RSL_Guitar_Debut_2012-OnlineEdition_05Sep2017

Debut Guitar RSL-276317024998 / 1 / berkay cermik / [email protected]
Performance pieces, technical exercises and in-depth guidance
for Rockschool examinations
www.rslawards.com

Acknowledgements

Published by Rockschool Ltd. © 2012
Catalogue Number RSK051201
ISBN: 978-1-910975-51-0
This edition published July 2017 | Errata details can be found at www.rslawards.com
AUDIO
Recorded at Fisher Lane Studios
Produced and engineered by Nick Davis
Assistant engineer and Pro Tools operator Mark Binge
Mixed and mastered at Langlei Studios
Mixing and additional editing by Duncan Jordan
Supporting Tests recorded by Duncan Jordan and Kit Morgan
Mastered by Duncan Jordan
Executive producers: James Uings, Jeremy Ward and Noam Lederman
MUSICIANS
James Arben, Joe Bennett, Jason Bowld, Larry Carlton, Stuart Clayton, Andy Crompton, Neel Dhorajiwala, Fergus Gerrand,
Charlie Griffiths, Felipe Karam, Kishon Khan, Noam Lederman, DJ Harry Love, Dave Marks, Kit Morgan, Jon Musgrave,
Jake Painter, Richard Pardy, Ross Stanley, Stuart Ryan, Carl Sterling, Henry Thomas, Camilo Tirado, Simon Troup,
James Uings, Steve Walker, Chris Webster, Norton York, Nir Z
PUBLISHING
Fact Files written by Joe Bennett, Charlie Griffiths, Stephen Lawson, Simon Pitt, Stuart Ryan and James Uings
Walkthroughs written by James Uings
Music engraving and book layout by Simon Troup and Jennie Troup of Digital Music Art
Proof reading and copy editing by Chris Bird, Claire Davies, Stephen Lawson, Simon Pitt and James Uings
Publishing administration by Caroline Uings
Cover design by Philip Millard
SYLLABUS
Syllabus director: Jeremy Ward
Instrumental specialists: Stuart Clayton, Noam Lederman and James Uings
Special thanks to: Brad Fuller and Georg Voros
SPONSORSHIP
Noam Lederman plays Mapex Drums, PAISTE cymbals and uses Vic Firth Sticks
Rockschool would like to thank the following companies for donating instruments used in the cover artwork

PRINTING
Printed and bound in the United Kingdom by Caligraving Ltd
DISTRIBUTION
Exclusive Distributors: Music Sales Ltd
CONTACTING ROCKSCHOOL
www.rslawards.com
Telephone: +44 (0)845 460 4747
Email: [email protected]

2
Debut Guitar
RSL-276317024998 / 1 / berkay cermik / [email protected]

Table of Contents RSL-276317024998 / 1 / berkay cermik / [email protected]

Introductions & Information
1 Title Page
2 Acknowledgements
3 Table of Contents
4 Welcome to Rockschool Debut Guitar

Rockschool Grade Pieces
5 Another Dime
9 101
13 Beat The Mersey
17 Helicopter
21 Cashville
25 Spike

Technical Exercises
28 Scales, Chords & Riff

Supporting Tests
29 Sight Reading
30 Ear Tests
31 General Musicianship Questions

Additional Information
32 Entering Rockschool Exams
33 Marking Schemes
34 Introduction to Tone
36 Guitar Notation Explained
37 Grade 1 Preview

Debut Guitar

3

Welcome to Rockschool Debut Guitar

Welcome to Debut Guitar
Welcome to the Rockschool Debut Guitar pack. This book and the accompanying audio contain everything you need to play
guitar at this grade. In the book you will find the exam scores in both standard guitar notation and TAB. The audio includes
full stereo mixes of each tune, backing tracks to play along to for practice, and spoken two bar count-ins to both the full
mixes and backing track versions of the songs.

Guitar Exams
At each grade you have the option of taking one of two different types of examination:

■■ Grade Exam: a Grade Exam is a mixture of music performances, technical work and tests. You prepare three pieces
(two of which may be Free Choice Pieces) and the contents of the Technical Exercise section. This accounts for 75% of
the exam marks. The other 25% consists of: a Sight Reading test (10%), a pair of instrument specific Ear Tests (10%),
and finally you will be asked five General Musicianship Questions (5%). The pass mark is 60%.

■■P erformance Certificate: in a Performance Certificate you play five pieces. Up to three of these can be Free Choice
Pieces. Each song is marked out of 20 and the pass mark is 60%.

Book Contents
The book is divided into a number of sections:

■■E xam Pieces: in this book you will find six specially commissioned pieces of Debut standard. Each of these is preceded
by a Fact File. Each Fact File contains a summary of the song, including the style, tempo, key and technical features,
along with a list of the musicians who played on it. The song itself is printed on one page. Immediately after each
song is a Walkthrough. This covers the song from a performance perspective, focusing on the technical issues you will
encounter along the way. Each song comes with a full mix version and a backing track. Both versions have spoken
count-ins at the beginning. Please note that any solos played on the full mix versions are indicative only.

■■ Technical Exercises: you should prepare the exercises set in this grade in the keys indicated. There is also a Riff test
that should be practised and played to the backing track.

■■ Supporting Tests and General Musicianship Questions: in Debut Guitar there are two supporting tests called Sight
Reading and Ear Tests, plus a set of General Musicianship Questions (GMQs) asked at the end of each exam. Examples
of the types of tests likely to appear in the exam are printed in this book. Additional test examples of both types of test
and the GMQs can be found in the Rockschool Guitar Companion Guide.

■■A dditional Information: finally, you will find information on exam procedures, marking schemes, guitar tone, guitar
notation, and the full notation and backing track of a piece from the next grade as a taster.

Audio
In addition to the Grade book, we have also provided audio in the form of backing tracks (minus assessed guitar part) and
examples (including assessed guitar part) for both the pieces and the supporting tests where applicable. The audio files are
supplied in MP3 format.
You can find further details about Rockschool’s guitar syllabus by downloading the syllabus guide from
our website: www.rslawards.com

Syllabus Guide
All candidates should read the accompanying syllabus guide when using this grade book. This can be downloaded from the
RSL website: www.rslawards.com

4
Debut Guitar
RSL-276317024998 / 1 / berkay cermik / [email protected]

Another Dime

SONG TITLE: ANOTHER DIME q =94 Classic Rock
GENRE: CLASSIC ROCK A
TEMPO: 94 BPM E5 A5 œN.C.
KEY: E MINOR & # 44
œœ œœ 3
TECH FEATURES: POWERCHORDS Œ Œ
EIGHTH NOTES
RESTS

COMPOSER: ALISON RAYNER T

A 2
B 2 0
PERSONNEL: STUART RYAN (GTR) 0
HENRY THOMAS (BASS)
NOAM LEDERMAN (DRUMS)

E5 A5 N.C.

THE BIGGER PICTURE
œOVERVIEW œ RSL-276317024998 / 1 / berkay cermik / [email protected]
# Œ Œ‘Another Dime’ is a classic rock piece in the style
& œof bands like AC/DC, Thin Lizzy and Joan Jett & The 0
œ œBlackhearts. It uses powerchords, which in this case
œare the two lowest sounding notes of the E, A and D Œ

chords. The powerchords are combined with rests to 5

Tcreate a vacuum between the heavy chords that gives
The golden age of classic rock was definitely the
1970s. Bands including AC/DC, Thin Lizzy and Led
Zeppelin were at their peak and selling out huge
stadium and arena tours worldwide. Of course, at
the time they were ‘just’ rock bands and weren’t yet 3

considered ‘classic’. The term has gradually evolved
the song its heavy feel. As well as the chords, there A over time from an indication2of status to a style of
are also single-note phrases that use the E minor B tmhuesoicriig20ninitasl own right. New b0ands influenced by
pentatonic scale. wave of classic rock bands are referred
to as ‘classic rock’. Bands like Guns N’ Roses and,
[5] more recently, Velvet Revolver and The Answer are

STYLE FOCUS considered classic rock.

Classic rock tracks are based on powerful, catchy
guitar riffs (a riff is a short, repeated phrase). Upon
first glance, the simple riffs, chords and rhythms B RECOMMENDED LISTENING A5
may imply classic rock is easy compared to other
styles of music. However, there’s much more to rock D5
music than its seemingly basic ingredients. The most & # œ Œ œ œ Œone of the best. They produced legendary albums with
important aspect of playing rock guitar is attitude. In When it comes to classic rock bands, AC/DC are

œ œ œ œHighway To Hell (1979) and Back In Black (1980).
œHighway To Hell features singer Bon Scott (who died
technique terms, this means playing the guitar with an shortly after recording the album) and contains the
aggressive attack. That, however, can produce its own songs ‘Girls Got Rhythm’, ‘Walk All Over You’ and
problems. Playing the guitar in this manner can cause the title track. Back In Black features current vocalist
a guitarist to rush their playing and hit unwanted ATBLaBorhinoagns’t, J‘ooHf20hecnlllassosBsniecalslnsi’dna,cnaludsidd‘iHenagfvr‘oeYmo2A0utDhSrehiont20ioktlkeOMtnraeMcAke,l’.lcNonigtahitns
strings, so good timing and control are two key 2 Debut Guitar
aspects of a successful rock guitar performance. 0

[9]

Another Dime

Alison Rayner

q =94 Classic Rock
A
E5 A5 œ œN.C. œ œ E5 A5 N.C.
& # 44
œœ Œ œœ Œ 30 œœ Œ œœ Œ œ œ œ œ
30
T 02
A 22
B 2 2 2
0 0 20
0

# E5 Œ A5 Œ œ œN.C. œ œ œ E5 A5 N.C. ˙
& œœ
œœ 30 œœ Œ œœ Œ œœ 2
330
T 2 0
A 20 2
B 2 2 0
0 0

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BDebut Guitar#D5Œ œœ œœ Œ A5 E5 Œ Œ
RSL-276317024998 / 1 / berkay cermik / [email protected]˙˙ ..
& œœ œœ Œ œœ œœ Œ ˙˙ ..
2
T 2 22 2 22 2 0
A 0 00 0 00 0
B

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& # D5 Œ œœ œœ Œ A5 Gwwww

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#C E5 Œ A5 Œ œ œN.C. œ œ œ E5 A5 N.C. E5
& œœ
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6 [16] This music is copyright. Photocopying is illegal.
© Copyright 2012 Rock School Ltd.

