SECRETS OF THE GREAT

ACOUSTICSONGWRITERS

THE ULTIMATE DVD GUIDE!

DALE TURNER PRESENTS

1. THE SOUNDS OF SIMON A sampling of Paul Simon’s evocative

acoustic fretwork

2. MR. MELANCHOLY The infectious, intricate fingerstyle patterns of

the late, great Elliot Smith

3. THE FUNKY MONK: UNPLUGGED

Fingerstyle techniques and ferocious strums from former Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante

4. HAPPINESS IS SOME FINGERPICKING FUN A look at John Lennon’s acoustic artistry

5. DREAM BROTHER The atmospheric chordal stylings of

the late, great Jeff Buckley

6. BRAZIL NUT The bossa nova rhythms of Antonio Carlos Jobim

7. PINK MOON RISING The unsung acoustic artistry of Nick Drake

8. SOMETHING IN THE WAY HE GROOVES

The acoustic artistry of “the quiet Beatle,” George Harrison

9. RIGHTEOUS BABE Fingerstyle finesse meets

punk-rock attitude: The inimitable Ani Difranco

CONTENTS1. THE SOUNDS OF SIMON

A sampling of Paul Simon’s evocative acoustic fretwork

2. MR. MELANCHOLY The infectious, intricate fingerstyle patterns of

the late, great Elliot Smith

3. THE FUNKY MONK: UNPLUGGED

Fingerstyle techniques and ferocious strums from former Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante

4. HAPPINESS IS SOME FINGERPICKING FUN A look at John Lennon’s acoustic artistry

5. DREAM BROTHER The atmospheric chordal stylings of

the late, great Jeff Buckley

6. BRAZIL NUT The bossa nova rhythms of Antonio Carlos Jobim

7. PINK MOON RISING The unsung acoustic artistry of Nick Drake

8. SOMETHING IN THE WAY HE GROOVES

The acoustic artistry of “the quiet Beatle,” George Harrison

9. RIGHTEOUS BABE Fingerstyle finesse meets

punk-rock attitude: The inimitable Ani Difranco

CONTENTS

THE SOUNDS OF SIMONA sampling of Paul Simon’s evocative acoustic fretwork

CHAPTER

1PAUL SIMON ROSE to fame in the mid Sixties as a member of the folk-rock duo Simon & Garfunkel, in

which he played acoustic guitar and shared harmony vocal duties with collaborator Art Garfunkel. Though the pair formally split in 1970, the timelessness of their hit songs prompted numerous reunions, most recently in the form of an inspired performance at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2009. While Simon has released numerous solo albums throughout his career (among them the multi-Platinum smash, Graceland), it is his work with Simon & Garfunkel that per-haps best showcased his stellar guitar play-ing—tasty fingerpicking passages that have inspired singer-songwriters for decades.

In this chapter, we’ll be learning how to fingerpick Paul Simon style. Let’s kick things off with a passage built around an open C chord and reminiscent of Simon’s finerpicking work in “The Boxer” (origi-nally tuned down one half step). This song is steeped in Travis picking, a somewhat country-like fingerstyle approach named after Fifties-era country session musician Merle Travis. This first batch of figures deconstructs this style. FIGURE 1A illus-trates the “bass” role of the plucking hand’s thumb (p). Pluck, in order, the fifth, fourth, sixth and fourth strings in quarter notes; switch the fret hand’s ring finger back and forth to grab C (fifth string, third fret) and G (sixth string, third fret) bass notes, keeping remaining chord tones fretted as normal.

In FIGURE 1B, while the thumb con-tinues as before, use your pick-hand middle finger (m) to sound notes on the second string. FIGURE 1C adds the pick-hand index finger (i) to the equation to sound the open third string, completing the passage.

“Homeward Bound” (originally played with capo III) also features the Travis picking technique. For FIGURE 2, fret an open G chord with your ring finger on the sixth string; allow the second, third and fourth strings to ring open. Master the pattern in bar 1 first, plucking with the indicated fingers, then descend the sixth string in chromatic fashion, using your fret hand’s middle and index fingers, respec-tively, to create G/Fs and G/F, repeating the plucking pattern in bars 2–3. End the passage with a “strummed” E chord (rake

across strings with the “nail side” of fingers), fol-lowed by Am (brush strings with thumb).

Simon is also a fan of chord voicings that contain interesting intervals, namely seconds (two notes ei-ther one half step or one whole step apart). In songs like “Scarborough Fair” (originally played with capo VII), these “tone clusters” create a more evocative sound than standard open shapes do. In the “Scar-borough Fair”-like FIGURE 3, Dadd2/4 (an open C chord shape, moved up two frets) has a “second” in-terval between the notes on the middle two strings, as well as on the top two. In the final bar, Asus2—a shape integral to Simon’s accompaniment in “The Sound of Silence”—also has a second interval, be-tween the third and second strings. Bar 3 features another hallmark of Simon’s style, a descending move structured from 10ths intervals (note pairs that

are 10 scale steps apart), with the open third string plucked in between, as heard similarly in “American Tune” and “The Boxer,” among others.

We’ll close out this lesson by looking at some hip ways Simon embellishes open G shapes in cer-tain song intros. In the opening to “I Am a Rock” (originally played with capo V), he frets a G shape using his ring finger and pinkie for notes on the sixth and first strings, respectively. This frees up his index and middle fingers to quickly hammer-on/pull-off notes on the fourth and second strings, which FIGURE 4 similarly depicts. Simon also supercharges the intro to “Homeward Bound” with tasty chord ornaments. FIGURE 5 cops a similar sound using thirds intervals (note pairs that are three scale steps apart) along string sets 2-3, 3-4 and 4-5 to impart a harmonized melody.

p

FIGURE 1a

All examples played fingerstyle: p = thumb, i = index finger, m = middle finger, a = ring finger

let ringC

3

p

2

p

C/G

3

p

2

FIGURE 1b

p

Clet ring

m p

3

1

2

p

C/G

m p

3

1

2

FIGURE 1c

p

Clet ring

m p i p

C/G

3

1

20

m p i

3

1

20

p

FIGURE 2Glet ring

3

p

0

p i p m sim.

