Dynamics and percussive techniques

Two things lift fingerstyle from correct to musical: control of volume, and a rhythmic element. You will learn to play at three volumes, to make the melody sing above the accompaniment, and to add a simple body tap on beats 2 and 4.

By the end of this lesson you will be able to:

• Play the same pattern quietly, at medium volume and loudly.
• Bring out the top note of an arpeggio over the others.
• Add a soft body tap on beats 2 and 4 without disturbing the pattern.

Dynamics are changes in volume. On the guitar you control them with how hard and how close to the strings your fingers pluck, and where along the string you pluck: closer to the bridge sounds brighter and sharper, closer to the sound hole warmer and softer.

Three skills:

• Three levels. Quiet, medium and loud, with smooth changes between them.
• Voicing. Bringing out one note, usually the top one, so the tune stands out above the accompaniment.
• Contrast. Playing a verse quietly and a chorus louder is more effective than playing everything at one level.

Percussive techniques add rhythm without extra notes. The simplest is a body tap: a light tap with the side of the picking-hand fingers on the guitar top just below the strings. On beats 2 and 4, it works like a snare drum under a steady thumb.

Keep taps soft. A tap that rattles the strings or marks the finish is too hard.

e|------------0-----------0-|
B|---------1-----------1----|
G|------2-----------2-------|
D|--------------------------|
A|---0-----------0----------|
E|--------------------------|
     p  i  m  a  p  i  m  a

The body-tap pattern, one bar of 4/4: thumb on beats 1 and 3, tap on beats 2 and 4. Count it aloud: bass, tap, bass, tap.

Bringing out the top note.

1. On Am, play p i m a at an even, medium volume.
2. Now play it again, but think only about the ring finger on the 1st string. Pluck it a little more firmly than the others.
3. Listen: the top note starts to sound like a tune with accompaniment underneath.
4. Make the other three notes even softer until the contrast is clear without being harsh.

Body tap. Play the thumb on beats 1 and 3. On beats 2 and 4, tap the top of the guitar once with the side of your fingers, as if knocking softly on a door. Count 1 2 3 4 aloud.

Do these in order. Each one is small. Tick the ones you have practised.

• 1.Three volumes

  4 min · 60 → 80 BPM

  1. Play the 4/4 p i m a pattern on Am quietly, for four bars.
  2. Play it at medium volume for four bars, then loudly for four bars.
  3. Make each change of volume smooth, like turning a dial rather than flipping a switch.

  You have it when

  • You can hear three clearly different volumes and the pattern stays even in each.
  I practised this one

• 2.Let the top note sing

  4 min · 60 → 80 BPM

  1. Play p i m a on Am. Pluck the ring finger note (the top string) clearly louder than the other three.
  2. Keep the thumb, index and middle notes soft.
  3. Next, play the top note on beats 1 and 3 only, and keep the rest soft.

  You have it when

  • The top note is clearly audible as a tune over the accompaniment.
  I practised this one

• 3.Body tap on 2 and 4

  4 min · 60 → 80 BPM

  1. Play the alternating bass (thumb) on C or Am, one note per beat.
  2. On beats 2 and 4, tap the guitar's top lightly with the side of the picking hand's fingers, just below the strings. Keep it soft: a tap, not a slap.
  3. Count 1 2 3 4 aloud: bass on 1 and 3, tap on 2 and 4.

  You have it when

  • The taps are soft and in time, and the bass does not wobble.
  I practised this one

Start at 60 BPM. Dynamics are easiest to hear when the tempo is slow. A tempo of 70 to 80 BPM is ideal for the body-tap exercise.

• Playing everything at the same volume. Decide which note matters most in each moment and make the others quieter.
• Tapping too hard on the guitar. A light tap is enough. Hard slaps can mark the finish and make the sound harsh.
• Losing the pattern when adding the tap. Practise the tap alone with the thumb first, then add the fingers.

Almost every fingerstyle piece depends on dynamics: a quiet verse, a fuller chorus, a soft ending. Use them on House of the Rising Sun: begin quietly and grow with each verse.

Try it in: House of the Rising Sun.

Short version (10 minutes)

Do 'Three volumes' for four minutes on Am.

Standard version (about 30 minutes)

Do all three exercises, then play eight bars of House of the Rising Sun's chords, starting quietly and getting louder.

• Control volume deliberately, with smooth changes.
• The top note carries the tune.
• A light body tap adds rhythm.
• Keep the thumb steady when adding anything else.

You are ready to move on when you can honestly say:

• I can play a pattern at three distinct volumes.
• I can bring out the top note of an arpeggio.
• I can add a soft tap on beats 2 and 4.