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LEARN TO PLAY ALONG WITH ANY SONG BY EAR!

ON GUITAR

The Only Visual Guitar Method That Quickly Teaches Beginners How To Play By Ear!

GIANNI ALEXANDER SPATA

(Email: geeahny@gmail.com)

WRITTEN & ILLUSTRATED BY:

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Copyright 2010 LAYOUT & DESIGN: G. A. SPATA

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PLAY WHAT YOU FEEL ON GUITAR

Written by Gianni Alexander Spata
To understand this book better, prepare a mental filing system by reading:

THE TABLE OF CONTENTS

Pages Pages Pages Pages Pages Pages Pages Pages Pages Pages Pages Page Pages Page Pages Pages Pages Page Pages Pages Pages Pages 2 -3 4 -5 6 -7 8 -9 10 - 13 14 - 15 16 - 17 18 - 21 22 - 25 26 33 34 - 39 40 41 43 44 - 45 46 47 48 49 50 53 54 55 56 - 71 72 - 73 74 - 75 76 - 79 INTRODUCTION PARTS OF THE ACOUSTIC GUITAR PARTS OF THE ELECTRIC GUITAR HOW TO POSITION THE GUITAR GUITAR BASICS NAMING THE NOTES THE NOTES ON THE PIANO TUNING THE GUITAR STRINGS THE NOTES ON THE GUITAR HAPPY-SOUNDING NOTE GROUPS RHYTHM PATTERNS SONG PATTERNS SAD-SOUNDING NOTE GROUPS REVIEW #1 PRESSING MULTIPLE STRINGS DIFFERENT FINGER GROUPINGS MOVEABLE NOTE GROUPS REVIEW #2 SLIDING THE NOTE GROUPS AROUND REVIEW #3 USING YOUR EAR UNDERSTANDING SONG STRUCTURE
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INTRODUCTION
In my 26 years of playing guitar, I mostly learned on my own. I had taken a few lessons from two teachers who taught me the basics, but I still needed a way to help me memorize where to put my fingers to play the notes I wanted. I collected guitar method books to help me. (Yes, I had a lonely childhood.) The method books I bought only had a few pieces of the guitar-playing puzzle. So I started to create my own notebook of diagrams and used my notebook to put these puzzle pieces together. This gave me a better picture of how to play. My notebook helped me to figure out the guitar parts of any song (the term for this is Learning by Ear.) I was soon making up guitar solos off the top of my head (the term for this is Improvising.) I was beginning to speak through my guitar. My lonely childhood paid off! I learned to play the same way many great musicians did. I taught myself. I used to believe that everyone learned guitar this way. Over the years, as my notebook grew, I used it to teach other people. Other guitar players who have seen my notebook gave me their input. They then insisted upon having their own copy. When I realized I was developing a new approach, I did not want to keep it to myself. As my notebook grew into a teaching method, I realized my purpose in life. I can teach anyone how to play the guitar by ear. Yes, there are many teaching methods. However, no one else has put together all the diagrams you will need to learn to play by ear. Play What You Feel on Guitar introduces The Spata Method. You will discover that my method works, and it is nowhere near as complicated as you may think. Even if you know how to play, using my method will accelerate your progress. It will increase your knowledge of what is possible on the guitar. It brings the big picture into focus. Best of all, you will learn how to use the guitar to make music. A master guitarist can visualize what he will do, from one moment to the next. My books enable you to reach that level of confidence in months rather than years. Is this your first time learning to play? By choosing this series, you have saved yourself a lot of time and frustration. Have you had trouble learning by trial and error in the past? If so, this method was the missing ingredient to your success. It helps both self-taught students and teachers alike. This is the first book of my teaching method. It teaches how to figure out what the guitar player in the background is doing. He is the one brushing over the strings (Strumming.) He is the Rhythm Guitarist. He strums groups of notes, all at the same time (Chords.) My Songbooks, your next step, will teach you how to play specific songs in their entirety. My songbooks teach both the rhythm part, and how to improvise a solo over each song. Out in front, playing the guitar solos is the Lead Guitarist. He plucks sequences of single notes called Scales. Chords are groups of notes strummed at the same time. Scales are notes plucked one at a time. When performing a song, the lead guitarist plays scales that sound good over the chords played by the rhythm guitarist. My songbooks match the scales to the chords. My teaching approach is not to have the beginner learn scales first, as do other methods. In this book, I teach how to figure out the chords in any song. In my songbooks, I introduce scales as they apply to specific songs. Guitar playing itself evolved this way. In the 1940s, Charlie Christian was the first person to play guitar solos in a band. Before that, the guitar players only job was to strum chords. (It was still a fun job to have back then!)
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Part One of this series (this book plus 6 reference books and a growing list of songbooks) covers 5 styles of music: Pop, Rock, Country, Folk and Blues. Parts Two, Three, and Four cover the more advanced styles of Jazz and Classical. Parts 5 and beyond cover World Music. Each part of my series has one method book, plus, numerous reference books and songbooks. There are songbooks for each part in my series, for each level of guitarist. Each songbook has about 12 songs in a specific style of music (Pop, Rock, etc.) You do not need to know how to read music to use my series. You can learn that stuff elsewhere (colleges, etc...) The lessons within each of my songbooks will give you experience as a musician. The more songs you master, the more confidence you will have as a guitarist. Choose from any of my songbooks (at your level of ability) that have the songs you want to learn. Each lesson starts by teaching the basic chords and scales needed to learn a specific song. The lesson gradually teaches the more complex chords and scales for each song. Follow and practice the steps in order. Skipping past or not understanding any section in this series will slow you down. It may even stop you. Each time you learn a song, start with the simpler chords and scales in it. You will soon be able to play any song that you have studied. You can then learn the more complex chords and scales as you gain confidence. For further study, the complete picture on all chords and scales is in my Master Reference Books.

The more lessons in my songbooks you study, the better you will become at figuring out songs by ear. They give you working examples of how to analyze song structure and determine which chords and scales to use. You will also learn some reasons why the songwriter might have chosen the chords, scales and song structures, used in each song. You can then apply this same process to any song you want to learn or write on your own. Once you have learned a few of your favorite songs, you will know most of the chords and scales needed to play guitar. You can learn new songs simply by using these same chords and scales in a different sequence. Eventually, you will begin to recognize any of them by ear.

Music is a higher language than words alone. For whom would you really love to play a song? What songs would you like to play for them? What do these songs say to you? In using this series of books, you will be able to translate the music you hear into the correct chords and scales on the guitar. Soon you will be able to express to others the music that is within you.
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PARTS OF THE ACOUSTIC GUITAR

Make sure you have a guitar in front of you while reading this book. (It will not help much to have a guitar behind you while reading it!) From this point on, as a guitarist, you will constantly refer to the parts of the guitar. You will also need to know some important music terms in order to proceed. I will now cover the thicker, hollow Acoustic guitar (the one you play by a campfire.) On pages 6-7, I will cover the thinner, solid Electric guitar (the one rock stars play on-stage.) Let us begin with the major parts of the acoustic guitar. The Body captures the sound of the vibrating Strings. This sound echoes inside the body of the guitar. This amplifies the sound before exiting from the Sound hole. You play the chords and scales on the attached Fret board. Metal strips called Frets divide the fret board, which lies on top of the Neck of the guitar. At the very end of the neck is the Headstock.

