# Guitar/Alternate Picking

Alternate picking is an important skill, because it allows you to play
more than twice as fast than with just down picking. The basic idea is
that if you are picking just on down strokes, every time you bring the
pick back up to stroke down again, you are missing an opportunity to hit
the string again. Essentially alternate picking is more efficient,
because you have to move you hand less distance to hit the next note,
and it can be an important difference between hitting the note on time
or struggling to reach it.

As with other guitar skills, it doesn\'t sound even a little difficult
until you actually try and do it. It will take some time to master it
and get really fast. After doing it for a long time, you will begin to
notice that you are subconsciously deciding whether to alternate pick or
not, depending on the underlying rhythm. Ultimately alternate picking
allows you to play more efficiently, and thus faster.

Hold the pick in whichever method feels best for you. Only the top of
your pick should be seen and touch the string, because when you pick you
cover less distance and use less energy. Your movement should only come
from your wrist, not from your whole arm, and it should be precise.
There are many ways to practice alternate picking, but really it is
something that you have to merge into all of your guitar playing. Being
able to alternate pick at the right time is a very important step, and
it is one of the barriers that separate good guitar players and people
who just play guitar.

## Lesson 1

To introduce yourself to alternate picking, start with a simple exercise
beginning on the low E string.

    e|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------1--2--3--4--------|
    B|--------------------------------------------------------------1--2--3--4-----------------------|
    G|-----------------------------------------------1--2--3--4--------------------------------------|
    D|--------------------------------1--2--3--4-----------------------------------------------------|
    A|--------------1--2--3--4-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
    E|-1--2--3--4------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

    e|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
    B|-4--3--2--1------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
    G|----------------4--3--2--1---------------------------------------------------------------------|
    D|--------------------------------4--3--2--1-----------------------------------------------------|
    A|-----------------------------------------------4--3--2--1--------------------------------------|
    E|--------------------------------------------------------------4--3--2--1--2--3--4--5-----------|

Play this pattern up and down the strings, and then up and down the
whole neck. When you hit each note, you should make sure that you are
always picking in the opposite direction of the previous note. Try
playing faster, but always make sure you are fretting and picking each
note clean to develop good habits. A metronome is a good item to help
you with these sorts of exercises, because it helps you keep a steady
pace. Always spend time practicing at your maximum speed, but not for
the whole time; playing at an even pace is more important and builds
your internal sense of rhythm.

Once you are comfortable alternate picking, try fingering some chords
and pick through them, using alternate picking where appropriate. You
can stumble onto some famous songs completely by accident like this.

## Lesson 2

This pattern is a little more complicated, as it is a walk, where you
play a repeating pattern that always starts on the next highest note.

    e|------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
    B|------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
    G|------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
    D|-----------------------------------------1-------1-2-----1-2-3---1-2-3-4------|
    A|---------1-------1-2-----1-2-3---1-2-3-4---2-3-4-----3-4-------4--------------|
    E|-1-2-3-4---2-3-4-----3-4-------4----------------------------------------------|

Continue the pattern up the strings, and make sure you are always
alternate picking. You will start to notice when sometimes it is better
to pick up or down twice in order to make the picking more efficient
overall.

## Lesson 3

This riff combines palm muting
and alternate picking.

    e|--------------------------------------------------------------------|
    B|--------------------------------------------------------------------|
    G|-------------2---------------2---------------2---------------2--3---|
    D|-------------2---------------2---------------2---------------2--3---|
    A|-0-0-0-0-0-0-----0-0-0-0-0-0-----0-0-0-0-0-0-----0-0-0-0-0-0--------|
    E|--------------------------------------------------------------------|

The open notes should be muted, and you should be using alternate
picking. This riff is very similar to a riff from Metallica\'s One.

## Additional Lessons

If you want more exercises, please see other sections of this book, and
perform the exercises there, except add in the alternate picking.
Alternatively, you could take a song you already know, and then pick the
chords using alternate picking. You will soon see how you can apply
alternate picking into every part of your guitar playing.


# Guitar/Tremolo Picking

## What is Tremolo Picking?

**Tremolo** means a modulation in volume; in the context of stringed
instruments, usually refers to repeatedly striking or bowing a single
string in a steady rhythm, especially the fastest rhythm the player can
maintain. (This technique is particularly common on the acoustic
mandolin.) In guitar literature, this is called *tremolo picking*, and
one of the few places the term \"tremolo\" is consistently used
\"correctly\" in guitar literature (whose convention usually reverses
tremolo and vibrato). This technique has nothing to do with a \"tremolo
bar\" (really a vibrato bar) or a \"tremolo\" effects box.

## How to hold the Pick

Tremolo picking, though appearing hard at first, is actually quite easy.
It is merely alternate picking at a faster speed. To start off, a pick
makes tremolo picking much easier and is highly recommended when
attempting it, but even though most people find tremolo picking much
easier with a pick, it is possible without a pick. The best way to hold
your pick is between your thumb and the side of the first knuckle of
your pointing finger, but if you feel more comfortable holding it
another way, such as with your thumb and middle finger then go ahead.

## How to Pick

The movement should come mostly from the wrist. A little bit of arm
movement is okay, but shouldn\'t be done intentionally. It is possible
to tremolo with the elbow, but the wrist is actually easier and faster
for most people with practice.

The motion done with the wrist should be like drawing quick zig zags, or
Vs. Picking should feel just like writing. Imagine drawing as many
connected V\'s as possible.

Do not play with your hand parallel to the strings. Pick like you write,
with your wrist at an angle.

## Grip

An important aspect of tremolo picking that many beginners fail to
realise is that you must have a relaxed grip on the pick, as when you
try to pick when holding the pick tensely, you will find that the pick
hits the string harder therefore making it harder to pass through the
string, causing it to sound sloppy. Maintaining a relaxed grip becomes
harder when playing faster, but you will get used to it.

## Things to Remember

When tremolo picking make sure you use just your wrist, as this will
make it much easier to pass through the string. Also, when you pick the
string, make sure your hand doesn\'t go to far away from it, as this
will slow you down. The impact from hitting the string usually forces
your hand to leave the string, but after practice, avoiding this will
become easier.

It\'s also important to remember that many beginners start to use the
thin side of the pick to tremolo, since the thin side has a smaller
surface area and passes through the strings easily. This is incorrect,
as the pick start to not only damage the strings, but also causes damage
to the wrists, and may further start to ring other strings. Use the flat
side of the pick to tremolo, not the thin border.


# Guitar/Rhythm

Good rhythm is almost essential to good guitar, and probably the
simplest to understand. Let\'s start with some terms:

Beat\
Bars\
Time signature

All bars (measures) consist of a number of beats. A very easy way to
grasp the idea of bars is to learn a 12 bar blues. The time signature
shows the number of beats in a bar and the note that will be used for
counting. For example, 4/4 - the top of the fraction shows the number of
beats and the bottom of the fraction shows the note unit used for
counting; which in this case is a quarter note. 4/4 is usually referred
to as common time. It may appear on the stave of printed music as either
4/4 or as a \"C\" as shown below. Whichever way the same information is
given - the piece of music has four beats to a bar and the counting note
is the quarter note.

!4/4, or common time

All the notes in Western music have a fractional relationship. We know
that in 4/4 time we will be using the quarter note as the reference for
counting. Play an open string note slowly and repeatedly while counting
in fours. Now play the open string note only when you count 1 and 3. You
have just played a half note. To play eighth notes count
\"1-and-2-and-3-and-4-and\" in the same time you would normally count
\"1-2-3-4\". For sixteenth notes the count is
\"1-e-and-a-2-e-and-a-3-e-and-a-4-e-and-a\". Here is a list of note
values used in Western music:

whole note\
half note\
quarter note\
eighth note\
sixteenth note

In common time a whole note consists of four quarter notes or four
beats. Each half note is two beats and quarter note is one beat.

There are other possible signatures, 3/4, 2/4, 6/8, 7/4 are some.
However it must be noted that over 90 percent of the music ever written
has been in common time. Triple time or 3/4 is the second most used time
signature. Once again the bottom of the fraction tells us that the
counting note is to be a quarter note but this time each bar is to only
have a count of 3. This is easily felt by playing and counting
\"1-2-3\". Triple time may also be called \"Waltz time\". Since time
signatures are fractional the question will arise as to what is the
difference between 3/4 timing and 6/8 timing. If you come across a 6/8
time signature it is best to take this as an indication to play the
piece of music \"briskly\" with even emphasis. It must be remembered at
all times that 4/4 timing is the most widely used time signature
especially so in rock and pop music.

To further apply the concept of beats, bars and time-signatures; let\'s
play a simple chord progression. Play G and D over two bars with a 4/4
time signature.

It will look like this (each measure separated by a pipe and each beat
denoted with a dash):

`G         D`\
`|- - - - |- - - -|`\
` v v v v  v v v v `

The \"v\" from now on denotes a downstroke and a \"\^\" denotes an
upstroke. Here. you are playing a downstroke on each beat (each tick of
the metronome) and nothing in between. Some people find it easier to
practice this without playing any chord, and muting all the strings. Try
that too.

Let\'s do some upstrokes now.

`G         D`\
`|- - - - |- - - - |`\
` v^v^v^v^ v^v^v^v^`

Here, you are downstroking on the tick (intuitively called the
\'downbeat\') and upstroking in between the ticks ( the upbeat. A good
way to do this is to count your beats, \"one-and two and three and
four\" going down on the numbers and up on the ands. Most strumming
patterns you can here this going on, but slightly more complicated. Make
sure you are going down on downbeats and up on upbeats. A lot of people
who start playing tend to not follow this, and it mixes up your rhythm
badly. If you keep to this pattern, even with more complicated patterns,
you will not lose track of the beat.

If you listen to the above pattern, it will start to sound boring. But
it is the basis of all other patterns. When you hear a more complicated
pattern, most likely the player is missing some strums. Like this:

`G         D`\
`|- - - - |- - - - |`\
` v^v^v^v^ v^v^v^v^`


# Guitar/Folk Guitar

## Introduction

!The folk singer Woody
Guthrie Folk music
is considered to be music that originates from the people. It is not the
preserve of professional composers because its themes and melodies are
derived from the experiences and lives of people who usually have no
professional musical training. The lyrics are usually an expression of
social or personal conditions. Work songs are a common folk theme and
are an excellent example of community and the lives of those who exist
within that community. Sea shanties and farming songs are two types of
folk music that have work related themes. It is only natural for
communities to express their joy at the arrival of spring and the
promise of a bountiful harvest or for sailors to celebrate their arrival
home after a long time at sea.

