Now I’m going to show you a unique way to practice PIMA exercises in your own time. This is NOT part of the latter series in this course. This is just a guide to using the song “Blackbird” with the simple open chords I’ve provided. First we need to check out each chord.
- G chord – a bright chord, meaning that the notes that make up the G chord combined offer a higher tone. The key here is to strike the lowest and highest notes with the lower note being more of your bass part and usually the first note being struck. The high notes are your middle section when fingering the chord. If you are moving into another higher chord, usually you want to add a low note right before switching to the next chord. It allows for a rounder edge to the passage.
- Am chord – This is a moody, deeper chord, meaning that the focus here is only picking out the notes found from the A string to the high E string. Adding the high E string note will allow you to brighten up this chord a little, sending the listener into, in this case, the G/B chord. Avoid the low E if possible, unless you feel that it is required (not in this case) in the song being played.
- G/B chord – Since this chord is really just a G with the added B note, you can choose to play this only as a G chord, or use the added B note to add a different dimension to the overall playing of the chord. As it transitions to the G chord again right after being played, failure to provide a different ‘sense’ of the chord (that being, simply playing a G chord, then moving immediately into the G chord again) you’ll find that you never notice the G/B even within the phrase. That’s one reason why it’s good to view what chords come next in a passage. If you add the B note within the G chord, transitioning back to the actual G chord after the G/B will provide a much different sound. As we’ve already talked about, the G chord itself should be played starting out low, then moving high again, and then possibly moving back low again, depending on the chord that follows it. In this case, the added B in the G/B would almost be fundamental in the song itself, meaning that you almost NEED that B note in order for the song not to lose itself in the G chord. Try experimenting with that for a while to see which chords sound good coming after a G.
- C chord, Cm chord – Both C’s in this case are highly animated. What I mean by this is that the C in open position provides what most musical theorists will call as ‘air.’ This means that there is an uplifting sense of sound that comes from both of these chords. However, in the case of C as a minor, the chord tends to resolve itself back to more of a sense of ‘down’ or ‘lack of air’ (‘trap’ to theorists). So, both of these chords should be picked out as much as possible to provide a flurry of arpeggiated notes. It DOES NOT MATTER how you actually finger the chords. The notes that make up these chords will suffice in whatever pattern you choose. Just do your best to stay within the D to the high E on the Cm chord. That will keep the flow of C and Cm congruent to each other.
- A, A7 chord – The same applies from the C’s above to the A and A7. While not a big change in the overall sound of the chord, the A chord itself is much brighter, whereas the A7 adds a lower tone to the overall sound of the chord. This means that you can pick the patterns in the same fashion, and the 7th of the A chord will provide a ‘default’ setting for your picking. Just play them loosely the same way.
- D, D7, Dm chord – You may be asking why I am including all three of these chords under one bullet. The answer is simple. The D by itself is also a bright chord, such as the A (or any Major for that matter for the most part – except for maybe E, but that’s only because it is so low on the fretboard to play in open position). However, in some cases of the blues, the D7 is ALSO bright. This of course depends on how the turnaround in a blues song is constructed. Anyway, the point behind the D7 and the Dm is that they should both be picked using…obviously, only the highest three strings (because of the fingered chord itself) and only a few hints of open notes around that chord to provide the change that is necessary to proceed to the next chord. The Dm provides a lower feeling, but not a lower sound. It’s one of the few chords that really doesn’t supply the listener with a sense of ‘down’ because it is still so bright in itself. That being said, following the overall D, D7 and Dm progression using only the higher three strings will create a sense of change coming.
- Em chord – Ahh…the famous Em. This is a very moody, dark chord, and is really the only chord in this song that completely changes the mood and tone of the song. Listen closely. You’ll hear how your mind just drops down into a lull. This is a great thing for tonality. You can play virtually ANY chord after an Em and it would work due to the tone of the chord itself. Gotta love the Em, right?
- F chord – F is another case of Em in a sense. The F here I play is barred, which is usually the way I play an F. It just feels more natural. However, You can always open it up and play the same notes that you would when barring them. It works very…um…universally when picking. (I’m not sure that’s a word.)
- Bb chord – Bb is always a strange chord when played within a song. It has a very monotone feel to it doesn’t it? It just feels so weird playing it to me because all the notes included seem to sound the same. However, if you listen closely, the change to and from the Bb always makes a huge difference with the chord being played before and after the Bb. The chords that are in front and behind of the Bb always seem to sound so much better than the actual Bb. So, in simple terms, we’ll say that the Bb chord really just provides a break for the ear in listening to the normal Major and minor chords. The Bb here really changes the sound of the song doesn’t it?
Now that we’ve gotten past all of that, try to play using ONLY your thumb and 1st finger in the exercise again. This time, just remember what I explained above and try to add your own picking style to the song. Here’s a recap:
- Major chords – in this case they tend to be bright. If two Majors follow each other, it is necessary to provide the lowest note both at the beginning of the chord change and and the end. This keeps the listener engaged instead of just the hum-drum effect of Major to Major. For example, play the D chord and then the A chord. Notice that while they sound different, they are both bright when played. Adding the bass notes (or the lower note) in a picking fashion between these two chords makes all the difference in the world.
- Minor chords – almost always sad or low, so, for example, if you were to play a Dm to a Cm, the lowest note is not necessarily the most important. The emphasis on the minor chords would be the higher notes, which change the feel of the song.
Now try the exercise. Remember that everything is basically opposite. If you have a Major chord, try to accentuate the lows. If you have a minor chord, try to accentuate the higher notes, so that when a change comes, you feel the higher change instead of the low droning change.
Video
Next: Beginner Exercise 18