Something in Common (Guitar Lesson)
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Something in Common
Improving efficiency while playing your guitar is always a good thing. This lesson focuses on finding common tones and position similarities between chords so that switching between them is more efficient, and ultimately, more musical.
Taught by Michael Ripoll in Acoustic Pop With Nomad seriesLength: 10:32Difficulty: 1.5 of 5
Video Subtitles / Captions
Supplemental Learning Material
Acoustic Pop With Nomad
Found in our Beginner Lesson Sets"How does he make his guitar sound like THAT?" Have you ever asked that question when just hearing someone strum the guitar. There is a polish and an sheen to their playing that seems like it comes straight off of a recording. This series teaches you to play with THAT sound over many examples that span popular music throughout its greatest decades, including present day acoustic pop.
Lesson 1
Define Pop Music Please!
"How does he make his guitar sound like THAT?" Have you ever asked that question when just hearing someone strum the guitar? There is a polish and a sheen to someone's playing that seems like it comes...
Length: 9:19 Difficulty: 0.5 Members Only
The Slow Strum
Dial it back, slow it down and REALLY focus on your strumming mechanics, even if you already strum a lot! We are laying the ground work for intentional, yet free and natural sounding strumming.
Length: 12:51 Difficulty: 1.0 Members Only
Be Free With It
Nomad stresses the concept of honing in on something, internalizing it, and then forgetting about it and letting your intuition and musical sense take over. This lesson takes the mechanical approach to...
Length: 14:29 Difficulty: 1.5 Members Only
In Between Is A Dream
Pick up the tempo on the strumming a little in this lesson. Learn how to create a mid-tempo groove and practice improvising a bit within a planned strum pattern.
Length: 4:17 Difficulty: 1.5 Members Only
The Ghost In The Stroke
When it comes to strumming, what you don't play is just as important as what you do play. Nomad explains how to add subtle, rhythmic non-strokes into your strumming.
Length: 8:26 Difficulty: 1.5 Members Only
Have a Blast, Be Fast
Kick up the tempo tracker just a bit and practice some Americana style strumming. It's a challenge to make sure that you are still right on the beat - not rushing or lagging too far behind.
Length: 12:35 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Forward Motion
It's time to apply that age old Nomadian principle of taking what you've learned over the last several lessons, pushing it to the back of your mind and forgetting it. Let your intuition and artistic bent...
Length: 21:56 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Fingerpickin' Good
We've spent a fair amount of time on strumming so far. Now it's time to focus on another area in acoustic popular music: Fingerpicking! Learn and apply the basics in a musical context right away with this...
Length: 14:44 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Finger Focus
In the last lesson, the goal was to get started on fingerpicking without thinking too much about it. In this lesson, you'll get a chance to actually assign fingers to certain strings and hone in on creating...
Length: 18:49 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Finger Families
Your fingers will now be working together, separately! Learn to strike two strings or more with two different fingers. This leads to more interesting and flowing lines when fingerpicking.
Length: 9:19 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Finger Roll
Work with a very specific fingerpicking pattern while using a moveable chord shape to create some interesting sounds. Focus on the fingerpicking hand!
Length: 10:18 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Yellowbird
Learn a classic fingerpicking pattern that is a lot like a particular Beatles song. Get the pattern and the concept under your fingers with this lesson, and then pop over to Phase 3 and learn the whole...
Length: 11:44 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Something in Common
Improving efficiency while playing your guitar is always a good thing. This lesson focuses on finding common tones and position similarities between chords so that switching between them is more efficient,...
Length: 10:32 Difficulty: 1.5 Members Only
C, We're the Same!
Ground yourself in the Key of C and "C" how many ways you can join common tones in your chord voicings for smooth transitions and consistent strumming. Try these ideas with a capo for even more fun!
Length: 12:52 Difficulty: 1.5 Members Only
Common Tone Grab Bag
Now, Nomad takes you on a creative journey! Using his decades of experience in pop music, he demonstrates how to take ordinary sounding progressions and make them sound more connected and unique.
Length: 13:20 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
From E to Shining E
Due to the many open strings that can be left to ring out when strumming all the strings, the key of E can be quite the chord playground. Nomad takes you through some of his favorite ways to get fresh...
Length: 8:06 Difficulty: 1.5 Members Only
Upscale
Take the key of E to the next level! Nomad presents a few more ideas that are a bit more challenging and continues the experimentation process.
Length: 7:28 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
'A' Is for Almost Anything
The key of A is another one of those keys that can be really fun to play in! That low open A string really does the trick if you know how to use it. Nomad shares some of his favorite chord tricks in the...
Length: 15:06 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Sounds in D
We've looked at the keys of A and E. Now we'll look at the rich and deep world of D. Using the open D string with some great moveable shapes will give you some tasty ways to harmonize your musical inspirations!
Length: 11:04 Difficulty: 1.5 Members Only
Chord Flavor Grab Bag
We've spent some time focusing on what can be done in specific keys with open strings backing them. Now we are going to take some of these ideas and apply them to mini song examples.
Length: 7:42 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Fingerpicking Grab Bag
The last lesson took many of the chord ideas discussed in the previous lessons and got a little more "song-like" with the examples. In this lesson, you'll have a chance to contextualize fingerpicking...
Length: 10:01 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Neighboring Melodies
Unlock the melodic potential within simple chords. Accomplish this by looking at the chord in the context of the neighboring notes in the corresponding scale. Once you combine a few chords together using...
Length: 11:00 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Rhythmic Variations
Sometimes strumming can get a bit boring. Sometimes fingerpicking can be a bit too calm sounding. But if you take a little strumming, a little finger technique and throw in some percussive playing, you...
Length: 19:09 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Between the Lines
Get your pick ready and practice incorporating single picked notes into your strum patterns. You'll learn how to target key notes and further your melody sense while keeping time.
Length: 11:45 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Mayer May Not Be
Mix up some fingerpicking, a little slap, and some chord melodies and you have a John Mayer-tinged passage that will inspire your songwriting and grooves.
Length: 6:39 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
His Name Was Travis
Nothing accompanies a simple melodic song idea like the Travis picking technique. Nomad covers Travis picking with both the fingers and the pick and applies it in a few different contexts.
Length: 9:43 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Upside, Downside
What happens when you turn a chord upside down? What happens when you rearrange the notes? You get inversions. Inversions are everywhere and though that word may sound kind of boring or clinical, the music...
Length: 16:28 Difficulty: 1.5 Members Only
Listen to the Inversion
Look at how inversions are laid out on the lower string and then hear some ways that those inversions are worked into real musical examples. If you like the Doobie Brothers or Jimi Hendrix, you'll dig...
Length: 14:08 Difficulty: 1.5 Members Only
Sound Familiar?
Nomad shares a handful of examples of inversion from various pop songs written in the last several decades. See if you can guess the artists and songs that Nomad is alluding to!
Length: 9:03 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Yes, Less Is More
In recent pop music, the acoustic guitar can almost sound like it has been sampled...and sometimes it has been. Nomad explains how to create modern pop hooks and demonstrates the art of leaving space....
Length: 10:42 Difficulty: 1.5 Members Only
Altered State of String Tension
Get a taste of how to apply simple alternate tunings to your popular music melodies and strum patterns. It's amazing how new ideas open up when you modify just one string!
Length: 15:21 Difficulty: 1.5 Members Only
Harmonious Harmonics
Learn some simple, yet artistic ways to incorporate natural harmonics into your playing. You'll add a percussive element and create some depth of range with your melodic lines if you have harmonics in...
Length: 9:32 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Nothing To Do
Working in the style of Jason Mraz, Nomad offers a groovy, laid back track that will bring many of the areas of study from this series to the front and center.
Length: 4:50 Difficulty: 1.5 Members Only
Tom's Petty
Learn and experience the fun in playing some flowing and free feeling strum patterns inspired by Tom Petty. Nomad provides a Tom Petty-inspired track to sink your teeth and fingers into.
Length: 6:04 Difficulty: 1.5 Members Only
Nomad
Learn a complete original song by Nomad called "Nomad". If you like John Mayer and catchy acoustic grooves, you'll like what you see and hear. You already got a chance to dig into the main riff on this...
Length: 8:48 Difficulty: 0.0 Members Only
I'm Sorry
Hybrid fingerpicking, slaping, and some groovy strumming will have you making music with this Jam Track. You have touched on the main hook of this piece in an earlier lesson and now it is time to use...
Length: 6:37 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
In The Garden
Yes, there are acoustic guitars in songs that Katy Perry and the like sing over. Put the melodic hook ideas and simple part playing to work over this modern Pop track. Keep it simple... Keep it solid!
Length: 8:18 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Why Do I Still Love You?
Slow down and cool off for this Country-tinged travis picking track. Keeping things in context will have you playing real music and pushing your skills faster and more intentionally. Soak these tracks...
Length: 5:57 Difficulty: 1.5 Members Only
About Michael Ripoll
View Full Biography
Michael "Nomad" Ripoll is a consummate professional in the music industry with a list of credits and accomplishments that span decades. Best known as a masterful guitar virtuoso who has played with a seemingly endless list of the most respected names in the music world, Michael has always strived to exceed the boundaries of a traditional musician’s career by proactively seeking and securing opportunities to excel in other facets of the industry.
While he remains an artist and singer-songwriter first, Michael also operates as the Musical Director for world renowned artist and friend Kenny ‘Babyface’ Edmonds, has launched an innovative online format for guitar instruction, and has even contributed to major motion picture film scores. Working with the likes of Stevie Wonder, Sting, Natalie Cole, the American Idol Tour, the Pussy Cat Dolls, India Arie, and countless others, Michael is regarded as one of the industry’s most sought after session players and touring musicians.
Michael earned the nickname "Nomad" after he started posting pictures and videos of his travels around the globe on his website and YouTube. Follow Nomad everywhere his guitar takes him here at JamPlay and at
ilikenomad.com
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