Folk music before modern recording tended to be regional and sung in
local dialects. The invention of sound recording meant that for the
first time these regional songs could be captured and preserved and
heard by people from different backgrounds and countries. Folk music had
always been passed down orally from generation to generation but
industrialization had led to the fragmentation of traditional rural
communities as people moved to industrial urban towns and cities.
Musicologists became very aware that the old songs were disappearing and
soon there was a movement to capture the songs using the technique of
field-recording. Alan Lomax is one of the most famous of these early
scholars who took to the roads of America with the aim of recording folk
music for the Archive of American Song of the Library of Congress. In
England the work was done by the composer Percy Grainger.

Despite all these changes, folk music will always have its place in
society. The form that the music takes may change but never the reason
for its existence.

## Playing Folk Music

!Joan Baez and Bob
Dylan The recording
of an old Lead Belly (Huddie Ledbetter) song \"Goodnight, Irene\" by The
Weavers in 1949 revived general interest in folk music and gave rise to
a new movement in the 1950s that was called the American folk music
revival. The next decade
saw the distinction between popular music and folk music becoming
blurred. In the US and many other countries, folk music and folk guitar
became very popular and musicians like Bob Dylan wrote contemporary folk
music that encapsulated the feelings and politics of the 1960s. This
style most often uses an acoustic guitar, open chords, simple chord
progressions and vocals. You can
play folk guitar with a pick, or by finger
picking. This style is simple,
yet diverse enough to let you play a variety of tunes.

Folk music evolved during the 1960s into folk-rock and the electric
guitar started to take on the role once reserved for the acoustic
guitar. However many of the 1960s rock bands also featured acoustic
guitar songs on their albums. These songs are not \"folk music\" in an
historical sense but they are a modern adaption of the older folk style
and are now generally referred to as \"acoustic music\". Often they use
the same progressions as older folk songs but incorporate a catchy
strumming pattern, rhythm or singing style. Here\'s a short list of
songs that have a folk influence:

-   House Of The Rising Sun - The Animals
-   The Times They Are A Changing - Bob Dylan
-   Sloop John.B - The Beach Boys

These are songs that have become immensely popular, such that many
people can sing them communally though they may need prompting to
remember the next verse. Although these songs can often be performed on
an acoustic guitar, they are not quite \"folk\". You are encouraged to
learn these songs and perform them with the view of encouraging others
to sing along.

This section will provide the basics of folk guitar. By taking open
chords and learning some common (and
important!) chord changes, you will learn the principles of folk guitar.

## E to A

File: E major chord for guitar (open).png\|**E major** File: A major
chord for guitar (open).png\|**A major**

This is an E major changing to an A major. This is one of the easiest
progressions to play since the chord forms are so similar.

## C to G

File: C major chord for guitar (open).png\|**C major** File: G major
chord for guitar (open).png\|**G major**

This is a C major changing to a G major.

## D to G

File: D major chord for guitar (open).png\|**D major** File: G major
chord for guitar (open).png\|**G major**

This is a D major changing to a G major.

## F to C

File: F major chord for guitar (open).png\|**F major** File: C major
chord for guitar (open).png\|**C major**

This is a F major changing to a C major.

## Am to C

File: A minor chord for guitar (open).png\|**A minor** File: C major
chord for guitar (open).png\|**C major**

This is an A minor changing to a C major.

## Em to G

File: E minor chord for guitar (open).png\|**E minor** File: G major
chord for guitar (open).png\|**G major**

This is an E minor changing to a G major

## Dm to Am

File: D minor chord for guitar (open).png\|**D minor** File: A minor
chord for guitar (open).png\|**A minor**

This is a D minor changing to an A minor


# Guitar/Slide Guitar

## Introduction

A slide is a metal/glass/ceramic tube which fits over a finger (most
commonly the ring finger or little finger, but any will work). If you
wish to experiment with slide guitar, but do not have a slide, objects
ranging from lighters and glass bottles to sections of metal pipe and
batteries can work just as well, and in some cases provide entertainment
and stage presence to a performance. *Do not press the string down.* The
slide rests on the string, not enough to give fret buzz, but enough to
stop the string buzzing against the slide. Some players will lightly
deaden the string behind the slide with a trailing finger to stop any
unwanted vibrations.

!A metal slide being
used

Practice getting a crisp note without sliding first. Because the slide
rests on the strings, the slide playing a single note should be directly
above the fret, not behind it as with the fingers. Usually the slide
guitarist keeps the slide moving backwards and forwards slightly to
create a vibrato effect.

A common technique found in slide guitar is playing fingerstyle as
opposed to the use of a pick or plectrum. The benefits of fingerstyle
playing includes the ability to more easily pick the desired strings,
while using the other fingers to dampen the other strings from undesired
vibration. Raising the action of the guitar is also recommended. The
normal low action, which is ideal for playing lead in standard tuning,
is counter-productive when playing slide because of string buzz and lack
of a clear sounding note. For this reason many guitarists have a second
guitar where they raise the action to such a height to make it almost
unplayable using normal technique. This high action guitar is
permanently kept in an \"open tuning\" and is used exclusively for slide
playing. Note that raising (or lowering) the action means that the
intonation of the guitar has to be re-set. This can simply be done with
a guitar tuner and just involves turning the string adjuster until the
open string and its octave at the twelfth fret (fretted and harmonic)
produce exactly the same note. Basically the needle or display of an
electronic guitar tuner should settle exactly dead center regardless of
whether you are playing an open high E string or fretting its octave at
the twelfth fret. A guitar that is correctly set up will show this on
all strings. Setting the action of electric guitars is very easy due to
the string adjusters; however, acoustic guitars have their intonation
set at the factory and don\'t have string adjusters. Adjusting the
action of an acoustic should be left to a guitar shop or luthier who
specializes in repair and maintenance.

Though slide guitar is often played in open chord
tunings, Open G and Open D being
the most common, playing slide in standard tuning is also possible and
can add a new dimension to your playing. Slide guitar has always
provided a fascinating approach to playing the guitar and the sound of
the slide has found a home in genres such as rock and country.

## History

One of the earliest mentions of slide guitar is in W.C.Handy\'s
autobiography \"Father Of The Blues\":

\"As he played, he pressed a knife on the strings of the guitar in a
manner popularized by the Hawaiian guitarists who used steel bars\"

This is also one of the earliest references to the blues. As you can
tell from the quote above the use of the slide in no late-comer to the
blues genre and there is large body of work from the 1920s to the
present day. No guitarist can confuse the slide playing of Duane Allman
with that of Robert Johnson. Each period informs of itself the dictates
of taste and style.

### 1930s

Robert Johnson is cited as the first great slide guitarist. Other famous
blues performers had comer before him, Blind \"Lemon\" Jefferson was a
major entertainer during the 1920s but Robert Johnson is considered to
be the first major exponent of the slide. During his life-time he only
recorded a handful of tracks and though known locally for being a fine
entertainer; the world-wide fame that is associated with his name now is
more down to later blues fans and guitarists who have sought the roots
of the blues.


# Guitar/Country and Western

## Introduction

!The Appalachian Region of the
US{width="375"}
Country music is an American genre of music that can trace its roots
back to earlier European folk songs that the arriving immigrants brought
with them. It developed in the Appalachians and surrounding states;
changing the forms and sounds of the earlier folk songs until the music
reflected the conditions that these early American settlers experienced.
The music itself has never stopped absorbing elements from other genres
such as blues, ragtime, jazz, rock and contemporary folk. It is this
vitality that has kept country music at the heart of American culture.

### History

Country music, like most early folk music, was passed down orally from
generation to generation; with each adding to the existing tradition.
The guitar, being cheap and portable, was ideal for country musicians
and from the earliest days has been associated with the music.

It was the invention of the phonograph and radio that led to the
creation of the first national country stars The Carter Family. The
Carter Family also sung gospel, Victorian ballads and vaudeville songs.
The guitar solo in their song \"Wildwood Flower\" is an early example of
characteristics that are still to be found in country lead breaks.

Country guitarists also absorbed elements from the blues and slide
guitar started to be featured shortly after the success of the Carter
Family. Jimmie Rodgers (1897-1933) was the first solo star of country
music and his guitar style is a mixture of country alternating bass and
the blues form.

Country music took on some on the elements of the big band era of the
1930s. The growth of bigger bands that included instruments such as
drums and saxophones led to the creation of Western Swing. Whereas the
music of the Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers had retained some of the
earlier folk ballad qualities; Western Swing was primarily for dancing.

### Guitars

Acoustic guitars have been a firm favourite for country musicians since
the 1920s. The open resonating sound of these guitars suit the country
and western chordal style. The Gibson L-5 was popular, the instrument
played by Maybelle Carter, as were Martin guitars. It must not be
overlooked that Gibsons and Martins are professional marque guitars and
that many players would have started on cheaper models by other
manufacturers.

The Dobro Resonator guitar was also used from the 1930s onwards. Its
unique timbre appealed to country guitarists and its volume allowed it
to be heard amongst the expanding line-up of instruments.

Other instruments that are commonly used in country music are the fiddle
and banjo.

## Exercise One

This exercise uses these chords:

`<font face="Courier New">`{=html} <File:G> major chord for guitar
(open).png\|**G** <File:C> major chord for guitar (open).png\|**C**
<File:D> major chord for guitar (open).png\|**D** `</font>`{=html}

This is an exercise for alternating the bass. It is recommended that
this exercise be played without a plectrum. Use the thumb of your right
hand to play the alternating bass notes. The right hand fingers must
also form a \"claw\" and be placed on the three treble strings to start
this exercise. The ring finger of the right hand always takes the
highest note. After playing the bass note with your thumb; slightly lift
your right hand fingers to sound the treble strings. Do not pluck or
pull away your right hand. A slight lift of your right hand index,
middle and ring finger is enough to sound the chord and then return your
hand back for the next lift. Practice this exercise slowly for accuracy
especially placing the claw correctly and ensuring that after the lift
the fingers are only millimeters away and ready to be placed again.
There should be no movement of the forearm or wrist; all the work is
done by the fingers. The left hand holds down the chords as shown above.
Most tab exercises will have chord diagrams that show the chords to be
used.

