Posted by Andrew Wasson
Tuesday, February 26, 2019
Do you enjoy open tuning? How about some smooth South-West Blues in “Open D?” If you like Blues and you’re okay with changing the tuning set-up (of a couple of guitar strings), you’re going to have a lot of fun with this lesson plan that I have for you today...
DROP "D" TUNING (SET-UP): In getting started, let’s adjust our tuning, so that we’re all set-up into the new tuning of, “Open D.” Open “D” requires that our; 6th, and 1st strings drop down a whole-step (from the note of “E”), to the note of “D.” The second guitar string will also drop down a whole-step from open “B” down to an “A.” Along with those strings, the only other string that we need to worry about is the 3rd. The 3rd string “G” will get lowered by a ½ step down to an “F#.” Once you get all of those strings down to those new notes, you’re guitar will be tuned; “D, A, D, F#, A, D.” In other words, your guitar becomes a giant OPEN “D Major” chord…
Now that you’re guitar is tuned into the sound of “Open D,” we can start learning some nice sounding “Open D” Blues chords… Afterward, we’ll apply them across a traditional 12-Bar progression in a “South-Western” style jam.
DROP "D" CHORD SHAPES FOR THIS LESSON: We’re going to keep things pretty simple by just focusing on a couple of easy chord patterns that correspond to our new tuning arrangement. The first of these chord shapes, will be based upon the awareness that our new tuning produces a big, “D Major” chord from off of the open strings.
This also means that our, IVth and Vth chords (the “G and A”), will also be based upon the tuning of the open strings. From this we achieve barre chords at the 5th and 7th frets.
The only other shape that you’ll need is one which you’re likely already familiar with… It looks like the standard 6th string root “Dominant 7th” barre chord...
We’ll use those chord shapes (with some nice bluesy strumming, to highlight the changes), and that’s pretty much it. Next, let’s move through our 12-bar South-western blues.
CHORD JAM (12-BAR BLUES):
OPEN "D" MAJOR BLUES SCALE: Playing in this style of Blues can be a lot of fun especially for getting together and jamming with other people... So, if you do that, or maybe if you’re just gonna be at home laying down some loop tracks and you get ‘the urge’ to toss in some lead and solo…
I’m going to show you an easy scale pattern for the application of some soloing when you’re jamming in, “Open D.” Below is a break-down of an along the neck “Open D” scale pattern that works great when you’re playing in this tuning and in this style. Along the neck "Open D" Blues major:
CONTINUE LEARNING: If you’d like to learn more about topics like this one and many others, join my web-site as a free member and start taking a look at my “Guitar” Courses. The courses cover a ton of information on improving general and advanced playing skill. There are dozens of lesson plans with very detailed videos along with PDF worksheets that you can download and print out to start covering all types of exercises, Music Theory and drills. The lessons are all well planned and easy to follow and they work in a very organized way so that in the end, you’ll increase your knowledge of playing guitar and you’ll be able to start incorporating higher end playing skills to more easily play guitar within any kind of musical situation, at a much higher level, no matter how complex your music might be.
VISIT THE WEBSITE: If you’d like to learn more about topics like this one and many others, join my members site as a free member and start looking through my “Guitar Courses.”
I’ve spent years creating hundreds of detailed step-by-step guitar lessons for my website members that show all kinds of beginner to advanced ideas to help improve your playing. LIMITED TIME OFFER: If you join my site as a Premium member, you’ll receive a FREE copy of my popular Guitar Technique eBook.
It’s 28 pages of jam-packed studies for mastering all of your technical skills at playing Guitar.
Practicing random scale patterns for hours on end won't do much for helping you create killer guitar solos. But, there is a way to "chop up" your scales and create miniature patterns from them that will lead you to playing great soloing with awesome lines...
This lesson post is designed to help you better comprehend how to expand your frame of reference (away from the “text-book” scale patterns) and view scale shapes differently so as to evolve the basic scale patterns into new ideas that will be better for inventing phrases and small melodic statements when you solo... WATCH THE VIDEO:
Once developed, this "Scale Chop-Up" approach will help students quite a lot since the smaller scale fragments always tend to be a little more useful when it comes to having a student (who is new to soloing) perform lead guitar ideas. In the end, our entire topic for this lesson will be based upon taking large scale outlines and learning to view them as a collection of smaller sections that will operate as more manageable note ideas for starting to solo with.
START WITH THE BIG PICTURE: In getting started, the large scale pattern still needs to be addressed first. You’ll want to be capable with the large shape prior to chopping it apart into smaller segments and moving into our soloing concept. So, first of all, we'll begin by performing a full two octave minor scale, played from the root of “A.”in the guitar's fifth position of the fret-board (6th-string Root).
ISOLATE A SMALL PATTERN: Next, we’re going to isolate a segment of this pattern and we’ll use that smaller part of the scale as a section that will function easier for inventing guitar licks. First, I’ll isolate a segment of the scale, and then, I’ll play a lick based upon the isolated area. In the shape, (shown below), the isolated notes will be marked in red.
