Lesson 2: Notes, chords, and rhythm

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Why is it important to learn the notes? if you know which notes are used in which chords, you can figure out (different and/or easier) ways to play chords (Well get to that later though). Also, you get to understand the notes relation to each other, and thus figure out scales to base solos on. Well look at some more scales later on but the C major scale is the most important one.

This is a TAB (tablature) arrangement of the C major scale. You can see there are 6 lines; the bottom one represents the low E-string and the top one represents the high E-string. The numbers represent the numbers of the frets you play; if there is a zero you play an open string. Rhythm theory In most songs, the notes are arranged in measures (bars), with four whole notes in each bar. Songs can be fast, or slow, but most of them have four whole notes in one measure. (There are songs, however, that can have a maximum of 3 whole notes in one measure, or 5, or even 8; but well take a look at the simplest and most common arrangement now.) When a measure can contain 4 whole notes, that song is written in the time signature of 4/4, also called the quadruple time signature. The measure does not have to comprise of 4 whole notes, though; there can be two notes in it, or one, or three, but the maximum is 4 whole notes. Notice how I stress the whole. Because a whole note can be split into two shorter notes, or four, or eight, etc. A whole note is called a crotchet or a quarter note. Its symbol is: A quarter note split up into two shorter notes is called an eighth note. Its symbol is: Those two are the most common. Two eighth notes make up one quarter note. Often, two eighth notes are connected like this: Watch the video for examples of some measures in the 4/4 time signature. Fingers & playing It is important to keep the angle between your finger and the fretboard as right as possible, as to not muffle the string beneath the one youre playing. It is also better for your hand. Make sure to keep your thumb relaxed. Dont curl it around the neck, dont strain it, dont press it against the neck too hard. This can result in hand problems. Chords

C major Notes: C, E, G

A major Notes: A, E, C#

A minor Notes: A, E, C

E major Notes: E, B, G#

E minor Notes: E, B, G

The pictures above are chord diagrams; sometimes you see them simplified or turned 90, so the low E string is on the left. Here, however, the low E string is at the bottom. The little yellow numbers represent the fingers youre using; 1 is your index finger (also called pointer finger and forefinger Im not sure what term youre familiar with), 2 is your middle finger, 3 is your ring finger and 4 is your little finger/pinkie/pinky, though its not used in these chords. The black numbers at the bottom represent the frets; the thick black line you see at the left of each picture is the nut, and the small grey/silver bars are the actual frets.