Month 5, Lesson 1: Yankee Doodle Rhythm
Source: Guitar Lessons
Yankee Doodle Rhythm
Okay, time to get into the chords and rhythm of a song. We have been kind of addressing chords indirectly up to this point. Now I want to get you fulley engaged in them and know your way around the chord patterns, keys and playing rhythm with another guitar player or other instrument.
About This Lesson:
We are going to play in the Key of C Major, the same as the lead portion of the song. Also, this song is played in 4/4 time as you can see by the time signature, which is also known as common time.
We will be using a method called alternating bass chords, which is a big word for saying pickin’ and strummin’. You play 2 bass notes and 2 rhythm chords in each measure, which equals 4 beats per measure.
Learning Points:
Play The Song In The Key of C Major:
Back to the key of C Major. Remember no sharps to worry about in that key. No we are not going backwards here. There are a lot of songs that are played in the key of C Major. We will go back and forth between keys from week to week.
Play The Alternating Bass Notes:
Be sure to keep an eye on the alternating bass notes for the chords. In this song, there is a bass note at beats 1 and 3 for each measure. The chords are played on beats 2 and 4 for each measure.
Most of the time, the first bass note of the chord will be the same note as the chord name – this is also called the Root of the chord. If you look at the C Major chord the first bass note is a C. Now look at the G7 chord. The first bass note for that chord is a G. The same is true for the F Major chord.
Play the Chords Smoothly And In Correct Time:
If you don’t already, be sure to memorize these 3 chords – C F and G7. Know the correct fingers to play, know which bass note you start with for the first beat of the chord and know the next bass note you play on the 3rd beat.
Play the chords with a “brush” of the right hand with the pick. Keey your wrist loose and try to use the same volume for all chords. You will find that if you angle your pick a bit more downward it will glide across the strings easier.
Watch The Bar Chord (F Major):
The F Major chord has a small (2 string) bar chord that you play with your first finger across the 1st and 2nd strings at the same time. Work on this until all notes sound clearly.
About the Tab Notes:
I have noted the times (the beats) in one measure to show you clearly how to play the alternating bass notes. You should do this for all measures in this song. Also when you form the chords, keep an eye on the TAB, as this will give you better visuals on how to form the chord. Your finger numbers are all clearly shown on each chord and each alternating bass note.
Articles You Should Read:
Chord Diagrams: Know how to read the chord diagrams
Chords in the Key of C Major and A Minor
How to Play Chords Efficiently
How to Strum a Chord
How to Play Alternating Bass Chords: (Coming Soon)
Music Theory You Should Know:
Time Signature
C Scale
TAB Staff
Repeats
Goals:
Our goal for this lesson is to play this song smoothly with picking and strmming for the entire song. Set the pace for the song and keep that rhythm “rock solid” and very consistent.
Goal #1:
Memorize the 3 chords used in this song. The are the 3 chords in the key of C Major, being C, F, G7. Memorize them from the chord diagrams, play the proper right hand fingers and be able to switch between the 3 different chords efficiently
Goal #2:
Be able to play the correct alternating bass notes for the entire song. Know which bass note to start with – The Root, which is the note that names the chord.
Goal #3:
Play the rhythm very smoothly. Often it is the rhythm instruments that carry the beat of a song. The rhythm has to be rock solid and play the correct timing without varing any beats. Pick and strum perfectly according to the beats of 1 2 3 4. Follow the Guitar Pro File to learn how to do this.
Goal #4:
Be able to play the chords with a brush of the pick. Slant your pick downward to give you smooth strum sound. Strum quickly and use a loose wrist and not a rigid wrist, as this will sound mechanical. Review the article on how to strum a guitar chord.
What You Should Practice This Week:
I would say that this is rather obvious this week. Be able to play the chords and bass notes that accompany each chords. Swithch between each chord smoothly without loosing any time, not a fracton of a bit is allowed.
See our How To Practice article:
If you are having trouble with your practice techniques, or can’t seem to get “in the groove”, review the article on How to Practice and this will help you develop a consistent practice method.
Help Us Out:
Lastly and most importantly, give us feedback, either good or bad. We want to improve this site and we want kids to learn how to play the guitar. If you have suggestions for us, leave a comment. If you appreciate these lessons, leave a comment on that too.
Songs in Downloadable Format:
If you have difficulty reading this score information, we have this score information available free of charge for you with an instant electronic download. Just click on the song title below and you will be taken to our secure server site. You will get a PDF file of the above score complete with the Tab Notes. Be sure to download Adobe Acrobat Reader v6.0 or above. This version will allow you to turn the Tab Layer on or off.
Also you will get the Guitar Pro file. You can download Guitar Pro and get a free trial so you can play along with this song in real time on your computer. If you upgrade to the full version of the song you will have a lot more features available to you, such as the RSE modules which give you realistic guitar files – they sound just like an Acoustic Guitar.
Guitar Pro File – Yankee Doodle Rhythm
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PDF File – Yankee Doodle Rhythm
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Go to Yankee Doodle Rhythm – Lesson 5.1 Score
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