Long Train Runnin' - Doobie Brothers guitar lesson
This song has been a long time favorite of mine. It's all about love and the question, "Where would we be without it?"

I've tried explaining how the strum works in this video and I'm not sure that I've actually succeeded. There is an aspect to the main strum that I didn't explain when recording this video. It became apparent when I was editing. This aspect is how and when I hit the low E string and then mute it while playing the Em7 chord during the Intro and the first two lines of each verse. I may do a different video just on that strum. I've found that students generally have a hard time playing it.

We still have my son and his small family here until Sunday so I'll get back to finishing the cover next week.

Thank you for all of your support! 
Sincerely,
Hal

https://youtu.be/IWOZT1xYHF0

Muting Unwanted Strings
When playing the guitar sometimes there are sounds that we don't want. How do we get rid of those sounds? Muting is the answer.

In this video lesson we talk about muting with the left hand while playing chords. 

Learning how to play a chord and also mute a string at the same time is like learning a new chord. It takes a bit of practice to push down a string with one finger while just touching a string with another finger on the same hand.
Hal

https://youtu.be/2UNDnU6Odpc

Mary Jane's Last Dance guitar lesson
Tom Petty wrote this song in 1993. If you look at the original video is a bit of a bizarre journey. Tom plays a morgue's assistant and takes a corpse who is played by Kim Basinger. He dresses her up, makes dinner for her, they watch TV together, they dance, and all the time she is dead. At the end she opens her eyes.

The words seem to have drug overtones but Heartbreaker guitarist Mike Campbell said, “...when it gets to the chorus he had the presence of mind to give it a deeper meaning. My take on it is it can be whatever you want it to be. A lot of people think it's a drug reference, and if that's what you want to think, it very well could be, but it could also just be a goodbye love song."

I love songs that have no clear message and the listener can imagine whatever they want the song to be.

The chords are simple. Am, G, D, Em, A - all open position chords. But then we can use half barre chords up the neck all the way to the 12th fret in some parts.

The use of hammer-on chords are tricky and so this song is a good exercise in  working with those on the open G and D chords.

In the lead section there is a signature double stop riff that just can't be left out but most of the intricate guitar work in the original recording I skipped over making my own arrangement instead. This song has many layers as a band arrangement but you have to simplify when playing solo. 

I did use a looper during the solo section so that you can hear the main chord progression in the background while the double stop riff and lead is playing. 

There is also a backing track starting at 17:31 until 19:05 just in case you want to practice the lead section yourself.

Let me know if you have any questions!

Hal
https://youtu.be/hv9GP57Zdpc

Mary Jane's Last Dance - Tom Petty
Yesterday during a lesson I realized that I hadn't taught this Tom Petty song yet. My student is a big fan so I thought that I'd add another one to the repertoire. Both this song, and Free Fallin’, will go in the book soon.

During the filming of the guitar lesson the audio recorder went off so I'll have to over dub the speaking on the zoomed in shots. Not sure I can get that out in a day. We'll see.

There is a lot going on in the original version of Mary Jane's Last Dance so we have to pick and choose what we are going to play when playing solo and singing. I really like making my own arrangements of a song.

During the filming I'm using a looper to record the background guitar parts so that I can solo over that later. At 11 seconds you can see me look down at the floor and that's when I start the looper. I can't remember if it was at 16 or 21 seconds when I stopped recording the loop. It was either one chord progression or two.

What do you think about the arrangement?

Hal

https://youtu.be/nnsIp5Ee0cI

Here is a song that I bet is not on your radar.

Nelson Ned d'Ávila Pinto (2 March 1947 – 5 January 2014) 

He was a Brazilian singer-songwriter that built a solid career as a singer and composer of sentimental, suffering songs, rising to popularity in Brazil and Latin America in 1969 and becoming known internationally, especially in Portugal, France and Spain.

When I heard this song in 1979 I knew that I just had to learn it. I sat down immediately and figured out the chords and wrote down the words.

