Back in D Major

AC-DC’s Back in Black has a riff where the phrasing is a bit a tricky, and the chord changes come quite quickly. So I wrote this exercise based on the phrasing of the rhythm guitar but, instead of chord changes, the top line changes — let’s call it a melody.

The result is quite folksy. And easier to learn.

Powertab file for Back In D Major. It also contains a variation, written in 16th notes then 8th notes.

Greenish Onions

The bass riff (arranged for guitar) is fairly easy.

The lead part is mostly based around the 2nd shape of A minor pentatonic. It’s mostly sparse, so it’s easy to play if you can do it by ear. If you have trouble with the faster parts — slow it down!

Note that the lead score is on the bass tab. (Yes, I should have done it the other way round!).

Here’s the powertab file for Greenish Onions.

Turnaround Waltz

Every Breath You Take by The Police uses the same chord sequence as Stand By Me — but not all the way through. And the chords are modified by adding the major second.

It’s often played in the key of A (or Aflat), using some stretchy chords. But I’ve seen Sting play it in G using open chords.

|.1.&.2.&.3.&.4.&.|.1.&.2.&.3.&.4.&.|
|-----------------|-----------------|
|---------0-------|---------0-------|
|-----2-----2---2-|-----2-----2---2-|
|---0---0-----0---|---0---0-----0---|
|-----------------|-----------------|
|-3---------------|-3---------------|
  Gadd2

|.1.&.2.&.3.&.4.&.|.1.&.2.&.3.&.4.&.|
|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|
|-------0---------|-------0---------|
|-----4---4---4---|-----4---4---4---|
|---2-------2---2-|---2-------2---2-|
|-0---------------|-0---------------|
  Em add 2
 

|.1.&.2.&.3.&.4.&.|.1.&.2.&.3.&.4.&.|
|-----------------|-----0-----------|
|-----3---1-------|---------3-------|
|---0---0---0---0-|---2---2---2---2-|
|-------------2---|-0-----------0---|
|-3---------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|
  C                 D

|.1.&.2.&.3.&.4.&.|.1.&.2.&.3.&.4.&.|
|-----------------|-----------------|
|-------0---------|-------0---------|
|-----2---2---2---|-----2---2---2---|
|---0-------0---0-|---0-------0---0-|
|-----------------|-----------------|
|-3---------------|-3---------------|
  G add 2

Another way through the chords is to pick the bass note, then strum a block of notes. EG: Using the same chords, but in a slightly longer sequence.

|.1.&.2.&.3.&.|.1.&.2.&.3.&.|.1.&.2.&.3.&.|.1.&.2.&.3.&.|
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
|-----0---0---|-----0---0---|-------------|-------------|
|-----2---2---|-----2---2---|-----0---0---|-----0---0---|
|-----0---0---|-----0---0---|-----4---4---|-----4---4---|
|-------------|-------------|-----2---2---|-----2---2---|
|-3-----------|-3-----------|-0-----------|-0-----------|

|.1.&.2.&.3.&.|.1.&.2.&.3.&.|.1.&.2.&.3.&.|.1.&.2.&.3.&.|
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
|-----0---0---|-----0---0---|-------------|-------------|
|-----2---2---|-----2---2---|-----0---0---|-----0---0---|
|-----0---0---|-----0---0---|-----4---4---|-----4---4---|
|-------------|-------------|-----2---2---|-----2---2---|
|-3-----------|-3-----------|-0-----------|-0-----------|

|.1.&.2.&.3.&.|.1.&.2.&.3.&.|.1.&.2.&.3.&.|.1.&.2.&.3.&.|
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
|-----3---1---|-----3---1---|-----3-------|-----3-------|
|-----0---0---|-----0---0---|---------2---|---------2---|
|-----2---2---|-----2---2---|-0-----------|-0-----------|
|-3-----------|-3-----------|-------------|-------------|
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|

Here’s a MIDI file for Turnaround Waltz.

There are bonus points for anyone who spots where the lead riffs where taken from. The middle part gives it away, I think. So, okay… only ONE bonus point, then.

Unfortunately — in spite of the source of the riffs — the result is Easy Listening. Oh well.

