Alternate Bass Lines

   A couple of my students asked me to explain in more detail the concept of Playing Alternate Bass Lines.   They are a fairly simple thing to understand.   A little more difficult to play.   But when you get the hang of it-- through repeated practice-- it becomes easier and easier.

   An Introductory Note--- As I've always reinforced in my teaching, skill or accuracy comes first--- then speed.  We often want to play it just as fast as everyone else--- without the practice that they put it in to get to that point.  We may be able to play a few notes really fast, but then start making mistakes.   The key is to play it accurately, no matter how slow or fast.   Speed can be gained later.   Once you master something, it is a LOT easier to learn to play it faster.

  Okay-- here's the concept.  Instead of strumming each and every beat, you alternate in two different ways.  

•  First-- you alternate a Bass Note for a strum.  On every other beat, you play a single bass note instead of a strum.  

•   Second--- you alternate Bass Notes.  Every other bass note, you alternate the note played.  Using two Bass Notes, you play one, then the other. 

      Here are the Alternate Bass Patterns for the G, C & D chords.

For the G chord, you simply use the Bass Note on the 6th String and the Bass Note on the 4th String (within the G chord).    You do NOT have to move any fingers.  Just play your "G" chord and alternate 6th and 4th string bass notes (with your thumb or pick) on the 1st and 3rd beats with strums on the 2nd and 4th beats.

   You notice the parantheses with "or Em"--- this is the same Alternate Bass pattern that you will use for this other chord--- however, the notes will be different, because the chord is different.

WALKING UP to the "C" Chord----  to get from the G chord to the C chord, you can "walk up" the bass line--- like this

____________________________________________________________

For the C chord, you play the Bass Note on the 5th string--- and then MOVE the finger from the 5th string to the 6th string for the alternate Bass Note.

____________________________________________________________

WALKING DOWN from G to D--- to go from the G chord to the D chord, you walk the Bass Note (6th String) down from 3rd fret to 2nd fret to Open, then the Open 4th String--- (D Chord).

    The D chord pattern is much like the G chord, in that you do NOT have to MOVE any fingers, but the pattern is reversed.  Instead of playing a Bass Notes on the 6th and 4th, you play on the 4th and 5th strings.  You go "down" instead of "up"--- this one's just as easy as the G pattern. 

   As they say in the cartoon, "That's all folks!"   Not too difficult, once you spend several hours practicing it over and over and over again.   As always, if you have any questions, just ask.

PLAYING OCTAVES

    We've studied playing DOUBLE-STOPS, which are basically two--note chords.  Another example of a Double--Stop would be Octaves.   Most of you are probably familiar with what an octave is-- it is an interval from one Root Note to the next-- or the eighth scale step. They will have the same note designation, but are either higher or lower.

   Here is a handout from your Guitar Workbook.  It is found on page 5--4 called "Octaves". Look at the strings and the relationships between them.   You should be able to see the relationships and why the notes on one string are two or three frets ahead or behind the notes on the other string.   Before you ask, "What in the World are you Talking About?"-- take some time going over these and asking yourself these questions-- what string(s) are these notes on?   

     I'll give you a little bit of help.   Look at the string names.   We'll use the first example on the Top Left.  The first note is on the "A" string.  The other note on is on the "G" string.  Take note that in the Musical Alphabet--- G is the last note of the alphabet--- and then A is the first letter.   So actually "A" comes after "G".   So because of this, the note on the A string is two frets BEHIND the note on the G string.   Look how this holds true for all of the other examples too.

     Here is an example of Octaves being played in a song.  This is the chorus of "Jingle Bells."   Although the fingerings for these double--stops are not given, they are discovered by ease of playing.   There are some "anchor notes" here, which allow you short--cuts in playing.   Take your time, and find the Right Way to play these.   If you have any questions, please ask me.

        Hope you enjoyed looking at this Lesson on Octaves.  See you in Class !

