Starting Manouche guitar - Revision history

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Admin wiki: Created page with "Starting Manouche guitar This section concerns the true beginners who directly start with Manouche but also the guitarists experienced in other styles who also start Manouche gu..."

2011-01-18T13:43:12Z

Created page with "Starting Manouche guitar This section concerns the true beginners who directly start with Manouche but also the guitarists experienced in other styles who also start Manouche gu..."

New page

Starting Manouche guitar

This section concerns the true beginners who directly start with Manouche but also the guitarists experienced in other styles who also start Manouche guitar. Some of the techniques need to be learnt from scracth, notably as far as the right hand (for right-handed people) is concerned, which means that these experienced guitarists will find as much food for thought as a genuine beginner.

In my opinion, a beginner should work topics in that order:

- The position
- Holding the pick (and tackling the spinning pick problem)
- The "grip" at the left hand
- Basic chords
- Warm-up exercises
- The standard pompe
- Basic right hand movements
- Basic left hand embellishments
- m6 arpeggions
- A few songs to work the pompe and the solos to train the right hand (or both hands actually)

Position

It is important to have a good body position. Guitar lies on the right leg. Right leg is often heightened compared to the left leg, either by using a little stool like in classical guitar, or simply by putting the right foot on the left foot. The elbow rests on the sounding board and must not move. The right arm (as opposed to forearm) should be as relaxed as possible. The wrist "floats", in other words it is not stuck on the guitar body close to the bridge. The wrist must also be "broken" in a near 70° angle.

More on the position here.

Holding the pick

The pick is held between the thumb and the index, firmly but not too tight: too much tension and the pick may catch the strings too strongly, not enough firmly and it may fall or spin while playing. The problem of the spinning pick can be addressed in several ways, either by buying an ergonomic pick that is adjusted to the fingers shape and that should not move, or by finding the right tension to hold it. A pick that spins is often the sign of a wrong angle to pick the strings so you must also pay attention to that.

More on holding the pick here.

The "grip" at the left hand

This problem essentially concerns the true beginners. When we start to learn to play guitar, one of the first problems that arise pertains to where and how to put the thumb behind the neck. For the chords that do not require the thumb to fret the lower E string, the thumb rests between the 2/3 and the top of the neck, and the thumb/index junction does not touch the bottom of the neck. When the thumb is used to fret a note, the hand wraps around the neck (especially for small hands). The "grip" is how the French name the shape of the hand in that position from the side view, thumb behind the neck and the other fingers on the fretboard. The grip gives enough strength to fret the notes while keeping a clean sound.

Cramps often appear after a short while when beginning. This is normal and you should not worry about it, they will disappear with time and practice.

More on the grip here.

Basic chords

The first chords to learn when starting Manouche guitar are probably m6, 6, 6/9, 9 and m9 with root on the lower E string or A string. It's harder than those chords on folk guitar but these are so often used that it's best to start as early as possible to learn directly with the good habits. A steep learning curve yes, but when it's there, you'll feel so much better.

Here's a little advice: cut your nails quite short, at least on the left hand, otherwise you will not be able to fret the notes correctly.

More on chords with pictures and positions here.

Warm-up exercises

Warming up is always a good thing, especially if you are a beginner. On one hand, it's useful for a better fluidity when you really start playing, on the other hand, it helps preventing micro-traumatisms of the muscles and above all of the tendons. Finally, it's also a great way to get into the right state of mind for work. A good warm-up exercise for the left hand is to play chromatisms on all strings with the four fingers at a tempo where you feel comfortable. For the right hand, playing pompe on several chords help warming up the wrist whereas some alternate picking for the chromatisms and the scales can be enough to get into work. Generally speaking, I strongly recommend the exercises of the section Tonicity of the right forearm muscles.

Standard pompe

Pompe is the first thing that is taught to Manouche beginners. Rhythm guitar is called "rhythm" in that pick strokes on the string must suggest the different sounds made by a drum kit: a downstroke on the lower strings (lower E, A and D) and there comes the bass drum, a quick downstroke on all strings and here is the snare drum, a light upstroke on all strings on an upbeat and there you have a Charleston, a shuffle on all strings and you can hear a drum roll... The point of the pompe is to give rhythm while at the same time you play the chords. For these very reasons, you should really work on the pompe movement. The best is to work with a metronome: since the pompe replaces the drum kit in some way, it must be as regular as a drummer would play it. However, when jamming with other people, it's usually a bad idea to use a metronome. Finally, it's important to see to it that the chords played by the left hand ring when they should and are muted when they should too. You should therefore start at a slow pace in order to fully understand the gesture, and synchronize the movements on both hands for the pompe.

