Guitar Lessons
Week #1: Guitar in the Key of G
Week #1: We will begin the crash course in guitar with the major chords in the Key of G. A chords is simply a combination of notes that sound pleasing together. A "major" chord is made up of three notes (the 1st, 3rd and 5th notes of the scale matching the chord name) and sounds very bright and happy. A key is simply a group of notes and chords that sound pleasant together to make a song.
The "thinking" part of the guitar is our primary concern in this course. The major chords of a key are the 1, 4 and 5 chords. The math thinking behind this is that you can number each note in the musical alphabet. In the Key of G the notes that sound good together to make the G Major Scale are G, A, B, C, D, E, and F#. Thus, if we count 1, 4 and 5 the chords that sound well together in the Key of G are G (1), C(4) and D(5).
Therefore, learn the G, C and D chords together. Practice fingering each one until each individual string makes a nice sustained ringing sound. Tap your foot to a slow beat counting 1-2-3-4. Strum down on each beat. (Super tip: use your phone or computer to download a "metronome" app to keep a beat for you. It will help you play better with a drummer later).
As you get better at strumming each chord, try changing to the next chord. The goal is to change chords so smoothly that you NEVER miss a beat. Start with a really slow beat to give yourself time. A super tip is to learn to place the finger down that you are going to strum first. In other words, the finger on the lowest pitched string. The second finger for G, the third finger for C and the first finger for D.
Once you can easily change these three chords, you will be ready for songs. Hundreds of songs can be played with just these three chords. Sweet Home Alabama, All Summer Long, The Joker, Louie Louie, and Wild Thing are easy examples. Just match a rhythm to the song melody. You have to take chances though and sing to yourself!!!!
The "thinking" part of the guitar is our primary concern in this course. The major chords of a key are the 1, 4 and 5 chords. The math thinking behind this is that you can number each note in the musical alphabet. In the Key of G the notes that sound good together to make the G Major Scale are G, A, B, C, D, E, and F#. Thus, if we count 1, 4 and 5 the chords that sound well together in the Key of G are G (1), C(4) and D(5).
Therefore, learn the G, C and D chords together. Practice fingering each one until each individual string makes a nice sustained ringing sound. Tap your foot to a slow beat counting 1-2-3-4. Strum down on each beat. (Super tip: use your phone or computer to download a "metronome" app to keep a beat for you. It will help you play better with a drummer later).
As you get better at strumming each chord, try changing to the next chord. The goal is to change chords so smoothly that you NEVER miss a beat. Start with a really slow beat to give yourself time. A super tip is to learn to place the finger down that you are going to strum first. In other words, the finger on the lowest pitched string. The second finger for G, the third finger for C and the first finger for D.
Once you can easily change these three chords, you will be ready for songs. Hundreds of songs can be played with just these three chords. Sweet Home Alabama, All Summer Long, The Joker, Louie Louie, and Wild Thing are easy examples. Just match a rhythm to the song melody. You have to take chances though and sing to yourself!!!!
Week #2: Guitar in the Key of D and Alternating Bass Strumming
Week #2: Hopefully week one practice has gone well for you. If not, I have good news and bad news. Good news is that we will only add ONE new chord to learn this week. Bad news, we will learn a new rhythm technique called Alternating Bass Strumming. This new technique will take light years closer to become more musical and playing songs. Plus, it actually makes changing chords easier, since each measure will start with a single bass note now. But first, lets learn the Key of D.
A key is simply a group of notes and chords that sound pleasant together to make a song. The "thinking" part of the guitar is our primary concern in this course. The major chords of any key are the 1, 4 and 5 chords. The math thinking behind this is that you can number each note in the musical alphabet. In the Key of D the notes that sound good together to make the D Major Scale are D, E, F#, G, A, and B. Thus, if we count 1, 4 and 5 the chords that sound well together in the Key of D are D (1), G(4) and A(5).
Therefore, learn the D, G and A chords together. Thank goodness you already know D and G!! Practice fingering each one until each individual string makes a nice sustained ringing sound. Tap your foot to a slow beat counting 1-2-3-4. Strum down on each beat. (Super tip: use your phone or computer to download a "metronome" app to keep a beat for you. It will help you play better with a drummer later).
A key is simply a group of notes and chords that sound pleasant together to make a song. The "thinking" part of the guitar is our primary concern in this course. The major chords of any key are the 1, 4 and 5 chords. The math thinking behind this is that you can number each note in the musical alphabet. In the Key of D the notes that sound good together to make the D Major Scale are D, E, F#, G, A, and B. Thus, if we count 1, 4 and 5 the chords that sound well together in the Key of D are D (1), G(4) and A(5).
Therefore, learn the D, G and A chords together. Thank goodness you already know D and G!! Practice fingering each one until each individual string makes a nice sustained ringing sound. Tap your foot to a slow beat counting 1-2-3-4. Strum down on each beat. (Super tip: use your phone or computer to download a "metronome" app to keep a beat for you. It will help you play better with a drummer later).
