rhythm

Zeppelin might be the most famous case, but plenty of songwriters have borrowed these infamous chords.

Beginner

Beginner

• Understand how a descending bass line can change the flavor of a progression.

• Learn how to add chromatic elements to your songs.

• Develop a keener sense of song structure.

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From the 12-bar blues to a shuffle pattern to a IIm7–V7–I progression, many musical motifs get recycled and repurposed. It's accepted that these ideas are simply out there in the air for songwriters and composers to use, gratis, as musical building blocks from which to create new work. Right?

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Intermediate

Beginner

  • Develop a better sense of subdivisions.
  • Understand how to play "over the bar line."
  • Learn to target chord tones in a 12-bar blues.
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Playing in the pocket is the most important thing in music. Just think about how we talk about great music: It's "grooving" or "swinging" or "rocking." Nobody ever says, "I really enjoyed their use of inverted suspended triads," or "their application of large-interval pentatonic sequences was fascinating." So, whether you're playing live or recording, time is everyone's responsibility, and you must develop your ability to play in the pocket.

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Mother Maybelle Carter was an innovator who reinvented rhythm guitar—here's how she did it.

Intermediate to Advanced

Beginner

  • Learn how to strum chords and pick melodies at the same time.
  • Combine the various elements to create your own songs and arrangements.
  • Explore guitar-friendly keys using open strings.
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Strum chords and pick melodies at the same time! While Carter-style picking is most closely associated with country legend Maybelle Carter, the technique, and variations thereof, can be heard in the music of the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Neil Young, and even progressive pioneers Yes.

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