Mcancell
Verified buyer
12/07/25
Terrific course and instructor
Great course. Great instructor. I have and will continue to purchase from that instructor.
Song Lesson: Franklin's Tower by The Grateful Dead (JamPlay)
Immerse in the Jam: Master 'Franklin's Tower' One Groovy Strum at a Time!
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About this course
Embark on a journey through the timeless world of The Grateful Dead with TrueFire's online guitar lesson for "Franklin's Tower," produced in collaboration with JamPlay. This comprehensive course offers a meticulous examination of this classic jam band anthem, serving as an essential tool for guitarists of all levels eager to delve into the band's diverse musical landscape.
Our expert instructor guides you through the vibrant chord progressions, catchy riffs, and complex jamming techniques that make up this iconic track. High-definition video lessons, comprehensive explanations, and valuable tips are all combined to equip you with everything you need to master this staple of The Grateful Dead's repertoire.
The "Franklin's Tower" lesson package includes:
Our expert instructor guides you through the vibrant chord progressions, catchy riffs, and complex jamming techniques that make up this iconic track. High-definition video lessons, comprehensive explanations, and valuable tips are all combined to equip you with everything you need to master this staple of The Grateful Dead's repertoire.
The "Franklin's Tower" lesson package includes:
- Detailed video tutorials breaking down each part of the song with high-quality visuals.
- Interactive, multi-angle views focusing on both left-hand fretting and right-hand strumming techniques.
- Downloadable backing tracks at various tempos to enhance your practice sessions.
- In-depth lessons on the song's music theory and unique songwriting elements.
- Bonus content, including gear and tone tips to help you capture the classic Grateful Dead sound.
What you'll learn
- Execute smooth transitions between rhythm and lead guitar parts
- Maintain consistent groove and timing throughout an entire song performance
- Learn both Bob Weir's rhythm approach and Jerry Garcia's lead style
- Understand how to build improvisation into simple song structures
- Develop flexible improvisation skills beyond fixed modal thinking
Release date: 12/21/2022 • 1h 58m runtime
Sample lessons
Full Song Performance
What's included
14 lessons • 8 charts • 1 Jam Tracks
Franklin's Tower |Overview
"Franklin's Tower" was released in the summer of 1975 on The Grateful Dead's eighth studio album, 'Blues for Allah'. Sitting comfortably as the third track of side one, the song was one of two singles released from the album that helped make it the highest-charting release from the band at the time - topping out at #12 on the Billboard Pop Album charts!
Full Song Performance
Let's take a trip back to 1975 with Dave Isaacs as he plays through this Grateful Dead classic!
Easy Strum | Lesson
Let's kick things off with an easy version so everyone can play along with this classic!
Easy Strum | Practice Session
Now let's practice the easy version we learned in the previous lesson.
Easy Strum | Playalong
Ok, now let's play what we've learned along with the band!
Guitar 1 | Lesson
Now we'll switch gears and cover the first of Jerry's parts with this rhythm track.
Guitar 1 | Practice Session
Now let's practice the rhythm track we learned in the previous lesson.
+ 7 more lessons
Reviews
6 results
prokaw
Verified buyer
06/25/25
Franlins Tower
Very clear explanations, even with very few chords, utilizing the pentatonic scales, major minor and the modes while improvising.
Starglazer
Verified buyer
09/27/24
Great Title.
I enjoyed leaning this tune Thanks.
HowieMD
Verified buyer
09/24/24
It was very useful until it got to the solo section which was very vague and unhelpful.
markcumming
Verified buyer
02/20/24
Awesome 👏 thanks.
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