Chord diagram chart.. 41

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1 Table of Contents Page Unit 1: Decoding the Symbols. 2 Understanding pitch. 3 Note value; rests. 4 Lesson 1: First three strings Lesson 2: 1 st string notes 7 8 Lesson 3: 2 nd string notes Lesson 4: Combining 1 st two strings Lesson 5: Adding the 3 rd String Unit 2: Reading Chord Diagrams Understanding the chord diagram.. 18 Chord assessments Unit 3: Ties, Dots, Sharps, Flats 21 Lesson 1: Tied notes Lesson 2: Dotted notes Lesson 3: Sharps and flats Unit 4: Bass Notes and the Thumb 29 Lesson 1: The low three strings Lesson 2: Notes on the fourth string Lesson 3: Notes on the fifth string Lesson 4: Notes on the sixth string Chord diagram chart.. 41 Guitar exercises/1 st 6 th strings Five-note exercises All notes ascending.. 48 All notes descending All notes ascending #2/All notes descending # Diatonic scales Major scales Glossary. 56 About the Author

2 Unit One Decoding the symbols Musical ideas such as melody, harmony and rhythm can be communicated through a language of signs and symbols What will we learn in this first unit? Learn how to read and interpret basic symbols of music notation Learn and develop basic skills of playing simple tunes on the guitar. How will we learn it? Reading simple instructions - read for understanding Raising your hand and asking questions Daily repetition of manual skills and staying on task Perform a series of examples every week; the more you play, the more you demonstrate a mastery of understanding and skills Vocabulary words for this unit Musical alphabet - ABCDEFG (seven notes) Pitch - highness or lowness of a note Note head - oval-shaped symbol representing a note Stem - vertical line attached to some note heads Staff - five-line grid on which note heads are placed G clef - a key at the beginning of the staff that tells us how to read the alphabet on the staff Meter The grouping or organizing of beats 2

3 Like any other language, music can be spoken (played) or read. But the written language of music also consists of symbols and diagrams. These symbols and diagrams tell us two things about the qualities of a note: Pitch - highness or lowness of the note (named for the first seven letters of the alphabet: ABCDEFG) Note value duration of the note (how long the note is held) First, let s talk about pitch. Music is written on a five-line grid, called a staff. Note heads are placed on either the lines of the staff or the spaces in between. The higher the note is on the staff, the higher the pitch. But note heads on the staff don t mean anything unless we have a key a reference point that tells us what the lines and spaces represent. In music, we call this kind of key a clef. Clef is the French word for key. There are several different clefs, depending on the pitch range of the instrument. But in guitar we use the G clef (shown at the far left of the staff below). The symbol for the G clef shows us how to find G on the staff second line from the bottom. The rest of the alphabet falls into place on the spaces and lines from bottom to top. In this unit you will learn to identify all of the notes from G to G. 3

4 Note value (duration of the note) A note s pitch is shown by its position on the staff. A note s value is defined by a combination of symbols that tell us how long to hold the note. For this first unit, we ll focus on note heads and stems. A whole note (a white note head) is held for four beats A half note (a white note head and a stem) is held for two beats A quarter note (a black note head and a stem) is held for one beat. Rests (silences) For every value of a played note, there is also a symbol that represents silence for the same number of beats. The 4/4 at the beginning of the staff tells us how beats are grouped, or measured. The bottom 4 tells us that the quarter note is worth one beat, and the top 4 tells us there are four beats in a bar. 4

5 Unit One/Lesson 1: The first three strings The guitar has six strings. The first string is the thinnest the one closest to the floor when you re playing. The sixth string is the thickest the one closest to the top. Each of the six strings is tuned to a different pitch. The first string is tuned to E (top space on the staff). The second string is tuned to B (middle line). And the third string is tuned to G (second line from the bottom) Plucking the strings Practice plucking the first string with your index finger (first finger). It s important not to grab the string and pull it (like a bow and arrow). In one motion, pull your finger across the string, and let it come to a stop on the second string. Try it on each of the three strings, first with the index finger (i), then with the middle finger (m). Finally try alternating back and forth between the two fingers. Now try the exercises on the next page, remembering the following:! Alternate index and middle fingers (no thumb!)! Pay attention to note values (holding notes for the correct number of beats)! Pay attention to rests (silences), making sure the gaps are actually silent. The more examples you play, the better you demonstrate that you ve mastered it. Play one: you ve demonstrated a simple understanding (D) Play two: you can apply your understanding in another context (C) Play three: you re getting the hang of it (B) Play four: you ve mastered it (A) 5

