WEEK 2

PLEASE NOTE: From week 2 onwards, zoom sessions will now take place on Wednesday evenings at 8pm. The zoom codes have been updated on the welcome page. 

PDF DOWNLOADS

ROCK & ROLL music ascended from the blues and country music and came alive in the USA during the1950s. It utilises many of the same methods as blues but tends to be played a little faster and funkier. This week you will explore an Elvis classic that utilises a variety of playing methods including chuck strum, dampening, slide technique, alternative chord positions and a fantastic riff that can be transferred into tonnes more songs. 
This song uses the chuck strum techniques and barred chords with a dampening and muting effect throughout each of the verse sections. The Chorus sections will be split into 3 parts including the open chords with minor additions on beats 2 + 4, second chord positions as well as the riff.
This riff starts on the chord of F to fit over the chorus of Jail House Rock.
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You will explore how to play the riff using open chord patterns and barred chord patterns and works well on tonnes of rock n roll songs. 
FACT: Jail House Rock was written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, who also wrote "Hound Dog," which became a huge hit when Elvis recorded it and was featured in the Elvis movie of the same name, where Elvis plays a wrongly accused convict who becomes a star when he gets out. The film, which is considered one of the best of his 31 movies, is famous for the scene where Elvis performs this song in an elaborate dance number taking place in prison.
BLUE SUEDE SHOES also works well with the 12 bar blues pattern, with some slight alterations of additional 7th chords and two instrumental sections ending on a G7 turn around. The final bar of the outro section returns to the walk down from fret 7-6-5 then lands on a C chord before ending with an open C6 and a good shake of the uke for that vibrato effect. 

Check out Elvis's guitar skills in the video link above! ;)

ZOOM VIDEO

Zoom video tutorials will be ready to view here by 12pm noon on Tuesdays, if not before.

AUDIO TRACKS

​The audio play along tracks are a great way to help with home practice. 
JAIL HOUSE ROCK - CHORDS ONLY (use this track to practice adding the riff part over the chorus section too)

JAIL HOUSE ROCK - RIFF @ 120BPM (Ideally you want to build the riff speed up to around 150BPM)
BLUE SUEDE SHOES - CHORDS & INSTRUMENTAL @ 130BPM
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