More on the pompe here.

Basic right hand movements

This section is more about playing solos. When starting, there are mostly two ways that can be used in parallel: on one hand, you can work basic movements like rest-strokes, alternate picking on one string, alternate picking on several strings, consecutive downstrokes on one string, then on several ones, with string change upwards, then downwards; on the other hand, you should learn how to play some simple melodies like the Minor Swing intro, or the theme of Les Yeux Noirs, just to use the various techniques in a musical context.

By the way, it's about time I stringly recommend Michael Horowitz's "Gypsy Picking" method which is a very educationalist resource that mostly focuses on the basic movement. I am not paid to say that, I honestly think it's a great book for beginners.

More on alternate picking here.

Basic embellishments on the left hand

There's one embellishment that should be tackled as soon as possible: the cut. This effect is so used that it's litterally a cornerstone of the Manouche musical language. Work on this seriously.

More on the cut ici.

m6 arpeggios

Arpeggios are not necessarily the very first thing you should learn when starting Manouche but since this music is mostly build upon arpeggios and not scales, it may be useful to at least start learning early the m6 arpeggios. That work also helps to integrate the basic right hand movements in a musical context.

More on m6 arpeggios here.

The first tunes

The aim of the workout exercises is ultimately to play music, therefore to play musical pieces, written music at first, then music with more and more improvisation in it. In general, the first tunes should be build on simple cadences on three or four chords. I particularly recommend to learn the pompe and the themes of the following tunes:

- Minor Swing (in Am6)
- Blues Mineur (in Gm6)
- Les Yeux Noirs (in Dm6)
- Later on, All of Me (in C6)

The recommended way to efficiently work on a tune is first to listen to it many times, and in different versions played by good musicians of your choice, then to know the chart by heart until you are able to hear it in your head as if it was really being played on a radio or something. Then you should find the right chords and fingerings, possibly inversed chords, so that the pompe sounds good (which can be done with a teacher or by groping about on your own). Then learn to play the melody until it is clean, learn and play the arpeggios and scales on each chord, and finally, learn and play licks from other people or invent your own licks on each chord. It will take a lot of time, especially when starting, but this learning process will become faster and faster as you progress.

← Older revision		Revision as of 08:47, 13 February 2013
Line 6:		Line 6:
	It is important to have a good body position. Guitar lies on the right leg. Right leg is often heightened compared to the left leg, either by using a little stool like in classical guitar, or simply by putting the right foot on the left foot. The elbow rests on the sounding board and must not move. The right arm (as opposed to forearm) should be as relaxed as possible. The wrist "floats", in other words it is not stuck on the guitar body close to the bridge. The wrist must also be "broken" in a near 70° angle.		It is important to have a good body position. Guitar lies on the right leg. Right leg is often heightened compared to the left leg, either by using a little stool like in classical guitar, or simply by putting the right foot on the left foot. The elbow rests on the sounding board and must not move. The right arm (as opposed to forearm) should be as relaxed as possible. The wrist "floats", in other words it is not stuck on the guitar body close to the bridge. The wrist must also be "broken" in a near 70° angle.

−	More on the position here.	+	More on the position [http://guitarejazzmanouche.com/en_wiki/index.php/Right_hand_position here].

@@ Line 80: / Line 80: @@
 The recommended way to efficiently work on a tune is first to listen to it many times, and in different versions played by good musicians of your choice, then to know the chart by heart until you are able to hear it in your head as if it was really being played on a radio or something. Then you should find the right chords and fingerings, possibly inversed chords, so that the pompe sounds good (which can be done with a teacher or by groping about on your own). Then learn to play the melody until it is clean, learn and play the arpeggios and scales on each chord, and finally, learn and play licks from other people or invent your own licks on each chord. It will take a lot of time, especially when starting, but this learning process will become faster and faster as you progress.
-[[Category:Gypsy Jazz Method]]
+[[Category:Get_Started]]
 [[fr:Bien_débuter]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:47, 18 January 2011
Line 79:		Line 79:

