PREMIERCLINIC
F INGERSTYLE
Jamsire Ernoir’s FingerstyleFunk
Soldier’s March
This is a straight piece, with eighth notes that are always going,
always pulsating to the beat with a little snap on the high
strings. It’s a groove that we can do in any key because the
trick to this song is using what we call an “ornament.” In music
(primarily classical genres), ornaments are quick flourishes that
aren’t necessarily related to the song’s melody, but simply serve
to dress things up. Many ornaments are performed as “fast
notes” around a central note or theme, and you’ll see that in this
short march.
The idea is make the ornamental notes quick enough that you
feel them more than you hear them. In this piece, we play a
straight eighth note groove on the bass and our top two fingers
operate slightly off the beat. Our ornaments exist as quick ghost
notes on the second and sixth strings – these can all be played
as pull-offs, but the real beauty with these is that you can really
do whatever you want. Because these notes exist to add more
feeling, instead of to add harmonic elements, you can really
experiment with what gives your playing the most impact. You
can move this groove anywhere on the neck.
A major part of this song does lie in the groove. As you’re playing, remember to bounce with it and feel the snap. You may
want to set a metronome or work with a drummer to set the
best foundation possible. Remember that coordination is the
absolute pre-cursor to speed! All techniques should be done
slowly at first; this piece may seem simple, but it requires serious
coordination to do the pull-offs and snaps in perfect time. Try it
with a little overdrive – thumping hard will bring you to another
place in your groove.
