STARTING GUITAR
LESSON 11
MATT FINN
THE ANATOMY OF
THE GUITAR
A B
C
D
F E
G
A
G
3 Tricky Strumming
Patterns
These are the same ones that we looked at last week. I want
to look at them again, more closely, so that we can play them
with every chord!
Play with an Em
Pattern 1
Pattern 2
Pattern 3
What’s a Capo?
A capo is a device that clamps down across the fingerboard at a particu-
lar fret on a guitar. Capos can operate by means of elastic, springs, or
even threaded bolts, but they all serve the same purpose — they shorten
the length of all the guitar strings at the same time, creating, in effect, a
new nut. All the “open” strings now play in higher pitches than they do
without the capo.
How much higher? A half step for each fret. If you place the capo at the
3rd fret, for example, the open E strings become Gs (three half steps
higher in pitch than E). All the strings become correspondingly higher in
pitch as well — B becomes D, D becomes F, and A becomes C. (By the way,
you can’t play anything below the capo — only above it on the neck, not
like Boris above!!)
To correctly set the capo, place it just before the fret (toward the tuning
pegs), not directly over the metal fret wire.
Why should you use a capo?
1. A capo enables you to instantly change the key of a song.
2. A capo gives the guitar a brighter sound.
3. Capos can prove especially useful if you have two guitarists playing a
song together.
4. A capo allows you to move, to any key, certain open-string/fret-
ted-string combinations that exist in only one key.
5. A capo “moves” the frets closer together as you go up the neck.
6. Playing with a capo requires less stretching in the left hand, making
some songs a little easier to play.
Some people refer to capos as “cheaters.” They think that if you’re a be-
ginner who can play only in easy keys (A and D, for example), you need to
“cheat” by using a capo to play in more difficult keys. After all, if you’re
worth your salt as a guitarist, you could play in, say, B flat without a capo
by using barre chords.
Changing
Chords
Practice changing between the chords that you know already. It is
important that you are as comfortable as possible switching between
each chord. The hardest part of playing guitar is being comfortable
switching between each chord and knowing that when you change the
chord, the next one you need to hit, you will with comfort and ease.
A NEW Chord!!!
This chord is needed for the new song this week.
Getting ready for christmas means we need to look at trickier chords!
So....
This is a D7. It is a variation on the D chord, it is still a major chord but one note is changed.
The D note in the middle becomes a C, which is known as the 7th Note.
It helps makes the progresions in the songs more effective.
D7
Christmas Song
HOMEWORK
PRACTICE! PRACTICE! PRACTICE!
1. Practice G, C, D, Em, E, A Am, F and D7 chords. Practice moving be-
tween them.
2. Exercise your fingers so that they become more comfortable on the
fretboard.
3.Practice your strokes, try out the new ones and see how you get on. They
will take more practice and patience.
4. Stretch your fingers, its important that they are looked after!
5. Start trying to play the new song. Just get used to the chords.
6. ENJOY YOURSELF!!!!
