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| GUITAR: BEGINNER ACOUSTIC GUITAR LESSONS | |||
| WorkshopLive's Beginner Acoustic Guitar Lessons are designed to help the beginning guitarist master this wonderful instrument. You'll get great insight into many essential topics and techniques such as how to approach switching between a variety of open chords, syncopated strumming patterns, Major and Chromatic Scales, and some country and bluegrass style techniques such as the Boom-Chick strum pattern. Once you have mastered these acoustic lessons, you'll be able to take many of the great folk and pop song lessons available here at WorkshopLive. |
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| COURSE | LESSON | TEACHER | DESCRIPTION |
| Chords I | Chord Switching Tips | Pat Johnson & Susan Mazer | Hi, in this lesson we will learn techniques to simplify the task of switching from chord to chord while maintaining a steady beat. We will discuss using a pivot finger to make quicker and more accurate chord changes, counting aloud to help you develop a better sense of rhythm. We'll check out left-hand fingerings for E, A, D, G, C, D7 and E Minor chords and we'll learn about the repeat sign. With a little practice you should be strumming through some common chord progressions in no time. |
| Chords I | Introducing G7 and Dmin | Pat Johnson & Susan Mazer | In this lesson you will learn how to play both the G7 and the D Minor chords in open position. You will begin to learn the function of the G7 chord. You will learn how to use a pivot finger to switch between D Minor, G and G7. Several common chord progressions will be used to demonstrate how to play these new chords, and what they sound like in the context of chords you have already learned. By the time you are done this lesson you will be two chords closer to learning all of the chords. Let's get started. |
| Strumming I | Strumming: Introducing Eighth notes | Pat Johnson & Susan Mazer | In this lesson, you will learn how to count and play eighth-note strum-patterns, which means you will learn to strum the guitar both down and up, just like all the other guitar players from the campfire to the concert videos. You will learn common strum patterns in both 4/4 and 3/4 time. Eighth-note rhythmic notation and the symbols for down and up strokes will be explained. We will continue to work on keeping a steady beat while strumming eighth notes and I will introduce you to the wonderful world of the metronome, which is NOT an inner-city lawn ornament. |
| Strumming I | More Strum Patterns with Eighth Notes | Pat Johnson & Susan Mazer | In this lesson I will show you how to control your strumming arm so that you can maintain a steady beat. You will learn to create a back beat by accenting beats 2 and 4. In this lesson, I will give you more options for strumming in both 4/4 and 3/4 time. Once you have mastered these new strums so that you can hear and feel them, you will start to recognize them in many of your favorite songs. Good eighth-note strumming technique is essential to developing fundamental rhythm guitar chops. |
| Strumming I | Boom-Chick (or Bass-Chord) Accompaniment Style | Pat Johnson & Susan Mazer | In this lesson, you will learn what is commonly called the Boom-Chick strum, which typically gives a country or bluegrass sound. Have no fear those of you who are not country or bluegrass fans. This technique can be found in many other genres of music. A common issue with many beginner or intermediate guitarists is that they find they are always using the same strum to play every song. Once you have learned to Boom-Chick, that will forever change. In this lesson, you will begin to mix bass notes with chord strumming to create an illusion that there is more than one instrument. Exercises in both 4/4 and 3/4 will be covered. Let's get started! |
| Melodic Playing I | The Chromatic Scale | Pat Johnson & Susan Mazer | In this lesson, you will learn the chromatic scale. I will use the chromatic scale to teach you the names of all the notes on all six strings of your guitar. You will learn what the terms 'sharp' and 'flat' mean and how to apply them to the notes you have already learned. I will show you a very useful left-hand fingering method for navigating the fretboard that will help you memorize the notes on each string all the way up to the 12th fret. Learning the notes on the fretboard is a skill that is essential to your development as a guitar player. This lesson will unlock the mystery of the notes above the 3rd fret. Come on, let's get started... |
| Melodic Playing I | The C Major Scale | Pat Johnson & Susan Mazer | You may not know it yet, but you are probably already familiar the sound of a major scale. This lesson will show you how to find that familiar sound on your guitar. You will learn about whole-steps and half-steps and how to make a major scale with them. In this lesson, I will teach you how to play the C major scale both horizontally and vertically on your guitar. The exercises in this lesson will help you to get familiar with one of music's most useful concepts. It seems that no matter what you are trying to understand in music, understanding the major scale is a prerequisite. So lets get to it! |
