Authors: Erich Andreas
Guitar Mastery Simplified: How Anyone Can Quickly Become a Strumming, Chords, and Lead Guitar Ninja (6 page)
If you find that you are having
trouble with a rhythm or two, check out this video which will teach you a
couple of ninja guitar tricks and will help you through the rough patches and
allow you to master any rhythm:
Master ANY Guitar Strumming
Rhythm With This Secret Technique.
Remember to TAKE IT SLOW and don’t
get the fretting hand involved until you feel consistent about the strumming
hand. With diligent time and practice you will get REALLY good at this.
to Read Chord Charts
Learning to read chord charts is
fun and easy
.
It will open a new world of songs to you, as you will now be able to
unlock the “code”. I use charts all the time in the studio, live and as a
teacher, especially for songs that I am not familiar with, or don’t have the
time and need for memorizing. This method of playing music is not too
dissimilar to preparing a speech and then reading it, or referring to your
notes throughout the speech. Most bands that play together a lot don’t
use charts because they have played the songs enough times to have them
memorized.
There are many chart types, but only a few that you see
often. The type that we will be covering today, is the most common and
most useful. The charts we will be covering are standard and “number”
charts. There are several things that need to be covered before we can
unlock these charts.
Meter
– Most songs begin and end with the same
“meter”. Meter is defined as: rhythm that continuously repeats a single
basic pattern. About 99% of today’s music is in “4”, which means that the
basic pattern repeats every four beats. Most other tunes are in 8 or 6,
where the pattern repeats every 8 or 6 beats respectively.
Every now and then, you will find a song written in an “odd”
time signature like 5 or 7. “Money” by Pink Floyd is in 7. If our
chart says, “In 4,” that means that pattern for the most part will repeat every
four beats. If there is a strumming rhythm, it will typically repeat
every four beats as well. If you have trouble counting to the music, here
are some things that will help you.
1.
Most
songs emphasize the “1” beat. It’s when most chords transition from one
to another.
2.
The
snare drum (the very loud beat that you can hear easily on recordings) is
usually the “2” and “4.” The snare drum is that high pitched, loud drum
that sits between the drummers knees. It sounds a bit like a clap.
Feel and Capo
– If the song needs a capo, it will
typically be denoted like “Capo 3,” etc. This would mean that you would
put the capo at the 3rd fret.
Using a capo,
“transposes” the actual chords.
Often times, charts won’t mention
the feel of the song. (
feel
= what key the song feels
like, for example – C or G major) That’s no problem though. Just capo
where requested and act as if the capo is the “nut” of the guitar.
If you move the capo to the 3rd fret, you will need to play
your chords 3 frets higher than you would if you did not use a capo. I
will often denote the feel of the song, especially if it’s a “number” chart.
This way you know what chord to play for the number represented.
More on that later!
Groupings
– Chords will be separated from each other
when they represent a “measure.” If a song is “In 4,” you will see a
chord separated by a space, and then another chord, etc. For a song like
Carrie Underwood’s, “Before He Cheats,” each chord represents 4 beats. So
there would be a total of 16 beats for the following chord progression (E- D C
B7). If a measure has more than one chord in it, it’s called a split
measure and is denoted, by an underline.
For example, in the song “Hallelujah”, by Rufus Wainwright
and written by Leonard Cohen, the 10th measure of the verse is split, C D.
Since this is still a measure of “4,” “C” would get two beats and “D”
would get two beats. In
Feist’s
, “1.2.3.4.,” the
intro and verses are all split. Since that song is in 4, each chord would
get two beats because they share the measure. Then in the chorus it would
be back to our normal full measure of four beats per chord. Sometimes you
will see “hash” marks over the chords if it’s not an evenly split measure.
In Rascal
Flatts
’ “What Hurts The
Most” you will find an “uneven” measure, in the 1st bar (measure) of the
bridge. The “C” chord would normally be held out for 3 beats, and the “D”
for one beat, but we have yet another notation to consider. The “p” above
the “D,” means that you “push” the D chord. Basically, you just play it a
little earlier than you would normally play it. To be exact, you play the
“D” on the “and of 3” not on the 4. If we count 1+2+3+4+, the C is held
for 1+2+3, and the D is played on the + of the 3 and held out for +4+.
This last part is a bit complex, so if you don’t get it right now, don’t
worry.
Come back to it though, because even though you won’t run
into it very often, you will hear a difference.
Inversions
– Inversions are chords that have another
note from that chord that is played in the bass, instead of the “root.” A
“C” chord has a C in the root. A “D” chord has a D in the root, etc.
Sometimes you will see a chord symbol like “C/E” as we see in the 3rd
measure of the chorus of The Beatles, “Eleanor Rigby”. Simply put, this
is a C chord with an “E” in the bass. Normally when we play a C chord, we
mute the low E string (6th or thick string) with our thumb, or we don’t strum
it at all. That would produce a sonically correct “C.” However,
when a “/” chord is represented, that usually means that another instrument
(usually the bass) is playing that low note, instead of the root of the chord
(i.e. “C”).
