TobyMac Songs: How To - From Toby's Guitar Player - Tim Rosenau

• September 20, 2016
• Guitar Lessons

YouTube is a great tool for learning songs. With a little digging, you can find TobyMac Songs, or virtually any song you’ve ever heard. However, there is a dark underbelly to learning guitar on YouTube. I’m sorry to say, but most of these “unofficial tutorials” are incorrect.

Transcribing songs is an art form in and of itself; even the best guitarists in the world can get it wrong, and there’s plenty of guesswork going on.

First of all, when playing TobyMac songs, you have to figure out which string they’re playing in the actual recording (there are as many as 5 ways to play the same note on guitar). That can be easy enough when it’s simple power chords or single note riffs, but get’s infinitely tougher when it’s an A minor 11 chord. Then, you have to try and separate which guitar is playing which part since most recordings have several stacks and layers of guitar parts (thanks Les Paul). Lastly, it can be hard to tell exactly what technique is being used to get certain sounds- wait, was that a ghost bend or a ghost slide???

We would venture to say that very few of the unofficial instructional videos out there ever get it 100% right. Solution: get TobyMac’s guitarist to show you TobyMac’s guitar parts, on TobyMac Songs note for note. You really can’t get much more official than that.

The Best TobyMac Songs

Here’s a great collection of TobyMac songs taught by Tim Rosenau. In these tutorials you’ll learn, not only the exact riffs and licks Tim plays at every show, but you’ll be given helpful insights as to which pedal, amp, and guitar Tim uses to get the sounds that bring it all together.

 

 

If you’re a TobyMac fan, or just need to learn a song for your youth group performance, consider this your one stop shop for all things Toby. As a musician in general these are great songs to learn. Less flashy shreddy stuff and more meat and potatoes signature riffs and sounds. Focus on the right hand and get beyond standard strumming patterns while you gain insight into the inner workings of pop, rock, funk, and CCM style guitar grooves.

"Made To Love"

This is a great song to learn if you want to work on your pocket and feel. The bar chords are simple enough but the right hand technique will determine how hard you groove.

"Speak Life"

One of Toby’s biggest hit songs. Get some insight into the exact chord voicing and tones while learning how pop/rock guitar fits into mainstream CCM.

"Feel it"

Time to get your funk on--phasey goodness and serious pocket playing revealed in this detailed tutorial.

"Beyond Me"

Signature acoustic guitar parts are easy enough, but what if I told you you had to cover dozens of guitar parts on just one guitar…here's how.

"Boomin”

Heavy, chunky, awesome rhythm guitar parts. Check out the detuned main riff and extended funk chords in the verse, plus the tones it takes to pull it all together.

"Eye On It"

There’s a lot going on here. This is a transcriber's worst nightmare. Tim takes the mystery out of the parts and voicing for this amped up electro blitz.

"City On Our Knees"

From the cool analog delays of the first chords to the thick, “wall of sound” guitars on the the final chorus, learn every single note to this modern day classic.

"Backseat Driver"

More funky goodness. If you’ve ever wondered how to play guitar on an EDM track, here’s your big chance.

Some of the guitar parts are really upfront and straightforward. Then there’s all of the other parts. "TobyMac songs are some of the hardest to learn because there’s so much going on," Tim explains and offers up this Pro Tip: "Get a good pair of headphones and really listen to the recording to see if you can hear the different parts. Pan right and left to try and separate it further...really take the time to listen."

A note about Tim: Tim Rosenau has been playing for Toby since 2004. He's a great guy and a MONSTER guitar player. He’d never cop to that, but don’t let the humble demeanor fool you. Tim’s a master of his craft and one of our personal favorite guitarists in Nashville. Everything Tim plays sounds FANTASTIC, you can catch a sneak peek at his rig right here https://www.prolessons.com/gear-reviews and check the pedal board here https://www.prolessons.com/gear/pedalboard-tobymac.

I love gear, gear is great, but gear is only 10% of what you hear. 90% of the sound is in the fingers. We’ve got you covered there, too. Check out the full list of Tim’s videos, including helpful warm ups and crucial technique videos. If you’re looking for ego and attitude, Tim’s not your guy, but if you want to learn the real guitar parts from one of the most humble, cool guys in the music industry, here’s your chance.

Guys, now you see what the real difference is in all the other sites and Pro Lessons. You learn from the “owner” of these guitar licks. The guys who recorded them, play them every day/night and make them famous. To see all the players we have and get started while there are still spots left click the link below. You’ll be glad you did.