Chords that Sound like a Beautiful Melody | Creative Fingerstyle Guitar

Feb 12, 2018

Chords that Sound like a Beautiful Melody

Creative Fingerstyle Guitar

Hello guys, today, we will focus on one of my favorite topics: Chords and Melody.

I will show you how you can make a chord progression sound like a beautiful melody using the fingerstyle technique.

The chord progression we are working on is Am – G – Fmaj7 – E, the standard Spanish chord progression.

The Video

Chords and Melody

Why these chords sound like a Melody

The chord progression is very simple: Am – G – Fmaj7 – E.

The thumb plays the melody throughout, while the index and middle finger play the E open string as the accompaniment.

Check the example below.

The Red color shows you the melody played with the thumb.

The Yellow color indicates the accompaniment played with alternate fingering on the high E string. We will keep the same note throughout the entire exercise. This technique is called pedal point.

Using this approach, you will be able to create a beautiful melody based on the chord progression you are using.

The secret here is to play the melody on the lower strings and leave the accompaniment to the top strings only.

How to Practice

I highly recommend you practice the melody separately before adding the accompaniment.

By doing that, you will isolate the melody and focus on fluidity and fingers dexterity.

Once you feel comfortable playing the melody, add the accompaniment. Don’t forger to use alternate fingering starting on the middle finger.

One key point is to emphasize the melody over the accompaniment.

Fingerstyle guitar is amazing because it allows you to put more emphasy on a certain guitar part.

For this guitar part, you should try to keep the melody’s volume higher by plucking the strings harder with the thumb and lightly with the fingers.

Not an easy task.

Here’s the Tab

Get the PDF Inside the Student Area

THIS IS A LESSON FROM PRACTICAL FINGERSTYLE

My Video Course for Beginners

Practical Fingerstyle is a Fingerstyle video course that focuses on melodies and musicality.

Few info about this program.

Eight weeks program
Song-like exercises
Each week focuses on one technique

Check this course on Patreon.

How to Build Emotional Chords in the Key of E minor | Guitar Lesson

Feb 10, 2018

Emotional Chords Blueprint

The Interval that Makes you Cry

Hey guys, today I will show you how you can create emotional chords on the guitar.

This is a fascinating topic because emotional chords are extremely melodic and can be used in many different contests.

We will analyze a straightforward chord progression and “Emotionalize” the chords using the number one emotional interval.

The chord progression is Em – D – C – G – D/F#, and the number one sentimental interval we will focus on is the Major and Minor 3rd.

Let get into details.

The Video Lesson

The 6 Emotional Chord Progressions

How to Create Emotional Chords

The Interval that Does it All

One interval in music really works when it comes to sentimental chords, and this is the major and minor 3rd.

Both major or minor 3rd is indeed a really “Emotional” interval, and the guitar melody you are learning right now is the exact example.

But what exactly is an interval of a 3rd in music.

The Distance Between two Notes

An interval in music is the distance between two notes.

One of the most sentimental/emotional intervals is the major and minor 3rd.

Get the Full Tab - Sign-Up - Access the Student Area - Check the Melody Lab Program

Let’s get into Details.

Let me show you what this chord progression is made up of.

The first chord, E minor, is played with E (The root note) and G (minor 3rd)
The second chord, D major, is played with D (The root note) and F# (major 3rd)
The third chord, C major, is played with C (Root note) and E (major 3rd)
The 4th chord, G major, is played with the G (The root note) and B (major 3rd)

Major or Minor 3rd?

It isn’t a coincidence that this chord progression sounds super emotional. The first four notes of the melody are either a major or minor 3rd interval.

The question is, which 3rd works best? Major or Minor?

You will be happy to know that they both works amazingly well.

You will apply this concept for both major and minor chords using both major 3rd and minor 3rd.

The Full Tab

My Thoughts

I personally love these types of chords. Not just knowing how to play them but where they come from.

There is a good number of guitar players and musicians in general who think that learning music theory will take away their musicality and creativity.

I think the opposite.

It feels amazing to play with the flow, following my emotions without thinking about any theory concept, and then sit down and analyze what I play.

I constantly learn and improve myself because I know what I play; therefore, I can improve it, change it, and make it different every time I play.

