Down by the Riverside Guitar Lesson

Chapter 1: (02:18) Introduction Welcome back to the Reading Music and Rhythm Series! Lesson 19 begins a two part lesson detailing a duet arrangement of "Down by the Riverside."

In past lessons, you have doubled Matt while playing a melody line or scale exercise. Now, you must perform a part that is totally independent from what Matt plays. Playing an independent part will force you to improve your rhythm and counting skills. You can no longer rely on his example to ensure that you are playing in time. You must build the confidence to be able to count and play on your own. In the current lesson, Matt plays an accompaniment part while you play the melody. In the next lesson, the roles are reversed. You will play accompaniment while he performs the melody.

Melody Demonstration

Watch and listen carefully as Matt performs the melody to "Down by the Riverside" at 01:32 in the lesson video. The melody is demonstrated in second position. Chapter 2: (04:35) Down by the Riverside Key Features of the Melody

A. Cut Time

Cut time is indicated with an uppercase letter "C." A vertical line is written through the "C" to differentiate this meter from "common time" or 4/4.

Note: A cut time symbol can be found under the "Supplemental Content" tab.

Similar to 4/4 time, cut time can be written two different ways. 2/2 also indicates a cut time signature. Remember the guidelines that Matt discussed in lesson 3 concerning time signatures.

Top Number

The top number in a time signature indicates how many beats are in a measure. There are a total of two beats in each measure.

Bottom Number

The bottom number indicates which note is counted as the beat. 2 on bottom = Half note gets the beat. Thus, a measure of 2/2 time contains a total of 2 half notes. Unlike 4/4 time, the half note now receives the beat instead of the quarter note. Another way to think of 2/2 is that it is a version of 4/4 in which the notes receive half their normal value. As a result, a quarter note in 2/2 receives the value of an eighth note. By the same principal, an eighth note now receives the value of a sixteenth note.

B. Accidentals

Quite a few accidentals occur in the melody. Many D# notes occur in "Down by the Riverside." This note is played at the 4th fret of the second string.Sharps, flats, as well as double sharps and double flats are all examples of accidentals. When an accidental is used, it carries on through the rest of the measure. A natural symbol must be used to indicate that a note is no longer sharp or flat.

C. Staccato

Staccato is a musical style in which a note is played short and detached from the note that follows. The duration of the note is cut slightly short. Staccato is the opposite of legato. A dot written above or below a note indicates the staccato feel.

Watch Matt in the lesson video as he plays the C major scale in a staccato style. To produce a staccato note, lightly lift some of the let hand pressure from the string. Do not completely remove the finger from the string. When adding staccato to an open string note, the left hand must mute the string after it is struck. Chapter 3: (03:02) Identifying Song Phrases Unlike past lessons, Matt does not explain how to play each of the individual phrases. At this point in the series, you should be able to play the melody from the musical score on your own. If you are confused about how a certain section should be played, refer to Matt' s performance example provided in the first scene. If you still have questions, feel free to write in for help.

Phrasing

When learning a new piece, remember to identify the phrases. You must highlight the phrases by playing them like a vocalist would sing them.

To determine the phrase structure of a piece, study the guidelines and tips listed below.

-A phrase must contain a logical, complete thought.

-Often, rhythmic features such as long sustained notes or rests occur at the end of a phrase.

-The lyrics to the song provide a strong indication of phrase breaks.

-Important cadences such as the V to I authentic cadence usually happen at the end of phrases.

-Play through the piece to hear how it sounds. This will give you the best idea of where the phrase breaks are.

Print out the melody to "Down by the Riverside." Using a pencil, indicate where each phrase break occurs with a comma.

Practice Time

Before proceeding to the next scene, learn the melody. Return to the lesson video when you can play the melody in time with a metronome set to a moderate tempo. Chapter 4: (05:05) Playing Along Counting in 2/2

Remember that there are only two beats per measure in cut time. Consequently, the count in that Matt uses is different from the count in that he uses in 4/4. He uses two measures for the count in. However, each measure now consists of two beats.

Play Along Example 1

Play the melody along with Matt at 00:52. If you make a mistake, simply keep going. Address any errors after the conclusion of the performance.

Play Along Example 2

This time around, Matt plays the accompaniment while you play the melody line. The same count in is used for this example. Remember to come in with the pickup notes before Matt enters with his accompaniment on the downbeat.

Accompaniment

Matt's accompaniment remains quite simple throughout the song. On beat 1, he plays the root of each chord. The chord is then strummed on beat 2.

Additional Practice

Check out Jim Deeming's Phase 2 Music Reading lessons as well as the "Let's Play" style lessons in his Phase 1 series for more practice of this kind.

Preview of Next Lesson

Matt demonstrates how to play the rhythm accompaniment to "Down by the Riverside." You will practice your accompaniment skills while he plays the melody line.

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