Melody Guitar Book 2: Free Video Lessons
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Click here to order your copy of Melody Guitar 2, and check out the free videos below!
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Melody Guitar Books 1-4 focus on learning to read and play melody lines in standard music notation. Melody Guitar 1 starts you off learning notes on the first three strings and music reading basics. Melody Guitar 2 picks up where Melody Guitar 1 leaves off. You should start with Melody Guitar 1 if you're a new guitarist or if you're just getting into reading standard notation. It's a short book, and it's free! Click here to download Melody Guitar 1 and watch the videos.
In Melody Guitar 2, you'll learn to read and play notes on strings 4-6 in first position while the melodies gradually become more challenging. You'll also learn how to play minor pentatonic scales, blues scales, and the chromatic scale. Melody Guitar 3 continues where Melody Guitar 2 leaves off, with increasingly complex melodies. Melody Guitar 4 teaches you to read and play melodies all over the fretboard.
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If you're just getting started on guitar, you should also check out my Rhythm Guitar series, which focuses on chords, strumming, and fingerstyle patterns.
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Click here for a list of my other videos, which include easy guitar arrangements, technique lessons, chords, scales, and more.
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Melody Guitar 2 Videos
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Lesson 1: Intro, 1st Space F, Common Time (pages 3-4)
Learn to read and play the 1st space F on the 4th string, review the notes you learned in Melody Guitar 1, review the warm-up from the end of Melody Guitar 1, and learn about Common Time.
Lesson 2: 1st Line E (page 5)
Learn to read and play the 1st line E on the 4th string, and review the notes you've learned so far.
Lesson 3: 2/4 Time (page 6)
Learn to count and play in 2/4 time.
Lesson 4: 8th Notes (pages 7-8)
Learn to count and play 8th notes with alternate picking.
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Lesson 5: 8th Note Drills (page 9)
Single note 8th note drills to nail down your rhythmic subdivision and feel.
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Lesson 6: 8th Note Melodies (page 10)
Now that you've learned to play and count 8th notes, it's time to add them into your melody playing.
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Lesson 7: More 8th Note Melodies (page 11)
More 8th note melody practice.
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Lesson 8: 4th String D (pages 11-12)
Learn to read and play the 4th string D below the staff. Includes a new Speed Booster and an Octave Etude for string skipping practice.
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Lesson 9: 4th String D Melodies (page 13)
Three melodies that include your new 4th string D note.
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Learn to follow the fermata (or "hold") marking.
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Lesson 11: Tempo Markings (pages 15-17)
Tempo markings tell you how fast the music should be played.
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Lesson 12: Tempo Change Markings (page 18)
Learn about tempo change markings such as ritardando, accelerando, and rallentando.
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Lesson 13: "A Tempo" Marking (page 19)
The "A Tempo" marking, which is related to the tempo change markings you learned about in the previous lesson.
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Lesson 14: Rests (pages 20-21)
Learn to count rests in your music.
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Lesson 15: Rhythm Drills with Rests (page 22)
Single note rhythm drills to help with counting rests.
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Lesson 16: Melodies with Rests (pages 23-24)
Three new melodies that incorporate the rests you've learned.
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Lesson 17: Scale Charts, Minor Pentatonic Scales (pages 25-26)
Learn how to read a scale chart, a moveable minor pentatonic scale, and the natural note names on the 6th string.
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Lesson 18: 5th String C, C Major Scale (pages 27-28)
Learn to read and play 5th string C. Add the C major scale to your warm-up.
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Lesson 19: Melodies with 5th String C (page 29)
Three new melodies that include the new 5th string C: "Scarborough Fair," "The Blue Bells of Scotland," and "Can Can."
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Lesson 20: Rhythm Drills and Crescendo/Decrescendo Markings (page 30)
Three rhythm drills, plus new dynamics: crescendos and decrescendos.
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Lesson 21: Melodies with Crescendo/Decrescendo (page 31)
The two new melodies in this lesson include the crescendo and decrescendo markings you learned about on page 30.
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Learn to read and play 5th string B and use it in the C major scale and two melodies.
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Lesson 23: Melodies with 5th String B (pages 33-34)
Learn three melodies that include your new 5th string B.
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Lesson 24: Duet Playing (pages 34-35)
Your introduction to duet playing.
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Lesson 25: More Duets (page 36)
Two more duets: Molly Malone and Sakura.
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Lesson 26: Counting Duet (page 37)
Another duet. This one requires careful counting.
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Lesson 27: 5th String A (page 38)
Learn to read and play low A on the 5th string.
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Lesson 28: Melodies with 5th String A (pages 39-40)
The new melodies in this lesson include "Danny Boy" and "The Volga Boatman."
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Lesson 29: Staccato and Accent Markings (pages 40-41)
Learn about the two most common articulations: accents and staccato markings.
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Lesson 30: Liza Jane Duet (page 42)
This duet includes staccato and accent markings, plus a combined accent/staccato marking.
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Lesson 31: 1st String A (page 43)
Learn to read and play the 1st String A above the music staff.