G/F#

3

00

0

2

0

G/F

2

00

0

1

0

p

E

1

00

0

0

strum

022100

strum

0Am

02210

p

FIGURE 3Dadd

let ring

a

24

i

5

0

p m

04

i sim.

C

30

3

0

02

mp

G/B

10

i mp

Am7

2

30

i mp

G

0

10

3

0

p

Asus2

a i

0

0

p

play 3 times

m

22

i p

!

02

0

p

FIGURE 4

let ringG

3

strum

0003

ai

ai

0003

0

0

2

1

0

0

ai

FIGURE 5

mi

Glet ring

0

0

2

1

0

0

0

0

2

1

0

0

mi

F

00

21

00

mi

C

mi

32

20

mi

mi

G

p strum

032 2

000

3

0003

3 6

FIG. 1A FIG. 1B FIG. 1C

FIG. 2

FIG. 3

FIG. 4 FIG. 5

p

FIGURE 1

All examples played fingerstyle: p = thumb i = index finger m = middle finger a = ring finger

let ringC

3

*use index, middle and ring fingers*strum

2013

p

3

strum

2013

FIGURE 2

p

let ringC

3

strum p

2013

2013

3

strum

2013

2013

mp

FIGURE 3

let ringC

i p m p

3

31

2

3

i p

3

1

2

= 3 3 FIGURE 4

i

let ring

mp

C

1

p strum

3

3

3

p i

201

201

3

1

p

FIGURE 5

let ringAm7

0

strum p

2013

2013

3

p

0Thp

Fsus2

1

strum p

Gsus4

3013

3013

3

strum sim.

C

0013

0013

32013

2013

0 2

Fsus2

3

Gsus4

013

013

3

0013

0013

p

FIGURE 6

let ringAm7

0

strum

2013

p i p

0

1

2

mp

i p m p

0

31

2

3

i p

0

1

2

sim.

Dadd

5

24

4030

5

3

45

03

4

0

5

3

4

= 3 3 FIGURE 7

let ring

i mp

C

1

pstrum

3

3

3

p i mp

Em

201

201

3

0

p strum

0

3

0

p i ap

Am

200

200

0

5

p strum

0

5

0

p i

Bbadd2

Thap

755

755

0

7

p strum

6

8

6

p i

08

6

08

6

6

1

MR. MELANCHOLYThe infectious, intricate fingerstyle patterns of the late, great Elliott Smith

CHAPTER

2SINGER-SONGWRITER EL-LIOTT SMITH is perhaps best known for his Good Will Hunting

soundtrack work. The film featured five of Smith’s melancholic compositions, among them “Miss Misery,” which earned him a Best Original Song nomination at the 1998 Academy Awards. However, the creative acoustic fingerstylist had been making music for years prior to that hit film—his solo output dates back to the mid Nineties, and he had earlier releases as a member of indie-rockers Heatmiser. Unfortunately, much of this music, and his later work, went unnoticed by the general public. Smith’s brilliant career ended in 2003 with an apparent suicide, but his intensely loyal fan base remains intact.

If you’re searching for a “chord changes” role model, you needn’t look further. Smith was a wizard at penning intricate, emotional progressions. In this lesson, we’ll tackle sev-eral different pick-hand patterns that Smith used in his most popular songs, then weave them into some “in-the-style-of” examples that use Smith-like voicings.

Let’s begin with Smith’s folk-style chord-strumming approach. In FIGURE 1, hit the C chord’s root with your pick-hand thumb, then flex your index, middle and ring fingers outward so that they rake across the guitar’s higher strings in a downward strumming motion (the action should be like opening your hand). For pick-hand stability, use a “heel-down” position near the bridge, almost like palm muting.

FIGURE 2 employs this same approach but using a “double strum,” with the index and middle fingers strumming in an upward motion on upbeats. Getting more intricate, FIGURE 3 features quasi-Travis picking (a somewhat country-like fingerstyle approach named after country session musician Merle Travis), which Smith fans may recognize as being similar to portions of his song “An-geles” (from Either/Or). Use your thumb to sound the alternating bass notes on the A and D strings, and your middle (m) and index (i) fingers to pluck the high E- and B-string notes, respectively. FIGURE 4 mixes up many elements—“thumped” bass notes, single notes plucked on upper strings (and sustained throughout) and rhythmic “open-hand” strums of inner strings, all played with a bouncy 16th-note swing feel. This groove is modeled after Smith’s playing on “Happiness.”

In these last few examples, some of the previ-ous one-bar patterns are put into progressions reminiscent of Smith’s songs. FIGURE 5 is similar to “Southern Belle” (from Elliott Smith) and fea-tures double strums and a melodic bass line. Keep your index finger and pinkie fretted on the top two strings of the Am7, Fsus2 (thumb voicing), Gsus4 and C chords to maintain upper-register common-tone “ear candy.” In FIGURE 6, you’ll run through

an Am7–Dadd2/4 change using Smith’s complete “Angeles” fingerstyle pattern, which features ar-peggiation (like FIGURE 3) along with bass-note “thumps” and open-hand strums. (The Smith original uses a capo at the seventh fret and totally different voicings.) FIGURE 7 is built around an intricate C–Em–Am–Bfadd2 chord pattern (note the thumb voicing for Bfadd2) interpreted using Smith’s “Happiness” groove.

FIG. 1 FIG. 2

FIG. 3 FIG. 4

FIG. 5

FIG. 6

FIG. 7

THE FUNKY MONK: UNPLUGGEDFingerstyle techniques and ferocious strums from former Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante

CHAPTER

3JOHN FRUSCIANTE IS largely responsible for many of the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ biggest hits

over the past two decades, having had a huge hand in writing electrified smashes like “Under the Bridge,” “Scar Tissue,” “Can’t Stop” and “Dani California,” among others. But Frusciante also has a softer acoustic side, usually reserved for his solo output, on which the guitarist gets posi-tively “cosmic” on his Forties- and Fifties-era Martin 0-15s. Now that Frusciante is on his own again (his amicable departure from the Peppers was announced in De-cember 2009; Josh Klinghoffer now holds the RHCP guitar chair), it probably won’t be long until we bask in his unique musi-cal glow once again. For the time being, let’s give a nod to some of the man’s “un-plugged” offerings, culled from his RHCP catalogue and earlier solo work.