So I say: Try to learn as much music theory as possible to analyze what you play and take it to the next level.

Do that, and you will fast forward years of learning.

Let me know what you think in the comment section down below.

Super Easy Guitar Melody in C major for Beginners | Melodic Fingerstyle in 8 Bars NEW PROGRAM

Feb 8, 2018

Guitar Melody in C major for Beginners

New Program “Melodic Fingerstyle in 8 Bars”

Today I will introduce you to my new fingerstyle program, “Melodic Fingerstyle in 8 Bars”.

In this program, we will learn a lot about melody, fingerstyle, and chords.

One of the main aspects of fingerstyle guitar is combining chords and melodies in what I call the “Chord Melody” approach.

This way of playing can be really satisfying and fulfilling because you will feel like playing a real song even if you are at the early stage of your guitar playing.

Beginners will find the “Melodic Fingerstyle in 8 Bars” program really useful and easy to follow.

Today we are checking out the INTERMEDIATE LEVEL PART 1.

Enjoy the lesson.

The Video Lesson

Intermediate Lesson Part 1

Intermediate Level Part 2

The Program in Details

Three Levels, One Mission.

My mission with this program is very simple and straightforward: I WANT TO CREATE BEAUTIFUL MELODIES THAT YOU CAN PLAY TO IMPROVE YOUR FINGERSTYLE TECHNIQUE, MUSIC CREATIVITY, AND FRETBOARD KNOWLEDGE.

Each lesson is organized into three levels: BEGINNER, INTERMEDIATE AND ADVANCED LEVEL.

With the Beginner Level, I will lay down the chord progression and show you how to simplify the chords so they sound melodic and musical.
The Intermediate Level develops melodically, providing the right balance between challenge and enjoyment. I really work hard to make the melody not too difficult and “step by step.”
The Advanced level will develop further more and become more challenging. The melody is stuffed with notes and embellishments. You really have the feeling you are playing a song.

Three Levels will help you track your progress.

Each Level in 8 Bars

You will love the fact that each one of the three levels is only 8 bars long.

I really think that working on such a small section helps you maximize your time, effort, and progress.

It is also easy to organize the lessons to learn one thing at a time without feeling overwhelmed.

Preview of Three Levels

Beginner Level

This level is perfect for learning and simplifies the chord progression. If you are familiar with my program, Acoustic Steps, you will notice a similarity with the method’s first exercise.

The Beginner Level concept is to learn the ROOT NOTE of each chord and then add the melody based on the chords and scales used.

Notice that each chord has a different voicing that makes up a catchy melody.

And this is only the beginning.

Intermediate Level

It is time to make the melody more challenging and fun to play.

The chord progression didn’t change, so you can benefit from what you’ve learned at the Beginner level.

Advanced Level

Rhythmically and melodically challenging, the Advanced level is the last stage of each exercise.

The idea here is to create the right blend between technique and melody.

We still want the melody to be recognized, and coming up with something too technical and difficult will easily transform the Advanced level into a technique exercise.

Definitely, the hardest level to write but a beautiful guitar melody.

How to Write Spanish Melodies on Guitar | Fingerstyle Guitar Lesson for Beginners

Feb 6, 2018

How to Write Spanish Melodies on Guitar

BlitzGuitar Academy – Music Theory Lab

Another lesson from the BlitzGuitar Academy Module 4 – Music Theory Lab.

Today I will show you how you can write Spanish melodies using the A minor scale and the A harmonic minor scale.

This exercise is perfect for beginners and intermediate who wants to play around with few chords and create simple melodies on the guitar.

As we are focusing on Spanish music, we will be working on one of the most popular Spanish chord progression ever used: Am – G – F – E

This is a lesson from the BlitzGuitar Academy Module 4 – Music Theory Lab – January 2018

The Video Lesson

The Chord Progression

Spanish melodies are beautiful and always really inspiring.

They are also quite easy to learn (if you use simple concepts).

We will be creating these beautiful Spanish melodies over one of the most famous Spanish chord progression: Am – G – F – E

The first thing you should do is learn the chord progression and strum or pluck the chords for a while.

You must get used to the sound of each chord as well as how they sound together.

How to Create Spanish Melodies

One of the easiest ways to create beautiful sounding Spanish melodies is to start with a “Scale Fragment” over the chords.

