Michael Rays - Six-String Sleuth: A Guitar Players Guide to Figuring Out Song Chords

Published by Michael Rays at Smashwords

Copyright 2015 Michael Rays

Also by Michael Rays, published atSmashwords:

Number One with an AXE! A Look at theGuitars Role in Americas #1 Hits

Michael Rays rates every #1Billboard hit of the rock era based on what else guitar!YouTube links provided for each #1 song. Loads of history, loads ofgreat music, loads of fun.

Number One with anAXE! (Vol 1: The Fifties)

Get Vol 1 FREE atSmashwords! All ebook formats available. Use free coupon codeSZ73R

Number One with an AXE! (Vol 2: 1960-64)

Number One with an AXE! (Vol 3: 1965-69)

Number One with an AXE! (Vol 4: 1970-74)

Number One with an AXE! (Vol 5: 1975-79)

Guitar Odyssey: AJournal of Musical Growth

Guitar Odyssey 2:Talkin Dirty

Songs are crimes... Lets SOLVE EM!Six-String Sleuth is the fun and fascinating guide that helpsguitar players learn to figure out song chords by ear. The booksnarrator, Detective Benjamin Nightly, treats songs as crimes andtells you how to look for clues so you can solve the case!Six-String Sleuth is also a not-too-serious introduction to some ofthe fundamentals of music theory, including how scales generatechords, and the circle of fifths.

The class is about to start. Heed DetectiveNightlys words and youll be a Six-String Sleuth in no time!

This ebook is licensed for your personalenjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away toother people. If you would like to share this ebook with anotherperson, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. Ifyoure reading this ebook and did not purchase it, or it was notpurchased for your use only, then please return to your favoriteebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respectingthe authors hard work.

What meaneth one whosays I play guitar?

A batch of basicchords strummed round the fire

An introverted teenwhod be a star

woodshedding endlessblues licks on a Squier?

A young gal voicingjazz chords warm and pure

An old manfinger-picking on the porch

A classicist, withtones that long endure

or metal shredderscarrying the torch?

A drunken punker,fast and out of tune

an aging rockerholding onto youth

a bold flamencoplayer neath the moon

a studious composerseeking truth?

Thus meaneth one whosays I play guitar:

Ive joined thejourney infinitely far.

A Guitar Players Guide to Figuring Out SongChords

Table ofContents

This book assumes that you:

* are a guitar player (though the principleswork for any musician).

* are familiar with the concepts of songshaving keys and key signatures.

* know basic chords such as G, C, D, Emi,Ami, and Bmi. The more chords you know, the better, and knowingbarre chords is a big advantage.

* are either new to the world of figuringout song chords, or not new but frustrated with the process.

* * *

The year was 1990, and I was a 23-year-oldguitar novice. Armed with a fistful of chords and a high schooltrumpet players patchy knowledge of music theory, I set abouttrying to figure out some songs I liked. No sheet music, notablatureI used only my ear and my pawn shop princess, aninety-dollar acoustic with criminally high string action. Theprocess worked occasionally, but most of the time I would getfrustrated and give up. Such was the case with Boys Dont Cry bythe Cure: I just couldnt figure out its chords, and I wassupremely aggravated. (This was before the Internet and the wonderof YouTube lessons.)

One day, a friend (Ill call him Alan) whoplayed some guitar was over, and we were showing each other thesongs we knewparts of songs, really. Alan was pretty knowledgeableabout the guitar, so I asked him if he knew Boys Dont Cry.

He was familiar with the song, but he didntknow how to play it. Bummer, I thought.

Except after about 60 seconds of noodlingaround, he started playing it.

Sorcerer! I thought to myself. Keeper ofdark secrets! Alan instantly went up about a dozen notches in mybook. How in the world did he do that?

I asked him, but he just shrugged hisshoulders and smiled. I dont know, he said. I just figured itout.

Fast-forward 25 years. Through education,experience and a whole lotta noodling around I have now acquiredthe skillfiguring out song chordswhich Alan wielded with suchbenevolent awesomeness back in the day.

I cant figure out the chords to every song,but I have been successful on many. Somewhat disappointingly, thereis no black magic involved. There are, however, some guidelines andtechniques which can help anyone become proficient in theart/science of figuring out song chords.

Its easy to go online or into a songbook tolearn the chords of your favorite song. However, a priceless rewardawaits if you figure out that song on your own: youll become abetter musician, with a deeper understanding of how musicworks.

So grab your guitar and your magnifyingglass, and lets do some sleuthing!

-MR

Grab a seat, people, and welcome to theSix-String Sleuth Academy. Names NightlyBenjamin Nightly, andIve seen it all: solid bodies, broken necks, rusty G strings, youname it. Ive been solving chord cases since Old Man River was araindrop, and Ive learned a few tricks along the way. So open upyour ears, kiddosyou just might learn something.

Weve all had the thought: Itscriminal how good that song is! And thats just how wethink here at the academy: we regard songs as crimes, with chordsas the perpetrators. The perps almost never work alonehow manyone-chord songs can you name?so its our job to figure out howthey form gangs and pull off the heists that keep our mouthshumming and our fingers strumming.

Certain endeavors require certainfundamentals. You wanna play golf? You better know how to swing aclub. You wanna program computers? You gotta know a language. Andif you wanna be a six-string sleuth and figure out song chords, youneed to have the following skills (which may or may not comenaturally to you):

Skill 1. When listening to a song, identifywhen there are chord changes

Skill 2. When listening to a chord, identifywhether its major or minor (augmented and diminished chords arebeyond the scope of this course)

Skill 3. Identify a songs tonic chord (akathe ringleader)

Skill 4. Identify the tonic chordsassociated chords (aka the henchmen)

Skill 5. Know the techniques for finding howthe tonic chord and its associated chords go together to make thesong youre trying to solve!

Our main focus here at the SSSA is teachingSkills 3, 4 and 5. We assume you have a bit of music experience,and that you already have Skills 1 and 2. If you do not have Skills1 and 2, dont despair!

To work on Skill 1:

Go to YouTube, find a video of a guitaristplaying and singing a song you know (NOTE: they should beSTRUMMING, not playing lead parts), and watch their fretboard handas they play. When their fretboard hand changes shapes, THAT is achord change; your ears should hear it just as your eyes see it. Dothis on as many songs as it takes to get the hang of it.