Flamenco method book review
I have read an educational package by Gerhard Graf-Martinez that teaches how to play Flamenco. Any guitarist that wants to learn how to play Flamenco should check out my review to see if it is right for you.
The review is located here http://educationalbookreviews.blogspot.com/2009/04/book-review-flamenco-guitar-method.html
I should point out that Flamenco is an incredibly hard style to play and not suitable for beginners to try. More experienced guitarists should be able to learn the basics.
More strumming patterns with open chords for beginners
WHO IS THE LESSON INTENDED FOR
This lesson is intended for beginners who are just starting out on guitar.
REQUIREMENTS
Must be able to play all the chords in the lessons: One, Two and Three and can strum between them
Can play all the examples in the first strumming lesson.
PURPOSE
This lesson will go into basic strumming patterns with the chords you have learned in the last three lessons. Being able to play different rhythms when strumming between chords is an essential skill.
INTRODUCTION
If you can play the examples in the first strumming lesson, you will be able to play a great number of popular songs. Many of them use simple strumming patterns like the ones we looked at. This lesson will look at more complicated strumming patterns so you can build a better sense of rhythm.
ANOTHER WAY OF COUNTING
In the last lesson we looked at counting the rhythm by saying out loud 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4. This should be fine in most situations. However, there are many situations where people will have trouble playing the rhythm properly counting this way. When we play eigth notes or sixteenth notes (don’t worry if you don’t know what that means yet) we are playing notes that are inbetween the numbers we count. If you had trouble playing the last couple of examples in the last lesson you will find this way of counting easier.
This time instead of splitting the bar up into four numbers, we split it into four numbers and four words. We count the following when the bar is in 4/4 time: “1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and”. The numbers are the exact same as the other method. The only difference is we add an ‘and’ in between every number. So this time when there is a chord to be played in between the numbers, we have a better idea when to play it.
PATTERN 1
This pattern uses a few eighth notes and a dotted quarter note. If you try playing this pattern while using the 1, 2, 3, 4 counting method, you may have trouble playing the eighth notes at the right time. Have a go playing this pattern using the 1 and 2 and… pattern. That way you know when you have to strum those eighth notes.
Although it looks like there is a gap in the counting, there shouldn’t be when you count it out loud. It should be completely seamless. Remember that after you count ‘4 and’ you go back to 1, not 5. Don’t forget to count the ‘and’ after 4. The tough chords in this piece are played at the second ‘and’ in the first bar and the third ‘and’ in the second bar. These are tricky because you feel comfortable strumming on the numbers, not the ‘ands’.
Take your time learning this piece on your own and when you think you can play it properly, check out the video demonstration to see how close you were. If you can play along to the video, then you know it well.
PATTERN 2
This time we are going to look at playing ‘rests’ in between the chords. Rests are when there is no sound being played. To play the rest properly in this pattern (that black squiggly curve), we take our right hand and touch all the strings so the chord stops ringing out. Practice playing a chord and then stopping the sound quickly with your hand. It takes a bit of coordination to do this while keeping a steady rhythm.
PATTERN 3
The first two examples have been in 4/4 time (four four). You can see the two 4s stacked on top of each other straight after the treble clef. This piece is in 3/4 time (three four). You can see the 3 stacked on top of the 4. This is a very common time signature (not as common as 4/4). The difference this time is that instead of counting 1, 2, 3, 4, you only count up to 3. So for this piece you can count 1, 2, 3, or you can count 1 and 2 and 3 and. So pay attention whenever you look at some sheet music so you know what you need to count to. If another musician says to you ‘this song is in three four’, you will know you only count up to three before going back to one. There are other time signatures such as 6/8 2/4 5/4 and plenty of others. We will look at them in the future because they are not as common as 4/4 and 3/4.
As you can see I have not included the numbers above the music. This is so you can have practice figuring out the rhythm on your own. If after trying a few times you can’t figure it out, have a look at the video demonstration to hear how it is counted.
PATTERN 4
By now you should have a good ability to strum between the chords and change the rhythm. Before trying this next example, have a go combining the first three patterns together in as many different ways you can.
Unfortunately, when you look up guitar tabs or chords on the internet, what you will normally find are not as detailed as the examples I provide in my lessons. Sometimes you will just be given the chord names and nothing else. So for this example I will write a few chord names and you need to come up with a couple patterns yourself. Take a piece of paper out. Now write the numbers 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and across the top of the page twice. Evenly space the four chord names C, Em across the page above both numbers 1.
