Guitar practice — Deepak RJ

LICK / FLOW12 ideas in the mix

The velvet turn

Am9

STANDARD TUNING · E A D G B e4/4 · 4 BARS

Tempo BPM

Bar 1

  1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &
e|--------5---7p5-----------------|
B|----5-----------8---5-----------|
G|5h7---------------------7---5---|
D|--------------------------------|
A|--------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------|

Bar 2

  1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &
e|----------------5---7-----------|
B|------------5h8---------8-------|
G|----5---7-----------------------|
D|7-------------------------------|
A|--------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------|

Bar 3

  1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &
e|8p7-5-------------------7-------|
B|--------8---5-------8-----------|
G|----------------7/9-------------|
D|--------------------------------|
A|--------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------|

Bar 4

  1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &
e|------------------------5-------|
B|8---5---------------5-----------|
G|--------7p5-----5---------------|
D|------------7-------------------|
A|--------------------------------|
E|--------------------------------|

A synthesized plucked-string guide. Hammer-ons, pull-offs and slides are approximated. Tempo defaults to 65 BPM (beats per minute).

Four bars of even

eighths

In these 4/4 exercises, count 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &. Each number and each & occupies one eighth-note slot. A bar contains eight slots. At 60 BPM, a beat lasts one second, so an eighth note lasts half a second.

. Each hammer-on or pull-off divides its slot into two

sixteenths

A sixteenth note lasts half an eighth note. A cell such as 5h7 divides one eighth-note slot into two equal parts: fret 5 first, then fret 7. Those two notes do not take two full columns. Slow playback helps you hear where the second note fits.

h hammer-onp pull-off/ slide up— no new attack

01 / Under the fingers

Alternate index and middle on the melody. Pick only the first note of each h/p pair; keep the second note equally clear.

02 / Behind the sound

New to theory? Hover over an underlined term for a hint, or click / tap to open its full explanation.

Over Am9, B is the

9th

Count from A: A=1, B=2, C=3, D=4, E=5, F=6, G=7, A=8, B=9. B is the 9th of A. In an Am9 chord, it joins A–C–E–G to add colour. The “9” is not a fret number. Musicians keep this chord name even when a guitar voicing places that note lower than a full octave above the root.

. The high-string 7p5 moves from B to A: colour

resolving

Over Am9, B adds colour while A is the root. Moving B to A can sound like an answer to a question. The rhythm and surrounding harmony also affect that feeling: try holding B for longer, then hear what changes when you finally land on A.

to the

root

A chord is a group of notes heard together. Its root is the reference note used to name the other notes. For Am9, start counting from A. The root does not have to be the highest note, or even the lowest note in every chord shape. Try playing A alone, then the Am9 shape: A gives the sound its home base.

What does Am9 actually mean?

A is the

root

. The small m means minor: A–C–E is the

minor triad

“Triad” means a basic three-note chord. A minor is A–C–E: A is the root, C is three semitones above it, and E is seven semitones above it. You can repeat those notes in other octaves and it is still the same chord. Add G for Am7, then B for Am9.

. Adding G makes Am7; adding B makes Am9. The melody borrows these notes without playing the whole chord at once. You can hold an A bass before playing to make that home note clear.

What should I hear across four bars?

Bar 1 introduces a short idea; bar 2 rises again from a lower A. Bar 3 reaches C on high e fret 8, then returns through B. Bar 4 comes back to A. Listen especially to high e frets 7 and 5: B is the

9th

and A is the

root

Make it yours

Loop three times, then end on B (high e, fret 7) instead of A to leave the phrase gently unresolved.