Michael Ripoll
Michael is a Guitar instructor at JamPlay.com
Michael "Nomad" Ripoll is a consummate professional in the music industry with a list of credits and accomplishments that span decades. Best known as a masterful guitar virtuoso who has played with a seemingly endless list of the most respected names in the music world, Michael has always strived to exceed the boundaries of a traditional musician’s career by proactively seeking and securing opportunities to excel in other facets of the industry.
While he remains an arti... (more)
Michael currently offers 130 guitar lessons at JamPlay, with 130 intermediate lessons.
Michael Ripoll's contribution to JamPlay
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Funk/R&B with Nomad
Michael "Nomad" Ripoll dives deep in to the Rhythm & Blues, Funk, and Soul genres that were made popular by artists like Earth Wind & Fire, Stevie Wonder, and James Brown. Nomad's approach is to take techniques and ideas you may already play in other genres and look at how paying attention to subtle nuances can make all the difference when you're gettin' funky! Enjoy dozens of tips, playing ideas and other licks and apply them over spot on, genre-specific backing tracks.
Series Introduction
Michael "Nomad" Ripoll dives deep into the rhythm & blues, funk, and soul genres that were made popular by artists like Earth Wind & Fire, Stevie Wonder, and James Brown. Nomad's approach is to take techniques and ideas you may already play in other genres and look at how paying attention to subtle nuances can make all the difference when you're gettin' funky. Enjoy dozens of tips, playing ideas, and other licks and apply them over spot- on, genre-specific backing tracks.
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Nomad's Toolbox
You gotta have the tone! Nomad breaks down his sound, talks about amps, and plays with his effects collection as it relates to funky music. He stresses how important your clean tone is when authentically representing this genre.
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Strummies
Nomad sets up a chill vibe with his first of many genre-specific techniques. He explains and demonstrates an almost therapeutic way of strumming. Practice "strummies" with the provided soulful progression and backing track while enjoying your favorite refreshing drink! Pay attention to dynamics and the subtleties shown in this lesson. They make all the difference!
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Chanks
Quick upstrokes...percussive triads...you can call them anything you'd like. "Chanks" are a hallmark stylistic technique found in rhythm and blues, funk and soul. Practicing with Nomad's custom backing track will help drive them into your fingers like nothing else can. Eat 'em up!
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Chugging
Nomad discusses the importance of simple, muted rhythm playing in rhythm & blues. Then, he demonstrates how to combine groovin' "chugs" with accented "chanks". Apply these ideas over "Sunshine On My Side," Nomad's custom backing track.
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Pretties
Nomad discusses how to add chord extensions inside of and outside of basic chord forms to add a "pretty" texture to an R&B groove. You'll also learn and apply some phrasing ideas as well as volume pedal techniques.
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Skratchin'
The funkiest and most fundamental techniques of all is here! Learn how to groove, how to imply a chord with "skratchin'," and play with and without wah over the backing track.
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Skratch 'n Stab
Building on the popular "skratchin'" technique discussed in the last lesson, Nomad demonstrates creative ways to incorporate chords into the groove that mimic a horn section. This is a must watch lesson for funksters!
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Skankin'
The FUNKIEST and nastiest off all techniques in the funk world..."skankin'"! Learn what it is and how to apply it over a groove. Also, learn how to add licks and double stops within a "skankin'" riff.
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Chicken Pickin'
Ever listen to an R&B tune and you hear this anonymous groovy guitar in the background that seems to peak out just enough to let you know that it's still there? That's "chicken pickin'". Learn the art of laying back into a groove.
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Curly Q's
Learn a trademark R&B-style way of embellishing common chord forms. Once you understand the concept, start groovin' with it!
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Inversions From Mars, Part 1
You've seen him use them in all his lessons so far. You've heard the effect they have on simple, funky rhythms. Now you get to learn all about how to incorporate inversions into your soul playing. Learn how to play different triad shapes up the neck and how to add common extensions to basic shapes for the ultimate FUNKY sound!
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Inversions From Mars, Part 2
Nomad continues his study of inversions by discussing different kinds of chords, pentatonic scales, and the Dorian mode. He also provides a backing tracking track for your practicing pleasure.
