Last time I made a lesson on how to use a guitar capo, I left out an important bit of information: how to transpose properly so that you remain in the same key as the rest of the band.
Today that’s what we’re talking about.
Random Fact: Did you know ‘capo’ also means a mafia boss? Ok.. back to guitar.
So the rule of thumb that I get into in the video is basically this:
If you move the capo UP X number of frets, you need to transpose your chords DOWN by the same number of semitones. Follow that? Each fret is a semitone, right? so in order to maintain the balance, if you go up with the capo, you need to go down with your open chords.
This might be a bit confusing, but keep in mind you’re not actually changing keys. The only sense in which you’re changing keys is in that you’re changing to the open chord formations of a particular key. The whole idea is to remain in the same key right?
Hopefully that becomes more clear in the video. Any questions… you know what to do.
I got some good feedback from the lesson, with most of you asking for the riffs as well.
So, today I bring you the riffs for Last Dance with Mary Jane. Or is it Mary Jane’s Last Dance? I never could remember.
Anyways, you’re basically using A minor diatonic and pentatonic, with a little bit of the C major (diatonic) scale in there as well on the top few strings.
Strap locks are one of the coolest little guitar gadget style inventions I’ve ever come across.
Have you ever had a guitar strap slip off the hook, or have you seen this happen to someone else? Often times the guitar crashes painfully to the floor, and sometimes, never to get back up.
A close friend of mine destroyed a beautiful $1500 GNL when his strap slipped off by accident.
Not very cool.
So what’s the answer?
Strap Locks.
Considering they only cost about $15 on Amazon, strap locks can literally save you hundreds or thousands of dollars and the grief of a destroyed guitar.
About the only downside that I can think of to using strap locks is that you need to dedicate a particular strap to a particular guitar, if that can even be classified as a concern.
In this video I demonstrate how to install the Schaler strap locks on your guitar. It’s very easy, and boils down to these steps:
Remove existing strap knobs.
Screw Schaler strap locks back into the same holes.
Today I’ve got another easy finger picking pattern for you and your guitar. I used a very simple and mellow chord progression in this lesson, and there are literally tons of different directions you could go with it.
I tried to give you a couple of different ideas on how you can change up the progression, but I really encourage you to get creative with this one and go nuts on it.
Start with the E Minor Diatonic scale (or G Major -- same difference) as that gives you the root notes you can use from the key of G. Basically any of the notes in those scales on the lowest three strings will qualify.
Keep your drone notes the same all the time -- the open G (3rd string) and the D on the 2nd string. These two notes are the I and V of the key of G, a perfect fifth, and therefore go well with every other note in that scale, which is the reason why its easy to be creative with this one.
In addition to mixing up the root notes, try mixing up your picking pattern once you get the hang of the one I showed you in here. Try alternating different strings, or use the two strings at a time method I showed in the video.
Last time I made a lesson on how to use a guitar capo, I left out an important bit of information: how to transpose properly so that you remain in the same key as the rest of the band.