The number one thing that really helped when I started creating my own Spanish melodies was to create a scale for each chord I would play.

We will be playing an A minor scale over the Am, G, and F chord and the A harmonic minor scale over the E major chord.

The secret is to play the A minor scale starting on the root note of each chord.

A minor scale starting on A

A minor Scale Starting on G

A minor Scale Starting on F

A Harmonic Minor Scale Starting on E

Spice up Spanish Chord Progression on Guitar | Beginner Guitar Lesson | Fingerstyle Guitar

Feb 2, 2018

Spice up Spanish Chords

How to play Chords and Melody

One of the questions I get the most is, “How can I spice up a chord progression, Marco.”

So many guitar players focus on changing something within the chords, but I take another road.

I add a melody between the chords!

Today I will show you how even a super beginner can play something cool for their friends.

This month is about Spanish guitar, so we will be focusing on Spanish chords and precisely on how to add a melody between chords.

This guitar lesson is elementary and fun to play, and even a beginner can play (once you overcome the initial struggle).

So let’s get started!

The Video Lesson

Spanish Guitar

Chords

One of the easiest things about Spanish chords is that they are straightforward to learn.

The most famous and popular Spanish chord progression is the Am – G – F – E progression, which can be easily played in the first position.

These chords really are the pillars of Spanish music, and you will find them almost in every composition or Spanish song out there.

The Dreadful F major Chord

One thing you will have to deal with is the F major chord and its dreadful bar chord.

In the previews video, I showed you two ways to simplify this difficult yet really useful chord.

It might take a while before you get the full bar chord so, you might want to try the simplified F major chord.

Fingerstyle and Melody

One of the main techniques in this exercise is the ability to switch between chords and melody.

The melody you are about to learn is played with the thumb, and it will mainly cover the bottom three strings (E and A string).

Make sure you watch the video several times and use the tab on the screen to learn how to switch between chords and melody.

It is such an amazing way of playing!

6 Emotional Chord Progressions that Will Make you Cry | Fingerstyle Guitar

Jan 31, 2018

6 Emotional Chord Progressions

Guitar and Emotions

Today I will show you how you can use your guitar to create amazing emotional chord progressions.

I think each instrument can recreate an emotion, and guitar (or fingerstyle guitar) is probably one of the few that can reproduce almost all the emotions humans are capable of.

In this video, I play 6 emotional chord progressions that you can learn and implement in your guitar playing.

The purpose of this video is to provide material that can inspire you to recreate a specific emotion or feeling with your guitar.

Obviously, this isn’t a lesson for absolute beginners, but if you want, you can access the tab and slowly learn one progression at a time.

Tab available on Patreon. Become a Patron to unlock all the lessons and courses on site.

Get the Tab here!

The Video

Chord Progression N.1

Deep Thinking Kind of Emotional – Get the Full Lesson and tab – Access the Student Area –

Em – D – C – G – G/F#

This chord progression is perfect if you want to reproduce the moment we get stuck in our thoughts.

The descending chord progression going from Em to D, and then C gives the music a sense of rest.

You don’t feel like running when you listen to this kind of music, instead of a feeling of quietness and peace.

On the 2nd and 3rd rounds, I also added a few notes to spice up the chord progression.

There is also a lot of reverb effect, which really helps to sustain the notes.

Chord Progression N.2

We Did What We Could kind of Emotional.

Amadd9 – Fmaj7(#11)/A – Am7add9 – G

Every time you need to make a chord progression sad, you can always rely on minor add 9 chords.

They are beautiful sounding chords that can be associate with sadness and grief.

In this chord progression, I am using an Aminadd9 chord at the beginning of the progression, which gives a clear statement: It’s a sad chord progression!

There is also another interesting chord, which is the Fmaj7(11)/A.

Using two-chord with the same bass note can create amazing emotional chord progressions, especially if you play in a minor key.

Chord Progression N.3

Best Friend Kind of Emotional

C/E – F/A – C/E – G – F – Am – G

This chord progression is in a Major key!

Creating emotional chord progressions is that they don’t necessarily have to be in a minor key.

Emotional could also relate to a happy feeling, and this is what this chord progression is about.

The chords are exciting and fun to play.

