voLume One The What, How, and When Source for Guitar Players By John JoyYellow Guitar Books, Volume I The What, How and When Source for Guitar Players Copyright © 2004 by John Joy ‘Ail rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be reproduced cr transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system without prior written permission from the author except for the inclusion of brief quotations in critical articles or reviews, ISBN, 0-9749088-0-0 Published by Yellow Guitar Books P.O. Box 40 Dunstable, MA 01827-0040, U.S.A \wwow yellowguitarbooks.com Book design and illustrations by Eric Lanoue, www. agrebowl.com Band-in-a-Box is a copyright of PGMusicBLE OF CONTENTS Introduction Chapter 4: Getting Started: A Couple Of Things You Need For A Good Start Chapter 2: Strings And Things: Guitar Construction Basics And Tuning Chapter The Major Scale: The Source, All The Theory You Need For Now Chapter 4: About Practicing And Time Management: Practice Session Plans Chapter 5: Time For A Little Bit On Using The Fretboard Diagrams In This Book Chapter 6: The Pentatonic Scale: 1,2,3,5 And 6 Of The Major Scale Chapter 7: Diatonic Triads: Where Do Chords And Chord Progressions Came From? Chapter 8: Movable Major Chord Forms: A Good Start For Your Chord Vocabulary Chapter 8: Open Chords: Treat The Nut Just Like Another Fret Chapter 10: Movable Minor Chords Chapter 11: Key Changes Are Easier On Guitar: Moving Shapes Around Chapter 12: Octaves I: Find The Mame Of Any Mote On The Guitar From The E Or A String Chapter 13: Relative Minor: Demystified Chapter 14: Minor Scale: Relative Minor, Natural Minor, Aeolian Mode, Same Thing Chapter 15: The Minor Pentatonic Scale: It’s Relative Too Chapter 16: The Blues Scal Minor Pentatonic With A Flatted 5th Chapter 17: Triad Inversions: The Big Picture A Little At A Time Chapter 18: Seventh Chords: Explained - Just Add Another 3rd Chapter 19: A Couple Of Movable Seventh Chords Chapter 20: Four Blues Progressions: Basic 12 Bar Plus Chord Substitutions Chapter 21: The Diminished Seventh Chord: Motion Potion Chapter 22: Blues Scale Inverted: Major Pentatonic With A Flatted 3rd Chapter 23: Dominant 9th Chords: Substitute for Dominant 7th Chords Anytime Chapter 24: Chord Scales: Chords That Sound Like Scales Chapter 25: Dominant Seventh Chords Inversions: Using 12 Fingerings The Jam Along GD: Time To Apply What You Have Learned! Appendix A - Additional Session Practice Plans Index eo oun 14 7 18 21 23 26 28 30 33 34 35 38 a 47 43 a8 61 63 66 7Ua se) 218 ‘The guiter is a wonderful instrument. A novice can easily strum a few open chords just ¢ few minutes after picking it up, or an expert can express intense emotion with an inspired solo while displaying incredible vrtuosity, Allin all I can't think of another instrument that is as versatile as the guitar, or ‘one that is more satisfying to play. You find the guitar featured prominently in just about all forms of ‘music being played today. ‘Making the most of the guitar requires deliberate effort to maximize the positive and minimize the negative aspects of this challenging instrument. This book is designed to provide the guitarist with simple and straightforward methad for applying the guitar to real world music playing. The goal is to demonstrate how the idiosyncrasies of the guitar can be used as an advantage and to provide a relatively simple approach to many different: complex musical challenges. The key to all this is a simple yet elegant guitar method that allows the student to understand what makes music work. I'm talking about truly understanding some very important, yet: surprisingly simple, underlying principles in all musie and then taking advantage of that: knowledge. | have had the opportunity over the years to apply and refine this method with students of ell ages and backgrounds. The method has proven successful ‘and just as importantly, fun for new students and experienced players alike. ‘The contents of this book and the accompanying CDs represent the culmination of more than 20 years of development and refinement. When | first started playing the guitar | was in a bg hurry to become @ cood player. | was wiling to work hard not only at: practice, but also seeking out good teachers, books and any other materials | could find. Well, it didn’t take long to see that just about everyone has a different way of looking at music and how to apply musical ideas to the quitar. Many of the books | saw described things in @ way that were not understandable, and conflicted with the same concept presented in another book. Many of the concepts that needad to be understood were of the generic music theory variety. Others were about fingerings and such, but it seemed that: @ good, simple, straightforward explanation was unavailable from any single source. | sensed tha: somehow there must be a simpler way to look at these concepts and to apply them to my guitar playing. ‘The halimark of this method is its simplicity. Although it is not designed to be the only source for developing your quitar style, it does provide the guitarist with clarity and understanding, resulting in @ versatile method. It does this by boiling down the seemingly unlimited choices on the guitar to a reasonable and manageable set of tools. These tools, once acquired, can be used in just about any musical sittation you may find yourself in. By leamning the "Yellow Guitar Books" method you will possess a manageable “Too! Kit" readily available for use every time you play. One problem many guitarists have is how to assimilate all the required fretboard technology and get it "under the fingers” ready-to-use as needed. Simplicity is the key! Through goal setting, visualization, applying time frames and isolating small workable pieces, the whole process of learning guitar can be sped up dramatically. ‘Add this to @ humanistic bent with some inspirational quotations and your quest for understanding and playing music will accelerate far beyond your expectations!This is Volume | of my guitar method, Volume il will continue with the same philosophy and presenta- tion but will open things up to include many new and mare camplex concepts and techniques. All presented in @ way that is easy to understand and to use in real world playing situations. hope you find the method described in this book and the accompanying CDs as useful as 1 do, while answering many of those nagging questions you may have had about music and the guitar. As a result of spending some time working through the chapters and applying the speed learning enc visualization techniques described here, you too will improve your playing and love the guitar even more, How To Use This Book: | suggest the first time you go through Yellow Guitar Books, Volume J, you work with each af the chapters in order. Many of the concepts taught in latar chapters depend on information you learn in earlier chapters. Once you have gone through the book it is fine to skip around a bit. Go tack to previous chapters if you are unclear on how something works, You will find a wealth of information in Yellow Guitar Books, Volume | and learn something new every time you open up a chapzer. All of the fretboard diagrams have a corresponding exemple played an the “Example CD" that comes with the book. IF you would like to hear how any of the fingerings, for scales or chords presented in the book sound, pop in the CD and listen Some people like to work with full color fretboard diagrams. If you would lke the diagrams in full color go to “The Practicing Guitarist” section of www.yellowguitarbooks.com. Just: download the POF files and print them. There is blank “Practice Session Pian” too! We are always putting new free content: up on the website, so come back now and then to check it out, On the “Jam Along” CD you will find selections to apply what you have learned in the book. These Jam Tunes are like having your own backup band. You will find specific instructions on how to Use the “Jam Along” CD throughout the book. ‘You will also find plenty of “Practice Session Plans" in Appendix A. Everything should be made as simple as possible.....but not simpler. Albert Einstein86000809093329333322' | oO Cceccacccacosceosbooede0s5t J} ) 44 | | | | P| | | | | | | } ! | PEEP Lyd | | | | | 1 |] | | | Py | | | ry ddd | PELLETGETTING STARTED: A COUPLE OF THINGS YOU NEED FOR A GOOD START CHAPTER 1 First and most importantly you will need a desire to play the guitar. A little bit of faith and patience will go @ long way toward your goals for your playing. Oh yes goals, both short term and long serm are very important and provide milestones to show you how much progress you have made and to provide a target for where your playing will be in the future. Playing music is not really a destination but more of @ wonderful, continuous journey that mirrors and enhances other areas of your life. We will be talking more about setting goals later. It is assumed that: you know or can find out how ta tune your guitar and that you can keep it in tune as you play. If you are having any trouble tuning, buy an electronic guitar tuner, You will need a decent guitar to work with, electric or acoustic, Choose one that plays in tune and allows access to the entire fretboard. | would advise using strings in the mediumlight to medium range, something like .010 to .046 or .011 to .049. You wil want to use a medium or heavy pic of whatever shape you like. ‘A metronome is recommended for developing your sense of time and rhythm. These can be purchased for as little a $15.00, Having a neat wellighted work area near a CD player with a lock in plain sight is @ must. Find the place where you will have the fewest: possible, distractions. Get into the habit of creating a block of time devoted to practicing your guitar every day. It need not be huge block of time. Remember it is much better to play a little every day than to save up and play for a longer time less frequently. The quality of the practice session is more important than quantity. In general you will make good progress with an hour a day and rove fester with additional time spent. We will be talking later about specific techniques for practice that will maximize whatever time you have set, aside for your playing, ‘Al the fretbcard diagrams in this book use a simple system to illustrate the proper fingers to use. The number 1 denotes the index finger, the number 2 denotes the middle finger, the number 3 denotes the ring finger and the number 4 denotes the pinky. The lettar T denates the thumb. There will be more about the fingering diagrams as we move through the book. There are three types of baseball players - those who make it happen, those who watch it happen, and those who wondered what happened. Tommy LasordaSTRINGS AND THINGS: GUITAR CONSTRUCTION BASICS AND TUNING Cae ‘The guitar in its present form (construction and tuning) has been around for awhile now, a few hundred years anyway. So it can be considered relatively low tech when compared to electronic, keyboards and such. The fact that the guitar player's fingers are placed directly on the source of the sound (the vibrating string) is one big reason that it is such an emotional instrument. The way a quitar is tuned determines how the musical