Your page should look like this:
Now underneath the numbers, Put a slash / wherever you want to play a chord. You can place the slash directly under the numbers or directly under the +. Start off simple and then have a go making more complicated rhythms.
Here is an example for what you could do:
Have a look at the video demonstration to hear how this would be played. If you don’t know how to write the rhythms in proper standard notation, this method is a simple way of writing down any patterns you come up with. Use a different symbol whenever you want to have a rest (maybe use a R or X).
VIDEO DEMONSTRATION
Will be uploaded shortly. Make sure you practice these examples on your own before looking at the video.
My experience with more complicated strumming patterns:
Playing basic strumming patterns is pretty simple and yet I see so many guitarists not able to keep a steady rhythm. I have jammed with many other guitarists and are amazed at how many of them can play fairly complicated solos and lead parts but have trouble playing in time with other musicians. Although I love playing lead and solos, I continue to focus on developing my rhythm ability. By trying to strum complicated rhythms and playing in different time signatures, I improve my sense of timing which helps my rhythm and lead playing.
I recommend every player devote time to develop their rhythm ability. Even if you want to be the next Joe Satriani or other amazing lead player, develop your rhythm skills.
SUMMARY
Adding rests and playing chords on the ‘and’ can make your playing a whole lot more interesting rather than just strumming a basic 1 2 3 4. If you have trouble with these examples, take it slow. If you find it easy, great! Continue to develop those skills and combine these patterns and make up your own patterns. Remember, it is one thing to play examples that I have written here. It is very different to come up with your own and play them properly. When you come up with your own patterns, try to write them down so you don’t forget how to play them.
If you are comfortable with all the lessons so far, you are ready to look at some new techniques. Stay tuned for upcoming lessons that look at how to make your playing sound even more interesting.
Music theory book reviewed
I have reviewed a book that teaches the basics of music theory over at my educational book reviews blog. I recommend everybody have a read of it because you may find it useful. Although I will be creating lessons on music theory in the future, you may want to start learning about it now.
Music theory is essential for every guitarist to know. It doesn’t matter if you’re playing rock, metal, country, blues, classical, flamenco or any other style, you will be better off learning music theory. Many people neglect this area and don’t realize that they are putting themselves at a disadvantage. So whether you read this book or another, be sure to start learning about music theory as soon as possible.
Have a read of the review here http://educationalbookreviews.blogspot.com/2009/04/book-review-complete-idiots-guide-to.html
New blog for book reviews
Hi everyone, just letting you know that I have created a new blog at http://educationalbookreviews.blogspot.com
This blog looks at educational books that I have read. Most of the books will be on personal finance, business skills, personal skills and other career subjects. I will also look at music related books and guitar related books so check it out because you might find something useful.
I will let you know here whenever I review a book that is music or guitar related.
Keep practicing, more lessons coming soon!
Aaron
My experience with buzzing guitar noise and dodgy repair shops
PURPOSE
This article is an explanation of a problem I had and how I resolved it. The purpose of writing this is to make you aware of similar situations where you may have the same problem. Have a read through and in the future if you encounter similar problems, you will have an idea what you can do to fix it.
MY PROBLEM
My friends recently bought me a guitar for my birthday. Unfortunately, it was sent to them with wiring problems and buzzed and hummed so loud you could barely hear what was being played. Apparently this is common for cheap guitars bought on eBay or unknown brands. Not being guitarists they gave it to me unaware of the problems. The guitar was still good quality, just the electronics weren’t done right.
THE LOCAL MUSIC REPAIR SHOP
Seeing as I had only a basic understanding of electronics I decided to take it to the local guitar shop to be repaired. Both shop assistants assured me that they will be able to fix it and I was told ‘no worries’. Two weeks later I received a phone call from the shop saying that they had improved the buzz but was unsuccessful in totally fixing the guitar. They told me the following were the reasons why the guitar isn’t working:
1) It is a cheap eBay guitar
2) There were not enough bits inside the guitar (yes they actually said bits)
3) The pickups are faulty
If you ever get an explanation like this from a guitar shop, hit the ground running! No electronics expert would ever use the term ‘bits’ when talking about electronics. They recommended I leave the guitar with them to get new pickups installed. The feeling I got from this person was similar to getting a car serviced and being told that X and Y need to be replaced. He sounded like a dodgy mechanic. I told them not to do anything and I will be picking the guitar up straight away. He also mentioned there would be a charge of $25 for the time spent on it.
