Lesson Series
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** As featured in issue 30 **
In this fingerstyle acoustic guitar lesson, we'll be looking at another composition of mine, called Study n.19. As always, I like to share with you a few compositional ideas which I hope will stimulate your appetite for knowledge on different harmonic, melodic and rhythmic concepts, applicable to composition and arranging on the guitar.
This piece is in ¾ and it features diatonic as well as non-diatonic chords. The latter serve the important purpose in music that is to create tension and release. The opening chord, for example, does that quite well. This is a diminished triad with a major 7th.
As I demonstrate in the video, this is a symmetrical chord as the same shape can be used on the fingerboard to imply various cadences in various tonalities.
There are other chords though recurrently used to create tension and release: for example, the augmented and the altered. These chord types are evident respectively in bar 11 and 17.
Another recurrent strategy, which I have used in this piece as well as in the previous piece featured in issue 29, is the use of secondary dominant chords. These create a momentary change of tonality and add another element of tension and release. This is evident in bar 13, where I modulate from the key of A to the key of D via an A13.
A wide variety of extended and altered chords have been used for a contrasting harmonic narrative (You may want to research these and try to spot them within the piece)
I would strongly recommend exploring the above-mentioned techniques to write your own pieces. We have to allow ourselves to make mistakes and we should try to understand why we like or not a particular sound, a chord progression or modulation. Eventually, these sounds will become part of your musical lexicon and you’ll be able to use these with fluidity and effectiveness.
The picking-hand pattern is predominantly as follows:
(Please note E=low E string, e= high E string)
‘p’ on the E and A strings, then ‘i, m, a’ on strings G, B, e.
Play this part in a relaxed and clear manner, making sure your thumb is a little forward compared to the ‘i, m, a’ fingers, in order to prevent it from colliding with the ‘i’ finger. As always, focus on attack and tonal consistency. The melody and the supporting harmonies will be played with the ‘a’ finger, so more attack is needed to outline the melody.
Next we are going to look at the left hand part:
Bar 1: Open A, little f on fret 7 of D, middle f on fret 5 of G and barre’ on fret 4 of B and e.
Bar 2: Open A, ring f on fret 6 of D, little f on fret 6 of G, open B and e.
Bar 3: As bar 1
Bar 4: As bar 2, but once played the A pluck upper fragment on beat 2.
Bar 5: Open A, little f on fret 7 of D, middle f on fret 5 of G and barre’ on fret 4 of B and e and then fret 4 of B again.
Bar 6: Little f on fret 4 of A and index on fret 2 of e. Barre’ on fret 2 to play the 2nd fret of G, B and E and B again.
Bar 7: Little f on fret 4 of A and open e. Index on fret 1 of G followed by open B and e.
Bar 8: Barre’ on fret 2. Index on fret 2 of A with middle f on fret 3 of B. Ring f on fret 4 of D, 2nd of G, 3rd of B followed by 2nd and 5th of e.
Bar 9: Open E and little f on fret 9 of e. Barre’ on 7 to play 7th of D, G, B and e.
Bar 10: Open A and e. Ring f on fret 6 of D, little f on fret 6 of G, open B.
Bar 11: Open A and e. Index f on fret 3 of D, little f on fret 6 of G, open B.
Bar 12: Open A and e. Index f on fret 4 of D, little f on fret 6 of G, open B.
Bar 13: Open A and e. Little f on fret 5 of D, ring f on fret 4 of G, barre’ on fret 2 of B and e.
Bar 14: Little f on fret 5 of A and open e. Ring f on fret 4 of D, index on fret 2 of G, open B and fret 2 of G.
Bar 15: Little f on fret 5 of A and open e. Middle f on fret 3 of D, index on fret 2 of G, open B and fret 2 of G.
Bar 16: Little f on fret 4 of A and open e. Index f on fret 2 of D, middle f on fret 2 of G, open B and fret 2 of G.
Bar 17: Middle f on fret 2 of E and index on fret 1 of B. Open G, ring f on fret 2 of D, little f on fret 2 of B and open G.
Bar 18: Barre’ on fret 2 to play fret 2 of A and little f on fret 5 of B. Ring f on fret 4 of D, fret 2 of G and middle f on fret 3 of B.
Bar 19: Open E and ring f on fret 2 of B. Middle f on fret 2 of D, index f on fret 1 of G and open B.
Bar 20: Barre’ on fret 2 of D and G with open A. Open e, little f on fret 4 of B, then open E, ring f on fret 4 of G and middle f on fret 3 of B. Open e.
Bar 21: Open A and barre’ of fret 2 of D, G and B.
Next repeat the first 19 bars. (This explains the name of this piece)
Bar 22: (bar 41) Barre’ on fret 4 to play fret 4 of A and little f on fret 7 of B. Ring f on fret 6 of D, fret 4 of G and middle f on fret 5 of B.
Bar 23: Barre’ on fret 2. Index on fret 2 of E and ring f on fret 3 of B. Fret 2 of D, middle f on fret 3 of G followed by fret 2 of B.
Bar 24: Barre’ on fret 2 to play fret 2 of A and little f on fret 5 of B. Ring f on fret 4 of D, fret 2 of G and middle f on fret 3 of B.
Bar 25: As bar 19
Bar 26: As bar 20 except the last note, which should be played with the little f on fret 4 of e.
Bar 27: As bar 21 but with the little f on fret 5 of e.
Congratulations, you have completed Study n.19!
As always, you will be able to download a transcription by selecting the menu option in this page.
I strongly recommend experimenting with a few picking variations, changing the chords as you wish in terms of voicing (higher or lower), as well as trying the same picking pattern on a different chord progression, or using a ‘capo’ on fret 2 for a brighter outcome.
When repeating any section twice or more, you may want to play ‘sul ponticello’, (closer to the bridge) or ‘sul tasto’ (over the frets) for more contrasting results.
Make sure you highlight the melody (singing is a great strategy to play the melody in more assertive and singing-like manner)
Focus on minimum-movement approach, as this will help delivering the piece in a more accurate and consistent manner, while saving energy.
This will complete this creative fingerstyle lesson.
I hope you will enjoy playing this study piece and that this will give you some ideas on how to write your own solo guitar compositions.
