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Play Acoustic Guitar 2: Rhythm Fundamentals

Watch now – this video will only be available on Wondrium until July 7th.

Learn acoustic guitar rhythm & lead with this Acoustic Learning Path core course.
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Overview

Welcome to Play Acoustic Guitar 2: Rhythm & Lead Fundamentals—the second leg of your TrueFire Learning Path journey towards becoming a solid acoustic guitar player. This Acoustic Learning Path core course is presented by 3 top TrueFire educators: Corey Congilio, Brooks Robertson, and David Hamburger. They'll guide your development of the essential skills and get up and running quickly—no reading music, no boring exercises, no tedious theory to struggle through. In fact, you'll play your way through the entire course.

In Play Acoustic Guitar 1 you learned some chords, fingerstyle patterns and a couple of songs. Here in Play Acoustic Guitar 2, you're going to venture even further down the path with scales, more rhythms, more fingerstyle patterns, and more cool chords. For example, you'll learn how to get more motion from your fingerstyle patterns. You'll learn how to play and apply an essential scale. Barre Chords open up the entire acoustic songbook, and you'll learn a few of them and then use them to learn and play more songs. You'll wrap up the course learning a great blues tune with alternating bass lines.

The educators demonstrate all of the key examples over jam tracks (where and when applicable) to simulate a real-world application, in a musical context. Key examples are also tabbed and notated for your practice, reference and study purposes. Take as much time as you need to work through each video guitar lesson before moving on to the next lesson. If you want to dig deeper or wider into any of the topics covered in this core course, check out the rest of the courses in the Acoustic Learning Path where you'll find more examples, techniques and insight from top TrueFire educators. Grab your guitar and let's get started!

About

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PLAY ACOUSTIC GUITAR 2 - Rhythm Fundamentals

01: PLAY ACOUSTIC GUITAR 2 - Rhythm Fundamentals

Welcome to Play Acoustic Guitar 2: Rhythm & Lead Fundamentals - the second leg of your TrueFire Learning Path journey towards becoming a solid acoustic guitar player. This Acoustic Learning Path core course is presented by 3 top TrueFire educators: Corey Congilio, Brooks Robertson, and David Hamburger.

2 min
Suspended Embellishments - Lesson 1: Demonstration

02: Suspended Embellishments - Lesson 1: Demonstration

Sus chords are another way to spice up a chord progression. Using these can create a little tension and release in your playing. Work through this progression until you have it down, and then work on the Practice Sessions. Once you have it with the band track you'll really be making music!

3 min
Practice Session 1 - Playalong: Slow

03: Practice Session 1 - Playalong: Slow

This Practice Session is at 70 BPM.

1 min
Practice Session 2 - Playalong: Band

04: Practice Session 2 - Playalong: Band

Let's have some fun! In this Practice Session, we'll jam with the band! Take your time, don't worry about doing it perfectly the first time, just keep going over it until you have it all down smooth. Then you're ready to move on.

2 min
Pushed Feel Progression - Lesson 2: Demonstration

05: Pushed Feel Progression - Lesson 2: Demonstration

In music, there are different "feels" or grooves. To really become a good acoustic guitar player, you need to master as many of these feels as you can. You will run into many different grooves in songs and situations when you play with other musicians. So dig into this one and add it to your arsenal.

1 min
Practice Session 3 - Playalong: Slow

06: Practice Session 3 - Playalong: Slow

In this Practice Session, you'll be playing along with the instructor. Take your time and don't rush through it. Practice this as many times as you need to before moving on.

2 min
Practice Session 4 - Playalong: Band

07: Practice Session 4 - Playalong: Band

OK, let's bring the band in. Here's where all that practice pays off. In this Practice Session, you just have to lock in with the other instruments and make sure you are staying in the groove.

2 min
Arpeggiated Suspensions - Lesson 3: Demonstration

08: Arpeggiated Suspensions - Lesson 3: Demonstration

Taking sus chords and adding a little arpeggiation technique is a cool sound. Work through this slowly and make sure your technique is clean. The timing of picking has to be super accurate in order to keep the overall feel together.

3 min
Practice Session 5 - Playalong: Slow

09: Practice Session 5 - Playalong: Slow

We are at 75 BPM for this Practice Session. Get it down at this tempo before you move on.

1 min
Practice Session 6 - Playalong: Fast

10: Practice Session 6 - Playalong: Fast

This Practice Session is at 90 BPM.

