PJ:: Thanks for your lesson on guides and pivots. Can you provide any assistance on the G chord to C chord change (where all fingers are finding different homes on the fret board)? I am finding the C to G change pretty straightforward, but getting back to C has been a bit frustrating to say the least. Anything you can share would be appreciated.
Peter: This is actually a tough chord change. I promote working on changes like this with slow motion work. Practice doing the chord change (or any that is difficult for you) by moving your fingers in slow motion. As slow as you can possibly go. This will help you minimize motion and gain control of your fingers. Depending on the fingering you use you are probably having to lift all of your fingers for this chord change. Practice lifting and placing them all at the same time in slow motion using as small of motions. Don’t feel bad if this takes a while to master. Once again this is a difficult change but the battle is well worth fighting and will help you with other difficult changes as you progress. Best of luck.
Terry: I have been having trouble putting my lead playing together then i heard of a word called phrasing do you have anything on this?
Peter: Phrasing refers to the way you play a musical idea. It involves the rhythms and dynamics that you use to help you express whatever it is you are trying to express. For example do you play it like you are angry or do you play it quiet and sensitive. The main thing is the musical idea must be going somewhere and not played like a computer with every note the same volume and rhythm. There is no right or wrong way to phrase-just how it is you are feeling at that particular time. It is much like when we give a speech. If we say every word with the same volume and emphasis we put people to sleep. We must “phrase” to give each word, sentence, and paragraph it’s intended meaning.
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Mike: I just found your site “Watch & Learn” and I like it very much. I was going over the section on Country 3rd’s. My question is, why are they called 3rd’s?
Peter: The reference to 3rds has to do with the type of interval they are. Intervals means the distance between two notes. For example 1 fret is also called a half step and two frets is called a whole step. 3 frets is called a minor 3rd and 4 frets is called a major third. This way people can communicate with different instruments and know what is being talked about regardless of whether they have frets on their instrument or not. This falls under the category of music theory. You may want to try The Guitarist’s Music Theory Book. (on our site) It starts from the beginning and all the intervals and their relevance is covered in the first chapter. Thanks for the question and I hope this helps.
Watch Peter’s video explanation of Major and Minor Thirds.
Bill: Can I put the lighter gauge electric guitar strings on an acoustic guitar (that is also electric) to make it easier to fret and do bends on it?
Peter: You can but there are several things you should know. I wouldn’t use electric strings but lighter gauge acoustic strings. Lighter gauge will also mean less tone and less volume. Secondly, your guitar is not set up for these gauge strings and will probably have to be. This also means if you switch back to a heavier string it will have to be set up again.
Phil: I’m working my way through some ideas based on your bebop scale video at Free Guitar Videos. Why is so much attention paid in jazz to the 2m7 – 57 change? I’ve read that it 70% of understanding jazz. How can that be?
Peter: The 2-5-1 chord progression is pretty important in jazz. You will find this progression in many jazz standards. I think saying that understanding it covers 70 percent of jazz is an overstatement but it is quite significant. The 2-5-1 progression is the way many jazz tunes establish a key-it is also quite often the way they change keys. Jazz soloists are constantly learning to play over these chords with lines and specific licks. You will find some of these on our site. The bigger concept is tension and release. In jazz tension is created over the 5 chord and released when it gets to the 1 chord. The 2 chord is really just an extension of the 5 chord. Jazz has particular ways of creating tension with it’s chords and solos that make it different than most other genres. I can’t go into the theory required as it would take several books to do so. Jazz players are still writing new ideas concerning this concept. Learn some 2-5-1 chord progressions, learn some 2-5-1 licks, and study some jazz standards so you can recognize one when you see it or hear it. You will also have to learn about altered chords and altered licks. If you don’t know theory-you will need to. This is is a life long direction-you never will know it entirely.
If you have a question send it to petervogl@comcast.net or leave a comment below.
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