Skye Boat Song, by the Corries (and others)

Here's a nice melody for beginners.   There are slower and faster versions of this, and a Ultimate Guitar Tab Pro version you can play along with.   Enjoy this version, if you really like it we can do it in lesson.  Some of you already are.

Things that help: Organizing a binder

Check it out.  Here is an example of a binder with the the various handouts and purchased sheet music organized for practice.  This helps make the most of your practice time, which is important when time is at a premium.  Maintaining a binder is so helpful in so many other ways that I encourage everyone coming in for lessons to do so.   Thanks to Christi for sharing her ideas!

Lesson Supplement: Basic chords for beginners.

Here are the first full chords that many players learn and a few ways to practice them.  Ask me about the handout that accompanies this lesson and how to learn the basic rhythms and strumming patterns.  Chord strummers can start on this right away.  If you (or I) choose more of the single note melody track for you we wouldn't do these accompaniment patterns, we would learn melodies instead. 

Lesson supplement videos

 Hey there new signees!   Here is the link to the playlist on Youtube that has the supplemental lesson videos going back a few years.  It helps to have had the one-in-one lesson that each goes along with each video but you may be able to get an idea of what we do from the videos.  It will also help to learn more about some of the things we do in lessons.   This is just a sample.   If you have questions you can email me from the video.  Click "share" and then "email"  when the option comes up.  Be sure to include your question in the "Optional Message" box.  Enjoy!



Go to my student web site for more information   Blake's lessons home page

Chords. Root notes and bass notes

Lets review these important terms. 

Beat      The steady pulse of music that we respond to when we tap our feet, nod our head, tap with our hands etc...

Tempo   Speed of the beat.  This is measured in Beats Per Minute or bpm

Note  A musical sound.  On guitar we play single notes on individual strings.

Pitch      The relative highness or lowness of a note

Chord   Three or more notes sounded (played) at the same time.

What is a root note?  I am going to quote from studybass.com

"A root note is the main note on which a chord is built. It is the foundation, or root, of the chord. For example, the three notes G, B, and D form a G major chord. The note G is the chord's root note.

In music theory, the bass note of a chord is the lowest note played or notated. While the bass note is often the root of the chord, it does not have to be, and sometimes one of the other pitches of the chord will be found in the bass. See: chord inversion (music).