Guitar Noise Podcast #6 - 3/4 Timing
Hello to everyone and welcome to the latest Guitar Noise Podcast!
Is this really the sixth GN Podcast? Amazing how time flies, especially when it’s spent doing something this enjoyable! I hope you’re all having fun with these podcasts as well.
This time out, we begin looking at 3/4 timing. First, using the chord progression G - Em - C - Am, we will employ a “bass/strum” pattern and then add in a bit of a walking bass line to move things along. We’ll then tackle a “straight eighth note” approach to the bass strum, using alternate picking to create a more flowing strumming pattern. For this part of the podcast, we’ll be using a G to D chord progression and then switch to Am - G - D. And if this sounds at all familiar, just consider yourself a lucky man (or woman) to have good ears!
Finally, we’ll combine both this straight eighth note strum with a walking bass line to have an impressive sounding bit of music!
As in our previous Guitar Noise Podcasts, I’ll be walking you step by step through the lesson. So don’t think that you ain’t going nowhere, get your guitar, get down on that easy chair and come along and play! And, as always, please let us know what you think.
Peace
Chetwyn on April 7th, 2008
Hi David,
Once again, thanks so much for the podcast. Your podcasts (and the entire GN site) are great resources for beginners such as myself who have to sift through all the information out there and try to make sense of it all. These contributions are like a life preserver in an immense (and sometimes rough) ocean!
In podcast #5, you provided the tab/standard notation for the strumming pattern you introduced. Is there any way that you can do the same for subsequent podcasts, especially for strumming patterns that are as involved as that in podcast #6? I find it really helps having it visually, as well as listening to it.
Once again, thank you so very much!
David Hodge on April 7th, 2008
Hi Chetwyn
Thank you for your kind words concerning both Guitar Noise and our podcasts here at the Guitar Noise Blog. I’m glad that they’re being of help!
In the future, I am going to try to put together notation/tab guides for our podcasts. It hasn’t been all that easy up to this point because of my personal teaching schedule. Not to mention I’m figuring out all that needs to be done for these podcasts on the fly. I think I’ve mentioned how weird I find recording these. It’s like teaching to an empty classroom. And I guess that since it’s empty I don’t even see that no one’s writing things down!
But if you can put up with my growing pains in this venture, I’ll do my best to have more visual material for this audio teaching. Probably starting with Podcast #8 or #9.
Thank you again for the comment and for your support.
Peace
Tony on April 8th, 2008
Ditto Chetwin’s comments as to how useful these podcasts are. I find not having the tab is also very educational as it makes me listen closely to what you say and to what I hear on the guitar. You’re giving enough info to put together the tab ourselves and in fact I enter it into GuitarPro so I can play it at a speed I can manage and then up the tempo a few beats per minute as I progress.
David, your delivery is fine (comments about OK etc).
Thank you so much
Tony
Chetwyn on April 9th, 2008
As an addition to Tony’s comments, it’s quite great to have them in podcast format, because you can rewind to your heart’s desire to get it just right. I’m quite okay with putting up with your growing pains :); in fact, I’ve printed blank tab and staff paper, and am starting to write them down myself (great way to learn notation at no extra cost!).
Keith on April 10th, 2008
I have just spent the night working through and enjoying your latest podcast. Unfortunately all these lovely chord transitions and embelishments leave the songs that I already know sounding very plain indeed.
I am now going to have to work through them all and try to spice them up a bit. With my limited knowledge this is going to be a struggle, but onwards and upwards.
By the way, I like to listen to the complete podcast, then go back through it in sections. I note down some bits, but mostly I try to visualise what you are saying, get that grounded then wind on to the next bit. Great training for “listening” to someone else play then trying to work out how it is done.
Mike on July 30th, 2008
Hi David,
Just finished working through P/C #6 the other day; been taking them kid of slow because I really want to take time to practice what I learn in each one so that I feel like I have it down before moving on.
Two thoughts on the P/C’s in general.
Like some of the other posters, I have been tabbing out the exercises myself, and I find that to be helpful to me. Writing it out helps me to cement it in my mind. So far I am not missing anything not having the tabs posted. Perhaps if you get into some more complicated stuff it might help, we’ll see.
My other thought is that, now that I’m learning all of these great things, I’d really like to start applying them to songs, etc. Perhaps you can offer some words on how to take what we’ve learned, for instance the Am-G-D progression from this lesson, and figure out how to apply the same prinicpiles to, say, a different chord progression or to a song. Also, it’s occurred to me that, of the techniques you’ve presented, some might work better than others depending on the situation.
So, maybe a little guidance in the area of practical application might be in order.
Otherwise, i really love these podcasts and please keep them coming!
Regards,
Mike
David Hodge on August 2nd, 2008
Hi Mike
Thanks for making time to share your thoughts about the Guitar Noise Podcasts. I think that when the next one (#14 already?) gets online Monday, you’ll be pleased to see that we are going to get started on practical applications of all that we’ve learned so far.
Let me know if it helps!
Peace
Arnie on August 11th, 2008
Hi David,
I just wanted to once again post my THANK YOU for the podcasts. I’m still playing “catch-up” as I’m only on #6… but I don’t want to rush thru them.
It makes for a very pleasant Sunday afternoon to sit out back with a CD player, your podcast and a guitar. Thanks for making my summer.
Arnie
David Hodge on August 11th, 2008
You’re welcome, Arnie. It’s a pleasure to make these Guitar Noise Podcasts and I’m thrilled that they are being of help to people.
And you’re absolutely right to not rush through them. Sometimes it’s difficult to judge just how much to put into a podcast or how further to advance the following one. It’s good to trust people to take things at a pace that’s comfortable to themselves. Just be sure to holler if you run into a problem spot, okay?
Looking forward to hearing how things are progressing with you.
Peace
Joe on September 28th, 2008
Hi David,
So I just went through podcast #6. I am not finished though. I find that there is so much information in each podcast that I can benefit by studying each one several times. I have them all downloaded into my iTunes program which makes it quick and easy to review them. They are a great learning tool. Thanks so much.
Sooooo…(get it?) 1/2 way through you mention an award if we recognized the song. I don’t get an award. Can you tell me the name of the song, or is that cheating?
David Hodge on October 13th, 2008
Hi Joe
Thanks for your kind words and thank you as well for making the time to download these Podcasts. I think it’s great that you can take them with you.
And I guess I need to be a little more obvious with my clues! The song in question is “Lucky Man,” from Emerson, Lake and Palmer all those many, many (many) years ago.
Peace