Tag: guitar lesson

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Some Thumb Fun

This is a little thumb-tapping riff I’ve been working into a fuller composition for some time.

Often, I use this as an introduction to a medley I do with pieces by three of my favorite guitarists: Jimi Hendrix (Little Wing), Carlos Santana (Europa) and Stevie Ray Vaughn (Riviera Paradise).

As you’ll see, this is still a work in progress. It begins with the thumb-tapping exercise (hence the title of this blog and the piece itself). I then use a bit of fret tapping with the index finger.

I’m not quite sure about the middle section yet. I’ve been fooling around with this little progression using harmonics, in this case going from a Gm6 to an Am. I’m accomplishing these chords by barring on the third and fifth frets but leaving the high E string open. Then, 12 frets above each of these bar chords, I’m tapping on the frets to achieve the harmonics. Notice, I’m alternating between the bar chord harmonics and hitting the open high E string to achieve that Gm6 chord, which I think has a nice ring to it.

Once I get this finalized, I’ll post an update.

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Dance With Me

A while back, a reader requested a guitar cover of this old soft-rock tune. I always like the melody and harmonies in this song, as schmaltzy and sentimental as the tune is.

I have been fooling around with a drop C tuning. And by that, I mean the entire guitar is tuned down to standard tuning. So this would be C-F-Bb-Eb-G-C.

I am playing a 1976 Guild D35NT. In fact, according to my research, it was exactly the second guitar off the factory line for Guild that year. I bought the guitar second-hand in 1978 and it has followed me around the country ever since.

We’ve made multiple cross-country treks, and even a few flights.

I had a bit of work done to it when I bought it. A luthier in Chico, CA, who had done work for David Crosby, re-fretted it and did a bit of scalloping to warm up the tone.

I only just recently began experimenting with the “tenor” tuning, and I am really enjoying it.

Anyway, here is my rendition of “Dance With Me.” And in this case, I am using the equivalent of “Drop D” tuning. The low E string in this case is tuned all the way down to Bb.

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A step-by-step tutorial: “A Little Help From My Friends”

A WHILE BACK, I posted this video of a simple way to perform the Beatles classic on guitar. It involves using a capo, but only on the top 5 strings across the second fret. This provides a kind of “Drop E” or “Open E” tuning that I really like to use.

The advantage of this technique is that you don’t have to learn any new bar chords as you might have to do with most open tunings, and yet you get the benefit of allowing open strings to resonate with the chords and notes you play in this particular key. Here’s the original performance:

Well, today, I’m going to show step by step how to play this song, with a chord chart that you can use to follow along.

To receive a PDF of the chords and to get more of these instructions, you can sign up for my mailing list. I’d also love your feedback on whether you find these lessons useful.

And here is there full performance that I previously posted for reference.

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Picking the blues

I’m a finger picker. Sure, I can use a plectrum or guitar pick and do so from time to time, but I prefer strumming and picking with my fingers. I find I have more control and in many instances can play faster.

Most people would assume finger picking is relegated to either classical music, blue grass, Americana or folk. But I’m going to demonstrate how it can be effectively used for blues with a little riff in A minor.

Essentially, what I am doing is using all five fingers on the right hand to voice the chords, and then arpeggiate (that is, play the chord by picking out each individual note in succession), providing what I think is a nice effect because it straddles between strumming a chord and sounding like a guitar riff.

Check out the video here on Youtube. Remember, you can slow the video down by going to settings to watch the finger style playing more closely.

Let me know what you think about this approach.

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