your hand fairly quickly with some ...