Ear Fusion Guitar Lessons - How To Play By Ear
Speed
and technique
Speed, technique and accuracy can also be referred to as “chops”.
Most songs have simple chord changes that can be learned easily…and
a lot of songs have fairly simple melodies…but some songs,
especially progressive and modern rock and blues songs have complex,
intricate and fast paced and fast paced chord changes, “riffs” and
solos. The only way to learn these riffs is if you have the physical
ability. If you can’t play with certain speed and accuracy, you
won’t be able to learn what could be some of your favorite guitar
riffs and passages. That is why it is important that you practice a
lot and focus on developing your clarity, strength and dexterity.
Make sure, when you do exercises for building speed and technique
that you focus on accuracy first and speed second. The diagrams in
figure 30 show you several excellent and basic exercises for
developing your speed, strength, accuracy and clarity. These
exercises will also help you to get good at alternate picking,
strumming, finger picking, string skipping and playing different
“styles” and creating your own. The numbers indicate which frets to
play. Tap your foot at a steady beat…with four beats per measure. Do
the exercises slow enough to get the timing smooth, steady and
accurate…then jump them up to double and triple time and faster.
Keep each finger playing notes only on its “own fret” in each
position. For example…if you’re in the 5th position, this
means that your 1st finger is just above the 5th
fret, your 2nd finger above the 6th fret, your
3 finger above the 7th fret and the 4th finger
above the 8th fret. Don’t get into the habit of using
your ring finger in place of your pinkie like a lot of player. Using
your pinkie allows you to make many more chords and allows you to
span over a further range of frets.
FIGURE 30
If you are using a pick, which is suggested, then you should
remember to alternate your picking…down, up, down, up etc. When
moving downwards to the next string, the first note played on the
next string should always be a down stroke and vice versa when
moving up. Try playing these same exercises in different places on
the fret board. Figures 31 and on show some more exercises for
string changing and skipping.
FIGURE 31
FIGURE 32
In addition to these exercises shown here, you can make
many different variations of your own. You can practice the
exercises backwards, on different string, at different speeds and
different places on the guitar neck. I suggest that once you get
descent at these, you make up your own exercises. I hope this book
was able to help you get closer to your musical goals. Please read
more than once to get a complete grasp of the ideas involved.
