|
Minor Pentatonic Scale
Providing that you have already studied a number of the many
other Phase 2 guitar lessons that are available at JamPlay then
you are most likely to already know the minor pentatonic scales.
For those of you that do not know what the 5 notes of the minor
pentatonic scale are, Dennis takes a moment to go over the 1st
and most commonly used pattern of the minor pentatonic scale.
The 5 shapes of the minor pentatonic scale are called
"boxes," many guitar teachers and guitarists use this
term. Using the key of G minor Dennis shows you the 1st and most
common box pattern of the minor pentatonic scale. This is a
fairly common key for rock and blues... see Essential
Blues And Rock Scales.
Dennis plays the minor pentatonic scale box pattern in 3rd
position first. This exact same pattern repeats itself an octave
higher beginning on the 15th
fret. When playing this same pattern higher up on the guitar
fretboard, many guitar players choose to change their left-hand
fingering. Take note of how Dennis uses only the following
fingers 1, 2, and 3. Many guitarists find that this fingering is
a lot more comfortable when it comes to navigating the smaller
frets higher up on the fretboard.
Hammer-ons
Hammer-ons are a kind of slur that entails the use of two or
more notes. Using this technique you can achieve a smooth, and
connected legato sound that is used frequently in metal music.
Typically a note is picked and then you hammer down to a higher
note using a finger of the left hand on the same string.
Hammer-on And Pull-off Exercise 1
Instructions
1. The chosen left-hand finger hammers down on the string
causing it to vibrate. You have to make certain that the
hammering motion is deliberate and quick. Executing this
technique without enough strength or too slowly will prevent the
second note from vibrating and you will end up muting the note
that you originally picked.
2. Make certain that each note that you play is of equal value
in time. Don’t cut the 1st note short!
3. When you pull-off make certain that your finger moves in a
downward path straight towards the floor. Stop your pulling
finger on the string below. The ability to play pull-offs
without creating unnecessary sympathetic vibration will come in
time providing that you continue to practice.
Scene 3: Trills, And A Dimebag Inspired Exercise
A trill on the guitar is a rapid succession of hammer-ons and
pull-offs between two different notes. You should practice
trills using all possible combinations of left-hand fingers;
this is an excellent way to build up left hand strength and
speed.
Dimebag Darrell Inspired Trill Exercise
Dimebag Darrell regularly used this trill exercise before every
show. The 1st measure consists of a short trill using your 1st
and 2nd fingers. The 1st note of the measure is picked, while
the rest of the notes are sounded due to hammer-ons and
pull-offs.
Exercise Guidelines
1. In this exercise Dennis begins on the first fret of the low E
string, but you should continue with this pattern until you
reach the 12th fret with your first finger.
2. Make certain that each note is equal in length and volume.
3. Don’t worry about speed. You should concentrate on creating
a clean sound and keeping the quarter notes even.
4. Always practice this exercise using a metronome.
5. This trill exercise uses a lot of different finger
combinations that are possible when playing a trill.
Nevertheless, it doesn’t take into account all of the finger
combinations that are possible. You should repeat this trill
exercise by using the remaining combinations of left-hand
fingerings that are possible. For instance, practice the first 8
bars of this exercise using your 3rd and 4th fingers and then
use your 2nd and 3rd fingers.
6. If your fingers begin to feel cramped and tired take a break.
Rest up the muscles of your hand and then continue on with this
exercise.
Scene 4: Bending – So far, Dennis has talked about two
different ways to create a legato sound. These include slurs
(hammer-ons and pull-offs), and slides. In this scene, he brings
in string bending as a 3rd way to get a legato sound.
A lot of the preceding information has been taken directly from
lesson 7 of Matt’s Phase 2 Rock series. See Matt’s Phase 2
Rock series lesson for more information about string bending
exercises.
The ability to bend strings is essential to playing rock,
country, blues, and metal music.
String bending can be heard regularly within solos, melodies,
and riffs. The way in which a guitarist executes string bends is
a significant component of their signature sound.
