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The
Principles of Practice
Based on "The Principles of Correct
Practice for Guitar"
by Jamie Andreas
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| IN
THIS ISSUE |
March
18, 2001 Volume 36
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What Does G/B, D/F# Mean, Anyway?
Do I Have To Play 2 Chords At The Same Time?
Life is full of so many little mysteries, isn't it! Here is one
that caused a budding guitar player to stop scratching their head
long enough to write me and ask about those strange little chord
symbols that look like they are asking you to play two chords at
once. Hey, sometimes one is bad enough!
Dear Jamie,
Thanks for your weekly newsletters. I have been learning for the
last 6 months. I have found plenty of material concerning chords
and scales, but occasionally I see what I call a combination chord
in a song page that only has words and has been tabbed (chord notes
above words) but does not contain notes. Usually these song pages
are easy enough to follow and help me to study chords and patterns
because I have to research the chords that I am not familiar with.
These combination chords, and perhaps there is a better name for
them, look like this: C/E, F#/A, G/B, D/F#, etc.
I haven't come across any material that explains these things. Do
you know of any? I would appreciate any helpful knowledge you have
of this. Thank you.
When we are learning something that is very complex, we usually
learn it in a series of "levels" of complexity. The first
level is, necessarily, at a level of complexity that we can grasp.
It is not the whole story, because we are not prepared for the whole
story, we wouldn't understand it. In order to move to the next level
of understanding, we must modify, and sometimes replace, our previous
understanding.
Learning about chords is like this. When you first learn chords,
they are given to you as a "picture" or chord diagram
of where to place your fingers. So, you think that a C chord IS
that particular finger arrangement that makes the sound needed to
play the song you are learning. It is perplexing, later on, to learn
that there are hundreds of ways to do a C chord, and you have only
learned one. They told you it was THE C chord, when in fact, it
was only A C chord, but that was more than you needed to know at
the time!
When I am ready to move a student to the next level of understanding
about chords, beyond the simple association of one particular finger
pattern with the chord name, I will explain that a chord is a group
of notes that sound good together. For example, a C chord IS the
notes, C, E and G, put together, that's all. It doesn't matter how
or where you play them. A piano has lots of C's, E's and G's. Play
any combination of them, and you have a C chord.
However, even though any combination will be a C chord, they still
will all have a different quality. If two of the notes are low bass
notes, and the last one is a high pitched note, it will sound very
different than if all three notes were high pitched notes.
The exact notes we pick to make the chord from all the 88 keys of
a piano, or the many different frets on the guitar, is called the
"voicing" of the chord.
For example:
If three men each take the C, E, and G of a C chord and sing it,
it will sound different than if three women sing it. If the three
men exchange notes, the one that was singing the C now sings the
G etc., it will again sound different. That's voicing.
One of the most important things to realize, when moving to a higher
level understanding of chords, is that the BOTTOM note of the chord,
the note with the lowest pitch, has a tremendous effect on the quality
of the overall chord sound. A chord sounds "strongest",
most established, or most "like itself" when the note
with the same name as the chord is the lowest pitched note. The
note with the same name as the chord is called the "root of
the chord", a C note for a C chord. If two of the guys, and
one of the girls sing the three notes of a C chord, and the girl
sings the note C in the higher pitched register of the female voice,
it will sound incredibly different than if one of the men sing the
C with his lower pitched voice.
When we learn chords on the guitar, we first learn them in a way
that puts the note with the same name as the chord in the bass.
So, for a C chord, we learn the fingering that puts the C note as
the lowest sounding note, the one played with the 3rd finger on
the 5th string. We are told to block the 6th string, as that note,
while one of the notes of the chord, will create a "muddy"
effect on the overall sound if allowed to be heard. (Sometimes a
note is not even part of the chord, and must be blocked, as the
6th string on a D chord. It will not just sound muddy, but "out
of tune" with the chord.
There are times, however, when we actually want the effect of one
of the other two notes of the chord being in the bass. We want the
chord to be a little less "solid" and "fixed"
sounding than it does with the root in the bass. Sometimes, we want
the E as the lowest note, or the G. Sometimes the note itself is
part of what is called a "moving bass line", creating
an actual melody as the chords change. At such times, the music
will indicate this in a shorthand notation called "slash chords".
This is what you are referring to when you mention C/E, or F/A,
G/B very common ones. It means "play a C chord where E is the
lowest sounding note, not the root, C." It does not mean "play
a C chord and an E chord at the same time"!
