Category: Music Education

“On My Mind” Jorja Smith (Acoustic Version Tutorial)

Cover Song, Guitar, guitar lesson, Guitar Score, Guitar Tablature, Guitar Tutorial, music, Music, Music Education, Music Genres, Music Theory, pop music, Videos

In September 2017, Jorja Smith released “On My Mind”, an irresistible and jazzy track.  She worked alongside producer, Preditah. The track first premiered on Zane Lowe’s Beats 1 show. It was her first release that made it into the Official UK Charts reaching #54. It has been streamed well over 13 million times on Spotify alone. 

If you haven’t played them yet, this track will introduce you to a few jazz chord forms. These moveable shapes are not hard to maneuver if you take your time and work out the fingerings. Do not rush through this arrangement. Patience and slow movement will more than pay off.

I did make a correction thanks to a YouTube subscriber. The second chord is an Fm7b5, and not an Fm7 as I say in the video tutorial.

Here is the tab, which I am in the process of completing. Thank you for your patience!

Here is a link to the Guitar Pro Tab/Score:

On My MindDownload

I will provide more help with video and audio clips.

Thank you!

Mark

Advertisement

“Shallow”. The acoustic guitar hits the pop scene in a big way.

Collaboration, Cover Song, Guitar, guitar lesson, Guitar Score, Guitar Tablature, Guitar Tutorial, music, Music, Music Education, Music Review, pop music

Click Here for the Tutorial:

“Shallow” Guitar Tutorial

Click Here for the Tab/Score for guitar:

Shallow

The acoustic guitar has had occasional spotlight moments reaching out and making itself known as a legitimate accompaniment instrument worthy of featured airplay. Eric Clapton scored big with his 1992 mega-hit “Tears in Heaven”. The song dominated the charts and made it cool to play acoustic guitar again. Decades before, the Mason Williams classic instrumental, “Classical Gas” roared up the charts. The song won three Grammy Awards for Best Instrumental Composition, Best Contemporary-Pop Performance, and Best Instrumental Arrangement.

“Shallow” is nowhere near the level of the aforementioned songs in structure or instrumentation, but it is a wonderfully written guitar part and engaging song to play. 

Make sure to take care on the chord switches during the intro and verse sections. I will finish the score making sure to provide a version that is not fingerpicked for those of you just wanting to strum and easier version. 

The Regal Four: A one-minute tribute to one of the greatest rock bands of all time.

Bands, Composition, Cover Song, Guitar, music, Music Education, Music Review, Performance, Review

One of Queen’s most unique compositions, “Love of my Life” encompasses all aspects of Freddie Mercury’s writing style. Mixed with Brian May’s angular guitar lines, which are perfectly weaved into Mercury’s complex musical twists of phrase, the magic of Queen becomes clear.

Thier music is not, and never has been, typical of the rock genre. It’s one thing to be progressive, but the music of Queen was a step ahead of that. It’s as though the two men, along with bassist, John Deacon and drummer/vocalist, Roger Taylor, challenged each other to reach for a higher musical consciousness. This divergent and inventive quartet ruled over the musical landscape of their time leading to the ultimate in musical creativity and longevity.

queencaricture
I chose to feature this excerpt as it contains my favorite Queen-isms. Multi-layered harmonies, excruciatingly beautiful vocal and guitar tones, and an emotional depth of feeling still unmatched by anyone since. May’s ability to place his guitar lines in just the right place without overdoing them is quite remarkable. If that was all he was a master of, he would still go down of one of the greats of all time. But, lest we forget his most enduring legacy, his tone. Yes, that soaring and irresistible tone. I didn’t dare attempt to replicate it exactly as that would have been blasphemous, not to mention time consuming. I did the best I could to capture the aura of the man’s genius.

queencartoon

The phrasing, the tonal colors, and the execution, are breathtaking. No shredding needed when you can create such melodic gems. Why waste excessive note wrangling when you can paint the world with sounds such as these?

Without question, the team of Freddie Mercury and Brian May rank right up there with the best of all time.

YouTube Cover Version

“Love Lies” Khalid & Normani (Tutorial)

Bands, Cover Song, Guitar, guitar lesson, Guitar Score, Guitar Tablature, Guitar Tutorial, Hip Hop, music, Music Education

This is the electric guitar part for the song, “Love Lies” Original Video “Love Lies” written by Khalid Robinson, Normani Kordei Hamilton, Jamil Chammas, Ryan Vojtesak, and Tayla Parks.