Stand By for a Turnaround

There are three chords which are very important in music. And they’re easy to find on the guitar.

Suppose we are to play in the key of G.
Locate G on the 3rd fret 6th string.
The note on the 3rd fret 5th string is C
And two frets up from that is D

And so G, C, D will be the root notes of the three chord trick.

We can arrange the chords very simply:
| G – - – | G – - – | C – - – | D – - – |

A common trick is to substitute an Eminor for the second G. The result is called a turnaround .
| G – - – | Em – - – | C – - – | D – - – |

The chords don’t have to be played one per bar. And it’s common to add G to the end of the sequence. This can be tricky for beginners if they don’t keep track of whether they are at the beginning or end of the sequence!

| G – - – | G – - – | Em – - – | Em – - – | C – - – | D – - – | G – - – | G – - – |

Ben E King’s Stand By Me is entirely a repeat of that sequence. The recording I have is in the key of A. But the F#minor that is then required can be a little tricky for beginners. To play along to the record, you could use a capo at the second fret and then just play the open chord shapes for the chords given here.

Alternatively, here’s a MIDI file — Stand By for a Turnaround. The bass line is close to the Ben E King classic. But the guitar part is totally different.

|.1.&.2.&.3.&.4.&.|.1.&.2.&.3.&.4.&.|
|-----------------|-----------------|
|-------3---------|-------3---------|
|-----0-------0---|-----0-------0---|
|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|
|-3---------------|-3---------------|
  G5                G5

|.1.&.2.&.3.&.4.&.|.1.&.2.&.3.&.4.&.|
|-----------------|-----------------|
|-------3---------|-------3---------|
|-----0-------0---|-----0-------0---|
|-2---------------|-2---------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|
  Em7               Em7

|.1.&.2.&.3.&.4.&.|.1.&.2.&.3.&.4.&.|
|-----------------|-----------------|
|-------3---------|-------3---------|
|-----0-------0---|-----2-------2---|
|-----------------|-0---------------|
|-3---------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|
  Cadd2             D5

|.1.&.2.&.3.&.4.&.|.1.&.2.&.3.&.4.&.|
|-----------------|-----------------|
|-------3---------|-------3---------|
|-----0-------0---|-----0-------0---|
|-----------------|-----------------|
|-----------------|-----------------|
|-3---------------|-3---------------|
  G5

I find that a percussive strum on the 2nd beat helps to get the feel of the Ben E King version. I generally use:

1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &
*   x /   / /

Where,
* is a bass note
x is a percussive strum (mute the strings with the right hand as you strum. Difficult to put into words, but it can be done. The aim is to find a substitute for the scrapping sound in the original).
/ is a regular strum

Famous First Chords

The rhythm guitar part has been kept very simple here. The aim is to practice playing off the beat. There is only one strum per chord and all strums are on the last 8th note of the bar. If you keep your hand swinging up and down, those off-beats would be strummed on an up-stroke. However, the style requires down-strokes for all chords. So aim for that after you have the timing clear in your head. The lead guitar riff should help to get the timing right.

The chords are taken from My Chemical Romance’s “Famous Last Words”. They’re just played differently. But in the same order.

D5, C5, Bflat5, A5
G5, A5, Bflat5, C5

The lead guitar part isn’t too difficult. I’d classify it as intermediate.

The riff began as one of those from Iron Maiden’s “Fear of the Dark”. The changes are to play the A-note an extra time (makes the riff a little harder to recognise) and a different ending. Also, the bass note at the beginning of the riff changes to match the chords.

Here’s the MIDI file for Famous First Chords. And the TAB file, which gives chords and the lead riff.

Metal ‘Waltz’

Originally called 3-4 Study, because it’s obviously not a waltz! Some parts could be played by a beginner, especially the gtr1 intro riff (pinched from “Desert Song” — MCR) and gtr1 riff3 is very easy (except you have to come in at beat 2). But overall, the song is pushing into intermediate.

Full speed MIDI (130 BPM), Slower MIDI (105 BPM), 80 Beats per minute.

I’m still looking for a good freeware sequencer on the net. Mine came with a magazine. Until I find one, I’ll give slower versions of my MIDIs.