Title page bk1
Copyright, ©2004 Rock Star Recipes Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Contents Preface ........................................................................................... 5 .................................................. .................................................. ..................................... ............ 6 Introduction......................... Lesson: 1. Motivation and practice, introduction to chord diagrams, A major chord, D major chord, introduction to reading guitar tablature.............. tablature.................. .... 10 2. Keeping an open mind, introduction to strumming, notes on the treble clef, first string notes, second string notes................................. 15 3. Patience and discipline, E major chord, the repeat sign, notes on the third string.................................... string....................................................................... ................................... 19 4. The key to good practice, G major chord, C major chord, notes on the fourth string................ string................................. .................................. ................................. .................. 21 5. What is talent?, minor chords, A minor chord, E minor chord, turnaround concept, notes on the fifth string.......... string.................................... ............................ 23 6. Healthy learning, eighth note rhythm patterns,F major chord, the chromatic scale................................... scale....................................................................... .................................... 26 7. Your gear, dominant 7 chords, A dominant 7, D dominant 7, E dominant 7..................................... ....................................... 29 8. Positive thinking, silent stroke symbol, notes on the sixth string................. 33 9. Progress and motivation, G dominant 7, C dominant 7, two bar rhythms .......35 10. The musical language, B dominant 7, blues pattern in E major.................. 37
11. Practice tips, stave notes in the first position, note values, bass note picking............................... picking......................................................... ........................................... ................. 39 12. Caring for your gear, time signatures, bass note picking in 3/4 time............ 41 13. Good technique, suspended chords, Asus chord, Dsus chord, Esus chord, introduction to the Major Scale...................................... .44 14. The rounded musician, Asus2 chord, Dsus2 chord................................. .47 15. Hammer on technique, pull off technique......................................... 49
Supplementary Chord Refernce ....................................................... 51 Index ...................................................................................... 54
4
Preface Welcome to the Jamorama Rhythm Guitar series of books. This series is designed to take the guitar student from a beginner level through to an advanced standard of playing. The series was constructed on the premise that learning should not be an arduous task. Therefore, each book is written in a step by step lesson plan with instruction that is both easy and enjoyable to follow. Book one introduces the student to open chords on the guitar, basic guitar rhythm and picking and some simple articulation techniques. Also, basic music theory is introduced throughout the entire book to aid the student in learning practical applications for the guitar. The aim of this book is to give the student the best grounding from which to progress on to intermediate and advanced rhythm guitar technique. By the end of this book, the student will have a good understanding of basic rhythm guitar and music theory, and will be able to play many popular songs. While this book is a valuable tool and resource for learning, the guidance of an experienced guitar teacher is recommended as this will accelerate learning greatly. greatly.
5
Introduction
Before you begin working through the lessons in this book, you will need to know the following information. · The Acoustic Guitar · The Electric Guitar · Getting into Position
The Acoustic Guitar
Headstock
Tuning machine heads Nut
Fingerboard Frets
Neck
Position markers Truss rod Strings
Heel
Sound hole
Waist
Pick guard
Body
Saddle
Bridge
Bridge pins Soundboard
End pin
6
Bouts
The Electric Guitar
Headstock
Tuning machine heads Nut
Fingerboard Frets
Neck
Position markers Truss rod Strings Strap pin Pickup selector switch
Body
Pickups
Bridge
Volume controls Tone controls Output jack End pin
7
Getting into position
There are two sitting positions for holding the guitar; classical and casual.
Sitting Positions 1. 2. 3. 4.
Pick up the guitar and make sure that the guitar body is supported by your leg. Position yourself at the edge of your chair. Ensure that your back is relaxed but straight. Lean the guitar back towards you slightly.
Casual position
Classical position
Standing Position 1. Pick up the guitar and place the strap over your shoulder. Adjust the strap so that the guitar is positioned mid-body. 2. Use your left hand to support the neck of the guitar. 3. Rest your right hand over the bridge of the guitar.
8
Hand Positions It is important that you relax your wrists and hands. Straining them can cause injury. Front view
Rear view
Make sure that you never position your hand like this:
Your thumb should never be placed this low on the neck of the guitar as it puts unneccessary strain on your wrist and thunb.
Fretting When you play the guitar, you use your left hand to press down the strings on the fret board of the guitar and use your right hand to pluck or strum the stings at the bridge end of the guitar. Using your left hand to press the strings on the fret board is called fretting. Here are some tips you will need to know: 1. Short fingernails are essential. 2. Use only the tips of your fingers to press the strings. 3. When making a chord, be sure that each fingertip is placed directly behind the fret. We will cover chords in lesson one. 4. Check each string that it rings clearly and is not muted or buzzing. As a beginner guitarist, it may hurt your fingers to play. This is normal. Every guitarist starts this way for the first couple of weeks. With practice, you will develop guitar fingers (hard skin on your fingertips).
Holding the Pick 1. Position the pick between thumb and index fingers like in the diagrams below.
9
Lesson One Lesson Outline: · · · · ·
Motivation and Practice Introduction to Chord Diagrams The A Major Chord The D Major Chord Introduction to Reading Guitar Tablature
Motivation and Practice The key to success with the guitar is practice, practice and more practice. This is the key to success, but the lock into which the key fits, is motivation. Motivation is a set of internal systems that drive us to achieve goals. When there is a lack of motivation, there will be a lack of practice. Think about yourself for a second. What is your motivation for learning to play the guitar? Maybe you want to impress your boyfriend/girlfriend. You might be motivated by fame or success. It could be a desire to fit in. Whatever it is that drives you to learn, that is your starting point. It is from there that you will progress and your motivation for learning will change. You will find that the act of learning the guitar will motivate you to learn more. It is true that the people who simply can’t live without the guitar and who live for their musical passion are the ones that may have the staying power to progress onto becoming an elite player. With enough passion and practice, you can become an elite player. Understand that, as you learn the guitar, your attitude towards music will change.