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Lesson 32: Fingerings (page 44)
Learn about fingerings in your written music and practice following them with "Ye Banks and Braes o' Bonnie Dune" and "The Bamboo Flute."
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Lesson 33: Echo Duet (page 45)
The duet in this lesson requires careful counting!
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Lesson 34: Octave Etude (page 46)
This exercise includes all the notes you've learned to read and play so far and is excellent for practicing string skipping and pick control.
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Lesson 35: Dotted Quarter Notes (pages 47-48)
Learn to play and count dotted quarter + 8th note rhythms.
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Lesson 36: C Scale with Dotted Quarter Notes (page 49)
This C Major Scale etude features dotted quarter + 8th note rhythms. Include this in your warm-up for a few weeks.
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Lesson 37: Dotted Quarter Note Melodies (pages 50-51)
Kumbaya, Blow the Man Down, and Deck the Hall with Boughs of Holly.
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Lesson 38: Chromatic Scale (pages 52-53)
Learn how to play the Chromatic Scale, which will then be added to your warm-up.
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Lesson 39: 6th String G (pages 53-54)
Learn how to read and play low G on the 6th string and then use it in "Ode to Joy."
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Lesson 40: I Shall Not Be Moved (page 55)
This melody includes the new low G and some syncopated rhythms.
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Lesson 41: Kitty of Coleraine (page 56)
This is a challenging melody, but you'll learn some tricks to make it easier.
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Lesson 42: D.C. al Fine and D.C. al Coda (pages 57-58)
Learn to follow D.C. al Fine and D.C. al Coda markings.
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Lesson 43: D.S. al Fine and D.S. al Coda (pages 58-59)
Learn to follow D.S. al Fine and D.S. al Coda markings.
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Lesson 44: 8th + Dotted Quarter Note (pages 60-61)
Learn to count and play the 8th note + dotted quarter note rhythm.
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Lesson 45: C Major Scale Etude (page 62)
This C Major Scale Etude focuses on your new 8th + dotted quarter note rhythm.
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Lesson 46: Peace Like a River (page 63)
This new melody includes both the dotted quarter + 8th and the 8th + dotted quarter rhythms.
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Lesson 47: Swing Low (page 64)
This new melody includes both the dotted quarter + 8th and the 8th + dotted quarter rhythms as well as a D.S. al Coda.
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Lesson 48: Low E and F (pages 64-65)
Learn how to read and play low E and low F (the two lowest notes on the guitar), which you'll then play in a new duet.
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Lesson 49: All the Pretty Little Horses Duet (pages 66-67)
This duet includes a D.C. al Coda, and the Guitar 2 part includes most of your newest low notes.
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Lesson 50: Pachelbel Canon Duet (page 68)
The Guitar 2 part in this duet includes your newest notes.
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Lesson 51: Octave Etude (page 69)
This etude includes all the notes you've learned to read so far and is an excellent string skipping exercise.
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Lesson 52: Syncopation (pages 70-71)
Learn to play and count syncopated rhythms in a series of short rhythm drills.
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Lesson 53: Syncopated Melodies (page 72)
Play syncopated rhythms in "Somebody's Knocking at Your Door" and "Shoo Fly."
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Lesson 54: More Syncopated Melodies (page 73)
The new melodies in this lesson are "Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen" and "Down by the Riverside."
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Lesson 55: Half Steps and Whole Steps (pages 74-75)
Learn about half steps and whole steps, apply it to the major scale, and update your daily warm-up.
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Lesson 56: Sharps and Naturals (pages 76-77)
Learn about sharp signs and natural signs, and then play two new melodies with sharps: "Coventry Carol" and "The Oak and the Ash."
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Lesson 57: Etude for Sharps and Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child (page 78)
More practice in playing sharps with a new song and a new etude.
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Lesson 58: The Water Is Wide Duet (page 79)
This duet includes F#'s and C#'s in both parts.
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Lesson 59: Flats (pages 80-81)
Learn to read and play flats.
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Lesson 60: Flats and Open Strings (pages 82-83)
Learn how to change an open string natural note to a flat.
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Lesson 61: Romance and Greensleeves (page 84)
Two new melodies. "Romance from Lt. Kije Suite" has flats, and "Greensleeves" has sharps.
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Lesson 62: Theme from Polovetzian Dances and Rock (page 85)
The two new melodies in this lesson both include flats. The "Rock" melody is quite syncopated.
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Lesson 63: Hava Nagila (page 86)
The melody in this lesson includes both sharps and flats.
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Lesson 64: Down in the Valley and Wade in the Water (page 87)
"Down in the Valley" includes sharps. "Wade in the Water" includes flats and plenty of syncopation.
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Lesson 65: Shenandoah Duet (pages 88-89)
This final duet of Melody Guitar 3 includes plenty of sharps.
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Lesson 66: Blues Scale/Flats and Sharps on the 6th String (page 90)
This final lesson covers the Blues Scale, and you'll learn to find flats and sharps on the 6th string up to the 12th fret.