Your first beginner guitar lesson is here!
I have many songs and concepts to go through, let’s start with the easiest song available: Talking About A Revolution.
Culturally, I could go on about the meaning of this song for ages, but let’s just look at it from a guitar perspective.
I want you to be able to play this song before you move on. Don’t rush ahead, don’t think of this as “too simple”, just play it.
Strumming pattern
Talking About A Revolution has simple strumming pattern, just play along with the video and you will learn how to play this song.
The chord progression doesn’t change, the strumming pattern doesn’t change, you just have to be able to play it.
See this as you first test; if you can play along to this song, you are on your way.
Don’t dig deep, just do it.
Can you change between the chords, can you play it without the video?
When this is all good I invite you to guitar lesson number 2 which will start to push you in the direction of learning the guitar.
To get yourself set up for all this you need to get The Guitar Conspiracy and the Rhythm Guitar E-Books, you need to put time off in your life to learn the guitar, you need to stay focused and follow further instructions.
Don’t attempt to skip a lesson, slowly but surely I shall guide you through the process of learning the guitar.
Technical exercises
Apart form learning this song I want you to start looking at Spyder exercises; use Spyder 1 and 2 as a warm up, always practice to a metronome, always write down your BPM settings using the S-E P R Work Book.
Don’t expect miracles just yet, just make sure you can actually play the exercise to a metronome.
Stay tuned for guitar lesson 2.
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Happy playing!
Dan (your guitar guru)
Gad damn. So………. i was about to record the song when my second string broke…
The picking part is a bit more difficult not to mess up.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ow-AsdaOM1s
Fresh recorded open version! I tried to make it my own a bit after the picked part – just on the fly. Criticism please
I’d like to hear you play the picking part on top of my original recording, using a capo to find inversions, this would create a 2nd guitar part.
You got it Gu! I’ll have one up later tonight hopefully
I’ve worked out the actual picking pattern I want to use just need to practice playing it so I can keep up with the video – I can now play the chords at 3rd fret very smoothly (i.e. no fumbling about) so *hopefully* it won’t take too long
GURU quick question – In the Talking About A Revolution Lesson it says … To understand how chords work in relation to melodies, use the DIY TAB to write down the vocal.
Do you mean to tab out the vocal melody on the guitar?
Absolutely, but this is not until you reach advanced lessons, up until then, focus only on the guitar part.
Got it and thanks for getting back.
Guru,
Thought it would be fun to follow along.
Here is my first lesson example.
Thanks, Stevo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4X67kodgho&feature=player_embedded
Nice one Stevo, sounds great as usual
You also have the nicest guitars!
Guru,
Thought it would be fun to follow along.
Here is my first lesson example.
Thanks, Stevo
On to lesson 2!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4X67kodgho&feature=player_embedded
Hmm got the strumming … but I cant figure out the picking..any tips to get me started?
Follow the TAB in the Rhythm Guitar E-Book for picing pattern.
just wondering getting really frustrated,
trying to work the picking out, in the rythum book,you put just remember to reverse the first two chords so are you saying it should be on the tab G C E D so on the finger picking bit is it
G C E D
3 e
3 3 3 B
0 0 0 2 G
0 0 2 2 0 D
3 A
3 0 E
if this makes any sense please help driving me mad thanks
think 3 + 5, so 3 8th notes on first chord, 5 on the second.
Ok guys, my turn. I’ve just made my first real video for spytunes purpose !
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQ0Dw9J2RWk
The sound is not at the best, I had some issue to synchronize it, so I lost some quality.
It’s a great idea to have this type of course progression ! Thanks Dan, it really helps to have some work baseline on tunes.
There you go, keep em coming!
Got you thank you
Hi Guru,
Whenever I play spyders of any technical type of picking I find my small finger or ring finger of my picking hand naturally rests on the sound board to help stabilise my hand.
Should I do this? is this incorrect?
I wouldn’t worry too much about it, I’m yet to see a guitarist with the same right hand technique.
As you start playing different styles you’ll automatically adjust anyway.
Personally I used to do the same, these days I do it sometimes, sometimes not.
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OK so I always seem to have a real hard time to tab out picking sections of songs. This is what I’ve come up with so far. can anyone comment on if I have it right? Thanks!
[IMG]http://i953.photobucket.com/albums/ae17/cosmiccharlienh/talkingaboutarevolutionpicking.jpg[/IMG]
Hi,
I would say, if it sounds good, it’s good !
When I tried this one, I made something different from Guru’s.
Your first bar is good. For the last part of the second bar, try:
————2-3—-
——————2–
——–2———-
—-0—————
———————
———————
On the E string, you make a hammer on.
Other version is like:
—————–
———–3——-
——-2—–2—–
—-0————0—
———————
———————
Hi, I’m new to SpyTunes and The Guitar Conspiracy (and pretty much to the guitar too) and I’m still trying to figure out how everything works.
When I watch this Revolution video I notice that when playing the G-chord you don’t fret the fifth string on fret 2. It looks like you fret the first, the second and the sixth string on fret 3. Is that right, and if so is that a common way to finger the G-chord?
Cheers,
Canticleer
Hi,
yes, very common, with the 3rd (2nd fret string 5) you get a more muddy sound, not very common at all actually!
Often players hold it down but mute it, so it looks like it’s there but it isn’t actually played.
Well spotted
Thanks for the reply Guru.
I realy like the sound of that muddy G, works well with Dsus4 and Cadd9. Doesn’t Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust use them too?
Cool, yeah I think it does, a lot of songs do
thanks a lot! for such a great lesson! I usually used to found very hard to play and sing at same time. With this simple songs now i can play and sing both!
thanks!