Anders Mouridsen's Guitar Lessons

Anders Mouridsen

Anders has been playing guitar since he was 11. A native from Denmark, he grew up studying and performing around Europe before making the jump to L.A. to pursue music. With a degree with honors from MI's Guitar Institute of Technology, Anders has performed and recorded with many renown artists including Robert DeLeo of Stone Temple Pilots, John Fogerty, Taylor Swift, Faith Evans, Pink, and Nouvelle Vague.

While Anders is our blues and country expert here at Guitar Tricks, he's also a master of many other styles. He has a large catalog of lessons on chords, rhythm, scales, soloing techniques, global concepts, artist studies, and an eclectic variety of songs on the site.

Sort By

Acoustic Course Level 1

Artist / Title / Progress
Difficulty / style
Anders Mouridsen
Down Stroke Strumming Pattern

Anders will show you the basics of the simple acoustic guitar strumming pattern.

Published: 11/04/2019 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Embellishing The Cowboy Chords

Anders will show you how to embellish the basic open chords.

Published: 11/04/2019 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Strumming Pattern Tried-and-True

Anders will add another classic strumming pattern to your arsenal.

Published: 11/04/2019 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Classic Chords With Common Tones

Anders will explore a series of chords where certain notes on the treble strings remain static through all of them. We call these common tones and it's a great sound. The common tones give these chords some wild names, but don't worry too much about that for right now. Just consider them minor or major chords with some extra flavor added.

Published: 11/04/2019 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Strumming With a Waltz Feel

Anders will show you a different right hand strumming pattern using a 3/4 time signature, or waltz feel.

Published: 11/04/2019 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
The Chords We Love and Hate

Anders will show you helpful tips for dealing with difficult to play chords.

Published: 11/04/2019 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Intro To Finger Picking

Anders will introduce a really simple version of a finger picking pattern, and as always it's really important that you take your time and don't rush ahead with this. And if you're lucky enough that this is easy for you, try to use these lessons to zoom in and perfect your right hand technique.

Published: 11/04/2019 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Next Level Finger Picking

Anders will show you a slightly more elaborate finger picking pattern. It's a little more complicated than the one we used in the previous tutorial, but it is absolutely worth the hard work. This one uses the concept of inside and outside picking.

Published: 11/04/2019 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Working In a Simple Melody Embellishments

Anders will show you how to use the basic fingerpicking patterns to weave melodies into your playing and effectively accompany yourself, while also playing the lead.

Published: 11/04/2019 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Finger Strumming

Anders will show show you a very basic way to strum with your fingers, which is similar to how you hold a pick, but it does have a slightly different sound. This will enable you to switch seamlessly between strumming and fingerpicking, which is good for accompanying a singer, but it'll also enable you to come up with cool hybrid strumming and picking patterns.

Published: 11/04/2019 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Introducing Alternating Bass Notes

Anders will show you how to incorporate alternating bass notes into the basic fingerpicking techniques learned so far. It inherently has a country sound, which is fun, but if that's not your thing, simply consider it an exercise in right hand independence and overall finger picking technique.

Published: 11/04/2019 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Finger Picking Practice Tune

Anders will show you a practice tune using the various fingerpicking techniques taught in this chapter.

Published: 11/04/2019 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
16th Note Strumming Pattern

Anders will you how to strum using 16th notes. He'll explore a groove using this subdivision and come up with a cool strumming pattern that fits it. You'll recognize the sound of it, as this rhythmic feel is used in a million classic songs.

Published: 11/04/2019 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Basics Of The Blues

Anders will show you how to explore the most basic tools used to create this classic sound of the blues with dominant 7th chords in a few different keys.

Published: 11/04/2019 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Open Drony Strings

Anders will show you how to combine fretted notes and open strings in your chord voicings to make your acoustic rhythm playing more interesting.

Published: 11/04/2019 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Root-Chord & Root-5 Strumming

Anders will show you a strumming technique that separates the main bass note from the rest of the chord. This will strengthen that rhythmic element we explored in previous tutorials.

Published: 11/04/2019 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Barre Chords With Ghost Notes

Anders will show you how to play barre chords with a strumming and muting technique that will help us get used to these sometimes difficult chords.

Published: 11/04/2019 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Arpeggiating

Anders will show you how to arpeggiate chords. This means to rhythmically separate the notes of a chord by playing them one after the other instead of all together in one strum. This is a great way to add variety to our chord playing!

Published: 11/04/2019 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
New Combinations

Anders will show you how to integrate techniques from previous tutorials into your acoustic playing.

Published: 11/04/2019 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Bass Lines

Anders will show you some basic examples of how you can add some bass lines to lead between, into and out of your different chords.

Published: 11/04/2019 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Chord Plucking and Back Beat Slapping

Anders will show you how to use a percussive slap technique to create the illusion of your guitar being more than just one instrument, because it sounds like a clap or a snare drum. The combination of the chord plucking and the percussive slaps is an extremely useful sound that can be used for thousands of songs in many different styles of music.

Published: 11/04/2019 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Travis Picking

Anders will show you an introduction to the finger picking technique known as Travis Picking.

Published: 11/04/2019 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
More Melodies

Anders will show you how to simplify the chords and picking patterns and the focus on the melody notes.

Published: 11/04/2019 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Next Level Finger Picking Practice Tune

Anders will show you a practice tune that incorporates all the techniques taught in this chapter.

Published: 11/04/2019 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Chord Anatomy 101

Anders will some basic music theory and look at how it applies to acoustic guitar playing. He starts with how chords are made from a scale and how that translates into basic triads and full chord voicings.

Published: 11/04/2019 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
I, IV and V

Anders will explain and demonstrate the basic concept of I, IV and V chords, and we'll play through a a few examples in different keys, so you can hear and feel the close relationship between these three chords.

Published: 11/04/2019 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
The Minor Chords - II, III and VI

Anders will show you the relative minor chords of the standard I, IV & V chords learned in the previous tutorial.

Published: 11/04/2019 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Secondary Dominants

Anders will show you the concept of using dominant 7th chords as secondary dominants which are used to spice up many chord progressions.

Published: 11/04/2019 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Pop Rock Practice Tune

Anders will break down, practice and ultimately play through a practice tune with heavy emphasis on rhythmic elements like strumming, hits and accents and overall groove.

Published: 11/04/2019 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Moody Country Pop Practice Tune

Anders will show you a practice tune that features elements from a few different styles of music including country, rock and pop.

Published: 11/04/2019 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Pop Practice Tune

Anders will show you a practice tune in a different stylistic universe. It's a cool pop type sound and it features a lot of extremely useful right and left hand tricks and techniques.

Published: 11/04/2019 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Finger Picking Practice Tune (Final)

Anders will break down, practice and play through a practice tune that'll create a whole new kind of mood and vibe with our finger picking tools. Most of what we'll use are things you've already learnt, but we will add a few new elements as well.

Published: 11/04/2019 Upgrade

Acoustic Course Level 2

Artist / Title / Progress
Difficulty / style
Anders Mouridsen
Next Level Travis Picking

Anders will show you how to take your Travis Picking skills to the next level with one of the most classic patterns you'll ever learn.

Published: 04/14/2020 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Clawhammer Style

Anders with show you one of his favorite ways of strumming on an acoustic guitar, which is often referred by the term that banjo players use called "clawhammer" because you alternate between "clawing" the strings on the upstrokes and lightly hammering them on the downstrokes.

Published: 04/14/2020 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Some More Melodies

Now that you have a whole bunch of left and right hand tools under your belt, it's time to test your strength with a full on Travis Picking Practice Tune.

Published: 04/14/2020 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Hybrid Picking

Anders will show you the basics of the technique called hybrid picking.

Published: 04/14/2020 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Finger Picking In 3/4

Anders will show you how to start out with the most basic pattern of 3/4 time and then we'll build upon that until we end up with quite a few tools to draw from, whenever you run into a song that has this rhythmic feel.

Published: 04/14/2020 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Travis Picking Practice Tune

Anders will put together a practice tune with a strong Travis picking country vibe using the skills and ideas in this chapter: Travis picking, clawhammer, hybrid picking.

Published: 04/14/2020 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Using A Capo

Anders will discuss and demonstrate how to use the capo to change the key of your open chords, how to use a combination of your capo and transposing to play the same chord progression in a higher register and how to use that trick to come up with a complimentary part for when you're lucky enough to play with another guitar player.

Published: 04/14/2020 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Right Hand Accessories

Anders will discuss and demonstrate the basics of finding a flatpick that's right for you, and we'll also talk about some of the more alternative tools that people use like metal finger picks as well as both real and fake finger nails. He'll also demonstrate a classic tool called a thumb pick which is quite popular for certain styles of acoustic guitar playing.

Published: 04/14/2020 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Amplifying Your Acoustic Guitar

Anders will discuss and demonstrate common ways to amplify an acoustic guitar for live performance settings.

Published: 04/14/2020 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Recording Acoustic Guitar

Anders will discuss and demonstrate equipment and techniques for recording acoustic guitar.

Published: 04/14/2020 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Types Of Acoustic Guitars

Anders discusses and demonstrates different types acoustic guitars. In this tutorial we'll look at some of the most common types of acoustic guitars: dreadnought, nylon string, parlour guitar, resonator and archtop.

Published: 04/14/2020 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Strumming With a Swing Feel

Anders will discuss and demonstrate how to strum with a swing feel, both for 8th and 16th note based strumming patterns. This may seem deceptively simple at first, but behind the basic mechanics there's a whole world of personal expression and important musicianship to be explored.

Published: 04/14/2020 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
More Embellishments / Chord Licks

Anders will show you how to take hammer-on embellishments to the next level.

