Springiness and alertness of footwork is the key theme. The rear heel is raised and cocked, ever ready to pull the trigger into action. You are never set or tensed, but are ready and flexible.
- Bruce Lee
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Green Belt: Level 4 Guitar Lessons
7th Chords: More Stacked 3rds
These chords are very common in jazz and pop music, and the only way to really learn them is to memorize the construction, and learn to finger them on the fretboard. No shortcuts, just take the time to memorize the sound and the fingering. You will be armed for bear.
Category: Green Belt: Chords
Subcategory: Chord Charts
Published on: 02 Dec 2003
In this lesson you will focus on the most common and distinctive rhythm patterns in blues music form, straight 8ths, straight 16ths, swing and shuffle.
Category: Green Belt
Subcategory: Rhythm
Published on: 01 Apr 2004
Blues scales are perhaps the third most common and popular scale in music today. It abounds of course in blues, but also spills over comfortably in rock country and jazz.
Category: Green Belt: Scales
Subcategory: Scales
Published on: 10 Oct 2003
Let's face it, dear guitar players... the blues aren't the blues unless you sing 'em. As a green belt, you should master singing while playing. The blues format offers a safe, familiar platform for singing from your heart.
Category: Green Belt
Subcategory: Lyrics
Published on: 01 Apr 2004
The hugely common 8-bar blues form follows the blues I - IV - V form, although not the same blues feel as the 12-bar blues. Still, after 8 measures, there is a strong sense of verse completion. This lesson will help you learn the structure and how to use it in your own playing.
Category: Green Belt
Subcategory: Music Form
Published on: 01 Apr 2004
Major 12-Bar Blues
The study of the blues is the core focus of the green belt. You are preparing for your blue belt, which means that you understand and have good mastery of all the musical concepts embodied by the blues. This first lesson deals with the framework that the blues are built upon, otherwise known as the 12-bar blues.
Category: Green Belt
Subcategory: Chord Progressions
Published on: 30 Mar 2004
The major blues scale is very similar to the major pentatonic scale that you already know by now, but has an additional passing tone that makes it undeniably bluesy. Learn the most common box patterns for playing the major blues scale here.
Category: Green Belt: Scales
Subcategory: Scales
Published on: 01 Apr 2004
Blues played in a minor key has a very solemn, dark, heavy feel and the progressions that every green belt should have in their repertoire, just for those occasions when no other form of music can adequately tell the story. Minor blues can be played in the 12 or 8-bar forms.
Category: Green Belt
Subcategory: Chord Progressions
Published on: 01 Apr 2004
Minor Blues Scale
The minor blues scale is akin to the minor pentatonic scale, which you should also already know by now. Additional passing tones create a more colorful palette of sound. Learn the most common box patterns for playing the minor blues scale here.
Category: Green Belt: Scales
Subcategory: Scales
Published on: 01 Apr 2004
This modified blues scale has two passing tones that make it doubly blues sounding and give additional variety and color to the usual blues scale. This is a favorite of Steve Morse, and many of the better Nashville players.
Category: Green Belt: Scales
Subcategory: Scales
Published on: 01 Apr 2004
Moveable 6th Chords
6th chords are a vital part of the competent and confident jazz and blues players' library. Learn these moveable chord shapes, and you'll be playing several voicings of this pleasing chord in any key. These chords are a cool departure from the bland and boring triads and power chords.
Category: Green Belt: Chords
Subcategory: Chords
Published on: 22 Mar 2004
To always be ready for peak performance, we need to be sharp and at our best physically, mentally and spiritually. This lesson will give us a complete list of musical Vitamins, that when taken in recommended doses will help us to enable us to absorb the music we ingest, process it, and derive energy from it. Musical vitamins also help us grow, stave off disease that can afflict musicians and heal ourselves musically.
Category: General
Subcategory: Peak Performance
Published on: 09 Oct 2003
A black belt guitar player should be both wide and deep, as explained in the sections below. Also the black belt guitar player should be continually expanding both horizontally and vertically. This lesson has a few ideas to keep you growing and make you a wider and deeper player.
Category: General
Subcategory: Peak Performance
Published on: 09 Oct 2003
Even when you have learned 1000 songs, and have achieved superstar status... the most you'll ever be able to play for an audience in one concert is about 20. Most gigs we play while coming up through the ranks are much shorter, so what you don't play is as important as what you do play. This lesson will help you polish your performances to knock the socks off your audience.
Category: General
Subcategory: Peak Performance
Published on: 09 Oct 2003
This lesson will present some common and useful blues licks for those just starting out. Take these for a test drive and see if they can get you off to a good start.
Category: Green Belt: Licks
Subcategory: Licks
Published on: 01 Apr 2004
Listening to music, we hardly notice how music flows from one measure or from one phrase or section to the next. But playing flowing music requires many months of study and training. Developing timing and flow cannot be rushed any more in music than in learning a new language. It takes time, effort, practice, trials, errors and reinforcement and celebration of successes.
Category: General
Subcategory: Wednesday
Published on: 26 Jan 2005
What? The devil's interval? Don't look at us. We didn't invent the name, We're just letting you in on a little known secret among self-taught guitarists. Learn this interval, and why it can wreak so much mayhem in music.
Category: Green Belt: Ear Training
Subcategory:
Published on: 10 Oct 2003
Want to Turbocharge your Guitar Learning Abilities?
Effective Learning habits and methods can teach you how to transform any idle time into quality practice time whether you have your guitar or not. This reference will teach you how to effectively learn to play your instrument... even when you don't have your instrument with you. You can potentially be learning to play guitar 24 hours a week, even if you only have a guitar in hand for 5 or 6 hours a week.
Category: General
Subcategory: Learning
Published on: 13 Oct 2003
This lesson gives some ideas that help to boost concentration. By gaining total control over our ability to concentrate, we open the physical, mental and physical channels that allow music to flow freely.
Category: General
Subcategory: Concentration
Published on: 06 Jul 2004
Upload Name:Life Is A HighwayArtist/Composer: Tom Cochrane File Type:Size: 626241 Description: Guitar does not have to be hard, but it should be fun. Give this popular intro a try!
