intermediate

Armed with his daring guitar style, Dave Matthews has remarkably expanded the instrument’s vocabulary for singer/songwriters.

Intermediate

Beginner

•Take a deep dive into Dave Matthews’ unique and challenging guitar style.

•Learn new chord voicings you can use in your own songs.

•Spice up your playing with different rhythmic approaches.

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Dave Matthews’ songwriting encompasses a vast array of styles, but along with his voice and an eclectic cast of musicians (namely the Dave Matthews Band), what most defines his sound is his singular guitar style. When I first became aware of DMB, I assumed Matthews’ playing would be along the lines of other singer/songwriter projects of the era—mainly open-position and barre chords, some fingerpicking, and possibly a few alternate tunings. But I would soon discover just how wrong I was.

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Intermediate

Intermediate

  • Develop an understanding of how to approach chord tones with bends.
  • Learn to think and phrase like a pedal-steel player.
  • Create old-school, honky-tonk lines with a twist.
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Let’s face it folks, pedal-steel is a pillar of the country music sound. It’s one of my favorite instruments—not just in country, but all music genres. The ability to play complex chords, the range of the instrument, the way you can manipulate bends (with knee levers and pedals), and the lyrical quality and tone add so much to the country sound. The textures and chord voicings can really beef up a rhythmic part, but also can make you cry in your beer with a single-note line that includes so much articulation and manipulation it can make your head spin. We are going to mainly focus on a one element that really makes the pedal-steel guitar special and very difficult to emulate on guitar: bending notes.

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Photo by Gratisography

Learn how to solo effortlessly using the CAGED system.

Intermediate

Intermediate

  • Learn how to map out the neck with five CAGED shapes.
  • Create melodic lines by targeting chord tones on strong beats.
  • Discover how to enhance your phrases with chromatic notes.
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Originally published on March 15, 2015

The CAGED system is a subject we’ve explored many times before in Beyond Blues, and as you may know, it plays a big role in the way I teach. If you need a quick refresher, or if you’re totally new to the CAGED concept, read “A Guitarist’s Guide to the CAGED System." This CAGED approach doesn’t often generate resistance, but when it does, I usually find that it’s because of a misunderstanding of the system—there’s a lot more to it than just barre chords. While we’ve discussed arpeggios and scale fingerings several times over the years, this lesson will finally bridge the gap between those two.

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