Stage 1 songs.

[close2u]

Please use this thread for general questions about Stage 1 songs.

As and when video lessons are posted, go to this section for questions on those specific songs.

 

[close2u]

[mod edit - this post contains Q&As about Blowing In The Wind by Bob Dylan originally started by estanisheva.]

Hello,

I am new here and with the guitar too.
I am trying to learn blowing in the wind as it is said in the songbook, but I've seen some videos of Bob Dylan and he uses another progression. I don´t know what to use.

Songbook says: Capo 3rd -> A D E... so they really are -> C F G

Bod Dylan plays -> No Capo -> C G D

And sometime even the order it's not the same. The F chord doesn't sound good to my ear, but I'm a beginner, so I might be confused, probably. Can someone help me?

 =)

P.D.: I have no words in english to describe this book, thanks Justin! (I'm from spain)

hello

they are kept easy an in stage for the beginers book.

but to play along with the orginal capo 7th fret an use the chords G C C/B  D
i have the offical songboook of dylan an have played it many times .. note * on the c/b its really only the bass end of the chord played

but like say most beginers books ive had an seen play it with A D E ..  sometimes it just cool to be abele to play something, so it might not be in the orginal key but hey.

i like to play to the records an its cool yes but i know some of the songs if i was to play on my own i could not sing in the orignal key to some of them

[close2u]

[mod edit - this post contains Q&As about How Bizarre by OMC originally started by pomfritz.]

I've been trying to play How Bizarre.  A E D are the chords and I just cannot get it to sound right and match the videos I've watched.  So are these really the chords? Should  you be playing the string of chords for each line of the song the way it's laid out? Do some chords get played a shorter amount than others.  Justin can come over anytime and give me a quick demo.  California is just a quick trip across the pond, okay can you at least post a vid on this song?

On Down Under the strum pattern is a bunch of upstrokes, I can do that but it sounds terrible and I just can't figure how long to play each chord to match the lyrics.  Yeah I'm a newbie but trying to not be any longer than possible.

hi pom

it is the chords they're just repeated all the same an through out, yes it can catch you out a bit when trying to play along, sometime its harder when somethings repetitive the same I've lost my way few times when i was beginning like but it just repetition and practice you will get there an win trust me we all been there a beginner

Hey pom!

Sorry if You knew, but mind that A and E chords are played for half a bar but D - for full (Down Down Up for  A; D D U for E; D D U D D U for D chord and the drill repeats ).
Btw - thanks to Justin for putting this! Didn't know it before hand but now it's one of my all times favourites This book really has shown loads of great songs about which I had never heard before!

pom

just a thought you do have capo right, i just notived you said it dint sound quite right, the song calls for capo at fret 3

Thanks for the replies. I'll try the 1/2 bar advice.  I believe my capo is on the right fret.  I realize that sometimes with practice it just starts to sound right.  funny.

[close2u]

[mod edit - this post contains Q&As about Walk Of Life by Dire Straits, originally started by Mickzo.]

Can anyone recommend the strumming pattern for walk of life?

hi Mikzo

if your beginner total and you have the book i suggest you stick to the down down down method , an as suggests if you listen to the recording a few times where its cool just to play one strum an let it ring out for the beats . if your a bit more confident with your strumming try the shuffle pattern or one of the alternative 12 bar patterns all are good or even a mix

According to a tab book I have, the strumming pattern is

D DUDU D

apart from a few bars at the beginning where it is a single strum per bar, and a little bit in the chorus.

yes just try different things its cool to experiment around, sometimes there's no set pattern for lot of songs so you have great flexibility to play round with it

[JDclan]

Hi, can anyone help?

I am new to this book and new to the guitar. I am struggling to get started on the songs because I don't understand how many strums to play per chord.

I see Justin says on page 6 to play 4 strums per bar and, (lower down that same page), that whenever you see a chord symbol play that chord for a full bar. I see how this works for 3 Little Birds which he demos on the web but when I try to follow this advice for other songs I can't seem to make it work because I can't seem to strum that many times to fit in with the timing of singing the song.

I am strumming too slowly or just misunderstanding what I am supposed to do? E.g. When I try playing Blowin in the Wind I can only manage 2 strums per chord to keep up with my singing! Same with Love Me Do. Am getting really frustrated, can anyone help?!

[Tourniquet]

I am strumming too slowly or just misunderstanding what I am supposed to do? E.g. When I try playing Blowin in the Wind I can only manage 2 strums per chord to keep up with my singing! Same with Love Me Do. Am getting really frustrated, can anyone help?!

