Guitar Technique, Theory, and Songs You're Playing

[Grandioso 2,592]

Merging the guitar technique and songs you're playing on guitar topics. I think this covers everything.

First contribution:

https://www.premierguitar.com/articles/topic/1662-twang-101?page=1

These lessons are THE BOMB. I've gotten really serious about my Nashville chops and country leads present a lot of challenges. E.g., less than familiar scales, playing "over the chords" (which to a rock/american/blues player like myself is like changing keys every X number of measures), a fuckton of hybrid picking, lightning fast runs, harmonies, etc.

The lessons have sound samples as well. 

This is another one outside of the Twang 101 series:

https://www.premierguitar.com/articles/Brent_Mason_Concepts_and_Techniques

Afterwards, you can go watch a demo of Brent Mason and try not to kill yourself.

 

(PS I dropped the "horn" from HornGrandioso, which I'd always hated)

[Chad Fuck 17,659]

In!

[BrickHorn 18,216]

I want to learn slide guitar.  Every time I sit down to learn, I get bored within 5 minutes and start doing something else (playing guitar regular style, masturbating, banging your moms, etc.).

Can anyone recommend a good slide guitar instructional vid?

[Deej 76,755]

You and me, both. I just can't get that technique down. Saw Page play "In My Time of Dying" live in 1988, and have wanted to play slide like that since 

[Chad Fuck 17,659]

15 hours ago, BrickHorn said:

I want to learn slide guitar.  Every time I sit down to learn, I get bored within 5 minutes and start doing something else (playing guitar regular style, masturbating, banging your moms, etc.).

Can anyone recommend a good slide guitar instructional vid?

I learned without videos, pre-innerwebz era.  But I can say it's really helpful to tune to Open G and listen to Robert Johnson.  No shit, that's how I got started.  You figure out your chords on open G, you'll find that once you start fooling around with that tuning, you'll recognize about 50% of the slide tunes out there (pretty much all of Led Zep's slide stuff is in Open G).  Plus, if you get board of messing with the slide, then you can do Keef riffs all day long.  Listen to Mick Taylor's version of "Love In Vain" off of Get Yer Ya-Ya's out for inspiration:

 

 

[Chad Fuck 17,659]

The rest of stuff out there is mostly Open D/E, which just moves your chords/scales over a bit.  

Raise the action, mute the strings behind the slide and with your palm.  

There you go.  You're the next Duane Allman.

[Chad Fuck 17,659]

Or you could listen to a lot of Jack White.  He used a lot of Open G with the White Stripes.  

No shit.

[noharleyyet 2,838]

Ear player, very brief lesson stint. Think I was ADD before it was a thing.

Plain vanilla tuning for a loooong time. Eventually started trying some CSNY & finger picking in different tunings . Currently mesmerized with acoustic version "Come and Go Blues" in open G. Can hit a decent drive, approach, and putt.....seldom on the same song.

[Hammer 1]

Post some lessons please 

[noharleyyet 2,838]

19 hours ago, Hammer said:

Post some lessons please 

 

[Grandioso 2,592]

Cool instagram feed - Country-centric Guitar Lick A Day

https://www.instagram.com/guitarlickaday/

Sample:

Notice the bend behind the nut.

Edited March 31, 2018 by Grandioso

[Hammer 1]

2 hours ago, noharleyyet said:

 

Nice.  

[Hammer 1]

1 hour ago, Grandioso said:

Cool instagram feed - Country-centric Guitar Lick A Day

https://www.instagram.com/guitarlickaday/

Sample:

Notice the bend behind the nut.

I have a long way to go

[Mojo Hand 4,580]

That's cool.  I didn't know you could do that with just the left hand.

[hullabelew 3,723]

Love those Premier Guitar lessons.  Wish they had existed when I was just learning to play.  This is a simple lesson on Triads but it good practice.  I love how they show how they can be used in several different kinds of music.  Years ago, I worked up a triad version of "How Great Thou Art" for my grandmother., though at the time, I had no idea what I was really doing.  

https://www.premierguitar.com/articles/27170-how-to-use-triads

 

[Grandioso 2,592]

Watch this pencil neck British nerd named "Adrian" school you on country guitar.

https://www.anyonecanplayguitar.co.uk/building-a-country-solo/

The tab and backing track is at the link. Really tight little lesson. 

