Music Lesson: Key Changes and Riffs

Okay, Rufus, I'm in DADGAD. This piece is actually in a couple of keys:

• Starts in E minor
• Ends up in C

Opening Voicing

The opening features a very rich E minor voicing:

• Voicing: Two open strings (E minor 9)
• Movement: Moves up one fret to the F6sus2
• Transition: The F6 slides back to the third fret version of an F.

Riff and Rhythm

Now we've got the riff, which I'm muting slightly.

• I'm also doing a little bit of a light backbeat just with my palm.
• Technique: It's really more than the palm; it's almost the weight of the fist.

This creates a combination of:

• Palm mute
• Groove backbeat

When the melody kicks in at 13, you can still hear the bass line underneath.

"Let me play that again."

Key Change

This is where I change key.

• New Chord: D minor 9
• Technique: Everything is played across the strings.
• Next Chord: E minor 7 flat 5

Notice that:

• There's a little inner voice happening.
• It then returns to the riff.

Chorus Dynamics

Observe how, when I play that chorus, the combination of:

• Staccato chords
• Sustained chords
• Backbeat slaps

gives the piece its groove and momentum.

Solo Section

The second time around the chorus repeats and goes into a riff section for solos.

Key Components to Note:

• Chords: E minor moving to an F
• Modality: This is really kind of a Phrygian mode with the E; the F being the minor second of the scale.

Additionally, I've got:

• The bluesy flat 5 (B flat on the E)
• When I go up to the F, I keep that bluesiness in there.

Remember:

• The B is also part of the E minor scale, so it remains within the E minor modality.

I'm sticking pretty close to this shape.

• Maybe I'll go to some octaves or something like that, but the key point is to watch out for how everything can happen in this position.

Conclusion

You don't need to go up the neck to play over these particular chords.

• Last time around: It just walks down to the D, goes back to the chorus, then to the sign, and plays through.

To bring it all together:

• After you've played the solo section, play through the melody once, then just the first two bars of the melody before you end it.

"And that's Rufus."