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Wiggles and Worms
Nomad looks at a specific way of using slides and vibrato that emulates the sound of some of the early mono synths used in funk and R&B. Play it clean, or funk it up even more with the wah wah!
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Slippin' & Slidin'
Sliding -- such a basic concept for most. Once again, Nomad presents the nuances of this technique that are true to R&B. Dig in, keep an open mind, and jam along!
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Rubber Band Man
Nomad deconstructs another basic technique - the bend. Learn how the great funksters and R&B artists use bends in their playing.
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Octify
Another trait of classic funk and R&B is the rhythmic use of octaves. Nomad covers the right and left hand techniques needed to funk up your octaves and works in unison bends as a way to spice up the groove.
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3rd Theory of Revolution: Rhythm
Nomad pays tribute to one of the great funk masters of our time, Prince! Nomad discusses how to tastefully blur the lines between the major sound and the minor sound in a very "Prince-like" fashion. This lesson focuses on rhythm playing. A special lesson on applying this concept to lead guitar will follow!
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3rd Theory of Revolution: Lead
Nomad continues in Prince-like fashion and for the first time in this series, he cranks up the gain! Practice blurring the lines between major and minor tonalities with some singing sustain. Play it loud!
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In The Pocket, Cop A Feel
Nomad discusses the unique role that guitarists have in Funkdom. He demonstrates what it means to be locked in with different parts of the groove and how to take the feel of one instrument in the band and inject it into your own guitar playing.
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Puzzle Funk
Skratchin', skankin', strummies...If you've been keeping up with this series, you've learned a lot of genre-specific subtleties that really make funk and R&B what it is. This lesson discusses how to put the different pieces together with other musicians in a way that lets each player have their own unique place in the groove.
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Cuttin' Heads
There's not a lot of soloing in funk or R&B, but when there is, you gotta step out and go for it! Nomad goes through 4 basic lead ideas that draw from what has been taught in the series so far.
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Cuttin' Heads: Advanced Concepts
Nomad turns it up even more with some modal and fusion-influenced ideas to set your lead playing on fire!
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Far Out - Wah
You've seen and heard him apply the wah in the funkiest of contexts during this series. In this lesson, Nomad highlights a few of the ways the wah effect is most commonly used in Funkdome.
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Far Out - Delay
Nomad once again deals with the 'nuances'. Delay is used in too many settings to count. In this lesson, you'll hear and see how the funksters and R&B masters use delay in both a musical and special effects context.
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Far Out - Effects Wrap Up
Nomad looks at how even more effects are used in the funk genre while demonstrating how some of these unique sounds work in a practical context.
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Acoustic Guitar with R&B
Nomad takes the next four lessons to discuss the unique role that the acoustic guitar plays in R&B. Learn some basic fingerpicking and interesting takes on basic chord forms.
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Slaps & Curly Q's
Build on the basic R&B-tinged acoustic vibe Nomad established in the previous lesson by working in a few familiar flavors. Take it slow, and pay attention to the nuances!
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Percussive Techniques
Nomad changes up the acoustic groove a bit by introducing several percussive techniques that will take you deeper into the R&B / soul acoustic flavor.
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Acoustic R&B: Put It All Together
Take all the techniques and chordal ideas you learned in the previous three lessons on the nuances of acoustic guitar in R&B and apply them to a tasteful backing track!
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Nomad's Modal Magic Show
Learn how to use modes in your playing with Nomad's simple 3 step process! Get the knowledge, apply the knowledge and start playing some sweet solos!
Series Intro: Modes Are Not Magic!
The modes may look and sound like magic, but once you have the tools to practice and apply them, they actually become quite approachable. Nomad demystifies the modes in this extensive and fun series. Learn how to apply the modes in any style and in any song!
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Learn the Notes!
Before getting too deep into the modal mysteries, Nomad lays down some groundwork. Before you can use the modes, you need to know the notes on the fretboard! Nomad offers up a simple drill to get everyone on the road to note memorization!
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Learn Accidental-y
Add sharps and flats into the note learning drill. Take it slow, and take your time! Learning the notes on the fretboard will pay great dividends in all areas of your playing.