As soon as I arrived at the guitar shop, I asked to plug the guitar in to see what they have done. I recommend everybody do this when taking a guitar to be repaired. I was shocked at the result. The guitar was actually worse off! Not only was the buzzing louder, but the volume and tone knobs didn’t work anymore. I demanded to see the person who repaired the guitar. Not surprisingly, he wasn’t in at the moment so another person came over to talk to me about it. By this stage I was pretty angry because I knew that they didn’t have a clue what they were doing. The person emphasized that the pickups need to be replaced and that they generally don’t do repairs on eBay guitars like this one. A very different response compared to the ‘no worries’ I was given when taking the guitar in. I believe that they were just looking for excuses to cover up the fact that they didn’t know what to do. After a few stern words on my part, they decided to ‘waive’ the $25 charge. As I left, they said I can bring it back in at any time to get those pickups replaced. Many people would just accept the person’s word and allow them to replace the pickups. Be very careful with doing something like that.
FIXING IT ON MY OWN
So I took the guitar home to have a go fixing it on my own. As I said, my understanding of electronics was pretty basic at the time. So I started by searching on Google for wiring diagrams for the type of guitar. Sure enough I found a couple. I then searched for information on how to fix the buzzing and humming. I came across this great website http://www.guitarnuts.com/ dedicated on wiring and shielding electric guitars. I recommend you read through the site before you try any repairs or modifications on your guitar. Don’t forget to read the page on safety from electrical shock at http://www.guitarnuts.com/technical/electrical/safety/index.php.
I followed the instructions on shielding the guitar. Shielding is when you cover the insides of the guitar with copper sheets or aluminum foil to act as a ‘shield’ from outside sources. A better explanation is on the website. After comparing my guitar to the diagrams, it was obvious that the mistakes were very basic. I was shocked that the ‘expert’ didn’t know how to fix it. After about seven hours of rewiring and shielding I plugged the guitar in. Surprise, surprise, it worked perfectly! The hum was almost completely removed (as good as my other guitars) and the volume and tone knobs worked. So what does this say about the so called ‘problems’ the shop said it had:
1) It is a cheap eBay guitar – has nothing to do with the problems. An answer like this is just a way of saying “we don’t know how to fix it” or “we can’t be bothered fixing it”. The fact that the guitar sounds great now proves that this had nothing to do with the problem.
2) There were not enough bits inside the guitar – actually there were enough parts. I am still dumbfounded as to why the person said this. My only guess is that they wanted an excuse to slap on some extra charges.
3) The pickups are faulty – actually they work perfectly. The problems were a few wires soldered to the wrong places and problems with the grounding. There was nothing wrong with the pickups. My guess is that they wanted to earn some cash by selling me pickups while keeping my working pickups to sell to somebody else. That or they actually have no clue (also very likely).
THE END RESULT
The end result was that I managed to fix the guitar completely on my own without spending a single dollar. It took some time because I’m a beginner with electronics, but it all worked out. If I had listened to the people at the shop, I would have spent at least a couple hundred dollars in total to have it ‘repaired’. This situation may be very rare but keep in mind that it can happen. Ask somebody you trust what they think the problem is before you consider taking it to be repaired. If the shop’s answer doesn’t match up (in my case my instincts told me they were wrong), get out of there and never go back. I’m sure most guitar shops aren’t dodgy, but you don’t want to take your chances.
WARNING
You can get electrocuted if you don’t know what you are doing with the electronics. I don’t recommend people try it themselves unless they have experience and understand what they are doing.
How to get the most out of your practice sessions
INTRODUCTION
Practicing is the key to improvement in your guitar playing. Not surprisingly, people who do not practice will not improve and give up the guitar. Because practicing is so important, I have written this article explaining how to get the best out of your practice sessions. Practicing the wrong things or with the wrong attitude can negatively affect the rate you improve. Practicing the right way can significantly improve your learning. Read through this article and write down on a piece of paper how you are going to plan your practice sessions to get the best value from them.
REGULARITY OF PRACTICE SESSIONS
I always emphasise the need to practice every day. Why? You have 365 days in a year and 365 opportunities to improve your playing. If you improve (even a tiny bit) every day, that is 365 days that you made improvements. If you only practice every second day, after a year you will only have had 182 days where you improved. It can make a big difference over time.
