Contents. Guitar Anatomy...1 Correct posture...2 Standing position and straps...2

Transcription

1 Contents Guitar Anatomy...1 Correct posture...2 Standing position and straps...2 Right Hand Technique...3 Holding the plectrum...3 Damping and feedback...3 Positioning the right hand...4 Plectrum to string angle...4 Mechanical action of the plectrum...4 Using the right plectrum...4 Right hand movement...5 Practising right hand movement...5 Reading Music...6 Pitch notation...6 Your first 3 notes...7 Note durations - Crotchets and Quavers...8 Counting quavers...8 On or off the beat?...9 Playing quavers...9 Dynamics...9 Left Hand position...10 Common faults in left hand technique...11 Finger bones...11 Finger position in the frets...11 Finger pressure...11 Finger Labels...12 The note A...12 Organisation of left hand fingers...12 Exercises using G and A...12 Lifting left hand fingers...12 Repeat signs...13 More Durations - Minims, Semibreves...13 New note D...14 Staccato Marks...14 Time signatures...16 Bars, bar lines, double bars and final bars...16 New Notes - D and E...16 Opening lower strings...17 Da Capo...17 D.C. al Fine...18 Improvisation...18 New Note G...18 Your first scale...18 Pentatonic Scale...19 Improvisation is like speech...19 Burbling and chance...19 Copying others...19 Random blues scale playing...19 Copying ideas...20 Developing Words...20 New notes - low E, G, A and B...20 Riffs...21 Accents...21 Palm muting...21 Learn phrases from the CD...21 Rests...22 Reading rests...22 More right hand damping...23 Jamming...24 Call and response exercises...24 Chords...25 Chord Charts...26 Two finger power chords...26 Naming chords - root notes...27 More rhythmic notation - Ties...28 New notes - Low F and C...28 Copy the low notes...29 Coda...29 New Notes - F and C...31 Ear training...31 Dots...32 First position complete!...32 First Time and Second Time Bars...33 The Major Scale...34 Building the major scale...34 Intervals, Tones and Semitones...34 Full power chords...35 Strumming technique...35 Root notes in 5th position...36 Muted strums...36 The blues chord progression...37 Another pentatonic scale...37 Hints for improvising with this scale...37 Moveable pentatonic scale...38 Closed position blues scale...38 Root notes in 10th position...38 Pickup bars - anacrusis...38 Closed position major scale...39 Practising and memorising scales...40 Training reflexes repetitions - programming reflexes...40 Syncopation...41 The harmonised major scale chord tricks...43 Ear training...43 Analysis of the blues...44 Larger forms...44 Harmonic rhythm...44 Sharps and flats...45

2 Contents continued Accidentals...45 Key signatures...46 Octaves...47 Flats on guitar...47 Slurs...49 The hammer on...49 Pull offs...50 Timing of slurs...50 Slurred scale exercise...51 First position chords...51 Arpeggios...51 Major, minor and

3 Guitar Anatomy Here are illustrations of an electric and an acoustic guitar showing the names of all their important parts: Tuning Pegs Headstock Nut Neck Frets Body Shoulders Waist Bridge Hips Pickups Pickup selector Volume / tone Jack lead socket Whammy bar Headstock Nut Neck Tuning Pegs Frets Body Shoulders Waist Hips Sound hole Scratch plate Bridge 6th string 1st string 1 Simon Jackson 07/06

4 Correct posture Posture is very important when you play any instrument. If you spend a lot of time playing the instrument, you need to sit correctly or problems with your back and hands could develop (repetitive strain injury, carpal tunnel syndrome, tension, headaches etc). If you sit correctly you will be more comfortable and you will find it easier to play the instrument. Here is a picture and a diagram of correct posture: Posture viewed from above Posture from the front The left foot is placed on a foot stool and the hip of the guitar pushes down between the guitarist s legs (sit at the front edge of the chair to stop it obstructing the guitar hip and damaging your lead). This raises the head of the guitar to roughly the player s shoulder height giving a neck angle which allows efficient left hand technique and also good tone from the right hand. The guitar neck points forward and not to the side of the left shoulder. This avoids having to twist the body to the left or pulling the left arm back in order to correctly reach the guitar neck. The chest is pushed forward and the torso leans slightly forward to support the back of the guitar. This keeps the guitar body vertical so that the left hand fingers have easy access to the fret board and also stops the guitarist from slouching. The left leg points straight forward supporting the guitar at its waist. The right leg points to the side so that the inner thigh supports the bottom end of the guitar. Standing position and straps The strap needs to be short enough to hold the guitar at the same height in relation to your body as it is when you are sitting. Make sure that whether you are sitting or standing your guitar is in the same position or you will feel like you re playing two different instruments. Simon Jackson 07/06 2

5 Right Hand Technique Holding the plectrum To hold the plectrum correctly: bend your fingers in to form a loose fist with the tips of your fingers pointing back towards your wrist; put the ball of your thumb against your index finger; the last section of your thumb is pressed against the last section of your index finger; slot the plectrum in between the last sections of your index finger and thumb. Most of the plectrum should be covered by your fingers, if you have too much plectrum sticking out you get a thin tone and will drop the plectrum. The flesh of your fingers acts as suspension for the plectrum, cushioning the impact of the strings. Plectrum hold Here the hand is closed into too tight a fist. The thumb is bent and the plectrum is held against the middle bone of the finger. This makes more work in moving the plectrum and often causes unwanted tension. Here the index finger is not pointing towards the wrist, it is insufficiently bent. This does not give the plectrum enough contact with the fingers and results in a weak grip. Wrong plectrum holds Damping and feedback There are two main functions of right hand technique. The first is obviously to strike the strings. The second, less obviously but just as importantly, is damping; using your hand to stop the strings vibrating. If you do not control the strings vibrations they will make unwanted sounds. If you play loud enough to balance the volume of a drum kit these sounds will probably cause feedback. Feedback occurs when a note from your guitar sounds from your amplifier, the vibrations of the amplified sound vibrate your guitar making the note continue to sound and even to get louder. As feedback continues you can end up with a lot of howling and squealing noises. This may be fun, but it can also stop your audience from hearing the notes you really want to be heard. 3 Simon Jackson 07/06

