Acoustic Guitar Lessons
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3:36
Rhythmic Strumming - Introduction
Instructor: Al Joseph
Level: Beginner
Topic: Rhythm
Style: Acoustic
In this tutorial, I'm going to show you how to use only two chords to build your sense of "Pocket" playing, i.e. Rhythmic awareness. We're going to discuss how to go about maximizing your strumming technique for various strumming patterns you may enc...
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1:00
Rhythmic Strumming - Ex. 1
Instructor: Al Joseph
Level: Beginner
Topic: Rhythm
Style: Acoustic
With the following 5 exercises, you must remember to:
1. Maintain an 8th note (down-up-down-up ect.) pattern when executing the rhythms
2. Relax your right hand (strumming hand) and use your wrist. You can use your elbow for emphasis on the beat if...
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1:07
Rhythmic Strumming - Ex. 2
Instructor: Al Joseph
Level: Beginner
Topic: Rhythm
Style: Acoustic
Exercise 2! Remember to:
1. Maintain an 8th note (down-up-down-up ect.) pattern when executing the rhythms
2. Relax your right hand (strumming hand) and use your wrist. You can use your elbow for emphasis on the beat if you'd like.
3. Use the back...
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1:00
Rhythmic Strumming - Ex. 3
Instructor: Al Joseph
Level: Beginner
Topic: Rhythm
Style: Acoustic
Exercise 3! Remember to:
1. Maintain an 8th note (down-up-down-up ect.) pattern when executing the rhythms
2. Relax your right hand (strumming hand) and use your wrist. You can use your elbow for emphasis on the beat if you'd like.
3. Use the back...
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1:01
Rhythmic Strumming - Ex. 4
Instructor: Al Joseph
Level: Beginner
Topic: Rhythm
Style: Acoustic
Exercise 4! Remember to:
1. Maintain an 8th note (down-up-down-up ect.) pattern when executing the rhythms
2. Relax your right hand (strumming hand) and use your wrist. You can use your elbow for emphasis on the beat if you'd like.
3. Use the back...
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1:31
Rhythmic Strumming - Ex. 5 and Wrap-up
Instructor: Al Joseph
Level: Beginner
Topic: Rhythm
Style: Acoustic
Exercise 5! Be sure to wait until the end of the video for some final thoughts.
Remember to:
1. Maintain an 8th note (down-up-down-up ect.) pattern when executing the rhythms
2. Relax your right hand (strumming hand) and use your wrist. You can us...
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2:36
Rhythmic Strumming - Backing Track 100bpm
Instructor: Al Joseph
Level: Beginner
Topic: Rhythm
Style: Acoustic
I've provided two backing tracks. One with with bass and drums, and another with drums only. When you feel comfortable, use the drums-only track to use other chords and to make your own rhythms as well. Have fun :)
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2:36
Rhythmic Strumming - Drums Only Track 100bpm
Instructor: Al Joseph
Level: Beginner
Topic: Rhythm
Style: Acoustic
For this backing track, I soloed the drums and took out the bass, so now you can practice strum patterns with whatever chords you'd like. Have fun!
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1:43
"In the Style of Andy Mckee" - Acoustic Ballad Part II
Instructor: David Soltany
Level: Intermediate
Topic: Cool Riffs
Style: Acoustic
Hey guys!
This is another song in an "Alan Parson" mood, with an Andy McKee flavor.
Here's the tuning for this song: D G D G B D
Change Low E string to DChange A string to G Leave D stringLeave G string Leave B string Change High E string to D
Th...
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2:35
"In the Style of Andy Mckee" - Acoustic Ballad Part II - 1
Instructor: David Soltany
Level: Intermediate
Topic: Cool Riffs
Style: Acoustic
In the tablature below, I'm going to highlight the sections that I'll be discussing in the video.
For the harmonics in the intro, you can pick them with the second or third finger, allowing your first finger to stay available.
For the rhythm part, ...
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2:43
"In the Style of Andy Mckee" - Acoustic Ballad Part II - 2
Instructor: David Soltany
Level: Intermediate
Topic: Cool Riffs
Style: Acoustic
Watch out for the quick lick here. It's something i like to use, playing open notes and hammer notes. Always keep the rhythm in mind (thumb percussion). First, work on the lick itself, then add the thumb rhythm.
