Let's compose!

After some practice and learning music theory. I have compose my very first song. The chord progression for the first part is Am-Bm-Am-G-Bm-Em, for the second part is Am-Em-Bm7 and for the third part Bm-G-Em. It sounds a little sad and as coming from the middle ages. A friend of mine has added some drums and effects.

Anyone, all around the world, is invited to arrange, rearrange, remake or compose this structure.

Why don't we make a multi-ethnic group through the Internet? This could be a first step.

Join this adventure.

EMail: e_atienzar@yahoo.es

Blues Scale

The blues scale is similar to the minor pentatonic scale, but with an additional lowered fifth. The lowered fifth, also known as the "blue note", is essential in blues music. The blues scale consist in the following semitones (or frets)

3 - 2 - 1 - 1 - 3 - 2. Here are all the positions to memorize (the red and blue frets are the key and the blue note respectively).

And for every key note this is the chart with its notes.

 

The seventh chords, specially minor seventh chords, sound perfect with blues music. And the 12 bar progression is well known. That is I - I - I - I - IV - IV - I - I -  - V - IV- I - V. See Chord Progression.

I hope you enjoy.

Sorry, I have to go to practice.

Building Chords

In Chord Progression I showed a chart with some recommended chords depending on the root key in both degrees, minor and major.

A very common chord is built with the combination of the following triads.

But these chords, although very useful, do not satisfy me. I have been looking on the Internet for many others alterations that can be made in every chord. You can see a whole explanation about building chords in a Spanish web page called  "El rincón del guitarrista". Another interesting page is How Music Works.org
I have made a schematic chart with all this.

Finnaly I developed a program that helps to build chords progressions. See  GuitarChorder 1.1.

Man at improve English! 

Chord Progression

When one begins to compose and doesn't know much of music theory, try to play some chords as a mad, some of them sound well, with movement and strong but others sound awful.

As I said in Major Scales and Minor Scales there are some recommended chords for every key because they share notes. Let's take a look at this charts.

There are many famous progressions, for example, see the following from the link Chord progression:

• I - IV - V - V. (The basis of Ritchie Valens' "La Bamba", this progression also provides the refrain of Bob Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone", The Isley Brothers' "Twist and Shout", and The Beatles's "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds".)
• I - I - IV - V. (Millie Small's "My Boy Lollipop" (usually credited to Robert Spencer, Morris Levy, and Johnny Roberts), "Heartbeat" (written by Bob Montgomery and Norman Petty for Buddy Holly), The Rolling Stones' "Get Off Of My Cloud" (refrain), Paul Simon's "Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes", Van Morrison's "Madame George", The Ramones' "Blitzkrieg Bop")
• I - IV - I - V. (Common in Elizabethan music (Scholes 1977), this also underpins the American college song "Goodnight Ladies", is used the exclusive progression used in Kwela,^[12] and Solomon Linda's "Mbube"/"Wimoweh"/"The Lion Sleeps Tonight" among many others.)
• I - IV - V - IV. (Chip Taylor's/The Troggs' "Wild Thing", "Louie Louie", etc.)

 If you want experience some others progressions see GuitarChorder 1.1. It includes a program to build your own progression and hear it in some styles.



Sorry for my English. Any correction would be welcome!

Minor Scales

Minor scales sound different from major scales because they are based on a different pattern of intervals. Since comes from the scale A, B, C, D, E, F, G and A its pattern in semitones (or frets) is 2, 1, 2, 2, 1, 2, 2. As we saw in Major Scales to build, for example, the E minor scale we follow that pattern, that is: E, F#, G, A, B, C, D, E.

Let's see this on a symbolic guitar fretboard. The red frets correspond to the root note, E. And if you avoid the green frets you are playing in E Pentatonic scale. Isn't it easy?

Another example in key B.

Finally, I want to add the minor scale for every key. The first column is the name of the scale degrees. The second column the scale chord triad.
Later on I will introduce (and learn at the same time) some concepts about chord progression. Keep practicing and have fun.

 

Try my new program GuitarChorder 1.1 that helps to build chord progressions and displays major and minor scales.

Still learning English!

