Guitar Case Studies & Practical Application 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A guitarist is learning a song that requires a sustained note while simultaneously picking a melody. Which right-hand technique allows this on acoustic guitar?
- Flatpicking
- Travis picking (fingerstyle with alternating bass) (Correct answer)
- Sweep picking
- Economy picking
Correct answer: Travis picking (fingerstyle with alternating bass)
Travis picking uses the thumb to maintain a steady alternating bass while the fingers pick the melody independently.
Question 2: You are helping a beginner whose fretting hand fatigues quickly. Which adjustment would most immediately relieve hand strain?
- Switch to a 12-string guitar
- Lower the string action and use lighter gauge strings (Correct answer)
- Practice longer sessions to build endurance
- Tune up a whole step
Correct answer: Lower the string action and use lighter gauge strings
Lower action and lighter strings require less finger pressure and hand strength, reducing fatigue for beginners.
Question 3: A guitarist's electric guitar has a hum that disappears when they touch the strings or bridge. What does this indicate?
- The amp needs new tubes
- The guitar has a grounding issue (Correct answer)
- The pickups are out of phase
- The cable is too long
Correct answer: The guitar has a grounding issue
When body contact eliminates hum, it means the player is completing the ground circuit — indicating a broken or missing ground wire in the guitar.
Question 4: A student practicing a difficult chord transition keeps stopping at the change. What practice method best addresses this specific problem?
- Practice the full song at slow tempo
- Loop just the two bars containing the transition at a slow tempo (Correct answer)
- Memorize the chord shapes separately
- Skip the difficult section and return to it later
Correct answer: Loop just the two bars containing the transition at a slow tempo
Looping the specific transition repeatedly at slow speed builds the motor memory needed for a smooth chord change.
Question 5: A guitarist wants to achieve a clean, chimey tone similar to classic 1960s British Invasion recordings. Which pickup position is most appropriate?
- Humbucker on the neck position with high gain
- Single-coil pickup on the bridge or middle position with clean amp settings (Correct answer)
- Active pickups with heavy distortion
- P-90 pickups with fuzz pedal
Correct answer: Single-coil pickup on the bridge or middle position with clean amp settings
The bright, chimey tones of 1960s British Invasion bands were largely produced by single-coil pickups through clean or lightly overdriven amplifiers.
Question 6: A guitarist playing in a trio (guitar, bass, drums) needs to cover both rhythm and harmonic interest simultaneously. Which approach best fills the sonic space?
- Play only single-note melodies throughout
- Use a combination of chord stabs, arpeggios, and melodic fills (Correct answer)
- Stick to full six-string strumming at all times
- Exclusively use power chords
Correct answer: Use a combination of chord stabs, arpeggios, and melodic fills
In a trio setting, guitarists must vary their approach — mixing chords, arpeggios, and melodies — to fill the harmonic space without a second chordal instrument.
Question 7: A student wants to play a chord melody arrangement of a jazz standard on guitar. What is the fundamental concept behind this technique?
- Playing the melody on one string while a bassist handles harmony
- Playing the melody on the highest strings while voicing chord tones below it simultaneously (Correct answer)
- Alternating between melody and chord playing bar by bar
- Using a looper pedal to layer parts
Correct answer: Playing the melody on the highest strings while voicing chord tones below it simultaneously
Chord melody involves harmonizing a melody so it sits on top of, or integrated within, chord voicings played simultaneously by one guitarist.
Guitar Case Studies & Practical Application 3
A guitarist is learning a song that requires a sustained note while simultaneously picking a melody.
Which right-hand technique allows this on acoustic guitar?