
Matt will be frequently adding great new video lessons teaching you today's hottest songs.
Lesson 5
Matt takes you start to finish with this popular Kurt Cobain number.
Length: 17:53 Difficulty: 2.0 Members OnlyLesson 29
Matt Brown breaks down Motorhead's energetic tune "Ace of Spades."
Length: 27:41 Difficulty: 2.5 Members OnlyLesson 30
Matt Brown takes an in-depth look at the classic Flaming Lips song "She Don't Use Jelly."
Length: 19:02 Difficulty: 1.5 Members Only
About Matt Brown
View Full Biography
Matt Brown began playing the guitar at the age of 11. "It was a rule in my family to learn and play an instrument for at least two years. I had been introduced to a lot of great music at the time by friends and their older siblings. I was really into bands like Nirvana, Alice In Chains, and Smashing Pumpkins, so the decision to pick up the guitar came pretty easily."
Matt's musical training has always followed a very structured path. He began studying the guitar with Dayton, Ohio guitar great Danny Voris. I began learning scales, chords, and basic songs like any other guitarist. After breaking his left wrist after playing for only a year, Matt began to study music theory in great detail. I wanted to keep going with my lessons, but I obviously couldn't play at all. Danny basically gave me the equivalent of a freshman year music theory course in the span of two months. These months proved to have a huge impact on Brown's approach to the instrument.
Brown continued his music education at Capital University in Columbus, Ohio. He completed a degree in Classical Guitar Performance in 2002. While at Capital, he also studied jazz guitar and recording techniques in great detail. "I've never had any desire to perform jazz music. Its lack of relevance to modern culture has always turned me off. However, nothing will improve your chops more than studying this music."
Matt Brown currently resides in Dayton, Ohio. He teaches lessons locally as well as at Capital University's Community Music School. Matt's recent projects include writing and recording with his new, as of yet nameless band as well as the formation of a cover band called The Dirty Cunnies.
Our acoustic guitar lessons are taught by qualified instructors with various backgrounds with the instrument.
Steve Eulberg does a quick review of this lesson series and talks about moving on.
Free LessonSeries DetailsIn lesson 6, Kaki discusses how the left and right hands can work together or independently of each other to create different...
Free LessonSeries DetailsEve talks about the boom-chuck strum pattern. This strum pattern will completely change the sound of your playing.
Free LessonSeries DetailsNick explains how to play some of the most commonly used chords in the bluegrass genre.
Free LessonSeries DetailsMitch teaches his interpretation of the classic "Cannonball Rag." This song provides beginning and intermediate guitarists...
Free LessonSeries DetailsTrace Bundy talks about the different ways you can use multiple capos to enhance your playing.
Free LessonSeries DetailsTime to unlock your creativity because in this information packed lesson. Mark dives deep into how to deconstruct the process...
Free LessonSeries DetailsPamela brings a cap to her first 13 JamPlay lessons with another original etude inspired by the great Leo Brouwer. This is...
Free LessonSeries DetailsMiche introduces several new chord concepts that add color and excitement to any progression.
Free LessonSeries DetailsJessica kindly introduces herself, her background, and her approach to this series.
Free LessonSeries DetailsOur electric guitar lessons are taught by instructors with an incredible amount of teaching experience.
Lisa breaks into the very basics of the electric guitar. She starts by explaining the parts of the guitar. Then, she dives...
Free LessonSeries DetailsKnown around the world for his inspirational approach to guitar instruction, Musician's Institute veteran Daniel Gilbert...
Free LessonSeries DetailsMark Brennan teaches this classic rock song by Jethro Tull. Released on the album of the same name in 1971, this song features...
Free LessonSeries DetailsNick starts his series with Alternate Picking part 1. Improve your timing, speed, and execution with this important lesson.
Free LessonSeries DetailsStuart doesn't waste an ytime diving into blues as he starts his series off by demonstrating one of the most iconic and recognizable...
Free LessonSeries DetailsEmil takes you through some techniques that he uses frequently in his style of playing. Topics include neck bending, percussive...
Free LessonSeries DetailsJames explains how to tap arpeggios for extended musical reach.
Free LessonSeries DetailsBrendan demonstrates the tiny triad shapes derived from the form 1 barre chord.
Free LessonSeries DetailsThis is a crucial lesson that explains tablature, how to read it, and why it's important.
Free LessonSeries DetailsKris analyzes different pick sizes and their effect on his playing. Using a slow motion camera, he is able to point out the...
Free LessonSeries DetailsWhile we have attempted to provide you with an accurate rendition of our video lesson experience, there are some features which
require a membership with us!
At JamPlay, we give you the ability to monitor your own progress for any lesson! If you watch one of our lessons and feel as though you understand around half of it, mark your progress at 50%. This adds the lesson to your customized Progress Report, and gives you an incredible ability to document what you need to work on, and where you left off.
With thousands of lessons at your fingertips, JamPlay can be a touch intimidating to a first-time user. With Progressive Bookmarking, we give you the ability to systematically bookmark sections of any lessons you are working on to quickly access later. After all, what is the point of all this content if it isn't easy to use?