[hullabelew 3,723]

Yep.  I've been following that guy on youtube for years.  I use that exact run to warm up with .  I really like the way he shows you how he plays things.  

Edited April 2, 2018 by hullabelew

[Mole 4,330]

The presentation is a little overwhelming, there's gold here: http://www.tedgreene.com/teaching/default.asp

[Buzzrock 14,902]

Watch this pencil neck British nerd named "Adrian" school you on country guitar.
https://www.anyonecanplayguitar.co.uk/building-a-country-solo/
The tab and backing track is at the link. Really tight little lesson. 

Jelly of his freakishly long fingers.

[noharleyyet 2,838]

Ichabod fingers not a requisite for Marcus...

 

Edited April 2, 2018 by noharleyyet

[hullabelew 3,723]

3 hours ago, Mole said:

The presentation is a little overwhelming, there's gold here: http://www.tedgreene.com/teaching/default.asp

Holy shit.  I've looked at jazz charts that weren't that tough.  Would be cool to play "Misty" like that though.  Wow.  

[hullabelew 3,723]

I ordered some DVD training from this guy, but he got too annoying to watch and his style is way too fast.  And he talks way too much, then speeds though the actual lesson.  Then he pelts you with emails, trying to sell you more.  

 

 

 

[Mojo Hand 4,580]

I've been working on understanding chord progressions so I can play them by ear (I have a long way to go).

I'm starting to see three layers of chords in a song:   (1) diatonic chords, drawn from the key and scale; (2) borrowed chords, drawn from parallel scales or the relative major/minor key; and (3) passing or secondary chords that are either chromatic or drawn from the key of one of the diatonic or borrowed chords; these serve as a prelude leading into those chords.

The diatonic chords are pretty straightforward, and useful to learn not only in order (I - ii - iii - IV...) but also by intervals.  For example, the common ii-V-I jazz progression is just the end of a progression in one direction by the circle of fourths/fifths:  I - IV - viiø - iii - vi - ii - V - I.   Any section of that sounds good.  And you can figure out modes easily by looking at the differences from the major or minor scales.   A bVII chord in a major key likely means mixolydian, because the difference between the natural major and mixolydian is a flat 7 note, which creates that chord.   A major IV chord in a minor key probably means dorian, because the natural 6 note that defines dorian turns a diatonic minor iv into a major IV.

Borrowed chords bring the flavor of a parallel or relative scale into whatever scale you are using.   For example, Kurt Cobain often used bVI and/or bIII chords in a major key.  Those are borrowed from the natural minor scale, but work with a major I chord with a unique minor sound.   A major III chord, in a major key, is probably borrowed from the relative harmonic minor.   Each of the differences that a parallel or relative scale has compred to the one you are in produces chords that can be brought in.   And that difference would then affect the lead you are playing over it.

Chromatic chords just serve as a bridge between other chords and aren't necessarily from the key.  You can be playing a mixolydian song that has a I - Imaj7 - IV, and the Imaj7 isn't serving a functional role from the major scale, but is rather just adding a chromatic half-step for a nice transition between the chords.

And secondary chords temporarily tonicize another chord to provide movement towards it.   For example, in a major key, a major II chord leading to a V actually has the sound of a V going to a I, because that is what is happening from the perspective of the V chord.  Called a "V of V" or V/V chord, the major II isn't heard as a chord within the key, but rather a temporary transition to the key of the chord you are targeting before reverting back.

I don't know if this will lead anywhere useful, but I'm finding it interesting, at least.

[the idoit 165]

Ichabod fingers not a requisite for Marcus...
 

That’s because young Mr. King is a bonafide freak of nature. But I get where you’re coming from.

[Mole 4,330]

 

This guy puts out really good videos: clear, knowledgeable demonstrations, excellent production, really diverse content, and works with stems. He has a son with an insane ear.

