| Guitar playing is a great way to relax and unwind | | | | A /// | A /// | A /// | A /// | D /// | D /// | A / |
| particularly if your learn to remember songs via | | | | / | A /// | |
| chord progressions. Many of our favorite songs | | | | E /// | D /// | A /// | A /// :|| |
| share similar chord templates that make them | | | | 16 Bar Blues - Be Bop A Lula (verse) - Paul |
| easy to remember. | | | | McCartney |
| Whenever we are confronted by vast numbers | | | | A /// | A /// | A /// | A /// |A /// | A /// | A // |
| of objects, tunes, people or anything else - our | | | | | A /// | |
| first step towards understanding how they fit into | | | | D /// | D /// | A /// | A /// |E /// | D /// | A /// |
| the overall scheme of things should be to divide | | | | | A /// :|| |
| and subdivide them into usable, understandable | | | | 24 Bar Blues - Mustang Sally - The Commitments |
| categories. | | | | A /// | A /// | A /// | A /// |A /// | A /// | A // |
| The traditional approach to guitar playing is to | | | | | A /// | |
| learn each song as a complete new project, in | | | | D /// | D /// | D /// | D /// |A /// | A /// | A // |
| other words if you wanted to learn five new | | | | | A /// | |
| songs to play on the guitar, you would have to | | | | E /// | E /// | D /// | D /// |A /// | A /// | A /// |
| learn five songs entirely from scratch. | | | | | A /// :|| |
| The professional guitarist would look (or listen) to | | | | Here's four popular variations of the 1 - 4 - 5 |
| discover which category each song belonged to, | | | | progression: |
| this would make the whole process of learning | | | | (a) A / D / | E / / /|| |
| and remembering new material much faster and | | | | (b) A / / / |D / E / || |
| easier. | | | | (c) A / / / | D / / / | E / / / |E / / / || |
| By analyzing the musical form and content that | | | | (d) A / D / | E / D /|| |
| gives the music its particular character, we should | | | | Listen as you play each progression, they should |
| arrive at an overall view of the subject - music. A | | | | sound familiar, for example, A / D / | E / D /| is |
| new perspective that might just lead to total | | | | the chord progression for "Wild Thing". |
| control. | | | | The 1 - 4 progression is a favorite of groups like |
| Some basic rock progressions are: | | | | The Beatles Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen etc. |
| 1. Blues Chord Progressions | | | | Bruce Springsteen's - Glory Days features this 1 - |
| 2. 1 - 4 - 5 progressions | | | | 4 chord progression: |
| 3. 1 - 3 - 4 - 5 progressions | | | | A /// | D ///| A /// | D /// :|| |
| 4. 1 - 4 progression | | | | Live and Let Die (Wings) is based on the 1 - 3 - 4 |
| 5. Flamenco progressions | | | | - 5 progression while Dire Straight's "Sultan's Of |
| Let's take a look ... | | | | Swing" and Foreigner's - "Feels Like The First |
| Blues Chord Progressions - can be sub-divided into | | | | Time" are both based on the |
| 8, 12,16 and | | | | Flamenco progression. |
| 24 bar versions. | | | | Sultans of Swing - Flamenco Progression |
| 8 Bar Blues - Keys To The HighWay - B.B King | | | | Am /// | G / F / | E /// | E /// || |
| and Eric Clapton | | | | Feels Like The First Time - Flamenco Progression |
| A /// | E /// | D /// | D /// | A /// | E /// | A // | | | | Am /// | G /// | F /// | E /// || |
| | E /// :|| | | | | I invite you to use these tips and tools when you |
| 12 Bar Blues - Hound Dog - Elvis | | | | play the guitar. |