Music Concept
Pathway is an intermediate-level study built on a simple melody and featuring a variety of chord colorings.
In tonal music, knowing the key of a piece is a great fingerboard organizer, telling the guitarist what chords to expect and which possible positions they may be played in.
Much of the music written before 1900 is in fixed meter, that is one meter (or time signature) per piece. When the meter changes, frequently or infrequently, from one time signature to another within the same piece, it is called mixed meter.
“Scordatura,” in Italian literally meaning “discord,” refers to retuning the standard tuning of a string instrument.
This Invention in E major is in open position and features slurring, rhythmic syncopation, pizzicato, glissandi, ponticello, and p golpe (tapping on the soundboard).
Prayer is an intermediate-level piece that features sections of flexible rhythm, meter, and tempo in a playing style called rubato, a piacere, or ad libitum
When compound- and simple-subdivided beats are combined together, the result is irregular meter.
Kenya is a very accessible (open-position) hemiola study in the style of African folk music.
Suo-Gân is a traditional Welsh tune, first appearing around 1800 with lyrics set by the Welsh folklorist Robert Bryan.
A new rhythm arises when the accent pattern in 6/8 meter shifts from two groups of three’s to three groups of two’s. This is called hemiola.
Kalimba is an easy rhythm study featuring 16-note patterns with off-beat stress. It was written to imitate the sound of the south African instrument by the same name
Remembrance is a p,i,a,i,a,i arpeggio study. Before playing, make sure you’ve mastered free-stroke alternation on two strings. This requires two important techniques: the sympathetic and opposed finger motions.
The p,i,m,a,m,i arpeggio works most efficiently when organized as two sympathetic motions: i,m,a followed by m-i, with an opposed a,m in between.
Free-stroke position is the foundational position for the right hand. On average, guitarists use free stroke about 80% of the time when playing solo.
Two new beautiful studies composed by Alan Hirsh featuring rest-stroke melody with free stroke accompaniment–Solace in 5/8 and Lyric Tune in A major. Listen to a recording while you view and download them both.
This article is from the Online Supplement, Book II. An ornament is a note or group of notes that decorates and gives character to a melody. The simplest of all ornaments is the grace note…
Identify three-note fretboard patterns as chord names. Each pattern is part of a larger 4-, 5-, or 6- string chord. The qualities choices are lead-sheet style. (Here "o7" is for all types of diminished 7th chords)
