Category Archive

Photo credit: Getty Images This strange, gorgeous, moving piece about an AWOL astronaut features fifteen chords and a challenging strum pattern I've never heard elsewhere. Here's the chart. Playing "Space Oddity" like the recording requires solid barre chord and rhythm skills, but a little creativity can make it more accessible. For example, the Folk Strum (search my site if you ...

People who've followed my blog over the years know that my student Wesley is a big Johnny Cash fan. He was when he gave his amazing performance of Folsom Prison Blues back in 2009, and he's learned and performed several more since then. His love of Johnny Cash, and in particular his The Best of The Johnny Cash TV Show ...

You know what makes this guitar teacher happy? Travis-picking while watching squirrels run in the yard, great vocal harmonies, and whenever my students request an Avett Brothers tune. This song features all three (note: squirrels not included). The happiness is almost too much to bear. Here's the chart. If you haven't heard of The Avett Brothers, and you like alt-country, ...

I love songs with layers of difficulty. Beginners will appreciate the basic chords (F is tough, but Fmaj7 is always a decent substitute), and the song sounds great using the venerable Folk Strum Pattern I recommend. The vocals, however, are challenging, and there's a badass Day-Tripper-esque riff that will hold the interest of more advanced players. Here it is. Hope ...

Here's my chart of "I Will." Enjoy! If you ever get frustrated with your progress on the guitar, you might be encouraged to hear that it took Paul McCartney 67 takes to record this lovely little song. Granted, the song's under two minutes long, but that's still two hours of singing and playing, not counting time spent retuning, drinking water, ...

Here's a simple, sweet, soulful song to brighten your day: "Ho Hey" by The Lumineers. If it doesn't put a spring in your step, surely this will: An all-clucking version by Jimmy Fallon and his Chickeneers. And if THAT didn't work, you must be upset that this simple, sweet, soulful song turns out to be not-so-simple to play. Here are ...

Cash’s version of this Shel Silverstein poem, performed without rehearsal at California’s San Quentin State Prison and released on the At San Quentin album, was Cash’s biggest hit on the Billboard Hot 100. I love listening to his backing band negotiate his erratic delivery (he claims to have only read the poem twice before hitting the stage), trying their best …

This chart for “Laura” will be fun for budding fingerstylists who already have some basic strumming skill. Below the chart is a simple fingerstyle arrangement of the chord progression played by the piano during the intro and verses. Assign your thumb to the 5th and 6th strings, and 1st, 2nd, and 3rd fingers of your picking hand to the 4th, …

What a fantastic arrangement. The quiet fingerstyle acoustic guitar groove, the delicate xylophone/marimba part, the tremulous electric guitar melody, and Gotye’s whispered verses and sing-to-the-sky chorus. Great song to listen to with headphones and eyes closed. Here’s the chart. Note that this is an easier, strummed arrangement of the song. There’s tablature below the chord chart to show you how …

Today's chart is "Poor Little Fool," a 50's pop/rock number performed by Ricky Nelson, but written by a 15-year-old Sharon Sheeley, who pretended her car broke down in front of Nelson's house in order to get him to listen to the tune. That's courage. Or pride. Or innocence. Any way you call it, it's awesome. Here's the chart. Notice that ...