I am using inverted triads, a chord with a different bass note.

The first C major and the F major will be played with the 3rd on the bass (E and A).

I love these chords.

Chord Progression N.4

Difficult Decision Kind of Emotional

Dm – Bb(#11) – Gm x4 – Bbmaj – Cmaj – Dm

Decisions are tough to take.

What kind of music would you play in your head if you struggled to make a difficult decision?

In my head, I mainly play a minor chord progression, cluster chords, and open strings.

A cluster is achieved by playing at least two adjacent notes from the scale.

If we analyze the first chord (the D minor), you will notice that the second string is an F while the first open string is an E.

Chord Progression N.5

Finally, Happy Kind of Emotional – Get the Full Lesson and tab – Access the Student Area –

D – A – Bm – A – B – A – Bm – A/C# – D – D/F# G

Many chords here.

This is another example of a happy emotional feeling.

In the beginning, the chord progression is very similar to the Canon in D; then, it develops in a much more pop chord progression.

The idea here is to create a major, positive, and happy progression of chords.

I had a lot of fun adding the melody to the last chorus, so I hope you find that not too difficult.

Good luck.

Chord Progression N.6

Driving Alone Kind of Emotional

Am – G/A – F/A – Amadd9

Another chord progression in A minor, this time, though with a completely different vibe.

Here I am playing major and minor chords with the same bass note. This approach is beneficial if you want to create emotional chord progressions.

All the chords used here are basic triads played on the top three string using the same A as the bass note.

I am also using an F and G major as a passing chord to close the chord progression.

Good luck!

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Jazz Chord Progressions Fun to Play – Guitar Tab Available

Jan 27, 2018

Jazz Chord Progressions Fun to Play

Fingerstyle Jazz Guitar

Today I am going to show you some of the Jazz chord progressions I like the most.

In the video, I really try to start with a straightforward approach and then slowly develop to a more difficult and articulated approach.

Jazz chord progressions are really fun to play but also really challenging—so many different voicing, extensions, and rhythmic patterns change all the time.

We are going to play the following chord progressions.

Cmaj7 – Dmin7 – Emin7 – Dmin7
Dmin7 – G7 – Cmaj7 – Amin
Amin7 – Dmin7 – G7 – Cmaj7 – Fmaj7 – Bhalfdim (Bmin7b5) – E7
A7 – F7 – Bmin7 – E7
Cmaj7 – Amin7 – Dmin7 – G7

The Video

The Chord Progressions

Let’s get into Details.

Jazz chord progressions are an awesome tool that you can use to spice up your chords and learn more about music theory and harmony.

However, it can be pretty challenging to get started and quite frustrating the get the sound in your head.

Jazzy chords sound different, so allow your ears (and brain) to get used to the new sound.

Let’s get into details and learn more about these chord progressions.

Chord Progression N.1

Cmaj7 – Dmin7 – Emin7 – Dmin7

This is one of the most common jazz chord progression used in Latin music.

I am using a Bossa Nova rhythmic pattern that is characteristic of this music.

You might find challenging the alternate bass note between the root note and the 5th.

You can also label this chord progression as I – II – III – II.

Chord Progression N.2

Dmin7 – G7 – Cmaj7 – Amin

If we had to identify the most common Jazz chord progression, that would include the II- V – I – VI.

This is probably the place where all the jazz musicians start from.

I am using many different voicing and chord extensions, so make sure you get a tab if you want to know more.

Chord Progression N.3

Amin7 – Dmin7 – G7 – Cmaj7 – Fmaj7 – Bhalfdim (Bmin7b5) – E7

I borrowed this chord progression from a famous start Jazz called Autumn Leaves.

There is so much going on!

A major II – V – I in C major resolving the IV degree (the F major 7) and a II – V – I in A minor.

Chord Progression N.4

A7 – F#7 – Bmin7 – E7

The famous turnaround in Jazz music is a passage playing at the end of a section that leads to the next section.

This is a Blues Turnaround, so it starts with a Dominant 7th chord.

The F#7 easily resolves on the B minor chord, and the E7 is the dominant chord that resolves on the A7.

Each chord in the turnaround can be treated as a dominant chord.