For the last chord, the finger order ...
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1:36
Getting Started With Lead Fills - Intro/Fill 1
Instructor: Chris Feener
Level: Beginner
Topic: Exercises
Style: Acoustic
This tutorial is for you acoustic strummers who are looking to expand on some lead abilities for the purpose of complimenting your progressions. I frequently am asked to address this topic so I figured I'd scratch the surface of implementing "fills" ...
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1:33
Getting Started With Lead Fills - Fill 2
Instructor: Chris Feener
Level: Beginner
Topic: Scales
Style: Acoustic
FILL 2:
Fill 2 involves what we like to call the "major pentatonic scale". It's the rock/blues guitarists go-to scale as it omits a couple of the notes that wil get you in trouble if not applied correctly. This fill is very "boxy", in the sense that...
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1:37
Getting Started With Lead Fills - Fill 3
Instructor: Chris Feener
Level: Beginner
Topic: Scales
Style: Acoustic
FILL 3:
Very country-esque in nature, this fill occupies a very "comfortable" area of the fretboard. The "second octave major scale". The major scale will look very familiar as it's simply shifted down two strings and up two frets from fill 1. The c...
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1:41
Getting Started With Lead Fills - Fill 4
Instructor: Chris Feener
Level: Beginner
Topic: Scales
Style: Acoustic
Fill 4:
The final fill is based around the same note sequence as the previous fill, except the rhythm is not quite as disjointed. Let's blow through the major scale with some straight eighth notes which incorporate pull-offs, slides as well as picki...
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1:02
Ballad in the style of Andy McKee - Demo
Instructor: David Soltany
Level: Intermediate
Topic: Cool Riffs
Style: Acoustic
Hey everyone! This is a song tutorial that will show you how to play a ballad with thumb percussion, in the style of Andy McKee.
Here's the tuning for this short song: D Bb C F G C
Change Low E string to DChange A string to Bb Change D string to CCha...
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2:03
Ballad in the style of Andy McKee - Part 1
Instructor: David Soltany
Level: Intermediate
Topic: Cool Riffs
Style: Acoustic
The first half of the song is not too terribly tricky. I'm going to touch on a few different sections, and you'll find those sections highlighted in the tab below.
While you learn this song, don't be afraid to implement your own interpretations, add...
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2:57
Ballad in the style of Andy McKee - Part 2
Instructor: David Soltany
Level: Intermediate
Topic: Cool Riffs
Style: Acoustic
The second half of the song has couple of tough spots to work on. Again you'll find the parts I touch on highlighted in the tab.
The main dfficulty in the second half is the fast little run you get at the end.
Try working on the run all by itself b...
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1:43
"Hypnoustic Groove" Acoustic Demo
Instructor: David Soltany
Level: Advanced
Topic: Technique
Style: Acoustic
Hey Guys, welcome to this song tutorial!
We're going to be checking out some advanced techniques in order to familiarize yourself with modern percussive-style playing.
This demo was made by a sample company called Orange Tree samples. They have ...
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1:58
"Hypnoustic Groove" Acoustic Demo - Part 1
Instructor: David Soltany
Level: Advanced
Topic: Technique
Style: Acoustic
Part 1 is the main groove of the song but only the percussion part.
Be sure to work slowly, and be aware about keeping your first right/left hand's tom percussion hits smooth.
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1:54
"Hypnoustic Groove" Acoustic Demo - Part 2
Instructor: David Soltany
Level: Advanced
Topic: Technique
Style: Acoustic
Part 2 is about the percussion groove plus the main theme.
Be careful when hitting notes with your left hand, it's quite tricky to target it right when your hand is over the neck and playing upside down.
The slide part should be focused on getting ...
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2:02
"Hypnoustic Groove" Acoustic Demo - Part 3
Instructor: David Soltany
Level: Advanced
Topic: Technique
Style: Acoustic
Now we'll move on to the arpeggio part.
Be careful of the transition between Part 2 and Part 3.
You have very limited time to hit harmonics and go back to normal (your left hand playing under the neck and your right hand getting back to picking).
...