“I Could Have Lied” (Blood Sugar Sex Magik) is one of the Chili Peppers’ mellow-est acoustic songs and features Frusciante plucking notes on lower strings with his thumb (p) and index finger (i), similar to FIGURE 1. Here, his use of lower pitches (in contrast to plucking “brighter” high E- and B-string notes) and the B minor tonality con-tribute to the somber mood. For this passage, keep your fingers fretted as long as possible so that tones on neighboring strings overlap, and strive for rhythmic precision with each hammer-on (they shouldn’t sound faster/slower than your plucked notes).

Frusciante left the Peppers in 1992, only to rejoin the band for 1999’s Californica-tion. His return brought moodier tracks, more harmonic variety, funkier rock shad-ings and other flavors, including the finger-style acoustic ditty, “Road Trippin’,” which FIGURE 2 approximates. Here you’ll want to thumb the bass strings of Em, Am7 and B5 chords in steady quarter notes, while plucking out upper-register tones with your middle (m) and index (i) fingers.

Frusciante has an assortment of solo albums and EPs under his belt, two of which were released during his first hiatus from RHCP; the rest were issued during his tenure with the Chilis. One acoustic sound that surfaces often in these record-ings, particularly on the “untitled” cuts

on 1994’s Niandra Lades and Usually Just a T-Shirt, is fingerstyle 10ths intervals—two notes “10 scale steps” apart. FIGURE 3 provides a taste, with notes from C, G, Am and F chords. Use your thumb and index finger to pluck the low and high notes, respectively.

We’ll close this lesson with a nod to the most popular acoustic RHCP tune, “Breaking the Girl,” which Frusciante performed on a Maton 12-string acoustic. This track is highlighted by percussive

strums of triad shapes shifted along the D, G and B strings, all voiced over the open A-string pedal tone, not unlike FIGURE 4. Before tackling the entire passage, fine-tune the first bar’s rhythm using alternating down/up strums synchronized to a 16th-note count (in 6/8): “one-and, two-and, three-and, four-and, five-and, six-and,” striking the strings only on the pick strokes not enclosed in parentheses (commonly referred to as 16th-note pendulum strumming).

p

FIGURE 1

let ringBm

i p i

0 20

2

p

Aadd4/C#

i

40 4

p i

04

7

p

Em7/G

i p i

0 3

0

3

p

Dadd4/A

i

2

0 5

p i i

0

5

4

p

04

p

FIGURE 2

let ringEm

2

mp

2

p i p

2

0

2

mp

2

3

p i p

2

0

i p

2

3

2

sim.

Am7

0 0

3

0

1

0

B5

2

2

2

0

2

2

2

p

FIGURE 3Clet ring

3

i p

5

3

i p

i

7

8

7 10

p sim.

G

13

103

4

3 7

7

7 10

Am

12

10 5 5

5 8

9

8 12

F

14

12 1 2

1 5

5

5 8

10

8

FIGURE 4

let ringA

G = 3

0222

0222

0222

= downstroke

G

= upstroke

sim.

4222

0 0222

0222

XXX

G/A

011910

0978

0978

D/A

0978

0978

0777

XXX

Am7

0555

0555

0555

B/A

7555

0 0555

0555

XXX

Bb/A

0444

0444

0XXX

0333

0333

0XXX

FIG. 1

FIG. 2

FIG. 3

FIG. 4

HAPPINESS IS SOME FINGERPICKIN FUN A look at John Lennon’s acoustic artistry

CHAPTER

4IN THE 31 years since his pass-ing, on December 8, 1980, John Lennon’s legend has continued

to grow, both for his contributions to the Beatles and his accomplishments as a solo artist. Even so, he is rarely singled out for his acoustic guitar playing. This is perhaps due to the spotlight-grabbing abundance of “stand-alone” acoustic Beatles cuts written by Paul McCartney, such as “Blackbird,” “Yesterday,” “Michelle” and “Mother Nature’s Son.” But Lennon—wielding his Gibson J-160E or Martin D-28—is the man behind many other Beatles acoustic classics, among them “Norwegian Wood,” “Julia,” “Happiness Is a Warm Gun” and “Dear Prudence.” Let’s look at what makes these tracks tick.

Lennon used a version of Travis picking, a somewhat country-flavored fingerstyle approach named after session musician Merle Travis, to shape much of his acoustic output. FIGURES 1A–D deconstruct Len-non’s favorite pattern via an open C chord, beginning with bass notes, to focus on the pick-hand thumb’s activity (FIGURE 1A). With the C chord held down, use your fret-hand’s ring finger to alternately fret C (A string, third fret) and G (low E string, third fret), on beats one and two, respectively. These notes, and the E note at the second fret on the D string (struck “between” each bass note), are plucked with the thumb (p). As FIGURES 1B–D unfold, one note is add-ed at a time—plucked on the high E string with the ring finger (a), on the G string with the index finger (i) and then on the B string with the middle finger (m)—until the entire pattern is pieced together (see FIGURE 1D).

Once you have this pattern down, you’re ready to tackle a host of Lennon’s acous-tic Beatles songs, like “Julia” (from The Beatles, a.k.a. the White Album), which informs FIGURE 2. (Note: Lennon used a capo at the second fret on the origi-nal.) Written as an homage to Lennon’s mother, this track features C, G, Am7 and Em chords, each with a high G common tone fretted with the pinkie on the high E string’s third fret. Interestingly, although

two of these chords, G and Em, have sixth-string roots, Lennon employs his “fifth-string-root” pattern throughout “Julia.” As a result, instead of hitting the roots of the G and Em chords first, he sounds a different chord tone the moment the chord change occurs. This creates the sound of temporary inversions (chords with a third or fifth in the bass).

