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      • Angels We Have Heard On High | acoustic
      • Deck The Halls | acoustic
      • The First Noel | acoustic
      • God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen | acoustic
      • Good King Wenceslas | acoustic
      • I Believe In Father Christmas | acoustic
      • It Came Upon A Midnight Clear| acoustic
      • Joy To the World | acoustic
      • O Come All Ye Faithful | acoustic
      • We Three Kings Of Orient Are | acoustic
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  • Lesson Index
    • A-D >
      • AC/DC >
        • Back In Black | rhythm
        • Bad Boy Boogie | rhythm
        • Baptism By Fire | rhythm
        • Beating Around The Bush | rhythm
        • Play Ball | rhythm and solo
        • Riff Raff | rhythm
        • Rock Or Bust | rhythm
        • Rock the House | rhythm
        • You Shook Me All Night Long | solo
      • Adele >
        • Million Years Ago | acoustic
      • Aerosmith >
        • Sweet Emotion | rhythm
        • Walk This Way | solos
      • Alan Parsons Project >
        • Eye In the Sky | electric rhythm & solo
        • I Wouldn't Want To Be Like You | electric rhythm & solo
      • Allman Brothers >
        • Little Martha | acoustic
      • America >
        • Tin Man | acoustic
        • Ventura Highway | acoustic
      • Badfinger >
        • Baby Blue | electric and acoustic
        • No Matter What | electric rhythm
      • Beatles | Solo >
        • A Day In the Life | acoustic
        • Across the Universe | acoustic
        • Blackbird | acoustic
        • Bluebird | acoustic
        • Calico Skies | acoustic
        • Dear Prudence | acoustic
        • Eleanor Rigby | acoustic
        • Every Night | acoustic
        • Girl | acoustic
        • Happy With You | acoustic
        • Here Comes the Sun | acoustic
        • Here, There and Everywhere | acoustic
        • Here Today | acoustic
        • I Will | acoustic
        • In My Life | acoustic
        • Jenny Wren | acoustic
        • Jealous Guy | acoustic
        • Julia | acoustic
        • Junk | acoustic
        • Michelle | acoustic
        • Mother Nature's Son | acoustic
        • My Love | solo
        • Norwegian Wood | acoustic
        • Revolution | rhythm and solo
        • Run Of the Mill | acoustic
        • Two Of Us | acoustic
        • While My Guitar Gently Weeps Anthology Version | acoustic
        • While My Guitar Gently Weeps | solo
        • Yesterday | acoustic
        • Your Love Is Forever | acoustic
      • Boston >
        • More Than A Feeling | acoustic
        • More Than A Feeling | rhythm solos & fills
        • Peace Of Mind | solos
      • Bruce Cockburn >
        • Foxglove | acoustic
        • Wondering Where The Lions Are | acoustic
      • Bryan Adams >
        • It's Only Love | rhythm and solo
        • One Night Love Affair | rhythm and solo
        • Run To You | rhythm and solo
      • The Cars >
        • Drive | acoustic
        • Just What I Needed | rhythm and solo
        • My Best Friend's Girl | rhythm & solo
        • Shake It Up | solo
      • Cat Stevens >
        • Wild World | acoustic
      • Coldplay >
        • The Scientist | rhythm
        • Viva La Vida | rhythm
      • Cream | Eric Clapton >
        • Badge | rhythm & solo
        • Crossroads | intro and 1st solo
        • Layla Unplugged| acoustic
        • Tears In Heaven | acoustic
      • Crowded House >
        • Don't Dream It's Over | rhythm & solo
      • The Cult >
        • Fire Woman | rhythm and solo
        • She Sells Sanctuary | rhythm and solo
      • Dave Mason >
        • We Just Disagree | acoustic
      • David Bowie >
        • Heroes | rhythm and solo
        • Rebel Rebel | rhythm and solo
      • Deep Purple >
        • Highway Star | solo
      • Dio | Doug Aldrich >
        • Push | solo
      • Dire Straits >
        • Money for Nothing | rhythm
        • Sultans Of Swing | electric
      • Doobie Brothers >
        • China Grove | rhythm & solo
        • Long Train Running | rhythm
      • Doug Aldrich >
        • Fast Pentatonic Lick | lick
    • E-H >
      • The Eagles >
        • Hotel California | acoustic
        • Hotel California | solos
        • I Can't Tell You Why | solo
        • Lyin' Eyes | acoustic & electric
      • Ed Sheeran >
        • Photograph | acoustic
        • Sing | acoustic
        • Thinking Out Loud | acoustic
      • Eddie Money | Jimmy Lyon >
        • Two Tickets To Paradise | rhythm & solo
      • Edgar Winter Group >
        • Free Ride | rhythm & solo
      • Electric Light Orchestra >
        • Mr. Blue Sky | acoustic
      • Emerson, Lake & Palmer >
        • C'est La Vie | acoustic
        • From The Beginning | acoustic
        • I Believe In Father Christmas | acoustic
        • Lucky Man | acoustic
        • Still You Turn Me On | acoustic
      • Eric Johnson >
        • Eric Johnson style #1 | lick
        • Eric Johnson style #2 | lick
      • The Faces >
        • Stay With Me | electric
