Going Home: Authentic Guitar TAB

Aftermath is the album where the Stones proved they could write sophisticated rock songs that hold up across decades. Every track on this TAB edition offers something different: a signature riff to master, a fingerstyle passage to refine, or a rhythm part that locks into a groove worth owning completely. Students get to learn from the actual recorded arrangements, not simplified versions, which means they're building skills on material that genuinely matters in rock guitar history.

Raw energy meets precise craft. These songs carry the restless, exploratory spirit of 1960s London blues-rock: minor key lines that twist unexpectedly, rhythms that sit just slightly ahead of the beat, and production choices that make familiar chords feel fresh and dangerous. There's swagger in the playing, but it's grounded in solid musicianship and attention to detail.

Guitar students at intermediate level and above who are ready to tackle the actual recorded parts from classic rock albums. Musicians preparing for a rock repertoire recital, building a cover band setlist, or studying how blues and folk traditions shape rock songwriting. Teachers looking for authentic, historically significant material that keeps students engaged with real songs while building technical and listening skills.

• Focus on the rhythmic accuracy of the riffs before worrying about speed. Songs like "Under My Thumb" and "Paint It Black" sit in the pocket because the timing is precise, not because they're fast.
• Use the TAB alongside listening to the original recordings multiple times. The recorded guitar tones and overdubs clarify what each tab line represents when the notation alone feels ambiguous.
• Work through the fingerstyle passages slowly, particularly in tracks like "Lady Jane" and "Going Home." Map out your finger positions before attempting tempo.
• Pay attention to any notated dynamics or articulation marks. The Stones' arrangements include subtle muting, string dampening, and accent patterns that shape the overall sound.

Build a classic rock unit around this album, pairing it with recordings and discussions of blues influence, songwriting craft, and the evolution of guitar-driven rock. Program individual tracks in student recitals as showpieces; "Paint It Black" and "Under My Thumb" both demonstrate technical skill and stylistic authenticity in shorter timeframes. Use this as a capstone for intermediate guitarists transitioning into more demanding contemporary and classic rock material.

• Reading and executing authentic guitar TAB with overdubbed and layered parts
• Playing blues-based rock riffs with precise rhythmic placement and feel
• Fingerstyle technique applied to folk and rock contexts (Lady Jane, Going Home)
• Understanding guitar arrangement through studying multiple part textures and voicings
• Translating recorded performances into written notation by ear (supplementary listening work)
• Building confidence with material from the rock canon