Introduction to Chord Diagrams A chord is defined as the combination of 3 or more notes played together. For example, the A major chord is constructed of the notes A, C# and E. We will cover notes a little later. For now, we will make chords without knowledge of individual notes. Guitar chords are illustrated by chord diagrams that match with the neck of the guitar. Below is an illustration of the neck of a guitar. Note that the fret board is divided into frets. Most guitars have around 20 frets. In this book, we will focus on the first four, also known as the first position.
Fret 1
Fret 2
Fret 3
Fret 4 1 2 3 4 5 6
Guitar neck 10
s g n i r t S
Here is an illustration of a blank chord diagram. Take note of how it matches with the strings on the guitar on the previous page: Fret 1
Fret 2
Fret 3
Fret 4
E
1
B
2
G
3
D
4
A
5
E
6
s g n i r t S
Notice the notes to the left of this diagram: E, B, G, D, A, E. These are the open string notes, meaning that, if you pluck the strings without placing your fingers on the fret board, these are the notes that you would hear for each string.
Fingers Fingers are given numbers that are placed on the fret of the chord diagram: 1
2
3 4
For example, the chord A major uses fingers 1, 2, and 3. Look at the diagram below.
The A Major Chord The A Major Chord is constructed of the notes A, C# (C sharp) and E. It is played using fingers 1, 2 and 3: Fret 1
Fret 2
Fret 3
Fret 4
E B G D
1
3 1 2
2 3 4
A
5
E
6
s g n i r t S
Note that the sixth string in the A major chord diagram is represented by a broken line. The broken line tells you that you are not to play that string. The sixth string of the A major chord is not played, but you play the rest. See if you can make this chord according to the chord diagram. Make sure that you relax your wrists and fingers and apply even pressure to each string.
11
Exercise: Strumming the A major Chord Position each finger with care, according to the previous chord diagram. Make sure that each fingertip is placed directly behind the fret. Firstly, strum across the strings one by one with your right hand, checking that each string rings clearly and is not muted or buzzing. Once you are sure that you are holding the A major chord correctly, practice strumming the chord in single downward strokes. Listen to the audio cd to hear a recorded example of this. Try your best to start your strum from the fifth string each time you strum. A major, doesn’t sound bad if you accidentally hit the top string, although if you want your music to sound professional, you’ll want to play this chord properly. Remember to stay relaxed. Your fingers may hurt a little but they will get stronger.
1 Now that you are playing the A major chord properly, let’s take a look at another chord.
The D Major Chord The D Major Chord is constructed of the notes D, F# (F sharp) and A. It is played using fingers 1, 2 and 3:
Fret 1 E
Fret 2
Fret 4
2
B G
Fret 3
1
3
2
1
3
D
4
A
5
E
6
s g n i r t S
Exercise: Strumming the D Major Chord Practice strumming the D major Chord in single downward strokes. Listen to the audio cd to hear a recorded example of this. Note: The top two, or fifth and sixth, strings are not played in the D major chord. Make sure that you start your strum from the third string each time you strum D major, it doesn’t sound bad if you accidentally hit the fifth string, although as with A major above, if you want your music to sound professional, you need to play this chord properly.
2
12
Reading Guitar Tablature Guitar tablature is probably the easiest and most used method for guitar notation. On the internet, you can find guitar notation for almost any song that you want to learn. Tablature is easier to learn than traditional music notation because it relates directly to the fret board of the guitar, indicating where your fingers should be placed. Although it is an easier method to learn it still has its weak points, the main one being that you can’t easily indicate rhythm on tablature. This means that when you learn a song you have to learn the strum from the song itself. The following diagram shows you how tablature relates to the guitar fret board:
Fret board: Fret 1
Fret 2
Fret 3
Fret 4 1 2 3 4 5
s g n i r t S
6
Tablature has six lines that indicate the six strings of the guitar.
The word TAB at the beginning of the tablature score is the abbreviation for tablature.
Tablature score:
1 2
T
3
A
4
B
5 6
We use numbers to indicate the string and the fret position that you are supposed to play. Each fret is numbered, starting at the nut of the guitar at O and moving upwards towards the bridge of the guitar. The following diagrams demonstrate this principle.
T A B
3
Tab. diagram 1
The 3 on the above tablature score (Tab. diagram 1) indicates to you that you place a finger on the third fret of the sixth string. It is the note G.
T
1
A B
Tab. diagram 2 13
The 1 on the tablature score (Tab. diagram 2) on the last page indicates to you that you place a finger on the first fret of the third string. It is the note C.
T
O
A B
Tab. diagram 3
The O on the above tablature score (Tab. diagram 3) indicates to you that the third string is to be played open. This means that you don’t need to place a finger on it. It is the note G.
Chords and Tablature Chords are indicated by a set of numbers that tell you which frets need to be played and which don’t. The following diagram demonstrates how an open A major chord is constructed with tablature.
The A Major Chord O 2 2 2 O X
T A B
The first and fifth strings are played open whilst the second, third and forth strings are played at the second fret. The sixth string is not played in the A Major Chord and this is indicated by an X. Often tablature is written beneath traditional music score or stave. The two together looks like this:
4 4 T A B
14
Lesson Two Lesson Outline: · · · · ·
Keeping an open mind Introduction to Strumming Notes on the Treble Clef First string notes Second String Notes
Keeping an Open Mind Learning to play the guitar might not be what you had expected. Just remember to keep an open mind and try to forget any preconceived notions that you may have had about learning an instrument. Things might be harder to learn than you first anticipated and you may find yourself less motivated to continue practicing. You need to counter this by taking up the challenge and enjoying it. Try different things to keep your practice interesting and most importantly, have fun with it.
Introduction to Strumming In a strum there are two types of guitar stroke. They are up stroke and down stroke. Throughout this book these strokes will be notated as follows: Up stroke Down stroke When you play a stroke, you strum across the strings just in front of the bridge of the guitar with the pick in your left hand. When strumming a chord, make sure that you play all of the necessary strings in the chord. The stroke direction will depend on which stroke is indicated; up or down as shown above.
