Open to the World

School Radio > Music > Join in with Music

A fun opportunity for beginner guitarists to play their open strings in time with other instruments.

The video

Open to the World

A fun opportunity for beginner guitarists to play their open strings in time with other instruments and to clearly hear the notes to tune to: E, A, D, G, B, and a high E.

• In the introduction drums, percussion and body percussion begin with gentle rhythms, keeping together as if like a drum kit.
• In Verse 1 acoustic Spanish guitars play just five of their open strings, going from the lowest in pitch, upwards: E, A, D, G, B.
• In the chorus guitars play the top two strings twice - 1st (E) then 2nd (B) - then go down the instrument playing strings 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 (high E, B, G, D, A) and ending with strings 4, 5, 6, (D, A, E).
• Other melody instruments such as keyboards and tuned percussion can of course join in with the same notes, using the diagrams on screen to help. The rhythm is easy to follow if you’re guided by the words.
• Another introduction adds more hand drums - such as congas - into the mix.
• In Verses 2 and 3 an electric guitar joins the acoustic ones. The last part also features a bass guitar playing low Es and Bs, which any instruments can join in with, carrying on to the end of the piece, along with lively hand percussion rhythms.
• In a Coda at the very end, guitars can play a ‘rolled’ chord of all their open string notes, from low E to high E.

Resources

School Radio > Music > Join in with Music