Around The Neck

If you are looking to find a method that is perfect, then keep looking. But if you are looking to find one that can really help your guitar playing in the rock genre, then look no further than the method designed by Wolf Marshall.

These book were published in 1994 and have been a standard in learning to play rock, especially lead, guitar ever since. Wolf is an amazing player that has the uncanny ability to sound like virtually any musician in regards to effects and feel. He is a true marvel when it comes to his ability to re-create a sound from a past recording.

The Guitar Method Basics 1 should be accompanied by the Power Studies of the same level. However, the Power Studies are a bit too ambitious for those players that have only gone through the Basics 1 method. There is a large gap between the two, but there is enough for a young student of the guitar to begin to get their head around the rhythm aspects of electric guitar playing. As far as the lead guitar in these books, a student shouldn’t expect to move into that too quickly based on the understanding given in the method.

The songs in the Power Studies are classics that every guitarist should aspire to play. They have the “creme de la creme” of classic guitar sounds and solos that most modern rock is based upon. Without them our current evolution of guitar playing would still be stagnant. You will also find that the later songs (by Stevie Ray Vaughn and Eric Clapton) are in an E-flat tuning. This is also a drawback for young students thinking that this method will be an end all to their guitar playing.

With only minor critiques, this method by Wolf Marshall is a shinning star. Though it should only be approached by a beginner with the guidance of a knowledgable teacher, it is a valuable asset to those that have experience and want to truly refine their playing.

Most of us know that rock has its roots in blues, specifically the 12 bar blues. But the big difference is the power that rock generates through the use of amplification and effects. Today, we are going to get back to some boogie bass and rhythm for anyone just getting into playing rock guitar.

First, we should begin with a boogie bass sound. As you can see below, we are playing quarter-notes and moving on the fourth string with the fingers 1 & 3 of the left hand. You will hear this sound in a lot bass lines of rock and blues. It is then transfered, as we shall see, to the guitar by adding the root below the change. This is the basis for the boogie sound that we know and love.



Next, we will add the lower note and increase the strokes per measure. This means that we will play each fingering twice before moving to the next fingering. It also means that our rhythm is in eighth notes rather than quarter notes. The below chord being played is an A chord as indicated above the tab.



Finally, we will add the other two chords of the progression: D and E. These are identical to the A chord but the strings are different.



After these are learned, put them into practice using the following pattern. You can plug in your guitar push up the overdrive and rock out to your little heart’s desire.

A (Four Times)
D (Two Times)
A (Two Times)
E (Once)
D (Once)
A (Two Times)

A time refers to one of the measures as seen in the above examples.