Walkthrough

Amp Settings B Section (Bars 9–15)

The vintage classic rock setup consists of a Les Paul This section uses mostly powerchords, and some are played
played through a Marshall amplifier, but any guitar using eighth-note rhythms.
with humbuckers is ideal. If you don’t own a guitar with Bars 9–10 | Eighth-note chords
humbuckers, use the neck pickup to get a thicker tone. The eighth-note powerchords can be played in two ways:
Ensure your sound isn’t too distorted – you’re looking for an using all downstrokes, or alternate strumming. Alternate
overdriven sound that ‘breaks up’ when the guitar is played strumming is usually the most common choice for
aggressively rather than full-on distortion that will turn the chords using an eighth-note rhythm because it’s ideal for
sound to mush. maintaining fluency, especially when moving between
quarter notes and eighth notes. However, in rock music
Distortion Equalisation Reverb powerchords are often played using all downstrokes because
Channel this technique provides a solid, consistent sound. Whichever
method you choose, be consistent or you may affect the
456 456 456 456 456 fluency of your performance.
37 37 37 37 37
C Section (Bars 16–19)
28 28 28 28 28
This section is a variation of the A section and brings the
19 19 19 19 19 piece to a close.
0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 Bar 19 | Note lengths
When a song ends, it can be tempting to let the final note
GAIN BASS MIDDLE TREBLE DRY – WET ring on for longer than notated. Be sure to stop the final note
after two beats.
A Section (Bars 1–8) RSL-276317024998 / 1 / berkay cermik / [email protected]

This section opens with two-note powerchords combined
with rests, followed by an ‘answering’ phrase that uses single
notes to contrast with the chords.
Bar 1 | Powerchords
Powerchords are two or three-note chords (in this case
two). These powerchords are played using an open string
combined with another note using a single finger (Fig. 1).

Bar 1 | Rests E5 œ #œ #œ œ œ
In order to stop the powerchords on beats 1 and 3 ringing
on for too long, mute them using your picking and fretting & œœ 2
hands. Release the pressure on the strings with your fretting 5
hand. Don’t take your finger all the way off the strings, just T
stop pressing down. Simultaneously mute the strings with A
your picking hand. B 2 0
Bar 2 | N.C. 0 024
The N.C. Indication above the notation in bar 2 stands for
‘No Chord’ (Fig. 2). Usually a chord symbol will appear Scale degree: 1 2 3 4
above every bar of a piece of guitar music. If there is a chord
played by the notated part the chord symbol will show this Fig. 1: Construction of a ‘5’ chord
chord. When the written part is playing a melody, the chord
symbol will reflect the chords played by the accompaniment. œN.C. œ œ œ
When all the instruments are playing single notes, as in &
bar 2, N.C. is used. Without this symbol the A5 chord from
bar 1 would still be in effect, which would be misleading.

Bar 6 | Eighth notes T3 0 Debut Guitar
So far all the notes have been quarter notes or quarter-note A 30
rests. The third beat of bar 6 features two eighth notes. Two B
eighth notes last for the same amount of time as a single Fig. 2: ‘No Chord’
quarter note. Because they are twice as fast as quarter notes,
you may find it easier to use alternate (down up) picking.

7

8 Debut Guitar
RSL-276317024998 / 1 / berkay cermik / [email protected]

101

SONG TITLE: 101 A q =110 Electronic
GENRE: ELECTRONIC Awwwwwm
TEMPO: 110 BPM
KEY: G MAJOR

TECH FEATURES: ARPEGGIATED CHORDS # 44 œ
SINGLE-NOTE MELODIES &
OPEN CHORDS Let ring

COMPOSER: SIMON TROUP T 0 2
A 1
PERSONNEL: STUART RYAN (GTR) B 2
SIMON TROUP (PROD) 2
0

OVERVIEW Am œ RSL-276317024998 / 1 / berkay cermik / [email protected]

& # wwwww œsuch as Kraftwerk wrote instrumental music using Let ring 2
synthesizers and modern production techniques. In
‘101’ is a composition influenced by electronic the 19080s, synth pop became successful and most œ
pop g1roups of the time fused synth with clean guitar.
Tgroups in the vein of Hot Chip, Pin Me Down and seTolhencegtsrw2c2o0reninticienmgga.uvIsenicwthtaheya1tto9w9me0rsoe,rMneouotnbbdyaeasrengddroaourtonhudenrfdoarrptmiossptsof 2 3
made the guitar a key component of the growing
Bloc Party. On this song the guitar plays clean electronic ‘chill out’ music scene while The Prodigy œ

Aarpeggiated parts at times with full sustained chords
Bbeing played in other sections against a synthesized
production backing. There is also a melody line for
you to play in the open position (e.g. from frets 1 to 4 [5]

using open strings) where clarity is essential. B used the guitar as more of an aggressive instrument D
STYLE FOCUS umsaiDningssudtrisesa2tomrteiolenctarnodnipcogwroerucphsolridkebHasoetdCrhififps. Today,
take a
& # Œ œ œ œ œmore subtle approach and use the guitar to play softer
Although more commonly found in mainstream riffs and chords. Sigur Rós use the guitar to create
soundscapes fusing more traditional instruments like
styles, guitar has found its way into electronically drums, bass and guitar with effected synths.
produced music to serve more of a textural role
instead of being at the fore with obvious riffs. It is
RECOMMENDED 2LISTENIN0G 1 3
Tcommon for guitarists in this style to use a clean tone,
Asometimes with effects like chorus and delay to add Discovery (2001) by Daft Punk is a classic
Bmore ambience and ‘space’ to their sound. In these electronica album featuring some great guitar
moments. Production teams like Zero Seven and Air
situations the approach of ‘less is more’ is crucial so
that the music is not swamped by the guitar.
[9] (a2ls0o0D1fe)sabtuuysrt2ehgeufiotramr ienr their music: try Simple Things
THE BIGGER PICTURE and Moon Safari (1998) by the
Electronic music grew alongside the development D
& # Œ œ œ œ œwrite some of their material around the acoustic
latter for classic electronic music. British duo Lamb Debut Guitar

guitar, as does Moby – you will hear some memorable
of the synthesizer from the 1970s onwards, as groups guitar on his hit album Play (1999).

T 01 3 93
A 2

101

Simon Troup

A q =110 Electronic Gwwww
Awwwwwm
# 44 œœ ˙ 3 œœ ˙
& 0
Let ring 1 0 Let ring 0
T 0 0
1 2 0
A 2 2 0
B 2
0

& # Awwwwwm œ œ ˙ G˙˙˙˙ ˙˙˙˙ wwww

T 0 Let ring 3
1 0
A 2 33 0
B 2 1 00 0
0 2 00
2 00

[5]

B G6 œC maj 7
& # ŒDsus2 D
œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ Œ œ œ œ œ
œ

Debut GuitarT 01 02 0 32
RSL-276317024998 / 1 / berkay cermik / [email protected]
B 2

[9] C

& # ŒDsus2 œ œ œ D œ œ œ wC maj 7 wwww

œ 0
1
T 01 02 3 0
A2 33 2
B
Œœœœ Gwwww Œœœœ
[13]
Let ring 3 Let ring
C 0
1 0 0
& # Awwwwwm 2 0 0
2 0
T 0
A 1
B 2
2
0

[17]

& # Awwwwwm œœœœ wC maj 7

T 0 Let ring 3
1 0
AB 2
2 1
0 2
2

10 [21] This music is copyright. Photocopying is illegal.
© Copyright 2012 Rock School Ltd.

Walkthrough

Amp Settings because it uses less motion. This technique can help make
your playing more fluent.
A bright, clean sound is ideal for the guitar part in ‘101’. Bar 9 | Counting rests
Even clean channels can distort, so be sure to keep the gain One way of making sure you play the A note in Bar 9 in the
low to keep the tone pure. Boost the bass and cut the middle right place after the quarter-note rest is to count along to the
to add some warmth. Boost the treble slightly to keep the pulse (also called the beat) of the music. The A note should
sound from becoming too muddy. Because of the ambient be played when you say the number ‘2’ (Fig. 2).
nature of this style of music, you can afford to be quite
generous with the reverb.

