Rhythm Guitar Options
Creating guitar parts that compliment those of other musicians you are playing with will make you a very popular guitarist! Following are some of the options I think of when creating rhythm guitar parts onstage or in the studio.
Rhythm Guitar Options
- High to Low
- Fast to Slow
- Active to Sparse
- Groove vs. Fills
- Clean to Dirty
- Chords to Notes
- Sustain to Staccato
- Simple Harmony to Complex
- Play ‘with’ vs playing ‘against
Creating parts that are in contrast to what others are playing lends a sense of space that is musically pleasing. Additionally, the use of contrasting elements make unison parts sound that much more powerful when they do come in!
Keep these rhythm options in mind next time you are writing rhythm guitar parts and see if they don’t move you in new directions.
The lyrics to Google It!
Do you like music? Have you heard of a little company named Google? Ever wish there was a way to musically embrace every one’s favorite search engine? Well, have I got a song for you! Enter “Google It!”, a song written by Kyle Rothchild and featuring yours truly on guitar.
Kyle was the bassist in my working band of the last year and a half. He wrote a handful of catchy, tech-oriented pop tunes and asked me to contribute guitar parts for his recording project, alloneword.
There is a comedic streak to the tunes similar to Weird Al Yankovic or Tenacious D. The session was a blast and we came out with a nice two-song EP that Kyle and Ryan Collier produced. Not much in the way of guitar antics needed for the guitar parts. I did what served this tune, being in kind of a punk-pop style, by keeping the solo at the end of the song real loose and of the cuff.
Listen to the full track!
This song is available for download from iTunes.
Kyle is now playing with Tony Clifton and I think is currently in Chicago. Nice!
There is a line in ‘Google It!’ where the lyrics say you can Google to “find all the words to this dumb song.” Kyle confided in me that he never put the lyrics online. So, as a service to him and you, following are the lyrics in all their glory! Cheers, Kyle, and keep doing what you’re doing.
Storm
Google It! Lyrics
If you need a map to get you where you’re going
If you have to know but there’s just no way of knowing
Want to order some food or get a price for shampoo
You can see Earth from space or look in on the human race.
If you love to gamble but you hate casinos
Can’t remember the ingredients to a Mocha Frappuchino?
If you’re just plain dumb and you can’t spell umbrella
If you’re looking for a girl or a rich, handsome fella
CHORUS
You can Google It! Oh yeah
You can Google It! Oh yeah
You can Google It! Oh yeah
You can Google It!
You can talk to perfect strangers, you can make them you’re best friend
If you don’t know now then you can Google in the end
If you didn’t go to school and turned out to be a fool
See celebrities swimming naked in a public pool
Doing research for a paper or, hey, maybe you’re just stoned
You can find most everything with all your friends or all alone
If you really want to know all the words to this dumb song
You can dig up all the dirt on someone who did you wrong
CHORUS
‘Cause You can Google It! Oh yeah (You can Google)
You can Google It! Oh yeah (You can Google)
You can Google It! Oh yeah (You can Google)
You can Google It!
Well, if you’re running late you’ve got to find the quickest way
Or if you’re feeling horny Google three times every day
You can get a degree, pay you’re bills or go shopping
Find company, play war games no one’s stopping you
You’ve been looking for a job or a new place to live
Get a credit check done and pirate all you’re favorite songs
Just point a click you’re mouse, you don’t have to leave you’re house
You can trade you’re stocks and bonds or read who Bush is going to bomb
CHORUS
‘Cause You can Google It! Oh yeah (You can Google)
You can Google It! Oh yeah (You can Google)
You can Google It! Oh yeah (You can Google)
You can Google It!
And you don’t really need to remember anything
‘Cause in 30 damn seconds it will be there on your screen
Give some meaning to your life, type in what you want to know
Give that search engine a pure and ready, set, here we go!
Find out how to build a house or send a message to your Mom
Google know just what you mean even if you spelled it wrong
It has worked a billion times and you know it will work for you
Google can’t sue me for slander because what I said is true!
CHORUS
You can Google It! Oh yeah (You can Google)
You can Google It! Oh yeah (You can Google)
You can Google It! Oh yeah (You can Google)
You can Google It! You can Google It!
You can Google It! Oh yeah (You can Google)
You can Google It! Oh yeah (You can Google)
You can Google It! Oh yeah (You can Google)
You can Google It!
You can Google It!
You can Google It!
You can Google It!
Beginning ‘Arpeggio’ Picking Lesson
I believe arpeggios to be some of the most beautiful sounds we can produce on the guitar. The word ‘arpeggio’ simply means broken chord. On the guitar, the notes of a chord can be played in a melodic fashion (think of the beginning melody to ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’) or in a chordal fashion where the notes overlap and ring together. The latter is common in guitar accompaniment and is used in this lesson over the chord progression to ‘House Of The Rising Sun’, made famous by the Animals. Take a look.
