Recently in Beginning Category

Using flash cards to memorize chords and their number formulas

By
Vince Lauria
on March 28, 2010 11:45 PM | | Comments (0)
Look at the following flash cards (front side is left, back side is right): 


Flash-cards.jpg



Now make flash cards for:

The circle of fifth's and fourths (this covers all fifteen major scale keys), Harmonic major scale and its family of chords, Harmonic minor scale and its family of chords, Natural minor scale and its family of chords, and all 28 modes and their created family of chords. 

Practice seeing the front of the card and know what's on the back. 

This is a lot of fun to do with a friend!



Vince Lauria - all materials copy-write 2010. For personal use only.

Vince Lauria Sun and Earth Music

More fun with the Pentatonic Scale!

By
Vince Lauria
on September 12, 2009 8:24 AM | | Comments (0)
Now that you know the C Minor Pentatonic scale in all positions of your instrument lets learn some more chord progressions that go with the scale.
Again staying in the Key of C try the following chord progression.

Cm //// ////
Ab //// ////  record this progression to a metronome at 75 BPM for 5 to 10 minutes

Record or have a friend play the chord changes while you play the C Pentatonic Scale forms and the Riff ideas already covered. By the way the word: riff, melody or motif means the same thing. A melodic set of notes.

Next time more chords for C Pentatonic Scale!

Vince Lauria



Using the Minor Pentatonic Scale

By
Vince Lauria
on September 11, 2009 8:02 AM | | Comments (0)
Referencing our last blog/lesson and using the common blues the chord progression lets combine them for new ideas in soloing and vocal melodies. First the chord progression:
C7////
F7////
C7////////
F7///////
C7////////
G7////
F7////
C7////
G7////
Remember each / means one quarter note or one chord per beat or click.

Now the C Minor Pentatonic Scale the number formula is:
R, b3, 4, 5, b7, 8th/R or octave.

The notes would be:
C, Eb, F, G, Bb, C

Now we will use a technique called sequencing . That is using a specific number of notes from the scale 2,3,4,5,6 etc.  
and descending or ascending up the scale (going up or down in tone). First doing the scale descending: 

Riff #1 = Eb, C, Bb
Riff #2 = C, Bb, G
Riff #3 = Bb, G, F
Riff #4 = G, F, Eb
Riff #5 = F, Eb, C
Riff #6 = Eb, C, Bb
Riff #7 = C, Bb, G
Riff #8 = Bb, G, F
Riff #9 = G, F, Eb
Riff #10 = F, Bb, C
 
1. Learn as is
2. Play up & back
3. Transpose to all keys.

Later I will show you how to do this same procedure with 4,5,6 note sequences.
Then also with other scales.
Stay tuned,

Vince Lauria

The Minor Pentatonic Scale

By
Vince Lauria
on September 10, 2009 8:08 AM | | Comments (0)
In addition to the Blues Scale the Minor Pentatonic Scale is used frequently!
You can substitute this scale for the Blues Scale or combine it with the blues scale to create great melodic soloing and vocal melodies. 
In the key of C the number formula is:
R, b3, 4, 5, b7, 8th/R or octave.

The notes in the key of C would be:
C, Eb, F, G, Bb, C

Now memorize the number formula and corresponding note names.
Next time I will show you some fun examples with this scale.


Vince Lauria

Common Blues chord progression for use with the Blues Scale

By
Vince Lauria
on September 9, 2009 5:35 AM | | Comments (0)
Strumming at 60 BPM (beats per minute) record or have a friend play the following chord progression.

C7////
F7////
C7////////
F7///////
C7////////
G7////
F7////
C7////
G7////
Remember each / means one quarter note or one chord per beat or click.

Now lets play some more single note Blues Scale Riffs.

Riff #1 = F, Gb, G, C  (remember these riffs can be played on any instrument)

Riff #2 = C, G, Gb, F, Eb

Riff #3 = G, A, C, Eb, C

Vince Lauria

 



Common Blues Riffs!

By
Vince Lauria
on September 6, 2009 10:46 AM | | Comments (0)
Now that we know the Blues Scale and some of the most common Blues Chords lets do some common single (one note at a time) note riffs (common melodies).
Again staying in the key of C Blues do the following: 

Record a C7 chord (if you do not know how to play these chords go to:
http://bobsguitarpracticetips.com/Basics-of-Blues-Guitar-Chords-Playing-7-Essential-Blues-Guitar-Chords.html)
strumming at 60 BPM (beats per minute using a metronome, if you don't own a metronome go to: http://www.metronomeonline.com/).

