In the 27th episode in his basic guitar series, Mark provides exercises designed to make you a better rhythm player. He also adds a few new chords to your vocabulary.
Taught by Mark Lincoln in Basic Guitar with Mark Lincoln seriesLength: 0:00Difficulty: 2.0 of 5

or the snap-strum.

or the ever-popular "down down-up down" with a snap strum in the middle of it.


or the more recently acquired "down down-up-down" (remember that the strums linked together by a hyphen need to be played in succession with no pause).



or "down down down-up" (on the first chord) up up-down up-down (on the second chord). Watch me in the video for more clarification of these strums.



(leaving the last
off).
Chapter 8: (03:17) Chording Exercise
Chord Exercise


and a quantitative change of that strum


. We'l start with an Em chord and then progress to two derivatives of the Em. Ready? Here we go!


on the Em chord, then make the quantitative change by eliminating the last down stroke and play


on the B5 chord. Now, play the first part of the strum with the G/B chord and then the second part of the strum with the B5 chord again. Do you notice that you are, in essence, walking up and down the D string? Pay attention to how you accent (or don't for that matter) particular strokes in your rhythm and how you are maintaining your time. Watch me in the video for extra help with this technique. This exercise will be continued next week.
Learning the basics of the guitar, the building blocks if you will, is an extremely important step in learning and mastering the guitar. This series is all about the basics.
Lesson 1
This lesson is all about the basics. Mark explains guitar parts, holding the guitar, and more.
Length: 13:12 Difficulty: 0.5 Members OnlyLesson 2
Mark begins by discussing equipment every guitarist should own. Then, he introduces chords and proper tuning methods.
Length: 17:28 Difficulty: 0.5 Members OnlyLesson 3
Mark finishes his discussion of the "open" chords. He applies these chords to basic rhythm and strumming concepts.
Length: 17:33 Difficulty: 1.0 Members OnlyLesson 4
Mark reviews the major chords and introduces the minor chords. He also covers strumming techniques in greater depth.
Length: 25:48 Difficulty: 1.0 Members OnlyLesson 5
Mark introduces a few more minor chords. He also provides a monster chord exercise.
Length: 16:36 Difficulty: 1.5 Members OnlyLesson 6
Mark Lincoln continues his discussion of chords and strumming. He introduces several new exercises in this lesson.
Length: 19:30 Difficulty: 1.5 Members OnlyLesson 7
Mark covers several topics in this lesson. He explains scales and barre chords. He also demonstrates how to find notes on the fretboard.
Length: 21:45 Difficulty: 1.5 Members OnlyLesson 8
Mark Lincoln covers E shaped barre chords in greater depth. Mark refers to these chords as "Type 1" barre chords.
Length: 15:12 Difficulty: 2.0 Members OnlyLesson 9
Mark covers the A Shape / Type 2 barre chords in greater depth.
Length: 17:12 Difficulty: 2.0 Members OnlyLesson 10
Mark introduces minor barre chords that utilize the shape of the "open" Em chord.
Length: 13:10 Difficulty: 2.0 Members OnlyLesson 11
Mark introduces minor barre chords based on the shape of the "open" Am chord. He refers to these chords as "Type 2 Minor" barre chords.
Length: 12:36 Difficulty: 2.0 Members OnlyLesson 12
Mark demonstrates abbreviated versions of the "Type 1" and "Type 2" barre chords. He calls these "mini barre" chords.
Length: 17:43 Difficulty: 2.0 Members OnlyLesson 13
Mark teaches the "mini barre" version of the A major shaped barre chord. He also explains dissonance.
Length: 20:29 Difficulty: 2.0 Members OnlyLesson 14
Mark Lincoln applies mini-barre chord concepts to minor chords.
Length: 12:28 Difficulty: 2.0 Members OnlyLesson 15
Mark Lincoln explains essential components of guitar technique.
Length: 15:59 Difficulty: 2.0 Members OnlyLesson 16
Mark Lincoln explains how dynamics can enhance your playing. He covers topics such as volume, tempo, rests, and more.
Length: 27:48 Difficulty: 0.5 Members OnlyLesson 17
Mark Lincoln explains more about guitar technique. This time around he introduces "transition strums" and continues his discussion of liquid chords.
Length: 26:12 Difficulty: 2.0 Members OnlyLesson 18
Mark Lincoln explains what harmonics are and how they are played.
Length: 15:31 Difficulty: 2.5 Members OnlyLesson 19
Mark Lincoln expands on the concept of liquid chords. He explains new chord variations and how they can be changed in mid-strum.