	The recommended way to efficiently work on a tune is first to listen to it many times, and in different versions played by good musicians of your choice, then to know the chart by heart until you are able to hear it in your head as if it was really being played on a radio or something. Then you should find the right chords and fingerings, possibly inversed chords, so that the pompe sounds good (which can be done with a teacher or by groping about on your own). Then learn to play the melody until it is clean, learn and play the arpeggios and scales on each chord, and finally, learn and play licks from other people or invent your own licks on each chord. It will take a lot of time, especially when starting, but this learning process will become faster and faster as you progress.		The recommended way to efficiently work on a tune is first to listen to it many times, and in different versions played by good musicians of your choice, then to know the chart by heart until you are able to hear it in your head as if it was really being played on a radio or something. Then you should find the right chords and fingerings, possibly inversed chords, so that the pompe sounds good (which can be done with a teacher or by groping about on your own). Then learn to play the melody until it is clean, learn and play the arpeggios and scales on each chord, and finally, learn and play licks from other people or invent your own licks on each chord. It will take a lot of time, especially when starting, but this learning process will become faster and faster as you progress.
		+
		+	[[Category:Gypsy Jazz Method]]
		+	[[fr:Bien_débuter]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:45, 18 January 2011
Line 1:		Line 1:
	This section concerns the true beginners who directly start with Manouche but also the guitarists experienced in other styles who also start Manouche guitar. Some of the techniques need to be learnt from scracth, notably as far as the right hand (for right-handed people) is concerned, which means that these experienced guitarists will find as much food for thought as a genuine beginner.		This section concerns the true beginners who directly start with Manouche but also the guitarists experienced in other styles who also start Manouche guitar. Some of the techniques need to be learnt from scracth, notably as far as the right hand (for right-handed people) is concerned, which means that these experienced guitarists will find as much food for thought as a genuine beginner.
−
−	~~In my opinion, a beginner should work topics in that order:~~
−
−	* The position
−	* Holding the pick (and tackling the spinning pick problem)
−	* The "grip" at the left hand
−	* Basic chords
−	* Warm*up exercises
−	* The standard pompe
−	* Basic right hand movements
−	* Basic left hand embellishments
−	* m6 arpeggions
−	* A few songs to work the pompe and the solos to train the right hand (or both hands actually)

