This is our 4th mini series (comprising four sessions) to help us become better players and more well-rounded musicians.
We’ll be gradually building up the chords, rhythm and melody to a glorious Mark Knopfler’s tune, ‘Going Home’ from the film, Local Hero; it’s cool, haunting and wonderful. If you haven’t heard it – check it out.
Here we explore chords and progressions, making them sound interesting and musical.
You can purchase just this session or alternatively buy ALL four sessions of this series and get a 25% discount.
This 4th series continues to look at the fundamentals of playing great guitar and making us better musicians. This series is focused on Mark Knopfler’s song, Going Home (from the film, Local Hero). The tune uses nice progressions, nice rhythm, slow tempo and a glorious melody. Each session builds up our knowledge of the tune and related techniques with the overall series objective being a new fingerstyle arrangement of the tune to add to our repertoire. The sessions are:
#13 What can you do with 4 chords? (this session)
#14 Playing a beautiful melody, tastefully!
#15 Standalone Piece Part 1 – the Intro
#16 Standalone Piece Part 2 – the Body
BTW, the materials for previous sessions are still available to buy on request by email. See below.
Using a standard chord progression (e.g. I ii vi V) we’ll explore different keys initially using basic chords moving to more embellished chords across the neck using the CAGED system. If you’re not sure of the numbering system above (Nashville Numbering) in the key of C major the above progression would be: C Dm Am G.
Chords are everything on guitar and we’ll constantly be adding more into our vocabulary throughout our musical journey. How can you bring these chords to life and what do you do if you’re hanging on a single chord for a number of bars? Internal note movement, passing chords, inversions, arpeggiation, plectrum control, clean fingerpicking technique, etc.
This approach to chords and progressions within a key, and sometimes borrowing chords from outside the key, builds towards the standalone tune at the end of this series.
It’s always best to attend live rather than just buying the materials. But the option for Materials-Only is there for those occasions when you just can’t make it.
This mini-course of 4 sessions is a sequential series, so you will get much more out of it by committing to all 4 sessions (recommended as it comes with a 25% discount).
The materials for previous sessions are available on request:
High beginner to intermediate players. Even players who are relatively new to the guitar will get some great ideas and approaches from the sessions.
The session is approx. 60 minutes long; don’t expect to master everything during the session. The tutor will go through all the key parts, demonstrating them and discussing the associated techniques and know-how.
The real work is done by you afterwards. Armed with the materials (PDFs, backing tracks and video recording), you’ll have all the tools to work on things at your own pace.
When you book you’ll have two options:
1. You want to join this live Zoom session.
You’ll receive the joining instructions on the day. Being live, you’ll be able to put your own questions directly to the tutor during the session. Choose option 1, This live lesson and materials.
2. Maybe you’d like to attend but can’t make it on this occasion?
You can buy the materials and receive them after the session (i.e. lesson PDF(s) and access to a Zoom recording of the live session). Choose option 2, Materials only. We often provide bonus materials for live attendance-only.
3. Buy all four sessions up-front for a 25% discount (RECOMMENDED)
As with option 1, you’ll receive the joining instructions on the day.