4/21 Lesson

Wow - you are doing so great. Here's the gist of tonight's lesson.

• Pentatonics - learn to move between forms. Move whenever you feel. Remember to identify the root note in each form. this will give you a base to let your hand find it's home position.

1. Day 1 - Form 1 - 2-1
2. Day 2 - Form 2-3-2
3. Day 3 - Form 3-4-3
4. Day 4 - Form 4-5-4
5. Day 5 - Form 5-1-5

• Identify the notes game - We chose A-C-D-E-G (A Pentatonic). Exercise - play each note on each string in as many places as you can find it. Remember the fretboard starts over at the 12th fret; so 15th fret is really just like the 3rd fret. this will take the mystery out of playing so high up on the neck.

• Comfortably Numb solo - You actually learned this faster than I did this week. As always here's what to do with a solo.

1. Determine the key by knowing the chords and bass line under the solo. In this case the chords are:

• D -> A -> D -> A -> C -> G -> C -> G -> A
• The notes in the first part of the solo (not in order) are G F# E D C# B A. Hmm what major scale contains these notes?
• The second part of the scale plays C and G chords. Hmm you can't have a C chord in a D scale, ahh he changes to either a G or a C scale. But he plays a F# in the second phrase. F# that is not in the key of C it must by G. This will clue your hand in to what position to be in and what notes are *legal*.

2. Learn and memorize the phrases (or lines) of the solo in chunks.

• Each line will have a starting and ending note. these are your home notes and the notes between are the stepping stones. (think F# -E -D in the 3rd phrase). Keep these in mind as you play each phrase - they will ground your solo and help it sound musical.
  

3. Listen to what the artist is doing with the notes and try to emulate it. As you progress you will borrow and combine styles of various players but for now imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Gilmour's first F# in that solo gives me chills - its as if he is singing through his fingers. Becoming a great musician involves becoming a great musical listener.

• Right handed exercise - Play long train running (Gm7 on the 10th fret) and get jiggy with it. The right wrist should be flopping around and loose. Go for smooth then increase the tempo. Practice the different up/down patterns and shape each strum to sound more musical.

As always practice a Form 1 of the minor scale and do your chromatics. Next week I will give you the really tough chromatic exercise that will feel like guitar boot camp.

Great job Rebecca - you are doing amazing.