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l'.-Rock

G

uitar

Playing

lnitial

Stage

Compiled

by

Tony

Skinner

and Merv

Young

on

behalf

of

Regisry

Of Guitar

Tutors

-

The Specialists in Guitar Education

-kr

-

Registry

of

Guitar

Tutors

-vr/vr/w.RGT.org

@ Copyright 20 I

I

by Registry Of Guitar Tutors. Worldwide rights reserved.

PHOTOCOPYING

OFANY

PART

OF

THIS

BOOK

IS

IILEGAI

No part of this book may be reproducedin any form without the permission of the publisher.

Breach of copyright, by photocopying or any other means, may result in both a claim for civil damages and criminal prosecution.

Printed and bound in Great Britain

A clP record for this publication is available from the British Library ISBN: 97 8-l -9 O59O8-29-s

Published by Registry Publications

Registry Mews, Wilton Rd, Bexhill, Sussex, TN4O I HY

Cover photo by Andreas Gradin/Fotolia. Design by JAK lmages.

All

musical compositions by Tony Skinner.

Compiled by

Contents

Page

4 )

lntroduction

6 )

Chords

and

Scales

I

)

Prepared Performances

I

)

Ouiet

As

A

Bulldog

(CD tracks 2-3)

I

O )

Firecracker

(CD tracks 4-5)

I

I

)

The Jaguar

(CD tracks 6-71

l2

)

Jump The Barrier

{CD tracks 8-9)

l3

)

Armour

Plated

_1CO tracks tO-t t)

l4

)

Missing ln

Action

(CD tracks

t}-t3l

lntroduction

This

book is

the first

in

a

progressive series

of

ten

handbooks designed

for

rock

guitarists

who

wish

to

develop

their

_{playing and obtain a}

qualification.

Although

the

primary

intention

of

these handbooks is

to

prepare candidates

for the

Regisiry

Of

Guitar Tutors

(RGT)

rock guitar

exams,

the

series

provides

_a

comprefrensiv-e

structure

that

will

help develop the abilities

of

any guitarist interested in rock music,

whether or not intending to take an exam.

Those

preparing

for an

exam

should

use

this

handbook

in

conjunction

with

the

Syllabus

for

Rock Guitar Playing

and

the

Rock Guitar Exam

Information

Booklet

-both freely downloadable from the RGT website: www.RGT.org

Exam Outline

For

the lnitial

Stage exam, candidates are required

to

perform T\VO pieces

of

music.

This

book

provides

the notation for

six specially-composed

rock

guitar pieces; the

pieces are divided

into

two

groups

_-

Group

A

and Group B

_-

and candidates should

choose one piece

from

each

groap

to

perform

in the exam.

The pieces should be

performed along

to

the

backing tracks provided on

the

accompanying

CD.

The CD

also includes

a

demonstration

track

of

each piece

for

candidates

to

listen

to

and

practise

with

prior to the exam.

A maximum of 5O marks may be achieved for the performance of each piece. To pass

the

exam candidates need a

total of

65

marks.

Candidates achieving 75 marks

will

be awarded a Merit certificate, or a Distinction certificate for 85 marks or above. Exam Entry

An

exam

entry form

is provided

at

the

rear

of

this

handbook. This is

the

only

valid entry form for the RGT rock guitar playing exams.

Please note

that

if the

entry form is detached and lost,

it will

not

be replaced under

any

circumstances

and

the

candidate

will

be

required

to

obtain

a

replacement

handbook to obtain another entry form.

The

entry form

includes

a

unique

entry

code

to

enable

online

entry

via the

RGT

webs i te vrrurw. RGT. org

Tuning

The

CD provided

with

this

handbook

includes

a

tunin

g

guide

on

Track

I

for

candidates to use to practise

tuning

by ear.

For exam _Purposes guitars

should

be

tuned

to

Standard Concert

pitch

(A=44OHzl. The use of an electronic tuner or other

tuning

aid is

permitted.

The examiner

will not

Notation

'-Within

this handbooK three

formats

of

notation are

used:

traditional

notation,

tablature and fretboxes

_-

thereby ensuring

that

there is no

doubt

as

to

how

to

play

the musical requirements. Each of these methods of

notation

is explained below.

Traditional

Notation:

Each

line,

and

space

between

lines, represents

a

different

note.

Leger lines are used

to

extend

the

stave.

For scales,

string

and

fret

numbers are

printed

below

the

notation: fret-hand

fingering

is shown

with

the numbers

I

2 3

4,

with

o indicating an open string; string numbers are shown in a circle.

This

example

shows

a

oneoctave

A

natural

minor scale.

Tablature:

Horizontal lines represent

the

strings

(with the top

line being

the high

E

string).

The numbers on the string lines refer to the

frets.

O on a line means play

that

string open (unfretted).