Below is a side view showing how the fret board attaches onto the neck.

The headstock is where you can tighten or loosen the strings using the Tuning Pegs. This is how you tune the guitar. The Nut and the Bridge lift and separate the strings on both ends. This keeps the strings in place over the frets. If you play the guitar standing up, you can attach a shoulder strap to it by using two Strap Pegs.

Confidence comes from a firm grasp of the basics. By doing the exercises in this book, you will build a necessary foundation for your success. Here are a few exercises for you to drill the parts of the acoustic guitar. Fill in the missing labels using the information on the previous page.

Repeat the above exercise.

Now label the remaining parts.

Repeat the above exercise.

PARTS OF THE ELECTRIC GUITAR

There is a big difference in how acoustics and electrics make sound. Instead of a sound hole, there are two magnetic coils covered in plastic called Pick-ups. This is how the sound is electrified . Think of them as little microphones. Electric guitars can have from one to three pick-ups. You will notice on the diagram below that there are two. When you play the part in a song that involves strumming chords, this is called playing Rhythm Guitar. In this case, you use the thicker-sounding pick-up located closest to the fret board. When you pluck single note scales, you are playing Lead Guitar. In this case, use the thinner-sounding pick-up closest to the Bridge. You select which pick-up to use with a Toggle Switch. To adjust the Volume and Tone (clear or muffled), there are Control Knobs. There is usually a volume knob and a tone knob for each pick-up. On guitars with more than two pick-ups, the middle pick-up is for playing either Lead or Rhythm guitar. Many guitarists use the lead pick-up for rhythm playing, or the rhythm pick-up for lead playing. They may do this either to stylize a song, or do this for every song as part of their identity.

This is how an electric guitar makes sound. The pick-ups convert the sound made by the strings into an electric signal. This signal travels through a cable plugged into an amplifier and the sound comes out a speaker. In contrast, with an acoustic guitar, the sound waves bounce around inside the body of the guitar and come out the sound hole. This saves your electric bill (they are earth friendly!) You will also save money on earplugs for your neighbors.

Some models of acoustic guitars have a built in pick-up. That gives you the option of playing with, or without, an amplifier. On these types of guitars, you will find a control panel located on the side of the guitar body. It will look similar to the diagram on the right of this page. On this panel, you adjust the volume and tone of the sound. You raise or lower the low, mid and high qualities of the sound using the Equalizer. If you are using an amplifier, you will need a 9-volt battery. The pick-up and equalizer does not work without it.

Here are a couple of exercises for you to drill the parts of the electric guitar that you will not find on the acoustic guitar.

Repeat the above exercise.

HOW TO POSITION THE GUITAR

First: If you are using a strap, connect it to the strap pegs. Climb in! The strap should rest on the shoulder near the neck of the guitar. For Right-Handed players: Hold the neck in your left hand, with your palm up. Bring the back of the guitar body to your stomach. Lightly rest the underside of your right forearm on the top edge of the body of the guitar. Place your right hand over the sound hole so it can swing freely. For left-handed players: Hold the neck of the guitar in your right hand and let the left hand swing over the sound hole.

Always sit or stand comfortably as you play. "Center" the guitar comfortably as it sits in front of your body. Adjust your strap so that you have a natural 90-degree bend at both elbows. Look for a position that allows you to keep your wrists straight. It should feel balanced and natural. Muscles, tendons and nerves work best without bends and kinks. Good posture and guitar position will help you play more accurately. They allow better access to the fret board, and smoother picking or strumming. They allow you to play whole sets of songs without tiring. You have seen people hold their guitar in different places - high up on the chest, or down below the waist. This is a personal choice. You should develop good habits first. You can always adjust to suit your personal style later. You should pick a first guitar suitable for beginners. (You can always buy the one shaped like an executioners axe later!) The hand that holds the neck is the Fingering hand. The tips of these fingers should press the strings down on the fret board directly above the desired fret. The thumb wraps around the neck behind the thickest string. Make difficult chords easier to play by lightly anchoring your thumb behind the neck. When doing this, keep your thumb parallel to your middle finger. In this case, the thumb touches at the middle point of the width of the neck.

The hand that hangs over the sound hole either brushes over (Strums) or plucks (Picks) the strings. This hand is either the Picking or Strumming Hand. The picking hand can use the fingertips alone. This is Finger Picking . In this case, the thumb is assigned to pluck the two thickest strings. The other fingers are assigned to pluck each of the other strings. You can also use a flat piece of triangle-shaped plastic called a Pick. How to hold a pick: First, make a loose fist. Hold the pick between your thumb and the first segment of your index finger. Grip it so that the pointy tip is at a 90-degree angle to your thumb. When picking or strumming, use light, shallow strokes. The fret board diagrams in this book match what you see as you look down at your guitar. The thickest guitar string is closest to you.

Drill good posture and positioning of the guitar until it becomes second nature. AS YOU PLAY GUITAR, ALWAYS REMIND YOURSELF OF THIS!

Look at the diagram on the previous page and fill in the blanks below:

Posture is important enough that you should repeat this exercise.

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GUITAR BASICS
Lets get familiar with the layout of the guitar strings and the fret board. Notice on your guitar that there are 6 strings, each thicker than the one below it. Notice that there is a group of 4 dotted frets with 3 non-dotted frets between them. There are 2 non-dotted frets before and after this group. There are double dots on the 12th fret. After the double dots are 2 more nondotted frets. At the 15th fret is the start of another group of 4 dotted frets with 3 non-dotted frets between them. Different models of guitars will cut off this second group of four dotted frets at different lengths. Where the frets are cutoff will depend on how long the fret board is. Please note: On a Classical style acoustic guitar, the dots will be on the edge of the fret board. This is instead of dots underneath the strings as shown below. Some guitars use squares or other shapes instead of dots. Some guitars have a dot or other shape on the first fret, too.

Mark the dots onto the 3 rd, 5th, 7th & 9th frets, then the 12th, 15th & 17th frets:

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OPEN STRINGS AND THE 12 TH FRET.

I am going to teach you some music theory by demonstrating it on the fret board! Those of you who feel you might be tone deaf should sing along with these notes.
Once again, notice on your guitar how each string is thicker than the one below it. Plucking a string without pressing on the fret board is playing an Open String. Pluck the thinnest string and listen to the sound. Now pluck the thickest string. Compare the two sounds. Did you notice that the thinnest string sounds higher than the thickest string? Did you also notice it would slice cheese more effectively?