Clean Equalisation Reverb C Section (Bars 17–23)
Channel
This section is a reprise of the A section, this time with
456 456 456 456 456 variations in the picking patterns.
37 37 37 37 37 Bar 23 | Fingering options
There are several options for playing the final note of ‘101’.
28 28 28 28 28 The challenge presented here is that your hand will be
holding a chord right up until the time the final note must
19 19 19 19 19 be played. The fourth finger is quite naturally placed to fret
0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 this note and will require minimal hand movement, but you
must be sure that all the notes from the previous chord have
GAIN BASS MIDDLE TREBLE DRY – WET stopped ringing as you play it. If you have difficultly fretting
the note with your weaker finger, you could use one of your
A Section (Bars 1–8) stronger fingers (though it is advisable to build fourth finger RSL-276317024998 / 1 / berkay cermik / [email protected]
strength as early as possible while learning), but you will
This section is based on open chords that are strummed, have to move quickly at the end of bar 22 to ensure that you
then the notes are picked individually. play the final note in time.
Bar 2 | Arpeggio
When the notes of a chord are played individually, this is # œ œ˙
called an arpeggio. If the notes in a chord are picked one at a &
time the chord is being arpeggiated. Let ring 1
Bars 1–2 | Chord accuracy T 2
While it’s always important to fret chords accurately, the A 2
picked chords in bar two will expose any notes in the chord B Fig. 1: Let ring
that are not fretted cleanly. Aim to fret the notes with the
tips of your fingers to make room for the adjacent higher
sounding strings to ring clearly. If you have difficulty with
this, experiment with the position of your thumb because
this has a large impact on your hand’s mobility.
Bar 2 | Let ring
Usually in a single note melody you should avoid letting
the notes ‘bleed’ into each other because this can inhibit the
clarity of the melody. In this case, however, the notes ringing
into each other is a key part of the song’s main melody,
hence the self-explanatory ‘Let ring’ indication (Fig. 1).

B Section (Bars 9–16) & # ŒDsus2 œ œ œ

This section consists mostly of single notes played in the AT 0 1 Debut Guitar
open position. It finishes with a single strum of an open B 2 4
chord to lead into the C section. 23
Bars 9–16 | Picking options Count: (1)
Picking this melody using all downstrokes will produce Fig. 2: Counting rests
a consistent, solid sound, but you may find it a challenge
to maintain at this tempo. Alternate picking is generally
considered a more economic way of picking faster phrases

11

12 Debut Guitar
RSL-276317024998 / 1 / berkay cermik / [email protected]

Beat The Mersey

SONG TITLE: BEAT THE MERSEY A q =125 1960s Pop Gœœœœ
GENRE: 1960S POP
TEMPO: 125 BPM & 44 Cwwww 3
KEY: C MAJOR 0
0
TECH FEATURES: CHORDS 0
STRUMMING
CROSSING STRINGS œœœœœœ

COMPOSER: JOE BENNETT T 0 0
PERSONNEL: STUART RYAN (GTR) AB 1 0
0 0
2 2
2
JOE BENNETT (GTR & VOX) 0

Em œœœœ
HENRY THOMAS (BASS) Am
NOAM LEDERMAN (DRUMS) 3
0
ww œœCHRIS BLANDON (HARMONICA) 0
& www œœœœvibrant. In the early days of Merseybeat The Beatles’ 0
OVERVIEW RSL-276317024998 / 1 / berkay cermik / [email protected]
13
‘Beat The Mersey’ is an uptempo pop song in the success was matched for a while by Gerry And The 0
style of 1960s Merseybeat bands such as The Big 0
Three, Gerry And The Pacemakers, The Searchers ATPobynaceMehmi01i22ttcashkienMrs1u,9wr6r3hayowasintchodr‘AHeddoatwhmrDeFeoaciYtoohnuasenDcdourtIietvj?ee’c(ntweudrmitbbtyeenr 0
and, of course, The Beatles. This song features BThe B0eatles), ‘I Like it’ and the Liverpool FC anthem 2
acoustic guitar and harmonica in the backing track. ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ taken from the 1945 2
0

The guitar part within this song is based primarily on [5m] usical Carousel. The song which they are most
strummed chords and then moves to single notes. associated with is ‘Ferry Cross The
STYLE FOCUS
œreacheCd number eight in the charts
Mtheerfsoelylo’, wwihnigchyear.G
ww œœMy Sweet’, ‘Needles And Pins’ and ‘Don’t Throw Your
The Searchers can boast the same with ‘Sweets For
& ww œLove Away’ in the same period.
Pop of the early 1960s was influenced by
trailblazing rock ’n’ roll artists like Buddy Holly And
The Crickets, Elvis Presley and Chuck Berry. The
songs written and played by those bands were often RECOM0MENDED LISTENING 3
built on simple chords or a catchy guitar riff. Various 0
1960s pop songs traditionally followed the now T The10Beatles have too many ‘essential listening’ 0
familiar pop song structure of verse, chorus, verse, Atracks t2o list here, but standouts from their early 0
Bmaterial include the hits ‘Love Me Do’, ‘Please Please
chorus, middle 8 and chorus. Me’ and ‘From Me To You’ (all featuring harmonica).
‘[I9F]eel Fine’ also has a catchy guitar riff and an
eTxrcipeplleeArn’tmbgouaisttasrosnoleooffotrhyeoirubteosct hriefcfsk. out, and ‘Day
BIGGER PICTURE The first double Em
The Beatles are the most significant band to have
ww wwdeveloping from a young four-piece to the dizzying
come from this golden era of pop music, but in the CD, Anthology 1, is a fascinating record of a band
beginning they were one of a number of up and & w wwheights of Beatlemania. In addition, Cilla Black’s two
coming acts from Liverpool who made the scene so w w1964 number one hits ‘Anyone Who Had A Heart’ and Debut Guitar
w w‘You’re My World’ are worth a listen.

T 0 0
A 1 0
2 0
2 2
2

Beat The Mersey

Joe Bennett

A q =125 1960s Pop Gœœœœ œœœœ ˙˙˙˙ Cwwww Gœœœœ œœœœ ˙˙˙˙

& 44 Cwwww 333
000
T 0 333 0 000
1 000 1 000
A 0 000 0
B 2 000 2 G˙˙˙˙ ˙˙˙˙

Am Em Am 33
00
& wwwww œœœœœœ œœœœœœ ˙˙˙˙˙˙ wwwww 00
00
T 0 000 0
1 000 1 Gœœœœ œœœœ ˙˙˙˙
A 2 000 2
B 2 222 2 333
0 222 0 000
000 000
[5] Cwwww 000
Gœœœœ œœœœ ˙˙˙˙
& Cwwww G

TDebut Guitar0 33 3 0 wwww
RSL-276317024998 / 1 / berkay cermik / [email protected]
A 0 00 0 0 3
B 2 00 0 2 0
0
[9] Em D 0

Am wwwwww #˙˙˙˙ ˙˙˙˙ Am

& wwwww 0 22 w
0 33
T 0 0 22
1 2 00
AB 2 2
2 0 C
0
œœœœ
[13]

B Am
C
w
&œ œ œ œ

T 11 2 11 2
A 0 0
B 2 2
œ œ œ Dw
[17]

C ˙Am œ œ G˙ ˙ Cwwww

&œ 00
1
T 00 3 0 31 3 0
1 2
A0
B This music is copyright. Photocopying is illegal.

14 [21]
© Copyright 2012 Rock School Ltd.

Walkthrough

Amp Settings Bars 1–16 | Counting rhythms
With a relatively high-paced track such as this one, counting
Aim for a bright, clean sound. You can boost the treble the beats along with the music can be a helpful way of
a small amount if you feel your tone needs a little more making sure that you play the chords in the correct rhythm
bite (this may be the case if you have a guitar fitted with (Fig. 1). As you count, make sure that the chords you play
humbuckers). Keep the gain low to avoid the chords coincide exactly with the numbers you are counting.
distorting as you strum. Adding some reverb will help with
the vintage 1960s pop sound.

Clean Equalisation Reverb B Section (Bars 17–25)
Channel
This section consists of a single-note melody. Its main
456 456 456 456 456 challenge is that it features several phrases that cross strings.
37 37 37 37 37 Bar 17 | Crossing strings
Melodies where you have to cross strings can at times be
28 28 28 28 28 challenging (Fig. 2). The larger gaps between strings (at least
compared to phrases that stay on the same string) means
19 19 19 19 19 that you will have to practise these phrases slowly so that
0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 you can get used to the movement – playing up to speed
before you are ready will affect your accuracy.
GAIN BASS MIDDLE TREBLE DRY – WET

A Section (Bars 1–16)

The A section consists of an eight-bar chord progression
played twice. The chords are strummed using a combination
of whole, half and quarter notes. The second eight bars uses
a different rhythm to the first.

Bars 1–16 | Anticipating chord changes C Gœœœœ œœœœ ˙˙˙˙ RSL-276317024998 / 1 / berkay cermik / [email protected]
Each bar of ‘Beat The Mersey’ has a chord held for either
two or four beats before a chord change, allowing you time & 44 wwww
to mentally prepare for the chord change. As you reach beat
four, visualise where you will put your fingers in the next T 0 33 3
chord. Anticipating the chord change in this way will help 1 00 0
you change more fluently. A 0 00 0
Bars 1–16 | Strumming chords B 2 00 0
Aim to keep your wrist relaxed and allow the pick to travel 12 3 (4)
lightly across the strings to achieve a good strumming Count: 1 (2) (3) (4)
action. It is common for beginners to ‘dig in’ too much and
inevitably drag the pick across the strings so that individual Fig. 1: Counting rhythms
strings can be heard being picked. If this occurs, try relaxing
your grip on the pick and aim to strum the strings as a unit
rather than trying to play individual strings. You should also
consider the type of pick you use (see below).

Bars 1–25 | Pick selection C
Pick (or plectrum) selection is an important aspect of
playing guitar. Different picks affect the guitar’s tone and &œ œ œ œ
make certain techniques easier or more difficult to play
depending on their properties. Pick choice is a personal T 11
matter, but it is generally accepted that a thinner pick will AB 2 0
offer less resistance when strumming and will, therefore,
help to produce a more fluent sound and avoid some of Crossing strings Debut Guitar
the problems identified in the previous step. There are also
single note lines in ‘Beat The Mersey’, so you may need a Fig. 2: Crossing strings
slightly thicker pick to help bring out the melody notes. A
pick around the 1mm mark is a good place to start.

