-
Good work all.
We're moving on.
Leavitt says:
Review everything regularly.
-
02-06-2012 12:15 AM
-
Sorry if these are dumb questions, but in the last measure, do you play/strum the first beat all as one chord, hold the chord for 3 beats and the play the G and C as lead?
And why does "fine" have to be there? Isn't the end obvious?
Thanks.
-
Page 24, 3 Chord Exercises
P 24, 3 Exercises.mp3 - File Shared from Box - Free Online File Storage
-
While the end may be obvious there, it isn't always clear, because of repeats, dal segnos, codas, etc. Again, Leavitt is teaching, and showing the customary things you'll see when reading music.
Originally Posted by oldhead
-
Look at the stems. This piece is written as two voices. 1st voice stems up, 2nd voice stems down. Originally Posted by oldhead
So you play the G C while holding the the chord on the first beat, the G and C are on beats 2 and 3 respectively.
-
Leavitt is a great one for these motivational quips. My favourite is:
"Do not slight any material"
Just back from a proper guitar lesson today. Most important thing I must share are these exercises for the LH.
He only had me do the first two, and they are hard enough.
-
It's good that you took away something that you value. Of course it's always better in person: I watched the video and could not even understand what he was doing in exercise #3.
-
Nice strumming, oldhead.
HSS - You got as far as ex 3?
I'm still on the bit about no pressure - that's hard to get. At least, for me. He didn't talk me through exercise 3 so I imagine he thinks I'm not ready for it, and that's just fine by me. Looks to me like how I used to play with the cat. 
We also talked about RH technique, and he said I was holding my hand and pick straight like a rock guitarist - for rest strokes the hand is at a different angle, very relaxed. I find it really helpful when someone says, look for this style you do this, and for that style you do something else. Piano's not like that - the physicality of the instrument is fairly stable for different genres. Seems to me the guitar's really lots of different instruments masquerading as one - that's confusing for me.
-
Now that we have the major scale, we can start talking about intervals. Musicians measure the differences in pitch between one note and another in intervals. An octave, a whole step (tone), a halfstep (semitone), these are all intervals we are probably familiar with by now.
The next ones to get familiar with are those in the major scale. For this I'll use the example of the C major scale: the first note is C, the second note is D, and so on. I give here some examples of songs I use to recognise these intervals, there are many songs and you might prefer others that are more familiar to you).
The distance between the 1st note (C) and the 2nd note (D) is called a major second (aka a tone or whole step). Going up it sounds like the start of a scale or Fre - re from Frere Jacques.
The distance between the 1st note (C) and the 3rd note (E) is called a major 3rd. Going up it sounds like the start of Pat-a-cake. Same as the distance between the G string and the B.
The distance between the 1st note (C) and the 4th note (F) is called a perfect 4th. Also the distance between guitar strings (except G - B). Sounds like the start of Away in a Manger.
The distance between the 1st note (C) and the 5th note (G) is called a perfect 5th. Like the start of Twinkle Twinkle little star. Also a power chord.
The distance between the 1st note (C) and the 6th note (A) is called a major 6th. Like the start of My bonnie lies over the ocean.
The distance between the 1st note (C) and the 7th note (B) is called a major 7th. It sounds like a major 7th.
If this is new to you, you are probably asking why some of these intervals are called 'major' and some are called 'perfect'. This has got to do with the differences between the major and the minor scales: suffice it to say that all the major intervals can be flattened by one semitone to make a minor interval.
Let's just take one: the minor 3rd. Remember: major 3rd is from C to E. So from C to Eb is a minor 3rd. Try it - it should sound 'sadder.'
The perfect intervals are the same for major and minor scales. One thing worth noticing about the 4th and the 5th is that together, they make up an octave. In other words, from C go G is a 5th; and from G to the next C above is a 4th. Why is this helpful for guitarists? Well, if you're playing power chords (just hoping that's not a dirty word on this forum), you are used to the shape of, lets say, C5 with root on 6th string. But you could invert the chord, play G on 5th string and the next C up (4th string). That's easier, because you use the same fret on both strings, plus, knowing both ways to play the chords makes them more grabbable.
If you haven't already done so, it's well worth while playing these out to see if they sound like how you expect them to sound. You can go the whole hog if you like and learn to recognise them all.
Free Guitar Lessons - AU-000 ? Aural Training For Guitarists
Oh, and of course, there will be a special award for anyone who does a sight-singing course.
Do I remember right you already did one, fep?
So I hope this all makes sense, please do ask any questions, or point out any mistakes I have made here.Last edited by ten left thumbs; 02-07-2012 at 05:13 PM.
-
Yep Originally Posted by ten left thumbs
Oh, and of course, there will be a special award for anyone who does a sight-singing course. Do I remember right you already did one, fep?
So I hope this all makes sense, please do ask any questions, or point out any mistakes I have made here.
Four semesters of college ear training and four semesters of college music theory.
We did sight singing every ear training class and were tested on it about five times a semester, one on one with the instructor. Instructor says, "turn to page 67 and sing that page".
I still sight sing most every day, I find it the most rewarding way to do ear training. Right now I'm sight singing my way thru the melodies in the Leavitt book, just wish there was some bass clef.Last edited by fep; 02-07-2012 at 06:22 PM.
-
OK, that makes you an official swot! We had to do some in school, but that was a looooong time ago.