USING ISOLATED TONES: From the scale tones that you've isolated, work out a phrase or two that stays withing the note outline. I've provided a guitar lick that does exactly that in the first lick (shown below). Lick #1).
When it comes to applying this principle, the important thing to understand is that there are dozens of ways that we can go about creating isolated segments of our scales. Here’s another example that you to try. Once again, I will start by isolating a specific section of the scale on its own, and then, I will play a guitar lick using that particular isolated section…
ISOLATED SCALE SECTION:
Lick #2).
CONCLUSION: Now you have a good understanding for how to break apart the larger scale shapes and then go about isolating select groups of tones from those ideas to form smaller, (and sometimes even more interesting), shapes for solos. If you’ve never experimented with doing this before, it can be a great way to gain a fresh insight for playing unique collections of notes. This can be especially helpful when you're using a scale pattern that you might otherwise feel is very basic.
THE CREATIVE GUITAR "SOLOING COURSE" There’s a number of interesting ways that you can go about learning to play better guitar solos. And, if you feel that you’re ready to start learning more of them, then have a look at my “Guitar Soloing” program (within the members area) of my website... You can join the site as a free member and start looking around... Every course on the site offers students between 20 to 25 lessons taught in a step-by-step approach – all based upon progressive topics... If you’re looking for a way to vastly improve your guitar playing, visit; CreativeGuitarStudio.com
JOIN THE WEB-SITE: Head over to review all of the guitar courses that are found on my website at CreativeGuitarStudio.com I’ve got step-by-step; Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced courses that work alongside of in-depth elective programs to form the best guitar course available. The Creative Guitar courses have all been designed so as to help you learn to identify where you're at, and what's required to get you up to that next level of guitar playing, in a very organized step-by-step way, that simply makes sense. I look forward to helping you further at CreativeGuitarStudio.com
NEW Learn advanced music reading skills and abilities in this Creative Guitar Studio sheet music reading course designed to help guitar players further develop their traditional music reading skills across all fretting positions...
Lesson 004 of Music Reading Lesson four "Music Reading" maintains further study located within the mid-region of the guitar neck. Four reading exercises use four different sharp key signatures that are located within the mid-register region of the neck's "4th and 5th" playing positions. **DISCLAIMER** This guitar music reading course is not designed to be used as a "beginners" reading curriculum.
If you have no prior music reading experience on the guitar, it is strongly advised to first study the Creative Guitar - Introductory Guitar Program, as well as, the Intermediate Guitar Program.
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(1). Part one, of lesson four Music Reading, studies exercises designed to develop reading skills in the 4th reading position within the key of "G Major." Scale tone range is established from the low 6th-string "A", up to the high 1st-string "C" at the 8th fret.
(2). Part two, introduces the key of "D Major" across the 4th and 5th positions. Scale tone range is established from the low 6th-string "A", up to the high 1st-string "B" at the 7th fret. The practice piece also includes a low "G" at the third fret.
(3). Part three, introduces reading in the key of "A Major" with notes located within the 4th position. In the exercise piece, scale tone range covers notes from the low 6th-string "G#", up to the high 1st-string "B" at the 7th fret.
(4). Part four, introduces reading in the key of "E Major" with notes once again located entirely within 4th position. Scale tone range is again established from the low 6th-string "G#", up to the high 1st-string "B" at the 7th fret.
(5). Reading Exercise: The low register summary piece for lesson four is a 16-bar melody that blends the 4th and 5th positions together covering all of this lessons key signatures (G, D, A and E).
NOTE: Paid members of the Creative Guitar website can watch both video lessons and download the PDF handout...
Join the member's area to download the PDF handout and start your practice of these exercises. Study all of the examples with full access to all of the video lessons...
Posted by Andrew Wasson
Tuesday, February 19, 2019
Fingerpicked chord phrases sound fantastic. And, when this style of guitar playing is blended alongside of jazz chords building up a beautiful jazz harmony we end up with a combination of two really cool guitar playing ideas. Regardless of your playing level, this lesson will help you gain new insight into fingerpicking patterns for jazz chords...
This lesson is going to combine two topics that guitar players love messing around with - fingerpicked patterns and jazz chords. We’re going to start out by learning an easy finger-picked pattern played between two common jazz chord shapes.
