RING OF THIRDS
Acoustic Guitar readers with the December ’08 issue will be treated to a transcription of "Ring of Fire," a song made classic by the man in black, Johnny Cash. One thing missing from the transcription is the mariachi horn line that kicks off and repeats throughout the tune, so we’re using this space to deliver those goods and give you a helpful exercise in playing thirds. Hear audio example.


The upper and lower voices here actually represent two different horns, playing two different lines harmonized in thirds. The pickup measure begins with a major-third interval—the root and third of G—before both notes climb up one scale step to form a minor-third interval. This shape ascends chromatically until measure 1, when it hits B and D—the third and fifth of G, which makes a lot of melodic sense over the G chord. As the progression moves forward the harmonized line moves with it, creating thirds that pair well with and reinforce the notes of the C and D chords. Try to think about your fingerings ahead of time, and practice the line until you can play it in time. It’s more difficult than it looks!

To see the entire progression (and some other tips for playing the song), check out “Ring of Fire” in the Acoustic Classic section of Acoustic Guitar’s December ’08 issue.

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KEN HATFIELD RELEASES ETUDES FOR SOLO GUITAR IN 24 KEYS
Award-winning composer/guitarist Ken Hatfield has released his new book, Etudes for Solo Guitar in 24 Keys. As its title suggests, the collection contains an etude for each major and minor key, fully transcribed in standard notation. The volume comes with a companion CD which is also available separately, exclusively through Hatfield’s website. kenhatfield.com

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