Patent Application
20060254404
This invention relates generally to musical instruction. More specifically, the invention pertains to methods or systems used to teach one how to play a stringed instrument such as a guitar.
A method used for teaching and/or learning how to play a stringed instrument includes the use of printed tablature. Tablature is an instrumental notation indicating the string, fret, key or finger to be used instead of the tone to be sounded. A tablature notates music as a series of playing positions. A tablature for a stringed instrument guides the student's fingers to the string that must be plucked and the fret at which the string is stopped. Such tablatures are published in manuals or instructional videos.
A guitar tablature is shown in
The present invention is for a system and method for teaching guitar lessons. In accordance with the present invention, the guitar lesson is entirely verbal without reference to printed music or tablature diagrams. A guitar portion of the song is selected and recreated at a reduced tempo in comparison to an original recording of the song. The song is divided into its various sections such as the introduction, verses and chorus, which typically comprise one or measures. Each measure includes one or more chords, which have at least two notes.
As to each section each note of each chord is identified by verbally communication of the note tablature. The tablature assigns the letters I, M, R and P for the respective index, middle, ring and pinkie finger of the hand. Guitar strings are identified with their respective letter, and frets are identified with a number.
Each note is played on the guitar in accordance with the reduced tempo of the song, and then the chord is played after all the notes have been identified and played. After all the chords of a measure have been identified and played, the entire measure is played. This process is completed for all the measures of a particular section. Then the section is played at the reduced tempo. The section may be played at the reduced tempo before the tablature identification of the notes as an introduction to that portion of the lesson. All sections and measures are taught in this manner in the order in which they appear in the song.
The lesson may be recorded on available medium such as tape cassette, compact disc etc., or made available for downloading via the Internet, or transmitted via a radio signal. A recording of the song with the guitar portions removed may be included so a student can play the guitar portion of song with the recording.
The present invention for a novel instructional system and method for teaching a person how to play a guitar utilizes solely audio instructions without the need of diagrams, instructional manuals or the like. The lesson may also be utilized in a live guitar lesson. The lesson may be recorded on any appropriate medium such as a cassette tape, compact disc, or may be downloaded if provided via the Internet, or transmitted via a radio signal. The system and method incorporates tablature method for identifying notes and chords which tablatures are verbally communicated via the chosen medium or in person.
The present invention is not limited to a six-string guitar depicted in
The instructor identifies each note for each chord by identifying the string or strings involved, the finger necessary to contact the identified strings and the fret on the guitar on which the finger is placed. A neck 11 of a six-string guitar 18 is illustrated in
With respect to the present invention, notes or chords from a song are identified using a tablature system that identifies the string or strings on the guitar to be contacted, the particular finger used to contact the string and the fret on or about which the finger is placed. The note tablature is verbally communicated from the instructor who then plays each note at the correct pitch of the note for the correct count or duration of the note. Then the instructor plays the entire chord including all the notes of the chord, at the correct pitch and count or duration of the chord.
With respect to the tablature system of the present invention, each fret 16 is assigned a number for identification of the fret during the lesson. For example with respect to
The instructor verbally conveys the note in tablature form including the letter tab for the string, letter tab for the respective finger and the fret number. For example a note may be verbally communicated as “EM8”, or any combination of these three tabs, which instructs the student that the middle finger is placed on the E string at the eighth fret on the guitar neck. With respect to
The second chord includes notes G, C sharp (C#), D and D sharp (D#), and are set forth in tablature form in the table below:
In an exemplary embodiment, the instructor plays each note and simultaneously verbally communicates each of the notes in unison pitch and note duration to augment the instrument's note. Thus the verbal communication, in the abbreviated tab form of the note is synchronized with the instrument note as the instructor plays the note.
With respect to the lesson itself, a particular song is chosen for a lesson. The guitar portion of the song is recreated, played and recorded at a reduced tempo so the student may more clearly hear each note and each chord. For example, a song that may normally be played at 106 beats per minute may be recorded at 60 beats per minute. A click track may be incorporated with the recreated song recording to assist the student and instructor with maintaining the tempo of the song.
The different sections of the song are identified. For example, a song typically includes an introduction, chorus and verse; however, a song may have fewer or more sections. As to each section of the song, the instructor identifies each note of each chord for every measure in the song, instructing a student the appropriate placement of the student's fingers a string and/or fret using the above described tablature.
In an exemplary embodiment, the recreated version of a particular section of the song is played in its entirety. For example, a verse of a song is played. Then the instructor identifies the number of measures in the song section, and as to each measure the instructor communicates each note and/or chord a measure at a time. For example, with respect to a verse having four measures, the instructor will begin with the first measure and identify each note for each chord using the above-described tablature, and play each note at its correct pitch and duration as played in the recreated version of the song. After each of the notes is identified and played, the instructor plays the entire chord. This exercise is completed for all the chords of the first measure. Then the instructor plays all the chords for the first measure at the reduced tempo of the recreated song.
The instructor then moves on to the second measure identifying and playing the notes and chords using the same procedure as in the first measure. The instructor then plays the chords of the second measure, and then plays the first measure and second measure in order. This exercise is followed for each of the four measures. After completing all four measures, the instructor then plays all four measures of the verse at the correct tempo and pitch of the recreated song. The above described method and system is repeated for each section of the song in the identical order in which the sections are played in the song.
In an exemplary embodiment, at the end of the recorded version of the lesson, a recorded version of the song is provided with one or more of the guitar portions eliminated or removed from the recording so the student can play along with recording.
While the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described herein, it will be obvious that such embodiments are provided by way of example only and not of limitation. Numerous variations, changes and substitutions will occur to those of skilled in the art without departing from the teaching of the present invention. Accordingly, it is intended that the invention be interpreted within the full spirit and scope of the appended claims.
