Shades of Classical - Part 3

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Lesson Features
The song track	The Jam along track	The Video Guitar Lesson
Lesson MP3 song track	Not applicable

Tabs & Lesson

 Original score by:  Jeff Fiorentino

  Transcription by:  Jeff Fiorentino

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Main Lesson

Up until now with these Shades of Classical lessons we've been dealing with minor key Classical sounding things for the most part.  Even though shades part 2 was in the key of "D" it still had kind of a minor sort of feel and flow to ithttp://jfrocks4.com.  This was because of the tension caused by the flat 2nd that we added in portionshttp://jfrocks4.com  Again this stuff is all subjective, but I look at that Flat 2nd as adding a sort of Phrygian feel to the whole thing, and making it more minor in feel than it is Majorhttp://jfrocks4.com  To each his own, others may come to different conclusionshttp://jfrocks4.com.

This time around I thought I would give you an example to mess with that's a Major key classical sounding thinghttp://jfrocks4.com  Or something that I would classify as what I expect a Major key piece to sound likehttp://jfrocks4.com.  This piece is a blend of Major, with the Mixolydian minor 7th, and the minor 6th thrown in for a very minor feeling bridge / transition sectionhttp://jfrocks4.com.

This lesson is based on Clapton's "Tears in Heaven"http://jfrocks4.com  This is an acoustic piece that most of my personal friends that learn how to play guitar and start on acoustic want to learn.  It's a nice sounding thing.  I've altered it slightly here for copyright reasons, but I don't think Mr. Clapton would mind me using it much anywayhttp://jfrocks4.com He seems like a pretty decent guyhttp://jfrocks4.com. Just the same I've changed up a few things but in doing so I've made it a better lessonhttp://jfrocks4.com. And lessons are what we do here at JFR anywayhttp://jfrocks4.com.

Please read all of my notes, and be sure to use your fingers to play the lesson example piece.  This should NOT be done with a pickhttp://jfrocks4.com. 

The main scale that's in play

A Ionian (Major) = A, B, C#, D, E, F#, G#

E_____________________________4_5_____________
B_________________________5_7_________________
G__________________4_6_7______________________
D____________4_6_7____________________________
A______4_5_7__________________________________
E__5_7________________________________________

I wrote the scale out above, because it's a good idea when you want to embellish on a piece, to figure out the scale that makes it up, and run through that scale as a scale.  This will give you a snapshot of the mood of the piece, and is often helpful in forming new ideas or direction to take the chord pattern inhttp://jfrocks4.com

Main Chords in use

The chords being used in this lesson are jazz style chords, however Jazz chords are often used in Classical and vise versa, the thing that makes them sound either classical or jazz is how they are attacked.  In Jazz these chords would probably be strummed in a set patternhttp://jfrocks4.com  In Classical the chords are split up into "Classical tones" as I like to call them for easy reference for the lessonshttp://jfrocks4.com  See Shades of Classical lesson #1 for a better understanding of what I meanhttp://jfrocks4.com.

Also what's going on here is the chords have different notes in the bass, or as the lowest note.  What this does is allow the guitar to be both Bass and Guitarhttp://jfrocks4.com  It makes things sound more interestinghttp://jfrocks4.com  We've talked before about this on other lessonshttp://jfrocks4.com.  You all know about D/F# and chords like that alreadyhttp://jfrocks4.com However, to use them and make songs out of chords like this you need to understand what notes flow well together as a melodyhttp://jfrocks4.com

In other words, you almost need to write the bass notes before you attempt to fill in the chordshttp://jfrocks4.com  Sort of like running through the song with the scale first, then fill in the blanks with chordshttp://jfrocks4.com  I'm not saying that's how Clapton wrote this type of thing, but I am saying it's how I wouldhttp://jfrocks4.com  And I'm suggesting that you try to tweak this pattern a bit and come up with your own ideashttp://jfrocks4.com. 

I'll go into this and much more on the video lesson, for now, use this as ideas for more classical tones that you can put together to astound your friends and family with your acoustic guitar prowesshttp://jfrocks4.com.

