Archives for February 2014

How to Improve Your Lead Guitar Phrasing

May 16, 2019 by Klaus Crow

Photo by Bigstock photo
For guitar players who starting out learning to improvise, it can be quite a challenge.

Playing a bunch of notes within the pentatonic scale (or any scale in that matter) is one thing, but being able to really tell a story with those notes is a complete different thing.

Because that’s what phrasing is all about: “How you tell a story”.

If you’re telling a story you want to draw the audience’s attention. We’ve all come across those boring teachers in the classroom who can’t keep your attention for more than 30 seconds. They talk in the same low monotone voice on and on and on and on. It’s almost like they don’t even breath. They probably don’t. :)

The fact that they can’t keep your attention has nothing to do with the subject, but it has to do with how they present the subject, how they bring you the story. And they forget the most important thing. They have to bring the story to life!

To bring a story to life you want to hear and feel the passion. You can hear that in the way people speak. When people get excited about stuff they tend to raise their voice. If they want to tell you a secret or gossip they start to whisper. If something is really important we will emphasize particular words. When someone tells you a creepy story they’ll start to talk slower, fuel their voice by fire and when the story gets really exciting they’ll suddenly pause to get you to the edge of your seat and then relentlessly take you to the climax.

There are dozen ways to draw the listener’s ears and fortunately for a lot of people that goes without saying. Most people will talk passionately about their new bought car, their cool job or an attractive person of the opposite sex. The same applies to music. You want to hear the same excitement in your soloing. To do so you have to learn great phrasing.

Phrasing is not about what you play but how you play it!

Let’s see what you can do to improve your phrasing and make your playing come alive:
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5 Pentatonic Sweep Picking Patterns in the key of A

By Klaus Crow 9 Comments

May 15, 2019 by Klaus Crow

Photo by Bigstock photo
Sweep picking is a picking technique that was invented and developed by jazz guitarists Chuck Wayne and Tal Farlow.

Later the technique was further developed by fusion guitarist Frank Gambale.

The quality of sweep picking is that it produces a fast and fluid sound (once you get the hang of it). This is because you only need few strokes as apposed to alternate picking.

While it is generally used for arpeggios, it can also be applied to scales, 3 notes per string licks and… well just anything really.

In this topic we’ll be covering 5 pentatonic patterns in the key of A. If you already know how to play the 5 pentatonic shapes using alternate picking and you want to try sweep picking for a change to make it sound more fluid, give it a more Gambale feel to it or just to see where it will take you, this one’s for you.

You don’t have to choose one picking technique for your style of playing. A lot of guitar players combine both. They use alternate picking mainly and apply sweep picking occasionally for particular licks or arpeggios.

Sweeping
For the alternate picking approach you go “down, up, down, up, down, up” with the picking hand. In the scale patterns below you also use alternate picking except when changing strings you’ll be picking in the direction of where you’re heading. Use a downstroke if you’re changing to a higher (pitch) string and use an upstroke if you’re changing to a lower (pitch) string.

You can see the down and upstroke symbols in the scale patterns right between the standard and tablature notation. The downstroke symbol looks like a hurdle for track and field, the upstroke symbol looks like a “V”.

I have to admit the pentatonic patterns are quite a stretch. Major scales are much easier to play, but for the rock and blues players out there we don’t want to miss out on the pentatonic.

It takes a bit of practice to get used to the sweep picking feeling but hang in there. After a while it feels so natural and easy. It’s the path of least resistance.

Have fun!
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Applying The Power of Humility to Musicianship

By Klaus Crow 9 Comments

May 15, 2019 by Klaus Crow

Photo by Bigstock photo
“And when our baby stirs and struggles to be born it compels humility: what we began is now its own.” ~ Margaret Mead

Last tuesday my wife gave birth to our third child. His name is “Jim”. I’m truly grateful for the fact Jim and my wife (and of course my two other kids) are healthy and doing great. It’s the only thing that really counts.

I’m happy and I feel blessed! Once again a lesson in “humility”.

A quality that the sage practices constantly according to Lao Tzu.

Reading and studying the Tao Te Ching written by Lao Tzu (legendary Chinese philosopher and a highly spiritual man who lived about 500 years before Christ) there are a lot of beautiful lessons that I learned.

One of those lessons is that life gets way better when you add the following ingredients to your daily life: Serving, helping out, listening, caring, loving, spreading kindness, teaching, sharing and then stepping back. And by the latter he means “not taking the credits for it”. That’s when you really apply the power of humility.

He also talks about happiness and fulfillment. And that it isn’t found in the craving for succes or becoming number one. As the old saying goes “What goes up must come down”.

Lao Tzu refers to all water on top of the highest and most impressive mountains that will eventually come down to the small lakes and rivers down below. He writes: “Those who are humble and stay under the radar will outlast all who strive to be recognized”.

Just let go of the need to be successful in the eyes of others. Let go of status and how you want te be seen as a musician. Just play, perform and share your music. Be respectful, at peace and low-key. Let others “talk” about their talent and success.

By letting go of “wanting to excel above others, to compare, compete and depending on your status” you choose to be free. Free from the madness and free to be who you really are. It will shine through in your music and you as a musician.

So in what more ways can you apply the power of humility as a musician?

Let’s take a closer look:
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How to Easily Find Any Note On The Guitar with Octaves

By Klaus Crow 5 Comments

May 15, 2019 by Klaus Crow

Photo by Bigstock photo
Most intermediate guitar players can find the notes across the neck on the 6th (low E) and 5th string (A). This is essential for learning barre chords, soloing and a lot of other stuff. If you don’t know the notes on the 6th and 5th string yet check out Learn The Guitar Fingerboard Thoroughly in 16 Days

Once you’ve memorized the notes on the 6th and 5th string you can easily find any other note on the guitar. You can do this with octaves. An octave is in essence an interval whose higher note has a frequency of vibration twice that of its lower note.

If you think in notes, an octave is an interval with the distance of 12 half steps (12 frets) in the chromatic scale. For example, if you’re on the 1st fret, 6th string (F note) and go up 12 frets, which will take you to the 13th fret, you will also hit on an F note only one octave higher. You can apply this to every fret and every string.

If you think scale wise, an octave is the distance of 7 notes in the diatonic scale. So if you start on the first note of a scale and you go up 7 notes in the scale you arrive on the 8th note which is the octave.

Each of the diagrams below shows an octave, that means the notes share the same name except one note is higher or lower than the other. Now we can find the name any note or octave on the entire neck.

Let’s take a closer look

DIAGRAMS 1 – 8:
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