AFRICAN GUITAR LESSONS - SOXIJA MA

[Ninja339]

What are you picking with? What kind of plectrum is that?

[robotsforever]

Dig your song man. Great melody.

[0102106kls]

solomon had a guitar

[LivingInSpirit]

That is beautiful

[Wessssyoung]

I love the song can get it out of my head!

[karisbantu]

African/blues/ jazz whatever you want to label this phrase, ALL OF YOU are right. This is just another different "accent" of the universal language called Music. I am african too, but i wouldn't  just label this as this african. It is just the same old pentatonic scale played by an african person. Learn to love me, or leave me alone if you can't handle the truth!

[Intilegend]

All disputes must be stopped. music of all peoples must be heard around the world. Let initially be anything

[CharlieMoher]

Ok you've got our attention. When does the lesson start ? :>))

[djembeweaver]

Ha - 'lesson' means something rather different to an african. Any way, if you listen carefully and go note by note you can work out the basic pattern quite easily.

[yasamih]

simple and beautiful!

[DEATH2REALITY]

I want to learn this song so bad, I know its not that hard but i knew to guitar anybody can make a lesson.

[djembeweaver]

I could probably tab the basic pattern for you if you can read tab

[aoscruggs49]

@DEATH2REALITY First note: your pinkie on the 8th fret on the b string.

Second note: first finger on the fifth fret on the high e string. Third note: pinkie on the 8th fret on the high e string. Fourth note: first finger on the fifth fret on the high e string.

fifth note: pinkie on the eight fret on the b string.Sixth note, first finger on the fifth fret on the b strong. seventh note third finger on the 7th fret on the g string.

You should be able to figure it out from there. :)

[Nupharluteum]

Great, I can't get tired of listening to this.

[voorstevius]

Nice playing.

Pentatonic - blues - african roots.

Am I the only one who notices that the film is looped several times?

Great job anyway.

[Daniel8Tolu]

Can any body tell me where the nut is? It's difficult to copy this by sight without knowing.

[TomFontana]

his first finger is at the fifth fret

[aoscruggs49]

@TomFontana Thanks. I hadn't noticed that. When I placed my first finger there, all the notes were right in place.

[DEATH2REALITY]

Can anybody make a tab for this??? I would to learn how to play it.

[orelpap]

You dont need tab for that.

Start to familiarise urself with playing by hear.

[brokentoedspoon]

just mess around in Am pentatonic

[karisbantu]

@brokentoedspoon

True! Am Pentatonic

[karisbantu]

@brokentoedspoon

True, A min Pentatonic !

[DEATH2REALITY]

WOW This is music

[adriaticsound]

God bless you !!!

[DEATH2REALITY]

Wow

[NOOORGE]

très bien joué!! sound's really great!

[leonqwik]

wish I could hear your beatiful voice louder. great playing!

[Ballardian]

Paul, I would love it if you could post more stuff like this.

[ChorltonM21]

How do you get that "Malian" guitar sound? sort of zingy. I've been playing over 30 years I know I can hear something different but can't put my finger on it. Ali farka toure did it too - it's on the high strings mainly.

[TheUnionBlood]

I don't know how the Malians do it, but I find it helps to use a coin as a pick.

[saleta]

the secret is that the sound of the string is muffled by a folded paper leaf at the beginning of the strings.for more information see the video tape of michel lasnier :la guitare ouest-africaine,editions connection(in french).bye

[hirukosama]

Strip the chords as near to the handle as your guitar allows you and play firmly :)

[leonqwik]

What does that mean? Really, cause I really dig the sound of African guitar rhythms.

[stargate669]

a pull off is when you go up to dick cheney and try to pull his hair off. A hammer on is his reply. Sort of call and response.

[aoscruggs49]

I think he's using the hammer-on a lot, along with pull offs.

[anak1]

I'm gonna have fun playing along to this! Thanks for uploading paul8880521!!

[malfattimusic]

sounds cool man , nice to hear some authentic african licks played so nicely....very tribal vocals too...cool stuff!!!

[voodoou20two]

i like it

[waveswaveswaves]

what's the guitar tuning?

[SmileEldoux]

Alternative I'm guessing

[sk8akid666]

no, i think it's standard

[qwwwwww12]

lloooollll its great goodd!!!

[qwwwwww12]

lloooollll its great goodd!!!

[qwwwwww12]

lloooollll its great goodd!!!

[VraiDiouf]

The best African guitaring come from the banks of the Niger River (in Mali, Niger, Northern Nigeria). That means Zarma/Songhai/Fulani/Hausa Territory.

[anak1]

Yaya dai VraiDiouf? :)

The Manden peoples of Mali and Guinea have some beautiful guitar compositions, like those of the Bajourou (substituting 2 guitars for the Kora). In all, because most peoples in West Africa already have beautiful musical traditions on various indigenous lutes and harps like the kora, seperewa or xalam/molo/gurmi/koliko, artists can easily pick up and bring some great licks to the guitar too :) Look at the great Ali Farka Toure, Djelimady Tounkara or Boubacar Traore!

[VraiDiouf]

LOL you're right my brother Anak, this is because most West African/African music in general is Pentatonic or thrust reversal type music.

[oramikleepunk]

I enjoy West African music...this is where American blues roots came from.

[faheyball]

This is great - thanks very much :)

[keithdavies100]

Absolutely brilliant - thks very much. I've wanted to get this sound for ages. To those struggling - basic A pent minor box shape, 5th fret, but centre your playing around the C - 3rd strg, 5th fret - instead of the A. Let your fingers play around with it - you'll hear it gradually fall into place. Don't push it - play around with it, keep the sound you're after in your head, and your brain will find it. Thks again, Paul. Brilliant.

[saleall]

i can play that man ..lol wtf he is in standard tune.

[SteffStradi]

Honestly, I doubt it. The technique is simple, I agree but the rythm is challenging and makes the song special. Even if you could play the same way you couldn't sing like him. Proof that I'm wrong and contact me if you post the vid. Steff

[saleall]

ya i agree with that. thats right i cant sing like the same way he did. but its simple to play exactly the way he played ;).

[thefreevan]

haha

i used my low quality digi cam.

[YofterMofter]

Awesome! That's where shuffle comes from.

[lepany]

Could you please upload the non-edited video as well? Thanks

[dronai]

Add some drums to give it a African feel. Very cool.

[maceike]

Lol... it's already "African". Every African song DOES NOT have to have drums. Most of the songs are actually sung a capella then percussion is added later.

[planetjames9]

what tuning is he in?

[wombaticusrex]

I have no complaints, it was great of you to put this up, sure the quality could be better but there's virtually nothing online for good African guitar lessons, especially Mali, which is my favorte stuff on the planet. Thanks again.

[duztdruid]

lovely tune but I can't make out how his fingers are moving from the video. a text tab would be very helpful.

[paul8880521]

yeah i used my low quality digi cam. i was hoping that one could hear the actual melody and use the video for a general idea of how to finger it. Good luck.

[aoscruggs49]

@duztdruid Just play it by ear and do the fingering that's easiest for you.