Chapter 3 - Scales, arpeggios and easy pieces

Scales

Modern western music is based on a 12-tone scale of consonances and dissonances divided into equal intervals of tones and semitones: C, C#, D, D#, E, F, F#, G, G#, A, A#, B.

Major scales are built on a pattern of: tone, tone, semitone, tone, tone, tone, semitone

C D E F G A B C

The C major scale spans 8 notes (an octave) from lower C to higher C, and is in the key of C major. The sharps are called accidentals and are not counted in the scale.

Play the following C scale:

Ensure you alternate the RH fingers i m;Play the first note C with your 3rd LH finger on the 5th string;Play notes D, E, F on the 4rth, G, A on 3rd, B,C,D on 2nd, and E,F,G on 1st strings.

Chapter 3: Scales, arpeggios, and easy pieces

Copyright 2013 Donald J Porter Fretted Music 1

The distance between two notes is called an interval. The intervals of C major scale from bottom C are as follows: Unison; 2nd; 3rd; 4rth; 5th; 6th; 7th; Octave

Basic chords consist of triads. A root position triad begins on the 1st degree of the triad followed by two intervals, each a 3rd apart. So a C chord comprises C, E and G; a G chord G, B and D.

C Triad G Triad

Root 3rd 5th Root 3rd 5th

The above triads are in root position: they consist of a root (1st), 3rd, and 6th degree counting up from the root. Triads can be in root position, first inversion and second inversion. The first inversion triad begins on its 3rd degree by having its root C raised from the bottom to the top of the chord, with C now at an interval of a fourth above G. The second inversion triad begins on the 5th degree by having its 3rd raised to the top of the chord above C.

Root 1st inv. 2nd inv. Root



Guitar chords are often not in root position but are chord inversions for ease of playing. Try playing the following 2nd inversions of C and G on the guitar.

Fernando Sor: Study in C

Study in C by Fernando Sor is based on the C major scale and includes the above 2nd inversion chords C and G. Pay careful attention to the LH and RH fingerings. The first note (minim) is played for 2 beats.

See if you can identify the different intervals between notes.



We have studied minims, crotchets and quavers. Semi-quavers or 16th notes further divide the bar into 4 notes per beat, which can be counted as: 1 e + a, 2 e + a. Practice playing semi-quavers slowly and evenly on the open G string. Don’t rush.

A further sub-division of notes is three quavers per beat played as triplets. Triplets are counted evenly as 1 2 3 or 1 + a.

1 + a 2 + a 3 + a etc ...

ARPEGGIOSPlaying chords as arpeggios is excellent for RH finger development. Play the C major arpeggios (C and G chords) in free stroke until they become second nature. Hold your left and fingers down on each chord for the length of a bar. Play with a light touch.



Prelude in C by Ferninando Carulli is a straightforward p i m arpeggio exercise. It is worth first playing the arpeggios as chords. In particular, the new chords are E minor, A minor, D minor, E7, and A7. Both E7 and A7 are outside the key of C.Em Am Dm E7 A7

Play the bass line of the Prelude separately before playing the full arpeggios.



This selection from Giuliani’s 120 Right-Hand Studies offer arpeggio practice with chords. I have modified them slightly (by removing the bottom G) for ease of playing.



Dotted Notes

A dot added to a note increases the note’s length by one half. So a crotchet = 2 quavers; a dotted crotchet = 3 quavers. A dotted minim = 3 crotchets.

dotted crotchet = 3 quavers dotted minim = 3 crotchets

The bass notes in this waltz by Carulli are dotted crotchets. The time signature 3/8 means 3 eighth notes (quavers) per bar to be played faster than 3/4 time. The doubled bass notes indicate two voices to be played as a single note. Ensure that your i m a fingers continue to alternate in walking fashion for single notes, while p plays the bass throughout. Repeat each section once. Play lightly.



This second piece by Carulli is in common (4/4) time, but starts on beat 3. Count the first 2 beats before beginning on the 3rd.



Twinkle Little Star

We looked at Twinkle Little Star in Chapter 2. This time we are adding the accompaniment to the tune.

Start by playing the melody and accompaniment separately. Count 1 + 2 + but do not play on beat 2. The effect is 1 + pause +. An apostrophe (‘) is used to indicate the 1/2 beat pause.The RH fingering is p i i throughout.



Now play the two parts together. Give the melody more emphasis so it rings out above the song by playing the accompaniment more quietly.

Many classical pieces of music use Alberti bass (an alternating bass pattern) as accompaniment to a melody. Play the following Alberti bass pattern with alternating p i fingers.

Skip to My LouSkip to My Lou employs Alberti bass. Play the alternating p i bass separately, then add the melody.



Fernando Sor Op. 31 No.1 - Melody. As with previous examples, play the melody and bass separately before playing them together.

The first note, G is called a pick up note and is on the 3rd beat of the bar. Count 1 2 before beginning on the G. Always count across the bar so that you land on beat 1 of the next bar. So you count 1 2 3 1, 2 3 1, 2 3 1.

Melody and bass. Try bringing out the melody above the other notes, which

are to be played more quietly. Play all notes free stroke. Observe the bass note is a dotted minim (3 crotchets in length) and is played with the thumb, p.



Tetrachords

The C major scale comprises two tetrachords. The notes C to F form the lower tetrachord; G to C the upper tetrachord:

lower tetrachord upper tetrachord

The upper tetrachord becomes the lower tetrachord of the next key of G. Each tetrachord is made up two tones and a semitone. G A B C

lower tetrachord of G major



To complete the scale of G just add its upper tetrachord with the intervals Tone, Tone, Tone, Semitone:

D E F# G

lower tetrachord upper tetrachord

We now have the scale of G major. Notice F#, is tone up from E. (F would only be an interval of a semitone from E.)

Key Signature

The F# in the G major scale becomes the key signature of G. This indicates that the F note is to be played sharp (#) or a semitone up from F.



Exercise in G major

Play the bass part first. Use the RH fingering p i m i throughout.

Ferninado Carulli



London Bridge

The bass part deserves special attention before attempting the solo. Notice that many of the notes fall on the off-beat (+). Count the rhythm carefully and evenly until you can play smoothly and accurately.

Bass

Solo



The First Noel

The first Noel is a slightly more challenging piece. The melody begins with a pick-up bar. Pay particular attention to the timing of the dotted crotchets (1 + 2), with the 2nd note falling on the off-beat (+).

Bass

Count carefully as you play the off-beats as shown in bar 3.



Solo

The First Noel should be played broadly with plenty of space to let the melody ring out and breath.

In the first bar, as you place your 2nd finger on B lift your 3rd finger off the G in preparation for the next part of the melody rising from A to D. Shift the 3rd finger from F# (2nd fret) to G (3rd fret) between bars 2 and 3. The shift to E minor in bar 13 is tricky and will require separate practise.



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Chapter 3 - Scales, arpeggios and easy pieces