Guitar Lessons | Bandwagon Music Studios

Chords - this is the main job of guitarists. To provide a rhythm background while someone sings or another instrument is doing a solo. A guitarist would play rhythm for generally 90% of the time. There are 4 levels that we cover - taking you from being a basic busker, to being a basic rock player, then to a fancy rock player, and finally if you wish to be being a jazz player.

Lead - this is the extra exciting part of guitar. Learn the opening riffs to songs and then be able to do a blazing solo. There are 6 levels that we cover - these cover basic riffing, pentatonic scales and soloing, harmony solos, as well as all the techniques you need to do lead.

We can easily make you be a master of modes.
See lead level 4.

Melody Reading - this is learning how to read music and play the melody to a song - the part that you would sing or whistle.

Resources

Be sure to check out the goals and core songs for each level.
We set goals so you know what you are working towards and also so you can get excited about what you are going to play and learn.
The core songs are great examples of the level you are playing in. These aren't the only songs you'll be learning. We definitley want you to ask for your favourite songs to learn - oldies, latest hits, songs from movies, any song. We want you to really enjoy your guitar playing through songs you love.
And because students have these common core songs it's great when we have a jam session. There are songs we all know and we can have fun making music with other people.

Chords
Lead
Junior

Chords 1

The whole aim of this level is turn you into a competent busker / party / BBQ type player. Imagine the fun you will have with your family and friends playing a few songs. We work on basic open chords and strum patterns. One of the big stumbling blocks for beginners is changing chords. We have a unique way of getting beginners through this. The tricks and exercises will have you changing chords like a pro before you know it.

Contents (64 KB)

Goals and Core Songs (58 KB)

Finger Groups (100 KB)

Major Chords (83 KB)

Strum Patterns (81 KB)

Chords 2

The skills in level 2 will make you an even better busker / party style guitarist. In fact you will become a super competent rhythm guitarist. So if you want to join a band then at the end of this level you can do it. We cover some "strum magic" that will add loads of flair to your playing.The main goals of this level are to learn bar chords, advanced strumming tricks and bass chord picking.

Contents (76 KB)

Goals and Core Songs (56 KB)

Bar Chord Intro (113 KB)

Bass & Chord Strumming (113 KB)

E Shape Bar Chords (55 KB)

Strum Magic (229 KB)

Chords 3

Now's when it gets real fancy. The main goal of this level is to turn you into a monster chord player in the rock style. Things learnt will include the CAGED system of chords, chord adders, "barless" bar chords, fingerpicking. Heaps of cool chord-hand and strum-hand tricks that will take your chord playing to a whole new level.

Contents (76 KB)

Goals and Core Songs (55 KB)

CAGED System for Chords (71 KB)

Chord Adders (107 KB)

Finger Picking (123 KB)

Chords 4

This level looks at the world of jazz chords. While you might only want to play rock style chords this will show some of those chords that have crept over from jazz. We all love the sound of the "Hendrix chord" from songs like Foxy Lady - well that's a jazz chord. Other songs include Moondance, Tropicalia and a few songs by the Chili Peppers. Or maybe you want to become a jazz nut!! We can definitely help with that as well.

Contents (70 KB)

Goals and Core Songs (50 KB)

Basic Jazz Chords (84 KB)

Major 7 Chords (100 KB)

Minor 7 Inversions (70 KB)

Lead 1

Many rock songs have a "riff" - that cool guitar part at the beginning. Think of songs like Smoke on the Water, Enter Sandman, She's a Genius and 7 Nation Army. This level teaches you the elements of being a good riff player. There are scales in different places on the guitar. As well there is a whole section dedicated to guitar techniques. These skill builders will let you do things like hammer ons, flick offs, bending, tapping.

Contents (59 KB)

Goals and Core Songs (52 KB)

Minor Pentatonic - E Shape (71 KB)

Minor Pentatonic - Open Fingerings (74 KB)

Riff Examples (61 KB)

Technique - Slurring (97 KB)

Lead 2

Now we move onto soloing or lead playing. Imagine learning how to play some cool solos and learning how to make up your own solos. Soloing is one of the greatest joys of guitar playing! In this level you will learn the most commonly used scales in rock - the minor pentatonic and the major pentatonic. We will show you them in their most used positions. There is no over study of scale shapes and positions that aren't commonly used - why learn things that are rarely used? We cover just the essentials for rocking out.

Contents (77 KB)

Goals and Core Songs (51 KB)

A Shape Licks (46 KB)

E Shape Licks (46 KB)

Major Pentatonic (99 KB)

Minor Pentatonic - A Shape (60 KB)

Minor Pentatonic - E Shape (57 KB)

Lead 3

This is an accompanying book to lead level 2. The book is full of cool solos and licks that are from the minor and major pentatonic scales. It is to be used as a library of licks to build solos with. First we learn some "cliche" licks.
This example plays the cliche licks using Enter Sandman as the backing. This shows you how useful and versatile the licks are. You can use them to make an awesome solo for any backing.

Cliches used as a solo to Enter Sandman (376 KB)

Then we learn licks from all the great players over the years. Players like Jimi Hendrix, Slash, Angus Young, Pink Floyd, Eric Clapton, Metallica and Stevie Ray Vaughan. For each player there is one of their solos and a few of their licks.

The second half of the book looks at all the licks in their respective scale choice. Now you have a huge choice of licks for each scale and position.

Goals and Core Songs (51 KB)

Contents (76 KB)

Cliche Licks (102 KB)

Hendrix Study (195 KB)

Minor Pentatonic - E Shape Study (524 KB)

Lead 4

Here is the holy grail of soloing and thankfully shown in an unbelievably easy way to follow. There is no over explanation - just plain, easy to follow information and diagrams. Modes are just an extension of the pentatonics. So all that work done previously plus a couple of new notes and you have them! The book again follows great players. There are some of their songs, solos and licks from all the main modes.

Aeolian mode (48 KB)

Dorian mode (48 KB)

Major modes E shape (47 KB)

Minor modes E shape (56 KB)

Here is the section dedicated to our younger guitar players.

There is plenty to look at and to play with.

The juniors work on chords and strumming, playing some easy songs to get those fingers working very well.

As well juniors learn how to read and play TAB. Songs here include some cool rock riffs, some longer songs and solfa songs.

There is also the musical brain section that helps students to get their sense of pitch and rhythm working much better.