Today I'll be using my Telecaster on the middle pickup. The middle pickup setting on a Telecaster is great for rock rhythm parts, but you can play these examples on any guitar. I'm gonna be using quite a bit of overdrive, and you can get this from the gain settings on your amp or from an overdrive pedal like the BOSS SD-1. I'll also be using a little bit of reverb.
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Style Tutorial
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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
Congrats on a WONDERFUL site!
-Sue
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!
