How to Read Guitar Tabs

Hello again! Still busy memorizing Jesu. I'm slightly addicted. By day three I expected to go stark mad over the repetitions. I didn't expect that the more I played this one, the more I'd learn to love it. Now here I am, head over heels - or rather, finger-tied. At some point a day ago, I had to quit because of a lingering pain above the wrist. I think it was because of the pressure I placed on the pinky whenever I played Romance/Jeux.

Today the pain is slight, but it's still there. Rest rest, but I can't because Jesu sound just so right :)

***end of introduction

SO! This post is about how to read guitar tabs. This comes as a reply to a friend who mentioned that tabs looked complicated. In all fairness, I felt the same way. I still remember how I read a barre chord erroneously, thinking it was impossible to press all 6 strings at once. I thought the barre itself went something like, choose one of the 6 strings. But no! All strings in a barre must be pressed... the biggest shock of my life! I almost wanted to stop playing then. I actually hate barring because it's painful and tiresome to play. Nakakangawit. But it can't be helped. Two of the major chords are played with a barre (F and B). Power chords are in barre (except if the shortcuts are used).

Before starting with chords, here are a few guidelines.

Names of the strings. Yes, they have names. The thickest, the one closest to the player's face when the guitar is at playing position, is called the 6th string. The thinnest is the 1st string. So from the player's point of view, from thickest to thinnest, the string names are: 6th, 5th, 4th, 3rd, 2nd and 1st. Not bad, huh?

Guitar Standard Tuning. The standard notes of each string follows thus:  E-A-D-G-B-e. In the absence of an electronic tuner, guitarists can tune the strings by ear (or oido, a music savant who can identify tones by ear), using this nifty site.

taken from http://www.start-playing-guitar.com/

Fret. The parallel lines on the fingerboard that are perpendicular to the strings. When a number precedes the word "fret," this means a particular spot between frets. Markers on the fingerboard help guitarists pick out higher frets with a glance. These are placed in the 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th and 12th frets.

Left hand finger names. Yes, they have names too! Unfortunately! They are also designated by numbers! They are 1: pointer, 2: middle, 3: ring and 4: pinky.

Open strings. Strings that are played without pressing on the strings. Denoted by the symbol 0 (zero).

Palm mute. Strings that are played muted or not played at all. Denoted by the symbol X.

Reading Guitar Tabs

Let's take the major chord C. This is how it looks like in real life:

Front view. Taken from http://www.guitar-beginner.com/

Guitarist's point of view. Taken from http://www.1stpersonguitar.com

Notice where the fingers go. There are three things to take note: the string pressed, the fret where the string is pressed, and the finger that does the pressing. For C chord, the strings are 5th, 4th and 2nd. The frets are 3, 2 and 1 respective of the strings. The fingers used are 3, 2 and 1 respective of the strings.

Chords are notated in different ways. We'll examine three of the most common types for this exercise.

One of these is the horizontal notation*, like so:

taken from http://www.pengustudios.com

This is the easiest to read. This follows the guitarist's point of view, the bottom horizontal line designated by uppercase E being the 6th string and the top horizontal line designated by lowercase e being the 1st string -- remember standard tuning? The leftmost line is the nut (the thickest fret, the leftmost in the fingerboard) and the succeeding vertical lines are the frets. The black spots indicate the points that are to be pressed, and the numbers on the mare the fingers to be used. X means that the 6th string should not be played.

The next notation is vertical*, like so:

taken from http://www.cyberfret.com

This one's pretty similar to the previous, except it doesn't follow the guitarist's point of view and the grid lines have been reversed (horizontal lines = frets, vertical lines = strings). Instead of the finger numbers placed inside the black spots, they're placed along the vertical lines. 0 means that these strings are played without pressing the strings, as indicated by the absence of black marks on the respective lines.

Horizontal and vertical notations are used in chord books and playing guides. The following two are called the linear notation*, the root of all complications. These two are favorites among Ultimate-Guitar users, so there's no escaping learning them.

The first one looks like a phone number to some lonely telephone booth. The other looks like a code for some confidential military report. Granted, they don't give as much information as the first two notations, but they're faster to read once the guitarist has mastered the basics.

This notation looks a lot like the vertical notation, doesn't it? Actually, the numbers designate which frets to press, not which fingers to press with. The numbers are also arranged from 6th to 1st string, so that we have 6th string = X, 5th string = 3, 4th string = 2, and so on. For F, the notation would be: 133211, reading 6th = 1st fret, 5th = 3rd fret, 4th = 3rd fret, and so on. Which fingers to press with? That's up to you! Finger names are not indicated, which makes this notation a kind of a level above the first two notations.

This following is causing hyperventilation among newbie users of Ultimate-Guitar, but this is actually highly entertaining to read. This reads like the horizontal notation, except that the numbers designate the frets that must be pressed. Numbers that appear in a single column should be played together. In the notation above, 3 and 0, 2 and 1, and 3 and 3 must be played together, like so:

This notation is played from left to right. The notation above is played so:

3&0 (at the same time) - 0 - 2 - 0 - 2&1 - 0 - 2 - 0 - 3&3. This is Fernando Sor's Study in C (35, 13). This particular part is from 0:06-0:08 of this video. Like the other notations in this post, it's also based on the chord C - see how it uses almost the same fingering as the others, except the notation is fingerstyle.

Questions?

* The terms used here are mine, for ease of narration :)

* Horizontal and vertical notations, referring to the fingerboard position respective to the ground.

On Learning a New Piece

I've finished Jeux Interdits (which, btw, I learned was also called Spanish Romance or Romance) a few days ago. The piece needs more polishing, especially part two. Also, not enuf feels yet. But I lala-love the song :)

My next piece is ... Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring. At last, at last! I'm using a cheat sheet though. I really shouldn't because I haven't been practicing reading notes. Part of the consequence is I've forgotten to play Adelita, and I haven't reviewed it yet. If it weren't for muscle memory, I swear I wouldn't budge one finger to review Carulli's Andantino in G and Waltz in Em again, which are the first classical pieces I ever learned to play.

Right now I'm still at the fourth bar of Jesu, and now that I've picked up a new piece after a few months of sabbatical I thought I should write something about how I learn a new piece.

I can't really say that there's a step by step process because at some point my fingers and memory fail me and I have to start over. But here's my best explanation:

1. Get sheet. If I can't find a downloadable copy of the piece I search for tabs in Ultimate Guitar. But I usually go straight to UG if I'm too lazy to read sheet music (which is most of the time). There are a few advantages when using sheet music though. Some sheets notate left hand fingering. I also find that when I read tabs I get impatient because the songs seem very long. Since sheet music notates those parts that are just repeated, they read pretty concise.

2. Read sheet. Now, I'm not a savant who can see notes and then automatically translate them to tones in my head. This is for me to get a general idea of the fingering or how many frets I have to traverse. I check if the distance between notes is sane and within the reach of my puny fingers. If I find it too difficult for my level, I put it aside and set my sights on other pieces.

3. YouTube. My best friend. I search for other guitarists and take note of their playing speed and how they phrase the song. A note about YT: It was by searching various interpretations that I realized guitarists have the liberty of changing the lengths of a few notes, creating their own... cadence of sorts. Some formalists may frown at how liberal an interpretation may be. But hey, who's playing?

4. Play sheet. This is the hard part. This is the true test of my patience, tolerance and interest in a particular piece. I usually go bar by bar, repeating more than once after I memorize the succession of notes and their corresponding fingering. A tab is more helpful in this case, since all I have to do is to look and then I'd know where I should place my fingers. A bad practice actually, since I am not training myself to read notes and base my fingering on them.

After I memorize a group of bars, I repeat the phrase as often as I could. By "often," I mean until my brain and muscle memory fail me. When I get too distracted, I rest. I found out that resting is a very important ingredient in learning a new piece. It's just as important as the literal rest notes on the staff. I feel that when I take a break, the nerves in my fingers and brain use the opportunity to make new connections, and really stamp the movement of my fingers deep inside my head. Muscle memory.

I realized that I often play with my guts and rely on muscle memory more than brain memory. When I use my brain, I get more distracted. I dunno. Focus is a matter of how people are used to lose themselves on a task. When I play, I literally lose myself. In moments of self-consciousness, I find that my brain has shut down and the lights are off. I don't think about what I play, I don't process what I sense. I feel I am the music that just has to come out of the instrument.

