Anatomy and Dynamics Guitar Lesson

Chapter 1: (00:37) Musical Introduction Welcome back to another lesson in the Guitar Performance lesson series! Chapter 2: (02:26) Introduction and Warm-up Before moving on with the lesson, please be sure to warm-up and review the following:

1. Warm up the body.
2. Single note hum.
3. Three note hum.
4. Hum "me-me-me-me" to "mah-mah-mah mah" to me-ma-me-ma-me."
5. Wake up the breath with "sah-sah-sah" etc. long and sustained then five times staccato.
6. "Sah" in five-note descending scales, then five-note ascending scales.
7. Work these scales faster and faster, then louder and louder.
8. Play each of the open chords and sing scales while accompanying yourself.

We’ve been talking about the process of developing performance skills and the singing while playing the guitar. I’ve been giving you some basic ways to start developing the skills necessary to sing and play at the same time, but there’s more work to be done! Chapter 3: (06:36) Song Anatomy From my experience, it is important to learn the guitar rhythm and the chords that you will be playing before you start to sing along with them. If you jump into a song without getting the initial structure of it down first, then singing it can become a nightmare. The first step of learning a song is figuring out the structure. Thinking about songs in the following way can be very helpful.

Song Introduction

1. Does the introduction have unusual chords?
2. Does the intro have any unusual chord changes?
3. Does the intro have any unusual rhythms?
4. How is the intro played? Does it use picking, strumming, fingerstyle, etc?

The Verse

1. Try and figure out which chords are being used in the verse. They may be open chords, barre chords or other interesting chord variations.
2. Listen to the strum pattern played in the verse. It may be different from the introduction and chorus.
3. Listen for any melody lines. Are there notes played in between the chords?
4. Listen to the length of the verse. How many measures of music are there?

Chorus

1. Listen to the chorus and figure out which chords are being used. Are they the same chords as the verse or introduction? Is the chorus in a different key (such as a minor key)?
2. What strum pattern is being used? How does it differ from the other parts of the song? Is it faster or slower?
3. How long is the chorus? Be sure to listen to how many measures are present.
4. Are there any melody lines found within the chorus?

Bridge

1. Pay attention to the chords in the bridge. They may be different from the rest of the song, especially if the bridge is designed for a guitar solo.
2. Pay attention to the structural aspects from the other sections as well. Figure out the strum pattern. Listen to how long it is and pay attention to any hidden melody lines.

Dynamics of the song

1. Listen to the dynamics of the song. Figure out where the song is played loudly and softly. Figure out where the tempo speeds up or slows down. Pay attention to the singer and how his voice responds to each segment of the song. We will talk more about dynamics in the next scene.

Anomalies

1. Be sure to listen for any anomalies in the song. Songwriters often throw in anomalies or change things around to make the music interesting. Be sure to take note when this happens!

This is just a simplistic way of expressing the structure of a given song. You know as well as I do that songs can take on much simpler or much more complex forms involving very specific parts from the bass, drums, and vocals. Chapter 4: (06:28) Song Dynamics Dynamics can be defined as variation and contrast in sound, intensity, and form.

When we look at the concept as applied to music, it often implies changes in volume from one part to the next. In the above outline, if one were to learn a particular song that he or she were interested in learning, it would be in his or her best interest to pay close attention to how the song changes in dynamics from one section to the next. In other words, does the song get louder during the chorus? Does the song start soft in the introduction and then get louder as it goes? Does the song fade in during the intro and fade out at the end? These are important considerations when learning (or writing) a song and should be looked at in earnest. Dynamics can determine the overall mood that the song imparts and can distinguish between parts of the song as well. Dynamics can also deliver the “punch” that the writer is intending during a particularly intense and emotional portion. Pay close attention to the dynamics of a song when learning it and listen carefully to how it changes the overall tone of the piece.

Anomalies
The final section of the outline is merely here as a suggestion that songs need not follow any preexisting patterns or guidelines. A song can be two chords played over and over and with the exact same rhythm and strum, or it can be an incredibly complex and non-repetitive piece of music that only the most talented orchestra could play. Many modern songwriters throw in an extra chord here and there or an odd change in rhythm in order to deviate from the ordinary. Pay attention to what the writer is trying to convey to the listener when you are learning a song. I’m not saying that you have to learn someone else’s song exactly as they wrote it. I’m merely suggesting that you listen and pay attention to the structure that is there for you before you attempt to sing it. I’ve learned much of what I know about music from other writers. Chapter 5: (00:24) Exercise Time Get your guitar out! It's time for some exercises. Chapter 6: (02:20) Practice Exercises Exercise 1
Play D A C G for your verse and strum in this pattern: or "down down down-up." Pay attention to the dynamics and/or volume that you are playing these chords and don’t forget to relax your strum and play from the wrist. Chapter 7: (04:25) Exercise #2 and #3 Exercise #2
Play the chords F G Am G for your chorus and strum them in this pattern: or "down down-up down-up down-up down-up down-up." How do you want to change the dynamics of the song? Do you want to make the chorus louder than the verse? What emotion (if any) do you want the change in dynamic to relay to the listener?

Exercise 3
Yes, you knew what was coming next! This time, pick four chords for your verse and four for the chorus.
Emotion
As I’ve said before and will probably say again, don’t ignore the element of emotion in music as it dictates whether your playing is exciting and inspiring or bland and boring. Listen to what you are playing and to others who already do it well. We all can learn from others who have preceded us even if we don’t necessarily like that particular style of music or that particular artist.

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