This highness or lowness of sound is Pitch. Once you begin to think in terms of pitch, you can hear that every sound is either higher or lower than any other sound. There are two types of pitch: varied - such as in a siren, and consistent - such as when you press down on a piano key. A sound of a consistent pitch, with a letter name (A B C D E F G) and a finger position on a musical instrument is a Note. For the next demonstration, pluck the thickest string once more. Let it vibrate for a few seconds. Keep the sound of this thick string in mind. Count 12 frets from the nut toward the guitar body. (You will find that the 12th fret is marked with two dots.) Press down on the thickest string at the 12th fret and pluck the string. Listen to the sound it makes. Compare the sound of the plucked 12th fret to the sound of the plucked open string. Do this a few times, singing these notes. Did you notice that the plucked open string sounds lower when compared to the plucked 12 fret? Yet, do these sounds share a certain similar quality? They should, but if you do not hear that similarity yet, repeat this drill on all six strings until you do. Do not proceed until the similarity of these two notes is clear to you.
th

Notice that the notes on the fret board get higher in pitch as they get closer to the body of the guitar. For this reason, sliding your hand on the
neck toward the guitar body is Moving up the Neck. Sliding your hand on the neck toward the headstock is Moving down the Neck.
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NOTES THAT ARE 12 FRETS APART.

I will clarify how and why the open string and the 12th fret notes sound similar. It will help you to sing all of these notes. STEP 1: Press the thickest string down at the 1st fret and pluck it. Compare the sound of the plucked 1st fret to that of the plucked open string. STEP 2: Now compare the sound of the 2nd fret and the plucked open string. STEPS 3--12: Repeat this action up the fret board. Compare the notes on each fret to the open string note. Stop after comparing the 12th fret to the open string. Of all the notes on this string, does the note on the 12th fret sound more like the open string than any of the other notes do? It should. This similarity applies to all open string notes and the notes on their 12 th fret. Do this exercise with all 6 strings. You will begin to hear it for yourself. Remember to sing the notes as you play each exercise on this page!

For this next exercise, STEP 1: Compare the note on the 1st fret to STEP 2: the note on the 13th fret. Did you notice the 1 st and the 13th fret notes also sound similar? Practice this exercise on all 6 strings, until it becomes very clear to you on each string.

As another exercise, STEP 1: Play the note on the 2 nd fret on the thickest string. STEP 2: Count 12 frets down the fret board from this note. Play the note on the 14 th fret. Then compare the 2 notes. Then do this exercise with the other 5 strings.

What I want you to understand is this: Any 2 notes that are 12 frets apart are actually 2 versions of the same note. The one closest to the headstock is the lower-pitched version. The one closest to the bridge is the higher-pitched version. Are you starting to feel a little more familiar with the fret board? I bet it is not so scary to look at anymore!
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Along the left side of this page, you will find a circled note on each string of each fret board below. Count 12 frets to the right of each circled note. On each string, place your own circle on the higher-pitched version of each circled note. If you are in doubt as to which fret to circle, just add the number 12 to the number of the starting fret. For example, 1 + 12 = 13, 2 + 12 = 14, etc. To get you started, I have already done the first circle on the first string for you.

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NAMING THE NOTES

The distance between any two frets on the fret board is an Interval. The interval from one note to another can be one fret, two frets, three frets, etc. The higher in pitch that one sound is from another, the bigger the interval that exists between them. The smallest possible interval on the fret board, from one fret to the next, is a Half-Step. Two half-steps add up to a Whole-step . This is true on any instrument, not just the guitar.

A series of notes that ascend or descend in pitch in a defined pattern of whole steps and half-steps is a Scale . The 12-note scale you drilled on the previous page is the fundamental scale of our system of music. That series of 12 notes, each a halfstep apart, is the Chromatic Scale . Think of the chrome you see on cars - how it is able to reflect back every color in the light spectrum. An artist selects from his palate of colors. A musician selects from a spectrum of 12 notes. The chromatic scale contains all the different notes between the lower and higher-pitched versions of the same note. (Do you recall the notes you drilled that were spaced 12 frets apart and sounded alike?) The next important scale is one that may sound familiar and may take you back to your school days. Do you remember that song that taught you the musical notes? DO - RE - MI FA - SO - LA - TI --- DO! (They are pronounced: DOE - RAY - MEE - FAH - SOH LAH - TEE --- DOE!) Can you sing them without trying to sound like an opera singer?

This 8-note scale forms the backbone of our entire western system of music.

I want you to think once more about the two similar notes on the guitar (the open string and the 12th fret). Play them again, this time singing the syllable DO at the same pitch as the plucked open string. Then sing DO at the same pitch as the note on the 12th fret. The lowerpitched DO is always the eighth note away from the higher-pitched DO in the DORE-MI scale. As a result, the name given to this interval is an Octave . Oct- is a prefix meaning eight. Examples: octagon (is an 8-sided shape), and octopus (have 8 legs.) Notice that the last DO is a repeat of the first DO, but 8-notes higher in pitch. That means there are actually 7 different notes in this scale. You may be asking yourself Wait a minute. The DO-RE-MI scale has 7 different notes. Yet, the chromatic scale has 12 different notes. To play the DO-RE-MI scale on the guitar, how do I know which notes to play and which notes to skip? What do I call the skipped notes? The next 2 pages have the answers.
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In our system of music, we assign letters to these seven notes, using the first seven letters of the Alphabet: A B C D E F G. This is the Music Alphabet. Look at the diagram below. Compare the notes of the music alphabet to the DO-RE-MI scale. Notice that the A note is not the same as DO. The only time you may need to convert A-B-C to DO-RE-MI is when playing music with people from Europe. DO-RE- MI is a much older system of naming notes, yet many other countries still use it (and other older stuff, too!)

Just as in the DO-RE-MI scale, the DO repeats, so in our music alphabet, the A repeats again after G. The notes repeat again in higher or lower versions of the same notes, one octave higher or lower in pitch. The octave intervals are: A to A, B to B, C to C, D to D, E to E, F to F and G to G. The 1st and 8th notes of every scale are an octave interval apart.

Lower Pitch Higher Pitch AbcdefgAbcdefgAbcdefgAbcdefgAbcdefgAbcdefgA

(Octaves)

You will soon be learning the notes on the fret board. You will need to know how to begin scales from each note in the musical alphabet. Resist the temptation to skip these drills.

In the exercises below, fill in the missing octave notes.

Abcdefg bc de fg bc de fg bc de fg bcdefg bc de fg

Bcdefga

cdefga

cdefga

c de fga

c de fga

c de fga

Cdefgab

defgab

de fgab

de fgab

de fgab

de fgab

Defgabc

efgabc

efgabc

efgabc

efgabc

e fgabc

Efgabc d

fgabcd

fgabc d

fgabc d

fgabcd

fgabc d

F gabc de

gabcde

gabcde

gabc de

gabcde

gabcde

Gabcdef

abc de f

abc de f
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abcdef

abcdef

abc de f

THE NOTES ON THE PIANO

To play the music alphabet on a piano, you have to learn which 7 notes to play. With 12 possible notes, you also need to know which 5 notes to skip. Below is a diagram of the notes on a piano. Notice there are no black keys between the B & C, and E & F notes.

