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 Southern Rock Guitar
Southern Rock Guitar History
The southern rock guitar style combines a blend of
blues, some jazz, bluegrass, country and rock guitar
all into one. From the sing along favorites by
Lynyrd Skynyrd that include intense rock lead guitar
solo's, to the kick up your heels boogie woogie sounds
of Charlie Daniels, southern rock music has been one
most versatile music styles created in music history.
This lesson contains the main song parts to top hit
southern rock songs taught using easy to learn guitar
tabs and guitar chords. Some of the lessons include
featured guitar licks from the actual guitar solo's.
The Southern Rock Guitar "Twang" String Bend
Lynyrd Skynyrd * Gimme Me Three Steps
This portion of this lesson demonstrates how southern rock
guitar licks are composed from major pentatonic scales.
Although the minor scales are also commonly used, it's the
major pentatonic scale that gives the southern rock country
twang guitar sound.
This lesson will clearly demonstrate this in sound by applying
these simple string bends.
It's the 2nd note (interval) which the string bend most often
occurs to produce this sound.Use your ring finger to make the
bend, while using the pinky finger to barre the 2 small strings.
Strike (pick) all 3 notes, bending only the G string using
your ring finger, then after the bend, returning to the tonic
note. This scale often sounds best used this way.
D Pentatonic Minor Scale
D E F# A B D E F# A B D
e :-----------------|------7-10-------|-----------------|
B :-----------------|-7-10------------|-----------------|
G :------------7-9--|-----------------|-----------------|
D :--------7-9------|-----------------|-----------------|
A :----7-9----------|-----------------|-----------------|
E :-10--------------|-----------------|-----------------|
Southern Rock Guitar String Bend
f rel
e :---10------------|-----------------|-----------------|
B :---10------------|-----------------|-----------------|
G :-9------(9-)-----|----7------------|-----------------|
D :-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
A :-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E :-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
Guitar Practice Tip: Try moving this from D major pentatonic
to A major pentatonic to demonstrate in sound the southern
rock guitar sound that occurs in the song Gimme Three Steps
by Lynyrd Skynyrd
Twang Bends Part 2
The Actual "Twang" String Bend
This section is focused on showing you the 3 most common
types of "twang" string bends that are derived from the
G major pentatonic scale.Example #1 shows making the string
bend, then playing the barred notes at the 3rd fret of the
B and small e string, while example #2 shows a slight
different variation, by playing all 3 strings at once,
while you make the string bend. Example #3 demonstrates
playing all 3 strings, as you once again make the string
bend, then releasing the bend so that the note returns
to its normal pitch, then making a pull-off to the tonic
note, G. Examples 4,5 and 6 demonstrate the same techniques
in the octave position.
#1 #2 #3
f f f. rel.p f
e :----3------3-----|----3------------|-----15----------|
B :----3------3-----|----3------------|-----15----------|
G :-2------(2)------|-(2)---(2)----0--|-14--------------|
D :-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
A :-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E :-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
#5 #6
f f. rel.p
e :------15---------|-----15----------|-----------------|
B :------15---------|-----15----------|-----------------|
G :-(14)------------|-(14)-----(14)---|-12--------------|
D :-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
A :-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E :-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
Adding "Twang" To Scale Combinations
This lick is a quality example of how to combine the
major diatonic scale with the major pentatonic scale,
while adding techniques to help gain speed and adding
the "twang" sound to your playing. This lick is in the
key of G major.
h h h h h h h h h h p p p p
e :-----------------|-----------2-3-5-|-3-0-------------|
B :-----------------|-------3-5-------|-----3-0---------|
G :-----------------|-2-4-5-----------|---------2-0-----|
D :-----------2-4-5-|-----------------|-------------2-0-|
A :-----2-3-5-------|-----------------|-----------------|
E :-3-5-------------|-----------------|-----------------|
f.hold bend f. rel.p
e :--------------3--|----3------------|-----------3-----|
B :--------------3--|----3------------|-----------3-----|
G :-2---------------|-(2)----(2)------|-0---------0-----|
D :-----------------|-----------------|-----------0-----|
A :-----------------|-----------------|-----------2-----|
E :-----------------|-----------------|-----------3-----|
Improvising Southern Rock Lead Guitar Solos
Although good southern rock lead guitar solos may consist
of many elements and scale variations and combinations,
often they may also include the most basic of elements.
One of the basic scales which is a good element to begin
improvising with is the major pentatonic scale. This
scale is famous for it's "southern twang" sound. The
twang sound comes from making a string bend on the 2nd
interval. In the key of G (as shown below), this would
make the "twang bend" occur on the note B. It's also
a good practice to combine various forms and shapes of
box scales and ascedning and descending runs. Example #1
shows the G major pentatonic in the open position. Example
#2 shows a combination of the ascending run with the box
scale shape. Lessons that follow will give examples of
guitar licks that you can learn to begin to experiment
with improvising southern rock lead guitar.
Example #1 Example #2
G A B D E G A B D E G G A B D E
e :-----------------|-----0-3---------|-----------------|
B :-----------------|-0-3-------------|-----------------|
G :-----------0-2---|-----------------|-----------------|
D :-------0-2-------|-----------------|----------12-14--|
A :---0-2-----------|-----------------|-10-12-14--------|
E :-3---------------|-----------------|-----------------|
G A B D E G
e :-----------------|-12-15-----------|-----------------|
B :-------12-15-----|-----------------|-----------------|
G :-12-14-----------|-----------------|-----------------|
D :-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
A :-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E :-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
Review: Pentatonic is defined as; Pent=5 Tonic=Notes
Meaning that it is a 5 note scale. The same 5 notes may
repeat in order as shown above.
Allman Brothers * One Way Out
This lesson is a very important tool known as a 3
scale progression. Many artist and groups have composed
and written number one hit songs using this tool. The
basic outline for composing or creating guitar licks may
consist of using the formula of 3 (major or minor)
pentatonic scales. This lesson teaches this theory in the
key of A. Example #1 demonstrates the 3 scales that are
used (A,D, and E pentatonic minor)and their most common
arrangement for composing and creating guitar riffs and
licks. Example #2 shows the actual opening lead guitar
lick from this song, which follows in order in the form
of a 3 scale progression.
Example #1 * Scales
A D A
A C D E G A D F G A C D A C D E G A
e :-----------------|-----------8-10--|-----------------|
B :----------8-10---|------8-10-------|----------8-10---|
G :------7-9--------|-7-10------------|------7-9--------|
D :-7-10------------|-----------------|-7-10------------|
A :-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E :-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E D A
E G A B D E D F G A C D A C D E G A
e :------------10-12|-----------8-10--|-----------------|
B :------10-12------|------8-10-------|----------8-10---|
G :-9-12------------|-7-10------------|------7-9--------|
D :-----------------|-----------------|-7-10------------|
A :-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E :-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
Example #2
p
e :-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
B :-10-10-10-8------|-10-10---8-8-10--|-10--------------|
G :------------9----|-------9---------|-----------------|
D :-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
A :-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E :-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
p
e :-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
B :----10--10-8-----|---10------------|-----------------|
G :-----------------|-9---------------|-----------------|
D :-7---------------|-----------------|-----------------|
A :-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
E :-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|
Free Allman Brothers Band Guitar Lesson
Free Charlie Daniels Guitar Lesson
Free Lynyrd Skynyrd Guitar Lesson
Free Southern Rock Guitar Tabs
Official Southern Rock Tabs & Sheet Music
Play Music By Ear Music Ear Training Method
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Blues Lead Guitar Scales Lesson
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Playing The Blues
The Ultimate Metronome
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