Examples of acoustic accompaniment
We will now analyze the topics discussed in the previous page, using some short musical examples and making reference to the main concepts of rhythmics and harmonics necessary to face these examples.
Example 1
Lets listen to a typical strumming done in the chord of G, where the indicated fingering is seen in the graphic below the score. As you can see, the rhythm is very simple, and is played with an acoustic guitar (Bozo USA 1977, recorded live using a very simple shure SM57), using a JD 0.70 pick of medium thickness.
The position of the pick could influence the global sound. The closer the strumming is to the bridge, the more the sound is metalic, while moving closer to the nut the sound is more full. Sometimes it can be helpful to change the position of picking while playing, to vary the complexion of the sound.
Example 2
In the previous example we saw the sound of only one chord. Now, with the same rhythm, we will try to play more chords. The main problem is the change between one fingering and another, which could cause momentary interuptions, sometimes unnoticeable and sometimes more evident (depending on the difficulty of the fingering). In this case there are no rules on how to change chords fluidly.
However, there are some tricks. One of these, surely the most useful, uses common fingers between the chords. For example, in the G and the D, the third finger is found on the second string at the third fret, while in the Am and the C the first and second fingers remain on the second and fourth strings, respectively.
If there are no common fingers, the most convenient system to change chords is to place the fingers in sequence, usually from the lowest finger (intended as a number, which is the index or the middle finger).
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Example 3
The picking can also be used on single chords or groups of chords, within the structure of that chord. This way of playing gives notable variations in the overall sound of that chord. In the example, played in C major, the pick initially strums the fifth string, then the first four, then the fifth-fourth-third group, then finally the first four strings again. |
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Example 4 With normal playing the pick passes almost instantaneously over all the interested strings in the movement. In some cases however, the picking can slide over the strings, allowing you to hear the passing of the pick over each string, obtaining a more marked chord in the note being played. In the score, the symbol is located on the chord in beat of the second and fourth movement. |
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Example 5 Also the arpeggio, usually perfomed with the finger of the right hand, can be played using the pick. Normally, the picking follows the movement of the hand: down stroke, playing the single strings from bass to treble, or otherwise the up stroke, playing from treble to bass. |
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Remember that there are numerous techniques of execution for the guitar, and also in standard accompaniment (like strumming) there can be many forms of picking with the right hand. The same is true for the left hand, that you can utilize all the common guitar techniques, both for the acoustic as well as the electrical guitar.
The techniques analyzed up to this point are the fundamentals for the simple accompaniment of a song. In the next page we will look at some practical examples of typical harmonic sequences from some famous songs, in order to better understand all the rhythmic and expressive possibilities.
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