Get Ready to Rock
This page is arranged by difficulty. By far the most important stuff is in Book 1. You should not waste time looking for cool things to play. You should play everything in order all the way to the bottom. If you need some suggestions on how to practice effectively, I posted an essay HERE. If you want to learn more about why these tunes lead into the ensemble work, you can read about it HERE.
Book 1
We agree. These are not exciting songs, but the skills are what matters, and those skills will be the foundation of your entire life in guitar. They can be quickly taught with these one-chord songs.
Here is the current complete Book 1 Student Edition. Every single word is important. Study this.
Book 1 Progress Tracker PDF
Song sheets from Book 1:
- Brother John [E] PDF ~ MP3 ~ January 25, 2025
- Three Blind Mice [G] PDF ~ MP3 ~ March 14, 2025
- Farmer in the Dell [A] PDF ~ MP3 ~ March 14, 2025
- Frère Jacques [A] PDF ~ MP3 ~ January 17, 2025
- Row Row Row Your Boat [D] PDF ~ MP3 ~ January 20, 2025
- All Through the Night (from Book 3) [A~D~E~G] PDF ~ MP3 ~ January 21, 2025
- Strumming in the Key of A PDF
Book 2
Most of these songs are on the annoying side, but some are wonderful and all are helpful to finish out your toolbox necessary to effectively play sophisticated music for the rest of your life. All of these are two-chord songs to help you memorize the chord shapes and the skills to move between them effectively.
Book 2 Progress Tracker PDF
Song sheets from Book 2:
- A-Tisket, A-Tasket [A & E7] PDF ~ MP3 ~ March 14, 2025
- Ain’t Gonna Rain No Mo’ [D & A & A7] PDF ~ MP3 ~ March 14, 2025
- Alouette [D & A7] PDF ~ MP3 ~ March 14, 2025
- Buffalo Gals [G & D7] PDF ~ MP3 ~ March 15, 2025
- Carnival of Venice [C & G7] PDF ~ MP3 ~ March 15, 2025
- Clementine [A & E7] PDF ~ MP3
- Day-O: The Banana Boat Song [D & A] PDF ~ MP3
- Down in the Valley [C & G & G7] PDF ~ MP3
- Drunken Sailor [All the chords] PDF ~ MP3
- Go Tell Aunt Rhody [C & G] PDF ~ MP3
- Hokey Pokey [C & G7] PDF ~ MP3
- Hush Little Baby [E & B7] PDF ~ MP3
- Itsy Bitsy Spider [C & G7] PDF ~ MP3 ~ January 16, 2026
- La Cucaracha [D & A] PDF ~ MP3 ~ January 16, 2023
- London Bridge is Falling Down [A & E, C & G] PDF ~ MP3 ~ March 28, 2026
- Mary Had a Little Lamb [D & A, A & E] PDF ~ MP3
- Pay Me My Money Down [A & E] PDF ~ MP3
- Simple Gifts [A & E] PDF ~ MP3 ~ January 19, 2026
- Skip to My Loo [F & C7] PDF ~ MP3
- The More We Get Together [G & D] PDF ~ MP3 ~ March 28, 2026
- This Old Man [A & D & E] PDF ~ MP3
- Tom Dooley [D & A7] PDF ~ MP3
- Wheels on the Bus [F & C] PDF ~ MP3
Book 3
If you can play all the parts of all these songs, you are ready for a life in guitar.
Book 3 Progress Tracker PDF
Song sheets from Book 3:
- Ah! Vous Dirai-Je, Maman PDF ~ MP3 ~ January 17, 2025
- All Through the Night PDF ~ MP3 ~ January 21, 2025
- Aloha ‘Oe PDF ~ MP3
- Amazing Grace PDF ~ MP3
- America the Beautiful PDF ~ MP3
- Ash Grove PDF ~ MP3
- Beautiful Dreamer PDF ~ MP3 ~ April 20, 2025
- Brahms’ Lullabye PDF ~ MP3
- Carulli Andante in G PDF ~ MP3
- Danny Boy PDF ~ MP3
- Down by the Riverside PDF ~ MP3
- Estudio in E minor by Tárrega PDF ~ MP3~ April 25, 2023
- For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow PDF ~MP3~ January 15, 2026
- Für Elise PDF ~ MP3~ January 13, 2026
- Happy Birthday PDF ~ MP3 ~ January 13, 2026
- Heidenröslein PDF ~ MP3
- House of the Rising Sun PDF ~ MP3 ~ March 28, 2026
- Internationalé PDF ~ MP3
- Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair PDF ~ MP3
- Kumbaya PDF ~ MP3
- Las Mañanitas PDF ~ MP3 ~ March 31, 2026
- Last Rose of Summer PDF ~ MP3 ~ April 1, 2026
- Minstrel Boy PDF ~ MP3
- Ode to Joy PDF ~ MP3 ~ March 31, 2026
- On Top of Spaghetti PDF ~ MP3
- Parting Glass PDF ~ MP3
- Santa Lucia PDF ~ MP3
- Scarborough Fair PDF ~ MP3
- This Little Light of Mine PDF ~ MP3
- Trumpet Voluntary PDF ~ MP3
- Waltzing Matilda PDF ~ MP3
- Water is Wide PDF ~ MP3
- When the Saints Go Marching In PDF ~ MP3
- Wildwood Flower PDF ~ MP3
- You are My Sunshine PDF ~ MP3 ~ April 1, 2026
Resources
- Blank Tab-Only Sheet PDF
- Chord Chart PDF
- Chromatic Scales PDF
- Circle of Fifths PDF
- Five Major Scales PDF without Tab ~ PDF with Tab ~ MP3
- Fretboard Memorization Tool PDF ~ MP3
- Make a Better Bar for Guitar PDF ~ MP3
- Practice Log PDF
- Song writing prompts are here: https://composingprompts.blogspot.com/
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- Punteado (“plucked”)
- Rasqueado (“strummed”)
- Tirando (Free Stroke): Pluck the string and touch nothing else.
- Apoyando (Rest-stroke): Pluck the string and come to rest on a neighboring string
- .Picado: Fast alternation between two fingers (usually I-M) using rest strokes.
- Rasgueado: Multiple fingers down in a rolled chord fashion.
- Rasgueo: One finger up and down using the nail each way.
