SoloBand Lesson 1
Learn guitar the FAST, EASY and FUN way
chords A E D
Basic Guitar covers all of the major open chord groups
(A,D,E,) — (C, F, G) — (E, A, B7)
From the easiest to play — to the more difficult to play
With a bit of effort you should be able to play all 7 major chords in 1 month
This fast, easy, and fun way may seem simplistic.
But tens of thousands of eager guitar players taught themselves to play guitar without a music teacher.
They never learned to strum chords… They learned to play music… Anyone can do it, including you.
Anyone who learned to play by strumming chords will benefit from this lesson
The Secret Method
How a Generation of Rock Stars Was Born
Back in the 50s and 60s, learning guitar was a mystery. There was no internet and no YouTube. If you went to a music teacher, they only taught classical music—they wouldn’t touch Rock ‘n’ Roll. Even basic chords were a “trade secret” known only by a few pros.
So, how did thousands of Rock ‘n’ Roll bands suddenly appear overnight?
Eager young people across North America took matters into their own hands. They would pick up a cheap guitar and scramble to find any scrap of info—a few chord shapes from a library book or a tip from a friend. Then, they headed straight to their bedrooms.
They sat for hours with a record player, dropping the needle and trying to match the sounds they heard. Since most hits back then were simple three-chord songs, it became a game of “listen and play.”
I had a bit of a head start—my dad showed me the basic C, F, and G country chords. I wasn’t a fan of country music, but those few “shapes” were the starting point on my journey.
Why This Method Was Kept a “Secret”
The truth?
Professional musician didn’t want anyone to know they couldn’t read music.
Making Music, Not Just Chord Shapes
Back then, we didn’t have the luxury of slow lessons. We had to focus on the rhythm, tempo, and the “feel” of the song just to keep up with the record. By focusing on the music instead of just memorizing charts, we discovered a way to play that was Fast, Easy, and Fun. This is the “forgotten” foundation of the SoloBand method. It’s the shortcut that got a generation of kids out of their bedrooms and onto a live stage.
The Secret, Updated for Today
With the power of the internet, I am finally able to give you this SECRET way of playing. I’ve taken that classic bedroom method and put it into a complete, easy-to-use format.
You get the lyrics, chords, melody, and tempo all in one place—including all the major chords you need to play the hits. It’s everything I learned over fifty years, ready for you to use today.
Something a music teacher won’t tell you.
Why a three-chord song is not…
Although a song might be identified as a 3-chord or 4-chord song. When you look at the sheet music — you will often see more than three chords, and sometimes many more.
Here’s a common scenario: When a guitarist writes a new song, he/she typically only uses three or four chords. However, if the song becomes popular and is recorded; professional sheet music companies will publish official arrangements for it.
These companies use classical music conventions to interpret the melody into notes and chords. They also decide if and where additional chords could be added.
As a result, classical musicians who want to perform the song in the future will have a proper score and notation to follow.
Most guitar players can usually identify the primary chords of a song and ignore most of the additional chords found in sheet music — however, an experienced guitarist can sometimes use these extra chords to enhance the quality of the music.
At first, this exercise may seem confusing and awkward,
but these feelings will soon pass.
The song below begins with the “A” chord. If you have difficulty with guitar chords, click the following link “JustinGuitar chords” to learn how to play them.
In my fast, easy, and fun way of playing guitar, chords are secondary. You should focus mainly on the lyrics, melody, and feel of the song. Playing guitar isn’t just about playing chords; it’s about making music. Without a song and melody, chords have no purpose.
To start, click the “Play” button and listen to the entire song. Then, place your fingers in the A chord position, press “Play” again, and try to play only the A chord parts of the song.
Once you’re comfortable, try playing the E and D chord parts. This song is among the easiest you can play, and the goal of this fast and easy method is to have fun while learning to play the guitar.
MAKE SURE YOUR GUITAR IS IN TUNE
The object of this exercise is to play along with the music of this song and try and match it’s tempo, rhythm and it’s chord changes.
Practice playing this song until you can play all three of the chords and keep up to the tempo (speed) of the song.
You don't need perfection... That will come in time.
When you can comfortably play along to this song you can now say you know how to play the guitar. It's just that simple.
By knowing how to play these three chords means you're now capable of playing thousands of three chord songs.
Because you now know the SECRET of playing guitar, you also know how to learn new chords and how to play any song that you want to play.
What's Next
Go to the Basic Guitar 2 section and learn the C, F and G chords.
Because you already know the song and how it's played, you'll learn these chords much faster.
To become an even better guitar player
check out my Quantum Guitar page
for some nifty tips and tricks .