Length: 16:21 Difficulty: 2.0 Members OnlyLesson 20
Mark demonstrates how chord progressions can be spiced up by adding hammer-ons and pull-offs.
Length: 12:21 Difficulty: 2.5 Members OnlyLesson 21
Mark explains how chord fingerings must be altered when applying "liquid chord" concepts. He also provides a few new "liquid chord" exercises.
Length: 11:10 Difficulty: 2.0 Members OnlyLesson 22
Mark returns to the land of chords. This time around, he provides an exercise that contains four variations on the A chord.
Length: 14:28 Difficulty: 2.5 Members OnlyLesson 23
Mark provides a chord progression that shifts from one D chord to another in six steps.
Length: 15:20 Difficulty: 2.0 Members OnlyLesson 24
Mark delves deeper into chord construction and alternate chord voicings.
Length: 13:36 Difficulty: 2.0 Members OnlyLesson 25
Mark tests your guitar knowledge with a pop quiz. Then, he discusses quantitative and qualitative changes.
Length: 22:54 Difficulty: 2.5 Members OnlyLesson 26
In the 26th installment of his basic guitar series, Mark reviews the quantitative and qualitative changes he presented in lesson 25.
Length: 17:34 Difficulty: 2.5 Members OnlyLesson 27
Mark provides exercises designed to make you a better rhythm player.
Length: 0:00 Difficulty: 2.0 Members OnlyLesson 28
Mark Lincoln expands on the rhythm exercise from lesson 27. This time around he incorporates several C based chords.
Length: 14:31 Difficulty: 2.5 Members OnlyLesson 29
Mark discusses proper playing technique. He provides a few exercises that facilitate right hand mechanics.
Length: 17:02 Difficulty: 2.5 Members OnlyLesson 30
Mark provides an exercise that features two new chords - Cadd9 and Dsus2.
Length: 0:00 Difficulty: 2.0 Members OnlyLesson 31
In the 31st lesson, Mark discusses his "finger glue" technique. This technique improves speed and accuracy.
Length: 21:31 Difficulty: 2.0 Members OnlyLesson 32
Mark takes a step back in lesson 32 to explain how to make quick and accurate chord changes.
Length: 22:14 Difficulty: 1.5 Members OnlyLesson 33
Mark explains how to use the slide technique between chords.
Length: 19:24 Difficulty: 2.0 Members OnlyLesson 34
Mark reviews qualitative and quantitative changes. He explains how to keep time while performing these changes.
Length: 21:17 Difficulty: 2.0 Members OnlyLesson 35
Mark discusses qualitative and quantitative changes within an A minor progression.
Length: 19:56 Difficulty: 0.5 Members OnlyLesson 36
Mark Lincoln discusses several techniques that can be used when transitioning between chords.
Length: 21:43 Difficulty: 2.0 Members OnlyLesson 37
In this lesson, Mark once again covers the subject of chord transitions. This time around, he focuses on barre chords and includes several helpful exercises.
Length: 23:25 Difficulty: 2.5 Members OnlyLesson 38
In lesson 38, Mark discusses how playing single notes rather than chords can spice up your playing.
Length: 22:56 Difficulty: 2.0 Members OnlyLesson 39
Lesson 39 is all about rocking out. Mark discusses some tips to take your playing to the next level.
Length: 18:08 Difficulty: 2.0 Members OnlyLesson 40
Lesson 40 takes a deeper look at slash chords. Mark discusses why they're called slash chords, and how they are formed.
Length: 14:42 Difficulty: 2.0 Members OnlyLesson 41
In lesson 41, Mark reviews the warm-up section and provides new tips on playing adequately from the wrist.
Length: 22:09 Difficulty: 2.0 Members OnlyLesson 42
Mark builds further on barre chord techniques and liquid chords.
Length: 17:24 Difficulty: 2.5 Members OnlyLesson 43
In lesson 43, Mark discusses additional skills related to learning and playing chords, specifically "liquification" of chords.
Length: 20:42 Difficulty: 2.0 Members OnlyLesson 44
Lesson 44 is all about trying new things. Mark discusses experimenting with your playing in order to take it to the next level.
Length: 17:20 Difficulty: 2.0 Members OnlyLesson 45
In this lesson, Mark once again talks about changing up chord derivatives to create a more unique sound.
Length: 20:56 Difficulty: 1.5 Members OnlyLesson 46
In lesson 46, Mark explains how to maximize your options by maintaining chord shapes while playing.
Length: 21:44 Difficulty: 1.5 Members OnlyLesson 47
Today, Mark takes in depth look at strumming.
Length: 23:57 Difficulty: 1.0 FREELesson 48
Mark Lincoln teaches an original song entitled "Shine Like the Sun."