FINGERSTYLE GUITAR / Notes & Exercises

Here are a few pages of Notes and Exercises on FINGERSTYLE GUITAR technique.  If you have dabbled at fingerpicking or played Double-Stop notes before, this might come easier for you.  But whether you've had any experience or you're a novice, this will be a challenge well worth taking.   It will open up your playing options and make you a better guitar player.   These exercises are considered basic fingerstyle exercises.  There are other more advanced techniques and styles that we will cover later.  Hope you enjoy!

NOTE:  I may be able to put up some video examples of these exercises sometime.  But I'll definitely demonstrate them in class for you.

HERE ARE THE ACTUAL LINKS

• Intro to Fingerstyle Guitar

• To Pick or To Pluck

• Fingerstyle Guitar Techniques

• Doodling on Your Guitar

     NOTE :  I just wanted to add one small note to the above (Page 2).  I mentioned resting the PALM of your playing hand against the guitar, near the bridge.  You might ALSO wish to use the Pinky Finger of your hand as a support on the guitar to steady your hand and keep it from moving around too much.  You should be moving the fingers of your hand, and NOT the hand itself.    If you have any questions about this, please ask me.

   Just a note or suggestion :  Repeat ANY part(s) of these exercises.  Even take the BASIC exercise and feel free to CREATE your own exercises, based on these basics.   Use your own imagination and creativity to come up with your own original exercises.

These CLASS NOTES that are in the Archives (Older Posts) may also 
be of some benefit to you in learning Fingerstyle Guitar techniques.

WEEK 3 : Introduction to FIngerstyle Playing
http://bobsintermediatelessons.blogspot.com/2015/01/week-3-intermediate-guitar-class-notes.html

WEEK 4 : Freight Train : TAB & NOTES
http://bobsintermediatelessons.blogspot.com/2015/01/week-4-intermediate-guitar-class-notes.html

WEEK 5 : Notes on Fingerstyle Guitar
http://bobsintermediatelessons.blogspot.com/2015/01/week-5-intermediate-guitar-class-notes.html

PLUS (+) ONE--- MINUS (-) ONE

The concept here is the simplicity of creating new chord structures simply by adding or subtracting a note.  It's amazing how many different chords you can create just by implementing this concept.  Here are 14 additional chords that can be made from the original five root chords.  Test your knowledge and creativity and see how many more chords you can create by selecting one of the chords and changing a note or two.

Here is another LESSON called "PLUS (+) ONE" explores the way that a player can expand on their knowledge by learning ONE chord at a time.  By adding just ONE chord, one can add a completely NEW KEY.  After learning three NEW chords, you can play in four keys.

View this LESSON here-- PLUS (+) ONE

http://bobsguitartheory.blogspot.com/2015/08/plus-one.html

Introduction to Hammer-Ons & Pull-Offs

NOTES & TIPS

   The above guitar riff is a STANDARD BLUEGRASS RIFF in the key of G.  You will hear this type of tag line at the --END-- of many country/bluegrass tunes and whenever and wherever bluegrass players jam together.   It is a fairly --EASY-- riff to learn, but it sounds impressive enough to cause those around you to sit up and take notice.  I think with a little thought and effort, you should be able to master this RIFF and it will give you a great satisfaction in achieving this goal.

HAMMER-ONS & PULL-OFFS

    While the notes in this riff can possibly be played individually, it is both easier and better to learn the art of an advanced technique of playing HAMMER-ONS and PULL-OFFS. We may have mentioned or demonstrated these before in our classes or lessons, but haven't really USED them yet.  It is time for you to at least attempt this new technique.  It will NOT necessarily be easy for you at first, but as you relax, take a breath or two, and put in a little time, trying this over and over, eventually it should begin to get easier, and it should begin to sound better to your (and others') ears.

    HAMMER-ONS and PULL-OFFS are designated by the use of a connecting symbol, with an accompanying "H" or "P" to denote one or the other.   One sure way of knowing if a combination is a hammer-on (H) or a pull-off (P) is whether it is ascending or descending.  If a note is ascending, it is a hammer-on.  if a note is descending, it is a pull-off.