| Melodic Playing I | Alternate Picking and Eighth Notes | Pat Johnson & Susan Mazer | Of the many picking techniques used to play the guitar, alternate picking seems to be the preferred method for most guitarists in most situations. Even the most advanced guitarists lean heavily on the alternate-picking technique. I will give you exercises to develop your picking technique which will lead to faster and more fluid playing. I plan to shed some light on how you can increase your picking accuracy and efficiency. In this lesson, you will learn how to read, count and play eighth notes. The skill of reading and playing eighth-note rhythms is dependent on strong alternate-picking technique. So, get out your flat pick and let's get started. |
| Melodic Playing I | Rest Review and Playing the Silence | Pat Johnson & Susan Mazer | Playing rests seems to be an under-appreciated skill to beginning guitarists. If you are not convinced that learning about rests is that important, check out some of your favorite music and you are going to hear little silences between the notes. Those are rests and you have to learn how to play them. I have heard it said that if you leave some holes in your playing some music might fall out. So with that sage advice we will review quarter, half and whole rests and I will introduce you to 1/8th rests. I will talk extensively about muting techniques for both the fretting and strumming hand. The exercises in this lesson will have you playing rests during strumming and single-note passages. Once you have mastered these skills you will be able to play new more exciting grooves. |
| Melodic Playing I | Improvisation with the C Major Scale | Susan Mazer | Until now, your goal has been to play exactly what was written on the page as accurately as possible. Although it was musical, it left little to creativity. In this lesson, we're going to learn how to improvise or solo. When musicians play, they use a scale as a foundation. I'll teach you how to start with a C scale and build an interesting solo section. Spontaneously, you'll be creating your own music to go over the existing chord changes. This is what improvisation is all about. |
| Fingerstyle I | Introduction to Fingerstyle | Pat Johnson & Susan Mazer | Well folks, it's time to put away your flat picks and pick up your fingers. In this lesson, you will be introduced to the technique of plucking the guitar strings with your fingers, as opposed to using a flat pick. I will discuss the option of using fingerpicks and a thumbpick or the bare finger approach. The exercises in this lesson will help you to develop the necessary coordination to control the volume and tone of the strings with your fingers. Fingerstyle guitar can be found in all genres of music, from basic to advanced. I believe that fingerstyle guitar is one of the most rewarding techniques to achieve. This lesson will be your first step to a whole new world of guitar playing. Let's take that step. |
| Fingerstyle I | P-I-M-A Arpeggio Pattern | Pat Johnson & Susan Mazer | Sometimes, strumming the guitar is just too much for a song and what it needs is a basic fingerpicking pattern to bring it to life. In this lesson, you'll learn your first fingerpicking pattern. You'll learn to play your first arpeggio using eighth notes. The exercises in this lesson will help you to develop fingerstyle technique. These skills will be applied to familiar chord progressions. I'll discuss some good habits to get into that will increase the accuracy, tone and volume of your playing. I also hope to shed some light on keeping good practice habits so that you may develop automatic fingers. Once you are done with this lesson, you should be able to take the patterns you've learned and apply them to many songs you've already learned and give them a whole new feel. |
| Fingerstyle I | P-I-M-A-M-I Arpeggio Pattern | Pat Johnson & Susan Mazer | In this lesson, you will be introduced to a new finger-picking pattern. This pattern will be the vehicle to get you playing in 3/4 time. I will continue a theme from our last lesson and elaborate on good practicing habits. We will take another look at your picking hand position and give you another option to help you develop a more fluid fingerstyle technique. By the end of this lesson, you should start to feel a marked improvement in the control of your picking hand. I will finish the lesson off by having you play through a classic finger-picking chord progression. You've made some serious strides in your guitar playing. By the end of this lesson, I hope you will feel like fingerstyle guitar will always be a part of your playing. |
| Warm-Ups | Chromatic Exercises | Pat Johnson & Susan Mazer | By now, you have discovered that playing guitar can be physically demanding, which is why warmups should become a regular part of your practice routine. This lesson will focus on four-finger-chromatic exercises. You will start with a basic one-string exercise and, by the end of this lesson, you will be playing all over the fretboard. You will learn several variations on this exercise and learn to make up your own warm-up exercises. These warm-ups will help you increase strength, control, speed and endurance. I will give you some tips on how to increase the efficiency of your playing and how you can use a metronome to improve your groove. Believe it or not, I'm even going to give you some pointers on breathing while you play. Let's get to it... |