techniques shared by all instruments (scales, chords ,etc.) are “fingered”. IF you were to change the tuning all fingerings would change. It would not be unreasonable to think of the guitar as mare than one instrument. It is possible to play melodies end scales on each single string, as well as to play melodies, scales and chords in each of et least five positions going up the neck across all six strings. If this sounds too complex, not to worry, we will take advantage af all of the idiosyncrasies of the guitar's construction and find clever ways to minimize its difficulties. It is not necessary to learn where all the notes on the fretboard are right away. However as a minimum you must learn by memorization the notes as they occur on the E (thickest) and the A (next thickest) strings. Once the notes on the E and A string are memorized it is simple ta figure out any other notes. One thing to remember: on any instrument there is a 1/ step (1 fret) between B and C and a 7a step (fret) between E and F. All other whole notes (non sharp or flat) have 1 whole step between them. This will make more sense as we mave forward inta the next chapter. It is essumed that you understand how to tune your guitar with an electric tuner or the manual method. The following diagram has the locations for tuning the quitar as well as the whole notes on every string and all the notes on the E and A string. Learn the whole notes on the E and & string first Remember if you lower the pitch of a note by 1 fret (1/2 step) you would have "fiatted” that note. Example, A vould become Ab. If you raise the pitch by 1 fret (1/2 step) you would have "sherped” that note, Example G would become G#. Notice that G# and Ab are the same pitch with a different: name. Think you can, think you can't; either way you will be right. = Henry FordGUITAR TUNING AND NOTES DIAGRAM E F- G: “‘A- ‘B-C- ‘D- E: F- G: B Cc. D. E F- G- -A- B—C. D- GS “A- ‘B——C: ‘D- E—-F- G: “A- D E- F. G. D- B--C. D- E. Ss E F: G A: B==C: ‘D: E: ‘G: LEARN THESE FIRST: NOTES ON A STRING NOTES ON E STRING HALF STEP = 1 FRET WHOLE STEP = 2 FRETS OCTAVE = 12 FRETS ©) = oPENTHE MAJOR SCALE: THE SOURCE, ALL THE THEORY YOU NEED FOR NOW CHAPTER 3 OK, here we go! The Major Scale is the fundamental harmonic device present in most of the music you know and love. Melodies, chords, chord progressions and even various chord types are darived from, or are somehow related to, the Major Scale. As a guitarist you will continually be going beck to the well. That is, you will put the Major Scale to use every time you pick up the guitar. The Major Scale is the comerstane of this guitar method and its importance can't be overstated, TERMS AND DEFINITIONS: 11/2 STEP : The smallest distance between any two notes on the guitar. That's one fret on the guitar, up or down in pitch (note). 41 STEP : Two frets on the guitar either up or down in pitch, OCTAVE : 12 consecutive 1/2 steps would cover the distance of 1 octave, This is the dstance from an open string to the 12th fret on any single string, KEY : The starting note of a Major Scale that provides the basis and "color" of the notes that follow. KEY SIGNATURE : The sum of the Sharp and Flat notes in a particular key. These occur as a result of the starting note snd the notes created by applying "The Formula ‘The key to understanding the Majar Scale is what | call “The Formula, this is @ series of whole and half ‘steps that are responsible for the notes that, ocour in any particular key. I's all pretty easy to under- ‘stand if you take it step by step, so to speak. The Major Scale has 7 notes. Each one has an alphabetical letter and 8 corresponding number 4 through 7. The order of the note names will always he alphabetical ( A to G ) and the numbers are always consecutive, The first note is called 1, the second is 2 and so on. Ultimataly the number will become more important then the note name when applying the Yellow Guitar Book method to your playing. The "Root" of a Major Scale is the number 1. The 1 is also called "The Tonic’, "The Key Center” or the “Tonal Center*. All of these just refer to the fact thet if you start with 1 and build @ Major Scale using “The Formula’, you are working within the Major Scale System. This system is also referred to as "Diatonic*. The Roots are notated in many of the fingering diagrams in this book, their location should be memorized. Any key changes performed on the fretboard correspond to the locetion of the roots (11 of the Major Scale). This will become the basis for using much of Yellow Guitar Book method in your playing.UNDERSTANDING HOW MAJOR SCALES ARE CONSTRUCTED Let’s create the G Major Sc: {Step 1) Start by writing out the numbers 1 through 7: 1 2 38 4 5 6 7 (Step 2) Then add seven consecutive note names alphabatically 41°92 38 4 5 B 7 BI) G A B C D E F 6G (Step 3) Then insert "The Formula” between the nates, giving you this depiction: 1.2 8 4 5 6 7 BI) Rot G A B C OD E F G 1 1 We 1 140° 1 Me [Step 4) Now move from the first: note to the second and the third filling in any sharp or flat notes you encounter @s you progress through the sequence of whole and half steps (The Formula). Notice that you end up with an Fif and that if you go the 1/2 step up from 7 as indicated by "The Formula" you get the starting note (G) one octave up. This can be called 6 or 1 There are whole steps between all whole notes except for E to F and B to C. These have 1/2 steps between them 4 2 8 4 5 68 7 Bt) G A 8 G D E FF G 1 4 We 1 1°14 We So the G Major Scale has 1 sharp, Fit. Because we started on G and used “The Formula" to build the remaining notes in the scale. That's all there is to it! You can build any major scale this way. Once the Formula has been applied you would have all of the notes in the G Major Scale. These notes would all be considered as being contained in "The Key OF G", The total of the Sharp or Flat notes that result from applying the Formula would be the key signature for that key. The Key of G has 1 sharp, F#.10 If you are having trouble with which note comes next, go back the “ Strings And Things” chapter. e& Let's try the key of Eb. Set up the seal 4 Eb 2 F 4 7 81) Eb Ye 1 1 1 We Then fill in the sharps or flats. Hint: you will never have both sharps and flats in the same key. 1 2 8 4 5 6 7 BI) Eb F G Ab B G OD f& 1 1% 4 1 4 Me So the key of Eb has flats, Eb, Ab and Bb. Let’s try the key of D. Set up the scale: 1 2 38 4 5 6 7 BI) DoF F G A B CG oD 1 1% 4 1 4 the sharps or flats. 1 2 3 5 6 7 at) DE FF G ce oD 1 4 Ye 101 4 So the key of D has 2 sharps, F# and CitWRITE OUT THE FOLLOWING MAJOR SCALES BY FILLING IN THE BLANKS ‘These are the most commonly used keys c Ab De ‘fe ve 1/2 Ve ve 172 Ve V2 Ve Ve Ve Ve Ve Ve V2 V2 V2 V2 Ve 1/2 4112 THE MAJOR SCALE, 5 BASIC FINGERINGS ( CD EXAMPLES 11 TO 5 } Major Scale 5 Positions @= Root 072 -O- }|+® o 0+ G se See “Using The Fretboard Diagrams In This Book” on page 17.PRACTICE SESSION PLAN KEY OF THE DAY Learn % positions of Major Seales in a few keys. Keys are GC, A and E (choose one cath day or so). Be able to play eath of the patterns in position and learn where the roots are located in each of them. Build good alternate picking technique. Starting from the Position that starts elesest to the mut, Play the First: Major Seale shape. Slow and clean with metronome and alternate picked 2 minutes st note down, next up, next down ett). Move wp to the next Position Play the next Major Seale shape. Slow and clean with metvonome and alternate picked (Ist nobe down, next up, next down ete) Move up to the next Position. Play the next Major Scale shape: Slow and clean with metronome and alternate picked (Ist note down next up, next down ete). Move up to the next position Play the next Major Scale shape. Slow and Clean with metronome and alternate picked (Ist note down, next up, next down ete). Move up to the next position. Play the next Major Seale shape. Slow and Clean with metronome and alternate picked (Ist note down, next up, next down ete). Starting with the first position you Played, identify where all the Roots 1 of the Major Seale) ave located. Play the stale shape up and down conte, then Play all the roots. Play for 20 Minutes. More if ay like! Using selection #1 on the Jam CD flay all of the 5 Major Seales shapes over the tune. “Lean” (play them a lot) on the roots, invent new Phrases, move through all of the 5 Positions up and down the neck: Think melody and allow time between notes Total Time for tasks would be 35 minutes. Allowing 20 minutes for application. 1314 ABOUT PRACTICING AND TIME MANAGEMENT: PRACTICE SESSION PLANS CHAPTER 4 Developing yaur own guitar style will require you to “Learn How You Learn", becoming your own best teacher, What this means is that you will develop practice plans that work best for you. Cver time you will refine these practice plans to meximize their effectiveness and to create new ideas for you to learn and play. Mest guitarists don't have unlimited time for practice, however the rigors of the instrument require concerted effort to play. Finding how to get the most benefit for the least amount of time spent is the best way to move forward on the guitar. All of these practice techniques have been put to use successfully many times over with my students and in my own work on the guitar. There are 5 basic parts to the "Practice Session Plan’ 41] State Goals: Put them in writing. 2) Create Short Tasks: These are Practice Tasks designed to work with other tasks that support the Stated Goal. 3) Time Frames: Each task must have a timeframe assigned to it. This helps to manage your precious time. 4) Key of the Day: When learning fretboard mechanics, always work with ane key at a time, 5) Application: Use the practiced skills in a musical situation. Here is haw to develop a Practice Session Plan: Start by deciding on a goal. The goal should be an area of your playing that you would like to improve. like "Soloing better over a Blues progression” or "Use Major Scale Shapes to play Major and Minor Scales". Then design five or six tasks that: support the accomplishment of the goal. For example a task might be "Pley all five Major Scale shapes, slow and clean with alternate picking, using a metronome" or "Play Blues Scales up each single string’. After creating the supporting tasks you would assign a timeframe to each of them. But first decide how much time you can practice for on that day. Maybe you could create @ one-hour plan or a 30-minute plan. Either way divide the total time by the number of tasks to get a rough idea how much time to spend on any task. Finally choose a "Key Of The Day’ Most of the things you can do on guitar need to be practiced in different keys, Work in these Keys first: (Major) E, F, G, A, C.D (Minor) E-,G-, A-,G-,0-, B- Let's take a look at a simple form you can use to create Practice Session Plans! There are plenty of extra Practice Session Plans in Appendix - AHere is a sample Practice Session Plan’ PRACTICE SESSION PLAN wey oF THE pay _@_ Solo better over Major sounding chord Progressions using Major and Major Pentatonie Seales. Learn letation of voots, and Connect cath Position into the next and Previous Positions, allowing movement up and down the fretboard. Understand what chords (Triads) Fit. which position Starting from the Position that starts closest to the nut Play cath of 2 min each the 5 Major Stale shapes. Slow and clean with metronome and alternate Position, picked. Starting From the last position played (around 12:th fret) play each of 2 min eath the 3 Pentatoni¢ Seale Shapes. Slow and clean with metronome Position and alternate picked. ten Minutes Play the Major Chord that fits in eath of the 5 stale shapes. Play the roots of the chord. See "Movable Major Chords” On each single string: play the Major Seales up and down, ending each time by Playing the root. On each single string: play the Pentatonie Seales up and down, ending each time by playing the root ag cles Play the Miner Chords as a vi (E min) that fits in each of the 2 scale shapes. Play the roots of the chord. See "Movable Minor Chords”. Using Jam CD, Band-in-a—Box, Practice CDs or a tape-retorded rhythm guitar part, solo using Major and Pentatoni¢ scales. Lean on the roots, invent new Phrases, move through all of the % positions up and down the neck. Think melody and allow quiet time between notes. Apply bends, slides, hammer—ons and pull-offs. Total time for tasks would be 39 minutes. Allow 21 minutes for application. 