Series Introduction (Guitar Lesson)
What are you waiting for? Get your membership now!
Series Introduction
Join Andy as he takes a look at the style of one of the most influential guitarists of all time: Eddie Van Halen. In the series introduction, Andy gives us a taste of what is to come in the series.
Taught by Andy Whitehead in Style of Eddie Van Halen seriesLength: 3:00Difficulty: 0.0 of 5
Video Subtitles / Captions
Supplemental Learning Material
Style of Eddie Van Halen
Found in our Beginner Lesson SetsAndy Whitehead takes a look at the style of one of the most influential guitarist of all time: Eddie Van Halen.
Lesson 1
Series Introduction
Join Andy as he takes a look at the style of one of the most influential guitarists of all time: Eddie Van Halen. In the series introduction, Andy gives us a taste of what is to come in the series.
Length: 3:00 Difficulty: 0.0 Members Only
Everybody Wants Power Chords, Part 1
Andy starts off by looking at Eddie's rhythm playing, specifically his use of open position power chords.
Length: 8:18 Difficulty: 1.5 Members Only
Everybody Wants Power Chords, Part 2
Pushing the envelope: that's what this dotted quarter note feel is all about. Join Andy as he shows us another driving Van Halen style power chord riff!
Length: 7:24 Difficulty: 1.5 Members Only
Everybody Wants Power Chords, Part 3
Now Andy takes a look at a common technique that Eddie employed: adding single notes to power chords.
Length: 4:53 Difficulty: 1.5 Members Only
Everybody Wants Power Chords, Part 4
Continuing with the power chord theme, Andy adds in some sliding single notes to a cool power chord riff.
Length: 5:03 Difficulty: 1.5 Members Only
Sliding Power Chords
Sliding power chords around the neck is a common theme in Eddie's playing. Andy takes some familiar shapes and moves them around to create a cool riff!
Length: 5:35 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Mixed Chords
In this lesson, Andy combines power chord shapes with other types of chord shapes. It's really the best of both worlds ;).
Length: 4:24 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Power Chords with Open Strings
Now Andy takes common power chord shapes and gives them a tweak by letting certain open strings ring along side them.
Length: 6:19 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Full Barre Chords, Part 1
Now we transition from power chords and open power chords to full barre chords. These chords and their variations bring some different colors to the canvas.
Length: 6:46 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Full Barre Chords, Part 2
Andy shows us a slight variation on lesson 9 that adds even more variety to your barre chords!
Length: 5:10 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Barre Chords With Single Notes, Part 1
Adding single notes to smaller barre shapes is the focus of this lesson. Eddie used this sort of technique on some classic Van Halen songs!
Length: 6:41 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Barre Chords With Single Notes, Part 2
A very Eddie sounding riff punctuates this lesson that looks at adding single notes to barre chord shapes.
Length: 6:43 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Power Chords and Natural Harmonics
Integrating natural harmonics and power chords is a common Eddie technique. In this lesson, Andy has us working on a very cool riff that does just that!
Length: 7:57 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Pinch Harmonics
Pinch harmonics are a big part of some of the crazy sounds that Eddie gets out of his guitar. In this lesson, Andy shows us how to achieve this sound.
Length: 4:40 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Pinch Harmonics Exercise
Here's a short lick for you to practice your pinch harmonics that we learned in the previous lesson!
Length: 4:14 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Symmetrical Scale, Part 1
Eddie had a unique way of playing certain scales. Some of these scales were very uniform in their fingering across the fretboard, thus the term - Symmetrical Scale. Here is the first in a series of 3...
Length: 6:03 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Symmetrical Scale, Part 2
In the second symmetrical scale, Andy shows us a fast and furious lick that is really reminiscent of Eddie!
Length: 4:56 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Symmetrical Scale, Part 3
In the third symmetrical scale, Andy returns to some tapping to illustrate the lick.
Length: 5:40 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Major Scale Lick
In this lesson, Andy shows us a cool, ascending major scale lick that will prove to be useful in lots of musical situations!
Length: 5:42 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Minor Pentatonic Scale Position
A trill, a minor pentatonic scale and a bluesy bend make up this lick in the style of Van Halen!
Length: 4:34 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Minor Pentatonic Blues Scale
This riff may have it's origin in the Chuck Berry style, but it's one that Van Halen used a lot!
Length: 7:17 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Pentatonic Scale Lick in Octaves
Here's a fun lick Andy will show you that gives you great practice at jumping from one end of the fret board to the other.
Length: 6:11 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Minor Pentatonic Tapping Lick
One of the techniques that Eddie is best known for is of course, his two handed tapping technique. In this lesson, Andy shows us a Van Halen-esque tapping lick using notes in the minor pentatonic scale.
Length: 6:04 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Tapping Adjacent Pentatonics
More tapping on tap here.... Andy shows us a lick that uses adjacent pentatonic notes on the fretboard.
Length: 5:52 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Tapped Harmonics Part 1
In this lesson, Andy shows us a staple of Eddie's repertoire: Tapped Harmonics.