The part is played with a pick. Accompaniment arpeggios can also be played finger-style, which we explore in an upcoming lesson.
If you like this lesson please consider subscribing to my RSS feed.
Website Happenings…
I have a few pieces of information about GuitarTeacher.com to share this week…
First, as you may or may not know, I do most of my website work and video shoots at my teaching studio at Sparks Music Center. We have had internet problems that made updating GuitarTeacher very ackward. Thankfully, these are resolved as of today and I should be back on-track to posting new lessons this week.
Second, the forum of GuitarTeacher has to be reset due to a software error. Categories and threads will be setup later today. Sorry if I missed any of your questions. 
Finally, I have a new video plug-in I will try out in my upcoming lessons. It is called Smart YouTube and is used for embedding videos uploaded to YouTube within my website posts. I still have the capability of hosting videos within GuitarTeacher myself as flash files but I find the newer high-definition format on YouTube that I find to come out clearer. This is especially evident when viewing the in-video tablature in my lessons. I also plan to link to guitar-related YouTube content that inspires me.
Your feedback is always appreciated. This site is to help you Play Guitar Better.
Storm Stenvold
GuitarTeacher.com
Quick Tip for Playing Guitar Better
You might look at the following picture and ask “How does a bathroom sink help me Play Guitar Better?”
As my last post was on good ‘warm-ups’ before playing here is another really simple one, pun notwithstanding. Fill a sink with warm to hot (not scalding) water and then place your hands under the water for 60 to 90 seconds. For flexability and circulation in your hands, it will feel like you have been playing guitar for about a half-hour after doing this. Try it and see!
I have heard of using a hairdryer for the same purpose but I find this much more effective. A side benefit is that you will extend the life of your guitar strings by having clean hands before you play.
I was reminded of this tip after soaking in my in-room hot tub inside the Presidential Suite at the Forest Suites Resort in South Lake Tahoe where I stayed this weekend (thanks Warren!). That would be acceptable warm-up, as well.
Storm
‘Spider’ Guitar Warmup
Hey Axemen & Axewomen,
Here is a warm-up drill on guitar that is a simple and elegant way to get both right and left hands working together.
Get the Flash Player to see this player.
Like any physical activity, warming up when playing guitar is important. A common mistake I see among students is putting favorite songs first in their practicing as a warm-ups. It is better to warm-up on a simple drill, such as ‘the spider’, so mistakes that inevitably happen when warming up don’t creep their way into the rehearsed performance of those songs.
Aim to keep an even time between all notes for this exercise, particularly when changing strings.
If this lesson helps you out, think about subscribing to my RSS feed with the link at the top of the page. Good luck!
Storm
GuitarTeacher.com
Play “Sunshine Of Your Love” on Guitar
Hey Guitar Players,
This latest website page is a test of a new video template I plan to use for upcoming guitar lessons. The video shows how to play the opening riff to Cream’s “Sunshine Of Your Love”. Cream featured, of course, Eric Clapton.
The video features both full-speed and half-speed versions of the parts shown. In an overlay within the video I show full tablature (with rhythms) that is animated to follow the video AND… a full guitar neck that is also animated! I haven’t seen anything like it elsewhere. Check it out by clicking the video below.
Get the Flash Player to see this player.
I am attempting to recreate most of the visuals of the Riff Interactive browser plug-in I use on my download lesson packages. I feel the cool thing about this new approach is that it is accessible by all web browser and operating systems. Cool? Cool!
Now, this riff is displayed here “For Education Purposes” only!! I taught this part to a private student and am putting this up on GuitarTeacher.com for reference. Try the following links for a full transcription:
What do you think of the new video format? Let me know by commenting to this blog page @ GuitarTeacher.com. And if you like this lesson please consider subscribing to my RSS feed. More to come!
Storm Stenvold
GuitarTeacher.com
‘Ask The Teacher’ - Online Guitar Support
Hi! My name is Storm Stenvold and I thank you for visiting my website, GuitarTeacher.com. I am introducing a service that is new and exclusive to the internet that I believe will be of tremendous value to guitar players of all levels and interests. The service is called ‘Ask the Teacher’ and it is designed to fulfill a need of guitarists who want to play better and have fun by answering personal guitar questions interactively with:
- Written answers
- Audio (playing examples and looping accompaniment)
- Video
- Web links (where appropriate)
This is a great time to learn the guitar. There is no shortage of resources available now for guitar players of all levels. Instructional DVDs and CD-ROMs are widely distributed. Online videos, song pages and forums all have something to offer. I produce and participate in many of these instructional resources myself. The biggest shortcoming of the instructional packages, as I see it, is they aren’t interactive. A DVD or CD can’t answer your questions! Online song pages and forums provide more interactivity but often with confusing and conflicting opinions and presentations that waste your valuable time.