   The HAMMER-ON and PULL-OFF techniques involve playing multiple notes with only a single pick stroke.  These two techniques most always are used together in a complimentary way.  They are normally used when executing a RUN or RIFF of some kind, in which a series of notes are played in rapid succession.  The reasoning is that these notes can usually be played faster and easier when using these techniques.   It also involves tone/sound as well as the speed of execution.   HAMMER-ONS and PULL-OFFS have a distinctive "ring" of their own, and are considered a staple of country or bluegrass music.   They are also used distinctively in rock or blues music.

   (1) A HAMMER-ON is done by playing an open (or fretted) note and then "hammering" a finger (or fingers) onto one or more fretted notes.  

   It may seem extremely difficult at first.  You may be TRYING too hard, and when you don't get the results you want, you may tense up, and TRY even harder, and this really makes it harder for you.  The idea is to RELAX, and think (but not over-think) about what you're doing.  

   You have to "hammer" hard enough to get the volume you need.  The hammered notes should be as loud, or almost as loud, as your original picked note.   It also involves some degree of dexterity and flexibility, and if you have any disability in your hands or fingers, this may limit or hinder your ability to learn this technique.  Unless it causes you pain, though, you should press on and accept it as a challenge.

   (2) A PULL-OFF is simply the "pulling off" of a fretted note to an open (or other fretted) note.  It is often used in conjunction with playing HAMMER-ON notes, but it does not necessarily have to be.  In this TAG, you are playing an open note, hammering to 2nd fret, and then "pulling off" back to the open note.  While it has its own challenges, I believe that pull-offs are easier to learn and execute than hammer-ons.   

   As you lift your finger off of the note, you should slightly pluck it with that finger. Sometimes you may experience difficulty in actually pulling your finger off of a string or note, and you may find the string vibrating too much, with an accompanying loud ring.  You are then pulling off with too much force.  It should eventually become a more natural movement for you, and while a pull-off note has a distinctive sound, it is not supposed to sound either louder or softer than the other notes.

PLAYING THIS RIFF

   This TAG line is made up of eight simple notes on four strings.  It is made up of four FRETTED notes, and four OPEN notes.  It might be helpful to start by saying that HALF of the notes in this RIFF are made up of the notes in the G chord.  Therefore, the easiest way to successfully learn and play this RIFF is to start by using the G chord, and then playing within that context.

   This RIFF begins on "G" (6th/E string, 3rd fret) and ends on "G" (3rd string, Open), an octave higher.  For those of you that would either like to analyze the individual notes, or just find it helpful to know, here are the notes in this RIFF :

G--A--Bb--B--D--E--D--G

   The first G is on the 6th string (3rd fret);  A-Bb-B is on the 5th string (open-1st-2nd);    D-E-D is on the 4th string (open-2nd-open); and finally, the last G is the third string. 

   It may also be helpful to SEE this RIFF, so I found these YouTube videos which you can watch if you get a chance.  I looked at several of them-- these seem to be the easiest to follow.  Most of them involve teaching several RIFFS or LICKS on the same video.  You do not need to get into all of those, unless you just want to do so.   I would really like to create and upload my own video, but haven't been able to do so yet.

   These videos are several minutes long, and unfortunately, involve teaching other licks/ riffs as well as this one, so I have designated the particular times that the video is teaching this lick/ riff.

• Guitar More :  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-mz5c_iQrQ

This guitar player slows down our RIFF/LICK for 20 seconds between the times 0:18 to 0:38

• Banjo Ben Clark :  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kn24ca7QobY

This guy is quite a talented bluegrass player.  He focuses on the RIFF that we are learning in the first three minutes of this 9-minute video.

  
   It should be noted that the easiest and best way to play this RIFF involves using the SAME fingers as the fret in which it is played.  Therefore, since the fretted notes are in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd frets, then the 1st (index), 2nd (middle) and 3rd (ring) fingers should be used in playing them.

   (1) As you make the G Chord, you will first play the BASS note (6th/E string, 3rd fret), then play a series of two three-note runs on the 5th (A) and 4th (D) strings, and then ending on an open note (3rd/G string). 

