Your First Rhythm Jam Session
In this section of Pro Guitar Tips, you get to jam along with me and a rocking band! Recorded live at Park Avenue studios, I’ve provided four different style play-along tracks, and they rock. Play-along tracks are the best way to practice as you test your skills in a real life situation. In this series of play-along songs you become the rhythm guitarist in the band. I’ll play the rhythm for the first rotation of the song, and then drop out. You should play along with me, then take the reigns for yourself. The songs will be repeated three times so you get to really lock in and jam.
When learning a new song, take it very slowly, work out each bar, and then join them together. If you’re having trouble with a section, stop and go over that part until you get it right. There’s not much point in repeating mistakes, because you’ll be training your brain, ears and fingers to play the mistake and not the correct part.
Here’s the four different style play-along songs for you to learn and jam with.
1 – Acoustic singer/songwriter play-along: In the playing style of Bob Dylan.
2 – Acoustic roots play-along: In the playing style of Jack Johnson.
3 – Heavy Rock play-along: In the playing style of Metallica.
4 – New Wave Punk play-along: In the style of Good Charlotte.
Have heaps of fun with the play-along tracks, and enjoy mastering your rhythm skills.
What are your next steps?
Listen to a lot of music
Learn the rhythm parts to all your favorite songs
Have a go at writing your own songs
Move onto the next section of Pro Guitar Tips, and learn lead guitar
Acoustic Songwriter Style Play-Along
In the playing style of mellow Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, Oasis, Green Day etc.
This play-along is fairly simple and uses mostly open chords. Be careful with the Bm7 in the 4th bar though, as it’s a barre chord shape.
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Acoustic Roots Play-Along
This play-along is in the style of Jack Johnson, Ben Harper, Pete Murray etc. Listen to my rhythm playing, and try to copy the style and strumming pattern. Then have a go on your own. I suggest using bar chords for this example.
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Heavy Rock Play-Along
This play-along is in the playing style of hard rock and metal bands like Metallica etc.
The song is riff based (which is why I haven’t written out the chords) and uses single notes mixed with power chords. The slashes you see on the chart are slides. Have a listen and copy my playing style. The form of this song is written out using the alphabet letters A, B, and C – these letters are not chords. This is a common way of naming different sections. You play A twice, then B twice and then C once (C functions like a turnaround). Repeat the whole thing three times.
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New Wave Punk Playalong
This play-along is in the style of bands like Good Charlotte, Blink 182, etc
I’ve broken the song into three parts. Verse, pre-chorus and chorus. Each part is played twice and then the whole thing is repeated three times. I’ve left the rhythm out in the chorus, just listen and copy my playing.
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