@@ Line 3: / Line 3: @@
 In my opinion, a beginner should work topics in that order:
-- The position
+* The position
-- Holding the pick (and tackling the spinning pick problem)
+* Holding the pick (and tackling the spinning pick problem)
-- The "grip" at the left hand
+* The "grip" at the left hand
-- Basic chords
+* Basic chords
-- Warm-up exercises
+* Warm*up exercises
-- The standard pompe
+* The standard pompe
-- Basic right hand movements
+* Basic right hand movements
-- Basic left hand embellishments
+* Basic left hand embellishments
-- m6 arpeggions
+* m6 arpeggions
-- A few songs to work the pompe and the solos to train the right hand (or both hands actually)
+* A few songs to work the pompe and the solos to train the right hand (or both hands actually)
@@ Line 86: / Line 86: @@
 The aim of the workout exercises is ultimately to play music, therefore to play musical pieces, written music at first, then music with more and more improvisation in it. In general, the first tunes should be build on simple cadences on three or four chords. I particularly recommend to learn the pompe and the themes of the following tunes:
-- Minor Swing (in Am6)
+* Minor Swing (in Am6)
-- Blues Mineur (in Gm6)
+* Blues Mineur (in Gm6)
-- Les Yeux Noirs (in Dm6)
+* Les Yeux Noirs (in Dm6)
-- Later on, All of Me (in C6)
+* Later on, All of Me (in C6)
 The recommended way to efficiently work on a tune is first to listen to it many times, and in different versions played by good musicians of your choice, then to know the chart by heart until you are able to hear it in your head as if it was really being played on a radio or something. Then you should find the right chords and fingerings, possibly inversed chords, so that the pompe sounds good (which can be done with a teacher or by groping about on your own). Then learn to play the melody until it is clean, learn and play the arpeggios and scales on each chord, and finally, learn and play licks from other people or invent your own licks on each chord. It will take a lot of time, especially when starting, but this learning process will become faster and faster as you progress.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 This section concerns the true beginners who directly start with Manouche but also the guitarists experienced in other styles who also start Manouche guitar. Some of the techniques need to be learnt from scracth, notably as far as the right hand (for right-handed people) is concerned, which means that these experienced guitarists will find as much food for thought as a genuine beginner.
@@ Line 16: / Line 14: @@
 - A few songs to work the pompe and the solos to train the right hand (or both hands actually)
 Position
 It is important to have a good body position. Guitar lies on the right leg. Right leg is often heightened compared to the left leg, either by using a little stool like in classical guitar, or simply by putting the right foot on the left foot. The elbow rests on the sounding board and must not move. The right arm (as opposed to forearm) should be as relaxed as possible. The wrist "floats", in other words it is not stuck on the guitar body close to the bridge. The wrist must also be "broken" in a near 70° angle.
@@ Line 22: / Line 21: @@
 More on the position here.
 Holding the pick
 The pick is held between the thumb and the index, firmly but not too tight: too much tension and the pick may catch the strings too strongly, not enough firmly and it may fall or spin while playing. The problem of the spinning pick can be addressed in several ways, either by buying an ergonomic pick that is adjusted to the fingers shape and that should not move, or by finding the right tension to hold it. A pick that spins is often the sign of a wrong angle to pick the strings so you must also pay attention to that.
@@ Line 28: / Line 28: @@
 More on holding the pick here.
 The "grip" at the left hand
 This problem essentially concerns the true beginners. When we start to learn to play guitar, one of the first problems that arise pertains to where and how to put the thumb behind the neck. For the chords that do not require the thumb to fret the lower E string, the thumb rests between the 2/3 and the top of the neck, and the thumb/index junction does not touch the bottom of the neck. When the thumb is used to fret a note, the hand wraps around the neck (especially for small hands). The "grip" is how the French name the shape of the hand in that position from the side view, thumb behind the neck and the other fingers on the fretboard. The grip gives enough strength to fret the notes while keeping a clean sound.
@@ Line 36: / Line 37: @@
 More on the grip here.
 Basic chords
 The first chords to learn when starting Manouche guitar are probably m6, 6, 6/9, 9 and m9 with root on the lower E string or A string. It's harder than those chords on folk guitar but these are so often used that it's best to start as early as possible to learn directly with the good habits. A steep learning curve yes, but when it's there, you'll feel so much better.
@@ Line 44: / Line 46: @@
 More on chords with pictures and positions here.
 Warm-up exercises
 Warming up is always a good thing, especially if you are a beginner. On one hand, it's useful for a better fluidity when you really start playing, on the other hand, it helps preventing micro-traumatisms of the muscles and above all of the tendons. Finally, it's also a great way to get into the right state of mind for work. A good warm-up exercise for the left hand is to play chromatisms on all strings with the four fingers at a tempo where you feel comfortable. For the right hand, playing pompe on several chords help warming up the wrist whereas some alternate picking for the chromatisms and the scales can be enough to get into work. Generally speaking, I strongly recommend the exercises of the section Tonicity of the right forearm muscles.
 Standard pompe
 Pompe is the first thing that is taught to Manouche beginners. Rhythm guitar is called "rhythm" in that pick strokes on the string must suggest the different sounds made by a drum kit: a downstroke on the lower strings (lower E, A and D) and there comes the bass drum, a quick downstroke on all strings and here is the snare drum, a light upstroke on all strings on an upbeat and there you have a Charleston, a shuffle on all strings and you can hear a drum roll... The point of the pompe is to give rhythm while at the same time you play the chords. For these very reasons, you should really work on the pompe movement. The best is to work with a metronome: since the pompe replaces the drum kit in some way, it must be as regular as a drummer would play it. However, when jamming with other people, it's usually a bad idea to use a metronome. Finally, it's important to see to it that the chords played by the left hand ring when they should and are muted when they should too. You should therefore start at a slow pace in order to fully understand the gesture, and synchronize the movements on both hands for the pompe.
@@ Line 54: / Line 58: @@
 More on the pompe here.
 Basic right hand movements
 This section is more about playing solos. When starting, there are mostly two ways that can be used in parallel: on one hand, you can work basic movements like rest-strokes, alternate picking on one string, alternate picking on several strings, consecutive downstrokes on one string, then on several ones, with string change upwards, then downwards; on the other hand, you should learn how to play some simple melodies like the Minor Swing intro, or the theme of Les Yeux Noirs, just to use the various techniques in a musical context.
@@ Line 62: / Line 67: @@
 More on alternate picking here.
 Basic embellishments on the left hand
 There's one embellishment that should be tackled as soon as possible: the cut. This effect is so used that it's litterally a cornerstone of the Manouche musical language. Work on this seriously.
@@ Line 68: / Line 74: @@
 More on the cut ici.
 m6 arpeggios
 Arpeggios are not necessarily the very first thing you should learn when starting Manouche but since this music is mostly build upon arpeggios and not scales, it may be useful to at least start learning early the m6 arpeggios. That work also helps to integrate the basic right hand movements in a musical context.
@@ Line 74: / Line 81: @@
 More on m6 arpeggios here.
 The first tunes
 The aim of the workout exercises is ultimately to play music, therefore to play musical pieces, written music at first, then music with more and more improvisation in it. In general, the first tunes should be build on simple cadences on three or four chords. I particularly recommend to learn the pompe and the themes of the following tunes: