tag:mikeberube.com,2005:/blogs/lessons-insightLessons insight2022-10-05T13:00:00-04:00Mike Berubefalsetag:mikeberube.com,2005:Post/70742392022-10-05T12:09:29-04:002022-10-19T11:24:45-04:00Spontaneous Creativity<p><span style="color:#99ff99;">You're listening to a performance that your band recorded. A live show and you know that spot you dread is coming. Where you messed up. Only to discover... your mistake turned out to be something magical. And you re-learn the mistake so that you can repeat it. A moment of "<strong>spontaneous creativity</strong>."</span></p>
<p><span style="color:#99ff99;">I truly believe that these errors are rhythmically and theoretically correct because of the hours of practice we perform. I can't remember who said "guitarists have a form of OCD." To sit alone somewhere and repeat, ad nauseum the same phrase, lick or chords over and over. Well, that is just not ordinary. It is in fact, "extraordinary".</span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color:#99ff99;">The painter Pablo Picasso said "without great solitude. No serious work is possible". Some of us spend countless hours just improvising constantly, to many genres and styles. Studying theories, experimenting. The following statement I cannot stress enough. Constantly improvise over as many styles as you can. Build that reference library into your brain. Listen to everything, decide what you like and steal it. Because when you encounter challenges in real time, on stage you learn to solve these problems with references and learn what is practical to fall back on and play it safe. Your mental reference library will keep you out of the dark. Above all you will learn how to fumble and to recover with grace and confidence. That the moment you must rely on your "<strong>spontaneous creativity</strong>" won't be an uh-oh moment.</span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color:#99ff99;">Those times when you are not on the spot trying to recover during a performance. You have the experience and theoretical knowledge. As well as a large capacity reference library. Making it easy for you to improve a song's basic idea and develop it into a supportive part of the ensemble that compliments the overall sound.</span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color:#99ff99;">Don't overplay. Play the song and remember your place in the mix. As a supporting member of the cast.</span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color:#99ff99;">Stay humble </span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color:#99ff99;">Be kind. Peace and out</span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color:#99ff99;">MikeB</span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"> </p>Mike Berubetag:mikeberube.com,2005:Post/70749402022-10-05T10:51:51-04:002022-10-19T11:25:39-04:00The Dominant 7th Chord<p><span style="color:#99ff99;">The Dominant 7th (Dom7) chord forms are at the core of altered and extended chords. Look at any list of altered chords and you will notice that the Dom.7 chords have the most extensive amount of chords. They are just so accepting.</span></p>
<p><span style="color:#99ff99;">Did you know that there is a list of 16 Primary Dom7 Chords and that with these chords you can create whatever chord that you could ever need. If you include the list of how you can alter them the sky's the limit. The combinations are incredible. Not to mention the environment that these chords can generate is nothing short of amazing. With the right effects and texture you can have an inspiring soundscape to solo or jam over. </span></p>
<p><span style="color:#99ff99;">Or quite simply your standard Blues is usually over the Dom7 chords in a I IV V progression. But we can turn that into a real "<em><strong>uptown blues</strong></em>" style. Each chord is strummed to a four count </span></p>
<p><span style="color:#99ff99;">G7 C9 G9 G7 C9 C7 G7 G13 D9 C9 G7 D(#9)</span></p>
<p><span style="color:#99ff99;">If you want more info about this subject download my e book here on my site under books. It is important that you have a basic grasp of music theory and knowledge of the notes on the fingerboard, as well as chord forms. In advanced material like this, it can be advantageous for you to have lessons with a competent teacher to help and guide you. To answer questions that you will have.</span></p>Mike Berubetag:mikeberube.com,2005:Post/70742042022-10-04T10:55:05-04:002022-10-19T11:26:29-04:00Atkins Harmonic Technique <p><span style="color:#99ff99;">Atkins Harmonic Technique </span></p>
