Grateful Dead Collection

Lessons

• Lesson 1: Friend Of The Devil

  Jerry Garcia and John Dawson, of New Riders Of The Purple Sage, wrote the music to Friend Of The Devil, and lyrics were added by Robert Hunter. It was released on the Grateful Dead album American Beauty in 1970. Friend Of The Devil is in a simple 4 time but better counted in 2, making it in cut time (2/2). This is mostly due to the quick tempo of the song. The feel is mainly a folk style, although there are definite leanings toward bluegrass, partly due to the addition of the mandolin. It is played in the key of G, and features the descending major scale as the main theme.

• Lesson 2: Ripple

  Ripple has been a favorite Grateful Dead song among Neil's students for quite some time. The basic accompaniment is pretty straightforward, almost a Campfire song. This lesson covers strumming through the progression and includes tab to a Chord Solo arrangement, similar to Neil's Play Through segment.

• Lesson 3: Touch Of Grey

  *Touch Of Grey*was a song that the Grateful Dead starting playing live in 1982 but became a hit 5 years later when it was released on In The Dark. It is notable as really the only ‘hit’ the Dead ever had, breaking into the Billboard Top 10, and also for a memorable video showing the band as skeletons playing live. The song features some basic strumming over quite a few barre chords, mostly from the keys of E and B major. This lesson includes the opening riff played on the bass, as well as a very distinctive fill played in the chorus.

• Lesson 4: Truckin'

  Truckin’ is a blues-based song that works around a shuffle rhythm in the key of E. This lesson looks at a couple of ways of playing the main rhythm guitar riffs as well as a detailed discussion of 12/8 time. It is presented without tablature but includes a chord chart and close-up descriptions of many of the parts.

• Lesson 5: Uncle John's Band

  Uncle John’s Band is a tune that is mostly basic strumming but includes a few time signature changes and syncopated chord changes that add an interesting effect. The lesson mainly concentrates on the rhythm guitar part but tab to a Chord Solo, similar to Neil’s improvised Play Through in Part 1 is included for the more advanced students.

• Lesson 6: Teddy Bears Picnic (Jerry Garcia & David Grisman)

  A song Neil started playing many years before he had kids but became a big hit with them as they started school is Teddy Bears Picnic. It was written in the 1930s and recorded by many people over the years, most notably nowadays by Jerry Garcia and David Grisman on their album Not For Kids Only. This Target Campfire lesson goes over a traditional arrangement as well as a few thoughts on Jerry and Dave’s version.

• Lesson 7: Peggy-O - Guitar Lesson

  This traditional song has been covered by many artists in many different styles, including versions by Bob Dylan and Simon & Garfunkel. This lesson looks at the way The Grateful Dead did it as an outtake on their album Go To Heaven. There is also a bit on how Jerry Garcia sometimes played it later. It is presented as an ear-training exercise so be sure to watch the Preview before looking at the chart.

• Lesson 8: Jack Straw

  Jack Straw is a Bob Weir/Robert Hunter composition that has been part of hundreds of Grateful Dead concerts since it was written in 1971. I recommend listening to it on their album Hundred Year Hall and trying to figure it out by ear. That is the approach that I take in this lesson as it is done as a high intermediate ear-training exercise. A bit of an experimental approach that applies a lot of theory to helping solve the problem. The ear-training component is probably at level 7 but the song is not too difficult if you are very familiar with barre chords.

• Lesson 9: China Cat Sunflower

  China Cat Sunflower is a classic from the library of Jerry Garcia and Robert Hunter, and was originally released on the third album by The Grateful Dead Aoxomoxoa. The song features a couple of very memorable riffs and melodies and this lesson covers them as well as the basic rhythm and tips on soloing using Pentatonic and Mixolydian Scales.

• Lesson 10: Dark Hollow

  Dark Hollow is a tune made famous by The Grateful Dead, as it was featured as part of their acoustic sets in the early 1970s. Written by Bill Browning and recorded by his band, The Echo Valley Boys in 1958, It became a folk staple in the 1960s. The first Dead version appeared in 1973 on their live album Bear's Choice, partly released to get the out of their contract with Warner Brothers.

  This lesson starts out as an ear training exercise, meaning just listening to the progression and working it out, with some clues, before showing and explaining some theory behind the progression. 

  It is pretty much standard country/folk strumming, and there is a comparison between a couple keys before dressing up the accompaniment a bit.