Here is the translation for those of you who do not speak Spanish:

I've wanted to tell you for a long time, but I don't know
A sadness that in me, that I can no longer hide
I already wrote you in thousands of letters, my longing for your love
Without receiving an answer from you

Well, today I’ve sent you these flowers, that I took from a garden
Hoping that you will think of me, just a little

And if the flowers could talk and say that I love you
And if the roses could ask, if you could come to love me
And if the roses could tell you that I'm in love with you
I know that perhaps, you would answer me, and give me your heart

And who knows, that perhaps a miracle could happen?
And knowing, that I stole, almost a rose bush for you!
It may be, that perhaps, suddenly...
You will fall in love with me!

Hal Stead
https://youtu.be/EUQUOOgL2XU

Half Barre Chords w Bass Notes
Here are the half barre chords with bass notes.

Hal

https://youtu.be/9fn-ZZM0HzI

Major Half Barre Chords
Here is the major form of the half barre chords.

https://youtu.be/7EwKmtj7b74

Half Barre Chords - minor
The next 3 posts are videos that I've been working on to help students step into barre chords and to give understanding about how these chords work.

These are not "baby" chords. They are chords that I use all the time when I play.

This first video focuses on the minor half barre chords.

Hal

https://youtu.be/pFgGiqI_mcM

Hangout - Full Video
Hello everyone,

There will be no hangout this week because my son is getting married this weekend and there is no time to squeeze it in. We will resume next week.

Here is the full video of a hangout we did a couple of weeks ago.

Thank you for your support.

Hal 
https://youtu.be/Y372rgaIZgc

https://youtu.be/0Ym5WpSU1ik
Fingerpicking with 2, 3, 4, or 5 fingers?

In this video I play the same Travis picking pattern using 2, 3, and 4 fingers. We also do a pattern using 5 fingers.

Here is a link to the Giuliani Right Hand Studies for Guitar that I talk about in the video.
Giuliani120+.pdf   This book does not have tablature.

Giuliani Studies Playlist at YouTube

Hal Stead

Can't Help Falling In Love Elvis Presley Guitar Lesson
(If the video doesn't play yet it's because it's still uploading. It should be visible at 3:45 pm mountain time.)

This is a popular song with young and old alike. The video lesson includes

As I'm playing and making a video on a particular song I put in ideas about theory and guitar technique that are common to many songs that we want to play, and sometimes the best part of the video is right near the end. 

You be the judge and let me know what you think.

Questions? You can put them down below or join us over at our weekly hangout on Saturdays.

Take care,

Hal Stead

https://youtu.be/DzJB6pbKttA

Here's Can't Help Falling In Love
Working on the guitar lesson now.

https://youtu.be/c-IjkuEUR_s

Can't Help Falling In Love
Elvis sang this beautiful song. I have young and old students, and everyone in between, wanting to learn this song.

The guitar lesson is coming.

Hal

Hello everyone,

Here is a short clip from our hangout last Saturday.

Hal

https://youtu.be/KU6LAkwJuF4

Nashville Numbers and Roman Numerals
Here is the last video in this series. We look at Arabic numerals vs Roman Numerals when thinking about chords in a song. This is my perspective on how to think about chords as they relate to scales.

I'm not saying that you HAVE to do this my way, this is how I think about music and organize it in my head.

Hal Stead

https://youtu.be/CTfwrF6KCXM

Half Barre Chords
Lately I've been coming out with videos on the Nashville Numbering System. We've been talking about barre chords and as I was thinking about the different students that I have locally and online I realized that there are many that are watching my videos that are just starting out.

I get messages from Brazil, the Philippines, UK, literally from all over the world, from people that are getting started and are working on pieces that are a little beyond their ability. Depending on how motivated we are we can rise to the challenges that are before us or we can give up in frustration. If we don't give up we will succeed eventually but it's not a bad thing to work on easy pieces to build basic foundation principles to our playing.

This video goes back to basics and teaches notes and simple barre chords. I use these all the time in my playing. They are not "baby" chords. They are essential steps to becoming a better player.

Hal Stead
https://youtu.be/pFgGiqI_mcM

Under The Bridge Cover
As I'm practicing the guitar I'm updating the videos on my YouTube channel. Here is a cover of Under The Bridge by Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Hal Stead
https://youtu.be/b6WVhMXOsB4