Let's Play : Red River Valley Guitar Lesson

Chapter 1: (00:24) Musical Introduction Jim plays through a fingerstyle arrangement of "Red River Valley."

"Red River Valley" is a folk song that is known by several different names. Some other names that refer to the same melody line are "Cowboy Love Song", "Bright Sherman Valley", "Bright Laurel Valley", and "Bright Little Valley."

The lyrics to the song are listed below. Usually, the appropriate title of the song is substituted for "Red River Valley" in the third line.

Come and sit by my side if you love me,
Do not hasten to bid me adieu,
Just remember the Red River Valley
And the cowboy that has loved you so true. Chapter 2: (02:55) Lesson Introduction "Red River Valley" is a great song to work on if you are new to playing a melodies and accompaniment figures. The melody line is comprised of very simple, straight forward rhythms. Also, the melody is played solely in first position in the key of C major. This is the easiest key to play in since it contains no sharps or flats. The chord changes to the song are relatively simple as well.

Goals for the Lesson

-Improve transitions between various chord shapes.

-Learn how to play a melody musically.

-Improve rhythmic skills by playing with another musician. In the scenes that follow, you will play the melody while Jim accompanies you with the chord progression. You will also have an opportunity to accompany Jim as he performs the melody.

Accompanying another musician while he/she plays a melody line is an equally important skill to playing a melody yourself. Remember that the melody to a piece is sacred. Do not drown out the melody line with your accompaniment. You must detach your mind from the mechanical aspects of your playing and listen to what the other person is playing. Chapter 3: (05:48) Red River Valley Basics Chordal Accompaniment

There are a few different ways to harmonize the melody. Jim starts off with a very simple harmonization and works his way into more complicated versions.

The first chord in the progression is the tonic chord, C. Notice how Jim plays the low root note of the chord on the first beat. The chord is strummed on beat 2. Then, the lowest available fifth of the chord is played on beat three. Finally, the chord is strummed again on beat four. This alternating bass pattern is applied to every chord in the progression.

The V chord in the key of C major, G, also occurs in the progression. Notice the way in which Jim fingers this chord. This fingering is most practical within the context of the progression. If it feels more comfortable, use the alternate "bluegrass" fingering of the G chord. Both fingerings of the chord are listed under the "Supplemental Content" tab. Regardless of which fingering you choose, you must make sure that all chord changes are performed smoothly and in time.

An A7 chord occurs later in the progression. As expected, this chord resolves to the ii chord, Dm. A7 functions as a dominant chord to Dm. For A7, you can either use the most basic "open" voicing or a barre chord voicing that contains the note G on the high E string. Jim typically favors the latter option since the note G is featured in the melody line.

At this point in the lesson series, you have only learned one voicing for the Dm chord. Play this chord with the fingering that Jim demonstrates in the lesson video at 02:45.

In measure 11, a C chord is converted into C7. C7 functions as a dominant chord to F major. Add the note Bb to the 3rd fret of the third string within a C chord to form C7. Use the pinkie finger to fret this note.

As expected, the C7 chord resolves to F major in the following measure. Jim chooses to play this chord with a full barre. However, feel free to use a four string voicing for this chord if you have not yet mastered the full barre shape.

Make sure that you can play an alternating bass line with all of these chords. Jim reviews all of the appropriate bass pattern for eac chords at the end of the scene. This pattern can either be played with a thumb pick or a flat pick. You may want to practice the accompaniment with both types of picks to become a more versatile player.

Note: In later scenes, Jim demonstrates a more complicated strumming pattern that can be applied to the accompaniment figure discussed in this scene. Chapter 4: (04:00) Chord Play Along In this scene, Jim provides you with an opportunity to play the accompaniment figure along with him. He plays through a fingerstyle arrangement of the song. This allows him to simultaneously play the melody and show you which chord you should be playing. Play the chord changes along with him to make sure that you are changing at the correct time and in the proper rhythm.

Note: Tablature to the accompaniment figure discussed in the previous scene can be found under the "Supplemental Content" tab.

Tune Time

Before you attempt to play along with Jim, make sure that you are in tune with him. Match your tuning to Jim's at 02:53 in the lesson video.

