Example 4: Rock City

Welcome to this section from the song Rock City. We'll be diving into this rock song towards the end of the course when we start learning pieces from Rock School.

These songs are fantastic for:

• Furthering our guitar playing skills
• Building stamina
• Getting used to playing for extended periods

It's exciting that we have so many songs to learn. A significant part of playing guitar is memory‚ being able to recall different tunes and sections. These songs are genuinely fun to play, so I'm looking forward to guiding you through them later in the book.

Overview of Rock City

For now, let's focus on a small section from Rock City. We will be using the same notes we've been practicing in all previous rock examples:

• E
• G (the third fret on the E string)
• Open A
• B (the second fret on the A string)

Bar One

In bar one, we will encounter our first look at playing different notes on every beat of the bar.

Tips for Practicing Bar One:

• Watch out for the changes between notes
• Take it slowly at first, as there's a lot of movement involved

We start with the E string, transitioning to the G string. The next two notes are:

• Open A
• B (second fret on the A)

I recommend breaking this bar into two halves:

1. Practice the first two notes first
2. Then practice the second two notes

Once comfortable, loop this entire bar repeatedly until you can play it smoothly, ensuring all notes are of even length. Gradually build up speed, but remember: accuracy is more important than speed at this stage.

Bar Two

In bar two, we have half notes, which means:

• The A note lasts for two beats
• The note being played is the open E string

Bars Three and Four

Bars three and four repeat the same pattern as one and two. This repetition gives us a great opportunity to develop stamina and work on transitioning between strings.

Practice Play-Along

Now, I'll play this example at a slow pace.

• Try to play along with me
• Take your time to work on the section

I'll see you in the backing track next!