1 min
Practice Session 7 - Playalong: Band

11: Practice Session 7 - Playalong: Band

Time to jam with the band! This Practice Session is all about feeling the rhythm. Make sure you do this as many times as you need until you have it down. Then you can move on.

1 min
Alternating Bass - Lesson 4: Demonstration

12: Alternating Bass - Lesson 4: Demonstration

After you get a good grip on the steady bass technique, you're ready for the alternating bass technique. Think of it as steady bass on steroids! Now instead of just staying on one note, you are alternating between notes. This will take some coordination but if you have been working on the steady bass grooves, you'll have no problem expanding that to this technique.

5 min
Practice Session 8 - Playalong: Slow

13: Practice Session 8 - Playalong: Slow

Your instructor will guide you through this Practice Session. Don't move on until you feel like you are locked in with the tempo and are playing it cleanly.

2 min
Boom Chick Basics - Lesson 5: Demonstration

14: Boom Chick Basics - Lesson 5: Demonstration

The boom chick technique is a crucial one for acoustic guitarists. It's another one of those iconic sounds that you instantly recognize. In this lesson, you'll dive into the basics of this sound and how to achieve it. Take your time and get it down from the ground up.

4 min
Practice Session 9 - Playalong: Slow

15: Practice Session 9 - Playalong: Slow

For this Practice Session, really focus on trying to play exactly with the instructor. You can go over this as many times as you need in order to really get it down.

2 min
Practice Session 10 - Playalong: Fast

16: Practice Session 10 - Playalong: Fast

In this Practice Session, you should focus on playing in time, playing it cleanly, and getting all of the movements smooth. Play through it as many times as you need before you move on. The key to moving on is repeating this Practice Session until you really have it down.

2 min
Boom Chick & Bass Walk-up - Lesson 6: Demonstration

17: Boom Chick & Bass Walk-up - Lesson 6: Demonstration

Here you'll put the boom chick technique together with a bass walk-up. Using this bass walk-up gives you a great way to transition between chords or parts. You can use this in a variety of situations where you need a little extra movement between chords.

4 min
Practice Session 11 - Playalong: Slow

18: Practice Session 11 - Playalong: Slow

Really listen to how the instructor plays in this Practice Session. Don't worry if it takes you a few times, and if you need to go back, that is fine. The important thing is that you want to be able to play through this at this tempo several times without mistakes, and then you're ready to move on.

2 min
Practice Session 12 - Playalong: Medium

19: Practice Session 12 - Playalong: Medium

Don't be afraid to keep repeating this Practice Session as many times as you need to. There is no specific amount of times you need to do it - just do it until you feel comfortable.

2 min
Practice Session 13 - Playalong: Fast

20: Practice Session 13 - Playalong: Fast

Tempo is up to 95 BPM here. If you have trouble at this tempo, you can go back to the last Practice Session and work on that until you're ready to come back to this tempo.

1 min
Movable 7th Chord Pattern - Demonstration

21: Movable 7th Chord Pattern - Demonstration

Movable chords are a staple of any guitarist's skill. Being able to take the same chords and patterns and move them around to different keys opens up the entire fretboard for you. Moving up the neck is not always easy, as there are various things to consider: hand position, frets getting closer together, arm and elbow angle, tension changing on strings, and a bevy of other differences. But it's an important technique to have down, so it's worth the effort!

7 min
Practice Session 14 - Playalong: Slow

22: Practice Session 14 - Playalong: Slow

Repetition is the key to getting this down, so do as many "reps" as you need to before you move on.

2 min
Practice Session 15 - Playalong: Medium

23: Practice Session 15 - Playalong: Medium

This Practice Session is at 60 BPM.

2 min
Practice Session 16 - Playalong: Fast

24: Practice Session 16 - Playalong: Fast

Remember, if you have trouble at this tempo, you can always go back to the previous Practice Session or Lesson to make sure you have it down.

2 min
New Chord, Rhythm, & Lick - Lesson 8: Demonstration

25: New Chord, Rhythm, & Lick - Lesson 8: Demonstration

Putting together various elements can be what makes a song or progression more fun to play. Take a look at the options in this lesson to keep your playing interesting.

7 min
Practice Session 17 - Playalong: Slow

26: Practice Session 17 - Playalong: Slow

Practice with precision. That's how you'll get this down. Not rushing through it or losing your focus. Keep your focus on playing this perfectly and with the instructor.

2 min
Practice Session 18 - Playalong: Medium

27: Practice Session 18 - Playalong: Medium

Practice this as many times as you need before moving on.

