FINGERSTYLE GUITAR LESSONS

Hey guys, in this video, I am going to show you 15 beautiful minor chord progressions on guitar played with both strumming and fingerstyle.

Now, minor chord progressions don’t mean that we can only play minor chords. We can play both major and minor chords (as well as extended chords) as long as we stick with the minor root.

Chord progressions like the ones I am about to play come from the natural minor scale. The natural minor scale generates three minor chords, three major chords, and a diminished chord.

The chords generated, for example, from the A minor scale are Am (i) Bdim (ii) C (III) Dm (iv) Em (v) F (VI) G (VII). We can mix these chords to create beautiful minor chord progressions.

In this video, I will play 15 chord progressions in different keys ranging from two chords up to six chords.

Tab available on my Patreon page.

One of the things that I love about chords is that there are countless ways of playing them. There are a lot of different chord shapes, but I am not specifically referring to that.

I am thinking about the different dynamics, tone, and interpretation that each chord can unlock.

Strumming every chord with the same intensity isn’t the same as playing with dynamics and feel.

In this lesson, I am going to show you my five steps for fantastic chord progressions and how to take a simple progression to the next level.

We will talk about:

• Step 1. Dynamics.
• Step 2. Extensions.
• Step 3. Rhythmic Notes.
• Step 4. Add a Melody.
• Step 5. Combine strumming and fingerstyle.

I will cover each example with both strumming and fingerstyle so that you can have an idea of how the two techniques can inspire you to play the same chord progression differently.

Enjoy this lesson, and have a lovely weekend.

Practicing scales is such an essential part of any musician’s life. The beauty of playing scales is that there are no rules on how we should approach them.

We can study the concept behind each scale (the interval patterns, note choice over chords, or the chords that come with it).

We can also completely ignore the music theory and play the scale in a position and memorize the sound of each note and how they fit over a chord.

Now, in this lesson, I am going to show you how to use both. We will approach the mechanical and technical way of playing the scale over a backing track and also the more creative approach using the scale to play a solo.

This exercise can be done on any guitar. I used an acoustic guitar, but we can do it on the electric or classical as the notes are the same.

We are also going to do it with the major scale only, and we are going to apply the major scale over different chords so that you have an idea of how it sounds.

In the first example, I am going to play the C major scale in seven positions. I will play the C major scale starting from each note of the scale. So, if the notes are C D E F G A B C, I will then play the scale starting from each note.

Enjoy this lesson.

Three things will instantly change the way you sound on the guitar. Practicing more technical exercises will give you more techniques and skills, but in this lesson, we are not referring to that.

I am far more interested in developing my tone and songwriting abilities, so even though I think that practicing technique is essential, I don’t consider it to be the number one priority.

In the musical idea, I played at the beginning of the video, I have implemented three techniques that I use all the time that allow me to focus more on the music rather than the technique.

The first technique is called “Over-ringing.” With this technique, we try to let the notes ring out as much as we can. The over-ringing allows you to sustain the chords and notes of the melody beautifully. A few notes played with this technique can sound bit and touching.

The second technique is called “Note choice.” I always try to play the melody in the smartest way possible. In this example, the notes of the melody are entirely played within the chords. Now, believe it or not, this isn’t random. It takes time to accurately decide the notes of the melody and how to play them. I know that many of you don’t see this as a “Technique,” but trust me, it is.

The third technique is called “Melody shape.” A melody shouldn’t be different from a sentence. When we formulate a thought, we carefully decide how to put the sentence together using different words. I like to do the same thing with a melody. Developing the musical idea by keeping some of the rhythmic and melodic elements helps you create a strong, catchy, and distinct melody.

In this guitar lesson, we will take a look at these three techniques and how to use them over a beautiful chord progression in E major.

Enjoy this lesson.

The minor Blues has a quite exciting sound. There is a chord that we can borrow from the melodic minor scale that can make the minor Blues even more exciting and refreshing to play.

In this guitar lesson, we will explore the Min(Maj6) chord played over a Blues in A minor. We will talk about the minor Blues structure as well as the chords and the melodic minor scale.

Most of the time, all we need to add more color to a chord progression is that one note that changes the character of the chords.

Play an A minor chord, and you have lovely minor sounding chord perfect for a lot of different songs and music styles. Now add the note F# to the A minor chord to make it sound more mysterious and unresolved. This single note changed the way the A minor sounds like and opened up a ton of harmonical and melodic possibilities.

In this video, we will be focusing on the Blues, but you can use this concept to transform any chord, you know.

Enjoy this lesson.

It is possible to make your guitar sound like two guitars. It all comes down to how we break down the rhythm and melody of a song. Also, we should treat each one of our plucking fingers as an independent speaker capable of playing each note with a different tone and volume.