!Country style alternating bass in G
major{width="800"}\

## Essential Country Guitarists and Recordings

-   The Carter Family - a long career has led to many Carter Family
    recordings. The original Carter Family line-up recorded between 1927
    and 1941 for the Victor label. Many of the original Carter Family
    radio performances are in the public domain and can be found online
    for listening or download.

```{=html}
<!-- -->
```
-   Jimmie Rodgers - his first hit record was \"Blue Yodel (T for
    Texas)\". The first country solo artist to achieve national fame in
    the US.

```{=html}
<!-- -->
```
-   Hank Williams - the writer of \"Your Cheating Heart\" and \"Hey,
    Good Lookin\"

```{=html}
<!-- -->
```
-   Willie Nelson - the country performer and song-writer who wrote
    \"Crazy\" which was a world-wide hit for Patsy Cline.

```{=html}
<!-- -->
```
-   Chet Atkins - one of the architects of the Nashville sound. A
    guitarist and arranger of wide skills who has performed on the
    records of Elvis Presely and the Everley Brothers as well as issuing
    his own solo releases and duos with the guitarist Jerry Reed.

```{=html}
<!-- -->
```
-   Leon McAuliff - one of the great Western Swing steel guitarists.
    Played with Bob Wills\' Texas Playboys.


# Guitar/Metal

*This article uses musical notation called tablature. If you are
inexperienced in reading tablature, you might want to visit this
page*

!Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath. Black Sabbath are recognised as one of
the earliest Metal
bands.

Metal is a genre of music that stemmed from rock in the late 70\'s.
Today, there are many sub-genres of heavy metal that share similarities
and differences. Guitars in heavy metal are almost always distorted and
are often downtuned.

## Techniques

These are some techniques that are mostly unique to metal or hard rock.

### Power Chords

A major element of heavy metal is the use of power chords. Standard
tuning of a guitar is (from the thickest string to the thinnest)
**E,A,D,G,b,e** Power chords in this tuning can be performed as follows:

`  e|----------------| A power chord consists of a root note, its higher octave, and the lower note's fifth.`\
`  b|----------------|`\
`  G|----------------|`\
`  D|2-5-7---2-5-7---| <-----`**`Octave`**\
`  A|2-5-7---2-5-7---| <-----`**`Fifth`**\
`  E|0-3-5---0-3-5---| <-----`**`Root`**

Not always, however, does a power chord have to have an octave. It may
be simply the root and fifth.

### Drop D and Drop Tunings

In dropped tunings, such as dropped D (**D,A,D,G,b,e**), power chords
are more easily played by lowering the bottom (thickest) string two
semi-tones. In dropped D, this note is a D. The same riff, transposed
and played in dropped D follows:

`  e|----------------|`\
`  b|----------------|`\
`  G|----------------|`\
`  D|2-5-7---2-5-7---| <-----`**`Octave`**\
`  A|2-5-7---2-5-7---| <-----`**`Fifth`**\
`  D|2-5-7---2-5-7---| <-----`**`Root`**

Playing in this tuning makes it possible to use only one finger to fret
all three strings, allowing faster and more complex riffing.

### Palm Muting

Also, in metal, palm muting plays a large role, although it is also used
in other genres. Palm muting is placing the side of your palm, while
playing, close to or on the bridge, and lightly muting the strings.
This, combined with heavy distortion, creates a thick, \"chug\" sound.
Just one example of this occurs in DevilDriver\'s \"I Dreamed I Died.\"

`  X's are placed on the line underneath notes which are to be muted.`\
`  `\
`  C#|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|`\
`   A|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|`\
`   E|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|`\
`   B|0--------------00-0-0-3=========|0--------------00-0-0-6=========|`\
`  F#|0--------------00-0-0-3=========|0--------------00-0-0-6=========|`\
`   B|0--------------00-0-0-3=========|0--------------00-0-0-6=========|`\
`                    xx x x                           xx x x `

### Pinch Harmonics

Used in lots of kinds of metal, but more in death metal or extreme
metal, pinch harmonics create a \"screaming\" or \"squealing\" sound.
They are sometimes referred to as \"Squealies,\" and mostly are played
on the higher strings of the guitar. To perform a pinch harmonic usually
requires the use of a plectrum, or pick. The technique involves holding
the pick between the thumb and index, lower on the thumb than normal. By
doing this, the bottom of the thumb is closer to the strings, and when a
note is hit, the thumb should barely touch the vibrating string.

`  e|----------------|`\
`  b|----------------|`\
`  G|----------------|`\
`  D|3-2-3-2-3-2-3*--| Often, pinch harmonics are shown by placing an asterisk next to the note that is a harmonic.`\
`  A|3-2-3-2-3-2-----|`\
`  D|3-2-3-2-3-2-----|`

## Exercises

Here are some tabs that will help you train and condition your fingers.

### Power Chords

Here\'s a basic power chord sequence, no palm muting.

`  e|----------------------------------------------------------------|`\
`  B|----------------------------------------------------------------|`\
`  G|----------------------------------------------------------------|`\
`  D|0-3-2-1-0-1-2-3-0-3-2-1-0-3-6-3-0-5-3-6-0-5-3-6-0-5-3-6-0-6-9-5-|`\
`  A|0-3-2-1-0-1-2-3-0-3-2-1-0-3-6-3-0-5-3-6-0-5-3-6-0-5-3-6-0-6-9-5-|`\
`  D|0-3-2-1-0-1-2-3-0-3-2-1-0-3-6-3-0-5-3-6-0-5-3-6-0-5-3-6-0-6-9-5-|`

Here\'s a similar riff, a little harder.

`  e|------------------------------------------------------------------|`\
`  B|------------------------------------------------------------------|`\
`  G|------------------------------------------------------------------|`\
`  D|0-3-2-1-0-1-2-3-0-3-2-1-0-3-6-3-0-5-3-6-0-3-5-6-0-5-3-6-0-10-12-13| <-\`\
`  A|0-3-2-1-0-1-2-3-0-3-2-1-0-3-6-3-0-5-3-6-0-3-5-6-0-5-3-6-0-10-12-13| <-Understand this is "10", "12", 13"`\
`  D|0-3-2-1-0-1-2-3-0-3-2-1-0-3-6-3-0-5-3-6-0-3-5-6-0-5-3-6-0-10-12-13| <-/`

An even tougher riff, using palm muting.

`  e|----------------------------------------------------------------|`\
`  B|----------------------------------------------------------------|`\
`  G|----------------------------4-------------5-7-8-----------5-7-8-|`\
`  D|003-2-1-001-2-3-003-2-1-003-4-3-003-6-3-005-7-8-0-5-3-6-0-5-7-8-|`\
`  A|003-2-1-001-2-3-003-2-1-003-2-3-003-6-3-003-5-6-0-5-3-6-0-3-5-6-| `\
`  D|003-2-1-001-2-3-003-2-1-003---3-003-6-3-00------0-5-3-6-0-------|`\
`    xx      xx      xx      xx      xx      xx      x       x`

A riff that requires clever use of fingers:

`   B|----------------|`\
`  F#|----------------|`\
`   D|--------------7-|`\
`   A|----------------|`\
`   E|223-5-3-6-3-225-|`\
`   A|223-5-3-6-3-22--|`\
`     xx          xx`

### Fast Riffing

`  e|--------------------------------| Remember to start slowly and build up speed once you understand the riff.`\
`  B|--------------------------------|`\
`  G|--------------------------------|`\
`  D|--------------------------------|`\
`  A|----------5-----------5-0-3/6---|`\
`  D|0-3-6-0-6---0-3-6-0-6---0-3/6---|`\
`    x x   x x   x x   x x   x     `

`  e|--------------------------------|`\
`  b|--------------------------------|`\
`  G|--------------------------------|`\
`  D|0-0-0-3/6-0-0-0-----0-1/3-0-1---| Note: You may find it easier to slide from 3 to 6 with your middle finger`\
`  A|0-0-0-3/6-0-0-0-----0-1/3-0-1---| rather than your index.`\
`  D|0-0-0-3/6-0-0-0-3/6-0-1/3-0-1---|`\
`    x x x     x x x     x        ^^^`\
`                                 Hold note`

This riff does not only involve power chords:

`  e|--------------------------------|`\
`  b|--------------------------------|`\
`  G|--------------------------------|`\
`  D|--------------------------------|`\
`  A|----2---1---2-----------5-2-2-3-|`\
`  D|2-2---2---2---2-2-2-2-2-5-2-2-3-|(x2)`\
`    x x   x   x   x x x x x   x x `\
`  `\
`  `\
`  e|--------------------------------|`\
`  b|--------------------------------|`\
`  G|--------------------------------|`\
`  D|----0-------0-------------------|`\
`  A|----0---4---0-----------3-0-0-1-|`\
`  D|0-0---0-6-0---0-0-0-0-0-3-0-0-1-|(x2)`\
`    x x   x   x   x x x x x   x x`

### Pinch Harmonics

## Metal Styles

This section should explain some differences between many genres of
metal and provide example riffs in the style of each.

### Progressive Metal

Progressive metal tends to use long, dramatic song structures as well as
unusual time signatures. Typically progressive metal draws influence
from both metal and progressive rock. There is no defining progressive
metal sound, and many progressive metal bands also fit within other
genres. Some examples include Neurosis, Fates Warning, Dream Theater and
Opeth.

### Death Metal

Death metal evolved out of thrash metal. Death metal tends to use a lot
of dramatic tempo and key changes as well as atonal chromatic riffing.
The genre is famous for its distinct vocal style; called the \"death
grunt\" which is a low, growling form of singing that often make lyrics
very hard to make out. Some examples include Origin, Necrophagist,
Cannibal Corpse, Suffocation, Deicide, Behemoth and Death. Another
variant of Death Metal is melodic Death Metal. Some examples include
Amon Amarth, In Flames, The Black Dahlia Murder and Dethklok.