   (2) The first three-note run is made up by an ascending HAMMER-ON, on the 5th/A string, going from Open note to 1st and then 2nd fret.  These are consecutive notes/frets.

  Remember our original exercise called "The Spider" in which we played all of the notes on all of the strings, like a ladder, moving up one note at a time?   These three notes would've been three of the notes in that exercise.  You should be using this Exercise (it's page 5.2 in your Class Workbook) as a warm-up whenever you have your daily practice.   

   The only difference here is we are only playing THREE notes, and in rapid succession; that is why we are attempting to use the HAMMER-ON technique.  Try playing these three notes as individual notes, playing them with three different pick strokes.  Then try using the HAMMER-ON technique, picking the open note and then HAMMERING on the next two notes with your 1st and 2nd finger.

   If this is difficult for you (and it probably will be at first), then you may learn this and the rest of the RIFF by playing each note individually with your pick.  But this RIFF is best learned and played by using the HAMMER-ON and PULL-OFF, so whether you grasp and play it at first or not, continue to practice and attempt to "nail it" and "pull it off".  HA HA! (puns intended).

   (3) The next part of our RIFF is the next group of three notes, all on the 4th/D string, and going from Open note to 2nd fret and then back to Open note again.  This is done by using a HAMMER-ON and then a PULL-OFF.  

    

       (a) First, you play the Open 4th/D string and HAMMER-ON up to the 2nd fret;

       (b) Second, you will PULL-OFF of the 2nd fret note, and again play the Open Note.

   It should be a continuous, fluid motion, not as much like three seperate steps, as in one stream of three notes together.   It will most likely be and sound choppy and sloppy at first.  Don't let this get you down or stop you from mastering this technique and riff.  Keep at it until you eventually are able to attain some degree of smooth flow to these notes.

   (4)  The final part of this RIFF is simply playing the Open G string.   Actually, the last two notes of this RIFF are open notes.  So after you LIFT or PULL-OFF of the fretted note on the last step (4th string/2nd fret), then the last two notes are just playing the 4th and 3rd strings open.   So this will be like the Stretch Run, once you get to the final two notes, you are Home Free.  

   This long, detailed explanation may seem laborious to read through and understand. Just take it one line or step at a time, and you should be able to make sense out of it.  Actually, some of you may be able to master this RIFF without even using these notes.  But other students may like the luxury of having a series of notes to follow.  Either way, "good luck" on this;  actually, it isn't your luck that will help you, as much as it is your persistent effort in practicing.   So-- get to work.  And enjoy playing this cool RIFF.

Doodling on Your Guitar

Many years ago, in pre-Revolutionary War days, the song "Yankee Doodle" became popular.  I looked up the origin of the word "doodle."  Wikipedia says, The term Doodle first appeared in the early seventeenth century, and is thought to be derived from the Low German dudel, meaning “playing music badly” or Dödel, meaning "fool" or "simpleton". 

Wow!  So you're wanting me to "act the fool" by playing my guitar without any idea of what I'm doing.  Well-- NO-- not exactly.  But sometimes we get in a rut by having to learn everything "by the book" and not leaning to or experimenting with our own creative abilities.   There's a bit of freedom experienced when you can fool around on your guitar and not really be worried or concerned about messing up.

Guitarist Eric Johnson said, “My best songs come from making a lot of mistakes and playing a lot of garbage.”

Here's a few examples of accomplished guitar players "doodling" around on their acoustic guitars.  This is pretty impressive for improvisation, that is, "on the fly" playing.  The first is more of a demo, the last two are more instructional, and involve graphics.  All of these are interesting for me, but may be a bit beyond a basic beginner level.  But if you've thought about learning to solo or improv on your guitar, this might be a good place to jump in-- even if it's a bit over your head, you can tread water until you're more comfortable with it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVM4rQPCxx4  --  a blues improv lesson

  If you've delved into watching and listening already, before you watch the other two videos, skip down and read the rest of this article.   I don't want you to get too overwhelmed by experts trying to show you "how-to" improv--- it's really something that you learn mostly from your own mistakes and effort.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJtZgkCu1DA   --  a 27 minute video on basic Improvisation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIZGmQ3btl4    --  a lesson on improvising on a major chord

   I saw one of the above instructors get 'down-to-the-basics' at one point when he described just playing two or three-note "riffs" by just going back and forth between two or three notes.  Repeating notes is not a no-no in improv playing.  Of course, if you played the same solitary note over and over, it would be like a drone, but if you pick two or three notes, and just form a bit of a groove by just going back-n-forth between them, eventually it will help you to develop a sense of rhythm and method to your doodling.