Double your strumming speed but keep your singing speed unchanged.
Eg
1  2  3  4    1   2   3     4
How Ma ny  Roads Must A
instead of
1     2       1        2
How Many  Roads Must A

[bretkennedy]

ok so just gonna weighi on this, for walk of life

in the book it says each verse has 4 bars of strumming on an a chord, but looking at the video that has been supplied, it isnt 4 bars per verse, it is 8 bars of 4 strums

then in the prechorus, as per the book it says each chord should be played for 4 strums per bar, and as per the info in the book, it should have only 1 bar per line of lyric, but again the video is 2 bars per line of lyric,

I was confused about this too until i saw the video.

I am just struggling to understand doing this with 4 strum pattern, also with the second songi have never heard it before, and don't really know how it goes.

so i will wait for the rest of the videos to upload, but just thought i would point this out as a little confusing.

bret

[shearer]

Hi there just a couple of things unsure about in the songbook, on hound dog where i says solo and has

A[ A[ A[ A[
                                                                                                                                          
D[ D[ A[ A[

How does this get played is it as it is four A`s per bar etc. Also on Walk of Life i dont understand what the Link part is there for etc. Thanks Alan.

[irishalkies]

Listen to the song Shearer? 

[shearer]

Sorry question not answered i dont understand answer.

[diademgrove]

Sorry question not answered i dont understand answer.

I think he means, listen to the song and during the quitar solo count the beats and listen out for the chord changes.

[mouser9169]

Sorry question not answered i dont understand answer.

This is a bit more general answer, but I hope it answers your question:

Often, chords are printed in a book when a guitar solo is played, but the chords are not actually being played in the song. What they are showing is the implied harmony that the solo is following (ie: the chords the solo is based on during those measures).

Playing the chords over the solo, or instead of the solo, will work out fine, as it keeps the "groove" of the song going.

[irishalkies]

Sorry question not answered i dont understand answer.

I think he means, listen to the song and during the quitar solo count the beats and listen out for the chord changes.

Yeah, that's exactly what I meant. There's no substitute for listening to the song and using your ears. A book can only tell you so much like what Mouser says about the structure of the chords and such. If you want to learn a song or a solo, listen, listen, and listen again until the song is in your head. Books don't play music, musicians do. 

[shearer]

Thanks for all replies.

[bretkennedy]

I am still also struggling a little with understanding how to get the song to soudn the same.

i did notice in this thread you talk about doubling the strumming speed and keeping the words being sung the same, .this seems to work for the gambler.

but with songs that I actually have no idea about like feelin alright i don't get it.

also with hound dog, i can't seem to get that in regards to tempo strums v words.

any help to work this out would be greatly appreciated.

[shearer]

Hi there i found with hound dog is that i strum the A the end of the first line i do D U D on the A then second line i do D with a down strum then a D on the Down then a D on the up another D on down then change to A for a down strum hope you can make sense of this, thanks Alan.

[Mr. Brightside]

Just Got the song book.

Tried to play Walk The Line but at a slower tempo (80bpm) to suit my level of competence.

This is the first time I have tried to sing along with my strumming and have hit this problem.

I'm supposed to strum 4 times in E then 4 in A.  8 strums. But there are 10 sylables of lyric in those first two bars.

I-keep-a-close-watch-on-this-heart-of-mine. So I end up strumming five times before changing chords.
Is this yet another new skill I have to learn.

Kenneth

[Mr. Brightside]

Oh boy.
Just looked at the next two songs
First line of the gambler has 12 strums (AADA) but 14 syllables of lyric
and
First line of Blowin in the Wind has 12 strums (ADEA) but only 9 syllables of lyric.

Any advice?

[close2u]

you are going to have to listen very carefully to the songs

not every syllable is a strum

they do not necessarily coincide

sometimes the singing anticipates the chord and comes in before
sometime after

listen and good luck

 

[Mr. Brightside]

Thanks Close2U. It's just, as a beginner, it's hard enough to keep strumming evenly. Trying to time words differently to the strumming seems really difficult

Kenneth

[GuitarTurtle]

Re: Walk the Line

The strumming pattern I'm using for this is

1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
D    D   D U D U

to me this fits quite nicely (or at least my interpretation of nice) and feels easier to sing along to.

I've also noticed that the version with key changes is much easier to sing along with but I have to admit much harder to play.

[stefdj]

hi
ok if followed your lessons and im now at bc-117
but the thing is in songs for stage one bs-106 the gambler you talk about a ''capo''
witch asnt been mentionned in any of the lessons of stage one
so what does a capo do ?

thanks
stef

[close2u]

Watch this vidoe for an explanation of a capo and its uses


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y22MT3etzwM

 

[No1Jockstar]

A capo is used in most songs in the first stage.

[jimrob1957]

[mod edit - thread moved to the correct section ... please learn to navigate the website and post in the right place - thanks]



Hi all,
This song

[mod edit - The Gambler - Kenny Rodgers]


is not in the help list.

When i try to play it using the capo on the 6th fret my chords sound nothing like how Justins sound, i have double checked the tuning all seems ok and each chord without the capo sounds good.

Cant figure out what it is............Jim