jan's Lesson page
lesson 1Hi Jan! Welcome to your lesson page. The very thing you needed to catapult you into guitar fame and stardom! Finally. You made it:)
Lets jump right in: I wrote out a few classic flat picking licks for you to check out. They are all in the key of G and you'll get a lot of use out of them. I go over them pretty well in the video, but things to remember: Warm up with your G major pentatonic and G bluegrass scales, and start slow with good down up picking! Good luck and have fun, z |
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Jan Lesson 2
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Hey Jan! Here are the G minor pentatonic with and without the b5. Another color for your flat picking! Also a link to a good version of the Autumn Leaves Melody and I made you a play along track by looping the chord changes here in the studio. Once you get the melody down, you can practice playing along with the chords. We can also use it once we start diving into some solo concepts. Have fun! z
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LESSON 3Hi Jan! It's CAGED time. The idea here is to organize the vertical major scales on the guitar into 5 positions based on the open chord shapes: C, A, G, E, and D. Some of the patterns will look familiar. I included the fingerings in the tab/chart because they are different than the fingerings i learned when I learned the scale positions. Less stretching and more position shifting. Either way works, but I'm liking these fingerings and how easy they are to play. Practice each shape by finding the arpeggio (chord tones) in the shape and playing them up and down a few times. Then play the whole scale over the shape so you get used to seeing how it lines up with the chord tones! Have fun and let me know if you've got any questions.
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LESSON 4
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Hey Jan! So two main things for this lesson. The minor pentatonic flatpicking lick and the bridge to wildwood flower. I think you'll be able to get both from the vid, but if you need a chart, let me know! Make sure you practice both very slowly and get your right hand picking directions correct. Good luck and have fun! Z
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Lesson 5
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Hey Jan! We're talking 7th chords. The video and the sheet music are some common 1st position voicings for the 7th chords of Autumn Leaves. Things to know about 7th chords: They are four note chords containing a triad and a 7th. A major 7th chord is a major triad with a major 7th. So in the key of C it would be C, E, G, B. A dominant seventh chord (V7) is a major triad with a minor (flat) 7th. A C7 chord would be C, E, G, Bb. A minor 7th chord is a minor triad with a minor (flat) 7th. A Cmin7 chord would be C, Eb, G, Bb. A half diminished 7th chord (min7 b5) is a diminished triad with a minor (flat) 7th. A Cmin7b5 chord would be C, Eb, Gb, Bb. Check out these common voicings and try them while you play Autumn Leaves. Have fun Jan. See you soon, Z
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lesson 6
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Jan! We're talking about modes today. There are 7 modes. One mode for each note in the major scale. I have them all written out for you in the document. The main idea here is that the modes are constructed by taking the major scale and starting it at different places. For example a D Dorian mode is a C major scale from D to D. Another example: A E phrygian mode is a C major scale from E to E. When you start at different places, you get a different order of whole steps and half steps - which gives each mode its individual color. Try playing a D Dorian mode over a D drone. Next try playing a G Mixolydian mode over a G drone. See how they sound! The other thing to grasp is that each mode goes with the chord on the corresponding scale degree. So in the key of C: D dorian would go with the ii chord of d minor. G Mixolydian would go with the V chord of G7. Good luck and have fun! See you in a few days, z
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lesson 7
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Hi Jan! Today I wrote you a couple of licks for Autumn Leaves. They're pretty straight forward eighth note licks. See if you can play them and analyze them to see how they outline the harmony! What scale? What arpeggio? One thing to remember is that in these kinds of lines the chord tones are often placed on the down beats ( beats 1 2 3 and 4) while the passing tones are placed on the off beats (the "ands"). Our brains seem to put more emphasis on downbeat notes for some reason! Have fun, see you soon, z
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LESSON 8
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Jan! This lesson we're focusing on putting the bass with the melody. The bass (or lowest sounding note) usually plays the root of the chord (if its a G chord, the bass will play a G). Here is an arrangement of "Hey Jude" so you can get a feel for it. The song is in G major and has simple G, C, and D chords. Don't worry about the chords, just play the bass notes with the melody and change bass notes when the chord changes. Don't worry too much about fingerings. Just try to play it slow and get a sense of bass movement while a melody is happening. It's fun!! See you Monday. Have a great weekend.