“Happiness Is a Warm Gun” (from The Bea-tles), hinted at in FIGURE 3, also uses this finger-picking approach—with Em, Em(add2), Am13 and Am7 voicings—as does “Dear Prudence.”

While George Harrison’s “Here Comes the Sun” is viewed as the pinnacle of “stand-alone” acoustic Beatles pick-style tunes, Lennon’s “Norwegian Wood” (from Rubber Soul), which FIGURE 4 ap-proximates, certainly isn’t far behind. This riff—performed in 6/8 and played with a capo at the second fret on the original—is nestled within an open D chord shape, with the fret-hand’s pinkie and index fingers employed to interject melody notes. Carefully study the string pairs/trios shown in the tablature and pick them using the indicated pick strokes to best bring out the melody.

p

FIGURE 1C

3

p

2

p

3

p

2

ap

C

3

3

p

2

p

3

p

2

ap

C

3

3

p i p

20

3

p

2

ap

C

3

3

p i p

20

m p

3

1

2

ap

FIGURE 2C

3

3

p i p

20

m p

3

1

2

etc.

G

2

3

00

3

0

0

Am7

0

3

22

0

1

2

Em

2

3

20

0

0

2

ap

FIGURE 3Em

2

3

p i p

20

m p

0

0

2

etc.

Em(add2)

2

2

20

0

0

2

Am13

0

2

20

0

1

2

Am7

0

0

20

0

1

2

FIGURE 4

let ringD

02

32

32

32

32 etc.

032

232

432

02

32

32

32

32

032

4X32

2X32

Csus2

02

32

32

32

32

G/B A7sus4 D

3

03

X2

0X

3

0203

02

32

32

32

32

03

2

32

32

32

32

FIG. 1A FIG. 1B FIG. 1C FIG. 1D

FIG. 2

FIG. 3

FIG. 4

DREAM BROTHERThe atmospheric chordal stylings of the late, great Jeff Buckley

CHAPTER

5JEFF BUCKLEY RELEASED only one full-length studio album in his lifetime, 1994’s Grace, but

in the 15 years since his passing on May 29, 1997, his influence endures, often cited as an inspiration by artists like Radiohead, Chris Cornell, Muse, Coldplay and a host of newer acts. While much has been said about Buckley’s one-of-a-kind songcraft and unparalleled vocal ability, his guitar playing rarely gets the attention it deserves. In this chapter, we’ll take a close look at the inven-tive open-string voicings Buckley uses in the three Grace songs that feature acoustic gui-tar: “Lover, You Should’ve Come Over,” “So Real” and “Last Goodbye.”

Buckley’s chord work is rich with open-string drones, dissonant note clusters and slide-able shapes, so it often gets mistaken for being rooted in open tunings. In real-ity, the majority of Buckley’s originals are played in standard tuning (exceptions being select cover songs and originals played on his Rickenbacker 12-string electric), his “jangly” guitar textures resulting instead from his creative use of open strings. For instance, in the choruses to “Lover, You Should’ve Come Over,” three-note shapes—notes fretted on the low E, D and G strings (A string muted)—are shifted along the neck, while the high E and B strings ring open. For study purposes, FIGURES 1–2 show how this shape mutates when built from notes in the C major scale (C D E F G A B) and B major scale (B Cs Ds E Fs Gs As), respectively. Since these grips work in any key or related mode contain-ing the notes E and B (the open first and second strings), it’s possible to fashion progressions that intermingle chords from various keys, like the dramatic “Lover”-inspired sequence in FIGURE 3.

“So Real,” another fan favorite, also showcases Buckley’s penchant for intermin-gling open strings with moveable shapes, in this case, a variety of sixth and minor sixth voicings played with the open high E string, as the study in FIGURE 4 reveals. One of the darker tracks on Grace, this song’s signature chord is a haunting E diminished voicing, fretted in ninth position, with both open E strings ringing; it’s played in alternation with Em, as in FIGURE 5. For a taste of how Buckley juggles all these elements in the song’s verses, strum through FIGURE 6.

We’ll close this lesson with a look at “Last Goodbye,” a track played in open-G tuning (low to high: D G D G B D) and one of Buck-ley’s most commercially successful originals.

(For open-G tuning help, see the video lesson for this column at GuitarWorld.com.) FIGURE 7 presents an assortment of shapes/moves you’ll encounter in the song—three-note grips strummed while all three

“D” strings ring (bar 1), sixth-string root shapes with upper strings played open (bar 2), a familiar low-register double-stop riff (bar 3) and the song’s signature D6sus4-D6 vamp (bar 4).

FIGURE 1Cmaj13

X8

7

09

0Dm

X10

0

9

0

10

69 Cm7/E

X12

0

10

0

12

Fmaj13#11

X13

0

12

0

14

G6

3X2

04

0

5X3

05

0Fmaj7#11/A G6/B

7X5

07

0Cmaj13

X8

7

00

9

FIGURE 2B6add4

X7

6

08

0C#m13

X9

0

8

0

9

B(add4)/D#

X11

0

9

0

11

E6

X12

0

11

0

13

F#13add4

2X1

03

0E/G#

4X2400

6X4

06

0F#7add4/A#

7X6

08

0B6add4

FIGURE 3

E6 etc.