`B|--------------------------------|`\
`G|--------------------------------|`\
`D|--------------------------------|`\
`A|--------------------------------|`\
`E|----4---3-----------4---3-------|`\
`B|2-3---3---2-0-1-2-3---3---2-0-1-|`

### Doom Metal

Doom metal focuses on very slow tempos and atmospheric riffs, with the
purpose of creating an eerie and depressive sound. This is probably the
metal subgenre with less palm muting and \"chug\" riffs. Some examples
include Candlemass, Cathedral, Funeral, Paradise Lost and Solitude
Aeternus.

### Black Metal

Black metal is death metal\'s faster, grimmer sounding cousin. Instead
of focusing on being as heavy as possible black metal tends to focus on
atmospheric riffs. Some black metal uses keyboards to add a symphonic
sound. Some examples of black metal include: Mayhem, Darkthrone, Burzum,
Emperor, Gorgoroth, Cradle Of Filth and Celtic Frost.

### Grindcore

!Mitch Harris of Napalm Death at Hammerfest
2010
Grindcore is not (by common misconception) a form of metal. It is a punk
sub-genre before all else, although it has had a great influence on the
more extreme sub-genres of metal, most notably Brutal Death Metal It is
characterized by blisteringly fast and abrasive riffs and downtuned
guitars, usually detuned to Drop-C. The band that pioneered this
sub-genre of punk was Napalm Death with their album \"Scum\".

### Speed Metal

Speed metal, as the name indicates, focuses greatly on speed. Speed
metal is generally considered the precursor to thrash metal (as seen
with the first Megadeth and Metallica albums), focusing more on
NWOBHM-style riffs at an increased than general thickness of guitar
tone. Still, speed metal is an ill-defined genre and is usually paired
with power metal. Despite insistence from some metal fans, DragonForce
and acts that focus on shredding are not speed metal.

### Thrash Metal

Thrash metal started as a hybrid of speed metal and thrash, an offshoot
of hardcore punk. Thrash metal tends to employ fast, gallop picked
rhythms and complex, technical parts. Some examples of thrash metal are
Megadeth, Slayer, Anthrax, Metallica, early Sepultura and Metal Church.
Some examples of thrash/thrashcore/crossover thrash are Dirty Rotten
Imbeciles, Stormtroopers of Death, Municipal Waste and Charles Bronson.

!Kirk Hammett and James Hetfield of Metallica at The O2 Arena, London,
England

### Alternative/Groove Metal

Groove metal/post-thrash evolved out of thrash metal. Groove metal bands
tend to include slow, chunky riffs alongside more thrash oriented riffs.
Groove metal was rather successful during the mid-90s and spawned
nu-metal. Some examples of groove metal are Pantera, DevilDriver, later
Sepultura and Lamb of God.

### Metalcore

Metalcore is hardcore punk with metal influences. Metalcore evolved in
New York. As New York Hardcore bands added beatdown parts and gradually
added more and more metal influences the common \'tough guy\' sound
became more and more heavy. Some metalcore bands are Shai Hulud, Botch,
Killswitch Engage and Throwdown.


# Guitar/Jazz

## Jazz basics

**Jazz chords:**

Early jazz bands used the banjo as an accompaniment instrument because
its loud volume gave it the ability to be heard, unamplified, against
brass and percussion. As an acoustic instrument, the banjo was limited
to a rhythmic role.

The electric guitar eventually replaced the banjo mainly due to its
extended range and improvements in timbre and the volume boost provided
by amplification. The early jazz guitarists played block chords to
provide the rhythmic support that was once the role of the banjo. They
had to adopt an economic chordal style to match some of the fast tempos
they were expected to play. This involved three or four note chords and
this legacy is to be found in all jazz guitar styles. Here are three
movable exercises illustrating the basic jazz chord vocabulary:

_**Exercise one: Four note jazz chords in root
position**_

<File:G> major jazz chord for guitar
(root).png\|`<span style="font-family:Courier New;">`{=html}**G
major**`</span>`{=html} <File:G> major7 jazz chord for guitar
(root).png\|`<span style="font-family:Courier New;">`{=html}**G
maj7**`</span>`{=html} <File:G7> jazz chord for guitar
(root).png\|`<span style="font-family:Courier New;">`{=html}**G7**`</span>`{=html}
<File:G6> jazz chord for guitar
(root).png\|`<span style="font-family:Courier New;">`{=html}**G6**`</span>`{=html}

_**Exercise two: four note jazz chords in first
inversion**_

<File:E> major jazz chord for guitar (first
inversion).png\|`<span style="font-family:Courier New;">`{=html}**E
major**`</span>`{=html} <File:E> major7 jazz chord for guitar (first
inversion).png\|`<span style="font-family:Courier New;">`{=html}**E
maj7**`</span>`{=html} <File:E7> jazz chord for guitar (first
inversion).png\|`<span style="font-family:Courier New;">`{=html}**E7**`</span>`{=html}
<File:E6> jazz chord for guitar (first
inversion).png\|`<span style="font-family:Courier New;">`{=html}**E6**`</span>`{=html}

_**Exercise three: three note jazz chords in second
inversion**_

<File:C> major jazz chord for guitar (second
inversion).png\|`<span style="font-family:Courier New;">`{=html}**C
major**`</span>`{=html} <File:C> major7 jazz chord for guitar (second
inversion).png\|`<span style="font-family:Courier New;">`{=html}**C
maj7**`</span>`{=html} <File:C7> jazz chord for guitar (second
inversion).png\|`<span style="font-family:Courier New;">`{=html}**C7**`</span>`{=html}
<File:C6> jazz chord for guitar (second
inversion).png\|`<span style="font-family:Courier New;">`{=html}**C6**`</span>`{=html}

Note that in each of the above exercises there is a change of only one
note to form the next chord and that this change takes place on one
string.

## Jazz forms

The two main forms in Jazz are the twelve bar blues and the
thirty-two-bar ballad. The \"rhythm
changes\" chord progression is a 32-bar form.

The thirty-two-bar ballad will normally take the sectional formː

**A - A - B - A**

Each section consisting of eight bars. Section B is sometimes described
as the bridge and will usually modulate to a related key eventually
returning to the home key towards the end of the section. Each section
can respectively be labelledː

**Statement - Statement - Development - Recapitulation (Return of
Statement)**

A famous thirty-two bar ballad is \"Misty\" by Erroll Garner with lyrics
written by Johnny Burke. Using the lyrics from the Sarah Vaughan version
of \"Misty\" and taking into account the four bar instrumental
introduction we can separate the sections into their respective
componentsː

**A (Statement)ː**

\"Look at me. I\'m as helpless as a kitten up a tree. And I feel like
I\'m clinging to a cloud. I can\'t understand. I get misty just holding
your hand\"

**A (Statement)ː**

\"Walk my way. And a thousand violins begin to play. Or it might be the
sound of your hello. That music I hear. I get misty the moment you\'re
near\"

**B (Development)**ː

\"You can say that you\'re leading me on. But it\'s just what I want you
to do. Don\'t you notice how hopelessly I\'m lost. That\'s why I\'m
following you\"

**A (Recapitulation)ː**

\"On my own. Would I wander through this wonderland alone. Not knowing
my right foot from my left. My hat from my glove. I\'m too misty and too
much in love\"

## Jazz style

Jazz rhythms are meant to swing. While not all jazz consists of swinging
rhythms, some may have a straight eighth note feel, it is important to
become familiar with this style of playing. Swing is a difficult style
to notate because it involves pulling and pushing against the beat and
therefore students approach jazz by listening to the music first. If you
are new to jazz then the song \"My Favorite Things\" from the musical
`<i>`{=html}The Sound Of Music`</i>`{=html} is a good place to start.
Listen to John Coltrane\'s jazz version and compare it against the
original soundtrack version. You will notice that the original version
swings less and that Coltrane\'s version lasts longer. Jazz musicians
are expected to be able to improvise and this is exactly what Coltrane
does by extending the song\'s harmony and melody beyond its original
form. The drums and piano in Coltrane\'s version swing in comparison to
the backing instruments of the original. Swing may be difficult to
notate on manuscript paper but it is easy to hear in performance.

The use of octaves is a common technique in jazz guitar. Once a jazz
guitarist has learned the notes to a melody they will then play the same
melody using octaves. Audiences hear octaves as a single melodic line
and therefore using octaves is a highly effective technique for
reinforcing the melody line. Jazz guitarists are also very adept at
playing scales backwards. The jazz guitarist Kenny Burrell on the album
`<i>`{=html}Midnight Blue`</i>`{=html} uses simple minor pentatonic
scales to great effect starting on their highest note and descending
through the scale to the lowest note. Playing scales backwards is a
technique that provides for surprise openings, unusual bridges and
tension releasing.

Many famous early jazz guitarists cited horn players as a major
influence. The rise of jazz coincided with the development of the radio
and gramophone and early recordings of jazz played a major role in
developing the main stylistic elements of the genre. Louis Armstrong\'s
\"West End Blues\" (Louis Armstrong and his Hot Five - 1928) is
considered one of the masterpieces of early jazz and cemented the role
of the brass soloist. Jazz guitarists from that period took note and
soon it became standard practice for guitarists to copy horn riffs.

Charlie Christian (Benny Goodman Band 1939 - 1941) is still considered
by many as one of the great players of the instrument with many of his
riffs displaying horn-like qualities. Christian also played a role in
the development of Be-Bop participating in jams with Dizzy Gillespie and
Theolonius Monk at Minton\'s Playhouse in New York (1941) which were
recorded by a jazz fan. These recordings represent the transition from
Swing to Be-Bop and offer a rare chance to hear the informal after-hours
meetings of some of the greatest players in jazz.

A good jazz guitarist will normally have a few horn riffs in his
vocabulary. Try playing along to a Miles Davis or John Coltrane
recording and preferably choose a slow tempo ballad which will allow you
time to hear and emulate. Brass instruments are melodic instruments and
therefore, unlike the guitar, horn players cannot form chords. This
means that horn players develop very strong melodic capabilities and
this provides an ideal opportunity for a guitarist to improve their solo
lines.