Haha, andami kong nasabi. That's it for now. El Dia's getting cold.

Left Wrist Says Ouchies Again!

I tried to play Jeux Interdits part 2, forgetting to warm up beforehand. What did I get? Minutes' worth of ouchies!

A few pointers on correct left hand position -- correct being not just a matter of following strictly formalist classical playing; rather, a matter of warning to those who do not wish any unpleasant, painful sensations while playing.

Take a close look at the thumb position. The thumb should never - evah! - cross the palm, or else pressure when pressing the fingerboard will fall on the median nerve, a primary ingredient for wrist pain. Instead, do:

 

... pull your thumb out and away from the palm. Playing this way will also force your fingers to lean towards the left, making bars easier for both index and middle fingers.



PS. My MS Paint skills are once again put to the test!

Something New II

A friend linked me to this post. Now I'm done with Part 1 of the piece, courtesy of a very convenient cheat sheet (I really don't have time to read notes right now @_@).

I could play Part 1 forever. It's one of those progressions where I could just linger and float and keep on playing.

I was sure I have heard the song somewhere, the progression was familiar anyway. Now, how to add a violin to the arrangement?

Assessments

Performers often assess their performances after shows. Here's mine: I have made a total ass of myself yesterday. I don't mind looking like a fool in front of audiences. I can live with personal mistakes (excruciating, but I must bear humiliation and punishment for stupid lapses), but never when they occur at the expense of others. Yesterday I have let my leader down. I have humiliated four dancers in front of tens of audiences. I have shamed them in front of their colleagues. How they managed is inconsequential to me and it doesn't matter that I was able to recover halfway through the number. I have no excuse.

It's amazing how circumstances can take you from the highest high to the lowest. Just this Monday I performed a duet for invocation and three anthems with a violinist friend. Among the audience members were foreigners, representatives from the biggest private corporations in the country, and attendees from different local government units. It wasn't a performance per se (do we count invocations as a performance?). But I felt honored and equally responsible for a good show because I carried the name of my school, and the president the university was present. We made mistakes, but forgivable ones.

Monday was the first time I ever sat and played my guitar in such an atmosphere. Considering that the last "public performance" I gave with my guitar was back in high school. It was a simple, one song number for our class adviser, coming from us graduates. I played alone. As I mentioned, I am dreadfully afraid of solos, which was what made group perfs more bearable pre- and during shows. I don't really know what happened yesterday. I was lead drummer, and I went through all rehearsals (two days' worth) confidently. I know the piece - I have been playing it for the past four years and am as familiar with it as the backs of my hands. I wasn't particularly nervous when it was our turn to play. The result: I fcking missed my beat and I wasn't able to recover.

I felt like an ass seeing the dancers' confused movements, our lead's disappointment painted on her face. Fck fck fck.

Performers always believe they could have done better. We are our worst critics. But often this sentiment isn't just borne out of pride or confidence. Mistakes cannot be erased or redone, and performers always answer to themselves, beyond their team, beyond the dancers and the co-musicians. Right now, I'm just disappointed with myself. I don't think I'll ever live this down and I don't know if I could ever trust myself in the near future. I will forgive in time (in time), but not now. Yesterday was too sickening.

Left Wrist Says Ouchies!

Writer's Cramp. Occupational/Professional Neuritis. CTS. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. I don't have it. But everyone is in danger of having it, regardless of profession. I'm a guitarist, percussionist, typist. If I'm not in front of the PC/laptop, I'm playing my guitar. The result: a stinging, tingling pain that shoots from the center of my left wrist to the middle of my palm. I'm not about to call this sensation CTS, because it may just be wrist pain. But it's my body's way of saying there's something I'm not doing right and, by goodness, I have to correct it. Now. Or else.

As much as I love playing my guitar and djembe, I don't want to face the day when I can't play because of a ruined wrist. CTS can't be cured, but it can be corrected through surgery. Yipes!!!