6 Positioning the right hand Rest the heel of your hand (see photograph) on the fifth string quite close to, but not on top of, the bridge. This will damp the 4th, 5th and 6th strings to stop feedback problems and will ensure your hand is always in the same place so you can locate each string without needing to look. This does mean that you cannot get a normal sound from the bottom three strings but you will learn to do that once the basic position has been learnt. Notice the plectrum is held in line with the forearm. The heel of the right Plectrum to string angle If you have followed the instructions correctly you should find that the plectrum lies at an angle of about 20 degrees to the string. Mechanical action of the plectrum The plectrum works as a cam pushing down on the string. As the plectrum slides over the string the string is pushed down towards the guitar body, as the plectrum moves away from the string the string is released upwards away from the guitar. This gives a good full, rich tone and because of its mechanical simplicity (only one movement is involved) can be repeated very rapidly. If the string is plucked or pulled it is released in the opposite direction and results in a poor, thin tone. This action may even cause the string to slap against the frets, causing a slapping sound. This is generally undesirable but is sometimes used as an effect. The biggest problem with this method is its mechanical complexity. The plectrum is brought to the string so that it can get under the string (a different angle for up and down strokes), the string is pulled (so stopping the string from vibrating for a considerable time) then the string is released. This action cannot be repeated rapidly without considerable shortening of the notes. Using the right plectrum Plectrums should be rigid to avoid wasting energy in bending plectrums. All the energy should go into the string. The traditional teardrop shape is the best for achieving the cam effect described above. Plectrums are usually labeled T - Thin, M - Medium or H - Heavy. They are also often labeled with their exact thickness. You want a Heavy plectrum, either 0.82mm or 0.96mm thick. H 0.96mm Simon Jackson 07/06 4

7 Right hand movement Begin by playing the 3rd string - your hand should be resting on the bottom three strings. Keep your forearm completely still so that your wrist lies flat against the front of the guitar. A common error is to allow the forearm to rotate. All the movement should come from the wrist. Most of the movement of the plectrum should be vertical to the face of the guitar in a slightly rounded V shape, the tip of the V being the point at which the string is struck. The movement should not stop at all at the point of the V but should be one movement from one end of the V to the other. Stopping on the string causes shortening of notes and buzzes of the string vibrating against the plectrum. Keep the action large to help learn a smooth flowing and relaxed action. Think of the effect on the string being a cross between striking and stroking the string. Never pull or pluck the string. Movement of right hand Practising right hand movement 1. Get into position. 2. Play the 3 rd string with down strokes (say times). 3. Play the 3 rd string with up strokes (50-100) being very careful not to allow any rotation of your forearm. 4. Tap a steady beat with your foot. Play the 3 rd string with down and up strokes of the plectrum. Strike the string with a down stroke as your foot taps down. Strike the string with an up stroke as your foot comes back up. Maintain the swinging, motion. 5 Simon Jackson 07/06

8 Reading Music Pitch notation In order to identify different pitches in music we give names to the different notes using the letters A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. The name of the pitch of the open 1 st string is E, the open 2 nd string is a B. Obviously there are more than 7 different notes (just look at the fretboard and think of how many different places you can play a note) so we have the same name for some notes. For example the open 1 st string is an E and so is the open 6 th string. The sound of the 1 st string is much higher pitched than that of the 6 th string. Pitches for guitar are written on five lines called a Stave which has a curly symbol at the start of the line called a Treble Clef or G Clef. Blank stave Here is the position of each note in order of rising pitch: 1 Listen to this track to hear what these notes sound like. And now here are the notes arranged into 2 groups: notes written on the lines and notes written between the lines. Ways to remember notes on the treble clef stave This can make the names easier to remember. The names of the notes between the lines spell the word FACE. To remember the notes written on the lines you can use the reminder Every Good Boy Deserves Food (or make up your own). Note: The five lines of the stave do not represents strings, they only represent pitch. You will learn that the note E written in the top space can be played on any string! Simon Jackson 07/06 6

9 Your first 3 notes This exercise teaches you to read the notes for the 1 st, 2 nd and 3 rd strings and gets you started with correct alternating picking technique. Here are the notes written on the stave with the name of the note and the string you play that note on. Notice the standard notation: a circled number shows you which string a note is played on. Each note is written as a dot, the note head, with a stem attached to it. The note head tells you the pitch to be played. The stem can go up or down from the note head and does not affect the pitch. Here is an exercise to practise reading these three notes. You should count out loud as written so that you play each note exactly in time with each number. This will ensure that you keep an even beat. I have shown down strokes and upstrokes using standard notation: Downstroke Upstroke Once you feel confident with the exercise try playing along with the CD. The letters above the stave show the chords played for accompaniment, you should ignore them for now. 2 7 Simon Jackson 07/06

10 Note durations - Crotchets and Quavers So far all the notes have been one beat long. Obviously this is far too limiting for good music. Let s look at dividing one beat into two notes, this makes the notes half a beat long. A note which is a whole beat long is called a Crotchet. A note which is half a beat long is called a Quaver. They look like this: Here the quavers have been shown singly. They are exactly the same as crotchets except for the addition of flags. When two quavers appear together the flags are joined up to form beams like this: Shown like this each beat is clearly identified, making reading the rhythm easier. Counting quavers To understand how crotchets and quavers should sound we use key words - words which show us the rhythm. You have already practiced counting beats in exercise 1. For quavers we simply add the word and between each of the beat numbers. Notes occur on each beat number and on each and, like this: 3 Another method is to use words to give the rhythm for each beat. A popular choice is to use the word Tea for each crotchet and the word Coffee for each pair of quavers, like this: 4 Simon Jackson 07/06 8

11 On or off the beat? A note played as you count a beat is said to be on the beat. A note played as you say and is said to be off the beat or on the offbeat. Playing quavers Use alternating picking when playing quavers. Use down strokes on the beat (play a down stroke as you count each beat) and use up strokes for each off beat (use an up stroke as you say each and ). Here is an exercise to practise playing combinations of crotchets and quavers using down and upstrokes. The counting is shown for each new rhythm. 5 Dynamics Various words, abbreviations and symbols are used to show volume and volume changes. Symbol Meaning Interpretation ff... Fortissimo... Very loud f... Forte... Loud mf... Mezzo forte... Moderately loud mp... Mezzo piano... Moderately soft p... Piano... Soft pp... Pianissimo... Very soft cresc. or... crescendo... Getting louder dim. or... Diminuendo... Getting softer 9 Simon Jackson 07/06

