Guitar Masterclass Band 6 Play in the Style of AC/DC: Guitar Book & CD

Swagger and precision in equal measure. AC/DC's guitar approach combines bluesy bends and pentatonic runs with a mechanical exactness of rhythm and dynamics that makes simple ideas feel unstoppable. Working through these materials puts you inside that tension.

Intermediate guitarists ready to move beyond generic rock patterns and study how a signature style is actually constructed. This works especially well for players in rock and hard rock bands who want to understand the building blocks of their influences.

• Study the CD examples first before reading the notation. Hearing Young's articulation and attack will show you exactly how much attitude lives in the phrasing, not just the notes themselves.
• Pay close attention to the rhythm notation and tablature together. Young's timing is often behind or ahead of the beat in ways that create swagger; tab alone won't capture that feel.
• Work through one lick completely before moving to the next. Mastering five licks that sit in your hands is far more valuable than rushing through twenty.

Assign this to guitarists in a rock ensemble or independent study who need to deepen their understanding of style-specific vocabulary. It also works as a bridge between classical or jazz studies and contemporary rock, showing how different traditions inform modern playing.

• AC/DC pentatonic scale patterns and variations
• Power chord technique and muting for rhythmic clarity
• Blues-based bending and vibrato control
• Lick construction and phrasing variations
• Reading notation and tablature in tandem for stylistic accuracy