The sound of the city. The age of the automobile. The wireless radio and
electric neon lights. Jazz must be placed in its social context. Duke
Ellington\'s \"Take the A Train\" invokes a New York train journey and
the pace of urban life. A listener\'s response to the Miles Davis and
Gil Evans interpretation of the slow movement from \"Concierto de
Arunjuez\", the most popular guitar concerto in the Classical
repertoire, can only conclude that the style is jazz but the themes are
Spanish. Music transcends geography and time offering the listener\'s
imagination new ground to traverse.

The study of jazz styles is the study of context. The importance of this
should be borne in mind to avoid dismissing certain jazz styles. The
validity of \"Early Autumn\" by Woody Herman is equal to the validity of
\"Take The A Train\" by Duke Ellington. The soulful sound of \"Mercy
Mercy Mercy\" by Cannonball Adderley is no less jazz than the live
performance in Berlin of \"How High The Moon\" by Ella Fitzgerald.
Context must be extended to take into account the length of career and
the artist\'s complete output. The later work of Billie Holiday was
marred by personal problems and is not a true indication of her
artistry. The popularity of Louis Armstrong and his later commercial pop
music does not tell you why he was so important to the development of
Jazz.

The black-tie Sinatra singing \"My Way\" in his later years masks the
original vocal phrasing that he developed with the Tommy Dorsey Band
that Miles Davis based his own trumpet style upon. To know that Benny
Goodman acquired some of his music charts from Fletcher Henderson
provides the opportunity to discover Chu Berry and Coleman Hawkins.
Context provides the means to see that jazz style is not exclusively or
independently developed by genius or any one group or person. Two
versions of \"Sugar Foot Stomp\", as performed by Fletcher Henderson,
will illustrate the style analysis of early Jazz stated in the
introduction - block chords, fast tempos, and the change from banjo to
guitar - \"Sugar Foot Stomp\" recorded in 1925 by Fletcher Henderson
with banjo played by Charlie Dixon and the 1931 version recorded by
Fletcher Henderson under the name Connie\'s Inn Orchestra with guitar
played by Clarence Holiday.

### Exercise one

The following exercise is a single chorus of the twelve bar blues with a
solo in the style of Charlie Christian. It is a simplified version of
the first chorus from \"Profoundly Blue\" and is transposed down a
semi-tone from the original key of E flat.

!This exercise is in the style of Charlie
Christian{width="800"}

\
You can tune your guitar up a semi-tone to compensate for the
transposition. Play the Charlie Christian version and tune your open D
string up a semi-tone to E flat which is the key of the original
recording. Tune the rest of the strings to the open D string.

### Movement exercises

These three exercises lend themselves to the 12-bar blues form. They are
designed to aid movement along the fretboard and to give the student the
chance to practice applying one chord on each beat of a bar.

_**Exercise one**_

<File:1> - G major jazz guitar chord (3rd
fret).png\|`<span style="font-family:Courier New;">`{=html}**G
major**`</span>`{=html} <File:2> - C major jazz guitar chord (5th in
bass).png\|`<span style="font-family:Courier New;">`{=html}**C
major**`</span>`{=html} <File:3> - G7 jazz guitar chord (3rd
fret).png\|`<span style="font-family:Courier New;">`{=html}**G7**`</span>`{=html}
<File:4> - C major jazz guitar chord (5th in
bass).png\|`<span style="font-family:Courier New;">`{=html}**C
major**`</span>`{=html}

_**Exercise two**_

<File:5> - C major jazz guitar chord (5th
fret).png\|`<span style="font-family:Courier New;">`{=html}**C
major**`</span>`{=html} <File:6> - F major jazz guitar chord (5th in
bass at 7th
fret).png\|`<span style="font-family:Courier New;">`{=html}**F
major**`</span>`{=html} <File:7> - C7 jazz guitar chord (8th
fret).png\|`<span style="font-family:Courier New;">`{=html}**C7**`</span>`{=html}
<File:8> - F major jazz guitar chord (5th in bass at 7th
fret).png\|`<span style="font-family:Courier New;">`{=html}**F
major**`</span>`{=html}

_**Jazz Movement Exercise Three**_

<File:9> - D major jazz guitar chord (10th
fret).png\|`<span style="font-family:Courier New;">`{=html}**D
major**`</span>`{=html} <File:10> - G major jazz guitar chord (5th in
bass at 9th
fret).png\|`<span style="font-family:Courier New;">`{=html}**G
major**`</span>`{=html} <File:11> - D7 jazz guitar chord (10th
fret).png\|`<span style="font-family:Courier New;">`{=html}**D7**`</span>`{=html}
<File:12> - G major jazz guitar chord (5th in bass at 9th
fret).png\|`<span style="font-family:Courier New;">`{=html}**G
major**`</span>`{=html}

## Essential guitarists and recordings

!The jazz guitarist Pat Metheny; whose understated guitar style drew
not only praise from jazz fans but also gained him a following from many
who had no experience of
jazz.
The following list of influential jazz guitarists illustrates the major
stylistic changes in Jazz ranging from Swing to Progressiveː

-   Django Reinhardt was gypsy
    guitarist born in Belgium who played swinging jazz lines on a
    Maccaferri acoustic guitar. His signature tune was the Debussy
    inspired \"Nuages\" whose opening motif alludes to the Impressionist
    composer\'s \"Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun\".
-   Charlie Christian was the first
    guitarist to popularize the electric guitar as a solo instrument in
    jazz. Listen to the recordings he made with Benny Goodman in the
    late 1930s, including \"Solo Flight.\"
-   Tal Farlow brought the harmonic and
    melodic innovations of the Bebop style of jazz
    to the guitar. His mid-1950s recordings are recommended listening.
-   Jim Hall brought a motif-based style of
    improvisational development to the jazz guitar. His recordings with
    Bill Evans are an excellent starting point.
-   Wes Montgomery is renowned for his
    horn-like single lines, innovative octaves, and chord solos. The
    three essential Wes Montgomery recordings, all from the early 1960s,
    are `<i>`{=html}The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes
    Montgomery`</i>`{=html}, `<i>`{=html}Full House`</i>`{=html}, and
    `<i>`{=html}Smokin\' At The Half Note`</i>`{=html}.
-   George Benson is known for his
    improvisation as well as his more popular later works. Listen to his
    work with organists Jack McDuff and Dr.
    Lonnie Smith or the album
    `<i>`{=html}Live At Casa Caribe`</i>`{=html}.
-   Pat Martino is known for his fluid
    single-line improvisation. A good introduction to his playing is
    `<i>`{=html}Live At Yoshi\'s`</i>`{=html}, featuring organist Joey
    DeFrancesco and drummer Billy
    Hart.
-   Joe Pass was a great improvisor, but he is
    known especially for his solo chord-melody arrangements of jazz
    standards. Essential listening includes the Virtuoso series of
    recordings which showcases his solo pieces.
-   John McLaughlin is known as a
    pioneering jazz-rock guitarist. His work in the 1970s with the
    Mahavishnu Orchestra should be
    considered essential listening.
-   John Scofield is known for his angular
    lines and use of dissonance. For new jazz listeners, his two
    recordings with Medeski Martin and
    Wood are probably the best
    introduction to his playing.
-   Allan Holdsworth is a jazz-rock
    guitarist known for his peerless technique and his unique approach
    to harmony. *Believe It*, a mid-1970s jazz-rock album by the New
    Tony Williams Lifetime, and *None Too Soon*, a more straight-ahead
    jazz album by Holdsworth, are both essential listening.
-   Pat Metheny is a modern Jazz guitarist
    whose popularity has never diminished his art. His collaboration
    with Steve Reich on \"Electric Counterpoint\" is a notable example
    of his commitment to creativity. The Pat Metheny Group debut album,
    *Bright Size Life*, features the electric bassist Jaco
    Pastorius.


# Guitar/Classical Guitar

!The Spanish guitarist and composer Fernando
Sor

## Classical Guitar

The classical guitar was preceded by the lute, vihuela and five-string
baroque guitar. This legacy is reflected in the repertoire of the
Classical guitar which ranges from the Estampie, a thirteenth century
dance, to the modern twentieth century masterpiece La Catedral by
Agustín Barrios. One of the greatest past masters of classical guitar,
Andres Segovia:

> *\"The strongest advice I give to my pupils is to study music properly
> from the beginning to the end - like the career of a sergeant or a
> physician, it is the same. It is a shame that most guitarists are
> absolutely clean of this knowledge. My advice is to study music
> properly and not to omit any knowledge of music and not to be very
> impatient about giving concerts. He who is impatient mostly arrives at
> his goals late. Step by step is the only way\"*

Quote from Segovia! A 13-part series aired on National Public Radio.
First aired April 1983 and produced by Larry Snitzler (Classical
Guitarist) and hosted by Oscar Brand (Musicologist/Folk Guitarist).

Classical guitar studies are designed to develop sight-reading skills at
the optimum speed. Classical guitarists use standard works to learn
from; especially the works of Fernando Sor (1778--1839), Mauro Giuliani
(1781-1829), Matteo Carcassi (1792-1853) and Francisco Tárrega
(1852--1909). For complete beginners the author Frederick Noad has
provided the books Solo Guitar Playing One and Two. Book One assumes
that the student has no previous experience of reading music and the
lessons have been carefully arranged with this in mind.\

## The Parts Of The Classical Guitar

!The parts of the classical
guitar{width="800"}\
==Equipment== !The traditional wooden mechanical
metronome

**Foot-stool**

A foot-stool allows the left leg to be raised when the student is
sitting. The early classical guitarists explored all the various playing
positions and the seated position with a foot-stool was found to give
the greatest access to the fretboard while also allowing barres to be
played with ease.

**Music stands**

A music stand allows the guitarist to maintain the correct playing
position and also ensures that the music is at eye level. Despite its
usefulness a music stand is usually one of the last items that
guitarists buy. Placing a book on the edge of the bed or on the floor
means that the guitarist is looking down at the music and is constantly
having to adjust their head and body position to scan the guitar neck
when changing chords. Placing the music on a stand at eye level ensures
that the guitarist only has to glance at the neck to check for correct
finger placement.

**Metronome**

A metronome is an ideal tool for improving timing. A wooden metronome
provides an organic click which is pleasing to play along with for
extended periods. Many guitarists warm up by playing scales to a
metronome.