Tip: Even 10 minutes of practice a day adds up to 61 hours of quality practice a year. Practice every day.
LENGTH OF PRACTICE SESSIONS
Many people think that if you practice for a longer time, you will learn more. This may or not be true depending on how you use your time. I read a study years ago that had a statistic saying 80% of the benefit from practicing happens in 20% of the session. So if you sit down to practice for 1 and a half hours, 80% of the benefits you get from that session will happen in 20 minutes. Whether this is true or not I don’t know but it stresses the importance for managing your time.
If you plan to practice for an hour every day, I recommend splitting that hour up into short 20 minute sessions with breaks in between. If you try to practice for an hour in one session, your brain will get tired and not take in everything. It is very likely that the last 20 minutes of your practice will be completely useless because your brain may have had enough. People with short attention spans should split up practice sessions into very small sessions with breaks in between. By having a short 15 minute practice then a 5-10 minute break, your brain can refresh and you can relax before you go back to practice.
As I explained above, having regular practice session is very important. However, many people feel that instead of practicing for 20 minutes every day, they will practice for 140 minutes one day a week. Although the time spent practicing is exactly the same in both situations, the person practicing 140 minutes in one day will find that they have trouble improving every week. Having short sessions every day will be of much more benefit to you compared to excessively long practice sessions one day a week. The difference between the two? The 20 minute sessions will be more efficient and effective than the 140 minute session.
Tip: When it comes to practice sessions: QUALITY over QUANTITY.
WHAT TO PRACTICE
When you sit down to practice, you need to have a clear idea of what you are going to practice. This seems obvious, but many people don’t even consider it. If you sit down with a certain goal in mind, you are more likely to achieve something. If on the other hand you sit down without any thought of what you want to achieve, you will most likely waste your time.
The following list is of certain aspects of playing that you may include in your practice session. What you actually include depends on your current skill level and your desires. This is just a brief list, keep in mind that there are so many different things you could practice.
ITEMS TO PRACTICE:
Finger exercises: Dexterity and stretching
Basic chord memorisation
Rhythm and strumming
Picking: Alternate, up, down, economy
Techniques (eg: Hammer-ons, pull-offs, slides, bends and vibrato)
Ear training (eg: recognising scales, chords, intervals)
WHAT NOT TO PRACTICE
While there are certain things you should practice, there are things that you shouldn’t practice. The number one thing you should not practice? Mistakes. Practicing mistakes is a sure way to develop bad habits. I emphasise ‘practicing’ mistakes because there is a difference between ‘practicing a’ mistake and ‘playing a’ mistake. It is okay to play mistakes, it is how we learn. It is NOT okay to repeatedly play the same mistake over and over, that is how bad habits develop. You need to focus every time you play and look out for any mistakes. If you notice you have played a mistake, go back and play the piece again and make sure you don’t play the SAME mistake. It can be hard for beginners to notice their own mistakes, so you need to focus. (This is why I have video demonstrations for my lessons, so you can hear what a piece should sound like).
Tip: Don’t practice mistakes. Practicing mistakes develop bad habits.
PLANNING YOUR PRACTICE SESSIONS
You now need to organise what you want to practice. Write a list of the aspects that you want to practice. Now rank these aspects from most important to least important. Next, write down how long you will spend in total practicing. From there you need to split up that time for each aspect. More important aspects should be given more time.
An example of a practice plan:
If I had 30 minutes set aside to practice, I would split the time up as follows:
1. First 5 minutes: Finger exercises and stretches (to warm my hands up)
2. Next 10 minutes: Practice material I learned last time (to perfect it before moving on to new stuff)
3. Next 10 minutes: Practice a new technique I have recently looked at (serious focus on perfecting new technique)
4. Last 5 minutes: Play around with the new technique (have fun with what I am learning)
You will notice that I only focus on one technique in the session. Focusing practice sessions on a few items will be much more valuable to you compared to trying to practice as many things as possible. If I sat down again for another 30 minute session, I would focus on other aspects (such as ear training or improvising).
Write down your own plan outlining the time spent on each item and why you are practicing it. If there are any aspects of playing that you haven’t covered this time, make a note so you practice it next time.
Tip: Planning your practice sessions will help you learn faster and easier.
WHEN SHOULD YOU PRACTICE
You should practice only when you will get good value of your session.
When should you practice?