      • Fleetwood Mac - Lindsey Buckingham >
        • Big Love | acoustic "live version"
        • Bleed To Love Her | acoustic
        • Landslide | acoustic
        • Landslide | live solo
        • Never Going Back Again | acoustic
        • Never Going Back Again | live solo
        • Oh Well Part 1 | acoustic - electric
        • Rhiannon | rhythm and solo
        • Say Goodbye | acoustic "live version"
        • Stephanie | acoustic
      • Foreigner >
        • Double Vision | rhythm
      • Free >
        • All Right Now | rhythm
        • Mr. Big | rhythm
      • Gary Moore >
        • Blues for Neruda | lick
        • Gary Moore style | 3 speed licks
        • Parisienne Walkways | rhythm &solo
        • Still Got the Blues | solo
      • Greg Kihn >
        • The Breakup Song | electric
      • The Guess Who >
        • American Woman | acoustic electric rhythm and solo
      • Hall & Oates >
        • Sara Smile | rhythm and intro solo
    • I-L >
      • Jackson Browne >
        • Running On Empty | acoustic
        • These Days | acoustic
      • James Gang | Joe Walsh >
        • Funk #49 | rhythm
      • James Taylor >
        • Fire and Rain | acoustic
      • James Vincent Mcmorrow >
        • Wicked Game (Game of Thrones Season 6 Trailer) | acoustic
      • Jim Croce >
        • Time In A Bottle | acoustic
      • Joe Satriani >
        • Always With Me, Always With You | solo
      • John Mayer >
        • XO | acoustic
      • Journey >
        • Any Way You Want It | solo
        • Separate Ways | solo
      • Kansas >
        • Dust In The Wind | acoustic
      • Led Zeppelin >
        • Babe, I'm Gonna Leave You | acoustic
        • Black Dog | Rhythm
        • Bron-Yr-Aur | acoustic
        • Going To California | acoustic
        • Immigrant Song | rhythm
        • Kashmir | rhythm
        • Over The Hills And Far Away | acoustic
        • The Rain Song | acoustic/electric
        • Ramble On | acoustic
        • Stairway To Heaven | solo
        • Whole Lotta Love | rhythm and solo
    • M-P >
      • Maroon 5 >
        • Maps | rhythm and solo
      • Marty Balin >
        • Hearts | electric
      • Metallica >
        • Nothing Else Matters | rhythm and solo
      • Montrose >
        • Rock Candy | rhythm and solo
      • Mötley Crüe >
        • Kickstart My Heart | rhythm
      • Mountain | Leslie West >
        • Mississippi Queen | rhythm and solo
      • Neil Young >
        • Harvest Moon | acoustic
        • Heart Of Gold | acoustic
        • Old Man | acoustic
      • Norah Jones >
        • Don't Know Why | acoustic
      • Ozzy Osbourne | Randy Rhoads >
        • Crazy Train | solo
      • Peter Frampton >
        • Baby I Love Your Way | acoustic
        • Show Me The Way | acoustic
      • Peter Gabriel >
        • Solsbury Hill | acoustic
      • Pink Floyd >
        • Comfortably Numb | solos
        • Goodbye Blue Sky | acoustic
        • Wish You Were Here | rhythm and intro solo
      • The Police >
        • Every Breath You Take | rhythm
      • Prince >
        • Purple Rain | rhythm
    • Q-T >
      • Queen >
        • Bohemian Rhapsody | solo
      • Radiohead >
        • No Surprises | rhythm
      • Raspberries >
        • Go All the Way | rhythm
      • Rick Derringer >
        • Rock and Roll Hoochie Koo | rhythm
      • The Rolling Stones >
        • Angie | acoustic
        • Brown Sugar | electric
        • Can't You Hear Me Knocking | electric
        • Honky Tonk Women | electric
        • Love In Vain | acoustic
        • Wild Horses | acoustic & electric
        • You Can't Always Get What You Want | acoustic
      • Ron Sexsmith >
        • Secret Heart | rhythm
      • Santana >
        • Black Magic Woman | solos
        • Europa | solo
        • Samba Pa Ti | solos
      • Scorpions >
        • Can't Live Without You | rhythm & solos
        • No One Like You | solos
      • Simon and Garfunkel >
        • The Boxer | acoustic
      • Steely Dan >
        • Reelin' In the Years | solos
      • Steve Vai >
        • Tender Surrender arpeggio | lick
      • Stevie Winwood | Blind Faith >
        • Can't Find My Way Home | acoustic
      • Thin Lizzy >
        • The Boys Are Back In Town | rhythm & solos
      • Todd Rundgren >
        • Can We Still Be Friends | rhythm
      • Tom Petty >
        • Learning To Fly | rhythm & solo
      • The Tragically Hip >
        • Ahead By A Century | acoustic
        • Bobcaygeon | acoustic - electric
        • Fiddler's Green | acoustic
      • The Tubes >
        • Talk To Ya Later | electric rhythm & solo
    • U-Z >
      • U2 >
        • Ordinary Love | acoustic
      • Van Halen >
        • Feel Your Love Tonight | rhythm and solo
        • Jump | solo
      • Whitesnake >
        • Is This Love | solo
      • ZZ Top >
        • Cheap Sunglasses | rhythm
        • La Grange | rhythm
        • Sharp Dressed Man | rhythm
  • Gear
A tab is available for all of the acoustic guitar parts of this lesson from the TABS menu.
Along with a PDF, you'll ​get both Guitar Pro version 6 and version 7 files.