Exercise: Practice strumming the A major and the D major chords to this down stroke pattern. Strum four down strokes over the A Major chord and then four down strokes over the D Major chord and then repeat. You should aim to get a smooth change between the two chords so that the whole piece flows and is in time. Play along to the audio track for this lesson until you have mastered it.
Chord Stroke
A
D
A
Count
1 2 3 4
1 2 3 4 1
D
2 3 4
1 2 3
4
This exercise may be difficult on your first few attempts. You may find that your left hand struggles to co-ordinate each chord change with your right hand strum. This is natural and will take a bit of practice to break. Try to focus on getting right hand consistency first and your left hand should follow with practice. 15
3
Notes on the Treble Clef A clef tells you which notes are represented by each line and space on the musical stave. We will look at the G clef or treble clef. It looks like this:
The clef is placed on the stave at the very beginning of a piece of music. When it is the treble clef, the stave is called the treble stave. Treble stave looks like this:
There are seven notes in the musical alphabet. They are: A, B, C, D, E, F and G. These notes are indicated by the placement of musical notes on the lines and spaces of the treble stave. Using the treble clef, the bottom line on the stave represents the note E. The subsequent notes, F G A B C D, continue up the stave so that F sits in the space above E, G sits on the line above F, A sits in the space above G, and this continues up the stave and repeats itself once E is reached, near the top of the stave and then the cycle starts again at E. Notes can be placed off of the stave on what are called ledger lines (see the following diagram).The following diagrams will help you to remember the notes on the treble stave.
C
D
E
F
G
The notes in the above diagram (e.g.
B
A
C
D
E
F
G
A
B
) are called quarter notes.
Four Four Time Signature Time signatures tell you what time you are to play the piece of music in. They are written as two numbers, one above the other. This is the four four time signature:
4 4 The diagram below shows you where the time signature sits on the stave. There are some other things on the diagram that you should note.
4 4
Four four signature.
time
This is a bar line. Bar lines are used to divide the stave into sections that are called bars or measures. 16
This is a double bar line. Double bar lines indicate the end of a piece of music.
In a time signature, the upper number specifies the number of beats that there are per bar. In the above example: the upper number is 4 which tells us that there are 4 beats allowed per bar. The lower number specifies the note value that is equivalent to one beat in the bar. In the above example: the lower number is 4. Because a time signature is a fraction, we can read the bottom number in the above example as ¼; a quarter. Therefore, in the above four four example, a quarter note (e.g. ) holds for, or is equivalent to, one beat in the bar. So, four bars of quarter notes of A in four four time would look like this:
4 4
Notes on the First String Knowledge of the notes that are on each string is necessary for understanding guitar theory. The first string is also known as the high E string. The main notes in the first position on the first string are E (open), F (1st fret) and G (3rd fret). Fret 1
E
Fret 2
Fret 3
Fret 4
G
F
We will use these notes in the following exercise to introduce to you the concept of note picking.
Exercise: Note picking is a skill that is used in all types of music. For now, we will use it to familiarize ourselves with the note names on each string in the first position. Pluck these first string notes with a downward picking motion:
4 4 O O O O
1 1 1 1
3 3 3 3
3 3 3 3
1 2 3 4
1 2 3 4
1 2 3 4
T A B
Count:
1 2 3 4
17
4
Notes on the Second String The second string is also known as the B string. The main notes in the first position on the second string are B (open), C (1st fret) and D (3rd fret).
Fret 1
Fret 2
Fret 3
C
B
Fret 4
D
Exercise: Pluck these second string notes with a downward picking motion:
4 4
T
OO O O
1 1 1 1
3 3 3 3
3 3 3 3
1 2 3 4
1 2 3 4
1 2 3 4
1 2 3 4
A B
Count:
5 Don’t forget that your fingertips should be directly behind the fret and you should hold those notes down tight. This will produce a clear sound.
18
Lesson Three Lesson Outline: · Patience and discipline · The E Major Chord · The Repeat Sign · Notes on the third string
Patience and discipline Patience and discipline are two qualities that all great musicians have. You should try to nurture these qualities in yourself. Do not be discouraged by any signs of slow progress. It takes time to learn the guitar. Be patient and clock up those consecutive days, even if it is only 15 minutes a day. At the very least, you should keep your brain thinking about the guitar every day. Enjoy the thirst and hunger that you have for knowledge and experience. At the end of the day, you are the one responsible for your own practicing. Learning the guitar is like learning a language. Those that speak great English speak it everyday. Those who speak broken English probably don’t use it as much, or have not used it for as long as others. The same goes for guitarists. Those who play great guitar, practice everyday. Those who play average guitar probably are not practicing as much as they should.
The E Major Chord The E Major Chord is constructed of the notes E, Ab (A flat) and B. It is played using fingers 1, 2 and 3:
Fret 1
Fret 2
Fret 3
Fret 4
E
1
B G D A
2
1
3
3 2
4 5
E
s g n i r t S
6
Exercise: Practice strumming The E Major Chord using the following strum.
Chord
E
Stroke Count
1
2
3
4
6
Remember to start slowly. It is easier to maintain an even strum and smooth chord changes when you play slowly. 19
The Repeat Sign This sign is used to instruct you that instead of finishing on the last bar you go back and repeat the piece from the beginning.
Exercise: Practice strumming A, D and E to the suggested strum. Note that there is a repeat sign after four bars which means that you go back to the start and repeat the piece.
A
4 4
D
A
E
Strum:
7
Count:
1 2 3 4
Notes on the Third String The third string is also known as the G string. The main notes in the first position on the third string are G (open), A (2nd fret) and B (4th fret) Fret 1
Fret 2
Fret 3
A
G
Fret 4
B
Exercise: Pluck these third string notes with a downward picking motion.