E B G D A E

Fretboxes:

Vertical lines represent

the

strings

_-

with the

line furthest

to the right

representing the

high

E

string.

Horizontal lines represent the

frets.

The numbers on

the

lines

show

the

recommended

fingering.

I

represents

the

index

finger,

2 = the

long

middle

finget,

3

=

the ring

finger,

4 = the little

finger.

The example

below

means play

with

the second finger at the second fret on the G string.

EADGBE

lf a 0 aPPears above a string line, this indicates that the open string should be

played.

lf, in a chord fretbo><, an X appears above a string line, this indicates that this string should not be played.

Fingering Options

The

fret-hand fingerings

that

have been

provided

for

chords

and

scales are those

that

are

most likely

to

be

effective

for

the widest

range

of

players

at

this

level.

However,

there

are a

variety

of

alternative fingerings

that

could be used,

and

any

systematic

and

effective fingerings

that

produce

a

good

musical

result

will

be acceptable;

there

is

no

requirement

to

use

the

exact fingerings

shown

within

this

handbook. ln

addition,

it

should be

noted

that

the

optimal

fingering

for

playing

a

scale

might

not

always be

the

most effective

fingering

for

playing

a

performance piece

that

is based

on that

scale;

when

playing

the

performance pieces some notes

might

be more easily

fretted

with

a

fingering other than that which would

be most effective

ifjust

playing the scale.

,P

_(U

Chords andscales

Candidates

will

need

to

be

fully

familiar

with

the

chords and scales listed

below

in

order

to

be

properly

prepared

_for

performing

the

set

pieces

in

the

exam, as the

pieces have been specially composed to incorporate _{these chords and scales.}

Chords

Here is the range of chords that are included in the exam pieces.

o

Minor

chords:

Am

Em

o

Fifth (power)

chords: A5

_E5

.

Major

chords:

G

_D

Am

_-

A minor _Em

_-

_{E minor}

XO

A5

_-

A

ftfth

(power chord) E5

_-

E

fifth

_{(power chord)}

0 0 0

0

xxxx

2:

XO

XXX

G

_-

G major* D

_-

D major

XXO

O O

xx0

3

Scales

Here are the scales

that

are utilised in the exam performance pieces.

A natural minor scale

_-

I

octave

ABCDEFGA

E pentatonic minor scale

-

I

octave

EGABDE

*To _{enableyoung players, especially those with small handt to cope}

with the

physical challenge

of

playing

a

G

major chord, the simplified four-string version

of

the

chord

as

shown above

(technically named G/Dl is utilised within the pieces set for this exam level. For reference only, notation showing the standard full

version of the open position G major chord is also provided.

00

2'. )'

Prepared

Performances

Candidates should choose and perform T\il/O

of the

pieces

from

this chapter

_-

one

from Group Aand one from Group B.

The melody lines and riffs in the Group A pieces are all based on the

A

natural minor

scale, whereas those

in the

Group

B pieces

are

based

on

the

E

pentatonic

minor scale.

All

pieces also incorporate some

of the

chords listed

in the

previous chapter.

Therefore,

regular practice

of

all

the

scales

and

chords listed

for

the

grade

will

undoubtedly

aid

the learning

and

performance

_of

the

pieces,

and so

it

is highly

recommended

that

candidates

acquire

a

thorough working knowledge

of

the appropriate scales and chords prior to attempting to play the pieces.

The CD

that

accompanies

this book

includes

a

backing track

for

each piece

for

the

candidate to practise playing along

to.

There is no need to bring the CD to the exam, as the examiner

will

provide the necessary backing tracks during the exam.

The CD also features each track being performed

in full for

demonstration purposes and as an aid to learning.

Exam

format

Candidates'performances should be accurate reproductions of the pieces as notated

in

this

book.

Alternative fingerings

and

playing

positions

can

be

adopted if

preferred,

provided

_the

_overall

_musical

_result

_is

_not

_{altered from}

_the

_recorded

version.

Performances do not need to be from memory; candidates should remember to bring their handbook to the exam should they wish to refer _{to the notation.}

Prior

to

the

performances commencing, candidates

will

be

allowed

a

brief 'soundcheck'so

_{that they}

_{can choose}

_their

_{sound and volume}

_level.

_{Candidates do}

not

need

_to

emulate

the

guitar sound

used

on

the

demonstration

recording;

candidates can use either a clean or a distorted guitar sound for their performance

of

the

pieces,

_{and can}

_{bring their own}

_distortion

_{or other}

_effects

_units

_to

_the

_exam

prouiding

that

they can set them up

prompily

and unaided.

ln

order

to

achieve a

high

mark

in the

exam, performances should be

fully

accurate

and confidently presented. Timing,

clarity

and

technical

control

shoutd be secure

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Use

this

book

to

develop

your playing

and

gain

a

recognised

qualilication

in

rock guitar

playing

Im]