Ventura Highway by America | acoustic

how to play ventura highway on guitar by america gerry buckley dewey bunnell dan peek homecoming acoustic guitar lesson tutorial shutup and play
An acoustic guitar lesson on how to play "Ventura Highway" by America from their 1972 album Homecoming.

This is one of the most positive and uplifting tunes from the seventies. It has that rare kind of magic about it and is arguably as popular today as it was back in the day. It was written by Dewey Bunnell who also wrote "A Horse With No Name" and "Tin Man".

All three of these songs were massive hits and all three are based primarily on just two chords! Some of the best and most enduring songs are often the simplest in structure, but it takes a great song writer to be able to pull that off!

Even though this tune is in essence pretty simple, it's four chords in total including the chorus, it's the strumming that will hold most people back. Strumming an acoustic is always looked at as easy, but to strum evenly and in time is a lot harder than it appears! And this tune is no exception.

It starts out with the main strumming pattern but changes as it goes along so there are actually two patterns to learn. I also go over the harmony guitar parts that are such a strong hook. They really give the tune a lot of it's character I think.

Finally, there's a guitar part in the chorus that's back in the mix in the left channel. And even though you could listen to this tune for years and never really notice it, to me it's a very important part and helps to lift the chorus. It's almost like a banjo type part.

When I was learning this one I couldn't help but notice at around 17 seconds on the original track, on the G13 chord just before he sings "Chewin' on a piece of grass" there's a flub on the rhythm guitar part resulting in a bad note. It goes by real quick but you can definitely hear it.

Just goes to show, back in the day perfection was less important than overall feel.


Anyways, I had a great time making these videos so I hope you enjoy them and have fun playing this great tune. Cheers
Andy

