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Dynamics make guitar playing much more…
… Expressive.
… Interesting.
… And in most cases better.
In this guitar lesson, I’ll show you a strumming etude I wrote so you can practice playing with dynamics. Enjoy!
This lesson features…
… Dynamics from whispering to yelling.
… 1 piece to practice dynamics.
… 6 chords based on E (022100).
… Strumming with thumb, nails, and pick.
You can download the tabs by clicking here (search for HG5 – Waves).
Print it. Use it. Make notes.
And here is everything else you need to know. Enjoy!
💪 Action Steps
- Get familiar with the chords used (E 022100, F#m11/E 044200, Aadd9 577600, Badd11 799800, Emaj7 066400, and E6 0 11 11 9 0 0).
- Practice the required chord changes.
- Explore your limits. Play 1 chord and 1 strumming pattern as soft as you can and then as loud as you can. Repeat and refine.
- Practice bars 1-4. Mind the dynamics.
- Practice bars 5-6. Mind the dynamics.
- Practice bars 7-14. Mind the dynamics.
- Practice bars 15-18. Mind the dynamics.
- Put everything together and play the entire piece.
📈 Difficulty
2/10 (This gives you a rough idea of how difficult it is to play. If you feel it’s actually easier, great. If not, don’t feel bad.)
⏰ Time Estimation
3 days (This is a rough estimation that can vary widely. If you’re faster, great. If not, don’t feel bad.)
✏️ Extra Tips
- Exaggerate. If it sounds extreme to you as the player, your audience has just started to notice a difference.
- Playing with dynamics goes hand in hand with how you play the strings. Do you use your thumb, fingernails, or a guitar pick? Do you play over the fretboard, the soundhole, or close to the bridge?
- Density (playing 1 string vs. all strings) can also make your playing sound softer or louder.
🎯 Encouragement
Giving your guitar playing more expression only makes sense. We want to say something on the guitar, even if we just say it to ourselves. Make your playing meaningful and invest some time in practicing dynamics. Everyone will hear the difference! (And that includes you.)
Talk soon,
Florian from Hi Guitar
