Drop D tuned chord and melody building and embellishing in the rhythmic style of Bon Jovi – 6:11 min

In this lesson Dave Nassie teaches some cool chord and melody building in Drop D tuning. Drop your low E string down one whole step to a D so your tuning is D A  D  G  B  E, low to high. Dave then teaches some killer chord and melody ideas in this tuning. These voicings will inspire you to create new sounds. Dave then adds in some major pentatonic licks that work well with these chords. Dave teaches some cool doublestop licks and doublestops using slides and hammer on. Dave then puts it all together – the licks, chords, and embellishments that you can take and make your own and add to your songwriting and composing ideas. Enjoy, stay creative, and experiment. 

Rocked out rhythm ideas and techniques inspired by GUNS & ROSES – 4:50 min

In this lesson Willie teaches some rocked out rhythm ideas and techniques inspired by the great band Guns & Roses. This is a fun lesson to get you going with a rocking rhythm. Willie then teaches the chords he utilizes in this lesson and starts with an F#5 and E5 chord. Then A5 to E5 – but notice how he mutes the strings and plays with a bit of a bounce or boogie. Willie also utilizes hammer ons and pull offs to execute the licks. Play them slow at first and work them up to speed over time. These licks and devices are just a springboard to get you going in this style. Take these ideas and run with them and put your own spin on them – make them your own and have fun. And keep on rocking!

Fun rocking DROP D tuned rhythm ideas inspired by WOLFMOTHER – 6:03 min

In this lesson Willie teaches some fun rhythmic ideas inspired by the band Wolfmother. This lesson is in Drop D tuning – just drop the low E string down to a D – so the tuning is low to high is             D, A, D, G, B , E. This will give a heavier sound as well allow you to play power chords with just one finger – FUN! Willie then shows you all the power 5th chords he will utilize throughout this lesson. If you are not familiar with these in drop D tuning these chords are fun to slide around and get heavy with – so have fun with them. Willie then teaches you some rhythm ideas using these chords and adding in some pull offs and open strings as well as hammering on into the chords. He adds in some chromatic movements. Then add in some rhythmic chucking for adding spice. Mess with these ideas and devices and put your own spin on them. This is just some ideas to get you going in this style. Stay creative and experiment.

Rhythm ideas using DELAY effects in the style of THE EDGE – 8:46 min

In this lesson Ben Zinn teaches some fun rhythm ideas using delay tones. This lesson is in the style of the Edge from the band U2. To start out Ben teaches you how to get that dotted eight note delay sound that will open up some new doors in your playing. Ben teaches how to divide up the time into fours so you can hear the beats and work the delay into the playing so it colors the sound – it does not take the sound over but colors it. Then Ben gets into chord voicings and then some rhythm techniques and devices using delay. Ben gives you a great jump off point to really get creative with delay effect. You want to get creative with these devices and the pedal and come up with your own stylings.  

More rock guitar techniques, rhythm devices and ideas inspired by THE WHITE STRIPES – 5:07 min

In this lesson Willie teaches some rock guitar techniques, rhythm devices, and ideas inspired by the band the White Stripes. This is a fun and simple lesson involving the use of the Melodic Minor scale. Willie shows you the scale and then uses it to build a lick for a verse section of a song. This scale is often used in Jazz guitar but it can be used in any genre. These licks and ideas are just a springboard to give you some ideas on the possibilities of lick building in this style. Take this lesson and run with it – make it your own – get creative and put your own spin on it – enjoy! 

Rock rhythm techniques, licks, and devices in the style of STONE SOUR – 10:14 min

In this lesson Dave Nassie teaches some fun rock guitar rhythm techniques and devices in the style of the rock band Stone Sour. Dave also gets into adding some licks using the B minor pentatonic scale and the blues scale. He outlines the scales early on in the lesson and you can check the written lessons section of the site to see scale diagrams for these scales across the entire fretboard. Dave then gets into the rhythm of the lesson and shows yo some different ways to play the rhythm to create all kinds of cool sounds. Dave then moves the chords around and teaches how you can embellish these chords and rhythms. Learn some cool suspended versions as well as some cool licks to add into the rhythm. Experiment and notice how Dave uses slides and hammer ons and plugs in licks in between the chords while keeping in time. Try these and put your own spin on them. Enjoy!  

Get inspired by other music and create rock licks and rhythms – 5:55 min

In this lesson Willie teaches some concepts and idea that are a bit different. Remember that you can find inspiration in any genre of music – its all great stuff! Here, Willie gets inspired by a very poppy song and twists it into some fun lines to create some cool rock inspired licks and rhythms that he conjured up being inspired by a Rhiana tune. Willie takes an F#m and adds a 9th to it and builds licks from there. Listen to the vibe created to sliding the notes and also by adding natural harmonics. These devices add some spice and color to the melody lines. Experiment with these ideas and remember that this lesson is just a jump off point to get you pointed in the direction of being inspired by all kinds of music. Have fun and keep experimenting! 

Rock guitar chords and rhythm ideas inspired by the POLICE – 4:07 min

In this lesson Willie teaches some fun clean licks and rhythms inspired by the Police. Willie gets into some melodic chord movements with arpeggiating the notes of the chords. Notice the use of hammer ons and movements down the strings to produce the very ambient tones. This lesson is just a springboard to get you started off in this style. These examples are jump off points to get you going. Be sure and try these patterns with other chords and progressions. Listen to how WIllie kills some of the notes so they don’t bleed into each other. Willie adds some delay effect to give off even more spicy ambiance and mood. Have fun with these ideas and keep in mind that melody is key! Enjoy and keep on rocking!  

Rock rhythm & chords lesson with picking patterns inspired by RADIOHEAD – 5:54 min

In this lesson Dave Nassie teaches some fun and dreamy rhythm, chord, and picking sequences in the style of the great band Radiohead. Dave teaches some different ways to play popular chord voicings and is inspired by this band to help in your creative writing and composing. Dave starts off the lesson with playing a G chord with some delay and chorus effects adding for mood and texture. Then the chord changes to an F suspended chord and back to the G. These ideas will open the floodgates to sounding different notes and embellishments as you play these chords. Use hammer ons and pull offs to add sounds as Dave demonstrates. Dave also teaches how to toss in a diminished chord for some different sounds. Dave is pushing the envelope here and trying to get you to think outside the box and be inspired by the sounds. Next Dave teaches how to voice the chords in different places to again get some new and different sounds. Try to mix these ideas up, change the notes around, and put your own spin on them. Have fun – experiment – and stay creative. Take what you know and find the notes on a new spot on the guitar – play it somewhere else and listen of the change in tamber and tone – have fun!

Rock guitar rhythms and lick ideas inspired by the New York Dolls – 6:24 min

In this lesson Willie teaches some fun Rock rhythms and lick ideas in the style of the New York Dolls. Willie got super inspired by some old school rock and he spits out some fun ideas in this style. The chords used in this lesson are A5, D5, and B5. This is a four on the floor rhythm that you are probably familiar with. Willie teaches you how to get the sound and bounce back and forth between notes to get in the rhythmic groove. Willie then teaches how to throw in some artificial harmonics for some color. He shows you the technique and how to add in some fun licks into the rhythm. Be sure to let the tip of your finger and the pick touch the string at the same time to sound the harmonic. Move your pick on the string length wise to get some different interval sounds. Be sure to try these techniques and mess with the rhythm and licks to put your own spin on these classic ideas. Get creative wit them and have fun!