X12

0

11

0

13

12

0

11

0

13

X12

0

11

0

13

XX00

Cmaj7/E

X12

0

10

0

12

12

0

10

0

12

X12

0

10

0

12XX00

B(add4)/D# D69

X11

0

9

0

11

11

0

9

0

11

X11

0

9

0

11XX00

X10

0

9

0

11

10

0

9

0

11

X10

0

9

0

11XX00

A(add2)/C# Cmaj13

X9

7

00

9

9X8

7

00

9

X8

7

00

9

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B6add4 Fmaj7#11/A

0E/G#

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6

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8

7 5

3

05

0

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3

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0

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4X2

04

0

FIGURE 4E6

X12

11

0

1314

Em6

X12

11

0

1212

D

X10

9

0

1112

69 Dm

X10

9

0

1010

69

69B add4

X7

6

0

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69Bm add4

X7

67

07

A6

5X46

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Am6

5X4550

G6

3X2450 0

Gm6

3X2330

FIGURE 5E Em

FIGURE 6E

9fr

2 1 3

9fr

2 1 4

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9

011

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X10

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9

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X10

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012

X10

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X10

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D6

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9

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etc.A6

9

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791010

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05

24

05

24

05

XXXX

Bb6(add#4)

X6

57

08

X6

57

08

X6

57

08

X6

57

08

X6

57

08

X6

57

08

X6

57

08

X6

57

08

FIGURE 7 Open G tuning (low to high, D G D G B D)

D

0

07

7

07

0

07

7

07

0

07

7

07

Dmaj9no3

0

07

7

07

0

06

6

05

A/D

0

06

650

020220

020220

etc.Bm

X9

9

07

0

X9

9

07

0

X9

9

07

0

A(add )24

X9

9

07

0

X7

7

06

0

Em7

7

7

06

0

2X2000

2X2000

F#m7

422

4

Am7

22

755

55

755

F#m7 D

22

4 0

D6sus4D6

00

X

12

0

12

0

0

X

12

0

12

0

012

0

12

0

FIG. 1 FIG. 2

FIG. 3

FIG. 4

FIG. 5FIG. 6

FIG. 7

BRAZIL NUTThe bossa nova rhythms of Antonio Carlos Jobim

CHAPTER

6IN THE LATE Fifties, Brazilian guitarist/pianist/vocalist Antonio Carlos Jobim took his fascination

with jazz harmony and the guitar composi-tions of Heitor Villa-Lobos, combined it with influences as varied as composers like Debussy, Chopin, Ravel and Rachmaninoff, and helped give birth to a whole new style: bossa nova. (Translated from Portuguese, bossa nova means the “new way of doing” something.) This fresh-sounding, uber-groovy, guitar-centric music (typically played on a nylon-string acoustic, accompanying a vocalist) required fluid fingerstyle chops, flawless time feel, a command of seventh and extended/altered chords—what’s known as “upper-structure harmony”—and the abil-ity to improvise. Regional players like João Gilberto and Luiz Bonfá, as well as American guitarist Charlie Byrd, were perfectly suited to the task. In fact, it was early records from these guitarists— many of which featured Jo-bim compositions (including “The Girl from Ipanema,” “No More Blues,” “Desafinado,” “Meditation” and “One Note Samba”)—that played a pivotal role in putting bossa nova on the international map. For this reason, it’s perhaps best to view this lesson as focusing on the songs created by Jobim (he’s more known as a composer than an instrumental-ist), and the physical playing style perfected and popularized by Gilberto, Bonfá and Byrd. Let’s bust a bossa groove.

FIGURE 1 presents a Cmaj7–C6/9 change using the stereotypical bossa nova rhythm— a syncopated “chord-stab” pattern (eighth notes) plucked on higher strings, played over a root-fifth alternating bass line (half notes). Consider perfecting the upper-register chord rhythm before add-ing the bass notes. FIGURE 2 illustrates a variation. Meanwhile, in FIGURES 3–4, the previous “chordstab” patterns are restated but feature a more rhythmically active bass line—an extra “thumbed” bass note in an-ticipation of beats “one” and “two.”

Countless jazz standards revolve around a chord sequence referred to as a “ii-V-I progression,” and Jobim’s tunes are no exception. Further, Jobim classics like “Wave,” “How Insensitive,” “Dindi” and others feature jazzy extended chords (shapes larger than sevenths—like ninths, 11ths and 13ths) spiced up with suspen-sions (“sus4”) and other tones. To aid you in such settings, FIGURE 5 takes a iim7–V7–Imaj7 progression in C—Dm7–

G7– Cmaj7—and colors its chords to create Dm9, Dm6/9, G13sus4 and G13 sounds, played in a rhythm pattern not unlike FIGURE 3.

We’ll close out this lesson with FIGURE 6, an interpretation of the E7–A7–Fsm7–B7 ending vamp in “No More Blues,” ripe with extended, altered (augmented dominant) and substitute (diminished seventh, etc.) chords. In addition, melodic fills (bar 2) and chord fills (bar 4) help break up our famiiar

groove (a hybrid of FIGURE 3). If you opt to devel-op your own interpretations of the Jobim standards cited herein, be sure to listen to the authentic bossa nova players—like Gilberto, Bonfá and Byrd—to get a sense for how fills and rhythmic variations can in-ject liveliness into a progression, a stark contrast to the comparatively boring pursuit (a phenomenon all too common in non-Brazilian hands) of plucking the exact same rhythm throughout a bossa nova.

118 g u i t a r wo r l d • J u N E 2 0 1 2

For video of this lesson, go to GuitarWorld.com/June2012

* optimized for iPhone, iPad and Android!

!

FIGURE 1

All examples played fingerstyle: Use the thumb to pick the bass notes on the bottom two strings and the index, middle and ring fingers to pluck the chord tones on the D, G and B strings.

Cmaj9

3243

243

!3

C6

9

!3243

223

!3223

223

223

223

223

FIGURE 2

Cmaj9

!3243

243

243

!3

C6

9

!3243

233

233

233

!3

Cmaj9

233

243

FIGURE 3Cmaj9

33 243

243

33

C69

3 3243

223

33

223

223

223

223

223

FIGURE 4

Cmaj9

3 3 3243

243

243

33

C69

3 3243

223

223

223

33

Cmaj9

223

243

3

FIGURE 5Dm9

5355

355

5 5

Dm

69

555

5

5355

345

5 5

345

345

345

345

345

G13sus4

3 3

355

355

5 5

G13

3

55

3

5355

345

5 5345

345

345

345

345

0Cmaj7

3545

3

let ring

FIGURE 6E9

7677

677

Bb7#5

6 6

A13sus4

5

03

5

03

677

577

577

577

A7/E

7 755 6

5

F#m9

0 9799

799

C7#5

8 8

B7#5

D# 7

899

238

O F# 7O

6757

9

A 7O

108

10

12131113

7

78

E9

7677

677

Bb7#5

6 6

A13sus4

5

77

5

77

677

577

577

577

A7/E

7 755 6

5

Dmaj9

0 5465

465

5 5

D69

?5

0

5

4465

445

5 5

445

445

445

445

445

5Cmaj7—and colors its chords to create Dm9, Dm6/9, G13sus4 and G13 sounds, played in a rhythm pattern not unlike FIGURE 3.