15

16 Debut Guitar
RSL-276317024998 / 1 / berkay cermik / [email protected]

Helicopter

SONG TITLE: HELICOPTER A q =95 Indie D Am
GENRE: INDIE G
TEMPO: 95 BPM œ ˙
KEY: E MINOR œ

TECH FEATURES: STRUMMING & # 44 œ œ
EIGHTH NOTES
CHANGING CHORDS

COMPOSER: JAMES UINGS T 2020 2
A
B
PERSONNEL: STUART RYAN (GTR)
DUNCAN JORDAN (GTR)
HENRY THOMAS (BASS)
NOAM LEDERMAN (DRUMS)

OVERVIEW raspy vocals to produce the perfect blend of melody RSL-276317024998 / 1 / berkay cermik / [email protected]

and attitude. Gallagher’s regular use of the brighter
‘Helicopter’ is a slice of Britpop indie in the style sounding major pentatonic and major scales is a key
of bands like Oasis, Blur and The Kaiser Chiefs. It part of the band’s long-term appeal.
starts with a single note verse and moves to strummed
LeiOsuaDrseisi’nb1ig9g9e1s.tTrihveailrBbleusrt-rCseellelainsegdatlbhueimr dPeabruktliafelbwuEamsm

released in 1994, around the same time as Definitely
Maybe. A war of words erupted between the bands.
chords for the chorus. The song ends with a reprise of œ œ

# œ œ œ œ œthe verse section. The most challenging parts of this

song are the eighth notes, which almost certainly need

&to be played using alternate picking.
This culminated in the ‘battle of Britpop’ – Blur’s
‘Country House’ single pipped ‘Roll With It’ to
TwnuhhmeenGbe3r(eWraothnEaets.’csOaTpahese3itsoSttotohoreyk)ttoMhpeoio1rrfn‘atihnlbgeuGamllbourremyv3?esbnceghaeat’rBitn.lu1r9’s950 0 0
TSTYLE FOCUS
Generally, indie guitar is very different to a lot of
Apopular guitar based styles like rock and jazz in that
Bit doesn’t have its roots in blues guitar. One of the
RECOMMENDED LISTENING
main ways this shows in the style is in the guitar solos,
where techniques like vibrato are not used. Indie
guitarists often avoid using the minor pentatonic scale [5] ‘Slide Away’ and ‘Live Forever’ from Definitely

as it has a very distinctive sound that is an inherent Maybe exemplify Oasis’ early material and feature
part of a blues-based guitar style. Noel Gallagher’s famous strumming pattern, as does
‘Wonderwall’ from (What’s The Story) Morning Glory?
Blur’s Parklife featured their biggest hits, ‘Girls And
Boys’ and ‘Parklife’. The Kaiser Chiefs led the way
THE BIGGER PICTURE

Britpop’s golden age was the mid 1990s when for the second wave of Britpop a decade after its
commercial peak. Heavily influenced by Oasis and
Oasis burst on the scene with the debut album particularly Blur, they burst on to the scene in 2004 Debut Guitar
Definitely Maybe (1994). Noel Gallagher’s impeccable with the singles ‘I Predict A Riot’ and ‘Oh My God’
songwriting combined perfectly with brother Liam’s B from thEemir debut album Employment (2005). D

# ˙˙˙˙˙ ˙˙˙˙˙ œœœœ 17œœœœ
&

Helicopter

James Uings

A q =95 Indie Am GD C
G D C Am
& # 44 ˙ Œœœœ w
œ œ œ œ ˙

T 20 0 2 0 013 1
A
B 2

# D œ C œEm œ œ DC D
& œ ˙ œœŒœ œ ˙
œ œ Œ

T3 3 1 3 000 3 31 3
A 02
B

[5]
Debut Guitar
B Em RSL-276317024998 / 1 / berkay cermik / [email protected]
#
& ˙˙˙˙˙˙ ˙˙˙˙˙˙ œœœœ œœœœ ˙˙˙˙ œœœœœ ˙˙˙˙˙..... ˙˙˙˙ ˙˙˙˙

T 0 0 222 00 22
0 0 333 11 33
A 0 0 222 22 22
B 2 2 000 22 00
2 2 00
0 0

[9]

C

# G œ D œ œAm œ œ C˙ Gœ œ D œ Am C G
&
œ œ œ Œœœœ w

T 3130 003 3 30 01
A 30 2
B 0

18 [13] This music is copyright. Photocopying is illegal.
© Copyright 2012 Rock School Ltd.

Walkthrough

Amp Settings part of the section (you aren’t practising the changes while
you strum a chord for a bar) and maximise your practice
Aim for an overdriven sound with the middle and treble time. Start slowly and make sure you are playing the chords
boosted a little. Be careful not to overdo the overdrive accurately, otherwise your time will be wasted.
because you will need to retain clarity, especially in the Bars 9–12 | Strumming
chords. Adding a little reverb where available will provide You will find that chord voicings on the highest sounding
some ambience to the single note parts. Reverb can drown strings are slightly more difficult to strum than those on the
the guitar’s sound, so be careful not to add too much. lowest. Obviously the lower strings don’t have any strings
located below them, so strumming accuracy isn’t such an
Distortion Equalisation Reverb issue. Strumming the four-note chords on the highest strings
Channel requires a more accurate strumming action to prevent you
from striking any unwanted strings.
456 456 456 456 456
37 37 37 37 37 C Section (Bars 13–17)

28 28 28 28 28 This section returns to single notes and brings ‘Helicopter’
to a satisfying conclusion.
19 19 19 19 19 Bar 17 | Ending the song
0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 The song finishes with a whole note open G string. Be
careful not to hit this final note too hard, and ensure that it
GAIN BASS MIDDLE TREBLE DRY – WET lasts for the written duration of four beats. Mute the open
string by simultaneously placing your fretting and picking
A Section (Bars 1–8) hands lightly on the string. RSL-276317024998 / 1 / berkay cermik / [email protected]

This single note melody is played in open position and uses
notes from the G major scale
Bar 3 | Counting rests
The best way to ensure you leave the correct amount of
time for the rest is to count through the bars (Fig. 1). This
will help you keep the pulse (what you tap your foot to,
otherwise known as the beat) of the song in your head and
allow you to play with a better sense of timing.

Bar 6 | Eighth notes # G œ D œ
So far in this piece, all the notes have been quarter notes or &
Œ œ

quarter-note rests. The first beat of bar 6 features two eighth
notes. Two eighth notes last for the same amount of time as a
single quarter note. Because they are twice as fast as quarter
notes, you may find it easier to use alternate (down up) T 0 13
picking, an example of which can be seen in Fig. 2. AB

Count: (1) 2 3 4

B Section (Bars 9–12) Fig. 1: Counting rests

This section uses open chords to provide contrast to the
earlier single-note melodies, complementing the lead guitar
part in the accompaniment.

Bars 9–12 | Fretting chords Em
Fretting chords accurately can take time to master. Fret ≥œ œ≤ ≥œ ≥˙
the notes with the tips of your fingers because there is a #
danger that the fingers fretting the lower sounding strings &
will mute the higher strings. If you have difficulty with this,
experiment with the position of your thumb – this has a T 000 3 (4) Debut Guitar
large impact on your hand’s mobility. A 3
Bars 9–12 | Changing chords B
A good way of perfecting your chord changes is to strum
each chord once and then move to the next chord as quickly Count: 1 & 2
as you can. This allows you to focus on the most difficult
Fig. 2: Eighth notes

19

20 Debut Guitar
RSL-276317024998 / 1 / berkay cermik / [email protected]

Cashville

SONG TITLE: CASHVILLE

GENRE: COUNTRY q =105 Country G5
TEMPO: 105 BPM
D MAJOR AD ˙˙˙˙
KEY:
& ## 44 ˙˙˙˙
TECH FEATURES: CROSSING STRINGS
EIGHTH NOTES
CHANGING CHORDS

COMPOSER: KIT MORGAN T 2 3
PERSONNEL: KIT MORGAN (GTR) A 3 3
B 2 0
0 0

STUART RYAN (GTR)

HENRY THOMAS (BASS) B D œœ Em

& # #NOAM LEDERMAN (DRUMS) ˙ ˙

OVERVIEW folk music is most apparent in country’s predecessor, RSL-276317024998 / 1 / berkay cermik / [email protected]

hillbilly or old time music. Hank Williams was
Johnny Cash, Hank Williams and Merle Haggard country’s first major star, a guitarist and songwriter
whose hits are still covered by artists today. Johnny
Tare some of the best-known country artists of the past Cneawshtow0itlhlebgeeanmreo; rheisfahmelilliraa2risnearmreeptuotatth4ioonseiswahlomaorset 2
as great as his musical legacy. Cash’s instrument of
60 years. ‘Cashville’ is a country piece in the style of choice was an acoustic; the electric guitar licks of
his early years were performed by Luther Perkins.
Athose artists, and features chords and scales based in
Bopen position.

