Day 14 - Rock & Roll Weaving In Standard Tuning
In this video
This final lesson brings together everything you've learned about guitar weaving, demonstrating how to apply these concepts in standard tuning using ‘It's Only Rock 'n' Roll’ as the vehicle.
What You Will Learn:
How to weave between rhythm and lead without strict roles
Signature opening lick to this song
Blues shuffle riff in the key of E
How to avoid making it sound like AC/DC (hint: hold back!)
The G-A-D-E chord changes with subtle voicings
Major and minor pentatonic switching for solos
Not Strictly Rhythm, Not Strictly Lead
The Rolling Stones approach means neither guitarist plays a strict part. You move between rhythm playing (the blues shuffle, the chord stabs) and lead lines instinctively, building and receding throughout the song.
The Opening Lick
The signature intro uses slides and double stops - essentially D chord tones sliding up to E chord tones. This sets up the weaving approach from the first section
Holding Back...
A key instruction for this is to avoid sounding like different bands, such as by not playing big power chords like AC/DC. The Rolling Stones sound comes from restraint and subtlety and groove with vibe! Really hold back on the chord hits and give it that vibe through varied dynamics rather than volume.
Live Variation
The Stones often perform this in B rather than E (better for Keith's voice). The lesson demonstrates how everything translates – the same approaches work regardless of key, which is the whole point of the guitar weaving toolkit you've built throughout this course.