Major Chords (Guitar Lesson)
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Major Chords
Orville Johnson teaches the basic major chords in this lesson. He also explains the best way to change from chord to chord, a challenge for many beginners.
Taught by Orville Johnson in Beginner Acoustic with Orville seriesLength: 19:23Difficulty: 1.5 of 5
Video Subtitles / Captions
Supplemental Learning Material
Beginner Acoustic with Orville
Found in our Beginner Lesson SetsDiscover the essentials with Orville Johnson by learning some of the most popular topics and techniques in beginner guitar.
Lesson 1
Overcoming Beginner Challenges
Orville talks about some challenges you will likely face as a beginner and offers some advice that will help you overcome them.
Length: 13:05 Difficulty: 0.5 Members OnlyLesson 2
Flatpick and Strumming
Orville talks about flatpicks, how to hold them, and how to strum with them.
Length: 13:29 Difficulty: 1.0 FREE
Fingerpicking and Patterns
Orville Johnson introduces some basic fingerpicking patterns.
Length: 6:58 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Metronome and Practicing
Orville Johnson explains why it is important to practice with a metronome. He also covers some practice strategies that will help minimize your frustration.
Length: 21:35 Difficulty: 1.0 Members Only
Practical Theory Part 1: Intervals
Orville dives into part 1 of his beginners' guide to practical theory. In this lesson, you will learn the basics of intervals.
Length: 17:30 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Practical Theory Part 2: Scales
Orville Johnson takes a look at scales in part 2 of his practical theory mini-series.
Length: 18:40 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Practical Theory Part 3: Chords and Construction
Orville Johnson jumps into part 3 of his practical theory mini-series. This lesson is about chords and their construction.
Length: 21:08 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Practical Theory Pt. 4: Modes
It's now time to tap back into the practical music theory portion of this series. Continuing on with part 4, Orville now discusses what modes are and how they are really just scales with Greek names.
Length: 19:50 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Basic Blues Shuffle
Orville Johnson demonstrates a basic blues shuffle. This incredibly easy rhythm piece will have you sounding like a blues great in no time!
Length: 12:38 Difficulty: 1.5 Members Only
Connecting Chords with Bass Runs
Orville Johnson demonstrates how simple chord progressions can be spruced up with bass runs. The classic song "Oh! Susanna" is used as an example.
Length: 12:04 Difficulty: 1.5 Members Only
Voice Leading
Orville Johnson talks about the concept of voice leading. This concept will help you play chord progressions that flow better and sound more harmonious.
Length: 10:20 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Major Chords
Orville Johnson teaches the basic major chords in this lesson. He also explains the best way to change from chord to chord, a challenge for many beginners.
Length: 19:23 Difficulty: 1.5 Members Only
Note Values
Orville Johnson jumps into some light theory with a lesson on note values.
Length: 7:51 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
The CAGED System
Orville Johnson takes a beginner's look at the CAGED system.
Length: 8:14 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Open D Tuning
Orville Johnson introduces open D tuning and encourages exploration of its possibilities. This tuning is great for a broad range of playing styles.
Length: 24:04 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Open G Tuning
This time, Orville Johnson introduces open G tuning. This tuning is great for a broad range of playing styles and sounds pretty without even fingering a chord.
Length: 21:28 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Beginner Fingerstyle Techniques
This lesson is perfect for the beginner looking to develop dexterity and independence in the right hand fingers. Orville guides you step by step through basic rhythm concepts and fingerstyle exercises.
Length: 26:00 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
How Does a Capo Work?
This lesson presents any beginner with the information needed to understand how a capo works. This tool enables you to change the key of a song without learning any new chord voicings.
Length: 22:07 Difficulty: 1.5 Members Only
Beginner Lead Techniques
Orville introduces basic techniques that can be used to play lead guitar. This lesson includes a primer on hammer-ons, pull-offs, bends and harmonics.
Length: 22:14 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Orville's Guide to Practicing
Orville dispenses a lifetime of accrued wisdom on the subject of practicing and learning. This lesson is only 16 minutes long, and it will not only change how you learn the guitar, but can also be applied...
Length: 16:38 Difficulty: 1.0 Members Only
Creating New Chords
This lesson is all about creating different types of chords. This does steer the lesson towards music theory, but the information is invaluable and infinitely applicable.
Length: 23:05 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
About Orville Johnson
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Orville Johnson was born in 1953 in Edwardsville, Illinois and came up on the St. Louis, Missouri music scene, where he was exposed to and participated in a variety of blues, bluegrass and American roots music. He began singing in his Pentecostal church as a young boy, in rock bands in middle school, then took up the guitar at 17,with early influences from Doc Watson, Rev. Gary Davis, Mississippi John Hurt, and Chuck Berry. In the early 1970's, Orville spent several seasons playing bluegrass on the SS Julia Belle Swain, a period-piece Mississippi river steamboat plying the inland waterways, with his group the Steamboat Ramblers.
Orville moved to Seattle, Washington in 1978, where he was a founding member of the much-loved and well-remembered folk/rock group, the Dynamic Logs. Other musical associates include Laura Love, Ranch Romance, File' Gumbo Zydeco Band, Scott Law, and the Twirling Mickeys. Johnson, known for his dobro and slide guitar stylings and vocal acrobatics, has played on over 100 albums. He has appeared on Garrison Keilor's Prairie Home Companion, Jay Leno's Tonight Show and was featured in the 1997 film Georgia with Mare Winningham. His musical expertise can also be heard on the Microsoft CD-ROMs, Musical Instruments of the World and the Complete Encyclopedia of Baseball. He teaches as well at the International Guitar Seminar, Pt. Townsend Country Blues Week and Puget Sound Guitar Workshop.
Orville released 4 recordings in the 1990's: The World According to Orville (1990) Blueprint for the Blues (1998) Slide & Joy (1999) an all-instrumental dobro tour de force and Kings of Mongrel Folk (1997) with Mark Graham. He also appeared on 4 discs with the File' Gumbo Zydeco Band and produced Whose World Is This (1997) for Jim Page and Inner Life (1999) for Mark Graham. In the 21st century, he has released Freehand, a new Kings of Mongrel Folk disc, Still Goin' Strong, and been featured in the soundtracks of PBS' Frontier House and the Peter Fonda flick The Wooly Boys as well as the compilation cd Legends of the Incredible Lap Steel Guitar.
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Member Comments about this Lesson
Discussions with our instructors are just one of the many benefits of becoming a member of JamPlay.I've tried to look at the efficient ways to change cords and your suggestions are great. Thanks
Thank you! I have been struggling with cord changes for some time now. C D & G. Hopefully this will help me move forward.
Thanks Orville. The sneaky F chord is tricky! It took me a couple of months to get comfy with it.