**Nails**

The classical guitarist plays without a plectrum. The right hand
produces sound. Although the quality of tone is determined by both
hands, the type of tone and the volume are controlled primarily by the
right hand. There are seven ingredients that go into tone production: 1.
Nail length and shape; 2. Choice of stroke: free stroke (tirando) or
rest stroke (apoyando); 3. Hand position and the angle of fingers to the
strings; 4. How the fingertip and nail approach the string; 5. How the
fingertip and nail prepare on the string; 6. Finger pressure against the
string; 7. The release of the fingertip and nail from the string.

Each of these ingredients influences all the others. One will generally
determine what come next. For instance, your choice of rest stroke or
free stroke will determine your hand position, and therefore the angle
of the finger to the string.This will then determine how the finger
approaches the string, and thus how the finger will prepare on the
string. All of these contribute to the security of the fingers on the
string and your ability to apply the appropriate pressure; and the
pressure inevitably affects how the string will be released. The length
and shape of the fingernail effects how successfully you will be able to
carry out all of the various parts of the stroke.

If the nail is too long, the speed and ease with which the fingertip and
nail can go through the string is considerably diminished. This is
because resistance has been increased. A bad nail shape can also create
undesirable resistance against the string and can cause some interesting
but unsavory sounds. The reason we play with our fingernails at all is
to assist us in securing and controlling the string, to enhance volume
and tone. So it is important to grow and shape \[the nails\] in a way
that will make it easier to play and sound good. Scott Tennant: Pumping
Nylon 2nd Edition Copyright 2016 by Alfred Music pg 56

Therefore it is essential that your nails should be considered.
Professional guitarists may use a nail hardening solution, such as
Mavala, which can be purchased from any chemist. The nails should be
filed with a fine-grade nail file. Professional guitarists always file
their nails in one direction only; never back and forth. This ensures a
much cleaner tone.

**Guitar case**

Your guitar should be kept in a case when you are not playing it. A hard
body case will offer the most protection to the instrument.

## Learning To Read Music

Learning to read music involves mastering reading one note at a time. It
is common to find second-hand music books with the letters of the notes
handwritten above each note. The idea that you can learn to read music
by deciphering a single piece of music that you like should be
discarded.

The early stage of learning to read music involves only the open
strings. The idea is to introduce the notation for the fretted notes
after the notation for the open strings has been mastered. The first day
might involve starting with the notation for the open high e (thinnest
string), followed by the B string, then the G string and so on. When a
student can read the notation for the open strings comfortably the
notation for the first three frets of the high e string is introduced
and then the first three frets of the B string and so on. The early
stages of mastering the open strings does not allow for extended phrases
to be played though once the fretted notes are introduced the guitarist
will find much of melodic value and interest.

At an advanced stage of reading music the guitarist should note that
familiarity with their own sheet music collection can be
counterproductive. It is not unusual to find that a guitarist who has
used the same sheet music to learn a piece suddenly struggles when the
same piece is presented from another publication. Fonts, staff spacing
and even elements as benign as paper size and colour can cause
difficulties in sight-reading. You should vary your sight-reading by
using different publications.

At some point a piece of seemingly simple music may prove too difficult
to play. It is not uncommon to find beginner\'s books with studies where
certain passages in the music present a technical challenge that the
beginner has yet to master. This is simply a reflection of the author\'s
own advanced technique and a minor lapse in the author\'s desire to
provide studies of value to the beginner. If at any time a study
presents a passage of music that is difficult to execute then move to
the next study.

## Standard Works

Please note that the following list of works will not teach you how to
read music. For that purpose you need to use the three Noad books:
*Playing the Guitar* and *Solo Guitar Playing 1 and 2* which have proved
very popular with teachers and self-taught guitarists.

**25 Etudes op. 60 - Matteo Carcassi**

This work contains a series of studies designed for intermediate
players. Consisting of arpeggio and scale studies this work has served
generations of players with its inventiveness and melodies. Though
didactic in purpose Carcassi has provided audience-delighting studies
that form part of the repertoire of many professional and amateur
players. A highly regarded edition of Op. 60 was published by Zerboni
with revisions by Ruggero Chiesa.

**Espanoleta - Gaspar Sanz (Pujol Transcription)**

The Espanoleta by Sanz is deservedly famous. Its simplicity and beauty
is accessible to the early-stage guitarist who can read music in the
first position. Its common to find a transcription of the Espanoleta in
many sheet music compilations and tuition books; including *Playing The
Guitar* by Frederick Noad. The Pujol transcription is a simpler
arrangement than the Noad transcription and provides the guitarist with
practice in recreating Baroque ornamentation.

**The Guitarist\'s Hour Books 1, 2, and 3 (Walter Gotze)**

These collections of studies for beginners consists of pieces by Sor,
Carulli, Aguado and many others. They are designed to encourage the
student to observe note duration as well as providing an introduction to
the works of Sor and Carulli. These progressively graded studies are
ideal for metronome practice. Though most of these studies can be found
in other compilations; the choice and arrangement of the studies in all
three Guitarist\'s Hour books are exemplary with regards to progressing
the beginner\'s technique.

**Greensleeves - Francis Cutting**

Francis Cutting was an English lute composer whose patronage eventually
led to a position in Denmark. Greensleeves was a popular song in the
fifteenth century. The Cutting lute variation has been transcribed for
guitar and is part of the beginner\'s repertoire being easy to play with
a recognisable melody. Greensleeves was made widely popular in the
twentieth century by the orchestrated version \"Fantasia on
Greensleeves\" by Ralph Vaughan Williams. A modern romantic
interpretation of \"Fantasia on Greensleeves\" by Neville Marriner and
the Academy of St.Martin is recommended.

## Other Works

**Harmony - Walter Piston revised by Mark Devoto**

The revised edition of this standard University text is a complete
overview of Western harmony. Limiting itself to the common practice of
the Classical Period it provides a clear and concise introduction to
harmony.

**The Classical Guitar: Its Evolution, Players and Personalities Since
1800 - Maurice J. Summerfield**

This work presents a comprehensive overview of the personalities that
shaped the history of the classical guitar. It includes biographies of
all the major classical guitarists of the past and present. Extensive
use of images brings the biographies alive and its comprehensive
coverage places this work at the forefront of Classical Guitar
literature.

## Ways To Improve Interpretation

Playing along to recordings is an ideal way to improve your
interpretation. At the end of *Solo Guitar Playing One* is a short
ternary piece called \"Adelita\" by Tarrega which Julian Bream has
recorded. After memorizing \"Adelita \" the student should play along to
the Bream recording as it will improve their interpretation of the piece
and will impart a deeper understanding of the popular Salon style
primarily associated with Chopin.

The famous \"Leyenda\" by Albeniz is a technical challenge for any
guitarist. Transcribed for guitar from the original piano work it has
become part of the classical guitar\'s repertoire. On film we have two
master classical guitarists performing \"Leyenda\" - Segovia at the
Alhambra Palace and John Williams in the Concert from Seville. Due to
the popularity of the piece it regularly appears in compilations though
it must be noted that original transcriptions of \"Leyenda\" are
personal expressions of the transcriber\'s own technique. The two
guitarists mentioned have chosen to adapt the piece to their own
technique and a visual analysis by the student of both performances is
recommended.

Many classical pieces have their origins in the dances of the past. The
Bourrée was a popular dance that became part of the Baroque Suite. The
Canarios and Écossaise are further examples of dance forms that the
classical guitarist will come across. The Canarios was originally a
lively jig associated with the Canary Island and the classical guitarist
will be expected to play a Canarios at a lively tempo. Beginners will
find that a small amount of historical investigation into the origins of
the pieces they find in the books recommended in this chapter will prove
invaluable to interpretation and will help demystify some of the time
signatures and tempos given.

## Classical Guitarists

-   David Russell
-   Fernando Sor
-   Ferdinando Carulli
-   John Williams "wikilink")
-   Julian Bream
-   Christopher Parkening
-   Andres Segovia
-   Ida Presti


# Guitar/Flamenco

!Paco de Lucia

## Introduction

Flamenco is one of the folk music genres of Spain. In Spain the word
flamenco is not just associated with the guitar but also the people,
songs and dances of Spain. The history of flamenco follows that of
Spain. When the Moors ruled Southern Spain they brought with them their
instruments and the most important of these was the
Oud. This eastern lute is still to be found all over
the world but in Spain it collided with European ideas and flamenco is
the product. Flamenco is woven into the life of the region of Andalucia
where it originated and the people actively engage in the songs and
dances. The guitar has always been the main instrument used in flamenco
to support the dancers and singers due its percussive timbre. The early
flamenco guitarists very rarely played solo; their role was purely to
provide music for the dancers and singers. The rise of the solo flamenco
guitarist is a late development and many of the great flamenco soloists
are also renowned for their ability to accompany singers and dancers.

## Flamenco Guitar

!The flamenco dancer Belen Maya in traditional costume. Image: Gilles
Larrain

The modern classical guitar and its physical development can be traced
back to the Spanish guitar-maker Torres. Alongside the classical guitar
is the flamenco guitar. The flamenco guitar has the same history and the
greatest luthiers in Spain have always made both types of guitar. The
main structural difference the flamenco guitar has in relation to the
classical guitar is a thinner body. This creates a timbre that is sharp
and percussive. This is considered the ideal sound with which to
accompany dancers. The flamenco guitar also has wooden tuning-pegs,
which is the traditional method of construction for all early guitars.
The need for the classical guitar to be able to be heard in a concert
hall and the demand for greater resonance from classical composers;
means that the classical guitar has left behind the use of wooden
tuning-pegs and its body size has increased in comparison to the
flamenco guitar. In many respects the flamenco guitar is similar in
construction to the guitars of earlier centuries.

## Flamenco Artists

Paco de Lucia and Sabicas are two flamenco guitarists that students of
the guitar should be aware of. Both have played a major part in the
changes of this evolving art form. Sabicas developed the technique of
tremolo and Paco de Lucia extended the harmonic framework with his use
of jazz chord voicings. Juan Martin is a flamenco guitarist who keeps
the traditional forms sharply in focus and provides the clearest guide
for beginners wishing to study the various flamenco forms.