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4:00
"Hypnoustic Groove" Acoustic Demo - Part 4
Instructor: David Soltany
Level: Advanced
Topic: Technique
Style: Acoustic
The last part is the same as Part 2 except you have to play it with your left hand in a standard position, hitting ghost notes (simplified Hi-hat) with your third finger.
Two tricky parts are the fast hammer-on/pull-off line that starts at the same ...
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1:16
Percussive Fingerstyle - Part 1
Instructor: David Soltany
Level: Beginner
Topic: Exercises
Style: Acoustic
Hey everyone! Welcome to this tutorial on acoustic percussion. We're going to be checking out some basic techniques in order to familiarize yourself with modern percussive-style playing.
So first, the tuning is : DADGADChange Low E string to D Leav...
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0:49
Percussive Fingerstyle - Part 2
Instructor: David Soltany
Level: Intermediate
Topic: Exercises
Style: Acoustic
Now, for Exercises 4 and 5 we'll be incorporating further ideas.
First, the beat will change a bit in Exercise 4 while keeping the F chord on the upbeats. This gives more groove and it's a key element to expanding on interesting grooves later on.
I...
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1:38
Memories - Full Video
Instructor: Sean Conklin
Level: Intermediate
Topic: Cool Riffs
Style: Acoustic
Hello all!
In this tutorial, we'll be learning an acoustic piece called "Memories". It's a soft CMaj7, G progression that gave me the imagery of taking a "stroll through memory lane".
Once you've checked out the full video above, head on over to th...
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1:49
Memories - Exercise 1
Instructor: Sean Conklin
Level: Intermediate
Topic: Cool Riffs
Style: Acoustic
In the first exercise, we'll be doing some picking patterns while we play through the CMaj7 and G chords.
If you're new to playing picking patterns through chord progressions, make sure you practice this slowly so you can focus on developing clean t...
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1:52
Memories - Exercise 2
Instructor: Sean Conklin
Level: Intermediate
Topic: Cool Riffs
Style: Acoustic
This exercise can be played a couple different ways. The easy way would be to simply play the notes how they're indicated in the tab below. But if you want to give the pattern some extra rhythmic flavor, I'd recommend adding some subtle percussive el...
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1:50
Memories - Exercise 3
Instructor: Sean Conklin
Level: Intermediate
Topic: Cool Riffs
Style: Acoustic
You'll find this exercise to be similar to the last one, but it has an added variation. If you look towards the middle of each measure, you'll see we now have some palm-muted notes on the 7th fret. The "P.M." markings above the notes indicate to play...
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1:39
Memories - Backing Track
Instructor: Sean Conklin
Level: Intermediate
Topic: Cool Riffs
Style: Acoustic
Have fun with the backing track!
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0:55
Acoustic Percussion Etude - Performance
Instructor: Sean Conklin
Level: Intermediate
Topic: Technique
Style: Acoustic
Hey everyone! Welcome to this tutorial on acoustic percussion. This is a short etude tutorial that will help familiarize yourself with the basic techniques of this modern acoustic style. Percussive playing on the acoustic guitar is getting more and m...
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0:55
Acoustic Percussion Etude - Part 1
Instructor: Sean Conklin
Level: Intermediate
Topic: Technique
Style: Acoustic
If you aren't familiar with playing percussion on the acoustic, be sure to learn this at a very slow pace. Watch the videos very closely and pay attention to my hand movements. At first, it might seem like there's a lot going on with all the differe...
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1:08
Acoustic Percussion Etude - Part 2
Instructor: Sean Conklin
Level: Intermediate
Topic: Technique
Style: Acoustic
In Part 2, there will be a lot more movement with your left hand as it makes its way over to knock the guitar body. Make sure you have the guitar in a stable position so it doesn't sway too much with your arm and hand movements.
Tablature Reference
...
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1:04
'In the style of' Andy McKee - Introduction
Instructor: Rick Graham
Level: Advanced
Topic: Technique
Style: Acoustic
Hey IG'ists and welcome to this tutorial in the style of the phenomenal acoustic guitarist Andy McKee.
Andy McKee was born in Topeka, Kansas and is one of the world’s finest acoustic soloists. After receiving over 20 million views collectively...