Chord Progression N.5

Cmaj7 – Amin7 – Dmin7 – G7

The I – VI – II – V is indeed one of the most played Jazz chord progression ever played.

I love when the progression starts with a Maj7 chord followed by a min7.

This is definitely the place you should start if you want to familiarize yourself with jazz chords.

Movable Chords in E Major – One Shape a Ton of Color Chords

Jan 24, 2018

Beautiful Chords in E Major

One Chord a Ton of Color Chords

Hey guys, welcome back to another awesome creative fingerstyle guitar lesson.

Today I will show you how you can easily create beautiful chords with a handful of chords and a couple of guitar tracks.

All the chords we are learning today are in E major’s key, an extraordinary and unique place where you can really create a ton of colorful chords with simple chord shapes.

The Video

Chords and Colors

I personally love the E major key.

All the chord progressions in this video are only possible and achievable if you play this beautiful key.

Keeping the top two strings (or just the 1st string) open allows you to come up with amazing, dreamy chords that make you sound awesome.

Some of these chords are easy, others might be more challenging, so I want to give you more info about the movable chords I played in this video.

Movable Chord Number 1

The Power Chord Shape

This chord reminds me of a power chord, and it is probably the easiest chord in this video.

It works amazingly well over many different positions, so there is a lot to experiment and try.

Each position will give you access to a completely different chord, and it will be up to you to really put it together without “overplay.”

The most common mistake I see with this chord shape is that guitar players try to play all of them all the time.

The fact that you have so many different possibilities doesn’t mean you have to use them all.

Find the one that you like the most and experiment with it.

The bass note can change between the E (6th open string) and A (5th open string).

Good luck!

The Add9 Chord

Stretchy but Beautiful

One of my favorite chord shape, the Add9 chord.

These types of chords are quite challenging because they can be stretchy and hard on the little finger.

It is of paramount importance that you really practice each one of these chords slowly.

The chord shape is always the same except for the Aadd9 chord, which will have the bass note open.

The chord progression here is really special: EmajAdd9 – C#min7add9 – Aadd9 – Cmaj7add9 – Dadd9 – EmajAdd9.

The C maj7add9 and the Aadd9 don’t really belong to this key, but they sound good and unexpected.

Definitely one of the best among the movable chords.

Good luck!

The Fix Chord

One Chord, Different Bass Note

You can also do a lot in E major key to play the same chord on the top three strings while you change the bass note.

In this example, I show you a straightforward chord to play on the top three strings that will be played throughout.

I love the fact that the chord will change depending on the bass note.

Emaj7 – C#min7add9 – Aadd9(#11) – Emaj7 – Bsus

Once I am done playing the entire chord progression, I will move on to the new position, which is similar to the one you just played.

The chords through will change a lot.

Eadd9 – Cmin7(add11) – Aadd9 (6) – Eadd9 – Bsus

Definitely, an approach you want to keep experimenting with.

You could come up with a ton of movable chords.

The E Pedal

Bell Like Tone

Another approach I use a lot is the bell-like tone using the E pedal.

In this approach, I develop a melody played simultaneously with another sustained note (for this exercise, the E open string).

Notice how the pedal note sustains the melody and give rhythm, musicality, and color.

Even though a little different from the movable chords, this way of playing is still possible only in the key of E major.

Definitely the most difficult approach in this video.

Good luck.

Eight Awesome Chord Progression in A minor you Must Learn!

Jan 22, 2018

Eight Awesome Chord Progression in A minor

Creative Fingerstyle Program

Another awesome and fun video to play.

Today I want to show you the Eight Awesome Chord Progression in A minor you Must Learn before you die.

I had such massive feedback for the previews video 7 Chord Progression you Must Learn Before you Die, I decided to make another video, this time more specific in a minor key.

The Video

The Chord Progressions

Let’s get into details and show you the chord progressions I have used for this video.

Each of these chords progressions comes with a bunch of techniques, styles, and a musical approach that can transform a simple chord progression into a beautiful guitar part.

The most simple things you play on the guitar are usually the ones we appreciate the most because we can see ourselves achieving it.

I did my best to keep things as simple as possible so that you can try to learn these chord progressions and be inspired.

Good luck.

The Ed Sheeran A minor Style

This chord progression reminds me of some of the Ed Sheeran songs.

