DALE TURNER TUR NER’S ’S GUI GUIDE DE TO
ACOUSTIC ROCK RO CK GUIT GUITAR THE ULTIMATE DVD DVD GUIDE! GUID E!
C O N T E N T S 1. HARVEST 1. HARVEST Reaping the benefits of Neil Young’s pick-style acoustic moves
6. UNPLUGGIN’ UNPLUGGIN’ AT THE CROSSROADS Eric Clapton’s smooth acoustic fingerstyle approach
2. CRASH COURSE 2. CRASH A look at Dave Matthews’ revolutionary rhythm playing on “Crash into Me”
7. FL 7. FLEET-FINGERED EET-FINGERE D MAC-OUSTIC MADNESS
3. TAYLOR TAYLOR MADE
Delving deep into Lindsey Buckingham’s unique Travis-picking rhythms
Tackling the timeless sweet fingerpicking style of James Taylor
4. CAPTAIN NEON Dissecting John Mayer’s unorthodox fingerstyle grooves
5. THE THE FR FREEWHE EEWHEELIN’ ELIN’ STRUMMER A look at Bob Dylan’s relaxed and groovy acoustic style
8. TAKE TAKE THIS PAIR OF STRINGS & LEARN TO FLY Examining Paul McCartney’s “two-finger” magic in “Blackbird”
9. STRUM’S THE WORD 9. STRUM’S Exploring the elements of Pete Townshend’s energetic acoustic rhythm style
10. BLUEGRASS 10. BLUEGRASS BARN-BURNING Your prescription for flawless flat-pickin’: the great Doc Watson
CHAPTER
HARVEST
1
Reaping the benefits of Neil Young’s pick-style acoustic moves
NEIL YOUNG’S CAREER
now spans half a century, and with more than 30 albums under his belt, the Canadian born folk-rock icon has shown time and again that he’s adept at wielding electrified axes. (In the Sixties and Seventies, his blues-rock riffing in Buffalo Springfield and Crazy Horse rivaled that of Cream and Led Zeppelin, profoundly influencing Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Sonic Youth.) But for many fans worldwide, it’s the magic that happens when Young puts a Martin D-45 in his hands and picks through haunting classics like “Needle and the Damage Done” (from his classic 1972 album, Harvest) that has kept him in high rotation on their play lists for decades. To grasp some of the many elements of Young’s acoustic style, in this chapter, we’ll examine how a progression based solely upon open “cowboy/campfire” chords— like those in FIGURE 1 (D, Em, G, C, A)— gets “stylized” with the types of techniques Young uses in “Needle.” By the end of this chapter, we will have modified these basic chords with 1) upper-register common tones, 2) open-chord ornamentation and 3) Young’s “outside” picking/strumming ingredients that should inspire you to similarly tinker with your own chord changes. Instead of opting for mundane, “stale” chord sounds, Young is a fan of adding “colorful” tones to his open shapes—as the fancier chord names in FIGURE 2 reveal. In bar 1 of this example, the simple changing of notes along the first string mutates D to Dsus4 and Dsus2. However, it’s the chords in bars 2-4 that really get the unique Young treatment. Here, the fret-hand’s ring finger remains anchored on the note D—B string, third fret—and is played in tandem with the open high E throughout. This creates the atmospheric and “modern” flavors associated with chords like Em7, G6, Cadd2, and A7sus4—sounds that, in addition to “Needle,” also enrich other Harvest tracks, like “Heart of Gold.” Country-tinged accompaniment moves also figure prominently in Young’s acoustic style, sounds derived in part from a guitar approach popularized by Maybelle Carter in the country standard “Wildwood Flower.” In FIGURE 3, this “Carter strumming” takes our initial chord sequence a step further, adding
FIG. 1 D
Em
0
0
2 3 2 0
G
C
A
D
0
0 0
0
0 0 0 2 2 0
3 0 0 0 2 3
0 1 0 2 3
0 2 2 2 0
2 3 2 0
FIG. 2 2 FIGURE D
Dsus4
D
Dsus2
2 3 2 0
3 3 2 0
2 3 2 0
0 3 2 0
FIG. 3 FIGURE 3
Em7
Cadd2
A7sus4
D
0
0 0 0 0
= downstroke
Dsus2
G6
0 3 0 2 2 0
0 3 0 0 2 3
0 3 0 2 3
0 3 0 2 0
2 3 2 0
= upstroke Em7
G6
Cadd2
A7sus4
let ring sim. 0 3
0
0 3
2
0 3 0
0 3 0
0
2 0
0 3 0
0 3 0 0 0
2
0
0 3 0
2
0 3 0 0 0
3
2
3
FIG. 4
FIGURE 4
3 =
D
Dsus4
D
Dsus2 Em7
G6
Cadd2
A7sus4
let ring sim. 2 3 2 0
3 3 2 0
2 3 2 0
0
3
0 3
3 0 2 0
2 0
3 0 2 0
0 3
3 0 0 0 0 2
melodic ornaments (beat three’s hammered-on notes, performed with the fret hand’s index finger) and strums on beats two and four. Speaking of strumming, now that we’re getting into deeper Young territory, it’s worth noting that, in contrast to his Seventies singer/songwriter contemporaries, players like James Taylor, Paul Simon and John Denver, Young is not a fingerstyle acoustic player but rather a very inventive pick-style strummer, yet another component of his distinctive sound. Hence, in tackling this example, make sure you use the alternating pick strokes, as indicated. Now that we’ve got Young-style chord enhancements under our fingers, let’s add the final touch to capture his “Needle” vibe: “Outside”
2 3
2 3
3 0 2 3
0 0 2
0 3
3 0
0 2 3
2 3
0 3
3 0 2 0
2 0
picking/strumming, played with a triplet feel groove, as depicted in FIGURE 4. To cop a triplet feel, subdivide a four-beat pulse into triplets (three evenly spaced attacks per beat), picking only the first and last bits of each triplet grouping (counted: one-uh-let, two-uh-let, three-uh-let, four-uh-let) with alternate down and up strokes. As your pick hand locks into this groove, pay strict attention to the note pairs indicated throughout this example— especially in bars 2–4. Here, downstrokes strike each chord’s lowest note pair, while upstrokes alternately focus on strings 2-3 and 1-2 on the delayed (due to the triplet feel) upbeats. If you execute it properly, you’ll almost hear a melodic line in the upper register of each passing chord.
