First let's take a look at some exercises you can use to practice your open chords with the metronome. I'll show you a bunch of different ways to work on this, but the idea is not for you to sit and do every exercise that I show. The idea is for you to understand how to come up with exercises that can help you improve something specific you might be having trouble with.
You can choose any of the open chords to play along with the metronome, but here we'll just go between a simple A chord and the slightly more challenging Csus2 chord.
We'll start at 80 beats per minute (BPM). You can start at a slower or faster tempo, but don't go too fast! The idea here is that we'll bump up the tempo by 2 beats per minute, slow it by 1 BPM, then faster again by 2 BPM, and so forth.
You can choose any of the open chords to play along with the metronome, but here we'll just go between a simple A chord and the slightly more challenging Csus2 chord.
We'll start at 80 beats per minute (BPM). You can start at a slower or faster tempo, but don't go too fast! The idea here is that we'll bump up the tempo by 2 beats per minute, slow it by 1 BPM, then faster again by 2 BPM, and so forth.
Ready For More Lessons?
1: Rock Chords: Open, Barre, and Power
Open Chords Rock!
- Introduction: Open Chords, New Sounds
- Open Chord Hard Rock Tone
- The Stadium Open A, D, & G
- The Rockin' Open C
- Rock Your Open E Chord
- Open Chord Practice Tune
Rock Your Barre Chords
- Introduction: Barre Chords in Rock
- Barre Chord Rock Tone
- E Shapes 6th String Root
- A Shapes 5th String Root
- Barre Chord Practice Tune 1
- Barre Chord Practice Tune 2
Power Chord Essentials
- Introduction: Power Chords in Rock
- Power Chord Rock Tone
- Power Chords 6th String Root
- Power Chords 5th String Root
- Power Chords: Mixing the Voicings
- Power Chord Practice Tune 1
- Power Chord Practice Tune 2
Add a Finger to Your Open Chords
- Introduction: Spicing Up the Basics
- Add a Gritty Clean Tone
- Add a Finger to Your A Chord
- Add a Finger to Your D Chord
- Add a Finger to Your E Chord
- Add a Finger to Your G Chord
- Embellishment Practice Tune
Easy Practice Exercises
2: Rock Rhythm: The Power of Rock
Splitting Up the Beat
- Introduction: The Importance of Rhythm
- Simple Tone for Simple Rhythms
- Long Divisions: Whole and Half Notes
- The Basic Pulse: Quarter Notes
- Split the Quarter: Eighth Notes
- Now Split the Eighth: Sixteenth Notes
- Basic Subdivision Practice Tune
- Easy Subdivision Exercises
Anticipations in Rock
- Introduction: What Are Anticipations?
- Medium Distortion for Anticipations
- On the Upbeat: Eighth Notes
- The Long Push: Quarter Notes
- Fast Punch: Sixteenth Notes
- Multiple Eighth Note Anticipations
- Anticipation Practice Tune
Strumming in Rock
- Introduction: Strum the Subdivisions
- Strumming Rock Tone
- Palm Mute Your 8th Notes
- Strummed 8th Notes
- Now Palm Mute Your 16th Notes
- Strummed 16th Notes
- Ghost Note Strumming
- Rock Strumming Practice Tune 1
- Rock Strumming Practice Tune 2
- Strum Patterns From the Drums
Arpeggiation in Rock
- Introduction: One Note at a Time
- Rock Arpeggiation Tones
- Open Chords with 8th Notes
- Power Chords with Palm Muting
- Barre Chords with 16th Notes
- Arpeggios in 3
- Arpeggios, Mix Up the Tools
- Arpeggiation Practice Exercises
- Arpeggiation Practice Tune
Add Some Spice
3: Rock Soloing 101
Major & Minor Scales in Rock
- Introduction: Major & Minor Scales in Rock
- Rock Lead Les Paul Tone
- The Major Scale in Rock
- Improvise with the Major Scale
- The Minor Scale in Rock
- Improvise with the Minor Scale
- More Scale Patterns
- Easy Scale Exercises
Pentatonic Scales in Rock
- Introduction: Five Important Notes!
- Rock Lead Telecaster Tone
- The Minor Pentatonic in Rock
- Improvise with the Minor Pentatonic
- Your First Rock Lick!