[noharleyyet 2,838]

 

[Mojo Hand 4,580]

On 4/4/2018 at 10:24 PM, Mole said:

 

This guy puts out really good videos: clear, knowledgeable demonstrations, excellent production, really diverse content, and works with stems. He has a son with an insane ear.

This is a really interesting series.  His discussion of harmonic theory is really disorganized and not very useful, IMO, but it's outstanding for explaining record production.  His video on Nirvana is a must-watch, IMO.  While he gives well-deserved credit to Krist Novoselic, he does a great job explaining the genius of Kurt's songwriting and guitar playing.  His point about voice-leading really nailed it, IMO:

 

[Mole 4,330]

Damien Sneed puts out some excellent gospel music videos. Clear explanations and fantastic playing.

 

[Mojo Hand 4,580]

Here's a way of organizing the diatonic chords that I wish I had known before now.   There are three major chords, three minor chords, and one half-diminished chord in each key (whether a major or minor key).   Setting aside the half-diminished chord, the major and minor chords are the stable chords, and are organized in a really easy-to-remember pattern on the fretboard.   It's kind of an L-shape three frets apart, then flipped.

I drew this up in B major because it is centrally placed on the fretboard.   Uppercase roman numerals means it's a major chord; lower-case means a minor chord.   This shows the roots:   if the root is on the E string, you use the E-shaped or E-minor shaped barre chord, and if the root is on the A string, you can use the A-shaped or A-minor shaped barre chord.   Simple.    If this seems like a lot, just start at the red tonic chord and look on either side; the pattern just repeats outward.

As you can see, the I-IV-V are the major chords and the ii-iii-vi are the minor chords.

Now, B Major's relative minor is G# minor.   That means they have the same exact notes (and thus chords), only played over a different tonal center (B versus G#).  This exists in every key:  the relative major and minor are three frets part from each other. 

As you can see, the chord pattern is exactly the same, except the i-iv-v start on G#m and are minor chords, and the three major chords (in the exact same location as the three major chords in B major) are now called the bIII, bVI, and bVII chords.   That is because, from the point of view of G#, the root notes are on the flat 3rd, flat 6th, and flat 7th notes (the natural minor scale differs from the major scale by these three flattened notes).   You could call these the III, VI, and VII chords in minor, but it is better to remember them in the way I described because when you borrow them in a major key, it is easier to compare to the major key chords when they are all named relative to the same tonic note.

To illustrate how parallel major and minor keys compare in this respect, here's the B major stable chords again along with the B minor stable chords:

As you can see, the I-IV-V becomes i-iv-v but stays in the same position, but the three other chords switch.  The iii and vi become bIII and bVI, moving a half-step to the left (flattening by a half-step).   The ii disappears and the bVII appears (this is because either the ii or vii is the half diminished chord in each instance and I've omitted showing those in this illustrations).

 

Edited April 20, 2018 by Mojo Hand

[Mole 4,330]

I once worked with a pretty successful songwriter who conceived of minor keys only in terms of the relative major. So a common motion of dominant to tonic (major V to i, or E to Amin in the key of A minor) was major III to vi in his eyes. He was missing out on understanding the functional relationship between the chords; the numbers were just a shorthand for communication within a key, not a tool for understanding.

[Al Bundy's Napoleon Hand 13,574]

I like playing along with this. Probably cuz it's strummy mid-tempo with pretty basic chords but with a weird progression. 

 

https://www.songsterr.com/a/wsa/david-bowie-watch-that-man-chords-s368380

 

 

[Celery Man 20,931]

Bumping 'cause discussion on a "learning to play guitar" thread in hobbies.  xpost cause I just put this in Guitar Pron the other day - 

 

I'm on an Isbell kick.  This Tim fella does great tutorials.  This is a fun song, because a) it's a great song, b) the melodic part is really interesting and fun to play, c) wtf how have I never played that Cm chord before?  I really don't think I ever have d) also i don't think I've spent much time putting that little pinky note on a C chord.

[Chad Fuck 17,659]

 

[Chad Fuck 17,659]

Someone here turned me on to that video to learn the main riff.  Probably Jimmy James.  