Although I have been taught to do warm-ups and simple exercises before performances, I tend to forget that this word of wisdom also applies to practice sessions. What I do: hold my palms together in a "praying position." I keep to this position while I slowly move my palms towards the floor. Then I shake both hands separately.

taken from http://www.drfoot.co.uk/

I dunno if this really works, but the first time I experienced wrist pain on my left hand, I took up poi. The pain went away. I don't play poi regularly now as I did then, so are the two occasions related? I have no idea. It's worth trying anyway, 'cause poi is very relaxing :)

Note to self: Warm-ups now = Play for life!

Uke Night

I and a friend attended one of Ukulele Manila's Meet, Strum & Jam sessions (free admission, free short lessons) and was able to play the uke for the first time. It's just soooo cute! And the soprano was smaller than I thought at first.  It felt weird to hold and play it 'cause it was so cute and small :) And my left thumb tired easily 'cause unlike the guitar, I could't rest my palm on the fretboard. Anyway, I tried playing a Susing's, and it was amaaaazing! I didn't really find that a (Sta. Mesa) Lumanog guitar sounded great (though I'd never trade my Lazaro for anything in the world!). Which made me prematurely conclude that all Philippine-guitars are meeh. But after I tried a Susing's uke, I thought whoooooooa!

I've read about Susing's in the past. It's a very famous guitar shop and maker in Cebu (Cebu, you're officially in my bucketlist of places to visit!). Anyway, I've been wanting to buy a pineapple uke, but I played a standard uke during the MSJ (standard meaning the sexy, curvaceous guitar sounding board). I realized the merits of the curvaceous uke when playing standing up: the curves act as anchors across the pelvic area, so I was able to hold the uke steadily even without a sling on.

Uke major chords are weird, especially the ones that need to be barred. Like E (4442) and D (2220). Instead of barring E on the fourth fret, I used three fingers to press the strings. I should warn those with.... er, slightly big fingers: get a concert or the bigger ukes.

If you're interested to buy a uke, visit Ukulele Manila's page. As for me, I'm saving up for a Susing's, which a UM member said would soon be available in their stocks.

Flux

I haven't been blogging as often as I was supposed to. I planned to post at least once in a week. But I have been playing with El Dia non-stop for the past few days (except yesterday, 'cause I had it in my head to draw this scene that's been on my mind lately... the best place on Earth... the result was one of my spur-of-the-moment "creative" episodes which I plan to continue [because I always wanted to be great at painting and/or other visual arts]). Later, I'll be heading out with a friend to BGC to crash one of Ukulele Manila's Meet Strum Jams. I'm excited to try the uke. I didn't think about the instrument nor even considered wanting to own one, but now I'm soooo planning to get one. I'm setting aside dreams of owning a cajon or a skin djembe for a uke, although everything is still a long way off.

I haven't made any progress with the triplet since the last post, mainly 'cause it's really noisy and I don't wanna muffle it. I'm only waiting for the right opportunity to play it again, without disturbing the rest of the people in the house.

Good news! I've tabbed a new song :) It's Meaghan Smith's A Little Love and no you can't find a good tab anywhere else! I'll be sending it over to Ultimate Guitar when I get around to it. Wait for updates. I'd love to say I did it by ear, but no. I based it on one of their live performances via YT.

PS. I don't really understand why some "guitarists" and YT crawlers demand for tabs from the cover artists when duh they can see the tabs on screen. I mean, is it sooo hard to copy the left hand fingering?

Oh, and I have a violin/guitar duet practice coming up c/o a college friend. National Anthem and The Prayer. Yikes, I dunno how to interpret them yet!

Making Progress III: Flamenco x3 x6

Progress, definitely! Re: flamenco triplet, day 6. I can play successive strokes without feeling any pain on my right hand. Switching down and up strokes isn't so weird now too. The trick: minimize excess movements and to keep the thumb out. I don't get trapped in between strings anymore too. Gaaah I wish I could just record it. I wish I recorded the whole thing. The day before yesterday was breakthrough day because it was the first time I made successive strokes without errors. I think it was also the day when my right hand mid and ring finger finally got the rhythm. Right now, I'm just trying to develop consistency and endurance.

