GUITARHABITS

Easy Christmas Guitar Songs

January 10, 2025 by Klaus Crow

Christmas time, I love it! I am a sucker for romance, christmas lights and feel good songs. It’s a time where I teach my guitar students the joy of playing and singing easy christmas guitar songs. Two for the price of one.

We all have our favorites and it’s funny to see those old christmas songs appearing in new jackets over and over again. A great way to inspire a new generation with the real classics. Sometimes I really enjoy a new version, but I keep coming back to those warm beautiful voices of Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin.

Yet I hope new christmas songs will be written every year and that the best of those songs will become classics again.

What are Easy Christmas Guitar Songs?

In the meantime there are a zillion songs you can enjoy. I created a top 35 to get you started and keep you busy during the holidays. Grab your guitar, start playing and building your Christmas repertoire!

Click the song title to listen to the song on Youtube. Click “Chords” (next to the artists name) for the chords & lyrics to the song and “Tabs” for the tablature.

Enjoy!

Most Common Guitar Problems and How to Solve Them for Beginners, Intermediate and Advanced

By Klaus Crow Leave a Comment

October 6, 2024 by Klaus Crow

Most Common Guitar Problems and How to Solve Them for Beginners, Intermediate and Advanced

No matter where you are on your guitar-playing journey, whether you’re just learning your first chords, refining your technique, or exploring complex improvisation—every guitarist faces their fair share of obstacles. From struggling with hand coordination as a beginner to breaking through plateaus as an advanced player, each level of experience brings its own unique challenges.

Sometimes, It seems like your problems are insurmountable and your progress is leading nowhere, but with the right directions and solid practice you will get there definitely.

In this post, we’ll dive into the most common guitar problems at every stage of your playing and offer practical solutions to help you overcome them and keep progressing.

Beginner Guitar Problems and Solutions

1. Sore Fingers

Problem: Beginners often experience sore fingertips, especially when they first start pressing down on the strings. This Is totally natural and it’s part of building calluses on your fingertips, but it can be quite annoying.

Solution: Start by practicing in shorter sessions, gradually increasing your playing time as your fingers adjust. If the pain is too much, take a break, but stick with it. After one or two weeks of consistent practice, your fingertips will toughen up and the annoying feeling will diminish and eventually disappear.

2. Struggling with Chord Transitions

Problem: Switching between chords can be frustrating for beginners, especially when trying to keep up with a song’s rhythm.

Solution: First focus on practicing and memorizing your chords diligently, then practice slow, deliberate transitions between two chords at a time. Visualize, have a clear picture in your mind of where every finger is on the next chord.

Focus on minimizing unnecessary finger movement, Try to keep your fingers movement at a minimum. Keep your fingers as close to the strings as possible when you’re changing chords. Gradually speed up as you become more comfortable, and incorporate easy songs that use the chords you’re practicing to build confidence. Apply all techniques to enhance your chord transitions.

3. Difficulty with Strumming Patterns

Problem: Strumming patterns can be confusing for beginners, especially when trying to stay in rhythm with the music.

Solution: Start by mastering a simple downstroke strum, playing along to a metronome, a strumming pattern video lesson or tapping your foot to the beat. Once comfortable, introduce more basic strumming patterns. Listen carefully to songs and try to mimic the rhythm and break down the strumming patterns.

4. Muted or Buzzing Strings

Problem: Beginners often struggle with buzzing or muted strings when pressing down on the frets.

Solution: This issue is usually caused by improper finger placement. Make sure your fingers are pressing down just behind the fret (not directly on it) and apply enough pressure. Check your hand position to ensure your fingers aren’t accidentally touching other strings. Practice scales or simple chords slowly to improve your finger accuracy and strength.

Strings that are old, worn out, or dirty can also lead to muted or buzzing sounds and finally If the action (the distance between the strings and fretboard) is too low, the strings may buzz against the frets when played. Let your local guitar luthier check out your guitar.

5. Implementing the Habit of a Regular Guitar Practice

Problem: Implementing the habit of a regular guitar practice into your busy daily life can be quite a challenge.

Solution: Begin with just 10-15 minutes of practice each day. As you get used to practicing, gradually increase the time. Find a time that works well for you, whether it’s in the morning, after work, or before bed. Set a reminder or calendar alert to prompt you.

Having a designated spot for practicing reduces the resistance to starting and minimizes distractions. Rather than just practicing aimlessly, set small, achievable goals like learning a new chord, mastering a strumming pattern, or playing a specific song. Breaking larger goals into smaller tasks makes it more manageable. Be patient, building a habit takes time, and consistency is more important than immediate results.

Songs with Major Pentatonic Scale Solos

By Klaus Crow Leave a Comment

September 20, 2024 by Klaus Crow

The major pentatonic scale is a guitarist’s go-to for creating solos that feel fresh, uplifting and bright. It’s the secret sauce behind some of the most memorable guitar solos in music history. You’ll find these solos in country music a lot of the time, but also in classic rock (The Eagles), folk (Hank Williams), blues (Freddy King, John Mayer) and pop music (The Beatles).

Major Pentatonic Scale vs Minor Pentatonic Scale

The major pentatonic scale (Formula: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6) and minor pentatonic scale ((Formula: 1, ♭3, 4, 5, ♭7)) have their differences. The minor pentatonic scale offers a more bluesy, darker feel and is ideal for minor keys or blues progressions. Although they share the same set of notes in their relative forms, the starting note and tonal center determine their distinct emotional impact.

The major pentatonic scale is derived from the major scale (Formula: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7), but with two notes removed: the 4th and 7th degrees. This makes the scale sound “open” and free of dissonance.