CHAPTER
TAYLOR MADE
3
Tackling the timeless sweet fingerpicking style of James Taylor
IN 1968, THE BEATLES signed
a young singer-songwriter by the name of James Taylor to their label, Apple Records, releasing his self-titled album that same year. (It would be JT’s only Apple album; James Taylor was later re-released by Warner Bros. in 1972.) Despite his connections with the Fab Four, Taylor’s brand of folk-pop and unique fingerstyle approach didn’t catch on until 1970 with the release of Sweet Baby James. Spearheaded by the track “Fire and Rain” (which reached Number Three on the charts), Sweet Baby James put the spotlight on Taylor’s commanding acoustic guitar presence. That light shines just as brightly today. He recently came off the “Troubadour Reunion” tour, working his cedar-top SJ model Olson acoustics while sharing the bill with Carole King. In this chapter, we’ll examine the playing techniques in the song that started it all: “Fire and Rain,” a masterwork of chord ornamentation and pianistic guitar sounds. (Note: Though Taylor plays this song with a capo across the third fret, we’ll forego capo-ing in this chapter.) Let’s kick things off by examining a signature James Taylor sound you’re perhaps most familiar with: the decoration of openposition chord shapes with hammered-on/ pulled-off embellishments. All these moves involve fingerstyle plucking, using your thumb ( p ), index ( i ), middle ( m ) and ring ( a ) fingers as specified beneath the TAB staff. If you look at the open D chord’s treatment in FIGURE 1, you’ll notice its highest note, Fs (first string, second fret) is sounded by a hammer-on from the open first string. Be sure to arch your fret-hand fingers so that their tips point straight down onto the strings. You don’t want your fret-hand’s ring finger crowding the first string and damping the effect of the hammer-ons (and ensuing pull-offs). All chord tones should ring clearly throughout after they’re plucked. FIGURE 2 shows this same approach applied to an open A chord, which, along with D, Taylor plays similarly in this song’s intro and verses. In the chorus, JT opts for a contrasting accompaniment texture, trading some ornament activity for a piano-like sound similar to FIGURE 3, a passage that features a descending bass line (like a pianist’s left hand) and upper-register chords (like a
F I G . 11 F I G . 22 FIGURE FIGURE *p = thumb, m = middle finger, i = index finger, a = ring finger Dsus2 D Dsus2 D Asus2 A let ring let ring 0 3
2
2 3
2
0
0
m i
p
F I G . 33 FIGURE D D/C let ring 2 3
2 3 2
i
a m p
p
0 3 2
F I G . 55 FIGURE A let ring 4
m i
0 3 2
2
i
a m p
0
i
a m p
0 2
m i
p
0 2 2 2 0
4
a m i p
9 0
0
m i
2
0
3
2
m i p
m p
11
2
0
i
0
0
0
m i p
m p
12
13
9 10 9 0
a
A
m
i
Asus2
i p
a
m
i
i p
Gmaj7(no3)
a
E7
m
E7sus4
2 0 2
2
2
0
3 2
0
m i
m p
3
0
0
3
i
p
3
i
m
a
p
0
m
pianist’s right hand). At first glance, you’ll likely “default” to fingering these chords—D (played the conventional way), D/Cs, Bm11, and E7sus4—with your fret-hand’s ring finger fixed on the second string’s third fret throughout, switching around the other fingers as needed. To alleviate this finger scrambling, in these types of passages, Taylor actually reverses the “outer” fingers traditionally used to fret an open D shape, using his index finger to fret the highest chord tone, Fs (first string, second fret), and middle finger for A (third string, second fret). This makes it possible to keep both the middle and ring fingers planted throughout this chord sequence. FIGURE 4 similarly depicts another “pianistic” portion of the chorus. Here, descending sixthstring bass notes (each fretted with the middle finger) are plucked simultaneously with notes on
i
p
0 1 0 2
strum
0
0 0 1 0 2 0
0 0 1 0 2 0
strummed
D
() 9 10 9 0
Dsus2 2 3
Asus2
0 3
0
p
0
m i
m
p
E7 0
2 0
a
2
m i
0 0 2 0 2 0
a m i p
0
2
E7sus4 E7
A
11
0 2
p
0
0
0
i p
m i
E7sus4 Em7
12 10
11
0 0
p
E 10
6
2 2 2
F I G . 44 FIGURE G D/F let ring
5 5
2
0
D
6
A
2
Bm11 E7sus4 A
4
a m p
2
0
*p
0
0 3
Asus2
0 1 0 2
0 0 1 0 2
p strum
the third string, creating harmonious-sounding 10th intervals (a 10th is two pitches 10 scale steps apart). Again, arch your fret-hand fingers from above to achieve maximum note clarity, this time to make room for the droning open D string struck between the 10th intervals. A sweet E7sus4-E7 move caps things off in bar 2. We’ll conclude this chapter with FIGURE 5—a full “in the style of” passage that juggles Taylor-like ornaments (on open D and A chords) with some familiar seventh-chord sounds (E7sus4 and E7), as well as some new shapes (Gmaj7no3). The opening moments of this example are spiced up with sliding triad moves on the top three strings of standard A, D and E sixth-string root barre chords. Pluck the bass notes (the open A, D and E strings) that correspond to each shape as you slide up the third string, then arpeggiate for maximum Taylor-esque tastiness.