6 Ex. #1 Ex. #2 Ex. #3 Ex. #4 6

7 Unit One/Lesson 2: 1 st string notes Now that you ve mastered the first three open strings, it s time to learn how the fret board works. We ll start by learning two more notes on the first string. We ve already seen that the open first string is E (top space on the staff). The next note in the musical alphabet is F. F is played by placing the first finger of the left hand on the first string, right behind the first fret bar. Press with your fingertip do not let the finger fall flat on the fret board. F The next note in the musical alphabet is G. G is played by placing the third finger of the left hand on the first string, right behind the third fret bar. G Practice playing these notes moving around from one to the other, using the correct finger for each note. Are you getting a good tone? Listen to the sound of each note.! If the F or G sounds muffled, be sure you re pressing firmly on the string.! If the notes have a buzzy sound, be sure your finger is right behind the fret bar. This will become easier and more natural with practice. Try it with your eyes closed. Trust the force! Now let s master these notes by playing some tunes. Once again, the more examples you play, the better you demonstrate that you ve mastered it. Play Exercise #1 for a passing grade (D) Add #2 for a C Add #3 for a B Add #4 for an A 7

8 Ex. #1 Ex. #2 Ex. #3 Ex. #4 Notice here that the top number in the meter is a 3. This means there are three beats in every bar 8

9 Unit One/Lesson 3: 2 nd string notes Congratulations! You ve mastered three notes on the first string You ve also learned that the first three open strings are G, B, and E Now you ll learn how to play three notes on the 2nd string (B) B is played open. The next pitch letter is C. C can be played by placing the first finger of the left hand on the second string, right behind the first fret bar. C The next note in the alphabet is D. D can be played by placing the third finger of the left hand on the second string, right behind the third fret bar. D Now let s master these notes by playing some tunes. Once again, the more examples you play, the better you demonstrate that you ve mastered it. Play Exercise 1 for a passing grade (D) Add #2 for a C Add #3 for a B Add #4 for an A 9

10 Ex. #1 Ex. #2 Ex. #3 (notice the rests; count through them) Ex. #4 10

11 Unit One/Lesson 4: Combining 1 st two strings Congratulations! You ve mastered three notes on the first string and three notes on the second string. Now it s time to put them all together. But first let s take a look one more time at the six notes. Take a moment to play through them, and as you do focus on the note heads on the staff; know what they look like play through them with your eyes closed; know what they feel like say the letters to yourself as you play them; know them by name Now let s master all six notes by playing some tunes. Once again, the more examples you play, the better you demonstrate that you ve mastered it. Play Exercise #1 for a passing grade (D) Add Lightly Row for a C Add Merrily We Roll Along for a B Add Six on Two for an A Exercise 1 (feel free to write the letter names under the note) 11

12 Lightly Row Merrily We Roll Along Six On Two 12

13 Unit One/Lesson 5: Adding the third string Congratulations! You ve learned six notes on the first two strings. Write in the names of the notes. Now it s time to learn two notes on the third string. The third string open is G. Since our music alphabet is ABCDEFG, one note higher than G is A. A is played in the second fret, with the second finger. This is the first time you ve used the second finger on the fret board. Be sure to get in the habit of using this finger for this, and any, second fret note. Try this easy exercise to get used to the two notes, using second finger for the A. Notice that there are three beats in every bar. Piece of Cake 13

