Songs for Intermediate Electric Level 1

Rather than a long list of options, this lesson identifies the handful of songs that will have the biggest impact on your development at this stage. Each one targets a specific skill from the course — the E minor pentatonic superhighway, partial barre chord shapes, rhythm and feel — and together they form a strong foundation for moving forward to Intermediate Level 2.

What You'll Learn

•       Which songs best reinforce the techniques from this level

•       How Livin' on a Prayer and Black Night use the E minor pentatonic superhighway

•       How Dreams by Fleetwood Mac applies the partial barre chord shapes

•       Why Paranoid is a key stepping stone towards Grade 3

•       How Superstition ties together rhythm, riffs and the E minor pentatonic

Livin' on a Prayer and Black Night

Both songs use the E minor pentatonic superhighway covered in Lesson 9. Livin' on a Prayer is beginner-friendly and can be played with two fingers or using the rolling technique. Black Night by Deep Purple adds a little more depth and 70s rock character. Either or both are ideal first applications of the scale in a song context.

Dreams by Fleetwood Mac

Dreams uses the partial barre chord shapes covered in Lesson 8 and is a great example of how simple shapes can produce beautiful, musical chord playing. It also includes a simple A minor pentatonic solo — making it a rare two-in-one song that covers both rhythm and lead at this level.

Paranoid and Superstition

These two are the Grade 3 target songs. Paranoid by Black Sabbath reinforces the E minor pentatonic and fast power chord playing, while Superstition by Stevie Wonder takes those same notes and applies a much more syncopated, funky rhythm. You don't need the full songs nailed at this level — getting the riffs under your fingers and heading in the right direction is the goal.