Guitar Grade 2: Performance Pieces, Technical Exercises and In-Depth Guidance For Rockschool Examinations

Guitar Grade 2
Performance pieces, technical exercises and in-depth guidance

for Rockschool examinations
All accompanying and supporting audio can be downloaded from: www.rslawards.com/downloads
Input the following code when prompted: ZB5PA6CQJS
For more information, turn to page 4
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Acknowledgements
Published by Rockschool Ltd. © 2012 & 2018

Catalogue Number: RSK200044
ISBN: 978-1-912352-80-7
Initial Release | Errata details can be found at www.rslawards.com/errata
CONTACTING ROCKSCHOOL
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Telephone: +44 (0)345 460 4747
Email: [email protected]
Syllabus Designer Recording & Audio Engineering (Hit Tunes 2018 Repertoire)
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Proof reading Fact Files written by Joe Bennett, Charlie Griffiths, Stephen Lawson,
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Walkthroughs written by James Uings
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Bass: Nik Preston, Joe Hubbard, Stuart Clayton,
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Guitar Grade 2
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Yamaha drums, Protection Racket cases
2
Table of Contents
Introductions & Information
1 Title Page
2 Acknowledgements
3 Table of Contents
4 Welcome to Rockschool Guitar Grade 2
Hit Tunes
5 Arthur Conley.............................................. ‘Sweet Soul Music’

9 One Direction........................... ‘What Makes You Beautiful’
13 Jessie J.................................................................... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ‘Domino’
17 AC/DC........................................................... ‘Rock ‘N’ Roll Train’
21 The Meters.......................................................... . . . . . . . . . . . ‘Cissy Strut’
25 The Beatles......................................................... . . . . . . ‘Helter Skelter’
Rockschool Originals
29 ‘Cranked’
33 ‘Ska’d For Life’
37 ‘Bonecrusher’
41 ‘Hit It Harder’
45 ‘The Faith Divide’
49 ‘Buzz Saw’

Technical Exercises
53 Scales, Chords & Riff
Supporting Tests
56 Sight Reading
57 Improvisation & Interpretation
58 Ear Tests
59 General Musicianship Questions
Additional Information
60 Marking Schemes
61 Entering Rockschool Exams
61 Mechanical Copyright Information
62 Introduction to Tone
64 Guitar Notation Explained
Guitar Grade 2
3
Welcome to Rockschool Guitar Grade 2
Welcome to Guitar Grade 2

Welcome to the Rockschool 2018 Guitar syllabus. This book and the accompanying downloadable audio contain everything
you need to play guitar at this grade. In the book you will find the exam scores in both standard guitar notation and TAB,
as well as Fact Files and Walkthroughs for each song.
The downloadable audio includes:
■■full stereo mixes of 6 Rockschool compositions and 6 arrangements of classic and contemporary hits
■■backing tracks (minus the assessed guitar part)
■■all necessary audio for the complete range of supporting tests
Guitar Exams
At each grade, you have the option of taking one of two different types of examination:
■■Grade Exam: a Grade Exam is a mixture of music performances, technical work and tests. You prepare three pieces
(two of which may be Free Choice Pieces) and the contents of the Technical Exercise section. This accounts for 75%
of the exam marks. The other 25% consists of: either a Sight Reading or an Improvisation & Interpretation test (10%),
a pair of instrument specific Ear Tests (10%), and finally you will be asked five General Musicianship Questions (5%).
The pass mark is 60%.
■■Performance Certificate: in a Performance Certificate you play five pieces. Up to three of these can be Free Choice
Pieces. Each song is marked out of 20 and the pass mark is 60%.
Book Contents
The book is divided into a number of sections. These are:
■■Exam Pieces: in this book you will find six specially commissioned pieces of Grade 2 standard. Each of these is
preceded by a Fact File. Each Fact File contains a summary of the song, including the style, tempo, key and technical

features, along with a list of the musicians who played on it. The song is printed on two pages. Immediately after each
song is a Walkthrough. This covers the song from a performance perspective, focusing on the technical issues you will
encounter along the way. Each song comes with a full mix version and a backing track. Both versions have spoken
count-ins at the beginning. Please note that any solos played on the full mix versions are indicative only.
■■Technical Exercises: you should prepare the exercises set in this grade in the keys indicated. There is also a Riff test
which should be practised and played to the backing track.
■■Supporting Tests and General Musicianship Questions: in Guitar Grade 2 there are three supporting tests – either
a Sight Reading or an Improvisation & Interpretation test and two Ear Tests – and a set of General Musicianship
Questions (GMQs) asked at the end of each exam. Examples of the types of tests likely to appear in the exam are
printed in this book. Additional examples of both types of test and the GMQs can be found in the Rockschool Guitar
Companion Guide.
■■Additional Information: finally, you will find information on exam procedures, marking schemes, guitar tone, guitar
notation, and the full notation and backing track of a piece from the next grade as a taster.
Audio
Audio is provided in the form of backing tracks (minus guitar) and examples (including guitar) for the pieces and the
supporting tests where applicable. Audio files are supplied in MP3 format to enable playback on a wide range of compatible
devices. Digital versions of the book include audio files in the download. Download audio for hardcopy books from RSL
directly at www.rslawards.com/downloads — you will need to input this code when prompted: ZB5PA6CQJS
Syllabus Guide
Guitar Grade 2
All candidates should read the accompanying syllabus guide when using this grade book. This can be downloaded from the
RSL website: www.rslawards.com
Errata
Updates and changes to Rockschool books are documented online. Candidates should check for errata periodically while
4 studying for any examination. Further details can be found on the RSL website: www.rslawards.com/errata
Arthur Conley
SONG TITLE: SWEET SOUL MUSIC

ALBUM: SWEET SOUL MUSIC
c 130 Soul
# ## 4
LABEL: ATCO
‰ j
GENRE: SOUL / RHYTHM AND BLUES A
& 4 œ
œ
WRITTEN BY: SAM COOKE,
ARTHUR CONLEY AND
OTIS REDDING
PRODUCED BY: OTIS REDDING
T
UK CHART PEAK: 7 A 4
B 0
# ## ‰ j ‰ j
BACKGROUND INFO
& œ œ
‘Sweet Soul Music’ was recorded at Muscle Shoals,
œ œ
Alabama, and started a career of hits for Conley who

Arthur Conley released ‘Sweet Soul Music’ in left the US in the early 1970s. Conley later moved to
1967. The song was written in collaboration with Otis England, then to Belgium and finally to Amsterdam
Redding and it is partly based on Sam Cooke’s song in 1977 where he eventually settled. There he changed
‘Yeah Man’ , featured in his posthumous album Shake. T his name to Lee Roberts and had a relatively successful
The opening riff is a quote from Elmer Bernstein’s A career as a performer and promoter.2He led a quiet 2
0
score for the 1960 movie The Magnificent Seven.
B 4 the public eye, until he died at the age
life, away from
of 57 in 2003.
‘Sweet Soul Music’ reached the no.2 spot on the [3]
Billboard Hot 100 and the Billboard R&B charts. Arthur Conway released over an astounding 40
Conley and Redding were sued by Sam Cooke’s singles between the early 1960s and early 1970s.
# ## .
A
D
œ
business partner, J.W.Alexander, for their utilisation of
. œœ œœ œ œœ
the melody to ‘Yeah Man’. They eventually reached a
& œ œ
settlement and Cooke was added to the writer credits.
As a result of the settlement, Otis Redding agreed to
record some songs from Alexander’s music catalogue.
‘Sweet Soul Music’ pays homage to many soul

PM
.
music luminaries. The song mentions ‘Going to a
Go-Go’ by the Miracles, ‘Love Is a Hurtin’ Thing’
.
by Lou Rawls, ‘Hold On, I’m Coming’ by Sam & T 2 2 4 4 2
Dave, ‘Mustang Sally’ by Wilson Pickett and ‘Fa-Fa-
Fa-Fa-Fa’ by Otis Redding. James Brown is actually A 0 0 0 0 0
mentioned, as is Redding himself. B

Guitar Grade 2
[6]
# ##
A
& œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ5
Sweet Soul Music
Arthur Conley
Words & Music by Sam Cooke,
Otis Redding & Arthur Conley
c 130 Soul
### 4
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A
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##
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[3]
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.
PM
.
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2 2 4 4 2 2 4 4 2 2 4 4 2 2 4 4
A 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
B
[6]
###
A D
& œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ nœ œ œ œ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
(PM)
T 2 2 4 4 2 2 4 4
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[8]
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A
& J
Guitar Grade 2
T 2 0
2
0
2
2 2 0
2
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2
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[14]
6 © Copyright 1967 Irving Music/ABKCO Music Incorporated.
ABKCO Music Limited/Rondor International Incorporated.
All Rights Reserved. International Copyright Secured.
## j j œ œ
D A D A D A
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[17]
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PM
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A 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
B
[21]
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& œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ nœ œ œ œ
(PM)
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[23]

F#m
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D E D A
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(PM)
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[25]
### j
D
Œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Œ œ œ œ œ œ
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[28]
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Guitar Grade 2
T 0 0
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[31]
7
Walkthrough
Amp Settings D Section (Bars 28–32)

A bright, clean sound is best for this song. Try The song finishes with a return to the B section melody.
experimenting with the levels of Bass, Middle and Treble If you are struggling with any parts in the song, try
and see what you prefer. To achieve a similar sound to the isolating the bars that you want to focus on and practice
audio, try keeping the levels of the Bass, Treble and Middle them in isolation. It may also help to try playing along
to around 5 (or half way) on the amplifier dials. Also, a metronome only, to focus on areas which need more
experiment with pick up selections on the guitar. You should attention. Then try keeping time yourself by tapping your
find that the bridge (the pickup nearest the bridge of the foot or nodding your head in time with the music. This
guitar) is best for the bright sound you are looking for. will help you develop good time and will help improve
your ‘inner clock’.
Clean
Channel Equalisation Reverb
5 5 5 5 5
4 6 4 6 4 6 4 6 4 6
3 7 3 7 3 7 3 7 3 7
2 8 2 8 2 8 2 8 2 8
1 9 1 9 1 9 1 9 1 9
0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10
GAIN BASS MIDDLE TREBLE DRY – WET
Intro and A Section (Bars 1–13)

The song is in the key of A and begins with a five bar
single note melody, originally played by a brass section on
Conley’s version. The melody has a slightly syncopated feel,
which you may want to practice along with a metronome
at a slower tempo first. Rhythmic syncopation means that
accents fall on the weaker part of the beat, so watch out

for this. The song then moves into the A section, with the
guitar playing a classic eighth-note blues rhythm figure,
alternating between the 5th and major 6th within each
chord. For example, in bar 1 of section A the guitar melody
is alternating between an A (5th) and B (6th) notes.
Take note of the variation in the melody in bar 9, where the

guitar plays the 5th, 6th and b7th (E, F# and G) intervals
over the A chord. In bars 11 and 12, the guitar plays long
chords on an F#minor to E major, then in bar 12, D major
to A major. Section A ends at bar 13, where you’ll find a
1st time ending bar and repeat markings. This means that
on completion you should return to that start of section A,
remembering to jump to the 2nd ending this time through
so as not to play the first time ending bar again.
B Section (Bars 14–20)

In the B section the guitar plays a melody based around the
A major scale, originally played on the trumpet.
C Section (Bars 21–27)

At the C section the song returns to a repeat of the A section,
Guitar Grade 2
without the repeats and first and second time ending bars.
8
One Direction
SONG TITLE: WHAT MAKES YOU

BEAUTIFUL
ALBUM: UP ALL NIGHT c 120 Pop
# ## # 4 . j
A
‰
LABEL: SYCO/COLUMBIA E
& 4 . œœ œœ
GENRE: POWER POP
WRITTEN BY: SAVAN KOTECHA, RAMI .

YACOUB AND CARL FALK
.
PRODUCED BY: RAMI YACOUB AND
.
CARL FALK T
A 6
7
6
7
UK CHART PEAK: 1 B
# ## # j
A
‰
BACKGROUND INFO E
toured extensively worlwide. Their first four albums
& œœ œœ
topped the US Billboard 200 chart, a first in the chart’s
œœ

.
‘What Makes You Beautiful’ was a phenomenal history. Their 2014 tour was the US highest-ever
.
worldwide success. It was One Direction’s debut single grossing tour by a vocal group.
and featured on their album Up All Night. The single
reached no.4 on the Billboard Hot 100. In the UK it In 2016 the band went on a hiatus and all members
reached the no.1 spot on the Singles chart and won pursued other projects. Zayn Malik left the band in
a Brit Award for Single of the Year. One Direction 2015 and achieved great success as a solo artist, albeit
performed the song at the closing ceremony for the
2012 Summer Olympics in London. ‘What Makes You
T for a short period. Harry Styles achieved the highest
profile of all group former members as solo artist with
Beautiful’ sold over 7 million units worldwide. A a UK and 6
6
US chart topping record and a role7in the 4
B 7
movie Dunkirk. 5
‘What Makes You Beautiful’ was written by Savan
Kotecha, who claims to have had the melody and [3] Simon Cowell has been a significant figure in the
chorus in his head for over a year. He wrote the lyrics British music industry for the last twenty years. His
after a discussion with his wife, who explained how ubiquitous presence marked the direction of much
insecurities about her looks can make her feel. The pop music in the UK, bit it was his discovery of One
song was then tweaked and presented as a demo Direction that pushed his success as an executive
# ## #
to the band. Once finished, all members agreed on B record producer to a stratospheric level. Simon
A
‰
its potential as a single and recorded the song in Cowell has Etwice been named amongst the 100 most
& j œœ
Stockholm. ‘What Makes You Beautiful’ quotes The influential people in the world by Time Magazine.
œœ
McCoys’ 1965 single ‘Hang On Sloopy’ in its opening
œœ .
guitar riff.
.
One Direction were signed to Simon Cowell’s Syco
Records after finishing third in the seventh series of
Guitar Grade 2
The X Factor in 2010. The band were together for five

years, during which time they achieved phenomenal
commercial success. They released five albums and
T
A 2
2
0
B 2
0 0
9
[5]
What Makes You Beautiful
One Direction
Words & Music by Savan Kotecha,
Carl Falk & Rami Yacoub
c 120 Pop
#### 4 .
A
j
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& 4 . œœ ‰ œœ ‰ j ‰ j ‰ j Œ
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A 6 6
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[3]
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Guitar Grade 2
.
.
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A 2 2 4 4 4 2 2
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[9]
© Copyright 2011 Oh Suki Music/EMI Blackwood Music Incorporated/Kobalt Music Copyrights SARL/BMG Rights Management (Scandinavia) AB.
Kobalt Music Publishing Limited/EMI Music Publishing Limited/Chrysalis Music Limited, a BMG Company.
C#m
#### j j
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& œ œ ‰ œ Ó œ œ ‰ œ Ó
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T 6 6 6 6 4 4 6 4
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[15]
C#m C#m
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& œ œ œ œ œ Œ

T 6 6 6 6 4 4 6 4 6 6 6 6 4
A 6 6 6 6 4 2 4 6 6 6 6 6 4
B
[18]
####
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Guitar Grade 2
T
A 6 6
B 7 7 4
5
4
5
6
7
6
7
6
7
11
[23]
Walkthrough
Amp Settings C Section (Chorus)

There are two main sounds required for this song – a clean Switching to the overdriven sound, the C section begins
sound for the intro and sections A and D, followed by with the guitar playing power chords, moving through the
an overdriven/distorted sound for the B and C sections. chords E 5 (I), A5 (IV) and B 5 (V). Spend time working
Practise changing between sounds, making sure that the on correct note lengths, by developing left and right hand
volume levels on both the clean and dirty channels are set muting. At bar 16 (first time ending bar), the guitar plays
accordingly. Try experimenting with the levels of Bass, an eighth note double stop phrase, moving between G# and
Middle, and Treble, and see what you prefer. To achieve a C#, to F# and B. Take the repeat back to the beginning of
similar sound to the audio, try keeping the levels of the Bass, the C section. At bar 17 (second time ending), the guitar
Treble and Middle to around 5 (or half way) on the amplifier plays a major pentatonic lick moving from an E to F# then
dials. Also, experiment with pick up selection on the guitar. G#, then hammering on and pulling off from a B to C#. The
It’s likely that you’ll find the bridge pickup (the pickup same double stop phrase featured in bar 16 is then repeated
nearest the bridge of the guitar) is best for the bright and in bar 18.
crisp sound you are looking for.
Clean D Section (Outro)