Aaaand switching chords (following the Spanish-y progression E-F-G-Am) with my left hand. Since starting I've used my left hand as an anchor, mostly muffling by the strings. The triplet is crazy, and with a guitar the size of mine its really difficult to stabilize the craziness. But once my forearm became more settled and steady (which happened around breakthrough day, too), I found it easier to switch chords.

Once I get the hang of the x3, I'll try other stroke progressions: vv (downMidRing-downThumb)  and v^ (downT-upT). Then more complicated patterns: vv^ vv^ v^ (x3-x3-downTupT). Then off to accents, then percussive effects, then THE WORLD!

Omigash so excited!

Something New

I did say this won't be a conventional blog on classical guitar. Sooo here is my new to-do:

It's the second day since I started practicing the Flamenco triplet. No I can't do it fast yet, but I feel more comfortable doing the 3-step movement now. Yesterday my hand moved and felt so awkward. But I just did it again and again until I got them right one after the other. I expect to do this again and again and again to get the speed right. Meanwhile Gabriella's version is still a crazy long loooong way to go:

The triplet is quite exhausting to do. I don't know if it's me or the technique, but my wrist tires easily after a few strokes. I rest for a few minutes every after 20 repeats - doesn't help so much in establishing speed but it does aid in muscle memory. Lemme know how you're doing with your exercise.

Before I started with the triplet, I cut my thumb nail quite close. I tried doing the triplet with a long thumb fingernail, but I ended up hurting my thumb and I often got caught between the strings. I chafed the flesh just below the nail too during the upstroke. Prepare for a bit of pain.

If you research a few other Flamenco triplet vids over in YT, you'll notice that quite a number of guitarists have an ugly patch of paper, plastic or whatever on the sounding board, below the 1st E string. If you're wondering why so, it's to protect the sounding board from nail scratches. Beware of that too.

The Good, the Bad, the Ugly

Hi!

I forgot to post last week. No good news though. I'm still stuck with my repertoire, making slow progress on Hey Jude and Ikaw fingerstyles.

Anyway, I just unearthed my bamboo flute. Horrendous sound, but it'll do for now.

I'll post 2 videos hopefully within the week. Faulty net connection and all.

I miss playing my djembe with a group.

Making Progress II (?)

Actually, I'm not. The last one I learned is still Tarrega's Adelita. Saving up for a copy of Jose Valdez's arrangements. I saw a few and more at National Bookstore SM North EDSA branch. Sooo, if you wanna learn a few classical pieces (and if you hate dislike are not yet used to writing and/or reading notes) head on there.

A violinist friend also mentioned to look out for sheets at Sound Essentials. If you're a QC person, there's a branch over at SM North EDSA. Haven't gone there yet, though.

What have I been doing? Besides regurgitating my basic repertoire (which I haven't mastered yet), I'm playing substitute-kudyapi, an indigenous Filipino instrument. Here's a sampler from master Samaon Sulaiman, whom I had the privilege of watching and recording ... er, 3 years ago? He was an imam, GaMaBa awardee, master kudyapi player and, yes, town barber. He passed away 2 years ago, and I count myself lucky to have seen him play live.

Why "substitute-kudyapi?" I don't own one, though I would love to acquire one in the future. If and when I do, I think I should apprentice under an experienced player. The kudyapi isn't just an instrument -- it's a work of art and a cultural artifact. It's not something one just learns from YT. Looks easy, but it is so not. I don't think even experienced guitar soloists can play hammer-ons/pull-offs that fast, plus play percussion with the right hand. And I don't think guitarists can do it on their shoulders, hahahha!

Anyway, to make your own substitute-kudyapi, grab your acoustic/classical guitar and tune the 1st and 2nd strings to C. So you have EADGCC. You can try other combinations, as long as the sound comes out right in your ears (I think). Don't mind strings 3-6, and you won't need to muffle them. Stroke direction is upwards. I've seen a few play downwards, but the standard is upwards. I'm not really sure if this stroke direction's strictly the traditional way, but it makes sense since string 1 serves as melody and string 2 the drone. Keep this in mind: kudyapi is a 2-stringed drone and melody instrument. Only the lower string is fretted.

