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Rhythm and groove are essential factors in any musical performance. These are what set the vibe of the song, which supports the story unfolding within song’s melody and lyrics. As guitar players, employing an array of harmonic applications, creative approaches, and rhythm techniques broadens the palette with which we can paint.

In his course, Songsmith: Rhythm & Rhyme, Blair Dunlop shows you the creative and rhythmic tools he uses. And, through these tools, you can learn to apply new techniques to your own compositions.

Here are eight free video guitar lessons from the course. For the full course, check out Blair Dunlop’s Songsmith: Rhythm & Rhyme on TrueFire!

Songwriting Guitar Lesson – Thumb Picking: Demonstration


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Here I’ll demonstrate the way I approach thumb picking, and discuss the importance of keeping the sound as natural as possible.

Songwriting Guitar Lesson – Blight & Blossom: Overview


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The song is split into 4 seasons, but the whole thing is underpinned by the constant throb of the thumb pick on the bass. Moving from a normal pick, this frees up an extra finger, and we’ll look at some patterns and sequences in the tuning of DADEAD. Repetition and consistency are key, especially when singing across different rhythms on the guitar.

Songwriting Guitar Lesson – Blight & Blossom: Performance


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Follow along as I play this at full speed. Later, we’ll break this down piece by piece.

Songwriting Guitar Lesson – Blight & Blossom: The Verse Section & Intro Breakdown


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In this video I’ll break down the Verse Section and Intro of “Blight & Blossom,” and demonstrate some of the intricacies which combine raking, hammer-ons and pull-offs.

Songwriting Guitar Lesson – Blight & Blossom: The Chorus Section Breakdown


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Now let’s take a look at the Chorus Section for “Blight & Blossom” which eventually combines both the chugging rhythm with the guitar‘s melody.

Songwriting Guitar Lesson – Blight & Blossom: Instrumental Section One


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Here we’ll continue on with Instrumental Section One of “Blight & Blossom,” where I throw in some dissonance and chromatic runs.

Songwriting Guitar Lesson – Blight & Blossom: Instrumental Section Two


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In this video I’ll break down Instrumental Section 2 of “Blight & Blossom,” and demonstrate the importance of dynamics for this particular section.

Songwriting Guitar Lesson – Blight & Blossom: The From & Outro


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Now let’s take a look at the Form & Outro for “Blight & Blossom.” We’ll discuss our journey through the seasons, and the actual importance of using a thumb pick.

Digging these free lessons? Check out Blair Dunlop’s full course, Songsmith: Rhythm & Rhyme.