| Chords II | Introducing B7 and C7 | Pat Johnson & Susan Mazer | The dominant 7th chord is at the heart of that bluesy, jazzy sound. The more 7th chords you learn, the more you'll be able to bring that sound into your playing. During this lesson you'll learn the B7 and C7 chords, and several common chord progressions which utilize these dominant 7th chords in a variety of ways. By the end of this lesson you'll be playing a minor 8-bar blues, a major 12-bar blues, and a popular folk-rock waltz, all of which use these dominant 7 chords to dramatically color their tone. You will review the pivot-finger technique and learn about locked-knuckle technique to help you switch to these chords with ease. You'll also learn to use previously-programmed muscle memory to your advantage. |
| Chords II | Slash Chords | Pat Johnson & Susan Mazer | Welcome to my lesson on slash chords, a very common device used in all styles of guitar playing. This lesson will focus on how bass notes modify the sounds of chords as they move from one to the next. In this lesson you will learn what a slash chord is and how to interpret it from the written page. By the end of this lesson you should be able to start identifying slash chords in the playing of other guitarists. With a little practice you should be able to start interpreting how slash chords are used in other songs and apply that to songs you already play. The exercises in this lesson will have you playing through some common progressions using slash chords. At the end of the lesson, I will show you fingerings for a number of slash chords based on fingerings you already know. |
| Strumming II | Syncopated Strumming | Pat Johnson & Susan Mazer | In this lesson you will learn how to strum two of the most common syncopated rhythms you hear all the time. I will show you how to tie two notes together to produce a syncopated strum. I will add to your repertoire of dominant 7th chords and teach you the A7 and E7 chords. We will review the pivot-finger and locked-knuckle techniques when making changes with these new chords. By the end of this lesson, you will be strumming a two-measure long syncopated-strum pattern through a 12-bar blues in the key of E. It seems to me that the strides you are making with your guitar playing are getting more exciting all the time. Once you get these syncopated strums under your belt you'll be a whole lot closer to tearing up the stage. |
| Strumming II | Boom-Chick, Syncopated Strums in the Style of Bob Dylan | Pat Johnson & Susan Mazer | This lesson will be a combination of the boom-chick and the syncopated-strumming lessons to created a syncopated-bass strum. These bass strums are commonly heard in the playing of Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Gillian Welch and just about anybody else who's ever strummed a folk song. We'll explore several variations on strum patterns you already are familiar with to create exciting, new and useful grooves. Two common chord progressions will be used as vehicles to perfect these new rhythms; plus, you'll learn to vamp. You'll learn to play less and groove more. By the time that you're done with this lesson a whole new world of grooves will have opened up to you. |
| Melodic Playing II | Reading F-sharp Notes, Natural Signs and Ties | Susan Mazer | If you've ever looked at a piano, I'm sure that you've noticed that the keys are black and white. You've already learned how to play the notes on the guitar that correspond to the white keys on the guitar. They follow the alphabet, ABCDEFG. The black keys are the accidentals, or the sharps and flats. In this lesson, I'll introduce playing sharp notes on the guitar. I'll also explain the concept of a natural sign. The last thing that we'll talk about is the idea of notes being tied together. Even if you decided to skip the note reading lessons before this, it will definitely help your playing if you check out these concepts. |
| Melodic Playing II | Reading B-Flat, 3/4 Time and Dotted-Half Notes | Susan Mazer | In a previous lesson, we learned how to read and play F-Sharp. In order to give equal air time to its counterpart, I'll teach you about B-Flat in this lesson. I'll also introduce another time signature with a whole new feel. We've been playing in 4/4 time, so get ready for 3/4 time. Finally, if you've ever wondered why there was an occasional dot placed next to a note, I'll explain. We'll start with reading dotted half notes. This lesson has three separate components to it. There's a lot to learn, so let's get started. |
| Fingerstyle II | Introducing Pinches | Pat Johnson & Susan Mazer | This lesson will expand upon the simple arpeggio picking skills you learned in my previous fingerstyle lessons. These exercises will develop more independence with your thumb and fingers. I will introduce you to two new fingerstyle techniques:double stops and pinches. These techniques will open up many new possibilities for your fingerstyle playing. You will learn new picking patterns with several variations. By the time you are done this lesson you should be able to start creating your own patterns. Various chord progressions will be shown, including a popular 'ragtimey' guitar progression. The skills acquired in this lesson will help you to create more interesting and varied accompaniments for many songs. |
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