LMP

Online Lesson 6

El Choclo

Cuatros:
El Choclo is originally a tango written by Angel Villodo
In this song we learn how to quickly shift positions and switch from being in
different positions on the fretboard. It is important to learn to identify where the
target frets are at before aiming for them. We will also be using the pinky for some
stretches to the 7th fret even though we stay in first position.

Another skill we work on this song is learning to start a phrase on the upbeats
instead of on a beat. Every phrase in this song starts on an upbeat, meaning it is
important to learn to wait for that beat to pass. To help counting this, you should
always be counting 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &. This was you can mentally and physically know
where the upbeats are.

Guitars:
We now introduce bar chords. For the F chord, it is important that we press all the
strings and practice until we get a clean sound from every string before working on
this before learning the full chord. Make sure to apply pressure at the base of your
index finger and not have the strength come from your arm. This is a difficult chord
to get, so make sure to take breaks between practices and not injure your hand.

The rhythm we are playing on the first section is going to be constant and steady
quarter notes but on the 4th beat we will add a “fan” strum where we will strum the
strings fast with our ring, middle, index and thumb fingers at the end of that last
beat.

A second alternative to ease into this rhythm can be playing constant and steady
quarter notes on beats 1 through 3 and strum 8th notes down and up on the 4th beat.
Both of these alternatives give us a tango feel to our rhythm patterns. On the 2nd
and 3rd section of the song, we will change to a bolero rhythm.