14 So far, you ve learned how to play whole notes (four beats), half notes (two beats), and quarter notes (one beat). In order to play some of the pieces in this lesson, you ll need to learn a new note value. When we play one note for every beat, we are playing quarter notes. When we play two notes for every beat, the notes are played twice as fast so they are worth half the value of a quarter note. We call them 8 th notes. An 8 th note looks like a quarter note, but it has a flag at the end of the stem. " Flag When we play two 8 th notes over one beat, we connect them with a beam like this. Beam # Four 8 th notes played over two beats can also be beamed together, like this. When we count 8 th notes, we count them like this. Play the following exercise, and count as you play always feeling the pulse of the beat. Now you re ready for your new pieces. But first, let s review the notes you ve learned. Note Fret 14

15 Choose from the tunes on the following pages for this lessons assessments. Play Three String Review for a D Add Bingo or Good King Wenceslas for a C Add Aura Lee or Twinkle, Twinkle for a B Play any four for an A (two of the four must include 8 th notes) Three String Review Aura Lee Yankee Doodle 15

16 Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star Bingo Good King Wenceslas 16

17 Unit Two Reading chord diagrams Harmony results when voices join together in agreement What will we learn in this unit? Learn how to read a chord diagram How to play several notes at once Learn how to position fingers on the dots in such a way that produces multiple notes at once Develop proper posture to assure best results How will I be assessed? We learn chords in order to accompany a solo voice. This is a skill that takes time to master properly. We will not be learning challenging strumming patterns with the right hand. You will be assessed on the following. Demonstrate understanding of finger placement from a chord diagram Playing and memorizing simple 2-chord patterns Vocabulary words for this unit Harmony a consistent, orderly arrangement of parts Chord - two or more different notes played together at the same time Chord diagram A grid of six vertical lines demonstrating where the fingers are to be placed to produce a chord Strumming stroking the strings as a group in either a downward or upward motion 17

18 Understanding the chord diagram A chord diagram is a grid of six vertical lines each representing a string of the guitar. The strings are numbered from right to left, as shown here Remember that the 6 th string is the heaviest string, and the 1 st string is the thinnest string. The black bar at the top of the diagram represents the nut of the guitar the ivory piece at the top of the fret board. The horizontal lines represent the metal frets on the fret board. When we look at a chord diagram, we see a series of black dots, X s and 0 s, and an arrangement of numbers. Here s an example the A chord X The dots tell us on which string and fret to place the fingers. The numbers tell us which finger to place on the dot. o 1 st finger is on the 2 nd fret, 4 th string o 2 nd finger is on the 2 nd fret 3 rd string o 3 rd finger is on the 2 nd fret 2 nd string, The 0 above the first string means the string is an open string The X above the sixth string means we don t play the string at all it doesn t belong to the chord. Occasionally we ll see alternate ways to place the fingers, like this alternate way of playing an A chord with the first and second fingers reversed. X

19 In this unit, you will learn how to play 16 chords Demonstrate your understanding in two ways: Reading the chord diagrams (Interpret the symbols by demonstrating where to place fingers on the fretboard) Memorizing them Play the chords in a 2-chord pattern, from memory Play 5 assessments for a D Play 6 assessments for a C Play 7 assessments for a B Play all 8 for an A Chord diagrams are on page 42 in the back of the book. Your first assessment begins here. All assessments use the same strumming rhythm. Assessment #1 Assessment #2 19

20 Assessment #3 Assessment #4 Assessment #5 Assessment #6 Assessment #7 Assessment #8 20

21 Unit Three Ties, Dots, Sharps, Flats Two different instructions can produce the same result What will we learn in this unit? Learn how to add value to notes through new symbols Learn how to alter pitches through new symbols How will we learn it? Reading simple instructions - read for understanding Raising your hand and asking questions Daily repetition of manual skills and staying on task Perform a series of examples every week; the more you play, the more you demonstrate a mastery of your understanding and skills Vocabulary words for this unit Tie a curved line connecting two notes of the same pitch, extending the value of the note(s) Dotted notes a note with a dot after the notehead, extending the value of a note by half its worth Interval the musical distance from one pitch to another Half Step smallest possible musical distance between two notes (on the guitar, marked by one fret) Whole Step Equal to two half steps (on the guitar, marked by two frets) Sharp a symbol before a note that raises the pitch by a half step (one fret) Flat a symbol before a note that lowers the pitch by a half step Enharmonic when two notes have different names but the same pitch. Pick-up notes Notes that begin a piece of music but do not add up to a whole bar 21

