Session 2, Week 1 Recap -- ALL CLASSES

It's a brand new session! I'm so excited you guys! It's all too beautiful.
For those of you new to this page, welcome and thanks for being my students. This is where I'll post class recaps, videos, answers to questions, announcements, and other fun stuff. I usually update on Tuesdays so be sure to check in. I post all of my core classes in one update, because I like to give you the opportunity to see what other students are working on. It'll preview future core sessions for you--or remind you of how far you've come as a musician in a short time!

To begin with, my Guitar 3 Rep class is meeting on Thursday nights at 8:30p in fancy-schmancy room 101! It's so bright in there, I might have to wear shades.
We're old pros at barre chords now (conceptually, if not physically), so it was straight into the tuneage for us, starting with a psychedelic twofer with Itchycoo Park by The Small Face and Pictures of Matchstick Men by The Status Quo. We only just got started on the opening riff of the latter tune, which is tabbed out for you at the top of the song sheet. Just remember to  read that tab as though you've set your guitar down in your lap with the low-E string closest to your body and the high-E string farthest away. Reading tabs backwards makes life very very sad!
For Itchycoo Park, you'll have two barre chords to tackle. F#m is an Em shape played with a barre at the second fret, and C#m is an Am shape played with a barre at the 4th fret. (I probably should've made you try and work that out for yourself but ain't nobody got time for that.)
We're strumming this one with some swingin' chuck-a-chuck-a eighth notes the whole way through, but be sure to change VIBES if not rhythms when you get to the bridge. It should feel a bit softer and more reflective than the manic happiness of the choruses. Also, in the verses, be sure to change chords in the split measures on the 4th beat, then switch to the D on the AND of 4 in the split measure. That G chord should feel like a pick-up note that leads into the measure of D.
I was planning to call out the fancy footwork when I posted the video, but Andrea also pointed my attention to the drummer's shorts, which are very very special.

In Guitar 3 on Saturdays at 11am, we made our very first foray into the barre chords that the previous class is already building confidence with. We started with Bm, which you make by forming and Am shape with alternate fingers (2, 3, 4), sliding the whole shebang up two frets so the fingers are making the shape on the 3rd and 4th frets, and then setting your index finger across all the strings at the second fret to form a barre (but you only have to strum--and technically only barre--the bottom 5 strings). Watch your thumb so that its parallell-ish to the barre and can help support it. Also, try to use the outside edge of your index finger rather than the underside, because the padded part is just too squishy to get an even barre out of. The outside edge of your finger is more evenly bony and therefore easier to press down with. Your body position also matters. Raise up the neck of the guitar slightly, pull your elbow off of your ribcage if it's glued there, and drop your wrist and thumb down so that you have room to support the chord and maneuver in and out of it. If you feel kinked up, stand up with a strap. That should help reset you into a natural frame. We played With a Little Help from My Friends to get that Bm into our fingers. Just chop chop chop chop on the quarter notes with muting in between to give it that special flare.

I introduced the F chord as well, so practice that shape so we can use it in a song this week. It's just an E shape with alternate fingers (2,3,4) moved up just one fret, with the barre across the first fret. It's a doozy! Extra hand strength is required when you're playing so far away from your body, which is why it's essential that you practice and build up those muscles.

Finally, in Guitar 2 on Sundays at noon, we're in the fancy band room in the basement, which is pretty inspiring! Welcome to sophomore year! We started off with some jazzier chords in the form of Dm7 and Fmaj7. In the first one, you have to cover two strings with one finger--gasp!--at the first fret of the 1st and 2nd strings. Use the outside edge of your index finger to get an even sound, and support with your thumb pulled down and parallel to your finger on the back of the neck. You'll finish that chord with your 2nd finger at the 2nd fret of the 3rd string, and strum only the bottom 4 strings. It should sound moody, but not wholly sad and dark the way a regular minor chord might. Fmaj7 is even dreamier sounding, and you accomplish that with your first finger on the first fret of the second string, second finger on the 2nd fret of the 3rd string, and third finger on the 3rd fret of the 4th string. Three adjacent fingers, three adjacent frets, three adjacent strings! You only strum the bottom four strings there as well. You'll play both of those in Summertime--wishful thinking!--with a slow, simple quarternote strum.
You can further reinforce that Dm7 chord with Cum on Feel the Noize. Extra credit will be given to anyone who comes to the next class wearing a Slade inspire outfit.
We also made a start on the F chord, which you make by smashing those other two chords together so that you're covering the 1st and 2nd strings with one finger at the first fret, your 2nd finger plays the 3rd string second fret, and your ring finger is at the 3rd fret of the 4th string. You'll only strum the bottom four strings there too. It takes some hand strength you probably don't have yet, so practice practice practice!


I'm looking forward to a great session with all of you! Let me know via e-mail if you ever have any questions. See you next time!