  Another method which is a little more involved is just taking a chord, and breaking it down into its components, which is really made up of a scale.  Take a basic C chord, which is made up of the following notes-- C-E-G-C-E.   By playing these five notes, one at a time, you form a simple melodic "solo"-- it's really called an arpeggio, or arpeggiated chord.

   Now, if you're able to conceptualize this in your mind-- break down each string, and take it from it's highest note-- the note within the chord, and take it down to the open string.  You will not play each and every note, but find the right notes that fit within the scale.  I would rather you work this out on your own, but I will begin by helping you out on a string or two.

   Okay we start with C-E-G-C-E.  These are the notes of the "C" chord.  The first C is on the fifth string, (3rd fret) the E is on the 4th string (2nd fret), G is open 3rd string, the next C is on the 2nd string, 1st fret, and finally-- we have the last note, E, is the open 1st string.

   Now start with playing the low C (on 5th string).  Go up to the next string.  Play the E (2nd fret).  Now open it up by lifting your finger and play the 4th string open (D).  Now experiment by going back and forth.  C--E--D--E--C--D--E.   Fun, huh?  now add the next note, which is an open string (3rd-G).  Play these notes-- C--E--D--G--D--C--D--E.   It forms some sort of a groove or melody.  Experiment.  Go above the original chord note to a higher fret and then back down.   Then take it through the rest of the chord.   Experiment.  There is no real "right" way to play this.  You just find the notes that sound good and learn to play them, and then when you have a basic order, then you mix them up and try different arrangements, using bottom-to-top,  top-to-bottom, and intervals.  This just means that sometimes you start a series of notes from the lowest and go to the highest, sometimes you switch and go high-to-low, and then other times you jump notes, or create an interval, kinda like hopping up or down stairsteps instead of walking them up or down one at a time.

   Okay-- there's a start in the process of doodling on your guitar.  After you begin to grasp doodling on individual notes, you can begin to doodle on chords too.   Experiment in finding new ways to play chords, or finding brand new chords.   Then try playing chords and adding melody notes to the chords.

Double--Stops

Double-Stops-- Examples

Fingerstyle Guitar

INTRODUCTION TO FINGERSTYLE GUITAR

   Many guitarists who advance beyond beginning guitar still use basic guitar techniques and simply get better over time in using those simple methods.   Using a pick to strum or play individual notes.  Fingering chords.    Many of them do not ever experiment or experience new techniques.  Many of these techniques involve the fingerstyle, or fingerpicking, guitar style.

  Using your fingers to play the guitar, rather than a pick, opens up new and exciting variations and choices.  There are many things you can do playing fingerstyle that you just cannot do with flatpicking.  Here are some of those techniques that you might wish to practice and experience.  All of these techniques will take time to not only master, but to be comfortable using them.  Don’t expect to get to this point without practicing them over and over again.

   Here are a couple of other Lessons on playing Fingerstyle Guitar.   Take a look and then let us know if you have any questions about the techniques.

To Pick or To Pluck

• Fingerstyle Guitar Techniques

To Pick or To Pluck?

   To pick or to pluck?   That is the question.  There doesn't have to be just one answer to this question.   Many guitarists use both flatpicking (playing with a pick) and fingerstyle (plucking with fingers) techniques.  There are advantages and disadvantages to both styles.   We will take some time to explore these styles, and then you decide which method you like best, or if you would like to experiment with both of them.
  
