The Nashville Number System is a method of musical shorthand devised in the late 1950’s by Bill Matthews of the Jordanaires (most famous as the vocal quartet backing Elvis on his early recordings). It’s a great example of the practical use of music theory. With a little knowledge you can use the concepts behind the […]
The Perpetual Beginner: chord inventory and the horse with no name.
How many chords do you think you know? How many chords are there, anyway? The average basic strummer uses a vocabulary of about eleven chords, and has probably learned quite a few more that they don’t often use or might even avoid. (Barre chords, anyone?) If we go through the familiar open position […]
Droning or dynamic: be more compelling onstage!
When we refer to someone as a dynamic performer, we mean that person commands attention. They draw an audience in and make a lasting impression. You might see this as pure talent, and sometimes it is. But these dynamic performers all make use of an important musical tool, also called dynamics. “Dynamics” in music refer […]
A CRASH COURSE IN CAPO TRANSPOSITION
You probably already know how to use a capo to change the pitch of a song to match a singer’s range. But did you know that you can use the capo to find new ways to “voice” a chord, or even create a signature guitar part? Remember that the moment you clip on that capo […]
