The C Major Scale Harmonized. All of these chords are part of the C Major Scale. They were created by combining every other note in the scale, up to three notes from the bottom (root) note.
C D E F G A B C
C Major Scale Fingering.
Chords for some of the Major keys. Notice that the 1, 4, and 5 chords are always Major chordsand the 2, 3, and 6 chords are always Minor chords. We won't get into the diminished chord.
Key 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8C C Dm Em F G Am Bdim C
G G Am Bm C D Em F#dim G
D D Em F#m G A Bm C#dim D
A A Bm C#m D E F#m G#dim A
E E F#m G#m A B C#m D#dim E
The Harmonized Major Scale.
Movie: 01 The Harmonized Major Scale part one Movie: 01a The Harmonized Major Scale part two
Gtr.
2 Doing More With LessMastering the Modes
Now if we were to combine every other note using four notes, we would wind up with this set of chords. We added yet one more level to the chords from the previous page, the 7th.Notice that the 1st and 4th chords are now maj7 chords, the 2nd, 3rd, and 6th chords are minor 7 chords, and the 5th chord is a 7th, or dominant 7th.
Thus, the added chord chart for some other keys would look like this:
Other target notes for the C maj7 chordC C B Here's another target note for the Fmaj7
F
Target notes are notes that you can emphasize in your solo while the background chord is being played. Example: while a Cmaj7 chord is played, you can target the C, E, G, and B notes.
A couple of 'jazzy' licks.
This mode starts from the 1st degree of the scale and goes up an octave. C D E F G A B C
Note: You don't have to memorize this or any of the following solos. or try to play them notefor note. The tab should be used as a guide for you to develop a 'feel' for how you should improvise. I would encourage you to listen to this solo numerous times and then play to your soundtrack freely.
Chromatic Notes As Passing TonesMovie: 09 Chromatic Notes
Using Chromatic notes, or the Chrmatic Scale can further enhance your solos. When you play a Chromatic Scale, start on any note and move up to the very next note, a half-step or one fret higher until you reach the octave, or even higher, from where you started. Here's an example starting with a low A note and playingchromatically up two octaves.
A A# B C C# D D# E F F# G G# A A# B C C# D D# E F F# G G# A
You'll use these notes as 'passing tones' to move from one note to the 'target' note of an upcoming chord. Say your chord progession goes from an Am chord to a Dm chord. Notice that I start out with an A note, then go to a B, then a C, and THEN I use the passing tone C# to finally reach my target note of D for the Dm chord.
Am Dm A B C C# D
While you're in a Dm chord, you can still use chromatic passing tones to move from one target noteto the next. In this example, I'm going from a D to an F (both target notes of the Dm), addingthe passing tone of the D#.
Ionian Mode - Good for Country, Pop and some Jazzy sounds
Dorian Mode - Santana sound Shortcut: Use a major scale that's one whole step, or 2 frets lower than the key that you're in.Example: Key of Dm - use your C major Scale Key of Em - use your D Major Scale
Shortcut: Use a major scale that's in the same key as you're in. Example: Key of C - C Major Scale
Phrygian Mode: Dark, Sad, Spanish soundShortcut: Use a major scale that's one fret higher than the 5th of the key that you're in, or a minor 6th interval. Example: Key of Em - use your C major Scale (C is one fret higher that a B, the 5th of E) Key of Am - use your F Major Scale (F is one fret higher than a E, the 5th of A)
Lydian Mode: Flower PowerShortcut: Use a major scale that's a 5th above the key that you're in.Example: Key of F - use your C major Scale Key of G - use your D Major Scale
Mixolydian Mode: Jerry Garcia feelShortcut: Use a major scale that's a 4th above the key that you're in.Example: Key of G - use your C major Scale Key of A - use your D Major Scale
Aeolian Mode: Spanish sound.Shortcut: Use a major scale that's a minor 3rd above the key that you're in.Example: Key of Am - use your C major Scale Key of Gm - use your Bb Major Scale
Movie: 10 Mode Shortcuts
Your Major Scale fingerings in the key of C. Root notes are indicated with a white dot. If you really want to learn this stuff, I'd strongly advise you to learn all five fingerings, in ALL the major keys. Yes, that's a TON of work, so take it in small steps.
