DOCSLIB.ORG

THE 15 STEPS to CREATING Your Own Music on the Guitar INDEX

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
THE 15 STEPS to CREATING Your Own Music on the Guitar INDEX the BEGINNERS GUIDE TO GUITAR MASTERY THE 15 STEPS TO CREATING your own music on the guitar INDEX Page Number Contents 1 About this book and why we made it 2 Our philosophy and community 3 Guitar Construction 4 Strings and string names 5 Open position notes 6 Open chords 7 Strumming 8 Tablature and notation 9 Riffs 10 Barre chords 11 Power chords 12 Pentatonic scales 13 Arpeggios 14 Major scale formula 15 String effects 16 Octaves 17 Alternate tuning 18 What now? 19 About us ABOUT THIS BOOK Hey there reader, and guitar player! We have created this learning resource in an attempt to help people accelerate their journey of understanding the guitar, and inspire them to start creating their own music. A lot of people when wanting to start playing guitar will go straight to Youtube, learn ran- dom songs here and there, but the information you are consuming is really scattered and has no building of structure. This makes it harder for you to remember, much longer to improve, and when you don’t feel like you’re improving you’re going to lose motivation real quick. Think of this book as a blueprint of what you need to learn, and the order you should learn it in, so you can start wailing on the guitar and creating your own music as quickly as possible. WHY WE MADE IT We are committed to teaching people not only the technical aspects of playing this amazing instrument, but also to helping people understand, interpret, and celebrate this phenome- non we call music. Besides being a lot of fun, playing and practicing music can bring a lot of positive health benefits to your life too. Playing music has been proven to have many cognitive benefits like reducing cortisol levels making us less stressed, and constantly stimulating the mind making us sharper for much longer into our older years. We believe that playing the guitar, or any instrument for that matter, is a life long learning experience which should be accessible and promoted to everyone. We are truely appreciative of music and hope to help people all over the world find and cultivate this appreciation too. 1 OUR TEACHING PHILOSOPHY When it comes to teaching, our goal is to get you playing and creating your own music as quickly as possible. We do this by building a strong foundation of skills and knowledge using what’s called the 80/20 rule. The 80/20 rule, or pareto’s law which it’s often called, is a rule that states that when it comes to comparing our input to output, there is always a large imbalance. The 80/20 is a numerical representation of this imbalance - 20% of what you give will bring you 80% of you results. We tend to believe that the return and rewards we get from something is dependent on how much we put into it. Fact is, a lot of your input will have very little significance compared to other more impactful things you could be focusing more attention on. Some examples of the 8020 rule can be found... • Doing business, 80% of your sales are made by 20% of you sales team • In relationships we tend to spend 80% of our time with 20% of our friends • Even with how we dress, we tend to wear 20% of our clothes 80% of the time This rule is also true when it comes to learning and playing the guitar, 20% of guitar skills and knowledge are used 80%, if not more of the time! This book is designed to highlight what we consider to be the most essential 20% of guitar skills and theory that will get you playing and creating music as quickly as possible. JOIN OUR COMMUNITY To help connect guitar learners and players all over the world, we have created a Facebook community, inviting everyone who has downloaded this Ebook to join and contribute. Just click on the icon below to join, and feel free to ask question, share with everyone your progress, and we would also love to get feedback and suggestions on how to improve our resources, and help the community grow. JOIN OUR COMMUNITY 2 THE BEGINNERS GUIDE TO GUITAR MASTERY GUITAR CONSTRUCTION WHAT IT IS Guitar construction is understanding the different types of guitars, all the pieces of each guitar, and a general understanding of what each piece does. Throughout your learning your vocabulary will grow, but you will want to get the basics down from the beginning. This will help for further explanations. Ac�u�t�c Gu�t�r THE BASICS El�c�r�c Gu�t�r Head Tuning Keys The 3 main types of guitars Nut you will come across are: Neck Frets 1. Steel string acoustic Fingerboard 2. Steel string electric Position Markers 3. Nylon string classical Body Pick Guard Soundhole Pickups Pickup Selector Saddle Volume/Tone Controls Vibrato Bar/Whammy Bar Bridge Output Jack TIPS AND TRICKS As you will notice, there are a lot of extra features on the electric guitar. The best way to deepen your understanding of what all of these do is through trial and error. The most important thing for now is to understand the most essential vocabulary you need to know for tuning, changing strings, the fingerboard/fretboard and individual frets. 