In this Spanish guitar song, the thumb is the loudest speaker, playing the melody on the bottom strings while the index and middle finger pluck away the notes of the chords with less intensity and volume.

If we can control the volume of each finger, we can create two separate layers between the melody and the chords. It is challenging, but it can be done!

The fingerstyle arpeggio is played with the popular 3-3-2 pattern performed with the thumb, middle, and index finger. I will explain in detail how to develop this pattern in the video, so make sure you don’t skip this part.

I recommend that you don’t go too crazy too soon with this arpeggio. Start at your own pace before you speed up.

The tab is available on my Patreon page.

P.S: Here is a list of other Spanish guitar lessons I posted in the past (https://bit.ly/2OKgpc4)

Enjoy this lesson.

Hey guys, welcome back to another video. Today, I am going to show you fifteen beautiful chord progressions for beginners played with basic chords in different keys and positions of the guitar neck.

Now, beginner chords are not boring chords. They don’t have to be.

Of course, it takes time to achieve the skill and muscle memory necessary, to change two or more chords fluently, and I agree that the process can be tedious.

However, if the chords that we are practicing have the additional “spice,” then maybe we will feel more motivated and keen to keep practicing them.

In this video, I am going to play fifteen simple chord progressions in different keys. I recorded two versions of each progression. In the first version, I am playing the chords just one time with a simple strum. If you are a total beginner, you can start like this.

The second version is my interpretation of the chords. Here, I like to play the chords with the fingerpicking technique and a few additional notes. If you have been playing for a while, I recommend that you start with these chords instead.

Some of these chords are played with the capo as well.

Enjoy this video. Let me know if you like it.

Keep playing!

Repeating the same thing over a long period will inevitably make whatever it is that you are practicing better.

Now, we don’t repeat the same thing just to become faster at playing guitar.

As a non-fast slash non-virtuoso player, I never practice for speed. Instead, I like to focus on fluidity. And trust me! It makes a whole difference.

Fluidity is the ability to make everything you play look and sound smooth, easy, and effortless regardless of the speed.

If I slow down the melody from the intro, it will still sound fluent.

So, how do we get to this level of confidence and expression? Well, for me, it is about understanding the basic movements of the plucking hand.

The song we are about to learn was entirely played with alternate fingering, the continuous movement between the index and the middle finger.

But how do we pluck the strings with fluidity? Let’s understand the plucking movement.

The right hand should be positioned at a 45-degree angle. When you pluck the strings, the first point of contact is the left side of the fingertip, followed by the fingernails.

The first movement is called “Preparation.” Here, we move the finger away from the string using the base knuckle to generate speed and momentum.

The second movement is called “Plucking.” Here we move the finger towards the string and strike it upward using the middle knuckle.

In this video, I am going to show you how to put the alternate fingering into practice so that you can improve your fluidity and speed and take your guitar playing to the next level.

Enjoy this lesson!

There are seven chords in the major key, with one of them being the most “unused” chord of all time.

I am talking about the Diminished and Diminished 7th chord.

To be honest with you guys, I am not a massive fan of this chord! When played alone, the Diminished chord sounds tense, dark, and unresolved. However, if we think of it as a passing/bridge chord, it opens up a lot of new and exciting possibilities.

Now, what’s a diminished chord? Or even better, what’s a chord?
A chord is a combination of three notes — the root, third, and fifth.

When the third is major, and the fifth is perfect, the chord is major. This chord sounds happy and positive.
When the third is minor, and the fifth is perfect, the chord is minor. This chord sounds sad and melancholic.
When the third is minor, and the fifth is diminished, the chord is diminished.

Now, the big brother of the diminished chord is the Diminished 7th chord, which is played with the three notes of the diminished triad plus the diminished 7th. The diminished 7th adds even more tension to the chord.

In this video, I am going to show you how to play a chord progression with a bunch of Diminished chords so that you can get inspired and start using this chord a little bit more.

Enjoy this lesson.

There is one chord in the major key that can open up seven beautiful and unique sounding chords with the least amount of effort.

The chord I am referring to is called “Sus2” or “Suspended 2” chord. In this particular lesson, we will be taking a look at the Asus2 chord and how we can use it to create a beautiful chord progression.

The Asus2 is the chord built on the first degree of the A major scale. We can play the Asus2 by simply lowering the major 3rd (the note C#) to the major 2nd (the note B). The Asus2 is indeed one of the most popular chords on the guitar.

But why is the Sus2 chord so awesome?

In this video, you will learn how to change the bass note of the Sus2 chord to create seven beautiful sounding chords instantly.

We will narrow it down to one musical idea, but, of course, you can experiment and create more chord progressions and melodies using this simple trick.

Enjoy this lesson.