This is my evolving list of recommended resources for music education, gear, etc.
MUSIC EDUCATION
- www.ultimate-guitar.com (A great site for user-submitted tab and chords for songs)
- www.studybass.com (Very thorough bass guitar lessons with multi-media exercises)
- www.guitarnoise.com (Guitar lessons Web site)
- guitar.about.com (Very thorough guitar lessons with lots of extra resources)
- guitar.about.com/library/blchordlibrary.htm (Online library of guitar chords)
- www.jebochords.com (Great Web site for chords and such)
- www.justinguitar.com (Great online video guitar lessons)
GEAR
- www.musiciansfriend.com (The default online music gear wholesaler)
- www.fender.com (Gotta love a Telecaster!)
- www.glguitars.com (The only thing better than a Tele is an ASAT!)
- www.seagullguitars.com (Canadian solid-wood acoustic guitars – I own one and I love it!)
- www.marshallamps.com (Industry standard rock & roll amplifiers – I own one and I love it!)
- www.elixirstrings.com (My favorite strings. They’re coated, play SOOO easy and last much longer than conventional strings. Worth the few extra dollars for sure.)
IMAGO MUSIC LESSONS MANUAL
I intend to write and publish my own lessons manual for my use and for any other teachers/students who are looking for such a resource. Available for download soon (I hope)! UPDATE: I have written the first edition of “A Song in Six,” a manual for a beginner guitar class that takes a student from absolutely no guitar knowledge to playing a popular three-chord song in six lessons or less. This format not only teaches to play a song but also lays some basic music theory foundation and guitar maintenance. I’m using it in the classroom setting and will make revisions before I make it available online.
EASY 2-CHORD SONGS (really… two chords!)
- Achy Breaky Heart by Billy Ray Cyrus
- Row, Row, Row Your Boat
- He’s Got the Whole World In His Hands
EASY 3-CHORD SONGS
- Sweet Home Alabama by Lynard Skynard
- Simple Man by Lynard Skynard
- Margaritaville by Jimmy Buffet
- Free Fallin’ by Tom Petty
- Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For by U2
- You Are My King by Billy Foote
- Folsom Prison Blues by Johnny Cash
- This is the Day (worship song)
- Every Move I Make by David Crowder Band
- Cartoon Song by Chris Rice
- You Are My Sunshine (traditional folk song)
- Shine by Collective Soul
- Higher by Creed
EASY 4-CHORD SONGS
- Burnin Up by Jonas Brothers
- I Won’t Back Down by Tom Petty
- Heart of Worship by Matt Redman
- Trading My Sorrows by Darrell Evans
- Lord, I Lift Your Name on High by Donnie McKlurken
- Knocking on Heaven’s Door by Eric Clapton
- Livin’ on a Prayer by Bon Jovi
- With or Without You by U2
- Where the Streets Have No Name by U2
- WIth Arms Wide Open by Creed
- Won’t Back Down by Tom Petty
- She Don’t Use Jelly by The Flaming Lips
FUN SONGS FOR INTERMEDIATE AND ADVANCED GUITARISTS
- Desperado by The Eagles
- Wonderwall by Oasis
- S.O.S. by Jonas Brothers
- She Talks to Angels by The Black Crowes
- Better is One Day by Matt Redman
- Meant to Live by Switchfoot
- Sweet Home Alabama by Lynard Skynard (lead guitar)
- It’s the End of the World as we Know It by REM
- Buddy Holly by Weezer
- Civil Twilight by The Weakerthans
SONGS THAT TEACH CERTAIN CONCEPTS
- Dynamics & palm muting – Won’t Back Down by Tom Petty
- Bm and introducing strum patterns in the early intermediate range – Savin’ Me by Nickelback or Burnin’ Up by Jonas Brothers
- “Rock” style first-position chords – Wonderwall by Oasis
- Seventh chords – Desperado by The Eagles
- Walk-downs between chord transitions – Simple Man by Lynyrd Skynyrd or How Great is Our God by Chris Tomlin
- Root/strum country style pattern – Folsom Prison Blues by Johnny Cash or Bad Moon Rising by Creedence Clearwater Revival
- Transitioning between chords in the middle of a strum pattern – I Will Possess Your Heart by Death Cab for Cutie
- Passing chords within a strum pattern – Wake Up Little Susie by the Everly Brothers
LEARNING OBJECTIVES FOR GUITAR STUDENTS
Beginner Students
- Parts of guitar and names of strings
- Manual and electronic tuning
- Basic strum pattern (down/down-up or down/down/down-up)
- Introduction to rhythm, time signatures and time values for notes (whole, half, quarter, eighth and sixteenth notes)
- Transitioning smoothly between chords (closing the gap)
- Open chord set #1 – G, C, D, Dm, E, Em, A. Am
- Basic twelve bar blues
Early Intermediate Students
- Harmonic tuning
- More difficult strum patterns (down/down/down-up/up-down-down)
- Practice subdividing notes and notating rhythm for strum patterns
- Transitioning chords in the middle of a strum pattern
- Open chord set #2 – B, Bm, F, D/F#, major & minor sevenths, “rock” formations of G, C, Em, Am and F
- Walking transitions between chords (mainly on low E string)
- More difficult versions of twelve bar blues
Upper Intermediate Students
- Open & moveable chord formations
- Major and minor barre chord formations
- Basic finger-picking styles
- Palm-muting
- Use of root note in strumming
- Major, minor and pentatonic scales
