All Song Tutorials
Song Tutorial

Makin' a Mayer

Richard Lundmark
IntermediateAny styleCool Riffs Song tutorial5 lessons6m

Welcome everyone! In this tutorial, we'll be looking at a song riff in the style of John Mayer. This riff is something I came up with after watching his performance on "Storytellers". It's actually meant to be played on an acoustic but I didn't have a decent acoustic handy, so I opted for an electric. But please feel free to try this out on your acoustic! So, watch the performance and then head into the break-down sections!

Play
Unlock all 5 lessons Premium includes every lesson, tab and backing track on the site.
See Premium Plans

5 Lessons

  1. 1 1:17 Lesson · 1m Makin' a Mayer - Performance Welcome everyone! In this tutorial, we'll be looking at a song riff in the style of John Mayer. This riff is something I came up with after watching his performance on "Storytellers". It's actually meant to be... Tab
  2. 2 1:16 Lesson · 1m Makin' a Mayer - Intro and Verse(s) Now for the verse. Of course, if this song was to be true to the style of John Mayer, it would have to have some pretty killer vocals and lyrics on top,  but since I'm not that proficient in either of those... Tab
  3. 3 0:58 Lesson · 1m Makin' a Mayer - Chorus Now, the chorus has something of a half-time feel compared to the verse, which I feel is a nice reprieve from the up-tempo groove of the verse riff.  The same holds true here as well with the right hand. The... Tab
  4. 4 0:51 Lesson · 1m Makin' a Mayer - Right Hand In this part you can see how the "slap" and thumb techniques work in unison. I begin slowly, and as I build speed I gradually move from the "slow version" of the verse bass line to the line played in the... Tab
  5. 5 1:31 Backing track · 2m Makin' a Mayer - Backing Track Now for the backing track. I've given you a 4 beat countdown, then I've added a hi-hat on the 1 and 3 beats until the actual riff begins. Try it out! Tab

More like this

Funky Fusion Song - Chasing a Beat Tom Quayle
AdvancedFusionImprovisingCool Riffs 8 lessons22m
Hi guys! It's nearly Easter and winter is pretty much gone, so it's time for some funky sounds to prepare for the warmer weather! This tutorial is a song of mine from my upcoming album due to be released this... Playing Vintage Guitars Sean Conklin
IntermediateRockCool Riffs 4 lessons8m
I am completely new to the world of vintage guitars. But I decided to take a plunge recently and got a refinished 1960 Fender Strat, and I absolutely love it! I wrote a new song with it for this tutorial. You... Eric Johnson Triads Martin Miller
IntermediateRockCool RiffsChords 6 lessons5m
Hey friends, Today we’ll be dealing with a concept that has been fascinating me ever since I came across it: wide interval triads á la Eric Johnson, Steve Morse, etc. Firstly, let’s look at how these... Oblivion - Progressive Metal Etude Sean Conklin
AdvancedMetalCool Riffs 4 lessons8m
Hi everyone out there in Infinite Guitar land! In this tutorial we're going to learn a piece I wrote called "Oblivion". One thing I'd like to emphasize in the beginning is that I don't ever want you to just... Picking Inside the Strings Sean Conklin
IntermediateRockTechniqueCool Riffs 7 lessons5m
Welcome to the "Picking Inside the Strings" tutorial! First thing you'll want to do is watch the video and notice the difference between picking "inside" the strings and picking "outside" the strings. You can... Fusion Rock Solo over 7/8 Sean Conklin
Intermediate-AdvancedFusionCool Riffs 3 lessons2m
In this lesson, we're going to learn a solo from a song I recently finished. The solo floats over a 7/8 time signature. If you aren't familiar with time signatures, you can check out a basic introduction here...