96 Tears: Interm./Easy Guitar TAB

The rawness and freedom of a generation finding its voice through electric instruments. These arrangements capture the interplay between folk authenticity and amplified rebellion that defined the era, moving from introspective fingerpicking to driving rhythmic grooves without apology.

Intermediate to easy-level guitarists ready to connect with repertoire beyond beginner method books. This works equally well for teenagers discovering classic rock for the first time and adult students reconnecting with the soundtrack of their own youth.

• Work through the songs in clusters by decade or artist rather than sequentially. Grouping similar styles (early Beatles versus later Beatles, for instance) helps students internalize the stylistic evolution of the era.
• Pay attention to the TAB notation for hybrid picking and fingerstyle techniques common to these artists. Many '60s and '70s songs rely on precise articulation rather than pure speed.
• Slow tempos down enough that students can track the harmonic movement before building speed. Classic rock riffs often sit at deceptively challenging tempos when played cleanly.
• Use the unfamiliar songs alongside the obvious hits. Students often surprise themselves with deep cuts that become personal favorites once they're in their hands.

Assign individual songs as supplementary repertoire throughout the year, building a student portfolio across multiple artists and styles. This collection also works as a bridge between classical/fingerstyle training and contemporary ensemble playing, letting guitarists explore how the same techniques appear across radically different contexts.

• Reading and executing TAB notation across varied picking patterns
• Navigating fingerstyle and hybrid picking techniques
• Recognizing and playing chord progressions common to rock idiom
• Adapting tempo and articulation to match period-specific playing styles
• Ear training through music they recognize and want to emulate