Channel Equalisation Reverb The song returns to the intro riff for the last four bars ending
5 5 5 5 5
on beat 3 of the last bar. Remember to switch back to the
3
4 6
7 3
4 6
7 3
4 6
7 3
4 6
7 3
4 6
7 clean channel here!
2 8 2 8 2 8 2 8 2 8
1
0 10
9 1
0 10
9 1
0 10
9 1
0 10
9 1
0 10
9
If you are struggling with any parts in the song, try isolating
GAIN BASS MIDDLE TREBLE DRY – WET the bars that you want to focus on, and practice them
in isolation. It may also help to try playing along with a
metronome, in order to focus on areas which need more
A Section (Verse) attention. Then try keeping time yourself by tapping your
The song is in the key of E, with all chords belonging to the foot or nodding your head in time with the music. This will

key (diatonic). The song starts with an eighth note guitar help you develop good time and will help improve your
riff played on the root and 3rd of each chord. Spend some ‘inner clock’.
time becoming comfortable with the slightly syncopated
rhythm in this section and be careful not to let any
unwanted strings ring out.
Notice the staccato markings above the notes. These dots

mean that you should play the notes short, so you may want
to use palm muting to help achieve this. Watch out for the
repeat markings here!
B Section (Pre-chorus)
The guitar in the B section plays power chords, moving
between E 5, A5, C#5 and B 5. Power chords may seem
tricky to begin with, so spends some time developing the
muscle memory to play them consistently. Power chords
also provide a good way of transitioning from playing open
chords to beginning to play barre chords.
Guitar Grade 2
12
Jessie J
SONG TITLE: DOMINO

ALBUM: WHO YOU ARE
LABEL: LAVA / UNIVERSAL MUSIC
c 127 Pop
G sus 4
#4 ¿ œœ ‰ ¿¿ œœ ¿¿ œœ œœ œœ ¿¿
GENRE: ELECTROPOP / DANCE POP A G
WRITTEN BY: JESSICA CORNISH,

LUKASZ GOTWALD,
& 4 ¿ J
CLAUDE KELLY,
MAX MARTIN
AND HENRY WALTER T ¿¿ 7
¿¿ 7 ¿¿ 5 5 ¿¿
PRODUCED BY: DR. LUKE AND CIRKUT A 5 5 5 5
B
UK CHART PEAK: 1
BACKGROUND INFO Jessie J attended the BRIT School and her

classmates included Leona Lewis and Adele. Her

‘Domino’ was released in August 2011 as the fifth vocal style has attracted much praise for its agility.
single from Jessie J’s debut album Who You Are. The She initially identified as a soul singerGbut 4
susveered
# ¿ œœ ‰ ¿¿ œœ ¿¿ œœ œœ œœ ¿¿ œœ
song reached the top of the UK Singles chart and was B G
into R&B, pop and hip hop influenced productions.
& ¿
her second no.1 single and followed the successful Jessie J co-wrote ‘Party In The USA’ with Miley
‘Price Tag’, also written in collaboration with Dr. Cyrus and the song was a huge success, peaking at
J
Luke and Claude Kelly. In the US the song peaked at no.2 in the Billboard Hot 100 charts.
no.6 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts, and the track
has now gone on to sell around 4 million copies Jessie J is a supporter of UK charity Believe In
¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿
worldwide. During the video shoot for the song Jessie Magic that grants wishes to terminally ill children
¿¿
J injured her foot and had to cancel the production, across the UK. In July 2012 she performed ‘Laserlight’
which was resumed once she recovered. T on stage with 7 year old Daniel 7Sullivan, a leukemia
7 5 5 5
5
A sufferer, who passed
5 away four 5months later.5 5
‘Domino’ produced some controversy because of
alleged similarities with Teenage Dream by Katy Perry.
B Her 2015 single ‘Flashlight’ was used in the
In addition, songwriter Will Loomis attempted to sue [5] soundtrack to the film Pitch Perfect 2 and in 2016
Jessie J and her record label, Universal Music Group, she sang ‘My Superstar’ for Ice Age: Collision Course.
for copyright infringement alleging that the melody in In 2018 Jessie J set her sights on China and became
‘Domino’ was identical to that of his song ‘Bright Red the first European winner of the Chinese singing
Chords’. He lost the case due to insufficient evidence. competition Singer 2018.
Jessie J has released four successful albums to date,

each accompanied by extensive touring. In 2014 Jessie
J relocated to Los Angeles, California, citing work
opportunities and dissatisfaction with the level of
Guitar Grade 2
attention on her personal life in the UK. In 2015 she G sus 4
# ¿ œœ ‰ ¿¿ œœ ¿¿ œœ œœ œœ ¿¿ œœ
became a judge and mentor on The Voice Australia. G
& ¿
J 13
Domino
Jessie J
Words & Music by Max Martin, Lukasz Gottwald,
c 127 Pop
Claude Kelly, Jessica Cornish & Henry Russell Walter
j
G sus 4 G sus 4
#4 ¿
A G G
& 4 ¿ œœ ‰ ¿¿ œœ ¿¿ œ œ œ ¿ œ œ œ œ ‰ ¿ œœ ‰ ¿¿ œœ ¿¿ œœ œœ œœ ¿¿ œœ œœ œœ œœ ‰
œ œ œ ¿ œ œ œ œ ¿
J
T
A
¿¿ 7 ¿¿ 7 ¿¿ 5 5 ¿¿ 5 5 5 ¿¿ 4 ¿¿ 4 ¿¿ 5 5 ¿¿ 5 5 5
5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5
B
j
G sus 4 G sus 4
#
B G G
& ¿¿ œœ ‰ ¿¿ œœ ¿¿ œœ œœ œœ ¿¿ œœ œœ œœ œœ ‰ ¿¿ œœ ‰ ¿¿ œœ ¿¿ œœ œœ œœ ¿¿ œœ œœ œœ œœ ‰
J
T
A
¿¿ 7 ¿¿ 7 ¿¿ 5 5 ¿¿ 5 5 5 ¿¿ 4 ¿¿ 4 ¿¿ 5 5 ¿¿ 5 5 5
5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5
B
[5]

j
G sus 4 G sus 4
# ¿
G G
œœ ‰ ¿¿ œœ ¿¿ œ œœ œœ ¿¿ œœ œœ œœ œœ ‰ ¿¿ œœ ‰ ¿¿ œœ ¿¿ œœ œœ œœ ¿¿ œœ œœ œœ œœ ‰
& ¿ œ
J
T
A
¿¿ 7 ¿¿ 7 ¿¿ 5 5 ¿¿ 5 5 5 ¿¿ 4 ¿¿ 4 ¿¿ 5 5 ¿¿ 5 5 5
5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5
B
[9]
C add 9 A m7 Em D 7sus 4
# ¿ j j œ œœ œ œ œ œ œ
C
& ¿¿ œœ ‰ ¿¿ œœ ¿¿ œœ œœ œœ ¿¿ œœ œœ œœ œœ ‰ ¿¿ œœ ‰ ¿¿ œœ ¿¿¿ œœ œœ ¿¿ œœ œœ œœ œœ ‰
œ ¿ œ ¿ œ œ œ ¿ œ œ œ œ ¿ œ ¿ œ œ œœ œ ¿ œ œ œ œ
Guitar Grade 2
¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿
¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿
3 3 3 3 3
T 3
0
3
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
A 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 0 0 0 0 0
B
[13]
14 © Copyright 2011 Warner Tamerlane Publishing Corporation/Kasz Money Publishing/Studio Beast Music /Prescription Songs LLC/Kobalt Music Services America,
Incorporated/Traintracks Studio/MXM Music AB, Sweden.
Kobalt Music Publishing Limited/Warner/Chappell North America Limited/Sony/ATV Music Publishing.
# j j œ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ
& ¿¿¿ œœ ‰ ¿¿ œœ ¿¿ œ
œ ¿ œ ¿ œœ
œœ œœ ¿¿ œœ œœ œœ œœ ‰
œ œ ¿ œ œ œ œ
¿¿¿ œœœ ‰ ¿¿¿ œœœ ¿¿ œœ
¿ œ œœ œœ ¿¿¿ œœ œœ œœ œœ ‰
¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿
¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿
3 3 3 3 3
T 3
0
3
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
A 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 0 0 0 0 0
B
[17]
j j j j j j
# œœ ‰ ‰ œœ ‰ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ
D
Œ œœ ‰ ‰ œœ ‰ œœ œœ œœ ‰ œœ œœ œœ œœ ‰ Œ
œœ œœ œœ ‰ œœ œœ œœ œœ ‰
& œ
œœ
œ
œœ
œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œœ J J
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 3 3 3 3
T 3
0
3
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
1
2
1
2
1
2
1
2
1
2
A 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 0 0 0 0 0
B 3 3 0 0 0 0 0 2
0
2
0
[21]

j j j j j j
#
Œ œœ ‰ ‰ œœ ‰ œœ œœ œœ ‰ œœ œœ œœ œœ ‰ Œ œœ ‰ ‰ œœ ‰ œœœ œœ
œœ
œœ œœ
œœ ‰ œœ
œœ
œœ
œœ
œœ
œœ
œœ ‰
& œ
œœ
œ
œœ
œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œ
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œœ J J
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 3 3 3 3
T 3
0
3
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
1
2
1
2
1
2
1
2
1
2
A 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 0 0 0 0 0
B 3 3 0 0 0 0 0 2
0
2
0
[25]
j j
G sus 4 G sus 4
# ¿
E G G
& ¿ œœ ‰ ¿¿ œœ ¿¿ œœ œœ œœ ¿¿ œœ œœ œœ œœ ‰ ¿¿ œœ ‰ ¿¿ œœ ¿¿ œœ œœ ‰ Œ Ó
p J
f
Guitar Grade 2
T
A
¿¿ 7 ¿¿ 7 ¿¿ 5 5 ¿¿ 5 5 5 ¿¿ 4 ¿¿ 4 ¿¿ 5 5
5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5
B
[29]
15
Walkthrough
Amp Settings C Section (Bars 13–20)

The guitar on this track is fundamentally clean, but the amp The riff from the previous sections continues, but the
is being pushed and the guitar is being played quite hard to harmony is altered because the bass notes change. Think of
give a hint of the sound breaking up. Having the amp on the this as the pre-chorus section.
clean channel and turning the gain dial up until the sound
just slightly clips can recreate this sound. The mid frequencies Bars 13–20
are quite prominent. It sounds as though it has been The notes played on the D and G strings are identical to
compressed and also has a metallic edge, this can be achieved the notes of the riff played in Sections A and B. The bass in
in the studio by double tracking the guitar and having one bar 13 is playing C, moving to A in bar 14. In this version,
out of phase. It can also be recreated live by adding a hint of the guitar in the arrangement is adding the bass notes to
flanger, with the effect dialled down to a minimum. create variety, whereas the guitar part on the original does
not do this. By changing the bass notes the resulting chords
Clean are C add 9, Am7, Em and D7sus 4. The Cadd 9 is a bit of a
Channel Equalisation Reverb stretch. Using the second finger on the D string can help the
5 5 5 5 5
fourth finger reach its note on the 7th fret. The Am 7 is three
3
4 6
7 3
4 6
7 3
4 6
7 3
4 6
7 3
4 6
7 notes spread over four strings, so again the fretting hand
2 8 2 8 2 8 2 8 2 8 needs to mute the 5th string. This will enable the plectrum
1
0 10
9 1
0 10
9 1
0 10
9 1
0 10
9 1
0 10
9
to strike all four strings, without the A string being heard.
D Section (Bars 21–28)

A Section (Bars 1–4) The D section combines the harmony of the bass, the riff
The main riff of the song is introduced in section A and is a and the keyboard part resulting in full open chords. This is
mixture of double stops and mute strokes. the chorus section of the original song.
Bars 1–4 | Mute strokes and double stops Bars 21–28 | Open chords

This riff will sound authentic if the strings are hit quite The result of mixing the harmony of the bass, guitar riff and
hard and the plectrum is used to play more strings than are keyboards are the chords C add 9, Am7, Em and D 7sus 4. To
necessary. It can be quite tricky to ensure unwanted notes be clear, the guitar doesn’t play this on the original track but
don’t ring, so the fretting hand should not only fret the notes switching to open chords in the chorus adds a new challenge
but should also mute all un-played strings. The riff starts and delineates the sections if playing unaccompanied. The
with a mute stroke by picking the strings whilst damping D7sus 4 can be a chord shape that takes a little practice to get
all of them with the fretting hand. This is followed with a G into quickly.
power chord comprising the root and perfect 5th. The root
note G is played consistently throughout the riff, whilst the
upper note starts on the 5th, drops to the perfect 4th and E Section (Bars 29–32)
then drops down to the major 3rd. The E section returns to the main riff to end the song.

The B section is the continuation of the riff, with the
addition of the bass guitar and drums. This can be viewed as
the verse section.
Bars 5–12
Here, the guitar plays exactly the same riff as it does in the
A section. With the introduction of the drums in Section B
you may find it a little easier to stay in time. The bass pedals
on the root note G, resulting in a G 5, Gsus 4 and G harmony
in the riff.
Guitar Grade 2
16
AC/DC
SONG TITLE: ROCK ‘N’ ROLL TRAIN

ALBUM: BLACK ICE c 119 Rock
LABEL: COLUMBIA A5 D5
A5 D5
# ## 4
GENRE: HARD ROCK / BLUES ROCK
œœ œ œœ œœ œœ Œ
WRITTEN BY: ANGUS YOUNG
œ
& 4 œ œ œ œœ œœ œœ
œ œ œ
PRODUCED BY: AND MALCOLM YOUNG
BRENDAN O’BRIEN
UK CHART PEAK: N/A 3

T 2
3
2 2
3
2 2
A 2 0
0
2
0
0
0
0
0
B 0
D5 G
A5 D5 A5
n œœ
# ## œœ œ œœ œœ œœ Œ œœ n œœ
BACKGROUND INFO album, High Voltage, in 1975. Bassist Cliff Williams
& œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ
joined the group after the recording of Let There Be
nœ

œ
‘Rock ‘N’ Roll’ Train was released as a single in Rock in 1977, replacing original bassist Mark Evans.
August 2008 and features on Black Ice, AC/DC’s The band would have another line-up change in
fifteenth studio album. The record was a worldwide 1980 when Brian Johnson replaced lead singer Bon
success and ‘Rock ‘N’ Roll Train’, initially titled Scott after the latter’s sudden death. The band had
‘Runaway Train’, topped the American charts. The released Highway To Hell and were on the verge of a 3
song was widely used in TV adverts and sports commercial breakthrough. Upon 3 3
3 Scott’s death
3 they
channel ESPN continue to use it frequently as intro T considered 2
3
disbanding,
2 2 but encouraged
2 by 2
support 2
0
0
music. The song was leaked online, legally, by a A from Scott’s
2 parents
0 they 2 decided
0
0 Five
0 to continue.
0
0Johnson they recorded
0
0
Scottish fan who memorised the riff during the shoot
of the promotional video for the song.
B 0 recruiting
months after
in Black and dedicated the album to Scott’s memory.
Back
[4] It went on to become the second best-selling album