String Bending Direction
The way, in which a string should be bent, (up or down), depends
on which string you are playing. In general, the lower strings
of the guitar should be pulled down, while the high strings
should be pushed up, if not you risk running out of room on the
fretboard. However there are times that this rule may not apply,
because of the fingering of some musical phrases. At certain
times you may find that it is easier to pull the G-string down,
and push the D-string up.
In spite of whether or not you bend the string up or down this
is the one time you should allow your thumb to come up and over
the guitar’s fretboard. Your thumb is required for control and
leverage when bending stings.
Setting-Up Your Guitar For Comfortable String Bending
The way that your guitar is set up will affect your ability to
bend strings. A guitar's set-up generally pertains to the string
gauge, the tuning, and the strings height above the frets, etc.
The majority of rock and metal guitarists tend to use a set of
lighter gauge string, because they are much easier to bend. The
tone that is created by the lighter gauge strings is well suited
to rock and metal music. However most blues and country
guitarists prefer a set of heavier gauge strings, because they
produce a biting "twangy" tone.
Heavier gauge strings are much more demanding when it comes to
bending. I recommend that you start with a lighter gauge string,
and little by little work your way up to a heavier gauge string.
If string bending is causing you any unnecessary fatigue or
discomfort, you should switch to a thinner set of strings. A lot
of guitar players during the 80's suffered injuries to their
hands, because they used heavy gauge guitar strings. Stevie Ray
Vaughn made using heavy gauge string popular. He used very heavy
gauge strings (13 gauge for the high E) to produce his signature
sound. What many guitarists failed to understand was that Stevie
Ray Vaughn had huge hands and like Jimi Hendrix he tuned down
his guitar by a half step.
If you do decided to go with a different gauge string you will
have to set-up your guitar. This means setting the action,
intonation, and making minor truss rod adjustments. You should
get this done by a qualified expert.
Techniques For String Bending
It is very important that you play the guitar with good
technique. Good left-hand technique is dependent upon several
different factors. The first thing is that your thumb should be
at a 90- degree angle to the neck of the guitar, resting about
halfway up the back of the guitar neck. The remaining left-hand
fingers must also be at a 90-degree angle to the guitar
fingerboard. Your fingers have to be arched and bent at each
joint of your finger.
The lone exception to the above rule is when you are bending
strings. When bending strings it is helpful to let the thumb
come up over the guitar’s neck. This will allow you to have
much more leverage on the string. If you do not allow your thumb
to come up over the guitar’s neck you will be relying entirely
on the power and strength of your fretting fingers to execute
the bending technique. By bringing the thumb over the guitar’s
neck, you are combining the strength of your thump with your
left hand fretting fingers.
Types Of String Bends
There are several different ways to execute a string bend on the
guitar. See below.
Pre-bend String: The guitar string is first bent up in pitch,
and then the note is picked.
String Bend and Release: The guitar string is picked and bent at
the same time. Once the desired pitch is reached, your fretting
hand releases the string back down to its natural position.
Gradual String Bend: The guitar string is picked, and then
slowly bent to the desired pitch over the course of a specified
period.
Bending on the Beat: The guitar string is picked and bent at the
same time.
Scene 5: Pinch Harmonics - Pinch harmonics is that wild high
pitch squealing sound that you can hear in a lot of metal solos
and riffs. Pinch harmonics are sometimes called pick harmonics,
because the picking hand creates these harmonics. A few classic
metal songs that make use of these harmonics are Metallica's
"Sad But True and Pantera's "Cemetary Gates".
Guitarist Kirk Hammet generates some excellent pinch harmonics
in the short, 2nd solo of this song. You only have to listen
Zach Wylde play for twenty seconds to hear some fantastic pinch
harmonics.