12 Left Hand position Left hand technique is largely dependant on correct posture so check that section over and then come back. Here are some pictures showing correct positioning of the left hand. A B C Notice in picture A: The fingers are in an even curve so that the end of the finger is pointing towards a point just above the joint of the thumb. All the fingers have the same curve. The thumb is straight - there should be no bend in the thumb joint. Notice in picture B: The joint of the thumb is pressed to a point just below the middle of the back of the guitar neck The finger tips are bearing down vertically towards the fret board. All knuckles are the same distance from the neck. All knuckles are slightly above the neck - allowing the fingers to bear down onto strings. The wrist has a slight forward curve - the straighter the wrist the better. Notice in picture C: The thumb is opposite the gap between the 2nd and 3rd fingers (this requires good flexibility in the thumb, a position behind the 2nd finger is a reasonable compromise). The 2nd and 3rd fingers are vertical to the fret board. The 1st and 4th fingers are angled so that they point towards the thumb. The thumb is rolled slightly onto its side. This is the most efficient left hand position because it: ensures a solid contact between the fingers and the strings, avoiding buzzing notes and strained playing. can be used consistently - consistency is the basis of a reliable technique. enables the fingers to spread apart from each other to allow chords and scales with stretches. gives equal support from the thumb to 1st and 4th fingers. helps prevent injuries resulting from awkward and strained positioning of the wrist. is conducive to fast playing as well as to left hand slurs. Simon Jackson 07/06 10

13 Common faults in left hand technique Picture A shows a very common left hand technique. Most electric guitarists play in this position. However you will see that this is the most inefficient left hand position because it: does not ensure a solid contact between the fingers and the strings. can not be used consistently. does not enable the fingers to spread apart from each other. Clearly the 4th finger can hardly stretch any further up the neck than the 3rd finger can. does not give equal support from the thumb to 1st and 4th fingers. is not conducive to fast playing as well as to left hand slurs. Picture B shows a problem which causes a lot of tension and discomfort in the left hand. The knuckles are too close to the guitar neck, causing the 1st finger, and often others, to bend backwards. This puts a great strain on the tendons running over the backs of the knuckles. The solution is to simply push the knuckles further away from the guitar neck. Picture C shows a bent thumb. The tip of the thumb pushes against the back of the neck. This causes the knuckles to be pulled behind the neck so the fingers cannot bear down vertically onto the strings. Finger bones Feel around your finger tip with the thumb nail of your left hand. When you find the firmest spot (where the bone is closest to the tip of your finger) you have found the part of your finger which should press down on the strings. Finger position in the frets When you fret a note on the guitar (press the string down to the fret) you shorten the part of the string which vibrates. This must be done so that a firm contact is made between the string and the fret. To achieve this you need to place your finger bone tip as close to the fret as you can without actually touching the fret. Finger pressure A B C Though you need a firm contact, you need not press very hard on the string. If you press too hard you are simply wasting energy. This habit can also cause notes to be pushed out of tune. To achieve the correct pressure play a note, then relax your pressure gradually until the string begins to buzz against the fret. Put back just enough pressure to stop the buzzing - no more - and then you have the correct pressure Simon Jackson 07/06

14 Finger Labels We often need to specify a finger to use when playing guitar. For this we give each finger its own label. The fingers of the left hand are given numbers, those of the right hand are given letters (which are the initial letters of the Spanish names for the fingers, pulgar, indice, medio, anular and menique (sort of)). Here is a picture to show this: i m a 4 e p The note A All the information about how to play the note A is shown here. The shows that the notes are played on the 3rd string and the line extending to the right shows how many notes are played on the 3rd string. The names of the notes are shown as G (which you already know) and A. G is written on the second line up, A is in the second space up. The small numbers next to the notes show which left hand finger to use to play the note. A is played with the 2nd finger. G is played with no fingers of the left hand, in other words as an open string. Organisation of left hand fingers It is important at this stage to always use the same finger for each note. The principle is to have one finger for each fret. Notes played at the 1st fret use the 1st finger, at the 2nd fret the 2nd finger etc. Exercises using G and A The objectives here are to learn to read the notes G and A and to gain good coordination between left and right hands. It is very important to remember all the points made about left hand technique. The 2nd finger simply presses vertically on the A and is then lifted for the G. However the position of the other fingers is just as important. They should remain in position, close to the third string, pointing towards the thumb. Lifting left hand fingers It is important to lift your finger tip vertically away from the note A. Keep your knuckles still and above the fretboard. Many students roll their fingers off the strings diagonally, which pulls the left hand out of position. Simon Jackson 07/06 12

15 Repeat signs Music often contains repetition. Rather than write out the same music again, repeat signs are used. All the music written between a start repeat sign and an end repeat sign is played twice before continuing to any following music. If only an end repeat sign is shown the music from the beginning up to the end repeat sign is played twice. Start repeat End repeat End of one repeated section and start of another 7 More Durations - Minims, Semibreves 8 Minims Semibreve Minims look the same as crotchets except that the note head is empty. Minims last for 2 beats. A semibreve has an empty note heads, no stem, and lasts for 4 beats. Now combine the notes G, A and B to play a traditional folk song. Here the difficulty is in moving between the strings. Take care to count the beats accurately Simon Jackson 07/06

16 This tune adds the note E so there is more movement between the strings. 10 New note D Make sure you put your 3rd finger (as the note is at the 3rd fret) vertically onto the note D. Maintain the correct left hand position with the 3rd finger pointing straight across the neck and your index finger knuckle at the same distance from the guitar neck as the 4th finger knuckle. Remember to lift vertically away from notes. 11 Staccato Marks In the next piece there are dots above some of the notes. These are staccato marks. They tell you to shorten that note. Play the note normally but then lift your left hand finger to damp the note and cut it short. Simon Jackson 07/06 14

17 Now a piece to practise using both 2nd and 3rd fingers: 12 Here is a dictionary of all the notes learnt so far: Now a piece for all these notes, remember to position your hands correctly before playing, use the correct left hand finger and a down stroke for the start of each beat: Simon Jackson 07/06