Published: 04/14/2020 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Next Level Arpeggiating

Anders returns to the technique of arpeggiating but in a different way which is really more of a overall approach than a specific part or pattern. It's a concept that is widely used and can incorporated in many different styles.

Published: 04/14/2020 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Acoustic Power Chords

Anders will discuss the classic fretted power chords, but we'll also explore the more bluegrass-sounding open power chords that are particularly cool on acoustic guitar.

Published: 04/14/2020 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Palm Muting

Anders will demonstrate how to take your palm muting to the next level by incorporating all the skills learned so far in the course.

Published: 04/14/2020 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Dynamics

Anders will demonstrate the concept of dynamics. It's an all-important tool for distinguishing the different sections of a song and making your playing more musical.

Published: 04/14/2020 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Drop D and Double Drop D

Anders will introduce the concept of alternate tunings starting with drop D tuning as well as the lesser known double drop D.

Published: 04/14/2020 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Open D Tuning

Anders will demonstrate and discuss using the open D tuning.

Published: 04/14/2020 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
DADGAD Tuning

Anders will explore a classic variation on the open D tuning, which is known as DADGAD referring to the names of the open strings D A D G A D.

Published: 04/14/2020 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Classic Open G Tuning

Anders will explore the classic open G tuning.

Published: 04/14/2020 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Wild Card Tunings

Anders will show you a handful of wild card tunings including: various single string tuning, open minor tuning, Nashville Tuning.

Published: 04/14/2020 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Stripping It All Down

Anders will start in the simple end of the spectrum and explore how little we can get away with when accompanying a singer completely by ourselves.

Published: 04/14/2020 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Fills Between Phrases (With Pick)

Anders will explore some useful and fun ways to add embellishments and fills in between the vocal phrases using a pick. These tools can also be used for instrumental sections like intros, outros and solo sections, and it's really fun to explore the gray are between rhythm and lead playing.

Published: 04/14/2020 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Fingerpicking Fills

Anders will explore the different tricks and techniques you can use to fill in the space between vocal phrases when you're fingerpicking.

Published: 04/14/2020 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Playing With Another Guitar Player

Anders will explore how to double a guitar part for extra emphasis or use your knowledge of voicings, chord licks and capos to come up with complimentary guitar parts.

Published: 04/14/2020 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Accompaniment Practice Tune

Anders will show you how to apply the skills in this chapter to a fun practice tune with a groovy 16th note feel.

Published: 04/14/2020 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Fingerpicking Swing Grooves

Anders will show you how to use a thumb pick to take your Travis picking technique to a new level.

Published: 04/14/2020 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Open String Melodies

Anders will show you a classic and useful way to play melodies on an acoustic guitar, which uses a combination of open strings and fretted notes to create a piano-like sustain between the notes. This can be a bit confusing to wrap your head around at first, but it's a really cool sound and something you encounter quite frequently when you're learning classic instrumental guitar arrangements in this style.

Published: 04/14/2020 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Next Level Melodies

Anders will break down, practice and ultimately play through a slightly more advanced instrumental guitar arrangement of a melody written to include a lot of classic sounding tension notes.

Published: 04/14/2020 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Acoustic Harmonics

Anders will show you how to use natural harmonics to play triads, scale patterns and an interesting and somewhat harp-like sound.

Published: 04/14/2020 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Jazzy Chord Voicings

Anders will show you some of the more jazzy chord voicings that often come in handy, when you want to play instrumental versions of classic songs. This is where country and blues really start to overlap with jazz, and the result is a beautiful and classic sound which is a ton of fun to play.

Published: 04/14/2020 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Final Practice Tune

Anders will break down, practice and play through one final practice tune that incorporates most of the techniques taught in this chapter. This will include the swing feel, open string licks, tension notes, a few harmonics and some of the jazzy chord voicings. It's a fun tune for using a thumb pick, but it is completely possible to play the arrangement without one as well.

Published: 04/14/2020 Upgrade

Country Rhythm Playing

Artist / Title / Progress
Difficulty / style
Anders Mouridsen
2 and 4 Barre Chords in Country

Now that you're familiar with the basic foundation that most country songs are built on, which is the acoustic guitar strumming chords, it's time start exploring how an electric guitar might compliment these basic parts. Although the electric and acoustic guitars are similar in many ways, the roles they play within the band are very different. The acoustic guitar covers the basic harmony, so the electric guitar is actually more of a rhythm instrument in this context.

Published: 09/10/2015 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Advanced Country Strumming Patterns

Country music ultimately comes down to an acoustic guitar. That's where almost every song starts, and being able to play a solid acoustic rhythm guitar part for a Country song is more valuable than any other skill you can acquire in this world. In this first tutorial we'll dig into some more advanced right hand work.

Published: 08/27/2018 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Arpeggios in Country

In this tutorial we're going to explore how to incorporate more rhythm guitar arpeggios into your country rhythm guitar playing in some fun and useful examples.

Published: 09/10/2015 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Basic Country Strumming

Introducing common strumming patterns in Country, applied to a one chord groove. Start with all 4, then accent 2 and 4, then add the upstroke so it's "1, 2-and, 3, 4-and".

Published: 09/10/2015 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Common Country Chords

Introducing some of the most common open chords used in country with the basic strumming from the previous tutorial.

Published: 09/10/2015 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Common Chord Progressions

Showing some of most basic chord progressions used in country.

Published: 09/10/2015 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Country Finger Picking

At this point you've hopefully gotten pretty comfortable with using your pick, but for this tutorial we're going to put it down and instead explore all the sounds we can get out of using our right hand fingers instead.

Published: 09/10/2015 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Country Shuffle Boogie Riff

Even in the early days of the genre, there was a lot of overlap between Country Music and other styles like Blues and Rock'n Roll music. This particularly comes to light in many of the classic electric guitar parts used, and in this tutorial we'll explore a prime example of just that.

Published: 08/27/2018 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Electric Intros and Outros

Often in country music the electric guitar will need to fill in for a melody instrument, in place of the pedal steel, or the fiddle, and take the leads for the intros, outros and solos. The electric guitar will use the rhythm tools you've already learned to compliment the harmony and the groove.

Published: 09/10/2015 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Electric Travis Picking

We've already explored some basic Travis picking on acoustic guitar, but now it's time to explore this great technique on our electric. Everything we did on the acoustic can be transferred directly to the electric guitar, and you'll most likely notice that it's all a lot easier to pull off. That's because most people generally have lighter strings and lower action on electric guitars. This will also mean we can make it slightly more advanced and add a bunch of cool tricks to the basic sound.

Published: 08/27/2018 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Embellishing The Country Shuffle Boogie Riff

Now it's time to take your country shuffle boogie riff to the next level by adding a handful of authentic sounding licks and tricks to the basic riff. The rhythm vocabulary that you'll end up with from this will get you incredibly far in almost any style of music that's based on Rock, Country and Blues. We'll look at some variations that work best for the open position version of the riff as well as some that work for any key, anywhere on the neck.

Published: 08/27/2018 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Hybrid Picking For Rhythm Guitar

Apart from the Travis Picking, we've really only used our hybrid our "chicken picking" tools for lead playing. Now it's time to explore all the crazy cool sounds you can get once you start using hybrid picking in your rhythm playing. This will open up the door to a whole new world of rhythm parts and riffs that are so full of motion and rhythm that they could drive the whole groove completely on their own.

Published: 08/27/2018 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Intros and Outros

Now that you know some of the most common chord progressions used in country, it's time to look at some of the most common ways to lead into and out of these progressions or any given chord progression for that matter. In the context of a song this would be called adding "intros" and "outros". There are of course endless variations on each of these examples, but in this tutorial we'll explore the most basic and common versions of intros and outros used in country songs.

Published: 09/10/2015 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Next Level Intros and Outros

Although you'll occasionally have the luxury of having a fiddle player or a pedal steel player in your band, you as the electric guitar player have to be prepared to take the lead on any intros, outros and solos. We've already covered the basics of how to do this, so in this tutorial we'll take it all one step further by including all of the elements you've learned since then: your new pedal steel licks, triads, half step below approach, chicken picking and Travis Picking.

Published: 08/27/2018 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Jazzy Chords

Up until now we've mostly used the basic minor and major chords, with only a few basic tension notes added like the 6 and the b7. Now it's time to explore some of the more advanced chord types and used in Country like the 9 chords, 13th chords, diminished chords and #5/augmented chords. These chords will add a jazzy vibe to your rhythm playing that can be really fun to use from time to time.

Published: 08/27/2018 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
More Advanced Country Chords

In this tutorial we'll explore some of the more advanced chords used in Country. This will include dominant 7 chords as well as what's called "slash chords" which is a chord with a different bass note than the root note. These chords can be thrown in to a regular chord progression in order to add a little extra tension and harmonic variation. The idea is not to change the harmony, but purely to use use these tools to further the movement that is already happening.

Published: 08/27/2018 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Root/5 Barre Chords In Country

Now that you're familiar with the most basic application of barre-chords in a Country Context, let's take it one step further by adding the classic root/5 bass movement, just like we did on acoustic guitar earlier.

Published: 09/10/2015 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Root-5 Strumming

Introducing the 5 and the root-5 strumming.

Published: 09/10/2015 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Root-Chord Strumming

Introducing the concept of separating the root note and alternating between that and the chord. Applied to all the chords from tutorial 2.

Published: 09/10/2015 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Tic Toc Part 1

In this tutorial we're going to explore one of the most quintessential electric country rhythm tools. This tool is a rhythmic and percussive approach often referred to as "Tic Toc" guitar parts and I'm sure you'll recognize the sound of it!

Published: 09/10/2015 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Tic Toc Part 2

In this tutorial we'll apply the "Tic Toc" concept to our open chords. This is when it really starts to sound right, but it's also a bit more challenging.