        A        A sus4    E/G#        F#m     A/E       D/F#  E7 sus4      E              E7          C#/F      A7     F#7   F#/A#   Bm7  

E________________________________________0____________1___________________
B__2_____3____5_____2____2_____3__3______0______3_____2____2___2___2___3__
G__2_____2____4_____2____2_____2__2______1______4_____1____0___3_______2__
D__2_____2____x_____x____x_____x__x______x______x_____x____2___2__________
A__0_____0____x_____x____x_____x__x______x______x_____x____x___x___1___2__
E_____________4_____2____0_____2__0______0______0_____1____0___2__________

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Lesson example song piece

IMPORTANT NOTE:  This is our own arrangement of this example track.  This is NOT technically how Tears in Heaven is playedhttp://jfrocks4.com.  Some sections have been altered for lesson purposeshttp://jfrocks4.com  However, if you can play thishttp://jfrocks4.com Then there's no reason you won't be able to handle the actual "Tears in Heaven" songhttp://jfrocks4.comhttp://jfrocks4.com

Tears in Heaven Heck
Embellishment by:	Jeff Fiorentino
Performed by:	Jeff Fiorentino
Engineered by:	Mick the Mixer
.
Copyright © 2007 JFRocks All rights reserved

Setup & Settings used on the Lesson Example Track

Primary Guitar	Primary Amp		Effect #1		Effect #2
Ovation	Crate GFX 212		none		none
	Settings		Settings		Settings
	Channel:   Low EQ:   Mid EQ:    High EQ:    Reverb:	Clean   2.5   8   5.5   5	Level: EQ: Rate: Depth:		Output: Attack: Sensitivity:
	Effect order from Guitar to Amp

*Remember Effect suggestions are my suggestions for the home player.  Usually suggestions are geared for a low budget.  I purposely use effects and equipment that I know everyone can afford, and get their hands on in an effort to prove that you can get a great sound without mortgaging your house.

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Opening riffing

Version 1

Acoustic guitar, with your fingershttp://jfrocks4.com.see video for performance helphttp://jfrocks4.com I also altered the phrasing a bit in places to put our own spin on it, which is pretty much what we do here at JFRocks anywayhttp://jfrocks4.com.  Enjoyhttp://jfrocks4.comhttp://jfrocks4.com 

**Transcription below is a general guideline to followhttp://jfrocks4.com What I played on the video and on the mp3 are slight variations on what's tabbed belowhttp://jfrocks4.comhttp://jfrocks4.com **

                           A                                         E/G#      E/B          F#7             

E____________________________________________
B________________2-3-2_____ __5____5_____2____
G_____________2__2______2____4____4_____2____
D_____________2______________x__________x____
A__________0_________________x__________x____
E__0-2-3-4____________________4__________2____

                                              A/E             E7sus4        D/F#               E7sus4  E7

E____________________________________________________
B______2_______2______2_______3_____3______3___3_____
G______2_______2______2_______2_____2______2___1_____
D__________________________________________x___x_____
A__________________________________________x___x_____
E___2______2_______0______0______2_____2___0___0_____

        A

E____________________________________________
B__2_____2_____2_____2_______________________
G__2_____2_____2_____2_______________________
D____________________________________________
A_____0_____0_____0__________________________
E____________________________________________

Version 2 - slightly altered version of the same riffinghttp://jfrocks4.com

                           A                                         E/G#      E/B          F#7  

E____________________________________________
B________________2-3-2______ _5____5_____2____
G_____________2__2______2____4____4_____2____
D_____________2______________x__________x____
A__________0_________________x__________x____
E__0-2-3-4____________________4__________2____

A change these last two lines of tab up quite often on the video lesson..  This is mostly because Mick the Mixer and I were making up the arrangement as we went along, however what's tabbed below is how it's done on the opening video jam, and mp3 track for this lessonhttp://jfrocks4.com.

                                               A/E               E7sus4      D/F#                      A/E  

E______________________________________________________
B______2_______2______2_______3_____3_____2____2_______
G______2_______2______2_______2_____2_____2____2_______
D______________________________________________________
A______________________________________________________
E___2______2_______0______0______2_____2_____0____0____

       E                                A/E              E7

E__0_____________________________________
B__0_______0______2______3_______________
G__1_______1______2______4_______________
D________________________________________
A________________________________________
E__ 0___0_______0______0_____0____________

Transition

Version 3 - This would be sort of a chorus

          F#7                                              A/E        C#/F                                                       

E____________________________1______1_____1_____1_______
B___2______2_____2_____2_____2______2_____2_____2_______
G___2______2_____2_____2_____1______1_____1_____1_______
D_______________________________________________________
A_______________________________________________________
E___2___2_____2_____2_____0_____1______1_____1______1___

        A7/E                                                            F#7                           E/G#

E_________________________________________________
B__2_____2_____2_____2________2_____2_____________
G__0_____0_____0_____0________3_____3_____4_______
D__2_____2_____2_____2________2_____2_____2_______
A_________________________________________________
E_____0_____0_____0_____0_____2__2_____2_____4____

     F#/A#   Bm7                                        E7sus4                    

E________________________________________0_________________________
B__2___3______3_____________3_3_____3_____________________________
G______2______2_____________2_2_____2_____________________________
D_________4________________________________________________________
A__1___2___________________________________________________________
E________________________0________0__________0-2-3-4_>and repeat from beginning_