Learn to Play "Cortez the Killer" by Neil Young on Guitar

In this lesson, we'll learn how to play Cortez the Killer on the guitar. This classic song by Neil Young is a fantastic piece to add to your repertoire, especially for beginners.

The Basics

Cortez the Killer is a straightforward song that even beginners can pick up quickly. The song's simplicity lies in its chord progression, which consists of E minor, D, and A minor. This progression repeats throughout the song, making it easy to follow along with the original recording.

Exploring Variations

One of the greatest aspects of this song is its ability to be varied. It's a wonderful canvas for you to experiment with simple chords, strumming patterns, and even some soloing.

If you're feeling adventurous and want to experiment, you can play around with different strumming patterns. This can add extra flavor to your performance and make the song your own. Remember, there's no right or wrong way to play it. The most important thing is to make it feel nice and that you enjoy playing it.

Rhythm and Strumming

The rhythm for the tune is based on 16th note strumming. This might be a little tricky for beginners, but don't let that discourage you. In fact, this song is an excellent opportunity to try out different things and see what feels comfortable for you. The important thing is to keep the rhythm consistent, so even if you're just doing simple down and up strums, that's perfectly fine.

Jamming and Improvisation

Cortez the Killer is also a fun song to jam with. If you're learning the G major scale or the E minor pentatonic scale, this song provides a fantastic backdrop to practice improvisation. This song is particularly good for beginners because you can explore it a lot more later as you progress in your guitar journey.

Wrapping Up

Remember, as a beginner, the most important thing is to enjoy the journey of learning to play the guitar. Don't be in a hurry to do fancy tunings or complicated strumming patterns. Keep the chords and rhythm simple, and focus on making it feel nice. The most important thing is that you enjoy playing and you continue to grow as a guitarist.

So, grab your guitar, watch the video, and let's start playing Cortez the Killer together. Remember, practice makes permanent, so don't get discouraged if you don't get it right away. Keep practicing and.

👉 Want chords, tabs, and lyrics to follow along with my song tutorials? Check out JustinGuitarTabs!