46USING THE FRETBOARD DIAGRAMS IN THIS BOOK CHAPTER 5 = Fingerings are also celled " Shapes ", “ Patterns “or " Positions " * Actual scale fingerings are shown. * Play these starting with the lowest note on the thick E string and play up to the highest note on the thin E string, one string ata time. = The roo is indicated by @ color depending on scale type, "Each position represents @ different way to play the same scale in a different area of the fretboard. Positions can be combined and moved through in any combination you desire Chords : "= Fingerings are shown, "Barred chords use 11st or rd finger to play all notes under the Ber ‘(" "Roots are indicated by colored nates. "Strings that are not played are crossed out. Q * Notes can be strummed together ar plucked one at a time. Ihave learned to use the word “impossible” with the greatest of caution, -Werner von Braun a718 THE PENTATONIC SCALE: 1,2,3,5 AND 6 OF THE MAJOR SCALE CHAPTER & Now that you have a good idea what it takes to play Major Scales over the entire fretboard, let's take a look at ancther important scale called the *Pentatonic Scale", This scale is best looked at as a 5 note scale that is a subset of the Majar Scale. Remember the Major Scale has 1,2,3,4,,6 and 7, with each of these nates being derived from “The Formula". The Pentatonic Scale is simply 1,2,3,5 and 6 of the Major Scale. VERY VERSATILE SCALE! Pentatonic Scales are used in just about all forms of music. You wil find and can use it in Rock, Blues, Jazz, Bluegrass, Country, Funk and just about anything else you can think of. The Pentatonic Scale is pretty easy to play and is also easy to use because it doesn't have any 1/p steps as part of its construction and only has two notes per string. Practice note for scales: ‘As we move on, you will be using the very same fingerings to create other scales from Mor and Major Pentatonic Scale patterns. In order to get the maximum benefit from this book itis highly recommended that: you spend enough time with these first, two scale types (Major & Pentatonic), as needed to master them. For Major and Major Pentatonic Scales, plan to work towards the following: "Be able to play all 5 positions equally well * Learn and memorize where all the "Roots" are located. * Altemnete Pick all patterns when practicing (pick down, up, down, up, etc.) ® Play petterns from the lowest to the highest note, then from highest to the lowest. = Start slow and clean with good tone. Gradually pick up speed. * Use a metronome to track and gauge your progress. = Use the Practice Session Plans and Jam Along CD as indicated. * Visualize the patterns "In Your Minds Eye" Move from one pattern to the next end previous on each single string, ‘We will be telking much more about practicing. So don't worry if you don't understand all of this jus: yet. Everyone who got where he is had to begin where he was ~ Robert Louis StevensonTHE PENTATONIC SCALE, 5 BASIC FINGERINGS ( CD EXAMPLES 6 TO 10 ) Pentatonic Scale _‘5 Positions @ =Root © ‘© 13PRACTICE SESSION PLAN KEY OF THE DAY Learn 5 Positions of Major Pentatonit Seales in a few keys. Keys ave G, C, A and E (ehoose one zach day or so). Be able to play each of the patterns in Position and learn where the roots are lotated in each of them. Build good alternate picking technique. Starting from the Position that starts closest to the nut, Play the first: Major Pentatoni¢ Seale shape: Slow and clean with metronome and alter L minutes nate picked (Ist note down, next uP next down ett). Move up to the next Position. Play the next Major Pentatonie Seale shape. Slow and clean with metronome and alternate pitked (Ist note down, Z minutes next up, next down ett). Move up to the next Position Play the next Major Pentatonic. Scale shape. Slow and clean with metronome and alternate picked (Ist note down, | 2 minute next up, next down ete). Move up to the next Position Play the next Major Pentatonie Seale shape. Slow and clean with metronome and alternate pitked (Ist note down, DZ minutes next up, next down ete) Move up to the next Position Play the next Major Pentatonic Scale shape. Slow and clean with metronome and alternate picked (Ist note down, 2 minut next up, next down ete). Starting with the first position you played, identify where all the Roots inuke Pee (1 of the Majer Stale) ave located. Play the scale shape up and down pe: conte, then Play all the reots. Play for 20 Myutes: More 1 yew Wel Usilg selection #1 on the Jam CD play all of the S Major Pentatonie Scales shapes over the bane “Lean” (play them a lot) on the roots, invent new Phrases, move through all of the 9 positions up nd deam the neck. Think melody and allow’ time for quiet. space between notes Total Time for tasks would be 85 minutes. Allowing 20 minutes for application.DIATONIC TRIADS: WHERE DO CHORDS AND CHORD PROGRESSIONS COME FROM? 5 Ps ed The term "Triad" refers to @ chord with three different notes. Most people agree that it takes at least three notes to have a "Real Chord’ The vast majority of the chords we will use in this method ere built of "Diatonic Thirds", Simple really, thirds can be thought of as every other note in a Major Scale. There are two types of Srds, Major (2 whole steps between notes) and Minor (1 and 1/a steps between notes). Start on any note in a Major Scale, skip the next one and you would have moved a Distonic Third. (Diatonic « derived from the Major Scale) ‘There are thee types of Triads; Major, Minor and Diminished (b5). There is a particular Triad built from each of the seven Major Scele notes. Let's put it together. Here is the © Major Scal 1 2 8 4 5 6 7. BI) c¢ D E F G A B CG No sharps or flats in the key of C right? Time to stack up some thirds above each of the seven Major Scale notes. Cup a third (every other note) gives E. E up a third (every other note) gives G. These three notes (C, E. G) together create a Major Triad. If you did this to any Major Scale you would get the same result. 1 is @ Major Triad notated with an uppercase roman numeral" 1 (Maj) (min) ii ( min) IV (Maj) V (Maj) vi tmin) —_vii(Dimpb® G A B c o Es F IE iB G ry 8 c D c D E F G A B Chord Roots if we continue and apply the same procedure to all the Mejor Scale notes we would have the complete "Diatonic Triad” story. Minor Chords are notated with a lower case roman numeral, Liminshed chords with a lower case roman numeral plus a b5. The location and type of triad is the same for all Major Scales (keys). So you can start to see that the number of any Major Scale note can be more important than the actual note name. Notice how each line of notes across the page in this chord diagram, is the C Major Scale starting on a different note. Hmmm... aq22 Here is the part you want to memorize: 1+ Major ii- Minor ili- Minor IV - Major V- Major vi - Minor vii ES ~ Diminished Another way you will use the Major Scale to understand and use “Triads” is to compare the notes in the Triad to the Major Scale with the same "Root’, The Root is the first note in @ Major Scale and can he considered the “Key Genter” meaning the origin or basis for the scale and everything else derived from it Here are the three chord types we discovered earlier as compared to the key of C: © Major Scale 1 2 38 4 5 6 7 a1) ec D FE F G A BC © Major Triad C(1) E()_ G5) of the C Major Scale © Minor Triad C1) Eb (b3)_G (5) of the C Major Scale ( Flat the 3rd ) € Diminished Triad CG (1) Eb (b3)_ Gb (b5) of the G Major Scale ( Flat the Srd and 5th } By looking at Triads this wey you have a “Recipe” for each of the three triad types and way to differentiate them. Take a Major Triad, flat the 3 and you get a Minor Triad. Take a Minor Tried, flat the 5 and you get a Diminished Triad, No problem! Here is the part you want to memorize: Major Triad is 1, 8, 5 of a Majar Scale. Minor Triad is 1, b3, 5 of a Major Scale. Diminished Iniad is 1, bd, bb of a Major Scale. Sweat plus sacrifice equals success. - Charles 0. FinleyMOVABLE MAJOR CHORD FORMS: 4 GOOD START FOR YOUR CHORD VOCABULARY nt CHAPTER 8 it turns out that there is one commonly used movable Majar Chord that fits each of the five Major Scale shapes you have already learned. Each of these 5 chord forms [fingarings) can become any Major Chord you might want. All you need to know is which note in the chord form is the root and the nate names on the various strings. Then itis just: a matter of maving the chord form up or down the neck until you land on the root you are looking for. You may remember that the only difference between Mejor Trieds and Minor Trieds is just one note, the 3rd. If you take a Major Triad and flat the 3rd you would have created Minor Triads. Play each of the five Movable Major Chords as each of these: A, D, GG, F, Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb, 8, E A Note On Something Called "Barred "Or "Bar" Chords. The 1st thing to know about is a "Capo". A capo is thet little gadget that you may have seen singer/guitarists use to change key on the guitar. It functions like a clamp and effectively changes the tuning of all of the guitar's strings at one time ‘A“Barred Chord’ is @ movable chord that uses the first finger to function like a “Capo. By placing you finger across a fret and using your other fingers to play nates you are doing the same thing that @ capo does. In this book Barred Chords use a little bracket symbol with the fingering for the ‘st finger to indicete a "Bar", Imagine how the Barred Chord works like a Capo in the following example diagram Example f To review chord fingerings see pg.17MOVABLE MAJOR CHORDS, 5 BASIC FINGERINGS ( CD EXAMPLES 11 TO 15 ) Movable Major Triads ~@ = Root 24PRACTICE SESSION PLAN KEY OF THE DAY Learn 3 movable Major Chords in a few keys. Keys are G, C, A and E (choose one each day or so). Be able to play each of the chords to create chords over the entire fret- board. Learn where the roots ave located in cath of them. Create Minor chords by Flatting the 3rd im each Major chord fingering. Starting from the Position that starts closest to the nut, Play the first Major Seale shape up and down one time, then play all the roots. Play D minutes corresponding Major chord. Repeat. Move vp 4o the next position. Play the next Major Seale shape up and Z sasai down one time, then Play all the roots. Play corresponding Major chord. wenres Repeat. Move up 4o the next position. Play the next Major Scale shape up and down one time, then Play all the roots. Play corresponding Major chord 2 minutes Repeat. Move up to the next Position. Play the next Major Seale shape up and 2 down one time, then Play all the roots. Play corresponding Major chord. ne Repeat. Move up to the next Position Play the next Major Scale shape up and down one time, then Play all the roots. Play corvesponding Major chord. 