Black Ice captured the essential sound of the band of all time.
live “with only a few overdubs added later” and
signalled a return to the hard rock sound of early Verse
AC/DC’s unique sound and powerful performances
records such as Highway To Hell. The Black Ice Tour are enjoyed 5by millions of fans worldwide. They have
D5
A 5 records
D 5 million
# ##
was the band’s most commercially successful, grossing A sold over A
œœ Œ
two hundred and are hailed
œ œ œ
œ œœ
nearly 440 million US dollars, with ‘Rock ‘N’ Roll by many fans, critics and musicians as the greatest
& œœ œœ œ œ œ œ
Train’ being used as opener to the show. In December rock and roll band of all time.
œ œ œ œ œ œ
2009 AC/DC recorded three shows at the River Plate
Stadium in Buenos Aires. The result was the DVD Malcolm Young passed away in November 2017,
‘Live at The River Plate’ which documented AC/DC’s aged 64. He is often lauded, alongside the likes
Black Ice World Tour. Black Ice sold over 8 million of Keith Richards (The Rolling Stones) and Nile
copies worldwide. Rodgers (Chic), as one of the most influential rhythm
guitarists in rock and roll history. 3 3
T
Guitar Grade 2
3 2
AC/DC was formed in Sydney in 1973 by brothers 2 2 2 2
Malcolm and Angus Young. The band went through A 2 4
0
2
0
4
0
4
0
various personnel changes before releasing their first B 0
[8]
17
Rock ‘N’ Roll Train
AC/DC
c 119 Rock Words & Music by Angus Young & Malcolm Young
A5 D5 A5 D5 G5 D5 A5
### 4 n œœ œœ œœ œœ œ œ œ
& 4 œœ œœœ œœ œœ
œœ
œœ
œœ
œœ Œ
œœ
œœ
œœ n œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ
œœ œ œ œ Ó
œ œœ œœ œœ
œ œ œ nœ œ œ œ
3 3 3 3
T 2
3
2 2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
0
3
0
3
0
3
0
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2 2 2 2
A 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 2
B 0 0 0 0 0 0
3 3 3 3
0 0 0
A5 D5 A5 D5 G5 D5 A5
### œœ œ œœ œœ œœ Œ œœ n œœ œœ œœ œœ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ ˙
& œœ n œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ ww
œ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ nœ œ œ œ œ œœ œœ œœ ˙˙ w
3 3 3 3
T 2
3
2 2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
0
3
0
3
0
3
0
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2 2 2 2
A 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 2
B 0 0 0 0 0 0
3 3 3 3
0 0 0
[4]
Verse
A5 D5 A5 D5 A5 D5 A5 D5
###
A
œœ œœ œ œœ œœ œœ Œ œœ œœ œ œœ œœ œœ Œ
& œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
T 2
3
2 2
3
2
3
2 2
3
2 2
3
2
3
2
A 2 4 2 4 4 2 4 2 4 4
B 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
[8]
A5 D5 A5 D5 A5 D5 A5 D5
### œœ œ œœ œœ œœ Œ œœ œ œœ œœ œœ Œ
& œœ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œ
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
T 2
3
2 2
3
2
3
2 2
3
2 2
3
2
3
2
A 2 4 2 4 4 2 4 2 4 4
B 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
[12]
Pre Chorus
### œ œ œ n œ œ œ œ
B A5 G sus 4 G5 D5 G5 D5 A5 G sus 4 G5
& œ œ œ n œ œ œ œ œœ n œœ œœ œœ œœ Ó œœ œœ œœ n œ œ œœ œœ œ
nœ œ œ
Guitar Grade 2
T 3
2
5
2
5
2
1
0
1
0
3
0
3
0 0 0 2 0 2
3
2
5
2
5
2
1
0
1
0
3
0
3
0 0
A 0 0 0 0 0 0
B
18
[16]
© Copyright 2008 J. Albert and Son Pty Ltd.
D5 G5 D5 A5 G sus 4 G5 D5 G5 D5
## œœ œœ œœ n œ œœ œœ
& # n œœ œœ œœ œœ Ó nœ œœ œœ n œœ œœ œœ œœ Ó
T 0 2 0 2
3
2
5
2
5
2
1
0
1
0
3
0
3
0 0 0 2 0 2
A 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
B
[19]
A5 G sus 4 G5 D5
### œ œ œ n œ œ œ œ œœ œœ n œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ
& œ œ œ n œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ
T 3
2
5
2
5
2
1
0
1
0
3
0
3
0 0
3
2
3
2
3
0
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
A 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
B 0
[22]
Chorus
A5 D5 A5 D5 G5 D5 A5
### œœ œ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ n œœ œœ œœ œœ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ ˙
& œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ n œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œ œœ œœ œœ ˙˙
œ nœ œ œ œ
3 3 3 3
T 2
3
2 2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
0
3
0
3
0
3
0
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2 2 2 2
A 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 2
B 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
3 3 3 3
0 0 0
[25]

A5 D5 A5 D5 G5 D5 A5
### n œœ œœ œœ œœ œ œ œ
& œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ
n œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œ œ œ ˙
œ œœ œ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œ œœ œœ œœ ˙˙
nœ œ œ œ
3 3 3 3
T 2
3
2 2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
0
3
0
3
0
3
0
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2 2 2 2
A 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 2
B 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
3 3 3 3
0 0 0
[28]
A5 D5 A5 D5 G5 D5 A5
## œ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ n œœ œœ œœ œœ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ ˙
& # œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ n œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œ œœ œœ œœ ˙˙
œ œ œ nœ œ œ œ
3 3 3 3
T 2
3
2 2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
0
3
0
3
0
3
0
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2 2 2 2
A 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 2
B 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
3 3 3 3
0 0 0
[31]
A5 D5 A5 D5 G5 D5 A5
## n œœ œœ œœ œœ œ œ œ
& # œœ œœœ œœ œœ
œœ
œœ
œœ
œœ
œœ
œœ
œœ
œœ
œœ
œœ
œœ n œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ
œœ œ œ œ ˙
œ œœ œœ œœ ˙˙ ww
œ œ œ nœ œ œ œ w
Guitar Grade 2
3 3 3 3
T 2
3
2 2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
0
3
0
3
0
3
0
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2 2 2 2
A 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 2
B 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
3 3 3 3
0 0 0
[34]
19
Walkthrough
Amp Settings A Section (Bars 8–15)

A British late 1960s or early 1970s amp and cab would This section starts with bar 1 of the intro followed by silence
be ideal for particular tune. In AC/DC Angus is known in the bar, adding drama and dynamic shape to the piece.
for a thin solid bodied double cutaway Gibson, while his Count the beats carefully to ensure that your performance is
brother Malcolm was known for playing a semi-acoustic as tight as possible. If you take the time to listen to some of
guitar brand better known for rockabilly. The tone should their CDs you will learn that AC/DC were one of the tightest
have some grit to it but by the same token it shouldn’t be guitar units in the history of rock.
anywhere near as distorted as a metal tone. The sound of
the two guitars together, through moderately driven amps
seemingly with no effects, add up to a weight of sound that B Section (Bars 16–24)
hasn’t been rivalled by many two-guitar bands. This pre-chorus section uses a common device in guitar
arranging with the part changing from fuller chords to
Clean double stops – somehow this can be more arresting than
Channel Equalisation Reverb complete chords. The resonance of the guitar really makes
5 5 5 5 5
the notes bloom when this approach is taken.
4 6 4 6 4 6 4 6 4 6
3 7 3 7 3 7 3 7 3 7
2 8 2 8 2 8 2 8 2 8 Bar 16–17
1
0 10
9 1
0 10
9 1
0 10
9 1
0 10
9 1
0 10
9
Note that the guitar part has a little melodic line in the top
GAIN BASS MIDDLE TREBLE DRY – WET of the double stop voicings. The use of the G and C double
stop, spelling out G sus 4, is really effective. In bar 17 note
that the D stays in the bottom of the voicing, while the top
Intro Section (Bars 1–7) of the voicing moves from G to A – this is reminiscent of the
One explanation for the sheer breadth of tone that the Young pattern in bar 1.
brothers conjured is the subtlety in their approach to chord
voicings – often avoiding the 3rd, but repeating the 5th and When you’re picking these parts you may want to use
root wherever possible to create detailed ‘5’ chords. mostly down strokes with the plectrum. This has two effects

– firstly the tone is consistent for each chord and secondly
Bar 1 the chord is always sounded with the lowest note coming
The second chord in this bar is a good example of a typical first. Even though the idea is to play chords as one whole
AC/DC D 5 chord voicing, with the open A string being sound, it’s very difficult to avoid a slight spread across the
used at the bottom of the chord. Many less thoughtful chord. This is due to the time taken to drag the plectrum
players would always use the root at the bottom of every across all strings.
5 chord. Often referred to as ‘power chords’, 5 chords are
extremely simple and yet when played on an electric guitar When learning these parts pay particular attention to the
they deliver an incredibly strong punch – hence the name. pulse, sometimes the simplest parts can be really tricky to
When arranging it can often be a case of less is more. By play cleanly. If you’re aiming for perfection there really is
leaving out the root and adding in the open A, the Young no such thing as simple music, it all needs to be treated
brothers have succeeded in magnifying the resonance of with respect.
the D 5 chord.
It’s worth noting that if you’re playing with a bass player then
using such a voicing won’t change the identity of the chord,
as long as the bass player is playing a note which is lower
than your lowest note. If your bass guitarist were also to play
A in the bass, then this chord would in fact be called D 5/A.
Guitar Grade 2
20
The Meters
SONG TITLE: CISSY STRUT

ALBUM: THE METERS
LABEL: JOSIE c 89 New Orleans Funk
GENRE: FUNK A C7 1/4
4 ‰
& 4 .. œ b œ œ b œ œ œ
WRITTEN BY: ART NEVILLE,
ZIGABOO MODELISTE,
LEO NOCENTELLI AND
GEORGE PORTER JR.
PRODUCED BY: ALLEN TOUSSAINT AND
.
.
MARSHALL E. SEHORN T 5 3
1/4
A 5
6 3
UK CHART PEAK: N/A
B
BACKGROUND INFO Labelle, Robert Palmer and many more. They also
kept a busy live schedule. In 1975 Paul McCartney

‘Cissy Strut’ was released in 1969 and appeared invited them to play aboard the Queen Mary at the
on The Meters’ eponymous debut album. The song release party for his album Venus and Mars. Mick
reached no.4 on the R&B charts and no.23 on the Jagger was in attendance and was so impressed
Billboard Hot 100. ‘Cissy Strut’ was featured in the with
7 the band that he1/4 invited them to open for The
C
‰
1997 film Jackie Brown, bringing it to the attention of Rolling Stones on their American tour in 1975 and
& œ bœ œ bœ œ
a younger audience nearly 30 years after its original their European tour in 1976. In 1977 Art and Cyril
œ
release. ‘Cissy Strut’ was inducted into the Grammy Neville left the band, prompting Porter to do so later
œ œ
Hall of Fame in 2011 and the song is now regarded as that year.
a seminal piece in funk’s history.
Leo Nocentelli is regarded as a significant guitarist
The Meters formed in New Orleans, Louisiana, in the history of funk and other associated styles. He
in 1965. The group, featuring Zigaboo Modeliste has performed in various quartets and continues to
on drums, George Porter Jr. on bass, Art Neville
on keyboards, Leo Nocentelli on guitar, and later
T do so to this day. His list
Al5Di Meola,
1/4
of collaborations include
3 Oteil Burbridge, Patti LaBelle, Peter
joined by Cyril Neville on percussion and vocals, A 5 Robbie Robertson, Maceo Parker,
Gabriel, Etta James, 6 3
are regarded (together with James Brown) as the B Trombone Shorty and many others. 3 3
originators of funk. The Meters started working with
producer Allen Toussaint as house band for his Sansu[3]
Enterprises record label. Toussaint would go on to
produce seven of their eight album releases recorded
between 1969 and 1977. After their initial chart
success they produced other successful and highly
influential recordings, such as ‘Sophisticated Cissy’,
‘Look-Ka Py Py’ and ‘Chicken Strut’. The Meters did
Guitar Grade 2
not achieve further chart success, but they did go on

to work in collaboration with many other musicians
including Dr. John, Paul McCartney, King Biscuit Boy,
r œ bœ j
œ.
B
œ œ œ
C7 21
Cissy Strut
The Meters
Music by Arthur Neville,
c 89 New Orleans Funk Leo Nocentelli & George Porter
Bb
b œœ œœ œœ œœ
A C7 1/4 F/C
& 44 .. œ b œ œ b œ œ ‰ j ‰ Œ œ œ œ
R
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œ œ œ œ œ œ œ.
. 6 6 5 5
.
T 5 3
1/4 6
7
6
7
6
5
6
5
A 5
B 6 3
3 3 5
3
5
3
Bb
C7 1/4 F/C
œ œ
& œ bœ œ bœ œ ‰ j ‰ Œ œ œ ‰
R
..
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ.
6 6 5 5
.
.
T 5 3
1/4
6
7
6
7
6
5
6
5
A 5
B 6 3
3 3 5
3
5
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[3]

j
B
r r
& œJ œ œ bœ œ œ œ. œ œ œ b œ œ œ œj
C7
Œ J
‰ Œ
T 5 5 3 5 3 5 5 3
A 5 5 5 5
B 3
[5]
r j r
& œJ œ œ bœ œ œ œ. Œ œ
J œ œ b œ œ œ œj ‰ Œ
Guitar Grade 2
T 5 5 3 5 3 5 5 3
A 5 5 5 5
B 3
[7]
22 © Copyright 1969 Marsaint Music Incorporated.
Ardmore and Beechwood Limited.
r j r
J œ œ bœ œ j ‰ Œ
œ œ
T 5 5 3 5 3 5 5 3
A 5 5 5 5
B 3
[9]
r j r
J œ œ bœ œ j ‰ Œ
œ œ
T 5 5 3 5 3 5 5 3
A 5 5 5 5
B 3
[11]
Bb
A C7 1/4 F/C
œ œ
& œ bœ œ bœ œ œ
‰ j ‰ Œ œ œ ‰
R
œ œ œ œ œ œ.

6 6 5 5
T 5 3
1/4
6
7
6
7
6
5
6
5
A 5
B 6 3
3 3 5
3
5
3
[13]
Bb
C7 1/4 F/C
œ œ
‰ j ‰ Œ œ œ ‰
R
œ œ œ œ œ œ.
6 6 5 5
T 5 3
1/4 6
7
6
7
6
5
6
5
A 5
B 6 3
3 3 5
3
5
3
[15]
C7 1/4
‰ j ‰ Œ Ó
œ œ œ œ œ œ.
Guitar Grade 2
T 5 3 1/4
A 5
B 6 3
3 3 5
3
5
3
23
[17]
Walkthrough
Amp Settings Bar 2

The guitar tone here should be clean and funky sounding. If The Bb and F triads are superimposed over the underlying
you had a choice of amp or amp model emulation, ‘American C-rooted harmony. This is an example of gospel-style
clean’ is suitable although any equivalent amp/amp model backcycling, where the triad a perfect fourth up from the
would work well. Reverb is essential, but not too much. underlying chord is used as a momentary decoration.
Modern players might be tempted to use compression to The first step is to add an F triad on top of a C root (F is a
make their parts sound really articulate. perfect fourth up from C) but this process can be extended
by going a fourth up again, to B b – resulting in B b to F to C
Clean triads. These three-note voicings are typical in funk music
Channel Equalisation Reverb – they are lighter than full six-string chords and sit more
5 5 5 5 5
comfortably within the texture and groove, allowing space
3
4 6
7 3
4 6
7 3
4 6
7 3
4 6
7 3
4 6
7 and being easier to execute with rhythmic precision.
2 8 2 8 2 8 2 8 2 8
1 9 1 9 1 9 1 9 1 9
0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10
GAIN BASS MIDDLE TREBLE DRY – WET B Section (Bars 5–12)
This is again based on 16th note subdivisions. You can use
the method as outlined in the A section to ‘map out’ this
A Section (Bars 1–4) part using the 16th-note grid technique. The guitar line here
This is a funky line, played mostly in unison with the is much like a funk horn part, and it wouldn’t be out of place
bass guitar. It would be best to play the part with alternate played by a horn section on a James Brown record.
picking technique, and the chords should be strummed.
Particular care is needed when learning and understanding Bar 6
the rhythms in this section. Practise this bar carefully. Gradually build your tempo
in practising the string crossing to establish accuracy. Be
Fig. 1 shows firstly how to divide the four beats of the bar careful to observe the note lengths too – the first note of bar
into 16th note subdivisions. These 16th-note rhythms are 5 is strictly an eighth note, creating a 16th-note rest before

the nuts and bolts of the funk style. Tap your foot at a slow the G. These rhythmic details are vital to capture in order to
tempo (say 50 beats per minute to start) then say out loud establish the right groove.
‘one, e, and, a, 2, e, and, a,’ etc for each beat. When you have
internalised these subdivisions, start working out where
the notes of the piece fall in terms of this grid of 16ths. The
& 44
Counting 16th-note subdivisions of the beat
slower the better – remember you are essentially teaching
your brain to process these rhythms, so the more carefully
you process the details the quicker you will be at recalling
1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a
and playing them in future.
Showing 16th-note subdivisions of the beat – Bar 1
& 44 œ b œ œ b œ œ
In addition to being a successful band in their own right, the
Meters found themselves in great demand as session players. ‰
Artists would hire them to be the rhythm section on their œ œ œ bœ œ œ
albums, such as Robert Palmer’s ‘Sneaking Sally Through 1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a
The Alley’, which features some of their great groove work.
Fig. 1: Counting 16th rhythms
Guitar Grade 2
24
The Beatles
SONG TITLE: HELTER SKELTER

ALBUM: THE BEATLES
LABEL: APPLE c 84 Rock
œœ
# ## # 4 ‰ n œœ œœ œœ œ
GENRE: HARD ROCK A E5 N.C.
WRITTEN BY: JOHN LENNON

AND PAUL MCCARTNEY & 4 J
PRODUCED BY: GEORGE MARTIN
UK CHART PEAK: N/A 7 0 0 0

3 3 3
T 5
A
B
# ## # œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ
BACKGROUND INFO it was a groundbreaking song and many feeling the
band had lost its way. Paul McCartney has been
&

