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7 | The Bass Strings

Study No. 9 “Desert Song”

Peter Kun Frary

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Your next stop on our sixth-string excursion is Study No.9 "Desert Song."

4 Queens Hotel and Casino | Las Vegas is the nearest I've gotten to the Mojave desert and the Wild West. | Peter Kun Frary

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Desert Musings

Since I was a mere runt, movies about the desert and Wild West fascinated me. Those reverb soaked soundtracks immortalizing the rough and tumble wide open spaces stuck in my ear, especially The Good, Bad and the Ugly. Years later, the shifting sands, tumble weeds and cactus bubbled up in my miniature, Study No. 9 "Desert Song."

Study No. 9 “Desert Song” | Frary Guitar Duo

Study Tips

Melody

Begin by learning to play the melody. This melody falls on the bass strings, so use the thumb to pluck the notes.

Pickup Notes

Desert Song begins with a pickup on beat three. Since it is in 4/4 meter, count 1-2 and begin on the third beat.

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Tied Notes

Each phrase of Desert Song ends with tied notes. It is unlikely you will be able to feel the length of a five-beat duration, so count it out!

Tempo

Once you can play the melody smoothly, gradually work up the tempo to allegro (120+ BPM).

Listen to the Track

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Study No. 9 “Desert Song” | Melody only

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Play the Melody Now!

Practice the melody of Desert Song until smooth. Practice with the audio track or video to help level up your sound.

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Once the melody of Desert Song flows smoothly, take on the chords.

Chords

The chords for Desert Song are not demanding: slow harmonic rhythm and you already know the chords.

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P-i-m-i 2X

Like Rose, Desert Song has a bass heavy melody. Thus, we use the P-i-m-i 2X arpeggio on the treble strings so the chords don't obscure the melody.

P-i-m-i 2X Arpeggio Pattern

Here's how the P-i-m-i 2X arpeggio looks in staff notation and tablature:

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P-I-M-I 2X Arpeggio | Use p-i-m-i on the treble strings only.

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Need a review of the P-i-m-i 2X arpeggio? Watch the P-i-m-i 2X demo for Rose. Finally, the Jamaican strum makes a great substitute or supplement to P-i-m-i 2X.

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Study No. 9 “Desert Song” | Melody and chords together

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Download | Study No. 9 “Desert Song”

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Vocabulary

P-i-m-i 2X

©Copyright 2026 by Peter Kun Frary | All Rights Reserved

Preface	Technique	Music Reading	Treble Strings
Accidentals	Bass Strings	Solos	Ensembles