We’ll close out this lesson with FIGURE 6, an interpretation of the E7–A7–Fsm7–B7 ending vamp in “No More Blues,” ripe with extended, altered (augmented dominant) and substitute (diminished seventh, etc.) chords. In addition, melodic fills (bar 2) and chord fills (bar 4) help break up our famiiar groove (a hy-

brid of FIGURE 3). If you opt to develop your own interpretations of the Jobim standards cited herein, be sure to listen to the authentic bossa nova players—like Gilberto, Bonfá and Byrd—to get a sense for how fills and rhythmic variations can inject liveliness into a progres-sion, a stark contrast to the comparatively boring pursuit (a phenomenon all too common in non-Brazilian hands) of plucking the exact same rhythm throughout a bossa nova.

C

OLU

MN

S

HOLE NOtESby Dale turner

Musician’s Institute instructor and author/transcriber Dale Turner played all the instruments/voices on his latest CD, Mannerisms Magnified (www.intimateaudio.com).

Brazil nuTThe bossa nova rhythms of Antonio Carlos Jobim

In the late Fifties, Brazilian guitarist/pianist/vocalist Antonio Carlos Jobim took his fascination with jazz harmony and the guitar compositions of Heitor Villa-Lobos, combined it with influences as varied as composers like Debussy, Chopin, Ravel and Rachmaninoff, and helped give birth to a whole new style: bossa nova. (Translated from Portuguese, bossa nova means the “new way of doing” something.) This fresh-sounding, über-groovy, guitar-centric music (typically played on a nylon-string acoustic, accompany-ing a vocalist) required fluid fingerstyle chops, flawless time feel, a command of seventh and extended/altered chords—what’s known as “upper-structure harmony”—and the ability to improvise. Regional players like João Gilberto and Luiz Bonfá, as well as American guitarist Charlie Byrd, were perfectly suited to the task. In fact, it was early records from these guitar-ists—many of which featured Jobim composi-tions (including “The Girl from Ipanema,” “No More Blues,” “Desafinado,” “Meditation” and “One Note Samba”)—that played a pivotal role in putting bossa nova on the international map. For this reason, it’s perhaps best to view this lesson as focusing on the songs created by Jobim (he’s more known as a composer than an instrumentalist), and the physical playing style perfected and popularized by Gilberto, Bonfá and Byrd. Let’s bust a bossa groove.

FIGURE 1 presents a Cmaj7–C6/9 change using the stereotypical bossa nova rhythm—a syncopated “chord-stab” pattern (eighth notes) plucked on higher strings, played over a root-fifth alternating bass line (half notes). Consider perfecting the upper-register chord rhythm before adding the bass notes. FIGURE 2 illustrates a variation. Meanwhile, in FIGURES 3–4, the previous “chord-stab” patterns are restated but feature a more rhythmically active bass line—an extra “thumbed” bass note in anticipation of beats “one” and “two.”

Countless jazz standards revolve around a chord sequence referred to as a “ii-V-I progression,” and Jobim’s tunes are no ex-ception. Further, Jobim classics like “Wave,” “How Insensitive,” “Dindi” and others feature jazzy extended chords (shapes larger than sevenths—like ninths, 11ths and 13ths) spiced up with suspensions (“sus4”) and other tones. To aid you in such settings, FIGURE 5 takes a iim7–V7–Imaj7 progression in C—Dm7–G7–

!

FIGURE 1

All examples played fingerstyle: Use the thumb to pick the bass notes on the bottom two strings and the index, middle and ring fingers to pluck the chord tones on the D, G and B strings.

Cmaj9

3243

243

!3

C6

9

!3243

223

!3223

223

223

223

223

FIGURE 2

Cmaj9

!3243

243

243

!3

C6

9

!3243

233

233

233

!3

Cmaj9

233

243

FIGURE 3Cmaj9

33 243

243

33

C69

3 3243

223

33

223

223

223

223

223

FIGURE 4

Cmaj9

3 3 3243

243

243

33

C69

3 3243

223

223

223

33

Cmaj9

223

243

3

FIGURE 5Dm9

5355

355

5 5

Dm

69

555

5

5355

345

5 5

345

345

345

345

345

G13sus4

3 3

355

355

5 5

G13

3

55

3

5355

345

5 5345

345

345

345

345

0Cmaj7

3545

3

let ring

FIGURE 6E9

7677

677

Bb7#5

6 6

A13sus4

5

03

5

03

677

577

577

577

A7/E

7 755 6

5

F#m9

0 9799

799

C7#5

8 8

B7#5

D# 7

899

238

O F# 7O

6757

9

A 7O

108

10

12131113

7

78

E9

7677

677

Bb7#5

6 6

A13sus4

5

77

5

77

677

577

577

577

A7/E

7 755 6

5

Dmaj9

0 5465

465

5 5

D69

?5

0

5

4465

445

5 5

445

445

445

445

445

5

FIG. 4FIG. 3

FIG. 1 FIG. 2

FIG. 6

FIG. 5

FIG. 4

FIG. 5

FIG. 6

FIG. 1 FIG. 2

FIG. 3

PINK MOON RISINGThe unsung acoustic artistry of Nick Drake

CHAPTER

7THE LATE BRITISH singer-songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Nick Drake was largely unknown

until a 1999 car commercial featuring an acoustic-guitar-and-vocal song called “Pink Moon” hit the airwaves. As a result, almost 30 years after his death at age 26, Drake enjoyed a resurgence.

Drake arrived in the early Seventies, when psychedelic sounds and bombastic/harder rock were en vogue. He was lost in the shuffle, a casualty of mismarketing and his inability to self-promote. It didn’t help that he was hard to classify; though influ-enced by “folkies” like Bob Dylan and Bert Jansch, or that Drake had a fascination with modal jazz that put his compositions in a league of their own.