About Harmonics
There are a number of different kinds of harmonics. If you want
to learn them all visit David’s Tips and Tricks series of
guitar lessons. You can create natural harmonics by gently
resting one of your left hand fingers over a "node
point" thus dividing the length of the guitar string into
particular integers. As an example, the12th fret harmonic
divides the guitar string precisely into two sections of equal
length. The harmonic that is found at the 7th fret of the guitar
divides the string into thirds. The principal node points can be
found at the 5th, 7th, 12th, 17th, 19th and 24th frets. You can
also produced natural harmonics at other locations on the
fretboard, but these harmonics are not as easy to produce and
they are a lot softer in sound. In order to get these harmonics
to sustain it is useful to use a distortion pedal.
Artificial Harmonics
Artificial harmonics are used regularly in classical guitar
playing. To create an artificial harmonic take the 3rd finger on
your right hand and pluck a string, now take the 1st finger on
your right hand and rest it on one of the guitar string's node
points. Observe Dennis carefully as he shows you a couple of
artificial harmonics. You can create these harmonics a lot
easier on an acoustic or classical guitar that has
phosphor-bronze strings. Again, see the Tips and Tricks series
for a lot more information about artificial harmonics.
Pinch Harmonics
A. Guitar And Amplifier Tips
1. Play with a lot of gain this will make your pinch harmonics
ring out clearly. If you can get the pinch harmonics to ring out
nicely and with a clean sound then pinch harmonics will sound
excellent if you use a distortion pedal.
2. Certain pickups are much better at generating pinch harmonics
than others. Humbucking pickups produce superior pinch harmonics
than single coil pickups do. Active humbucking pickups appear to
produce pinch harmonics much easier. In spite of which pickups
your guitar is equipped with adjust the pickups so that they are
as close to your guitar strings as possible. Keep in mind that
the pickup that is closest to the neck is always louder than the
pickup that is closest to the bridge, so you will have to adjust
the neck pickup a bit lower.
B. Pinch Harmonics Proper Technique
Start with any fretted note that you want to. Here Dennis choose
to go with the note C located at the 5th fret of the G-string.
Observe Dennis’s picking hand as he picks a number of C notes
in a normal manner. Now observe him as he changes his technique
in order to play a pinch harmonics. To properly produce a pinch
harmonic you have to pick the string at a sharper angle.
Bending your thumb inwards at the knuckle produces the correct
angle. Normally, this is not a good way to pick the string,
because it produces a weaker tone. Dennis discussed this issue
in an earlier lesson. Nevertheless, this technique is definitely
essential when you play pinch harmonics.
Once the pick has passed through the guitar string, your thumb
has to rub the edge of the guitar string as the hand follows
through. It is the contact that your thumb makes with the guitar
string that creates the pinch harmonic. What you are doing is
literally pinching the guitar string between your pick and the
fleshy part of your thumb.
Pitch Change
Depending upon where you pick the string along its length the
pitch of the harmonic will change, because you are varying the
strings length by picking at different node points. Take some
time to experiment with this, because you should learn to
distinguish the different pitches that are being created by the
harmonic. Every pinch harmonic will sound okay, but some pinch
harmonics sound much better than others. Spend time listening to
some of the great guitar players that use pinch harmonics, and
then try to copy them. ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons and Zakk Wylde are
both masters when it comes to playing pinch harmonics.
String Gauge
It is much easier to play pinch harmonics on the lower E, A, and
D strings. You should experiment and try different settings on
your amplifier and pick the string at different angles to get
the pinch harmonics to ring out loud and clear on the B and high
E strings.
Scene 6: Outro And Next Lesson Preview – In the last two metal
lessons Dennis has gone over enough stuff to keep you going for
a while. Go over both lessons as often as needed. Fit these
essential exercises into your daily warm-up. In the next lesson,
Dennis carries on with some more technical exercises. Dennis has
dedicated the next lesson solely to the development of your
left-hand. You will learn totally new exercises that were
created to build up left-hand accuracy, speed, flexibility, and
endurance. These exercises will also aid you in synchronizing
your right hand with your left hand. These exercises will also
be supplemented with pleasing metal riffs that were composed by
Dennis.
Learn More
|