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lesson 9
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Hey Jan! I hope all is well. Here is a video of "Autumn Leaves." I played it trough once with just the melody and bass notes, and then with the chords. It's a good idea to practice playing it both ways. Remember to keep your melody note on top and to adjust your chord shapes accordingly. Have fun and let me know if you've got any questions! z
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lesson 10
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Hi Jan! We're talking about melodic patterns this week. As you continue to paractice your scales, it's a good idea to work on the notes in different orders so you can get used to playing melodies and improvising. In fact, playing melodies is a good way to do this! Another way is to take bits of a melody, or just an intellectual idea, and turn it into a pattern. I notated three different patterns for you. The first is just a common scale pattern that improvisors use. The second two come directly out of the Autumn Leaves melody. I notated them in G major. I used the "E" shape of the CAGED scales on the third fret. These patterns can me moved all around the guitar in any key and any shape! Have fun and practice slow. Z
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LESSON 11Hey Jan! We're looking at some Barr chords today. Remember: Major 7th is a major triad with a major 7th. Dominant 7th is a major triad with a flat 7th. Minor 7th is a minor triad with a flat 7th. Minor Major is a minor triad with a major 7th. Got all that!?! Have fun, z
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lesson 12
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Hey Jan! This week we're talking about practice strategies. I tend to split things up into subjects and devote a certain amount of time to each one. 1. Scales 2. Technique Left hand/Right Hand 3. Chords, Triads... 4. Songs 5. Ear Training Try to put together a routine that hits all the sections. I use a timer, but most people I know just go for it and seem to do fine:) Let me know if you have any questions! Also don't forget to memorize your major triads!!! Have a good break, z
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lesson 13
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Hey J! We're looking at Autumn Leaves this week. This chart and vid is a different approach to playing the tune. The melody and chords are the same, but rather than thinking in chord shapes, we're just focusing on playing the melody and the bass notes. It's a great way to get your head and fingers around the tune, and it helps to learn the guitar neck in the process! Have fun with it. See you next week, z
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Lesson 14 |
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Hey Jan! Happy thanksgiving!! This week we're looking at "Autumn Leaves." We are investigating how you can hear the C major (A minor) scale as it relates to the chord changes. Practice starting the C major scale on the root of the chord you're on. If you're playing over a Dmin7 for instance, play C major from D to D. The only difference comes at the E7 chord where we substitute a G# for the G getting the scale: E F G# A B C D. This is just one note different from C major, and accommodates the G# in our E7 chord. Some folks would call this A harmonic minor, but right now it couldn't matter less:) Have fun with it! z
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lesson 15
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Hey Jan! We're looking at "In the Jailhouse Now" By Jimmy Rogers. A classic slow to mid tempo country groove with some good walk ups and fills to learn. The main thing here is to get the pick strum groove solid. Pick the bass notes first then see if you can add the 1 to 5 bass groove like I outline in the video. Get that and the intro licks together and your well on your way! Have fun with it and let me know if you've got questions, z.
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lesson 16
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Hey Jan! Here's a video of some examples of playing over loops. The three chords we're focusing on are the Dmin7, G7, and Cmaj7 in Autumn Leaves. I didn't write anything up for you this time, because I think it's all best learned through the video! Have fun, and as always let me know if you have questions, z
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lesson 17 |
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Merry Christmas Jan! Here are a couple of short licks to try while your working on "In the Jailhouse Now." They should spice up the tune a little bit. Have a great holiday and I'll see you next week! z
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lesson 18 |
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Hi Jan! Happy Holidays!! Here is a play along video to help you get the timing down for these three country/bluegrass licks. Get the fingering down first and then play along! Also, I wrote up a sheet with some basic rhythmic notation for reference. See you soon and happy 2021! z
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lesson 19
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This is a lesson about practicing scales. It is pretty dry and some might call it anal, but if practiced regularly it will give you a more complete knowledge of your scales and the fretboard! I notated all the major and minor scales out for you with staff notation. If you need some help reading it, lemme know! Try to say the note names out loud when you practice. Good luck Jan! See you friday, z
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