Playing Cool Licks off Your Open Chords

Playing Cool Licks off Your Open Chords 🎸

Turn basic open chords into cool, musical licks.No scales. No theory. Just better guitar playing.

Ready to make your guitar playing sound more polished? In this lesson, you’ll learn how to play cool licks and riffs directly off your open chords using the notes you’re already fretting—no scales, no heavy theory required.

This video shows you how to mix open chords with single-note lines, riff off chord triads, and use your ear to create tasteful fills that actually sound musical. Perfect for beginner to early-intermediate guitar players who know their chords and want to level up.

What to expect:

How to create licks from open chord shapes

Simple triad-based riffing explained clearly

Better chord transitions and fills

A practical approach to playing by ear

If you know your open chords and want to sound more confident and expressive on guitar, this lesson is for you.

🎶 Play slow. Trust your ear. Just play your guitar.

YouTube Chapters – Playing Cool Licks off Your Open Chords

00:00 – Who This Lesson Is For
Beginner to early-intermediate players ready to level up

00:48 – Why Mixing Chords and Licks Sounds More Polished
How adding notes transforms basic chord playing

01:33 – The Big Question: What Notes Do I Play?
Introducing the simple riffing template

01:54 – Riffing Off the Anchor of the Triad (Explained Simply)
What triads are and why they work

02:48 – Triads vs Arpeggios (No Theory Stress)
Picking chord notes individually

03:17 – Starting with the A Chord
Breaking the chord and starting your riff

03:46 – Why You Don’t Always Start on the Root Note
Using the 5th and other chord tones

04:50 – The 4-Note Box Concept
A simple way to build licks from chords

05:10 – Moving Licks Between A, D, and E
Connecting chords with riffs

06:24 – Playing by Ear (What It Really Means)
Why you don’t need to overthink notes

07:50 – When You Do Need to Watch Your Notes
Playing with other guitarists, singers, or cover bands

08:57 – Using This Approach with Minor Chords
Applying the same idea to A minor and D minor

09:19 – Special Notes About G and C Chords
Understanding open strings and triads

10:25 – Finding the Root Note in Open Chords
The ring-finger shortcut

11:19 – How to Practice This the Right Way
Slow, intentional practice for real results

12:02 – Final Advice: Just Play Your Guitar
Closing thoughts and encouragement