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Premier Clinic: Fingerstyle
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Burnside
from Stephen Bennett’s Fingerstyle Finesse
Musically, there are a lot of interesting things to note in this tune. The first is the combining of harmonics with regular notes, like we do in the intro section, which gives the song a hopeful, optimistic feel. There is a certain magic that occurs when notes ring into each other, and that magic can be magnified when some of the notes are harmonics.
As in previous songs we’ve covered, percussion makes an entrance in the opening bars and again towards the end; we’re essentially just using the guitar as a drum to simulate other members of the band. By thumping your guitar in different locations, you can find the right percussive sound to fit the song. There’s also a strong backbeat within “Burnside,” and it may feel odd at first. The easiest way to approach the backbeat is to visualize a drummer emphasizing beats on two and four; once you absorb the idea, you’ll be able to do it without even thinking about it. “Burnside” features some key modulation towards the middle of the song to keep things interesting. It moves from A to E, before eventually moving back for the finish. This is a time-tested idea from classical music that adds some elegance and complexity to the tune. The first note in the new key of E – the fifth string harmonic in measure 42 – is important to the shift; make sure you hit it cleanly.
Once in E, the melody occurs in two different octaves. This showcases a great compositional idea for the guitar; because so many notes on the instrument occur in more than one place, different tonal possibilities emerge in different octaves – an open B sounds different than the same B on the third string, for instance. Experiment with these subtle changes in your own compositions.
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