Chord – A7sus4

In this lesson, we encounter the A7sus4. This can be used as a substitute for an Am7 chord. The finger positions for this chord are very similar to the Em7 we learned a few lessons back.

Take a listen to the A7sus4 chord….

This is what it looks like. You’ll notice that the 3rd and 4th fingers are on the same strings as the previous chords; G, Cadd9, Dsus4 & Em7. The low E string should not be played.

Theory – Note Duration

A note which lasts for a whole bar is called a whole note.

A note which lasts for half of a bar is called a half note and two half notes last for a whole bar.

As we continue to shorten the duration of our notes, we have quarter notes, eighth notes & sixteenth notes.

The music below shows a whole note, half-notes, quarter-notes, eighth-notes and sixteenths.

Take a listen to how these sound…

Guitar Straps

A guitar strap is necessary when you want to stand up and play the guitar. The strap is attached to a button at the base of the body and to the neck at the top of the guitar using a strap hook. Some guitars have a second button at the top of the body.

Strumming 16th Notes

Counting of 16th notes is similar to counting 8ths except that we add in some extra rhythm. We add an “e” and an “a” either side of the “and”. This gives us 16 syllables per bar…

Right-hand technique 

Here is a pattern for strumming continuous sixteenths.

The next pattern misses a few of the sixteenth notes in order to create an interesting rhythm. The important point to remember is that your hand must keep moving continually up and down. The rhythm is created by choosing when to strike the string and when to pass over the strings.

Practice Track

Let’s now use these strumming patterns. First, a little slower at 68 BPM:

| Cadd9 G | Em7 Dsus4 | Cadd9 G | Em7 Dsus4 |

Now at the target tempo of 76 BPM: