PMTVUK | 5 years ago
Here are 5 very easy, but very important guitar tips and tricks new guitar players need to know from the new PMT College Series.
We've teamed up with Leigh from MGR Music Tuition to discuss some essential guitar playing techniques that will really help you create some interesting sounds. If you're just starting out on your guitar journey, then this is ideal as it opens up a whole new world of sounds for you and allows you to play a variety of different songs.
In this video Leigh talks us through the following tips and techniques and then mixes them all together to show you how to use them in a song.
0:00 Intro
0:50 How To Play A Minor Pentatonic Scale
1:30 How To Palm Mute
2:59 How To Hammer On
3:53 How To Pull Off
4:40 How To Slide A Guitar String
Find a local teacher to you at https://mgrmusic.com/
View more free online guitar lessons: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLU6LyMo8z7f1MJ7w6IHxUgejIMR35nNv3
1. HOW TO PLAY A MINOR PENTATONIC SCALE
For all the lead licks in this video we are using a scale known as the Minor Pentatonic scale. We are playing this scale in the key of A Minor (Meaning we start on the A note of the Low E string, which is our 5th fret).
This scale can be moved to any key without changing the layout of the notes, but for this video we are basing it all around the first 2 shapes in A Minor.
2. HOW TO PALM MUTE
The main riff in this short track also doubles as the backing for the lead guitar parts too. In this riff we are going explore a technique that is a mainstay in rock and metal guitar riff playing - palm muting.
Palm muting is a technique which involves using the palm of the picking hand to dampen the strings at the point they leave the bridge.
Using the palm in this way will add a dampened sound to the notes, commonly known in rock and metal as a “chug”. To play the riff we use an A power chord to start. This is then followed by 6 palm muted open A strings played as consecutive eighth notes on the “2 & 3 & 4 &” beats of the bar.
The second bar contains more palm muted eighth notes on the A string on the “1 & 2” before switching to a G chord. The G chord is played on the “&” of the second beat, the “&” of the third beat and the fourth beat. You’ll notice in the transcription that the chord is broken up. Don’t worry too much about accurately recreating this. The general vibe you’re going for is that of a “low high low” split of the chord.
The third bar is exactly the same as the first bar with the A power chord and the final bar is straight palm muted eighth notes over an arpeggiated chord sequence using two chords. The first chord is a D note (5th fret) on the A string and an F# (4th fret) on the D string, coupled with an open G string. The second chord shape maintains the G and F# notes but the D note on the A string now becomes an E (7th fret). how to palm mute
3. HAMMER ONS - HOW TO HAMMER ON A STRING
A hammer on is played by picking a note and “hammering on” to the next note with another finger. The action of hammering onto the next note will actually put more energy into the string and therefore make the second note also sound. This example uses 5th and 7th frets of the G and D strings.
4. PULL OFFS - HOW TO PULL OFF A GUITAR STRING
A pull off is the reverse of a hammer on. Instead of starting with a lower note and hammering onto a higher note, we are now working from the higher note back. You will want to put both fingers in place ready then pick the higher note before “pulling off” to the lower finger. If you just lift the finger up, the second note will note ring clear.
To help the second note ring clear, give the pull off finger a slight downward flick as you take it off the string. This will essential re-pick the note with a fretting hand finger and give the string more energy.
5. HOW TO SLIDE ON A GUITAR STRING
Slides are also a member of the legato family but are multi directional. A slide can go up or down in pitch. Slides are played by picking a note, maintaining the fretting hand pressure and sliding the finger to your target note. When working on slides, try not to apply too much pressure as this will cause your finger to drag. You also want to be mindful of not applying enough pressure as this can cause the note to drop off before you arrive at your target note.
Slides can be used as a way to start a phrase without having a committed start point, you would just “slide into” a target note. As these slides lead into 8th fret notes on the B string, I would recommend keeping these slides tight and maybe only starting 2 frets lower just to maintain the speedy feel.
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