We have arrived at a course milestone: completion of the guitar's first position. After learning the notes on the sixth string, celebrate this milestone with a floral inspired song, Rose.
Notes on the Sixth String
The sixth string—low E—shares names and fret positions with the first string. However, it's two octaves lower in pitch and looks different in staff notation:
Memorize these new notes by saying their names as you play them.
Learn Note Names
Even if you are reading TAB, learn the names of the notes on the fingerboard. Why? Bass notes, especially those on the fifth and sixth strings, form chord roots. Later, when you work on bass lines and transposing chords, knowing the names of bass notes will prove helpful.
Floral Musings
Roses have a long legacy as a song subject: The Yellow Rose of Texas, The Rose, The Last Rose of Summer,etc. Our piece today, Rose, is yet another song about this thorny flower. The rose is frequently a metaphor for your heart or object of desire, and not so much about the prickly bloom.
Our Rose is an English folk song about a flower blooming or, more accurately, delaying bloom. Rose exists in many versions—change is in the nature of a folk song—and both the lyrics and melody have been fluid throughout its history.
The Elizabethan English of the lyrics date Rose to the late Renaissance, the time of Shakespeare and the King James Bible. Here's the first verse:
Rose, rose, rose, rose,
Shall I ever see thee red?
Aye, indeed, that thou wilt,
If thou but stay
Later versions replace "red" with "wed" and thus steer the lyrics towards marriage!
Study Tips
Melody
Rose's two phrase melody is determined and straight to the beat. At a faster clip, I dare say swashbuckling. Imagine swinging your ale to the metric accents. Melody stays on the bass strings, so use your thumb to pluck the notes. Once smooth, bump tempo up to moderato or the slow side of allegro (108 to 120 BPM).
Listen to the Track
Before practicing, become familiar with the melody by listening to the audio track:
Rose's Melody | Melody only
Play the Melody Now!
Practice the melody of Rose until smooth. Play with the audio track to help shore up your rhythm.
Once the melody of Rose is under your fingers, begin working on the chords.
Chords
Down 2X Strum
Prefer a more straightforward—easy—strum? Then the Down 2X Strum (strum every two beats) is a good choice for Rose. Transitions should be relatively easy since you've played these chords in other songs.
P-i-m-i 2X Arpeggio
Looking for a challenge? Consider learning the optional accompaniment pattern, the P-i-m-i 2X Arpeggio. Begin by practicing the P-i-m-i 2X arpeggio pattern on the open strings:
P-i-m-i 2X Arpeggio | Practice on the open strings first.
P-i-m-i 2X Arpeggio Step by Step
Pluck third string with the thumb (p)
Pluck second string with the index finger (i)
Pluck first string with middle the finger (m)
Pluck second string with the index finger (i)
Repeat the above pattern
The p-i-m-i sequence is played twice in each measure of 4/4, resulting in an even flow of eighth notes.
Use Treble Strings for P-i-m-i 2X
P-i-m-i 2X is played on the upper three strings (treble strings) so the melody and accompaniment occupy separate sonic territories. In other words, melody and accompaniment fall in different registers of the guitar. Thus, a guitar duet with melody and chords would be rendered with clarity—no muddy textures or covering of the melody.
Here's how the P-i-m-i 2X arpeggio sounds and looks in staff notation and tablature:
Rose | Chords only (P-i-m-i 2X)
Jamaican strum or P-i-m-i 2X?
The P-i-m-i 2X arpeggio is challenging and may take more time to master than you have in this course. The key to making an arpeggio work is repetition: practice until it becomes a reflex.
If you wish to forgo P-i-m-i 2X, consider the Jamaican strum. It sounds wonderful and gives Rose a quasi Caribbean feel. Whatever pattern you choose, favor the upper three or four strings (D G B E) so you don't cover the low pitched notes of your duet partner's melody.
P-i-m-i 2X Arpeggio and Rose | "How to" demo by Peter Kun Frary
Study Question
What is the name of this note on the fingerboard? [answer]
Melody and Chords Together
In the video, Grace plays the melody while Peter is on chord duty. He uses P-i-m-i 2X the first time through. During the repeat, he changes things up with a mildly caffeinated Jamaican strum (mute-strum-mute-strum).
•••
Notes on the Sixth String
Floral Musings
Study Tips
Melody
Listen to the Track
Play the Melody Now!
Down 2X Strum
Melody and Chords Together
Answer