CHAPTER
CAPTAIN NEON
4
Dissecting John Mayer’s unorthodox fingerstyle grooves
EQUAL PARTS ELECTRIC
bluesman, acoustic guitar phenom and pop singer-songwriter, John Mayer is a master of numerous styles who has garnered the respect of his musical peers (collaborations with B.B. King, Eric Clapton and Buddy Guy) along with charttopping success. His eclectic playing style satisfies hardcore guitar heads while it exposes a new generation of players to his heroes—Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimi Hendrix and others—without turning off his singersongwriter fan base. Let’s examine the musician’s fingerstyle prowess by digging deep into the unorthodox fingerstyle groove of his song “Neon.” While Mayer originally played the song on electric guitar on his 2001 breakthrough album, Room for Squares, nowadays he commonly performs it on his Martin OM-28 John Mayer signature model acoustic. The groove approach Mayer uses in “Neon” is (in his own words) “inspired by jazz guitarist Charlie Hunter,” who employs an eight-string guitar to cover a wide range of sonic territory and complex contrapuntal ideas. Though we will forego detuning in this chapter, Mayer actually detunes his sixth string down two whole steps to C in “Neon” to emulate the low-register content of Hunter’s style and alternates his plucking hand’s index finger ( i) and thumb ( p ) to infectious percussive/syncopated effect. Let’s break down the technique Mayer uses in this song into manageable bits, applying each element to an open Em chord. Before attacking the octave shape in FIGURE 1, position your plucking hand over the strings almost as i f you’re preparing to “strum” them—not “stiff-arming” style, but rather with your wrist slightly bent, for a relaxed “rotating at the wrist”-type movement; don’t rest your hand on the bridge or any other part of the guitar’s body. Next, with your thumb pointing toward the headstock, give a powerful thumb strike (like a slap bass player) to the sixth string, pushing through it until your thumb rests up against the fifth string (what’s known as a rest stroke ). Then, hook the fourth string with the tip of your index finger and use a quick, upward pulling motion to sound the string. The two movements combined should feel relaxed, like a down/ up strum motion from a “loose” wrist. Try
All examples played fingerstyle: p = thumb, i = index finger FI G . 11 FIGURE Em
F I G . 22 FIGURE Em
let ring
FIG. 3 FIGURE 3 Em
let ring 0
0 2
2
0
0
p
i
X
X
0
p
i
X
p
i
p
i
FIGURE 4
FIGURE 5
FIG.4
FIG.5
Em let ring
Em
0 X X
p
i
p
i
FIGURE 6 Em F I G . 66 FIGURE Em let ring 0
0
p
FIG.7
X
i
p
1
213
231
*i i *i i p p *pre-positioning of finger
4 X 2
0
2
X
X 0
2
8fr
0
2 0
Em 4fr
X
2
X
*i i *i i p p *pre-positioning of finger
Em
0
0
2
X
5
X 4
5
9 X 5
0
X
X
8
X 9
7 0
4 X 9
X
X
5
X 4
5 0
X 5 X
X
i *i i *i i sim. p p *pre-positioning of finger
E /A
Cm11 6fr
2 341
B sus4 4fr
1 444
G7 9/B
6fr
T 341
doing this—alternating with your thumb and index fingers—in an even eighth-note rhythm, as written. FIGURE 2 adds the open G and B strings to the equation, which are attacked in the same manner with the thumb and index fingers, respectively. This requires the somewhat awkward move of bringing the thumb over to hit the G string immediately after plucking the octave shape—by far the most complicated part of the entire groove. FIGURE 3 depicts the last part of this right-hand pattern—the simultaneous thumb smack on the muted sixth string, indicated by an x (lightly lay your available fret-hand fingers across the strings to deaden them) and the preparatory touching, or “planting,” of your pick-hand index finger on the G string in anticipation of the next move, so you can catch it, then snap it back with a pluck. FIGURE 4 puts these three bits together into Mayer’s complete two-beat “Neon” pattern.
6fr
2 134
Now we’re ready to have some fun with this technique. You may have noticed that we’re only plucking strings 6, 4, 3 and 2. Good news: Any chord voicing that falls on these four strings can have this groove applied to it. Let’s first test this theory using the various Em inversions (same notes, different low-to-high arrangement) illustrated in FIGURE 5. FIGURE 6 takes these inversions and employs Mayer’s “Neon” groove to carry them up and down the neck. Of course, the most common chord types using strings 6, 4, 3 and 2 are sixth-string-root major and minor barre chords, sevenths, extended and suspended shapes—similar flavors to what Mayer uses in “Neon.” Despite eschewing Mayer’s Drop-C tuning, the voicings in FIGURE 7—Cm11, Ef/Af, Bfsus4 and G7f9/B—manage to cop a similar vibe. Try carrying the “Neon” plucking pattern through these and other chords.
CHAPTER
THE FREEWHEELIN’ STRUMME R
5
A look at Bob Dylan’s relaxed and groovy acoustic style
IN THE EARLY Sixties, Bob
Dylan lit up the hipster folk music scene in New York City’s Greenwich Village with socially-conscious, poetic and often politically-charged lyrics, memorable melodies and tons of attitude—all supported by understated (yet deceptively intricate) guitar playing. Back then, Dylan’s penchant for penning “anthems of peace” prompted journalists to refer to him as a protest singer. (Furthermore, songs like “The Times They Are A-Changin’ ” and “Blowin’ in the Wind” were adopted as anthems by civil rights and anti-war activists.) But Dylan would have lasting appeal even in mellower times. Today, more than 60 years into his career, the singersongwriter is still going strong, even recently receiving the Pulitzer Prize for his “profound impact on popular music and American culture, marked by lyrical compositions of extraordinary poetic power.” In this chapter, we’ll focus on country/ folk-like strumming in the style of “Blowin’ in the Wind,” the opening track on Dylan’s second studio album, The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan, released in May 1963, and his first hit. While the original version has Dylan playing with a capo at the seventh fret, various other performances—clips on Martin Scorsese’s Dylan documentary No Direction Home, for example—show him playing with a capo in different positions, or with none. Hence, we will forego the capo for this chapter. Before we get started, here’s a little commentary: Overly “technique”-minded guitarists often don’t “get” what Dylan is about as a player; many have a hard time recognizing and/or appreciating the subtleties of his style. For starters, Dylan’s pick-style acoustic playing always sounds very natural, relaxed and spontaneous. (In “Blowin’ in the Wind,” he’s also singing and blowing harmonica while playing guitar.) With the goal of sounding “relaxed and groovy” in mind, to help the chopsobsessed cop the right vibe, each figure will include a technical explanation of how to not sound technical. But first, get a grip on the open G, C, Csus2/B, D/A, D/Fs, and G shapes in FIGURE 1. The first Dylanesque element we’ll tackle is the “boom-chick, boom-chick” move in FIGURE 2—picking the bass notes on “one” and “two,” and alternately strumming the remaining upper notes of each chord with
F I G . 11 FIGURE G
0 3 0 0 0 2 3
= downstroke
= upstroke
C
Csus2/B
D/A
G
0 0 0 2 3 2 0 0
0 0 1 0 2 3
D/F
1 0 0 2
2 3 2 0 X 2
3 0 0 0 2 3
Th
FIGURE F I G . 22 G let ring
C
3 0 0 0
Csus2/B
sim.
3 0 0 0
1 0 2
D/F
2 3 2 0
1 0 0
3 3
D/A
2
G
2 3 2 0
3 0 0 0
3 0 0 0
0
3
2
3
3
Th
F I G . 33 FIGURE G let ring 3 0 0 0
C
3 0 0
3 0 0 0
3 0 0
Csus2/B
sim. 1 0 2
1 0
3 3
D/A
1 0 0
2 3 2 0
1 0
2
D/F
2 3 2
G
2 3 2 0
2 3 2
3 0 0 0
3 0 0
3 0 0 0
3 0 0
3 0 0 0
3 0 0
0
3
2
3
3
Th
FIGURE F I G . 44 G let ring
C
3 0 0 0
3 0 0
3 0 0 0
3 0 0
1 0 2 3
3
Csus2B
1 0
1 0 0 2
3
D/A
D
2 3 2 0
1 0
D/F
G
2 3 2
3 0 0 0
0
0 2
3
0
3
Th
a downstroke on the “and” of each beat. As you pick through, implement our first “non-technical” tip: Pick a little lighter than you ordinarily might, so that all the subtleties and nuances of your pick hand’s dynamics come out. Also, don’t squeeze your pick tightly; hold it relatively loose (the pick should just be “sitting” in your hand, in a relaxed grip), so that as you rake the pick across the strings a little extra percussive “click” accompanies your strums. You’ll find the combination of these two small things makes a big difference in producing an airier, more “open” acoustic sound. Now let’s add double strumming to the picture— hitting the notes in the upper register of each chord twice (two eighth notes), using a down-up strum after each bass note, as in FIGURE 3. Due to some of the upstrokes occurring right before each chord change, you may find it tricky to redeploy your fret-hand fingers to the next chord shape in time.
