mgt blog
song guides and technique tips from our teachers
featured Song Guide
Locked Out Of Heaven is one of Bruno Mars’ big hits from his 2012 album Unorthodox Jukebox. A Top 10 hit in over twenty countries, and inspired by the Reggae-rock sound of The Police, Locked Out Of Heaven is great electric guitar track for developing bar-chords and syncopated rhythm work.
Latest Technique Tip
Self-taught guitar vs lessons… It’s a question we get asked all the time! Is it worth getting a guitar teacher?
We’re a bit biased here, but get a guitar teacher! We often have students start lessons with us after years of self teaching, and they all say the same thing: “I’ve made more progress learning with you in 6 months than in 3 years of trying by myself!”…
most popular song guides
Seven Nation Army by the White Stripes is the big global hit from their 2003 album Elephant. Based on a simple seven-note riff it, became the White Stripes’ most enduring hit and remains popular around the world on radio, television and streaming formats. The riff, repeated in power chords, and the solo based on the same tune make it a perfect choice for developing electric guitarists.
Horse With No Name is from the self-titled debut album by the 1970’s group called America. Released in 1972 it quickly became an international hit song. It was Top 10 in many countries and reached no.1 in the USA and Canada.
The classic ‘90s hit from Oasis that became their signature song and epitomizes the whole Britpop era. The opening strains from the rhythm guitar are one of the most recognizable of all strumming songs. The original is played on acoustic steel-string but it sounds great on electrics too. Not so suitable for nylon-strings though; you won’t get the jangle!
This lovely fingerstyle number has become a wedding staple around the world since its release in 2017. Whilst the original is played on acoustic steel-strings, it sounds great on classical guitar. It can also sound good on electric guitars with medium-heavy gauge strings and wider spacing to allow for comfortable finger-picking.
Wow, a current hit song with a prominent and continuous electric guitar part! Okay, we’re doing it! Medium tempo number that doesn’t just repeat the same four bars over and over (what a relief)! The part is intelligently arranged and fits really neatly with the percussion track, making it a good chart to play along with. Works best on electric but will also sound okay on steel-string acoustic.
Locked Out Of Heaven is one of Bruno Mars’ big hits from his 2012 album Unorthodox Jukebox. A Top 10 hit in over twenty countries, and inspired by the Reggae-rock sound of The Police, Locked Out Of Heaven is great electric guitar track for developing bar-chords and syncopated rhythm work.
It’s the FAQ for our most popular beginner’s book: Modern Guitar Chord Styles 1. Whether you’re new to the guitar or need to refine your current skills, we’ve compiled answers to the most common questions about this much loved book. For over 20 years students at our studio in Melbourne, Australia have learnt to their favourite songs using the techniques inside!
Yellow is simply the most popular song by the most popular band of the 21st Century, Coldplay - a band that has 10+ songs with over 1 billion streams on Spotify, and similar numbers on YouTube. From their debut album Parachutes, Yellow is a hypnotic song that works on all steel string guitars and is a great track to play along with.
Fast Car - Tracy Chapman’s original 1988 version was a Grammy Award winning hit in the USA and a hit in many other countries. The poignant, personal lyrics and gentle acoustic feel made it refreshingly different in the late ‘80s, and the 2023 remake by Luke Combs has introduced it to a new global audience. One of the big digital download hits of 2024, Fast Car is a perfect chart for acoustic finger-style . . .
Sinner by The Last Dinner Party is a great chart for electric guitarists. Although there are only two chords underpinning the whole song there are plenty of tasty lead riffs. From The LDP’s album Prelude to Ecstasy, it features clear, well structured electric guitar solos that even include string bending - lets get into it!
Crowd sing-along favourite Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond may be an old-school banger but it seems to be more popular now than ever! With the original recording being in B Major (yuk!) it can be trickier to play than you may expect.