Dave Rawlings 2nds Plus Carter Scratch = Modal Folk Grooviness

Lesson description: This lesson came about on a muddy clay trail behind my neighborhood. I had brought my guitar with me and was ruminating on Dave Rawlings's dissonant note choices. I wanted to prepare something that really focused on his use of 2nds, which are one of his hallmarks.

I always like to put things into some kind of rhythmical context, and I'd been playing a lot of Carter-style arrangements that week, so voilà! The two ideas merged together to create something I think Dave and Gillie would approve of.

To review what a 2nd is: a 2nd is just the distance from one note in the scale to its neighbor. In this case, there's a minor 2nd on the first chord--the "revelator note"--that friction between the F# and G ringing out. Those notes are only one fret apart so are very dissonant!

Then, on the A9 chord, there's a major 2nd between the B and C# notes--that's a two fret difference. Still dissonant, but not as much.

Video version: https://youtu.be/_PyE87IcGf4

Format: Sibelius-created digital score with tabs & standard notation

Delivery: Tablature is available as convenient .pdf download, and my custom made backing track is included as a free extra! You'll find the download links on your checkout page and in your email. We encourage you to make a customer account when you check out, so all your future purchases can be found in one place.