[3]

STYLE FOCUS tMheer1le96HD0asgcgaalrleddhtehlpe eBdaktoercsrfeiealtde a new sub-genre in Em
Country owes much of its distinct sound to its sound, which was
# #characterised by a raw production style and Haggard’s
guitars. Most country tracks meld acoustic and & œ œ œ œ ˙tough Fender Telecaster licks. Reigning over them
electric parts, and usually the rhythm parts are all, though, was the virtuoso Chet Atkins who used
covered by open position chords played on an a thumb pick and fingers to produce dazzling solo
acoustic. The electric guitar is most often used for arrangements of songs such as ‘Mister Sandman’.
lead – frequently in open position – but may also

Tcontribute to the rhythm tracks. Country guitar solos
Aand lead fills may be based further up the neck, but RECOMM0ENDED L0ISTENING2 4 2

open strings are often used in tandem with notes that Many of Cash’s hits are driven by his acoustic

Bare formed at the higher frets. These are known as
open string licks. Pedal steel guitars are also common, [7] rhythm parts, although ‘Ring Of Fire’ and ‘Walk The
and you can hear them on this song’s backing track. Line’ feature clean tone electric guitar, too. ‘Folsom
Prison Blues’ and ‘Get Rhythm’ also feature tasteful
C C
solos. WEilmliams’ hits ‘Hey Good Lookin’’, ‘Lovesick
# # Œ œ n wstandards. Haggard’s lead style is epitomised on ‘The
THE BIGGER PICTURE Blues’ and ‘Your Cheatin’ Heart’ have become country
Country music’s roots go back to America’s early & œ œ œBottle Let Me Down’ and ‘Life In Prison’, while Atkins’ Debut Guitar
immigrant communities. The influence of British guitar mastery can be heard on ‘Yakety Axe’.
Let ring

T 0 0 1 21
A 22

Cashville

q =105 Country G5 D G5 Kit Morgan

AD ˙˙˙˙ ˙˙˙˙ ˙˙˙˙ Œ

& ## 44 ˙˙˙˙ 3 23 D
3 33
AT 2 0 20 Œ
B 3 0 00
2
B 0 Em

& ## D œœ ˙˙ CG

˙ 2 ˙ œ nœ ˙.
2
T
A Em
B 0 24 20 2
˙˙ 3
[3] œœœ G
C
& ## D ˙.
œœ˙
œ

TDebut Guitar 024 2 0 00 0
AB 0 RSL-276317024998 / 1 / berkay cermik / [email protected]
C ˙
[7]
nw
C ## Em œœœ œ Em Am G
1
& Œ Let ring Œ œœœ œ n˙ ˙
Em
Let ring 1 0
˙
T 0 0 0 0 Ó
AB 22 22

[11]

& ## D œœœ Cœ œ œ œ G˙

œ

T3 0 2 0 3 330 3
A 3 3
B D G5
G5 D G5 D
[15] ˙˙˙˙ ˙˙˙˙
˙˙˙˙ œœœœ œœœœ ˙˙˙˙ ˙˙˙˙ œœœœ Œ
DD 2 3
3 3 223 22
& ## ˙˙˙˙ 2 0 333 33
0 0 220 22
T 2 3 000 00
3 3
AB 2 0
0 0

22 [19] This music is copyright. Photocopying is illegal.
© Copyright 2012 Rock School Ltd.

Walkthrough

Amp Settings Bar 11 | Let ring
The way that the melody notes ring into each other in
Aim for a full, thick, clean tone that is still bright. Even this bar is a key part of this song’s sound, hence the self-
clean channels can distort, so be sure to keep the gain low explanatory ‘Let ring’ indication.
to maintain a pure tone. Boost the bass and cut the middle Bar 11 | Eighth notes
to add some warmth, and boost the treble slightly to keep Two eighth notes last for the same amount of time as a single
the sound from becoming too muddy. This style of music quarter note. You may find that playing quarter notes as
benefits from a fair amount of reverb. Experiment with downstrokes and the eighth notes as alternate picking (down
different levels but be wary of drowning the guitar’s sound. up) helps you play more fluently.
Bar 11 | Accuracy
Clean Equalisation Reverb Although the phrase in bar 11 is based on the notes in an
Channel E minor chord, it’s important that they do not ring into
each other so much that the part sounds like a rhythm part
456 456 456 456 456 rather than a single-note melody. While there will be some
37 37 37 37 37 ‘bleeding’ between the open strings, be sure to release the
first E note as soon as it has sounded for the right duration.
28 28 28 28 28
D Section (Bars 19–22)
19 19 19 19 19
0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 The D section is a reprise of the intro chords with a simple
rhythmic variation.
GAIN BASS MIDDLE TREBLE DRY – WET Bar 22 | Note lengths
Unlike the majority of the chords in ‘Cashville’, the final
A Section (Bars 1–2) chord lasts for a quarter note rather than a half note. RSL-276317024998 / 1 / berkay cermik / [email protected]

The intro section to ‘Cashville’ alternates between two & ## D G5 D
sustained open chords and neatly sets up the song for the
main melody. ABT œ œ œ2 4 2
Bars 1–2 | Changing chords œ œ œ3 (3) (3)
The D chords should be played using your first finger on the œœ œœ œœ1 1
third string, your third on the B string, and your second on 0
the E string. To change to the G 5  chord, simply remove your
first finger from the G string and place your fourth finger
in front of the second finger at the 3rd fret. Your third finger
stays in the same location for both chords and acts as an
anchor through the change. This will feel awkward at first,
but it will gradually become a fluent motion (Fig. 1).

00 0

B Section (Bars 3–10) 232
333
The B section consists of a catchy single-note melody based 202
in open position. 000
Bar 4 | Melodic notes on adjacent frets
One of the trickiest things to deal with in single-note Fig. 1: Changing chords
melodies are notes that are played on the same frets but on
different strings, as they are in bar 4. Take a look at Fig. 2 to & ## D Em
discover a common method for dealing with a melody such
as this. The most important thing to watch for is that the ˙ ˙
notes don’t bleed into each other and sound like a chord. 2

0 œœ ˙
24 1

C Section (Bars 11–18) T 24 2 2 Debut Guitar
AB 0
The first half of the B section is based on minor sounds,
which gives it a darker sound than the bright A section. The Fig. 2: Melodic notes on adjacent frets
second half of the section is a variation of the A section,
where the notes are played an octave higher and the rhythm
includes eighth notes.

23

24 Debut Guitar
RSL-276317024998 / 1 / berkay cermik / [email protected]

Spike

SONG TITLE: SPIKE q =120 Indie Gœœœœ œœœœ
GENRE: INDIE
TEMPO: 120 BPM A Am 33
KEY: A MINOR 0
& 44 œœœœœ œœœœœ œœœœœ Œ 0
TECH FEATURES: OPEN CHORDS 0
STRING CROSSING
MELODIC LEAD PLAYING œ

COMPOSER: DEIRDRE CARTWRIGHT T 0 0 0 2
PERSONNEL: A 1 1 1
STUART RYAN (GTR) B 2 2 2 œ
HENRY THOMAS (BASS) 2 2 2
NOAM LEDERMAN (DRUMS) B 0 0 0 2

Am C œ

&˙ ˙˙

OVERVIEW THE BIGGER PICTURE RSL-276317024998 / 1 / berkay cermik / [email protected]

‘Spike’ is based on the kind of indie rock When The Strokes released their debut album
Is This It in A20lb0e1rittHwaams cm2leoanrdthJar.tatnhde gNuiictkarVsatlyelnes0i
Tspearheaded by The Strokes and further popularised a2dopted by
was influenced by new wave bands of the late 1970s
by Franz Ferdinand and Kings Of Leon in the and early 1980s such as Blondie, The Cars and

A2000s. Bands who play in this style usually have two
Bguitarists, one of whom will generally play a lead role.
However, for the majority of bands, both players will Television. The latter’s Tom Verlaine and Richard
perform parts that have been written to complement [5] Lloyd are considered to be especially important in the

by bands with two guCitar
a seminal
act, spawning
each other harmonically and rhythmically. & ˙ ˙ ˙Apdleamvyeelrosp.mThenetSotrfoiknedsiearpelaaylesod
STYLE FOCUS a generation of like-minded bands including Franz
Ferdinand, Kings Of Leon and The Hives.

Indie gets its name from an abbreviation of
‘independent rock’, so-called because records in this
RECOMMENDED LISTENING

genre were released on independent rather than major ‘Am2ToermicaPnetGtyirAl’nmdaTyhheaHvee1ianrstpBirreeadkTerhse’ 1977 single0
Strokes’ ‘Last
Trecord labels. This independent spirit translates into
Aguitar playing that is deliberately at odds with the
Busual rock clichés. For example, lead playing is devoid Night’ – their intros are almost identical. Television’s
debut album Marquee Moon (1977) sold poorly upon
of the typical blues influenced vibrato. As a result,
indie solos can sound naive in comparison with those [9] its release but is now regarded as a landmark album
of hard rock, but that’s the point: indie guitar is arty, in the development of intelligent guitar music. The
not flashy. Single note riffs and licks are frequently aforementioned Is This It is a great showcase for
palm-muted, while solo breaks are either noisy & ˙ ˙ œC C
freakouts or simple melodies that outline the chord HplAaamyminmgo, nwdhJilre. and Valensi’s complementary guitar
changes while steering clear of the minor pentatonic the imprint of their influence can be Debut Guitar
box. Amps are generally set to crunch, so don’t go heard in the playing style of Kings Of Leon’s Caleb
and Matthew Followill on their 2003 debut Youth And
overboard with the distortion. Young Manhood.

T1 1 215
A
2

Spike

Deirdre Cartwright

q =120 Indie G Am G

A Am œœœœ œœœœ œœœœ Œ œœœœœ œœœœœ œœœœœ Œ œœœœ œœœœ œœœœ Œ

& 44 œœœœœ œœœœœ œœœœœ Œ 333 000 333
000 111 000
T 000 000 222 000
111 000 222 000
A 222 000
B 222
000

B ˙ C œœ G œœ F œ
Am
˙ ˙ ˙.
&˙

T 2 0 2 0 02 3 0
A2 3
B ˙ C G ˙ F Œœ
œœ
[5] ˙ ˙ ˙ 1

Am

&˙

TDebut Guitar 1 0 2 0 23
A2 RSL-276317024998 / 1 / berkay cermik / [email protected]
B ˙
œ œ˙ DF
[9]
˙ œ œ œœœœ
C
Am

&˙

T1 11 3 00 10
A 20 20
B D
œœ C œœ F˙ œœ
[13] ˙
œœ˙ 10 1 31
Am 3

&˙ F

T1 2 2 13 ˙. Am
A 0
B œœ œ 2 Œ œœœŒ
G
[17] 1
D ˙ œœ 22

Am 3 10 This music is copyright. Photocopying is illegal.