Week 2, Part 2: Let's make our strumming more interesting and musical now. This technique is VITAL. It is called the Alternating Bass Strum. It will make you way more musical, more accurate in your picking, start teaching you the names and locations of individual notes on the fret board, prepare you for finger-picking and teach you a whole other instrument: the BASS GUITAR. So, that's a 6 for 1 deal!!!
The general idea is to incorporate what a bass guitar in a band would be doing into your guitar playing. On the chord sheets above, in the right side column I have put squares and triangles around certain notes. The squares and triangles are also notated on the sheet to the left.
A square stands for the ROOT note. This means that if you are playing a G chord, the square is around a G note. Thus, you now know where a G note is on the fret board. You will pick that string and that string only on the first beat of every measure. The square is followed by a slash. The slash is a symbol for strumming all the strings. The triangle stands for the 5th note. Remember, a major chord is composed of the 1st, 3rd and 5th notes of the scale. Thus, if G is the ROOT, just count up 5 and you will find D is the 5th . Just like your 1, 4, 5 counting to see which chords make a key. I'm telling you...learn the thinking...and you will quickly see its all the same!!!! Anyway, you will pick the triangle note on the 3rd beat of each measure followed by a strum on the 4th beat.
The end result should be something like:
BOOM ching boom ching, BOOM ching boom ching!!!
Practice, practice....you are soooo close to songs!!!!
The general idea is to incorporate what a bass guitar in a band would be doing into your guitar playing. On the chord sheets above, in the right side column I have put squares and triangles around certain notes. The squares and triangles are also notated on the sheet to the left.
A square stands for the ROOT note. This means that if you are playing a G chord, the square is around a G note. Thus, you now know where a G note is on the fret board. You will pick that string and that string only on the first beat of every measure. The square is followed by a slash. The slash is a symbol for strumming all the strings. The triangle stands for the 5th note. Remember, a major chord is composed of the 1st, 3rd and 5th notes of the scale. Thus, if G is the ROOT, just count up 5 and you will find D is the 5th . Just like your 1, 4, 5 counting to see which chords make a key. I'm telling you...learn the thinking...and you will quickly see its all the same!!!! Anyway, you will pick the triangle note on the 3rd beat of each measure followed by a strum on the 4th beat.
The end result should be something like:
BOOM ching boom ching, BOOM ching boom ching!!!
Practice, practice....you are soooo close to songs!!!!
Guitar Week 3: Guitar in the Key of A
Week #3: Here we are again!!! And the third time is a charm!!! Hopefully you are progressing with practicing your 4 chords and changing them with the 1, 4 and 5 chords of their key. I know the bass strumming was a lot to add last week, too, but it has many advantages. Most importantly, for now, it actually makes it easier to change chords.
Let's only add one chords this week so that we can play in the Key of A. You already know A major, which is the 1 chord If we count up to the 4 chord....A, B, C, D....D is the 4 and you already know it!!!...That only leaves us the 5 chord, which is just after D...the E Major. It is not that difficult and learning this shape will open 12 more doors down the road. The same shape is used to build bar chords, which open up the entire neck, every chord, and every scale to your use. So, this little E Major is a 24 for 1 deal!!!
The fingering of the E is on the chart to the right. Plus the bass notes for A, D and E are also in the chart. Practice at first by strumming through patterns of A, D and E until you can smoothly change without missing a beat. Then add in bass notes which should make it easier to change chords. In particular, every chord in this key has open strings for bass notes. So, pick that bass string as your fingers find the chord.
Let's also have two forms of fun this week!!! Yes, I just officially lied to you above, but its for a good cause. You can actually change a Major chord to many of its variations simply by adding or removing a note with a finger. For instance, take your FIRST finger off the E Major and you suddenly get an E Minor!!! I promise..you are in the hardest stages of the game right now. Get these chords down...the rest are just adding or removing fingers!!
Second fun part, let's learn to rock'n'roll through a technique called the 12 Bar Blues Shuffle pattern.
Let's only add one chords this week so that we can play in the Key of A. You already know A major, which is the 1 chord If we count up to the 4 chord....A, B, C, D....D is the 4 and you already know it!!!...That only leaves us the 5 chord, which is just after D...the E Major. It is not that difficult and learning this shape will open 12 more doors down the road. The same shape is used to build bar chords, which open up the entire neck, every chord, and every scale to your use. So, this little E Major is a 24 for 1 deal!!!
The fingering of the E is on the chart to the right. Plus the bass notes for A, D and E are also in the chart. Practice at first by strumming through patterns of A, D and E until you can smoothly change without missing a beat. Then add in bass notes which should make it easier to change chords. In particular, every chord in this key has open strings for bass notes. So, pick that bass string as your fingers find the chord.