Some players use a finger pick, but long nails are okay. We had a few kudyapi in Kontra-Gapi's stockroom, so at least I had the chance to play the real thing. It was painful on the fingertips, and it was awkward to carry and hold. But it was simple and fun, and I didn't feel at all afraid to improvise a tune.

Going Solo

I'm writing an artist's bio for something big that I won't share just right now because I'm afraid I might get jinxed. I'm seriously debating whether I should or not write "She's afraid of performing solo," and "She shakes, gets the jitters and messes up the pieces on stage." Then I'll follow it up with "She greatly enjoys making and playing music with other people, though" to counterbalance the first.

I'm also thinking if I should add "She loves to watch the faces of each of her audience members - catch the brilliance in their eyes and store in her memory the wonder etched on their mouths."

Those faces, I don't quite know how to explain them. When I'm on stage I feel like I'm watching the greatest show on Earth: the majesty of a face distorted by the discovery of something beautiful. They're so mystical and they fill my heart with purpose.

This is why I perform. It's all for them.

Making Progress: Right Hand Sixteenths

At last, I'm making good progress on this song I've been trying to learn since forever. When I wrote that blog post, I was stuck with the sixteenths. My right hand (P I M) just can't keep up with the movement and speed. Now I'm very proud to say that that part is done! I'm anchoring my ring finger on the sounding board though; I don't know if that's right by classical playing standards (I don't think it is, but it's working for me). I'm hoping that this exercise will help me when I get to tremolo (in 10 years, maybe). I'm moving on to practicing making a smoother transition between the left hand positions. The transitions from 1st to 2nd position, and from 2nd to 3rd position are the most difficult.

But after the sixteenths, everything else seems so much easier to execute. I am anticipating another plateau once I get past left hand transitions and on to the second movement of the song, the part where everything else is played one octave higher. I'm not very good past the 12th fret; I'm having difficulty pressing and sustaining a note. But I'm so glad I'm using a classical guitar now. I would have given up a long time ago if I was still using an acoustic.

As for the other parts, I'm doing fine. Still need more practicing though. With the rhythm, I'm trying to slow down for better expressivo. As for the melody, I'm trying to memorize the notes. My hammer-ons suck, sooo I have a long way to go with Tarrega's Adelita. I'm still using the 2-guitar version, but maybe I'll try melding the two, like in the video. Try searching for Comptine d'un autre ete lapres midi on YouTube and you'll find that almost no 2 guitarist play this song the same way. Not that that helps, but at least it's saying anyone can tab this song. With enough patience, anyway. I remember a period when I did have patience and transcribed this song, both melody and rhythm, based on the 2-guitar version I linked above. But I can't remember if I did write the notes down before my patience finally ran out. Oh well.

Regarding my progress on classical pieces... well, I haven't really made much since I've finished Adelita. I promised I would do Bach's Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring, but I can't seem to convince myself to write the sheet music down on my notebook.

Homework (credit to)

Gaah! I really hate reading sheet music. But I must if I want to learn this. Just gimme a few more days to sulk then I'll carry my a**, thank you very much.

March 13, 2013. Uploaded video. Trying to play the sixteenths without resting my ring finger on the sounding board. But I just had to in this video. And still sulking through sheet music.

Nail Fail

taken from Passion for Polish

I just flat-topped my fingernails. Major fail. I was sporting long round nails a while ago. Not anymore. The resulting sound is thinner, more metallic and warped. I hates it, big time.

I flattened out the rounded edge to see if square works better for me. I played with this shape a few months ago. But since correcting my right hand position, I realized I haven't really put the square to the test. Now that that's over and done with I wanna move on and never look back.

Ok, maybe I do like to keep the shape on the thumb at least. But I really am moving on!

... But I do like how the square looks.



I won't be playing my best for a while, at least until I grow out my nails again.



Post-dinner update: I trimmed down my fingernails. And I feel much better playing now. I'm practicing how to stop buzzing the strings and right hand position, the right way. I just zoomed through my repertoire; the sound is a lot softer, but it sounds great and I feel great! (think: headbanging to Carulli)


*If you're wondering why nails are such a big deal, read this.
*Tips on how to shape your nails here!

Coffee Break

This exercise isn't exactly what I'd call a coffee break. It's tedious, frustrating, and difficult to master. But once I did... waaaah I couldn't stop playing it! The melody is very chill, relaxed. Perfect for practice and leisure time.

