Fender Play Live: Ritchie Blackmore & Deep Purple Playlist

Fender Play Live is a weekly studio show that dives deep into the Fender's legendary gear and the iconic music that was made by it over the years.

In this edition of the program, the focus is on the mighty Ritchie Blackmore and the seminal rock band he helped found, Deep Purple.

Fender Play instructor Scott Goldbaun is joined by guest Glen Brigman, the singer/songwriter for psychedelic rock band Triptides. The duo takes a look at Blackmore and Deep Purple, who are widely considered to be one of the forefathers of hard rock and metal. They will dive into some of the techniques you'll need to know to play these genres, and then talk about two of Deep Purple's most-known songs, "Smoke on the Water" and "Hush."

You can watch the show Wednesday at 5 p.m. PST on Fender’s YouTube, Facebook and Twitter channels, and the video is also embedded below.

To accompany Fender Play Live, we've compiled a special Deep Purple curriculum for every level of player to follow through Fender Play. Check out the lesson lists below, and if you're not a Fender Play subscriber yet, start your free trial here.

Deep Purple Crash Course: Level 1

Exercise: Power Up for Power Chords

Power chords are essentially two-note chords that are played on two or three strings. Thre are great because they're pretty easy to fret and have a versatile nature giving them a wide variety of uses, both on acoustic and electric guitars. You can find a lot of power chords in Deep Purple songs, because they lend themselves well to heavy music.

Learn how to play power chords in this video.

Show Me: C Major Scale

Scales help you build finger strength and dexterity, and that's not to mention the way learning them will help familiarize yourself with the fretboard. The good thing is that you can follow a set formula to find all the notes in any scale. Start with the C major scale in this lesson.

Show Me: G Major Scale

And once you've worked on the C major scale, you can add to your vocabulary with the G major scale here.

Exercise: Power Chords to a Rhythm

Playing in time is important, and a good way to work on doing so is by playing power chords in rhythm.

In this lesson, you'll use the power chords D5, A5 and E5 to create a rhythm all your own.

Deep Purple Crash Course: Level 2

Exercise: Drill the A Minor Pentatonic Scale

Now that you've run through the basics, it's time to move up a level. A pentatonic scale consists of five notes and not the seven notes of a major or minor scale. You can think of them as somewhat pared down versions that are foundational to modern pop and rock.

Try one with the A minor pentatonic scale here.

Exercise: Drill the E Minor Pentatonic Scale

For another pentatonic scale, how about one that begins on the E minor chord? You can work on it with this lesson.

Exercise: Play Double Stops on Adjacent Strings

A double stop occurs when you play two notes at the same time, and if you want to learn this technique, it might be easier to do it on adjacent strings. Basically, playing a double stop sounds like someone is playing in harmony with you!

Try double stops in another lesson here.

Slides: Double Stops and Chords

Another great way to give your rhythm guitar playing more depth is to slide while playing chords. You can play a chord and then slide it to a different position on the fretboard to add more movement to the rhythm. Then, if you slide with a double stop, your sound will be even fuller.

Learn how to play the riff from "Ziggy Stardust."

Deep Purple Crash Course: Level 3

Exercise: Arpeggios with Palm Muting

The term arpeggio (for the guitar) means that you're playing the notes of a chord one at a time. They will help you create riffs and solos over chord progressions.

Learn how to play arpeggios while palm muting here.

Exercise: Palm Muting, Chord Anticipations and Arpeggio Picking in E

For another refresher in arpeggios and palm muting, take this lesson where you'll see a simple progression in E.

Full Song: "Smoke on the Water"

Containing one of the most iconic riffs in hard rock music ever, "Smoke on the Water" first appeared on Deep Purple's 1972 album, Machine Head. The lyrics tell a true story of a fire that occurred in a casino in Montreaux, Switzerland after a Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention concert. Any guitarist interested in rock or metal should know Blackmore's classic lick on this one, as Total Guitar magazine ranked it at No. 4 in it's list of "Greatest Guitar Riffs Ever."

Learn how to play "Smoke on the Water" here.

Full Song: "Hush"

Before the hard rock of "Smoke on the Water," however, Deep Purple initially sprang onto the scene with the psychedelic "Hush," the hit single off their 1968 debut album, Shades of Deep Purple. It delivered a syncopated strum ssupporting a playful melody that officially elevated the band to a worldwide audience.

Learn how to play "Hush" here.

For more Fender Play Live, go to Fender’s YouTube, Facebook and Twitter channels. And if you're not a member of Fender Play yet, click here for a free trial.