This is a very clever and fun guitar part. If you want the guitar to pop out of a mix this is the textbook way to do it. Take three chords, and arpeggiate them using a Fender Stratocaster set for position 2. That gives the guitar a “mellow bite” that is perfect for parts you want the listener to focus on.

DELBZIMWAAAh-CE

Here is the guitar tab for the song. I’ve included the very brief legato run that occurs in measure 5 during the intro. Take your time with this as it may be a little tricky at first, especially the changes during the pre-chorus and chorus.

Here is the link for the guitar tab:

Love Lies Guitar Pro Tab

Here is the kink to the YouTube tutorial:

Love Lies Tutorial

 

Right Hand Exercises for the first Year Guitarist: Marching towards Mastery

Guitar, Guitar Score, Guitar Tablature, Guitar Tutorial, music, Music Education, Music Theory, Performance

This is a right hand exercise using only the right hand thumb and index finger.

It is a little tricky at first as the movement collapses from the top to the bottom (lower) 6th string. In order to keep the exercise within the first year limitation, the thumb plays on the 6th string only.

*Keep in mind that we are working towards the Travis Style of picking and in that vein, you will use both the index and middle fingers on the upper three strings. 

Please take your time with this going slowly and carefully. This will develop your ability to play more complex patterns with independence between the thumb and the index, middle, and ring fingers.

Screenshot 2017-02-01 19.10.42.png

A Music Nerd Who Is In Search Of The Beat

Hip Hop, music, Music Education, Music Review, Music Theory, Rap, Review

 

Yesterday, beginning at 1:00 pm I set out on a mission of sorts. I left early to assist a current student on her first day at Jiffy Lube Live (Live Nation). I won’t go into the details of the early part of the day but let’s just say the she saw the “other side” of the music industry up close and personal.

After our three or so hours in purgatory we took 5 minutes to recover and then moved into the house area. She and the majority of the 16,000 (more or less) fans understand well what was to come. But I remain perplexed. As I got closer the music got louder…much louder. As I descended the steps into the pit area the energy was as high as I can ever remember in my two plus years working on the floor.

I can still feel those first few moments. But alas, I am left this morning with a puzzling problem that won’t go away. Why do I remain in a state of confusion over an element of music that I was sure I had mastered. An element that is present even when it’s not obvious, that is, the beat.


The show, G-Easy and Logic was basically, and for lack of a better term
, was (mostly) White Rap. The crowd was energized and looking at the faces of the mostly 17-24 year old audience I realize once again just how powerful this music is.


There’s no use, nor is it my intention, in analyzing or getting into the lyrical content, the delivery, or the sometimes conflicting messages and  meanings behind this musical phenomenon. I have a bigger issue with the music, and if you are honest with yourself, you can find socio-lyrical dilemmas in all styles and genres of popular music.

 

It’s been bugging me for a while that I cannot get what makes a good hip hop/ rap beat. I know, and can construct, rock beats, Latin beats, jazz beats, funk beats, metal beats, and electronic beats. But when it comes to rap I don’t have it “locked in” yet. I just want to understand it in theoretical terms


I’ll say one thing for rap, they have the bass sound locked and loaded. There was a point last night where I thought my body was going to split in two. I was positioned directly in front of and slightly below the wall of bass cabinets that were stacked on top of the stage. The bass was not just loud but was vibrating every cell in my being.Wait, I think I’ve hit on something here! Is it possible that the bass supersedes the beat and is subservient to it? If this is so then hell, I’m letting it go. I mean, I’m not going to become a rap dj or a producer of rap beats for that matter. But wait, I’m a nerd. I have to know. I can’t drop it.


Someone help! I need the beat! Just tell me what is different a
bout the role of the beat? What should it have? What shouldn’t it have? Do I need a cowbell?

 

 

-Mark Jeffery Campayno

 

“Nylon Fantasy #2”

Composition, Guitar, music, Music Education, Music Theory, Original Music, Recording, Review

A Nylon String Guitar Original Work

Prelude

This “classical guitar” work in the new acoustic style is by far my favorite of the ones I’ve written 'Air Guitar' byso far. Both its sound and construction are exactly what I look for in instrumental guitar works. Like anything else that comes as a pleasant surprise, this was one of those sessions where everything came together. I must say however, that I never go into a session with a preconceived idea, well at least not one that is carved in stone. My brain doesn’t work that way even though I can be very conservative and by the book in other areas of performance and study.

 

Methodology

I go in to such sessions randomly trying not to get caught up in the guitarists mindset that can plague your endlessly. The thoughts and schemes such as what key? What scales or chords? Should I go intblockdiagramo an altered tuning or not? Should I play fast or slow? That does nothing more than push your spirit into a one-dimensional force bent on being traditional. Traditional for the sake of tradition. Not to pay homage to it, but to be bound by it.

The Work

I don’t remember consciously doing this but it has a logical rhythmic flow to it. The piece starts out by stating the melody in between a very dense foundation harnomics.gif
of dark arpeggiated chords. I overdubbed some, but not all of the harmonics onto the work as a decorative effect. I, like many non-guitarists, tend to find them aurally attractive and very desirable especially on acoustic guitar.

 

Technique

slurs

The slurred sections were not easy but flowed surprisingly well considering that I had no plan for incorporating them. I’m very happy with how they turned out. It’s my climbing Mount Everest moment as that are fairly athletic. It will take quite a few minutes to pull them back under my fingers in that exact configuration. However, I must take the time to score out the work so as to codify it. In that way, it becomes “official”, solid, unbending. Unless, of course, I go back and change the score.

Angular Thinking

As musicians, we all have areas that are endemic to our playing. I love the angular in music, but to produce it well is not easy. This was one time that it happened without the usual struggle and gnashing of teeth. The fleeting moments of non-compliance with the voices in our heads that would doubt us.The total control one has sought from the beginning of the Screen+Shot+2013-03-07+at+10.01.40+PMjourney. However, I’m sure I’ll go back to the struggle until I can take control of angular and the unexpected in my playing.

 

Thank God for the guitar.

 

-Mark Jeffery Campayno

Guitar tab/score: Justin  Timberlake’s “Can’t Stop This Feeling”.

Guitar, Guitar Tutorial, music, Music Education

This is a guitar transcription of Leroy Sanchez’s cover of the Timberlake release. It is an acoustic guitar/vocal performance.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B7AH_jj2jg2-NXN2aUgzOTFhOGc

Charlie and Selena Don’t Talk Anymore?

Guitar, Guitar Tutorial, music, Music Education, Review

The Acoustic Guitar Score for Charlie Puth’s new single, “We Don’t Talk Anymore” featuring Selena Gomez

Youtube Official Audio Version from Charlie’s Vevo Channel:

“We Don’t Talk Anymore” Official Audio

“We Don’t Talk  Anymore” the new single by Charlie Puth, featuring Selena Gomez, contains a very exciting guitar part that will keep your concentration on high alert. Even though consists of only two separate but similar chord progressions, one little slip can cause a bit of a mess due to its fast tempo.

wedonttalkcolorProgression 1 (4 measures)

A Major – B Major – C#minor – G#minor.

Progression 2 (4 measures)

A Major – B Major – C#minor – C#minor.

*For clarity’s sake let’s call these sections A and B, which is clearly marked on the score.

wedonttalkbw

The entire song is played arpeggio style with a fast 1/16th-note texture and it never strays from these two sections.

The difficulty with playing “We Don’t Talk Anymore” will lie in the speed at which the parts are played. The tempo is a “brisk”

It will be easier to play this song using finger style technique on an acoustic guitar. Using a pick will require extreme accuracy for the entirety of the song (3:37). If you are up for it, God bless you!

Here is the structure of the song:

  • wedonttalkcolorThe intro is: A B
  • Charlie’s Verse is: A A
  • Charlie’s Pre-Chorus is: A B
  • The Chorus is: A A
  • Selena’s Verse: A A
  • Selena Pre-Chorus: A B
  • The instrumental: A A
  • The Outro (Charlie and Selena): A B
  • The Outro Double Chorus: A A A A

-Mark

Guitar Score:  “We Don’t Talk Anymore” PDF Guitar Pro File

Here is the Youtube link:  Youtube Tutorial for “We Don’t Talk Anymore”