AN IMPORTANT RULE: ALL NOTES IN THE MUSIC ALPHABET ARE ONE WHOLE-STEP AWAY FROM EACH OTHER EXCEPT FOR THE B & C NOTES AND THE E & F NOTES, WHICH ARE ALWAYS HALF-STEPS. In the diagram above, start from each note in the music alphabet (A B C D E F G.) Count how many white and black keys there are within each octave. You will find there are 7 white keys and 5 black keys within any octave. When you add the number of white and black keys within any octave, they will always add up to 12 notes. Remember there are 12 notes in the chromatic scale.

The five black keys are either a Sharp (#) of the note to the left, or a Flat (b) of the note to the right. C sharp = D flat, D sharp = E flat, F sharp = G flat, G sharp = A flat, A sharp = B flat. Again, there are no notes between B & C, E & F.

If you are curious, in the DO-RE-ME system, a sharp note has the word Diesis after it. A flat note is indicated by adding the word Be mol following the note. Example: DO diesis
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18

TUNING THE GUITAR STRINGS

Before and throughout each playing session, you must tune your guitar. Guitars are usually made of wood, which is flexible, and is affected by heat and humidity. In addition, as you move your guitar around it will likely go out of tune at some point. Stretched strings relax over time. New strings go out of tune more often. Strings with peanut butter all over them sound awful, and quickly rust. Be sure to wash your hands before you play. Being in tune enables you to play with confidence. Most people can recognize the sour sound of a guitar that is out of tune. The guitar should produce sounds that are pleasing to the ear. When you hear a string that is out of tune stop and tune it. It is easier to do then to dodge objects thrown at you by the audience. There are a few different ways to tune your guitar. It is good to learn each one because no method is appropriate for every playing situation. You can tune a guitar by ear by comparing the pitch of each string to that of any other tuned instrument. Most music stores carry a pocket-sized pitch pipe with six holes that you blow into for this purpose. Each hole in the pipe represents a string on the guitar. A piano can also serve this purpose. You will be able to understand the fret board much better by comparing the notes on a guitar to the notes on a piano. However, keep in mind that you must tune all pianos as well, especially if you move them around. If you do not have access to a piano, consider buying a portable electronic keyboard. No, a toy piano does not count. Below is a diagram of a piano keyboard. I have indicated the notes that match each guitar string. From the thickest to the thinnest string, these notes are E A D G B E. Compare the sound of each string on your guitar to the sound of each of these notes ( E A D G B E ) on the piano, or pitch pipe.

If a string sounds lower in pitch than it should be, it is Flat (b). In this case, you gently tighten the tuning peg until the string is in-tune. If it sounds higher in pitch than it should be, it is Sharp (#). To fix that, gently loosen the tuning peg. Remember to loosen the tuning peg until the string is a little lower in pitch than the note to which you are tuning. Now you can gently tighten the tuning peg until the string is in-tune. SNAP! Just joking with you! Tuning up to a note ensures that the string will hold its tuning. Loosening a tuning peg causes the part of the string above the nut to relax at a faster rate then the part of the string below the nut. To keep this from happening, many players pass the tip of a pencil inside each one of the grooves in the nut. This keeps the strings from sticking inside their groove, which makes proper tuning more difficult. Remember, an audience will not pay to watch you tune.
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Using a piano to tune helps you understand the fret board better. It helps you memorize the names of the notes to which the guitar strings are tuned. Drill the notes of the guitar strings on the piano keyboard by writing them in.

20

SOME OTHER WAYS TO TUNE YOUR GUITAR.

When playing with other musicians, first ask them to play one note you can tune to for the thicker E or A string. Some people even tune their A string to the dial tone of a telephone landline. Being in tune is more important than missing a call. Once you have one string tuned, you can use it to tune the other five strings. The diagram below shows you the matching notes on neighboring strings. Shaded lines link the matching notes together. The linked notes are the exact same note, exact same pitch. If you find a string that is out of tune, you can tune this string to the matching note on the tuned string next to it.

There is another way to tune the other five thinner strings to a tuned thicker E string. This involves finding all the E notes on the other five strings throughout the entire fret board. Although some of these notes may be in a different octave, you can still use them to tune neighboring strings. Tuning to the same note in a different octave takes a little extra practice. It will not take long to master. The E note on the A string is one octave higher than the thicker open E string. In addition, the E note on the G string is one octave higher than the E note on the D string. The remaining E notes are the same pitch as those on the string next to it.

The best way to tune the guitar is to use an electronic tuning device. A Tuner tells you which direction to adjust the tuning pegs to bring each string into proper pitch. Tuners are inexpensive and can fit in your pocket. They have a microphone for an acoustic guitar and a jack where you can plug in an electric guitar. There are several types of tuners. Many tuners have a display that looks like this:

Once you get all six strings tuned, take a very important next step before you play. That next step is to fine-tune your guitar. Strum the primary chord of the song you are about to play. Be sure to pick the right chord. Make sure that every note in that chord sounds in-tune.
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Drill the notes on the 4th and 5th frets used to tune neighboring strings.

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THE NOTES ON THE GUITAR

Once you learn the notes to tune each open string, you can learn the notes up the fret board on each string. First, lets review the music alphabet. DO-RE-MI-FA Oops! Sorry!

Use the diagram below and play these notes on your guitar, in this order. Pluck the open A string. Now press this string down on the second fret and pluck it again. This is the B note. Did you notice how you skipped one fret? That is because the A and B notes are a wholestep apart. The note between A and B is either A Sharp or B Flat. This is true for all notes between whole-steps in the music alphabet. C sharp = D flat, D sharp = E flat, F sharp = G flat, G sharp = A flat. Now press the A string down on the third fret and pluck. This is the C note. Did you notice how you did not skip a fret this time? Continue up the fret board on the A string. Using this diagram, play and sing each note of the music alphabet.

Now play and sing the music alphabet on all 6 strings. Repeat several times.

Keep in mind what you learned from pages 20-21. Take, for example, the ABCDEFG starting from the 5 th fret on the thickest E string. Those are the same exact notes (and pitches) as the ABCDEFG starting from the open A string. The DEFGABC starting from the 5 th fret of the A string are the same exacts notes (and pitches) as the DEFGABC starting from the open D string. How is it on the other strings?
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Use the diagram on the bottom of the previous page, and label the strings and the notes on these fret boards below. Start by labeling the thickest E string. Then label the notes on that string. Next, label the A string. Then label the notes on the A string. Repeat these steps on the remaining strings.