1. When you are full of energy
2. When you are eager to practice
3. When you are in a good mood
4. When you won’t be interrupted
If you satisfy all four points, you will get great value out of your sessions because your brain will be focused and you will enjoy what you are doing. As you can see, it all depends on YOU.
WHEN SHOULD YOU NOT PRACTICE
Just like there are times when you should practice, there are times when you shouldn’t.
You shouldn’t practice when:
1. You are tired
2. You are in a bad mood
3. You don’t feel like practicing
4. The guitar is out of tune (and you don’t know how to tune it)
5. You are likely to be interrupted.
If you practice when you are in a bad mood or any of the other points, you will do more harm than good. Some people who give up the guitar and end up hating it normally don’t realise the real reason is because they practiced it at the wrong times (or are forced to practice by parents).
SUMMARY
Your practice sessions are incredibly important to your improvement as a player. So you need to take them seriously and put in the effort to plan them out. A well prepared plan for a practice session can make the difference between an expert guitarist and a mediocre one. Take the points I’ve made here seriously and always think of how you can improve your practice sessions to get the best benefit from them.
Basic strumming patterns with open chords for beginners
WHO IS THE LESSON INTENDED FOR
This lesson is intended for beginners who are just starting out on guitar.
REQUIREMENTS
Must be able to play all the chords in the lessons: One, Two and Three and can strum between them
PURPOSE
This lesson will go into basic strumming patterns with the chords you have learned in the last three lessons. Being able to play different rhythms when strumming between chords is an essential skill.
INTRODUCTION
If you can strum each chord four times before changing to the next, you are on the right track for this lesson. You will notice that songs that use those open chords don’t just strum each chord four times and then change to another chord. The guitarists will play different rhythms to make things more interesting. You probably noticed how plain it sounds when you just strum a chord four times. Changing the rhythm can turn that plain sounding sequence to an exciting piece of music. We will start off with very simple patterns then work towards more complex ones. Make sure you don’t rush yourself and make sure you can play the simple rhythms before trying the harder ones.
STRUMMING WITH THE RIGHT HAND
There are two ways you can strum the strings with your right hand. The first way is called a ‘down strum’. If you have been watching my video lesson so far you would have been using down strumming while learning the open chords. It is a ‘down strum’ because your hand moves down towards the ground. Start with your hand above the sixth string and in one smooth and fast movement, strum all six strings towards the first string. Try this with Em a few times. You should aim to strum the chord in one quick motion so it sounds like all notes are played at the exact same time. Try not to strum the strings one by one because it won’t sound like a chord but more like six individual notes. Watch the video for a demonstration. You will need to practice strumming the chords that don’t use all six strings and make sure you don’t accidentally play the strings that aren’t to be played.
The other way to strum the chords is the opposite of a down strum. It is called an ‘up strum’. This time you start with your hand below the first string and make a motion towards the sixth string. Aim to get a nice smooth motion with your hand and make sure every string is played. Many people have trouble with up strumming because of the awkward movement. If you grip your pick too firmly it may get caught in one of the strings so make sure you hold it fairly loose. You want the pick to glide across the strings rather than dig into them. Again, watch the video to see up close on how your hand should be positioned.
COUNTING THE RHYTHM
For those who don’t yet know anything on music theory, the most common ‘time signature’ in music is what’s called 4/4 (four four) time. What this means is that there are four ‘beats’ in a ‘bar’. Remember back to the last lesson how you strummed each chord four times before changing to the next? Well that is an example of playing in 4/4 time. There are other time signatures but we will look at those later.
So why are there four beats in a bar? Without any long explanations we will just say that is it easy to count that way. To count along with what you are playing you can simply count: 1, 2, 3, 4. Then the next bar starts and you go back to 1 and count to four again. So in a piece of music with two bars, you would count in a steady rhythm: 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4. You don’t count 5, 6, 7, 8 in the second bar. Counting to four and then going back to 1 makes it very easy to count. Another reason you don’t continue counting past 4 is that 7 (and other later numbers) have more than one syllable and it can make it harder to keep the rhythm steady.
So if you understood that explanation, great! If not, you may understand when we use it in practice. Check the video to see me use it in action.
There are a few ways you can ‘count’ the rhythm while playing. You can count the words out loud, count them in your head or tap your foot.