Length: 5:54 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Tapped Harmonics Part 2
Tapped Harmonics Part 2 has a very rhythmic riff that Andy is going to show us that has a similar vibe to "Mean Streets" by Van Halen.
Length: 7:31 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Tapped Harmonics Part 3
Building on the lick from the last lesson, Andy continues with more tapped harmonics.
Length: 4:15 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Tremolo Picking
Here's a technique that Eddie uses a lot in his playing. A bit tricky, but with practice it's a technique that anyone can do!
Length: 4:04 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Tapping With Open Strings
In this lesson, Andy shows us a tapping lick that uses open strings, and mulitple notes on one string.
Length: 5:29 Difficulty: 3.5 Members Only
Tapping on Multiple Strings
Andy now takes the pattern we learned in the last lesson, add a little to it, and puts it in a musical context for us.
Length: 4:59 Difficulty: 3.5 Members Only
Tapping and Shifting Positions
In this lesson, Andy shows us a cool ascending tapping lick that moves through various positions.
Length: 8:50 Difficulty: 3.5 Members Only
Eddie's Gear
In the series finale, Andy briefly discusses Eddie's gear and gives us some advice as to how to recreate his basic sound.
Length: 5:30 Difficulty: 0.0 Members Only
About Andy Whitehead
View Full Biography
Originally from Amarillo, Texas, Andy began recording and touring as a guitarist with the indie/progressive band, TORGO!. They released their debut album, Choose Your Own Adventure, in 2010. While Andy majored in music at Amarillo Community College, he studied classical and jazz guitar.
Originally from Amarillo, Texas, Andy began recording and touring as a guitarist with the indie/progressive band, TORGO!. They released their debut album, Choose Your Own Adventure, in 2010. While Andy majored in music at Amarillo Community College, he studied classical and jazz guitar.
Andy received a Bachelor's of Music with an Emphasis in Instrumental Jazz Studies from the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley. He performed in UNC's big bands, small jazz combos, jazz guitar ensemble and vocal jazz ensembles.
Andy teaches for multiple music lesson companies and also has been ranked in the top three musicians and teachers in Arvada, CO by Thumbtack.com. In addition, he writes educational music articles and blogs. Andy performs regularly for events, restaurants, and musicals as a guitarist in a variety of styles. Andy teaches for multiple music lesson companies and has been ranked in the top three musicians and teachers in Englewood and Arvada, CO by Thumbtack.com
Acoustic Guitar Lessons
Our acoustic guitar lessons are taught by qualified instructors with various backgrounds with the instrument.
Calum Graham
Award winning, Canadian fingerstyle guitarist Calum Graham introduces his Jamplay Artist Series, which aims to transform...
Free LessonSeries Details
Kaki King
In lesson 6, Kaki discusses how the left and right hands can work together or independently of each other to create different...
Free LessonSeries Details
Mark Kailana Nelson
Mark Nelson introduces "'Ulupalakua," a song he will be using to teach different skills and techniques. In this lesson, he...
Free LessonSeries Details
David Isaacs
JamPlay welcomes David Isaacs to our teacher roster. With his first lesson Dave explains his approach to playing guitar with...
Free LessonSeries Details
Greg Greenway
Greg kicks off his series telling a little about himself and introduces the C9 tuning.
Free LessonSeries Details
Mark Lincoln
Lesson 40 takes a deeper look at slash chords. Mark discusses why they're called slash chords, and how they are formed.
Free LessonSeries Details
Mike Dawes
Free LessonSeries Details
Pamela Goldsmith
Pamela brings a cap to her first 13 JamPlay lessons with another original etude inspired by the great Leo Brouwer. This is...
Free LessonSeries Details
Justin Roth
In this lesson Justin introduces his series on playing with a capo and dishes out some basic tips, including how to properly...
Free LessonSeries Details
Hawkeye Herman
Hawkeye teaches several Robert Johnson licks in this lesson. These licks are played with a slide in open G tuning.
Free LessonSeries DetailsElectric Guitar Lesson Samples
Our electric guitar lessons are taught by instructors with an incredible amount of teaching experience.
Eric Madis
In this lesson Eric talks about playing basic lead in the Memphis Blues style.
Free LessonSeries Details
Irene Ketikidi
Dynamics can be a key component to becoming expressive with your melodies. Irene applies some dynamic expressive techniques...
Free LessonSeries Details
Brent Mason
Learn Nashville style country guitar from one of the most recorded guitarists in history. Check out rhythm grooves, solos,...
Free LessonSeries Details
Andy Whitehead
Join Andy as he takes a look at the style of one of the most influential guitarists of all time: Eddie Van Halen. In the...
Free LessonSeries Details
Nick Kellie
Nick explains how to use scales and modes effectively when soloing over a chord progression.
Free LessonSeries Details
Michael Palmisano
Michael kicks off his course and explains what to expect from the course, as well as who this course is designed for.
Free LessonSeries Details
Andy James
Get an in-depth look into the mind of virtuoso guitarist Andy James. Learn about Andy's early beginnings all the way up to...