My ‘Ask The Teacher’ service is designed to compliment all these resources by answering the questions you have, saving you time! By answering your questions through my website and blog I will direct you to the next steps to reach your goals! Imagine the time savings when you are looking for a song on the internet. It doesn’t sound right to you. Most guitar students wonder; “Is it me or is it this tab?”.
Let my experience work for you. For less than a typical month of guitar lessons, I can be your personal guitar coach all year. Subscribe today!
Metal Guitar Jam Track
Did you ever have one of those days you just feel like ROCKIN??!! That is just about every day for me And I hope to make this one of those days for you with the following METAL GUITAR JAM TRACK!!
The jam track pedals on the open 5th string A note while stabbing out a C major triad across strings 2, 3 and 4 at the 5th fret. The resulting Am7 tonality is truly METAL! Try any or all of the following minor tonality scales.
Now pick up that six-string and bash those frets into whimpering submission!
If you have questions, try my new message forum. It’s a beta test of my “Ask the Teacher” service. Have fun.
Storm Stenvold
GuitarTeacher.com
Changing Guitar Strings
Have you changed your guitar strings this month?? This year??? Ever???!!! If you haven’t because you are intimidated by the process, this lesson is for you.
There are many benefits to keeping your strings fresh, including better tone, better feel and better dynamics to mention a few. Of course your guitar will look better. And a guitar with clean, new strings practically begs to be played!
Replace your guitar strings with the same gauge of strings as you used before. Your intonation may be off if you use a heavier or lighter set than you currently use. Most electric guitars come with extra-light or “9’s”. Acoustic guitars tend to come equipped with “light” strings. You can experiment with other gauges but this might entail a setup of your guitar to accommodate the change in tension. If you are unsure about string guages consult your local guitar shop or a knowledgable friend who can inspect your guitar.
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Preparation: You need the tools for the job. This includes a string winder, guitar tuner and wire cutters. Purchase a string winder. It will save you a great deal of time, well worth the dollar or two. Additionally, they are made to cleanly pull out the bridge pins on acoustic guitars. |
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Step 1 - Hold the guitar in your lap or on a padded table with the neck supported. The strings can be removed in any order, though starting at either the 1st or 6th string and working across keeps things organized. Loosen and remove the strings one at a time. Do not cut the string while it is under tension, as that is a jolt to the neck. |
Tip: Take advantage of the removal of the strings to clean the face of the guitar under these normally hard to reach areas.
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Step 2 - Insert the string into the bridge. For many electric guitars you will slide the guitar through the back. Pull the string through gently until you feel the ball end of the string seat in the bridge. For acoustics, put the bridge pin in while pulling upward. You should feel the ball slip into place as the pin is pushed down. |
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Step 3 - Feed the string through the corresponding tuning key. Allow enough slack for two to three windings around the tuning key. Winding the entire string will result in too many wraps causing the string to wrap upon itself and cause instability in tuning. Fewer than one complete wrap and the string may slip out. |
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After coming through the string hole, wind the string one-half way in the reverse direction around the tuning peg (clockwise when the tuning keys are on top; counterclockwise when the tuning keys are on the bottom). Kink the string to hold it in place. This will enable you to form a lock on the string to avoid slippage. |
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Step 4 - Wind the string with each wrap under the previous one, or closer to the base of the peg. This holds the strings in tune better and looks neater. You can help by keeping slack out of the string with your free hand and guiding the string downward. If your guitar has string trees on the headstock, have the string pass under the tree as you wind the string up to pitch. |
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Wind evenly, making sure that each wrap goes below the previous one. Each winding should be snug up against the previous one. |
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Step 5 - Tighten the string up to pitch. Don’t tighten so quickly that you break the string before you ever get to play on it! Next, stretch the string gently along its length. You should find that the string has gone flat. Retune the string. This stretching will minimize your retuning for the first days of your new strings. Trim off the excess string length with wire cutters. Repeat on each string. |
Clean up - Get rid of the old strings. They are no fun to step on with bare feet. And not good for your vacuum cleaner either!
Finally, to maximize the life of your strings, wash your hands before you play and wipe down the strings with a clean cloth after you practice. This will slow the build up of oils and dirt on the string which dull their look and sound.
Now make music. Happy picking.
Ask The Teacher
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About
My name is Storm Stenvold. Welcome to my online lesson studio, Guitar Teacher.com!
I teach individual and group guitar lessons online (since 2001) and have taught guitar for 17 years. I was a founding faculty member of ...read more