Published: 09/10/2015 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Travis-Picking - Laying The Foundation

In this tutorial we're going to ditch our pick and explore some more advanced finger picking. This will most likely be quite challenging for you, but we will take it all one step at a time and ultimately this will lay the foundation for the incredibly valuable country rhythm tool known as "Travis Picking". There is no limit to how far you can eventually take this concept, but even in its most basic form it's an incredibly useful rhythm guitar tool that any country guitar player should be able to use.

Published: 08/27/2018 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Travis-Picking - Building On It

In this tutorial we're going to venture further into the wonderful, but challenging world of Travis-picking on acoustic guitar. Now we're going to add 1-5 motion in the bass as well as a movement between the I and the IV-chord on the treble strings. When you put all this together, you'll hear that it almost sounds like a ragtime piano and in fact this style of guitar playing was invented by imitating the left and right hand of a piano player.

Published: 08/27/2018 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
More Travis Picking

At this point we've built up a pretty solid foundation for Travis picking, both on acoustic and electric guitar. And as I've mentioned many times before, there is no limit to how far you can eventually take the concept of Travis Picking, so in this tutorial we'll venture even further into this exciting but ever-challenging terrain. This will mostly have to do with adding melodies on the treble strings, and although we're exploring all of this in a rhythm guitar context, you may start to notice the first glimpses of how you can ultimately use this technique to play grooves and melodies at the same time.

Published: 08/27/2018 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Using a Capo to Adapt the Tools

Most chords offer some possibility for tricks and variations, but it's not always the ones you want to use especially when it comes to the more unusual keys like flat keys like E-flat and B-flat for example. That's where the device called a "capo" is incredibly valuable because it enables you to use all of these tricks and tools in multiple keys.

Published: 08/27/2018 Upgrade

Country Lead Playing

Artist / Title / Progress
Difficulty / style
Anders Mouridsen
Acoustic Lead Playing Vol. 1

So far we've been using our acoustic guitar as accompaniment and our electric guitar as a combination of accompaniment and lead. But some of the electric tools will work on acoustic as well and that's what we're going to start exploring in this tutorial.

Published: 09/10/2015 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Acoustic Lead Playing Vol. 2

In the previous tutorial you got a basic introduction to country lead playing on acoustic guitar. In this tutorial we're going to venture further into this terrain with some more cool licks, tricks and tools.

Published: 09/10/2015 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Adding Melody Lines

Up until now we've kept rhythm and lead playing very separate, but now that you have a basic understanding of both of these skill sets it's time to start exploring how the two can overlap and work together.

Published: 09/10/2015 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Advanced Melody Lines

In this tutorial we'll explore some more fills and variations you can add to your basic country strumming. Some of these have to do with bass lines walking into and out of the chord changes and some of them are fills that can be used to fill in the space between vocal phrases or to mark the end of a section. This requires quite a bit of both left and right hand precision, but you'll need to dig into that hard work sooner or later, so you may as well get started on it right now.

Published: 08/27/2018 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Basic Triads In Country

When you play a full barre chord there are actually many more notes than you really need. In this tutorial we'll look at how to strip down your full barre-chords to smaller versions of each chord known as "triads" and how you can use those in your electric country rhythm playing.

Published: 09/10/2015 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Country Chord Licks

We've already explored some basic of examples of how rhythm and lead playing can sometimes overlap, and now it's time to take that concept one step further by looking at different ways to embellish your basic chords and rhythm parts in a Country context.

Published: 09/10/2015 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Chicken Pickin'

One of the most common lead tools used in country is called "chicken picking", and it refers to a percussive right hand technique that I'm sure you'll recognize the sound of. It's a really great sound, but it does require a whole new right hand technique where you combine the regular use of your pick with your right hand fingers.

Published: 09/10/2015 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Double Stoppin'

So far we've been improvising with a combination of single notes, triads and pedal steel licks, and now it's time to explore another crucial component in the classic country sound. This sound comes from deliberately picking two notes at a time, and the sound is commonly referred to as "double stops".

Published: 09/10/2015 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Half Step Below

In this tutorial we'll explore an extremely useful trick that you can use in your lead playing to obtain a slightly jazzier sound. This trick revolves around chord tones and arpeggios and uses the half step below each of these.

Published: 09/10/2015 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Horizontal Country Licks

In this tutorial we'll explore some more classic country licks. Up until now we've mostly stayed with our left hand in one position at a time and moved up and down in a vertical scale pattern to improvise. At this point we're going to start venturing more and more into licks that move horizontally on the neck rather than just going up and down between the floor and the ceiling. I call this a "horizontal approach", and although it can be a little confusing at first, you'll also realize how this can open up the whole neck for you and unlock a whole new vault of super cool country licks.

Published: 08/27/2018 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Minor and Major Pentatonics

So far we've mainly used our major pentatonic scale pattern as the basis for all of our soloing, and then we've thrown in tension notes to spice it up. Now it's time to explore how you can use a full scale pattern to add tension, and instead use single key notes from the major pentatonic pattern to resolve this tension. We'll be soloing over a chord progression in a major key, and the tense scale pattern will be the minor pentatonic.

Published: 08/27/2018 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
More Double Stoppin'

Now it's time to explore the next level of using double stops in your country soloing. It is possible to use these licks with regular flat picking, but they definitely sound more Country when you use combine your pick and your right hand fingers. This technique is called "Hybrid Picking", and it will require a great deal of focus, while you're trying to learn the new double stop licks.

Published: 08/27/2018 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Next Level Pedal Steel

In the first level of this country course we explored some of the most basic versions of pedal steel licks on electric guitar. You can get a lot of mileage out of even the simplest pedal steel vocabulary, but there is no limit to how far you can eventually take this concept. It can be used in everything from tasteful rhythm parts to blazing solos, and in this tutorial we'll explore the next level of pedal steel vocabulary on electric guitar.

Published: 08/27/2018 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
On The Pentatonic Trail

Anders will explore the top 3 strings of the A major pentatonic scale. He'll use the A major barre chord with the root on the 6th string and make a basic Country lead pattern.

Published: 09/10/2015 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Pedal Steel Lead

In the previous chapter we explored the wonderful world of pedal steel vocabulary on electric guitar. We used the basic vocabulary in more of a rhythm guitar context, so in this tutorial we'll explore that same vocabulary in a lead context. This will once again challenge your bending technique, but it will also open up a whole new world of interesting sounds in your lead playing.

Published: 09/10/2015 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Pedal Steel Sounds

A crucial cornerstone in the classic Country sound is the pedal steel guitar. This is a whole different instrument to play, but in this tutorial we'll look at some simple ways to emulate the sound of a pedal steel guitar on our regular electric guitar.

Published: 09/10/2015 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Standard Country Licks Vol 1.

Anders starts exploring the concept of "licks" as a language of musical statements. He takes the ideas learned in previous course tutorials and show you how to use them as the building blocks as a starting point for your own country style improvisation.

Published: 09/10/2015 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Triads, Triads and Triads!

Anders shows how basic triads can be used a basic introduction to playing solos and lead parts in a Country context.

Published: 09/10/2015 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Takin' Control of the Triads!

In this tutorial we're going to explore the next level of using triads in your Country soloing. Just like it's the case with many of the other topics we cover there's virtually no end to how advanced you can get with a topic like this. So this will just be another step on your long, but exciting journey towards becoming a ripping country guitar player. And to make the deal even sweeter, understanding how to use triads in your soloing will benefit you in any style of music that you want to play down the road.

Published: 08/27/2018 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
When the Blues Scale Becomes Country

Anders will show you show to add more flavor to you country lead guitar playing using chromatic notes to the basic pentatonic scales in order to add "tension" or "spice".

Published: 09/10/2015 Upgrade

Country Musicianship

Artist / Title / Progress
Difficulty / style
Anders Mouridsen
Combining It All

Now it's time to try combining all of these techniques, but in order to avoid overwhelming you with options, we'll explore the different combinations one at a time, before we put it all together at the end.

Published: 09/10/2015 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Combining it All (Level 2)

In this chapter we've explored a whole bunch of new tricks and techniques, and it's always important to take a little extra time to repeat and explore all of the new vocabulary, before you move onto the next thing. So in this tutorial we'll look at some of the best combinations of the different lead tools we've explored in this chapter, and try them out over a backing track.

Published: 08/27/2018 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Country Amp

In this tutorial we'll turn our attention to an actual amp, and we'll break down all the different parts and controls that you find on a classic guitar amp. This will enable you to dial a great Country tone on almost any amp you encounter down the road. We'll use a Fender Super Reverb as the test subject, since it has many of the basic controls you'll find on most amps.

Published: 09/10/2015 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Country Rock Practice Tune

In this tutorial we're going to break down a practice tune with a rockin' and bluesy "honky tonk" vibe. Once again we'll start out each section with an acoustic guitar part, and draw from our whole arsenal of licks, tricks and tools to come up with a fitting electric guitar part. We'll play some solid rhythm guitar through the intro, verse and chorus sections, and then we'll break loose and play a rockin' solo in the middle.

Published: 08/27/2018 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Keeping Time At Faster Tempos

Up until now we've mostly played in tempos that are slow to moderate. That's always the best thing to do whenever you're learning something new, cause ironically when it comes to learning rushing ahead only tends to slow you down. That being said it is quite common in Country Music to use much faster tempos for dramatic effect. This is a very exciting and fun element, but it requires a whole new level of time keeping and technical skill. Ultimately you'll want to be able to use all your rhythm and lead tools, at any tempo, but in this lesson we'll look at how, in the meantime, you can adapt your basic rhythm parts and rhythmic feel to work at these faster tempos. This way you'll be able to obtain a relaxed sound, even as the tempos get faster and faster.

