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Songwriting/Guitar/etc. Lessons 
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tiny buster
tiny buster
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Joined: Sun Sep 30, 2007 3:34 pm
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Location: Massachusetts
Post Songwriting/Guitar/etc. Lessons
I was thinking that among the members of IM, there are many people who want to improve their musicianship, either in the aspect of songwriting, lyricism, guitar playing, etc. There are also other people here who are pretty talented in these respects. I think it would be beneficial if we made a thread where people can offer certain ideas on any of the aforementioned skills, as well as welcome people who are less experienced to ask questions and get some helpful feedback.

I realize that there are many approaches to songwriting. Some people go at it more methodically, whereas others test things out and just use their ear to find what they're looking for. I'm not suggesting one way is better than the other, nor that good songwriting can be developed simply by following "forumlas" or rules.

Anyways, for my first lesson and to get this thread started, I decided I would focus on some different types of interplay between lead and rhythm guitar. One technique seen commonly in contemporary rock is for the rhythm guitarist to play basic chord ideas (often "power chords" or open chords) while the lead guitarist layers it with either an inversion of the chord or an upper structure of the chord. This technique is very fat, layered, and energetic.

Here is an example of this technique from "Toumei Shoujo" by Number Girl:
Mukai opens the song by play this, a simple B "power chord" rooted on the D string.
[code]INTRO
e|------|
B|--12--|
G|--11--|
D|--9---|
A|------|
E|------|[/code]
After a few measures, Tabuchi enters, playing this against Mukai's chord (Note: she has a capo on the 2nd fret, and all fret numbers are relative to the capo)
[code]Intro
e|--0--|
B|--0--|
G|--6--|
D|--6--|
A|-----|
E|--5--|[/code]
This is a Bmaj7(9 13), which adds a lot more fatness and color to the preexisting rhythm.

The rest of the song continues in this way, with Tabuchi playing fuller voicings and Mukai playing very minimal ones. The interplay clearly contributes to this song's high energy. A full transcription can be seen here if you want to check it out yourself: [url=http://destructionbaby.wordpress.com/2011/01/07/tab-toumei-shoujo/]Toumei Shoujo tab[/url]

To bring this concept closer to the people here on IM, I'm also providing an example of the pillows using a similar technique. This is from the chorus of My Foot:

Sawao plays open chords:
[code]
E||--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--|--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--|
B||--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--|--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--|
G||--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--|--1--1--1--1--1--1--1--1--|
D||--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--|--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--|
A||--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--|--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--|
E||--------------------------|--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--|



--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--|--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--|
--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--|--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--|
--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--|--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--|
--4--4--4--4--4--4--4--4--|--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--|
--4--4--4--4--4--4--4--4--|--------------------------|
--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--|--------------------------|



--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--|--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--|
--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--|--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--|
--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--|--1--1--1--1--1--1--1--1--|
--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--|--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--|
--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--|--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--|
--------------------------|--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--|



--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--|--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--|
--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--|--3--3--3--3--3--3--3--3--|
--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--|--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--|
--4--4--4--4--4--4--4--4--|--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--|
--4--4--4--4--4--4--4--4--|--------------------------|
--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--|--------------------------|



--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--|--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--|
--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--|--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--|
--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--|--1--1--1--1--1--1--1--1--|
--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--|--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--|
--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--|--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--|
--------------------------|--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--|



--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--|--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--|
--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--|--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--|
--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--|--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--|
--4--4--4--4--4--4--4--4--|--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--|
--4--4--4--4--4--4--4--4--|--------------------------|
--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--|--------------------------|



--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--|--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--|
--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--|--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--|
--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--|--1--1--1--1--1--1--1--1--|
--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--|--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--|
--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--|--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--|
--------------------------|--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--|



