Acoustic Guitar Lesson
Have you always wondered how to play the intro guitar part to Ventura Highway? Here is a short acoustic guitar lesson that shows how to do it.
How To Play Ventura Highway by America
Online Guitar Lesson
Ventura Highway is a song I have always enjoyed listening to but never really worked out a way to play until recently. It was originally done with three guitars playing individual parts.
After a few requests to get the TAB to this posted I finally got around to writing it out. This was a tune that was a lot of fun to arrange as for many years I had shown people a slightly simplified version that didn't have both melody lines complete but sounded OK.
The original recording had each melody line played separately with a third guitar coming in to strum the chords. I tried a few different ways of fingering the 2 lines simultaneously and was excited when I came across one that is not particularly easy or obvious. With a little practice it will sound great. The key was to play all the notes on the 2nd and 3rd strings until near the end. It is also important to make the change from 10th position to 5th position by landing with your 3rd and 4th fingers at the 7th fret. The change to 2nd position lands with a 1/2 bar at the 2nd fret.
The double hammer on/pull off move is also one requires some practice to sound good. Be sure to hold your 1st and 2nd fingers firmly in contact with the strings as you hammer/pull with your 3rd and 4th fingers.
I didn't write out the strumming pattern but it starts on the 2nd beat of measures 2 and 4 and completes the measure. Click here for the TAB.
After a few requests to get the TAB to this posted I finally got around to writing it out. This was a tune that was a lot of fun to arrange as for many years I had shown people a slightly simplified version that didn't have both melody lines complete but sounded OK.
The original recording had each melody line played separately with a third guitar coming in to strum the chords. I tried a few different ways of fingering the 2 lines simultaneously and was excited when I came across one that is not particularly easy or obvious. With a little practice it will sound great. The key was to play all the notes on the 2nd and 3rd strings until near the end. It is also important to make the change from 10th position to 5th position by landing with your 3rd and 4th fingers at the 7th fret. The change to 2nd position lands with a 1/2 bar at the 2nd fret.
The double hammer on/pull off move is also one requires some practice to sound good. Be sure to hold your 1st and 2nd fingers firmly in contact with the strings as you hammer/pull with your 3rd and 4th fingers.
I didn't write out the strumming pattern but it starts on the 2nd beat of measures 2 and 4 and completes the measure. Click here for the TAB.
Video Guitar Lesson
Guitar Lesson- How To Play Ventura Highway - America
http://www.TotallyGuitars.com Neil Hogan shows us how to play the opening melody to Ventura Highway. Harmony in thirds with strumming chords I and IV in the key of D. Free online video lesson.
curated content from YouTube
Ventura Highway
Chewing on a piece of grass
Walking down the road
Tell me, how long you gonna stay here, Joe?
Some people say this town don't look good in snow
You don't care, I know
Ventura Highway in the sunshine
Where the days are longer
The nights are stronger than moonshine
You're gonna go I know
'Cause the free wind is blowin' through your hair
And the days surround your daylight there
Seasons crying no despair
Alligator lizards in the air, in the air
Wishin' on a falling star
Waitin' for the early train
Sorry boy, but I've been hit by purple rain
Aw, come on, Joe, you can always
Change your name
Thanks a lot, son, just the same
Ventura Highway in the sunshine
Where the days are longer
The nights are stronger than moonshine
You're gonna go I know
'Cause the free wind is blowin' through your hair
And the days surround your daylight there
Seasons crying no despair
Alligator lizards in the air, in the air
Walking down the road
Tell me, how long you gonna stay here, Joe?
Some people say this town don't look good in snow
You don't care, I know
Ventura Highway in the sunshine
Where the days are longer
The nights are stronger than moonshine
You're gonna go I know
'Cause the free wind is blowin' through your hair
And the days surround your daylight there
Seasons crying no despair
Alligator lizards in the air, in the air
Wishin' on a falling star
Waitin' for the early train
Sorry boy, but I've been hit by purple rain
Aw, come on, Joe, you can always
Change your name
Thanks a lot, son, just the same
Ventura Highway in the sunshine
Where the days are longer
The nights are stronger than moonshine
You're gonna go I know
'Cause the free wind is blowin' through your hair
And the days surround your daylight there
Seasons crying no despair
Alligator lizards in the air, in the air