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2:27
'In the style of' Andy McKee - Solo
Instructor: Rick Graham
Level: Advanced
Topic: Technique
Style: Acoustic
OK, lets check out the piece in it's entirety.
I wrote this piece to highlight the techniques which Andy employs in his compositions so, as always, pay close attention to everything that is happening both technique wise and composition wise. Take no...
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2:17
'In the style of' Andy McKee - Part 1
Instructor: Rick Graham
Level: Advanced
Topic: Technique
Style: Acoustic
Welcome to part 1!
Lets look at how the guitar is tuned:
6=D
5=A
4=D
3=G
2=A
1=E
I have chosen to notate this piece in 4/4 as opposed to 2/4 for ease of score writing. However, what I have done is divide the bar into 2 beats with each beat in...
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1:45
'In the style of' Andy McKee - Part 2
Instructor: Rick Graham
Level: Advanced
Topic: Technique
Style: Acoustic
The rhythmic figure we have here in the second part of the intro is the same as the first part but we have some development with the use of the open top string. Be sure to let that open string ring on throughout this section.
Be careful during bars ...
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2:50
'In the style of' Andy McKee - Part 3
Instructor: Rick Graham
Level: Advanced
Topic: Technique
Style: Acoustic
Here we have the main melody of the piece.
Notice how the tonality has changed from D min to D maj. I feel this has a very uplifting but subtle feel which I like a lot.
A key element of playing pieces like this with this kind of tuning is to let al...
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2:35
'In the style of' Andy McKee - Part 4
Instructor: Rick Graham
Level: Advanced
Topic: Technique
Style: Acoustic
OK, we are now back to the D min tonality.
This section may require some extra practice as there are a couple of moments which could prove a little tricky. During bar 33, make sure that immediately after the percussion your right hand stays in posit...
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1:09
'In the style of' Andy McKee - Part 5
Instructor: Rick Graham
Level: Advanced
Topic: Technique
Style: Acoustic
This section is a repeat of the previous section but with a change in bars 45 and 46.
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2:31
'In the style of' Andy McKee - Part 6
Instructor: Rick Graham
Level: Advanced
Topic: Technique
Style: Acoustic
The percussion effect during this section is played slightly differently to how we achieved the effect before, as in with the thumb. What is more effective here is to clench the hand into a fist and let it fall onto the strings so that they hit again...
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1:45
'In the style of' Andy McKee - Part 7
Instructor: Rick Graham
Level: Advanced
Topic: Technique
Style: Acoustic
OK, we have now reached the final part and perhaps the most exciting part, Tapping!!!
Note wise it is an exact repetition of part 6 but played with the inclusion of right and left hand taps.
In order to get the best results it is essential that you...
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1:57
'Lullaby' Acoustic Piece - Full Video
Instructor: Rick Graham
Level: Intermediate
Topic: Technique
Style: Acoustic
Hello again! Welcome to my latest acoustic fingerstyle tutorial in which we will be studying a piece I wrote called 'Lullaby'.
I have done some strategic editing as the original piece is much longer and I feel that it is much more digestible in this...
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1:47
'Lullaby' Acoustic Piece - Part 1
Instructor: Rick Graham
Level: Intermediate
Topic: Technique
Style: Acoustic
The eagle eyed amongst you will have noticed that I am using a thumbpick for this piece. I must admit that I haven't often used one, but I tried the piece with it and quite enjoyed the sound so I decided to keep it in the mix. If you prefer to use yo...
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1:36
'Lullaby' Acoustic Piece - Part 2
Instructor: Rick Graham
Level: Intermediate
Topic: Technique
Style: Acoustic
In this section, it is very important that you are totally aware of where the upper melody is and that you make it as prominent as you possibly can. What I find works best for me is to separate the upper and lower parts and practice them on their own...
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0:42
Drop D Progressions - Exercise 1
Instructor: Sean Conklin
Level: Intermediate
Topic: Chords
Style: Acoustic
Hey everyone! Welcome to the Drop D Chord Progressions Tutorial. I recently did a chord progression tutorial based on standard tuning, but in this one we'll be experimenting with the tunings a bit. We're primarily going to stay in Drop D tuning, howe...
