Class Guide Book

Lancelot Hueston
Musician - Producer - Teacher
 Learn to play
open, power,
and barre chords
on guitar
 Foundation:
What are chords?
 Chromatic Scale

2 4 7 9 11

1 3 5 6 8 10 12
 Octave

C C
 Chromatic Scale

Db Eb Gb Ab Bb

C# D# F# G# A#

C D E F G A B C
 C scale

C D E F G A B C
 C scale

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
 C chord - Root Position

1 3 5
 C chord - Root Position

C E G
 C5 - Power Chord

1 5
 C5 - Power Chord

C G
 Foundation:
Guitar Navigation
Basics
 Open Strings
+ Frets Markers
e

3 5 7 9 12
 Open Strings
+ Octaves
e e

B B

G G

D D

A A

E E
1 2 3
4
Open Chords
 Em chord
0

= fret
 Em chord
0

0 2 3
1
4
2

0
 E chord
0

= fret
 E chord
0

1 2 3
1
4
3

0
 A chord
0

= fret
 A chord
0

2 2 3
1
4
1

X
 Am chord
0

= fret
 Am chord
0

3 2 3
1
4
2

X
 C chord
0

= fret
 C chord
0

0
1 2 3
4
2

X
 D chord
2

= fret
 D chord
2

1
1 2 3
4

X
 G chord
3

= fret
 G chord
3

0 2 3
1
4

2
 G chord
3

= fret
 G chord
4

0 2 3
1
4

2
Power Chords
 Em chord
0

0
Power chords only consist of the
root and the 5th
Power chords are noted by the
number 5
 E5 chord
X

0
 E5 chord
X

R
Practice this shape using your:
1+2
1 2 3
2+3 4

3+4
 E5 chord

D 2

A 2

E
Fret the E5 shape by using your
3 + 4 fingers
 E5 chord

D 4

A 3

E
Slide the shape up the neck to the
7th fret
 E5 chord

D 4

A 3

E
 E5 chord

D 4

A 3

E
Use your 1 finger to fret the 5th fret
 A5 chord

D 7

A 7

E 5
 A5 chord

D 4

A 3

E 1
Practice this shape up and down
the neck
Move the power chord shape from
the low E, A, and D strings to the
A, D, and G strings
 A5 chord

D 4

A 3

E 1
 A5 chord

D 4

A 3

E 1
 D5 chord

G 4

D 3

A 1

E
 D5 chord

G 4

D 3

A 1

X
Practice this shape up and down
the neck
 Practice this shape up and down
the neck and switch from the
low E, A, and D to the A, D, and G
strings
Get comfortable playing the
power chord shape in all
positions of the neck
 Smells Like Teen Spirit
F5 chord
E

D 3

A 3

E 1
 Smells Like Teen Spirit
Bb5 chord
E

G 3

D 3

A 1

E
 Smells Like Teen Spirit
Ab5 chord
E

D 6

A 6

E 4
 Smells Like Teen Spirit
Db5 chord
E

G 6

D 6

A 4

E
Once you can seamlessly play the
shape try incorporating
palm muting
Palm muting is a common technique
used with power chords
Palm muting is using the palm of
your strumming hand to partially
mute the strings
Barre Chords
 A5 chord

D 4

A 3

E 1
 Keep the power chord shape but
flatten your 1 finger to create a bar
across all the strings
This will at first be difficult, but
don’t get discouraged

It’ll become easier the more

you play
 Am chord

E 1

B 1

G 1

D 4

A 3

E 1
 Am chord

E 1

B 1

G 1

D 4

A 3

E 1
Am chord

1
 Am chord

1
Em
4

1
 Barre chords are useful because
they are a standard shape that can
be easily changed to create almost
any chord voicing
 A chord

E 1

B 1

G 2

D 4

A 3

E 1
 A chord

E 1

B 1

G 2

D 4

A 3

E 1
 A chord

1
 A chord

2
E
4

1
Move this shape over (just like you
did with the power chord)

Remember, don’t play the low E

 Dm chord

E 1

B 2

G 4

D 3

A 1

X
 Dm chord

E 1

B 2

G 4

D 3

A 1

X
 Dm chord

X
 Dm chord

4
Am
3

X
 To create the major barre chord
shape create a second smaller bar
with your 3 finger
 D chord

E 1

B 3

G 3

D 3

A 1

X
 D chord

E 1

B 4

G 3

D 2

A 1

X
 D chord

E 1

B 4

G 3

D 2

A 1

X
 D chord

X
 D chord

3
A
2

X
 A chord

E 1

B 1

G 2

D 4

A 3

E 1
 D chord

E 1

B 3

G 3

D 3

A 1

X
 F#m chord

E 1

B 1

G 1

D 4

A 3

E 1
 Bm chord

E 1

B 2

G 4

D 3

A 1

X
Alternate Picking
and Rhythm
 Once you get comfortable
with the patterns try alternate
picking different rhythms

Use eighth note, triplets,

and sixteenth notes
Use a metronome to keep time and
subdivide notes correctly
Quarter Notes
Eighth Notes
Triplets
Sixteenth Notes
Class Project
 G chord
3

3
 C chord
0

X
 Am chord
0

X
 D chord
2

X
 G5 chord

D 5

A 5

E 3
 C5 chord

G 5

D 5

A 3

X
 A5 chord

D 7

A 7

E 5
 D5 chord

G 7

D 7

A 5

X
 G chord

E 3

B 3

G 4

D 5

A 5

E 3
 C chord

E 3

B 5

G 5

D 5

A 3

X
 Am chord

E 5

B 5

G 5

D 7

A 7

E 5
 D chord

E 5

B 7

G 7

D 7

A 5

X
Conclusion
Post your final project in the
Project Gallery for feedback

Post any questions

in the Discussions section
See you next time!