SIMPLE PATTERN 1
This is the same pattern you have been using while learning the chords so we will use it again to practice both down and up strumming. Arrows are sometimes used in tab to show how you should strum the chords. An arrow pointing up is actually a down strum. It may seem confusing but when you think about it, the arrow is pointing from the sixth string to the first string which is the direction your hand strums the strings. An arrow pointing down is an up strum because of the direction you strum the strings. The numbers above the standard notation (only used in this lesson) let you know when you need to count.
In the first example, you use down-strums for each chord. Count the beat out loud while you play it and try to make sure that you don’t leave a long gap between 4 and 1. The counting should continue seamless.
In this next example you do the complete opposite of the first example. Play each chord using up-strums. Count the beat out loud again and the rhythm should be exactly the same.
This next example will get you used to playing both up and down strumming. Start with a down strum, then an up strum and continue that pattern. Try to remember that the first beat is a down strum. That way you can quickly pick up if you have made a mistake.
SIMPLE PATTERN 2
The strumming in the second and third examples are not common. On the ‘down beats’ (the exact time you count a number), a down strum is usually played (like the very first example). Most players play this way. Any strumming between the beats (in between counting numbers) will use up-strums (and sometimes down-strums as well).
In this example, you can see that directly below each number, the chord uses a down strum. The only time an up strum is used is when the chord is in-between the numbers (called an up-beat).The chords played on the third beat and the one straight after (the up-beat) should be played twice as fast as the other chords. If you look at the rhythm on the standard notation, you can see the notes are ‘eighth notes’ while the other chords are ‘quarter notes’. If you don’t understand standard notation yet, that’s okay. I will explain it in a later lesson. For now, you can check what it should sound like by watching the video lesson.
SIMPLE PATTERN 3
The next example is pretty much the same idea as the last one, just slightly different rhythm. In the first bar, beats 1 and 3 use eighth notes so make sure the rhythm is played properly. Once you think you have played it right, check the video to see if you were correct.
SIMPLE PATTERN 4
In this example you can see that the chord played at the third beat in the first bar is held for two beats. This will happen quite often so make sure you feel comfortable with holding a chord while you continue counting the beats. If you have trouble with this example, try slowing it down. It can be hard to guess when the chords are to be played on the up-beats but keep practicing them. Next lesson we will look at another way of counting to make this easier.
SIMPLE PATTERN 5
This next example is different to the others because you can see that four chords are used instead of two. So you will need to get used to changing chords not only between the 4th and 1st beat, but during any other place in the bar. In this example you change on the third beat. Each chord is played for the same duration so it should sound like you are changing chords on regular intervals. Start off playing this one slow because you need to think about quite a few things at once.
THE NEXT STEP
Practice these chords until you feel completely comfortable with counting out the rhythm and can count without any pauses. Once you can do that try playing the same examples using different chords. For example: instead of playing Em and G in the first example, try Dm and C. Practice all the chords using the rhythms in the examples so you feel comfortable with any changes.
VIDEO DEMONSTRATION
My experience with strumming chords:
I have met quite a lot of musicians over the years ranging from guitarists, drummers, and bass players to pianists, violinists and even DJs. What I have noticed that separates the great musicians from the average and poor is a sense of rhythm. Many people think a good sense of rhythm is only for drummers. Wrong. No matter what instrument you play you need to have a good sense of rhythm and can play along with somebody else. I have noticed that out of all the musicians I have played with, the pianists had the worst sense of rhythm and many lead guitarists were just as bad. Why? Because the pianists and guitarists (that focus on lead) often play by themselves without any thought of rhythm. The musicians with the best sense of rhythm were drummers, bass players and DJs. This is because those instruments focus more on rhythm and playing along with others. So the best way to develop your rhythm? Play along with as many different musicians as you can and always think about rhythm while you are playing, especially when you are playing on your own. The strumming examples in this lesson give you a good start to develop your sense of rhythm, so take it seriously.
SUMMARY
Learning how to strum chords while keeping a steady rhythm is essential for every guitarist. If you are aiming to learn songs that only strum chords, this is great practice for you. Even if you aim to learn music that doesn’t strum chords (many styles don’t), it is good to practice this to develop your sense of rhythm. Practice this every day until you can play the examples without any mistakes and can play a smooth consistent rhythm. Next time we will look at more complicated rhythms so it is essential you can play these with ease before moving to the next lesson.
Learning to play basic open chords: Part 3
WHO IS THE LESSON INTENDED FOR
This lesson is intended for beginners first starting to learn the guitar.
