What I KnewComing into this class, I was prepared for it. I have taken this class last year so I thought that I would be ready for it. But I got to class and I learned how much I had forgotten in the last year. We started right off with the D progression, I remembered what all of the chords were and the progression. However; I realized quickly that I had forgotten how to quickly change chords on command. I think that with work though, I will get better at that.
Note Name RecognitionLast week we started note name recognition in Basic Guitar. I was a little scared at first because even though I had taken this class before, note recognition was never my strong suit. Then I realized that the notes spell FACE on a note board. This really helped me out a lot. I am now able to know what notes are what by just looking at them. I am really happy that Ms. Chase taught me this, it helps me out a lot. It's a lot easier for me to just look at a note and determine what note it is.
G, A, and E Progressions
Single Note PracticeThe more practice that I get with single notes, the better I am getting. I started out doing this with a lot of discouragement. I didn't think that I would ever get the hang of it. Then I started diving into the packet that Ms. Chase gave us and that really helped. I love the packet so much because it doesn't make you learn all of the notes on all of the strings at once, it takes its time. The packet does sections and each section is a different string with 2-3 different single notes on each. I love that aspect of it!!!!! It really makes it a lot easier when the packet goes slow so that my lack of knowledge can catch up.
Strumming Patterns
I really like strumming patterns!!!!! I love how it works! I learn so much when I do this, and it's so simple. I have gotten really good at strumming patterns just in the past couple of weeks. And all that it took was just repetition. I think that what I have profited most from these strumming patterns, is the ability to work well with others when I am playing any song. I think that this activity really helps me with this! The only thing that I struggle with is doing the upstrokes after there is no downstroke to do. I have a hard time keeping rhythm when this happens. But overall, I really like the way that Ms. Chase had us do this because we learn how to do it so well without even know that we are learning. I think that with only a little more practice, I would be really great at my upstrokes.
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The D Progression Chord By Chord
Today, Ms. Chase assigned us the objective to video ourselves playing the "D" Progression. This includes the D, G, and the A7 chords. Since I already did this class, I knew all of these things already. But I had never used the video system that we used called clipchamp, so I was still learning things. I liked going over all of these cords again and refreshing my memory.
All DA Chords
Single Note MelodiesThis is sooo, much easier now!!!!!! At first it was kinda rough and difficult for me to do single note melodies. I think that the hardest part for me was knowing what notes were while I was playing it. I couldn't connect the notes that I was looking at with the notes that I were playing. Now, it is so much easier to do that now that I have practiced all that I have. It has definitely helped out a lot!!!! The only thing that I still struggle with is keeping a good pace and making sure tha t I keep with how many beats each note is. But I think that with a little more work, I think that I will get much better at this!!!
Introduction to TabsBLAHHHHH!!!!!!! Not a huge fan of tabs. I was getting a good hang of single note melodies. I like the single notes more. The single note melodies are harder to learn, but once you do, they are a lot easier to keep track of when playing them. I'm not sure why, they just seem easier to keep track of. When I try to do the tabs, I usually just end up lost in the song and I regret opening my guitar case. It makes things sad for me. But, hey, maybe I'll get the hang of it, miracles are real.
End of Tabs/ Spanish TrioI now have a new respect for tabs. I think that I gave them a bad rap at first. I still really like single note melodies, but I think that tabs now has it's place in my heart. Now that I haven't done the single note melodies in quite some time, it makes it harder for me to do them, but no matter where you are in learning in the single note melodies, anyone anytime can play tabs if they have a guitar. I think that is why I like the tabs. I still have trouble with feeling the guitar to the point of knowing where my finger are on the fret board so that I don't need to look at the guitar to play tabs. I would like to work on tabs to the point that I could be able to play tabs by just looking at the tabs sheet and I would be able to know where I was at on a guitar so that I wouldn't have to look at the guitar hardly to play. But, I will get better. I also really like working in groups. In ways that I am not so good, someone else in my group may be. It was really cool how well we worked together in our group.
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Barre Chords
When I did barre chords last year, I really hatted them. I think that in all of the things that I tried to do in pop music last year. But this year, for some reason, I like barre chords a lot more this year and I am a lot better at them. I don't think that we did anything different this year than last year, I just liked it a lot more this time around. I think one of the biggest problems last year was that my hands and fingers weren't strong enough to correctly do barre chords. I think that I have gotten better at that. I really liked how we are doing the barre chords in this class. I think that dividing up the barre chords into the E and the A barres was a really good idea. It makes it easier for me to do different barre chords if they are separate and different, while still working on the fundamentals of barre chords. The biggest struggle that I have with barre chords, is that they still don't sound flawless. When I play the barre chords the lower down that I play, the worse they sound. When I play the ones on the first five frets, the sound comes out pretty clear. I would like to get to the point where I can play barre chords on the first ten frets and it would sound flawless.
The Absolutely Last Time I Will Ever Post a Weebly in My High School Career........... EVER!!!!!!!
I loved this class! I've had a lot of classes at Newark and you know better than anyone that a lot (Most) classes at Newark don't really help me in the long run. Now, just to clarify, I wouldn't change the experiences I've had at Newark for anything in the world. But the classes have been a little sub par. However; there are a few classes that not only teach you things about that subject for that class, but also teach life lessons, like responsibility, respect for your superiors, and not wearing a hat in a school.... EVER!!!!! This class, (and music and the iPad) is one of the few that has done that for me. I have learned the invaluable skill of playing guitar, and I love it. I am going to college next year and I will be in the music class as a guitarist. I am soooo excited for it. I'm not an expert, but I'm excited to learn more. Mrs. Chase, I thank you for all of the lessons both on a guitar and on an iPad that you have taught me. You took a guy who didn't know what side of a guitar was the top and what side was the bottom, and taught him how to play like a boss..... twice. But more importantly, you taught me how important it is to respect people that deserve respect, and how to respect myself. And I am eternally grateful for all that you have done for me in the past two years. Thank you.