What do you mean by "Beyond Chords"?

This series of lessons, called "Beyond Chords" is all about getting past simple strumming. Strumming is the first level of guitar playing. You learn some basic chords and some fairly simple strum patterns and then you can play along with hundreds of songs. This is great, and it is a major accomplishment.

But "Beyond Chords" moves you from "playing along" with songs (playing a fairly simple accompaniment with a singer or other band members) to actually playing the song (where the song stands on its own because you've embedded the melody in your strumming pattern.

This course encourages you to go beyond just strumming to begin playing melodies. This involves moving your fingers around, often out of the normal position within the chord, and playing individual notes as you strum.

To encourage you to move in this direction and to help you become comfortable doing it we give you some exercises and a number of familiar tunes.

A step-by-step course in "Beyond Chords" will be offered in late winter 2025.

Have fun learning to go "Beyond Chords"

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Playing Major Scale with Chords
- Key of G Major
- Key of E Major
- Key of A Major


Mary Had a Little Lamb in Chords

Ode to Joy in Chords

You Are My Sunshine in G

She'll Be Comin' Round the Mountain in G

Wipe Out in E

Doe A Deer

By the Rivers of Babylon


Christmas Songs

Jingle Bells

Little Drummer Boy

Here Comes Santa Claus

Joy to the World - Ukulele


Many more Songs and Exercises...Subscribe