Published: 08/27/2018 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Modern Country Rock

In this tutorial we'll explore an example of a more recent country sound. This variation of country is very rock-oriented, and we'll get to dig into some really fun riffs and soloing tricks throughout it. As always we'll start out going through the basic harmony for each section and then we'll use all of our knowledge as well as a few new tricks here and there to come up with a cool electric rhythm part for it all.

Published: 08/27/2018 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Outlaw Ambience

So far we've been playing rhythm parts that are very rhythmically active and all help drive the groove in different ways. Now it's time to explore a totally different approach where we sit back and play some laid back and cool ambient guitar parts that most likely will make you think of classic Western movies and bad guys riding off into the sunset.

Published: 08/27/2018 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Slap Back Delay

In this tutorial we'll explore a very useful effect that you hear all the time in Country music. This effect is called "delay", which is the same thing as an echo effect. The reason it's called "delay" is that the pedal splits up your signal and delays one of them to create the echo effect.

Published: 09/10/2015 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Tex Mex Practice Tune

In this tutorial we're going to explore another regional sound and vibe that you encounter in both contemporary and classic country. This sound has a lot of influences from south of the border, and it's a ton of fun to play. For our practice tune today we'll let our acoustic guitar be both the rhythm and the lead instrument, and we'll look at some very cool compositional tools as well as some new and exciting lead approaches that work extremely well on acoustic guitar.

Published: 08/27/2018 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
The Jokers

In this tutorial we're going to explore some useful effects that I'm sure you'll recognize the sound of when you hear them: the volume pedal, compression, and phaser.

Published: 09/10/2015 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Traditional Practice Tune

Now we've reached the last chapter of the 2nd level of the country course, and it's time to start zooming out a little bit and looking up from the fretboard. It's always great to acquire new skills, and we'll keep on adding tricks and tools to your arsenal, but it's also important to start using all of these skills in a context that more resembles a real-life playing situation.

Published: 08/27/2018 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Twangy Guitars

This tutorial will introduce you to the most common guitars used in Country music: Telecaster, Stratocaster, Hollowbody, Bigsby equipped and acoustic.

Published: 09/10/2015 Upgrade

Songs

Artist / Title / Progress
Difficulty / style
Eric Clapton image
After Midnight Eric Clapton

In this tutorial we'll be learning the chords, form, and solos in "After Midnight", as made famous by Eric Clapton. This song is a great example of an alternative blues form and it features several minutes of Clapton's legendary lead guitar playing. The two solos in this song comprise a huge library of Clapton signature sounds, tricks, and techniques, and learning both of them will give you enough "Clapton vocabulary" to last you for years! There are also some great rhythm guitar and songwriting tricks to be learned from this song.

Published: 07/08/2010 Upgrade
Pearl Jam image
Alive Pearl Jam

In this tutorial, Anders Mouridsen will teach you "Alive", by Pearl Jam. Anders will introduce the song and look at the gear and tone, then dive into the epic opening riff. You'll learn the band hits before we break down the verses, choruses, then the bridge. The song's breakdown comes next, then we're off to the guitar solo in 4 parts. We'll detail the ending, then do full and single guitar performances before you take over in the jam along.

Published: 09/16/2013 Upgrade
Eagles image
Already Gone Eagles

In this song tutorial, Anders Mouridsen will teach you the 1974 hit by the Eagles, "Already Gone". Anders will explain the gear and tone for the song, then dig into the song intro, verse, and chorus. He'll then teach you the lead fills that come in the second verse and chorus, followed by the solo after the second chorus. Then he takes a look at some rhythm guitar, more lead fills, and the leads in the outro jam. We'll take it out with a play-along performance.

Published: 05/12/2011 Upgrade
Eric Clapton image
Before You Accuse Me Eric Clapton

Before You Accuse me was written in 1958 by Elias McDaniel (also known as Bo Diddley). In this tutorial, we take a gander at an acoustic version of the song made famous by Eric Clapton, focusing on right hand fingering techniques, the middle and outro solos, the rhythm guitar parts, then lay it all down to a backing track.

Published: 10/27/2009 Upgrade
Doc Watson image
Black Mountain Rag Doc Watson

Anders will show you all the classic bluegrass moves from the dramatic sounding single note intro, to the melody, the solos and the rhythm guitar plays the classic boom-chick strumming with lots of little embellishments and cool bass movement.

Published: 09/10/2015 Upgrade
Carl Perkins image
Blue Suede Shoes Carl Perkins

Anders will show you the 2 guitar parts in this song. The song is driven by the electric guitar, but underneath that is a supporting acoustic guitar, which we'll break down as well. There are classic stops on the I-chord and then the groove picks up as they swing their way through the 12-bar form. We have the two fun solos featuring absolutely classic rock 'n' roll vocabulary

Published: 03/24/2021 Upgrade
John Lee Hooker image
Boom Boom John Lee Hooker

In this blues song tutorial, Anders Mouridsen will be breaking down the song "Boom Boom", by John Lee Hooker. First we'll talk a bit about the gear and getting the darker, "muffled" tone, then we'll pick apart the main riff and talk about John Lee's unique right hand technique. There's a lot of "free" jamming and soloing in this song, and Anders will break all that down for you. To close, we'll do a full play along performance, and then mute the guitars to you can jam along on your own.

Published: 05/02/2012 Upgrade
The Police image
Can't Stand Losing The Police

In this tutorial Anders Mouridsen will break down every note that you hear on the studio version of "Can't Stand Losing You" as made famous by The Police in 1978. There's so much great stuff to learn from this song since the track is packed with awesome guitar parts and interesting grooves from the rhythm section. There are reggae influenced rhythm guitars, power-punk parts, ambient harp harmonics, super creative use of effects and much more, so get tuned up and ready for some Police action!

Published: 03/17/2011 Upgrade
The Doobie Brothers image
China Grove The Doobie Brothers

In this ten lesson set, Anders Mouridsen will guide you through all the elements of the classic rock song "China Grove", as made famous by the Doobie Brothers. Anders will explain the tone and effects, and the truly classic main riff. He'll then take you through the pre-chorus, chorus, and bridge; followed by the solo and the chords underneath the solo. He'll finish off by teaching you the outro, and play it all through in a final performance.

Published: 08/15/2011 Upgrade
The Meters image
Cissy Strut The Meters

In this tutorial Anders Mouridsen will teach you how to play the classic New Orleans funk jam song "Cissy Strut" as made famous by The Meters. You're gonna learn everything you need to know about this song; how to play the melody or the "head", how to play the B section ensemble line, how to "comp" when someone else is soloing and how to take a solo yourself. After this tutorial you'll be able to jam out with the record or go play Cissy Strut live at a jam-session.

Published: 02/07/2011 Upgrade
Stevie Ray Vaughan image
Come On (Let The Good Times Roll) Stevie Ray Vaughan

In this tutorial we'll be breaking down and playing through the classic Stevie Ray Vaughan song "Come On Baby (Let The Good Times Roll)". This song is a four and a half minute long goldmine of the Stevie Ray Vaughan vocabulary, and we'll break down every note he plays. I'm gonna walk you through his right hand rhythm technique and both of the rockin' solos. And since this song is very fast and challenging, I'll also play through both solos at a slower tempo, so you get a chance to pick up every little detail.

Published: 06/30/2010 Upgrade
Steve Earle image
Copperhead Road Steve Earle

In this set of song lessons, Anders Mouridsen will teach you "Copperhead Road", by Steve Earle. First off will be an overview of the tune, and a look at the gear and tones. Then Anders will show you the main acoustic strumming part in the "double drop D" tuning, and follow up with the entrance of the full rockin' electric band. The lesson after that will show you the electric rhythm, and then we'll look at the clean fills. We'll then do a play along, and you'll take over for the jam along.

Published: 08/01/2012 Upgrade
Patsy Cline image
Crazy Patsy Cline

"Crazy" is a great example of that wonderful mixture of the down home country vibe and the jazzier harmony and more elaborate production that was popular in Nashville at that time. But in it's essence, this song is all about the vocals and the heart breaking message the lyrics are conveying. So everything the guitar is playing is working to support that.

Published: 04/28/2014 Upgrade
Stevie Ray Vaughan image
Crossfire Stevie Ray Vaughan

In this series of lessons, Anders Mouridsen will take you note-by-note through "Crossfire", by Stevie Ray Vaughan. After introducing the song, Anders will look at the gear and tones then do a breakdown of the form and harmony. This song is mostly licks, fills, and soloing; Anders will teach you the licks in the intro, verse, chorus, bridge, and outro, and every phrase in the solo. We'll finish up with a play along performance, then you'll play with the "band".

Published: 02/06/2013 Upgrade
Son House image
Death Letter Blues Son House

In this song tutorial, Anders Mouridsen is going to teach you "Death Letter Blues" , by Son House. After a song synopsis and looking at the tone and tuning, Anders will plunge into breaking the main intro riff. What's happening while playing the I chord is next, followed by the details of playing the IV and V chords. The Anders will show the whole 12 bar progression, and the ending of the song. Last, we'll do a play along performance.

Published: 06/13/2012 Upgrade
The Police image
De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da The Police

In this tutorial Anders Mouridsen will show you everything that happens in the studio version of the classic song "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da" as made famous by The Police. This song was huge hit at the time. Anders will teach you the main riff with the heavy chorus effect, the palm muted arpeggio parts in the verses, the punctuated rhythms in the pre-choruses, the elements that occur in the bridge, and take you through it all in a full performance.