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26

HAPPY- SOUNDING CHORDS

Think of the last time you watched an amazing guitarist play. Did you wonder how he could memorize all those finger-patterns he is playing on the fret board? (Or, were you more curious about where he got his costume?) All finger-patterns derive from a few basic ones. Therefore, we study these patterns in groups. You will soon see the number of groups that all finger-patterns belong to is surprisingly few. You will be amazed how fast you will learn them. When you strum a group of notes, you are playing a Chord. All chords that convey a happy feeling when strummed are Major Chords. These entry-level chords use five basic hand shapes or Chord Forms. Their names spell the word C A G E D. I believe that beginners should learn these major chords first. Every guitar chord you will see is either one of these, or their modified versions. In the diagrams below, the hollow circles above the nut are open string notes. An X above the nut is either a muted or skipped string (do not play them.) Any chord that you play on the first 3 frets, and uses open string notes, is an "open position" chord. The circles below the nut indicate which strings and frets to press down to play each chord. The numbers inside of the circles tell you which fingers to use. 1 = the index finger, 2 = the middle finger, 3 = the ring finger, and 4 = the pinky finger. 0 = an openstring. It will help you to turn the page counter-clockwise while practicing these chords. These next two habits allow better control over the sound of each note. #1) The tip of each finger must press notes down at close to a 90-degree angle to the fret board. #2) Keep your fingers curved to enable this. Strum these chords slowly at first. Are there any muted or buzzing notes? If there are, re-position your fingers until all notes ring clearly. There are two possible causes for notes not ringing clearly. #1) Another finger is in the way of the string that is not ringing. #2) You are not firmly holding down the string directly behind the proper fret. Use only the amount of pressure needed to produce clean ringing notes. Do not squeeze the neck with your thumb. Any more pressure than needed will slow you down and cause pain or discomfort. Nobody wants that, so use a light touch. Learn the chords in this order: (easiest to hardest) E, D, A, G & C.

Remember, all guitar chords you learn are variations of one of these five chords! Keep these five forms in mind as you learn new guitar chords in the future. Learn to recognize which 1 of these 5 chord forms is within any new chord you learn. Then file new chords in your mental folder of the chord form it resembles.
27

WORK THOSE FINGERS OUT!

Even if you have strong hands, playing the guitar will develop muscles you do not often use. This includes the forearm muscles that control the 1st and 2nd segment of each finger. This also includes the muscle between the thumb and index finger. Do not ask me to name these muscles. I am not a doctor. I am a musician. As you practice guitar chords for the first time, these muscles may easily tire for the first few weeks. At that point, they will begin to develop endurance. I suggest that new students strengthen these muscles away from the guitar. Music stores sell finger exercisers. These will strengthen the forearm muscles. Sporting goods stores sell hand exercisers. These will strengthen the muscle between the thumb and index finger. Work out these muscles and you will notice a difference. You will progress more quickly.
28

C A G E D

We name and build all chords around single notes. This primary note of a chord is the Root Note. There are 12 possible root notes to build chords around, one for each note in the chromatic scale. From this point on, the root note of every chord in this book has a tiny square inside of it. Confirm this for yourself. Before you practice the chords, copy them down several times on paper. Look at the C major chord finger-pattern in the upper left corner of the diagram below. Copy the dots onto each of the blank fret boards. Be sure to place the dots on exactly the same string and fret position as the examples given. Turn the book counter-clockwise while doing the chord copying exercises in this book. This reflects what you see as you look down at your guitar.

29

These drills may seem boring. Think of them as doing a crossword puzzle. The reward is having these first five CAGED chords completely memorized for life. This is more than half of the battle of learning how to play them. You will need them to play songs.

30

After you fill out pages 28-32, take time to practice the CAGED chords on the

guitar. Strum the chord s-l-o-w-l-y at first. Make sure that you do not use more pressure than is needed to fret each note. The goal here is to make sure you can hear each note of the chord clear, clean and not muffled or buzzing in any way.

31

Remember that a soft touch, or one of your other fingers getting in the way, will cause muffled or buzzing strings. Figure out what you must do to correct it, and work through it. Take your time, and do not get frustrated. You will be able to play all 5 chords in a few days. Your fingertips may hurt for the first 2 weeks, until calluses begin to form on them. Within a few weeks, pressing down notes will become easier for you. That is when the real party starts!

32

Do not let the size or shape of your hand become an excuse to quit. One of the greatest jazz guitarists in history, Django Reinhardt, had the use of only two fingers on his left hand. He accidentally burned his hand, and could not use his ring or pinky finger. This did not stop him, from becoming great, so do not let anything stop you!

33

BASIC OPEN-POSITION CHORD REVIEW These are the chords you should have tattooed onto your brain.

Question: What word helps you memorize the above chords?

Close your eyes for a second and say that word. Make sure you never forget these 5 chords, or the word that helps you memorize them. Copy this word down a few times. No, I am not crazy. (Well, not much anyway!) Just trust me. This will really help you.

34

STRUMMING
Your next step is to develop the ability to strum chords to a beat. This basic skill builds great guitar players. Do you prefer listening to guitar players who can keep a steady rhythm? Like our own heartbeat, a repeated pulse is soothing. You can comfort a new puppy by putting a wind-up clock under his pillow. This will substitute for his mothers heartbeat. A steady rhythm can also help you sing a baby to sleep. Of course, as performers, we intend to play guitar for people who are awake. A solid beat helps us with this by keeping our listeners interested. I recommend all students learn to strum using a guitar pick. Using your fingers alone will limit what you can learn to do with the guitar later on, as you progress. How to strum a guitar with a pick. First, make a loose fist. Notice in the diagram on the right how the 2nd segment of each finger maintains a 45-degree angle. Any more than a 45-degree angle throws your hand off balance. That will make it harder to strum. Hold the pick between your thumb and the first segment of your index finger. Grip it so that the pointy tip is at a 90-degree angle to your thumb. Do not squeeze the pick with the strength of the entire hand. Instead, focus just enough of a firm grip solely between your thumb and index finger. The strumming motion always comes from the forearm. As a door swings from its hinges, when strumming a guitar, your arm should swing from the elbow. This allows your hand to swing loosely from your wrist in a consistent, fluid motion. Always keep your wrist straight. Muscles, tendons and nerves work best without bends and kinks. Comfort comes first. As a painter uses a paintbrush, the wrist smoothly sweeps up-and-down over the strings. It responds to the leverage from the forearm. Using the forearm, slightly rotate the wrist right (downward) and left (upward.) Use light, shallow strokes, gently brushing over the strings. We measure time in equal segments (seconds, hours, etc.) The pace at which beats pass through time is Tempo. It is important to keep steady tempo. This means not speeding up or slowing down, unless it is called for in the song. It is common not to notice that the tempo you are playing is slowly creeping upwards or downwards. An uneven tempo can also happen between one beat and the next. All of this is annoying. It unnerves listeners and band mates alike. To prevent this, practice playing with an even tempo between beats. Music stores sell a device to help you practice playing a steady tempo. There is a battery powered version, or a wind-up version. This device is the Metronome. On it, you can adjust the tempo of the beats, which are measured in Beats per Minute , or BPMs. New students should practice with a metronome. The best musicians practice with them their entire lives. Some people use a ticking wind-up clock. A clock limits you to only playing at a tempo of 60 beats per minutes or 60 BPMs. They are usually not too loud, either. However, they can work until you can make the trip to the music store.
35