Let's also have two forms of fun this week!!! Yes, I just officially lied to you above, but its for a good cause. You can actually change a Major chord to many of its variations simply by adding or removing a note with a finger. For instance, take your FIRST finger off the E Major and you suddenly get an E Minor!!! I promise..you are in the hardest stages of the game right now. Get these chords down...the rest are just adding or removing fingers!!
Second fun part, let's learn to rock'n'roll through a technique called the 12 Bar Blues Shuffle pattern.
Guitar Week #4: Guitar in the Keys of C and E
Week #4: Congrats! You have made it through session one without quitting. Trust me, most people quit by now...I have been giving guitar lessons for 13 years as of September 27. I can be so precise in that date because at the age of 29 I tried to quit music. My first son was born and the plan was staying home on weekends. However, a baby meant more BILLS...the kind of food and diaper money that is not even covered by playing with bands on weekends. So, the lessons became an after school job. They have also made me a better player because I have to think about what I am doing on guitar and, more importantly, why!!!!
Now that I have pumped you up with some encouraging words, let me just pop that balloon!!!
This week's lesson I call:
QUITTER CHORDS!!!
We must learn the chords of F Major and B7 in order to play in the Keys of C and E. These are the most challenging chords yet. This is where many people hit the wall. Let me help you over the wall, though. These are not impossible and learning them will open many doors. The F will further help you toward bar chords and playing the chords and scales of the ENTIRE neck The B7..what a funny name, to be explained later...will help you toward playing some Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan blues, or that funky stuff that REALLY makes people dance at a show like Play That Funky Music White Boy or Superstitious by Stevie Wonder. You are SOOOOOOOO close!!!
So first, the F Major as charted above. Not much explanation needed. Notice the the first finger has to cover the 1st and 2nd strings in the first fret. Follow the chart and learn to play C, F, and G together to make the 1, 4 and 5 chords of the Key of C. Then add the bass notes. The F, like the C, requires you to drop a finger down to the string below fo the alternative bass note of the 3rd beat of each measure. It gives you a relentless, driving rhythm, though, as you would find in Johnny Cash songs!!!
Now that I have pumped you up with some encouraging words, let me just pop that balloon!!!
This week's lesson I call:
QUITTER CHORDS!!!
We must learn the chords of F Major and B7 in order to play in the Keys of C and E. These are the most challenging chords yet. This is where many people hit the wall. Let me help you over the wall, though. These are not impossible and learning them will open many doors. The F will further help you toward bar chords and playing the chords and scales of the ENTIRE neck The B7..what a funny name, to be explained later...will help you toward playing some Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan blues, or that funky stuff that REALLY makes people dance at a show like Play That Funky Music White Boy or Superstitious by Stevie Wonder. You are SOOOOOOOO close!!!
So first, the F Major as charted above. Not much explanation needed. Notice the the first finger has to cover the 1st and 2nd strings in the first fret. Follow the chart and learn to play C, F, and G together to make the 1, 4 and 5 chords of the Key of C. Then add the bass notes. The F, like the C, requires you to drop a finger down to the string below fo the alternative bass note of the 3rd beat of each measure. It gives you a relentless, driving rhythm, though, as you would find in Johnny Cash songs!!!
The B7 is also challenging. First, why have I switched from teaching you Major chords to this sudden weird name with a number. You will see numbers often added to chords. All it means musically is that you add that number note from the scale to the chord. So, in the case of B7, you are adding the 7th note of the B scale to the chord. We are doing this because there is no way to play a B Major without using a bar chord, which is even more difficult. However, there are some good learning lessons here. 7th chords are quite popular in music. They have a unique tone that added fingers-on-the-chalkboard tension to music. This may not sound pleasant by itself, but it adds drama to the song that becomes "relieved," or it music terms "resolved," when you return to the pleasant tones of the major chord of the key.
Typically the 5 chord of every key is substituted with its 7th chord voicing. Then the song returns to the 1 chord and sounds pleasant. So if we re-apply this to previous lessons you would play chord groups such as:
Key of G: G-C-D7
Key of D: D-G-A7
Key of A: A-D-E7
Key of C: C-F-G7
Key of E: E-A-B7
But, oh no...you don't know these chords? Remember, it is just adding a note. Try adding or removing fingers and see what tones you come up with. Experimenting and using your ear is invaluable on guitar. Try stuff!!!
Plus...I have a last session gift for you which will help find and learn chords!!! And it will help you in the next session...
NO QUITTING!!!!!
Typically the 5 chord of every key is substituted with its 7th chord voicing. Then the song returns to the 1 chord and sounds pleasant. So if we re-apply this to previous lessons you would play chord groups such as:
Key of G: G-C-D7
Key of D: D-G-A7
Key of A: A-D-E7
Key of C: C-F-G7
Key of E: E-A-B7
But, oh no...you don't know these chords? Remember, it is just adding a note. Try adding or removing fingers and see what tones you come up with. Experimenting and using your ear is invaluable on guitar. Try stuff!!!
Plus...I have a last session gift for you which will help find and learn chords!!! And it will help you in the next session...
NO QUITTING!!!!!