Latest articles by Jimmy Brown
How mastering the concept of rests and ties will make you a better musician
Your comprehension of this fundamental aspect of rhythmic notation is crucial if you're looking to write and read music
How to borrow chords from a parallel minor key and lend your songs a bittersweet edge
Learn a songwriting trick used by everyone from Eric Clapton to The Beatles
How to tune your guitar by ear
Train your ears with our guide to tuning a guitar for beginners - no tuner required
Beginner guitar: lock down your rhythm playing with this lesson in basic note durations
Everything you need to understand the concept of timing in popular music
Shake up your songwriting by borrowing chords from a parallel minor key
With examples of the technique employed in famous songs across different genres
Give your major-key compositions a moment of darkness by employing the 'four minor' chord
How borrowing chords from parallel minor keys can refresh your songwriting
Change the mood and spice up your tunes with parallel major and minor keys
Impart a touch of sadness or melancholy to an otherwise happy and predictable-sounding progression
The technique secrets of the decade's best guitarists
A rundown of the explosive playing styles of Mark Tremonti, Tosin Abasi, Gary Clark Jr. and Nita Strauss
Make your compositions soar using augmented climb progressions
How to inject a sense of drama into your songwriting
How using the augmented chord in a minor drop progression can change your songs
Paul McCartney, David Gilmour, George Harrison, Tom Petty and many more have done this in their music, so why shouldn't you?
This compositional trick has been used to great effect by Nirvana, Stone Temple Pilots, The Eagles, Queen and many more
Learn how to walk down scales with contrary motion
Add tension to your compositions by using augmented chords in major keys
Learn how to use this crucial chord beloved by The Beatles
Master some useful melodic tactics for a minor jazz-blues progression
In this lesson, learn some cool, musically effective things to play over a rather dark, intriguing set of chord changes
What do Stone Temple Pilots, Phish, Led Zeppelin and the Beatles have in common? This progression
Diving into the "major chromatic drop"
Inject some drama into your compositions with the sweetly painful augmented chord
Learn how to use this somewhat painful- yet sweet-sounding chord to dramatic effect
The Ultimate Transition Chord, Part 3: Old-School, Jazzy Dim7 Resolutions
Learn how to employ this restless yet alluring chord as a musical attention grabber.
How to Play the Dreamy Arpeggios in Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata”
Learn this neat, May and Gilmour-influenced guitar arrangement of “Moonlight Sonata.”
The Ultimate Transition Chord, Part 2: Major and Bluesy dim7 Resolutions
Learn some interesting applications of this harmonic enigma, and a few ways to get more musical mileage out of it.
Colorful Jazz-Blues Chord Substitutions
Some commonly used variations that adventurous musicians will often interject into their playing.
What to Remember When Learning Robert Johnson's "Cross Road Blues"
This historic 1936 recording by Robert Johnson of one of his classic songs showcases the pioneering Delta bluesman’s trademark funky, aggressive fingerstyle attack and rhythmically free and quirky phrasing style.
Adding Tension to the Minor Jazz-Blues Progression
Learn some cool variations of this progression that feature added chord changes and spicier harmony and voice-leading.
Shredding with the Minor-Drop Progression
Using movable and transposable four-note arpeggios to create fun and exciting runs.
Meet the Major Diatonic Drop, a Progression Used by Ozzy Osbourne, Glen Campbell and John Lennon
Learn about the major diatonic drop, and how you can use it to great effect in your own songwriting.