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The Chomp
Get the hands nice and warm before the scales come. When you're warmed up, you think less about the mechanics of playing and more about the notes and the music.
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The Caterpillar
Take on this finger twisting warm up after trying "The Chomp". Add a few more warm ups of your own and then...on to the modes!
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The Trilogy
Further laying the groundwork for modal magic, Nomad introduces a way to practice position playing that includes going over the scale, the chord, and the arpeggio. When you're approaching an area of the fretboard, think "S-C-A"!
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CAGED and the Fretboard
Now that you've practiced your scales, chords, and arpeggios in open position, it's time to apply "SCA" down the entire fretboard in the key of C. This way of looking at the notes you play will open up many new phrasing ideas as you tackle the modes.
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Greece Wasn't Built in a Day
Before you scale modal mountains, you need to know the patterns! Nomad takes you through basic modal terms and theory and then teaches each modal pattern from a 6th string root.
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SCA & Modal Magic
Now apply the "SCA" method you learned with the CAGED major scale patterns to the modal patterns from the last lesson. This is a great way to look at different areas of the neck in a modal context!
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Be a Little Cooler
You can only sound so cool with the basic major and minor sounds. Nomad invites you to be just a little cooler by applying the "SCA" method and modal positions to major 7th chords and arpeggios!
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Play Them from the 5th String
Now take the same concepts you've been practicing with the modal patterns based on the 6th string and apply them to patterns based on the 5th string. Oh, what fun!
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Two String Modal Runs
Breaking out of box patterns is difficult for any guitarist at one point or another. Learning these two string modal runs will help you break out of the box and fly around the neck!
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The Rest of the Runs
Nomad finishes demonstrating and explaining the two string runs on the lower two sets of strings. He offers advice on practicing and stresses the importance of naming your notes while you play!
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Three Octaves of Fun
Take the two string runs and apply them in three octave sequences! This is another great way to break out of the box as well as familiarize yourself with the notes on the fretboard!
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Three Octaves of Arpeggio Fun!
Nomad introduces this new, challenging exercise in which you take each mode in series and play its corresponding arpeggio in three octaves.
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Modal Patterns in 3rds
In this next mini series of lessons, Nomad explains how to play the modal patterns in all of the diatonic intervals! In this lesson, we begin with 3rds.
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Modal Patterns in 4ths
The fingering of this sequence is tricky! Nomad presents the modal patterns played in diatonic 4th intervals.
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Modal Patterns in 5ths
We're working our way up! There are bigger gaps and more stretches here. Make these drills count so that you are dexterous and ready to go when the flood of musical backing tracks comes!
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Modal Patterns in 6ths
The 6th interval is one of the most musical and sweet sounding note relationships to be played on the guitar. Combine the 6th with superb modal playing, and you'll come up with some amazing stuff! Get the patterns under your fingers with this lesson!
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Modal Patterns in 7ths
This won't be fun, but it will be useful! The 7th interval is awkward and weird sounding at times, but work it into the rest of your playing, and you'll add some nice unresolved spice to your lines.
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Modal Patterns in Octaves
This is the last lesson of its kind in this series...We promise! There are not as many notes in this exercise, but there are more awkward stretches and string skipping situations. Get this one down and then comb over the last series of lessons. Combine them for one large practice routine!
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Parallel Universe
If you've made it this far, CONGRATULATIONS! You've graduated from the realm of modes in series to modes in parallel! Learn how the two universes are related and start digging into the musical nature of each mode!
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Let's Major on the Minors
Continuing in the introduction to your new parallel universe, Nomad shows you the theory behind going from a basic major scale to the two most common minor modes.
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Stranger Qualities
Each mode has 'key tones' that give the mode its signature sound. Nomad continues to explore these notes in some of the stranger sounding modes.
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Living in Harmony
Just like modes have unique scale tones that define their sound, they also have a chord harmony structure that defines them. When can you play a minor i chord and then go to a dominant IV chord?...when you're playing a Dorian chord progression! Nomad dives into each mode and its respective harmony so that you can identify and write modal chord progressions!