REQUIREMENTS
Able to play the chords in Part One and Part Two and can strum between all of them while keeping a steady rhythm.
PURPOSE
The purpose of this lesson is to introduce you to some more basic ‘open’ chords. It will also explain basic strumming between chords.
INTRODUCTION
By now you should have a good understanding of how to learn chords and practice them. If you have practiced the chords in Parts One and Two, you will know the chords Em, D, G, Am. This lesson will introduce you to some more open chords. The explanations this time will be brief because the last two lessons explained the concepts more than enough.
FIFTH CHORD: C
The next chord we will look at is called C or ‘C Major’. By looking at the chord diagram, you can see that only five strings are to be played. Start by placing your first finger on the first fret on the second string. Then take your second finger and place it on the second fret on the fourth string. Finally take your third finger and place it on the third fret on the fifth string. Some people may find this chord hard to play because of the way your hand reaches over the fretboard. Pick each string separately to make sure that all the five strings ring out clearly. Remember to use your finger tips so your fingers don’t touch strings that they shouldn’t.
SIXTH CHORD: A
The sixth chord we will look at is called A or ‘A major’. You should notice that this is very similar to A Minor. In fact, only one note changes. Instead of playing the first fret on the second string, you play the second fret. There are a few ways you can play this one as I demonstrate in the video. The first way is how it is written in the diagram: using your first, second and third fingers in that order. Another way is to use your second, first and third in that order. Another way is to use only your first and second finger and spread them across the three strings. Watch the video to see how this should be done.
SEVENTH CHORDS: E
The next chord is E or ‘E Major’. Again, you will notice it is very similar to E Minor. The only difference is that instead of playing the third string open, you play the first fret. Have a go playing Em then change to E. You will notice that you can keep your second and third fingers in the exact same place. The only thing you need to do is place your first finger on the first fret on the third string. When practicing these chords, always look for fingers that can stay in the same place to make the changes easier.
EIGHTH CHORD: Dm
The next chord is called ‘D Minor’. Again you should see that it is almost exactly the same to D Major. The only difference being that instead of playing the second fret on the first string, you play the first fret. Have a go changing between D and Dm. This time the third finger can stay in the exact same place and you need to move your first and second fingers.
STRUMMING BETWEEN THE CHORDS
Just like last two lessons, have a go strumming each chord four times then change over to another chord. There are eight chords to practice so there are plenty of combinations that you can work towards perfecting. Take your time and make sure you can play all possible combinations.
The tab below is an example of how you can practice the four chords we have looked at so far. Play D four times, change to Am and play it four times, then change to Em and play it four times, then change to G and play it four times. Take your time playing this and get used to the changes. Below is an example of what you can start off with. After you can play this you can practice other combinations.
My experience with basic open chords:
The good thing about learning open chords is that many popular songs use them. Once I learned these open chords I found out what songs I knew used them and had a go strumming along to the CDs. I started off with a basic strumming pattern (like the tab above) then listening to the CD to hear the actual strumming pattern. Next lesson I will go into detail on strumming and strumming patterns.
VIDEO DEMONSTRATION
SUMMARY
The eight chords we have looked at are the main Major and Minor open chords. They are the most common chords and if you search on ultimate-guitar.com you will find plenty of songs that use these chords. There are other open chords but we can look at them later. Practice these chords and memorise them because every guitarist should know these off by heart. Next time we will look at strumming in detail so make sure you can play the chords and change between them with ease before reading that lesson. If you are having trouble with some chords and need help, post a video response to the video for this lesson and I will try to help you out.
Learning to play basic open chords: Part 2
WHO IS THE LESSON INTENDED FOR
This lesson is intended for beginners first starting to learn the guitar.
REQUIREMENTS
Able to play the chords in Part One and can strum between them while keeping a steady rhythm.
Must be able to play the simple songs from the lessons: simple songs and more simple songs.
A basic understanding of guitar tabs or standard notation.
PURPOSE
The purpose of this lesson is to introduce you to some more basic ‘open’ chords. It will also explain basic strumming between chords.
INTRODUCTION
If you can play the chords from the other lesson (Em and D) and are comfortable strumming and changing back and forth between them, you can move on to learn some new chords. If you are still having some trouble with Em and D, keep practicing and only come back to this lesson after you can play the two chords with ease. You may find the next two chords a little harder to play. Some chords need your fingers to stretch out a fair bit, which is why I created the simple exercises lesson. You should play the exercises from that lesson a few times as a warm up before you try to play these chords.
