Skip to content

Guitar Noise Podcast #16 – Streets of Laredo

Download MP3

Hello to all!

We’ll continue with our “using the stuff we’ve learned so far” by looking at “Streets of Laredo,” a traditional song that some of you may recognize from Johnny Cash’s “American Recordings IV.”

Streets of Laredo Chords/Lyrics Cheat Sheet 1
Streets of Laredo Chords/Lyrics Cheat Sheet 2
Streets of Laredo Chords/Lyrics Cheat Sheet 3

In this, our sixteenth Guitar Noise Podcast, we’ll start with a basic “bass / strum” in 3/4 timing and then add some fancier work to both the bass and the strumming.

As always, I’ll be walking you step by step through the lesson. And, as always, please let us know what you think.

Peace

6 Comments

  1. David Hodge
    October 13th, 2008 @ 12:07 pm

    Hi Chrissy and Richard

    Thank you both for your kind words and I’m glad that these Guitar Noise Podcasts are proving themselves useful to the both of you.

    Richard, I can’t say one way or the other about video podcasts. First off, I don’t know how much more time they would take to create compared to these and it’s hard enough coming up with spare time for anything these days. Then there’s the subject of bandwidth and how much it will cost the Guitar Noise website. Paul and I are in the process of trying to hash out some ideas for video – I simply can’t say yet just how it’s all going to work out. Or not work out, for that matter.

    Chrissy – the best way to work in the hammer-on for the second G is to not worry at all about having any finger on the low E (sixth) string. Since the hammer is providing the new bass note for the chord, you don’t have to play the low E. If you can manage to keep a finger on just the high E string (and you’ll probably find you need a little practice to get comfortable doing this), then you should have all the chord you need.

    Hope this helps and please keep the comments and feedback coming.

    Peace

  2. Richard
    October 12th, 2008 @ 9:49 am

    I love these podcasts. They are very helpful for learning the guitar. I always need to hear audio when I am learning something on the guitar. A book alone never worked for me.
    I hope we will see video podcasts sometime in the near future.
    Thanks David.
    Rich

  3. Chrissy
    October 4th, 2008 @ 6:49 pm

    I can’t tell you how much your podcasts have improved my (very beginner) playing…thank you so much for your generosity. Now a question…is there a trick to getting that hammer on the A string when paying the second G chord in the first line? Is it okay to hammer first, then place the other two fingers on the low and high E strings? I don’t seem to be able to fret the chord first and then get the hammer done in time.

  4. David Hodge
    September 18th, 2008 @ 11:24 am

    Hello Heikal and Christine

    And a “thank you” to both of you for your kind words. I’m glad that these Guitar Noise Podcasts, not to mention all the many lessons at Guitar Noise, are being of help.

    Getting to hear and explore the many different techniques of the guitar is a great way to learn and will ultimately make you a more complete guitarist, not to mention a better musician.

    I hope you feel free to write anytime, whether with questions or suggestions or simply to let us all know how things are going with you.

    Looking forward to hearing about your progress!

    Peace

  5. Christine
    September 16th, 2008 @ 4:00 pm

    Thank you so much for offering your expertise! Your lessons are so clear and helpful and kind. . .

  6. heikal
    September 4th, 2008 @ 8:01 pm

    Hi David…

    I’m very glad that you are kind and generous to share n teach your strumming and picking technique…I like the way you combine between strumming and plucking technique.As a begginer classical guitar player, its a great opportunity for me to feel a different kind/way of guitar technique…I even follow your begginer song column…(not half through yet…still learning and practicing) You are a great teacher..thanks for sharing…:)