Chord Exercises (Guitar Lesson)

Chapter 1: (00:45) Introduction In the previous lesson, Dave focused on essential components of picking hand technique. In this lesson, he continues his discussion of basic right hand mechanics. Dave applies specific right hand techniques to a set of chordal exercises. Get tuned up and ready to rock! Chapter 2: (08:29) Chord Exercise Chord Exercise

A. Emadd9

This exercise begins with an Emadd9 chord. Open the "Supplemental Content" tab for a detailed fretboard diagram of this chord. Emadd9 has a very dark and mysterious tonal quality. This is due to the F# note on the D string rubbing against the open G string. Combining two notes that are one half step apart within a chord creates a dark, haunting quality.

Note: Dave mistakenly refers to this chord as an "E sustain" chord.

Most beginning players face one specific problem when learning this chord. Due to poor left-hand technique, the G string is often muted. This is due to a few specific errors. Many beginners fail to keep their knuckle joints sufficiently arched and bent. Also, make sure that you arch your left wrist outwards. This will provide enough clearance between your third finger and the G string, ensuring that the string rings clearly. Lastly, make sure that you keep your thumb planted against the middle of the neck. Do not move it up and over the top of the neck.

There are two possible fingerings for this chord. Dave demonstrates both versions in this lesson. You can either fret the 4th fret of the D string with your third finger or pinky finger. Most likely, you will find it easier to use your pinky finger. In the long run however, it is best that you play this particular chord voicing using the third finger. Frequently, other notes such as D, the seventh of the chord, are added to the overall structure. When these notes are added, the chord becomes nearly impossible to play if the pinky is fretting the fourth string. Make sure that you master this chord before you try to insert it into the exercise.

B. C/G

If you have been following along with the rest of Dave's Phase 1 series, you already know the basic C major chord. Frequently, this chord is played in an inversion. A chord is "inverted" when a chord tone other than the root is played as the lowest bass note. In this case, the fifth of the C chord, G is played as the lowest bass note. A "/" written in the spelling of a chord indicates that the chord is inverted. The letter to the left of the slash indicates the actual triad name. The note written to the right of the slash is the note that occurs in the bass. C/G is a very common chord inversion. This chord can be found in the verse portion of Nirvana's cover of "The Man Who Sold the World." Some other very common examples of inverted chords used in rock and roll are G/B and A/C#.

When fretting this chord, it is necessary that you make some adjustments to the basic C chord. When playing C/G fret C on the 3rd fret of the 5th string with your pinky finger. Then, fret the low bass note with the third finger. Be careful that you do not mute the open strings in this chord!

Note: Open the "Supplemental Content" tab for a fretboard diagram of this chord.

C. D/Aadd9,11

If you move the C/G chord shape up two frets and continue to allow the open strings to ring, a strange new chord is formed. The name of this chord is D/Aadd9,11. This means that the chord is a basic D triad with the fifth, A, in the bass. In relation to the D triad, the open G string is the 11th of the chord. The high E string is the 9th. This is why the suffix add9,11 is added to the chord. An arpeggiation of this chord opens the popular Phish song "If I Could." Sliding an open chord shape up the neck to form strange sounding new chords is a very common trick in the rock genre.

Note: Check out lesson 15 of Brad Henecke's Classic Rock lessons for more information regarding this concept.

Playing the Exercise

Before you begin to practice the exercise as it is actually written, take some time isolating each of the chord changes. Set your metronome to a moderately slow tempo. Then, strum the first chord and hold it for a full measure (4 beats). On the downbeat of the next measure, strum the next chord in the progression. Isolating individual components within an exercise makes it more manageable and easier to learn.

Once you can switch from chord to chord in perfect metronomic time, begin to arpeggiate each chord as indicated in the exercise tablature.

Note: Open the "Supplemental Content" tab for tablature to this exercise.

The time signature for this exercise is 11/8. This means that each measure contains 11 eighth notes. The eighth note is counted as the primary unit of the beat. Each picked note within the exercise is counted as an eighth note. Set your metronome to click each time you pick a string.

Dave ascends each arpeggio pattern using a downstroke for each note. When descending the arpeggio, he uses all upstrokes. However, it is highly recommended that you play this exercise with strict alternate picking. This will give the exercise a smoother and more musically pleasing sound.

Right Hand Technique

When picking arpeggio patterns similar to the pattern that comprises this exercise, you must make some adjustments to your right hand technique. Do not rest your wrist on the bridge of the guitar like you normally would. Instead, anchor the forearm to the upper body of the guitar. Your wrist should now be floating freely. This provides you with the widest range of motion. This is absolutely necessary when picking arpeggio patterns. Never anchor the pinky finger to the guitar under any circumstance! This greatly limits your range of movement as well as your overall level of control when picking. This fact is greatly accentuated when picking arpeggio patterns that involve all six strings.

Notes on Performance

Contrary to popular belief, it is acceptable to look down at your guitar during a performance. However, you do not want to have your head buried in your guitar throughout the entire course of a performance. You wouldn't give a speech without acknowledging your audience. Why would you play guitar that way? It should be noted that playing the guitar without looking at it places higher emphasis on the tactile sense. Practicing in this way is the best way to improve the overall muscle memory in your hands in fingers.

If you need any help with this lesson, feel free to contact the Jamplay staff. Thanks for watching!

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