&œ

Let ring

T0 1 1
A0
B

26 [21]
© Copyright 2012 Rock School Ltd.

Walkthrough

Amp Settings D Section (Bars 21–24)

This track requires a biting tone, so use the bridge pickup. The final section of the song also uses single notes and starts
Boost the middle and treble to help with this, and use with a phrase that crosses three strings.
overdrive with a medium gain setting. This will mean the Bar 21 | Crossing strings
sound will be just about breaking up but not so distorted This is one of the most challenging parts of ‘Spike’. There are
that clarity, particularly when playing chords, is lost. several options for picking this bar, and the most common
variants are shown in Fig. 2. Even though there are multiple
Distortion Equalisation Reverb options available, you should choose the one you feel the
Channel most comfortable with. Whichever one you opt for, make
sure you stick to it otherwise the lack of consistency will
456 456 456 456 456 mean you will never refine a single approach and this will in
37 37 37 37 37 turn affect fluency.
Bar 23 | Counting rests
28 28 28 28 28 At first glance, bar 23 looks simple: a single note followed by
a quarter note rest is not technically challenging. However,
19 19 19 19 19 the challenge is to make sure that you play the note at the
0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 start of bar 24 and don’t play it at the wrong time (a common
error is to play it too early). To avoid this, count the quarter-
GAIN BASS MIDDLE TREBLE DRY – WET note pulse (what you tap your foot to) along with the music.

A Section (Bars 1–4) Anticipate RSL-276317024998 / 1 / berkay cermik / [email protected]

This section uses open chords and the same rhythm that is œœœœœ Œnext chord!
based on quarter notes and quarter-note rests.
Bars 1–4 | Anticipating chord changes
As well as providing a break in the music, the rests in bars
1–4 give you an opportunity to prepare for the next chord.
As you reach beat 4, visualise where you will put your fingers
in the next chord (Fig. 1). Anticipating the chord change in
this way will help you to change more fluently. With practise,
you will be able to anticipate changes such as this even when
you are playing a chord.

B Section (Bars 5–12) Am œœœœœ Gœœœœ

This section uses single notes made up of open strings and & œœœœœ 3
fretted notes, and features some fairly wide intervals. 0
Bars 5–6 | Fingering options T 0 00 0
While it’s possible to fret the notes in these two bars with a 1 11 0
single finger, the fluency of your performance will be greatly A 2 22
enhanced by using a structured fingering. Try using your B 2 22
second finger to play all the notes on the 2nd fret and your 0 00
third finger to play those found on the 3rd fret. This will leave
your hand in position to use your first finger to play the Fig. 1: Anticipating chord changes
notes that occur on the 1st fret without moving your hand
position. This will help you to play more fluently. ≥ ≥ ≥Downstrokes: ≥≤≤
≥ ≤ ≥Alternate: œ
C Section (Bars 13–20)
& œ≤ œ≤ ≥œ‘Next note’: 1
This section also uses single notes, and several of the phrases
use repeated notes. T 0
Bar 14 | Moving between fretted notes and open strings 1
Once you have played the C note on beat two of bar 14, A0
release pressure on the string to stop it from ringing. If the B Debut Guitar
note continues to sound, it will ‘bleed’ into the next note,
affecting the clarity of the part and your performance. Fig. 2: Crossing strings

27

Technical Exercises

In this section the examiner will ask you to play a selection of exercises drawn from each of the three groups shown below.
Groups A and B contain examples of the scales and chords you can use when playing the pieces. In Group C you will be
asked to prepare the riff exercise and play it to the backing track in the exam. You do not need to memorise the exercises
(and can use the book in the exam) but the examiner will be looking for the speed of your response. The examiner will also
give credit for the level of your musicality.

Groups A and B should be prepared as indicated below. Before you start the section you will be asked whether you would
like to play the exercises along with the click or hear a single bar of click before you commence the test. The tempo is q = 70.

Group A: Scales
1. C major scale

&œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

T 010 20
A 023 02
320
B3 3

2. E minor pentatonic scale
#
& œ
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

T
A 020
B 02 20
Debut Guitar03 30
RSL-276317024998 / 1 / berkay cermik / [email protected]
3. A minor pentatonic scale

& œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
œ

T 0 2 0 2 0 2 0
A
B0 3 3 0

Group B: Chords
1. Open position chords. Individual chords will be strummed once as directed by the examiner.

A #Dwwww C Gwwww Am Em

& #wwwww wwww wwwww wwwwww

T0 2 20 3 0 0
31 0 1 0
A2 2 20 0 2 0
02 0 2 2
B0 0 2
0

Group C: Riff
In the exam you will be asked to play the following riff to a backing track. The riff shown in bar 1 should be played in the
same shape in bars 2–4. The root note of the pattern to be played is shown in the music in each of the subsequent three bars.
The tempo is q = 70.

q = 70 Rock

& 44 Am œœœ œ Dm Am Dm
œ
œ œœ

T
A
B0 0 3 0 0
33 0

28

Sight Reading

You will be asked to prepare a sight reading test which will be given to you by the examiner. The test is a four bar rhythm
played on the lowest-sounding E string on your guitar. The examiner will allow you 90 seconds to prepare it and will set the
tempo for you. The tempo is q = 70.

q = 70 ˙ œœ œœœœ œ œ ˙

& 44 0 00 0000 000
œœœœ

T
A
B0 0 0 0

RSL-276317024998 / 1 / berkay cermik / [email protected]

Debut Guitar

29

Ear Tests

There are two ear tests in this grade. The examiner will play each test to you twice. You will find one example of each type of
test printed below.

Test 1: Melodic Recall
The examiner will play you two half notes one after the other. You will tell the examiner whether the second note is higher or
lower in pitch than the first note. You will hear the test twice.

Each time the test is played it is preceded by a one bar vocal count-in. The tempo is q = 85.

q = 85 ˙ ..
.
& 44 .. ˙ 0 .

T.
A .2
B

Test 2: Rhythmic Recall
The examiner will play you a two bar rhythm played to a drum backing on the lowest-sounding E string. You will hear
the test twice. You will be asked to play the rhythm back. You will then be asked to identify the rhythm from two printed
examples shown to you.

Each time the test is played it is preceded by a one bar count-in. There will be a short gap for you to practise. Next you will
hear a vocal count-in and you will then play the rhythm to the drum backing. The tempo is q = 85.
Debut Guitar
RSL-276317024998 / 1 / berkay cermik / [email protected] = 85ŒœŒ Œ ..
œœ
& 44 .. 0 œ œœ
œ 00
.
T. .
A .
B 0 00
0

q = 85

& 44 .. ΠΠΠ..

œ œœ œ œ œœ

T. .
A . .
B
0 00 0 0 00

30

General Musicianship Questions RSL-276317024998 / 1 / berkay cermik / [email protected]

In this part of the exam you will be asked five questions. Four of these questions will be about general music knowledge andDebut Guitar
the fifth question will be asked about your instrument.
Music Knowledge
The examiner will ask you four music knowledge questions based on a piece of music that you have played in the exam. You
will nominate the piece of music about which the questions will be asked.
In Debut you will be asked to identify:

■■ The music stave and the TAB
■■ The treble clef
■■H alf and quarter note values
Instrument Knowledge
The examiner will also ask you one question regarding your instrument.
In Debut you will be asked to identify:
■■O ne of the following parts of your guitar: neck, body, tuning-pegs or bridge
Further Information
Tips on how to approach this part of this exam can be found in the Syllabus Guide for guitar, the Rockschool Guitar
Companion Guide and on the Rockschool website: www.rslawards.com.

31

Entering Rockschool Exams

Entering a Rockschool exam is easy, just go online and follow our simple six step process. All details for entering online,
dates, fees, regulations and Free Choice pieces can be found at www.rslawards.com

■■A ll candidates should ensure they bring their own Grade syllabus book to the exam or have proof of digital purchase
ready to show the examiner.

■■A ll Grade 6–8 candidates must ensure that they bring valid photo ID to their exam.

32
Debut Guitar
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Marking Schemes

Grade Exams | Debut to Grade 5 *

ELEMENT PASS MERIT DISTINCTION
15–17 out of 20 18+ out of 20
Performance Piece 1 12–14 out of 20 15–17 out of 20 18+ out of 20
Performance Piece 2 12–14 out of 20 15–17 out of 20 18+ out of 20
Performance Piece 3 12–14 out of 20 11–12 out of 15 13 + out of 15
Technical Exercises 9–10 out of 15
7–8 out of 10 9 + out of 10
Sight Reading 6 out of 10
or 7–8 out of 10 9 + out of 10
6 out of 10 4 out of 5 5 out of 5
Improvisation & Interpretation 3 out of 5 74%+ 90%+
Ear Tests

General Musicianship Questions

TOTAL MARKS 60%+

Grade Exams | Grades 6–8 PASS MERIT DISTINCTION RSL-276317024998 / 1 / berkay cermik / [email protected]
12–14 out of 20 15–17 out of 20 18+ out of 20
ELEMENT 12–14 out of 20 15–17 out of 20 18+ out of 20
Performance Piece 1 12–14 out of 20 15–17 out of 20 18+ out of 20
Performance Piece 2 9–10 out of 15 11–12 out of 15 13 + out of 15
Performance Piece 3 7–8 out of 10 9 + out of 10
Technical Exercises 6 out of 10 7–8 out of 10 9 + out of 10
Quick Study Piece 6 out of 10 5 out of 5
3 out of 5 4 out of 5 90%+
Ear Tests 74%+
General Musicianship Questions 60%+

TOTAL MARKS

Performance Certificates | Debut to Grade 8 *

ELEMENT PASS MERIT DISTINCTION
15–17 out of 20 18+ out of 20
Performance Piece 1 12–14 out of 20 15–17 out of 20 18+ out of 20 Debut Guitar
Performance Piece 2 12–14 out of 20 15–17 out of 20 18+ out of 20
Performance Piece 3 12–14 out of 20 15–17 out of 20 18+ out of 20
Performance Piece 4 12–14 out of 20 15–17 out of 20 18+ out of 20
Performance Piece 5 12–14 out of 20 90%+
75%+
TOTAL MARKS 60%+ 33

* Note that there are no Debut Vocal exams.