18 Time signatures At the start of the last piece GABED there were two 4 s written one above the other. These numbers are the time signature for the piece. A time signature tells us about the pulse of the music, how we count it. The bottom number tells us the length of each beat. The top number tells us how many beats there are - in other words the number we should count to. Time Signature If the bottom number is a 4 it means that each beat consists of one crotchet. In this example the top number is a 4, so we count 4 beats, each a crotchet long. This is exactly how you should have counted all the pieces so far. Bars, bar lines, double bars and final bars Each time we have counted up to the top number of the time signature we have counted one bar and we start again with beat 1 for the next bar. This is shown in the music by a bar line: bar lines double bar final bar first bar second bar A double bar shows the end of a section of the music. The final bar shows where the piece ends. It is very important to remember not to pause at a bar line, keep the beat regular. New Notes - D and E Notice that these two notes are just like the notes G and A except that they are played on the 4th string instead of the 3rd. Remember to keep your 2nd finger vertical to the neck. Simon Jackson 07/06 16

19 Opening lower strings So far all the notes played have been on the top three strings. The heel of the right hand has rested on the 5th string and has damped the 4th, 5th and 6th strings. In order to play the 4th, 5th and 6th strings there needs to be an adjustment to the right hand position. I call this adjustment rolling back. Instead of resting the hand at the heel on the 5th string the hand is rolled back towards the top of the guitar so that the hand rests on one of the locations shown in this picture. Which resting position is used will depend on the type of guitar played. Most guitars have the strings 1 cm or less above the body of the guitar where the right hand rests on the strings and usually have Fender Stratocaster style bodies. For these guitars the grey line indicates the resting point. Your hand may come into contact with just the scratch plate, guitar body or sometimes the bridge pickup or pickup housing but whatever is touched will be touched roughly along this line. Guitars which have the strings further from the face of the guitar include Gibson Les Pauls, Gibson 335s and most jazz guitars. Here the hand rests on a point indicated by the star in the picture. The wrist is no longer level with the face of the guitar the heel of the hand (as shown on page 4) is raised above the strings. The movement of the plectrum should be the same action from the wrist as before except that now the V is not vertical in relation to the face of the guitar. Da Capo D.C. is written at the end of the next piece. This is another form of repeat. D.C. is the abbreviation of the Italian words Da Capo meaning from the top. You go back to start of the piece. Sometimes D.C. al Fine is written, in which case you repeat from the beginning to where Fine (the Italian for End) is written. 17 Simon Jackson 07/06

20 14 D.C. al Fine At the end of the Pentatonic Tune there is the sign D.C. al Fine. This stands for the Italian words Da Capo al Fine meaning go back to the beginning and play up to the word Fine (Italian for End). Improvisation Improvisation is the spontaneous invention of music. Most classic rock guitar solos are improvised. The majority of rock and pop music is written by improvising. So improvisation is one of the key skills of any rock musician. You will learn how to improvise melodies and chord progressions by following the exercises in this book. New Note G Here is a dictionary of all the notes you know so far with the addition of the note G on the first string. Your first scale The word scale comes from the Italian word scala, meaning staircase or ladder. A scale is a series of single notes played in order of ascending or descending pitch. Simon Jackson 07/06 18

21 Pentatonic Scale There are only five different note names in the note dictionary above: E, G, A, B, and D. Played like this: 15 we have a pentatonic scale, ( penta- meaning five as in pentagon). The starting note of this scale is E, so this is an E pentatonic scale. The melody of the Pentatonic Tune was written entirely using this scale. Improvisation is like speech We make up phrases and sentences as we speak in conversation. The parts of the brain used for speech and for improvisation are also the same. So it makes sense to train the improviser in the same way that we learn to speak. There are two main ways we learn our first words. Burbling and chance We learn our first words, usually a form of Daddy first, by chance. From one month babies make a range of sounds, not all of them useful in speech. From about six months consonant sounds (g, d, m, etc.) are prevalent. Eventually the Da or Ma sound is repeated, the parent hears mama or dada and responds with smiles and fussing. The infant likes this and so makes the sound again and thus learns its first specific word. Copying others Bye bye is usually the next word learnt by infants. This is because the b sound is a very visible sound, you can clearly see how the person makes the sound by pressing their lips together. The infant simply copies what is seen and heard. Random blues scale playing Tips: 16 Play along with the backing track on the CD playing notes from the E pentatonic scale. Play the notes in any order varying the length of the notes as you like. When you hear something you like, try to repeat it. You have just learnt your first musical word. 1. Try to move mostly by step through the scale, playing notes next to each other in the scale. Leaping from one end of the scale to the other will not often give tuneful results at this early stage. 2. Play short ideas, consisting of between three and seven notes. You are trying to find simple words, not coherent sentences (yet). 3. Keep it simple and don t expect too much of yourself. Remember you are supposed to burbling! 19 Simon Jackson 07/06

22 Copying ideas Many guitarists learn to solo by copying phrases from other guitarists. This is best done by ear, finding notes on the guitar to match a musical idea you have heard or thought of. You will learn this skill through the exercises in this book. These musical words are usually known as Licks. Here are some example licks: Developing Words Notice the development of simple ideas in the above example. Lick A uses a simple four note pattern which is repeated, you could repeat this many times. Lick B uses a simple idea on the 1st string which is then used on the 2nd, then the 3rd strings. Lick C uses a repeated note and a longer note at its finish, these two ideas can help avoid all your phrases sounding rhythmically similar. Lick D moves down through four notes of the scale from G, then down four notes from E (the next note down from G), then from D, then from B. This process of repeating an idea but in a different place is known as a sequence. Lick E is another sequence. Can you see the pattern? Once you have learnt some licks you can string them together to form phrases and sentences. New notes - low E, G, A and B Simon Jackson 07/06 20

23 Riffs A riff is a repeated musical idea. The classical term for a riff is ostinato (Italian for obstinate). Riffs form a fundamental part of rock music. All instruments involved in rock play riffs at some point, bass players and drummers mostly play riffs and riffs often form the main hook for rock and pop songs. The hook is the most memorable part of a song. Here are some examples of blues riffs used for accompaniment: 17 Accents The > symbol placed above or below a note head is another articulation. Play this note louder than the other notes around it. Palm muting A good way to achieve the staccato articulation in these riffs is to not roll your hand completely off the string but to rest very gently on the string being played. It may help to get a clearer note if you move your hand slightly closer to the bridge. A choppy sound results. Learn phrases from the CD Each track contains one lick played three times Listen to the track until you feel fairly sure you know how the lick goes. Sing or whistle the lick if you can as this is a very good way to check that you really have memorised the lick. 2. Try to find the first note of the lick on the guitar. 3. Ask yourself if the next note is higher or lower than the first and how much higher or lower. This helps you to locate the next note. 4. Finally practice playing the rhythm of the lick as well as all the notes and gradually increase the tempo so you can play the lick along with the CD. 5. Instead of repeating the idea you could play something similar or extend the idea. This form of musical play is called call and response. 21 Simon Jackson 07/06