In this Nick Drake lesson, we will cover the open tunings and inventive fingerpick-ing patterns of fan favorites. A capo is re-quired to faithfully reproduce all examples.

One of Drake’s rare compositions in stan-dard tuning, “River Man” (Five Leaves Left) is a haunting, atmospheric piece sweetened with nature sounds, miscellaneous noises and an intense string arrangement, all deliv-ered in a swinging 5/4 groove propelled by Drake’s fingerpicking and colorful voicings. FIGURE 1 depicts most of the song’s chord shapes and pick-hand patterns in an “in the style of” arrangement.

Now let’s begin tinkering with tun-ings. Drop the pitch of your third string to Fs (Drake’s open-E9sus4 tuning), place a capo at the sixth fret and you’re ready to tackle “Cello Song” (Five Leaves Left), the primary picking pattern of which is ap-proximated in FIGURE 2A. Paired with the song’s signature Esus2 voicing, this pattern requires a relaxed pick hand and use of the specific fingerings indicated. FIGURE 2B features another voicing used in the song and is plucked similarly.

The title track to Pink Moon requires you to drop or raise various string pitches to arrive at an open Cadd4 tuning (low to high, C G C F C E) and strum with your fingers voicings like those shown in FIGURE 3. Tip: strum all the strings with your fingertips, with the exception of when lower strings appear by themselves (“thumb strum” these); groove with a very slight 16th-note swing feel, and your “Pink Moon” rendition will be “on its way.”

p

Standard tuning, capo 3. All tablature positions are relative to the capo.All music sounds a minor third (one and one half steps) higher than written.

All examples are played fingerstyle: p = thumb, i = index finger, m = middle finger, a = ring finger.

FIGURE 1

Aadd2

mip

� = 3

0 0

42

p

mip

0 0

i p

42

2 2

p

mip

0 00

i

sim.

Am(add2)

42

20 0

41

0 0

41

2 2

0 00

41

2

Gm

3

033

3

0

F

33

0 0

1 1

3

A7sus#4

21

30 0

04

0 0

04

2 2

0 00

04

2

p

Open E9sus4 tuning (low to high, E A D F# B E), capo 6. All tablature positions are relative to the capo. All music sounds three whole steps higher than written.

FIGURE 2a

Esus2let ring

0

p i p

22

m p

0

0

2

ap

0

0

p i p

22

m i

0

0

2

FIGURE 2b

p

Dadd#4/F#*

*Play open 3rd string 2nd time only.

let ring

2

0

p i p

00

mp

2

2

0

D/F#

mp

2

3

p i p

Dadd#4/F#

00

mp

2

2

0

Open Cadd4 tuning (low to high, C G C F C E), capo 2. All tablature positions are relative to the capo. All music sounds a whole step higher than written.

FIGURE 3 w/slight 16th-note Swing

*strum:*w/fingers (“thumb strum” when lower strings appear by themselves)

Glet ring

777977

777977

777977

G9sus4

777

777797

777797

777797

777

= 3 3

sim.

F

777797

777797

000

000

555755

555755

555755

F9sus4

555

555575

555575

555575

555

555575

555575

000

000

C

000000

20200

0200

000

000 0

200

0200

0000

0020

0000

0200

Dm7

0000

2000

2000

0000

222000

Cadd4 Cmaj11

050000

040000

Fmaj7/C

040000

020000

Cadd4 C/F

020000

000000

Cadd4/E C5

0

5X0000

4X0000

000

2

FIG. 2A

FIG. 1

FIG. 3

FIG. 2B

SOMETHING IN THE WAY HE GROOVESThe acoustic artistry of “the quiet Beatle,” George Harrison

CHAPTER

8OF THE FOUR Beatles, George Harrison brought to the group an assortment of electric and acoustic

guitar approaches, flavors influenced by everyone from Chet Atkins and Carl Per-kins to the Byrds and Bob Dylan. Harrison’s pioneering use of the Rickenbacker 360/12 electric 12-string on songs like “A Hard Day’s Night” and “Ticket to Ride” added another dimension to the sound of Beatles music and left an imprint on Sixties-era rock: soon after, the Byrds, Beach Boys and Rolling Stones began to use 12-string guitars. In the mid Six-ties, influenced by Indian culture and Hindu-ism, Harrison introduced the sitar and exotic scales into the Beatles’ catalog on songs like “Norwegian Wood” and “Within You With-out You.” In essence, he played a huge role in stylizing the Beatles’ music.

But Harrison also contributed a wealth of guitar-centric hits to the band’s repertoire, many of which center around an acoustic guitar (his Gibson J-200). In this chapter, we’ll look at musical examples inspired by Harrison-penned Beatles classics like “Here Comes the Sun,” “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” and “Something.”

“While My Guitar Gently Weeps” re-volves around strummed versions of the chords in FIGURE 1 (for optional finger-ings that Harrison used when performing the song live, see the video lesson for this column at GuitarWorld.com). Much of this song’s emotional power stems from its mostly chromatic (notes one half step apart, the distance of one fret) descending A–G–Fs–F bass line. The song also features a famous, inspired solo by Eric Clapton.

Chromatic movement is a characteristic common to many of Harrison’s popular Beatles tracks, among them, “Something,” which informs FIGURE 2. While the origi-nal Abbey Road version is played on electric guitars (in the key of C), the original demo (key of A) on The Beatles: Anthology 3 is a solo performance by Harrison, who plays a hollowbody electric, warranting its relevance here. Use the picking pattern in bar 1 for the A, Amaj7 and A7 chords, and note the descending chromatic line on the G string. Similar chromaticism is also encountered in a later Fsm–Fsm(maj7)–Fsm7 change.

Hands down, the most popular acoustic guitar “picking” riff in the Beatles oeuvre is the passage that opens Harrison’s “Here Comes the Sun,” which gets its sparkling quality from the fact that it is capoed at the seventh fret. FIGURE 3 is a pas-

sage inspired by the song’s main riff, containing mostly D, A7 and G chords (use alternate picking throughout, beginning with a downstroke). FIGURE 4 features a variation on the chords used in the song’s bridge.

