Introducing Strumming and Developing Chord Changes · PDF file8 Introducing Strumming and...
Transcript of Introducing Strumming and Developing Chord Changes · PDF file8 Introducing Strumming and...
8Introducing Strumming and Developing Chord Changes
Essential Guitar SkillsLesson 008 IGS IS
67Lesson eIGHTIntroducing Strumming and Developing Chord Changes
Lesson Objectives
•Introducethetechnique
ofstrumming.
•Developcontrolof
rhythmicpatternsby
introducingUp strokes.
•Developtheabilityto
changechordsmore
fluentlywithinrhythms.
•Buildourlibraryof
chordsbyintroducing
thechordsofD,AandE.
Introducing Strumming
InthepreviouslessonwelearnthowtoplaytheChordsofG,Eminor,A
minorandD7.
InthislessonwewilllearnthenewchordsofD,AandE.Furthermore
though,wewilllearnhowtostrumtheguitarcreatingmoreinteresting
rhythmswhilstdevelopingtheabilitytochangebetweenthemanynew
chordswearelearning.
Togetusedtothemotionofstrummingitisusefultoplaythefollowing
exerciseusingalternatedownandupstrokes.(Down strokesgofrom
thelowestpitchedstringtothehighestpitchedstringandUp strokesgo
fromthehighestpitchedstringtothelowest.)
Exercise 1 Strumming using Up and Down Strokes lesson008.igsis.techstore.01
Keepthestrumminghandrelaxedandgentlyplayupanddownstrokeson
therhythmbelow.InthevideoDavidisplayingthechordofG.
D U D U D U D U D U D U D U D U
Playtheaboveexerciseat100beatsperminute,noslower.Iftherhythmis
playedanyslowerit’sdifficulttobuildupanymomentum.
Onthedownstrokesallowtheweightofthearmtofallthroughtheguitar.
Youwillhearhowtheupstrokessoundslightlydifferenttothedownstrokes
asthetreblestringsarebeinghitbeforethebassstrings.Onthedown
strumswearehittingthebassstringsfirst.
68 Lesson eIGHT Introducing Strumming and Developing Chord Changes
Applying Strumming to the Chord of E minor
Onceyouarecomfortablewiththeupanddownstrokes,placeachordofE
minorontheguitarneck.
WearenowgoingtopractiseacommonrockrhythmonthechordofE
minor.Thestrumswhichlandonthebeataredownstrumsandthebeats
whichareoffthebeatareupstrums.
Inthisexamplethiscreatesthepattern:Down,Down,Down-Up,Down-Up.
Playtheexerciseat100beatsperminute,noslower.Iftherhythmisplayed
anyslowerit’sdifficulttobuildupanymomentum.
Onthedownstrokesallowtheweightofthearmtofallthroughtheguitar.
Youwillhearhowtheupstrokessoundslightlydifferenttothedownstrokes
asthetreblestringsarebeinghitbeforethebassstrings.Onthedown
strumswearehittingthebassstringsfirst.
Exercise 2: Lesson008.igsis.01
D D D U D U D D D U D U
Applying Strumming to Changing Chords
Wearenowgoingtomoveontoapplyingthissamestrumpatternovera
chordchange.ProbablytheeasiestchordchangeontheguitarisGtoEm
sowewillstartwiththis.
Exercise 3: Lesson008.igsis.02
D D D U D U D D D U D U D D D U D U D D D U D U
69Lesson eIGHTIntroducing Strumming and Developing Chord Changes
Changing the chords (one chord every two bars)
AswiththeexercisesinLesson Seven,itisessentialthatthestrumming
continuesintimeandun-interrupted,regardlessofhowwellthechordsare
beingchanged.Thechordchangeswillcatchupwiththestrumming.
Nowthatthereislesstimetochangechordsbecausethestrumpatternis
busierthaninLesson SevenmakesurethatwhenchangingfromGtoEm
thattheGchordcomesofftheguitaronthefinalupstrokepriortotheEm.
Thisallowsenoughtimeforthenewchordshapetobeformedandplaced
ontheguitaronthefirstbeatofthenextbar.Leavingthepreviouschordon
fortoolong,rightuptothebarlinewillnotleaveenoughtimetoexecute
thechordchangesmoothly.Thisruleappliesnomatterwhatchordsare
involved.
Withcertainchangesitmaybepossibletoleavethefirstchordonlonger
butthistechniquewillensurethatallchordchangesaresmooth.Oncethis
chordchangecanbeexecutedcorrectlymoveontothefollowingexercises
wheretherhythmisplayedoverthefourchordslearntsofar.