4 4
T
OO O O
2 2 2 2
4 4 4 4
4 4 4 4
1 2 3 4
1 2 3 4
1 2 3 4
A B
Count:
1 2 3 4
8
It is normal for your fingers to ache, especially your little finger. However, if you practice each day your fingers will become strong and more used to the movements required to play the guitar. 20
Lesson Four Lesson Outline: · · · ·
The key to good practice The G Major Chord The C Major Chord Notes on the fourth string
The key to good practice Be sure to allow enough time for practice. In your busy and complex life, it can be very hard to find some time to sit down and work on your guitar. You need to stick to a plan. A routine means that you have designated practice times for each day. If you know the times that you will practice during the week, you will be able to maximize your practice productivity and maintain a constant rate of learning. Of course, there will be times when your plan gets interrupted by the unexpected. You might have friends drop by or a party to go to or a doctor’s appointment to attend. These things will never stop. You really just need to have a flexible plan so that your practice fits in with your life. The amazing thing is that over time, your lifestyle and friends will change because of your practice and your passion for music.
The G Major Chord The G Major Chord is constructed of the notes G, B and D. It is played using fingers 1, 2 and 3: Fret 1
Fret 2
E
Fret 3
Fret 4 1
3
B
2
G
3
D
4
A
1
E
5
2
s g n i r t S
6
9
The C Major Chord
The C Major Chord is constructed of the notes C, E and G. It is also played using fingers 1, 2 and 3:
Fret 1
Fret 2
Fret 3
Fret 4
E B
1 2
1
G D A
3 4
2
5
3
E
s g n i r t S
6
10 21
Exercise: Practice strumming D, A, C and G to the rhythm below.
D
A
C
G
4 4 Strum Count
11 1
2
3
4
Notes on the Fourth String The forth string is also known as the D string.The notes in the first position that are on the forth string are D (open), E (2nd fret) and F (3rd fret). It is played using fingers 2 and 3:
Fret 1
Fret 2
Fret 3
E
F
D
Fret 4
Exercise: Pluck the fourth string notes with a downward picking motion.
4 4 2 2 2
O O O O
2
1 2 3 4
1 2 3 4
3 3 3 3
2 2 2 2
1 2 3 4
1 2 3 4
T A B
Count:
12 22
Lesson Five Lesson Outline: · · · · · ·
What is talent? Minor Chords The A Minor Chord The E Minor Chord Turnaround concept Notes on the 5th string
What is Talent? Talent is a term that we attach to people, or to skills that people have, when we believe that they are really good at what they do. Sometimes it seems that some people have talent, or an advantage or strength at a particular skill due to some innate force. Although it may appear this way, the chances are that they were not born with their talent. It is more likely that they had to learn it. Talent is gained through complex interactions between an individual and their environment over a period of time. Children who are bought up in a musical environment are more likely to become talented musicians than children bought up in a less musical environment. If you were constantly surrounded by music as you grew up, you will probably have a good mental database of sounds. It is your database of sound that influences your playing and creating of music. A good database of sound is important if you want to be a great musician, but it won’t make you talented on it’s own. There are other factors that contribute to being talented such as discipline and a sense of artistry. Think about these questions: When you like something, do you do it a lot? Do you put all of your energy into it? Do you try to extend yourself both physically and mentally? If you answered yes to these questions, then you may have the discipline to become a talented musician. Discipline is important because without it, you will not p ractice and without practice you will not have the practical skills to be talented. So you have a good database of sounds and you feel that you’ve got the discipline that it takes to be great, but do you have a sense of artistry. Well, let’s see. Think about the following questions: Do you experiment with what you already know in order to learn new things? Do you try to be creative for the sake of it? Do you have a vivid imagination when it comes to sound? Do you feel a need to be original? If you answered yes to these questions, then you are well on your way to being talented. Hard work is where it’s at. Practice, listen and experiment with your music. Like a sponge, you really just need to soak it up. Any musical knowledge that you don’t already know is out there for you to learn. Learn it and work hard on it, and you will be talented.
23
Minor Chords So far, the chords that you have learnt have all been major chords. Major chords give music a happy feel. Minor chords, on the other hand, lend a sad or melancholy feeling to music. Minor chords are constructed in the same way as major chords except that the third or middle note of the chord is flattened (something that will be explained in full later in this book).
The A Minor Chord The A Minor chord is constructed of the notes A, C and E.
1
3 2
The E Minor Chord
13
The E Minor chord is constructed of the notes E, G and A.
3 2
14 Exercise: Turnaround Progression A turnaround progression is a sequence of chords that can be continually repeated due to strong sounding chord movement between the ending and starting chords. Try the following turnaround progression:
D
G
Em
A
4 4 Strum Count
15 1
2
3
4
In this example, a strong sounding chord change between A and D resolves the progression back to its starting point.
24
Exercise: Play the following progression.
G
Am
C
D
4 4 16
Strum Count
1
2
3
4
Once again a strong sounding chord change (D to G) resolves the progression back to its starting point.
Notes on the Fifth String The fifth string is also known as the A string. The main notes in the first position that are on the fifth string are A (open), B (2nd fret) and C (3rd fret).
A
B
C
Exercise: Play these fifth string notes with a down/up picking motion. Down/up picking: Down
Up
Down
Up
4 4
T A B
Count:
O
O
2
2
3
3
2
2
1
2
3
4
1
2
3
4
17 25
Lesson Six Lesson Outline: · · · ·
Healthy learning Eighth note rhythm patterns The F Major Chord The Chromatic Scale
Healthy learning The basis of good learning is good health. On average, people who lead healthy lifestyles have a much higher rate of learning. What type of lifestyle do you promote? Do you have a healthy lifestyle or do you live like there is no tomorrow? In the end, only you can decide what is right and what is wrong for you, but if you want to learn well, it pays to live well. Good food in your diet is essential. Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables and make sure that your body gets all the nutrients that it needs to function well. Your diet should be all about balance. Adding a little sport to your week will keep you fit and feeling good. Try 45 minutes a day of light exercise and you will start to notice a change in your energy levels quite quickly. A daily walk will help your body’s metabolism to maximize the minerals and nutrients that you get from your diet. Drugs should not be a part of your daily lifestyle. This doesn’t mean that you have to give up and be clean forever. It just means that you shouldn’t mess with your brain if you want to progress. You need to socialize and let go sometimes, but control your life. Don’t ever let a drug control you. Sleep is important. You need at least eight hours a night to be at your best. Try changing your sleeping patterns so that they are regular and consistent. This way, your body learns to get the most out of sleep and you will feel far more alert from the moment that you wake to the moment that you sleep. It could be the best thing you will ever do for yourself. Remember, life is a long journey. If you want to maintain a long musical life, look after yourself.