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The Reveal
This is where it all comes together! Commit the 3 simple steps shared in this lesson to memory and then practice applying them. You'll be well on your way to modal bliss in no time!
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Play Those Modes!
Ok! You've graduated into the realm of real modal understanding! Now it's time to play some real modal music. Cut your teeth on tracks from the first two modes of the major scale: Ionian and Dorian. See how Nomad applies all the aspects of this course over these tracks.
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Phun with Phrygian
Nomad walks through the three 'magical' steps while working with a Phrygian track. Watch the b2!
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Love Me Some Lydian
Ahh, the ethereal and slightly spooky nature of Lydian... Move right along with Nomad's spoon feeding session with a track and examples for each mode. Pour in to these because after he works through each mode with you, he passes the baton to you in a series of 'modal mystery' examples!
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Lydian Has a Cousin
Well, maybe their names sound similar, but their tonalities can sound quite different! Ladies and gentlemen...Let's hear it for Mixolydian! Get jazzy and groovy with this example.
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Good Ol' Minor...Aeolian
'Tis one of the most recognizable sounds in guitar history, but with your new found modal knowledge, you are better prepared than ever to tackle this track! Take what you will from Nomad, and then solo away!
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Save the Weirdest for Last
The uncommon and just plain strange sounding mode finishes off this segment of the series. You won't use it everyday, or even every month, but knowing how to apply it will round out your modal mystique and make you a better player!
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Modal Mystery #1
And now...YOU get to put all your modal knowledge to work in these last lessons! Nomad will play a track and jam over it, and YOU will get out your scribble pad and figure out what is going on modally. At the end of each lesson, you can check your work against Nomad's explanation. Have fun!
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Modal Mystery #2
Are you warmed up yet?...Good! You'll learn NOTHING about the track Nomad is to play over. Instead, you must listen and analyze as he plays. See if you can figure out all the modal twists by the time the track ends. Loop it if you have to!
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Modal Mystery #3
They're getting trickier! Continue to test your own modal mind with this third example. See how many times it takes you to get it without listening to Nomad's explanation!
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Modal Mystery #4
This is the final test (but not the final lesson) in Nomad's Modal Magic Show! Figure it out and then make up your own modal jam to the provided backing track!
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Acoustic Pop With Nomad
"How does he make his guitar sound like THAT?" Have you ever asked that question when just hearing someone strum the guitar. There is a polish and an sheen to their playing that seems like it comes straight off of a recording. This series teaches you to play with THAT sound over many examples that span popular music throughout its greatest decades, including present day acoustic pop.
Define Pop Music Please!
"How does he make his guitar sound like THAT?" Have you ever asked that question when just hearing someone strum the guitar? There is a polish and a sheen to someone's playing that seems like it comes straight from a recording. This series teaches you to play with THAT sound over many examples that span popular music throughout its greatest decades, including present day acoustic pop.
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The Slow Strum
Dial it back, slow it down and REALLY focus on your strumming mechanics, even if you already strum a lot! We are laying the ground work for intentional, yet free and natural sounding strumming.
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Be Free With It
Nomad stresses the concept of honing in on something, internalizing it, and then forgetting about it and letting your intuition and musical sense take over. This lesson takes the mechanical approach to strumming from the last lesson and puts it on the back burner. Here you get to focus on making your strumming natural, groovy, and unique sounding!
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In Between Is A Dream
Pick up the tempo on the strumming a little in this lesson. Learn how to create a mid-tempo groove and practice improvising a bit within a planned strum pattern.
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The Ghost In The Stroke
When it comes to strumming, what you don't play is just as important as what you do play. Nomad explains how to add subtle, rhythmic non-strokes into your strumming.
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Have a Blast, Be Fast
Kick up the tempo tracker just a bit and practice some Americana style strumming. It's a challenge to make sure that you are still right on the beat - not rushing or lagging too far behind.
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Forward Motion
It's time to apply that age old Nomadian principle of taking what you've learned over the last several lessons, pushing it to the back of your mind and forgetting it. Let your intuition and artistic bent take over! Be careful though, we're playing fast!