Published: 03/17/2011 Upgrade
Marty Robbins image
El Paso Marty Robbins

In this set of eight videos, Anders Mouridsen will be teaching you the country/tex-mex classic, "El Paso", by Marty Robbins. Anders will talk about the gear and tone, then break down the intro lead and the intro and verse chords. Then Anders will mosey on to the chorus of the song, followed by showing you some tex-mex soloing techniques. We'll finish up with a full performance play along, and a jam along with the backing track.

Published: 05/16/2012 Upgrade
Sting image
Fields of Gold Sting

In this tutorial Anders Mouridsen will teach you an instrumental solo acoustic guitar arrangement of the song Fields Of Gold as made famous by Sting. You'll learn to play the melody, the bass, the groove and the harmony all at once, which requires some hard work and concentration! We'll look at all the techniques necessary to play the verses, choruses, and interludes; we'll take it slowly, note by note. We'll finish it off with a play along where you'll be able to play the full arrangement of this beautiful song.

Published: 02/07/2011 Upgrade
The Grateful Dead image
Friend of the Devil The Grateful Dead

Anders will show you how to play the acoustic guitar parts that form with classic song from the iconic descending line that starts the form to the rhythm strumming, to the solos.

Published: 06/04/2015 Upgrade
The Rolling Stones image
Get Off My Cloud The Rolling Stones

Anders will show you the 2 electric guitar parts in this song. Guitar 1 plays a simple but effective chord progression and riff that drives the song. Guitar 2 plays another very simple, but highly effective single note guitar part that dances around between the vocal and the rhythm part. This song uses open chords, barre chords, simple single note melodies and chord arpeggiation.

Published: 09/25/2020 Upgrade
B.B. King image
Ghetto Woman B.B. King

In this tutorial I'll be walking you through every note that is played on the song "Ghetto Woman", as made famous by the great B.B. King. There's so much great blues lead vocabulary in this song: a mellow and funky rhythm guitar part that uses delay and has a swampy feel, superb guitar tone, and of course lots of B.B.'s great soloing! So whether you're feeling the blues or not, this song will get you there.

Published: 11/13/2010 Upgrade
The Rolling Stones image
Heart Of Stone The Rolling Stones

Anders will show you the 2 guitar parts in this song. Guitar 1 is a basic clean rhythm guitar part strumming the chords, driving the groove. Guitar 2 is a low baritone guitar playing very catchy response licks outlining the chords in between the vocal phrases. Anders will show you how a baritone guitar works, but for the main breakdowns and performances he'll adapt the baritone parts to be played on your regular guitar. Guitar 2 also plays a guitar solo in the middle of the song, which he'll go through note-for-note.

Published: 07/24/2020 Upgrade
Los Lonely Boys image
Heaven Los Lonely Boys

Heaven chords and tabs are available as you learn this lesson featuring the hit from Los Lonely Boys. In this guitar lesson, Anders Mouridsen will show you how to play the song, including the double stop strumming, the rhythm parts, the bubble licks, and even the solos that occur throughout the song. You can put it all together at the end with a backing track as well.

Published: 11/11/2009 Upgrade
Muddy Waters image
Hoochie Coochie Man Muddy Waters

In this tutorial you'll learn how to play the classic blues song as made famous by the one and only Muddy Waters. This song is an absolute blues classic and it's been covered by pretty much any blues artist to ever walk this earth. It's also very much a part of the "standard" blues repertoire that every blues player is expected to know.

Published: 08/21/2014 Upgrade
Eagles image
Hotel California Eagles

Learn the Hotel California chords alongside the Hotel California tab. This iconic song from the Eagles features a killer arrangement taught by Anders Mouridsen. Learn the 12-string and electric rhythms, the harmonized parts in the verse, and much more. Once you've mastered the song, don't forget that you can sing along with the Hotel California lyrics as well.

Published: 11/03/2011 Upgrade
James Taylor image
How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You) James Taylor

In this song tutorial, Anders Mouridsen will teach you the song "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)" as made famous by James Taylor. This one has an arrangement that's quite full of instruments, and in these lessons we'll look at the role of guitar in a rhythm section. Anders will talk about the tone, the basic triad inversions, the rhythm approaches in the sections of the song, the sax solo on guitar, and the final fills - then a full performance!

Published: 04/24/2011 Upgrade
Albert Collins image
I Ain't Drunk Albert Collins

In this song tutorial we will look at the open minor tuning used by Albert Collins. We'll also show you how to combine the use of a capo with finger picking to get that dirty blues sound in the solo. We'll also explore the rhythm guitar techniques used, then put it all together in a play along, then a jam along.

Published: 09/25/2009 Upgrade
Jeff Beck image
I Ain't Superstitious Jeff Beck

In this tutorial Anders will teach you how to play the great song "I Ain't Superstitious" as made famous by Jeff Beck. This song is an absolute blues classic, and it's been performed and recorded by countless blues artists through the years. The version we'll be looking at today features some incredible and extremely unique guitar playing that combines some really creative use of delay effects with whammy bar, wah pedal tricks and some super expressive slide playing in standard tuning.

Published: 04/29/2014 Upgrade
Muddy Waters image
I Can't Be Satisfied Muddy Waters

In this tutorial you'll learn how to play an iconic blues tune by a master. This song packed with great acoustic blues guitar playing. The are two guitars on this recording. One is the main slide guitar that interacts with the vocals throughout the whole song as well as a great strumming rhythm guitar that supports the groove throughout the whole song.

Published: 09/04/2014 Upgrade
Patsy Cline image
I Fall To Pieces Patsy Cline

In this tutorial you'll learn to play a country classic. This song features that classic combination of the down-home country vibe and the more elaborate and "pretty" production elements that were popular in Nashville at that time. But a song like this is ultimately all about the vocals and the story it is telling, so everything we do in the guitar parts has to be working to support that.

Published: 09/11/2014 Upgrade
Johnny Cash image
I Got Stripes Johnny Cash

In this set of lessons, Anders Mouridsen will teach you one of the many country hits from Johnny Cash, "I Got Stripes". Anders will discuss the gear and tones you need for this song, then delve into the voicings and strumming and all the acoustic parts. Anders will then dig into the electric parts for the verse and chorus, and look at the key modulation. We'll bring it to a close with a look at the slowed-down ending, and a final song performance and a jam along.

Published: 02/23/2012 Upgrade
Creedence Clearwater Revival image
I Heard It Through The Grapevine Creedence Clearwater Revival

The song "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" was originally a Motown hit made famous by Marvin Gaye, but the Creedence Clearwater Revival version is especially fun to learn. This song is as rootsy and swampy as it gets! It's a perfect example of how a few notes and some simple strumming can take you a long way if you play your cards right. You'll learn the strumming rhythm and groove, the hook, the low drone, the solo, and a play along; plus how to play it live.

Published: 07/07/2010 Upgrade
Bo Diddley image
I'm A Man Bo Diddley

In this blues tutorial, Anders Mouridsen is going to teach you the one-chord classic "I'm A Man", by Bo Diddley. Anders will tune you in to what makes a song like this tick, then how to get the tone. We'll look at how to tune your guitar to an open E tuning, where to place the capo, and how to play the repeating riff. Next up, Anders will teach the licks and soloing, followed by how to play the riff in standard tuning. We'll end things with a full performance play along, then a jam along where you take over.

Published: 08/08/2012 Upgrade
Creedence Clearwater Revival image
I Put A Spell On You Creedence Clearwater Revival

Anders Mouridsen is going to break down and play through all the guitar parts of "I Put A Spell On You" as made famous by Creedence Clearwater Revival. There is so much to be learned from this song, and in this tutorial we'll talk about how the song structure holds all that tension, how the rhythm guitar parts work so well together, and how your lead guitar playing gets as expressive as the solo in this classic version of a classic song.

Published: 07/08/2010 Upgrade
Alan Jackson image
It Must Be Love Alan Jackson

In this tutorial you'll learn how to play the song "It Must Be Love" as made famous by Alan Jackson. This song is a great example of a more modern country sound, that still has all the classic country elements like the strumming acoustic guitars, sweet sounding pedal steel and twangy telecaster.

Published: 07/21/2014 Upgrade
The Black Crowes image
Jealous Again The Black Crowes

In this tutorial I'll be breaking down every note of the song "Jealous Again" as made famous by The Black Crowes. Most of this song is played in an open G-tuning and learning these guitar parts will give you enough open G-rock vocabulary to last for years. There's a killer guitar riff in the intro, lots of solid rock rhythm guitar throughout the song and a rippin' solo at the end!

Published: 10/07/2010 Upgrade
The Allman Brothers image
Jessica The Allman Brothers

In this tutorial you'll learn all the guitar parts of the classic instrumental southern rock song "Jessica", as made famous by The Allman Brothers Band. It's a 7 minute long instrumental jam tune with a very catchy melody, harmonized by two electric guitars. There's also a great extended guitar solo and a classic acoustic guitar riff that hooks you in immediately. This song is a goldmine of the blues/rock/country guitar vocabulary, and is a lot of fun to play by yourself or jam on with your band.

Published: 07/07/2010 Upgrade
Elvis Presley image
Jailhouse Rock Elvis Presley

In this series of lessons we'll break down the parts of the 50s classic "Jailhouse Rock", as made famous by the inimitable Elvis Presley. The guitarist on the original recording is Scotty Moore, of the fathers of early rock 'n' roll. He tuned down for this song to accommodate Elvis' vocal range. You'll learn the form of the song, the feel of the rhythm, the solo, and play through the whole classic tune with a play along. Let's rock!

Published: 08/17/2010 Upgrade
The Rolling Stones image
Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me) The Rolling Stones

In this tutorial we're gonna break down the studio version of "Just My Imagination" as made famous by The Rolling Stones. This studio version of this song is chock full of great rhythm guitar playing! In these lessons we'll break down each of the guitar parts and look at how they all contribute to the overall sound of the track. After we've broken down the three guitar parts, I'll play through the song, and we'll talk about how you can adapt everything you learn to other musical contexts.

