TMEA-Saturday, February 11, 12:30 p.m. Room-CC213
Playing Guitar Ensemble in First Position

Presented by Bill Swick

Sponsored by Franknstrings.com-Frank Rodriguez Villela, Owner

 

Thank you for attending our session.  One of my goals during this presentation is to provide you with at least two nuggets of information.  Often it is required to read one or more books to find a new nugget of information, that is, something you can take into your classroom and use with your students.  During our hour together, I hope to provide with at least a couple of good take-aways.

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During teacher trainings, I like to start with a short questionnaire to see what teachers know about the guitar and what they would like to learn.  The first question is, “What key is the guitar in?”  The way teachers answer this question provides a lot of information of their knowledge of guitar.

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First, the guitar is a “C” instrument meaning it is a concert instrument.  However, the guitar sounds an octave lower than where it is written.  The most frequent answer to this question is “E” followed by “C”.  The real answer is the guitar is in the key of G major or E minor although it does not require transposition.

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The open 4th, 3rd and 2nd strings, D, G and B, spell a G major triad.  Add the open 1st or E string and that makes the chord a G6. Add the 5th string, A, and that makes the open chord a G6/9.  The same open strings may also spell an Em11 chord. Based on the common function of these chord qualities, the G6/9 functions as a I chord and the Em11 functions as a vi chord.

 

If we think of the guitar as being in the key of G, this gives us two complete octaves within the first position.  The entire third octave is on the first string from the 3rd fret to the 15th fret.

 

For those of us who play guitar for a living, we also know that songs played in the key of G major tend to resonate more fully than in other keys.  We also know that the high G on the first string, fifteenth fret, tends not to resonate when played on an inexpensive guitar.  This note can also be slightly off pitch on less expensive instruments.  For the most part, the high G should be used sparingly and considered the highest functioning note on the guitar even though some guitars go up to “C” on the twenty-fourth fret.

 

On the low end, the key of G gives us a root on the sixth string and the relative minor, E minor gives us a root on the open sixth string.  The key of G provides us with the full range of the instrument.

 

Most beginners during their first year learn to play up to the A on the fifth fret of the first string.  This is still considered first position.  Intermediate players learn to play in fifth position during their second year and can play up to C on the eighth fret of the first string.  Year three students learn to play in seventh position and can play up to E on the twelfth fret of the first string.  Year four students learn to play in twelfth position and can play up to G on the fifteenth fret.  These standards are defined by the NAfME Best Practices for Guitar Education.  I am aware that TMEA does not recognize these standards, but also aware that most other states do.

 

I am also aware that many non-guitar playing music educators are unfamiliar with how to teach fifth, seventh, and twelfth positions.  I am also aware there are more students at the beginning level than at the third or fourth levels.

 

To make the best out of this situation, what if we were to place capos at the fifth, seventh, and twelfth frets and have students play in first position?  We can also get the same results from using various sized guitars.

 

Most beginning guitar method books start with the first three notes on the first string, E, F and G.  Students can learn to play these three notes rather quickly.  The pattern is open, 1st finger, and 3rd finger.  Let’s place a capo on the fifth fret and play the same first-string pattern: open, 1st finger, and 3rd finger.  We are still referring to these three notes as E, F, and G.

 

Next, move the capo to the seventh fret and play the same pattern: open, 1st finger, and 3rd finger.  Move the capo one last time to the twelfth fret and play the pattern.  The students have experienced playing up to high G which is traditionally the highest note used commonly in advanced guitar ensemble playing.  While this could take years to learn in the traditional pedagogy, beginning students can get the same results very early.

 

Question 1, “Is it any more challenging technically to play the note on the first string, third fret compared to the first note, eighth fret?”  The answer is no.  Technically speaking, the skill is about the same.

 

Question 2, “Then why does it take years to teach students to play notes like high C and high E?”  The answer has nothing to do with technique and everything to do with the intellectual process of learning to read music which in itself is a language and takes time to learn. The other challenge is the complexity of navigating the guitar fingerboard which for some students takes many years to learn. The other challenge is that many music educators teaching guitar do not know how or navigate the guitar neck.

 

Question 3, “Is there a way to bypass or expediate the process of note reading and fingerboard navigating?”  The answer is yes, but it requires special equipment which will be explained in this presentation.  It also requires one year of solid, traditional note-reading training in first position. To make this process work requires the right music and the right instruments.

 

My first effort to experiment with this process was to write arrangements for three parts, an octave guitar, a requinto, and a regular guitar.  All three performers will read each part in first position. The notes in the upper parts do not reflect the actual pitches played but are transposed to read as if in first position.