Pickup Notes

The melody begins with an incomplete measure. Notice how the melody begins on beat three rather than the first beat of the measure. Since the melody does not begin on the first beat of the measure, the first two notes are referred to as "pickup" notes. Do not come in with the chordal accompaniment until the first full measure begins. Chapter 5: (01:10) Playing with Jim Learn and master the basic version of the chord progression listed under the "Supplemental Content" tab. Begin by playing at a very slow tempo such as 60 beats per minute. Focus on performing the chord changes accurately and in time. Once you have mastered the accompaniment pattern at this tempo, gradually work towards the goal tempo of 90 beats per minute. Once you have reached this goal tempo, return to the lesson video and play along with Jim. Remember to remain silent as Jim plays the pickup notes in the first measure. Chapter 6: (02:09) Play the Rhythm In this scene, Jim plays the melody while you accompany him with the chord changes and alternating bass line. This forces you to fullfill the roll of timekeeper now that Jim is no longer playing the bass line along with you. If you find yourself having a hard time keeping up with the video, pause the video and practice at a slower tempo with a metronome. Remember that rhythm is the most important aspect of any musical performance.

Play the simple version of the chord progression listed under the "Supplemental Content" tab. This limits the number of chords to C, G, F, and C7. Once you have mastered this version, begin to practice the full version of the chord progression. Chapter 7: (09:48) Play the Melody Rhythm of the Melody

The melody is mainly comprised of half notes and quarter notes. Some dotted half notes also occur. A dot adds an extra half of the rhythmic value to the note that it follows. For example, a half note is worth two beats. When a dot follows a half note, an extra beat is added. A dotted quarter note receives the value of a quarter note plus one eighth note.

Note: For additional information about music symbols and notation, refer to the Phase 2 Reading Music and Rhythm lessons taught by Jim Deeming and Matt Brown.

C Major Scale in First Position

All of the melody notes occur within the first position pattern of the C major scale. For a review of this scale, refer to the "Supplemental Content" section. All of the melody notes span a single octave from G to G. These G notes occur on the open third string and the third fret of the first string. Listen at 01:07 as Jim plays through this segment of the C major scale.

Practicing the Melody

A. Phrasing

Work through the melody a phrase at a time. The phrases are separated by two quarter note rests. Play along with a metronome to ensure that you are keeping the rhythm steady. This melody should be played with a smooth, legato feel. Each note should continue to ring until the next note is played. Imitate the way in which this melody would be sung.

B. Picking Pattern

Keep the picking pattern as simple as possible. Since the melody does not contain any fast rhythms such as eighth notes or sixteenth notes, use all downstrokes.

If you want to practice alternate picking, use downstrokes for notes played on beats one and three. Use upstrokes for all notes that occur on beats two and four.

C. Left Hand Fingering

When playing in first position, each finger has a specific job. The first finger plays all notes at the first fret. Second fret notes are played by the middle finger. The third finger frets all notes at the third fret. Typically, the pinkie finger plays all notes at the fourth fret. However, the melody to "Red River Valley" does not feature any fourth fret notes. Keep your fingers as close to these positions as possible, even when they are not playing. This will ensure that each finger is prepared to play when called upon.

D. Performing the Melody

As you perform the melody with Jim, you might get lost. Learning how to jump back into the form is one of the most valuable skills you can learn from playing with other musicians. Everybody makes mistakes. Do not stop and start over if you make a mistake. Address any counting errors or wrong notes after you have completed the entire song.

In order to jump back in after a mistake, you must learn how to divide your attention. You must focus an equal amount of attention on what you are playing and what Jim is playing. If you lose your place, figure out where Jim is playing by looking at the chord changes written above the melody. Then, jump back in. If you memorize the melody, you will have an easier time jumping back in after a mistake. Chapter 8: (01:31) Play Along Jim provides you with an opportunity to perform the melody while he accompanies you with the chord progression. He periodically plays segments of the melody to make sure that you are staying on track with him.

Note: A backing track is included with this lesson. Instructions concerning how you should practice along with the track are listed under the "Supplemental Content" tab. Chapter 9: (06:34) Spicing Up the Rhythm In previous scenes, you learned how an alternating bass pattern can be applied to the chord progression of "Red River Valley." Jim demonstrates how this accompaniment pattern can be spiced up by adding some up strums. Within this pattern, a bass note is still picked on beats one and three. On beats two and four, strum down then up in eighth notes.

Note: Open "Rhythmic Variation 1" under the "Supplemental Content" tab for tablature and notation to this strumming pattern.

Up Strum Technique

The up strum technique will feel very awkward at first. Following the guidelines listed below will help you master this technique.

1. Relaxation is key!

2. Only grip the pick hard enough so that you don't drop it.

3. As you alternate between down strums and up strums, change the angle at which the pick attacks the strings. This requires that you rotate your wrist slightly like you are turning a door knob. Otherwise, the pick might get caught on the treble strings at the start of an up strum.

4. Upstrums are usually easier to perform at moderate to fast tempos. If you play too slowly, you will have a higher tendency of catching the pick on the treble strings.