- Improvise with the Rock Lick
- The Major Pentatonic in Rock
- Improvise with the Major Pentatonic
- Easy Pentatonic Exercises
Hammer-Ons & Pull-Offs in Rock
- Introduction: Hammer-Ons & Pull-Offs
- More Rock Lead Tone
- Rock Your Hammer-On
- Rock Your Pull-Off
- Combine Your Hammers & Pulls
- Your First Hammer/Pull Lick
- Improvise with the Hammer/Pull Lick
- Easy Hammer/Pull Exercises
Bending & Vibrato in Rock
- Introduction: Bending & Vibrato in Rock
- Expressive Tone for Bending & Vibrato
- Basic Bending in Rock
- Your First Bending Lick
- Improvise with the Bending Lick
- Vibrato in Rock
- Add Vibrato to the Lick
- Improvise With Vibrato
- Combining Bending & Vibrato
- Easy Bending & Vibrato Exercises
Intervals in Rock
- Introduction: Intervals in Rock
- Light Interval Distortion Tone
- Intervals Explained
- Singing Thirds
- Chuck Berry Fourths
- Flying Fifths
- Rockin' Sixths
- Soaring Octaves
- Put the Intervals Together
Put It All Together
4: Riffs, Licks, and Themes
Rock Riffs
- Introduction: What is a Riff?
- Dial In a Riff Tone
- Basic Chord Progression
- Let's Create a Riff!
- Riff Versus a Chord Progression 1
- Riff Versus a Chord Progression 2
What's the Difference?
- Introduction: Riffs, Licks, and Themes
- Riff, Lick, and Theme Tone
- A Riff Versus a Lick
- Themes and Melodic Hooks
- Recurring Licks
- Simple Riff & Lick Practice Tune
Riff Practice Tune 1
- Riff Practice Tune 1 Overview
- Put It Together with 335 Tone
- The Chord Progressions
- Composing the Riff
- Add a Recurring Lick
- Lick for the Solo
- End the Solo with a Theme
- Song Form for Practice Tune 1
Riff Practice Tune 2
- Riff Practice Tune 2 Overview
- Put It Together with Telly Tone
- Practice Tune 2 Progressions
- Practice Tune 2 Compose the Riff
- Practice Tune 2 Rhythm Parts
- Practice Tune 2 Lick for the Solo
- Practice Tune 2 Solo Theme
- Song Form for Practice Tune 2
Easy Riff Exercises
5: Amps and Effects: Rock Your Tone
The Foundation of Tone
- Common Rock Amplifiers
- Hear the Difference Using a Riff
- How a Fender Amp Works
- How a Fender Amp Sounds
- How a Marshall Amp Works
- How a Marshall Amp Sounds
- How a Vox Amp Works
- How a Vox Amp Sounds
Add Some Distortion
- Introduction to Distortion Pedals
- The RAT Pedal
- RAT Riff Example
- The Tube Screamer Pedal
- Tube Screamer Riff Example
- The Fuzz Pedal
- Fuzz Riff Example
- The Metal Zone Pedal
- Metal Zone Riff Example
Volume, But Much More
- Introduction to Dynamic Effects
- The Volume Pedal
- Volume Pedal Example
- The Tremolo Pedal
- Tremolo Pedal Example
- The Compressor Pedal
- Compressor Pedal Example
Cycle and Sweep
- Introduction to Modulation Effects
- The Chorus Pedal
- Chorus Pedal Example
- The Flanger Pedal
- Flanger Pedal Example
- The Phaser Pedal
- Phaser Pedal Example
The Tail
- Introduction to Delay Effects
- The Delay Pedal
- Single Lead Delay
- Slap Back Delay
- Big Washy Delay
- Rhythmic Delay
Talking Guitar
- Introduction to the Wah Pedal
- How the Wah Pedal Works
- Sixteenth Note Scratching
- Eighth Note Wah Rhythms
- Play Lead With the Wah
The Pedal Chain
6: Born From the Blues
Rock 'n' Roll 50s
- Introduction: Rockin' the Blues
- 50s Rock 335 Tone
- Straightening Out the Blues Riff
- Rock the 12 Bar Form
- Add a 50s Song Intro
- Add a 50s Solo Lick
- Add a 50s Song Outro
- The 50s: Put It All Together and Roll!
The 60s and 70s
- Intro to 60s and 70s Blues Rock
- Blues Rock Les Paul Tone
- Experimenting with the 12 Bar Form
- Add a Blues Note, Make It a Riff
- Kickin' and Screamin' Verse Rhythm
- Wild and Reckless Solo!
- Add a Tag for the Outro
- Put It All Together and Jam!
High Gain Rock
- Introduction to the High Gain 80s
- High Gain 80s Tone
- Basic 80s Chord Progression
- Spice Up the 80s Chords
- Add an Arpeggio Riff
- 80s Virtuoso Soloing
- Add an Epic Outro
- High Gain 80s: Put It All Together and Shred!
The 90s
- Introduction to 90s Grunge
- 90s Grunge Tone
- Build on a Bass Line
- Rocking the Grunge Riff
- Strum the Angst Away
- Grunge Solo Using Octaves
- Put It All Together and Alt Rock!
The 2000s

More ReviewsI find it quite easy (so far!) to navigate, and found the "where do I start" to be very helpful! I'm getting there!!
I LOVE the forum, too. I've never been one to use forums, but the GT forum is full of great people and helpful information at ALL levels! Congrats on a WONDERFUL site!!
Good job!