Lesson Four Tuesday 29th January 2013

My fourth lesson and I was feeling more comfortable with the lessons, I was actually looking forward to it. I know the sounds I will make will sound like some cartoon robot breaking down but that’s fine as I know I just need to practice more and it will come.

I start going through the cords that I have been practicing. The E cord does not sound too bad and A is nearly there, though I am having real problems with F major 7 which I could not get any of the strings to sound clear. I was surprised though when I managed to get G crisp first time. I always thought my first crisp note would be an easy one like E, The G cord with all the fingers being used and stretched I am surprised to get this right first time. It was probably pure luck.

I then went through the rhythm exercises I had got. I had been practicing these a bit so I was please with my progress. I got another rhythm exercise to try. This one went down, down, up, up, down, up then repeat that pattern. Sounds easy. I could not get it at all I was all over the place. This was going to take some practicing.

As that went so well I was given an even more challenging exercise. I was to play The E cord with two down strokes then one up stroke with no fingers on strings then two down strokes in A cord, then one up stroke with no strings and again two down strokes in E. This was to be done to the rhythm of Michal Jackson’s earth song which is quiet a slow rhythm. After having a few attempts I can see this will take a lot of practice. The rhythm is wrong as I am sure earth song does not have a pause that seems to go on forever between each change of key, and I could not get my fingers in the right place in any time at all. I felt like I got my fingers tied up in the strings whenever I changed from one cord to the next.

The last part of my lesson I was introduced to TAB. This is used mainly to show what strings to play and what fret to use. The tune I was going to attempt was the most remembered part of “Sunshine of your love” by Cream which is the part at the start.

This was fun I am sure if you filmed my attempt and speeded it up and edited out the pauses it would have sounded just like it.

A great lesson with plenty now to practice.