‘Helter Skelter’ was included on The Beatles’ 1968 performing the song live since 2004.
self-titled release, also known as The White Album.
The song is regarded by many as a key influence The Beatles’ work is the blueprint on which much
in the development of hard rock and heavy metal. of Western popular music has been built delete – end
Paul McCartney was inspired to write the song after sentence with ‘built’. The band incorporated a vast
hearing Pete Townshend talking about The Who’s array of influences and continued to redefine much
0 in0popular0 0 0 0 0
latest single at the time, ‘I Can See For Miles’, as the of what eventually
0 0 became
0 0
influential 2 2
2 2 2 2
loudest and rawest song the band had recorded.
McCartney liked the idea of recording a song that had
T 2 has
2 sound
music. Their 2 been 2
2 copied and adapted time
and again since the 1960s and their songs have been
such qualities and said that when he heard The Who’s A covered and re-arranged in many different genres
song he felt there wasn’t much on it that chimed with B since their creation.
what he had envisioned as loud and raw.
[3] The Beatles are the best-selling band in history
By 1968 The Beatles were no longer performing live with an estimated 800 million physical copies of their
and were exclusively dedicated to studio recording. albums sold worldwide. They are regarded as some of
Their work included a great deal of experimentation the most influential people of the twentieth century
aided by the deft production hand of George Martin, and their soloGwork after the band’s breakup in 1970 is
# ## # n n œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ
an exceptional musician and considered by many hugely significant.
œœ
as the fifth Beatle. ‘Helter Skelter’ was recorded a
œœ œœ œœ
& n nn œœœœ
number of times, including a 27 minute version,
œœ œœ œœ œœ
with a very different character to the final one, and a
12 minute version, later edited to 4.37 minutes and
included on Anthology 3. On September 9 1968 the
band recorded an alleged 18 takes of the song, each
Guitar Grade 2
lasting approximately 5 minutes. The last one of those

18 takes is included on the LP. ‘Helter Skelter’ was 3 3 3 3
3 3 3
received with mixed opinions, with many believing
T 3
0
3
0
3
0 0 0
A 0 0
2
0
2
0
2
0
2
B 2
3 3 3 3 3 25
[5]
Helter Skelter
The Beatles
Words & Music by John Lennon
c 84 Rock
& Paul McCartney
#### 4 œœ
A E5 N.C.
& 4 ‰ J n œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ ‘
7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
T 5 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
A
B
# # # # œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ n œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œ œ
& nœ œ
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
T 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0
0
0
0
A
B
[3]
G E7
# # # # n n œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ n œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœ

& n n œœœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ #

œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œ œ œœ œœ œ œ
nœ œ œ œ œ
3 3 3 3 3 3 3 0 0 0 0 0
T 3
0
3
0
3
0
3
0
3
0
3
0
3
0
0
0
3
1
3
1
3
1
3
1
A 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
B 2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
0
2
0
2
0
2
0
[5]
E7
# # # # n œœ
B
œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœ

& œ ‘
œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœ
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
T 3
1
3
1
3
1
3
1
3
1
3
1
3
1
3
1
A 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
B 2
0
2
0
2
0
2
0
2
0
2
0
2
0
2
0
[7]
####
& ‘ ‘
Guitar Grade 2
T
A
B
26
[9]
© Copyright 1968 Sony/ATV Music Publishing.
G
# # œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ n nn œœœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ
& # # n œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ
œœ œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœ n n œœœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
T 3
1
3
1
3
1
3
1
3
1
3
1
3
1
3
1
3
0
3
0
3
0
3
0
3
0
3
0
3
0
3
0
A 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
B 2
0
2
0
2
0
2
0
2
0
2
0
2
0
2
0
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
[11]
A E7
## www n œœœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ
& ## w œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ
w œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
T 2
2
3
1
3
1
3
1
3
1
3
1
3
1
3
1 4
A 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 4
B 0 2
0
2
0
2
0
2
0
2
0
2
0
2
0
[13]
####
C
A5 A6 E5 E6
& œ œ œ œ nœ œ œ nœ nœ œ œ œ
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ #œ œ œ
œ œ œ œ
T 0
A 2 2 4 4 4 2 0 0
B 0 0 0 0 4 2 0 2
0
2
0
4
0
4
0
4 2 0
4 2 0
[15]

#### A5 A6
w
# www
E
& œ œ œ œ nœ œ œ nœ œ
œ œ œ œ œ œ w
w
0
T 0
0
1
A 2 2 4 4 4 2 0 2
B 0 0 0 0 4 2 0 2
0
[17]
# # # # n N.C.
D
œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ
&
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
T 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
A
B
[19]
G E7
## œœœœœœœœœœœœœœ n œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ ww
& # # n œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ n œœ œœ nn n œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ # n ww
n œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ ww
Guitar Grade 2
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 0 0
T 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0
0
0
0
3
0
3
0
3
0
3
0
3
0
3
0
3
0
0
0
3
1
A 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2
B 2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
0
[21]
27
Walkthrough
Amp Settings B Section (Bars 7–14)

It’s easy to forget that this era was the early days of This section is the Verse of the song and the guitar plays chords.
overdriven and distorted guitar sounds so the level of
distortion was very subtle. Don’t fall into the trap of adding Bars 7–14 | Chords
lots of distortion and making the guitar sound too modern. Although eight bars long, the E 7 chord lasts for five bars and
The guitar used on the original track sounds as though this takes a little concentration to get right without vocals.
it could have been a semi-acoustic guitar, equipped with Hold the A chord for four beats in bar 13 before returning to
humbucker pickups and played on the bridge pickup. This the E 7 chord for a bar.
would be the ideal choice if you have access to this type of
guitar. If you are playing a guitar with single-coil pickups
only, then try using the middle pickup or the middle and C Section (Bars 15–18)
bridge and pushing the middle frequencies a little more on This is the Chorus section and the guitar plays a classic rock
your amp to replicate the tone. The reverb is very subtle also. and roll riff with single note lines.
Distortion Bars 15–18 | Riff and single notes

Channel Equalisation Reverb The guitar starts with a classic rock ’n’ roll riff – playing
5 5 5 5 5
an A5 chord twice and then raising the 5th to a 6th on the
3
4 6
7 3
4 6
7 3
4 6
7 3
4 6
7 3
4 6
7 D string, keeping the Root note ringing on the A string. This
2 8 2 8 2 8 2 8 2 8 is followed with a single note descending line that spells out
1
0 10
9 1
0 10
9 1
0 10
9 1
0 10
9 1
0 10
9
the A Mixolydian scale starting on the note G. The resulting
GAIN BASS MIDDLE TREBLE DRY – WET intervals from A are b7th, 6th, 5th, 4th, 3rd, 2nd and Root.
This is then repeated identically in E Mixolydian in the
following bar. The section finishes in bar 18 by playing an E
A Section (Bars 1–6) chord and holding it for four beats. This is quite fast so start
This is the introduction to the song. It includes an anacrusis, slowly speeding the single note lines up with a metronome.
and a figure based on the open top string with fretted notes

on the second string, which then develops into a chordal part.
Bars 1–4 | Double stops and drone strings This is the Outro section of this particular arrangement of
The guitar starts with an E 5 (power chord) on the ‘and’ of the song where the guitar returns to the Intro figure that
the fourth beat and slides away. Following this is a figure appeared in section A.
that plays 16th notes with down strokes to create an urgent
feel. Playing 16th notes with down strokes at 84bpm is quite
fast so if this is unachievable at this time, play them with
alternate picking. Keep the top E string ringing as a drone
whilst playing a descending pattern of D, C# and C for a
bar each on the second string. Against the E, the resulting
intervals are b7th, 6th, b6th.
Bars 5–6 | Chords

The guitar now switches to eighth notes and plays the G
chord for a bar followed by an E 7 for a bar where it goes
between playing the lower strings twice and then the upper
strings twice. Perfect accuracy is less important than the
impression of lower notes being followed by higher notes.
The E 7 chord is an E major chord with a b7th, the note D,
added to the chord. It gives a major chord more of a
blues feel.
Guitar Grade 2
28
Cranked
SONG TITLE: CRANKED

GENRE: CLASSIC ROCK
TEMPO: 108 BPM q =108 Classic Rock
# ## 4 œ
KEY: A MAJOR A N.C .
A5
& 4 œœ œœ
œ œ.
TECH FEATURES: POWERCHORDS
LEGATO
DOUBLE-STOPS
5
COMPOSER: JOE BENNETT T 2 2
A 2 2
0
PERSONNEL: STUART RYAN (GTR) B 0
HENRY THOMAS (BASS)

NOAM LEDERMAN (DRUMS)
# ## œ œ œ nœ
A5 N.C .
œœ of classic œœrock can be traced back to

&theThe1950sorigins
OVERVIEW THE BIGGER PICTURE
œ œ.

‘Cranked’ is a track in the classic rock style that
was popularised by bands like MC5, Free, AC/DC, and the early hits of rock ’n’ roll stars Buddy
Aerosmith and KISS from the late 1960s onwards. Holly, Eddie Cochran and Chuck Berry. Each of these
While some are considered more punk than classic guitarists made use of double-stops and powerful,
0
rock, the playing techniques employed are similar even plectrum downstrokes. But it was 5 in the late 3 1
in places. The song features powerchords, a staple of T 1960s and early 1970s that
2 2 the style as we now know
classic rock guitar playing, as well as short legato riffs. A it really bloomed
2 partly as
2 a result of the increased
‘Cranked’ also contains a double-stopped guitar solo
based on the A minor pentatonic scale.
B availability of 0 amplifiers, particularly
0 more powerful
the Marshall stack. AC/DC, Free and others had a
[3]huge impact on future generations of rock musicians;
their influence can be heard on 21st century tracks
STYLE FOCUS by bands such as Jet, Razorlight, Green Day and
Biffy Clyro, all of whom have adopted, and adapted,
j
A wide range of classic rock bands use elements of classic rock in their own music.
#
powerchords, which are chords utilising only the root
## œ . œ ‰
D/A
œ Œ j
and fifth of the scale. Usually these are played on the
œ .
œ . ‘Girls Got œRhythm’ and the title
&Listen to AC/DC’s
bass strings of the guitar: the sixth, fifth and fourth RECOMMENDED LISTENING
œ .well-loved 1979œalbum Highway To œ

strings. Double-stopped solos (where two adjacent
strings are played simultaneously) are another
common feature and require an aggressive plectrum track from their
action using all downstrokes and firmly fretted notes. Hell. Free’s ‘All Right Now’ (1970) uses partial chords
Classic rock songs are often played using an ‘eight of A and D/A (D with an A bass note) in the same
groove’ which is characterised by solid and simple positions that are featured in ‘Cranked’. There are
drum parts and occasional pushes. A push is the T 3
hundreds of great
2 rock tracks with
3
2 double-stopped
Guitar Grade 2
moment when the entire band hits a loud chord, A solos but a good 4
4 starting point would
0
be Chuck 0
accompanied by a crash cymbal, played one eighth B 0
Berry’s 1956 hit ‘Roll Over Beethoven’, and the intro
note before the barline or half-bar. to The Beatles’ ‘Revolution’ (1968).
[6]
29
Cranked
Joe Bennett
q =108 Classic Rock
### 4 nœ
A
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A5 A5
nœ
N.C. N.C.
& 4 œœ œœ œœ œœ
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0 0 3 0
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5
A 2 2 2 2
B 0 0 0 0
###
A5
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A
‰
N.C.
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œ œ. œ œ œ
0
T 2 2
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0
2
2
2
2
2
2
A 2 2 0 2 0 2 0 2 2 2
B 0 0 3 0 0 0
[3]
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œœ Œ
D/A
& œœ .. œ ‰ j j œ ‰ j œ Œ
n œ œ n œ œœ œœ ..

œ. œ œ œ œ œ nœ œ
T 3
2
3
2
A 4 4 2 2 2
B 0 0 0 3 0
3
0
3
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3
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[6]
### œ . j j
œœ .. œœ Œ
D/A A
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2
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j j
### nœ.
E A G D
œœ .. œœ œœ œœ ˙˙
& œ ‰ j œœ œœ œœ œ .. œ œ œ n œœœ ... œ
œ
˙
˙
œ œ nœ œ œ œ œ œ œ nœ œ n œœ ..
Guitar Grade 2
.
3 2
T 2
2
2
2
0
0
3
2
A 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 0 0
B 0
3
2
0
2
0
2
0
0 0
3
0 2
3
30
[12]
© Copyright 2012 Rock School Ltd. This music is copyright. Photocopying is illegal.
A5
j
C D A
## œ œ œ œœ œœ œœ
& # n nn œœœœ œœœœ œœœœ œ
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‰ œœ ..
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. . nœ œ œ œ œ. œ œ nœ
0 0 0 2 2 2
T 1
0
1
0
1
0
3
2
3
2
3
2
2
2
2
2
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B 3 3 3
3
0
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3
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[15]
j
G D C D N.C.
# # # n œ .. œœ ˙˙ œ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ
& n œœœ .. œœ ˙˙ n nn œœœœ œœ
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[18]
# # # . œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ n œœ
D
A C D C D
& . œ nœ œ œ ˙ nœ œ œ œ œ œ œ

. 5 5 5 5 5 5
.
T 5 5 5 5 5 5 7
7
5
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B 7 5 3 3 0
[21]
1. 2. E
###
A5
j
‰ .. # œœ .. œœ œœ
N.C. A
& œ œ œ. œ œ nœ œ œ œ nœ œ .. œ
œœ n œ
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nœ œ œ œ œ. œ œ œ
.
.
T 0
2
2
2
2
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0
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3
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[24]
j
G D C D A
# # # n œœ .. œœ ˙˙ œ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ
& n œœ .. œ
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Guitar Grade 2
3 2 0 0 0 2 2 2
T 0
0
3
2
1
0
1
0
1
0
3
2
3
2
3
2
2
2
A 0 0 2 2 2 0 0 0 2 2
B 2
3
3 3 3 0
3
0
31
[27]
Walkthrough
Amp Settings with single notes. There is also a reprise of the legato fill
Use a crunch tone: an overdriven sound that isn’t heavily used in the A section.
distorted but not completely clean, either. Set your gain to
around 7, although this is just a guide. Your guitar’s tone Bar 13 | Note lengths
should be just breaking up but not too distorted so that Release pressure on the A chord played on the ‘&’ of beat 2,
you’re able to hear every note of the chords in bars 5 and 6. preventing it from ringing on as you play the G note on the
3rd fret of the E string. The aim of this is to keep the part
Distortion sounding crisp and accurate.
D & E sections (Bars 21–29)

5 5 5 5 5
4 6 4 6 4 6 4 6 4 6
3 7 3 7 3 7 3 7 3 7
2 8 2 8 2 8 2 8 2 8 The D section is a guitar solo that uses slides and double-
1
0 10
9 1
0 10
9 1
0 10
9 1
0 10
9 1
0 10
9
stops, while the E section is a reprise of the A section.
Bar 21 | Slides
Place your first finger across the E and B strings. There’s no
A Section (Bars 1–4) specified point to begin the slide but the speed of the slide
This riff uses a combination of powerchords and single notes means that you shouldn’t be any lower the 3rd fret. Pick the
that employ slides and pull-offs. string then quickly slide into the 5th fret.
Bars 1–2 | Position shift Bars 21 | Double-stops

Slide into the E at the 5th fret of the B string with your third Play the double-stops at the 5th fret with your first finger.
finger. As you play the open E string, move your hand back Those at the 7th fret should be played with your third finger.
into position to fret the D at the 3rd fret of the B string with Use the pad of your finger, rather than the tip, to fret both
your third finger (Fig. 1). strings in the double-stop and pick them individually to
ensure they are both sounding clearly.

