Hey guys,

Today we’ll be looking at some chord changes commonly used by classic country players. They are known for open 7th chords that incorporate a dominant resolution. These strong progressions are great for country but can also be used in a variety of other styles.

Enjoy the lesson guys!

Hey guys,

In today’s lesson we are going to look at scale that Jimmy Page used to get some of his signature blistering solos. This is scale is basically a minor pentatonic but with an added minor second, major sixth, and blue note. It forms a neat symmetrical pattern on the top three strings making is very easy to visualize and use. The solo in “Heartbreaker” most famously uses this scale.

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Hey guys,

In today’s lesson we are going to look at a chord progression in the style of Ray Lamontagne. This is a very basic progression, but makes use of static drone notes to create tension and emotion. Those drone notes will be on the highest two strings while the lower strings will change and suggest harmonic movement. This is a great trick to create an emotional ballad.

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Hey guys,

Today we’re going to look at the scale Stevie Ray Vaughan would use to create some of his signature Texas blues riffs. This incorporates a major third into a minor pentatonic – a classic trick that Stevie really mastered.

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Hey guys,

In today’s lesson we are going to be looking at a cool riff in the style of Deer Tick. This riff is going to used chromatic notes to connect chords in a harmonic minor key. The result will be an evil acoustic country sort of sound.

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Hey guys,

In today’s lesson we are going to look at a scale modification used famously by Eric Clapton. Although primarily an electric blues player, Clapton has also been known to wield an acoustic most famously at his unplugged concert. The Clapton scale is primarily a minor pentatonic but with an added minor second to give is a more sad feel.

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Hey guys,

Today we’re going to look at more classic rock riff techniques. This time, we’ll be looking at how to use chromatic notes to bridge together two chords. This is a blues/jazz technique but was incorporated by many of the classic rock greats such as Led Zeppelin, Boston, The Beatles, and more.

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Hey guys,

Today we’ll be looking at another advanced classic rock theory lesson. Specifically, we’ll be looking at how to combine the Dorian mode with Harmonic minor to get a chord progression that echoes Carlos Santana or The Guess Who.

Enjoy the lesson guys, and let us know if you have any questions!

Hey guys,

Today we are going to continue our study of the Hendrix chord. Specifically, we are going to look at how to combine the Hendrix chord with notes from our minor pentatonic scale to create some very cool psychedelic riffs. This approach was starting by Hendrix but more contemporary bands like Rage Against the Machine and Head Automattica have used it as well for their songs. It’s a great combination of heavy, psychedelic, and groovy guitar playing.

Enjoy the lesson guys!

Hey guys,

In today’s lesson we are going to look at a very dreamy chord progression that uses the lydian mode. Specifically, we’ll be looking at C lydian mode and making use of open strings to create our spacey effect. This is a great technique and is used in music ranging from pop to worship music.

Enjoy the lesson guys!