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Songsmith: Open Spaces

Interactive Video Masterclass on the Craft of Songwriting

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Songsmith: Open Spaces
Blair Dunlop

Blair Dunlop

Educator

acoustic, singer-songwriter

Genres

About this course

The rich textures and expressive colors possible with open tunings will breathe new life into any song performance.  Every new tuning you become familiar with presents a fresh harmonic landscape for your own original compositions while also providing you with creative options for crafting distinctive performances of cover tunes.

We’ll focus on a variety of my own favorite open tunings in this edition. As we explore these open tunings, we’ll also focus on a variety of right-hand techniques and rhythm approaches to help make your performances really stand out.

We’ll then put those open tunings, techniques and creative approaches to work across 8 song performance studies using my own compositions. After each performance, I’ll break it down, section by section, emphasizing the key techniques and approaches in play.

Whether you’re covering songs or composing your own, feel free to use any of the techniques, tunings, chord voicings, or creative approaches in your own playing and compositions.

Grab your guitar and let’s go to ‘open spaces’ with Blair Dunlop!

What you'll learn

  • Apply hybrid picking technique to a complete song arrangement
  • Integrate hammer-ons with thumb-picking technique
  • Play harmonics cleanly while maintaining rhythmic patterns
  • Perform the complete song 'The Station'
  • Understand how to switch root notes effectively in alternate tunings
Release date: 03/12/2020 • 2h 44m runtime
intermediatelate intermediateacoustic guitarguitarsongwriting
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Sample lessons
Feng Shui
Feng Shui
Overview
Feng Shui
Feng Shui
Performance
The Verse Section
The Verse Section
Breakdown
The Chorus Section
The Chorus Section
Breakdown

What's included

44 lessons • 12 charts

Songsmith: Open Spaces
Hello, I 'm Blair Dunlop. Welcome to the Open Spaces edition of The Songsmith!

The rich textures and expressive colors possible with open tunings will breath new life into any song performance.

Every new tuning you become familiar with presents a fresh harmonic landscape for your own original compositions while also providing you with creative options for crafting distinctive performances of cover tunes.

We 'll focus on a variety of my own favorite open tunings in this edition.

As we explore these open tunings, we 'll also focus on a variety of right-hand techniques and rhythm approaches to help make your performances really stand out.

We 'll then put those open tunings, techniques and creative approaches to work across 8 song performance studies using my own compositions.

Whether you're covering songs or composing your own, feel free to use any of the techniques, tunings, chord voicings, or creative approaches in your own playing and compositions.

All of the performances are tabbed and notated and you 'll be able to sync the tab and notation to the video using TrueFire 's learning tools.

You'll be able to loop or slow down the videos so you can work with the lessons at your own pace.

Let's tune-up and get started!
DADGAD Tuning & Basic Chords
In this video we'll explore the earthy tones of the DADGAD tuning. It brings new life into common chord progressions and it is actually a lot easier to master than most people seem to think.
Spices from the East
DADGAD

A song exploring how we connect through food, and how the old trade routes help to forge our view of the world. In particular, we'll look at hybrid picking and harmonics.
Spices from the East
DADGAD

A song exploring how we connect through food, and how the old trade routes help to forge our view of the world. In particular, we'll look at hybrid picking and harmonics.
The Verse Section
DADGAD

A song exploring how we connect through food, and how the old trade routes help to forge our view of the world. In particular, we'll look at hybrid picking and harmonics.
Prechorus Section
DADGAD

A song exploring how we connect through food, and how the old trade routes help to forge our view of the world. In particular, we'll look at hybrid picking and harmonics.
The Chorus Section
DADGAD

A song exploring how we connect through food, and how the old trade routes help to forge our view of the world. In particular, we'll look at hybrid picking and harmonics.

+ 37 more lessons

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Reviews

4 results

Scotty77

Verified buyer

10/24/21

Very informative

I bought this course to venture into alternate tunings. Really enjoy Blair's teaching style and explanations for doing things. I've only just started playing along to his ideas, but already am seeing how his incites will help on my journey.

Doyle A.

09/15/21

Love the twists and turns with the open tunings and........

Blair Dunlop has given me a new curiosity to use open tunings to spark new ideas and ways of playing to the creative process of song writing. It can make so much difference. I like the explanations and tweaks with the unusual fingerings to create those uniquely special sounds that can be a hook or signature to a song. If you are in a mull with no sparks of imagination, writers block thing going on, this course can get you fired back up and on the path to creating again..

tompedersen

Verified buyer

09/14/21

Unlocks doors by Just listening!

Really gets the creative juices flowing.

Gwyhir

04/26/20

Songsmith Open Spaces

One of the best course from Truefire. Valuable information presented clearly. No wasted space or time.

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