Have Any Questions?

[Dan Miller]

If you have any questions or comments regarding any of the material in the course, please post it here and I will answer it for you. If I don't have the answer, I will find it for you! If you have the question, then others who are working with the course probably have the same question, so this discussion will benefit everyone!

[Joseph Fowler]

In the first part of the essential rhythmn section, you suggested working in other keys, would C, G, D, A be the main four ( I, IV, V chord progression). Been working through, notice that the F chord is very similar to C when strumming chord rhtymn with alternating bass like Example 3. thanks, Joe

[Dan Miller]

Joe,
Yes, it basically is the same, but one string over.
Dan

[Making Sawdust]

Went to my first fiddle jam and of course every thing was in 2/4 time but I figured out that the bass line and the strum could be considered one beat. Should have read the whole appendix 1, anyway I got to thinking, (dangerous) since I feel right comfortable in G fingerings for now, and yes I am practicing the other keys as well, as you say you don't always have a capo, however I have several and would like to know (question) How do you know which fret gives you what key? Is it like barr chords based on the 6th or 5th fret? If the 2 fret is the key of A capo on 2nd fret, is it the G and hence capo on the 3rd fret gives you A#/Bb? or is it like fractions in math, ya just gotta know the common denominator?

Thanks

[Making Sawdust]

OOPs, should have typed 5th or 6th string instead of fret and I read it several times and didn't see the moose-steak, until now.

[Making Sawdust]

OK, Thanks so much.
Take the shape move it up the scale, First shape or I should say chord progression denotes the key. Just have to remember or know where the half steps are.
7th Fret would get me into D using G shape. Probably sound like a banjo, could be fun

Thanks again.

[Hal Loflin]

Hey Dan:

Do you offer, or have you considered, a discounted price if someone were to want to buy all 8 volumes? I know all 8 have not been published but maybe some of us would be willing to pay upfront for the entire series...I know I would.

Thanks for a great learning tool!

Hal Loflin

[Making Sawdust]

Problem is, the half steps! Wouldn't capo on the 2nd fret give me a D in C fingering and not an E? Wouldn't the E be at the 4the fret? with the C fingering.

[Dan Miller]

Opps! You are right. My carelessness. I need to relearn the alphabet! Here is a revised copy:

Using a Capo:

If you are playing a G chord shape and you put the capo on the first fret and play that same shape in the same relative position (with the capo now acting like the nut), you will then be playing a G# (or Ab) chord, if you put the capo on the second fret, you will be playing an A chord, if the capo is on the 3rd fret, you will be play a B flat (A#) chord, etc. Each subsequent fret moves the chord up one half step on the chromatic scale.

Since you are probably most familiar with playing the G position and the C position chords, here is a chart that may help you out.

For a G chord shape:

0 G
1 Ab/G#
2 A
3 Bb/A#
4 B
5 C
6 Db/C#
7 D


For a C chord shape:

0 C
1 Db/C#
2 D
3 Eb/D#
4 E
5 F
6 Gb/F#
7 G

[Bruce Bushaw]

Dan, Can you comment on the bass note fingering in the D section of example 15 - (a) I can reach the C bass note with my pinkie while (sort of) holding the D chord, but have to release it before I can play the strum cleanly and (b) to reach the B bass note, I have to completely reform with index-5(2), middle-3(2), ring-2(3). Are these the 'right' way or are there better approaches? Thanks.

[Curtis Olson]

I had the same problem with 15. Here is the discussion and some offered solutions - http://flatpick.ning.com/group/flatpickingessentials/forum/topics/f...

Cheers,
Curtis

[Bruce Bushaw]

Curtis - Thanks! Somehow I missed it. Dan's solution seems perfect, but something I never would have thought of while trying to work it through.
-Bruce

[Bruce Bushaw]

This is a comment on Vol. 4, Dan - please correct me if my interpretation is incorrect.

I just scanned through my downloaded version of volume 4 last night and first reaction was "FDAA? - Oh no, a whole new system of chord forms to learn!" (as opposed to the CAGED system) but then realized that they are really the same - just that CAGED names are based on the open-position chords, while FDAA is (sort of) based on the same shapes with a barre at the first fret. I say 'sort of' because with consistent naming the FDAA system would actually be the FDBbAb system (but that is not a very nice mnemonic). Anyway, for those of you already familiar with the CAGED system the conversion of names is straightforward:

FDAA - CAGED
F - E
D - C
A1- A
A2 - G
(not used) - D

Note that the CAGED 'D'-form does show up - see for example the 'Box' patterns on p. 67: #2 corresponds to the CAGED-D form, but under FDAA it is described as a mix of FDAA-F and -D forms.

I guess it would have been nice for the book to have a brief discussion of the CAGED-FDAA correspondence (and I suppose that is why I added it here).

That being said, it looks like great material and I expect it will keep me busy for months, if not years, and will become a valuable member of my reference library.