1990s Songs Volume 1

Lessons

• Lesson 1: Silent Lucidity Guitar Lesson - Queensryche

  Silent Lucidity uses a modified arpeggio accompaniment pattern, occasionally with measures in an odd time signature, over relatively simple chords that include some open strings. We take a look at the picking in the verses, strumming and a picking pattern in the chorus, the accompaniment to the solo, and even the solo itself.

• Lesson 2: More Than Words - Guitar Lesson

  More Than Words, by Extreme features an interesting but difficult technique for the right hand. It is a percussive style of playing that requires a constant rhythm similar to a strumming pattern. The song was written by Nuno Bettencourt and Gary Cherone and first appeared on the second Extreme album Pornografitti, in 1990.

• Lesson 3: Nothing Else Matters Guitar Lesson - Metallica

  This is mostly a look at the introduction played on acoustic guitar. We have a complete lesson for electric guitar as well.

• Lesson 4: Come As You Are Guitar Lesson - Nirvana

  Nirvana came onto the scene in the early 1990s and was a major part of the grunge movement that started in the Pacific Northwest, partially inspired by some of Neil Young's songs and styles. Kurt Cobain wrote and sang some very basic songs, most of which are interesting chord progressions along with some cool riffs. Come As You Are is a great example of this as it starts with a simple riff that is followed with a set of 2-finger barre chords. It is important to play the riff with the alternating picking technique, and the barre chords could even be reduced to power chords, making this song even a little easier to play.

• Lesson 5: Better Man Guitar Lesson

  Pearl Jam is another band that came of age in the 1990s and their 1994 album Vitalogy included *Better Man*, a song Eddie Vedder wrote when he was still a teenager. It features a simple picking pattern over a few chords that slide up the neck, as well as the standard major chords in the key of D- D, G and A.

• Lesson 6: Wonderwall

  One of the biggest hits by Britpop band Oasis, Wonderwall is a simple strumming song featuring easy chord changes. This short lesson gives you everything you need to strum along with the band, as long as you have a capo at the second fret. The lesson is done without the capo.

• Lesson 7: Hallelujah Guitar Lesson - Leonard Cohen

  Hallelujah is one of many Cohen songs that got more recognition by other artists, this one in particular by Jeff Buckley. His compelling recording a few years before his untimely death moved anyone who heard it. Hallelujah is considered by many to be one of the greatest songs of all time. This lesson looks at few different renditions, including Jeff Buckley’s and Kate Voegele’s

• Lesson 8: Karma Police - Acoustic Guitar Lesson

  Karma Police by Radiohead, from their 3rd album OK Computer, is a nice, simple strumming tune, although this haunting melody might be a bit melancholy for a sing-along. An easy strumming pattern and a few barre chords are all it takes.

• Lesson 9: Losing My Religion Guitar Lesson

  This lesson on Losing My Religion presents the basic rhythm and strumming, as well as some ways to incorporate a bit of the mandolin parts into the intro and bridge.

• Lesson 10: Crash Into Me - Guitar Lesson

  *Crash Into Me*by Dave Matthews is an example of a song that uses a droning chord with a slightly moving bass line to create an interesting accompaniment. The droning chord is just an E5 (power chord) and the bass notes change with a syncopated rhythm. As in many of Dave's songs, the chord fingering is a bit stretchy but the lesson focuses on counting carefully to get the bass notes in the right places.

• Lesson 11: Hole Hearted - Extreme - Guitar Lesson

  Hole Hearted is a song by the American rock band Extreme. It was released as the 4th and final single from their best selling 1990 ‘Pornograffitti’ album.
  
  This lesson is done on a six string guitar, with the strings all tuned down a half step, even though the song is originally recorded and consistently performed on a twelve string guitar.
  
  The chords and shapes are relatively easy, but the arrangement is filled with challenges such as the many syncopated chord changes, hammer on’s and triplet pull off’s in the main riff.
  
  Also the ability to strum in double time and picking out individual strings is a must.

• Lesson 12: Are You Gonna Go My Way

  Lenny Kravitz was an awesome throwback artist who was able to simultaneously recreate the classic rock sound but used modern riffs and licks to do it. In this lesson we’re going to run through the key tricks of his guitar playing. This epic rock tune uses simple scales and chord progressions but with some blazing blues licks mixed in. You’ll get full access to all the rocking guitar parts  in this lesson.

• Lesson 13: You Do Something To Me

  Paul Weller is a British singer-songwriter who found some success in punk and new wave bands in the 1980s. His solo career started around 1990 and he is still more popular in the UK than the US.

  You Do Something To Me is from his album Stanley Road and was originally done as a piano tune. As the years went by he started performing it on acoustic guitar and this lesson is mostly based on those performances.

• Lesson 14: What I Got Guitar Lesson - Sublime

  What I Got is from Sublime's 3rd album, Sublime (self-titled or eponymous if you will), and became their biggest radio hit in 1996. MattB's lesson is presented in 2 parts, one looking at the rhythm guitar part and the other going over the lead. It uses a strumming pattern similar to Good Riddance by Green Day but is a little slower and uses fewer chords. The lead section has a few tips and techniques that you will want to apply to many other songs as well.

• Lesson 15: Creep - Acoustic Guitar Lesson

  Creep is a song by the English alternative rock band Radiohead.
  
  This lesson takes a look at the acoustic version which features singer Thom Yorke and his acoustic guitar only.
  
  The progression involves eight measures, four barre chords from the E-family, dressed up with a sus4 and consistent, random strumming. A few open chords are used in the chorus as well.
  
  The lesson covers a bit of theory regarding barre chords and their families. It also presents a few different ways to play through the progression, which might be a little easier for beginners.