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Fingerpickin' Good
We've spent a fair amount of time on strumming so far. Now it's time to focus on another area in acoustic popular music: Fingerpicking! Learn and apply the basics in a musical context right away with this lesson!
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Finger Focus
In the last lesson, the goal was to get started on fingerpicking without thinking too much about it. In this lesson, you'll get a chance to actually assign fingers to certain strings and hone in on creating a more focused fingerpicking line.
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Finger Families
Your fingers will now be working together, separately! Learn to strike two strings or more with two different fingers. This leads to more interesting and flowing lines when fingerpicking.
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Finger Roll
Work with a very specific fingerpicking pattern while using a moveable chord shape to create some interesting sounds. Focus on the fingerpicking hand!
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Yellowbird
Learn a classic fingerpicking pattern that is a lot like a particular Beatles song. Get the pattern and the concept under your fingers with this lesson, and then pop over to Phase 3 and learn the whole song!
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Something in Common
Improving efficiency while playing your guitar is always a good thing. This lesson focuses on finding common tones and position similarities between chords so that switching between them is more efficient, and ultimately, more musical.
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C, We're the Same!
Ground yourself in the Key of C and "C" how many ways you can join common tones in your chord voicings for smooth transitions and consistent strumming. Try these ideas with a capo for even more fun!
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Common Tone Grab Bag
Now, Nomad takes you on a creative journey! Using his decades of experience in pop music, he demonstrates how to take ordinary sounding progressions and make them sound more connected and unique.
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From E to Shining E
Due to the many open strings that can be left to ring out when strumming all the strings, the key of E can be quite the chord playground. Nomad takes you through some of his favorite ways to get fresh and creative sounds out of this musical key.
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Upscale
Take the key of E to the next level! Nomad presents a few more ideas that are a bit more challenging and continues the experimentation process.
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'A' Is for Almost Anything
The key of A is another one of those keys that can be really fun to play in! That low open A string really does the trick if you know how to use it. Nomad shares some of his favorite chord tricks in the key of A.
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Sounds in D
We've looked at the keys of A and E. Now we'll look at the rich and deep world of D. Using the open D string with some great moveable shapes will give you some tasty ways to harmonize your musical inspirations!
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Chord Flavor Grab Bag
We've spent some time focusing on what can be done in specific keys with open strings backing them. Now we are going to take some of these ideas and apply them to mini song examples.
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Fingerpicking Grab Bag
The last lesson took many of the chord ideas discussed in the previous lessons and got a little more "song-like" with the examples. In this lesson, you'll have a chance to contextualize fingerpicking lines in the same way. Have fun!
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Neighboring Melodies
Unlock the melodic potential within simple chords. Accomplish this by looking at the chord in the context of the neighboring notes in the corresponding scale. Once you combine a few chords together using this approach, your progressions AND your melodies are going to have new life!
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Rhythmic Variations
Sometimes strumming can get a bit boring. Sometimes fingerpicking can be a bit too calm sounding. But if you take a little strumming, a little finger technique and throw in some percussive playing, you have a really nice sounding mixture!
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Between the Lines
Get your pick ready and practice incorporating single picked notes into your strum patterns. You'll learn how to target key notes and further your melody sense while keeping time.
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Mayer May Not Be
Mix up some fingerpicking, a little slap, and some chord melodies and you have a John Mayer-tinged passage that will inspire your songwriting and grooves.
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His Name Was Travis
Nothing accompanies a simple melodic song idea like the Travis picking technique. Nomad covers Travis picking with both the fingers and the pick and applies it in a few different contexts.
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Upside, Downside
What happens when you turn a chord upside down? What happens when you rearrange the notes? You get inversions. Inversions are everywhere and though that word may sound kind of boring or clinical, the music you can create with them is amazing. Nomad shows how inversions are used in many popular styles.
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Listen to the Inversion
Look at how inversions are laid out on the lower string and then hear some ways that those inversions are worked into real musical examples. If you like the Doobie Brothers or Jimi Hendrix, you'll dig this lesson!
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Sound Familiar?
Nomad shares a handful of examples of inversion from various pop songs written in the last several decades. See if you can guess the artists and songs that Nomad is alluding to!
