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Guitar Serious Fun

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by David Harsh

5.0(5 reviews)

108 episodes

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Podcast Overview

Playing the guitar is a wonderful way to express how the Lord is moving in our lives. Whether we play for worship, songwriting, or just the enjoyment of music, there is much to talk about when it comes to enriching and enhancing our guitar journeys. Whether philosophical or practical, this is a place where we'll discuss ideas, stories and insights that can equip and inspire you. Welcome to Guitar Serious Fun. <a href="https://guitarseriousfun.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast">guitarseriousfun.substack.com</a>

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5/4/2022

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Recent Episodes

October 9, 2024

Demystifying Sus Chords (And Why They Sound So Good)

Enjoy the chart below, with transcript…Have you ever seen the abbreviation “Sus” in a chart and thought, “What does that actually mean?” Today we’re going to talk about…suspensions with music on the guitar.I encourage you to catch the video version of this article while it’s available. This way, you’ll see and hear everything demonstrated. You can find the video right here: If you’ve ever seen a suspenseful movie, or if you’ve ever had the unfortunate experience of having an account suspended, or your driver’s license suspended, you have experienced suspense.But what do all of these scenarios have in common? They are all temporary. A suspenseful movie can’t be suspenseful the entire time – it just wouldn’t work. A suspended account is usually restored to good standing when the balance is paid, and a suspended driver’s license can eventually be reinstated.So, I’m not talking about something being permanently taken away – I’m talking about something being temporarily suspended, and eventually – wait for it – resolved.So, let’s take a moment to discuss what suspensions can look and sound like on the guitar, and why they’re important.So, when we see the term “sus” in a chart, that’s short for a SUSpended chord. First of all, the most common chord we’ll find suspensions for is going to be on the Dominant, the V chord in a Major key. And second of all, the most common type of suspension or “sus” chord we’re going to experience is the “sus4.” We could go in all sorts of additional directions, but for now, let’s keep things pretty simple.So, let’s say we’re in the key of G Major, a very guitar-friendly key. The Dominant or V chord in G is D. But today, we’re not just going to play it as a D Major chord, we’re going to play it as a Dsus4 chord.Now, my background in music began with a classical degree, which included several years of collegiate music theory, so I’m going to offer you an additional level of musicality here. It involves a three-word process. That process is: “Preparation,” “Suspension,” and “Resolution.”Because, if we think about it, it’s nice to be able to prepare ourselves for suspense, so we can anticipate it just a bit. The plot thickens in a movie. We get a warning notice that our account is about to be suspended. The cop car behind us fires up the lights on his roof to let us know we’re about to be pulled over, which could lead to a suspended license.So “Preparation” is the first step. The second step is the actual “Suspension.” This is where things are in a temporary state of suspense that is typically not restful. The suspenseful scene happens in the movie, putting us on the edge of our seats. Our account is suspended, so we can’t have access to it. Our license is suspended so it’s temporarily taken away.So, with this suspension, there’s a bit of tension. There’s tension, but in this musical scenario, this is a good sort of tension. But as I mentioned, we aren’t going to stay in suspense indefinitely. Eventually, we get to the third step, “Resolution,” where the Suspension ends. The suspense in the movie plot winds down, if only temporarily, as it comes to a resting point in the story. The account is restored. The license is reinstated.So, again, think through those three words as we continue - “Preparation,” “Suspension,” and “Resolution.”So here we are in the key of G Major. The I chord in G Major is…G Major, right? The IV chord is C Major, and the V chord is D Major. Now, to bring this right to your fingers in an easy manner, I’ll actually use some “color” chords, so the chords will actually be easier to play, and they also won’t be pure Major chords, but they’ll still totally work for this exercise.The most important note in this suspension exercise is the high G note on the 3rd fret of the 1st string. I want you to watch this note carefully, because it’s going to remain for three chords, but it will have a different identity in each.I’ll analyze the first chord as a G5 chord with no 3rd. So, in the G chord, this high G is the root, right? But then, when we move to a C2 chord for the IV chord, we still keep that G up on the 3rd fret of the 1st string, and now it’s the 5th of that chord. It’s at this stage that we start to feel the “Preparation.” In other words, we’re ramping up to the Suspension.Next up is the V chord, D, but we’re going to keep the high G note on that 3rd string, thereby rendering this chord a Dsus4. Why is it a Dsus4? Because the high G is now the 4th degree of the D chord.Now, typically a D Major Chord won’t have a G in it, but rather an F#, right? But here, with this chord, the Vsus4 is providing the Suspension we’re after. Right now, it’s not a Major chord.So now we’ve been put in suspense. It’s not a restful chord. It’s a chord where we’re temporarily “on edge” just a bit.But what follows a Suspension, ideally? You know it – Resolution.All we need to do is take that high G note that we’ve had with us all along, and let it resolve down to the F#, thereby establishing the D Major chord, on its way back to…the G chord. See how the Vsus4 chord moves to a Major V chord, and finally back to the I chord?It’s actually quite pleasing to the ear. (Catch the video for the demonstration of this.)Is there more? Always. Can we create a Sus2 chord? Yep.Can we create suspensions with 7 chords? Yeah buddy. Can we play suspensions as bar chords? Of course.Can we play a suspension without preparing or resolving it? We’re technically not playing them functionally as suspensions, but…sure.Can suspensions resolve to minor chords? Yes, but that tends to sound a little more “Foreign” in some cases (catch the video for my music reference.)As you can see, we can go much further. But it all starts here with this simple process of KNOWING what a suspension is, and then experimenting with the intentional approach of Preparing, Suspending and Resolving. Want to go deeper and transform your guitar journey? Check out what we offer at <a target="_blank" href="https://www.guitarsuccess4u.com/">www.GuitarSuccess4U.com</a>. Keep showing up, and I’ll see you next time.Thanks for reading Guitar Serious Fun! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://guitarseriousfun.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1">guitarseriousfun.substack.com</a>