Bar 4 | Legato phrasing
Legato is an Italian performance direction that means you
should perform a phrase smoothly. In guitar terms, it refers
### œ œ
to techniques like hammer-ons, pull-offs and slides that
œ nœ
A5 N.C.
help produce more flowing phrases than those where every
& œœ œœ
œ œ.
note is picked. While using these techniques makes it easier
to play quickly and smoothly, you must ensure that your
rhythms are even. All of the first six notes of bar 4 should be 0
the same length. T 2 2
5 3 1
A 2 2
B 0 0
B Section (Bars 5–12) Fingers: 3 3 1
This section of ‘Cranked’ contains open chords, Fig. 1: Position shift

powerchords and single notes. It uses several tied and
syncopated rhythms that are easier to play than they appear
to be on paper.
Bars 5–6 | Chord fingerings

### # œœ œœ
A D/A
The most efficient way to perform the A and D/A chords is
to play the A chord by laying your first finger flat across all & œ œ
2
œ œ
1
1 1
of the notes at the 2nd fret. This is called a barre. Leave your
1 3
first finger where it is then use your second finger to play the
D at the 3rd fret of the B string and your third finger to play
the F # at the 4th fret of the D string (Fig. 2)
T 2
2
3
2
A
Guitar Grade 2
2 4
B 0 0
C Section (Bars 13–20) Fig. 2: Chord fingerings

This section is based primarily on open chords interspersed
32
Ska’d For Life
SONG TITLE: SKA’D FOR LIFE

GENRE: SKA
Bb
TEMPO: 102 BPM q =102 Ska
œ œœ ..
KEY: D MINOR A Dm
4 œ œœ . ‰ œ
TECH FEATURES: ARPEGGIATED CHORDS
STACCATO RHYTHMS
&b4 œ œ . œ
HEAVY PALM MUTING Let rin
Let ring
1
COMPOSER: KIT MORGAN
T 2
3 3
A 0
0
PERSONNEL: STUART RYAN (GTR) B
HENRY THOMAS (BASS)
FULL PHAT HORNS (BRASS)
OVERVIEW groups including The Skatalites (who backed Prince

Buster and others) as it did its singers. Jamaican music

‘Ska’d For Life’ is based on British ska of the late was influenced by the output of the American radio
1970s and early 1980s, and the later ska style of the stations that could be heard on the island. Jazz, R&B
B b
.
American scene inspired by the original movement. andD soul
m were among the most popular styles, so brass
œ œ œ
œ .. ‰ œ œ
instruments were naturally a feature of ska.
& b 2œTone label, home toœ ska’s œ second wave œ

late 1970s and to bands like. The Specials and
of the œ
STYLE FOCUS Horn sections were less evident on releases by
Coventry’s
Ska first emerged in Jamaica in the early 1960s. The
country was newly independent from Great Britain The Beat. These young English groups were inspired Let ring
and a wave of optimism swept the island. This mood by the Let ring
spirit of punk, so, naturally, the electric guitar
was expressed in the new sound of ska, an uptempo became the focal point of1their sound. 3
style of music with an emphasis on the offbeat (the ‘&’ T 2
3 3
when you count, “1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &”). In fact, the word
ska comes from the sound this emphasis produces.
A 2 Tone inspired a wave of American ska. The
0
Mighty Mighty Bosstones and Fishbone, among
0
Taking the guitar as an example, chords are played B others, pushed the brass back to the fore while bands
on the offbeat then quickly muted by relaxing your [5] like Sublime, Rancid and No Doubt relied on bass,
grip on the frets for a staccato effect. Jamaican ska is guitar and drums as backing.
usually written in a major key. However, many songs
from the American scene are set in minor keys and
with slower tempos. RECOMMENDED LISTENING
Jamaican ska was dominated by singles. A

THE BIGGER PICTURE compilation like Trojan Presents Ska offers a sample of
the major artists of the era. The Specials’ eponymous
Guitar Grade 2
Vocalists Desmond Dekker, Prince Buster and debut (1979) epitomises the 2 Tone sound, and Let’s
Derrick Morgan were great exponents of Jamaican Face It (1997) by The Mighty Mighty Bosstones is an
ska but the genre owed as much to its instrumental Bexample of the horn heavy American style.
j j
Gm
& b œj œ
Dm
œ œ œ œ œ
33
œ
.
Ska’d For Life
Kit Morgan
q =102
Bb Bb
Ska
A7
œ œ.
A Dm A Dm
& b 44 œ œ œœ .. ‰ œ œ # œœ .. ‰ ‰ œj œ œ œ œ #œ. ‰
œ œ. œ œ œ
Let ring Let ring PM
1
T 2
3
3
3 2
2 3 7 6
A 0 0 0 2 3 2 0
B
Bb Bb A7
œ œœ ..
Dm A Dm
&b œ ‰ œ œ # œœ .. ‰ ‰ jœ œ j
œ œ œ.
œ. œ œ œ œ œ œ ‰ œ œ œ
Let ring Let ring PM
1
T 2
3
3
3 2
2 3 2
A 0 0 0 2 3 2 0 3 3 2
B
[5]

B
j œ # œœ
& b œj œ j j‰
œ ‰
Œ œ Œ
Dm Gm A7 Dm Gm A7
œ œ œ œ œ œ #œ œ œ œ œ œ
. . PM Let ring
PM
T 3
3 2
2
A 0 0 0 0 0 2 3 2 0 0
B 0 0 1 4
[9]
œ œ. œ œ œ œ œ ˙˙ # œœ œœ ˙˙ ..
A7 A7
#œ
Dm Gm Gm Dm
b
& J J œ. œ Œ
Guitar Grade 2
PM
T 7 7 7 7 7 6
5 6
7
5
6
8
9
6
7
A 7 7 8
B
34
[13]
œœ œœ œœ œœ F œœ œœ œœ œœ C œœ œœ œœ œœ F œœ œœ œœ œœ
C
C
&b ‰ J ‰ J ‰ J ‰ J ‰ J ‰ J ‰ J ‰ J ‰ J ‰ J ‰ J ‰ J ‰ J ‰ J ‰ J ‰ J
3 3 3 3 5 5 5 5 3 3 3 3 5 5 5 5
T 5 5 5 5 6 6 6 6 5 5 5 5 6 6 6 6
A
B
[17]
œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ # n ˙˙ œœ œœ # œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ
C C7 F E7 A7
&b ‰ J ‰ J ‰ J ‰ J ‰ J ‰ J ‰ J ‰ J Œ
3 3 6 6 8 8 8 8 7 8 7 9 9 9 9 9
T 5 5 8 8 10 10 10 10 9 10 9 10 10 10 10 10
A
B
[21]

D
& b œj œ j j‰ j‰ Œ œ œ # œœ Œ
Dm Gm A7 Dm Gm A7
œ œ œ œ œ œ #œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
. . PM Let ring
PM
T 3
3 2
2
A 0 0 0 0 0 2 3 2 0 0
B 0 0 1 4
[25]
Bb
œ œ. ˙˙ .. ˙˙
A7 A7
œ
Dm Gm Dm Dm
b œ œ œ œ œ #œ Œ œ j j
& J J œ. œ ‰ œ œ ‰ ˙˙ Ó
Guitar Grade 2
PM
1
T 7 7 7 7 7 6
5 6
7 3 2
3
2
A 7 7 8 3 2 0
B
35
[29]
Walkthrough
Amp Settings Bar 15 | Sliding double-stops

Although we have suggested an overdriven tone here, a clean Make sure you ‘lock’ your fingers in position and slide up by
tone will work just as well. If you opt for overdrive, use a low moving your whole hand. This will help keep your fingers in
gain setting because you’re only looking for a small amount the shape they were in when you fretted the first double-stop
of distortion. ‘Ska’d For Life’ has quite a dense arrangement, and stop the finger fretting the G string from moving and
so boosting the middle will help the guitar cut through the accidentally muting the B string. As you slide up, take care
other instruments. to maintain pressure on the strings (imagine you are pushing
into the fretboard) so that the notes keep ringing.
Distortion
5 5 5 5 5
C & D Sections (Bars 17–33)
3
4 6
7 3
4 6
7 3
4 6
7 3
4 6
7 3
4 6
7 The C section consists of double-stops that outline the
2 8 2 8 2 8 2 8 2 8 accompanying chord progression and are played in a
1
0 10
9 1
0 10
9 1
0 10
9 1
0 10
9 1
0 10
9
syncopated rhythm typical of this style. The D section is a
GAIN BASS MIDDLE TREBLE DRY – WET reprise of the B section with a few variations to bring the
piece to a close.
A Section (Bars 1–8) Bars 17–22 | Syncopated double-stops

This section consists of arpeggiated chords and single note When a part accents the weaker beats in the bar (usually the
lines, some of which are palm-muted. ‘&’ of each beat), this is known as syncopation. Count along
to the music in eighth notes: “1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &”. A double-
Bars 1–2 | Arpeggiated chords stop is played on the ‘&’ of every beat in these bars. Try to
When the notes of a chord are played individually, this is lock into the feel of this groove to make your part sound
known as an arpeggio. When the notes of a chord are picked more musical. You may find it easier to treat this as a rhythm
individually, usually so that they ring into each other, the guitar part using a constant strumming motion (Fig. 2).
chords are being ‘arpeggiated’.

Bar 3 | Heavy palm-muting
Place the edge of the outside of your palm on the lowest-
& b œj œ j
Dm
sounding strings and press firmly to get the heavy mute
required for this part. Be careful not to move your hand
. œ œ œ œ
too far from the bridge because this may raise the pitch of .
the note. Take extra care if your guitar has a floating bridge PM
(where the bridge is tensioned to ‘float’ above the guitar’s T

body) because pressing too hard will push the bridge down A 0 0 0 0
B 0 0
and raise the pitch of the notes.
Count: 1 & (2) & 3 (&) 4 &
Fig. 1: Counting rhythms

The B section uses a combination of syncopated, heavily
palm-muted riffs and double-stops, two of which are
connected with a slide.
C
œœ œœ œœ œœ
&b ‰ ‰ ‰ ‰
Bar 9 | Staccato open strings
These open strings are already being palm-muted and will, J J J J
by their very nature, sound shorter than notated. In order to
cut the notes marked as staccato even shorter, you will need
to place your pick back on the string to stop it from ringing. 3 3 3 3
T 5 5 5 5
A
Bar 9 | Counting rhythms B
Guitar Grade 2
Bar 9 is quite an easy rhythm to pick up by ear, but if you Count: (1) & (2) & (3) & (4) &
find it difficult try counting the bar slowly in eighth notes
and carefully place the notes at the right time (Fig. 1). Only Fig. 2: Syncopated double-stops
increase the speed when you feel comfortable with the part.
36
Bonecrusher
SONG TITLE: BONECRUSHER

GENRE: METAL
TEMPO: 122 BPM
q =122 Metal
#4
KEY: E MINOR A
‰
E
‰ ‰
F5
TECH FEATURES: POWERCHORDS j

& 4 œ œ œ œ œ œj
n œ œ. œ œ. œ œ.
SLIDES
ALTERNATE PICKING
COMPOSER: JAMES UINGS

T
A 3 3 3 3 3
PERSONNEL: CHARLIE GRIFFITHS (GTR)
B 3
1 1 1 1 1 1
HENRY THOMAS (BASS)
OVERVIEW THE BIGGER PICTURE

‘Bonecrusher’ is based on the guitar style of metal In the late 1970s to early 1980s, two guitarists rose
bands from the groundbreaking Black Sabbath to prominence who would have a great influence on
through to Pantera, Avenged Sevenfold and Trivium. metal guitar. Randy Rhoads introduced aspects of
# .
B
classical music, while Edward Van Halen displayed a
& . j
N.C .
level of showmanship and technical flair that hadn’t
bœ. œ.
STYLE FOCUS been witnessed since the days of Jimi Hendrix. Iron
œ œ
Maiden favoured twin guitar harmony parts in their
œ
Black Sabbath are considered to be the first and music; while Pantera, Metallica and Slayer were
most influential metal band. Guitarist Tony Iommi instrumental in developing the modern ‘scooped’
.
favoured powerchords that require just two strings sound of metal by boosting the treble and bass
to be played and can be moved easily around the controls of their amps while cutting the middle
.
fretboard to form riffs. Iommi was involved in an Tfrequencies. More recently, Avenged Sevenfold and
industrial accident as a young man and lost the tips
of the fingers of his fretting hand. To alleviate the
ATrivium combined screamo with classic metal traits
like thrash rhythms and twin lead guitar harmonies.
pain of fretting strings with this hand, he created his B 0 3 0 6 5
own synthetic finger tips to form a shield between [5]
his injured digits and his guitar’s strings. He also RECOMMENDED LISTENING
slackened the strings to reduce the tension and save
him from having to press too hard to form notes. A Black Sabbath’s eponymous debut album of 1970
side effect of this drop tuning was a lower, heavier is metal’s first chapter and the title track epitomises
sound which, when combined with distortion, created the genre’s gloomy sound. One-time hair metal
a blueprint for metal’s rhythm guitar style. band Pantera swapped spandex for baggy shorts and
revealed a heavier side on Vulgar Display Of Power
Metal lead guitar is typically virtuosic and requires (1992), which included the single ‘Walk’ with its
Guitar Grade 2
a high degree of technical skill. Common techniques brutal two-note riff. Finally, Trivium and Avenged
include two-hand tapping, fast alternate picking, and Sevenfold broke through in the early 2000s with their
# ‰
extreme use of the vibrato bar. respective releases Ascendancy and City Of Evil.
‰ ..
& j j œ œ
œ bœ n œ
37
œ
Bonecrusher
James Uings
q =122 Metal
#
A
& 44 ‰ j j‰ ‰ ‰ j‰ j‰ ‰ j j‰ ‰ ‰
F5 E5 F5 E5 G5
œ œ œ œ
n œœ œœ. œœ œœ œœ œœ
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T
A
B 3
1
3
1
3
1
3
1
3
1
3
1
2
0
2
0
2
0
2
0
3
1
3
1
3
1
3
1
3
1
3
1
2
0
2
0
5
3
5
3
5
3
5
3
# . N.C.
B
& . j ‰ j ‰ j j
œ œ œ bœ. œ. œ. œ bœ nœ œ œ œ œ bœ. œ.
.
.
T
A
B 0 3 0 6 5 5 5 6 7
5
0 3 0 6 5
[5]

C
# .. j œ j
‰ j ‰ j ‰ j nœ œ ‰ J œ.
E5 F5
& œ œ œ œ œ œ. œ œ
œ. œ bœ nœ
.
. 7
T
A 5 10
B 5
5 7
5 6 7
7 7 5 8 8 8 8
[8]
Bb5
#
E5
j j D5 A5 B5 E5
j j
& ‰ œ œ. œœ œœ ‰ œ œ. œ
bnœ
œ
n#œ
œ œ œœ œ œ œ
Guitar Grade 2
T
A 9 9 7 9 9
B 7 7 7 7 5 7
5
8
6
9
7
7 7 7
38
[11]
#
F5 E5 N.C.
j ‰ n œj .
& œ nœ ‰ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
j
œ bœ œ œ
T
A 10
B 8 8 8 10 7 7 8 7 7 5
6 5 3
[14]
#
D
‰ j ‰ j
N.C.
& j
œ œ œ bœ. œ. œ œ bœ nœ œ œ œ œ b˙
T
A
B 0 3 0 6 5 5 5 6 7
5
0 3 0 6
[17]

E
Bb5
œ œ œ œ œ
# .. œ œ œ
A5 A5 G5 E5 G5
& ‰ n œj œj ‰ ‰ j j ‰ Ó
œœ œœ b œ œ. œ œ
œ œ. œ œ
. œ œ.
. 5 7 5
.
T 5 7 8 8
A
B 7
5
7
5
8
6
8
6
7
5
7
5
5
3
5
3
[20]
œ œ œ
# œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
D5 A5 E5 G5 D5 E5 2° Fine
œ
& J ‰ J ‰ ..
Guitar Grade 2
5 7 5
.
.
T 7 8 7 5
7
5 7 8 8 7 8 7 5 5
A
B
39
[23]
Walkthrough
Amp Settings D Section (Bars 17–21)

The metal guitar tone consists of two key elements: a The D section is a variation of the riff from section B
modern hi-gain distortion and a scooped tone. A scooped followed by a set of stabs that use a similar rhythm to those
tone is achieved by boosting the treble and bass controls found in the A section. A drum fill concludes this part of the
and cutting or ‘scooping out’ the middle. When combined song and leads into the guitar solo.
with extreme distortion this creates a heavy, aggressive tone.
Metal rhythm guitar parts rarely use reverb because this Bars 20–21 | Counting rests
reduces the clarity of the genre’s precise riffing style. These stabs are not difficult to play but you may find you
lose your place in the music and have trouble coming back
Distortion in on beat 1 of bar 22. To avoid this, count either quarter
Channel Equalisation Reverb notes (“1 2 3 4”) or (“1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &”) as you play. This will
5 5 5 5 5
help you identify the first beat of the next bar (Fig. 1).
4 6 4 6 4 6 4 6 4 6
3 7 3 7 3 7 3 7 3 7
2 8 2 8 2 8 2 8 2 8
1
0 10
9 1
0 10
9 1
0 10
9 1
0 10
9 1
0 10
9
E Section (Bars 22–25)
GAIN BASS MIDDLE TREBLE DRY – WET This lead guitar melody, based on the E natural minor scale,
is played on the B and E strings.
A Section (Bars 1–4) Bars 22–25 | Picking options

This section consists of powerchord stabs that make use of Picking this melody using all downstrokes will produce a
staccato notes to increase their impact. consistent, aggressive sound but it may be a challenge to
maintain at this tempo. Alternate picking is an economic
Bars 1–4 | Staccato powerchords way of picking faster phrases because it uses less motion,
Many of the chords in this section are staccato (short helping to make your playing more fluent (Fig. 2).
and detached). Normally you can play a note staccato by
releasing pressure on the string, however the open string in
Bb5

#
the E 5 and the distorted tone mean you will also have to use
‰ j j
A5 A5 G5
œœ œœ bn œœ œœ ‰ œœ œœ œ œj ‰ Ó
the edge of your picking hand to cut the notes short.
& ‰ j
. . . œ œ.
This section is a single-note riff played on the E and A T
strings that utilises slides and hammer-ons. A
B 7
5
7
5
8
6
8
6
7
5
7
5
5
3
5
3
Count: 1 & (2) & 3 (&) 4 & (1) & 2 (&) (3) (&) (4) (&)
Bars 6–8 | Hammer-ons
Hammer-ons are played by picking one note, then
Fig. 1: Counting rests
‘hammering’ your finger down onto the next note without
re-picking the string. Novice guitarists often rush the second
hammered note so take your time and ensure that both
notes ring for a full eighth note.
≥ ≥ ≥≥ ≥ ≥≥ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≥
E5 G5 D5 A5
C Section (Bars 9–16)
≥ ≤ ≥ ≤ (≥) ≤ ≥ ≤ (≥) ≤ ≥ ≤ (≥) ≤ ≥
# œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œ
All down:
Alternate:
The C section is made up of a single-note riff interspersed
with a descending line that is accented by the drums. The
first time it’s played in powerchords; the second time it
&
should be played in single notes.
5 7 5
Bars 11–12 | Moving powerchords
T 5 7 8 8 7 8 7 5
7
A
Rather than treat the five powerchords in bars 11 and 12 as B
Guitar Grade 2
separate chords, try locking your hand in the powerchord Count: 1 & 2 & (3) & 4 & (1) & 2 & (3) & 4 (&)
‘shape’ and simply shift it to the fret of the next chord. This
is how most rock players deal with playing fast changing Fig. 2: Picking options
powerchords because it minimises motion.
40
Hit It Harder
SONG TITLE: HIT IT HARDER
j
GENRE: BLUES
q
3
=q
TEMPO: 125 BPM
q =125 Blues q q
#
## # 4 Ó
KEY: E BLUES A
‰
N.C.
& 4 j
œ œ
TECH FEATURES: SHUFFLE FEEL
BLUES LICKS
PALM-MUTING
COMPOSER: STUART RYAN

T
A
PERSONNEL: STUART RYAN (GTR) B 0 5
HENRY THOMAS (BASS)
j
# ## # ‰ ‰ œœ
E7
˙˙
& j # œœ ˙˙
OVERVIEW in which the guitarist will switch quickly between
œœ œœ
playing riffs, chords and licks. This is one of the

œ
‘Hit It Harder’ is a Texas blues track in the style greatest challenges of this style because the guitar
of Stevie Ray Vaughan, Freddie King and ZZ Top. It takes the role of both lead and rhythm.
features a shuffle feel, blues licks and palm-muting
among its techniques. PM
THE BIGGER PICTURE 0
STYLE FOCUS
T Stevie Ray Vaughan is considered
0
1 to be the greatest
A 2
of the Texas blues guitarists. This acclaim is testament 2 2
Texas blues guitar is a more aggressive offshoot B not only to Vaughan’s
0 mastery of blues technique 0 0
of the blues genre. Songs in this style can often be but to the exposure his own success bestowed on the
uptempo or feature a strong shuffle feel that provides [4]sub genre, for Stevie Ray was by no means the first
a sense of swagger. Your playing needs to be relaxed nor the only Texan to play a mean blues. As far back
in order to get this feel right, but Texan blues as the early 20th century players like T-Bone Walker
guitarists also use a strong picking hand attack when were putting Texas blues on the map, followed later by
# ## #
strumming and picking notes to help them achieve a Albert Collins and Freddie King. Although the latter
powerful tone and a range of dynamics. moved to Chicago 7 in his teens, he is still considered
an influence onEthe style.
& œ nœ œ œœ
œœ LISTENING
The blues scale is used throughout this style. For
œ œ œ
example, you will notice how some of the descending
open string runs in ‘Hit It Harder’ are based on the E RECOMMENDED
blues scale. Several riffs on the bass strings are played
with palm muting, a feature that is also typical of this Freddie King’s ‘Hideaway’ was covered by Eric
PM
sub genre. Clapton on John Mayall’s Blues Breakers (1966) and
has become a blues standard. ZZ Top’s ‘Tush’ (1975)
T
Guitar Grade 2
Since the success of Stevie Ray Vaughan and his is Texas blues with a sleazy rock twist. Texas Flood
band Double Trouble, groups who perform Texas A(1983) by Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double
4 5 Trouble 4 2
blues are usually power trios (guitar, bass and drums), B 2
belongs in every 0blues record
0 collection.
0 0 0
[8]
41
Hit It Harder
Stuart Ryan
3
j
q =125 Blues q q = q q
#### 4
A
4 Ó ‰ j ‰ Œ ‰ j ‰ Œ ‰
N.C.
& j j j
œ œ nœ œ œ œ nœ œ œ œ nœ
T
A
B 0 5 3 0 0 5 3
0
0 5 3
j
#### œ ˙˙
j ‰ ‰ # œœœ
E7 A7
& ˙˙
œ œœ œœ œœ œœ œ nœ œ #œ œ nœ œ œ nœ œ #œ œ nœ œ
PM
0
T 0
1
A 2
B 0
2
0
2
0
2
0
2
0 0 3 0 4 0 3 0
0 3 0 4 0 5 0
[4]
#### E7 A7
& œœ œœ œœ œœ n œœ œœ œœ œœ

œ œ nœ œ œ œ nœ œ œ nœ œ #œ œ nœ œ
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ PM
PM
T
A 2 2 4 4 5 5 4 4
B 2
0
4
0
5
0
4
0
2
0
4
0
5
0
4
0
0 3 0 4 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
[8]
#### E7 B 11
œœœ ˙˙˙
& œ ˙
œ nœ œ œ œ œ œ nœ œ œ bœ nœ œ
0
T 0
2
A 1
B 0 3 0 0 3 0 0 3
0 0 1 2
[12]
# # # # n œœ nœ œ nœ
D sus 2 E7 C7 B7
œœœ œœœ ˙˙˙ bœ œ nœ

& n œœ œ œ ˙ œ nœ nœ œ
œ œ œ nœ
Guitar Grade 2
0 0 3 0
T 3
2
3
2
3
3 2 0
A 0 0 2
B 0
3 2
0 5 3
[15]
42
j j j
#### n œ œœ
œ n œœ œœ
B E7 A7 E7
œ ˙˙
& j ‰ ‰ j ‰ ‰ j ‰ ‰ # œœœ ˙˙
œ œ œ nœ œ œ œ nœ œ
4 3 0
T 3 2 0
1
A 2
B 0 0 5 3
0
0 5 3 0
[18]
#### n œ œ n œ œ b œ A7
& œ nœ œœ œœ œœ œœ n œœ œœ œœ œœ
œ nœ œ #œ œ nœ œ
PM
3 0
T 3 0
3 2 0
A 2 2 4 4 5 5 4 4
B 0 3 0 4 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
[21]
#### E7 B 11
œœœ ˙˙˙
& œ ˙
nœ œ œ œ œ nœ œ
œ œ œ œ œ nœ œ #œ œ
0
T 0
2
A 1
B 0 3 0 0 3 0 0 0 2 0 3 0 4 0
2
[24]

# # # # n œœ
D sus 2 E7
& œ œœœ œœœ ˙˙˙

nœ œ œ ˙ œ œ œ nœ ˙
œ œ œ œ œ œ
0 0
T 3
2
3
2
A 0 0 2 2 2 0 2
B 0 0 0 0 0 0
[27]
j j
B 11 A7
œ bœ œ nœ œ
N.C.
#### n œœ œœ œœ œœ . œ œ œ
œ œœ œœœ œœœ .. ‰ œœ ... ‰
& # œœœ œœ œœ œœ ... n œœ
œ
œœ
œ
œœ
œ œ.
0 3 3 3 7 6 5
T 0
2
0
2
2
0
2
0
2
0
8 5
6
8 5
A 1 1 2 2 2
B 2 2 0 0 0
[30]
#### œ nœ œ ˙ nœ œ
E7 F7 E7
& œ œ œ nœ #œ
œ œ
nœ œ ˙ w
Guitar Grade 2
5 3 0
T 8 2 0
2 0 1
A 2
B 1 0
[33]
43
Walkthrough
Amp Settings will build up its strength. If you do experience pain do not
Even though an overdriven sound is suggested above, a clean play through it because this may cause permanent damage.
tone will work just as well. If you opt for a distorted tone set
the gain relatively low because the sound should only break Bars 14–15 | B 11 and Dsus 2 Chords
up when you are playing your hardest. You’re looking for a The guitar’s open strings can be combined with fretted
full, rounded tone so select a pickup located near the bridge notes to produce chords that have more complex looking
and, if you feel it is required, add a little bass. names but are actually quite easy to play. Look closely at the
B 11 and the Dsus 2 chords and you will see they are simple
Distortion fretboard shapes.

5 5 5 5 5
4 6 4 6 4 6 4 6 4 6
3 7 3 7 3 7 3 7 3 7
2 8 2 8 2 8 2 8 2 8 The B section uses many of the ideas found in the A section
1
0 10
9 1
0 10
9 1
0 10
9 1
0 10
9 1
0 10
9
but with rhythmic and melodic variations.
Bar 25 | Pull-offs
To execute a clean pull-off, pull your finger off the string
A Section (Bars 1–17) using a snapping movement towards the floor. Make sure
The A section starts with a single-note riff on the upbeat you don’t pull too hard or too slowly otherwise you risk
(when you count ‘&’) and ends with an eighth-note bending the string out of tune.
stab where the band play the note in unison then stop
immediately. The rest of the section is a combination of Bar 32 | One finger per fret
single-note riffs and two-note palm-muted chords. This phrase is best played using the ‘one finger per fret’
method. Your first finger will play all the notes on the 5th
Bars 1–36 | Swing feel fret, your second the 6th, your third the 7th and, of course,
The sign above the notation in bar 1 denotes that you should your fourth finger will play all the notes on the 8th fret.

play the first of each pair of quavers slightly longer than
the second. This creates a ‘dum da dum da’ sound that is a
# ##
fundamental part of the blues sound.
& # Ó ‰
N.C.
j j
œ œ nœ
Bars 1–3 | Starting on an upbeat
To play the first note of each phrase in the right place, count œ
the bars in eighth notes (“1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &”). The first note of
the first three bars starts on the ‘&’ of beat 3 (Fig. 1). T
A
B
Bar 5 | Palm muting 0 5 3 0
Count: (1) (&) (2) (&) (3) & 4 & 1
Place the edge of the outside of your palm on the lowest
sounding strings to mute them lightly. Be careful not to
Fig. 1: Starting on an upbeat
move your hand too far from the bridge because this may
raise the pitch of the note. Take extra care if your guitar has a
floating bridge (where the bridge is tensioned to ‘float’ above
the guitar’s body) because pressing too hard will push the
#### A
bridge down and raise the pitch of the notes. 7 7
E
&
œ n œ œ # œ œ n œ œ œœ œ nœ œ
Bar 7–8 | Fingering options
Play the fretted notes in bar 7 with your first, second and
third fingers respectively then shift your hand one fret lower
œ œ œ
PM
(towards the nut) so that you can play the B note in beat 1
T
with your first finger. Next, use your third finger to play the A
C # at the 4th fret. Finally, stretch up with your fourth finger B 0 3 0 4 0 5 0 2 4 5 4
Guitar Grade 2
0 0 0 0
to play the D note at the 5th fret (Fig. 2). Fingers: 1 2 3 1 3 4 3
Your fourth finger may feel weak at the moment but using Fig. 2: Fingering options
it as often as you can, rather than shying away from using it,
44
The Faith Divide
SONG TITLE: THE FAITH DIVIDE

GENRE: INDIE q =125 Indie
j
TEMPO: 125 BPM Em
Am
44 .. œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœ ‰ œœœ ‰ œœœœ

KEY: A MINOR A
TECH FEATURES: OCTAVE MELODIES

EIGHTH-NOTE STRUMMING
& œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ
OPEN STRING PEDAL TONES
. 0 0 0 0 0
.
COMPOSER: SIMON TROUP 1
T 1
2
1
2
0
0
1
2 2
A 2 2 0
0
2
0
2
0
PERSONNEL: STUART RYAN (GTR) B 0 0
HENRY THOMAS (BASS)
ROSS STANLEY (KEYS)
OVERVIEW achieved chart success. Manchester’s The Smiths were

perhaps the most responsible for shaping the sound,

‘The Faith Divide’ is written in the style of indie thanks to guitarist Johnny Marr whose influences
j
bands who were active in the 2000s such as the Kaiser ranged from America’s West Coast (The Byrds, Neil
j
Am
œœ œœ ‰ œœœ .. œœœ
Chiefs, The Killers and The Kooks. Stylistically, Young) to the electric guitar
E sound of West Africa.
œœ ‰ # œœœœ
these groups owed a debt to Britpop, especially the
& œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ
movement’s leaders Blur and Oasis. However, what commercial success they enjoyed
œ
œœ œ
was overshadowed by that of Blur and fellow
œœ
Mancunians Oasis in the Britpop era of the 1990s.
STYLE FOCUS Whereas Gallagher’s musical roots were typical
of a British indie band, Blur’s Graham Coxon was
.
Oasis guitarist Noel Gallagher wrote many of his influenced by American alternative guitar styles. His
0
.
band’s hits, including ‘Wonderwall’ and ‘Live Forever’, use of1 powerchords and distortion
0 0
0was exemplified
1
using open chords. The accessibility of these tunes T 3 Blur track ‘Song 2’. The latest group0
on the 0 0
1to flaunt
2
2 1 1
encouraged a generation to take up the guitar and
follow his example, so you can hear open chords
Athe Britpop
0
influence are Viva
2 Brother,
swagger of Oasis and the songwriting
2
2 who 2
2 boast the
0
2 flair2of Blur.
in many songs from the 2000s. Indie lead guitar B 0 0 0
is typically straightforward and rarely depends on [4]
vibrato to provide interest. Instead you might find RECOMMENDED LISTENING
pedal tones such as the E that is played on the high
E string in the solo on ‘The Faith Divide’, or octave The Smiths’ Hatful Of Hollow (1984) is the perfect
melodies like those in the verse section that are used place to hear Marr’s distinctive playing, from the
in the solo of Snow Patrol’s ‘Run’. jangly ‘Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now’ to his
inimitable use of effects on ‘How Soon Is Now?’
Gallagher’s songwriting bolstered Oasis’ What’s The
THE BIGGER PICTURE Story (Morning Glory) (1995), while rivals Blur had
Guitar Grade 2
a new guitar hero on Parklife (1994) in the shape of

Indie first became identifiable as a sound in the Coxon. In the 2000s, The Killers admitted an Oasis
D
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ 45œ
1980s when bands on independent record labels influence heard best on their 2004 debut Hot Fuss.
B C
œ œ œ
&œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
>
The Faith Divide
Simon Troup
q =125 Indie
j j j j j j
Am Em Dm G Dm
œœ œœ œ œ œœ
A
œ œœœ œœ œœœ ‰ œœœ ‰ œœ œœ œ œœ

& 44 .. œœœ œœ œœ œ œœ œœ œœ ‰ œœœ œœ ‰ œ
œ œœ ‰ œœ
œœ
œœ
œœ
‰ œ
œ
œ œ œ œ
. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 3 3 1
.
T 1
2
1
2
0
0
1
2
1
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
3
2
3
2
0
0
0
0
3
2
A 2 2 0 2 2 2 2 2 2 0 0 0 0 0
B 0 0 0 0 0 2
0
2
0
2
0
2
0
2
3
2
3
j j
E Am
œ œ œœ œœ ‰ œœœ .. œœœ œœœ œœ œœœ ‰ œœœ œœ œœœ

& œœœ ‰ # œœ
œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ n œœœ œœ œ œœ œ
œ œ œ œ œ
œ œ œ
1 0 0 0 0
. 012 012 000 012 0 0 0
. 0 0 0 0
T 3
2
0
1
0
1
0
1
1
2
1
2
0
0
1
2
A 0 2 2 2 2 2 2 0 2 2 0 2
B 2
0
2
0 0
2 0 0 0 0
[4]

B C D B C
& œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
œ œ œ œ œ œ
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ > > > œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ >œ œ œ >œ œ œ >œ œ
> > > > > >
T 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5
A
B 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
[7]
j j j
D Em
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ‰
& œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ ‰ œ œ ‰ œ œ ‰ œ œ ‰ œ œ
œ œ œ œ œ œ
œ
> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >
Guitar Grade 2
T 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9
A
B 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7
46
[11]
œ œ œ œ œ #œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
œ œ œ #œ œ œ œ œ
C
œ J œ
C D B C
& ‰ œ J
Let ring
7 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
T 5 7
5 5 7 7 7 7 8 8 8 8 10 10
A
B
[15]
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ #œ œ œ œ œ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ # Eœœ #œ œ œ œ œ
‰ œ œ ‰ œ œ œJ ‰
E sus 4
œ J
D
&‰ œ J ‰ J J ‰
Let ring
7 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
T 5 7
5 5 7 7 10 10 10 10 10 9 9 9 9 9 9
A
B
[19]
œ œ œ œJ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
C D B C
&‰ J