## Flamenco Forms

The flamenco forms have been developed over a long time. There is a
distinction of terms when flamenco forms are described. When flamenco
vocal forms are described they are called \"cantes\" and the guitarist
forms are called \"toques\". Each flamenco form has certain rhythmic and
tonal qualities that encapsulate the form and flamenco guitarists are
expected to have a knowledge of the origin and usage of these.

-   Bulerías
-   Soleares
-   Seguirillas
-   Tientos

## Flamenco Chord Progression

This is a very common chord progression that most guitarists who wish to
learn flamenco start with.

```{=html}
<div style="font-family:'Courier New'">
```
File: A minor chord for guitar (open).png\|**A minor** File: G major
chord for guitar (open).png\|**G major** File: F major chord for guitar
(barred).png\|**F major** File: E major chord for guitar (open).png\|**E
major**

```{=html}
</div>
```
A descending one octave Phrygian mode starting from the note \"E\" which
can be played over the above chord progression.

!E Phrygian
scale.png "E Phrygian scale"){width="800"}\
==Flamenco Technique==

-   Golpe - the Spanish word for \"tap\". This technique involves
    \"tapping\" the body of the guitar to produce a percussive sound.
    The third finger of the right-hand strikes the table of the guitar
    with the nail and flesh. Flamenco guitars have a \"golpeador\"
    (plastic cover) which protects the wood of the guitar during the use
    of this technique

```{=html}
<!-- -->
```
-   Rasgueo - this is the most common strumming technique for flamenco.
    The right-hand is formed into a closed fist with the thumb resting
    against the guitar or low E string for support, and each finger is
    flicked out one at a time (4-stroke rasgueo) to sound the strings
    with the nails. A common variation is to use the technique with only
    the index finger. The index finger is also used for the up-stroke
    which only strikes the treble strings after the completion of the
    4-stroke rasgueo.


# Guitar/Tone and Volume

## 3 zones of distortion

The starting point for dialing-in various electric Rock guitar tone is
not a crystal-clean full-range amplifier and speaker, but rather, a tube
power amp pushing a guitar speaker that has limited frequency response,
with the power tubes on the edge of breakup.

With power-tube distortion, and to a lesser extent with preamp tube
distortion or solid-state distortion pedals, there are three zones:
Clean, Compressed, and Distorted, somewhat corresponding to the terms
Clean, Crunch or Rhythm, and Lead. The Clean zone ranges from literally
clean with linear response, to the beginning of warmth and some
smoothing and coloration. The Compressed zone ranges from slightly warm,
smoothed, and colored, into slightly audible distortion. The Distorted
zone runs from slight breakup to full distortion. Mathew laframboise

## Controlling distortion voicing

An electric guitar has a volume control and tone control. The volume
control almost always has a side-effect on equalization as you turn it
down, affecting the pre-distortion equalization (EQ). The tone control
reduces the amount of treble, affecting the pre-distortion EQ and thus
the distortion voicing.

For increased control of the pre-distortion EQ, place an equalizer pedal
in-between the guitar and the first distortion stage such as a
distortion pedal or the guitar amp\'s built-in preamp. Switch between
all the pickup settings, in conjunction with changing the distortion
settings and EQ settings, to use the full range of basic sounds or
\"tones\" the amp can produce.

The preamp Gain control on the distortion channel of the amp, or the
Distortion control on a distortion pedal, sometimes has a side-effect of
changing the equalization and thus the distortion voicing. In that case,
you can use a lower distortion setting combined with a higher volume
setting prior to the distortion stages, to dial-in a different
distortion voicing with the same amount of distortion.

The tone stack on a standard tube amp is in-between the preamp
distortion and the power-tube distortion. Thus the tone stack acts as
the final part of shaping the preamp distortion voicing and also shapes
the power-tube distortion voicing, together with the Master Volume
control, which affects the amount of power-tube distortion voicing. For
maximum power-tube distortion, set the tone controls and Master Volume
to maximum, which is equivalent to bypassing them entirely.

When setting the preamp distortion, learn all the ways to adjust the
equalization before the preamp distortion, including the guitar\'s
volume and tone controls, a wah pedal, an equalization pedal, and any
other volume or tone controls prior to the distortion stage. These
affect the distortion voicing. More treble causes the treble to
predominate in the complex clipping, resulting in a glassy liquid
breakup tone; more bass prior to a distortion stage causes a dry, crusty
breakup tone.

The same principles hold for controlling the power-tube distortion
voicing. Learn all the ways to affect the equalization and level prior
to the tube power amp, but after the preamp distortion.

## Obtaining distortion independently of volume

To get power-tube distortion quietly or independently of volume level,
use a power attenuator or an amplifier that has a built-in power
attenuator, or a built-in power-supply based power attenuation (Power
Scaling, Power Dampening, a Sag circuit, or a Variac).

It is possible to further voice the power-tube distortion by placing a
dummy load (usually a power attenuator set entirely to use its built-in
dummy load), an equalizer, and then a solid-state power amp between the
power tubes and the guitar speaker.

A guitar speaker is a complex dynamic filter and transducer. Line-level
cabinet simulators attempt to simulate this complex dynamic sound.

In the recording studio, the amp head and speaker cabinet are typically
separated and the miked speaker cabinet is placed with microphones in a
soundproofed isolation booth or in the live room. Either location is a
soundproofed room separate from the control room where the mic signals
return and the full-range monitor speakers reside for listening to the
resulting power-tube distortion sound or loud quasi-clean amp sound at a
controlled volume. In a home studio, the guitar speaker is sometimes
placed in an isolation box with microphones.

Place one or two microphones near the guitar speaker. If you use two
microphones, this causes some complex comb filtering; be prepared to
swing the mixer\'s equalization for the two channels around very freely,
because the effects of comb filtering are unpredictable. If you use a
single microphone, setting the mixer\'s equalization is more
straightforward.


# Guitar/Singing and Playing

There are some people who are blessed with a perfect singing voice and
excellent coordination, and they sing and play the guitar like
breathing. For other people, attempting to sing a single note causes
them to immediately lose the rhythm.

This section is intended to help people who already play the guitar and
gives advice on how to incorporate vocals into their performance .

## General Tips

**Just keep singing.** The worst thing you can do is stop, because
stopping teaches you to stop, and only singing teaches you to sing.
**Start simple.** Pick a song with simple chord progressions and simple,
on-beat strumming patterns. Start with a very slow tempo and gradually
speed up after a successful try.

## Other Artist\'s Songs

First learn to play the song really well. Listen and sing along with the
song, over and over again. After you have a good handle on both the
singing and guitar part, try putting them together. If this still proves
too difficult having both parts memorized, you may try just playing the
guitar while listening to the song, focusing your mind on listening to
the words as closely as you can until you can think about the words
while playing. This could take away some of the multitasking confusion
prevalent in first attempts.

If multitasking is not the issue but certain songs are still a
challenge, practice playing and singing the song without reference to
the original, and when you are sure that you have memorised the lyrics
and chord changes, practice along to the original version. Sometimes
doing this will help you master the harder sections.

Be sure to keep a copy of the words nearby while you are learning, in
case you forget a line or two. It is better to stumble through a few
lines and keep the song going rather than stopping in mid verse to try
to remember something.

## Your Own Songs

After writing the first few lines of a song and with an idea of how
you\'d like the song to be (having the basic chords and lyrics ), the
next step is to explore the possibilities. The idea is to try different
tones and melodies. When singing we can stretch words to fill up some
space. change any words and chords, or if creating a version of a known
tune, add a chord (or word), later you can decide which one sounds
better. Sometimes we subconsciously create music that is a copy of our
favourite artist; there\'s nothing wrong with this. After all, some of
the greatest names in music founded their early careers with covers of
the music of their heroes. After some progress show it to your friends
and ask them for some opinions. Sometimes we may also forget the melody
or chords, so a good tip is to record it. You don\'t need a professional
studio, just a normal microphone and a computer will suffice. In
relation to lyrics during songwriting, if a word doesn\'t sit well, look
for a synonym. Most of the time, it\'s the best solution.


# Guitar/Writing Songs

Now that you\'ve got some skill and control over the guitar, you want to
start writing and performing your own songs. But all your famous artists
have such amazing, complicated songs, it\'s hard to know where to begin.

This page is a general guide to writing songs on the guitar. Although it
won\'t necessarily teach you to write a Top 40 hit, it will give you
some general ideas on how to write an effective song. If you haven\'t
already, please read the Singing and
Playing section.

## General Tips

-   **Keep it simple.** The most popular, catchy tune on the radio is
    probably the simplest, most oft reproduced melody in the world. But
    that doesn\'t stop you from humming it all day, does it? Never
    forget that when some people hear \"a complex, thought-provoking
    piece\", others hear \"an over complicated mess.\"
-   **Have confidence.** Your song may not be the best in the world, but
    a gutsy, less talented performer is always more admired than an
    amazing performer that is too shy to get a single note out.
-   **Keep trying.** If you don\'t \"figure it out\" immediately, that
    doesn\'t mean that you never will. If something sounds terrible, try
    the opposite, or only use the second half of whatever your work on.
    The key is to keep trying different things until something clicks.
-   **Don\'t get frustrated.** If absolutely nothing is clicking, then
    just come back to it later. Record whatever you have, take a break,
    and play it again later. The song isn\'t going anywhere you aren\'t
    going, and it\'ll still be there the next day.
-   **\"Borrow\" someone else\'s melody.** Often the best melody is the
    one that already exists. The history of music (and any art, really)
    is checkered with people taking bits and pieces from other artists
    and adding their own spin to it. However, this doesn\'t mean you
    should just copy some famous song and call it your own, because
    chances are someone else will notice. Other songs should be used as
    a source of ideas, not something you can photocopy.
-   **Ask someone else.** You might be stuck in the same rut, but that
    doesn\'t mean anyone else is. Ask another musician (or even a
    regular person) what they think might fit well. Sometimes the advice
    will be surprising. With this method you have to be careful of
    copyright issues, especially if you make it big.

## Turning Chords into Songs

Often players come up with a catchy riff or two, and they\'re not sure
how to develop it into more. Songs typically are built up in layers; for
example, in a band, one guitarist creates a riff, and another adds a
catchy lick over top, the bass player brings in something to support it
and the drummer keeps time and adds some interesting rhythms. Even
though the first guitar part might still be the same, it is ultimately
the contribution of the other parts that turns a few chords into a song.