Introduction to Tone

A large part of an effective guitar performance is selecting the right tone. The electric guitar’s sound is subject to a wide
range of variables, and this guide outlines the basic controls present on most amplifiers as well as the common variations
between models. There is also a basic overview of pickups and the effect their location on the guitar has on tone. Finally, it
covers the differences between the types of distortion, which is crucial to getting your basic sound right.
At Debut you are only expected to use one tone throughout the song and you do not have to use any additional effects
units, although you may use them if you wish. You do not have to use distortion. Remember, at Debut a performance on an
acoustic guitar is perfectly acceptable.

Basic amplifier controls
Most amplifiers come with a standard set of controls that are the same as, or very similar to, the diagram below. It’s
important to understand what each control is and the effect that it has on your guitar’s tone.

Distortion Equalisation Reverb
Channel

456 456 456 456 456
37 37 37 37 37

28 28 28 28 28

19 19 19 19 19
0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10

GAIN BASS MIDDLE TREBLE DRY – WET

■■ Channel (Clean/Distortion)
Most amplifiers have two channels that can be selected either by a switch on the amp or a footswitch. One channel is
usually ‘clean’ while the other can be driven harder to create a distorted (or ‘dirty’) tone. If your amp doesn’t have two
channels, look at the ‘variation of basic controls’ below to see how to get clean and dirty tones from a one channel amp.
Debut Guitar
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■■G ain
In simple terms, the gain determines how hard you drive the amp. This governs how distorted the dirty (also called
‘drive’, ‘overdrive’, or ‘distortion’) channel is and acts as a second volume control on the clean channel (though a high
gain setting will distort even the clean channel).

■■ Bass
This adjusts the lowest frequencies. Boost it to add warmth and reduce or ‘cut’ it if your sound is muddy or woolly.

■■ Middle
This is the most important equalisation (often shortened to just ‘EQ’) control. Most of the guitar’s tonal character is
found in the mid-range so adjusting this control has a lot of impact upon your tone. Boosting it with a dirty sound will
create a more classic rock tone while cutting it will produce a more metal one.

■■ Treble
This adjusts the high frequencies. Boost it to add brightness and cut it if the sound is too harsh or brittle.

■■ Reverb
Short for ‘reverberation’. This artificially recreates the ambience of your guitar in a large room, usually a hall. This dial
controls the balance between the ‘dry’ (the sound without the reverb) and ‘wet’ (the sound with the reverb) sounds.

Variations of basic controls
The diagram above shows the most common amp controls. There are many variations to this basic setup, which can often be
confusing. The following section is a breakdown of some of the other amp controls you may encounter:

■■ Presence control
Sometimes this dial replaces the ‘middle’ control and other times it appears in addition to it. It adjusts the higher mid-
range frequencies (those found between the ‘middle’ and ‘treble’ dials).

34

■■ No reverb control
Reverb can be a nice addition to your guitar tone but it’s not essential. Don’t be concerned if your amp doesn’t have a
reverb control.

■■V olume, gain, master setup
Single channel amplifiers often have an extra volume control (in addition to the master volume) located next to the
gain control. For clean sounds, keep the gain set low and the volume similarly low and use the master control for
overall volume. If the master control is on 10 and you require more level, turn the volume control up. However, you
may find that this starts to distort as you reach the higher numbers.
To get a distorted tone, turn the volume down low and the gain up until you get the amount of distortion you require.
Regulate the overall level with master volume. If the master control is on 10 and you require more level simply turn the
volume up. In this case, however, you may find you lose clarity before you reach maximum.

Pickups RSL-276317024998 / 1 / berkay cermik / [email protected]
Entire books have been devoted to the intricacies of pickups. However, three basic pieces of information will help you
understand a lot about your guitar tone:

■■S inglecoils
These narrow pickups are fitted to many guitars. The Fender Stratocaster is the most famous guitar fitted with
singlecoils. They produce a bright, cutting sound that can sound a little thin in some situations, especially heavier styles
of rock music.

■■ Humbuckers
This type of pickup was originally designed to remove or ‘buck’ the hum produced by singlecoil pickups, hence the
name. They produce a warm, mellow sound compared to singlecoil pickups but have a tendency to sound a little
muddy in some situations. They are usually identifiable because they are twice the width of a singlecoil pickup. The
Gibson Les Paul is a well-known guitar fitted with humbucking pickups.

■■ Pickup location
Basically, pickups located near the guitar’s neck will have the warmest sound and those located near the bridge will
have the brightest sound.

Different types of ‘dirty’ tones Debut Guitar
There are lots of different words to describe the ‘dirty’ guitar sounds. In fact, all the sounds are ‘distortions’ of the clean tone,
which can be confusing when you consider there’s a ‘type’ of distortion called ‘distortion’. Below is a simplified breakdown of
the three main types of dirty sounds, plus some listening material to help you through this tonal minefield:

■■O verdrive
This is the mildest form of distortion. It can be quite subtle and only evident when the guitar is played strongly. It can
be also be full-on and aggressive.
Hear it on: Cream – ‘Sunshine Of Your Love’, AC/DC – ‘Back In Black’, Oasis – ‘Cigarettes and Alcohol’.

■■D istortion
This is usually associated with heavier styles of music. It’s dense and the most extreme of the dirty tones and is usually
associated with heavy styles of music.
Hear it on: Metallica – ‘Enter Sandman’, Avenged Sevenfold – ‘Bat Country’, Bon Jovi – ‘You Give Love A Bad Name’.

■■F uzz
As the name implies, fuzz is a broken, ‘fuzzy’ sound. It was popular in the 1960s but, while still evident in certain
genres, it’s less common now.
Hear it on: Jimi Hendrix Experience – ‘Purple Haze’, The Kinks – ‘You Really Got Me’.

35

Guitar Notation Explained

THE MUSICAL STAVE Notes: & 44 ˙ Ó # wwwwD ÛÛ ÛÛAm F
shows pitches and rhythms
and is divided by lines into ACEF DGBEF ABT 2 2 0 ’’’’
bars. Pitches are named a er 3 12
the rst seven letters of the Strings: Fourth string, 2nd fret 2 2 Solos and Cont. sim. sections
alphabet. 0 0 are shown in slash notation
TABLATURE graphically E Open D chord Rhythm notation with
represents the guitar B suggested ngering
G
ngerboard. Each horizontal D
line represents a string and A
each number represents a fret. E

De nitions For Special Guitar Notation

HAMMER-ON: Pick the lower note, PULL-OFF: Pick the higher note then SLIDE: Pick the rst note and slide GLISSANDO: Slide o of a note at the
then sound the higher note by sound the lower note by li ing the to the next. If the line connects (as end of its rhythmic value. e note
fretting it without picking. below) the second note is not repicked. that follows is repicked.
nger without picking.
&œ œ &œ œ &œ œ
&œ œ

T 5 7 T 7 5 T 2 4 T 4
A A A A2
B B B B

STRING BENDS: Pick the rst note then VIBRATO: Vibrate the note by bending TRILL: Rapidly alternate between the NATURAL HARMONICS: Lightly touch the
bend (or release the bend) to the pitch and releasing the string smoothly two bracketed notes by hammering string above the indicated fret then
indicated in brackets. and continuously. on and pulling o .
‚ ‚ ‚pick to sound a harmonic.
Ÿ ~~~~~ &
& œœw
&œ œ œDebut Guitar w~~~~~~~~~~~~
RSL-276317024998 / 1 / berkay cermik / [email protected]&

~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ÿ ~~~~~ NH

BU BD T8 AT (5 7) 5 AT 12 12
A B 12
T 5 (6) (5) B
A B
B

PINCHED HARMONICS: Bring the PICK-HAND TAP: Strike the indicated FRET-HAND TAP: As pick-hand tap, QUARTER-TONE BEND: Pick the note
thumb of the picking hand into note with a nger from the picking but use fretting hand. Usually indicated and bend the string up
contact with the string immediately by a quarter tone.
a er the pick. œ # œhand. Usually followed by a pull-o . # œ œfollowed by a pull-o or hammer-on.
& & 1/4
&— — —
&œ œ

PH 1/4

T5 T7 2 T9 5 T
A A A A
7 5 B B 5 7

B B

PRE-BENDS: Before picking the note, WHAMMY BAR BEND: Use the D.%. al Coda ■ Go back to the sign (%), then play until
bend the string from the fret indicated whammy bar to bend notes to the
between the staves, to the equivalent pitches indicated in brackets in the TAB. D.C. al Fine fithe bar marked To Coda then skip to
pitch indicated in brackets in the TAB. fithe section marked Coda.
& œ œ œw/bar .. ..
&œ ˙ ■ Go back to the beginning of the song and
1. 2. play until the bar marked Fine (end).
PB 7 w/bar
.. .. ■ Repeat the bars between the repeat signs.
BD T 4 (5) (4)
A ■ When a repeated section has di erent
T (9) (7) B endings, play the rst ending only the rst
A time and the second ending only the
B second time.
36

