How to play 'Ventura Highway' by America

News! December 9th 2021 - I am now an affiliate for the Beatbuddy drum machine that I am ALWAYS using - you get 10% off if you enter promo code GAW10 via this link:
By request - a classic for sure! Learn the chords and strumming patterns for this essential song - very funky strumming patterns and jazzy sounding chords!
Once you've learned this song be sure to head to the Playalong video where I will play through it with you at a Medium tempo and then at full speed while calling out the chord changes - Fun! This link will take you there:

[rodterrell]

Hearing the lick at the beginning just brings back memories of a great time in my life.

[mrileeks]

6:16 - strum pattern
9:00 - lead/intro

0:00 onwards - pure, unadulterated, awesome teaching

[Foxtrot]

Shane, thank you for deconstructing this beautiful strumming pattern and making this lesson for us. I didn’t think I could handle it, but your teaching has really put me on the path to mastering it. It’s great to have such a variety of guitar masters on YouTube publish their versions of these classic songs, we can pick and choose bits and pieces that suit our individual styles and what level we may be at.

[glennfleming]

Beautiful. Having watched this, I'm now giving up my guitar and going back to listen to the records!!!

[stuartdickson]

much thanks for being here,
well done, direct, no BS, the straight goods,
with options.

i'll be back

[russhowe]

Great song, great band, great teacher....another strum pattern to learn. Thank you Shane

[cindipossidento]

My favorite song from AMERICA !!!!
70’s totally awesome !!!!

[lisabyrnek.c.]

I started playing guitar January 25, 2018. While taking the 4 "lessons" that came with my guitar, I discovered Shane Simpson and haven't looked back. Shane is a gifted teacher with the ability to break complex patterns down into manageable pieces so you can actually learn them properly. He even gives you a "campfire version" to help you play the song so you won't give up on it and get frustrated while you are learning the difficult bits. Thanks to Shane I can play the guitar pretty well in a very short time. Can't thank you enough. Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us!

[thomastucker]

All my guitar work is mostly original, which is why I watch these vids when there's a song I am interested in. I can pick up these songs in about two minutes, however, I stuck around because your teaching style is so informative and I wanted to hear all you had to offer. I normally skip through in two minutes. You are a great instructor, thank you for sharing!

[Fronz]

Shane, I've been playing a version of this song my own way since 1978...it's been all wrong! I can hear the difference right from the start! I can adapt to most of yours and a couple pieces of mine and voila, much improved! Improvement is the name of the game! Thanks again!

[Gratefulman]

Great teacher great lesson,
I grew up on Americas music as a kid of the 70’s although I’ve always been a singer I never truly focused on guitar until high school but intermittently at best. I played in a rock band as a singer and bassist. And after that just writing singing and acoustic. I have to say as a picker the strum pattern is a challenge for me due to not playing that pattern often but I’m coming around somewhat quickly. I love the way you break
It down and make it digestible. As a 57 year old acoustic guy this is an awesome learning format. Thank you sir!🎶

[The]

You are the most thorough, yet easiest to understand teacher on YT, thank you

[MdvGau]

I really admire your strumming on this song...really good and really sets this song apart.

[roberttraphagan]

I really like the way you teach both beginners and those slightly more advanced! Just great.

[jmasfamily]

Shane I have been checking out a lot of your posts lately (old and new). Great stuff. Love your teaching style!

[andrewoconnor]

Love the way you break it down and take it slow for the beginners like me! Thank you very much for all the effort that you put in! :)

[jameshanson]

I could not feel more connected to a song if I tried. My ex and I would play this in the car on our way up to the summer home in the Sierra Nevada mountains. (Pine Mountain Lake) with our babies. A very spiritual connection here. What a special Song/Memory! Thank you for sharing this lesson never learned it. Played it right along with the lesson and a great lesson it is. Rock on my brother.

[fabianpatrizio]

can't believe those guys wrote this song when they were 19, 20.... amazing

[jrh]

“Down down chick-a down down:” reminds me of a pick-up line from the 70s.

[tommybuick]

Great job man!! I tried to learn this song by ear and only managed to catch the Dm7 by ear, made so much easier. Thanks a bunch, keep it up.