Lesson: "Party People" - Guitar Tutorial

Introduction

Our second tune is Party People. You can see I've swapped guitars. This song is a pop song and we want that crisp, thinner sound.

Setting Up Your Sound

• Turn Off Distortion: With your amps, turn off the distortion. We want it nice and clean.
• Adjust Gain: Roll back the gain to ensure a clean sound for this song. No distortion, just nice and crisp.

Playing Positions

This song requires us to be wary of changing positions twice:

1. First Two Lines:

   • Play one finger per fret on the first, second, third, and fourth frets.

2. Line Three:

   • Shift up one fret:** 2, 3, 4, 5.

3. Line Four:

   • Shift back to the original positions:
     • First fret: first finger
     • Second fret: second finger
     • Third fret: third finger
     • Fourth fret: fourth finger

Rhythm Overview

• Bar One: Quarter notes
• Bar Two: Half notes
• Bar Three: Quarter note rest on beat two
• Bar Four: Whole note

Practice Tips

• Focus on Bar One: The notes are quite fast.
• G Note: Play your third finger on the E string to get the G note.
• Next Notes:
  • Open A with your middle finger on the second fret of the A string for B
  • Open D

Practice Loop:

• I suggest looping this a few times to get it under your fingers, as it is quite complicated.
• Goal: If you can do that five times in a row, you're ready to move on.

Detailed Breakdown of Bars

Bar Two

• Notes: C (third fret on the A string) to B (second fret on the A string)
• Duration: Each lasts for two beats.

Bar Three

• Rest on the second beat
• Bar Four: Finishing off with that whole note.

Playing the First Line

We're going to try and play through line one together now at a slower tempo. Remember, you can loop this at home, so make sure you have this first line really comfortable before moving on.

Counting Out Loud

When practicing this line, it's really good to count out loud. This way, we can tell when we're playing the notes and we can hear the rests. We're not just rushing through them.

Example:

1. "1, 2, 3, 4."
2. "1, 2, 3, 4."
3. "1, 2, 3, 4."
4. "1, 2, 3, FOUR."

This keeps us in time and builds the connection between seeing a note and understanding how long it lasts.

Line Two: Chord Transitions

Line two is a really cool example of moving between chords we've already learned:

• Chords Sequence:
  • G
  • E minor
  • C
  • Back to G

1. G: Third finger on the third fret.
2. E minor: Second fret, second finger.
3. C: First fret, first finger.
4. G: Finish with the third finger.

Practice Technique

This might take some time as well at home to practice, as it is quite fiddly. You want to make sure all the strings are ringing out clearly.

• Strumming Technique: Use your circle technique for strumming. Use your hand to help count and keep time.

Line Three: More Complexity

In line three, we see a lot of quarter notes and three sets of half-note rests.

Breakdown:

1. Bar One:

   • E, which is the second fret on the D string (played with the first finger).
   • Open D string.

2. Bar Three:

   • Play open G and then fret 4:

     • Fret 2 (E) played with the first finger.
     • Fret 3 on the A string (using your middle finger).

   • Fret 4: This is called F sharp (sharping the F we previously learned).

Practice Loop:

• Loop this bar until you can play it five times through before moving on.

Ending Bar Three

• Finish with the open D string played twice as quarter notes.

Line Four: Final Moves

Line four and line one are very similar, with only a change in bar three.

1. First Two Bars: Same as before.

2. Bar Three Changes:

   • Descending line from open D to third (C), second (B), and open A.
   • Finish with the third fret on the E string, which is a G.

Final Practice

• Loop the last two bars until you're comfortable.
• Pace Yourself: Take this at your own pace and build up gradually.

Conclusion

Learn one line before moving on to the next, and work on sticking it together gradually. The song is quite quick, so take your time.

Looking Forward: I'll see you in the performance when you feel like you're ready!