But fret not. Here’s another “anti-technique” tip: It’s perfectly okay to lift your fingers off the strings on that last eighth-note strum before each chord change (without modifying your strumming). This will allow you ample time to reposition them, while at the same time (as your pick hand is still grooving along) causing the top three or four open strings to ring briefly. These “all-purpose passing chords” are part of what makes passages like this one sound natural, relaxed and “Dylan”-like. FIGURE 4 is a spontaneous-sounding mixture of all the “Blowin’ in the Wind” elements we’ve just examined—quarter-note bass notes and chord strums interspersed with down-up eighth-note strums—as well as a more active “bass” part and a touch of ornamentation (hammering-on to the root of the G chord from the open sixth string). Now all that’s missing is your voice and harmonica as you strum along!
UNPLUGGIN’ AT THE CROSSROADS
CHAPTER
6
Eric Clapton’s smooth acoustic fingerstyle approach
ERIC CLAPTON’S SIXTIES
work with John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, Cream and Blind Faith established him as a pioneer of modern electric blues and rock guitar. Dubbed “Slow Hand” in his early days (a reference to his tasty blues phrasing as well as the speed—or lack thereof—with which he changed strings onstage), Clapton began to branch out on his own in the Seventies following his now legendary recording with Derek and the Dominos. As a solo artist, he cut such classic rock staples as “Lay Down Sally” and “I Shot the Sheriff,” while in the Eighties his music was featured in movies (1984’s The Hit and 1987’s Lethal Weapon ) and commercials (“After Midnight” for Michelob in 1987). Then, to the surprise of many, at the height of the electric guitar hero’s popularity, Clapton put down his signature Strat and performed on MTV’s live show Unplugged , a concert that premiered on the network in March 1992 and was released on CD the following August. The album, which included the somber “Tears in Heaven” (written in tribute to the memory of Clapton’s five-year-old son), received a Grammy for Album of the Year and quickly climbed to Number One on the Billboard charts. The Nineties also saw Clapton contibute “Change the World,” another classic acoustic moment, to the soundtrack to the movie Phenomenon. While Clapton is still going strong today, playing both electric and acoustic, it is his particularly “unplugged” era that we’ll focus on in this chapter. “Tears in Heaven” opens with one of the most recognizable acoustic guitar intros of all time, a passage kicked off with an openA-chord move involving hammer-ons and pull-offs to and from the chord’s sus4 tone (D, third fret, B string). FIGURE 1 illustrates a similar approach, applied to both the A and open E shapes. For the A, barre across strings 2 through 4 with your index finger and use your middle finger for the hammer/ pull ornamentation. Fret the E c hord conventionally, using the pinkie for the sus4 embellishment on the third string. Be sure to follow the pick-hand fingerings shown beneath the tab. FIGURE 2 focuses on the fingerpicking groove employed throughout
All examples played fingerstyle. p = thumb FIGURE FIG. 1 1 A
i = index m = middle a = ring FIGURE F IG . 22 A
E 2
3
2
2
0 1
2
2
1
2 0
m 3
i
i
p
p
FIGURE 3
m 3 i
p
FIGURE 4
FIG. 33 FIGURE E
Aadd2/E
E7
0 0 1 X 2 0
0 0 2 X 4 0
0 0 4 X 5 0
2 2
0
0
m i p
p
0
m i
3
G
i
p
B/A
2 2 0
m i p
4 4 0
p
4 5
1
4 5
m 3 i
p
p
4
4
m i p
p
F m7
B7
E
0 2
5 7
0 9
p
0
0
m
p
i
0
0
p
m p p
5 6
5 6
4
4
5 6 4
0
i
m i p
m
5 4
5 4
4
p
0
p
E/B
7
m i
4
m i
0
C m
2
FIG. 6 A
2
0
p
4
p
0
0
2
4
4
m i p
0
E 0 1
5 4
p
0
p
2
p
p
F I G . 44 FIGURE E
FIGURE 5 FIGURE FIG. 55
5 4
2
0
p
E/G
2 2
m i
7
7
p
0 0
0
0 2
0
m i
p
2
2
7
7
0
m i p
p
m i p
p
m i p
the song’s vocal sections. Here, Clapton uses a form of accompaniment reminiscent of how a pianist would accompany a singer: quarter-note chord partials in the upper register (the guitar’s second and third strings), sounded over syncopated bass notes (plucked with the thumb on the sixth string). Again, fret the A using an index-finger barre to facilitate the A–E/Gs change. Now let’s look at some of the chord voicings and accompaniment moves Clapton uses in “Change the World.” FIGURE 3 features chord shapes—E, Aadd2/E and E7—similar to those heard in the song’s verses. These chords are the result of moving a sixth interval (two notes that are six scale steps apart) along the third and fifth strings, with the first, second and sixth strings ringing open. Note the x on the fourth string in the tablature; mute this string
0
m
p
i
0
0
p
m p
3
i
p
4
i
throughout (with the fleshy pad of your fret-hand middle finger). Meanwhile, between Clapton’s vocal phrases in “Change the World,” you’ll often hear an accompanimental fill that features the open first and second strings, plucked in alternation between hits of the open low E string. This is similarly depicted in FIGURE 4—a nice break for your fretting hand! FIGURE 5 combines many of the techniques gleaned from “Tears in Heaven” and “Change the World” and plugs them into a progression similar to that heard in the chorus of the latter song, using familiar open shapes (E and A), barre chords (Gs and Csm), the occasional “slash” chord (E/B and B/A), and other tones. In extended passages such as this, to avoid frustration, get comfortable with the basic chord shapes first, then grapple with the plucking-hand intricacies.
FLEET�FINGERED MAC�OUSTIC MADNESS
CHAPTER
7
Delving deep into Lindsey Buckingham’s unique Travis-picking rhythms
WHEN LINDSEY Buckingham
joined Fleetwood Mac in late 1974, he helped transform the veteran British blues-rock band into an incredibly successful mainstream pop act. In his formative years, Buckingham drew inspiration from Elvis Presley guitarist Scotty Moore, who was an early practitioner of Travis picking within a pop/rock and roll context. This somewhat country-like fingerstyle approach was named after Fifties country session musician Merle Travis. Buckingham was also a huge fan of Chet Atkins. Couple these influences with his experience playing banjo as a youngster, and you have the foundation for the unique fingerpicking guitar style, which Buckingham employed to great effect during his tenure with Fleetwood Mac. In this chapter, we’ll tackle his famous polyrhythmic Travis picking style via a passage modeled after parts in “Landslide” from 1975’s Fleetwood Mac. Buckingham performed the studio version with a capo across his Martin D-18 acoustic’s third fret. We’ll forego capoing in this lesson. Let’s begin by building up Buckingham’s intricate fingerstyle passage over the Cadd2 chord in FIGURE 1. While holding down this chord and those that follow, Buckingham plays a quarter-note bass line, alternating between different chord tones (plucked with the thumb, p ), as in FIGURE 2. Over this, Buckingham arpeggiates a descending cascade of notes on strings 1 through 3: a repeating three-note passage played in eighth notes, plucked with the ring ( a ), middle ( m ) and index ( i ) fingers (a “banjo-style” roll), as seen in FIGURE 3. Note that the first six eighth notes ( two groups of three; think of it as “1 2 3, 1 2 3”) are capped off with the two eighth notes (think “1 2”) at the measure’s end. Buckingham’s use of “1 2 3” notes plucked in a rhythm of twos creates what’s referred to as a polyrhythm, the simultaneous conveyance of two or more contrasting rhythms. This particular polyrhythm has its own name: hemiola, the rhythmic relation of three against two. You’ll find plucking this arpeggio part over Buckingham’s bass line is tricky—a groove that could be illustrated as (bass notes occurring where underlined) “1 2 3, 1 2 3, 1 2.” Let’s break this passage down into bits, adding one string at a time from the
All examples played fingerstyle: p = thumb, i = index finger, m = middle finger, a = ring finger
FIG. 1 1 FIGURE
F I G . 22 FIGURE
F I G . 33 FIGURE
Cadd2 let ring
Cadd2
Cadd2 let ring 3
2
3
3
3
2
3
3
3
0
3
0
21 34
p
p
F I G . 44 FIGURE Cadd2 let ring 3
3
3
2
3
p
a
p
3
0
3 3
2
3
F I G . 88 FIGURE Cadd2 let ring 3
3
0 2
3
0
i
3
3
3
3
a
m
3
3
0 2
0
3
a m i p p
A7sus4
G/B
3
3 3
2
3 3
0 2
0
0
a m p
2
i
a m p
G
3 3
3 3
2
0
3
3
a m p
3
0
3 3
0 0
2
0
3 0
3
a m i a m i a m p p p p
a m i a m i a m p p p p
Em7
A7sus4
G/B
3 0
2
a m i a m i a m p p p p
0
m
a m i a m i a m p p p p
3 3
a
2
3 3
0 2
0
a m i a m i a m p p p p
3
3 3
i
3
a m p a m p p
3 3
3
3
2
a p
3
3
3
Em7
0 2
3
m
F I G . 66 FIGURE Cadd2 let ring
3
F I G . 77 FIGURE Cadd2 let ring 3
a
3
2 3
3
p
F I G . 55 FIGURE Cadd2 let ring
3
a p
p
3 3
3 3
0
2 0
0 2
0
0
i a m i a m i p p p p
arpeggiated figure over the thumbed bass notes, beginning with the first string (pluck with ring finger), as in FIGURE 4 . Take note of each moment your thumb and other plucking-hand fingers sound notes simultaneously; coordinate those first, and it will become easier to add the “between the bass” notes. FIGURE 5 adds the second string (plucked with the middle finger) to the picture, while FIGURE 6 incorporates the third string (plucked with the index finger) for Buckingham’s complete figure. FIGURE 7 runs Buckingham’s complete pluckinghand pattern through Cadd2, Em7, A7sus4 and G chords. Notice that each of these chords shares the same note pair on the top two strings. The only mechanical difference between FIGURE 6 and the
3 3
a
3 3
0 2
0 0
G
3 3
0
2
m i a m i a m i p p p p
3 3
2
0 0
3 3
3
0 0
3
a m i a m i a m p p p p
approach in FIGURE 7 is that the thumb plucks the sixth string for the Em7 and G chords to sound their respective roots. We described FIGURE 3 with the terms polyrhythm and hemiola. In that example, a repeating three-note pattern (“1 2 3, 1 2 3”) is capped off with an extra pair of “compensating” notes (“1 2”), creating a user-friendly passage, repeatable at each chord change. If you’re up to the challenge, FIGURE 8 shows the result of a relentless “1 2 3” pattern (a true hemiola), yielding a groove that feels like “1 2 3, 1 2 3, 1 2 3, 1 2 3,” with the bass notes occurring on the underlined beats. As chords change (at beat “one”), the first upper-register note plucked will be on a different string each time.
