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Essential Rhythm Guitar TECHNIQUES for Every Level
They’ve helped hundreds of students over the last 20 years at the MGT studio; it’s our much loved Modern Guitar Chord Styles series of books! Often neglected in most guitar methods, here rhythm guitar is the star! Master your chords and strumming & unlock a comprehensive rhythm guitar system that goes right from the very basics of acoustic guitar chords, to the most advanced rhythm guitar styles around. Whether you’re a beginner, intermediate, or advanced guitarist, this series covers everything from open chords to finger-picking, bar chords to arpeggios, syncopation, 16th note funk strumming, jazz chords and more.
Book 1 includes a unique approach to introducing open chords, highlighting fingers that can be held down between chord changes, making changes comfortable and smooth. These tips and tricks build speed and confidence and get beginners able to play basic songs in as little as 10 pages!
In Book 2, electric guitarists gain mastery over bar chords and build hand strength while tackling classic and modern rhythm studies, learning about the history and development of electric guitar styles.
Book 3 dives into advanced jazz and funk, introducing complex chords, syncopated rhythms, and harmonic depth—perfect for seasoned players looking to expand their groove.
BOOK 1: quick chord changes & TRICKS so you can play full songs asap!
Also available in our popular Beginner Bundle!
The perfect book for hobby guitarists and young students aged 12 and up: a gently-graded course that builds technique naturally via harmonic exercises and song-like progressions, and includes 55 audio recordings of exercises and progressions.
A clear step-by-step method introduces chords in a logical order of physical comfort and the progression exercises are written around changes linked by a common finger. Even a complete beginner is starting to play familiar sounding chord progressions within the first ten pages!
What topics are covered?
Basic guitar chords & how to get changes smooth
How to read rhythms
Common pop/rock strumming patterns & example progressions
Arpeggio picking & fingerpicking
Basic bar chords
and much more!
What people are saying
“As an adult DIY player I had a few bad technique habits and timing was a real problem. Modern Guitar Chord Styles 1 really did help me a lot; it fixed my timing and filled in the gaps in my chord knowledge”
“Modern Guitar Chord Styles 1 is my absolute must use book. Nothing gets a new student playing songs they enjoy quicker. Every single one of my students over 10 starts with this book, and it always gets great results! Cannot recommend it highly enough!”
BOOK 2: Master Bar Chords & EXPLORE the MANY GENRES OF electric guitar
Dedicated exclusively to electric guitar chord and rhythm styles, this book is a must-have for Electric players. It presents all the essential bar-chord forms and electric-guitar rhythm techniques from the classic Rock/R’n’B styles to the current era. It develops the stamina needed for bar-chord playing through a graduated series of exercises and stylistic examples. Features all the classic rhythm styles as well as melody-chord work and Electric arpeggio style. Includes 45 recorded samples to aid the development of rhythmic control and stylistic awareness.
What topics are covered?
Power chords
Major, minor, dom7, min7, & maj7 bar chord shapes
50s/60s rock, punk, country, 70s rock, disco, reggae, & fusion progressions
Hendrix style bar chord embellishments
Advanced triad and arpeggio picking
book 3: GET FUNKY, LEARN JAZZ AND TEST YOUR RHYTHM SKILLS
This advanced/tertiary-level text deals with the exciting but musically challenging area of Jazz and Funk styles for modern guitar. It features detailed information about the important Jazz and Funk chord forms, rhythm styles, harmony theory and styles of chord use. Presented in notation with chord boxes and some TAB to assist realization, the book comes with a music CD of 39 stylized progressions that provide excellent examples of advanced chord and rhythm techniques.
What topics are covered?
Jazz chords
Advanced strumming techniques
Funk chords & 16th note muting techniques
Ragtime, Latin Jazz, Big Band, Bebop, Gypsy Jazz, Bossa Nova and more!
Fingerstyle Jazz & walking bass line techniques
And much more!
Comes with over 80+ AUDIO RECORDINGS
Books come with CDs & MP3 downloads. MP3 included in PDF version.
“The Modern Guitar Chord Styles Series soon gets students’ chord vocabularies overflowing and playing in so many different musical styles. With THESE books, learning Rock chord progressions become a breeze and learning pop songs becomeS very straight forward and effortless! Highly recommended!”
— Darryl Barron
Ad.Cert.(Jazz and Pop), B.Mus.Perf.(VCA),
B.Teach.(Primary and Secondary), A.Dip.A., LTCL, FTCL.
Coordinator of Fretted Strings
Carey Baptist Grammar School
About the Author
Michelle Nelson is a composer, guitar teacher, and author, having released more than a dozen published works for tutoring contemporary guitar styles.
Drawing on many years of instrumental teaching and specialist assessment work, she has created the acclaimed ANZCA Modern Guitar grade books, the Guitar Steps series, the popular Modern Guitar Chord Styles series, as well as the brand new Electric Guitar Solo Style series.
She has also released several albums including Return to the Dance and Flowers Still Bloom, available across streaming platforms.
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Announcing the latest book from author, composer and educator Michelle Nelson, Electric Guitar Solo Style 1.
Electric Guitar Solo Style 1 is the ultimate guide for electric guitar beginners aged 12 and up, designed to build soloing skills step by step. This course focuses on essential techniques like slides, hammer-ons, pull-offs, and string bending, using clear exercises that develop fretboard mastery and picking confidence. With a special emphasis on string bending, EGSS1 breaks down the mechanics and signature styles of this iconic guitar skill. Packed with realistic solos based on classic blues progressions and accompanied by MP3 recordings, this is the perfect resource for players ready to elevate their electric guitar game.