3 THE BEGINNERS GUIDE TO GUITAR MASTERY STRINGS AND STRING NAMES WHAT IT IS The guitar is a 6 string instrument. We can refer to these strings by using numbers (1 - 6 from bottom thinnest string up), or letters based on their tuning. When we use letters to name the strings, we refer to the musical note which that string is tuned to. The most common way to tune a guitar is called Standard Tuning. Standard Tuning: E - B - G - D - A - E THE BASICS When the guitar is sitting on your lap EADGBE in the playing position, the bottom 654321 thinnest string is string 1, and the top thickest string is string 6. Note: For now you will only need to know about standard tuning. We will mention alternate tuning later in this S�A�D�R� T�N�N� book. String 1 - E (Thinnest) String 2 - B String 3 - G String 4 - D String 5 - A String 6 - E (Thickest) TIPS AND TRICKS The string names and their numbers is an essential to learn and memorise. This is going to be the main way to communicate chord positions, scales, and help visualise the guitar neck. An easy way to remember is using this 6 word sentence: Easter Bunny Gets Drunk At Easter String 1 String 2 String 3 String 4 String 5 String 6 4 THE BEGINNERS GUIDE TO GUITAR MASTERY OPEN POSITION NOTES WHAT IT IS The open position notes are all of the natural notes (A,B,C,D,E,F,G) on the first 3 frets of the guitar neck. A whole note means that the note isn’t a sharp(#) or flat(b). If you can memorise all of these notes, just on the first 3 frets, it will work as a really strong foundation for accelerating your understanding. By memorising these notes and positions you will quickly familiarise yourself with the musical alphabet, and it will be a huge help when it comes to memorising the rest of guitar neck. THE BASICS Here are all the open position notes on the first 3 frets. The first vertical line of notes (E,A,D,G,B,E) is the tuning of the guitar so we play them all just as open notes (play the string without your finger pressing down on the string). TIPS AND TRICKS Try playing through all these notes, but using your first finger (index finger) for fret 1, your second finger (middle finger) for fret 2, and your third finger (ring finger) for fret 3. This way you will be training your fingers to play scales, which you will learn more about later. The best way to memorise these notes, and practice your finger movements is to play through them ascending (string 1 - 6), then descending (string 6 - 1). 5 THE BEGINNERS GUIDE TO GUITAR MASTERY OPEN CHORDS WHAT IT IS A chord is the combination of generally 3 notes played at the same time. Chord progressions (a series of chords played together) are what creates the harmonic foundation of a song, and in a band would be played by the rythym guitarist. Open chords are the chord shapes which we can play using notes in the first 3 frets, mixed with open string notes. If you can learn a handful of open chords, you will be able to play hun- dreds of popular songs. A lot of people who play the guitar will learn enough of these open chords and pick up a few songs, then stop learning there. It feels really great, and is a huge win when you start playing songs with open chords, but trust us, there are so many even better benefits when you keep progressing THE BASICS The best way to learn and memorise these chord positions is to understand how to read chord diagrams. Here is an example of some common open chords explained with chord diagrams. X O O X O O X X O 1 1 1 2 3 2 2 3 3 a minor c major d Minor TIPS AND TRICKS Hot Tip: keep fingers on their tips and try to not mute other strings with flat fingers. Important: if your fingers haven’t started hurting yet, when learning the open chords they definitely will.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • APPENDIX B Glossary
    APPENDIX B Glossary 3-to-1 rule a recording strategy used to avoid phasing issues during stereo miking. The 3-to-1 rule states that the distance between the first and second microphones should be at least three times the distance between the first microphone and the sound source. 50/50 split a common type of contract agreement used in the music industry that equally divides royalties between the composer and publisher. 80:20 ratio a compositional guideline used in media scoring, assigning approximately 80% of the expression to the drama and emotional atmosphere of the scene, while the remaining 20% is used to define the region in which the scene takes place. A AAX shorthand for Avid Audio eXtension, this is a more recent plugin type used by Pro Tools software that is available in native and DSP formats. absorption a category of acoustic treatment that absorbs sound before it has the chance to reflect around the room, which can cause acoustic problems. accelerando a score marking that tells the performer(s) to gradually increase the speed of the music. accented passing tone an embellishment that is approached and left by step in the same direction and takes place in an accented metrical position. accent mark a notational symbol that tells the performer to emphasize a note with a sudden increase in volume. accidental a symbol used to alter the pitch of a note in a given direction without changing its letter, typically creating a chromatic alteration. 432 GLOSSARY accordatura a score marking indicating a cancellation of scordatura and return to standard tuning, usually in a score for stringed instruments.