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  • Home
  • Christmas
    • Christmas Album & TABS
    • Christmas Song Lessons >
      • Angels We Have Heard On High | acoustic
      • Deck The Halls | acoustic
      • The First Noel | acoustic
      • God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen | acoustic
      • Good King Wenceslas | acoustic
      • I Believe In Father Christmas | acoustic
      • It Came Upon A Midnight Clear| acoustic
      • Joy To the World | acoustic
      • O Come All Ye Faithful | acoustic
      • We Three Kings Of Orient Are | acoustic
  • Donate
  • tabs
  • merch
  • Lesson Index
    • A-D >
      • AC/DC >
        • Back In Black | rhythm
        • Bad Boy Boogie | rhythm
        • Baptism By Fire | rhythm
        • Beating Around The Bush | rhythm
        • Play Ball | rhythm and solo
        • Riff Raff | rhythm
        • Rock Or Bust | rhythm
        • Rock the House | rhythm
        • You Shook Me All Night Long | solo
      • Adele >
        • Million Years Ago | acoustic
      • Aerosmith >
        • Sweet Emotion | rhythm
        • Walk This Way | solos
      • Alan Parsons Project >
        • Eye In the Sky | electric rhythm & solo
        • I Wouldn't Want To Be Like You | electric rhythm & solo
      • Allman Brothers >
        • Little Martha | acoustic
      • America >
        • Tin Man | acoustic
        • Ventura Highway | acoustic
      • Badfinger >
        • Baby Blue | electric and acoustic
        • No Matter What | electric rhythm
      • Beatles | Solo >
        • A Day In the Life | acoustic
        • Across the Universe | acoustic
        • Blackbird | acoustic
        • Bluebird | acoustic
        • Calico Skies | acoustic
        • Dear Prudence | acoustic
        • Eleanor Rigby | acoustic
        • Every Night | acoustic
        • Girl | acoustic
        • Happy With You | acoustic
        • Here Comes the Sun | acoustic
        • Here, There and Everywhere | acoustic
        • Here Today | acoustic
        • I Will | acoustic
        • In My Life | acoustic
        • Jenny Wren | acoustic
        • Jealous Guy | acoustic
        • Julia | acoustic
        • Junk | acoustic
        • Michelle | acoustic
        • Mother Nature's Son | acoustic
        • My Love | solo
        • Norwegian Wood | acoustic
        • Revolution | rhythm and solo
        • Run Of the Mill | acoustic
        • Two Of Us | acoustic
        • While My Guitar Gently Weeps Anthology Version | acoustic
        • While My Guitar Gently Weeps | solo
        • Yesterday | acoustic
        • Your Love Is Forever | acoustic
      • Boston >
        • More Than A Feeling | acoustic
        • More Than A Feeling | rhythm solos & fills
        • Peace Of Mind | solos
      • Bruce Cockburn >
        • Foxglove | acoustic
        • Wondering Where The Lions Are | acoustic
      • Bryan Adams >
        • It's Only Love | rhythm and solo
        • One Night Love Affair | rhythm and solo
        • Run To You | rhythm and solo
      • The Cars >
        • Drive | acoustic
        • Just What I Needed | rhythm and solo
        • My Best Friend's Girl | rhythm & solo
        • Shake It Up | solo
      • Cat Stevens >
        • Wild World | acoustic
      • Coldplay >
        • The Scientist | rhythm
        • Viva La Vida | rhythm
      • Cream | Eric Clapton >
        • Badge | rhythm & solo
        • Crossroads | intro and 1st solo
        • Layla Unplugged| acoustic
        • Tears In Heaven | acoustic
      • Crowded House >
        • Don't Dream It's Over | rhythm & solo
      • The Cult >
        • Fire Woman | rhythm and solo
        • She Sells Sanctuary | rhythm and solo
      • Dave Mason >
        • We Just Disagree | acoustic
      • David Bowie >
        • Heroes | rhythm and solo
        • Rebel Rebel | rhythm and solo
      • Deep Purple >
        • Highway Star | solo
      • Dio | Doug Aldrich >
        • Push | solo
      • Dire Straits >
        • Money for Nothing | rhythm
        • Sultans Of Swing | electric
      • Doobie Brothers >
        • China Grove | rhythm & solo
        • Long Train Running | rhythm
      • Doug Aldrich >
        • Fast Pentatonic Lick | lick
    • E-H >
      • The Eagles >
        • Hotel California | acoustic
        • Hotel California | solos
        • I Can't Tell You Why | solo
        • Lyin' Eyes | acoustic & electric
      • Ed Sheeran >
        • Photograph | acoustic
        • Sing | acoustic
        • Thinking Out Loud | acoustic
      • Eddie Money | Jimmy Lyon >
        • Two Tickets To Paradise | rhythm & solo
      • Edgar Winter Group >
        • Free Ride | rhythm & solo
      • Electric Light Orchestra >
        • Mr. Blue Sky | acoustic
      • Emerson, Lake & Palmer >
        • C'est La Vie | acoustic
        • From The Beginning | acoustic
        • I Believe In Father Christmas | acoustic
        • Lucky Man | acoustic
        • Still You Turn Me On | acoustic
      • Eric Johnson >
        • Eric Johnson style #1 | lick