JamPlay also gives you the ability to leave notes for yourself on any lesson. Just like in any educational system, taking your own notes while learning gives you the ability to highlight the instruction that is important to you. Leave your notes, and we store them in our database for you to reference each and everytime you come back to the lesson.
Signup today to enjoy access to our entire database of video lessons, along with our exclusive set of learning tools and features.
Member Comments about this Lesson
Discussions with our instructors are just one of the many benefits of becoming a member of JamPlay.I liked the lesson a lot! Thank you Matt. I´m just a little confused about the keys. What key is the chorus in? I´m just working through the modes lesson of Chris, maybe that´s why I thought the verse would be a 1-6 Progression in an aeolian mode? The g-minor-pentatonic sounds good with those two chords. can you put it that way too? And...how about something from Queens of the Stone Age? Would be great! Cheers :)
Hi! Glad you liked the lesson! The verse is in the key of E natural minor (same as E Aeolian). The chord progression is i to III. I would analyze the chorus as being in the key of C# major. The first four bars feature a I - IV progression. Then, the last two bars feature modulatory material that leads back to the verse. In terms of sections that setup a modulation, you want to analyze the chords in terms of where you're heading. So, since you're heading back to Em, the analysis is V/IV (E major functions as a secondary dominant chord to A major: It's the V of the IV chord) - IV - vi.
Forgot to mention this...I'd love to teach a QOTSA song at some point if possible! They're one of my favorite bands if not my favorite band. I'm not sure if we have licensing for any of their material...
Nice rework on this tune Matt! Im revisiting my Grunge
Hey matt..can u help me with the amp settings?
Sorry for the delayed response! It's been a crazy month! I definitely wasn't too pleased with the guitar tone in this lesson...It's definitely not a sound you want to imitate. I'm guessing the close mic on the amp was bumped out of place. Kurt Cobain liked to crank the mids up pretty high. I personally do not. I keep the mids about about 4, the highs at 6, and the bass at about 6 as well..In terms of eq controls though, every amp reacts a little bit differently. To the best of my knowledge, a Randall Commander was used for most of the guitar tracks on Bleach. For the dirty tones, I imagine he just stepped on a Boss DS-1 or a similar pedal...Crank the level control on the pedal all the way up. Then, I'd set the tone and distortion levels at about 5. Hope this helps...The best advice I can give you is to use your ears and experiment until the tone feels right to you.
Repeat Repeat Repeat! I liek it!
been away awhile, been busy , but I'm back and I really like the update to this lesson, a bit more meaty that the previous version. Still waiting for you to bring back Purple Haze, I want to try it out on my new resonator for a twist on the song
Hey Matt, I started yesterday and got everything down already. Now all I have to do is practice transitions and tempo. Can't wait to show off! =) lol. Thanks!
That's awesome! Ever think about recording it? I'd love to hear it.
Hi, Matt Just a question. When you do the D chord in the chorus... do you let the first string ring or you mute it (its difficult to get the first string to ring, allways, when you make that bar with you third finger).....
Hey! I'm guessing you're talking about the C# chord...Anyway, the first isn't played within that chord. Some people don't have enough flexibility in their joints to play that chord with two fingers. If I need to fret the first string, I play strings 4, 3, and 2 with fingers 2, 3, and 4 respectively. Then, finger 1 does a five string barre.
sorry, I meant the A chord with one finger .... the eddy van hallen way as you say... Nice lesson by the way!
Thanks!...The first string is left out of that chord too.
Fun song to play! Thanks for the updated lesson Matt.
Very nice lesson. We need more lessons for beginners/intermediate. Maybe some Lenny Kravitz.
that was amazing thanks bro
No problem! Hope this short lesson was helpful!
hey matt what about the solo part on about a girl?
i know right i cant find the solo anywere
Hey guys! This lesson was done a few years ago before we started to film the solos for the songs that we teach. All future Phase 3 lessons that I do will include a video scene on the solo. I recommend listening to the solo while following along with the tabs in the supplemental content. Then, try to imitate what you are hearing with your own playing.
The solo is really easy this is how i do it http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/tabs/n/nirvana/about_a_girl_tab.htm
Hey Matt!! Thanks for the awsome lesson i got a electric guitar for 2 days ago and this song is great for a beggining song!
Matt, I enjoyed the lesson big time...cool tune!! I am only new to guitar and currently working thru phase 2. I find trying to learn fairly easy songs helps me get comfortable changing chords and trying to build good timing. Do you think it is a bad idea to be jumping ahead or is it just a matter of how much frustration I want to go thru?
I really recommend playing easy songs, to add some more fun to leaning to play the guitar. It also has advantages, like getting a feel for rhythm and making combinations of things you learned from lessons. It's also better for yourself to see where you could need improvement, like: "ok...I'm doing the chord-changes right, but I really need some more practice with strumming". Playing songs improved me faster than following lessons.
Hey Matt, could you please make some tabs for the guitar solo? Thanks a lot it would really help!
i like it in giutar hero better
Could you note the strumming pattern somewhere please ? I don't manage to catch it only with the video
nice lesson mat!!!!!
thanks :) for this kool lesson
maybe in the future...i cover that song all the time.
great lesson Matt on about a girl. Any chance of a lesson in regards to On A Plain by Nirvana?!