Record the chord for five to ten minutes then play back the chord while you play the following riffs using quarter notes or one note per click or beat. If you do not know the note names on the piano or the guitar use these links.  
For piano:http://www.teach-me-piano.com/piano-notes-chart.html 
For guitar: http://www.freemusicstudy.com/guitar-fretboard-chart-2.htm

Riff #1 = Eb, C, G  
(repeat this riff - five to fifteen times in a row till it start to sound fluid and smooth please do this for all riffs). 

Riff #2 = G, Bb, C 

Riff #3 = G, Bb, Eb, C
 
Riff #4= C, Eb, F, G, Bb, C


More to come,

Vince Lauria


Fun with the Blues Scale!

By
Vince Lauria
on September 5, 2009 11:25 AM | | Comments (0)
Last blog we learned the Blues Scale now lets learn some of the chords that go with the Blues Scale. Remember all examples are given in the key of C.
After you become familiar with the key of C you will want to transpose or move these chords to other keys.
(More on this later).

The most common chords that go with the C Blues scale are:
C7////F7////G7////. (The lines after each of the chords are called hash marks each hash mark represents one quarter note or strum).

This is often referred to a one, four, five - chord progression. In our music shorthand:
I, IV, V - 
The reason we use shorthand is so one system is then used in all keys.
Now lets look at the notes to create each one of these chords.

C7 = R, 3rd, 5th, b7 note names    C - E - G - Bb
F7 = R, 3rd, 5th, b7 note names     F - A - C - Eb
G7 = R, 3rd, 5th, b7 notes names   G - B - D -  F

Learn these chords in all positions of the fretboard and keyboard.

More on the Blues Scale later!


Vince Lauria

The Blues Scale!

By
Vince Lauria
on September 1, 2009 8:32 PM | | Comments (0)
One of the most commonly used scales in music besides the Major Scale is the Blues Scale.
Today lets learn it - then later I will show you ways to apply it.

First most scales are seven notes in a certain interval formula. What that means is out of the twelve notes in our musical system we usually use just seven of the twelve.
(an interval is the distance between any two notes - more on this later)

First lets review the number formula for a Major Scale:
R/1, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th/R or octave
The notes in the key of C would be:
C,D,E,F,G,A,B,C

The Blues Scale number formulas is:
R1, b3rd, 4th, b5th, 5th, b7th, 8th/R or octave.
The notes in the key of C would be:
C, Eb, F, Gb, G, Bb, C

Till next time,

Vince Lauria 

Proper practice procedures and good habit building

By
Vince Lauria
on August 30, 2009 10:33 PM | | Comments (0)
Many times students of all ages and experience lack proper practice habits,
they never achieve there goals because of this fact
I would like to mention some of the most important points.
The following applies to all instruments.

When a student first starts learning an instrument it can take from 2 to 3 months to develop a practice discipline. What that means is parents will many times say "my child doesn't practice enough" or "I don't want to pay for lessons if they are not going to practice every day".
The point here is that until a student develops a practice habit - 
THEY WILL NOT NATURALLY PRACTICE EVERY DAY!!!!

Until it is developed with weekly lessons, positive encouragement and time! 
I capitalize this because so many students believe that this should be a nature habit that every one has. Parents many times stop themselves or their child from lessons without allowing them the time to grow into a good music student!

This takes great patience, personal discipline and commitment to allow for this habit to develop and then become part of the student's daily life routine!

Just the same way you learn to read, write, play sports, eat a proper diet and exercise.
Most people forget how much time and reinforcement was given to them in the 
early stages of reading and manners and most things we NOW take for granted.

So before you give up on your child or your self remember the six month rule. 
Most things in life like sports, proper diet, working out - takes about six months to  
becoming a habit. Make a realistic goal for the student to practice undisturbed for a minimum of twenty minutes two to four times a week - that is a great start. Then within a couple of months expand practice time to 30 minutes a session. Then within three to six months the student should practice thirty minutes three to five times a week. 
More on this next time.


Thanks for reading!
And don't forget to apply these principles.


ATB,


Vince Lauria


Changing chords using minimum movement and anchor fingers

By
Vince Lauria
on August 22, 2009 10:37 AM | | Comments (0)
One of the most important techniques for guitar (most instruments) is to be aware of not lifting your fingers away from the instrument. 

I tell my students slide like a snake don't hop like a bunny rabbit. When you first start to do this you will run into resistance with the fingers especially the fourth finger or pinky finger.
It is on a separate muscle group so it tends to fly away uncontrollably. Just be patient and within time it will lesson this effect. Also try to find common tones in chords so one of your fingers acts as an anchor finger. That is staying on the same note while the notes around it change. Here are some examples: 

C major = C, E, G changing to F major = F, A, C notice the C is in both chords.
G major = G, B, D changing to D major = D, F#, A notice the D is in both chords.
E minor = E, G, B changing to A major = A, C#, E notice the E is in both chords.

I will continue will more examples later!

Till then,

Vince Lauria





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