Now that we know a bit about the theory (see Part 1), let's try applying it. The chord progression for the verse of Yellow by Coldplay is |B |B |F# |F# |E |E |. If we convert these chords into chord functions, we get |I |I |V |V |IV |IV |. Now, let's look through our chart of all major keys and find a key(or keys) that, when we play this progression, uses only open chords. You will notice that there are four keys that fit this criteria: C, G, D and A major. This means t

What is a capo? How do you use it? These are two questions that students often ask me. In short, the capo is an amazing little accessory that allows you to play open chords anywhere on the neck of the guitar. It can virtually eliminate bar chords. It can give the beginner the ability to play many, many more songs then they are currently capable of playing. Actually, using a capo is very simple. You place it across all the strings of your guitar at any fret like this: Once the

A slightly lesser known band from the 90's but no less great is the Scottish group Teenage Fanclub. I didn't really listen to them that much at the time but I have rediscovered them recently and am absolutely loving their 1991 album Bandwagonesque. There are several great songs on this album but one that made a strong impression on me the first time I heard it back in the 90's is called Metal Baby. I think the main reason for this is their use of the augmented chord. This is

Learning the notes on the low E string and A string can help a guitarist of any level in two important ways. First, once you've learned a moveable position of any scale, you will then be able to play that scale in the correct place on the neck when playing along to a song or jamming with others. Here is an example. I teach the minor pentatonic scale to all my students starting when they are beginners (see my post on pentatonic scales here). The pattern they learn has it's roo