Length: 18:59 Difficulty: 2.0 Members OnlyLesson 49
Mark teaches some useful information on how to mix postures, "finger glue," and techniques to make your chord changes speedy and more effective.
Length: 30:56 Difficulty: 2.5 Members OnlyLesson 50
In this lesson, Mark guides you through the world of alternate chord voicings. He teaches several shapes and shows how they can be used to enhance your playing.
Length: 23:06 Difficulty: 2.0 Members OnlyLesson 51
Mark brings us a very appealing aspect to better understand the guitar. With his explanation of "liquified" chords, mark will explain how to move up and down the guitar to create different chord voicing.
Length: 25:32 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
About Mark Lincoln
View Full Biography
Mark Lincoln was born in S. California but was raised near Portland Oregon in a town called Beaverton. When he was twelve years old, he began his journey into the realm of the creative by composing poetry and was later published in a journal called "In Dappled Sunlight." He wrote for four years until his older sister blessed him with his first guitar, an old beat-up nylon stringed classical guitar. Mark played that guitar for five years, continuing to compose his own lyrics and starting the process of matching his own words with chords that he was learning on the guitar. He learned to play chords from his friends and from music books that he both bought and borrowed. Mark cited his four biggest influences, at that point at least, as The Who, Led Zeppelin, Jethro Tull, The Rolling Stones.
Mark cites his most current influences as Radiohead, U2, older music by REM, and Peter Gabriel amongst others. He performs with two acoustic guitars, one being a six-string M-36 Martin with a three-pieced back for increased bass response, and a Guild Twelve-string which is his most recent acquisition. Mark is fond of saying that the twelve-string guitar is better because you get two guitars for the price of one, but he still plays his Martin equally as much and with the same passion.
Mark ended up in Fort Collins Colorado where he currently lives, works as a Marriage and Family Therapist, and continues to write, teach and perform music. He currently performs with a group called "Black Nelson" as well as with a number of other seasoned professional musicians including his cousin David, a virtuoso lead-guitar player. Mark has performed in many of the smaller venues in Denver and Boulder, as well as some of the larger ones including the Fox Theatre, The Boulder Theatre, Herman's Hideaway, and also at The Soiled Dove where he opened for Jefferson Starship as a soloist. Some of Mark's originals are also available for your listening pleasure on MySpace.
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Member Comments about this Lesson
Discussions with our instructors are just one of the many benefits of becoming a member of JamPlay.I am looking at the information about this lesson and the tabs you have for B5 and G/B have all the strings muted except or the D A strings. I am assuming that this is not correct. In the lesson Supplemental content the lesson exercises have all the strings being played.
Hey Mike! Sometimes you'll see small inconsistencies between what's being played and the sup content. Just stick to what I'm doing in the video and you'll be golden...see you soon! Mark
thank mark your awesome
Thanks Bee great to hear from you! Mark
Hey Mark, your lessons are awesome, your doing great! The only problem I have is keeping my time...I bought a metronome and I try to keep the beat going with my strum, like down,down,up,down. and I'll go thru like a series of chords, but I often find myself loosing the beat. Im tapping my foot and even counting in my head like 1,2,3en,4...but its hard to do all that and try to sing? what can I do to overcome this frustrating thing?
Hey Zach thanks for writing in. Without seeing you play the main piece of advice I can give you is to simplify. Really try to just get the strumming part and developing your timing down before you start to sing over the top. I know you're ready to rock out with it but you may need to strengthen your playing before adding the complexities of singing into the mix. Good luck with it! Mark
As far as figuring out the spacing of a certain strum pattern, I've taken to writing it out like drum tablature: d d du u ud ud 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + down, down, down-up, up, up-down, up-down...