Below, there are 5 exercises for you to strum. The bars represent a group of 4 beats of equal duration. The bubbles inside those bars indicate the beats. The numbers above the bars indicate the count of each beat. Count these aloud as you do the exercises. When, and in which direction to strum is indicated below each bar. Start your metronome at 40 beats per minute. Practice tapping your foot and hand to the beat until you match the timing of the metronome. Before you start each exercise, begin by counting and tapping four beats. Then start the first strum of each exercise on the next beat. Tap your foot to the beat as you play. Gradually increase the rate of beats per minute up to 90 as you become more confident. Drill these strumming exercises using each of the five CAGED chords. For example, play them using the C chord, then play them again using the A chord, etc.

36

The drills on pages 35-37 are only here for you to learn to strum patterns by reading them. They are not patterns used in songs. You will learn those on page 38. For this next drill, repeat the same steps from page 35, only this time, use upstrokes.

37

Repeat the same steps from page 35, this time alternating down and up strokes.

38

ACTUAL STRUMMING PATTERNS USED IN SONGS.

These next exercises will prepare you for the type of strumming you will soon be doing as you begin to figure out songs on your own. The next drills are different from the previous ones. This time you will be dividing the counted beats into two separate strums down and up. Notice that D means to strum downwards and U means to strum upwards. Practice them with all 5 CAGED chords. Start at 40 beats per minute and work up to 90 beats per minute. Count the beats as you play. The correct way to approach strumming: You should always strum downwards on the beat and upwards between beats. You should never use an upstroke on a counted beat. This helps your hand maintain a consistent, fluid up and down motion.

While strumming up and down like this, you achieve rhythmic variety through the choice of when your pick does or does not contact the strings. To help teach you about this, the exercises below place arrows along with the Ds and Us. The arrows indicate a sort of ghost strum. This indicates an up or down stroke over the strings without strumming. Lift the pick away from the strings for a ghost strum. This ghost strum positions your hand for the next actual strum that follows. This helps you strum smoother rhythms. Also, try Muted Strums over the arrows; Lay the heel of your palm over the strings lightly as you strum.

Here is an example of how not to strum. Do you notice how the only counted beats that use down strokes are the 1 st and 3rd beats? This bad habit can doom you to always sounding stiff, like an amateur.

Here is the correct way to strum the above pattern. If this pattern sounds familiar to you, it is because many simple songs use it.
.

39

These next 5 drills will require a little more concentration and practice. You may recognize these strumming patterns from some songs you know. Practice them with all 5 CAGED chords. Start at 40 beats per minute and work up to 90 beats per minute. Count the beats as you play. Always use good strumming habits!

Reggae music uses this next pattern. Use muted strums over the arrows.

You are now prepared to begin figuring out how to strum any song you hear, on your own. Pick some songs and practice. You will soon be able to strum any pattern that any guitarist is using.
40

SONG PATTERNS
You have practiced strumming CAGED chords using a variety of patterns. The next step is to combine a couple of different chords within the same strumming pattern. These are your first exercises where you will be making music. Congratulations! Start your metronome at 40 beats per minute and work up to 90 beats per minute. When strumming, first use all down strokes, and then use each of the patterns on page 39.

41

SAD-SOUNDING CHORDS
You can modify three of the five CAGED major open chords to change their mood from happy to sad. The sad versions are Minor Chords. They are the A minor, E minor, and D minor chords. How does the A minor differ from the A major chord? Look at the A major chord on the previous page, and compare.

42

Now drill the E minor chord.

43

Now drill the D minor chord.

44

CHORD REVIEW #1

Review the chords you have learned so far:

Notice how only the A, E and D chords have a minor version. Compare the major version of each to the minor version. Which note differs in each chord?

Eight basic chords are playable in the open position.

45

CHORD CHANGES #2 Next are five chord changes that combine the major and minor sounds. Practice them with the metronome. Start at 40 beats per minute and work up to 90 beats per minute. Use each of the strumming patterns on page 39. Are you starting to hear parts of songs you know in some of these exercises? Good! Sing those melodies to the chord changes. Do not be afraid! You are a guitarist now! BE MUSICAL!

46

PRESSING MULTIPLE STRINGS

You have learned to play open chords by pressing down single strings. Your next step is to practice pressing down multiple strings by laying a single finger across them. You will soon be learning new chords that rely on this ability. The drills on these two pages are very important. The chords in the rest of this book will seem impossible unless you truly practice this section. Lay your index finger across the number of strings called for in each exercise, and strum. Make sure there are no muffled notes. Continue down the fret board. Next, do this same exercise using your middle finger, then your ring finger. Move on to the next drill, and repeat these same steps.

Here is how to press down multiple strings on the fret board.

47

The next 2 drills are for the index finger only.

This drill is for the ring finger only. Bend it to avoid the A and both E strings. See the A chord and the photo that goes with it on page 42, in the right column.

48

DIFFERENT FINGER-PATTERNS
The fingerings I have taught you to use for each open chord are not the only way for you to play them. You could hire another guitarist to play them for you. They might even rent you just their fingering hand for half-price. There are a couple different ways to arrange your own fingers when playing each of the open chords. It is important to know all the options for fingering each chord. This will enable you to choose the correct fingerings for each chord based on what helps you change more quickly to the chord that follows. Learn and practice all of the different ways to play each chord. As you do the rest of the chord change exercises in this book, refer back to this section. The diagrams on the left depict the way you have learned to play the CAGED chords. The 3 columns of chords on the right depict the other ways you can play them. Written below the chord fingerings in the columns on the right are examples of when you should use them. You can use the ones that do not have examples written under them, with any of the chords you will learn later on in this book.

49

I will now show you alternate fingerings for the open minor chords.

I will now show you an example of how choosing the best fingering option can make playing the chord changes in any song quicker and easier.

Here is an example that uses minor chords.

Try all fingering options when learning new songs.

50

The musical alphabet has 7 letters. So far, you have learned 5 chords CAGED. On these next 4 pages, I will teach you the missing 2 chords F & B. Here is the F major chord. Drill it!

51

Here is the F minor chord. Which note differs from F major?

52

Here is the B major chord. Learn and drill it.

53

Here is the B minor chord. Which note differs from B major?

