BORROW - DON’T STEAL!

by Tom Yoder

Stealing is easy to do. Making it work for an It will take lots of practice. Play slowly with a
original sound is more difficult. Randy Rhodes did metronome to keep the pattern at an even pace.
a great job when he stole the chord progression It is well worth your time. You will end up much
from the first 16 measures of Leo Brouwer’s more coordinated and faster, and with a much
(1939- ) Estudios Sencillos #6. He used it for the bigger sound.
intro of Ozzy’s “Diary of a Madman”.
By using a different tuning and obviously different
I confess, I’ve also stolen. One of my more blatant fingerings, I’ve taken something someone else did
rip-offs is the contrasting middle section (starting (not to mention a standard part of the guitar
at measure 44, 1:23 into the tune) of “Zen Parked repertoire) and made it my own.
on Z” from my CD, “Eat This It’s Safe”. It uses a
Both the Villa-Lobos 12 studies and Brouwer’s 20
right hand arpeggio pattern lifted directly from
Estudios Sencillos are great for fingerstyle guitarist
study #1 of the 12 studies by Heitor Villa-Lobos
to study. It doesn’t matter whether or not you want
(1881-1959).
to play classical guitar. Working on them will give
“Zen” is in C Tuning (CGCGCE low to high). The you lots of ideas to build upon.
arpeggio pattern is as follows: pipi pmia maim
Remember, good composers borrow, great
pipi. It’s done with a sixteenth note rhythm. The
composers steal.
whole section (measures 44-77) uses this pattern
except for the quintuplet figure at measures 64
and 77. To count a quintuplet I always use the Tom Yoder
word un-i-ver-si-ty. It helps me to play the figure
Tom Yoder is a guitar instructor at Coastal Carolina
smoothly instead of lapsing into a three/two or
University - the emminence grise behind countless
two/three feel. Say university as you play the
guitar players in South Carolina, including Edwin
figure. It works.
McCain.
If you really want to own this arpeggio pattern, I
His CD “Eat This It’s Safe” showcases his
recommend tying a cloth underneath the strings
phenomenal compositional and fingerstyle talents.
up by the nut around the first and second frets.
Yoder bears comparison with the likes of Hedges,
Then sit in front of the television and play the
Bensusan and Kottke.
pattern.
Visit Tom’s site at www.tomyoder.net
Listen to Tom’s mp3’s at
www.mp3.com/tom_yoder
NOTE: you can listen to “Zen Parked On Z” by
clicking here
To play this arpeggio fluidly and make the top two
strings ring strong, you will need to really dig into
the strings. Having that cloth tied underneath the
strings will help you gain strength in your right
hand. The ama move in the middle of the pattern
is tough to get loud and fast. But it is essential
that you do.

www.acousticguitarworkshop.com
www.acousticguitarworkshop.com Zen Parked On Z
www.acousticguitarworkshop.com Zen Parked On Z