22 Unit Three/Lesson 1: Tied notes So far, we have learned how to read the symbols for four different note values: Whole notes, half notes, quarter notes, and 8 th notes. But it doesn t stop there. What if we want to hold a note for three beats? Five beats? 1 ½ beats? What would these notes look like? In this lesson you ll learn symbols that show to give a note more value. There are different ways to show it, and sometimes two different ways produce the same result. One way to give a note more value is to tie it to another note of the same pitch. We call this a tie - a curved line connecting one note to the next. By tying the half note in the example below to a quarter note we get a note that is now worth three beats. The quarter note is not played again; we hold the half note for one more beat. Notes can be tied within the same bar, but can also be tied from one bar to the next. In the example below, the quarter note on beat four is tied to the first beat of the second bar. So the fourth note is held for two beats instead of one. In the first bar of the example below, we see quarter notes tied to 8 th notes. In the second bar, a half note is tied to an 8t note. Remember, the tied 8 th note is not played again. It is just an extension of the first note s value. 22

23 Play one for a D Play two for a C Play three for a B Play four for an A Tie it Like This All Tied Up Let s Call It a Tie Tie Me Kangaroo Down 23

24 Unit Three/Lesson 2: Dotted notes In our last lesson, we learned how to tie notes of different value together. The tie is one way to show this. But there is another way to show it. If the value of the second tied note is worth half the value of the first tied note, we can show this by placing a simple dot after the note head of the first note. Here s an example. A half note is worth two beats. Since half of two is one, the dot adds one more beat to the value. So a half note tied to a quarter note can also be shown as a dotted half note. The dotted half note is held for two beats plus one = three beats. Here s another example. A quarter note is worth one beat. An 8th note is worth half of a beat. So a quarter note tied to an 8th note is worth the same as a dotted quarter note. A dotted quarter note is held for one beat plus the first half of the next beat = 1 ½ beats. These two examples represent the same rhythm. They are played the same way. The following examples give you an opportunity to show your understanding of how to read tunes with dotted note rhythms. Feel free to write the proper counting under the notes if it helps you understand where the beats fall. Play one for a D Play two for a C Play three for a B Play four for an A 24

25 Down in the Valley American folk song Arirang Korean folk song All Through the Night Welsh folk song Wayfaring Stranger American folk song 25

26 Unit Three/Lesson 3: Sharps and flats So far, we ve learned how to play eight notes on the first three strings all of the letters from G to G. But let s take a look at the rest of the fretboard. If we climb up the fret on the first string, here s how we find the pitches. Pitch: E F G A B C D E Fret: Here s the alphabet on the second string Pitch: B C D E F G A B Fret: And here is the alphabet on the third string Pitch: G A B C D E F G Fret: NOTICE THAT THE DISTANCE FROM ONE LETTER TO THE NEXT IS TWO FRETS, EXCEPT FROM B TO C, AND FROM E TO F. The musical distance from one note to another is called an interval. The smallest interval in music is a half-step shown on the guitar by going from one fret to the next. A whole step (two half-steps) is the distance of two frets. So the interval from one letter to the next is always a whole step except between B and C, and between E and F. 26

27 Pp Any pitch letter can be raised a half-step by adding a sharp sign (it looks like a hash tag). G (open) G sharp (1 st fret) Play Exercise #1, using first finger in the first fret, second finger in the second fret, third finger in the third fret, and fourth finger in the fourth fret. Exercise #1 A pitch letter can be lowered a half-step with a flat sign (it looks like a lower case b). G (3 rd fret) G flat (2 nd fret) Notice that G flat and F sharp are the same pitch. When two notes have different names but share the same pitch, they are enharmonic. Add Exercise #2 for a C Notice that the first note is a high A (5 th fret of the 1 st string). The following notes are enharmonic (same pitch): Ab=G#, Gb=F#, Eb=D#, Db=C#, Bb=A# Exercise #2 A Ab G Gb F E Eb D Db C B Bb A Ab G There is one last symbol you need to know. When we flat or sharp a note, it remains sharped or flatted throughout the bar. If we want to cancel a flat or sharp in a bar, we use a natural sign. F natural B natural 27

