GUEST COLUMNIST:

MIKE CAMPESE

"Etude"


We're very happy to have Mike involved as guest columnist at CFH!

Today we are going to learn an etude that I wrote. This piece is very classical sounding, but it doesn't matter. I like to play many styles of music and sometimes I like to play violin pieces. It's great for your chops and it's musical sounding. So let me explain this.

This Cm etude starts out with a Cm add 9th arpeggio and then leads to a pedal point on the G on beat 4 and 5. This pedal point technique is used in classical music a lot. Then we proceed to a Bb add9 arpeggio also with a pedal point like the Cm. Notice the first 3 bars are in 5/4. Bar 4 we have a dim 7th arpeggio moving in minor 3rds. Those who don't know about the dim 7th, they can have 4 different roots. In this case this we have (F,Ab,B,D,) diminished 7th arpeggios. In Bar 5 we resolve to the relative Maj (Eb). Then back to the diminished arpeggios. In bar 6 we continue the dim arpeggios but in a 4 note pattern up and down minor 3rds until we resolve back to Cm in Bar 8. This piece is pretty much straight ahead. The notes in this etude are based out of the C harmonic minor scale (C,D Eb,F,G,Ab,B) and the C natural minor scale (C,D,Eb,F,G,Ab,Bb). Make sure you use a metronome and alternate pick. I use alot of similiar techiques in a song "Crash and Burn" off my CD "Full Circle". So check it out. For more info go to www.mikecampese.com. Ok, good Luck!!!

Mike Campese

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