Love and Affection features both arpeggios and strumming, and Armatrading’s use of rich up-the-neck chord voicings creates an interesting study. She plays this song on an acoustic guitar; however, you could easily use a six-string for easier finger stretching. 1. XO by John Mayer XO, an emotive pop song written and performed by Mayer, conveys […]
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Many music producers around the globe have established home studios as their creative oasis. From portable setups to professional-grade recording spaces, home studios provide music producers a safe space in which to craft music. Home studios require several critical components – namely a computer, audio interface, MIDI keyboard/controller and DAW – but there’s much more
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Once a string is close to its correct pitch, it is crucial that its length remains constant by applying small amounts of pressure with your thumb against the tuning peg. Over time you will gain experience and know exactly how much force is necessary. Joff demonstrates how to tune a banjo by ear, emphasizing the
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Pedals offer endless creative potential when used on bass guitar. No matter the scale you play or style of playing bass you prefer, there’s sure to be a suitable pedal out there for everyone – from tone chasers and tone hunters, to bedroom bassists looking for their ideal pedal. Overdrive and distortion pedals are essential
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This song employs C and E chords stacked in major thirds to form stable structures for these triads. You will also discover an altered chord (the E7#9) which simply features an E7 chord with an additional flat 9th added on top. 1. G Major G Major is an upbeat key that’s often used for songs
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When strumming your ukulele, it is essential that you use the correct hand position in order to achieve an efficient strum that sounds great. By following these guidelines, your sound should come through clearly! Start out by making a light fist, placing your index finger on the strings and using it to strumming down. Strumming
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Beginner guitarists can often struggle with complex chords, particularly those involving numerous note changes. Luckily, there are easy chords designed for beginning guitarists that can help expedite learning progress faster. The first example is a C Major triad, using only two fingers and being relatively straightforward for beginners to learn. 1. C Triad Triads can
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While funk and disco were making waves, folk music thrived during the 1970s. Driven by a singer-songwriter movement and revival in roots/Americana music, folk songs produced an abundance of emotive, poetic pieces for years to come. Dylan’s distinctive vocals over a rolling acoustic arrangement painted multidimensional portraits of desire and regret in this timeless classic
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As always when playing open chords, it’s crucial that your fingers do not touch other strings as this could dampen (mute) them and prevent their sound from sounding out. This lesson will demonstrate two versatile chord shapes that can be utilized all across the fretboard when playing open G tuning. The first chord shape is
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Hip Hop is a cultural movement encompassing fashion, music, graffiti art and poetic language that emerged in the Bronx in the early 1970s against an economic and social backdrop of disenfranchisement. Hip hop music is an expression of oneself, social commentary and street culture. Using rhythmic beats to send powerful messages and feelings across, hip
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