Eighth Note Rhythm Patterns So far we have used rhythms that follow a quarter note pulse. It is counted 1 2 3 4. For example:
Note Count
1
2
3
4
The quarter note becomes an eighth note when halved. The eighth note looks like this: =
In terms of time, a quarter note is the equivalent of two eighth notes:
Eighth Note
= 26
(two eighth notes)
By halving the quarter note pulse we can make an eighth note pulse. It is counted as follows: 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and. When you strum an eighth note pattern, you strum in a down/up motion. For example:
Note Strum Count
1
+
2
+
3
+
4
+
The F Major Chord The F major chord requires you to hold down the first and second strings with your first finger. You will need to play these strings with the flat of your finger rather than the tip.
1 1
2 3
Exercise: Play the following chord progression. Notice the chord changes between chords C and G. These changes take place half way through bars 2 and 4.
F
C
G
F
18
C
G
4 4 19
Strum Count
1
+
2
+
3
+
4
+
At first it will be hard to land that F chord and then change to C and G and back to F. Don’t worry a little practice each day will improve your new skill.
27
The Chromatic Scale The chromatic scale is based around the seven notes of the musical alphabet (A, B, C, D, E, F and G), however, it contains a few extra musical notes. In its entirety it runs as follows:
A#/Bb A
D#/Eb
C#/Db B
D
C
G#/Ab
F#/Gb F
E
G
You have probably noticed that some of the notes in the chromatic scale have two note names. These notes are called accidentals. They can either be sharp notes, in which case we we use the symbol #, or flat notes, in which case we use the symbol b. This can be more easily seen on the keyboard diagram below:
C#/Db
D#/Eb
F#/Gb
G#/Ab
A#/Bb
C D E F G A B C D E
F G A B C D
On the piano keyboard, the black keys are the sharp/flat notes. The note name that you use depends upon the key that you are playing in. We will look at keys and scales later in this book. For now, just realize that these notes can either be flat or sharp. The chromatic scale applies to your guitar in the same way as it does a piano:
E B G D A E
Fret 1
Fret 2
F C G#/Ab D#/Eb A#/Bb F
F#/Gb C#/Db A E B F#/Gb
Fret 3
G D A#/Bb F C G
Fret 4
G#/Ab D#/Eb B F#/Gb C#/Db G#/Ab
1 2 3 4 5
s g n i r t S
6
Each string on the guitar follows the chromatic scale. Once you get to the 12th fret on each string, the scale repeats itself.
28
Lesson Seven Lesson Outline: · · · · ·
Your Gear Dominant 7 Chords The A dominant 7 Chord The D dominant 7 Chord The E dominant 7 Chord
Your Gear Buy the best gear that you can and maintain it. Good gear is definitely good for motivating yourself when it comes to practice time. If you save your money you will be able to reward yourself for reaching your practice goals. To keep things interesting, try going through the routine that you’ve been playing using a new guitar effect. Practicing with a delay or distortion effect on, for example, may change the way that your fingers play something. Always keep your gear in tune. Practice is never good when your gat is out of tune, especially if you’re in a band situation. Good habits during practice will strengthen your motivation.
Dominant 7 Chords So far we have looked at major and minor open chords. Some of these chords can be made into dominant seventh chords by changing the shape of the chord on the guitar. Dominant 7 chords (often called sevenths) are built by adding the minor seventh note of the major scale to the major chord. For example the A major becomes A dominant 7 th if you add a G note to the chord (G is the minor seventh note of the A major scale). See the two A7 shapes that follow. Both shapes consist of the same notes that make up the A dominant 7th chord. The first shape adds a finger, changing the open E (1 st string) to a G and creating the minor seventh in the chord. The second shape removes the note A on the 3 rd string and therefore becomes G which is the open string. In this way both shapes have added a G to the A major chord to become A dominant 7. Here are some open dominant seventh chords to learn. You will see that the dominant seventh adds a nice blues sound to the chord.
The A7 Chord (shape 1) The A7 chord consists of the notes A, C#, E and G
1 1 1
3
20 29
The A7 Chord (shape2) There is an alternative way to play the A7 chord. It still consists of the notes A, C#, E and G
3 2
21
The D7 Chord
The D7 chords consists of the notes D, F#, A and C. Note also that the sixth string is not played on this chord.
3
1
2
22
The E7 Chord (shape1) The E7 chord consists of the notes E, G#, B and D.
4 1 3 2
23
The E7 Chord (shape2)
There is also an alternative way to play the E7 chord. It still consists of the notes E, G#, B and D.
1 2
24 Seventh chords can be used in place of major chords to add variation to a piece of music.
30
Exercise: Play the following using shape 1 of the chords A7 and E7
A
A7
D
D7
A
A7
E
E7
4 4 25
Strum Count
1
2
+
3
4
There is an uneasy sound created between the first and seventh notes of the dominant seven chord. This is known as dissonance.
Exercise: Play the following:
D
G
E
A7
4 4 26
Strum Count
1
+
2
3
G
4
E
C
D7
4 4 Strum Count
27 1
2
+
3
+
4
31
A
C
G
E7
4 4 Strum Count
28 1
+
2
3
+
4
The A7, D7 and E7 chords are used in all types of music, but especially in 12 bar blues.
32
Lesson Eight Lesson Outline: · Positive Thinking · Silent Stroke Symbol · Notes on the Sixth String
Positive Thinking A lot can come from positive thinking. People treat you kindly when you are positive. You’ll also find that positive thinking will help you be more productive when you are learning guitar. More productivity means better practice and that leads to a better band, a better recording and a better record contract. If you want to go anywhere with music it pays to think positively about it.
Silent Stroke Symbol In lesson six we covered an eighth note strum pattern that involved a continuous down/up strum pattern:
1 +
2 +
3 +
4 +
We will now introduce the idea of a silent stroke and incorporate it into this continuous down/up strum pattern.
When you see these symbols: you do not stroke the strings but let your strumming hand continue to move over the strings so that the down/up pattern of strum is not broken. These symbols allow us to write more complex strumming patterns because we can start to miss out those strokes that fall on the beats 1, 2, 3 and 4 as the following exercise demonstrates.
Exercise: Play the following chords using the strum provided. Make sure that you don’t hit the strings on beats + of 1 and 3. Strum: Count:
1
+
Em
2
+
3
+
4
+
D
Em
D
4 4 29 33
Notes on the Sixth String The sixth string is also known as the low E string.
Fret 1
Fret 2
Fret 3
F
E
Fret 4
G
Exercise: Pluck the following notes. This time, play the notes with a down/up picking motion.
4 4
T A B
1
O O O O O O O O Count:
1
+
2
+
3
+
4
1 1 1 1 1 1 1
3 3 3 3
3 3 3 3
+ etc.
30
34
Lesson Nine Lesson Outline: · · · ·
Progress and Motivation The G dominant 7 Chord The C dominant 7 Chord Two bar rhythms
Progress and Motivation An old piano teacher of mine used to record my playing at different times throughout my terms work. At the end of the term she would give me a tape that contained a selection of pieces that I had played running from work that I had completed early in the term to the things that I was working on at the end of the term. I would take this tape home and I would play it to my friends and family. People listening to the tape would say, “Man, you’re getting good”. This did two things for me. First of all, it made me go back to my teacher for more lessons. Secondly, it made me practice more because I could see the benefits of working on something over time. Basically, the progress that I could hear on the tape motivated me to progress further. I strongly recommend that you begin to record your practice sessions for future reference.
The G7 Chord The G7 chord consists of the notes G, B, D and F. It is played using the fingers 1, 2, and 3
1
2
3
The C7 Chord
31
The C7 chord consists of the notes C, E, G and A#.
1
4 2
3
32 35
Two Bar Rhythms So far, the rhythm patterns given play for one bar only and are then repeated for every following bar. We will make things a little trickier now by introducing some two bar rhythms. A two bar rhythm is a rhythm phrase that lasts for two bars. (see the following exercises)
Exercise: Play the following chord progrssion using the two bar rhythm provided. Note that both F and C are held for two bars each.
FF
C
4 4 Strum Count
1 +
2 +
3 +
4 +
1 +
2 +
3 +
4 +
33 Exercise: Here are some more two bar rhythms. This time we use two new chords, G7 and C7. Notice that in this exercise, there are chord changes that occur half way through the two bar rhythm. This could be hard to coordinate at first. Stay with it though and remember to keep your right hand consistent.
A7
D7
G7
C
4 4 Strum Count
1 +
2 +
3 +
C7
4 +
1 +
F
2 +
3 + 4 +
D7
34
G
4 4 Strum Count
1 +
2 +
3 +
4 +
1 +
2 +
3 +
4 +
35 36
Lesson Ten Lesson Outline: · The musical language · The B dominant 7 Chord · Blues pattern in E major
The Musical Language It’s amazing how people will argue over tab and traditional notation. You might hear things like, “Tab is best for guitarists”, and things like, “Classical notation is good if you want to be a session musician”. The truth is, for every positive point that tab has, traditional music notation has an equally positive point. The idea is to use both. Tab can be an extremely useful tool to learn some skills fast and easily. Traditional notation, on the other hand, relates to every instrument. Knowing it enables you to relate to all types of music and musical instrument. Realize that at some point along the way, you are going to learn all the ways that you can communicate music. Do not ever limit yourself. Learn it all!
The B7 Chord The B7 chord consists of the notes B, D#, F# and A. It is played using the fingers 1, 2, 3 and 4.
4 3 1 2
36
37
Exercise: Blues in E major Now that we have covered the basic open dominant 7 chords we can play a blues in E major. Use the suggested strum and make sure that you keep the chord changes smooth and clear. Start out slow and as you get better, increase the speed of your strum. Within this piece there are two endings, a first ending (1) and a second ending (2). Once the first ending has been played, the piece is played again from beginning (this is indicated by the repeat sign ) and ends after the second ending has been played (indicated by a double bar line ). Strum: 1
Count:
4 4 4 4
+
2
+
3 +
4
+
E
E7
E
E7
A
A7
E
E7
(1)
4 4
B7
A
A7
E
E7
B7
(2)
B7 B7
E
4 4
37
38
Lesson Eleven Lesson Outline: · · · ·
Practice tips Stave notes in the first position Note values Bass note picking
Practice tips The place where you practice is very important. Your practice room needs to be free of distractions and a place that you can feel totally comfortable in. The best advice is to set up a permanent practice space in a place that is free from all audio distractions. You want to be able to leave your gear there exactly how you want it when you return. Get yourself a table and a comfortable seat and make sure that you have everything that you need available to you. Make sure that you have the right amount of light so that you aren’t straining your eyes when reading music.There are some helpful tools available to you that make practice a lot better. A tuner will make things a lot easier and sound a lot nicer. A stereo, tape recorder, metronome, music stand, and instrument stand are also essential to good practice.
Notes on Stave: first position T A B
O1 2 3 4
O 1 2 3 4
O 1 23 4
O 1 2 3
O1 2 3 4
O1 2 3 4
String:
6 6 6 6 6 5 5 5 5 5 4 4 4 4 4 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1
Note:
E F F# G G# A A#B C C# DD# E F F# G G# A A#B C C# DD#E F F# G G#
Exercise: The notes written above can all be found within the first position on the guitar fret. To get familiar with them, start on the low E note and play up to the top G note. From G play each note back to the low E note naming each one as you play it. Play this with an down/up picking motion. Remember to play each fret with it’s corresponding finger (e.g. 1-1, 2-2, 3-3, 4-4)
38
39
As you worked through the last exercise, you may havel noticed that the space between the notes B and C, and the notes E and F, is one of a fret. This space is called a semi-tone. All the other notes on the fret board are two frets apart. This is called a tone. It is important that you remember this pattern as all the major scales follow it (see the example below).