The most important thing to remember when writing a song is that very
little sounds good completely on its own, and generally it requires at
least more than one part to make things interesting. There are many ways
to add a second part to a song. For instance, some players (especially
those that can finger pick)
can simultaneously play a bass line on the thicker strings and a melody
on the thin strings. Really complicated riffs can also sound good on
their own, however these tend to be difficult to write and you may not
have enough technical skill for complicated writing.

Another player can also add depth to a riff. For example, a bass player
can add another sound texture, and having two players allow them to
bounce melodies off one another. The song Dueling Banjos from the movie
Deliverance is a good example of how two players can create an
interesting, purely instrumental song.

But if none of these options are available to you, or perhaps you only
like to compose songs alone, there is always one other layer you can add
to any progression; your voice. Amazing singing can turn even the
simplest progression into a groundbreaking song

## Creating Melodies and Hooks

The main melody, often called the \"hook\" in popular, radio friendly
music, is the catchy, often repeated words and melody that makes the
song most memorable. In most songs, especially modern music, the hook is
contained somewhere in the chorus. However, this is not always true, as
some songs use hooks in the verses, or put hooks in both the verse and
chorus.

In general, it is much easier to put words to a melody, rather than a
melody to some words. Words tend to have their own syncopation, and this
can make it tough to make them fit with an irregular strumming pattern.
Already having words is also tough because generally the author does not
want to change them.

There are certain cases where putting music to words is a better option.
For instance, a rhyming poem or free verse with a regular meter can
easily be made a song. Simple chord
progressions lend themselves well
to these sorts , especially the I - IV - V and IV - V - I.

Often when you are creating a song, a chord progression comes easily,
but it is tough to figure out what goes over top. Even if it seems
difficult, there are many ways to make things easier for yourself.

-   Record a chord progression, then play it back and try to hum or
    whistle a melody over top. Often this is enough to get things
    started and get you unstuck. You can accomplish the same thing by
    just playing the progression over and over again, but it takes a
    surprising amount of coordination to play a new riff and
    spontaneously invent a melody.

```{=html}
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```
-   Record a chord progression, and then try to solo on top of it. This
    is similar to the first method, but actually using the fretboard can
    help you figure out what notes work best.

```{=html}
<!-- -->
```
-   Isolate a particular part of the progression and repeat it over and
    over until you come up with some sort of start. it is best to use at
    least two chord changes, because just strumming the same chord all
    the time is uninteresting, and it tends to make coming up with a
    melody even more difficult.

Another approach is to begin with a melody form, and then put chords
behind it to turn it into a song. This may be more challenging,
especially if you already have a chord progression you really enjoy, but
sometimes approaching a problem from a different angle can make things
easier overall.

For instance, in the well known \'Danny Boy\' or \'Derry Air\' as it is
sometimes called, the \'hook\' is found where the melody appears to try
to surge forward into the chorus and the words \"But come ye back\"
accompany that surge in chord progression.

## Use a Method

It is recommended that you work following some simple procedures instead
of just trying to come up with something remarkable from scratch. Here
are some guidelines on how to work step by step in order to be more
efficient.

-   **Choose or come up with a scale for the song before you start
    working on it.** Although experienced guitarists might be able to
    follow a scale subconsciously, thus skipping this step, it is better
    for beginners to use a scale so as to avoid inconsistencies and to
    set a mood for the piece. Keep experimenting with scales until you
    find one that suits the tone you want to give and then start working
    on the song. Note that you can change scales for different parts of
    the song, what you shouldn\'t do is change scale in the middle of a
    single riff or melody. Also keep in mind that when you are more
    confident with your guitar you can break away from the scale and use
    notes not included in it, but the best way to work is to play along
    the predefined scale and play an odd note only when you want to add
    a different tone. This usually results in a more original melody,
    but is hard and might result in sounding like random notes if not
    used properly.

```{=html}
<!-- -->
```
-   **Keep in mind the desired result.** You won\'t get a very good
    result by simply coming up with random riffs. You must always focus
    on what you want to create. For example, you might want to create a
    complicated, original riff for the intro to attract the listener\'s
    attention or you might prefer a more melodic but less memorable
    intro. Either way, you must always have the goal in mind instead of
    composing aimlessly and keeping the riffs that sound good. This way
    you won\'t end up with a style you didn\'t intend to create.

```{=html}
<!-- -->
```
-   **Start simple.** If, for example you want a complex riff you should
    start with a very simple melody and then modify it gradually, by
    expanding it, for example, or altering the rhythm, until you get the
    desired result. This will not always give better results, but it\'s
    easy for beginners.

Also see the Writing Effective
Songs wikibook for more help.


# Guitar/Playing With Others

Almost as soon as you start playing the guitar, you start to meet many
other guitarists. Eventually, you will wind up playing with some of
them, in some sort of informal *jam sessions*, where friends play
anything that tickles their fancy.

Playing with others is helped incredibly by having some basic knowledge
of music theory along with some amount of talent or
skill. This is especially true if you intend to improvise a melody or
chord progression. this section will provide the basics of considerate
playing, along with some tips on how to keep playing interesting.

## The Makeup of a Band

Even if you never intend to play in a large group, it\'s still important
to know the basic divisions of a band, because you never know what might
happen tomorrow. Learning about how a band works can also help you learn
new songs from popular groups, as well as improve your knowledge of
general music theory, and your appreciation for music.

As explained in the lead guitar and rhythm guitar
section, guitar
playing essentially breaks down to two, somewhat overlapping categories;
rhythm and lead (sometimes called melody). In a band, the rhythm guitar
is more generally associated with the drums, bass, background vocals and
less prominent instruments, while the melody guitar would be related to
the lead vocals or any other lead instrument.

Thus, when you are playing only with two people, almost immediately one
player provides the chords and groove of a song, while another play
contributes a melody that complements the song\'s progression. With more
people playing, this division becomes less strict, and players can shift
from playing more of less prominent parts.

In general, it is almost always better to play with more than two
people, because with more people, whatever piece you are playing is less
likely to fall apart when the first person screws up. If you only play
with one other person, consider including a metronome or a mp3 drum
track in the background. Electronic accompaniment helps you keep a
steady pace, and helps you learn to not \"rush\" or \"drag\" in the
group.

## Proper Playing Attitudes

The most important thing to remember about playing with others can be
learned by carefully listening to any piece of recorded music: **Every
player contributes to the song with an appropriate tone and volume, and
*never* plays in excess of that.** Essentially this just means you
shouldn\'t try to outplay and outshine everyone else in the group,
because no one likes a showoff. It doesn\'t matter how good you are (or
think you are), you should never play so much that it drowns everyone
else out.

If not overplaying is the most important thing about jamming, then the
second most important is **listening**. The key to improvisation is to
listen to the interplay of all the other instruments, and to add to that
whatever sounds best. Listening is, unfortunately, a very neglected
skill among beginning musicians, and really, most musicians in general.

A common tendency, especially among those who have just begun to get a
solid foundation in scale theory and technique, is to noodle around
aimlessly on the fretboard with little or no regard for the shape of the
song that is being played, or the structure of the arrangement. This is
a *huge* mistake, and it leads to music that no one wants to listen to;
worse yet, it does nothing to develop the musician who plays it.

Pay attention to the music that is being played around you. Add to it
only when it is necessary. You should begin to hear the lines that you
want to play before you play them. What you are shooting for here is
something akin to the old koan about sculpting: the figure is already in
the marble, and you are just trying to release it.

It is also important to make sure that you do not take up too much
\"space\" in the arrangement, which is to say, do not play so loudly
that other instruments must fight to be heard. This is especially a
problem for rhythm guitarists in jam sessions, who must be careful not
to drown out soloists.

## Staying in the Right Key

Perhaps the most important thing to do when playing with others is to
remember what key you are in. The \"key\" of a piece is essentially the
scale of notes that the song uses, but it also affects what the correct
chords are to play on each note. Suppose there is only yourself and
another guitarist playing, and the other guitarist is playing rhythm.
The chord progression they are playing determines the key of the song,
which naturally suggests certain notes for you, the lead guitarist.

Even if you have absolutely no knowledge of music theory, everyone can
generally tell when you play a wrong note. Although advanced players can
often add in \"wrong\" notes for colour (known in music
theory as an accidental), for beginners it is
important to know what notes are in what keys, so they can use the most
appropriate notes.

For example, the rhythm guitarist might be playing a three chord
blues riff in the key of B minor. Even if you
didn\'t know the key, often the first and last chord of a progression
can be good indicators of commonly used keys. At the very least, the
general tone of the progression will be enough to indicate if it is a
major or minor key. in this case, once you knew the key, you could
immediately start soling in any B minor scale, such as the B minor
pentatonic scale. However, since music is creative, it is impossible to
be \"limited\", and you also have available a number of other soloing
scales, like the pentatonic scale or any of the modes. For example, the
Phrygian mode has traditionally been the \"Spanish scale\". Modes are
much more complex and require knowledge of music theory to get the most
benefit from them.

## Improvising

There is also a basic approach to improvising which is more simple than
playing over a chord accompaniment. It also predates Western tuning
systems and chords. It is produced by playing a moving melody on one
higher-pitched string, while leaving a lower note ringing on another
**\"open\"**, or lower-pitched (unfretted) string. The static bass note
is referred to as a \"pedal tone\". The lower
note  or stays the same and the
upper note moves, creating both simple harmonic and melodic motion.
Traditional instruments which have fewer strings and a smaller range
than the guitar use this technique. It can be heard in many musical
styles in both Eastern and Western musical traditions including those
with guitar.

This technique can be found both within Western tuning systems which use
12 semitones per octave as well as beyond in more complex Eastern tuning
systems. Therefore before attempting to improvise a solo over a chord
progression or a series of chords in a particular key, it is useful to
practice playing simple melodies on one (upper) string to familiarize
your ear with the **intervals**, or distances between those fretted
notes and a static open, un-fretted (lower) string below it which is
sounding simultaneously. Another advantage of this is that with each
pair of notes you play, different intervals are sounded. Your ear begins
to detect these and this is a basic form of ear training.

## Well-known Improv Bands

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