<p><span style="color:#99ff99;">The late great guitarist Chet Atkins developed a wonderful style and incorporated harmonics played with the “i” finger while picking the chord tones with your "a" finger. This is often referred to as “cascading harmonics”. I assure you, like its name, it sounds quite beautiful. If you simply YouTube for </span><a contents="Tommy Emanuel" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cHeNscKZN0"><span style="color:#99ff99;">Tommy Emanuel</span></a><span style="color:#99ff99;">, who performed with and knew </span><a contents="Mr. Atkins." data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1Ou6wn7XRc"><span style="color:#99ff99;">Mr. Atkins.</span></a><span style="color:#99ff99;"> Tommy is a master of this technique. His speed and accuracy are awe inspiring. </span></p>
<p><span style="color:#99ff99;">Step 1:</span></p>
<p><span style="color:#99ff99;">Finger a Cdom9 at the 2nd fret. Place the tip of your “i” finger (RH) directly over the fret wire at the 15th fret, on the 3rd string. Using the thumb of your right hand (p), pick the 3rd string so that the harmonic that you're "i" is touching sounds. It should produce a harmonic that is an octave higher than the Bb note at the 3rd fret. Remember that this note is picked with “p” and the sound is produced by the "i" finger touching the string lightly at the 15th fret </span></p>
<p><span style="color:#99ff99;">Step 2:</span></p>
<p><span style="color:#99ff99;">Then with your ‘“a” finger (RH) pick the 1st string not as a harmonic but as a chord tone played with “3rd" finger of your Left Hand. So pick with RH thumb followed by RH index.</span></p>
<p><span style="color:#99ff99;">The cascade is generated when you proceed to the next set of strings (4&2) and perform the same process. But this one is harmonic at the 14th fret because the LH 1st finger is at fret 2. However I find that the 3rd set of strings, 5&3 do not work as well but if performed 5&2, sound better for the 3rd set of strings. I will add here that I have not yet found the magic in 5&3. I did not say they aren't useable. <em>this is my opinion</em>.</span></p>
<p><span style="color:#99ff99;">That's it for now and I look forward to your valuable comments and your opinions. By sharing these personal views in a friendly environment we all learn and grow. We learn to appreciate each other.</span></p>
<p><span style="color:#99ff99;">Peace and out</span></p>
<p><span style="color:#99ff99;">MikeB</span></p>Mike Berubetag:mikeberube.com,2005:Post/70741782022-10-04T10:13:28-04:002023-10-16T11:05:42-04:00Natural Harmonics<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color:#99ff99;">The first technique that we’ll cover is the Natural Harmonics. These occur at the 5th, 7th and 12th frets. To produce these tones, place your 4th finger (LH) directly over the fret wire at the aforementioned fret and pick the note. It should produce a chime-like ring sound. My composition <strong><em>“Four Souls”</em> </strong>demonstrates natural harmonics. However, I capo at the 7th position but the rules are the same.</span></p>
<p><span style="color:#99ff99;">The following info does require some basic theory. Using the 6th string as a reference the 12th fret (E) harmonic is the octave to the open string and the 5th fret is the octave to that 12th fret harmonic. Also note that the 12th fret depressed is the same pitch as the 12th fret harmonic. (The 7th fret is the 5th scale degree to the 12th fret E.) </span></p>
<p><span style="color:#99ff99;">The harmonic at the seventh fret, as well as the 7th fret depressed, is the fifth scale degree of the 12th fret harmonic. </span></p>
<p><span style="color:#99ff99;">There are other harmonics that occur at odd places like 2/3rds between fret wires 1 and 2. I provide a chart that shows the majority of these "fractional harmonics" in the back of the Harmonics e book. </span></p>
<p><span style="color:#99ff99;">The capo being fret “0”, I use the natural harmonics that occur at frets 5, 7 and 12, counted up from the capo position.</span></p>
<p><span style="color:#99ff99;">I hope that this is helpful. Any comments are helpful to me.</span></p>
<p><span style="color:#99ff99;">Thanks, </span></p>
<p><span style="color:#99ff99;">MikeB</span></p>Mike Berube