24 Rests We don t always want notes to be sounding in melodies and improvisations, sometimes it is good to leave some silence. We have full stops in normal writing to show sentences and we usually pause between sentences. There are specific symbols to show silences in music: Semibreve Minims Crotchets Quavers A rest shows that you should play silence by physically stopping the string from making any sound. This is done either by placing some part of a left hand finger gently on the string to stop its vibration or by muting the string with the fingers of the right hand as described on page 23. Reading rests Here are some exercises to practice playing rhythms using rests and right hand damping. Only the note G is used to keep things simple. 1. First clap the rhythm counting out loud as indicated. At first you may not manage to keep a regular beat, this is fine as long as you clap on the correct part of the count. Listen to CD track 19 for an example of this way of working. 2. Keep practicing until you can apply a regular beat, then try clapping along with the CD. Clapping 1 20 Clapping 2 21 Clapping 3 22 Clapping 4 23 Simon Jackson 07/06 22

25 More right hand damping We have looked at the use of the heel of the right hand for damping the lower strings but this method does not help with the damping of the higher strings. Often the higher strings are damped with the left hand 1st finger, but this technique will not cope with all situations. We often have to use the fingers of the right hand to damp strings. T F Suitable parts of the fingers to use are shown in this picture by the letters T (for thumb) and F (for finger). Touch the string with this part of the finger as the plectrum strikes the next note. Which damping area used depends on the situation, so here are some examples: This symbol shows the duration of a note. The peak at the end of the line shows the point at which the note is stopped by damping. The letter under the peak shows which damping area is used. In the first bar the note D is damped by the thumb as the note G is struck and so on. In the second bar the E is damped by the fingers as the note B is struck and so on. Work out the rhythm and clap your way through these exercises before playing them on the guitar. 24 Here the fingers are used so that the hand is ready for the next action which is a down stroke. 25 Here the thumb is used because the next action of the right hand is an up stroke. 23 Simon Jackson 07/06

26 26 In the next example write in symbols for down and up strokes and damping technique, then follow the previous procedure. Jamming A common method for developing rock and pop music is for musicians to jam. This means that someone in the band may come up with an idea and start playing and then the other musicians join in, improvising their own parts. A commonly known musical structure is often used for the jam session. This could be a riff, melody, drum pattern or combination of all of these. The next piece is an example of a common blues riff with a melody written over it. You can play with the CD or better still play with another guitarist. Guitar I plays the tune, guitar II plays the riff, then you could take it in turns to play the riff while the other player improvises using the pentatonic scale. The CD track has the tune played twice, then twice through the rhythm section alone so you can improvise, then the tune twice again to finish. Call and response exercises 28 Simon Jackson 07/06 24

27 29 Chords Strictly speaking a chord occurs whenever three or more notes are played at the same time. We will start with two note power chords. These are common in rock and pop, especially when a distorted sound is wanted (a sound made by turning the amplifier to full volume or by using a distortion pedal, the sound is fuzzy and aggressive). They are also easy to play and a good way to introduce the use of the first finger. It is perfectly possible to write down the notes of a chord using standard notation but an easier and more common method is to use diagrams which show finger placement. These diagrams are called fingerboard charts, chord diagrams, window charts etc. 25 Simon Jackson 07/06

28 Chord Charts This chord chart shows the chord of C major. C C rd 3 4 Frets th Strings 1st Strings 1, 2, 3, 4 Key to symbols The root of a chord, scale or arpeggio. Place a finger here. Put a finger here. An optional note, - you can play it as well as the other notes that are shaded, as an alternative to the other note on that string, or in alternation with it (forming some melodic content). Don t play this string. This string is played open (i.e. it is not fretted but it is still struck). Two strings are played by the same finger and so are all the strings in between them. This is done by using barré technique (as described in a special section in book 2). Numbers to the left of finger locations show which finger to use. 1 st Chords can be played at any fret. This number shows which fret to play at. If there is no number here then presume you are to play in the first position. Two finger power chords Here are three chord shapes for playing two finger power chords. These shapes can be played anywhere on the neck, so instead of naming the shapes I have numbered them Simon Jackson 07/06 26

29 Remember to follow the instructions about left hand positioning on pages 10 and 11 very carefully. Make sure: your 3rd finger is vertical to the string, your knuckles are parallel to the neck, the 1st finger is reaching away and plays on its corner rather than on its end, the thumb is opposite the gap between 2nd and 3rd fingers (or at least behind the 2nd finger) Naming chords - root notes Chords are generally named according to which is the lowest pitched note played. In the shapes above these notes are shown by black finger markers. So here are three power chords with their correct names written above them. G B E Now it is possible to read the names of the chords written above the stave. Chords have been shown in this way throughout the book so far, often with other letters and symbols which will be explained in a later section. Here is a simple piece using these three chords. Just strike the two strings needed for each chord using normal technique adapted to hitting two strings. The rhythm to play is shown on the stave using different note heads which are used when the notation only shows the rhythm Simon Jackson 07/06

30 More rhythmic notation - Ties A tie is a curved line drawn between two or more consecutive notes of the same pitch. It shows that the notes are to be played as one note which is as long as all the tied notes put together. Here are some examples with the counting shown. Only the counts on which new notes occur are underlined but for accurate timing make sure you count those that are not underlined too. Here are some exercises to clap. New notes - Low F and C Here are the missing notes F and C as they are played on the lower strings. You can also now put power chord shapes on top of these notes, so you can now play B, C, E, F, and G power chords. Simon Jackson 07/06 28

31 Copy the low notes 37 Coda A coda is a short section usually used in rock and pop music as an ending. In the next piece you repeat the first section, then repeat the second section. Then D.C. al Þ sends you back to the beginning and you play to where it says To Coda which sends you to the last line, marked ÞCoda Simon Jackson 07/06