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0:34
Drop D Progressions - Exercise 2
Instructor: Sean Conklin
Level: Intermediate
Topic: Chords
Style: Acoustic
In this progression, we will be using the following chords: Dadd9, Bsus4, G6, E5.
Just like we did with the last lesson, we'll be using the open B and High E strings throughout the progression. Also, be mindful of how we switch between playing the f...
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0:49
Drop D Progressions - Exercise 3 (DADGAD)
Instructor: Sean Conklin
Level: Intermediate
Topic: Chords
Style: Acoustic
We're now going to experiment with DADGAD tuning. To go to DADGAD tuning, switch the following strings accordingly from standard tuning:
High E: switch to D B: switch to A G: leave as is D: leave as is A: leave as is Low E: switch to D
So if you we...
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0:32
Drop D Progressions - Exercise 4 (DADGAD)
Instructor: Sean Conklin
Level: Intermediate
Topic: Chords
Style: Acoustic
Here we have another progression in DADGAD tuning. We will be using the following chords: D5, DMaj7, Gsus2, Asus4.
In this lesson, we'll be picking the chord notes instead of strumming. Be sure to keep the sixteenth notes nice and even.
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1:05
Drop D Progressions - Exercise 5 (Acoustic Rock)
Instructor: Sean Conklin
Level: Intermediate
Topic: Cool Riffs
Style: Acoustic
Okay! I threw this one in just for fun. It's kind of an acoustic/funk/rock progression. Lots of good rhythm elements going on as well. Please note that we are now back in normal Drop D Tuning for this lesson. We will be using the following chords: Dm...
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0:36
Chord Progressions - G, Em, Am, C
Instructor: Sean Conklin
Level: Intermediate
Topic: Chords
Style: Acoustic
In this tutorial, we're going to learn a handful of simple chord progressions. I played everything on an acoustic guitar, but the progressions and principles can of course be applied to electric as well.
Let each progression spark ideas for you. Whi...
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0:48
Chord Progressions - E, EMaj7, C#m7, Aadd9
Instructor: Sean Conklin
Level: Intermediate
Topic: Chords
Style: Acoustic
In the 2nd progression, we're going to use the following chords: E, EMaj7, C#m7, Aadd9. I like this pattern because of how we incorporate the open B and High E strings with each chord. Let those two strings ring out, and that will give a nice themati...
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0:54
Chord Progressions - BMaj7, EMaj7, F#, E
Instructor: Sean Conklin
Level: Intermediate
Topic: Chords
Style: Acoustic
Next, we'll be using these chords: BMaj7, EMaj7, F#, E. As with most Major 7 progressions, this one sounds very calm and soothing.
Make sure you mute the appropriate strings in this. Anytime you see an "X" in the chord diagram, that means you don't ...
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0:34
Chord Progressions - B, D#m, C#, G#, A#
Instructor: Sean Conklin
Level: Intermediate
Topic: Chords
Style: Acoustic
In our 4th chord progression, we'll be using the following chords: B, D#m, C#, G#, A#.
Please pay very close attention to the strumming pattern I indicated in the tab. This progression relies heavily on a "flow" type of feel with your strumming hand...
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0:33
Chord Progressions - Bsus4, F#m7, C#m7, Aadd9
Instructor: Sean Conklin
Level: Intermediate
Topic: Chords
Style: Acoustic
We will now use the following chords: Bsus4, F#m7, C#m7, Aadd9.
This is the first progression where we won't be doing any strumming at all. We'll just be picking. Make sure you pick steadily and those sixteenth notes sound crisp and clear.
Also, ju...
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0:34
Chord Progressions - Am, FMaj7, C, Em
Instructor: Sean Conklin
Level: Intermediate
Topic: Chords
Style: Acoustic
Okay, time for our 6th progression. We will be using the following chords: Am, FMaj7, C, Em.
For the first three chords (Am, FMaj7, and C), be sure to anchor your index finger on the 1st fret B string since that note is included in all of those chor...
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0:32
Chord Progressions - C, G, Am, Em, F (Canon)
Instructor: Sean Conklin
Level: Intermediate
Topic: Chords
Style: Acoustic
Now, we of course couldn't do a chord progression tutorial without doing a short exercise with the famous "Canon" progression. In this last lesson, we will be using the following chords: C, G, Am, Em, F.
