“A man's true delight is to do the things he was made for.” (Marcus Aurelius)
“A man's true delight is to do the things he was made for.” (Marcus Aurelius)
"My apologies for the fuzzy tab/notation graphics. We will correct this as soon as possible."
Lesson author David M. McLean performing live, summer, 2005.
David with his duo Alien Blue performing live 2005.
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by David M. McLeanThis section is a resource for advancing guitarist as well as guitar instructors looking for objective criteria by which to judge specific areas of progress. It should be noted that this lesson is not a replacement for a qualified instructor, but a very limited set of objective criteria geared toward a basic understanding of the instrument and specific technical standards that will allow a grasp of more difficult music or forms of expression. See the specific criteria, sans explanation, on the "Award for Guitar Excellence" page.
Scales
Everything is based on C major here because the shapes formed by the patterns allow you to shift position to play, say, in G major or Bb major...or A minor or the "modal scales". Your instructor will explain in further detail. First is C major open:
ListenWhen we get to the 3NPS requirements and we're speaking of 60 or 80 or 120bpm, we mean "3 Notes Per String" and "Beats Per Minute" (playing 16th notes, or 4 notes per beat). This assumes you are picking every note, not relying on slurs (hammer-ons & pull-offs). Be sure you know the notes below C, also (in the example below, add frets 3, 5, 7 on string 6 [or notes G, A, B] for the complete box). Example:
ListenIt is assumed your instructor will also have you playing these in different patterns (4nps, for example) and configurations (in 3rds & 4ths, for example), and that your execution will be clean regardless of speed. It is fine to replace the standard 3NPS patterns with the traditional "box" patterns if you prefer.
ChordsTechnique
Many instructors require what they refer to as "the basic 14 open chord shapes". Since the minor-7s get so much play, however, I've added them to level one. The standard 1-5 diad, or powerchord, is used in everything from "Johnny B. Goode" to "Iron Man", while the inverted form is used in songs like "Bad to the Bone" and "Smoke on the Water". Instructors will explain how these shapes (& fragments) are moved with & without barring.While general style (country, jazz, rock, blues, classical, etc.) will dictate whether or not you use all of these chords (or, rather, how often you will use them), it's still a good idea to know some basic moveable shapes for all the 7s & 9s & augmented & diminished chords just in case you need them.
These are only mentioned at level one because it is assumed that as you learn more and are held to a higher standard of execution (faster speeds on scales, for example), your technique in various areas will improve. Technique certainly isn't everything, but it counts for a lot...especially with the rampant cross-pollination of technique across stylistic barriers, which is why it's not a bad idea for classicists to grasp touchstyle technique or rock players to have a basic understanding of fingerstyle techniques.SongsImprovisation
Regardless of style, it's not a bad idea to have plenty of "social songs" at your disposal. "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" works for various situations, from 5 year olds gathered at a birthday party to playing around the campfire to family picnics to drunken frat parties. It's been said by many a guitar giant that "..you're only as good as the number of songs you know...". While this isn't entirely true, it's a very good indicator of musicality as opposed to a purely "technician's" approach to the instrument. It is assumed that we learn guitar not to zoom scales, but to play songs.It's also not a bad idea to have some songs for solo performance at hand. Holiday songs work out well for these situations. As an aside, it is not required that you memorize all the songs at your disposal for each level - just be sure you've played them enough that you're able to play them in a variety of situations with little or no prep, relying only on a short-hand sheet as a guide.
Improv is a basic skill required in most styles of music. Your instructor will assist with basic soloing & comping strategies, as well as style-specific strategies. It is also assumed that your instructor (or you, if you are using this in your personal studies) will set additional guidelines and requirements and goals.Now go have fun!
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SDML web-site first published 1999; last up-date: 2009