54

CHORD REVIEW #2

F MAJOR

F MINOR

B MAJOR

B MINOR

55

CHORD CHANGES #3
Here are 5 chord changes that combine all the chords and their different fingerings that you have learned so far. Try all the possible fingerings for each chord. Combine the chord fingerings that make it easier and quicker to change from one chord to the next. See if you can recognize any songs that use these chord changes. Use each of the strumming patterns on page 39. Start your metronome at 40 beats per minute and work up to 90 beats per minute.

56

MOVEABLE CHORDS
You can modify two of the CAGED chords (the E and A) into moveable versions of each. You can play the moveable versions of them anywhere on the fret board. Another way to play an F chord is to start with an E chord and slide every note up one fret. Using the diagrams below, begin by forming an E chord using your 2nd, 3rd & 4th fingers on the 2nd & 3rd frets. Since you cannot slide the nut anywhere, lay your index finger across the entire 1st fret, instead. This serves as a substitute for the nut when you are playing moveable chords. The index finger, lying across an entire fret, resembles a bar. That is why the name given to the moveable versions of chords is Barre Chords. The barre chord version of the E chord is the Type One Barre Chord .

To play a type one barre chord: Form the E chord by first placing your 2 , 3rd & 4th fingers. Then you can barre your 1st finger above the other fingers as your last step. It is much more difficult to do in the reverse order.
nd

This is how you turn an open E major chord into a type one major barre chord.

Look at the F major chord on the right of the diagram above. All type one barre chords have their root notes on both E strings, and on the D string (the boxed note with the 4 inside of it.)
57

Here is how to play the minor version of the type one barre chord.
The only difference between the type one and type two is the note on the G string.
To play a type two barre chord: Form the E minor chord by first placing your 3rd & 4th fingers. Then you can barre your 1st finger above the other fingers as your last step. It is much more difficult to do in the reverse order.

This is how you turn an open E minor chord into a type one minor barre chord.

Look at the F minor chord on the right of the diagram above. All type one barre chords have their root notes on both E strings and on the D string (the boxed note with the 4 inside of it.)
58

Drill the type one major barre chord.

59

Drill the type one minor barre chord.

60

SLIDING THE CHORDS AROUND

Barre chords are moveable in that they can be slid anywhere on the fret board. Where the root note of any barre chord falls on the E string, determines what chord you are playing. For example, slide the open E chord up one fret from the open position. Remember, towards the body is up in pitch. Make it a type one barre chord. You are now playing an F chord. Continue to slide this barre chord up one fret at a time. At the double dots, you are again playing an E chord. This time, you are using a type one barre chord one octave higher than the open position E chord. Notice that the only difference between the major and minor type one barre chords is the note on the G string.

61

Type One Major and Minor Barre Chords.

Play all 12 of these chords, from the open position E chord to the type one barre chord on the double dots. As you do this, notice you are playing a chord for every note in the chromatic scale. You are doing this using the same barre chord. First, play all the major chords. Then change the 1 note in the major chords (on the G string) to play all the minor chords.

62

DRILL THE TYPE ONE MAJOR BARRE CHORDS.

Copy the above chords onto each of the fret boards below.

63

DRILL THE TYPE ONE MINOR BARRE CHORDS.

64

TYPE TWO BARRE CHORDS.

So far, you have learned the 5 major CAGED, 3 minor ADE and the major and minor F and B chords. I just finished showing you how to play any major and minor chord using the type one barre chord. It is a moveable version of the E chord. I will now show you how to play a major or minor B chord, using a moveable version of the A chord on the 2 nd fret. The moveable version of the A chord is called the Type Two Barre Chord .

To play a type two major barre chord: Form the A chord by first placing your 3rd finger. Then you can barre your 1st finger 2 frets above your third finger as your last step. It is much more difficult to do in the reverse order.

This is how you turn an open position A major chord into a type two major barre chord.

Look at the B major chord on the right of the diagram above. All type two barre chords have their root notes on the A & G strings.
65

Here is how to play the minor version of the type two barre chord.
The only difference between the type one and the type two is the note on the B string.
To play a type two minor barre chord: Form the A chord by first placing your 2nd & 3rd fingers. Then you can barre your 1st finger above the others as your last step. It is much more difficult to do in the reverse order.

This is how you turn an open A minor chord into a type two minor barre chord.

Look at the B minor chord on the right of the diagram above. All type two barre chords have their root notes on the A & G strings.
66

Drill the type two major barre chord.

67

Drill the type two minor barre chord.

68

TYPE TWO BARRE CHORDS.

The type two barre chord can also be slid anywhere on the fret board. The note on the A string where the root note of the chord falls determines what chord you are playing. For example, slide the open A chord up 1 fret from the open position. Make it a type two major barre chord. You are now playing an A# / Bb chord. Continue to slide this barre chord up one fret at a time. At the double dots, you are again playing an A chord. This time, you are using a type two major barre chord one octave higher than the A chord in the open position. Notice that the only difference between the Type Two Major and Minor chords is the note on the B string.

69

Type Two Major and Minor Barre Chords.

Play all 12 of these chords, from the open position A chord to the type two barre chord on the double dots. As you do this, notice you are playing a chord for every note in the chromatic scale. You can play all major chords using one chord fingering. Then flat the note on the B string to use it to play all the minor chords.

70

TYPE TWO MAJOR BARRE CHORDS

71

TYPE TWO MINOR BARRE CHORDS.

72

CHORD REVIEW #3
TYPE ONE MAJOR

TYPE

ONE

MINOR

TYPE

TWO

MAJOR

TYPE

TWO

MINOR

73

CHORD CHANGES #4
Here are four more chord changes. This time I combined open chords and barre chords. The barre chords have directions next to them in parentheses. The open chords do not. I show two versions of each exercise. The one above uses open chords and barre chords. The one below uses only barre chords. Use each of the strumming patterns on page 39. Start your metronome at 40 beats per minute and work up to 90 beats per minute.

74

USING YOUR EAR

Many people believe the ability to figure out songs by ear is a gift few people are born with. This is false. Most people just have to work at it a little more. The rest of this book will teach you the thought processes used to analyze and learn any song on your own, by ear. In the beginning, it is important to pick simple songs to learn that use simple chords. The best songs for beginners to learn have no more than 2 to 4 basic chords you can easily recognize. Be aware that even simple songs can have difficult parts in them. It is better to learn these types of songs later, as well. Choose songs you can learn in their entirety. You can then gradually increase the complexity of the songs you learn. Begin by searching through your own recordings for simple songs. These are a great place to start because you usually know them, from beginning to end. Then listen to songs on the radio. Keep an ear out for songs you think you can learn. Ask your friends what their favorite songs are. From their responses, pick the simple ones. Ask if you can borrow them to learn, or buy your own copy. Once you pick 5 or 6 simple songs, figure out the simplest one first. Learn the 1 st part, then the 2nd part, etc... The next 12 pages in this book teach you how to analyze and memorize the parts of any song. Many guitarists learn songs this way. Some do this without realizing it. You can figure out the chords in any part of any song. Reread these three sentences from page 28. We name and build all chords around single notes. This primary note of a chord is the Root Note. There are 12 possible root notes to build chords around, one for each note in the chromatic scale. It is much easier to find a single note by ear than it is to find a group of notes at the same time. Most people have no trouble figuring out songs like Mary had a Little Lamb on the piano, by ear. Therefore, STEP ONE is to find all the root notes of each chord in the song you are learning. Start by using only the thickest string. Lets say you are listening to someone play this next exercise and you do not know which chords he is using. The fret board below indicates the correct root notes for each chord. As you start doing this on your own, always begin by searching for the root notes of each chord on the thickest string. Hum the lowest sounding notes in each chord you are trying to learn, as you hunt for those notes.