    [Show full text]
  • A. Types of Chords in Tonal Music
    1 Kristen Masada and Razvan Bunescu: A Segmental CRF Model for Chord Recognition in Symbolic Music A. Types of Chords in Tonal Music minished triads most frequently contain a diminished A chord is a group of notes that form a cohesive har- seventh interval (9 half steps), producing a fully di- monic unit to the listener when sounding simulta- minished seventh chord, or a minor seventh interval, neously (Aldwell et al., 2011). We design our sys- creating a half-diminished seventh chord. tem to handle the following types of chords: triads, augmented 6th chords, suspended chords, and power A.2 Augmented 6th Chords chords. An augmented 6th chord is a type of chromatic chord defined by an augmented sixth interval between the A.1 Triads lowest and highest notes of the chord (Aldwell et al., A triad is the prototypical instance of a chord. It is 2011). The three most common types of augmented based on a root note, which forms the lowest note of a 6th chords are Italian, German, and French sixth chord in standard position. A third and a fifth are then chords, as shown in Figure 8 in the key of A minor. built on top of this root to create a three-note chord. In- In a minor scale, Italian sixth chords can be seen as verted triads also exist, where the third or fifth instead iv chords with a sharpened root, in the first inversion. appears as the lowest note. The chord labels used in Thus, they can be created by stacking the sixth, first, our system do not distinguish among inversions of the and sharpened fourth scale degrees.
    [Show full text]
  • Glossary of Musical Terms PDF - Ricmedia Guitar
    Glossary of musical terms PDF - Ricmedia Guitar Glossary of musical terms PDF Compliments of Ricmedia Guitar guitar.ricmedia.com Copyright © Ricmedia A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A Accent A beat or note that is significantly louder than the others Action The space or distance between the fretboard and strings usually of a guitar Acoustic An instrument that creates it’s own amplification by passive means, not electric Ad Lib (Ad Libitum) Musical directive that gives the musician the ability to improvise or omit a section of music Arpeggio A series of notes derived from a chord, aka: broken chord Augmented Any note that has been raised by a semitone from it’s normal position B Banjo A stringed instrument characterized by a round body and a unique twangy sound Bass Mosty referring to a bass guitar but can be referencing to any instrument in the bass tonal range Bass Clef A musical symbol that indicates the piece should be played in the bass tonal range, or F clef Bass Drum Generally the largest drum in a drummers kit that sits on it’s side and is played via a foot pedal Beat The main pulse of the music, the rhythm of the music Blue Note Generally referring the the sharp fourth/flat fifth in the blues scale, aka: tritone Blues file:///I|/guitar.ricmedia.com/Cat_Miscellaneous/Music-glossary/glossary-of-musical-terms.html[21/07/2013 4:48:07 PM] Glossary of musical terms PDF - Ricmedia Guitar A large genre of music characterized by strong rhythms, improvisation and guitar centric music Brass The name given to a large range
    [Show full text]
  • Harmonic Resources in 1980S Hard Rock and Heavy Metal Music
    HARMONIC RESOURCES IN 1980S HARD ROCK AND HEAVY METAL MUSIC A thesis submitted to the College of the Arts of Kent State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Music Theory by Erin M. Vaughn December, 2015 Thesis written by Erin M. Vaughn B.M., The University of Akron, 2003 M.A., Kent State University, 2015 Approved by ____________________________________________ Richard O. Devore, Thesis Advisor ____________________________________________ Ralph Lorenz, Director, School of Music _____________________________________________ John R. Crawford-Spinelli, Dean, College of the Arts ii Table of Contents LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................................................... v CHAPTER I........................................................................................................................................ 1 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................... 1 GOALS AND METHODS ................................................................................................................ 3 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE............................................................................................... 5 CHAPTER II..................................................................................................................................... 36 ANALYSIS OF “MASTER OF PUPPETS” ......................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Learn How to Play Power Guitar Chords with My Guitar Lessons. We
