On The Beat - Episode 750 - Weekly Guitar Video News Wrap Up March 29, 2024

[TGNeil]

March 29, 2024

A couple new, and unexpected lessons crossed our path and joined the TG Library this week. Last week it was I’ll Be Here In The Morning by Townes Van Zandt that cut the queue and turned into a lesson because a student and I had been working diligently on it. This week Neil Diamond’s Stones came along in a similar manner. It features an unusual arpeggio pattern that will challenge most students.

We also added a different type of Fly On The Wall lesson. Last Saturday I got together with Sara and Ben to rehearse for an event where we were playing a couple songs that evening. We shot a video of the session, which included takes of both Angel From Montgomery by John Prine and As by Stevie Wonder. I hope folks enjoy it.

I have another service I am playing for tomorrow and figured I needed to dust off some tunes that were a little mellow and even introspective. This had me revisiting things like Send In The Clowns, Tears In Heaven, In My Life, and On The Horizon, along with an old piece of mine called Shadows Of Moloka’i. The last tune has an introduction that includes harmonics, which inspired me to go into a bit of the science behind harmonics. There are bits of geography and even physics involved, and this is something I intend to do a more in-depth lesson on, but hopefully it might add a little insight into your understanding of them.

This weekend also wraps up our March 3-Minute Challenge. And remember that the last week includes 9 days, through Sunday April 31. We will be drawing the last few weekly winners and the grand prize winner next week. The grand prize will again be a private Zoom lesson with me, and the weekly winners will have some choices, one of which will be a set of strings from the Santa Cruz Guitar Company. I have been using them again recently and am really impressed with the sound, especially after they have been on my guitar for over a week. The D’Addarios I had been using really seem to degrade in 4-5 days. I am now a convert and plan to keep a good stash of the SCGC strings in stock.

Catch you in April,

Neil

[carolm242]

I don't think you ever identified the "mystery mode" you spoke of at around minute 11:30? I am going to suggest that that Colonel Mustard did it in the Dining Room in Mixolydian Mode??

(The D was a flattened 7th in the key of E, which lines up with mixolydian...)

[TGNeil]

Right you are!

[davesnothere]

Thank you for the harmonics discussion. I'm still wondering what key it is when you play a multiple string harmonic, say at the 12th fret. Do you have to be concerned about that in relation to the key of the song when you throw in a harmonic, either as part of a lead or as part of the rhythm?

[familyman4]

I really enjoyed the explanation of the harmonics. The explanations that made it visual worked really well. Obviously, the guitar playing on all of the songs was terrific too!

I then watched Sara & Ben FOTW features and thought that was really great too! So much fun around Totally Guitars Mother Ship!

Thanks for sharing.....
Bart

[TGNeil]

Thank you for the harmonics discussion. I'm still wondering what key it is when you play a multiple string harmonic, say at the 12th fret. Do you have to be concerned about that in relation to the key of the song when you throw in a harmonic, either as part of a lead or as part of the rhythm?

The harmonics you get at the 12th fret are the same as the notes there. So yes, they have to be in the key you are in to use them. If I was in the key of E Major only 4 strings at the 12th are in the key (or 5th since they are the same but another octave higher than open). But in E Minor all six strings are good.

Speaking of Em, the top three strings are the notes in the chord so they are commonly hit along with an Em chord. The 2nd, 3rd and 4th strings at 12 are all part of a G chord and could be hit then. Similarly, the 2nd, 3rd and 4th strings at the 7th fret are all part of a D chord.

I will try to expand on this next Friday.

Neil