Free LessonSeries Details
Daniel Gilbert
Known around the world for his inspirational approach to guitar instruction, Musician's Institute veteran Daniel Gilbert...
Free LessonSeries Details
Guthrie Trapp
JamPlay introduces Nashville session player Guthrie Trapp! In this first segment, Guthrie talks a little about his influences,...
Free LessonSeries Details
Rex Brown
Dive into the playing of Rex Brown. As the bass player for Pantera, Down, and Kill Devil Hill, Brown's real world experience...
Free LessonSeries DetailsJoin over 526245 guitarists who have learned how to play in weeks... not years!
Signup today to enjoy access to our entire database of video lessons, along with our exclusive set of learning tools and features.
Unlimited Lesson Viewing
A JamPlay membership gives you access to every lesson, from every teacher on our staff. Additionally, there is no restriction on how many times you watch a lesson. Watch as many times as you need.Live Lessons
Exclusive only to JamPlay, we currently broadcast 8-10 hours of steaming lesson services directly to you! Enjoy the benefits of in-person instructors and the conveniences of our community.Interactive Community
Create your own profile, manage your friends list, and contact users with your own JamPlay Mailbox. JamPlay also features live chat with teachers and members, and an active Forum.Chord Library
Each chord in our library contains a full chart, related tablature, and a photograph of how the chord is played. A comprehensive learning resource for any guitarist.Scale Library
Our software allows you to document your progress for any lesson, including notes and percent of the lesson completed. This gives you the ability to document what you need to work on, and where you left off.Custom Chord Sheets
At JamPlay, not only can you reference our Chord Library, but you can also select any variety of chords you need to work on, and generate your own printable chord sheet.Backing Tracks
Jam-along backing tracks give the guitarist a platform for improvising and soloing. Our backing tracks provide a wide variety of tracks from different genres of music, and serves as a great learning tool.Interactive Games
We have teachers covering beginner lessons, rock, classic rock, jazz, bluegrass, fingerstyle, slack key and more. Learn how to play the guitar from experienced players, in a casual environment.Beginners Welcome.. and Up
Unlike a lot of guitar websites and DVDs, we start our Beginner Lessons at the VERY start of the learning process, as if you just picked up a guitar for the first time.Our teaching is structured for all players.Take a minute to compare JamPlay to other traditional and new methods of learning guitar. Our estimates for "In-Person" lessons below are based on a weekly face-to-face lesson for $40 per hour.
 |
||||
| Price Per Lesson | < $0.01 | $4 - $5 | $30 - $50 | Free |
| Money Back Guarantee | Sometimes | n/a | ||
| Number of Instructors | 124 | 1 – 3 | 1 | Zillions |
| Interaction with Instructors | Daily Webcam Sessions | Weekly | ||
| Professional Instructors | Luck of the Draw | Luck of the Draw | ||
| New Lessons | Daily | Weekly | Minutely | |
| Structured Lessons | ||||
| Learn Any Style | Sorta | |||
| Track Progress | ||||
| HD Video | - | Sometimes | ||
| Multiple Camera Angles | Sometimes | - | Sometimes | |
| Accurate Tabs | Maybe | Maybe | ||
| Scale/Chord Libraries | ||||
| Custom JamTracks | ||||
| Interactive Games | ||||
| Community | ||||
| Learn in Sweatpants | Socially Unacceptable | |||
| Gasoline Needed | $0.00 | $0.00 | ~$4 / gallon! | $0.00 |
Mike H.
"I feel like a 12 year old kid with a new guitar!"
I am 66 years young and I still got it! I would have never known this if it had not been for Jamplay! I feel like a 12 year old kid with a new guitar! Ha! I cannot express enough how great you're website is! It is for beginners and advanced pickers! I am an advanced picker and thought I had lost it but thanks to you all, I found it again! Even though I only play by ear, I have been a member a whopping whole two weeks now and have already got Brent's country shuffle and country blues down and of course with embellishments. Thank you all for your wonderful program!
Greg J.
"With Jamplay I can fit in a random session when I have time and I can go at my own pace"
I'm a fifty eight year old newbie who owns a guitar which has been sitting untouched in a corner for about seven years now. Last weekend I got inspired to pick it up and finally learn how to play after watching an amazing Spanish guitarist on TV. So, here I am. I'm starting at the beginning with Steve Eulberg and I couldn't be happier (except for the sore fingers :) Some day I'm going to play like Steve! I'm self employed with a hectic schedule. With Jamplay I can fit in a random session when I have time and I can go at my own pace, rewinding and replaying the videos until I get it. This is a very enjoyable diversion from my work yet I still feel like I'm accomplishing something worthwhile. Thanks a lot, Greg
Bill
"I believe this is the absolute best site for guitar students."
I am commenting here to tell you and everyone at JamPlay that I believe this is the absolute best site for guitar students. I truly enjoy learning to play the guitar on JamPlay.com. Yes, I said the words, ""enjoy learning."" It is by far the best deal for the money.
Member Comments about this Lesson
Discussions with our instructors are just one of the many benefits of becoming a member of JamPlay.