lessons - archive

If you play accompaniment guitar, it is likely that you sometimes seek new ways to throw in an interesting fill, play a bit of chord melody or create a tasty break. The easiest way to do this is to make use of three string chords. Even newcomers to the instrument can do this: it is mechanically easier than five or six-string chords and it facilitates free movement on the fretboard.

If you are new to the concept, it will be easy to start with a chord played on the first three strings. Use a simple “D” chord, played in the first position. If you move the chord up a fret and play only the first three strings, you have an Eb; on the 2^nd fret it becomes an “E”, the 3^rd fret is an “F” and so forth. Move the shape up and down the fretboard, creating your own rhythms and melodies.

Next, try the Dm shape and move it around, combining it with the major shape you already investigated. Although you are limiting yourself to the first three strings, you will find places that you can use an open 4^th, 5^th or 6^th string effectively to create a simple bass line or a drone effect. You can also add a finger here or release one there to make new sounds. Once you get the idea, you can use other shapes that are familiar to you as the high strings of common chords. You already know the chords; you only need to think of them from a tighter perspective. As you progress, you can make chords on other combinations of strings and even use altered or extended chords!

Take a simple "D" chord in the first position. Think of it as a three-string chord on the first three strings. From the bottom up, the chord is spelled A, D, F# (5th, root, 3rd).

Now find the same chord, with the same voicing, on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th strings. You have to move up to the 7th fret, right? Notice that the difference in the shape of the chord is that the middle note is moved back one fret. Try different chords on the first three strings, then move them to the next three strings and notice that you will always move up 5 frets and move the note on the third string back one fret to get the same chord. Experiment with different inversions and with combinations of notes other than major and minor triads. You can even make up shapes to create sounds that you like and transfer them to different positions on the guitar this way.

I'm going to leave you to play with this awhile, until you start to feel a real understanding of the relationship between the strings. When you get it, take it to the next set of strings (3rd, 4th and 5th). Just remember that you will always move the note on the third string back one fret, due to the way the guitar is tuned.

You don't even have to have your guitar in hand to work with this. In fact, if you do it in your head, you will be increasing your fretboard visualization skills, which is very helpful in all you do. Have fun!

Keys and the Capo

If you’ve played guitar for very long, you’ve probably made use of the capo. Most people get a little confused about what key they are actually playing in when they begin using a capo, and particularly when they are playing with other musicians. A few thoughtful experiences will clear up any questions, but the confusion returns when they launch into playing lead while keeping the capo in place. My intention is to remove this frustration from your life forever!

Let’s begin with becoming clear about the key you are actually playing in, capo or not. To determine the key, look for common chord progressions. The most common progression is I, IV, V. For example, if a song has G, C and D chords, it is in the key of G, G being the I chord, C being the IV and D being the V. Another really easy way to determine the key name is that most songs will end on the chord that is the key name. (If you don’t already know the major scales or have them written down, I recommend you do so. They are on p.14 of the Guitar Player’s Guide to Ear Training Manual and are on the inserts to Woman to Woman Guitar.)

Once you are sure of the key, simply go up the order of notes ½ step for each fret you move the capo up the guitar neck. This is the same way barre chords work. For instance, if you are playing a shape that you normally use for G and you put the capo on the 1^st fret, you will be playing a G# or Ab. When you move the capo to the 2^nd fret, the chord becomes an A. Likewise, if the song is played with the chord shapes of G’s, C’s and D’s, but you have the capo on the second fret, you are actually playing in the key of A. Put the capo on the 3^rd fret and you will be playing in the key of Bb (even though the chords may not look like that to you!).

Forget that the capo is on! The 8^th fret on the 1^st string is a C, whether there is a capo behind it or not. Your scale patterns will still work, provided you stick to the ones that you can play high enough on the neck to be in front of the capo. So, know what key you’re in, forget that the capo is there, and use your scale patterns to solo the way you normally would. It’s that easy!

Time Signatures and Counting

Even if you don’t read music, it’s important to understand time signatures, as they determine the feel of the piece. I’ll start with a basic explanation of the time signature, and then I’ll give you some ways to think when playing in the most common ones, as well as some exercises to improve your sense of the pulse.

The top number of the time signature is the most important number to understand if you’re reading a chart or just communicating verbally about a song, as it determines the time feel. I always say that this number tells you how you dance. (Is it a “4” feel?

1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4; or a”3” feel, like a waltz? 1 - 2 - 3 - 1 - 2 - 3; or a “2”, like a march? 1 - 2 - 1 - 2)

Before you begin playing the piece, it’s wise to begin counting to that top number to determine the tempo and establish the pulse. Your counting should be steady and even and should continue at exactly the same tempo when you begin to play. (A metronome is most useful here!) If you are unable to maintain the same tempo throughout the piece, slow the tempo until you are able to do so. With practice, you can gradually build up to the tempo that is your goal.

The bottom number of the time signature stands for the kind of note that gets one beat. For example, a “2” would stand for a half note, a “4” would stand for a quarter note, and an “8” would stand for an eighth note. So, if 4 is the bottom number, you know that the quarter note gets 1 beat, and you can use arithmetic to determine that a half note gets 2 beats (half is twice the size of a quarter) and a whole note gets 4 beats (a whole is twice the size of a half).

The time signatures you encounter will be classified as either duple meter and triple meter. As you might guess, 4/4 and 2/2, are duple meter, whereas 3/4 is triple meter. What might be surprising to you is that 6/8 time is duple meter, but if you think about how it feels, it will make perfect sense. The emphasis is on the first and fourth beats:

1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6, making it feel like two triplets. In other words, the measure is divided into two parts.

Playing With Time

Play scales or finger exercises with a metronome to practice thinking in different time signatures. Choose an exercise that is easy for you to play and set the metronome at a moderate tempo. Play with an emphasis on the first beat of each measure. Just get in a groove and play steady quarter notes or eighth notes in 4, for example, until you’re consistently playing right with the metronome and really feeling the beat. Then shift to 3, then 2, then back to 4. Nothing will change on the metronome (the amount of time between notes); all the time changes will be in your head and hands!

When you listen to music, try determining the time signature. Then practice starting the song in the middle and telling where “1” is. You can do this by listening for where the strong beat occurs. Another good exercise to build not only a rhythmic awareness, but also a familiarity with form is to determine what measure number you are on at any given time. You can check your “guesses” either by counting the measures, if you are using written music, or by going back to the beginning of the song and counting measures, if you are listening.

If you don’t read music, but are interested in learning rhythmic notation, you can do so painlessly by studying the exercises in A Guitar Player’s Guide to Ear Training, and using the accompanying CD. (http://www.guitar-instruction-video.com/ear_training.htm)

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Experimenting with three-string chords

Keys and the Capo

Time Signatures and Counting

Playing With Time