TAKE THI S PAIR OF STRINGS AN D LEARN TO FLY
CHAPTER
8
Examining Paul McCartney’s “two-finger” magic in “Blackbird”
THE BEATLES’ “BLACKBIRD,”
performed entirely by Paul McCartney using his Martin D-28, was released on the 1968 album The Beatles (commonly referred to as the White Album). From a guitar standpoint, the song’s roots and inspiration can be traced back to McCartney’s early experimentation with a well-known piece by J.S. Bach titled “Bourée in E Minor,” which he woodshedded in his youth. (Lyrically, “Blackbird” was penned in reaction to escalating racial tensions in the U.S. in the late Sixties.) To this day, guitar teachers find that the tune is one of the most commonly requested songs among their fledgling fingerstyle students. Let’s examine what makes this classic track tick. Throughout “Blackbird,” McCartney uses his pick-hand thumb ( p ) and index finger ( i ) to sound strings, while fretting only two notes (mostly on the A and B strings), plucking the open G string on the eighth-note upbeats. For the basics of this technique, have a look at FIGURE 1. As indicated, pluck the first two notes simultaneously with your pick-hand thumb and index finger. These two notes, along with the open G string, imply a C chord (C E G). As the figure unfolds, this shape, fretted with the same two fingers, is shifted up the neck, with the notes’ spacing modified slightly to accommodate notes in the C major scale (C D E F G A B). Pluck the open G string in between each shifted shape with your thumb. Additionally, in “Blackbird” McCartney plucks passages like the one shown in FIGURE 2. In this “busier” groove, as your thumb alternates between the A and G strings, your pick-hand’s index finger strikes notes on the B string between thumb-picked notes. Now let’s look at how these kinds of moveable two-note shapes can imply a chord progression. In the following examples, we’ll extract two notes at a time from stock chord shapes you’re likely already familiar with, such as those shown in FIGURE 3. Next, we’ll play these note pairs (on the A and B strings, exclusively) at different spots on the neck, plucking them McCartney style. To illustrate, in FIGURE 4a three
F I G . 1 1 C major scale in “10ths” intervals FIGURE fingerstyle let ring 5
6
8
0
0
5
*i p
p
F I G . 33 FIGURE C
7
i p
p
A7
12
15
0
8
0
10
12
14
F I G . 44 FIGURE a) C
1 3 2 0
5
8
3
0 13
7
i p i p p p
5
0
5
3
3
i p
p i p i p
0
8
0
0
0
i p
i p i p p p
10
6
10
0
4
7
i p p
6 0
5
8
i
p
i
p
i p
i p i p p p
Em
p
6
i p
0
5
i p
7
0
4
i p
12
B7/D
6
0
4
0
5
5
3
0 15
0
10
Dm(add4)
0
3
p
0
3
5
5
c) Dm(add4)
10
A7/C
5 0
15
2
0
fingerstyle let ring
i p
5 0
b) A7
0
FIGURE F I G . 55 C 5
17 0
etc.
Dm
3 2 0 2 0
13
0
0 0 0 3 1 0 2 3
C
10
0
3
F I G . 22 FIGURE
*p = thumb; i = index
p
0
5
6
0 6
etc.
Fadd2
G
E7 9/G
Am7
10 8
8
8
0
10
10
0
7
10
12
13
0
7
8
0
8
8
A maj7
10
13
13
13
0 11
13 0
11
13
13
0 11
11
C 8
0 5
different pairs of chord tones from C (C E G) are fretted along these two strings, plucked in conjunction with the open G. Use your index finger and pinkie to fret all the notes. A7 (A Cs E G) gets a similar treatment in FIGURE 4b. Notice that this chord has four different notes in it, yielding an extra shape at the end of the example: G (fifth string, 10th fret) and A (second string, 10th fret), fretted with the ring finger and pinkie, respectively. For Dm (D F A), locate the chord tones on the
0 8
11
8
6 0
0
12
C/E
7
0 7
0 8 8 0
8
0 7
13
0
11
Dm(add4) G7/F
13
0
8 !
fifth and second strings and then pluck the three resultant shapes illustrated in FIGURE 4c. FIGURE 5 illustrates this approach in an expanded progression that incorporates a variety of chords. Notice the new shapes, involving notes on the first string. For these, fret the fifth- and first-string notes with your middle and index fingers, respectively. The passage ends with an interesting C voicing, the result of shifting a common open G chord shape five frets up the neck, to C.