Figure out chord changes by starting with the root notes of each chord:

75

Now that you have found and named the root notes on the thickest string, STEP TWO is to ask yourself the following question. Which of these chords are happy sounding and which are sad sounding? The happy sounding chords are major chords. The sad sounding chords are minor chords. In the example on the previous page, all three chords are major. STEP THREE: The next question is, Can I play any of these chords in the open position? If any of these chords are CAGED, then you can play these as open chords. D A G chords are all playable in the open position. Therefore, you have the option of playing any of them as either open chords (if preferred) or barre chords. If any of the three chords were not CAGED (for example F or B) then you can only play those particular chords as barre chords. STEP FOUR: When you are playing chord changes that combine both open and barre chords always choose the barre chord(s) closest to the headstock. This minimizes the distance on the fret board that your hand will have to jump between chords. The idea is to make it as easy as possible to switch between open and barre chords. Here are the rules to help you decide whether to use a type one or type two barre chord. If the root note is lower in pitch than the fifth fret on the thickest string, then use a type one barre chord. If the root note is higher in pitch than the fifth fret on the thickest string, use a type-two barre chord. Type two barre chords have their root note on the A string. Look on page 72 at the chord review to see for yourself how this works. Find and compare the type one and type two versions of every chord.

Here are two examples of how to pick the top-most barre chord.

76

UNDERSTANDING SONG STRUCTURE

You have learned how to figure out the separate parts to an entire song. Your next step is to learn a simple system to mentally organize those parts. Most songs are similar in some way to any number of other songs. I will now teach you a system to see these similarities. It will also help you figure out songs more quickly. This system helps you to play the parts of any song in the right order, always. It also ensures that you do not leave out any parts when you perform a song. Therefore, it will help you to visualize the entire song, from beginning to end. Here are some terms used by songwriters to label the parts of a song. Most people are familiar with the terms intro, verse, and chorus. These terms are useful when breaking a song down into separate parts. These names also describe what each section of a song does. I will now teach you how to visualize what a song looks like. I do this by using an audiocassette as an example. Imagine pulling the strip of tape out of the cassette that has the recording of a song on it. Now, imagine labeling each part of the song on the tape itself. The section at the beginning of a song that introduces
and sets the mood for the listener is the Intro. The opposite of the intro is the ending part of the song, which provides closure, the Outro.

The main theme of a song, which repeats at least once before the songs conclusion, is the Chorus. This is the part of the song that most often sticks in

your head. People tend to learn by and respond to repetition. For this reason, most popular music has some form of chorus in its structure.
The section that lyrically expands upon the main theme in the chorus is the Verse. There are usually two or more verses in a song. Verses are like the

sentences that support a topic sentence. The melody in a chorus can often be similar to that of the verse. They can even be identical. The lyrics in the verse are always different from those in the chorus. Verses are also longer than choruses are.
77

A songwriter can go beyond just adding verses and choruses to song. You can add another type of song section that differs from the ones you have already learned. The emotional peak of a song that usually is not repeated is the Bridge. In the bridge, you will often find the part of a song that surprises the
listener. It is a sort of reward to the listener for paying close attention to the song. The best songwriters build toward this Payoff. Sometimes the payoff appears in the last verse.

Below is a song component that generally does not contain lyrics. The
portion of a song where musicians non-verbally elaborate on the themes in the song is the Solo. This is where a guitarist or other instrumentalist steps forward. It

is the musicians opportunity to present his own perspective and experience through his instrument.

Here is the final component of the verse/chorus system of song structure. It is a sort of transition used to build up energy to prepare the listener for the chorus. It is the Climb. Its opposite is the Descent.

As you begin to figure out the parts of any new song, use the above method to diagram their sequence within the song. For better memorization, spend time just looking at the diagram you create for each song. Then redraw it a few more times.
78

ANOTHER WAY SOME SONGS MAY BE ORGANIZED.

Learning more about the verse/chorus system is usually not a big jump even for a complete beginner. We begin thinking in these terms in elementary school, church, or summer camp. Patriotic songs, church hymns, and campfire sing-a-longs introduce us at a young age to basic song structures. What may be news to beginning guitar students is that the verse/chorus format is not the only type of song structure. For many songs, there is a more simplified approach. Once you familiarize yourself with this new approach, you can start to recognize the songs that use it. With this system, you can communicate the structure of an entire song using much fewer words. This second category of song structure is the A-B-C system. All of the parts of a song are labeled alphabetically when using the A-B-C System. This
means the first part of the song is Part A; the second is Part B, and so on.

When we come across a song that uses the ABC system, we abbreviate the entire song structure using only the letters of the alphabet that label each section. For example, the sequence AAA would indicate a song that repeats the first section two more times.

If a section of the song repeats, then the repeated section retains the same label as the first time it appears (ABA, ABCA, ABCB, etc.) For example, ABAB is a song of two parts that repeat.

ABAC repeats the first part once after the second part, and ends with a section that differs from the first two.

79

Some songs that use the AAA structure can also have the exact same line of lyrics repeated at the end of each A section. In this case, those lines can include the title of the song. This type of song structure is often mistaken for the verse/chorus type structure. In the diagram below is a song written with an AAA structure, with the title repeated at the end of each A section.

Another common type of song uses the AAA structure with the song title in the beginning of each section.

When you are not sure which structure a song uses, always pick the structure that is quickest and easiest to communicate the song to another musician.

Understanding the past 5 pages is the key to developing your ear playing ability. Be certain you understand the Verse/Chorus system, and the ABC system. Apply this information as you begin to analyze every song you want to learn. This technique will help you become better able to play songs in their entirety. Most instructional methods totally leave out this information. It could have taken years, and hundreds of songs, for you to see this bigger picture behind song structure. You have now covered everything a beginning guitar player should know to learn how to play by ear. Without this book, you would have had to assemble all of these concepts on your own. I myself had to sift through countless method books. Ear training has evolved from the days of the wind-up record player, to our present day digital recordings. We are all standing on the shoulders of giants, with a vast musical heritage from which to draw. Emulate your Idols. Then share this knowledge with everyone, and make the world around you more musical. Do it for love.
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