FIGURE 2

FIGURE 1

let ringA

2 3 1

Am

0

222

0

4 2 3 1

Am7/G D9/F#

sim.

Amaj7

2 3 1

0

2

22

2

0

212

0

T3 4 2 1 1

F

A7

0

2

21

2

0

3 2 4

G

202

0

1 3 2

D

D

0

2

20

2

0

2 3 1

E

232

235

232

E

022100

0

42

00

064F#m

4222

F#m(maj7)

3222

3222

F#m7

2222

0B

2444

FIGURE 3Capo 7. All tablature positions are relative to the capo.All music sounds in the key of A, a perfect fifth higher than written.

Dlet ring

A7sus4

0232

3230 2

Bm7

0

033

2033

202

G

2

2 0

02 0

0

30 2

D

00

A7sus4

0232

3230 2

A7 G

0203

202

000

3

000

3

003

0

030

3X003

000

FIGURE 4Capo 7. All tablature positions are relative to the capo.All music sounds in the key of A, a perfect fifth higher than written.

let ringG C

3

2

0

F

3

2

0

N.C.

3

2

1

D

2

0

0

232

3

A7

30

32

0

0

02020

02020

N.C.

5 A0

2

0

FIG. 4

FIG. 1

FIG. 2

FIG. 3

RIGHTEOUS BABEFingerstyle finesse meets punk-rock attitude: The inimitable Ani Difranco

CHAPTER

9THIS CHAPTER CELEBRATES the ferocious fingerstyle output of singer-songwriter—and all-around

“indie-musician” inspiration—Ani Difranco, whose recording career spans more than two decades, since the release of her 1990 debut. Today, with more than 20 albums to her credit, Difranco remains fiercely in-dependent: she releases her music through her own Righteous Babe label, and she gigs incessantly, dragging her Alvarez-Yairi Bob Weir model acoustic around the world to spread her unique form of “punk folk.” In this lesson, I’ll dissect Ani’s signature pick-hand moves, grooves, tunings and voic-ings through an offering of “in the style of” examples, many of which are adapted from the way she currently performs her older “staple” songs.

Attempting to play even a small percent-age of Difranco’s discography would require a mind-boggling number of alternate tunings. In this lesson, we’ll just grapple with two, beginning with reverse drop-D (drop the pitch of your high E string one whole step to D). In FIGURE 1, a passage inspired by Ani’s live versions of “As Is” (Little Plastic Castle), chords reminiscent of fifth-string-root barre shapes are shifted along the neck, while the open fourth string is plucked in their midst. Use a capo at the third fret and dig your pick-hand into the guitar strings on beats two and four—what are known as the “backbeats”—to get the effect of a snare drum in your groove. (Ani uses this percussive technique in live performance much more than on her studio recordings, particularly when she plays solo, and, thus, without her drummer.)

FIGURE 2, a nod to “32 Flavors” (Not a Pretty Girl), requires the same tuning/capo combination as FIGURE 1 and also employs this backbeat feel. All pick-hand fingerings are indicated below the notation. (Ani uses heavy, artificial fingernails, reinforced by tape, but traditional fingerstyle technique, with or without nails, will work fine for all of this column’s examples.)

Now let’s turn our attention to some of the tracks Ani plays in DADGAD tuning (low to high, D A D G A D). FIGURE 3 is a passage performed in this tuning and mod-eled after the advanced pick-hand pattern she employs in “If He Tries Anything” (Out of Range). Notice the speedy alternation between notes plucked with the thumb and those played with the other digits. Keep your hand as relaxed as possible, and use your index and middle fingers to “brush”

through the strings in a downward motion at each strumming indication.

FIGURE 4, also performed in DADGAD, is an homage to “Sorry I Am” (Not a Pretty Girl), and it eschews the ferocity of the previous passages,

opting for a gentler touch—open-position ham-mer-ons and finger slides, and subtle arpeggiation techniques interspersed with natural harmonics. A bend on the detuned sixth string helps punctu-ate the passage.

FIGURES 1 and 2 are in reverse drop-D tuning (low to high: E A D G B D), capo 3. All tablature positions are relative to the capo. All music sounds in a minor third (one and one half steps) higher than written.

All examples are played fingerstyle: p = thumb, i = index finger, m = middle finger

p

FIGURE 1

let ringG

p

= 3 3

mi

mip

*

*Pre-positioning of pick-hand fingers.

10 10

012

i p sim.

G/B

XXX

12

0

7 7

08

Csus2

XXX

7

03 3

05

D

XXX

0

05 5

07

XXX

7

0

ip

FIGURE 2

let ringEm7

p m mip

0

00

0

ip

Cadd2

p

X

XX

3

5

m p mip

0

0

0

p i mp

Dadd4

X

XX

4

3

p i mip

5

5 0

03

mp

Csus2

p

X

XX

3

0

i p mip

01

0

p

X

XX

0

FIGURES 3 and 4 are in DADGAD tuning (low to high: D A D G A D).

let ring

p

FIGURE 3Cadd4

p mi

0 3

033

i p p

33

00 2

i p*strum w/fingers*

03

0

p p

Fsus2

33

2

p mi

p

2 30

33

i p i p

E¨

33

03

0

69

* p

Dm11

*

1033

0033

p

FIGURE 4

i p

Bm7let ring

2 40

p

0 2

m

0 0

i p

2

m p

00

4

0

m p m p

Dsus

2

0

0

0

0

p

N.H.

24

p

121212

777

m p i p

(play 3 times)

777 0

0

0

i

2 40

p

Em11

22

**strum w/fingers

0000

p

A7sus4

2

2

* p

0*

Gsus2

0000

77

0000

55

0000

m p i p

grad. release

0000 0

0

0

1/2

p

Dsus2

2

2 0

p

0N.H.

(strum w/thumb)

777

FIG. 4

FIG. 1

FIG. 2

FIG. 3