2 minutes Repeat. Starting with the fivet position you flayed, identify where all the Roots (Def the Majer Seale) ave located. Play the stale shape v? and down mere onte, then play all the roots. rowan Play for 20 Minutes. Move if you like! In the key of the day play selection #1 on the Jam CD. Play the chords Pt with the chord progression. See CD selettion settion for chord Progression. Get used to moving chords smoothly from one Position to the next, or invent your own Progression and Play it using different movable Major Chords See: Sample Chord Progressions Total Time for tasks would be 35 minutes. Allowing 20 minutes for application, 25© 2 ©O2 OPEN CHORDS: TREAT THE NUT JUST LIKE ANOTHER FRET Pie) Open Chords utilize "Open Strings" (E, A, D, G, B, E] for one or more of the notes in the chord shape. It is important to realize that Open Chords are really the same as movable chords but: they are played using the nut as the frst fret so to speak. On the next page are a few commonly used Open Chords. Match each of these up with tre movable chords you have learned so far. Each of them is actually the same chord shape as the movable chords you have already learned! These Open Chords just use the nut instead of a fret. Try to visualize other Open Chords with each movable chord shape you have used so far. Remember to treat the nut just as if it were a fret. Can you se€ how these twa movable G Major chords became an E Major and a G Mejor Open chords when moved past the nut to include open strings? 8- © Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. Leonardo da VinciOPEN CHORDS (CD EXAMPLES 116 TO 20) Open Chords (©)=Open (©-=Not Played @ = Root er an 22@) (039) © C® @ O©2 OOMOVABLE MINOR CHORDS daa as ‘These movable Minor Chords have the root (chord name) on either the E or A string, If you are having trouble with the lacation of notes an the E and A strings, go back to the “ Strings and Things " chapter. Here are a couple of movable Minor Chord shapes for you. Notice how these were already shown to you ‘as major cherd shapes as part of the 5 movable chords abave. Compare these to the 5 movable Major Chords and the Open Chords. Notice that they have the same basic form and notice the t3 in the Minor ‘and natural 3 in the Major Chords. Play each of the five Movable Minor Chords as each of these { - is minor, example B - } A.,D-,G-,C-, F-, Bb-, Eb-, Ab, Db-, Gb-,B- E- MOVABLE MINOR CHORDS, 2 BASIC FINGERINGS (CD EXAMPLES 21 TO 22) Minor Barred Chords @=Root © =Not PlayedKEY CHANGES ARE EASIER ON GUITAR: IVIOVING SHAPES AROUND s CHAPTER 11 , ‘As you know from working with Major Scele theory in chapter 3, it is possible to create and play ‘Major Scales in many keys. = IF this doesn't make sense, go back to the "Major Scale: The Source" chapter. Changing keys on guitar is pretty easy once you get the hang of it. Basically all yau need to do when changing keys is know where the root notes are in any of the 5 scale shapes, then mave any and all of the 5 shapes to the key you want by lining up the roots in the 5 shapes to the notes for the new key. Taking the effort to play the scale and chord examples in different keys pays off in a big way. First, ‘songs are played in different: keys so you need to know how to change keys from a practical point of view. Second when you go through the process of practicing in different keys, you start to experience and discover things you would not have just by practicing in one key. Every time you work in a different; key you experience the “ah ha”, “lightbulb” kind of epiphany that is so important to really “owning” the scale and chord patterns. One way to look at moving the 5 scale patterns is to think of them as being re-ordered on the fretboard. A pattern in one key will be located somewhere else in another key. When all 5 scale shapes are Isid out on the fretboard in any key, they will provide full coverage of the scale on the fretboard, See the “Practicing And Time Management” chapter for a list of commonly used keys and while you are there read the chapter aver to reinforce the Practice Session Plan methad of making the most of your practice time. ‘Movable chards work exactly the same way. Once you have learned the fingering for the movable chord form itis a simple matter to move the chord to a new raot creating a new chord an a different location on the neck. Play the chord progressions in the Sample Chord Progressions page in various keys using movable chord forms and open chords. This will open your eyes to the process of changing keys while supporting your ability ta change keys with both scale shapes and chord forms. The more | want to get something done, the less I call it work. - Richard BachRoot in C Key of Gand KeyofC @=RootinG @ Major Scale | te | | tet | Pe | {| Hl Po 4 | at Pe | Hi 34132 Sample Chord Progressions: Create Your Own Songs Now that yo. have plenty of knowledge about chords and plenty of chord forms, lot's play each of these chord progressions in the following commonly used keys. It will take awhile to get through these but be patient, The process is well worth the effort! Progressions in G, C, F, Bb, Eb, D, E, A V-V-I, W-v- Vv I-v-M-v, ii-V- ii-ii-V Here are all the chord progressions in the first key, G written out for you. Write all the other keys out yourself. If any of them don’t sound “right” when you are playing them you may have made a mistake when “transposing” them to another key. Use all Movable and Open Chords you have been presented 0 far. I-V-1-V 1G maj 1 C maj | G maj | D maj | I-V-V-1 1G maj I D maj | C maj | G maj | V-V-I-1 1G maj | D maj | G maj | G maj | I-v-V-v 1G maj 1 D maj | C maj | D maj | I-wi-ii-V 1G maj Emin | A min 1 D maj | \=IV-ili-V--V=1-V 1 maj 1 C maj | B min | C maj | A min | D maj G maj | D maj | \-ii-ii-V- -i-V 1G maj 1 A min | B min | G maj 1G maj 1 B min | A min | 0 maj! ‘Try making up a few chord progressions of your own using triads. It is easy to come up with nice sounding progressions if you follow a few basic ideas, = Start with the | chord ® End with the V chord ® Use ary and all combinations af |, i, ji, MM, Vand vi ® Avoid using the vi(Dim)®5 chord for now. "Experiment and let your ear be the judge! It does not matter how slowly you go, 60 long as you do not stop. = ConfuciusOCTAVES I: FIND THE NAME OF ANY NOTE ON THE GUITAR FROM THE E OR A STRING Adal One thing about the guitar is that there are many duplicate notes. Not just notes in different octaves but the exact seme pitch occurring in different locations on the fretboard. This fact is both a good thing and a ‘not 80 good thing. By focusing on the location of octaves all over the fretboard we can go a long way towards understanding how the fretboard is laid out and towards connecting the 5 positions to create onel You can see by now it is important to be able to identify any note on the guitar. Let's see how we can use the fretboard to our advantage to find notes by name when we need them. We will use octaves! IF you learned the notes on just the E and the A strings you can quickly figure out any ather note on the fretboard by using these octave shapes. Simply start on the note you want to know the name of and back track (go down in pitch) using the octave shapes until you land on the E or the A string. The name of the note you want will be the same! Easy right? OCTAVES ( CD EXAMPLES 23 TO 24) Octaves All G Energy and persistence conquer all things. Benjamin Franklin 3334 RELATIVE MINOR: DEMYSTIFIED bed ealll =a d One of the most important concepts to know about in music is this thing called Relative Minor. This relationship is found in all kinds of tunes and is also used to create completely different scunds using the same fingerings as something you already know on the fretboard. Let's review for a minute, The Major Scale in C: 4.02 38 4 5 6 7 Bt”) 1 1 tm 1° 40°44 Me c¢ 0 E—E F G A B Cc IF we will take the same scale but start on it's 6th degree (A in the case of C major), we would create a new scale with a very different sound. To illustrate we will build @ new scale starting from the 6 of C Major. We must keep the same sequence of whole and half steps in order for this to work. So here we go, starting from 6. 6 7 1 2 8 4 5 5 A B C DE F G oA Now for a complate view of this new scale we will change the numbers starting with the first note. 1 2 8 4 5 6 7 (1) A B Cc DE F G oA So you can see that by reordering [inverting] the Major Scale we have created a new scale called the Minor Scale. Because we didn't change the sequence of the original Major Scale formula, but only the point at where we start, the soale uses the very same five fingerings yau have been leaning for the Major Scale, You will use these 5 fingerings for the Minor Scale. All you need do is to consider the 8 of the Major Scale to be the root of the Minor Scale, Pretty simple isn't it? Simplicity is making the journey of this life with just enough baggage. AnonymousMINOR SCALE: RELATIVE MINOR, NATURAL MINOR, AEOLIAN MODE, SAME THING & Pda ed As you have discovered in the last. chapter, the original 5 Major Scale fingerings you learned back in Chapter 3 are also the very same fingerings you will use for Minor Scales. When you learned the 5 Major Scale ‘ingerings you also learned where the root was. Remember the root is slso the "1" of the scale and is considered the key center for the chords and other harmony derived fram the Major Scale. The fingerings presented on the next page are the very same ones as in Chapter 3, but now the "6" becomes "1". The roots are highlighted in yellow and are considered the root and xey center: Because the Minor Scale is relative to the Major Scale, all the chords are too! Check this out: For C Major MMe) i fmin)—imin). «IV (Ma) = V CMa) vi min) vil (Dims G A B Cc D ie a E Fs G A B c D c D E Rs G A B Chord Roots For A Miner i (min) i (dims (Maj) iv (min) v (min) ‘vl (Maj) ‘VI (Maj) E F G A 8B c D c D E Fe G A B A B c D E F 6 Chord Roots So in order to understand Minor Chord progressions we just shifted all of the original triads we created to start. on the vi instead of the I. No problem. Even though it is @ simple matter of shifting to find Minor Key Chords, when we talk abcut any chord progression the MAJOR SCALE ROOTS are used. To understand this we must create an A Major Scale. AMajor Scale A 1 B 1 C# 1% 0 1 E 1 FH 1 GH I¥p 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 AMinor Scale A 1 B 1% C 1 0 1 € Ye F 1 6G 14 4 2 3 4 5 6 7 Using A Major as the reference for our Minor Chords we would end up as: i (min) (dimes IH (MMaj) iv (min) =v (min) «BMI (Maj) bt (iviai) E F G A 8 cy o c D E F G A B A B c D E F G Chord RootsTHE MINOR SCALE, 5 BASIC FINGERINGS ( CD EXAMPLES 25 TO 29 ) Minor Scale 5 Positions @=Root Q o O- G- eG e e tol iS OOO oo eo oo 36PRACTICE SESSION PLAN KEY OF THE DAY Learn © positions of Minor Seales in a few keys. Keys ave E, A, C, F and 4 (choose one eath day or so). Be able to play each of I ¢ patterns in Position and learn where the roots are located in each of them. Build good alternate picking technique Move up to the next Position Play the next Minor Seale shape. Slow and Clean with metronome and alternate picked (Ist note down, next up next D minutes down ete), Move vp to the next osition Play the next Minor Seale shape. Slow and clean with metronome and alternate picked (Ist note down next up, next 2 minutes down ete) Move up to the next position. Play the next Minor Seale shape. Slow and clean with metronome and alternate picked (Ist note down, next up, next L mi down ete) Starting from the Position that starts closest to the nut, play the first Minor Seale shape. Slow and clean with metronome and alternate picked (st note down, next up, next down ete). Move up to the next Position. Play the next Minor Seale shape. Slow and Clean with metronome and alternate picked (Ist note down, next up, next Z minutes down ete). Starting with the first position you Played, identify where all the Roots Te (1 of the Major Seale) ave located. Play the seale shape up and down Position conte, then Play all the roots. Play for 20 Minutes. Move if you like! Using selettion #2 on the Jam flong CD play all of the 5 Minor Seale shapes over the tune. “Lean” (play them a lot) on the roots, invent new Phrases, move through all of the 3 esitions wp and down the neck: Think melody and allow time between netes. Total Time for tasks would be 85 minutes. Allowing 20 minutes for application. 3738 THE MINOR PENTATONIC SCALE: [T'S RELATIVE TOO CHAPTER 15 Just as the Major Pentatonic Scale is a subset of the Major Scale, the Minor Pentatonic Scale is a subset of the Minor Scale. And of course the best part of this is that the same 5 Major Fentatonic fingerings you leaned earlier are used s Minor Pentatonic fingerings! A little review and another perspective: 1 2 38 4 5 6 7 a) 1 4 ve 1 14 4 Ve e¢ Dp —E F G AB c A Subset of C Major 1 2 3 5 6 Bt) 1 4 Ve 4 4 4 Ve c D iE G A c A Minor Scale (same notes as G Major): 4, 2 b3. 4 5 be b7 81) A 8B GC DE F G oeA A Minor Pentatonic Scale: A Subset of the Minor Scale {same notes as C Major Pentatonic) 1 bs 4 b? Blt) The race is not to the swift, but to those who keep on running. ~ AnonymousTHE MINOR PENTATONIC SCALE, 5 BASIC FINGERINGS ( CD EXAMPLES 30 TO 34 ) Minor Pentatonic Scale 5 Positions @ = Root @- © @ @- [| [| LotPRACTICE SESSION PLAN 40 KEY OF THE DAY Learn 5 positions of Minor Pentatonit Scales in a few keys. Keys are E, fA, C, F and G (choose one each day or so). Be able to play each of the patterns in position and learn where the roots are located in each of them. Build good alternate picking technique Starting From the Position that: starts closest to the wrt play the first Minor Pentatonie Scale shape. Slow and clean with metronome and alter— 2 minute: nate picked (Ist note down, next uP) next down ett). Move up to the next Position Play the next Minor Pentatonie Scale shape] 5 Slow and clean with metronome and alternate picked (Ist note down, next ™ up, next down ete). Move up to the next Position. Play the next Minor Pentatonie Seale shape. Slow and clean with metronome and alternate picked (Ist note down, next 2 imate ups next down ete). Move up to the wert position Play the next Minor Pentatoni¢ Seale share] 9 y Slow and Clean with metronome and alternate pitked (Ist note down, next mines up, next down ete). Move vp to the next Position Play the next Minor Pentatonie Seale shape. Slow and ¢lean with metronome and alternate piked (Ist note down, next 2. min up, next down ete). Starting with the first Position you played, identity where all the Roots te er of the Major Scale) ave located. Play the scale shape up and down fe onte, then play all the roots. Position Play for 20 Minutes. More if you lke! Using selettion #2. on the Jam filong CD Flay all of the 5 Minor Pentatonie Seale shapes over the tune. "Lean’” (play them a lot) on the roots, invent new Phrases, move through all of the % Positions up and down the neck. Think melody and allow time quiet time between notes. Total Time for tasks would be 35 minutes. Allowing 20 minutes for application.THE BLUES SCALE: MINOR PENTATONIC WITH A FLATTED 5TH 2 CHAPTER 16 The Blues Scale is just like the Minor Pentatonic Scale with one additional note. Check this out: A Minor Pentatonic Scale: A Subset of the Minor Scale { C Major Pentatonic } 1 2 8 4 5 6 7. alt) ToT Me 441 ec pie GA o ‘Another way to look at the soale would be to compare the notes to A Major: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 afi) 1 4 % 104 4 Ip A B68 CH DE FH GH A So relative to the A Major Scale A Minar Pentatonie would look like this: 1 bs 40 5 b7 alt) A c De: Goa ‘The Blues Scale just adds one note, the bS (flatted Sth). 3 b3 4 «(bBS 67 alt) 1 me 1 V2 Ve ve 1 1 A c 0D & € Gc oA ‘The Blues Scele is very useful for many applications. We will be using it to play over 12 Bar Blues progressions and for creating "Blues Licks" in a little while, All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think we shall become. = Buddha a142 THE BLUES SCALE, 5 BASIC FINGERINGS ( CD EXAMPLES 35 TO 39 } Blues Scale 5 Positions @=Fot @=15 SY =Siide & -8- or @ -o [I lol “PRACTICE SESSION PLAN KEY OF THE DAY Learn $ positions of Blues Seales in a few keys. Keys are E, A, C, F and & (choose one each day or so). Be able to play each of the patterns in position and learn where the roots ave lotated in each of them. Build good alternate picking technique. Starting from the position that starts closest to the nut, Play the first Blues Seale shape. Slow and clean with metronome and alternate picked L wi Uist note down next up) next down ete). Move up to the next position Play the next Blues Seale shape. Slow and lean with metronome and alternate picked (Ist note down, next up, next 2 minutes down ett). Move up to the next Position Play the next Blues Seale shape. Slow and clean with metronome and alternate picked (Ist note down, next up, next Z min down ett), Move up to the next Position Play the next Blues Seale shape. Slow and elean with metronome and alternate picked (Ist note down, next up, next 2D minutes down ete), Move up to the next position. Play the next Blues Seale shape: Slow and lean with metronome and alternate picked (Ist note down, next up, next 2 down ete), Starting with the first Position you played, identify where all the Roots mminube Per Position onte, then Play all the roots (1 of the Major Seale) ave located. Play the stale shape up and down Play for 20 Minutes. Move if you like! Usilg selection #3. on the dam ‘Along CD flay all of the Blues Seales shapes over the tune: “Lean” (play them a lot) on the roots, invent new Phrases, move through all of the 5 Positions up and down the neck. Think melody and allow quiet time between notes Total Time for tasks would be 35 minutes. Allowing 20 minutes for application, 4344 TRIAD INVERSIONS: THE BIG PICTURE A LITTLE AT A TIME & ala ed Playing chords on guitar can be either a difficult. chellenge or an elegant and simple pleasure. Most students would say that building a good chord vocabulary is a hard thing to do. Our approach will put us on the path to an elegant and simple system for playing chords. Lets start by understanding another important principle, "Chard Inversions’. Let's take a simple Mejor Triad and invert it! OK, let's use an A Major Triad to start: 1 92 8 4 5 6 7 2B) 1°10 tf 4104 4 Mf A 6B c# D E FR Gt A ‘A Major Triad is 1-3 ~ 5 of the Major Scale. A ~ Ci ~ E. If we move up to the next available note (Chord Tone} starting on each of the original nates of the A Major Triad we would create two new chords with the very same notes. If this doesn’t make sense go back and look at Diatonic Triads: Where Do Chords And Chord Progressions Come From? Root Position © ‘1st Inversion 2nd Inversion _—_Root Position 5-E 1A 3-C# 5-E 3-C# 5-E 1-A 3-C# 1A 3-c# 5-E 1A Now let's lock at these Major Triad Inversians on the guitar. tt is pretty easy to create Invarsions on the guitar, All you need to do is select a chord to start with, then on each string move up to the next available chord tone (1,3,5) in sequence. Notice that if you keep doing this you will end up with the same chord you started on, one octave higher (12 frets right?) up the fretboard, Here are four Major Triads inverted. See if you can compare these to see how each of thase are just subsets (contained within) the Movable Major Chord Forms you learned in Chapter 8. Its good to understand where things come from and where they live on the fretboard. The more you zan do this, the simpler the fretboard will be to you. Of course the simpler things are, the easier itis to use them in playing situations and when composing tunes. 80 Percent of success is showing up. = Woody AllenTRIAD INVERSIONS [ CD EXAMPLES 40 TO 43 ) The Numbers Shown Here Are Note Numbers Relative To The Major Scale, Not Fingerings. Invent Your Own Fingerings That Work Best. Triad Inversions @=Root ()=Not Played 8 45PRACTICE SESSION PLAN KEY OF THE DAY Learn 4 Major chord Inversions in a few keys. Keys ave A, D, E and & (choose one cath day or so). Play all of the Inversions on the Previous Page all in one key, for a total Ftd IZ possible fingerings. Compare to Movable Major Chord shapes. Play Inversiors on the D, 4 and B strings up and down the neck, in the 1 minute key of the day. Play Inversions on the G, B and E strings up and down the neck, in the 2D wi key of the day. Play Inversions on the A, D and strings up and down the neck, in the 2 minutes key of the day. Play Inversions on the E, A and D strings up and down the neck, in the D minutes key of the day. In each position Play the Movable Major Chords and compare them to the Inversions you have just played. Notie how they are velated and that the | 2 mins Inversions are contained within the Movable Major chords. Find the duplicate Triad shapes and play all of them as they o¢¢ur on different string sets. Example: 3-5-1 on A, D and 4 strings is the same as 3-5-1 on G, B and E strings. Play for 20 Minutes. More if you lke! Using the Inversions, Movable Major, Movable Minor and Open Chords, play chord Progressions You can use the progression listed in the "Sample Chord Progression” chapter or create your Total Time for tasks would be 35 minutes, Allowing 20 minutes for application.SEVENTH CHORDS: EXPLAINED - JUST ADD ANOTHER 3RD & Las ad Remember how we discovered where Triads come from? Just in case you forgot, here is the result of our earlier analysis in the key of C: (viel) min} —fiifmin) IV (Maj). V (Mai) vi (min) vi (Dimppo G A B g D 2 F E F G A B o D c: o E F G A B Chord Roots Triads have ¢ notes 1, 3, and 5, Seventh Chords are constructed the same way only now there is an additional note (up a Srd from the Sth) added on top of all the Triads. Here is what you get by adding @ 3rd above the Sth from the Triads: t ii il wv v vi vil (Dimes Major? Minor? Minor? Major? Dominant? Minor? Miinor7 b5. B c D E F G A G A B G D iE F E F 6 A B ic o c o E F G A B Chord Roots Here are the three chord types we discovered earlier as compared to the key of C: C Major Scale 1 2 8 4 5 6 7 B81) 1 40 % 104 41 Ip © bp &€ F G A BC € Major Triad C(1) E(3) GIS) of the C Major Scale 1, 3, 5 C Minor Triad C(1) Eb (b3) G (5) of the C Major Scale 1, b3, 5 C(I] Eb(b3) Gb (b5) of the C Major Scale 1, b3, D5: Here is the seme view of the new 7th Chords we just created: © Mejor? Cl) £6) GIS) B(7) of the C Major Scale 1, 8, 5, 7 Dominant? (1) E(8) G(S) Bb (b7} of the G Major Scale 1, 3, 5, b7 ¢ Minor? C(1) Eb (b3) G5) Bb (b7) of the C Major Scale 1, b3, 5, b7 © Minor7 b5 = C(1)_Eb (b3)_ Gb (b5) Bb (b7) of the C Major Scele 1, b3, b5, b7 By looking at 7th Chords this way you have a "Recipe" for each of the four 7th Chords Types and a way to differentiate between them. 47A COUPLE OF MOVABLE SEVENTH CHORDS we CHAPTER 19 Now that you understand Seventh Chord Harmony. Let's play 2 couple of Movable Dominant 7th (V of the Major Scale) Chord fingerings. These have the Root on either the E or the A string: MOVABLE 7TH CHORD [ CD EXAMPLES 44 TO 45 } Dominant 7th Chords @=Root ( = Not Played Problems are only opportunities in work clothes. - Henry J. Kaiser 48A little bit about the Blues and understanding chord progressions: So far all of the harmony we have studied has its origin in the Major Scale. That is to say everything is due to applying the "Formula’ 1-1-1/9-1-1-1-1/e , providing the relationship between all the notes. We stil relate what the Blues is about to the Major Scale harmony we have learned, even though the origin of the Blues is actually a bit different. The Blues originates in Africa and relies on the Minor Pentatonic and the Minor Pentatonis with a 5 (The Blues Scale) for its harmony. Over many years the Blues has grawn to include many different feels and harmonic substitution possibilities, but the original basic 8 and 12 bar chord progressions are still evident. ‘A 12 bar Blues in its most basic form uses the |, IV and V chords. NOTE: Dominant 7 chord types as well as Major Triads are used for the J, IV and V in a Blues Progression. Let's take a look at what notes are being used as a result of this in a basic 12 bar Blues in G First the G Major Scale as our point of reference. 1 ii Mw wi (imps 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Bt) 1 1% 1 44 Ve G A B G BD E FE 6 Now the chords in the Blues progression as related to G Major. 1-67: 6.B.0,F 1,3, 5, b7 NV-C7: CE, 6, Bb 4,6, 1, b3 V-D7: D, F#, A.C 5,7; By Now let's look at the Blues Scale in 6. 1 b8 4 b5 5 b7 att) 1 1 Ve Ve 1 Ve 4 G6 Bb C Db oD F GS As you can see the Blues Scale contains many of the same notes found in the |, IV and V chords in a Blues progression, That is why it sounds good over a 12 bar Blues. Try to keep this analysss in the back of your mind as we mave forward. We will be talking about other ways to approach the Blues ‘that will follow the sound of the chords more specifically. Whenever you add in chord substitutions, or when analyzing any tune, you can use this sort of technique to understand the harmony and plan what scales and stuff to use with it! 43FOUR BLUES PROGRESSIONS: BASIC 12 BAR PLUS CHORD SUBSTITUTIONS: Piao ts a) Next up is your first look at Blues Progressions. The Blues is a very common form in music and can be found in anything from Blue Grass and Country to Reggae and waz. The progressions are shown using the Roman Numerals to indicate the chords. Common Blues keys are: E, F, G, A, Bb and C. Each box represents 1 “Measure” or “Bar” of the progression. 12 Bar Blues #1 12 Bar Blues #2 12 Bar Blues #3 12 Bar Blues #4PRACTICE SESSION PLAN KEY DF THE DAY 4 « A. Te Play the Blues using movable 7th chords for rhythm guitar and the Blues Seale for soloing. Get the feel for the Blues and to learn where the chord changes oteur in a 12 bar Blues progression. Find out how a 12 bar Blues progression feels by experimenting with both 7th chords and all 5 position of the Blues stale. Starting with the Position that otturs closest to the nut, play the Blues Seale up and down Play the next position of the Blues Seale Play the next position of the Blues Seale. Play the next position of the Blues Scale. Play the rext position of the Blues Seale Using movable 7th chords play the 12. bar Blues progression in at least 3 5 minutes different ways Play For 20 Minutes. Move if c Tike! Play rhythm guitar using the 2 movable 7th chord shapes with Jam CD selection 44 or 45. Selection #4 is in the key of G and selection 45 is in the key of A. Inent different: rhythm patterns and Feels to go along with what you hear. Using all 5 positions of the Blues Scale, solo over the 12 bar Blues progression. Start and end your phrases on the voots in each of the Blues Scale positions. Move between and through all © positions while inventing bluesy sounding Phrases (licks. Total Time for tasks would be 35 minutes. Allowing 20 minutes for application. 51THE DIMINISHED SEVENTH CHORD: WViOTION POTION = CHAPTER 21 Next up is a strange little concept not related (not Diatonic) to the Major Scale. It's called the Diminished 7th Chord. couple of neat things about the Diminished 7th Chord is that any of the notes in the chord can be considered the root, and that if you move the Diminished 7th Chord up or down a Minor 3rd (8 frets or 1 1/2 Steps) it inverts! Diminished 7th Chords are used most commonly as a passing chord creating Chromatic motion in a bass line. See 12 Bar Blues #3 and 12 Bar Blues #4 on the previous page. Here are all the Diminished 7th Chords you will probably ever need. Notice there are only three different fingerings for all of these. For now consitler the roots to be on the D, E, and A strings respectively. DIMINISHED SEVENTH CHORD ( CD EXAMPLES 46 TO 48 }SCHOCCHCHOHGHHAHOHOHHHODDOHGOGAHSGHORUSDORGaR0054 BLUES SCALE INVERTED: MAJOR PENTATONIC WITH A FLATTED 3RD CHAPTER 22 et ii Remember the Blues Seale? If not here is @ little reminder: 1 3 4) «(SS b7 at) 1 Ve 1 We We 1 Ve 4 aA cD mE 6 A If you take the same scale shape as the Blues Scale but start on its relative Major (b3) you would have a Major Pentatonic or with a flatted rd (b3). Here is the Inverted Blues Scal 1 2 BB 8 5 6 a(t) 1 We We 1 We 1 1 Ve c oD & CE Go: c The relationship between the Inverted Blues Scale and The Blues Scale is exactly the same as between the Major Scale and the Minor Scale. Remember Minor Pentatonic with a bS is the Blues Scale and Major Pentatonic with a bG is the Inverted Blues Scale. Fingerings are the same, only the root is different. ‘The Blues Scale has a darker, nastier sound and the Inverted Blues Scale has a brighter happier sound. They both have a very bluesy quality to them. Let's compare the two scales as related to a Mejor Scale. Blue: Inverted Blues: 14 2 bs 8 5 6 Use the Inverted Blues Scale for the | and V Chords in a Blues and use The Blues Scale for the IV chord in a blues. These two scales can be combined and played tagether to oreate all kines of bluesy sounding licks and phrases. IF this doesn't make sense go back and review - Relative Minor: Demystified, A Little Bit About The Blues And Understanding Chord Progressions. ‘One who fears failure limits his activities. = Henry FordINVERTED BLUES SCALE, 5 BASIC FINGERINGS ( CD EXAMPLES 49 TO 53 } Inverted Blues Scale @= Root @=b3 ¢Y =SlideDOMINANT STH CHORDS: SUBSTITUTE FOR DOMINANT 7TH CHORDS ANYTIME ha alts ee We now know that chords are born of the Major Scale. That is by stacking 3rds up on eech of the 7 notes in @ Major Scale we get the following chords in C: Major? Minor? Minor? Major? Dominant? Minor? Minor7 bS. 8 c D E F G A G A B cs D E ia iE F G A 8 ic o c D E F G A B Chord Roots The Dominant 7th chord is widely used in all kinds of music from Blues to Jazz. This chord is used not only as @ V Chord, but also as just: about any chord including I ii, fi, IV, V, vi. When 7th Chords are used in this way they are often notated as 17, 7, II7, V7, V7 and \VI7. This is done to show that the assumed rules for Majar Scale chord pragression are not being used. 7th Chord Extensions Lets stack up one more Srd on the V of C Major and see what happens. [All these noes would be compared to the G Major Scale for this analysis. ) Dominant? Extended A-3(2) F-b7 D-5 8 G- Root Congratulations you now have the notes in a Dominant: Sth Chord! The chord fingerings or the next age are commonly used Sth chords. All of these are very useful and sound great. Any time you want to use a Dominant 7th Chord these can be used (substituted) because they are Dominant: 7th Chords with @ Sth added inDOMINANT STH CHORD ( CD EXAMPLES 54 TO 58 } Dominant 9th Chords @ = Root 57PRACTICE SESSION PLAN KEY OF THE DAY Gch To play a Blues using movable Fth chords for rhythm guitar with the Blues and Inverted Blues Seale for soloing. Get the feel for the Blues and to learn where the chord changes occur in a 12 bar Blues progression. Find out how a 12 bar Blues progression feels b experimenting with both Ith chords and all 5 position of the Blues Scale and Inverted Blues Scale. Starting with the position that otcurs closest to the nut, play the Inverted Blues Seale up and down. Play the next posi n of the Inverted Blues Seale. Play the next position of the Inverted Blues Seale. Play the next position of the Inverted Blues Seale. Play the next position of the Inverted Blues Scale Using movable 9#h chords play the 12 bar blues progression im at: least 3 different ways Play for 20 Minutes. More if you like! Play rhythm guitar using the 2 movable 9th chord shapes with ddan CD selection #4 or #5, Clcedon ABH i the key of G and selection #5 is in the key of Invent different. rhythm patterns and Feels to go along with what you hear. Using all 5 positions of the Inverted Blues Seale, sole over the 12 bar Blues progression. Start and end your phrases on the roots in cath of the Blies Stale positions. Move between and through all 5 Positions while inventing bluesy sounding Phrases (licks). NOTE: You can use both the Blues Seale and Inverted Blues Scales together. Experiment: with them individually and together. See which one Fits best over eath of the three chords (I, IViV) im the IZ. bar blues Progression. Total Time for tasks would be 35 minutes. Allowing 20 minutes for application, 58CHORD SCALES: CHORDS THAT SOUND LIKE SCALES Cy PUals « ‘Another way to look at: chords on the guitar is to create and play Chord Scales. These ere pretty simple really. All you need is to play any chord voicing (order of notes) in this case 1, 3, 5, 7, then move each of the notes up on each string to the next note in the Major Scale from which it comes. Here is an example in C: Major? Minor? Minor?» Major? Dominant? Minor? Minor7 bS B G D E F G A G A 8 ic D E F iE F S A 8 c D c D E F 6 A B Chord Roots Starting with | Chord: Root: C to next Major Scale note D to next Major Scale note E to next Mejor Scale nate F to next Major Scale note G to next Major Scale note A to next Major Scale note B. On the Srd: E to next: Major Scale note F to next Major Scale note G to next: Major Scale note A to next Major Scale note B to next Major Scale note C to next Mejor Scale note D. ‘On the Sth: G to next Major Scale note A to next Major Seale note B to next Major Scale ote C to next Major Soale note D to next Major Scale note E to next Major Scala note F. Qn the 7th: B to next Major Scale note C to next Major Scale note D to next Majar Scale note E to next Major Scale note F to next Major Scale note G to next Major Scale note A. ‘The Chord Scales on the next page are presented as two neck diagrams so they can be seen and identified more easily. They are labeled as |. i, ii, IV, V, vi, vib. Although some of these are a little hard to play at first, many of them will be very useful and work in conjunction with other chard fingerings presented in the book. Play them as scales moving from one to the next in order and then play them in chord progressions,CHORD SCALES ( CD EXAMPLES 59 TO GO) Chord Scales In C @=Root Fingerings 4, 3, 2,1 or 4,2, 3,1 VOICED 1357 9g | $ ad . @ 9 N74 NANG 7 iV, ROOTONASTRING im . @- $ ° oe 8 Chord Scales In F @ =Root VOICED 1357 8DOMINANT SEVENTH CHORDS: INVERSIONS USING 12 FINGERINGS CHAPTER 25 tm sure you remember inverting an A Major Triad back a few chapters. Here is what we gat by going through the Inversion process with the A Major Triad: Root Position ‘1st Inversion 2nd Inversion —_—_Root Position 5-E 1-A 3-CH 5-E 3-CH DoE aA 3-oF a-A 3-C# 5-E 1-8 We will now invert. 8 more complex chord. One of the 4 note Seventh Chords called the Dominant 7th. Remember the Dominant 7th Chord can only be found diatonicly on the Sth degree of a Major Scale (V). so The inversion below is in the key of E. Root Position ‘1st Inversion 2nd Inversion —3rd Inversion b7-D 1-£ 3 - Gt 5-8 5-B b7- 0 ae 3 - Gt 3 - Gt 5-8 b7-D aE Mice: 3 - Gt 5-B b7-D ‘The big difference between Inverted Triads and 7th Chords is that with Triads there are only two Inversions and with 7th Chords there are three. If you were to invert from the 3rd inversion of @ 7th Chord you would end up where you started at the Foot Position. If any of this doesn't make sense go back to Triad Inversions: The Big Picture A Little At A Time. Play the Dominant 7th Inversions on the next page. Notice in what order the voices (notes] in each of the fingerings occur. Get: comfortable with these 12 fingerings as they can be used to create all other chord types by eltering their 3rd, 7th and 5th. See: Seventh Chords: Explained - Just Add Another 3rd. We should not let our fears hold us back from pursuing our hope - John F. Kennedy 61@ 208d 8 @ Qe DOMINANT 7TH INVERSIONS ( CD EXAMPLES 61 TO 63 ) Dominant 7th Chord Inversions @= Root 5 4 5 87 3 by 4 @- 3 ‘-THE JAM ALONG CD: TIME TO APPLY WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED! + 3 PE THE TRUTH ABOUT PLAYING GUITAR ‘When you study harmony and theory and then apply them to the fretboard as you have by going thnough this book, you must use all these new techniques in musical situations in order to really make them part of you and your own unique sound on guitar, All of the stuff you have learned needs to be ‘plied in various keys, so you can use them in a variety of musical situations. There are @ number of ways to do this, sll of which are a lot of fun. Some are more effective than thers, s0 it is important to make the best choice you can when deciding on which one(s) to use. Let's look ata few right now: Play along with the selections provided with the Book and CD ‘The Yam Along CD included with this book has 11 selections that: can be used for practice. These will give you some nice things to work with when working to apply your new found knowledge. The selections are in different keys and in different styles. Jamming with CDs and learning tunes by ear Pick a CD that you like and that you think you could pley. Experiment to find out what key the tune is in and try different scales until you find out what: works. Then try to figure out the chord progression by finding the roots in the bass notes and trying different chord types until you can play along with the CD. Then write out @ simple chord chart that you can follow until you learn the tune by heart. This is great for your ear and for building your repertoire of songs. Record one backing rhythm guitar part and solo over it Create a chord progression. Then with any simple tape recorder, record yourself playing the chord progression for about 5 minutes or so. Then rewind the tape and solo over & while it plays, This is a very simple and cost effective way to apply some of your new tools while cereating new licks and phrases. Record Multi-Track backing tracks with a Multi-Track tape recorder If you are lucky enough to have a multi-track recorder you can create chard progressions with multiple parts such as: rhythm guitar, bass and drums if you also have a drum machine. This is more effective as a practice tool because of the rythm and harmony pravided thy the ‘additional instruments. Today @ basic 4-track cassette recorder can be purchased for as little as $$1U.UU. Create multipart backing tracks with Bandin-a-Box computer software Bandina-Box, created and sold by PGMusic, is an incredible to tool. With it. you simply type in a chord progression, selact a key and a style, then a complete rhythm section is played back through your computer speakers. You can change keys, tempo and style in an instant, Band-in--Box practice files are provided free of charge at www.yellowguiterbooks.com, as part of " The Practicing Guitarist ” area.64 Join a band and play music with real musicians OF course if you have aacess to fellow musicians that can play at your level itis always best to make the effort: to put together some tunes and play them with real people. But playing in a band does have some issues with personnel and logistics, but this is most likely what you would like to be doing if you could. Ibis by sitting down to write every morning that he became a writer. Those who da not do this remain amateurs. -Gerald BrenanJAM ALONG CD SELECTIONS 1) Major 1 in G Major: Lise Major and Mejor Pentatonic Scales. Chords:1G 1 C1 Emin 1DC1 6101 Amin 10) 2) Minor 4 in E Minor: Use Minor and Minor Pentatonic Scales. Chords: (Emin | Emin | C | Bmin | Emin | D G | Amin | Bmin} 3) Dominant 7 Vamp in E: Use Blues and Inverted Blues Scale. Chords: | £7 | E71 E71 A] 4) 12 Bar Blues in G: Use Blues and Inverted Blues Scales. Chords: G9 | C91 G91G91C91C9 167 Amin7| Bmin7 Bo min? | | Amin? | AbMaj71G9C91G9071 5) 12 Bar Blues in A: Use Blues and inverted Blues Scales. [AZLA7ZIA7TIA7ZIO7ZID7ZIA7ZIA7IE7ZIO71A71 a7] 8) © Minor Blues: Use Minor, Minor Pentatonic and Blues Scales, (min | Fmin | Cmin | Cmin | Fmin | Emin | Cmin | Cmin | 1 Gmin | Fmin | Cmin Ab | min G min] 7) Reggae Progression in A : [Amin | Amin |Dmin| € min J Ise Minor and Minor Pentatonic Scales. 8) Latin Minor Progression in G# Minor: Use Minor and Minor Pentatonic Scales. (C# min? | C#min? | B89 | B9 | EMaj7 | EMaj7 | GMaj71G#7 ) 9) Major Jazz Waltz in E: Use Major and Major Pentatonic Scales. [LE Maj 7 | EMaj7 | EMaj7 | BS] 10) fi-V Jam in B Minar: Use Minor Pentatonic, Blues and A major ( = B Dorian }. [emn7 | eg) 11) Mo Town Progression in D: Use Major and Major Pentatonic Scales. (O1GlEmin|oG)APPENDIX A - ADDITIONAL PRACTICE SESSION PLANSPRACTICE SESSION PLAN KEY OF THE DAY _4__ Solo better over Major sounding chord Progressions using Major and Major Pentatonie Scales, learn location of roots, and connect each Position into the next and Previous Posi- tions, allowing movement up and down the fretboard. Understand what chords (Triads) Fit which position. Starting Som the Position that starts closest to the nut, play each of the Major Seale Shapes. Slow and clean with metronome and alternate picked. Starting From the last position played (around I2:th fret) play each of the 5 Pentatoni¢ Seale shapes. Slow and ¢lean with metronome and alter— nate picked Play the Major Chord that fits in each of the 5 scale shapes, Play the roots of the chord. See "Movable Major Chords” One each single string: play the Major Scales up and down, ending each time by Playing the root. One eath single string: play the Pentatonic Seales up and down, ending cach time by Playing the root. Play the Minor Chords as a vi (E min) that fits in each of the 2. stale shapes. Play the roots of the chord. See "Movable Minor Chords”. Using Jam CD, Band—in-a-Box, Practice CDs or a tape-vetorded rhythm gutar part, sole using Majer and Pentatonie Scales. Lean on the roots, invent new phrases, move through all of the 5 positions up and down the neck. Think melody and allow quiet: time between notes. Apply bends, slides, hammer—ons and pull-of fs. Total Time for tasks would be 6 minutes. Allowing 21 minutes for application, 67PRACTICE SESSION PLAN KEY OF THE DAY Be able to play Major Scales up and through all 5 Positions using thirds. Retognize thords as they otcur in position and up the neck. Remember: chords as a know them Major scale are all constructed of thirds. Thirds ave simply very other note in the shapes or up a single string. Starting from the Position that starts closest to the nut, play through 3 min each each of the 5 Major Seale shapes in this sequente: Ist note, 3rd note, Lnd note, 4th note, 3rd note, Sth note, 4th note, bth note, ete. Repeat Task | very slowly and observe what chord you get starting on each note. You will see triads, 7th chords, and all the extensions as they oteur. |, 3, 9 7, 4 Il, [3 for each chord type. Starting on the high E string at the lowest notes possible for the key of | 3 win each the day, play the Major Scale up and down the neck in 3rds (every other position note). Move on to the B, 4, D, A and low E strings. Play roots tuice 18 minutes For Major Stales as you move up and down the neck Connect all 5 positions of Major Seales by moving up in 3rds on a single string then continue up the shape you moved into in it's position Try this | 15 minutes in as many plates as Possible between all 5 positions of Major Seales. Note where roots are for Major Seale. Using the Jam CD, Band—in-a-Box, Practice CDs or a tape-recorded rhythm guitar Part, solo using Major/Minor Seales. Combine movement in 3rds with seales—nise motion to ereate ideas that move up and down the neck, in Position and up through the Positions using, single strings to connect all 5 positions. Lean on the roots, invent new Phrases, move through all of the 5 positions up and down the neck. Think melody and allow quiet time between notes. Apply bends, slides, hammer—ons and pull-of fs. Total Time for tasks would be 63 minutes. Allowing 23 minutes for application. Total practice time is 90 minutes.PRACTICE SESSION PLAN KEY OF THE DAY _E min Solo better over Minor sounding chord Progressions using Minor and Minor Pentatoni¢ Seales, Learn location of roots, and connect each Position into the next and Previous Positions, allowing movement up and down the fretboard. Understand what chords (Triads) Fit which Position. Starting from the position that starts closest to the nut, Play each of the 9 Minor Seale shapes. Slow and clean with metronome and alternate Picked. Starting from the last position played (around I2:th fret) play each of 2 min each the 9 Minor Pentatoni¢ Seale shapes. Slow and ¢lean with metronome and Position alternate picked. 10 minute Play the Major Chord that fits in Minor each Minor stale shape. Play the roots of the chord. See "Movable Major Chords”. One eath single string’ play the Minor Seales up and down, ending cath ‘time by Playing the root. One each single string: Play the Minor Pentatonie Seales up and down, ending each time by Playing the root Play the Minor Chords as a vi (E min) that fits in each of the 2. stale shapes. Play the roots of the chord. See "Movable Minor Chords” Using Jam CD, Band-in-a—Box, Practice CDs or a tape-recorded rhythm guitar part, solo using Major and Pentatonit Seales. Lean on the roots, invent new phrases, move through all o! the 5 positions up and down the neck. Think melody and allow quite time between notes. Apply bends, slides, hammer-ons and Pull-of fs Total Time for tasks would be 39 minutes. Allowing 21 minutes for application, =)PRACTICE SESSION PLAN KEY OF THE DAY Be able to Flay Minor Seales up and through all 5 positions using Thirds. Retognize thords as they oteur in Position and up the neck. *Remember: chords as you know them ave all constructed of Thirds. Thirds ave simply very other note in the 5 Minor Seale shapes or uP a single string Starting from the Position that starts closest to the mut, play through eath of the Minor Stale shapes in this sequente: Ist note, 3rd note, 2nd note, 4th note, 3rd note, Sth note, 4th note, bth note, ete. Repeat Task | very slowly and observe what chord you get starting on each note. You will see Triads, 7th chords, and all the extensions a they Position oceur. |, 3, 5, 7, 9 Il, 13 for each chord type. 15 minutes Starting on the high E string at the lowest notes possible for the key of 2 etm eacle the day, play the Minor Seale up and down the netk in 3rds (every other past note). Move on to the B, G, D, A and low E strings. Play roots twice 1@ minutes for Minor Seales as you move up and down the neck. Comett all $ positions of Minor Seales by moving up in 3rds on a single string then Continuing up the shape you moved into in it’s position. Try 16 aia this in as many places as possible between all 5 positions of Minor Seales. Note where roots are for Minor. Using Jam CD, Band—in-a-Box, Practice CDs or a tape-recorded rhythm guitar part, solo using Major/Minor Seales. Combine movement in 3rds with scales—wise motion to Greate ideas that move up and down the neck, in Position and up through the Positions using, single strings to connect all 5 Positions. Lean on the roots, invent new phrases, move through all of the % positions up and down the neck. Think melody and allow quiet time between notes. Apply bends, slides, hammer—ons and pull-of fs. Total Time for tasks would be 63 minutes. Allowing 23 minutes for application. Total practice time is 90 minutes, 70PRACTICE SESSION PLAN KEY DF THE DAY Learn the lotation of Octaves anywhere on the fretboard and to be able to play a Major Seale wp the neck as Oetaves on all possible string sets. Play all Octave possiblities for the voot of the key of the day every where on the fretboard. Example: all fs. Use Major Stale root indicators (eed dots) as a guide Using Octaves with First Finger playing the note on the 6 string and the Pinky playing the note on the E string, play a Major Seale wp the neck in the key of the day. Using Octaves with First finger playing the note on the D string and the Pinky playing the note on the B string, play a Major Seale up the neck in the key of the day. Using Octaves with First finger playing the note on the 4 string and the Pinky playing the note on the A string, play a Majer Scale up the neck in the key of the day S minutes S minutes Using Jam CD, Band-in-a—Box, Practice CDs or a tape-vetorded rhythm guitar part, solo using Octaves on the three string sets you Practiced in tasks 2, melodies and phrases just as you would with a Major Seale. and 4. Create Total Time for tasks would be 20 minutes, Allowing 20 minutes for application. Total practice time is 40 minutes. nPRACTICE SESSION PLAN KEY OF THE DAY Learn and incorporate all 12 Dominant 7th Chord Inversion fingerings for a single chord in a single key. Example: all possible 4 Dominant 7th chord fingerings. Associate these 12. Fingerings with other Dominant chord fingerings (4th, 13th). Using the 4 chord shapes on the D, 4, B and High E 5 play all of the chord shapes in the key of the day starting with the one that otcurs 5 min closest to the nut. Using the 4 ehord shapes on the Low E, D, G and B strings play all of the chord shapes in the key of the day starting with the one that oteurs} 9 mi closest to the mut. Using the 4 chord shapes on the A, D, 6 and B strings play all of the chord shapes in the key of the day starting with the one that oteurs S minutes closest to the nut. In position play all 3 fingerings on E, D, 6, B - A, D, 6, B - D, 4, B, E strings toyether as a group of three. Move from one to another and 10 minutes observe the order of the notes and the sound of each chord. Using Jam CD, Band-in-a-Box, Practice CDs or a tape-recorded rhythm guitar part. Play all of the Inversions in the key of the day over a static (only one chord) backing Part. Play them in Position as groups of three, up the neck and mixed up all over the neck. Try to see how they fit in with other Dominant chord fingerings you know like 4th chords and 7th bar chords. Total Time for tasks would be 25 minutes. Allowing 20 minutes for application. Total practice time is 45 minutes. 72PRACTICE SESSION PLAN KEY DF THE DAY Modify and incorporate all 12. Dominant 7th Chord Inversion fingerings for a single chord in a single key to create Major 7, Minor? and Minor 7 bS chords. "Bante: all postble § Dominant Ith chord fingerings vaise the b7 (F) to create Major 7 chords. Lower the "Hen chords, Lower the 3rd (B) and the Sth (D) to create 3rd (B) to create Minor Minor 71 b5 chords. AAssotiate these 12 fingerings with other chord fingerings of the same tyPe. Using the 4 chord shapes on the D, 4, B and High E strings play all of the chord shapes in the key of the day starting with the one that occurs [Bnet closest to the mut. Modify each of them to create Major 7, Minor 7 and Minor 7 bS chords. Using the 4 chord shapes on the Low E, D, G and B strings play all of the chord shapes in the key of the day starting with the one that otcurs | 10 ainutes closest to the nut: Modify each of them to create Major 7, Minor 7 and Minor 7 b& chords. Using the 4 chord shapes on the A, D, 4 and B strings play all of the chord shapes in the key of the day starting with the one that o¢eurs 10 winvtes tlosest to the nut- Modify each of them to create Major 7, Minor 7 and Minor 7 b5 chords. In position play all 3 fingerings on E, D, 4, B - A, D, 4, B - D, 4, B, E strings together as a group of three. One chord type at a time, repeat | 10 minutes for Major I, Minor 7 and Minor 705. Move from one to another and observe th: order of the notes. Using Jam CD, Band-in-a-Box, Practice CDs ov a tape-vetorded rhythm guitar part. Play all of the Inversions in the key of the day over a static (only one chord) backing for Play them in position as groups of three, up the neck and mixed up all over the neck. Play a different backing part for Major 7, Minor 7 and Minor 7 b5 chords. Total Time for tasks would be 40 minutes. Allowing 20 minutes for application. Total practice time is 6O minutes. 73PRACTICE SESSION PLAN KEY OF THE DAY Use all known Dominant chord types and fingerings to develop and play a Blues rhythm guitar part. Be able to find new combinations of Dominant chords in Position and up the neck allowing for smooth nice sounding transitions From one chord to another. Using the 4 chord shapes on the D, 4, B and High E strings play all of - the chord shapes in the key of the day starting with the one that oteurs | 10 minutes closest to the nut: Play the |, IV and V chords in the key of the day. Using the 4 chord shapes on the Low E, D, G and B strings play all of the chord shapes in the key of the day starting with the one that oteurs 10 minutes closest to the nut Play the |, IV and V chords in the key of the day. Using the 4 chord shapes on the AA, D, 6 and B strings play all of the 10 wende chord shapes in the key of the day starting with the one that oteurs minutes closest to the mut- Play the |, IV and V chords in the key of the day. In position play all 3 fingerings on E, D, 4, B - A, D, 4, B - D, 4, B, E strings toyether as a group of three. Play the |, IV and V chords in 10 minutes the key of the day. Using Jam CD, Band-in-a-Box, Practice CDs or a tape-recorded rhythm guitar part, Play all of the chords from the chord scale and inversion of the same type, in the key of ‘the day over a static (only one chord) batking part. Play them in Position as groups, up the neck and mixed up all over the neck. Play a different backing part for Major 7, Minor 7 and Minor 7 b9 chords. Try to visualize all the combinations you encounter, especially the ones you like the sound of best. Total Time for tasks would be 25 minutes. Allowing 20 minutes for application, Total practice time is 45 minutes. 74PRACTICE SESSION PLAN KEY DF THE DAY Learn and incorporate Chord Seales into your chord votabulary for: Major 7, Dominant 7, Minor 7 and Minor 7 b& chords. Play Chord Seales as stales and chords from the Chord Seale with other known chords. Example: Tie ings with inversion fingerings. Using the Chord Seale with roots on the AA string (notes on A, D, 4, B strings), Play Chord Seale up and down the neck in the key of the day. Strive for accuracy and good tone as you move from one chord to the next Using the Chord Seale with roots on the D string (notes on D, 6, B, E strings), play Chord Seale up and down the neck in the key of the day. Strive for acewracy and good tone as you move from one chord to the next, Find the chord with the exact same voiting order of notes) that ottur on the root A string Chord Seale and the root D string Chord Scale Take eath of the chords in the Chord Seale one at a time and associate the fingerings with the fingerings you use for the inversions of the same chord type. The idea is to be able to play any of the chords when needed. use the individual chord stale finger— Using Jam CD, Band-in-a-Box, Practice CDs o a tape-vetorded rhythm guitar part, play all known Dominant Chord types for a 12 Bar Blues in the key of the day. Work on assotiating inversions with better-known movable 7th and Pth chords. Work in Position and up the neck for the whole Progression. Total Time for tasks would be 40 minutes. Allowing 20 minutes for application, Total practice time is 60 minutes 759e000000000900000905999 | | } | |Additioral Session Practice Plans, 66 Barred "Or "Bar" Chords, 23 Blues, 49 Blues Progressions, 50 Blues Stale, 41 Blues Svele Inverted, 54 CD Jam Along Selections, 65 Chord Scales, 59, 60 Diminished Seventh, 52 Dominant Sth, 56 Dominant Chord Forms, 48 Dominant Seventh Inversions, 61 Fretboard Diagrams, 17 Inverted Blues Scale, 54 Jam Along CD, 63 Key Changes, 30 uu Wb y Major Scale, 8, 12 Minor Pentatonic Scale, 38 Minor Scale, 35 Movable Chord Forms: Major, 23 Movable Major Chords, 24 Movable Minor Chords, 29 o za Octaves, 33 Open Chords, 26, 27 | Pentatonic Scale, 18, 19 Practice Session Plans, 14 Relative Minor, 34 Sample Chord Progressions, 32 Seventh Chords, 47, 48 T ies ‘Triad Inversions, 44, 45 Triads, 21 n