Now that you've learned these chord progressi...
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2:17
"Solace" - Acoustic Fingerpicking
Instructor: Sean Conklin
Level: Intermediate
Topic: Cool Riffs
Style: Acoustic
In this lesson we'll be learning a short acoustic piece called "Solace". When I compose, I really enjoy taking chord structures and incorporating open-string themes throughout a passage. So in this lesson, be sure to observe how we take simple Major ...
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2:05
Harp Harmonics - Soft Acoustic Harmonics
Instructor: Sean Conklin
Level: Intermediate
Topic: Technique
Style: Acoustic
In this lesson, we're going to experiment with playing harp harmonics within a chord progression. The progression will be as follows: D, G5, Bm, G5.
These chords are listed in the tab below if you don't know them already. And remember, no matter wha...
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1:48
"Acoustic Synergy" - Full Video
Instructor: Sean Conklin
Level: Advanced
Topic: Cool Riffs
Style: Acoustic
Hey everyone!
Here's a little acoustic piece I wrote called "Acoustic Synergy". Why did I call it "Acoustic Synergy"? Because it sounds cool!
I hope you enjoy this short tutorial. Once you check out the full video above, head on over to the next le...
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0:51
"Acoustic Synergy" - Exercise 1
Instructor: Sean Conklin
Level: Advanced
Topic: Cool Riffs
Style: Acoustic
Alright, before we start the first exercise, we need to adjust our guitar tuning. From your Low E string to your High E string, the tuning will go as follows: D(6) A(5) D(4) E(3) A(2) D(1)
Let's be sure to learn every part of this riff very slowly. ...
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0:54
"Acoustic Synergy" - Exercise 2
Instructor: Sean Conklin
Level: Intermediate
Topic: Cool Riffs
Style: Acoustic
Now we'll learn the strumming section for "Acoustic Synergy". We're going to have the 1st and 2nd strings ringing out through the entirety of this riff. I love the sound it gives when we layer chord changes on top of underlying open-string notes. It ...
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3:00
Introduction to Fingerpicking
Instructor: Rick Graham
Level: Beginner
Topic: Technique
Style: Acoustic
Welcome to an Introduction to Fingerstyle!
Fingerstyle is a technique that is beneficial to us in many ways. With this technique we are able to achieve a much more pianistic way of playing; that is, the ability to play seperate lines all at once. I ...
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2:30
Introduction to Fingerpicking - Fingerpicking in Practice
Instructor: Rick Graham
Level: Beginner
Topic: Technique
Style: Acoustic
Let's get started with our first piece in fingerstyle!
This piece is a chord sequence taken from the famous composition written by Johann Pachelbel called Canon in D. It is an ideal progression to enable you to work on the syncronisation of the left...
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2:43
Strumming Basics - General Overview
Instructor: Sean Conklin
Level: Beginner
Topic: Rhythm
Style: Acoustic
Welcome everyone! This tutorial is designed to lay out the very basics of guitar strumming. If you're just starting out on guitar, then these lessons are for you!
First, be sure to review the important posture points that I bring up in the video. Ke...
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1:18
Strumming Basics - Strumming with Em and A2 Chords
Instructor: Sean Conklin
Level: Beginner
Topic: Rhythm
Style: Acoustic
As mentioned in the video, for all our strumming exercises we'll be using chords with similar shapes. Doing this allows us to keep most of our focus on our strumming hand.
Before playing the patterns below, watch the video a few times and study my...
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1:08
Strumming Basics - Strumming with C and FMaj7 Chords
Instructor: Sean Conklin
Level: Beginner
Topic: Rhythm
Style: Acoustic
Now let's try some patterns with the C and FMaj7 chords. These patterns are a little more difficult because there is a lot more silence between the strums. The more silence there is, the more responsible you are for keeping good timing during the s...
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1:17
Soothing Acoustic Riff - "Revealed Essence"
Instructor: Sean Conklin
Level: Intermediate
Topic: Cool Riffs
Style: Acoustic
Hey everybody! This is a little intro to a song I wrote called "Revealed Essence". It has a nice, soft jazzy feel.
First thing to keep in mind, is how we need to keep our strumming hand constantly moving during the strumming parts. Besides a few bri...
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