    Learn How To Play Power Guitar Chords With My Guitar Lessons. We are going to be learning power chords. Power chords can be one of the guitarists best friends. They are used a lot in all kinds of rock, pop, metal and country music. First, we will learn how power chords are made and then we will learn how to play them. Once you have the shape for your power chords down we will apply them to a song. The formula for a power chord is root and 5th. With that in mind, let’s make a G power chord. The notes in the G major scale are G, A, B, C, D, E, and F#. If you want to make a G power chord just use the G note as the root and the 5th note in the G major scale for the 5th of the power chord. The 5th note of a G major scale is D so the two notes in a G power chord would be G and D. Now we will learn the shape for power chords. Let’s stick with a G power chord for now. Play the G note on the 3rd fret of the 6th string with your 1st finger. Now go up two frets and over one string to play the 5th fret of the 5th string with your 3rd finger. That is a D note. Now you have a G and a D. G is the root and D is the 5th. That fits the formula for a power chord.
    [Show full text]
  • Affordant Chord Transitions in Selected Guitar-Driven Popular Music
    Affordant Chord Transitions in Selected Guitar-Driven Popular Music Thesis Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Gary Yim, B.Mus. Graduate Program in Music The Ohio State University 2011 Thesis Committee: David Huron, Advisor Marc Ainger Graeme Boone Copyright by Gary Yim 2011 Abstract It is proposed that two different harmonic systems govern the sequences of chords in popular music: affordant harmony and functional harmony. Affordant chord transitions favor chords and chord transitions that minimize technical difficulty when performed on the guitar, while functional chord transitions favor chords and chord transitions based on a chord's harmonic function within a key. A corpus analysis is used to compare the two harmonic systems in influencing chord transitions, by encoding each song in two different ways. Songs in the corpus are encoded with their absolute chord names (such as “Cm”) to best represent affordant factors in the chord transitions. These same songs are also encoded with their Roman numerals to represent functional factors in the chord transitions. The total entropy within the corpus for both encodings are calculated, and it is argued that the encoding with the lower entropy value corresponds with a harmonic system that more greatly influences the chord transitions. It is predicted that affordant chord transitions play a greater role than functional harmony, and therefore a lower entropy value for the letter-name encoding is expected. But, contrary to expectations, a lower entropy value for the Roman numeral encoding was found. Thus, the results are not consistent with the hypothesis that affordant chord transitions play a greater role than functional chord transitions.
    [Show full text]
  • Music Theory for Young Students
    Longy School of Music Music Theory for young students designed for use in Creative Music Theory classes in the Preparatory Division by John Morrison Emily Romm Jeremy Van Buskirk Vartan Aghababian Teen Theory I and II second revision fall 2011 © 2011 Longy School of Music of Bard College The creation of this text was supported over a four-year period by the generous donation of Mr. John Carey. Introduction Dear student! You are about to start learning music theory. Music theory is a study of music; it helps to understand how music works. It will teach you to read, write, and compose music. What is music? It is something that can change your mood, make you move faster or slower, it can even change your heartbeat! Music can make you imagine things, sometime nice and sometimes scary, and when it gets stuck in your head, it simply won’t leave! It is everywhere – on the radio, in a concert hall, in church or temple, in school – but it only lives while it sounds. You need a composer to make music, a performer to play it, and a listener to enjoy it. To students, parents, and private instructors: This portion of the theory text, where we explain and demonstrate basic concepts of music theory, is the same in Levels 1, 2, and 3 of the text for Creative Music Theory classes at Longy. As such, it will go further than a student in Level 1 will progress during a year. It will allow those starting their study of music theory at Level 2 or 3 to have all the background information they will need for a solid start in theory.
    [Show full text]
  • 5 String Banjo Chord Chart
    Open Chord Shapes Closed (movable position) Chord Shapes Open chord shapes are those that feature an open string. MAJOR TRIADS MINOR TRIADS MAJOR TRIADS MINOR TRIADS Closed or Movable shapes are those that feature no open strings and can The Big 3 be slid around the fingerboard to produce the same type of chord but F A D Fm Am Dm with a different note value (Dm can G C D E Em Dm Cm be slid up 7 frets to become an Am). O O O O O O O O O O O When building a triad, there are only 3 different closed SHAPES for each type of chord. All Inversions For a F Major Triad What is the difference between the major and minor chord F F F F shapes of the same name? (ex. D vs Dm ) (1st inversion - uses a “D” shape) (2nd inversion - uses an “A” shape) (3rd inversion - uses a “F” shape) (4th inversion - uses a “F” shape) 13 17 DOMINANT 7TH CHORDS 10 5 G7 D7 B7 E7 A7 O O O O O O O O These two inversions are repeating shapes since we have now gone up one octave. When constructing 7th chord shapes (or higher such as 9ths, 11ths, and 13ths) every note in the chord does not need to be featured. The TRITONE (the 3rd and 7th) All Inversions For a F Minor Triad of the chord is the meat of the chord and should be featured. MINOR 7TH CHORDS Fm Fm Fm Fm The root and 5th of the chord are (1st inversion - uses a “Dm” shape) (2nd inversion - uses an “Am” shape) (3rd inversion - uses a “Fm” shape) (4th inversion - uses a “Fm” shape) Gm7 Dm7 Bm7 Em7 Am7 ‘weak’ chord tones and can be left off.
    [Show full text]
  • Four Contemporary Trumpet Sonatas
    Four Contemporary Trumpet Sonatas: A Recording Project and Performer’s Guide by Garrett L. Klein A Research Paper Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Musical Arts Approved April 2019 by the Graduate Supervisory Committee: David R. Hickman, Chair Gary Hill Amy Holbrook ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY May 2019 ABSTRACT This document accompanies new recordings of four recent sonatas for trumpet and piano. The project’s objective is to promote these works, while providing a comprehensive resource for potential performers. The four sonatas were selected based on their appeal to modern audiences. Composers Brendan Collins, Luis Engelke, William Rowson, and Christoph Nils Thompson each represents a different country, and they offer significant contributions to the trumpet repertoire. Each sonata expertly features the trumpet by highlighting its lyricism, virtuosity, and ability to cross genres. The accompanying document draws upon interviews with the four composers, which reveal insights into the compositional process and provide details that performers will find useful. This document also offers in-depth musical descriptions, allowing performers to enhance their understanding of each sonata. The principal component of the document is the performer’s guide: Advice is presented directly to the trumpet player that has been garnered from the composers’ interviews, study of the music, and the author’s thoughts on preparing the music. To help other young musicians better comprehend the recording process, the author’s own experience is detailed. Ultimately, this document provides a window into the lifespan of the four sonatas; from their initial composition through the various stages of studying and rehearsing, culminating with the experience of recording these works for the first time.
    [Show full text]
  • Consumables Music As a Second Language & the Modern Band Movement – Little Kids Rock Teacher Manual V3.3 Parts of the Acoustic Guitar
    GUITAR CONSUMABLES Music as a Second Language & The Modern Band Movement – Little Kids Rock Teacher Manual v3.3 Parts of the Acoustic Guitar Headstock Tuning Machines GUITAR Nut Frets Neck Sound Hole Body Strings Pickguard Bridge 106 Music as a Second Language & The Modern Band Movement – Little Kids Rock Teacher Manual v3.3 Parts of the Electric Guitar Tuning Pegs Headstock Nut Frets Neck GUITAR Pickguard Pickup Volume Knob Strings Tone Knobs Body Output Bridge 107 Music as a Second Language & The Modern Band Movement – Little Kids Rock Teacher Manual v3.3 Some of the Basics Fret Numbers String Numbers 3rd Fret 1st Fret 6 5 4 3 2 1 2nd Fret GUITAR Think of each box as a fret. Put your finger in the first box, and you’re playing the first fret. E A D G B E String Names 1 2 3 4 2. Finger Numbers The thumb doesn’t get a num- ber because it sits on the back of the neck (The guitar’s neck, not your neck!!!) 108 Music as a Second Language & The Modern Band Movement – Little Kids Rock Teacher Manual v3.3 Chord Diagrams A chord diagram is just a drawing of what a chord looks like when you play it on your guitar. Look at the chord diagram and key below. Chord name Don’t play this string D XXO Play this open string Nut GUITAR Frets 1 2 Finger number Fretboard 3 Here are tips for Reading Chord Diagrams: ❶ The black dots with numbers in them are where you place your fingers.
    [Show full text]
  • Guitar Lessons Outline
    Lesson 6: Barre Chords E formation: Major, Minor, Sevenths Although most folk songs can be played without the use of barre chords, they are essential to playing most rock songs! Barre Chords are chords that have your index finger holding down more than one string and not playing with any open strings. Below is a picture of an F major chord, using the barring method: Note that the 2nd, 3rd and 4th fingers are playing the formation of an E major chord while the 1st finger is barring all of the strings of the first fret. You may find this hard to do at first because the 1st finger must be held flat and you are putting your 4th finger to work for the first time, but barre chords have a great advantage over open chords: they can be moved up and down the neck to make any chord you want. For example: When moved up two frets becomes All major, minor and seventh chords can be made using E formation barre chords. Let’s look at A major, Am, Am7 and Amaj7 using E formation barre chords. The 1st finger is barred across the 5th fret, making the 6th string an A note. The 2nd, 3rd and 4th fingers make an E formation to create the rest of the chord: 31 Then the minor chord follows the same pattern as the open Em chord by flattening the 3rd note: C# By flattened the 7th note of the A major scale, the 2nd A note drops a whole step (G) to become an Am7 barre chord: By dropping the 2nd A note down a half step, we get an Amaj7 barre chord: These variations of the E formation barre chord may be played anywhere on the neck.
    [Show full text]
  • B.A.Western Music School of Music and Fine Arts
    B.A.Western Music Curriculum and Syllabus (Based on Choice based Credit System) Effective from the Academic Year 2018-2019 School of Music and Fine Arts PROGRAM EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES (PEO) PEO1: Learn the fundamentals of the performance aspect of Western Classical Karnatic Music from the basics to an advanced level in a gradual manner. PEO2: Learn the theoretical concepts of Western Classical music simultaneously along with honing practical skill PEO3: Understand the historical evolution of Western Classical music through the various eras. PEO4: Develop an inquisitive mind to pursue further higher study and research in the field of Classical Art and publish research findings and innovations in seminars and journals. PEO5: Develop analytical, critical and innovative thinking skills, leadership qualities, and good attitude well prepared for lifelong learning and service to World Culture and Heritage. PROGRAM OUTCOME (PO) PO1: Understanding essentials of a performing art: Learning the rudiments of a Classical art and the various elements that go into the presentation of such an art. PO2: Developing theoretical knowledge: Learning the theory that goes behind the practice of a performing art supplements the learner to become a holistic practioner. PO3: Learning History and Culture: The contribution and patronage of various establishments, the background and evolution of Art. PO4: Allied Art forms: An overview of allied fields of art and exposure to World Music. PO5: Modern trends: Understanding the modern trends in Classical Arts and the contribution of revolutionaries of this century. PO6: Contribution to society: Applying knowledge learnt to teach students of future generations . PO7: Research and Further study: Encouraging further study and research into the field of Classical Art with focus on interdisciplinary study impacting society at large.
    [Show full text]