Published: 01/20/2010 Upgrade
The Beatles image
Let It Be The Beatles

The Let it Be chords in this guitar lesson are fairly simple, which makes this Beatles song approachable for any intermediate guitar player. Anders will show you how to play the song's piano part on acoustic guitar and also show you how to play this song using just a single guitar. Once you're done with the lesson, sing and play along with the Let it Be lyrics located right below the video.

Published: 11/10/2013 Upgrade
The Rolling Stones image
Let It Bleed The Rolling Stones

Anders will show you how to play the acoustic guitar part that works just as well around a campfire by itself as it does on a big stage with a full band. On top of that is a very iconic slide guitar, riffing more or less throughout the whole song, dancing in between the vocal phrases.

Published: 02/17/2021 Upgrade
Tom Cochrane image
Life Is A Highway Tom Cochrane

Anders will show you the 2 guitar parts in this song. First we have the main riff with all the cool rhythmic elements. Then there's our supporting guitar which does the funky high part. This guitar also adds the clean delay parts in the pre-choruses. There's the cool and mellow bridge section and so much more.

Published: 04/09/2021 Upgrade
The Allman Brothers image
Little Martha The Allman Brothers

In this set of thirteen guitar lessons, Anders Mouridsen will teach you "Little Martha", by The Allman Brothers. Anders will introduce the song, then talk about the acoustic tone, and the open E tuning. This is a 2 guitar song, and the following lessons will look at each guitar's role in the A, B, and C sections. Next is the song ending for both guitars, a full play along performance, and jam along's for each guitar.

Published: 12/12/2012 Upgrade
Howlin' Wolf image
Little Red Rooster Howlin' Wolf

In this tutorial Anders will show you "Little Red Rooster" with all the classic, authentic blues tone, licks and tricks using an open A tuning.

Published: 07/17/2014 Upgrade
The Rolling Stones image
Love In Vain The Rolling Stones

Anders will show this cover of the classic Robert Johnson blues tune. You'll learn the lonely acoustic that opens the song, the altered 12 bar form, the very moody electric slide guitar in the mix that adds a lot to the overall vibe and how to imitate the sound of the mandolin heard on the original recording. The guitar parts in this song are very loose and jammy, but at first we'll condense both the acoustic and electric parts into a more concise part that we can break down practice. Then after that I'll show you how to approach all the different variations that they use throughout the song, so that ultimately you can come up with your own interpretation of these parts. We'll also talk about how to get both your acoustic and electric tones just right, how to use a capo to change the key and much more. The song is in the key of Bb, and the song features a slow 12/8 and the quarter note equals XX bpm. So let's get started!

Published: 09/04/2014 Upgrade
Maroon 5 image
Makes Me Wonder Maroon 5

In this song tutorial, we'll be dissecting all the funky goodness within the song "Makes Me Wonder", as made famous by Maroon 5. There's a lot of phat grooves and quirky twists going on in this tune, and Anders "The Man" Mouridsen will guide you through the gear and tone, the main funky riff, the various bubble licks, the underlying harmony for all the sections, the chord progressions throughout the song form, then lay it all in the pocket in a final play along.

Published: 01/05/2011 Upgrade
Stevie Ray Vaughan image
Mary Had A Little Lamb Stevie Ray Vaughan

Anders will teach you the iconic blues-rock song "Mary Had A Little Lamb", as made famous by Stevie Ray Vaughan. This is a really fun song, packed with classic SRV blues/rock vocabulary, and even though this song is somewhat short and concise, there's rhythm and lead material enough in it to last you a lifetime. This song is performed as a "power trio" meaning the guitar only has bass and drums backing it up, and it's the perfect exercise in seamless switching between rhythm and lead playing as well as strumming and single note picking.

Published: 07/03/2018 Upgrade
Eric Clapton image
Me And The Devil Eric Clapton

Anders will show you how to play this tune in an authentic acoustic Delta blues style! It features some tricky right hand technique, but it's a skill that will be worth the time to learn.

Published: 04/09/2015 Upgrade
The Police image
Message In A Bottle The Police

In this eight lesson tutorial we'll be learning the song "Message in a Bottle", as made famous by The Police. This tune broke as a hit on the cusp of the 1980s, and was one the of the songs that propelled The Police to superstardom. Anders Mouridsen will teach you the jazzy, driving main verse riff, the harmonized guitar part that goes along with the main riff, the rockin' first half of the chorus, the quiet reggae second half, the leads, and he'll also talk a bit about the tone and effects. As always, he'll play it all through in a full performance.

Published: 11/28/2010 Upgrade
The Pretenders image
Message of Love The Pretenders

In this song tutorial we're going to break down every note that is played on "Message Of Love", as made famous by The Pretenders. There's a lot of interesting harmony and great guitar playing on this song! We'll be focusing on all the elements that give this song it's unique sound: the tone, the main guitar riff, the song form and rhythmic accents, the melodic riff "solo", the outro chorus, and a full performance at the end.

Published: 12/18/2010 Upgrade
The Rolling Stones image
Midnight Rambler The Rolling Stones

Anders will show you how to play this classic Rolling Stones song. Guitar 1 is an electric playing the classic main bluesy riff of the song. Guitar 2 plays the signature slide part. And for the first couple of verses everything is fairly straight forward until several dramatic changes in the rhythmic groove.

Published: 02/24/2021 Upgrade
Mountain image
Mississippi Queen Mountain

In this classic rock song tutorial, Anders Mouridsen will show you all the parts to "Mississippi Queen", as made famous by Mountain. After talking about the tones, Anders will teach you the intro riff, rhythm and solo. You'll then learn the verse which is loosely based on the 12 bar form and continues throughout the song. Anders will teach the lead fills and main guitar solo, then conclude with a play along and you take over in the jam along.

Published: 08/11/2011 Upgrade
George Thorogood image
Move It On Over George Thorogood

Want to learn some slide guitar? In this series of nine lessons, Anders Mouridsen will teach you the burnin' blues rock song "Move It On Over", covered by George Thorogood in 1978. Anders will go over the tones and open G tuning, and get into the rhythm guitar grooves. From there, he'll pick apart every note in all three slide solos, plus some lead variations. Then he'll show you the ending of the song, followed by the play-along performance.

Published: 12/07/2011 Upgrade
Brooks & Dunn image
My Maria Brooks & Dunn

In this set of lessons, Anders Mouridsen will teach you the country hit "My Maria", by Brooks & Dunn. First off is a synopsis and a look at tones and gear, then we'll dig right into the main acoustic riff and the electric fills, and the chorus section and fills. After Anders goes through the 2nd verse fills, the bridge section, and the next double chorus, he'll get into the soloing in 3 separate lessons. We'll close with a play along and a guitars-muted jam along.

Published: 02/29/2012 Upgrade
Chuck Berry image
Nadine Chuck Berry

In this song tutorial, Anders Mouridsen will break down all the elements of the class rock 'n' roller "Nadine", by Chuck Berry. We'll give you an overview of the song, then look at the gear and tones; after which we'll detail the intro riff. Then we'll look at the verses: one basic, and the other the more advanced that occurs later. A fun additional lesson will be learning the horn part, then we'll end with the play along and the jam along.

Published: 11/07/2012 Upgrade
B.B. King image
Nobody Loves Me But My Mother B.B. King

In this tutorial Anders will show you a fun and authentic way to play this blues classic it on acoustic guitar.

Published: 09/08/2014 Upgrade
Alice Cooper image
No More Mr. Nice Guy Alice Cooper

In this ten lesson tutorial, Anders Mouridsen will take you through all the parts in "No More Mr. Nice Guy", made famous by Alice Cooper. Anders will talk about the tone and effects, the classic main opening guitar riff, the rhythm guitars, the chords and accents in the pre-chorus, the hooky chorus parts, the bridge, and the outro. He'll top it all off with a full performance play along, and don't forget to use the A-B looping function in the video player to repeat the slow-plays if you need to!

Published: 02/18/2011 Upgrade
The Rolling Stones image
Ruby Tuesday The Rolling Stones

Anders will show you how to play this classic tune on an acoustic guitar. The original only had a 12-string acoustic playing during the chorus. Anders will show you how to adapt that part for a regular 6-string acoustic. There's a part that fits with the orchestral part, but can also stand on its own if you ever want to play this song by yourself.

Published: 03/03/2021 Upgrade
Johnny Rivers image
Secret Agent Man Johnny Rivers

In this song tutorial, Anders Mouridsen with be getting his "spy" vibe on and teaching you "Secret Agent Man", as made famous by Johnny Rivers in the mid 60's. Anders will talk a bit about the tones on this recording, and delve into the classic "spy" main riff. He'll teach you the verses and choruses, and also the lead fills and melody-based solo. Then Anders will show you how to end the song, followed by a full performance play along.

Published: 08/15/2011 Upgrade
Maroon 5 image
She Will Be Loved Maroon 5

In this song tutorial we'll be learning "She Will Be Loved" by Maroon 5. This is a very melodic pop song that was a big hit, and there's a lot going in the tune. We'll be learning the "jazzy" main verse riff, the delay lead, the other overdubbed guitar parts that make up the "wall of sound" choruses, and the slide guitar part for the outro. At the end there's a full play-along performance with the full "band".

Published: 12/01/2010 Upgrade
Howlin' Wolf image
Smokestack Lightning Howlin' Wolf

In this blues tutorial, Anders Mouridsen will teach you "Smokestack Lightning", by Howlin' Wolf. This is a one-chord blues based around a repeating riff, and after an overview of the song and talking about the gear and tones Anders will break down that main riff. Next up will be the supporting rhythmic line that's played along with the riff; then you'll learn some variations to the main riff. We'll cap it all off with a play along, then you take over in the jam along.