Other examples that you will see often times are G/B, which
means a G chord, with a B in the bass (2nd fret/fifth string). C/G is C
chord with a G in the bass (3 fret/6th string). D/F# is a D chord with
an F#
in the bass (2nd fret, 6th string). I like to
reach my thumb around the neck and play that F# with my thumb (difficult for
smaller hands). Often times you will have to change your fingering in
order to produce this new inversion. If you don’t quite get this section
on inversions at first, don’t worry. Learning is a process. Come
back to it and eventually, it will make sense.
Also, whenever you see a “/” chord, you can safely play the
chord to the left of the slash. If it’s a C/E, you just play the C.
If it’s
a D/F#
, you can just play the D.
If you are playing with a bassist, he would usually play the lower notes
and your ear won’t be searching for it. If you are playing by yourself
(solo guitar), you might find something “missing” with the chord if you don’t
include the lower note.
Number charts
– Often times, studio musicians
(especially in Nashville) will prefer a “number chart”. These charts
refer to numbers instead of letters. The reason that studio players like
these types of charts is that they are easy to transpose (change keys).
Refer to the colorful “number system matrix chart” for these examples.
For “Hallelujah,” the 1 represents the G and the 6 represents an E.
However, there is a minus (-) after the E. That means that you make
the E, an E- chord, instead of an E. The fifth measure of the verse is a
4, which in the key of G is a C chord.
The sixth measure is a 5, which in the key of G is a D
chord. If we were in the studio and the singer wanted to try this in the
key of C, instead of G, we wouldn’t have to rewrite our charts. We would
just have to “rethink” in the key or feel of C. In this scenario, the 1
would be a C, the 6- would be an A-, the 4 would be an F and the 5 would be a
G. Another reason that we might want to change keys (other than the
singer), is playing ease. This song is easier played with a G feel, so
that our 5 chord is a D instead of an F (in the key of C).
However,
in the 14th measure of the 1st verse, we
find a 3-. In C, that would be an E-, which is an easy chord to play. In
G, the 3- would be a B-, which is a bar chord and a more difficult chord to
play. Using the capo helps us to limit bar chords, but sometimes they are
unavoidable. Everything else however is consistent between number charts
and standard charts. In a nutshell, number charts substitute numbers
instead of letters.
Symbols and Notation
– Since charts are condensed
versions of actual music, there is often much left to the imagination. We
can’t hear a piece of music. It is lifeless, until a musician brings it
to life! Symbols and notation help musicians get a better idea of what
the composer or arranger wants, like road signs when we drive.
Since these are fairly impromptu and different from each
chart writer to the next, sometimes you just have to use common sense. (
i.e
. if a chorus is followed by 3x, it typically signifies
that you should play the chorus three times). However, you will see these
symbols “[:” and “:]” or something similar fairly often. These denote a
repeated section of music. If you were to see, “[: E- C G D:],” you would
play E-, C, G and D and then repeat it. If the “:]” were followed by a 3x
you would play for a total of three times.
How to practice
– If you are still new to chords and
moving between them, it’s best to 1
st
practice
your transitions. To do this, move your fretting hand (relax the strum
hand) back and forth between two chords. Just toggle
back and forth
without strumming. Try this for a bit with all the chord transitions in a
song. Once you get the left hand “working,” you can strum to make sure the
chords sound nicely.
Remember that every great guitar player struggled with the
same chords that you and I struggle with.
DON’T GIVE UP
!!
Just be observant to your hands when you hear something that’s not right.
Once you have the transitions down, it’s best to play the chord on the
“1” and hold it out for the full measure or four beats (if the song is in 4).
Often times this is called a “diamond.” You will see this written
in many of my charts when a chord is to be held out for a full measure.
Playing in “diamonds” will get your internal metronome
(clock) in better sync with the music. Once you get the “feel” of
diamonds, you can start strumming on each single beat. If you know what
the strumming rhythms of the song is, you could then practice that, but not
before getting the “diamonds” and single note strums down. Here is the
breakdown for practicing these charts:
- Transitions
- Diamonds
- Single beat strums – ¼
notes
- Actual strumming rhythm
of song
In summary,
charts will allow you to play music that
you have never played before. At first your reading will be slower, just
like it was when you first learned to read a book. Then as the months and
years progressed, so did your reading. Sooner than later, you will be
able to look at a chart and play it correctly for the first time, just like
reading a book. Practice, practice, practice and have fun!!
Remember...
PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!
...and
HAVE
FUN!
Counting Song
IN 4 Capo 2 (C feel)
Big Cheater
IN 4 Capo (G feel)