THIRD CHORD: G
The next chord we will look at is called G or ‘G Major’. By looking at the chord diagram, you can see that all six strings are to be played. There are three open strings (represented by the three white circles) and three notes to be fretted (the three black dots). The fingers used for these notes are 2, 1 & 3. Sometimes you will see G written using 2, 1 & 4 or 2, 3 & 4. As I explained with Em, there are many different ways to play the same chords so you can use any of the finger combinations. In the video demonstration I show the different ways you can play G. To play G, start off by placing your first finger on the second fret on the fifth string. Then you can reach across with your second finger and place it on the third fret on the third string. The hard part is to reach with your third finger and place it on the third fret on the first string.
Some people may have trouble stretching their hand out to do this. If you can’t reach with your third finger or when you play the chord some of the strings sound muted, use your fourth finger instead of your third. The fourth finger has less strength so many people may prefer using the third finger. Use the simple exercises in the earlier lesson to build up strength in your fourth finger. Once you think you have your fingers in the correct position, strum all the strings and listen to how it sounds. If it sounds good (listen to the video to hear what it should sound like), play each string separately to make sure your fingers are not accidentally muting the open strings.
Look at the shape your hand makes when you play G. The fingers form a triangle shape. Remember that shape to help you memorise how to play G.
FOURTH CHORD: Am
The fourth chord we will look at is called ‘A Minor’. Have a look at the diagram below and think about what you need to play before reading my explanation.
So you should have noticed four points.
1. Only five strings are to be played (the X on the sixth string tells us not to play that string)
2. Two of the strings are played open (the two circles on the fifth and first string tell us to play the string open)
3. Three notes are to be fretted (the three black dots)
4. The fingers: first, second and third are to be used (written inside the black dots)
If you picked up on all of these points, you know how to read chord diagrams properly. Start off by placing your first finger on the first fret on the second string. Then reach across with your second finger and place it on the second fret on the fourth string. You then take your third finger and place it in-between the other two fingers on the second fret on the third string. Look at the shape your hand makes and try to remember how it looks so you can remember Am.
When strumming this chord, make sure you don’t play the sixth string. Try to memorise how many strings each chord uses so you always know how many strings are to be played. The chords so far are:
Em: Uses all six strings
D: Uses four strings (first to fourth string)
G: Uses all six strings
Am: Uses five strings (first to fifth string)
STRUMMING BETWEEN THE CHORDS
Just like last lesson, have a go strumming each chord four times then change over to the other chord. The tab below shows that you start by playing G four times, then change to Am and play it four times. Continue this in a loop starting very slow to get used to the change. Keep in mind that Am only uses five strings.
The tab below is an example of how you can practice the four chords we have looked at so far. Play D four times, change to Am and play it four times, then change to Em and play it four times, then change to G and play it four times. Take your time playing this and get used to the changes.
Once you can play the above tab, have a go playing other combinations using the chords we have looked at. Strum each one four times then change to a different chord. You need to practice switching between all the combinations to you are comfortable with changing to any chord. I have written out combinations you should try.
Starting on G: G to Em, G to D, G to Am.
Starting on Em: Em to G, Em to D, Em to Am.
Starting on D: D to Em, D to G, D to Am.
Starting on Am: Am to Em, Am to G, Am to D.
If you can play all of those combinations well, you will feel comfortable changing from any chord to any other chord. Some changes will be very easy (eg: Em to Am) and some may be tricky (D to G). Practice all of them until they all feel natural.
My experience with basic open chords:
This is the way I learned how to memorise chords. By strumming between two chords, I was able to memorise the chord positions and how to change between the chords while keeping a steady rhythm. If you can think of other ways to memorise the chords, by all means do it. But keep in mind that using flash cards or any other method that doesn’t use the guitar will not help you play them. I’ve seen websites try to sell flash cards to help memorise chords. While they may help recognise chords, they won’t help you play them if you aren’t actually strumming them.
VIDEO DEMONSTRATION
SUMMARY
With every new chord you learn, practice changing between it and all the other chords you already know. I have emphasised the need to switch between chords because that’s what you will need to do when playing. If you are playing with another musician or trying to sing while playing, you will need the skill of changing between chords in a flash. But don’t worry if it still takes you a while to change between them, it is a skill that will improve every time you practice. If you are having trouble with some chords and need help, post a video response to the video for this lesson and I will try to help you out.
