1970s Songs Volume 2
What's included
- All tab
- Chords
- Chart
- Guitar pro files
$38.97
Full Lifetime Access to this package
Arlo Guthrie - City Of New Orleans
Arlo Guthrie - Coming Into Los Angeles
Bill Withers - Ain't No Sunshine
Bill Withers - Grandma’s Hands
Brian Hyland - Gypsy Woman
Brian Hyland - Sealed With A Kiss
Christopher Cross - Sailing
Foreigner - I Want To Know What Love Is
Foreigner - Waiting For A Girl Like You
The Hollies - The Air That I Breathe
Lobo - Don't Expect Me To Be Your Friend
Lobo - Me And You And A Dog Named Boo
Orleans - Dance With Me
Seals & Crofts - Summer Breeze
Van Morrison - Moondance
Lessons
Lesson 1: I Want To Know What Love Is - Foreigner - Guitar Lesson
Foreigner is a British-American rock band, originally formed in 1976 by English musician Mick Jones, multi-instrumental musician Ian McDonald, along with American vocalist Lou Gramm.
This lesson covers the unplugged/acoustic version of their biggest hit and power ballad ‘I Want To Know What Love Is.' It’s taken from their 1984 album ‘Agent Provocateur’.
The song consists of five chords in the key of Em, with a few different chord shapes, and should be played with random strumming. We take a look at the progression, which has an occasional change in the time signature, and the little signature riff in the intro and interludes.
The lesson is presented, as the original recording as well as the acoustic version, with all the strings tuned down a half step.Lesson 2: City Of New Orleans (Campfire Lesson)
A classic Campfire Song, City Of New Orleans was a big hit for Arlo Guthrie in 1972 when it was released on his album Hobo’s Lullaby. The song was written by Steve Goodman, who managed to get Arlo to listen to it in a bar in Chicago, and Arlo agreed to record it. It is a pretty standard chord progression that can be played in many keys. This lesson looks at it in the key of C, using a country strumming pattern.
Lesson 3: Ain't No Sunshine - Acoustic Guitar Lesson
This lesson on Ain't No Sunshine goes into the way Bill Withers really played it, using simple, 3-string reductions of chords from our standard 'E' and 'A' barre families. These reductions mean no barre is necessary. The right hand picks out a simple pattern that alternates a bass note hit with the thumb and a pair of strings plucked with two fingers. There is also a brief look at a background lead part.
Lesson 4: Grandma’s Hands - Acoustic Guitar Lesson
A guitar player asked about this one, and it belonged in the library. Simple and short — 3-string reduction shapes from the E family, plus a thumb-and-two-finger plucking pattern. Don't let "basic" fool you; there's real feel in this one.
Lesson 5: Gypsy Woman
Brian Hyland is a singer and guitarist who found a bit of fame with Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini and Sealed With A Kiss in the early 1960s. He hit gold gain in 1971 with Gypsy Woman, a song written by Curtis Mayfield for his group The Impressions, which did not make much of a splash at the time.
We dig into strumming techniques you'll use everywhere: string-zone focus, palm muting, pattern variation, and a genuinely cool intro.
Lesson 6: Sealed With A Kiss
Dozens of artists cut this one, but it was Hyland's 1962 version that stuck. Sophisticated chord progression in E minor with a few chords that reach outside the key, plus a half-step modulation at the end (optional if barre chords aren't your thing yet).
We also work out a solo section that picks the melody while the strumming keeps going underneath.
Lesson 7: Sailing by Christopher Cross
1980 was Christopher Cross's year, and Sailing was the smoothest thing on the radio. Played in Open D (D-A-D-F#-A-D) with an arpeggio built on hybrid chords — common shapes with unusual bass notes, plus some add9 and Major 7 color.
We add the bass notes into the arpeggio, which makes this a little more demanding than what Cross plays live with a full band, but it's what makes the accompaniment feel complete solo.
Lesson 8: Coming Into Los Angeles - Arlo Guthrie - Guitar Lesson
One of Arlo's early radio hits, from right as his career was taking off — his Woodstock performance showed the exuberance more than the polish. This one's built as an ear-training exercise, so resist the urge to look at the chart until you've worked through the first couple segments. There's also a section on playing lead in a minor key.
Lesson 9: Waiting For A Girl Like You - Foreigner
Waiting For A Girl Like You is a Platinum-certified 1981 power ballad by the British-American band Foreigner. It was the second single from their album ‘4’ and has become one of the band’s most famous songs worldwide.
This lesson takes a look at an acoustic version as occasionally performed by Foreigner in more recent years.
It covers the progression, the strumming and a possible way to copy the distinctive synthesizer theme as acoustically done on a mandolin by guitar player Bruce Watson.
A tab for how to play it as performed on the original recording by the then-little-known Thomas Dolby is included.Lesson 10: The Air That I Breathe - Guitar Lesson
Written by Albert Hammond and Mike Hazlewood, first recorded by Hammond on his 1972 album It Never Rains In Southern California. The Hollies made it a hit two years later after hearing Phil Everly's cover.
We follow the Hollies' version, with some notes on how Hammond plays it live, in the keys of C and A — double-time strumming, and a progression that plays a little loose with major/minor, plus a couple of barre chords.
Lesson 11: Don't Expect Me To Be Your Friend - Lobo
Another one for the ears first. Listen to Lobo's 1971 original and see if you can find the key and the main chords before we get into it. It's fingerpicked, with a twist you won't see coming until later in the lesson.
Lesson 12: Me And You And A Dog Named Boo - Lobo
Kent Lavoie — Lobo — had a run of American hits in the early '70s and kept a solid career going worldwide long after. His songs lean toward David Gates territory: strong progressions, melodies that let his voice do the work.
This one's played in a standard key, capoed up. Start by listening to the original on your own — I strum through it once for you to study, then walk through the chords and arrangement. See how far you get before I give it away.
Lesson 13: Dance With Me - Guitar Lesson
One of the greatest accompanying guitar parts ever written, full stop. A 1975 hit written by guitarist John Hall and his wife Johanna, built on a melodic riff harmonized in thirds under three-part vocal harmony. We cover a basic chord version and the full, trickier part exactly as John played it — outro vamp and flashy ending included.
Lesson 14: Summer Breeze - Seals & Crofts
Jim Seals and Dash Crofts had already been playing together for years by the time this hit in 1972, their fourth album. Unusual chord progression, a distinctive opening theme, tight harmonies, a little Texas twist. We look at a couple of ways to bring some of Dash's mandolin parts into the guitar accompaniment.
Lesson 15: Moondance Guitar Lesson - Van Morrison
Van's jazziest tune, originally carried by piano, bass, and drums – here it all lives on one acoustic guitar. Fingerpicking captures the piano comping over a steady bass line, shifts to strumming when the progression hits the iv chord, then closes out with the bass riff that wraps the chorus. This is also where Neil shows his ‘hidden pick trick’ – holding the pick in your right hand while fingerpicking, so you can drop into strumming without missing a beat.