Playing Licks And Riffs
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Learning how to play the guitar can be life-changing. You'll not only be called on to entertain at parties and gatherings, you will also have at your finger tips a skill that you can use to get rid of your frustrations when you are stressed or anxious. It's simply a wonderful thing to know how to play acoustic guitar. Perhaps you already know some simple chords and are ready to progress into the realm of learning how to play licks and riffs. If so, this article is for you. |
Riffs And Licks Are Based On Chords And Scales When you can become totally familiar with a range of popular chords and keys, you're on your way to mastering those rock guitar riffs. Learning scales is the next step in your guitar instruction. You can get a guitar chord book from the local music shop, and spend a few minutes each day learning the scale names and diagrams that are shown. The Key To Licks And Riffs Are In Chord Variations If you look at a book of guitar chords, you'll see that theres not just one "G" chord, but a bunch of "G" chords, for instance G7, and G9, and G major 7, and G minor 7. . . you get the idea. Each voicing has it's own unique feel. For example, the major 7th chords have a soft misty feel to them, while a series of 7th chords has a "blues feel to them. If you want to play modern guitar music, especially jazz and blues, you will need to be familiar with these variations. Many of the older songs don't use these variations as much, and if all you want to play is classic bluegrass or country, you may not need anything fancier than a couple of minors. Your Picking Hand Is Also Important Sometimes it seems like all the work needed in learning how to play riffs and licks focuses on the chording hand. The fact is, you need to be able to find the string you need with your right hand. (Left for you lefties). The left hand might have the lick all figured out, but if you hit the wrong string, you're never going to get the sound you want. Don't forget to experiment with different ways of picking as well, to find what works for you. Some guitarists never pick up a plectrum, as they would rather feel the strings with their fingers. Some have several picks on various fingers. Most use a standard flat plectrum, but try some different methods and you might stumble onto your own personal style for playing guitar licks and riffs. |