2 min
Practice Session 19 - Playalong: Fast

28: Practice Session 19 - Playalong: Fast

Your instructor will guide you through this Practice Session.

1 min
Using A Capo - Lesson 9: Demonstration

29: Using A Capo - Lesson 9: Demonstration

A capo can be a great way to quickly change keys, move to a different place on the neck where things are more accessible, and a way to change the sound of a part. This lesson looks at how to effectively use a capo and goes over what you need to know to keep your guitar in tune as you do it.

3 min
Practice Session 20 - Playalong: Slow

30: Practice Session 20 - Playalong: Slow

Don't move on until you feel like you're locked in with the tempo and are playing it cleanly.

1 min
Practice Session 21 - Playalong: Band

31: Practice Session 21 - Playalong: Band

Playing with a band is the ultimate goal. In this Practice Session, you get to do just that! Work on syncing up with the other instruments, become one with the band. Play it as many times as you need and make sure you are in the pocket before you move on.

1 min
New Tuning, Riff & Chord - Lesson 10: Demonstration

32: New Tuning, Riff & Chord - Lesson 10: Demonstration

There are a ton of different tunings available on the guitar. Many guitarists spend their lifetimes exploring all the different options, looking for a sound that inspires them. One of the best ways to learn about different tunings is to experiment with starting with something simple and then gradually increasing the variations.

4 min
Practice Session 22 - Playalong: Slow

33: Practice Session 22 - Playalong: Slow

For this Practice Session, really focus on trying to play exactly with the instructor. You can go over this as many times as you need in order to really get it down.

1 min
Practice Session 23 - Playalong: Band

34: Practice Session 23 - Playalong: Band

Let's jam with the band! Stay in time with the groove, and don't forget to relax! Play through this Practice Session as many times as you need to in order to get comfortable with it and then you can move on.

1 min
Fingerstyle Turnarounds - Lesson 11: Demonstration

35: Fingerstyle Turnarounds - Lesson 11: Demonstration

Turnarounds are what basically "turn you around" and send you back to the beginning of the tune. There are a ton of different classic turnarounds in the blues. Having a handful of these in your bag that you can pull out at various times is a vital part of building your repertoire.

5 min
Practice Session 24 - Playalong: Slow

36: Practice Session 24 - Playalong: Slow

In this Practice Session, you should focus on playing in time, playing it cleanly, and getting all of the movements smooth. Play through it as many times as you need before you move on. The key to moving on is repeating this Practice Session until you really have it down.

2 min
Practice Session 25 - Playalong: Medium

37: Practice Session 25 - Playalong: Medium

Really listen to how the instructor plays in this Practice Session. Don't worry if it takes you a few times, and if you need to go back, that is fine. The important thing is that you want to be able to play through this at this tempo several times without mistakes, and then you are ready to move on.

2 min
Practice Session 26 - Playalong: Fast

38: Practice Session 26 - Playalong: Fast

Don't be afraid to keep repeating this Practice Session as many times as you need to. There is no specific amount of times you need to do it - just do it until you feel comfortable.

1 min
12 Bar Fingerstyle Blues - Lesson 12: Demonstration

39: 12 Bar Fingerstyle Blues - Lesson 12: Demonstration

This is a great complete 12 bar blues. The techniques in this lesson may take a little practice to get down smooth, but as you break each part down and work on it individually you'll find that it gets easier once you put them back together! Work with the Practice Sessions until you can play along at tempo.

6 min
Practice Session 27 - Playalong: Slow

40: Practice Session 27 - Playalong: Slow

Repetition is the key to getting this down. So do as many "reps" as you need to before you move on.

2 min
Practice Session 28 - Playalong: Medium

41: Practice Session 28 - Playalong: Medium

Remember, if you have trouble at this tempo, you can always go back to the previous Practice Session or Lesson to make sure you have it down.

2 min
Practice Session 29 - Playalong: Fast

42: Practice Session 29 - Playalong: Fast

Here we're playing it at 80 BPM. Make sure you are playing it clean and getting all the notes to ring out.

2 min
PLAY ACOUSTIC GUITAR 2 - Wrap Up & Next Steps

43: PLAY ACOUSTIC GUITAR 2 - Wrap Up & Next Steps

Congratulations on completing this core course in your learning path! If you want to dig deeper or wider into the topics covered in this course, check out the recommended supplementary courses where you'll find more examples, techniques and insight from top TrueFire educators. When you're ready to advance your skills further, dive into the next core course listed in your TrueFire learning path.Practice smart. Play hard!

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