28 If you ve played exercises #1 and #2 you ve earned a C. Add Aura Lee for a B Add Hall of the Mountain King for an A Aura Lee Hall of the Mountain King Edvard Grieg 28

29 Unit Four Bass Notes and the Thumb Patterns and sequences provide structure What will we learn in this unit? Learn how to play with the thumb Learn how to read notes below the staff Learn how to play broken chords Learn how to play scales How will we learn it? Reading simple instructions - read for understanding Raising your hand and asking questions Daily repetition of manual skills and staying on task Perform a series of examples every week; the more you play, the more you demonstrate a mastery of understanding and skills Vocabulary words for this unit Ledger lines additional lines above or below the staff that allow us to notate higher and lower pitches Pima - system for learning right hand finger-picking technique Arpeggio A chord played Harp-style in which chord notes are played one at a time instead of strummed. Scale - a rising series of pitches in a unique sequence of whole and half steps. Enharmonic Two notes that have different names, but the same pitch 29

30 Unit Four/Lesson 1: The low three strings When we notate pitches that are higher or lower than the highest or lowest lines on the staff, we need to extend the staff with extra lines. These lines are called ledger lines. Ledger lines are placed above or below the staff at the same distance as the lines within the staff. They are also only long enough to mark the position for the note. Notes falling below the staff are either placed on a ledger line, or hanging right below the ledger line. It is not necessary to write a ledger line below a space note. Now it s time to learn about the low three strings. The fourth string is tuned to D (right below the bottom staff line) The fifth string is tuned to A (placed on the second ledger line below the staff) The sixth string is tuned to E (placed on the space below the third ledger line The low three strings are played with the thumb. In this lesson, you ll learn a new notation system that shows how to make best use of all four fingers (we don t use the right pinky). This system, known as the pima system, comes from the following Spanish words. Pulgar (p) = thumb Indice (i) = index finger Medio (m) = middle finger Anular (a) = ring finger Developing strength in all four fingers gives you the strength and coordination to play more interesting and challenging pieces. First, try this simple warm-up. As you play the notes, say or think the note letters so you get used to identifying them. D(4) A(5) E(6) 30

31 In the following exercises, you will play broken chords. A broken chord is played one note at a time, like a harp. The term for this is arpeggio harp-style. When you play an arpeggio, start by planting your fingers on all of the strings: p (thumb) on the bass note i (index) on the third string m (middle) on the second string a (fourth finger) on the first string Then you pluck the notes one at a time, and let them ring for the rest of the bar. Play #1 for a passing grade Add #2 for a C Add #3 for a B Add #4 for an A Exercise #1 31

32 Exercise #2 - a variation of Exercise #1 (pima), including 8 th notes. Exercise #3 - The pattern is pima for the first four bars, and pami for the last four bars. Exercise #4 - switches back and forth between two patterns: pima pami pima p 32

33 Unit Four/Lesson 2: Notes on the fourth string So far we ve learned to play the following notes on the first three strings. The following pairs of notes are enharmonic (the same pitch) and will be played in the same fret: G#/Ab A#/Bb C#/Db D#/Eb F#/Gb This sequence of rising notes goes up by half steps. Since it includes all of the pitches from lowest to highest, it is the most colorful of scales. So we call it the chromatic scale. 3 rd string 2 nd string 1 st string Fret G#/Ab A#/Bb C#/Db D#/Eb F#/Gb G#/Ab In this lesson, you will learn how to play notes on the fourth string (D). D is played open E is played on the second fret F is played on the third fret D# and Eb are enharmonic, and will both be played on the 1 st fret F# and Gb are also enharmonic, and are played on the 4 th fret. D D# Eb E F F# Gb Fret: Play exercise #1 for a D add #2 for a C add #3 for a B add Finlandia for an A 33

34 Exercise #1 - Start by playing this easy first exercise, using only your thumb. Write in the names of the notes if you like. Exercise #2 In this exercise you ll be using alternating pima patterns, using the technique learned in the previous lesson. Exercise #3 In this exercise, you will learn to play three different scales beginning on D. Notice that while they all start with open D, the pattern of whole and half steps is different for each scale. 34

35 Finlandia This last playing example is the famous tune from a tone poem written by Finnish composer, Jean Sibelius. Written in 1899, it was written in protest against Finland s oppression under the Russian Empire. It was often performed in concert under different names so the Russians wouldn t censor this expression of Finnish nationalist pride. Reading tips: When an F is sharped in a bar, it is sharped for the rest of the bar. The rhythm in the third bar is a common dotted rhythm through the piece Review what you know about dotted notes, and practice this rhythm on a single note if necessary before trying to play the piece. Playing tip: In this example, it s okay to play second fret notes with the first finger, and fourth fret notes with the third finger. Finlandia J. Sibelius 35

36 Unit Four/Lesson 3: Notes on the fifth string First, let s review the notes we learned on the fourth string. D D# Eb E F F# Gb The notes on the fifth string are: A (on the second ledger line) = open string B (below the first ledger line) = 2 nd fret C (on the first ledger line) = 3 rd fret A# and Bb are enharmonic and are played on the 1 st fret. C# and Db are enharmonic and both played on the 4 th fret. A B C A A# Bb B C C# Db Fret: Assessments: Play Exercise #1 for a D Add #2 for a C Add #3 for a B Add #4 for an A Exercise #1 In this first easy exercise, you ll learn to play A, B and C. 36

37 Exercise #2 - In this exercise you use a pima pattern using just the p and a throughout. Exercise #3 In this exercise, you will play three different scales beginning on A. Exercise #4: All Thumbs - This one jumps around the enharmonics. Take time to sort it all out. Left hand fingering should be consistent (1 st finger/1 st fret, 2 nd finger/2 nd fret, etc.). The right hand, however, is all thumbs. 37

38 Unit Four/Lesson 4: Notes on the sixth string Learning the notes on the sixth string is both easy and challenging. What makes them easy is that the sixth string is tuned to an E, just like the first string. What makes them challenging is that they fall even further below the staff, and require more ledger lines. The notes on the sixth string are: E (below the third ledger line) = open string F (on the third ledger line) = 1 st fret G (below the second ledger line) = 3 rd fret F# and Gb are enharmonic and are played on the 2 st fret. G# and Ab are enharmonic and both played on the 4 th fret. E F G E F F# Gb G G# Ab Fret: Assessments: Play Exercise #1 for a D Add #2 for a C Add #3 for a B Add #4 for an A Exercise #1 In this first easy exercise, you ll learn to play E, F and G. E F G 38

39 Exercise #2 Exercise #3 39

40 Exercise #4 - In this last exercise, you ll be applying the pima method. Keep your left hand fingers on the low notes until the low note changes. For example, the G (p) at the beginning of bar 2 should be held through the next four notes (i-m-i-a). 40

41 Chord Diagram Chart Notice that in some cases, an alternate fingering is shown below the diagram. A Am A7 Bm X O O X O O X O 1 O 2 O X X O X B7 C D Dm X O 4 X 3 2 O 1 O X X O X X O D7 E Em E7 X X O O O O O 2 3 O O O O 2 O 1 O O F F#7 G G7 X X X X O 2 3 O O O O O O O O O 3 41

42 Guitar exercises Tips on guitar notation: The number in the circle indicates which string is played The other number indicates which fret to place your finger As you play these note-reading exercises, be sure to use the index finger for the first fret notes, and 3 rd finger for the third fret notes Review of first three strings 1. 1 st String E 2. 2 nd String B 3. 3 rd String G be sure to use 2 nd finger for second fret notes 42

