Lesson 6

You will learn...

A simple rock'n'roll backing track with powerchords
Two new bar chord fretting patterns
Bob Dylan - Knockin' on Heavens Door

Recommended time for completion - 2-4 weeks
The rock'n'roll track is going to take some time to learn - don't stress!

Tune your guitar

I do encourage you to tune your guitar before you continue - otherwise it will sound horrible, and people will not want to listen to your beautiful music...

Tune your guitar by comparing notes with your computers MIDI-bank: click here!

Warm up!

Warm up those guitar fingers as I demonstrated in the 2nd lesson.

Powerchords - rock'n'roll

Time to have some fun!

You are about to learn something that might not be that important to know - but it is a lot of fun to play - simple rock'n'roll. This specific backing track I have designed myself with inspiration from Chuck Berry - Johnny B Goode. In this case we are not worrying about the solo, though.

The advantage of learning this (in case you really do not like rock'n'roll) is tgha it will increase your orientation and stability. You can therefore just approach this as an excercise - learn it and practise it every once in a while=). Whoever you are - you cannot deny that it is kind of catchy=)

For those of you who have not heard the song:

Enough talk. It's business time.

Here's the tabulature. Keep in mind that when you are playing this kind of music, it is usually enough to only strum the first 2 strings of the chord. A simple rock song also only need 3 chords, but I have added a few extra ones to make it sound better, and to make it into a better exercise.

--------------------------|--------------------------|
--------------------------|--------------------------|
--------------------------|--------------------------|
--7--7--7--7--7--7--7--7--|--7--7--7--7--7--7--7--7--|
--7--7--9--7--7--7--9--7--|--7--7--9--7--7--7--9--7--|
--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--|--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--|

--------------------------|--------------------------|
--------------------------|--------------------------|
--7--7--7--7--7--7--7--7--|--7--7--7--7--7--7--7--7--|
--7--7--9--7--7--7--9--7--|--7--7--9--7--7--7--9--7--|
--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--|--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--|
--------------------------|--------------------------|

--------------------------|--------------------------|
--------------------------|--------------------------|
--------------------------|--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--|
--7--7--7--7--7--7--7--7--|--5--5--7--5--5--5--7--5--|
--7--7--9--7--7--7--9--7--|--3--3--3--3--3--3--3--3--|
--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--|--------------------------|

--------------------------|----------------------------------|
--------------------------|----------------------------------|
--7--7--7--7--7--7--7--7--|--10--10--10--10--10--10--10--10--|
--7--7--9--7--7--7--9--7--|--10--10--12--10--10--10--12--10--|
--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--|---8---8---8---8---8---8---8---8--|
--------------------------|----------------------------------|

--------------------------|-----8--8--8--8--8--8--8-||
--------------------------|--Ep-8--8--8--8--8--8--8-||
--------------------------|-----8--8--8--8--8--8--8o||
--7--7--7--7--7--7--7--7--|------------------------o||
--7--7--7--7--7--7--7--7--|-------------------------||
--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--|-------------------------||

Ep: eight pause

Important: When you play these kinds of rock'n'roll backing tracks it is very important that all the transitions are smooth and correct - even though this means you have to move your hand really fast! The whole piece is played in eight notes, even the pause at the end. If you have an electric guitar I recommend you to turn up the distortion a little bit=).

I demonstrate in the video

Download Guitar Pro tab | Download TXT file

MIDI
Download slow version
Download fast version

Two new bar chords

One major disability for beginners (at least thats what I though when I was a beginner) are all there 7-chords. How to you fret an F7? Or a C#7? I am not going to share this knowledge with you.

I already explained in the previous lesson, lesson 5 , the princples o bar-chords - therefore I will not bother to do this again. (If you did not go through the lesson - do it before reading on).

We are going to, just as we did in the last lesson, look at the A and E shapes if 7th chords, using them as starting points, and construct bar chord forms as such:

E-shape

A-shape

Now try to take the following chords in their respective 7 forms, in both the E and A shape.

G D F C

If you can do it - congratulations. I demonstrate in the video:

Bob Dylan - Knockin' on Heavens Door

Yet another classic, that is perfect for jamming around with anyone anywhere in the world (well almost anyway). Easy to play as well.

The video demonstration is found at the end of the lyrics. To read more about Bod Dylan - click here.

If you haven't heard the song - here are two different versions. Sadly the Guns'n'roses is probably the more famous one, even though they did not write the song.

Bod Dylan
Guns'n'Roses

Intro G D | Am | G D | C

Verse
G D Am
Mama, take this badge off of me
G D C
I can't use it anymore.
G D Am
It's gettin' dark, too dark to see
G D C
I feel I'm knockin' on heaven's door.

Chorus

G D Am
Knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door
G D C
Knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door
G D Am
Knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door
G D C
Knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door

Verse

G D Am
Mama, put my guns in the ground
G D C
I can't shoot them anymore.
G D Am
That long black cloud is comin' down
G D C
Feels like I'm knockin' on heaven's door.

Chorus

G D Am
Knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door
G D C
Knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door
G D Am
Knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door
G D C
Knock, knock, knockin' on heaven's door

Source: LetsSingIt

Allright...

Now you have enriched your guitar playing with some Dylan! Before moving on...

Thoroughly repeat the bar chords you have learnt up to this point.
Make sure you can play the rock song propertly. Don't be afraid to experiment with different notes or what not. If it sounds good - use it, if it sucks - don't.
Eat properly. If you don't eat properly you will become ill. If you are ill you cannot make your surroundings smile with your fantastic music. This is a bad thing. ;)