Published: 05/23/2012 Upgrade
The Allman Brothers image
Statesboro Blues The Allman Brothers

The Allman Brothers' live version of the song "Statesboro Blues" features some of the most legendary slide playing ever recorded...but you don't have to be a master slide player to learn something from this song! We'll go through the basic slide vocabulary in an open tuning, and if you are more experienced with slide playing (Or just a quick learner) you can catch all the hard wide jumps, fast runs and overall virtuosity that Duane Allman shows in Statesboro Blues.

Published: 12/09/2009 Upgrade
Lynyrd Skynyrd image
Sweet Home Alabama (Made Easy) Lynyrd Skynyrd

Anders will show you this classic Southern Rock anthem in a version that has been made easy, so you can hang at any level. This is a really fun song that almost everyone knows, and it features three basic chords repeating throughout the whole song, so if you can learn and perform even the simplest version of it, it is bound to pay off.

Published: 02/21/2018 Upgrade
The Rolling Stones image
The Last Time The Rolling Stones

Anders will show you all three guitar parts in this classic early rock song. There's a driving acoustic rhythm guitar, strumming the basic open chords. There's an electric rhythm guitar that plays the main riff during the whole song, as well as chords during the choruses. Finally there's the reverb-effected electric lead guitar, which only comes in for the solo.

Published: 02/10/2021 Upgrade
Stevie Ray Vaughan image
The Sky Is Crying Stevie Ray Vaughan

"The Sky Is Crying" is a widely-covered blues standard; in this tutorial we're going to take a look at Stevie Ray Vaughan's powerful version of the song. We'll break down some key elements in his playing style, take you through some tricky spots, and finally play through the whole song "note for note". Take anything you like from this blues classic and use it in your own playing!

Published: 10/27/2009 Upgrade
ZZ Top image
Tush ZZ Top

In this set of lessons, Anders Mouridsen will teach you "Tush", by ZZ Top. After giving an overview of the song and talking about the gear and tones, Anders will dive right into the main intro riff and the verse. The we're on to the slide solo in two parts, followed by solo #2. The we'll look at how to play all the parts using one guitar, to help in playing this song live. We'll end with a play along, then you take over and jam by yourself with the backing track.

Published: 10/11/2012 Upgrade
The Allman Brothers image
Ramblin' Man The Allman Brothers

In this tutorial you'll learn how to play the song Ramblin' Man as made famous by The Allman Brothers Band. This is one of my favorite Allman brothers songs with a distinct Southern vibe, interesting lyrics, beautiful vocal harmonies and lots of great guitar playing. There are quite a few guitar parts in this song and we're gonna break down every note; the harmonized intro, the strumming rhythm guitar that holds it all together, the first solo, the harmonized tag at the end of the song, the harmonized outro solo, the slide guitar and much more!

Published: 10/31/2010 Upgrade
Eric Clapton image
Rollin' & Tumblin' Eric Clapton

Anders teaches you how to play the classic blues song "Rollin' and Tumblin'" as made famous by Eric Clapton. This song is a crucial part of the historic foundation of blues music and it's been covered by almost every blues artist to ever walk this earth. The version we'll be exploring today is driven by an acoustic resonator slide guitar in an open G tuning.

Published: 05/01/2014 Upgrade
The Police image
Roxanne The Police

Here we're taking a close look at another Police classic, "Roxanne". This song was a huge hit and broke The Police into stardom. It's another example of Andy Summers unique style of rhythm and chord voicings, and Sting's songwriting approach of incorporating reggae rhythms and . Anders Mouridsen will break down the gear and tone, the intro rhythm, the song form (verses, pre-chorus, and chorus), the interesting chord voicings, and the play it through in a full performance.

Published: 12/11/2010 Upgrade
Blues Traveler image
Runaround Blues Traveler

This series of song lessons takes a look at the alt-rock 90s hit, "Runaround", by Blues Traveler. Anders Mouridsen takes you through the 4 chord progression, how to play the chords and strum the rhythms, the electric guitar part, and the song's dynamics and orchestration. This is a great one to play on your own on acoustic guitar!

Published: 11/01/2010 Upgrade
Elmore James image
Shake Your Money Maker Elmore James

Anders will show you all the great, fun guitar parts to this blues classic. You'll learn the swampy, swinging sounding opening boogie riff in open D, the iconic slide parts and how to put all these parts together!

Published: 04/06/2015 Upgrade
ZZ Top image
Sharp Dressed Man ZZ Top

Anders will teach you all the fantastic rock guitar playing in this tune. First there's the call & response based main riff, then a rocking rhythm guitar part, then a slide solo followed by a standard blues-rock licks solo.

Published: 06/25/2015 Upgrade
Jerry Reed image
She Got The Goldmine (I Got the Shaft) Jerry Reed

Anders will show you the two main rhythm guitars in this song, the bluesy riff played in the verse, and the wall of harmonizing cool, jazzy country lines.

Published: 09/10/2015 Upgrade
The Black Crowes image
She Talks To Angels The Black Crowes

In this song tutorial I'll teach you how to play the song She Talks To Angels as made famous by The Black Crowes. This song is played in an open E tuning and is a great song to play on acoustic guitar. We're gonna break down every note that is played on this recording - everything from the classic intro to the verses and choruses, and the form of the song - so that next time you pick up an acoustic guitar you'll be able to play this beautiful, soulful tune.

Published: 09/06/2010 Upgrade
Junior Walker and the All Stars image
Shotgun Junior Walker and the All Stars

This song is all about making people dance, and everything that happens in the band is supporting this. The whole song is based on a one-chord jam, and the part we'll be playing uses a combination of funky 16th note strumming and a lower pentatonic single note lick that locks in with the bass.

Published: 08/07/2014 Upgrade
Lynyrd Skynyrd image
Simple Man 2011 Lynyrd Skynyrd

In this song tutorial, we'll be taking a look at "Simple Man", as made famous by Lynyrd Skynyrd. Anders Mouridsen will talk about the gear and tones to dial in, then break down the arpeggiated parts for you. Then it's on to a cool doubled riff that they play in lieu of the chorus after the 1st verse; then the chorus part, the guitar solo, and the rhythm part under the solo. We'll do a full song performance and a jam along for the finale.

Published: 12/20/2011 Upgrade
Creedence Clearwater Revival image
Susie Q Creedence Clearwater Revival

In this set of 10 videos, Anders Mouridsen will teach you "Susie Q", as performed by Creedence Clearwater Revival. Anders will give an overview and talk about the tones, then dive into the classic riff. You'll then learn the verses, and the rhythm guitar. The next 3 lessons are all solos, then you'll do a play along performance and then you're on your own in the jam along.

Published: 11/20/2012 Upgrade
The Rolling Stones image
Sympathy For The Devil The Rolling Stones

Anders will show you how to play an acoustic guitar part through the song since there isn't a guitar part in the original song until the super bright and iconic lead guitar comes in about halfway through. Playing the acoustic guitar part will help you play this song by yourself or with a band. Once the solo comes in he will break down every note played.

Published: 03/10/2021 Upgrade
Johnny Cash image
Tennessee Flat Top Box Johnny Cash

Here in this set of song lessons, Anders Mouridsen will break down the classic country song "Tennessee Flat Top Box", written and recorded by Johnny Cash. Anders will dig into the gear and tone a bit, then teach the intro riff. Next we'll look at the acoustic rhythm guitar, then segue into the electric. You'll learn the riff that is played after every verse, then some of the variations in the song. We'll "flat-top" it off with a full performance.

Published: 12/14/2011 Upgrade
B.B. King image
The Thrill Is Gone B.B. King

In this tutorial you'll learn how to play the classic blues song "The Thrill Is Gone" as made famous by the one and only B.B. King. This song exemplifies the classic, moody minor blues and B.B.'s playing and singing on it is nothing short of legendary.

Published: 07/08/2014 Upgrade
Willie Dixon image
The Seventh Son Willie Dixon

Anders will show how to play the blues as authentic as it gets! There's the simple, but effective slide guitar part repeating throughout the song as well as another rhythm guitar that plays a super cool and universally applicable rhythm part.

Published: 02/02/2015 Upgrade
The Rolling Stones image
Under My Thumb The Rolling Stones

Anders will show you both guitar parts to this song. Guitar 1 is an acoustic rhythm guitar that drives the groove throughout the whole song. Guitar 2 is an electric guitar that alternates between playing cool rhythmic chord stabs and single note lines that delicately toe the line between a rhythm and a lead part. The electric guitar also plays a solo in the middle of the song.

Published: 03/17/2021 Upgrade
Cream image
White Room Cream

In these ten lessons, Anders Mouridsen will take you through the classic rock song "White Room", by Cream. Anders will talk about the gear and tone, then teach you the iconic intro and main riff. Then we're off into the rhythm guitar playing and chorus parts, followed by all the lead fills and main solo. We'll finish things off with a full performance of the song, and a jam along sans guitars.

Published: 12/20/2011 Upgrade
B.B. King image
Why I Sing the Blues B.B. King

In this set of 12 videos, Anders Mouridsen will teach you "Why I Sing the Blues", as made famous by B.B. King. After the gear and tones, Anders will detail the funky rhythms in this straight-ahead 12 bar blues. This tune is all about blues soloing, so Anders will follow with breaking down the five solos in the song, with the final solo in two parts. Finally you'll do a play along, then we'll mute the guitars so you can jam with the band.

