The F Major Pentatonic Scale Maybe it’s the sunshine or the birdsong, but there’s something ineffable about springtime compelling me to reach for the major pentatonic scale whenever it’s time to rock my guitar. While it’s cousin—the minor pentatonic scale—sounds dark and angsty, the sound of the major pentatonic scale is the stuff of springtime: […]
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Summer Classes
The Place of Music in the 21st Century Education
As a music instructor, continuing education is essential for long term professional growth, which is why I enrolled in The Place of Music in the 21st Century Education available on Coursera. As such, I’ll be posting personal responses to the course’s assignments in this section of the blog. Week #1: This is an exciting time to be […]
Minor Fives to Go
In this lesson, you’ll learn a great riff built around the minor pentatonic scale on the open E-strings. For a more in depth investigation of the minor pentatonic scale, check out pages 25 – 27 of The Ultimate Rock Guitar Dojo for Kids: White Belt Edition. For the full lesson, click on the PDF Below: Minor Fives […]
Sam’s Jam: A Call & Response Riff for Beginners
Call and response is one of the easiest techniques to master on the guitar. Begin by playing a simple one bar question on the guitar then answer it with a second riff. Rinse and repeat until the royalty checks to start rolling in. Sam’s Jam, co-written by 13-year-old Nathan V., is built around a simple […]
Intro to Power Chords
If you want to play rock guitar, you have to master power chords. Power chords capture the rage and the fury of rock music. Furthermore, they’re easy to play on the guitar. For a more in depth investigation of power chords, check out pages 39 – 45 of The Ultimate Rock Guitar Dojo for Kids: […]
Simple Riff on the Fifth & Sixth String
Rock History: The King of the Slide Guitar Born in 1918, in Homes County, Mississippi, Elmore James is one of the earliest and most influential blues guitarists of the 20th Century. James was known for his haunting slide guitar, searing vocals, and indelible live performances. For the full lesson, click on the PDF file below. To […]
Simple Riffs on the Open E String
Rock History: The Deep Roots of Rock ‘n’ Roll With it’s unique combination of blues, boogie woogie, jazz, gospel, western swing, and country music, Rock ‘n’ roll revolutionized the American music scene in the 1940s and 1950s. Early rock ‘n’ roll stars like Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, and Elvis Presley challenged the status quo writing […]
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The Batman Theme
Brace yourself kids because you are about to learn one of the most enduring television themes of all time: The Batman Theme! And best of all, it’s super, super easy. In fact, The Batman Theme is so easy, you’ll have it under your fingertips before you can say, “Whack. Bam. Batman!” Written by Neal Hefti for the 1966 TV series, […]