Advanced Rock Guitar
Below is my Advanced Rock book. It should be noted that while you are welcome to, it is not necessary to go through this book systematically from beginning to end. Feel free to pick and choose whatever material works for your program.
Advanced Guitar For the Classroom – Rock Guitar
Below, you can view, print or download a pdf of the complete Advanced Rock Guitar Book, or download individual material.
The Advanced Rock book is divided into three sections – Scales, Solos and Songs. Scales and Solos have a combined objective of teaching and applying the fundamentals of soloing. The scale section introduces relevant scales in rock soloing, including major, minor, minor pentatonic and blues scales. Within the context of these scales, picking exercises, soloing practice and well-known guitar licks are also introduced. The Solo section is comprised of established solos and melodies, all performed in the context of duets or trios, so that there is a relevant and meaningful application.
The Song section presents songs with a variety of skill level. The most rewarding (but more technically demanding for my students) have been the Classic Rock Fingerstyle songs. Widely considered to be among the "greatest" acoustic rock songs of all time, they are huge trophies of accomplishment for any guitarist. But more than for their notoriety, most of these songs are excellent studies in advanced technique. For example, Over the Hills and Far Away, (as well as the Eruption solo and Pink Panther) makes a great study in hammer-on and pull off's. Roundabout is an excellent study in harmonics. Other acoustic-based rock songs, such as Daughters, Drive and Give a Little a Little Bit serve to introduce students to non-standard chords and/or playing chords out of first position. Additionally, the book also contains much easier strumming-songs that are intended to be review/transition songs for my second-year students at the beginning of the school year.
Restrictions of Use
Below is a pdf of the Advanced Rock Book for you to download for free. You have permission to distribute this book to your students as digital or hard copies. However, you are strictly forbidden from receiving compensation in any form or context for this book or any other material on this website. This includes your recordings of my compositions and arrangements. Thank you.
Below is a pdf of the Advanced Rock Book for you to download for free. You have permission to distribute this book to your students as digital or hard copies. However, you are strictly forbidden from receiving compensation in any form or context for this book or any other material on this website. This includes your recordings of my compositions and arrangements. Thank you.
By downloading this curriculum, you understand and agree to the above terms.
Individual Songs and Material from the Advanced Rock Book
Scales & Licks
Developing Soloing Technique
Melodies & Solos to Develop Picking Technique
Although played out of first position, this is a very easy, beginner-level trio. It's a good solo to learn at the beginning stages of developing picking technique. Tabs included.
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Loreena McKennitt - Tango To Evora
Note: This can be played as a duet or trio.
*This trio can be played with or without a pick. However, in the context of developing soloing technique, it should be played with a pick.
Below are two versions of Jimmy Page's guitar solo. The electric version is a literal transcription. The acoustic version is an adaptation of the electric and is only an excerpt. Since my students use classical guitar, it is not possible to make the string bends that you can with the electric version. Instead, I incorporate slides. Also, it is not possible (or practical) to play notes on the 20th fret, since most classical guitars don't have that fret! Thus, that part of the solo is left out. Still, it's a good solo to tackle, even on an acoustic, especially when learning minor pentatonic scales.
After learning the solos, it is highly recommended that students play it in the context of a duet, where one student plays the Am – Am7/G – F chord progression while the other plays the solo.
After learning the solos, it is highly recommended that students play it in the context of a duet, where one student plays the Am – Am7/G – F chord progression while the other plays the solo.
For ease in the learning curve of this solo, I made three versions: Slow, Medium and Normal.
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Stairway Solo (Slow)
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Stairway Solo (Med.)
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Stairway Solo (Normal)
Hammer-Ons & Pull-Offs
Harmonics
Classic Rock FingerStyle Songs
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Led Zeppelin - Over the Hills and Far Away
Other Acoustic Rock Songs
Beginning Piano for the Classroom
Creating this beginning curriculum for my piano students was with the awareness that most of them do not have a piano or keyboard at home, which means that their only practice time is during class. Considering that, as well as the fact that classes meet only two or three times per week, the pace of the class is slower than a class where student have an opportunity to practice at home, or at least every day at school. For classroom piano teachers with a similar situation, the beginning piano book below should last a full school year. For students who are able to learn at a faster pace (either because they are able to practice at home, or perhaps they have prior music experience), if they complete the beginning book before the end of the school year, you may introduce them to the second-year, intermediate-level repertoire, also below.
Restrictions of Use
Below is a pdf of the Beginning Piano Book for you to download for free. You have permission to distribute this book to your students as digital or hard copies. However, you are strictly forbidden from receiving compensation in any form or context from this book or any other material on this website. This includes your recordings of my compositions and arrangements. Thank you.
By downloading this curriculum, you understand and agree to the above terms.
Videos
29. Dance
30. Etude (Czerny)
30. Etude (Duvernoy)
These are some of the studies and repertoire I used for my second-year students. They are not necessarily listed in order of difficulty.