C Major Scale Tone
Tone
Semi-Tone
Tone
Tone
Tone
Semi-Tone
C----------D----------E----------F------------G----------A-----------B----------C
Note Value Revision
4 counts 2 counts 1 count 1/2 count
whole note (semibreve) half note (minim) quarter note (crotchet) eighth note (quaver)
.
Adding a dot ( ) to a note adds half that notes value: = 3 counts
= 1 1/2 counts
Bass note picking Bass notes are those notes that are played on the 4th, 5th and 6th strings. Bass note picking is a technique where single bass notes are played and then followed by a full chord (see the following exercise).
Exercise: In this progression, see if you can play the bass notes whilst holding each chord shape with your left hand for the full 4 counts of each bar.
C T A B
3
Am 2
O
F 2
3
G 3
2
3
4 4
Count:
1
2 3 4 etc.
39 40
Lesson Twelve Lesson Outline: · Caring for your Gear · Time signatures · Bass note picking in 3/4 time
Caring for your Gear As I mentioned earlier, when you buy gear, get the best that you can afford. You definitely get what you pay for when it comes to musical equipment. Only share your gear with people that you really trust. Most people won’t look after your gear like you would, so it is probably safer to just say no. Protect your gear. An excellent practice habit is to place your guitar in a stand when it is not in use. If you are really passionate about music, you’ll probably end up spending a lot of money on it, so invest in some protection. Get a hard case for your gat, one that can handle being dropped. Keep a nice clean cloth to wipe down your strings after practice. When you clean your gat, remember to push down firmly on the strings and don’t neglect any place along the fret. Keep the surface of your guitar clean. Clean, shiny guitars look beautiful. Keep a moisture-collecting pad in your case and change it regularly. Have a spare packet of strings at all times. If your guitar gets broken, pay a professional to fix it. You are one of a new breed of guitarist, one that knows all the details of how a guitar is made and maintained. Learn about your guitar. Take a day trip to the library and read some books about guitar craft, pickups and electronics. This way, you will always have well-maintained and reliable gear.
Time Signature A time signature denotes two numbers (e.g. 4/4). The upper number specifies the number of beats per bar and the lower number specifies the note value of each beat.
Example
4 4
indicates 4 beats per bar indicates that the beat value is a quarter note (crotchet)
Therefore, a bar of 4/4 (in its simplest form) would look like this:
4 4 Count:
1
2
3
4
Another term for 4/4 is ‘common time’ It is written with the letter ‘C’
C 41
3/4 Time Until now, all exercises have been written and played in 4/4. Let us now take a look at 3/4 time signature.
3 4
indicates 3 beats per bar. indicates that the beat value is a quarter note (crotchet)
Example 3 4 Count:
1
2
3
1
2
3
40 Exercise: Play this 3/4 rhythm over the E major chord.
Strum: Count:
1 +
2 +
3 +
Exercise: Play the following chord progression using the 3/4 strum provided.
E
C
G
B7
3 4
Strum: Count:
1 +
2 +
41
3 +
42
Exercise: Bass note picking in 3/4 A T A B
G O
C
D 3
3
O
3 4
Count:
1
2
3
etc.
42
43
Lesson Thirteen Lesson Outline: · · · · · ·
Good Technique Suspended Chords The Asus Chord The Dsus Chord The Esus Chord Introduction to the Major Scale
Good Technique Good technique is the result of regular practice of exercises such as scales, licks and arpeggios. Because these skills can be played in different timings and at different speeds, achieving good technique requires loads of practice. Take the example of a turn-around chord progression like one of those that you have learnt already. It could be put into a 4/4 time and be very simple and easy to play, but how does the same progression sound in ¾ or with a reggae strum or with jazz chords? At the end of the day, the more techniques you have the better your technique will be and the more versatile your song writing will become. Someone with good technique will be able to play a progression fast or slow or with a different feel and still play with precision and clarity. You must realize that speed comes from practice. To gain speed initially, you need to start slow and build up speed slowly. It’s best to cement a particular skill by playing it slowly. Then once it has stuck, you should practice it at speed to enable yourself to perform that skill at any speed you like. This produces precision. With out practice, you will find that most people have a speed/accuracy trade off. The faster you go the bigger the mess.
Suspended Chords Suspended, or sus chords are used by guitarists because they provide an open and incomplete sound. There are two types of sus chord. One type is sus4 and the other is sus2. Sus chords are built the same way that major chords are built except that their middle note changes from that of the major chord. Major chords are built from notes 1, 3 and 5 of the major scale (we look at the major scale later in this lesson). The middle note in a sus chord, however, is replaced by either notes 2 or 4 of the major scale. Sus4 is made of the notes 1, 4 and 5 of the major scale and sus2 is made of the notes 1, 2 and 5. Because the middle note in the sus chord is different to that of a regular major chord, there is an uneasy quality to it’s sound.
43
The Asus4 Chord The Asus chord consists of the notes A, D and E
3 1 2
4
44
The Dsus4 Chord The Dsus chord consists of the notes D, G and A
2
4 3
1
44
The Esus4 Chord The Esus chord consists of the notes E, G, A and B
2 4 3
1
45
Exercise: Play the following chord progression using the suggested strum pattern. Strum Count
1 +
A
2 +
3 +
4 +
1
+
2 +
Asus4
A
D
Asus4
A
E
3
+ 4
+
Dsus4
D
4 4
A
D
A
E
Esus4
E
46 45
The Major Scale The major scale is probably the most common scale used in music. It has a happy quality about it. It feels complete, with no need for resolve. An example of a major scale is shown below.
