Watch the North Carolina online guitar lesson by Robben Ford from Rhythm Revolution

Years ago Steely Dan did a record, I think the record was Asia, the opening song is called "Black Cow". Larry Carlton is one of the guitarists featured on the record. The riff used inspired me to write a song called "North Carolina" which I did on my first solo record called The Inside Story. So I took that and ran with it. I'm playing sixths on the B flat chord. Then the four chord, then the five chord. I think my fingers get in the way of demonstrating some of this. Something that you really should understand is that so much can be played just on a major scale. The piano is the most brilliant way to view this, it's the most visual instrument more so than the guitar. The white keys on the piano are the scale of C. Tonic third and fifth is your basic triad. I'm mentioning the third and the sixths because in the next chorus I start playing them. I'm just playing the scale. It's important that you understand that a major scale and simple things - thirds and sixths played in a linear way is music. You're playing a scale in a soulful way. I covered my chord voicings here. I'm adding something of myself to something very basic, without you, the guitarist, it is just bones. You are the blood that runs through the body, you put warmth and beauty to these notes, they can't do it on their own, you have to do it. That's the great joy of making music.

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