Mod Guitar Through the Years: Kinks, The Who, Jam & Paul Weller

It's the August bank holiday, Brighton has just had its Mod Weekender, and the theme for today's session is mod guitar through the years: where it came from, the key techniques behind it, and how it connects to the courses.

Two new bits of gear get an introduction first: the Positive Grid Spark Go mini amp (a first look with the app and presets), and a new Shergold Telstar 12-string guitar, which gets used throughout the session.

The main lesson traces mod guitar from its roots to the present day:

• The Kinks — You Really Got Me and All Day and All of the Night, both explored in depth. The lo-gain tone, pivot technique for power chords, and the creative string bending trick (bending string three while string two rings out open) are all covered

• The Who — Substitute on 12-string with a look at triads, first and second inversions, and Mr Tambourine Man-style 12-string ideas. My Generation gets a mention for completeness

• The Kinks again — Waterloo Sunset: capo second fret, the D over C sharp embellishment and the Stairway to Heaven-esque bridge section

• Small Faces — Tin Soldier: E major, G, D and A chord breakdown, C sharp minor, E minor pentatonic lick with vibrato. All or Nothing gets a mention

• The Jam and Paul Weller — Eton Rifles and Going Underground, tracing the throughline from 50s soul and Stax Records through Steve Marriott straight to Weller. The D major to D6 riff and major seven chord embellishments in Going Underground, plus a broader discussion of how Weller's key changes and soul influence define the sound

• Soul roots — In the Midnight Hour by Wilson Pickett, Knock on Wood by Eddie Floyd (both co-written by Steve Cropper), and Last Shadow Puppets as a more modern extension of the same tradition

• The Molotovs — modern mod, a band Andy has interviewed, with Waterloo Sunset-style chord movement

There is also plenty of course news: the Chord Explorer series is now fully edited and live on the website, Fraser's Metal Lead course is live, and Intermediate Electric Level Six is dropping this week.