43 4. 4 th string D 5. 5 th string A 6. 6 th string E 43

44 Five-note exercises 7. c-d-e-f-g 8. b-c-d-e-f 9. a-b-c-d-e 10. g-a-b-c-d 44

45 11. f-g-a-b-c 12. e-f-g-a-b 13. d-e-f-g-a 45

46 14. c-d-e-f-g 15. b-c-d-e-f 16. a-b-c-d-e 46

47 17. g-a-b-c-d 18. f-g-a-b-c 19. e-f-g-a-b 47

48 20. All notes ascending 48

49 21. All notes descending 49

50 22. All notes ascending #2 23. All six string notes descending #2 50

51 Diatonic Scales

52

53 Major scales An interval is the musical distance from one note to the next. Intervals are measured in steps. On the guitar, the distance from one fret to the next is a half-step The distance of one fret to two frets higher is a whole step The distance from one musical letter to the next is a whole step, except between B and C, and between E and F. These are half-steps. Scales are defined by their sequence of half-steps and whole steps. In a major scale, regardless of the starting note, the half-steps come between the 3 rd and 4 th note, and the 7 th and 8 th note. So sometimes we have to alter some of the pitches to make the sequence work Sharp signs (#) raise a pitch by a half-step (one fret) Flat signs (b) lower a pitch by a half-step. The C major scale (CDEFGABC) requires no sharps or flats G major (the 7 th tone, F, is raised a half-step to make the sequence work) 53

54 D major A major E major 54

55 F major Bb major Eb major Ab major 55

56 Glossary Arpeggio A chord played Harp-style in which chord notes are played one at a time instead of strummed Chord - two or more different notes played together at the same time Chord diagram A grid of six vertical lines demonstrating where the fingers are to be placed to produce a chord Dotted notes a note with a dot after the notehead, extending the value of a note by half its worth Enharmonics Two notes that have different names, but the same pitch Flat a symbol before a note that lowers the pitch by a half step G clef - a key at the beginning of the staff that tells us how to read the alphabet on the staff Half Step smallest possible musical distance between two notes (on the guitar, marked by one fret) Harmony a consistent, orderly arrangement of parts Interval the musical distance from one pitch to another Ledger lines additional lines above or below the staff that allow us to notate higher and lower pitches Meter A regular group of beats Musical alphabet - ABCDEFG (seven notes) Note head - oval-shaped symbol representing a note Pick-up notes Notes that begin a piece of music but do not add up to a whole bar Pima - system for learning right hand finger-picking technique Pitch - highness or lowness of a note Scale - a rising series of pitches in a unique sequence of whole and half steps Sharp a symbol before a note that raises the pitch by a half step (one fret) Staff - five-line grid on which note heads are placed Stem - vertical line attached to some note heads Strumming stroking the strings as a group in either a downward or upward motion Tie a curved line connecting two notes of the same pitch, extending the value of the note(s) Whole Step Equal to two half steps (on the guitar, marked by two frets) 56

57 About the Author David Ritsema is a music educator with over 16 years experience teaching in and outside the classroom. He earned his B.A in Music Education from Northwestern College, Orange City, IA, where he played in concert band, marching band, jazz band, and sang in a cappella choir. He earned his M.A. in Music Education from the University of Minnesota in 2001, where he studied World Music, and Jazz Theory and Arranging. He is also certified to teach AP Music Theory, MYP music, and IB Music. His previous teaching experience includes: The International School of Minnesota, Eden Prairie, MN; Independent School District #622, North St. Paul, MN; Newton International School, Doha, Qatar; The International School of Berne, Gumligen, Switzerland. He served as Guitars in Schools Rep for Schmitt Music and Fender Music, and has had a number of articles on pop music and album reviews published in national periodicals. He plays piano, trombone, African percussion, recorders, steel pans, charango, ukulele, and has played guitar since He has performed in and directed church hand bell choirs, and he performed with the Doha Community Orchestra, the Bahrain Symphony, and the Chiao-Ai Choir and Chor Alegria of Berne, Switzerland. Mr. Ritsema enjoys photography, international films, and belongs to a book club. 57