New guitar player - can someone play this song?
 

Hi there,

I'm very new to guitar playing. I started taking lessons just a few weeks ago and only had a few solfège lessons too... I need to play this song by next week, but I want to be sure I"m exercising it the right way. Would someone want to play it for me and post it on here? Then I can listen if I'm doing it right.

Thank you!!

https://i.ibb.co/qnKVpcJ/easy-blues.jpg

This song is in the key of G - you can tell by one sharp in the key signature. That will give you clues as to chord shape to work from. Start by learning the treble part independently, then the bass part, and finally combine the two. Go slow. If necessary (and it probably will be) work on one measure at a time. Cover up up following measures with a sheet of paper and concentrate on just one until you can count it properly.

Not what you asked for, but teaching a man to fish mode instead of giving him a fish.

Ok... I've thrown down a sight-read recording (on my iPhone with lawn mowers in the background) of this tune. It is important to note that in this genre of music, while the notes are written as "straight 8ths" it is assumed that they will be "swung" (i.e. lazy dotted 8th/16th) and not played strictly as written. Obviously I made some contextual errors, but should be good enough for your purposes.

Thank you Vindibona1!! So kind of you!! :D There were some parts I struggled a bit, but this'll help me play it right. Thanks!

Thank you Earl49 too for the suggestions!

I wouldn't automatically assume this is meant to be played as swing or shuffle.

vindibona1 is quite right that blues is usually played that way, and a jazz musician would probably assume the 8ths should be swung. But for an exercise like this I think that feel would be indicated if it was required (usually by what's known as a "metric modulation" sign (like the one below).

So I suspect it's meant to be played straight. Certainly you wouldn't be criticised for playing it straight, because that's exactly how it's written! (That's how a classical musician would play it.)

Then again, if you play is as vindibona1 did, you shouldn't be criticised either, because you've added an appropriate stylistic interpretation.

The point is to be aware of both options, choose the one you prefer, and be able to explain your choice if asked.
https://www.steinberg.net/forums/dow...e.php?id=37331

Here's how it sounds played straight (on midi software):


As I say, take your choice. I guess you're OK with the fingering indications? One important thing is to let those long melody notes ring while playing the bass part.

Thank you for the explanation JonPR! And for teaching me the "metric modulation sign" :)

I think I prefer playing it as swing or shuffle :)

Yes, me too! Hopefully your teacher is OK with that! :)

I'd play it with the swing. Playing it straight will not sound like a blues piece. Do think it's something your teacher should have mentioned though.

Lots of blues is straight. Especially boogie-woogie and rock-blues.
Yes. agreed!
This looks like a classical guitar exercise, with its fingering indications (and absence of tab). That's why I was suggesting that whoever wrote this tune (maybe not the teacher themselves?) would expect it to be played straight.
OTOH, what makes it look not like a classical exercise is the absence of tempo and dynamics markings.

It's classical guitar indeed. He told me about another student who plays it as swing, but she's in her second year already and he told me to first try to play it straight. But still I prefer playing it swingy... ;-)

He didn't write the exercise himself, it's from a book.

I think its blasphemy that the instructor gave the OP a piece in G and not E for the blues. Outrageous... :D :D

As long as you can do both, and do them both right! I.e., play the straight one dead straight, and then make the blues one really groove...

Apologies for the lack of clarity in my original post. I meant this specific example doesn't sound very bluesy when straight. My opinion only. I think it needs to swing.

There are lots of non-traditional studies in student classical rep. books these days - jazz, blues and pop influenced. If the composer meant for this to be played with swing it would probably say so, though these things are not written in stone, especially at early/beginner level.

I would say your teacher will be much more concerned for now whether you are reading the notes and rhythm correctly, with particular observation of the note duration of each voice (hence the pencil markings on the score).

In an exam, assuming you have the above sorted, you would get extra marks for the stylistic interpretation the guys mention above, as you would with any repertoire. Just make sure you have the basics first.

This is a great thread, IMO. Lots of good stuff here, and kudos to the two who recorded it. The same simple piece, straight and swing. Ought to be a sticky.