Right, I have braved youtube for this solo, which I love. Please excuse the frown on my face, that's just how my face looks when I'm concentrating. Really, I should work on a bit of a smile.
-
That solo made me Originally Posted by ten left thumbs
OK, that makes you an official swot! We had to do some in school, but that was a looooong time ago.
Right, I have braved youtube for this solo, which I love. Please excuse the frown on my face, that's just how my face looks when I'm concentrating. Really, I should work on a bit of a smile.
. Nice job, impressive. I'm finding this one difficult.
What was that one chord where you slowed way down?
Thanks also for the theory lesson. I can't believe how much I'm learning here.
-
Very nicely done TLT, and there is nothing that need's excusing! BTW, I did think the playing was a bit rubato (not just the obvious ritard at m.16). FWIW, it seemed to me that the piece benefits from some rubato, but as I know you know, it matters from a developmental point of view whether we alter the tempo by choice versus because some parts are difficult. That is why I am mentioning it in this thread. Still, that was very good work (and it's only Tuesday!). Like oldhead, I am still finding this piece difficult. Originally Posted by ten left thumbs
... I have braved youtube for this solo, which I love. Please excuse the frown on my face, that's just how my face looks when I'm concentrating. Really, I should work on a bit of a smile.
Well done.Last edited by HighSpeedSpoon; 02-07-2012 at 10:51 PM.
-
Thanks oldhead and HSS, I did play very rubato. On the DVD he does explain it can be played freely. I very rarely play rubato (it normally makes me cringe) but this piece I hear rubato. For the G7 in bar 16 I add the open E at the top (adding the 6th to the chord). I don't know what Leavitt was thinking, not putting that E in.
Don't think for a moment that it being Tuesday had anything to do with it. I practised this piece for months, and then more because I wanted to play it for the teacher.
-
For bass clef you could dig around here and print some out: Originally Posted by fep
Free Classical Sheet Music
Edit: OK, I'm curious. Why do you want to sight sing in bass clef?Last edited by ten left thumbs; 02-08-2012 at 10:11 AM.
-
Originally Posted by ten left thumbs
I learned to read on the guitar, so treble clef is very natural to me. The sight reading books we used in class used both clefs.
Bass clef isn't as comfortable for me so I want to practice it. And since I can sing Bass and most of the range of tenor (up to the G in my chest voice)... well those are written in bass clef.
Thanks for the link.
-
You're welcome.
Always seemed crazy to me that guitar is written in treble only. Ledger lines kill me.
-
Well done on all 3 examples. I noticed the two voicings you used of the E7 in Exercise 2, sounds good. And that descending line from C to C7 to F to Fm to C, do you hear it? The notes are C-Bb-A-Ab-G. When I hear that line I know what the progression is most of the time, I I7 IV iv I or in C: C to C7 to F to Fm to C; or Originally Posted by oldhead
"Oh (C)give me a (C7)home, where the (F)buffalo (Fm)roam, and the
(C)dear and the antelope (G7)play.
If you can associate part of a song with common chord progression, your ear has a good chance of picking it out in other songs. And that is part of ear training.Last edited by fep; 02-09-2012 at 10:24 PM.
-
Nice job, a little bit of Rubato, which is good with this piece. I like your touch on the strumming, nice and light, sounds good. Originally Posted by ten left thumbs
OK, that makes you an official swot! We had to do some in school, but that was a looooong time ago.
Right, I have braved youtube for this solo, which I love. Please excuse the frown on my face, that's just how my face looks when I'm concentrating. Really, I should work on a bit of a smile.
-
My attempt, I'm thinking Dolce
dol·ce
adv. & adj.
In a gentle and sweet manner. Used chiefly as a direction.
So I tried to play softly and put in a bit of Rubato.
Missed a note, actually changed it unintentionally but luckily it was a nice sounding note. A couple of timing issues.
-
I'm thinking WOW!. Very nice, FEP, and you make it look so easy. I'm not a hybrid picker, and you make that look easy. Have you played it with a plectrum? Just curious. It sure makes it softer, I,m sure, using your digits, and it seems as though this piece lends itself to being played that way. Originally Posted by fep
Thanks for posting this one.
And... yes, I did hear those chords and like them a lot. I put that optional note in just to see if you would pick up on it. I should have known you would. Great ear. Thanks for the mini lesson.
-
That was certainly sweet fep - so much so that I did not notice the timing issues you mentioned. Forgive me if this has been covered and I missed it, but are we supposed to be finger picking this - it sounds really great when you do it! - or are we even at liberty to finger pick?
-
I played it with a pick mostly when practicing, but recorded it with my fingers. So I was breaking the rules. Perhaps I was being a little vain as I was getting it to sound better with my fingers. The muting is really easy for me when playing with my fingers, but I've practiced finger picking quite a bit. Originally Posted by HighSpeedSpoon
-
Thanks oldhead. Originally Posted by oldhead
Do you hear the bit of 'Heart and Soul' in the First Solo tune?
-
Seeing you all playing material in the book that I've not gotten to is having a very motivating impact on me as someone who just started the book. Excellent job Fep! I am finding these tunes very satisfying and I've only begun on the first two.
This is a truly unique and special experience to sit back, listen, play, watch, participate and learn. My senses are in overload and it's all good.
Reply With Quote
D'Addario Eclipse Rechargeable Headstock Tuner
Today, 01:55 PM in Guitar, Amps & Gizmos