Archives for January 2016

Alternating Bass Fingerpicking Patterns Part I

May 14, 2019 by Klaus Crow

Fingerpicking patterns make your chord progressions really come alive. It’s a beautiful musical element that can give a song just what it needs. The amount of fingerpicking patterns are infinite. If you are just starting out you might want to check out the 16 legendary fingerpicking patterns first. If you got the basics down and you’re ready to step up, check out the alternating bass fingerpicking patterns in this post.

With the alternating bass fingerpicking technique the thumb of your fingerpicking hand is constantly alternating between two or more bass notes while in between your fingers are playing the higher notes. It sounds like you’re playing two guitars at the same time.

Today I will show you two patterns that you can use for your own songs and apply to many popular songs.

Tips:
– Practice slowly in the beginning. Be patient and don’t rush at the start!
– Memorize the pattern for each chord.
– Make sure every notes sounds clean and clear.
– When you feel comfortable playing it slow, gradually build up your speed.
– Practice the pattern using the chord progression.
– Practice regurarly

Enjoy!

Alternating Bass Fingerpicking Pattern I

Alternating Bass Fingerpicking Pattern II

Next time (Part II) I will show you two more beautiful and challenging patterns. To be continued…

Top 6 Best Guitar Amps for Practice and Small Gigs 2021

By Klaus Crow 17 Comments

March 28, 2021 by Klaus Crow

Yes, it all starts with the right guitar. But in case of the electric guitar the amp has a major influence on your overall sound and how much fun you’re going to have playing, practicing and gigging. Next to the guitar the amp is going to be your best buddy.

For musicians who mostly play at home and have a small gig once in while, the combo amp is the perfect solution.

Guitar combo amps come in different shapes and sizes. The output power determines how many Watts the amp will deliver, how loud the amp is gonna be and for what purposes you can use the amp. The more Watts and bigger the amp, the higher the price tag. Also the type of amp, speaker type, size, amount of controls, fx and other features have an effect on the price.

There are valve, transistor and modeling amps. Each has it’s pros and cons. A lot of musicians prefer valve amps because of it’s warmth, wider dynamic range and more musical sounding distortions, but there is also more maintenance to a valve amp. On the other hand modeling amps are also getting better and better each year, often sound surprisingly good and are decent and reliable.

This post will show you the amps that are perfect for practicing at home, rehearsals, gigging in small pubs, performing as a duo or with a band without a loud drummer.

All these amps are beauties in their own way. They all have a unique character and sound that will suit particular styles of playing. Even though all these combos sound great, don’t underestimate the guitar you plug into the amp. The sound is determined by the combination of the two components. The third element is based on your personal taste and preferences.

Note: The output (power) of a 5 Watts Valve amp is comparable to a 30/40 Watt solid state modeling amp.

Note: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Enjoy and good luck with your choice!Continue Reading

Beautiful Chord Embellishments & Tricks

By Klaus Crow 7 Comments

September 4, 2023 by Klaus Crow

Playing chords and strumming patterns makes up part of the guitar rhythm for a song. Adding colorful embellishments to your chords will make your rhythm playing more interesting to listen to. It can give the song just sparkle it needs.

Although it’s really cool to experiment with embellishments, try to use them when it’s appropriate. Use embellishments here and there to lift your music.

In the two videos below I explain how to use and apply embellishments using a basic strumming pattern, open chords C, D, E, F, G, A, Am, Em, Dm, adding sus2 sus4, add4, 6sus4, sus2sus4, dom7 and hammer-on tricks to chords and progressions.

Let’s spice up your rhythm playing.

Enjoy!

Beautiful Chord Embellishments & Tricks Part I

Beautiful Chord Embellishments & Tricks Part II

Guitar and Goals for 2016

By Klaus Crow 7 Comments

May 14, 2019 by Klaus Crow

Another fresh new year ahead of us. A year full of potential and possibilities. I always write down new resolutions and ideas in my Moleskin notebook that will motivate and inspire me to do creative and exciting things. This year I bought a yellow colored volant. It’s just a happy color that reminds me of the sun and positive things. A positive attitude for 2016 seems like a good place to start with.

With all these lovely ideas and ‘awesome things to do’ I need a plan to fit them into my weekly schedule and stick to it. Waking up early is always a great motivator for me.

It sounds funny, because waking up doesn’t sound that great to many, but if you have a plan to accomplish some great things early in the morning you feel amazing afterwards. And when you stick to it for a while and persevere, the more that amazing feeling will grow.

Although I do my best to realize these goals, I don’t know if I am able to do all of these things in one year or maybe my course will change. Like John Lennon said: “Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans” and that’s a good thing. Life should be spontaneous and full of surprises.

On the other hand as Lewis Carroll stated “If you don’t know where you are going, any road will take you there.”, so it’s nice to give your life some direction and give your self a sense of purpose.

So here are my plans for 2016:
Continue Reading