1. Overview of the Series
2. Song Lessons (Grouped by Technique and Difficulty)
3. Technique Lessons

Overview of the Series

“Pluck and Chuck” is a term I use to discuss a group of percussive guitar techniques that integrate closely with finger style guitar playing. This includes thumb slaps and combination flick/slap strokes (which I call chucks for short).

This series starts with a basic lesson on the techniques involved, and goes on to explain how to play songs with it, improvise solos, and gives some suggestions for exploration!

This started as a series focusing on a technique singer-songwriters have been using since at least the 70’s to add a rhythmic twist into their playing. It probably emerged from clawhammer banjo (which was earlier and used a similar idea). Since that time, the technique has evolved a lot but without many people in guitar circles discussing it directly. This series is an attempt to observe all the new techniques that are cropping up and tie them together into a cohesive set of lessons that make them easy to master and expand.

Song Lessons

Each song has a video lesson, tabs, chord diagrams, and insightful tips (if I got around to finishing it). The songs go in order from easy to more difficult and are grouped by the techniques they use. There is also a planned sequence for learning different techniques, so the easiest way to master the technique is to follow the songs in order.

Beginner Group 1 – The Empty Chuck

• Love Yourself – Justin Bieber/Ed Sheeran
• Small Bump (Easy Version) – Ed Sheeran
• More Than Words – Extreme

Beginner Group 2 – Chuck Strums

• Life is Wonderful – Jason Mraz
• Return to Pooh Corner – Kenny Loggins

Intermediate Group 1 – Quarter Note Grooves

• Mario Kart Love Song – Sam Hart
• You Were Meant For Me – Jewel
• I Will Follow You Into the Dark – Deathcab For Cutie
• Dear Marie – John Mayer

Intermediate Group 2 – 16th Note Plucking – The “Jason Mraz” Groove

• Details In The Fabric – Jason Mraz
• Sleeping to Dream – Jason Mraz
• Burning Bridges – Jason Mraz
• Conversation With Myself – Jason Mraz

Intermediate Group 3 – 8th Note Grooves

• Free Fallin’ – John Mayer/Tom Petty
• Did I Fool Ya? – Jason Mraz
• Your Body is a Wonderland – John Mayer
• Why Georgia – John Mayer

Intermediate Group 4 – Extra Slow 16th Grooves

• Tangled Up in You – Aaron Lewis
• Holy Now – Peter Mayer

Advanced Group 1 – Three Part Textures

• Stop This Train – John Mayer
• The Heart of Life – John Mayer

Advanced Group 2 – Downbeat Grooves

• Hurricane Railroad – David Jacobs Strain
• Sketch Without a Name – Prudence Delilah

Advanced Group 3 – Unusual Grooves

• Be Honest – Jason Mraz
• Present/Infant – Ani DiFranco
• November 4th, 2008 – Ani DiFranco
• Clarity – John Mayer
• Neon (Room for Squares) – John Mayer
• Gravel – Ani DiFranco
• You F***ing Did It – Jason Mraz

Advanced Group 4 – Songs With Challenging Breaks

• Neon (Live in LA) – John Mayer
• Further Away – Ben Howard
  
• 3×5 – John Mayer
• Blues Man – Steven Stills
• Moonbeam – Willy Porter

Adaptation Songs

• Meet Virginia – Train
• The A Team – Ed Sheeran
• When You Come Back Down – Nickel Creek
• Ripple – The Grateful Dead
• Song of the Caged Bird – Lindsey Stirling/Jon Michael Swift

Fingerstyle Songs

• 100 Years – Five for Fighting/Sungmin Lee
• Rylynn – Andy McKee

Pluck and Chuck Technique Lessons 

This is the part where I find a use for my useless music theory degree. I’ll explain the underlying patterns in the songs, how to play the basic techniques, and how to expand all these ideas to do improvisations and write your own songs. This is the good stuff, so I hope you’re hungry.

1. Intro Video/ Basic Strokes
2. Pluck and Chuck Rudiment Camp – Advanced Strokes and Comprehensive Pattern Combinations
3. Thumb Groove/Drum Groove – How Pluck and Chuck is the 3rd Style of Percussive Guitar
4. Swapping Grooves – How to Combine Patterns from Multiple Songs
5. Expanding Grooves – Comping Improvisation
6. 2 Part Improvisation – Advanced Finger Style Pluck and Chuck Technique

The Songwriter’s Grooves Project