Of course, that requires a different fingering to obtain the necessary
three notes, (C, E and G for a C chord). On guitar, you can get
what you need often by just leaving out a string in your strum,
as in only strumming the first four strings for the C chord and
leaving out the root on the 5th string.
The technical name for these "slash chords" is INVERSIONS.
If you want a deeper understanding of this subject you could check
out a book I have often used with students, which is Mel Bay's "Jazz
Guitar Method". Get Volume 2. Volume 1 deals with the theory
behind it, but it may be hard to understand, especially on your
own. This book contains many of the basic "moveable" forms
used for playing all over the neck in different keys. A lot of the
simpler forms, such as G/B are usually included right in the song
you are working on.
An advanced guitarist knows how to play not just "root position
chords", but all the inversions as well. Many possibilities
open up to the player who can do this. But any guitarist, even early
on, will come up against some of these inversions, as you have already
done!
Music IS Religion
My answer to Amit from India (from March 4 and also in this newsletter)
touched upon an aspect of being a musician that is extremely fundamental.
It is the realization on the part of an individual that this idea
of "playing music", and "being a musician" is
not some casual hobby, but in fact, seems to be one of the deepest,
if not THE deepest element in their life. It is sometimes even frightening
to admit it, because then you have to face the scary prospect of
honoring that realization, and setting about to become a musician,
with all of what that means in terms of developing your ability,
and, scariest of all, living in this world doing something as "impractical" as playing music. Almost anyone who does will immediately have lots
of people TELLING them how impractical it is.
For me, music IS Religion. It is spiritual, and the impulse to make
music is a spiritual calling, whether you play rock, or classical.
I believe anyone who feels that impulse SHOULD honor it, and should
have access to the training required to bring the calling to fruition.
More and more, people write to me and tell me of their intense desire
to be musicians. Many people let me know that they are finding great
inspiration from my work, and that is the greatest satisfaction
to me. I can't answer everyone personally, but I read every e-mail
that comes in, and I thank you for communicating your thoughts and
feelings to me, and I encourage you to continue to do so.
I got such a letter from Jarrod recently, and it was very touching.
He writes:
Hi Jamie.
This isn't really a question, it's just a statement of gratitude
I felt I must convey to you. I wanted to thank you for your work,
and for being such an inspiration to so many of us sometimes frustrated
students. I started my life in music at 5, on Piano, switched to
guitar at 16 and i'm 20 now. I can play most things very well, but
I won't be satisfied until I can truly master the guitar. My attitude
is "succeed at all costs, and never give up". I know that
reaching my goal is possible, others have proved that, I just need
to stay determined as I have been. I've come to the point in my
life where I know that I must be a guitarist, and it's my complete
passion in life and reason to live.
Anyway, I had reached a level of ability that seemed to be at a
standstill, for awhile it was discouraging not to progress and become
more proficient. I was like a flat tire on the road to my goals.
Then fate seemed to pull me to your web-site. I now have a new understanding
of music and determination to move forward, your words inspired
and motivated me and your idea's and principles have put me on the
road again with a full tank. I know only time stands between my
next level of ability. So for that , I thank you.
take care, Jarrod
Letters like this let me know that my efforts to connect with this
level of passion on the part of my readers and online students is
successful, and even more importantly, necessary. It seems people
need to KNOW, as Jarrod says, that it IS possible to honor your calling,
and in fact, may even be very necessary for your ultimate fulfillment
and happiness. And this applies to all those people who want "playing
the guitar" to be just one element of their lives, but a very
special one none the less. Music is divine, and the impulse to play
is a spiritual impulse, whether you use that word or not. Music is
religion, whether you use that word or not. Playing is praying and
praising God, whether you use that word or not. It doesn't matter.
God doesn't want to be believed in, He wants to be recognized. When
you honor your impulse to play music, and act from that place, you
are performing that recognition. Whether music is your full time occupation,
or a part time activity for you is not important. What is important
is that when you play and when you practice, it is with 100% of your
being.
I recently came across a quotation which captured very well the feeling
of this "recognition". It is by a voice coach, Oscar Saenger:
"Music is the noblest, the most intimate, the
most complete manner of self-expression known to mankind, and in
the last analysis self expression is the great thing for which mankind
is ever searching. There comes into every life a time when the inner
self can no longer be reached by things from without., when the
soul craves that which it can supply to itself alone. Music then
becomes not only a source of forgetfulness of material things, and
a solace, but also an inspiration."
Let us continue to satisfy the "inner craving" that we alone
CAN satisfy, by our own creative, self-expression.
All
material copyright © 2003 by Jamie Andreas, GuitarPrinciples.com |