7 8 0 7 5 0 7 5 7
T 9
8 10
7
5
7
5 8
7
5 8
7
5 8
A
B
[23]
œ œ œJ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
D E sus 4 E
œ J
&‰ Œ
7 8 0 7 5 0 7 5 0 7 0 10 0 10 12 [12]
T 9
8 10 10 12
A
B
[27]
j j j j
œ ‰ œ œ ‰ œ œ ‰ œ # œ ‰ œœ
D Am Em Dm G Dm E Am
œ œœœ œœ œœœ ‰ œœœ ‰ œœ œœ ‰ œœœ œœœœ

œ œ œœœ œœœ œœ œœœ ‰ œœœ œœ œœœ
& œœœ œ n œœ œ œ œœ œœ ‰ J J J J œœ œ œ n œœ œ œ œœ œ
œ œ œ œ œ œœ œœ œœ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
Guitar Grade 2
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 1 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
T 1
2
1
2
0
0
1
2
1
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
3 3 3 5 1
2
1
2
1
2
0
0
1
2
1
2
0
0
1
2
A 2 2 0 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 0 2 2 0 2
B 0 0 0 0 0 2
0
2
0
2
0
2
0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
47
[31]
Walkthrough
Amp Settings suggest. If you have problems with a certain rhythm you can
You’re looking for a fairly overdriven tone for ‘The Faith break it down by counting through the bar and working out
Divide’. Set the gain quite high to help the melody in the C where each note lands in relation to your counting.
section sing. Even though you want quite a lot of distortion,
don’t add so much that the chords and octaves in the A and
B sections lose their clarity. C & D Sections (Bars 15–35)
The C section is a single-note melody that uses the open
Distortion string as a pedal tone, which fills out the melody and
Channel Equalisation Reverb facilitates moving up the fretboard. The D section is a
5 5 5 5 5
reprise of the A section with an added melodic variation.
4 6 4 6 4 6 4 6 4 6
3 7 3 7 3 7 3 7 3 7
2 8 2 8 2 8 2 8 2 8 Bars 16–18 | Pedal tone
1
0 10
9 1
0 10
9 1
0 10
9 1
0 10
9 1
0 10
9
In guitar terms, a pedal tone is a note that’s either repeated
GAIN BASS MIDDLE TREBLE DRY – WET between a moving melody’s notes or sustained while a
melody is playing. In this case it’s both (Fig. 2). The pedal
tone, E, is played as the first note in a sequence of three and
A Section (Bars 1–6) allowed to ring until it’s replayed.
The A section is based on open chords played in a
syncopated rhythm. Notice how the open strings are Bars 16–18 | Fretting accuracy
combined with the A minor chord to create a riff-like idea. Fret the notes of this melody with the tips of your fingers
so that the fingers fretting the B string do not mute the E
Bars 1–6 | Constant strumming motion string, which must ring freely. If you encounter difficulty,
Your strumming hand should move in a constant down up, experiment with the position of your thumb because this
eighth-note pattern even when it’s not playing (these are has a large impact on your hand’s mobility.
called ghost strokes). This technique will improve your sense
of timing and make your rhythm parts more fluent. Fig. 1

illustrates the strumming directions with the ghost strokes
(≥) ≤ (≥)
identified in brackets.
≥ ≤ ≥ ≤ ≤
Am Em
j j
œ œœœ œœ œœœ œœœ ‰ œœ
& 44 œœœ œ œœ œ
‰
œ œœ
œ œ œ œ œ œ
œ
The B section melody is made up entirely of octaves. The
first six bars use an accented eighth-note rhythm, while the
final two consist of a syncopated rhythm. 0 0 0 0 0 0
T 1
2
1
2
0
0
1
2
1
2
0
0
A 2 2 0 2 2 2
Bars 7–14 | Playing octaves B 0 0 0 0 0 2
0
Fret the lowest-sounding note with your first finger and
the highest with your third or fourth fingers. Don’t pick the Fig. 1: Constant strumming motion
notes individually; instead, strum the two notes as though
you were playing a chord. The underside of your first finger
should naturally mute the fourth string. If it doesn’t, adjust
its position slightly so that it makes light contact with the
string to stop it ringing.
œ œ œ œ #œ œ œ œ œ œ
D B
Bars 7–14 | Accents

An accent sign is placed above or below a note head. There
& J
are five different kinds of accent signs but by far the most
common is the one used in this piece. When you see this 0 0
T 5 5 7 7 7
sign you should accent the marked note by playing it slightly A
louder than the other notes in the phrase. B
Guitar Grade 2
Pedal tone Pedal tone

Bars 13–14 | Syncopated rhythms
Many syncopated rhythms are easy to pick up by ear and Fig. 2: Pedal tone
feel more natural to play than the written notation might
48
Buzz Saw
SONG TITLE: BUZZ SAW

GENRE: SOUTHERN ROCK
TEMPO: 190 BPM
q =190 Southern Rock
# 4 . œœ .. œœ œœ œœ œœ ..
KEY: G MAJOR A
G G maj 7
& 4 . œ. œ œ œ œ.
J
TECH FEATURES: PULL-OFFS
HIGH TEMPO
CHORD EMBELLISHMENTS
. 3 3 2
3
.
COMPOSER: DEIRDRE CARTWRIGHT 3 3
T 3
0
3
0 0 0
A
PERSONNEL: STUART RYAN (GTR) B
HENRY THOMAS (BASS)
j œœ
D
# œœ .. œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœ

D sus 2
œœ
& œœ ..
OVERVIEW Allman Brothers Band and before he was killed in a
œ œ œ œ
motorcycle accident in 1971, he secured his legacy by

‘Buzz Saw’ is written in the southern rock style co-writing and playing on Clapton’s song ‘Layla’.
revived by Kings Of Leon on their debut album Youth
And Young Manhood in 2003. It features pull-offs and Lynyrd Skynyrd were influenced by The Allman
chord embellishments among its techniques, and is Brothers and CCR. Their classic line-up featured
played at a fast tempo. three0guitar players and 0 and ‘Sweet 2
0 created ‘Freebird’ 3
3
T 3
Home3 Alabama’, both of which are regarded
2
2 not only of southern 2
as 2
0
STYLE FOCUS
A classics
0
general.
0 rock but of
0 rock music in
B
Today a southern rock track is as likely to feature [5] Today the legacy of The Allman Brothers Band
trashy barre chord riffs as it is the major pentatonic lives on in the music of Derek Trucks, whose uncle
scale. However, classic bands of the genre set many was a founding member of the group. Trucks’ own
of their licks based on this scale that, unlike barre music, recorded with The Derek Trucks Band, is
chords, is typically more at home in country than similarly eclectic to the Allman’s while never straying
rock ’n’ roll. Like many American styles, southern rock too far from its southern rock roots.
# . j b œœ
is an amalgamation of various genres. Eric Clapton G
. .
œœ .
& Creedence œ œ œ œ n
and the British blues boom were highly influential
œ œ œ œ
so blues-rock soloing is common, as are country RECOMMENDED LISTENING
flavoured powerchords in open position.
Clearwater Revival’s third album, Green
River (1969), features two of the band’s most popular
.
THE BIGGER PICTURE songs: the title track and ‘Bad Moon Rising’. The latter
is played using only three chords in open position and
.
The Allman Brothers Band and Creedence T is ideal for beginners. The Allman Brothers0Band’s live 3
Guitar Grade 2
0 0 3
Clearwater Revival were the first major artists in A album At Fillmore
0 East (1971)
0 is a showcase0for the
the southern rock mould. Duane Allman was one
of many talented guitarists to have played for The
B guitar work of Allman and Dickie Betts. ‘Freebird’ and
‘Sweet Home Alabama’ can both be found on Lynyrd
[9] Skynyrd’s Greatest Hits (2008).
49
Buzz Saw
Deirdre Cartwright
q =190 Southern Rock
# 4 . œœ .. œœ œœ œœ œœ .. œœ œœ œœ
A
œœ .. œœ œœ œœ
G G maj 7 C
& 4 . œ. œ œ œ œ. œ œ œ œ. œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ..
J J J
. 3 3 3 2 2 2 0 0 0
.
. .
T 3
0
3
0
3
0
3
0
3
0
3
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
1 0
2 0
A
B
Bb
# œœ ..
D sus 2
j œœ œœ j
œ œœœ œœœ œœœ œœ .. œœ œœ œœ
D C
œœ . œœ œœ œœ Œ Œ n b œœ œœ œœ
& . œ œ œ œ œœ ... œœ œœ œœ
œ œ œ œ
0 0 0 2 2 0 0 0
T 3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
3
2
1
0
1
0
1
0 3 3 3
A 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 2 3 3 3
B 3 3 3
[5]
# j j
& .. œœ .. ..
G
œœ œœ œœ œœ n b œœ œœ Œ œœ .. œœ œœ œœ œœ bœ œ œ œ

. .
. .
T 0 0 0 3 3 0 0 0 3 0 3 3
A 0 0 0 3 3 0 0 0
B
[9]
# Gœ j j
B
œ œ
& J nœ œ œ œ œ ˙ Œ J œ œ œ œ œ
bœ œ
T 3 0
2 0 0
3 0
2 0 0
A 2 2
B 1 1
[13]
# Œ ˙˙ .. ˙˙
& Œ n b œœ œœ œœ ww Ó
w
Guitar Grade 2
3
T 3 3 3 0
3
A 3 3 3 0
B 3
50
[17]
# Fœ œ œ œ bœ b˙ Œ
C7
œ œ œ œ œ bœ bœ
& J J œ œ nœ œ
T 1 3 1
3 0 3
1 3 1
3 0 3
A 3 3
B
[21]
# nœ. j j
G
& œ. œœ ˙˙ Œ bœ œ bœ œ n œœ .. œœ ˙˙ ˙˙ Ó
T 0
0
0
0 3 0 3 3
0
0
0
0
A
B
[25]
# .
C
& . œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Œ bœ œ bœ œ
D C
œ œ œ
œ
.
.
T 2
3 1
2
3 1 3
0
3 1
3 0 3 3
A 0 0
B 3
[29]

# nœ.
G
j Œ ˙˙ ..
& œ. œœ ˙˙ Ó bœ œ bœ ww ..
3
.
.
T 0
0
0
0 3 0 3 0
3
A 0
B
[33]
Bb
#
D
Ó n b œœ Ó n b œœ Ó bœ œ
G C
& œœ œœ œ
T 0 3 0 3 3 0 3
A 0 3 0 3
B
[37]
# Ó Œ ˙˙ .. ww
D G
& bœ œ œ ww
Guitar Grade 2
3
T 3 0 3 0
3
A 0
B
[40]
51
Walkthrough
Amp Settings C Section (Bars 29–36)

You’re aiming for an overdriven tone that’s only just The start of the C section is based on the notes of open
distorted. You can, in fact, use a clean tone if you wish. If you position chords and can be challenging because you are
decide on an overdriven tone, set the gain low so you can required to cross strings.
only just hear the overdrive when you strum or pick hard –
you want an edgy tone but not at the expense of clarity. Bars 29–31 | Crossing strings
There are several options for the pick directions you can use
Distortion when crossing strings (Fig. 2). If this is the first time you
Channel Equalisation Reverb have played a melody like this, experiment with all of them
5 5 5 5 5
to discover which one you feel most comfortable with.
4 6 4 6 4 6 4 6 4 6
3 7 3 7 3 7 3 7 3 7
2 8 2 8 2 8 2 8 2 8
1
0 10
9 1
0 10
9 1
0 10
9 1
0 10
9 1
0 10
9
GAIN BASS MIDDLE TREBLE DRY – WET Here you will find double-stops and single-note phrases
played on beats 3 and 4 of the bar. These are an ‘answer’ to
chord hits played by accompanying instruments.
A Section (Bars 1–12)
The A section uses mainly open chords played using dotted Bars 37–42 | Playing tightly
rhythms and ties. There is also a descending run based on After relatively long rests such as those found in bars 37–40,
the G major scale. it’s common for guitarists to play the note on beat 3 later
than they should. This is because they react to the beat
Bars 1–42 | Playing at high tempos rather than anticipating it. To avoid this, count along to the
If you aren’t used to playing at high tempos, you may music and aim to hit the first note exactly as you say the
feel as though you can’t keep up with this song’s pace. It’s number ‘3’.
important to remember that the phrases and rhythms aren’t
as challenging as they sound: ‘Buzz Saw’ uses simple ideas

played at a high tempo. If this is a concern, work on the
piece one bar at a time at a slow tempo and only build up
# œœ œœ
speed when you’re ready.
œœ
G G maj 7 C
& œ œ œ
4 2
3 3
Bars 1–3 | Fingering options 1
At this tempo it’s important to use a fingering that minimises

motion. One option is to play the G chord with your third
and fourth fingers, the G maj 7 with your third and second
3 2 0
T 3
0
3
0
1
0
fingers, and the C chord with your first finger (Fig. 1). A
B
Bars 9–12 | Accurate double-stops
Fig. 1: Fingering options
It’s common for guitarists to accidentally play only the lowest
note of a double-stop, particularly at speed. Work on this
phrase slowly to ensure you are playing both strings all the
time. Once you can play it without errors, gradually increase
the speed while continually monitoring your accuracy.
≥ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≥≤≥ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≥
D C
≥ ≥ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≥ ≥≤≥ ≥ ≥ ≥ ≤
#
& œ œ œ œ œ œœœ œ œ
The B section is an open position, single-note melody that
œ œ œ
uses occasional pull-offs. These single notes are contrasted
with double-stops.
T 3 1 3 1 3 3 1
Bar 19 | Sustained notes A 2 2 0
Guitar Grade 2
0 0
The first note in bar 19 should be allowed to ring for four B 3
beats and on beat 2 of the bar you should play the G and D
notes at the 3rd fret without muting the two notes you played Fig. 2: Crossing strings
on the first beat. The end result is a four-note chord.
52
Technical Exercises
In this section the examiner will ask you to play a selection of exercises drawn from each of the three groups shown below.
Groups A and B contain examples of the scales and chords you can use when playing the pieces. In Group C you will be
asked to prepare the riff exercise and play it to the backing track in the exam. You do not need to memorise the exercises
(and can use the book in the exam) but the examiner will be looking for the speed of your response. The examiner will also
give credit for the level of your musicality.
Groups A and B should be prepared as indicated below. Before you start the section you will be asked whether you would
like to play the exercises along with the click or hear a single bar of click before you commence the test. The tempo is q = 80.
Group A: Scales
1. C and G major scales (G major shown)
#
& œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
T 0
A 0 2 4 4 2 0
B 3
0 2 3 3 2 0
3
2. E and A natural minor scale (A natural minor shown)
& œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
œ œ œ œ œ œ
T 0 2 0
A 0 2 3 3 2 0
B 0 2 3 3 2 0

3. C and G minor pentatonic scale (G minor shown)
b
&b œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
œ œ œ œ
T
A 3 5 3
B 3 6
3 5 5 3
6 3
4. C and G major pentatonic (C major pentatonic shown)
& œ œ œ œ œ œ
œ œ œ œ œ
T
A 7 10 7
B 8 10
7 10 10 7
10 8
Guitar Grade 2
53
Technical Exercises
Group B: Chords
1. Powerchords: three-note chords to be played in a continuous sequence.
B5 A5 G5 A5 B5
& # œœ Œ œœ Œ œœ Œ œœ Œ # œœ Œ Ó
œ œ œ œ œ
T
A 9 7 5 7 9
B 9
7
7
5
5
3
7
5
9
7
2. Major chords: individual chords will be strummed once as directed by the examiner.
w ww w
& www
C F G
ww ww
w ww
w
0 1 3
T 1
0
1
2
0
0
A 2 3 0
B 3 2
3
3. Minor 7 chords: individual chords will be strummed once as directed by the examiner.
w ww ww
A m7 D m7 E m7
& www ww ww
w ww

0 1 0
T 1
0
1
2
0
0
A 2 0 0
B 0 2
0
4. Major 7 chords: individual chords will be strummed once as directed by the examiner.
w ww # # www
A maj 7 C maj 7 D maj 7
& # # www www w

w
0 0 2
T 2
1
0
0
2
2
A 2 2 0
B 0 3
Guitar Grade 2
54
Technical Exercises
Group C: Riff
In the exam you will be asked to play the following riff to a backing track. The riff shown in bars 1 and 2 should be played in
the same shape in bars 3–8. The root note of the pattern to be played is shown in the music in bars 3, 5 and 7. The tempo is
q = 80.
q = 80 Rock
b
& b 44 Œ Œ
Gm Cm
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
T
A
B 3 3 6 3 3 6
3 5
6 3
3
b
&b
Gm Cm
œ œ
T
A
B 3
3

Guitar Grade 2
55
Sight Reading
In this section you have a choice between either a Sight Reading test or an Improvisation & Interpretation test (see facing
page). You will be asked to prepare a Sight Reading test which will be given to you by the examiner. The test is a four bar
melody in the key of C major or G major. The examiner will allow you 90 seconds to prepare it and will set the tempo for
you. The tempo is q = 70.
#
q = 70
& 44 Œ Œ
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ œ œ œ œ œ
T
A 0 2 0 0 0
B 3
0 2 3 3 2 3 2 0
3

