Acoustic Rock Basics

Play in the styles of acoustic rock icons like the Beatles, Paul Simon, James Taylor, and more in this twelve-lesson course on acoustic rock techniques.

Acoustic Rock Basics starts with a group of lessons on chords. In these lessons, you’ll study the types of chords bands like the Eagles, Eric Clapton, and Tom Petty used in their classic hits, and you’ll see how acts like the Beatles and Neil Young crafted riff-based songs around chords.

The song accompaniment section explores alternate tunings, percussive techniques like scratch rhythm, picking patterns like alternate bass fingerpicking, and more advanced fingerpicking techniques that highlight free-flowing melodies and allow for accompaniment without pattern picking.

The section on lead playing investigates how classic rock acts used pentatonic scales, major and minor scales, and arpeggios to craft leads and anthemic instrumental melodies and hooks.

You’ll put all that technique to work by learning to play 12 original rock songs, with complete tab and notation.

Acoustic Rock Basics is available in two formats:

Whether you want to connect with rock’s primal roots by hacking out full-bodied chords or connect with its ethereal evolution by plucking out precise single-note licks, there’s a technique or tool in Acoustic Rock Basics that will help you rock!

1. Sus and Add Chords
2. Slash Chords
3. Open-String Chords
4. Creating Chordal Riffs
5. Alternating-Bass Fingerpicking
6. Single-Note Riffs and Backup
7. Percussive Rhythm Techniques
8. Alternate Tunings in Acoustic Rock
9. Expand Your Fingerpicking Accompaniment
10. Soloing with Pentatonic Scales
11. Play Leads with Major and Minor Scales
12. Play Leads with Arpeggios