Ok, ok. I know it's corny. Even I could only take so much cheesiness in song lyrics (don't even get me started with this song's official music video! ugh!). But the tabs are crazy! Tabs for Landon Pigg's Falling in Love at a Coffee Shop can be found here.

The most difficult part about the tabs to this song is the heavy bass line. It's like a metronome, so the melody is played together with the bass. If you can switch your thumb to on during the whole song that would super help. The PIMA can be practiced too, so try to stick with it. Use number 4 (pinkie, left hand) to reach the 4th and 5th frets to practice stretching.


Ok, tips:
1. Break it down. Play the melody (the 4th-6th string notes) as is first, put it to heart. Afterwards, play the bass notes (1st string notes) and get the timing right.
2. Slow down!
3. Listen to the song and pay close attention to the timing, especially the bass notes. It's easy to get lost in all the confusion (misplaced thumb, uncooperative fingers!).
4. Don't mind the lyrics. Seriously, sing after mastering the chords.


Right now I'm having difficulty playing the refrain

|-------------------------4-----------4----------------------------------------------------------|
|-2-----------2-----------------------------------4-----------4-----------5-----------5----------|
|-------2-----------2-----------2-----------2-----------2-----------2-----------2-----------2----|
|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|-0--0-----0--0--0-----0--0--0-----0--0--0-----0--0--0-----0--0--0-----0--0--0-----0--0--0-----0-|
|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

because of the bass line switch from the 1st string to the 2nd string. I dunno. I think it's just my thumb. I tend to hit the other strings when I make the switch. Wild thumb playing.


Chords:

If you like this song, but find that you just can't master this notation right now, here's some sort of good news: I've set up a very easy tab over at Ultimate Guitar. I assure you, it's better than the rest of the versions available in the site. Enjoy!

PS: This! I couldn't find the tabs for melody during the chorus (for now). I dislike playing the power chords. It ruins the mood, haha!

The Big G

The first classical guitar piece I learned was Minuet in G by Johann Sebastian Bach.

The sheet I used covered the basic melody of the piece, sans the bass notes (rhythm). I worked from the 5th fret onward. Very easy to memorize and great for practice: the notes span up to 5 frets, so the pinkie and all the left fingers are stretched. All six strings are also covered, so the PIMA right hand can be practiced.

Minuet in G is my stretching slash warm-up piece. I play it every day, every time I pick up my guitar. I like speeding it up for better flexibility and accuracy. I used to play it non-stop, and until now I haven't tired of listening to it.

I moved on to the more complicated melody + rhythm version about a month after burning the first version. I immediately fell in love with the sound of the bass notes along with the melody. This version takes up til the 9th fret, so I can practice moving through the fingerboard. The addition of the bass notes complicates the left hand positions, but they're manageable. The sheet I linked does not have a notation for 1234 and PAMI (except the 0s there), but I use all of them... figure it out :)

My crux is always on the 19th bar. My index finger tends to look sooo out of place and awkwardly apart, and the rest of my fingers (2 and 4 especially) go crazy when I press the strings. I tend to slow down at this portion. I can swing it when I position my left hand closer to the fingerboard, but that index just shoots up sometimes I couldn't control it! Oh well, time and practice.

This piece was also my (re)introduction to sheet reading. The two sheets don't have tabs, so I was really forced to read notes. Both versions are very basic though.

I eat Big G for breakfast, lunch, merienda and dinner. Lemme know how this piece figures in your repertoire. If you use other warm-up pieces, feel free to share.

Mar 11, 2013. Just uploaded this video. Sorry for the poor audio -- I didn't use a mic when I recorded. Didn't have one. Anyway, my messy fingering clearly says this rendition sucks. As usual, I had a difficult time through the crux. My left hand fingers are also still awkwardly apart. Wild vibrato action there too. Hmmm, when in doubt record your practice sessions. Any specific pointers on improvement?

Misplaced Notes, Missing Lyrics

Have you ever experienced pausing midway of a song and trying to grab on to nothing?