   Most beginning guitarists start with a pick in their hand. Guitar players usually start by learning a few chords and by strumming the guitar.  It is typically thought to be easier to strum a guitar by using a pick.  New players find more control in using a pick, because their fingers are not yet flexible or disciplined enough, and they are having enough trouble just learning chords and fretting the guitar.   So they usually settle in with a simple, comfortable strumming pattern.

   There's nothing wrong with that.  It's better to start simple, and learn the basics of playing guitar first, than to jump in the "deep water" and try to learn everything, and end up frustrated and ready to quit.   Guitar students that adopt this approach will find that the tortoise often wins the race, as many of their peers will be left on the sidelines, because they attempted to learn too much, too quickly.

   But as time goes on, players begin to see that their use of a guitar pick does have its limitations.  As you can see from the picture, it takes the thumb and at least one finger to hold the pick, and the other two or three fingers are just "along for the ride."  Some talented guitarists (such as Chet Atkins) were able to incorporate a style of picking and plucking at the same time.  This, however, is not an easy thing to accomplish, especially for the beginner.

   The guitar has six strings, and one soon finds that it is difficult to play more than one string at a time, except when strumming, or playing adjacent strings.  But when using one's fingers to pluck the guitar strings, it is possible to play a combination of strings, or notes, at one time.  It also allows the flexibility of playing any combination of strings, whether they are adjacent to one another or not.

   As you drop the pick, and settle into learning to play fingerstyle, you will find that many new possibilities open up for yourself as a guitar player.   First of all, instead of playing one note or two adjacent notes, you are able to play several notes using different fingers.  You can play up to three or four strings, and more, and achieve different techniques other than strumming chords.

   One distinction of fingerstyle guitar technique is allowing the player to more easily incorporate a melody into the structure of playing chords.  This translates into being able to provide the background of a strum or bass notes, while also playing a song's melody. This allows the guitarist to be his own "one-man-band" instead of relying on other musicians or guitar players to carry a tune.  This does not in any way discount the importance of utilizing a group, but instead allows flexibility and creativity whenever you may be playing on your own.

Noodling on the Guitar

   Fingerstyle playing may also unleash your creativity in adapting a popular song to your own unique arrangement, or even in helping you to blossom into a songwriter with your own tunes.   Guitarists often enjoy "noodling", or playing around on the guitar, and this spontaneous technique is easier to use in exploring new chords or melodies when you are playing in a fingerstyle mode.

   We will continue to explore the possibilities and depth of Fingerstyle Guitar.  Read the series (a work-in-progress) of posts on "Fingerstyle Guitar" and enjoy exploring this new and exciting world of guitar playing with me.

Fingerstyle Guitar Techniques

  INTRODUCTION

  We will study both (1) Playing Hand Techniques and (2) Fretting Hand Techniques for Fingerstyle Guitar.   In this post, we will focus on some Playing Hand Techniques of (a) PLUCKING and (b) FINGER STRUMMING.

PLAYING HAND TECHNIQUES

PLUCKING

   Plucking is a technique used to play two or more notes together at one time.  It most often utilizes the thumb and first or second (middle) finger.  When playing two notes, or double-stops, one is played by the thumb, and one by the other finger.  When playing more than two notes, the bass or lower string is played by the thumb, and then more than one finger is used to pluck multiple strings.

HAND & FINGER STRUMMING

   Whenever you are playing fingerstyle, you are usually not holding any pick in your hand.  Therefore, you do not use a pick for playing notes, or for strumming.  Using your hand or fingers for strumming may be a very foreign concept for you to grasp.  But once you get the hang of it, it will help free you up to play multiple parts, mixing notes along with chord strums.  Sometimes finger strums are combined with the thumb playing bass notes. We have already done that with a pick.  The only difference is in using your thumb and fingers instead of the pick.

   You can strum using your thumb only, or with a "fan strum", using a finger, or the backs of your fingers in tandem (all at once).  Another way of hand & finger strumming is by combining plucked notes by the thumb (or thumb and finger) along with a fan strum.  Ask and we will demonstrate this in class, or eventually on here with a video segment.

   Okay-- hope you enjoyed this-- and we will add more posts (with even more techniques) in the near future.   So check back soon!