Major Scales

This time I want to put some light in all that mess about scales. In most of the pages I have visited they recommend to memorize the different positions on the fretboard. I have found easier to memorize the inner pattern of the scale.

The major scale ( or Ionian Scale) comes from the scale C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C and that means that follows the pattern 1 tone, 1 tone, ½ tone, 1 tone, 1 tone, 1 tone, ½ tone. In the guitar fretboard ½ tone is one fret and obviously one tone = two frets. If you want to play in G Major Scale you only need to step on that pattern beginning in G, that is G, A, B, C, D, M, F#, G.

Let's see this on a symbolic guitar fretboard. The red frets correspond to the root note, G. And if you avoid the green frets you are playing in G Pentatonic scale. Isn't it easy?

For any other key, let's say D, we need to move the pattern to the root.

Finally, I want to add the major scale for every key. The first column is the name of the scale degrees. The second column the scale chord triad.
Later on I will introduce (and learn at the same time) some concepts about chord progression. Keep practicing and have fun.

Try my new program GuitarChorder 1.1 that helps to build chord progressions and displays major and minor scales.


Sorry for my bad English.

Still learning!

BOSS GT-10

After one month meeting with my new Rock Group I realise that my guitar processor Boss GT-10 does not sound the same. So I decided to leave the user manual in the bathroom in order to read a bit twice a day (after some week ends even more times a day). I had to choose which preamp to use and its parameters, pickup type and which patchs suit for every song. I have found that it is a very hard job to do. Could any one of you, friends, give me some advices? 

El grupo

Después de un casting de nervios y sudores, y tras dos semanas de deliberación en sesiones secretas por parte de la dirección del grupo se ha decidido que sea yo quien se una al grupo. Se llama Moebius y sus componentes son de Alicante. Les gusta el rock sinfónico, son mayorcitos (por eso solicité entrar), son expertos y la música que hacen suena muy bien. Creo que aprenderé mucho con ellos. Me han pasado un repertorio inicial para que con la ayuda del gran Google busque las partituras (tablaturas mejor dicho) y vaya aprendiéndomelo. Este repertorio es el siguiente:

1. Pink Floyd: Wish you were here (solista).
2. Pink Floyd: Shine on you crazy diamond (bajo).
3. Focus: Sylvia (rítmica).
4. Joe Satriani: Always with me, always with you (rítmica).
5. Beatles: Lucy in the sky with diamond (rítmica).
6. Beatles: Here, there and everywhere (rítmica).
7. Steve Vai: The crying machine (solista).
8. George Harrison: Beware of darkness (rítmica).
9. Camel: Echoes (rítmica).
10. MOEBIUS: Divertimento en si (rítmica).
11. MOEBIUS: Still waiting (rítmica).

El equipo

Para abordar la empresa me he comprado un equipo. No creais que lo he madurado, ni tan siquiera he buscado mucho. La guitarra me parecía bonita y barata para empezar. No me pregunteis modelo. Es roja y "made in china", 280€. La pedalera, sin embargo, en un acceso de generosidad, valentía y optimismo decidí que fuera buena, 450€. Por último, el ampli. Si tenía una buena pedalera el ampli tenía que tener un buen sonido limpio y por ello me decanté por Fender, 165€.

1. Guitarra Gio Ibanez roja (http://www.ibanez.com/parts/2003_PARTS/el_guitar/spec/GRG270DXCA_2B_01.html)
2. Pedalera Boss GT-10 (http://www.bossiberia.com/ficha.asp?idproducto=301)
3. Fender Mustang II (http://www.fender.com/es-ES/products/mustang/models.php/?prodNo=230002)

Los objetivos

He decidido cumplir uno de mis sueños de infancia. ¡¡¡Llegar a ser un gran guitarrista!!!. Sé que a estas alturas carezco de las cualidades y capacidades necesarias. Este cuaderno de bitácora va a reflejar este duro proceso. Propuesta inicial diaria:

1. Un lick.
2. Un chop.
3. Una lección.
4. Una canción.

Para el lick:
http://www.myguitarsolo.com/Licks/Licks.htm

Para el chop:
http://www.myguitarsolo.com/chops.htm

Para la lección:
http://www.rockandrollparamunones.com/clases-de-guitarra/17.php