September 4, 2024

Do Guitar Chord Fingerings Matter?

Enjoy charts and tables below, with transcript…If you play an A Major chord like most people, you’re missing out. I’ll show you why, and what to do about it.I encourage you to catch the video version of this article while it’s available so you can watch me demonstrate these concepts. You can find the video right here:Chords exist in context. Am I right? We typically won’t play a song that consists of a single chord, because that would be…boring.So, if we want to play chords well in context, this begs the question – do guitar chord fingerings really matter? Let’s find out.I’m going to list three Major keys that are pretty common with guitar players: the keys of A, E and D Major. Which chord do all of these keys have in common? The A Major chord.In the key of A, the A chord is the Tonic, the I chord.In the key of E, the A chord is the Subdominant, the Major IV chord. And in the key of D, the A chord is the Dominant, the Major V chord.It’s a pretty widely-used chord. And yet… a lot of guitar players are really making more work for themselves with the fingering they use. Now, when we fret a note, it’s best to press down as close to the fret as we can, for a clean articulation.Unfortunately, some of the guitar educational materials I’ve come across teach the A chord with fingers 1, 2, and 3 in a row. Even if we slightly adjust to fingers 2, 3, and 4, the situation is not improved by much, because there’s not quite enough room for our adjacent fingers to be well-situated on the second fret in these configurations.So, what do we do? For almost 30 years, I have taken the approach I’m about to show you, and it is truly a game-changer. And it’s actually really simple. Check it out.I use fingers 2, 1 and then 3. A better way to get situated is to place 2 and 3 on the 2nd fret, like you’re voicing an open A7 chord and then drop in the 1st finger, wedging it right between those other two fingers.Again, not all three notes will be right up next to the fret, but this is still a vast improvement to what we had before. Remember, even if a finger is not right next to the fret, it can still sound clean; it just needs to press harder, the further it is away from the fret. So now that you’ve been exposed to this new fingering for the open A Major chord, what can I do to validate its usefulness?That’s right – I’m going to place it in context.Remember how we talked about the keys of A, E and D? Let’s say I wanted to move from A to E and back, whether that’s in the key of A or the key of E. Both scenarios apply here.Watch what happens if I use the “old” way of fretting the A chord. If I start with the less optimal fingering, I have to lift all three fingers to move to the E chord. Then when I go back, I again have to lift all three fingers. Doable, but not ideal. (The accompanying video demonstrates this clearly.)What if I tried our new and improved fingering?The first finger stays on the 3rd string and provides an anchor point because although it slides down a single fret, it doesn’t have to be lifted from the string. Way better. (Watch the video for the economy of movement.)Ok, how about the transition from A to D and back? Even though I do have something of an anchor note on the 2nd string with my 3rd finger, the other two fingers have to re-locate entirely both ways.It works, but is there a better way? Yep. Our new way.Try it, and then watch with delight as only one finger needs to lift up to relocate as the other two fingers provide anchor points both directions.So, not only is it a cleaner articulation to play A Major this way, we have a much cleaner transition to and from a couple very closely-related chords. So yes, I believe guitar chord fingerings do matter.This may be significant to you, or it may not.But if we’re going to play this chord a few thousand times in our lifetime, wouldn’t it be better to play it more effectively? And wouldn’t it be nice to gain even more visual independence from this chord in context?Hopefully this gave you a window into my approach to teaching the guitar, and how I like to zoom in for more precision and artistry, which enhances our musicianship and just helps us PLAY better.Side note: here at GuitarSerious Fun, I published an article/video called <a target="_blank" href="https://guitarseriousfun.substack.com/p/do-guitar-chord-voicings-really-matter">“Do Guitar Chord Voicings Matter?”</a> I encourage you to check that out as well.You can find us on social media with GuitarSuccess4U on <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/@guitarsuccess4u">YouTube</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/guitarsuccess4u/">Instagram</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/GuitarSuccess4U">Facebook</a>. But if you want the real experience, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.guitarsuccess4u.com/join">join GuitarSuccess4U</a>. We have a 30-day money-back guarantee.See you there!Thanks for reading Guitar Serious Fun! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://guitarseriousfun.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1">guitarseriousfun.substack.com</a>