32 39 Simon Jackson 07/06 30

33 New Notes - F and C These are the first notes that use the left hand 1st finger at the first fret. It is tempting to go straight to playing those notes - but it is important to maintain the correct left hand position. Position your hand for a D or G first (3rd finger 3rd fret), hold that note and then go for the F or C. When playing either of these notes, the 3rd finger should stay over the 3rd fret, at 1 cm or less above the string. Notice the space between the guitar neck and knuckles. The knuckles are parallel to the neck and the 3rd finger is vertical to the neck whereas the 1st finger plays over on its side. The 1st finger knuckle is level with the face of the fingerboard. In the following exercises you will always be moving from 3rd finger to 1st finger. As you do this make sure that you only lift your 3rd finger a few millimetres away from the note it has just played. 40 Ear training 41 Learn the power chords from the CD, then play copying and call and response with the melody. 31 Simon Jackson 07/06

34 Dots As well as ties, dots can be used to lengthen notes. A dot placed after a note head adds half the original value to the note. q. = q e h. = h q Here are two examples. Example 1 shows that a crotchet tied to a quaver can be written simply as a dotted crotchet. Example 2 shows that a minim tied to a crotchet can be written as a dotted minim First position complete! First position means that you are playing with your first finger at the first fret. You now know all the notes in the first position. Here they are as another exercise: 45 Here is the same information shown as a diagram. The open dots show to play open strings, the black dots show where your fingers go. Here is another version showing note names in position. E F G A B C D E F G A B C D E F G Simon Jackson 07/06 32

35 First Time and Second Time Bars First time bar Second time bar This is another form of repeat. Here the music is played up to the repeat sign which sends us back to the beginning. On the repeat do not play the first time bar, move straight to the second time bar and then continue. Rock and pop music relies very heavily on repetition so you may see this form of repeat too: Simon Jackson 07/06

36 The Major Scale The major scale is the basic building material of most western music. From it you can build chords, arpeggios and other scales. So it is important to know what it is and how to build it. Here are the notes of the C major scale: 47 The solfège names are shown, for many people this aids recognition of the scale, it is not necessary to know or use these names. Building the major scale Intervals, Tones and Semitones 2 notes a semitone apart A scale is characterised by the intervals (gaps) between the notes. The smallest interval is called a semitone (S). Two notes on adjacent frets are one semitone apart. Two notes two frets apart are a tone (T) apart. 2 notes a tone apart To build a major scale you need eight notes with the intervals between them being: Tone, Tone, Semitone, Tone, Tone, Tone, Semitone. Here is the scale again in standard notation with the intervals shown by the letters T and S. The notes have also been numbered, this idea of numbering notes will be helpful in later studies. You could play this pattern of tones and semitones moving up one string like this: T T S T T T S This same pattern can be started from any note on the guitar and will always build a major scale. Simon Jackson 07/06 34

37 Full power chords The power chords shown earlier in the book contained only two notes. There is another version of these chords which uses three notes. This gives a fuller sound and is good preparation for more complex chords Strumming technique In order to play full power chords you will need to strike more than two strings. The strumming technique is very different from the single note technique. The hand is still kept as a single unit with no movement of the fingers. The elbow stays in place on the corner of the guitar and the angle of the elbow stays the same except for slight adjustments to emphasise the higher or lower strings. Here is a photograph of the correct position of the right arm when strumming: Notice: the grip on the plectrum has not changed the hand no longer rests on the strings the forearm points slightly away from the guitar the wrist is slightly bent so that the plectrum reaches the strings. This angle is constant throughout the movement The movement now comes from a rotation of the forearm as shown in these photographs: When strumming you should keep a constant flowing movement back and forth between the three positions shown. Many guitarists keep their wrist straight and move their whole forearm up and down. This does not allow you to strike the strings selectively, requires much more physical effort and if used to play rapid rhythms will scratch the face of your guitar and break strings more frequently. 35 Simon Jackson 07/06

38 Root notes in 5th position 5th A B C D E F You have already seen two finger power chords in the first position, but not a way to play an E, A or D power chord. For these it is easier to move up the neck to higher positions. This diagram shows the notes at the fifth position. Notice that you can play the same chord (for example C) in different positions. Generally it makes sense to stay in one position when possible and this should be your approach with the following progressions Muted strums A muted strum adds a percussive feel to rhythm playing. The fingers of the left hand touch the strings gently so that when the strings are strummed with the plectrum no notes are heard, but instead a kind of slapping sound (like saying ch ). The notation for this technique has an x for the note head. Try each bar of Groove Assortment separately then try linking them together to form two bar grooves, four bar grooves and so on. 52 Simon Jackson 07/06 36

39 The blues chord progression This is one of the most important chord progressions in rock music. Most classic rock bands play songs based on the blues progression. You will soon learn an analysis of the progression but for now it is important to be able to play it and jam with it. 53 x 3 Another pentatonic scale Repeat 3 times Here is another version of the pentatonic scale which will fit with the chord progression above. 54 Downward extension of scale You can use this scale to improvise over the blues chord progression on the CD. Hints for improvising with this scale Generally it is best to make your improvisation similar to what might be sung. To do this follow these principles: 1. Play mostly on the top four strings to avoid the same pitch range as the backing music. This helps in distinguishing your notes from the backing. 2. Use repetition. Without repetition the solo will seem to lack any structure and may ramble. 3. Move mostly in step. Move from one note of the scale to the next note up or down. Avoid sudden leaps in pitch, leaps are hard to perform with the voice. 4. Avoid very long phrases. Sung phrases last only as long as the breath. Leave space as if breathing before the next phrase. 5. Occasionally break each of the above rules to add interest. 37 Simon Jackson 07/06

40 Moveable pentatonic scale So far all the scales shown have been in the first position and have used open strings. If the scale is played without the use of open strings it can be played in different places on the neck. This type of scale is said to be in closed position (there are no open strings). This diagram shows a closed position version of the pentatonic scale. The black finger dot shows the root of the scale, so if the first finger is at fret 5 you will be playing an A pentatonic scale. 55 Notice the fingering - it is important not to shy away from using the 4th finger. Revise the section on left hand technique to make sure you use the 4th finger correctly You can now use this scale to improvise along to the accompaniment for First Blues. Closed position blues scale Notice that the pentatonic scale doesn t tend to sound very bluesy. Here is the full blues scale - it is the same as the pentatonic scale except for the addition of the optional notes (white finger dots). These notes add the dissonance needed to give a more bluesy sound. Dissonance can be hard to handle effectively so don t linger too long on these notes, make sure that you move into the next note of the scale to give the effect of tension and release Root notes in 10th position 10th D G Here are the notes in 10th position. Notice that the notes at the 12th fret have the same name as the open string. E A Pickup bars - anacrusis An anacrusis in poetry is an unstressed syllable at the start of a line. In music it is an unstressed note or group of notes at the start of a piece which lead onto the stressed note at the start of the next bar. This is also known as a pickup bar because it picks the listener up before landing them on beat one of the first full bar. If a section starts with an anacrusis it usually ends with the other part of the bar to make a complete bar at the repeat. These chord progressions practice the root notes and chords at the 10th position and use anacruses. Simon Jackson 07/06 38

41 You can use the E blues scale to improvise with this backing. Closed position major scale We have seen how you can play the major scale moving along one string and how to play the C major scale in the first position using open strings. The former is obviously impractical and the latter only allows you to play in one key. So here is another way of playing the major scale which can be moved to any fret of the guitar, allowing you to play any major scale. There are other ways of playing the scale in closed position but I show this form because: There are three notes on every string, making it easier to memorise. There are only three permutations of fingering which I call stretchy (as on the 5th and 6th strings); 1, 2, 4 (as on strings 4 and 3); and 1, 3, 4. This scale shape builds good strength and technique. This shape is highly ergonomic and is therefore excellent for developing flashy rock licks. The logical arrangement makes it easier to connect scales. 39 Simon Jackson 07/

42 Practising and memorising scales There is a lot of data to memorise in this scale - 18 note locations. For the scale to be useful to you, you will have to memorise it. In order to remember all this information you will have to encode it in some way. The method you will use at first depends on your learning style. There are lots of tests available to determine your learning style, (at your local library or type learning style into an Internet search engine to try one) but whatever your style the following information and methods are most useful. There are memory systems associated with all of the senses (the strongest being smells) but the types of memory which are relevant to this work are: 1. Auditory memory: remembering the sound of the scale and/or remembering information you tell yourself about the scale (explanation to follow). 2. Visual memory: storing the information as a diagram in your mind s eye which you can read without referring to the page. 3. Kinaesthesia: a physical memory, an automatic movement, like walking or writing your signature. You might get a visual impression of the diagram in your mind and that may help in memorising the scale as you may be able to read the diagram from your mind s eye. It may help to repeatedly draw the scale either on paper or in your mind s eye. You will certainly find it helpful to tell yourself the information about the scale in this form: In the major scale the strings are in pairs. Starting on the 6th string there are two strings which have the stretchy shape, then two which have the 124 shape, then two with the 134 shape. Each time you move up to the next pair of strings, move up one fret. Another way to put this would be: Stretchy, stretchy, up one, 124, 124, up one, 134, 134. Here the 18 note locations are condensed to 8 ideas (called chunks in psychology) making it much easier to remember. Telling yourself the information in many different ways like this will help in memorising scales. Training reflexes Whichever methods you use we all need to end up with the same type of memory of the scale - a linked kinaesthetic memory (a trained reflex) and auditory memory (what you hear in your head). When remembering in this way you will not need to consciously think of the scale. You will imagine the sounds of the notes and your hands will automatically play them. This is very much like speaking. You think of an idea you wish to express, the vocabulary and the movement of the diaphragm, voice box, tongue and facial muscles automatically occurs to speak that idea. This is what happens during improvisation particularly, but also in any musical performance. You think of the musical idea and the hands perform automatically. 12 repetitions - programming reflexes Research into skills training has shown that any simple physical activity repeated 12 times will become automatic. Obviously the whole scale is not a simple physical activity but if you practice the movement required for just five or six notes at a time you will find that the movement becomes automatic. Here is a procedure for training your reflexes to play scales: Simon Jackson 07/06 40

43 Play through five or six notes of the scale and repeat twelve times. By the twelfth repetition you should experience the ability to play them without thinking about it. Move on to the next five or six notes of the scale and repeat twelve times. Go back to the first set of notes. You may have lost this first reflex now but you will regain it more quickly than you did before. Twelve repetitions will make sure. Go back to the second set of notes and retrain that reflex. To join the two sets of notes into one movement practise five or six notes which overlap the two sets (maybe two notes from the first set and three from the second) and repeat that twelve times. Practice all three sets independently. Finally practice playing through all the notes covered in one go. As you play one set, think ahead to the next set to ensure smooth connection. Here is a chord sequence for you to practise improvising using the G major scale. Try using note sets as described above finding as many ideas as you can in one set before moving to another. 60 x 3 Syncopation Syncopation is the stressing of normally unstressed beats, or parts of beats. You have already encountered syncopations in the use of tied notes, particularly when written at the end 61 of the bar as in ex. 1. This is called a push because it pushes ahead into the next bar giving a good rhythmic drive. Another common form of syncopation in rock, pop and jazz occurs when the second half of one beat is tied to the first half of the next beat. It could be written as in ex. 2 but is clearer in ex. 3. Example 4 shows a whole string of crotchets all played on off beats Simon Jackson 07/06

44 65 The harmonised major scale A good way to understand how chords and scales fit together is to play a harmonised scale. This means that a chord is put on each note of the scale. We will work with power chords for now. Here are the first six notes of the major scale again, on the 5th and 6th strings only. For now we will ignore the 7th note for reasons that will become clear in the next book. We can then number each of these chords using roman numerals (the standard notation for numbered chords). We can put a power chord shape on top of each note. I IV II V III VI If we put chords on the first six notes of G major we get this: 66 Simon Jackson 07/06 42

45 3 chord tricks Now that you know the six most common chords in the key of G major you can write effective chord progressions very quickly. Most music, especially rock and pop is written in chunks of four bars. These four bar phrases can then be strung together or repeated to give larger forms. A very common harmonic movement in rock and pop is to use three chords, the first for one bar, the second for one bar and the third for the remaining two bars. Here is an example giving the chords and their numerical analysis. Here I have shown / signs for each beat, a common form of notation which may mean strum in crotchets, or may mean make up your own rhythm. Here are three blank four bar staves with boxes to fill in. Pick three numbers between 1 and 6, write them in the boxes below the stave. Write the chord names of the three chords you chose in the boxes above the stave. Write in a rhythm and then try out your composition. Ear training 67 Work out the chords from the CD. You should also now be able to work out the chords and melodies of some of your favourite music. This should become part of your regular practice as it will help greatly in the development of your ear and of your repertoire. 43 Simon Jackson 07/06

46 Analysis of the blues Looking at the blues in D and the blues in A you will see that only chords I, IV and V are used. Go to pages 39 and 37 and write in the chord analysis. Now try playing the blues in other keys, just choose any fret on the guitar and start your progression there. Larger forms Now that you have three four bar phrases you can start trying them in combination to create larger structures. Notice that the three chord progressions you wrote are labeled A, B and C. We can simply list these letters in different orders to give larger forms. Here are some examples: AABB ABCA ABA ABAC When you try this you will find that some combinations work better than others (for reasons shown in the next book). You can try any combinations, any number of repetitions and so on until you achieve a satisfying result. You may want to try other chord sequences, you could even throw a die to come up with the three numbers (aleatoric composition!). When you have a satisfying form you could invent some more three chord tricks and combine those, maybe using the same form. One section might make a good verse, the other a good chorus. Just add words and a melody for a rudimentary song. Harmonic rhythm Harmonic rhythm means the rate at which the harmony changes. You can change chords as you like. An obvious advance on the 3 chord trick is the 4 chord trick, simply add another chord at bar 4. If you always use one chord per bar the harmonic rhythm can become monotonous. A good variation is to have a 2 bar section, with 2 chords per bar, which repeats to give the 4 bar structure. Here is an example with three 4 bar sections. Section A is a simple 3 chord trick which repeats. Section B is a 4 chord trick, the chord change for bar 4 of this section gives a little acceleration in the harmonic rhythm. These first two sections could form a verse. Section C has two 2 bar sections, the second being a simple variation of the first. As it has an accelerated harmonic rhythm it has a more uplifting feel and could form a chorus. 68 Simon Jackson 07/06 44

47 Sharps and flats All the notes learnt so far have been natural notes, plain C or F etc. Sometimes, however, you will need the note one fret higher or lower than the natural note. For example if you build a major scale starting from the note F, as was shown on page 34, you will notice that the 4th note is at fret 6, between the A and the B. This note is called B flat. All the other notes are naturals. If a scale is built starting from the note G, all the notes are natural except for the F which would be raised by one fret, making it an F sharp. There are symbols used to show sharpened or flattened notes: T T S T T T S # = Sharp b = Flat If a note has a sharp sign next to it, play it one fret higher (closer to the bridge). A sharp sign raises the pitch of the note by one semitone. If a note has a flat sign, play it one fret lower (closer to the head of the guitar). A flat sign lowers the pitch of the note by one semitone. Accidentals You have just seen that the scale of F major contains one flattened note - Bb and that G major contains one sharpened note - F#. Here are the scales written out with fingering to show which fret the altered note is played at: When written as above the sharps and flats are said to be accidentals. The sharp or flat sign is written next to the individual note. These accidentals have arisen because those notes have to be altered to complete the pattern of tones and semitones that makes a major scale starting from the note F or G. 45 Simon Jackson 07/06

48 Key signatures If a piece of music is written using the notes of the G major scale it is said to be in the key of G major. This means that every time an F occurs, it will be sharpened. Instead of having to write an accidental for every F in the piece, the F sharp is shown at the start of every line as a reminder to sharpen every F. This indication at the start of every line is called the Key Signature of the piece. Here is the G major scale written out using a key signature: The next piece will be in G major. This requires good coordination of the 2nd and 3rd fingers on the first string and of the 4th finger on the 4th string so here are some exercises. 71 Simon Jackson 07/06 46

49 72 Octaves An octave is the interval (or gap) of eight notes counting both the top a bottom notes. Notes an octave apart will have the same name. For example the E s on the 1st string and 4th string are an octave apart. The F on the 1st string and the F on the 6th string are two octaves apart. Flats on guitar There is a problem with flatting notes which are usually played on open strings. The first example of this is the Bb. B is played on the open 2nd string so you cannot move one fret lower to get the Bb. Instead you have to move to the 3rd string. B can be played at the 4th fret on the 3rd string, try playing both the open 2nd string and the 4th fret 3rd string - they should sound the same. So to play Bb you move the B on the 3rd string down one fret, to the 3rd fret. Here is the F major scale over two octaves: Simon Jackson 07/06

50 74 Simon Jackson 07/06 48

51 Slurs Slurs use the same notation as ties. The difference is that slurs occur between notes of different pitch whereas ties occur between notes of the same pitch. Ties change the length of a note, slurs do not. Slurs are forms of articulation, they change the sound of the start or end of a note. A slur shows that the end of one note blends into the start of the next note. The second of the two slurred notes is not played with the right hand so it is possible to play more quickly and smoothly using slurs. There are two forms of slur for the guitar - the hammer on and the pull off. The hammer on The hammer on is used when slurring from a lower note to a higher note played on the same string. The right hand produces the sound of the first note, the left hand that of the second. The hammer on is played much like any other note except that more speed is required from the left hand finger. Here is an exercise to practise hammers with the 2nd and 3rd fingers (1st finger hammers are more unusual in 1st position as they are more difficult): 75 In bar one play the D with a down stroke with your 2nd finger held above the E, then hammer the finger tip onto the E with a fast motion to make the next note sound. You do not need any more force from your 2nd finger on the note than usual, what is important is the speed of the movement. Minimise the time between touching the string and the string touching firmly on the fret. Too much time and the string will be damped and will stop vibrating. The hammering of the string onto the fret can even make the second note louder. Now to improve coordination of both hands when hammering here is another version of the same exercise: Simon Jackson 07/06

52 Pull offs A pull off is used when slurring from a higher note to a lower note played on the same string. Again the sound of the first note is produced by the right hand, and that of the second note by the left hand. The technique is different from anything yet encountered. When the pull off is performed the finger tip is pulled off the string with a rubbing motion. The direction of the finger tip should be the same as the direction the plectrum takes immediately after striking the string with a down stroke: slightly towards the next string but rising above it. The movement should come from the finger, not from movement of the hand and rotation of the wrist should be kept to a minimum so that the next note is easily performed. Great care must be taken to avoid striking the next string, causing unwanted noise. Care should also be taken to avoid pulling the string out of tune before the string is released. Here are some exercises for pull offs: Timing of slurs Both hammer on and pull off techniques should be performed so that the written rhythm is achieved. This means some preplanning is necessary. The finger must be prepared for the hammer on and in motion towards the string just before the slurred note is required. 79 Simon Jackson 07/06 50