Guitar Grade 2
56
Improvisation & Interpretation
You will be asked to play an improvised line to a backing track of four bars in the key of G major or E minor. You may
choose to play either rhythmic chords or a melodic lead line – the downloadable audio includes a version for each choice.
You have 30 seconds to prepare then you will be allowed to practise during the first playing of the backing track before
playing it to the examiner on the second playing of the backing track. This test is continuous with a one bar count-in at the
beginning and after the practice session. The tempo is q = 80–90.
#4 . ¿
q = 85
¿ ¿ ¿
Rock
’ ’ ’ ’ ..
E m7
& 4 .
Am D Em
’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ ’

Guitar Grade 2
57
Ear Tests
There are two Ear Tests in this grade. The examiner will play each test to you twice. You will find one example of each type
of test printed below.
Test 1: Melodic Recall

The examiner will play you a two bar melody with a drum backing using the C minor pentatonic scale. The first note of the
melody will be the root note and the first interval will be ascending. You will play the melody back on your instrument. You
will hear the test twice.
Each time the test is played it is preceded by a one bar count-in. There will be a short gap for you to practise. Next you will
hear a vocal count-in and you will then play the melody to the drum backing. The tempo is q = 85.
b 4
q = 85
& b b 4 .. ˙ œ œ œ œ ˙ ..
. .
. .
T
A 3 5
B 3 6 3 6
Test 2: Rhythmic Recall

The examiner will play you a two bar rhythm played to a drum backing on the lowest-sounding E string. You will hear
the test twice. You will be asked to play the rhythm back. You will then be asked to identify the rhythm from two printed
examples shown to you.
Each time the test is played it is preceded by a one bar count-in. There will be a short gap for you to practise. Next you will

hear a vocal count-in and you will then play the rhythm to the drum backing. The tempo is q = 90.
q = 90
& 44 .. Œ Œ ..
. .
. .
T
A
B 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
q = 90
& 44 .. ..
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
. .
. .
T
A
B 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Guitar Grade 2
58
General Musicianship Questions
In this part of the exam you will be asked five questions. Four of these questions will be about general music knowledge and
the fifth question asked will be about your instrument.
Music Knowledge
The examiner will ask you four music knowledge questions based on a piece of music that you have played in the exam. You
will nominate the piece of music about which the questions will be asked.
In Grade 2 you will be asked:
■■The pitch names of notes
■■The meaning of the time signature marking
■■Whole, half, quarter, eighth note and 16th note values
■■Rest values
■■Construction of a major or minor chord
Instrument Knowledge
The examiner will also ask you one question regarding your instrument.
In Grade 2 you will be asked to identify:

■■The following parts of your guitar: neck, fretboard, body, tuning-pegs, pick-ups, scratch plate, jack socket and bridge
■■The location of the volume and tone controls on your guitar
■■Names of all open strings
Further Information
Tips on how to approach this part of this exam can be found in the Syllabus Guide for guitar, the Rockschool Guitar
Companion Guide and on the Rockschool website: www.rslawards.com
Guitar Grade 2
59
Marking Schemes
Grade Exams | Debut to Grade 5 *
ELEMENT PASS MERIT DISTINCTION
Performance Piece 1 12–14 out of 20 15–17 out of 20 18+ out of 20
Technical Exercises 9–10 out of 15 11–12 out of 15 13 + out of 15
Sight Reading
or 6 out of 10 7–8 out of 10 9 + out of 10
Improvisation & Interpretation
Ear Tests 6 out of 10 7–8 out of 10 9 + out of 10
General Musicianship Questions 3 out of 5 4 out of 5 5 out of 5
TOTAL MARKS 60%+ 74%+ 90%+
Grade Exams | Grades 6–8

Technical Exercises 9–10 out of 15 11–12 out of 15 13 + out of 15
Quick Study Piece 6 out of 10 7–8 out of 10 9 + out of 10
Ear Tests 6 out of 10 7–8 out of 10 9 + out of 10
General Musicianship Questions 3 out of 5 4 out of 5 5 out of 5
TOTAL MARKS 60%+ 74%+ 90%+
Performance Certificates | Debut to Grade 8 *

Guitar Grade 2
TOTAL MARKS 60%+ 75%+ 90%+

60
* Note that there are no Debut Vocal exams.
Entering Rockschool Exams
Entering a Rockschool exam is easy, just go online and follow our simple six step process. All details for entering online,
dates, fees, regulations and Free Choice pieces can be found at www.rslawards.com
■■All candidates should ensure they bring their own Grade syllabus book to the exam or have proof of digital purchase
ready to show the examiner.
■■All Grade 6–8 candidates must ensure that they bring valid photo ID to their exam.
Mechanical Copyright Information
Sweet Soul Music

Words & Music by Sam Cooke, Otis Redding & Arthur Conley
ABKCO Music Limited/Universal Music Publishing Limited
What Makes You Beautiful

Words & Music by Savan Kotecha, Carl Falk & Rami Yacoub
Kobalt Music Publishing Limited/EMI Music Publishing Limited/Chrysalis Music Limited

Helter Skelter
(Lennon/McCartney)
Sony/ATV Music Publishing (UK) Limited
Domino
(Martin/Gottwald/Kelly/Cornish/Russell Walter)
Kobalt Music Publishing Limited/Warner/Chappell North America Limited/Sony/ATV Music Publishing (UK) Limited
Rock ‘N’ Roll Train

(Young/Young)
BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited
Cissy Strut
(Neville/Nocentelli/Porter)
Ardmore and Beechwood Limited Guitar Grade 2
61
Introduction to Tone
A large part of an effective guitar performance is selecting the right tone. The electric guitar’s sound is subject to a wide
range of variables, and this guide outlines the basic controls present on most amplifiers as well as the common variations
between models. There is also a basic overview of pickups and the effect their location on the guitar has on tone. Finally, it
covers the differences between the types of distortion, which is crucial to getting your basic sound right.
At Grade 2 you are only expected to use one tone throughout the song and you do not have to use any additional effects
units, though you may use them if you wish. You do not have to use distortion and remember that at Grade 2 a performance
on an acoustic guitar is perfectly acceptable.
Basic amplifier controls

Most amplifiers come with a standard set of controls that are the same as, or very similar to, the diagram below. It’s
important to understand what each control is and the effect that it has on your guitar’s tone.
Distortion
5 5 5 5 5
4 6 4 6 4 6 4 6 4 6
3 7 3 7 3 7 3 7 3 7
2 8 2 8 2 8 2 8 2 8
1 9 1 9 1 9 1 9 1 9
0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10
■■Channel (Clean/Distortion)
Most amplifiers have two channels that can be selected either by a switch on the amp or a footswitch. One channel is
usually ‘clean’ while the other can be driven harder to create a distorted (or ‘dirty’) tone. If your amp doesn’t have two
channels, look at the ‘variation of basic controls’ below to see how to get clean and dirty tones from a one channel amp.

■■Gain
In simple terms, the gain determines how hard you drive the amp. This governs how distorted the dirty (also called
‘drive’, ‘overdrive’, or ‘distortion’) channel is and acts as a second volume control on the clean channel (though a high
gain setting will distort even the clean channel).
■■Bass
This adjusts the lowest frequencies. Boost it to add warmth and reduce or ‘cut’ it if your sound is muddy or woolly.
■■Middle
This is the most important equalisation (often shortened to just ‘EQ’) control. Most of the guitar’s tonal character is
found in the mid-range so adjusting this control has a lot of impact upon your tone. Boosting it with a dirty sound will
create a more classic rock tone while cutting it will produce a more metal one.
■■Treble
This adjusts the high frequencies. Boost it to add brightness and cut it if the sound is too harsh or brittle.
■■Reverb
Short for ‘reverberation’. This artificially recreates the ambience of your guitar in a large room, usually a hall. This dial
controls the balance between the ‘dry’ (the sound without the reverb) and ‘wet’ (the sound with the reverb) sounds.
Variations of basic controls

The diagram above shows the most common amp controls. There are many variations to this basic setup, which can often be
confusing. The following section is a breakdown of some of the other amp controls you may encounter:
Guitar Grade 2
■■Presence control
Sometimes this dial replaces the ‘middle’ control and other times it appears in addition to it. It adjusts the higher mid-
range frequencies (those found between the ‘middle’ and ‘treble’ dials).
62
■■No reverb control
Reverb can be a nice addition to your guitar tone but it’s not essential. Don’t be concerned if your amp doesn’t have a
reverb control.
■■Volume, gain, master setup

Single channel amplifiers often have an extra volume control (in addition to the master volume) located next to the
gain control. For clean sounds, keep the gain set low and the volume similarly low and use the master control for
overall volume. If the master control is on 10 and you require more level, turn the volume control up. However, you
may find that this starts to distort as you reach the higher numbers.
To get a distorted tone, turn the volume down low and the gain up until you get the amount of distortion you require.
Regulate the overall level with master volume. If the master control is on 10 and you require more level simply turn the
volume up. In this case, however, you may find you lose clarity before you reach maximum.
Pickups
Entire books have been devoted to the intricacies of pickups. However, three basic pieces of information will help you
understand a lot about your guitar tone:
■■Singlecoils
These narrow pickups are fitted to many guitars. The Fender Stratocaster is the most famous guitar fitted with
singlecoils. They produce a bright, cutting sound that can sound a little thin in some situations, especially heavier
styles of rock music.
■■Humbuckers
This type of pickup was originally designed to remove or ‘buck’ the hum produced by singlecoil pickups, hence the

name. They produce a warm, mellow sound compared to singlecoil pickups but have a tendency to sound a little
muddy in some situations. They are usually identifiable because they are twice the width of a singlecoil pickup. The
Gibson Les Paul is a well-known guitar fitted with humbucking pickups.
■■Pickup location
Basically, pickups located near the guitar’s neck will have the warmest sound and those located near the bridge will
have the brightest sound.
Different types of ‘dirty’ tones

There are lots of different words to describe the ‘dirty’ guitar sounds. In fact, all the sounds are ‘distortions’ of the clean tone,
which can be confusing when you consider there’s a ‘type’ of distortion called ‘distortion’. Below is a simplified breakdown of
the three main types of dirty sounds, plus some listening material to help you through this tonal minefield:
■■Overdrive
This is the ‘mildest’ form of distortion. It can be quite subtle and only evident when the guitar is played strongly. It can
also be full-on and aggressive.
Hear it on: Cream – ‘Sunshine Of Your Love’, AC/DC – ‘Back In Black’, Oasis – ‘Cigarettes and Alcohol’.
■■Distortion
This is usually associated with heavier styles of music. It’s dense and the most extreme of the dirty tones and is usually
associated with heavy styles of music.
Hear it on: Metallica – ‘Enter Sandman’, Avenged Sevenfold – ‘Bat Country’, Bon Jovi – ‘You Give Love A Bad Name’.
Guitar Grade 2
■■Fuzz
As the name implies, fuzz is a broken, ‘fuzzy’ sound. It was popular in the 1960s but, while still evident in certain
genres, it’s less common now.
Hear it on: Jimi Hendrix Experience – ‘Purple Haze’, The Kinks – ‘You Really Got Me’.
63
Guitar Notation Explained
4 # ww
D Am F
&4 ˙ Ó ww
Notes:
’ ’ ’ ’
THE MUSICAL STAVE
shows pitches and rhythms
and is divided by lines into
E F
CD
AGB Û Û Û Û
bars. Pitches are named after F E
the first seven letters of the
alphabet. Strings:
E 2 0
TABLATURE graphically B T 3 1
2
represents the guitar
G
D A 2
2
0 2
fingerboard. Each horizontal
line represents a string and
A
E
B 0
each number represents a fret. Fourth string, 2nd fret Open D chord Rhythm notation with Solos and Cont. sim. sections
suggested fingering are shown in slash notation
Definitions For Special Guitar Notation

HAMMER-ON: Pick the lower note, PULL-OFF: Pick the higher note then SLIDE: Pick the first note and slide GLISSANDO: Slide off of a note at the
then sound the higher note by sound the lower note by lifting the to the next. If the line connects (as end of its rhythmic value. The note
œ œ
fretting it without picking. finger without picking. below) the second note is not repicked. that follows is repicked.
& œ & œ & œ œ & œ œ
T 5 7
T 7 5
T 2 4
T 2 4
A A A A
B B B B
STRING BENDS: Pick the first note then VIBRATO: Vibrate the note by bending TRILL: Rapidly alternate between the NATURAL HARMONICS: Lightly touch the
‚
bend (or release the bend) to the pitch and releasing the string smoothly two bracketed notes by hammering string above the indicated fret then
w~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ÿ ~~~~~ ‚ ‚
indicated in brackets. and continuously. on and pulling off. pick to sound a harmonic.
œ œ œ
& & &œ w &
œ

BU BD ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ÿ ~~~~~ NH
12
T 5 (6) (5) T 8 T ( 5 7) 5
T 12
12
A A A A
B B B B
PINCHED HARMONICS: Bring the PICK-HAND TAP: Strike the indicated FRET-HAND TAP: As pick-hand tap, QUARTER-TONE BEND: Pick the note
#œ
thumb of the picking hand into note with a finger from the picking but use fretting hand. Usually indicated and bend the string up
œ œ
contact with the string immediately hand. Usually followed by a pull-off. followed by a pull-off or hammer-on. by a quarter tone.
— — — #œ
& œ
after the pick. 1/4
& & & œ

PH
1/4
7 2 9 5
T 5
7 5
T T T 5
A A A A 7
B B B B
fi
■ Go back to the sign (%), then play until
D.%. al Coda
PRE-BENDS: Before picking the note, WHAMMY BAR BEND: Use the
fi
bend the string from the fret indicated whammy bar to bend notes to the the bar marked To Coda then skip to
between the staves, to the equivalent pitches indicated in brackets in the TAB. the section marked Coda.
œ ˙
& œ œ œ
pitch indicated in brackets in the TAB.
&
■ Go back to the beginning of the song and
w/bar D.C. al Fine
.. ..
play until the bar marked Fine (end).
Guitar Grade 2
■ Repeat the bars between the repeat signs.

PB 7
BD w/bar
.. ..
■ When a repeated section has different
T ( 9) (7) T 4 (5) (4)
1. 2.
endings, play the first ending only the first
A A time and the second ending only the
B B second time.
64

Guitar Grade 2: Performance Pieces, Technical Exercises and In-Depth Guidance For Rockschool Examinations

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Guitar Grade 2

Performance pieces, technical exercises and in-depth guidance

All accompanying and supporting audio can be downloaded from: www.rslawards.com/downloads

Input the following code when prompted: ZB5PA6CQJS

For more information, turn to page 4

Published by Rockschool Ltd. © 2012 & 2018

RSL-391988047580 / 1 / Daniel Parra / [email protected]

Stu Roberts:  Paiste cymbals, Regal Tip drumsticks,

Introductions & Information

5 Arthur Conley.............................................. ‘Sweet Soul Music’

RSL-391988047580 / 1 / Daniel Parra / [email protected]

53 Scales, Chords & Riff

Welcome to Guitar Grade 2

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SONG TITLE: SWEET SOUL MUSIC

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‘Sweet Soul Music’ pays homage to many soul

mentioned, as is Redding himself. B

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& œœ .. œœœ ˙˙˙ œœ ˙˙ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ .

RSL-391988047580 / 1 / Daniel Parra / [email protected]

& œœ œœ œ œ œœ œœ œ œ œœ .. œœœ ˙˙˙ œœ ˙˙

Amp Settings D Section (Bars 28–32)

Intro and A Section (Bars 1–13)

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Take note of the variation in the melody in bar 9, where the

B Section (Bars 14–20)

C Section (Bars 21–27)

SONG TITLE: WHAT MAKES YOU

WRITTEN BY: SAVAN KOTECHA, RAMI .

RSL-391988047580 / 1 / Daniel Parra / [email protected]

The X Factor in 2010. The band were together for five

RSL-391988047580 / 1 / Daniel Parra / [email protected]

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Amp Settings C Section (Chorus)

Clean D Section (Outro)

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Notice the staccato markings above the notes. These dots

SONG TITLE: DOMINO

WRITTEN BY: JESSICA CORNISH,

BACKGROUND INFO Jessie J attended the BRIT School and her

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Jessie J has released four successful albums to date,

attention on her personal life in the UK. In 2015 she G sus 4

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RSL-391988047580 / 1 / Daniel Parra / [email protected]

Amp Settings C Section (Bars 13–20)

D Section (Bars 21–28)

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B Section (Bars 5–12)

SONG TITLE: ROCK ‘N’ ROLL TRAIN

UK CHART PEAK: N/A 3

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[4] It went on to become the second best-selling album

RSL-391988047580 / 1 / Daniel Parra / [email protected]

Stu Roberts: Paiste cymbals, Regal Tip drumsticks,