August 7, 2024

When You Fail Onstage

Have you ever made a mistake onstage while playing your guitar? What’s the best thing to do in the moment, and afterwards? I encourage you to catch the video version of this article while it’s available. It takes our discussion to the next level. You can find the video right here:It’s happened to all of us. We’re playing our guitar in a worship or performance setting, and somehow, we play something differently from how we’ve rehearsed it. And by differently, I mean wrong. It’s clearly not what we planned to play.So, what do we do? I’ll offer several options for what we can do, and then I’ll let you decide which option is the best course of action. I can’t promise not to “lead the witness,” but I think it’s important to see what the options are. These are six options I can choose when I make a mistake.#1. Visibly express my disappointment.Body language is the most powerful form of communication.So, if I make a mistake and then I…shake my head, frown, smile awkwardly, roll my eyes, or simply look surprised, I’ve just nonverbally communicated to the people I’m serving that I’ve made a mistake.#2. Ignore the mistake and never speak of it.This is the extreme opposite. If I know I’ve made a mistake but I not only ignore it, I actually never take time to think through what happened, this doesn’t allow me to benefit from the experience. And if I try to convince myself that I haven’t actually made a mistake, I just might be avoiding reality.#3. Visibly show no response, but internally combust.Some of us wear our emotions on our sleeves, but others keep them all inside.If I’m visibly displaying that I’m doing fine, but inwardly, I’m having a conniption because of a mistake I just made, it just might not be the healthiest choice for my emotional or mental state.#4. Keep thinking about the mistake even while playing the song.Once a mistake has happened, there can be a temptation to look back at the spot in the chart, or think back to the spot in the song, even as we’re trying to complete the song.But to use an analogy, if I drive over a bump in the road and I look back at that bump while I keep driving forward, I may encounter even bigger “bumps” ahead, if you know what I mean.#5. Move on, but beat myself up for weeks or months afterwards.If I make a mistake, but finish the service or the concert on a strong note, that can be good.But what if I focus on my mistake, hold it over my head, maybe even apologizing profusely when I talk to my collaborators, the congregation, or members of the audience afterwards?What if, for weeks or months at a time, I belabor the mistake and keep reminding myself of what happened, speaking self-critically the whole time? Profitable? I don’t think so.Lastly…#6. Recover gracefully…but evaluate objectively later.This last option, if you haven’t already decided for yourself, is my preferred approach, because it’s only by learning from our mistakes that we can truly grow.Some would say that mistakes are easier to learn from than successes. If we know something worked, but we don’t know exactly why, it can be more difficult to learn from the experience.However, if we make a mistake, we can examine it from a few different angles objectively, and decide how to better prepare for a similar experience in the future. This will help us avoid making (or at least reduce the possibility of making) the same mistake. Having an intentional time set aside, sometimes with fellow team members on what might be called “Honest Monday,” can be a good opportunity.The key is not to be too hard on ourselves. If we skirt the edge of 100% negative self-talk, it can be pretty damaging. It can even make it hard for us to keep the joy of music alive.If we can separate ourselves from our musical offerings and be objective enough to say “That was a mistake, and here’s how I plan to avoid it in the future,” this simple approach can be tremendously effective.The more specific we can be about our recovery strategy, the better. If it’s a chord transition, we can work those chords. If it’s a tuning issue, we can practice tuning every time we get ready to play (and this is a great habit for any guitarist.) If it’s a tempo issue, we can practice with a steady drummer or percussionist who keeps us honest, or at least practice with a metronome.And the next level is to play the song (with the challenge spot) for an “audience.” By the way, have you heard my definition of an audience? Here it is. An audience is: one or more people who are listening, giving their undivided (or even divided) attention, thereby compelling us to finish the song we’re playing.This puts us under a healthy amount of pressure, much more so than practicing on our own. If you’re having a hard time convincing someone to listen to you play, become your own audience.Put your smartphone on a tripod, spin it to “selfie” video mode, and hit “record.” The pressure will go up, and the added blessing is that you can go back and watch yourself play.Hopefully, these insights have given you some tangible strategies, as well as some behaviors to avoid, the next time you make a mistake with your guitar onstage. Mistakes are inevitable. But every mistake can be an opportunity to learn and to grow. My hope is that you’ll take those opportunities. Keep showing up, and I’ll see you next time.Interested in going deeper? Please check out <a target="_blank" href="https://www.guitarsuccess4u.com/">www.GuitarSuccess4U.com</a>.Thanks for reading Guitar Serious Fun! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://guitarseriousfun.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1">guitarseriousfun.substack.com</a>

108 total episodes available

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What is Guitar Serious Fun?: Playing the guitar is a wonderful way to express how the Lord is moving in our lives. Whether we play for worship, songwriting, or just the enjoyment of music, there is much to talk about when it comes to enriching and enhancing our guitar journeys. Whether philosophical or practical, this is a place where we'll discuss ideas, stories and insights that can equip and inspire you. Welcome to Guitar Serious Fun. <a href="https://guitarseriousfun.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast">guitarseriousfun.substack.com</a>
How often does this podcast release new episodes?: This podcast updates weekly.
Where can I listen to this podcast?: This podcast is available on 7 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.
Does this podcast accept guests?: Yes, this podcast regularly features guests.

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