Exercise 4: Lesson008.igsis.03
D D D U D U D D D U D U D D D U D U D D D U D U
5
D D D U D U D D D U D U D D D U D U D D D U D U
70 Introducing Strumming and Developing Chord ChangesLesson eIGHT
Chord of D
Changing chords (one chord every bar)
Itmaybenecessarytopracticeeachoftheindividualchangeswiththis
rhythmaswaspracticedinthechangesfromGtoEm.Forexample,Em
toAm,AmtoD7etc.
Oncetheaboveexercisecanbeexecutedcorrectlyproceedtothe
followingexercisewherethechordschangeeverybar.
Exercise 5: Lesson008.igsis.04
D D D U D U D D D U D U D D D U D U D D D U D U
Introducing the Chords of D, A and E
Thenextthreechordsthatwewilllearnare;D,AandE.Thechordboxes
forthesenewchordsareshownbelow,togetherwiththeirmultimediafiles.
Exercise 6: Chord of D lesson008.igsis.techstore.02
Technique Tips
Noticewhichbassnoteis
playedineachchord…
Thethirdloweststringisthe
Dstring(4thstring)andsowe
strumthechordofDfromthe
openDstring.
71Introducing Strumming and Developing Chord Changes Lesson eIGHT
Chord of A
Exercise 7: Chord of A lesson008.igsis.techstore.03
Thesecondloweststringon
theguitaristheAstring(5th
string)andsowestrumthe
chordofAfromtheopenA
string.
Chord of E
Exercise 8: Chord of E lesson008.igsis.techstore.04
Theloweststringontheguitar
istheEstring(6thstring)and
sowestrumthechordofE
fromtheopenEstring.
Tolearnthese3chordsthoroughlyweneedtoagainpracticestrummingthe
chordslowlymakingsurethateachnoteplaysclearlywithoutbuzzes.
Rememberthatanopen stringissonamedasitdoesnothaveafingeron
itandisthereforeleftopento‘ring’.
72 Lesson eIGHT Introducing Strumming and Developing Chord Changes
AswiththefourchordslearntinLesson Seven,ensurethateachfingerin
eachchordisnottouchinganotherstring.Thisisthemostcommonreason
forstringsnotsoundingclearly.Onceyoufeelcomfortablewiththeform
ofthesechordsletspractisethem.Playalongwiththemediafilestohelp
fluency,timekeepingandaccuracyofsound.
Exercise 9: Lesson008.igsis.05
Exercise 10: Lesson008.igsis.06
Exercise 11: Lesson008.igsis.07
73
Developing Chord Changes (every bar)
Inthefollowingexerciseswewillchangechordsatthebeginningof
eachbarratherthaneverytwobars,focusingonourabilitytodevelop
fluencyinchangingchords.
Forthemomentwearekeepingtherhythmsimpleandonceweare
secureinthechangeswewilllookatintegratingmorerhythmbyusing
theskillswedevelopedinstrummingearlieronthislesson.
Exercise 12: Lesson008.igsis.08
Exercise 13: Lesson008.igsis.09
Exercise 14: Lesson008.igsis.10
Introducing strumming and Developing Chord Changes Lesson eIGHT
74
Developing our rhythmic playing using our new chords
Nowthatwehavebecomemoresecurewiththenewchords,let’stry
changingthechordsoverthestrumpatternwelearntearlierinthislesson.
Asusualplayalongwiththemediafilestohelpfluencyandcontrol.
Exercise 15: Lesson008.igsis.11
5
Developing greater fluency by combining all chord changes
Bytheendofthislessonyouwillnotonlybeabletoplay2positionsofeach
powerchordbutalsoplay7newchords,ofboththeMajorandMinorvariety.
Itis,however,veryimportantthatyoucanchangefromeachoneofthese
chordstoanyotherofthe7chords.TherearenumerouscombinationsandI
havelistedafewherewhichyoushouldtrywiththestrumpattern.
Thisisfarfromanexhaustivelistofcombinationsbutprovidesyouwith
theideaofwhatneedstobedevelopedtoenableyoutobecomeafluent
guitarist.
Exercise 16: Lesson008.igsis.12
Introducing strumming and Developing Chord ChangesLesson eIGHT
75
Exercise 17: Lesson008.igsis.13
Introducing strumming and Developing Chord Changes Lesson eIGHT