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Yes, Less Is More
In recent pop music, the acoustic guitar can almost sound like it has been sampled...and sometimes it has been. Nomad explains how to create modern pop hooks and demonstrates the art of leaving space.
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Altered State of String Tension
Get a taste of how to apply simple alternate tunings to your popular music melodies and strum patterns. It's amazing how new ideas open up when you modify just one string!
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Harmonious Harmonics
Learn some simple, yet artistic ways to incorporate natural harmonics into your playing. You'll add a percussive element and create some depth of range with your melodic lines if you have harmonics in the back of your mind while writing.
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Nothing To Do
Working in the style of Jason Mraz, Nomad offers a groovy, laid back track that will bring many of the areas of study from this series to the front and center.
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Tom's Petty
Learn and experience the fun in playing some flowing and free feeling strum patterns inspired by Tom Petty. Nomad provides a Tom Petty-inspired track to sink your teeth and fingers into.
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Nomad
Learn a complete original song by Nomad called "Nomad". If you like John Mayer and catchy acoustic grooves, you'll like what you see and hear. You already got a chance to dig into the main riff on this song, but now, you'll get to put it in the context of a complete song!
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I'm Sorry
Hybrid fingerpicking, slaping, and some groovy strumming will have you making music with this Jam Track. You have touched on the main hook of this piece in an earlier lesson and now it is time to use it in context of an entire composition.
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In The Garden
Yes, there are acoustic guitars in songs that Katy Perry and the like sing over. Put the melodic hook ideas and simple part playing to work over this modern Pop track. Keep it simple... Keep it solid!
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Why Do I Still Love You?
Slow down and cool off for this Country-tinged travis picking track. Keeping things in context will have you playing real music and pushing your skills faster and more intentionally. Soak these tracks up and then apply the techniques you practice here to your own music!
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Life Of The Party
Learn the fundamental building blocks to be able to play any song from beginning to end with confidence and the ability to actually entertain those around you while doing so!
Learn To Play Songs HERE!
Learn the fundamental building blocks to be able to play any song from beginning to end with confidence and the ability to actually entertain those around you while doing so!
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Identifying The Elements - Rhythm
Learn how to pick out and create many different types of rhythmic sounds on your guitar. You'll also get your perspective set on how important rhythm guitar is to your guitar playing.
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Identifying The Elements - Melody
Melody just might be the most important building block in music! It's debatable, but certainly worth pondering. What are some of the first melodies you remember getting stuck in your head? In this lesson, we'll learn how to create melody!
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Identifying The Elements - Harmony
Harmony is simply the support of a melody. Harmony can exist in several different forms. It can be in the rhythm instruments or a supporting vocal, or a single note harmony from any number of instruments. Nomad demonstrates a cool way to practice harmony in this lesson.
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Identifying The Elements - Lyrics
We're looking at how lyrics and melody work together from a guitar player's perspective. Lyrics are an important part of song form and it is an art to get them to work together to compliment one another and not get in the way of each other. Nomad uses an example from one of his own songs to illustrate a good working relationship between the elements.
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A Little About Song Form
Using the original song example from the last lesson, we're going to get a better feel singing and playing along with yourself as well as honing in on different parts that make up a complete song.
10:02 Runtime
2.0 Difficulty
More About Song Form
We'll look at other musical examples from Nomad's world that will further drive home the importance of identifying and working with different parts of popular songs. We'll start off by looking at the bridge.
9:23 Runtime
2.0 Difficulty
Groovin' & Tempo
Learn to march to the beat of your own... Guitar? Yep! In this lesson, you'll learn how to harness that inner groove that is inside all of us and just waiting to be discovered and shared with others.
8:36 Runtime
2.0 Difficulty
Time Moves On
Understanding how the groove works within the time signature is so important when it comes to really getting in the zone with a song. You don't have to be able to count every little subdivision as you strum, but you should be able to count the general feel. Nomad walks you through this.
6:06 Runtime
2.0 Difficulty
The Value of Notes
Once you unlock the little mystery contained in the value of notes, learning and performing songs will be SO much easier! There's a bit of theory involved, but don't get scared It's pretty straight forward.