Drill this strumming pattern with each individual chord until you have mastered it. Then, play through the entire progression with this pattern. Do not proceed to the exercise in the next scene until you have mastered this accompaniment pattern. Chapter 10: (01:58) Triplet Feel This new strumming variation features an extra strum on the "and" beat of one and three. This strum is played with an upstroke immediately following the bass note.

Note: Open "Strumming Variation 2" under the "Supplemental Content" tab for notation and tablature to this new accompaniment pattern.

Within a full performance of "Red River Valley, this strumming rhythm can be used in conjunction with the strumming patterns you learned in the previous scenes. Begin the first verse with a simple alternating bass line. Then, play the eighth note strums that you learned in the previous scene. Next, begin to play this new variation to build a crescendo into the next section of the song. Jim provides a demonstration of this idea at 01:30 in the lesson video. Notice how the strumming becomes busier as he progresses through the song. Chapter 11: (05:27) Adding a Bass Run Now that you've learned some ways to vary the strumming pattern, it's time to learn some ways that you can vary the bass line. It is very common to insert scalar bass lines as a substitute for the alternating bass line. For more information about this topic, visit Steve Eulberg's Phase 2 Bluegrass series of lessons.

Jim demonstrates a common descending line that connects a G chord to a C chord. The bass notes in this passage are derived from the first position pattern of the C major scale. When developing a scalar bass line, first observe the starting root note. Then, determine the root note of the following chord. How many notes from the major scale must be used to connect these two root notes? The notes from the C major scale between C and G are B and A. When changing from a G chord back to a C chord, you can play this bass pattern in the opposite direction. Drill these chord changes while applying the aforementioned bass movement. Jim provides a demonstration of this exercise at 02:22 in the lesson video.

The same principles can be applied when playing between C7 and F. Walk up from C to F using the notes D and E.

A chromatic bass line can be played between the F and G chords. Play an F# note when changing back and forth between these chords. F# is not part of the C major scale. However, it still sounds appropriate since it creates a smooth bass transition between the F and G chords. Chapter 12: (01:54) Optional Chords Jim explains how the harmony of the song can be improved by adding some additional chord changes. A7, Dm, and Fm are now added to the progression.
These extra chords give the progression a much more colorful sound.

Note: Open "Extra Chords and Bass" listed under the "Supplemental Content" tab . These new changes are listed above the melody line. Chapter 13: (05:05) Alternate Bass and Hammer-Ons In the country and bluegrass styles, hammer-ons are often combined with an alternating bass line to create an elaborate accompaniment figure. The appropriate hammer-on figures for each chord are listed below.

Note: Open "Advanced Accompaniment" listed under the "Supplemental Content" tab for a complete transcription of this new accompaniment pattern. This pattern combines all of the techniques that Jim has discussed in this lesson.

Play Hammer-ons Evenly!

Make sure that both notes under the curved slur line receive the appropriate rhythmic value. Many beginning guitarists have a tendency to cut the first note in a hammer-on short. At first, pick each note under the slur line in eighth notes to hear how the rhythm should sound. Then, apply the hammer-on to these notes.

C Chord

Hammer from open A to C at the 3rd fret of the fifth string on beat one. On beat three, hammer from the low open E string to the note G located at the 3rd fret. Beats two and four feature down and up strums played in eighth notes.

F Chord

When playing an F chord with a grande barre, hammer from the low E string to the root note. This figure can be applied to beats one, three, or both. When playing the four string voicing of F major, hammer on from the open G string to the note A at the second fret. Perform this figure on beat three of the measure.

G Chord

When playing a G chord, hammer from open A to B located at the 2nd fret. This figure is typically applied to beat 3. To add extra variety, hammer from open D to E the next time that the G chord occurs in the progression. For more information about applying bluegrass style hammer-ons to a G major chord, check out "G Based Bluegrass Lick" in the JamPlay Lick / Riff Library.

Note: Use the "search" feature to locate additional lessons pertaining to hammer-ons if you need extra help with this technique. This feature is located in the upper right hand corner of your web browser. Chapter 14: (01:19) Play Along Information Jim explains how to practice along with the backing track that is performed in the following scene. Within this track, the song form to "Red River Valley" is repeated three times.

Time 1: Jim plays the melody, you play rhythm.

Time 2: You play the melody, Jim plays rhythm.

Time 3: Jim plays a fingerstyle arrangement that combines the melody and chord changes. Practice either the melody or the chord changes during this repetition of the form. Work on whatever part is most difficult for you. Chapter 15: (02:23) Play Along With the Full Song Jim plays through song form as outlined in the previous scene. Audio to this backing track can be found under the "Supplemental Content" tab.

More "let's play" style lessons are coming to Jim's Phase 1 series in the future. In these lessons, Jim will break down basic melodies and chord progressions and explain how to add bluegrass / country concepts to them.

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