        • Eric Johnson style #2 | lick
      • The Faces >
        • Stay With Me | electric
      • Fleetwood Mac - Lindsey Buckingham >
        • Big Love | acoustic "live version"
        • Bleed To Love Her | acoustic
        • Landslide | acoustic
        • Landslide | live solo
        • Never Going Back Again | acoustic
        • Never Going Back Again | live solo
        • Oh Well Part 1 | acoustic - electric
        • Rhiannon | rhythm and solo
        • Say Goodbye | acoustic "live version"
        • Stephanie | acoustic
      • Foreigner >
        • Double Vision | rhythm
      • Free >
        • All Right Now | rhythm
        • Mr. Big | rhythm
      • Gary Moore >
        • Blues for Neruda | lick
        • Gary Moore style | 3 speed licks
        • Parisienne Walkways | rhythm &solo
        • Still Got the Blues | solo
      • Greg Kihn >
        • The Breakup Song | electric
      • The Guess Who >
        • American Woman | acoustic electric rhythm and solo
      • Hall & Oates >
        • Sara Smile | rhythm and intro solo
    • I-L >
      • Jackson Browne >
        • Running On Empty | acoustic
        • These Days | acoustic
      • James Gang | Joe Walsh >
        • Funk #49 | rhythm
      • James Taylor >
        • Fire and Rain | acoustic
      • James Vincent Mcmorrow >
        • Wicked Game (Game of Thrones Season 6 Trailer) | acoustic
      • Jim Croce >
        • Time In A Bottle | acoustic
      • Joe Satriani >
        • Always With Me, Always With You | solo
      • John Mayer >
        • XO | acoustic
      • Journey >
        • Any Way You Want It | solo
        • Separate Ways | solo
      • Kansas >
        • Dust In The Wind | acoustic
      • Led Zeppelin >
        • Babe, I'm Gonna Leave You | acoustic
        • Black Dog | Rhythm
        • Bron-Yr-Aur | acoustic
        • Going To California | acoustic
        • Immigrant Song | rhythm
        • Kashmir | rhythm
        • Over The Hills And Far Away | acoustic
        • The Rain Song | acoustic/electric
        • Ramble On | acoustic
        • Stairway To Heaven | solo
        • Whole Lotta Love | rhythm and solo
    • M-P >
      • Maroon 5 >
        • Maps | rhythm and solo
      • Marty Balin >
        • Hearts | electric
      • Metallica >
        • Nothing Else Matters | rhythm and solo
      • Montrose >
        • Rock Candy | rhythm and solo
      • Mötley Crüe >
        • Kickstart My Heart | rhythm
      • Mountain | Leslie West >
        • Mississippi Queen | rhythm and solo
      • Neil Young >
        • Harvest Moon | acoustic
        • Heart Of Gold | acoustic
        • Old Man | acoustic
      • Norah Jones >
        • Don't Know Why | acoustic
      • Ozzy Osbourne | Randy Rhoads >
        • Crazy Train | solo
      • Peter Frampton >
        • Baby I Love Your Way | acoustic
        • Show Me The Way | acoustic
      • Peter Gabriel >
        • Solsbury Hill | acoustic
      • Pink Floyd >
        • Comfortably Numb | solos
        • Goodbye Blue Sky | acoustic
        • Wish You Were Here | rhythm and intro solo
      • The Police >
        • Every Breath You Take | rhythm
      • Prince >
        • Purple Rain | rhythm
    • Q-T >
      • Queen >
        • Bohemian Rhapsody | solo
      • Radiohead >
        • No Surprises | rhythm
      • Raspberries >
        • Go All the Way | rhythm
      • Rick Derringer >
        • Rock and Roll Hoochie Koo | rhythm
      • The Rolling Stones >
        • Angie | acoustic
        • Brown Sugar | electric
        • Can't You Hear Me Knocking | electric
        • Honky Tonk Women | electric
        • Love In Vain | acoustic
        • Wild Horses | acoustic & electric
        • You Can't Always Get What You Want | acoustic
      • Ron Sexsmith >
        • Secret Heart | rhythm
      • Santana >
        • Black Magic Woman | solos
        • Europa | solo
        • Samba Pa Ti | solos
      • Scorpions >
        • Can't Live Without You | rhythm & solos
        • No One Like You | solos
      • Simon and Garfunkel >
        • The Boxer | acoustic
      • Steely Dan >
        • Reelin' In the Years | solos
      • Steve Vai >
        • Tender Surrender arpeggio | lick
      • Stevie Winwood | Blind Faith >
        • Can't Find My Way Home | acoustic
      • Thin Lizzy >
        • The Boys Are Back In Town | rhythm & solos
      • Todd Rundgren >
        • Can We Still Be Friends | rhythm
      • Tom Petty >
        • Learning To Fly | rhythm & solo
      • The Tragically Hip >
        • Ahead By A Century | acoustic
        • Bobcaygeon | acoustic - electric
        • Fiddler's Green | acoustic
      • The Tubes >
        • Talk To Ya Later | electric rhythm & solo
    • U-Z >
      • U2 >
        • Ordinary Love | acoustic
      • Van Halen >
        • Feel Your Love Tonight | rhythm and solo
        • Jump | solo
      • Whitesnake >
        • Is This Love | solo
      • ZZ Top >
        • Cheap Sunglasses | rhythm
        • La Grange | rhythm
        • Sharp Dressed Man | rhythm
  • Gear