--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--|--0------------L-----||
--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--|--3------------L-----||
--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--|--2------------L-----||
--4--4--4--4--4--4--4--4--|--0------------L--2--||
--4--4--4--4--4--4--4--4--|---------------------||
--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--|---------------------||
[/code]
while Manabe plays these:
[code]
E||--------------------------|--------------------------|
B||--------------------------|--------------------------|
G||--6--6--6--6--6--6--6--6--|--6--6--6--6--6--6--6--6--|
D||--7--7--7--7--7--7--7--7--|--6--6--6--6--6--6--6--6--|
A||--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--|--7--7--7--7--7--7--7--7--|
E||--------------------------|--------------------------|



--------------------------|------------------------------|
--------------------------|------------------------------|
--6--6--6--6--6--6--6--6--|--6--x-x-x-x-6--x-x-6--6--x-x-|
--4--4--4--4--4--4--4--4--|--4--x-x-x-x-4--x-x-4--4--x-x-|
--4--4--4--4--4--4--4--4--|--0--x-x-x-x-0--x-x-0--0--x-x-|
--------------------------|------------------------------|



--------------------------|--------------------------|
--------------------------|--------------------------|
--6--6--6--6--6--6--6--6--|--6--6--6--6--6--6--6--6--|
--7--7--7--7--7--7--7--7--|--6--6--6--6--6--6--6--6--|
--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--|--7--7--7--7--7--7--7--7--|
--------------------------|--------------------------|



--------------------------|--------------------------|
--------------------------|--------------------------|
--6--6--6--6--6--6--6--6--|--7--7--7--7--7--7--7--7--|
--4--4--4--4--4--4--4--4--|--7--7--7--7--7--7--7--7--|
--4--4--4--4--4--4--4--4--|--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--|
--------------------------|--------------------------|



--------------------------|--------------------------|
--------------------------|--------------------------|
--6--6--6--6--6--6--6--6--|--6--6--6--6--6--6--6--6--|
--7--7--7--7--7--7--7--7--|--6--6--6--6--6--6--6--6--|
--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--|--7--7--7--7--7--7--7--7--|
--------------------------|--------------------------|



--------------------------|------------------------------|
--------------------------|------------------------------|
--6--6--6--6--6--6--6--6--|--6--x-x-x-x-6--x-x-6--6--x-x-|
--4--4--4--4--4--4--4--4--|--4--x-x-x-x-4--x-x-4--4--x-x-|
--4--4--4--4--4--4--4--4--|--0--x-x-x-x-0--x-x-0--0--x-x-|
--------------------------|------------------------------|


--------------------------|--------------------------|
--------------------------|--------------------------|
--6--6--6--6--6--6--6--6--|--6--6--6--6--6--6--6--6--|
--7--7--7--7--7--7--7--7--|--6--6--6--6--6--6--6--6--|
--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--|--7--7--7--7--7--7--7--7--|
--------------------------|--------------------------|



--------------------------|-------------------||
--------------------------|--5----------------||
--6--6--6--6--6--6--6--6--|--7----------------||
--4--4--4--4--4--4--4--4--|--7----------------||
--4--4--4--4--4--4--4--4--|-------------------||
--------------------------|-------------------||[/code]

I won't bore anyone with the exact specifics of all these voicings, but Manabe is either doubling notes that Sawao is playing in his chords or adding embellishments to Sawao's voicings. Once again, you can hear the high-energy that this concept creates.

I hope this can help offer an idea to your own writing, and I also hope that this thread takes off as people post their ideas along with asking questions. If you have any questions or suggestions about this lesson, feel free to ask.

([b]I will add more types of guitar interplay as time permits[/b])


Mon Mar 21, 2011 11:22 pm
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Post Re: Songwriting/Guitar/etc. Lessons
Nice way of explaining that in a very simple-to-grasp way. I prefer that sort of technique more for choruses, and it's fun to then take it a little further and build lead parts that play off of the complementary chords and intervals.

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Tue Mar 22, 2011 11:11 am
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