12:34 Runtime
0.0 Difficulty
How to Mimic the Groove
The drums, the bass line, and the entire arrangement of a song feeds the whole groove and feel. Learn how to capture that energy with your guitar in a performance that doesn't necessarily have all those elements!
16:38 Runtime
2.0 Difficulty
Natural Strumming
The strum pattern can be the hardest aspect of a song to capture because trying to be too precise can actually make you play less like how you really want to sound... Comfortable and awesome! Nomad breaks down how to be imprecise yet strum how you want to strum!
7:19 Runtime
0.0 Difficulty
Dividing It Up
In this lesson, we'll hone in a bit more on the actual subdivisions that make strumming what it is. Now that you know how to sound natural, this is the next step in becoming a great strumming machine.
24:39 Runtime
2.0 Difficulty
Even If You Don't Sing...
...You should sing a little! Why? Because even a little singing makes vital connections between your brain and your ears! Singing is a way to massively train your ears and will make you a better all around musician.
11:40 Runtime
0.0 Difficulty
That Memorable Melody
What's the first thing you remember about a song? That's right... It's the melody. If it doesn't have a great melody that you can remember and hum while you're driving or in the shower, it probably isn't worth spending your time on. Nomad teaches you how to get that melody out of your head and into your guitar playing.
9:41 Runtime
2.5 Difficulty
What Key Are We In?
If you can get a head start on figuring out the key you're playing in just by listening to a song, you'll be in much better shape when you actually go to sit down and learn the song. Nomad gives some great tips on how to train your ear in this direction.
19:58 Runtime
2.5 Difficulty
In One A-Chord
How do we build chords from a Major scale? This is extremely helpful when song writing but also is great to understand how any chord progression works. Nomad will break down how the Major scale and basic chords work together and tie it all in to making your songs sound great!
7:42 Runtime
2.0 Difficulty
Background Vocal Harmony
In the previous lesson, we looked at how the guitar harmonizes with itself in the context of how chords work. If you're playing chords, your always harmonizing. Now, we'll take a look at how harmony works specifically with vocals!
9:09 Runtime
2.0 Difficulty
How Chords Progress
Learn how to create chord progressions by looking at how chords relate to one another. You'll find out which chords work well together and how to join them together for that perfect flow!
9:58 Runtime
0.0 Difficulty
Just Passing By
Work on adding passing chords to your chord progressions and how to identify a passing chord when you're figuring out a song. They can be kinda sneaky, but if you know what to listen for, you'll get them before they fool you.
7:08 Runtime
0.0 Difficulty
The Capo Guy
There are so many great ways to use a capo. You can dial in the right key for a singer, you can add interest by playing chords or lines in a completely different part of the neck than your jamming partner, and you discover new ways to play chords and progressions that are just not possible in any other way!
14:34 Runtime
2.0 Difficulty
Take The Lead
Lots of bands have two or more guitar players. You need to know your role as you start to play with others. It's important that you not only know the difference between rhythm and lead playing. Maybe you'll play rhythm sometimes and lead other times. Learn how to wear both hats and go between the two seamlessly!
10:49 Runtime
2.0 Difficulty
Identify Yourself
We're nearing the end of the series and you have done well if you've come this far! Hone in on how to dial in the sounds and tones you hear in the songs you're trying to learn. In many cases, getting the right sound is key to a great performance.
13:38 Runtime
2.0 Difficulty
Save The Best For Last
In the instructor's humble opinion, the SOLO is where every guitar player gets to have the most fun! As we near the end of course, and you learn how to save your cool stuff for just the right moment, you can open up into a well-thought out guitar solo!! Have fun... Get the right perspective!
23:42 Runtime
3.0 Difficulty
Take Your Time
Nomad talks about the process and order you should go through when sitting down to figure out a song. What should you focus on first? Where should you devote your attention when it comes to the tiny details? Nomad dives right in!
12:04 Runtime
2.5 Difficulty
Shapes & Sizes
Once you've figured out the song, you can look at the chord shapes and then mess with them! Nomad goes over how to give your basic shapes new life.
13:54 Runtime
2.5 Difficulty
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