I am using a quite energetic strumming approach with palm muting.

The chord progression is : Am – F – C – G x2 – F – Am – F – C – G

The Percussive Pop

One of my favorite fingerstyle approach on guitar.

The Percussive Pop is achieved by combining chords, percussive approach, and melody.

I like the fact that you can move the melody around on each chord.

Chords: Am – Fadd9 – C – G

The A minor Swing

I love to play this simple chord progression.

The vibe here is swing. The bluesy melody is enjoyable to play!

One thing essential, I am muffling the bass note with the right-hand thumb.

Learn the chord progression then add the melody: Am – C – F7(13) – E7 – Am – G – F7 – E7

The Busy Arpeggio

You can use this chord progression to improve your right-hand fingerstyle technique and left-hand finger stretch.

The fingerstyle pattern is pretty intricate, and it will take sometime before you can perform it fluently.

As always, take things step by step and memorize one chord at a time before you move on to the next one.

The chords are: Am7add9 – Fmaj7(#11) – Gmaj(6).

The Melodic A minor

One of my favorite approaches to acoustic guitar.

Here I am using the 153 minor and major chord shape.

The voicing is super mellow and lovely to play.

Chord progression: Am – G/B – C – Dm – Am – C – G – Am – G/B – C – C/E – F – G – Am

Many chords, guys.

The Jazzy A minor

With this approach, we are focusing on a jazzy chord progression.

The melody is pretty simple and moves around the chords.

Am – Dm – G – Cmaj7 – F – Bmin7b5 – E7 – Am

The Spanish Impro

Another way to combine chords and melody simultaneously.

I am playing Am – G – F – E, and I play a piece of improvisation on each chord with the Spanish impro.

Worth trying.

Fingerstyle Guitar for Beginners | Classical Guitar Mauro Giuliani Op.50

Jan 21, 2018

Fingerstyle for Beginners

Improve Fingerstyle with Classical Music

So many great fingerstyle guitar exercises come from Classical Music.

There are literally hundreds of great books and pieces that you can use to improve your fingerstyle guitar, whether you play a Classical or Acoustic Guitar.

The fingerstyle approach is usually the same for both Classical and Acoustic guitar, so you can definitely steal from the classical repertoire to make some fingerstyle “Gains.”

Today I am going to show you this beautiful piece from Mauro Giuliani from the Papillon Op.50.

This is a lesson from the Classical Vibe Program that you can access with the BlitzGuitar Membership All in Monthly Pass.

Instantly access over 350 unique fingerstyle guitar lessons.

Like this Lesson? - Get the Full Tutorial and Tab + 350 Unique Fingerstyle Guitar Lessons - All in Monthly Pass. Info here

Video Lesson

Why Mauro Giuliani?

Info about this piece

Mauro Giuliani is probably one of the most recognized guitar players and composers of all time.

Born in Italy in the 19th Century, Giuliani was a guitar player, singer, composer, and cellist.

He wrote over 150 compositions for guitar and was considered a great virtuoso.

I personally love his Rossinianas and Variation on a Theme of Handel.

Really also famous for the 120 fingerstyle guitar exercises for beginners.

The Fingerstyle Exercise

The exercise we are checking out today is a variation on a simple theme in C major.

The piece is pretty short, but perfect if you want to improve your fingerstyle technique and musicality.

It consists of a series of variations on a simple theme, which will be developed mostly rhythmically.

Here’s a snippet of the first part of the Theme and Variation.

How to Practice

Fingerstyle Guitar Tips

When I approach this type of classical piece with my students, I really like to focus on two main aspects.

The technical approach and musical interpretation.

Even though we are performing a short piece of music, it is of paramount importance to give your best to improve as many things in your playing as possible.

The Technical Approach

Each variation will become rhythmically more challenging.

As the rhythm becomes more articulated, the plucking hand will also become more challenging.

I suggest you practice one variation at a time following the same fingering shown on the video.

Don’t double pluck with the same finger. That would be counterproductive.

The Musical Interpretation

Musicality is a key high performance.

As you become better at playing every single variation, start considering playing the piece with different dynamics.

Use forte and piano (loud and quiet), crescendo and diminuendo (getting louder, getting softer).

Each variation should be played with a different emphasis.

Good luck!