Published: 07/20/2012 Upgrade
Stevie Ray Vaughan image
Willie the Wimp Stevie Ray Vaughan

In this series of lessons, Anders Mouridsen will teach you "Willie the Wimp", made famous by Stevie Ray Vaughan. Anders will talk about the song as a whole then get into the tones; then it's on to the progression, riff, and lead-ins. The harmony rhythm guitar line is up next, then we're on to the first solo. We'll follow that with the outro solo, then do a play along; you'll take over and play the song by yourself in the jam along.

Published: 04/22/2013 Upgrade
Everclear image
Wonderful Everclear

In this tutorial we're gonna break down every note that's played on the studio version of "Wonderful", as made famous by Everclear. We'll learn the progression that repeats throughout the song, the verses and chorus, the arpeggiated parts, the roles of the two guitars, the bridge, and a look at the jam elements that take the song out. Wonderful!

Published: 11/14/2010 Upgrade
Garth Brooks image
Wrapped Up In You Garth Brooks

In this series of song lessons, Anders Mouridsen will be teaching you "Wrapped Up In You", as made famous by Garth Brooks. After introducing the song and going over the gear and tones, Anders will break down the rhythm and solo in the intro, then the details of the verses and choruses. Next up is the jam section of the tune, and another "hook" verse. Lastly is a solo guitar riff, the full performance play-along, and the "guitarless" jam-along.

Published: 02/01/2012 Upgrade
Bachman-Turner Overdrive image
You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet Bachman-Turner Overdrive

In this set of song lessons, Anders Mouridsen will take you through the classic rock hit "You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet", as made famous by Bachman-Turner Overdrive. You'll learn about the gear and tone to play this song, and the opening rhythm and solo. Anders will then show you the verse and chorus chords and riffs, followed by the last three solos. Then you'll play along with the song in a full performance.

Published: 02/23/2011 Upgrade
Chuck Berry image
You Never Can Tell Chuck Berry

In these nine videos, Anders Mouridsen will lay out the simple and fun parts to "You Never Can Tell", by Chuck Berry. Anders will talk a bit about the old style tones, then teach the intro riff. Next you'll learn the simple I-V chord progression, and the boogie pattern. Before we learn the song ending and do the performance and jam along, we'll show you the piano solo and how to solo over the progression.

Published: 05/09/2012 Upgrade

Channel Episodes

Artist / Title / Progress
Difficulty / style
Anders Mouridsen
GT Channel: Anders Mouridsen 2013

Alright guitar players, now we're going to take a look at the 2013 Guitar Tricks channel tips and tricks! Host Anders Mouridsen gives you fun and instructive insights into guitar topics.

Published: 02/25/2013 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
GT Channel: Anders Mouridsen 2017

Anders Mouridsen GT Channel episodes from 2017.

Published: 09/15/2017 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
GT Channel: Anders Mouridsen 2018

Anders Mouridsen GT Channel episodes from 2018.

Published: 01/01/2019 Upgrade

Rock Chords

Artist / Title / Progress
Difficulty / style
Anders Mouridsen
Add a Finger to Your Open Chords

In this tutorial, Anders Mouridsen will be teaching you how to "embellish" your open chords. This is called "suspension", which is a big word for a very simple thing: adding a finger! Anders will demonstrate a good tone to use for this, then show you how to add a finger to spice up your open A, D, E, and G chords. To conclude, we'll put it all together and apply it to an easy practice tune.

Published: 09/18/2012 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Chord Extensions in Rock

In this set of lessons, Anders Mouridsen will teach you about extensions in rock. He'll discuss the broader concept, then dial in a clean tone before laying out a basic progression with barre chords. After that we'll look at 9th chords, then slash chords. Then we'll add tension with sharp 5 chords, then learn about suspended 2nds. We'll conclude with a practice tune to put it all in context.

Published: 07/02/2013 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Open Chords Rock!

In this opening tutorial in Rock Level 1, Anders Mouridsen will take a look at using open chords in rock. After a brief introduction, you'll learn how to dial in a good tone for these type of chords. Next, you'll learn the classic "stadium" A, D, and G open chords. We'll follow that with a lesson on the open C chord, then how to rock your open E chord. We'll conclude the lesson with a practice tune, putting it all together with a backing track.

Published: 06/25/2012 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Power Chord Essentials

In this next series of lessons on rock chords, Anders Mouridsen will teach you power chords. After an introduction and setting up a good tone, Anders will show you both the sixth string root and fifth string root power chords by stripping down the barre chords. Then we'll mix things up between strings and voicings, before we apply it all in two practice tunes.

Published: 07/25/2012 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Rock Chords: Easy Practice Exercises

In this set of lessons that concludes chapter 1, Anders Mouridsen will teach you some great exercises that will help you develop your rock playing muscles. You'll dial in a direct tone, then learn ways to build strength and fluency with open chord, barre chord, and power chord exercises, and finally exercises for your "add a finger" embellishments.

Published: 09/18/2012 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Rock Rhythm: Chords and Voicings

In this next series, Anders Mouridsen is going to teach chords and voicings to add to your rhythm playing. After Anders introduces the tutorial, he'll dial in a Telecaster tone; then he'll teach a classic major chord voicing. Next in the queue are D string root power chords and dominant 7ths, followed by one-finger power chords and power 9 chords in drop D tuning. We'll put it together in a practice tune, then do some practice exercises.

Published: 06/05/2013 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Rock Your Barre Chords

In our second tutorial on rock chords, Anders Mouridsen will teach you how to play basic barre chords in rock. Anders will introduce barre chords to you, then set up a good tone. Next we'll break down the E shape major and minor barre chords on the sixth string, then the A shape barre chords on the fifth string. After that, we'll put our barre chords to use in two rock practice tunes.

Published: 07/25/2012 Upgrade

Rock Rhythm

Artist / Title / Progress
Difficulty / style
Anders Mouridsen
Arpeggiation in Rock

In this set of lessons, Anders Mouridsen will teach you how to start applying arpeggiation to your rhythm playing. An introduction and a good arpeggio tone come first, then you'll learn how to arpeggiate open chords with 8th notes, power chords with palm muting, and barre chords with 16th notes. Next we'll arpeggiate in 3/4 time; then we'll mix it all up. You'll learn some easy practice exercises, then a practice tune.

Published: 11/27/2012 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Anticipations in Rock

In this set of lessons, Anders Mouridsen will show you how to anticipate, or "push" the beat. We'll introduce the concept to you, then dial in a medium distortion tone. We'll start with anticipating eighth notes on the upbeat, then look at how to anticipate quarter notes. Next we'll push sixteenth notes, and follow that up with multiple 16th note anticipations; then we'll put it all together in a practice tune.

Published: 11/26/2012 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Developing a Solid Rhythmic Feel

In this first tutorial we're going to work on your "rhythmic feel" with metronomes, backing tracks, and records. A good rhythmic feel is one of the most important things you need for playing great rock guitar, so make sure to give all these exercises everything you've got.

Published: 12/10/2013 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Different Feels in Rock

We're going to analyze the tools and the mechanics behind each "feel", but eventually the idea is to avoid thinking about the technical parts and instead just think about the feel you're trying to imply. Then if you've done your homework right, the mechanics will all be there!

Published: 12/10/2013 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Mix and Match Styles

These elements aren't restricted to be purely from rock sub-genres; these will just be the examples for now. Eventually you can combine elements from totally different styles of music like jazz, blues, or world music - and beyond that even stories, movies, landscapes, and experiences can help shape the music you make.

Published: 12/04/2013 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Palm Muting: Improve Your Right Hand

In this set of lessons, Anders Mouridsen will take your palm muting to the next level. Anders will introduce the concepts of right hand control, then dial in a suitable tone. After that we'll look at where and when to mute, followed by how to apply and release your palm. Palm muting arpeggios is up next, then we'll learn how to palm mute bass notes. We'll put it all into a practice tune, and finish up with some easy practice exercises.

Published: 06/05/2013 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Rhythm Embellishments: Add Some Spice

In this series of rock rhythm lessons, Anders Mouridsen will teach you some ways to start embellishing your rock rhythm playing. Anders will talk a bit about rhythm embellishments and suggest a tone, then delve into using faster subdivisions as fills. Next we'll use upbeats to spice things up, and how to use broken patterns. We'll conclude with putting it all in a musical context with two practice tunes.

Published: 11/27/2012 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Rock Rhythm: Key Elements

In this tutorial, Anders Mouridsen will teach some key elements in rock rhythm. Anders will introduce this topic then talk about a good tone; then we're off into swing feel in rock. Next we'll examine 8th and 16th note syncopations, then learn how to suspend the rhythm. We'll look at how to rush or drag the beat before we put everything together in a practice tune. We'll end with some easy practice exercises.

Published: 06/26/2013 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Rock Strumming: Take It Up a Notch!

In this tutorial, Anders Mouridsen will teach you some "next level" rock strumming approaches. After introducing the lesson concepts and dialing in an appropriate tone, we'll look at a new 8th note pattern. Then it's time to swing the 8th notes before we learn a new 16th note pattern, and swing those, too. We'll learn some "karate chop" muting, then move on to two practice tunes. We conclude with some easy practice exercises.

Published: 06/05/2013 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Simplify: Strip Down Your Chords

In this set of lessons, Anders Mouridsen will teach you how to strip down your chords. Anders will discuss the topic and set a good tone for the lessons, then dissect 6th string root barre chords. Next is 5th string root barre chords, then we will strip down our substitutions. We'll put it all into context and performance in a stripped down practice tune.

Published: 07/02/2013 Upgrade
Anders Mouridsen
Strumming in Rock

In this set of rhythm lessons, Anders Mouridsen is going to examine strumming in rock. We'll talk about strumming and get an appropriate tone, then look at palm muting and strumming with both eighth and sixteenth notes. Then we'll learn about ghost strums, and apply everything to two practice tunes. We'll finish with a lesson on how to derive strum patterns from the drums.

Published: 11/26/