Practice With A Purpose

In this guitar masterclass hosted by Guthrie Trapp, Guthrie shares his insights on practicing guitar with purpose and intention. He begins by emphasizing the importance of having direction when practicing, such as playing melodies over chords, rather than just "noodling" randomly. Guthrie recommends learning chord shapes to open up the fretboard and stresses keeping one's guitar in tune with a light touch.

Guthrie demonstrates how to build simple melodies by connecting notes within chords. He shows starting melodies on non-root notes like the 5th to add interest. Guthrie also covers the sounds of major, minor, and dominant 7th chords, explaining how to derive different 7th chords from triads. He stresses the importance of being able to hear the differences between these chord types.

Throughout the masterclass, Guthrie encourages practicing with backing tracks or songs to stay engaged. He answers questions from viewers like Michael and provides further tips, such as practicing rhythmic patterns over chords. Guthrie also demonstrates techniques like playing octaves without a pick. Overall, the guitar lesson provides valuable insights for practicing intentionally with direction and purpose.

Transcript Summary

[0:00:03 - 0:07:38] Introduction and practicing with purpose

  • Introduces the live stream topic of "practicing with purpose"
  • Encourages having direction and intention when practicing, like playing melodies over chords
  • Recommends practicing chord shapes to open up the fretboard
  • Discusses importance of keeping guitar in tune and having a light touch
  • Suggests practicing with backing tracks or songs to stay engaged

[0:07:38 - 0:11:20] Building melodies over chords

  • Demonstrates playing simple melodies over A major chord
  • Emphasizes connecting melody notes within chord tones
  • Shows starting melodies on non-root notes like the 5th
  • Discusses keeping melodies within the framework of chords

[0:11:20 - 0:15:55] Major, minor, and dominant 7th chords

  • Explains the sounds of major, minor, and dominant 7th chords
  • Demonstrates how minor ideas are the same shapes as major with a lowered 3rd
  • Covers how to derive 7th chords from triads
  • Stresses importance of hearing the differences between chord types