Lotta parts in this tune.  Lotta ins and outs and what have yous.

[retread 2,951]

I think this guy does a good job with his videos.

 

[VABuckeye 2,472]

OK.  I'm in this thing as the new learning to play guitar and how to play songs on your guitar thread.

Bring em at me!

[Buzzrock 14,902]

My whole world is a lie

Actually it makes a lot of “cents”, and explains why sometimes I just can’t get my guitar tuned.

[VABuckeye 2,472]

So. JustinGuitar is a bit of a sadist.  A month ago he taught me to contort three fingers into an incredibly small space to make an A chord.  Tonight he decided to teach me this mini barre A chord that’s incredibly simple and that I mastered in about a minute.  Mean Justin. 

[noharleyyet 2,838]

Lots of interesting stuff on the www. about Stevie Ray's tunings...Albert King's also.....

 

 

[Mojo Hand 4,580]

15 hours ago, VABuckeye said:

So. JustinGuitar is a bit of a sadist.  A month ago he taught me to contort three fingers into an incredibly small space to make an A chord.  Tonight he decided to teach me this mini barre A chord that’s incredibly simple and that I mastered in about a minute.  Mean Justin. 

What do you mean by mini barre chord?  Like, your index finger holding down all three notes? 

[retread 2,951]

^ Yes, I think that's what he's talking about.

I like the fingering with the 1 finger in the middle. When I use that, I can move the index finger to the Bb on the 5 string and transition up to a Bminor chord.

[VABuckeye 2,472]

3 hours ago, Mojo Hand said:

What do you mean by mini barre chord?  Like, your index finger holding down all three notes? 

Yes, and muting string 1.  Instead he first taught me to put 2 on string 3 and cross finger 3 over to string 4 and put finger 4 on string 2.

[VABuckeye 2,472]

I'll be away from the guitar for two weeks.  Spending that time on St. John and Jost van Dyke.  

How bad will it be when I come back?   My fingertips are like rocks right now.  Fortunately, I didn't have much pain at first and they adjusted pretty quickly.  Are chords going to seem like foreign objects again?

[Mojo Hand 4,580]

1 hour ago, VABuckeye said:

Yes, and muting string 1.  Instead he first taught me to put 2 on string 3 and cross finger 3 over to string 4 and put finger 4 on string 2.

Everyone's fingers are different, so you need to find what works for you on specific fingerings.   That said, it's not a waste to learn to play open A with three fingers.   Lifting/moving various fingers will get you Amaj7, A7, Am, Asus2, Asus4, etc.  While I just hold down the three notes with one finger when I'm only playing A, I often play something where you have to go between A and one of those other chords, in which case I usually end up using three fingers on the A and moving them back and forth as needed for the chords.   Sometimes I hold it down with 234, sometimes 123, though I don't think I ever do a finger crossover. 

Edited May 24, 2019 by Mojo Hand

[retread 2,951]

1 hour ago, VABuckeye said:

Are chords going to seem like foreign objects again?

You'd be surprised. Sometimes time away from playing makes if fresher and better when you get back to it.

[tbone_ 14,110]

I like Marty Schwartz’s YouTube instruction videos.

[Deej 76,755]

On 5/24/2019 at 2:18 PM, VABuckeye said:

I'll be away from the guitar for two weeks.  Spending that time on St. John and Jost van Dyke.  

How bad will it be when I come back?   My fingertips are like rocks right now.  Fortunately, I didn't have much pain at first and they adjusted pretty quickly.  Are chords going to seem like foreign objects again?

You'll be fine. You might find after stepping back that it seems easier.

[Buzzrock 14,902]

It seems like lately when I come across a player I really like they are using hybrid picking. That bums me out because I never learned to do it (or even knew it was a thing) and I think I’m too much of an old dog to learn that new trick. Plus I hold the pick between my thumb and middle finger so I’m already a finger down. Any thoughts on picking up hybrid picking?

Also: I like her:

[tbone_ 14,110]

I feel your pain RE: hybrid picking. Bums me out to because I can’t do it. I try to fake it with a pick as best I can.

[retread 2,951]

bump for more tips from Surly guitar players...