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Level One Resources 

Book a Lesson

Tips for Practicing efficiently:

  1. Split up the music/ exercise into smaller steps

  2. Sound out chords to ensure all necessary strings are ringing​​

  3. Clap the rhythm before you play It

  4. Strive for perfect technique, especially when playing a warm up

  5. Play it 4 times or more in a row cleanly before moving on

1.1

  • Feel a Steady Beat 

  • Get to know the Guitar

  • Get Ready to Play the Guitar 

  • Start Pluckin' 

Feel a Steady Beat

Rhythm is the cornerstone of nearly all music. It makes you feel and groove, and connects you with the musicians and music around you. The first step to learning any instrument is to feel a steady beat. Most of us learned to feel a steady beat and count to four in our Kindergarten music classes. Even before that we were listening to music in our parent's car unknowingly absorbing the foundations of groove. Here's a short video explaining how to feel and count a steady beat. 

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I have also included a sound file with some repeat-after-me rhythms. Simply clap and count the rhythm that I play back to me. This will provide you with the rhythmic foundation to start Pluckin'. 

Repeat after me rhythms
00:00 / 02:24

Get to Know the Guitar

Before you play the guitar you need to know a little bit about the instrument. These are the parts of the guitar and string names in standard tuning.

Tip: A useful acronym for remembering string names. EADGBE

Eddie 

Ate 

Dynamite 

Good 

Bye 

Eddie 

String Names 

Parts of the Guitar

Get Ready to Play the Guitar 

If you have ever had to unlearn a bad habit, retake a class, or discovered you have been doing something wrong for years without knowing, then you know the importance of having a solid foundation in any skillset. Learning to play the guitar with good technique from the beginning will save you hours of trouble down the line. Even if you can play guitar reasonably well with bad form, eventually you will need to correct it to improve. Cut out the extra work and practice good technique from the beginning. This video will show you how to:

  • Build your foundation from the ground up

  • Hold a pick

  • Tune your guitar with a tuner

Start Pluckin'

Let's start with some simple plucking exercises on one string at a time. You will need to understand how to read Guitar Tablature (TAB) for these exercises. Each line represents a string on your guitar. The bottom line is the lowest sounding (E) string, the top is the highest sounding (e) string. The numbers represent frets. Use the "8 on a string, 4 on a finger exercise" as a warm up. Focus on good technique (posture, hand position, holding a pick, pick down and up) when you play through this warm up. Play this first thing every time you pick up your guitar to begin developing a solid foundation. These resources will cover:

  • Reading Tab 

  • Warm up exercise 

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Play Along- Reading TAB
Play Along- Warm Up Ex.

Reading TAB

Warm up Exercise 

1.2

  • Reading Rhythm

  • Playing Multiple Strings

Reading
Rhythm

Now that you can clap and count to a steady beat, let's work on reading rhythms off the page. For this unit we will stick with Quarter Notes, Half Notes, and Whole notes. We are talking about 4/4 time, or common time in this unit. This means there are four beats per measure, and the quarter note gets the beat. Bar lines separate each measure. This sub-unit will provide you with:

  • Rhythm exercise 

  • Video explaining how to read rhythms

Rhythm Ex

Rhythm Exercise

Playing Multiple Strings

Chords can be defined as three or more notes played together. On guitar we do this by strumming multiple strings at a time and placing our fingers on different notes to change the chord. The name of a chord is defined by the root. For example, the root of a C major chord is C. Take some time to play through these chord shapes. Sound out each individual note before you strum the whole chord. Chord diagrams show several frets and all 6 strings of the guitar. They show you which fret to place your fingers on, which finger to use, and which strings to play for a given chord. These resources include:

  • One finger G and C chord diagrams

  • Strumming exercise using G and C chords

  • Video explaining how to play this exercise

  • Play along track

Strum 1 f chord

Chord Diagrams

Strumming Exercise

1.3

  • Reading Tab

  • Natural Scale

  • Strumming Chords 

Reading
Tab

Let's get into reading Tablature. Again, the bottom line represents the lowest sounding string (E), while the top line represents the high (e) string. The numbers on the lines tell you which fret to place your finger on. I have written some simple one string and two string melodies in first position. First position means your first finger (pointer) goes on the first fret, second finger on the second fret, third finger on the third fret, and please, don't neglect your fourth finger belonging to the fourth fret. Also included are spaces for you to write your own melodies. Rearrange the notes and rhythms to create your own melodies. Remember that in 4/4 time, we can fit four quarter notes in a measure, or two half notes, or one whole note. Bar lines should fall after the fourth beat. In this section I have:

  • Video explaining tab exercises 

  • 2 play along tracks for tab melodies

  • One string tab melodies 

  • Two string tab melodies

Single Strring Melodies
2 string melodies

Single String Melodies 

Two String Melodies 

Natural Scale 

Why is it important to learn how to play scales? Hit shuffle on your music app. You hear that song? It's made up of scales, just like the vast majority of music. When we stack notes from scales on top of each-other we make chords. When we arrange scales in unique and creative ways we make melodies. When you practice scales, you are practicing countless songs. Scales also help you understand the language of music. Most people call this music theory.

 

Scales also help you understand and navigate the neck of your guitar. The first scale I teach is called the natural scale. The main idea behind this scale is to learn the notes on your guitar in first position. I will go more in depth on reading music in the next unit. For now, just understand that the musical alphabet goes from A to G, then repeats back to A. Play the Natural Scale over and over until you no longer have to think about it. Make sure you say (even better, sing) the notes of the natural scale while you play it. 

Nat Scale

Natural Scale Diagram 

Fill in the notes 

Natural Scale tab with melodic ideas

Strumming 
Chords 

Now that you have a foundation in reading rhythm and chord charts, we can tie it together and start learning some tunes. There are thousands of songs you can play with just the G, C and D chords. Chord Changes, also called chord progressions, are a set of chords within a song. A very significant and common set of chord changes that has been widely used since the beginning of American popular music is called 12 bar blues. This progression uses the G, C and D chords.You will likely recognize this chord progression because it is woven into the fabric of popular music. In this section we will take a look at:

  • Complete G, C and D chord charts

  • G, C and D Strumming Exercise 

  • 12 Bar Blues progression 

  • Chord Charts for tunes that use G, C and D chords. New tunes every Week!

GCD Strumming
12 Bar Blues

Complete G, C and D chord Diagrams

Strumming Exercise 

12 Bar Blues Progression 

Tunes List G C D

12 Bar Blues                                                She'll Be Coming 'Round the Mountain- Carl Sandburg

Johnny B Goode- Chuck Berry                          Bad Moon Rising- Credence Clearwater Revival                            

Hound Dog- Elvis Presley                                                Lion Sleeps Tonight- The Tokens

Crossroads- Robert Johnson

I Got You (I Feel Good)- James Brown 

Folsom Prison Blues- Johnny Cash 

and many, many more....

 

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