I often find myself suspended in that limbo. No matter how many times I play back a song, no matter how many times I practice, I forget the words or where to place my fingers. This is why I don't trust myself to perform solos. No way. Or at least not now.

I read somewhere that such forgetfulness is borne out of distraction. But in my case, no. I do not think of anything else when I play. Well... I do not think of anything at all. Not even the piece. I don't run pieces in my head when I play, like watching a dummy board when talking in front of cameras. I tend to rely on hard wired muscle memory, using the succession of notes to cue me in on the words.

I tried playing with a dummy board in my mind, but found myself more prone to mistakes. I tried reading words and sheets while playing. I paused more often than necessary. With memorization, I play (relatively) smoothly and more tranquilly. I hate dependence on the sheets and papers.

But there's a point where a song just stops. It doesn't want to work with me. And I'm clasping empty air, missed notes and lyrics. I rehash the song from the beginning and find myself pausing at the same moments, losing more as I trudge along. Falling on quicksand. Another song has moved beyond me, not wanting to cooperate.

In due time, my head and hands finally get it. But it's never the same magic.

Plucking Hand Position

I just realized this week that my plucking hand (right) position may be wrong. May be because although classical teaching has set rules for proper playing positions (body, feet, arms and hands) I also understand that guitarists can wield their guitars freely. Music playing is free!

But the consequences of wrong positions will deter effective and safe playing. Quality also dies.

This is why I want to share a video that can help you position your plucking hand.

Again, it is not crucial to follow every bit of detail. Guitarists, musicians in general, should play in whatever way they want.

Right now, I'm struggling with right hand positioning over left hand positioning. The first time I picked up classical I played with a splayed right hand:

Okaaaay, my fingers don't look that... evil in the splayed position :) But the idea is that the fingers are separate and open. With the splayed position, I played solely with my fingertips. I was able to reach the last 3 strings (G-B-E, or the 4th, 5th, and 6th) easily. The sound was, well... metallic (yes, it's possible to produce a metallic sound with nylon strings) and stringy. But I found it was adequate at the beginning. Now, I tried playing with a closed fist like so:

and Yes! Try difference is superb! I was skeptic about fingernail playing at first. But the closed fist position made me believe that it is possible to produce a better sound. With a closed fist, both fingertips and nails hit the strings, producing a warmer sound. The closed fist made it harder to reach the 4th-6th strings, but I think I'll get it with practice.

Now I practice in front of the mirror. My plucking hand still reverts to splayed position, but I'm doing my best to keep my fingers close together. Just like a demure little girl.

* I invented the terms splayed position and closed fist position for clarification purposes. They're not technical terms, but you're welcome to use them :)
** HAHA the drawings! I couldn't find an image that quite captured the look of the splayed position, so I drew one :) And then I went ahead and drew the closed fist just cause I felt like a winner!

Happy Decade!

According to my Virtual Library, I have been playing the guitar for approximately 10 years today.

10 years, my gah!

And what have I to show for it?

Shaky fingers, stringy sounds, long gaps, cringe-inducing phrasing and furrowed brows. Still.

But! I have moved on from pop songs to classical pieces. I started last year. I was amazed to find out how tremendously tenacious Grade 7 music class could be. Every Good Boy Does Fine. E-G-B-D-F corresponding to the lines on the staff. F-A-C-E to the spaces. #hashtags for sharps. A particularly snobbish "b" for the flats. Thanks, Ms. Apilado (Yes, I remember her name. As well as the length of her hair and the way she twirled the loose strands, one hand reaching way across her back while with the other conducted the class on a number of church hymns). These four basic tenets got me through reading the sheet music for Bach's Minuet in G.

And all I thought then was just to get passing marks on tests and how unfair it was that I had to sit through class while some classmates merely played the piano and sang under direct tutelage in their separate music sessions.

Oh well.

Five months after the life-changing switch to classical and I'm still playing Minuet. I've been playing this piece so much my brother can cue in the rougher parts and Mama can point out my recurring mistakes. Heck, even if I drop playing it now I think it'll stick well.

Anyway, Happy 10 Years my lovely calloused fingers! My pumped up veins and tired wrist! I'm still having trouble with bars and hammers, but my left pinkie is happily robust and growing more confident every day!