And then, from there on we’re going to progress into slightly more complex patterns that add more chords and also a slightly more involved finger-picked pattern. WATCH THE VIDEO:
Example 1). Simple picked pattern (2 chords)
Example 2). String Skip Pattern (2 Chords)
Example 3). Complex Pattern (3 Chords)
LEARNING /PLAYING /PRACTICE: Playing “Finger-picked Patterns,” with jazzy chord types of “Major and Minor” 7th chords will involve learning two primary ideas. The first is to learn how to accurately apply plucking technique with the pick-hand’s; thumb, index, middle, ring, and sometimes the small finger. Developing the right-hand (plucking hand), skill will take both time and dedication to learn how to properly control. This means that the path to getting good at this stuff will require the development of a daily practice routine. Another area of study is the chord shapes that make up the harmony used in playing jazz style chord changes. This level of harmony begins with the use of chord types out of the category of; “Major, Minor and Dominant” seventh. Down the road, you’ll also want to study the various chord extensions and the group known of as altered chords as well. Plus, keep in mind that these chords are initially best learned off of the; 6th, 5th and the 4th guitar strings in order to maximize their availability all over the neck. When it comes time to using them in music, you'll definitely want to have a number of chord type options.
ACOUSTIC GUITAR COURSE: If you’d like to learn more about topics like this one and many others, join my web-site as a free member and start taking a look at my “Acoustic Guitar” Course. CreativeGuitarStudio.com That course covers a ton of information on improving Acoustic playing skill. It uses 20 lesson plans with very detailed video along with PDF worksheets you can download and print out to start covering dozens and dozens exercises and drills. The lessons are all well planned and easy to follow – and they work in a very organized way so that in the end, you’ll increase your knowledge of playing acoustic guitar and you’ll be able to start incorporating skills to more easily play acoustic ideas within any kind of musical situation at a very high level, no matter how complex the music might be! VISIT THE WEB-SITE: Head over to review all of the guitar courses that are found on my website at CreativeGuitarStudio.com I’ve got step-by-step; Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced courses that work alongside of in-depth elective programs to form the best guitar course available. The Creative Guitar courses have all been designed so as to help you learn to identify where you're at, and what's required to get you up to that next level of guitar playing, in a very organized step-by-step way, that simply makes sense. I look forward to helping you further at CreativeGuitarStudio.com
NEW Musicians learn the importance of being able to internalize rhythm early on. The same must also be done with the ability to accurately listen to and recognize musical, tone and pitch. The EAR TRAINING course offered at Creative Guitar will help guitar players drastically improve their sense of note identification, recognition and recall...
Lesson 003 of Ear Training Lesson three "Ear Training" focuses on exercises that work on developing sound association and tonal recognition for intervals that exist within the Minor Scale.
EAR TRAINING 003 - DISCLAIMER: If you have no prior experience with basic music theory, basic rhythm, key signatures and how scales work on the guitar, it is strongly advised to first study the Creative Guitar - Introductory Guitar Program, as well as, the Intermediate Guitar Program.
If you are a guitarist who has no background in basic music theory, key signatures, treble-clef staff /note recognition, or foundational rhythmic duration, then it is advised that prior to working on this course, you study the "Introductory" and "Intermediate" guitar player programs prior to working on this course.
Those preliminary courses, (for beginners and Intermediate players), will lay the foundation for understanding how the nuts and bolts of ear training relate musically and how the principles relate to guitar (as well as other instruments).
The preliminary courses will also help guitar players better comprehend rhythm duration and key signatures.
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(1). Part one, of lesson three Ear Training develops associations for Minor 2nd and 3rd intervals. Popular songs are used to associate the sound of these minor interval distances.
(2). Part two, adds the association of Minor 6th and 7th intervals. Common, well-known musical pieces are once again used as a way to tie together the relationship of these interval distances.
(3). Part three, works on the recognition of the Minor intervals. Diagrams of the guitar neck and the piano keyboard are used to show the layout of the Minor 2nd and Minor 3rd on each instrument. Use the diagrams to match pitch and recognize the associated songs covered in Part One.
(4). Part four, targets Minor interval recognition of the Minor 6th and 7th through the use of associative melody. Diagrams of the fingerboard and piano are once again utilized for demonstrating these Minor intervals upon both piano and guitar.
(5). Audio Track Training Exercises: Use the MP3 audio tracks (contained within the lesson download), to study the sound of mixed Minor; 2nd, 3rd, 6th and 7th intervals.
The intervals from the table provided on page 5 of your PDF handout are performed upon the guitar and digital piano. Sing and match pitch to each interval as they are performed on the audio tracks.
Paying members of the Creative Guitar website can watch both video lessons and download the PDF handout...
Join the member's area to download the PDF handout and start study of these exercises. Study all of the examples with full access to both video lessons...
PART ONE: (Free on YouTube) Associating Minor 2nd and Minor 3rd Intervals. Learn associated melody ideas for determining minor 2nd and 3rd intervals.
PART TWO:Associating Minor 6th and Minor 7th Intervals. Learn associated melody ideas for determining minor 6th and 7th intervals.
PART THREE:
Recognizing minor 2nd and 3rd Intervals: Recognize these intervals using the associated melodies (covered in Part One) on both guitar and on piano.
PART FOUR:Recognizing
minor 6th and 7th Intervals: Recognize these intervals using the
associated melodies (covered in Part Two) on both guitar and on piano.