Top 10 Best Damien Rice Guitar Songs

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January 12, 2025 by Klaus Crow

For guitar players and musicians alike, Damien Rice stands as a masterclass in the art of songwriting with unique songs like The Blowers Daughter and Cannonball. He’s definitely one of my favorite artists.

Damien goes to the deepest core of his soul and you hear it right away. This is as authentic as it gets.

He knows how to craft a great song with beautiful melodic phrases accompanied by delicate and raw rhythm guitar playing. It’s all there, in each and every song.

I’ve listed the top 10 of songs that really stand out for me. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

There are links to the videos, tablature and chords so you can pick your favorite and learn to play it, study it and master it. There’s a lot to learn from.

Remember, Practice and you’ll become a better guitar player. It’s that simple!

What are the Best Damien Rice Songs to Play on Guitar

1 – Cannonball

Cannonball is one of Damien Rice’s best known songs. It has a really cool guitar phrase that is played throughout the verses and starts with the capo on the 6th fret.

Once you got this phrase under your belt you’re hooked and wanna keep playing it over and over again.

The intro theme is more suited for intermediate guitar players, but of course you can simplify the song by just playing the chords so you can sing along with it.

The chords for the verses are: Em7 – Cadd9 – G – G/F# (3 times) and then Am7 – C/B – C – D. For the chorus Damien plays G – Cadd9 – D (3 times) ending with Am7 – Cadd9 – D – Em7.

Chord s or Tabs

2 – Delicate

The song “Delicate” is played in the key of C with capo on the 5th fret using hammer-ons with the second (middle) finger on the C and Fmaj7 chords to create beautiful chord harmonies.

The combination of playful chord progressions and vocal melodies makes this a one of my favorite songs to play and sing.

Chords and Tab s

3 – The Blowers Daughter

This is the song where it all started. The song cut’s through your musical soul if you take the time to listen to with undivided attention. This masterpiece is unique and Rice at his best when he plays it live. Definitely check it out some his live performances on Youtube.

Chor ds

4 – Amie

The song “Amie” is an acoustic emotional folk ballad played on his beautiful sounding Lowden guitar. It’s an easy to play guitar song that could move you to tears because of the way he plays and sings it.

In the video above he explains the story behind the song, which paradoxically is quite hilarious.

The Song’s title “Amie” means friend in French which gives it a dual meaning. The song is played with the capo on the 7th fret.

For the verses he plays G – Gadd9/F# – Em7 – C – Am7 – Em – C – D and the progression for the chorus is Em – C – D – G – C – Bm – Am7 – C – D.

Chord s

5 – The Box

After many years of silence Damien Rice came out with a new album “My Favourite Faded Fantasy” with some new crafted treasures equipped with beautiful chord harmonies and lyrical melodies. The Box is one of those songs, so simple , elegant and so powerful.

Although we’re talking guitars here, the lyrics of this song are absolutely spot on. Everyone can find something that resonates, whether it’s relationship wise, a job, a phase, a feeling, or just life itself. Moreover, it’s a really nice and simple song to play and sing that you will absolutely enjoy.

The chords for the verses are G – D – Em7 – Bm and for the chorus Am(add9) – Em7 (4 times).

Chord s

6 – Coconut Skins

Coconut Skins is an uptempo acoustic song that is really fun to play using the famous Wonderwall chords as I like to call them. The song uses one chord progression throughout the entire song starting out gently and building up to an exploding climax. Try this one, you’ll love it.

Coconut skins: / Em7 / % / % / Em7 Gadd9\F# / G / % / % / G Gadd9\F# /

Chord s

7 – Me, My Yoke and I

Me, My, Yoke and I is one of the lesser known songs by Damien, but it’s oh so good. It’s got a crazy rocking slide riff that will crank up your amp. It’s really fun to play!

It starts with strumming an Am chord twice and then your second finger on the D-string from that chord will slide to the 10th fret. You do that a couple of times then you quickly jump to a G chord and then strum the F chord twice where you third finger on the A-string from the F-chord will slide to the 10th fret. This is the main riff that is played throughout the song.

Chords or Tabs

8 – Colour Me In

Colour me is a tender vulnerable love song with an absolutely beautiful melody. As often with Damien’s songs he starts out softly and gradually builds up to a climax to bring in those deep heart-felt emotions.

The chords for the verses are C – F – G – C – F – G – Am – C – F – G. The chords for chorus are C – F – G – C – Am – G – Am – C – F – G

He spices up the chords with sus2 and sus4 chords to add some flavor and uses a combination of strumming and finger style for the right hand. Check out the live version of the song from the Guardian Sessions.

Chords or Tab s

9 – Volcano

Volcano is a song with a really great groove and musical vibe to it. Along with his partner Lisa Hannigan they make for a perfect duo in this song bringing out the absolute best.

The song has a nice chord rhythm riff that is mainly playing the chord progression Am – G – F for the verses and Am – G – F – G for the chorus.

You can also play the chords more intermediate style by playing the Am as an open shape chord starting on the 5 fret (x77500) then going to the G6 (x55430) and then Fmaj7 (x33210)

Chords or Tabs

10 – The Animals Were Gone

This is a georgous melancholic song that involves a nice easy fingerpicking pattern that is really doable. Perfect for beginner guitar players, but just as much fun for guitar players of any level, cause in the end it’s all about the song.

The chord progression for the verses is : G – C – Am – D – G – Em – Am – B7 and for the chorus the chords are: Am – G – Am – G and you play that four times.

Chords or Ta bs

If you liked this post you might also like:

Best Neil Young Guitar Songs

Best Ryan Adams Guitar Songs

Best Bruce Springsteen Songs

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