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6th intervals let you easily harmonize a melody on the guitar. Plus, they’re easy to play.
In this lesson, I’ll show you…
… How to play 6ths across the fretboard.
… How to memorize them.
… And a lovely composition will teach you how to use them.
Enjoy!
This lesson features…
… 1 easy-to-play composition using 6ths.
… The A major scale played in 6ths.
… Fingerpicking throughout.
… Staccato & percussive playing.
… And a trill.
You can download the tabs by clicking here (search for HG7 – Sixth Sense).
Print it. Use it. Make notes.
And here is everything else you need to know. Enjoy!
💪 Action Steps
- Memorize the 2 sixth shapes used here (xx2x2x with middle & ring finger and xx4x3x with middle & index finger).
- Practice bars 1-4. Mind the details in the tabs. The dots mean notes are played staccato (short, separate). The x’s mean a percussive click sound you’ll achieve by hitting the strings with your right hand. Keep it loose.
- Practice bars 5-10. Let all notes ring out as long as possible.
- Practice bar 15, the trill (quick pull-offs and hammer-ons between fret 2 and open B string).
- Put everything together and play through the entire piece. Enjoy!
📈 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
2 days (This is a rough estimation that can vary widely. If you’re faster, great. If not, don’t feel bad.)
✏️ Extra Tips
- When doing position shifts, don’t let your left-hand thumb behind. Keep it opposite your fingers at all times.
- Once you got comfortable with it, experiment with dynamics (soft/loud) and tempo (slow/fast).
- Also, mess around with the sixth intervals you learned. See what music you can come up with. I bet it’s going to be great!
🎯 Encouragement
Sixth intervals are so powerful. They let you easily harmonize a melody and the result is usually not too complicated to execute. Let sixths be part of your practice routine for a while. Soon, they’ll find their way into your playing.
Talk soon,
Florian from Hi Guitar