GRADE 1 PREVIEW

SONG TITLE: GET OFF GUITAR GRADE 1 GUITAR Leexa1dami9nsg9sRi1noccek
GENRE: INDIE
TEMPO: 115 BPM GRADE 1
KEY: A MINOR
full notation & tab
backing tracks on Cd

TECH FEATURES: OPEN CHORDS
STACCATO NOTES
SYNCOPATION

COMPOSER: JAMES UINGS

PERSONNEL: STUART RYAN (GTR)
HENRY THOMAS (BASS)
NOAM LEDERMAN (DRUMS)

OVERVIEW EvEry thing you nEEd for your Exam in onE essential book RSL-276317024998 / 1 / berkay cermik / [email protected]
‘Get Off ’ is written in an indie style that will be of
within the genre, most notably Jonny Marr of The Debut Guitar
interest to fans of bands like Arctic Monkeys, The Smiths and John Squire of The Stone Roses. Indie
Libertines and The Strokes. This type of indie music guitar is generally quite textural and can involve
is characterised by energy, attack and a generally loose everything from clean arpeggiated chords to spiky,
feel. ‘Get Off ’ is split into several sections: an intro angular distorted riffs. One of the most popular
composed of open chords, a single-note riff on the groups within the genre currently are Arctic Monkeys.
bass strings and a lead melody line involving some Since forming in Sheffield, England in 2002, the
string skipping. four-piece have achieved worldwide fame with their
energetic fusion of punk, indie and rock styles. Their
STYLE FOCUS angular riffs and energetic higher tempos have set
The energy and attack of these kinds of bands can them apart from their contemporaries and although
they don’t write particularly complex guitar parts,
be difficult to capture. It comes from the picking they intertwine well and drive the music forward.
hand: this should be loose but needs to strike the
strings with a ‘snapping’ motion from the wrist so RECOMMENDED LISTENING
that you can hit the strings harder. Another challenge The Arctic Monkeys’ debut album Whatever People
when playing this style is the abrupt, ‘stop start’ nature
of the riffs. In this piece, this is characterised by the Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not (2006) remains the
staccato notes and the rests that occur in the riff fastest-selling debut by a band, thanks to the songs ‘I
starting at bar four. Accurate muting is a must here. Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor’, ‘When The
Sun Goes Down’ and ‘Fake Tales Of San Francisco’.
THE BIGGER PICTURE Other key groups include The Libertines, Oasis,
‘Indie’ (independent) music is a style that Radiohead and Blur. The Strokes sparked a resurgence
of the genre in America upon the release of their
developed in the UK from the 1980s onwards. debut album Is This It (2001), which has influenced
Although it focuses primarily on rhythm guitar and many current indie bands.
riff building, there have been some creative guitarists

37

Get Off (Grade 1 Preview)

James Uings

q =115 Indie Dm Am Em

A Am wwww> œœœœœ œœœœœ œœœœœ œœœœœ œœœœœ œœœœœ œœœœœ wwwwww>

& 44 œœœœœ œœœœœ œœœœœ œœœœœ œœœœœ œœœœœ œœœœœ 1 0000000 0
3 1111111 0
T 0000000 2 2222222 0
1111111 0 2222222 2
2222222 0000000 2
0
A 2222222
B 0000000

B E

Am F œ

& œ œ œ œ œ œ. ‰ œj œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ. ‰ œj œ œ œ œ œ 2

T 2
A
B 0 3 0030 3 32 00303 0 3
00303 3 0030
Debut Guitar
[5] RSL-276317024998 / 1 / berkay cermik / [email protected]

Am F E

& œ œ œ œ œ œ. ‰ œj œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ. ‰ œj œ œ œ œ œ œ

T 2 0
A 3 32
B 0 3 0030 0 3 0030
00303 00303 1

[9]

C Am Dm Am C Gœœœœœœj ˙˙˙˙˙

& œœœœœ œœœœœ œœœœœ œœœœœ œœœœœ œœœœœ œœœœ œœœœ œœœœ œœœœ œœœœ œœœœ œœœœœ œœœœœ œœœœœ œœœœœ œœœœœ œœœœœ œœœœœ ..... 3
0
T 0 0 0000 1 1 1111 0 0 0000 0 0
1 1 1111 3 3 3333 1 1 1111 1 0
2 2 2222 2 2 2222 2 2 2222 0 2
0 0 0000 2 2 2222 2 3
A 2 2 2222 0 0 0000 3
B 0 0 0000
This music is copyright. Photocopying is illegal.
38 [13]
© Copyright 2012 Rock School Ltd.

Am Dm Am Em

& œœœœœ œœœœœ œœœœœ œœœœœ œœœœœ œœœœœ œœœœ œœœœ œœœœ œœœœ œœœœ œœœœ œœœœœ œœœœœ œœœœœ œœœœœ œœœœœ œœœœœ œœœœœ œœœœœ Œ >œœœœœœ >˙˙˙˙˙˙

T0 0 0000 1 1 1111 00000000 00
1 1 1111 3 3 3333 11111111 00
A2 2 2 2222 2 2 2222 22222222 00
2 2222 0 0 0000 22222222 22
B 0 0 0000 00000000 22
00

[17]

D Am œ œ œ. GF œ Am œJ.

&œ 0 œJ. ‰ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ. 3
1
T 3 3313 1 1 0
A2 2
B 22 2

[21]

G œ œ œ Fœ œ œ œ.N.C. Œ œ œ. Œ œ œ. Œ œ œ. Œ RSL-276317024998 / 1 / berkay cermik / [email protected]

&‰ 0 0
2 3
T 3313 0 31 1
2
A
B

[24]

E

Am

& œ œ œ œ œ. ‰ œj œœœœœœœœ œ œ œ œ œ œ. ‰ œj
œ

T 2
A 3 32
B 0 0 3 0 3 0 3 0030 0 3
00303

[27]

& œ F E Am ŒÓ
œ
œ œ œ œ >œœœœœ >œœœœœ Debut Guitar

T 0 1 0 00
A 11
B0 0 3 22
22
[30] 00

© Copyright 2012 Rock School Ltd. This music is copyright. Photocopying is illegal. 39

Walkthrough (Grade 1 Preview)

Amp Settings Bars 13–20 | Constant strumming motion
Your strumming hand should move in a constant down up,
Your tone for this track should be biting and aggressive. eighth-note pattern, even when it’s not hitting the strings;
Use an overdrive that’s set so that the sound is breaking up these are called ‘ghost’ strokes. This technique will help build
but not too saturated. Too much gain or using a metal-style your sense of timing and make your rhythm parts more
distortion will make the sound too mushy and will actually fluent. Fig. 2 shows the strumming directions with the ghost
reduce the punch and aggression found in this style of strokes identified in brackets.
music. Boost the middle a little to give your tone some ‘edge’.

Distortion Equalisation Reverb D and E Sections (Bars 21–31)
Channel
The D section is a driving single-note melody based in open
456 456 456 456 456 position and features a small amount of syncopation and
37 37 37 37 37 string skipping. The E section is a reprise of the B section
and serves to bring the song to a close.
28 28 28 28 28 Bars 21–24 | Syncopation
A syncopated part is one that accents the weaker beats in
19 19 19 19 19 a bar. This can look complicated on paper but is actually
0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 0 10 quite a natural sounding rhythm; syncopation is common in
modern music and, therefore, is not an unusual sound. The
GAIN BASS MIDDLE TREBLE DRY – WET melody has a catchy groove and you should be able to ‘feel’
where the notes go instinctively. If you find this difficult,
A Section (Bars 1–4) count the eighth notes in the bar and work out exactly where
each note lands before gradually building up the speed until
This intro section creates an immediate impact by you are comfortable.
contrasting aggressively strummed chords with single,
accented chord hits.
Bar 2 | Accent
An accent sign is placed above or below a note head. There
are five different kinds of accent sign, but by far the most
common is the one used in this piece and shown below the
D minor chord in bar 2. When you see this sign, you should
accent the marked note by playing it slightly louder than the
other notes in the phrase.
Debut Guitar ≥Am ≤ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≤ ≤ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≤ ≥ ≤
RSL-276317024998 / 1 / berkay cermik / [email protected] Section (Bars 5–12)& œ œ œ œ œ œ. ‰ œj œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

The B section is made up of an open position, single-note T 2
riff that uses mostly eighth notes. AB 3 32
Bars 5–12 | Alternate picking 0 3 0030
Using all downstrokes can make the sound more consistent; 00303
however, there is a lot of wasted motion that can make
playing the riff at this tempo quite demanding. You may find Fig. 1: Alternate picking
alternate picking (down and upstrokes) a more efficient and
less fatiguing way to play this riff (Fig. 1).

Bar 5 | Staccato open strings Am (≤) ≥ (≤) ≥ ≤ ≥ ≤ C ( ≤ ) (≥) G
These staccato open strings are a little more tricky than most
notes or chords that are marked staccato because you can’t ≥ ≥ œœœœœœ≤j
simply release pressure on the strings to mute them. To mute œœœœœ
this you can either use the underside of your fretting hand & œœœœœ œœœœœ œœœœœ œœœœœ œœœœœ œœœœœ ..... ˙˙˙˙˙
fingers or place the edge of your picking hand on the string.
T 0 0 0000 0 3
C Section (Bars 13–20) 1 1 1111 1 0
2 2 2222 0 0
This section of ‘Get Off ’ features strummed open chords 0
which end with two accented E minor chords that lead into A 2 2 2222 2 2
the next section. B 0 0 0000 3 3

Fig. 2: Constant strumming motion

40

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