Contrast, Comping, Fretting, Ear Training, and Neck Issues | Teaching Artist June Recap
The five Acoustic Guitar Teaching ArtistsâIsa Burke, Lisa Liu, Sean McGowan, Mamie Minch, and Thu Tranâare creating lessons for guitarists just like you, with a new lesson every week. You can unlock access for just $5 a month. Hereâs a recap of all the lessons from June. And there is a lot more to look forward to: interactive hangouts, virtual open mics, and more acoustic guitar expertise!
Thu Tran | How I Play | Rhythmic Contrast
Thu looks back at a principle from â80s and â90s pop music and applies it to the acoustic guitar. âContrast can be really useful when you look at how to put a song together on the guitar,â he says. âIâm going to show you two tricks you can use to enhance the contrast in your arrangements.â Start by trying these techniques with Thuâs simple four-chord progression (DâBmâGâA), then apply them to your own compositions or covers of classic tunes.
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Lisa Liu | How I Play | Add Variety to Comping with Side-Stepping
In this lesson, Lisaâs approach to comping involves shifting chords a half step above or below their usual position to create tension and motion. By stepping outside the chord progression, she adds harmonic interest and surprise to her rhythm playing. Using a B-flat jazz-blues progression as her foundation, Lisa demonstrates how much expression and sophistication this simple idea can unlock.
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Sean McGowan | How I Play | Add Texture and Color with Extended Fretting
Sean demonstrates how to use a picking finger along with your fretting hand to play very low and very high notes at the same timeâunlocking colorful cluster chords in the process. âWhen I was learning fingerstyle guitar, right-hand tapping was a very common technique,â he says. âAnd while I loved the way it opened up sonic possibilities, there was something about it that I found a little jarring at times.â To avoid the abrupt, percussive sound of a tap, he uses his picking hand to both fret and pluck notes. After youâve explored the TAB for this lesson, try experimenting with extended fretting techniques of your own.
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Mamie Minch | My Workbench | Diagnose Neck Issues
Neck trouble is one of the most commonâand confusingâguitar problems. In this video, filmed on location at Mamieâs workbench at Brooklyn Lutherie, she walks through how to recognize and talk about issues that might be affecting your instrument. Itâs important to try to understand whatâs going on with your guitar, and if itâs experiencing trouble, having the language to describe the problem can make all the difference in getting it back into shape. So keep that in mind as Mamie discusses a few typical neck issuesâand remember to pay attention to your instrument. It may be telling you something!
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Isa Burke | How I Learn | Ear Training: Chords from a Melody
What if you could figure out the chords to a song just by listening to the melody? Isa walks you through how to do exactly that, using the old tune âNew Five Centsâ as an example. She begins by playing the melody, then explains how to pick up on the clues that lead you to the right chords. Understanding not only how each chord sounds but how it functions in context is key. Though this lesson focuses on traditional fiddle tunes, the approach applies to learning any song by ear.
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Click here to see more AGTA lessons. Your $5/month support unlocks access to the full archive of lessons, plus the Song of the Month (TAB and notation) and monthly live workshop archives, too.
Joey LustermanOpinionated creative slash beginning guitarist. Joey has worked in every department at Acoustic Guitar in the past 10+ years: front desk, ad sales, editorial, sound guy, camera man, booth babe, email coder, podcast editor, photographer, book designerâŠ