C Major Scale
T A B
2
I Tone
O
2
3
II
III
IV
Tone
Semi- Tone
Tone
O
2
V
VI Tone
Tone
O
1
VI
VIII
Semi-Tone
Exercise:
Play the above scale from start to finish and then play the scale in reverse, back to the starting position on C on the fifth string. Each note in a scale is given a number (written in roman numerals). You may notice that between the notes III and IV, and the notes VII and VIII there is a distance of one fret; this is a semi-tone. All the other notes are separated by two frets or a whole tone. This is the case for all major scales.
47
46
Lesson Fourteen Lesson Outline: · The rounded Musician · The Asus2 Chord · The Dsus2 Chord
The Rounded Musician Apart from lessons and exercises, what else should you do to learn your craft? One idea is to build a library of music books. These could be anything that you are interested in, from flute to old piano music. Many books can be found at garage sales or second hand bookshops. Collect old and new. Keep updated by reading guitar magazines. If you love an artist, buy the official book, listen to the CD and play along. An excellent skill is to be able to play a song all the way through with a CD on in the background, especially when the tune pushes your ability. Start a black book. Alphabetically file every new scale and riff or lick you are learning and have mastered. Take a lick or scale every once and a while and use it in your practice. Play the lick all over the guitar. Start slow and play until your fingers are breaking the sound barrier. For those who wish to push their brain, try to play every lick or solo or scale you have learnt, in reverse (a couple of months work right there).
The Asus2 chord The Asus2 chord consists of the notes A, B and E. Fret 1
Fret 2
Fret 3
Fret 4
E
1
B
2
1 2
G D
s
3 g n
i r 4 t
A
5
E
6
S
48
The Dsus2 Chord The Dsus2 chord consists of the notes D, E and A. Fret 1
Fret 2
Fret 3
Fret 4
E
1
3
B G
2
1
s
3 g n
i r 4 t
D A
5
E
6
S
49 47
Exercise: Try the following progression. It uses both types of sus chord and major chords. Strum: Count:
1 +
2 +
3
+
4
+
A
Asus2
A
Asus4
D
Dsus2
D
Dsus4
4 4
50
48
Lesson Fifteen Lesson Outline: · Hammer on Technique · Pull off Technique
Hammer on Technique The Hammer on is a technique that allows you to move smoothly from one note to a higher note without plucking the string with your right hand. It is achieved when you pluck a particular note and then using a fretting finger, strike a note above it on the same string. The effect is a second note sound that is more subtle than a plucked note.
Exercise: With your first finger, hold down the first fret on the first string (See diagram 1). This the note F. Now, pluck the string and follow it by placing your 3rd finger on the 3rd fret (See diagram 2). When you do this, make sure that you hammer down onto the string. The result should be that you played the third fret note, G, without having to pluck the string with your right hand. This is a hammer on. The hammer on is notated as follows:
(2)
(1)
H
T
3
1
A B
51
49
Pull Off The pull off allows you to move smoothly from one note to another lower note without plucking the string with your right hand. It is achieved when you flick the string with a fretting finger as it pulls away from a particular note on the fret board.
Exercise: Hold your third finger down on the third fret of the first string. This is the note G. Place your first finger on the first fret of the first string (See diagram 1). This is the note F. Now, pluck the string with your right hand and you will have played the G note. While it is still ringing, pick the string with your third finger as you remove it from the string (See diagram 2). The result should be that you have played the note F without plucking it with your right hand.
(2)
(1) The Pull Off is notated as follows:
P
T
3
1
A B
52
50
Supplementary Chord Reference Major chords in open position. A#/Bb
A
B
1
1
3
4
4
1
3
3
2
2
D
C#/Db
C
1
1
3
4
1
2
1 2
3 3
D#/Eb
E
F
1
1 2
1
1
1 3
2 3
3
2
F#/Gb
G
G#/Ab 3
1 1
4 1
2
1 1
3 1 2
51
Minor chords in open position.
Am
A#m/Bbm
Bm
1 3
1 2
2
1
4
4
2
3
3
Dm
C#m/Dbm
Cm
1
4 2
3
3 2
1 1
2
D#m/Ebm
Em
Fm
1
1 4
1
2
1 3
3
3
2
F#m/Gbm
Gm
G#m/Abm
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
3
3
52
Dominant Seventh chords in open position.
A7
A#7/Bb7
B7 2
3
4
1 3
1 1
2
1 2
D7
C#7/Db7
C7
1
4 3
1
1
2
3
4 2
2 3
D#7/Eb7
E7
F7
4
1
2
1 1
3
2
1
1 2
F#7/Gb7
G7
G#7/Ab7 2
1 1
1 2
1 1
3 2 3
53
Index A
D
A dominant seven chord, 29, 30 A major chord - chord diagram, 10, 11 - tab diagram, 14 A minor chord, 24 A note, 16 A string, 25 A suspended 4, 47 A suspended 6, 44 Accidentals, 28 Acoustic guitar, 6, 7 Alphabet, musical, 16
D suspended 2 chord, 47 D suspended 4 chord, 45 D dominant 7 chord, 30 D major chord, 12 D note, 16 D string, 22 Dominant 7 chords, 29 Double bar line, 38
E E dominant 9, 30 E major chord, 19 E minor chord, 24 E note, 16 E string - high, 17 - low, 34 E suspended 4 chord, 45 Eighth note, 26, 40 Eighth note strum, 26 Electric guitar, 6, 7 End pin, 6, 7
B B dominant 7 chord, 37 B note, 16 B string, 18 Bar line, 17 Bass note picking, 40 - in ¾, 43 Blues - in E, 38 Body, of the guitar, 6, 7 Bouts, 6, 7 Bridge, 6, 7
F F major chord, 27 F note, 16 Fifth string notes, 25 Fingerboard, 6, 7 Fingers, 11 First string notes, 17 Forth string notes, 22 Four four time, 16 Fret board, 6, 7, 10 Frets, 6, 7 Fretting, 9
C C dominant 7 chord, 35 C major chord, 21 C major scale, 40, 46 Chord, 10 Chord diagrams, 10 Chromatic scale, 28 Clef, treble, 16 Common time, 41 Crotchet, 40
54