BLUEGRASS BARN�BURNING
CHAPTER
10
Your prescription for flawless flat-pickin’: the great Doc Watson
FLAT-PICKING PHENOM
Doc Watson just celebrated his 88th birthday, and he still wails like no other, maintaining a regular touring schedule to this day. Arthel Lane “Doc” Watson was hugely responsible for popularizing the acoustic guitar as a lead instrument in folk, country and bluegrass, and his style seamlessly melds ultra-fast open-chord strums with ripping single-note runs reminiscent of bluegrass fiddle licks the guitarist picked up in his youth. In the Fifties, Watson (who was stricken blind by his first birthday) spent equal time playing electric and acoustic guitars, banjo and even some harmonica. During this era, Watson was regularly employed as an electric guitarist in country swing bands. He’d often find himself in a lineup without a fiddle player (an instrument that plays a key role in country swing) and would be asked to cop some fiddle lines to authenticate the band’s sound. By the Sixties, at the dawn of the folk music revival, the guitarist transferred this approach to his acoustic (a Martin D-18, and later, a Gallagher G-50), and the sound forever associated with Doc Watson was born. This chapter features numerous examples inspired by Watson’s blistering performances of “Black Mountain Rag,” a concert staple that features many of his trademark techniques. (Doc’s recorded versions of this song go back as far as 1963 and continue to the present day. Many of these feature his late son, Merle, on second guitar.) FIGURE 1 illustrates a chord and “fiddle”like riff similar to that heard in the song. Flatpick notes from the C major pentatonic scale (C D E G A) between the cracks of a “doublestrummed” open C shape (strum down-up on the “and” of beat “one” throughout). Keep all fingers fixed to your C chord, using only your fret hand’s middle finger to hammer-on and pull-off to and from the notes on the D and G strings’ second frets. Allow all notes to ring together as much as possible. FIGURE 2 depicts another approach taken by Watson in “Black Mountain Rag,” that of mimicking both fiddle lines and bass guitar parts. Here, the last two notes of each measure function as “approach tones,” pointing to the root of a forthcoming chord. The C chord’s root is preceded by an ascending A–B scalar line, and the F chord’s arrival is set up with the notes D and E.
FIGURE FIG. 1 1
= downstroke
C let ring 0
0 1 0
0 1 0
0
2
FIGURE F I G . 22
= upstroke
0 1 0
0
2
0
C let ring
0 1 0
2
F
2
0 1 0
0 1 0
0
1 1 2 0
3
FIG. 33 FIGURE
2
1 1 2
3
3
0
2
F I G . 44 FIGURE
C
C7 0 0 1 1 0 0
1 0
1 3 0
0 2 3
N.C.(C) 1 2 0 2
0 2 0
0 2
0 2 0 2 3
3
3 0
1.
C
2.
F 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 2 0
G7
0 0 1 1 0 0
0 2
3 2 0
3 2 3
FIG. 55 FIGURE
let ring
1 0
0 2
1 1 1 1 2 2
1 1 1 1 2 2
2 0
1 1 1 1 2 2 2 0 3
3
1 1 0 0 0 0 3
0
3
0 2 3
N.C.(C) 1 1 1 1 2 2
1 1 1 1 2 2
0
(G)
C
G/C C 0 1 0
1 2 0
0 2 0 3
3
0
0 2
1
F
1 1 0 0 0 0
0
0 2 0 2 3 3 2 3
3 2 0
2 0 2
3
3 0 0 0
2 0
3 0 1 0 0 2
3
1
Meanwhile, in FIGURE 3, our familiar C chord gets elevated to C7 status (bar 2). In addition to middlefinger hammer-ons and pull-offs, this passage features pinkie pull-offs from Bf (G string, third fret) to the open string and requires some tricky “cross picking.” Follow the picking suggestions above the tab staff to avoid any kinks that may exist when playing this passage at full speed. Watson is also renowned for blazingly fast alternate-picked runs, played in open position, executed at a “stop-time break” (where the band, or sole rhythm guitarist, stops playing and a soloist erupts in an improvisation). FIGURE 4, a spiraling sequence of notes within the lower strings
of open C, illustrates one Doc-style run. Alternate picking is used throughout, save for the pull-offs at the beginning and end of bar 2, which are used to help smooth out the line. FIGURE 5 is a barn-burning “in-the-style-of” passage that will melt some picks. It combines many of the techniques explored in this chapter, weaving in a few new chords as well, including an open G7 and a “thumb voicing” of F (fret the low E string with your fret-hand’s thumb). Approach all these examples slowly at first, gradually increasing the tempo as you try to keep you pick hand as relaxed as possible while minimizing the amount of movement.