 

Here is a video performance of students playing with various sized instruments playing in first position.  This is Nun Danket:  https://youtu.be/rEstCntuBF8

 

Here is an example of students playing full-sized guitars with capos.  This is Gavotte by Alessandro Scarlatti:  https://youtu.be/9zKDMYsZNog

 

For the most part, the end result is the same.  Students who can read in first position may expand the range of the instrument by using various sized guitars or capos which enables them to perform music that would typically be considered too difficult to perform for their skill level.

 

As a public-school teacher, there will be times when your administration will come and request a performance for a special event.  It is never a good idea to say no or refuse an opportunity. One solution is to have a trio or quartet ready to go at a moment’s notice with plenty of music to perform for a half hour or more.

 

Question 4, “Do students like playing various-sized guitars?”  The answer is an absolute yes!

The following are many options one may use to play the Part 1 of this trio series.

 

Part-One Instrument 5 Options

 

1. octave guitar (otherwise known as a ¼ -size guitar easily found from Cordoba, Ortega, or Yamaha guitars)

2. Charango-octave South American guitar with double strings or choruses (Frank Rodriguez imports these instruments)

3. half-size guitar known as an Alto guitar tuned to B-F#-D-A-E-B with a regular capo at the fifth fret

4. three-quarter size guitar known as a Requinto guitar tuned to A-E-C-G-D-A with a regular capo at the seventh fret

5. full-sized guitar (preferably a cutaway) with an extra-large Spider capo placed at the twelfth fret

 

Part-Two Instrument 2 Options

1. three-quarter size guitar known as a Requinto guitar tuned to A-E-C-G-D-A

2. a full-sized guitar with a regular capo on the fifth fret

3. (this part will be in first position but will have one more sharp than the other two parts)

 

Part-Three Instrument 2 Options

 

1. Full-sized guitar

2. A contra bass which sounds one octave lower than a regular guitar, still played the same.

 

My first experiment with writing for various sized instruments in three parts seemed to work.  Students like playing various sized instruments and like playing ensemble music that sounds harder than it really is.  This was a good solution for encouraging intermediate level students to perform in ensembles.

 

Here is a sample score of writing for three parts.

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There was a need to write for four parts, and to do so, the alto guitar was added. Here is an example of a score with four various-size guitars.

 

Notice that the Alto guitar has one flat while the Requinto guitar has one sharp.  While they are playing in different keys, each part may still be performed in first position.

 

The following are many options one may use to play each part of this quartet series.

 

Part-One Instrument 5 Options

 

1. octave guitar (otherwise known as a ¼ -size guitar easily found from Cordoba, Ortega, or Yamaha guitars)

2. Charango-octave South American guitar with double strings or choruses

3. half-size guitar known as an Alto guitar tuned to B-F#-D-A-E-B with a regular capo at the fifth fret

4. three-quarter size guitar known as a Requinto guitar tuned to A-E-C-G-D-A with a regular capo at the seventh fret

5. full-sized guitar (preferably a cutaway) with an extra-large Spider capo placed at the twelfth fret

 

Part-Two Instrument 3 Options

1. half-size guitar known as an Alto guitar tuned to B-F#-D-A-E-B

2. three-quarter size guitar known as a Requinto guitar tuned to A-E-C-G-D-A

with a capo at the second fret

1. a regular size guitar with a capo at the seventh fret

2. (This part will be in first position but will have one more flat than the other two parts.)

 

Part-Three Instrument 2 Options

 

1. three-quarter size guitar known as a Requinto guitar tuned to A-E-C-G-D-A

2. a full-sized guitar with a regular capo on the fifth fret

3. (This part will be in first position but will have one more sharp than the other two parts.)

 

Part-Four Instrument 2 Options

1. Full-sized guitar

2. A contra bass which sounds one octave lower than a regular guitar, still played the same.

Here is an example of four various size guitars playing as a quartet.  All parts are being played in first position.  https://youtu.be/moC5XEing1M

This is Angels from the Realms of Glory performed by Frank Rodriguez Villela.  Here is a sample from the score.

 

I wrote and published thirty arrangements for three guitars which all parts may be performed in first position as described.  They are sold in groups of ten arrangements in each book and are available at: http://billswick.com/category/skill-builders/ez-12th-fret/

 

While each volume is priced at $49.95, that means each arrangement with full score and individual parts is only $5 each.

 

More recently, I have written and published arrangements for four guitars which all parts may be performed in first position.  These are available at www.Guitarintheclassroom.com and can be found under Year 1, Quarter 4, and Year 2, Quarters 1, 2, and 3.

 

I have brought some of these arrangements with me today.  What I thought we would do is give those of you who would like to play through these arrangements an opportunity to do so with the remaining time that we have together.  It is one thing to talk about the experience, it is another to experience it first-hand.