The Blackforrest - Squarespace · BLACKFORREST LEARNING SERIES The Blackforrest ... The...

Eric Branner

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The Blackforrest Guitar CompanionA boiled-down player’s guide

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Index

Part I Intro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 How to use this book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 The Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Part II Theory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Tuning the Guitar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Learning the Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Fretboard Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Whole Steps & Half Steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 BC/EF Rule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Intervals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Circle of 5ths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Part III Chords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Open chords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Open 7ths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Power chords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Barre chords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Triads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Suspended chords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Moveable 7th & 9th Shapes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Diminished Chords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Augmented Chords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Inversions & Slash Chords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Arpeggio shapes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Part IV Scales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Chromatic Scales & Patterns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Major Scale Shapes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Three notes per string Major shapes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 The CAGED System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Major & Minor Pentatonics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Major & Minor Blues Scales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Minor Scales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Harmonic Minor Scale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Melodic Minor Scales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Diminished & Whole Tone Scales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

Part V Parting Thoughts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

IntroThe Blackforrest Guitar Companion is a reference book

for all students of the guitar. In my experience teaching,

I’ve noticed that the majority of aspiring musicians

detest method books and the vigorous study of arbitrary

melodies in the public domain. However, learning

the necessary chords, scales, intervals, theory, and

techniques to play favorite tunes are embraced whole-

heartedly. Music is music regardless of genre. The same

notes, chords, and rhythms are found in rock, folk, jazz,

classical, metal, bluegrass, and of course polka. The

information included in this book should eventually be

mastered by any student of the guitar. This is a great

tool to keep in your case or on your music stand. If you’re

looking for the right scale to rip a blues solo, or if you’re

looking for that perfect chord to complete your first

song, it’s all right here. I’ve purposely left out teaching

rhythm, note reading, and technique. Those will be

addressed in later volumes. I hope this book supports

the guitar nerd that rests in all of us. What an amazing

instrument we play.

Happy shredding.

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BioEric Branner has been teaching and performing music for over fifteen years. He has taught at the American Music School, Holy Names Academy, and is the owner/operator of Blackforrest Music Studios. His enthusiasm for guitar and studying music has versed him classical, blues, rock, metal, shred, bluegrass, and fingerstyle guitar idioms. His teaching philosophy is meeting each student where they presently are on their musical journey, and inspiring them to love the instrument enough to pursue it further. He lives in Seattle with his wife Alyson, his daughter Edith, son Huck and an old black lab named Forrest.

Photo: Deborah Semer

This is a functional reference book for guitar. There are sections

on Theory, Chords, Scales, and Arpeggios. This book does not

address rhythm, note reading, or technique…we will get to that in

later volumes! You don’t need to read music to get the concepts.

You do need to understand the basics architecture of the guitar as

well as tablature, chord charts, and scale charts. Everyone’s mind

learns in a different manner, some people think in geometries on

the fretboard, others see numbers represented frets. I’ve tried to

present the information in a way that will leave an impression.

Let’s get to it…

How to use this book… (you should probably read this)

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Watch for this symbol throughout the book where we’ll discuss ideas of how to help your playing, or explain a concept in more detail.

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The guitar is a fretted instrument with six strings. Steel string, nylon string, and electric all share the same fundamental construction. However, each has it’s own strengths and stylistic adornments.

The Basics

Get a Set Up! Find a good guitar tech and let them work their magic on your guitar. A set up consists of adjusting the action, (the height of the strings from the fretboard), setting the neck truss rod if necessary, and any other adjust-ments a guitar needs to play well. A well adjusted guitar makes a huge difference in ease of playing.

Nylon String (fig 1.1) — often called the classical or spanish guitar, these instruments usually have wider necks to facilitate finger picking in the right hand. The nylon strings also create a more pianistic tone that is the standard for classical guitar. Also used in folk, flamenco, jazz, and Latin music.

Steel String Acoustic (fig 1.2) — steel strings have a brighter tone, and are played with a picks or with fingers. They are used for folk, rock, blues, jazz…and are most often the songwriter’s main accompaniment.

Electric (fig 1.3) — electric guitars come in two basic styles, solid body and semi-hollow body. The electric guitar that most people imagine is the solid body, such as a strat or a Les Paul style. Electrics rely on pickups to amplify sound, so they don’t need the resonant body that an acoustic has. Electrics are the mainstay of most amplified music such as rock, metal, blues, jazz, etc.

Electric or Acoustic…which should I start with? The age old question. Most parents assume that their children should start on acoustic to build strong fingers, and not blow the roof off of the house with an electric guitar. Although that’s a fine approach to learning, I encourage students of all ages to start on either acoustic or electric, depending on musical interests and goals. The electric has some serious benefits…for one, the lighter gauge strings are easier to push down than an acoustic, making it easier to rock those chords in your first year of playing. Also, from a sound perspective, parents should consider that an electric can actually be quieter than an acoustic! It all depends how loud you crank your amp.

6

T

12 3

4

The Guitar RoadmapNotice in fig 1.4 the guitar has 6 strings and a bunch of frets. For now, we’ll call the fattest string 6 and the skinniest string 1. You play fretted notes by depressing the string against a fret wire, just behind the fret wire. This makes a fretted note. The fret closest to the tuning knobs is fret one. If you know what string and fret to push down, you can play any note on the fretboard.

Your Fretting HandYou will notice circles with numbers on the charts in this book. These are recommendations for fretting fingers (fig 1.5).

Chord ChartsA chord chart is a grid diagram where the vertical lines represent the strings of the guitar, and the horizontal lines represent frets (fig 1.6). The dots tell you where to place your fingers on those frets. If there are numbers on the grid, that indicates which fingers to use for left hand placement. (1-4, one is the index finger) Also…an “O” at the top of the grid means to play the string open, an “X” tells you to not play that string.

RootsThe root is the note which a certain scale, chord, or arpeggio is centered upon. Root notes for scales, chords, and arpeggios in this book will be identified with an orange dot or triangle depending on the type of chart it is being used in.

fig 1.6

This example of a C chord shows the chord’s root on the 5th string as noted with the orange “3”. The fingering for ”1” also happens to be a C note.

C

3

1

2

X

fig 1.4

fig 1.5

7

54 66

4 6 75

5

3 7

4

7

6

754 6

64 6 7

5

4 7

46

5True Chromatic scale

5

5

TablatureTablature (fig 1.7) is the working folks music notation. It has actually existed since the renaissance days of the lute/vihuela. You’ll notice the only downside of tablature is that it does not give rhythm, just the notes to play. Each line represents a string, and the numbers on the lines represent a fret. A “0” on the line states to play that string open. Remember this…the heaviest string would sink to the bottom. So the 6th string is the bottom line. One more thing: If notes are stacked on top of each other, that represents a chord.

Scale ChartsScales will be written in tablature (fig 1.8) and in a chart form (fig 1.9) similar to the chords. The idea is to understand the geometries created by the various scale patterns.

3 5 74 7

5 75

5 7 8

7

47

5

5

8

3

Two Octave G Major Scale

53 5 7

4 5 75 7

5

7

47

5 7 88

fig 1.7 Two Octave G Major Scale

fig 1.8 Two Octave A Major Scale fig 1.9

Why aren’t we learning standard notation?Learning to read notes is a great idea, however, the unfortunate truth is most guitarists do not learn to read standard notation. For jazzers, classical players, and serious students of music, reading is a must. We'll address that another time.

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Theory

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What is Music Theory?In my mind, music theory is the understanding of what makes the magic in music. Music is the combination of melody, harmony (chords), and rhythm. The following sections will cover melody and harmony. Rhythm will be covered in depth in the next book. Understanding the basic layout of the fretboard, and what makes certain notes and chords go together is essential in developing a strong musical toolkit.

Let’s start by tuning up…

Tuning the GuitarTune your guitar before every practice. I recommend all new students to begin with using a chromatic, electronic tuner (fig 2.1). Learning to tune by ear is fantastic, and takes years to master. I feel it’s most important to have a well-tuned guitar. This way aspiring players are constantly reinforcing their musical ear.

A few things about tuning...

1 Your tuning keys (fig 2.2) will tighten or loosen the strings. The tighter the string, the higher the pitch. If a string is too tight, it is sharp (G), if a string is too loose, or low in pitch...it is flat (H).

2 You will learn that slight changes in your tuning keys make big changes in pitch. Turn slowly and in small increments. Practice tightening and loosening the strings.

3 I recommend having someone help get your guitar in tune to start. This will save you many broken strings. If the guitar is nearly tuned, it’s much easier to tune up.

fig 2.1

fig 2.2

How to Tune

1 Turn on your tuner. Most tuners have built in microphones for acoustic guitars or a ¼ inch input for electrics (fig 2.3). If you have an electric, make sure it’s plugged in and the volume pot is turned up!

2 Pluck the 6th string of the guitar… the thickest one. Pluck clearly, and let the note ring. The tuner will register a letter note, and if it is sharp or flat. You want your 6th string to be E. If it says C or D or EH your string is too flat and you need to tighten it. If it says F or G, it’s too sharp and needs to be loosened.

3 The arrow will usually point straight up, or have a green led when the note is in tune (fig 2.4). If the arrow or led is to the left of center, the note is flat (H). If the arrow is to the right of center, it would be sharp (G).

The open strings of the guitar are EADGBE, and discussed in further detail in the next section.

fig 2.3

fig 2.4

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Relational Tuning: The 5th Fret Rule

Another way to tune your guitar by ear is the 5th Fret Rule. Look at the fretboard diagram below (fig 2.5). Notice that the 5th fret of the 6th string is A. The 5th string open (unfretted) is A. If you play the A on the 5th fret/6th string, it should sound exactly like the 5th string open. This is called relational tuning, as you are tuning each string in relation to another. In order for this to work, the string you’re starting with needs to be in tune. Again, an electronic tuner is a big help! Also note that this rule does not work for the 3rd to 2nd string. To play the same notes, the 4th fret of the 3rd string is the same as the 2nd string open.

5th Fret Rule of Tuning: If you play the 5th fret of a string, it will sound the same as the next string towards the floor unfretted, or open. This works on every string except the 3rd and 2nd strings. The 4th fret of the 3rd string is equal to the 2nd string open.

fig 2.5

The exception to the 5th Fret Rule is the relation between the 3rd and 2nd string. You will need to move down to the 4th fret of the 3rd string to relationally tune to the 2nd string.

E A D G B E

1

2

3

4

5

Open

A D G E A

B

12

13

Learning the Notes on the InstrumentIt is critical to learn the notes on the guitar in order to find roots and chord tones of scales and chords. Many players avoid this step of learning. It’s really not that bad if you understand a few basic rules and terms. Let’s start with the open strings.

fig 2.5 The six notes played on the open strings repeat again at the 12th fret. EADGBE in standard tuning.

E A D G B E Open

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

Octave

Every Athlete Does Good By Exercising

12 frets up (usually a double dot on the neck) is the octave of the open string. Meaning the 12th fret notes are the same notes as the open string.

fig 2.5

fig 2.6

Fretboard Map

E A D G B E

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

OpenO

ctave

F C F

G C F D G

A D G C E A

B E A D B

B E

E A D G B E

D G C F A D

C F G C

F

B

B E A

14

15

E A D G B E Open

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

F C F

G C F D G

A D G C E A

B E A D B

B E

E A D G B E

D G C F A D

C F G C

F

B

B E A

AB

FG

CD

FG

AB

DE

GA

GA

DE

FG

GA

AB

DE

GA

CD

AB

FG

CD

DE

AB

GA

FG

CD

CD

DE

GA

CD

FG

AB

DE

fig 2.7 This diagram shows one octave of notes from C to C on the piano keyboard

fig 2.8 The relation of the notes A and B on the fifth string is two frets or one whole step, whereas moving one more fret from B to C would be a half step.

C D E F G A CB

D E G A BC D F G AWhole Steps & Half Steps

The musical alphabet is made up of notes A-G, then it starts over. However, there are 12 frets between the octave. Some notes have sharps/flats Think of black keys on the piano (fig 2.7).

Half Step = distance of one fret Whole Step = distance of two frets

So…if you play any note, and then a note one fret higher, you’ve moved up one-half step (fig2.8).

A D G

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

Open

C

G F D G

A D G C E A

B E A D B

B E

E A D G B E

D G C F A D

C F G C

F

B

E A

AB

FG

CD

FG

AB

DE

GA

GA

DE

FG

GA

AB

DE

GA

CD

AB

FG

CD

DE

AB

GA

FG

CD

CD

DE

GA

CD

FG

AB

DE

E

F

E

F

CAB

DE

GA FF

B

C

B

fig 2.9 B/C and E/F are the only non-sharp/flat notes on the fretboard that are one fret apart

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BC/EF Rule

This is the last piece of the puzzle. All notes are 2 frets (one whole step) apart except B and C, and E and F. There are no black keys between any of these notes on the piano. This is the BC/EF Rule

So, if you know the open string names…you should be able to find the notes through the next octave, and would then be able to find any note on the fretboard.

Intervals

An interval is the distance between two notes. First you must understand the idea that there are twelve steps (frets) in the octave. This is why many guitars have double dots at the 12th fret. The most basic intervals are a half step (1 fret) and a whole step (2 frets).

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Half Step = distance of one fret Whole Step = distance of two frets

You need to know all of the other intervallic relationships, and how they sound. The basic relation between notes is critical in building a strong ear. Here they are…

Interval (distance in frets):

Unison (0 fret distance)

Minor 2nd (1 fret, or a half step)

Major 2nd (2 frets, or a whole step)

Minor 3rd (3 frets)

Major 3rd (4 frets)

Perfect 4th (5 frets)

Augmented 4th/Diminished 5th (6 frets)

Perfect 5th (7 frets)

Augmented 5th/Minor 6th (8 frets)

Major 6th (9 frets)

Minor 7th (10 frets)

Major 7th (11 frets)

Octave (12 frets)

Note: aug 4th and dim 5th are enharmonic equivalents. Meaning that they are two names for the same note! Same applies for aug 5th/m6th

Practice Tip Play the open first string to hear the E in your mind. Then practice hearing the unique sounds of each interval. What do you hear when you play E-A (the perfect fourth)? Can you hear the wedding march? How about the perfect 5th? A certain sci-fi movie come to mind? The minor 2nd (E-F) may bring the image of a certain great white shark. Intervals are powerful!

G

A

B

D

C

FG

GA

AB

CD

DE

F

E

ENotes

Distance

in fre

ts

0 Unison

1 Minor 2nd

2 Major 2nd

3 Minor 3rd

4 Major 3rd

5 Perfect 4th

6 Augmented 4th/Diminished 5th

7 Perfect 5th

8 Augmented 5th/Minor 6th

9 Major 6th

10 Minor 7th

11 Major 7th

12 Octave

Intervallic

relatio

nship

fig 2.10 This example shows the 12 different intervals with the octave of E to E

CF GB D

G/ BDEA

AE

F

ad eg b

e/ gb

cf

fc

d

0 1

6

122

33

4455

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Circle of 5thsThe Circle of 5ths (fig 2.11) tells you what sharps or flats make up each key. You need to know this…Thinks of Do a Deer from Sound of Music. That is the major octatonic scale, the scale that western music (not country, the civilization) is built upon. If you play any note on the guitar, you can build a major scale from it if you know what sharps or flats are in the key. It’s confusing for sure…much easier to use it in application!

fig 2.11

Sharps (G) & Flats (H)

C: No sharps or flats

G: FG

D: FG, CG

A: FG, CG, GG

E: FG, CG, GG, DG

B: FG, CG, GG, DG, AG

FG: FG, CG, GG, DG, AG, EG

GH: BH, EH, AH, DH, GH, CH

DH: BH, EH, AH, DH, GH

AH: BH, EH, AH, DH

EH: BH, EH, AH

BH: BH, EH

F: BH

What Does it All Mean?In the chart above, the outer ring represents the key, the middle ring represents the associated minor, and the inner ring represents the number of flats and sharps in the given key. See the list above for the sharps and flats in each key.

Key >

20

C D E F G A CB

D E G A BC D F G A

Examples:

C Major has no sharps or flats. The notes in the key of C are C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C. You can see that clearly by playing all the white keys through an octave starting on middle C on the piano.

E major has 4 sharps. If you start on E you’d have to play E-FG-GG-A-B-CG-DG-E to build the major octatonic. Amazing, You’ll come back to this chart again and again…someday you’ll have it memorized.

E F A B E

C DF G

G C D

��

��

�

��

E A

B EF

D

G C

�

��

�

�

�E

C F

D G C

�B

ACa

0

Ec4

fig 2.12

fig 2.15

fig 2.12-2.14 Piano keyboard, guitar fretboard and Circle of 5ths representation of the C Major scale.

fig 2.15-2.17 Piano keyboard, guitar fretboard and Circle of 5ths representation of the E Major scale.

fig 2.13

fig 2.16

fig 2.14

fig 2.17

Chords

Am

23

1

XDm

2

3

1

X XEm

32

C

3

1

2

XA

123

XE

2

1

3

G

1

2 3

D

1 2

3

X X

22

Minor Chords are built from a root, H3rd, and a 5th.

Part One…Cowboy Killer ChordsMy first guitar teacher ever, Mike Rhoads, called all the open chords cowboy killer chords. Meaning you can play a million cowboy songs around the campfire with them. You can actually play a million songs of every variety once these chords are mastered. They are called open chords as they are played in the open position (near the nut on the neck) of the guitar. These geometries will occur again and again as we move up the neck. They must be mastered.

Major Chords are build from a root, 3rd, and a 5th. They sound happy.

Potato, Potahto…We’re using the convention of Em to indicate an E minor chord above. Other ways to indicate the same minor chord would be to simply use a lowercase “e”, “E-” or “E min”. All are just different ways of saying the same thing.

Part Two…The Plot ThickensOnce you get the basic open chords down. We build off of the basic chords we’ve learned. Adding extensions such as 7ths. These chords add color to the chords you already know. We have three types of 7th chords: Major 7th, Minor 7th, and Dominant 7th.

CM7

3

2

X

E7

1

3

2

DM7X X

Em7

3

4

2

Minor 7th Chords are built from a root, H3rd, 5th, H7th.

Dominant 7th chord are built from a root, 3rd, 5th, H7th.

Major 7th Chords are built from a root, 3rd, 5th, 7th.

D7

2 3

1

X XC7

3 4

1

2

XB7

2

1

3 4

XA7

2 3

X

AM7

2 3

1

X

Am7

2

3

1

XDm7

2

X X

23

A Major 7th =AM7, Amaj 7, A 7

A Minor 7 th =Am7, Amin 7, a 7, A-7

Can you create an open position G7 chord by adding an F (H7) on the first string of a G chord?

Power Chords, The Root of All EvilPower chords, technically called 5 chords, provide the rhythmic background of almost every hard rock and metal song. They are really integral to punk, blues, and just about everything else. A power chord consists of two notes, a root and 5th. There is no third, therefore the chord is neither major or minor. It can imply either. That’s why you can string random power chords together to create really excellent progressions. Think Black Sabbath or Nirvana.

Place your first finger on any note of the 6th, 5th, or 4th string. They all work. Add your third or fourth finger two frets higher on the next string up in pitch (or down towards the floor). You can double the root an octave higher by adding one more note.

Power Chord Shapes These chords can be moved anywhere on the neck. Go learn Iron Man!

Important note. Your first finger will be the root of this chord, or the name of the chord. This is a main reason why you want to learn the notes on the 6th, 5th, and 4th strings. You should be able to name these chords by their appropriate names.

Such as… A few open power chords…

Now you can play any AC/DC tune!

A 5

34

1

X X XD 5

3

4

1

X X XD5

2

1

X X XF5

43

1

X X XA5

11

X X X

6th string root

43

1

XXX5th string root

43

1

XXX4th string root

4

3

1

XXX

24

Barre ChordsBarring is the use of the first finger to depress three or more strings.

Using a barre, we can move open position chords further up the neck of the guitar. Essentially turning each of the open chords into twelve separate chords (one for each tone of the octave).

In learning the basic patterns, look for the geometries of the open chords. Most commonly, barres are built around the E, Em, A, and Am open chord shapes, though it is possible to barre any of the open shapes.

Example of a barre on the 2nd fret

E shape

Barre chord examples:

FGm

34

2

Em shape A shape

2

32

4

BmX

Am shape

25

F

2

34

BHX

32 4

Now that you understand intervals and barre chords. Master the moveable shapes all the way up the neck of the guitar.

Moving on UpYou will notice small numbers next to some of the chord and scale charts used throughout the book. These numbers let you know that the finger positions being shown are not in the open position, but rather in a higher position on the neck. The chord examples at left are all barred at specific frets on the neck.

If you slide the F chord up to the 7th fret, it becomes a B. If you slide it to the 6th fret it becomes BH. You can play any major or minor chord now! Make sure to learn the 6th and 5th string roots!

TriadsA triad refers to a chord made up of three notes. The open position chords such as G are triads, with notes doubled across the 6 strings. The triads I’m referring to here are moveable, three string chords that work all over the neck. These shapes all come from the open position shapes. Look for the geometries from the open position chords. If we break down an E major barre chord shape, we get these triad combinations…

Triad shapes

The triads on the higher (thinner) strings are used in rhythm guitar parts for rock, jazz, blues, and R&B. Notice how the lowest triad shape on strings 4-5-6 is actually a power chord. Keep in mind that triads will often be in inversion, or will not contain a root note in the bass.

2

X X XStrings 1-2-3

2

X X X

23

1

X X XStrings 3-4-5

3

2

1

X X XStrings 2-3-4

23

1

X X XStrings 4-5-6

E shape triads:

Strings 1-2-3

3

2

1

X X X

23

1

X X X

23

1

X X X

A shape triads:

23

1

X X X X X X

34

1

X X X

Strings 2-3-4 Strings 3-4-5 Strings 4-5-6

27

Notice that the starred chords are neither major or minor, they do not have a 3rd. They have been included to show forms.

D shape triads:

C shape triads:

G shape triads:

em shape triads:

am shape triads:

dm shape triads:

1 2

3

X X X

4

3

1

X X X

3

X X X

2

1

3

X X X

3

2

1

X X X

23

1

X X X

3

X X X

3

X X X

2

3

1

X X X

3

1

2

X X X

23

1

X X X

23

1

X X X

2

3

X X X

1

X X X

3

X X X

23

1

X X X

23

1

X X X

28

Suspended chordsSuspended chords have no third, which gives the chord it’s major or minor tonality. Instead, the chord adds a 2 (sus 2) or a 4 (sus 4). Sus chords are beautiful and open sounding, and are great for building interesting progressions and improvisations as they can imply a major or minor sound.

Open Sus Chords:

Asus4

23

4

XAsus2

23

X

Csus4

34

1

X XCsus2

3

1

X X

Gsus4

21 34

Gsus2

2 334

Dsus4

1

34

XDsus2

1

3

X X

Esus4

234

29

Music is made up of Rhythm, Melody, and Harmony

Ebony & IvoryHarmony is another way of describing more than one note together, or chords.

Songs are usually made up of chord progressions. A chord progression is a group of chords played in order, and usually repeated to create a song or a musical idea.

Moveable 7th & 9th ShapesThese chords are great for adding color to chord progressions. They further extend the tonal qualities of the basic major and minor triads. Memorize the root, and you can play them anywhere. I’ve included the full barre version of the chords, as well as a few pared down voicings for a thinner texture. Also included are add 9 chords, triads that add the 9th, and omit the 7th.

There are endless options for voicing chords. These are some that I like, and use. If you’re really wanting to delve deep into jazz chords, check out Ted Green’s Chord Chemistry.

6th string root, 7th chords: 6th string root, 9th & add9 chords:

AmM7

2

4

3

5

A7

2

3

4

5

AM7

1

3

2

4

XX

5

A7

1 2

3

X XX

5

Aadd9

2

3

4

5

Am9

2 3

5

Amadd9

4

3

5

Am7

4

3

5

Am7

2

X X X

5

A9

2 3

1

X X X

5

AM9

2 3

1

4

X X

5

31

5th string root, 7th chords:

D7

3 4

5

XDM7

3

2

4

5

XD7

3

2

1

45

X

4th string root, 7th chords:

Dm7

3

2

X

5

5th string root, 9th & add9 chords:

Tip of the Iceberg!

32

D9

32

1

45

X XDM9

3

1

2

4

5

X XDadd9

32

1

4

5

X XDm9

34

1

2

X X

5

G7

3

1

4

2

5

X XGM7

3

15

X XGm7

3

1

4

2

5

X X

Chords are built by stacking 3rds. The Root, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 11th, and 13th of a scale. After 13th, we’d have the 15th…and that would be the same as the root again!

The Jimi Hendrix Chord 7G9This 7G9 chord is sometimes called the Hendrix chord, since it’s the chord found in Purple Haze, among other Hendrix classics. This is a dominant chord with a sharp 9th (1-3-5-H7-G9).

13th chords13th’s add in even more color. A 13th chord has a root, 3rd, 5th, H7th, 9th, 11th and 13th. That’s 7 tones. Obviously, we can’t play a complete 13th chord on the guitar. We voice these chords the best we can with the strings we have. Here’s a few moveable shapes to memorize…

3

1

2

4

X X

33

D13

215

X X

4

A13

2

3

15

X X

4

You’ve learned so much about notes on the fretboard, intervals, and harmony. Can you find the different chord tones for each chord you’ve learned?

Start with the open cowboy killer chords. Find the root, 3rd and 5th for each chord.

Can you find the three E’s in an E major chord?

Diminished Chords ̊Diminished chords are made from a root, a minor third, and a flat 5th (1-H3-H5). Another way to think of a diminished chord is a minor chord with a flat 5th. These chords sound creepy by themselves, but serve as wonderful connective harmonies when used correctly.

Diminished triads:

Diminished 7th ChordsThere are two kinds of diminished 7th chords, the minor 7H5 or half diminished ~ (1-H3-H5-H7), and the fully diminished chord (1-H3-H5-HH7). That’s right, a fully diminished chord has a double flatted 7th, or down a whole step.

Note on the fully diminished chord. The diminished chord is made up of all minor third intervals (each note is three frets apart). This means that any note of the chord could be considered a root note, and that each diminished chord could have four names. For instance, an E diminished chord is made of E, G, BH, and DH. The chord could also be called G dim, BH dim, or DH dim. Therefore, there are really only three different fully diminished chords in music.

35

B˚

2

1

47

X X XE˚

2

1

47

X X XA˚

2

1

47

X X XD˚

3

1

47

X X X

Am7H5 (~)

2

1

345

X XA˚

2 35

X X

1

Dm7H5 (~)

2 3

5

X X

1

D˚

2

3 4

5

X X

1

There are really only three fully diminished chords.

InversionsChords will not always have their root note in the bass. For instance, a G chord is made from the tones G-B-D. However, you could play a G chord with the D in the bass as shown in the diagram below. This is an inversion. Inversions can throw off your ear training, as students often listen to the bass note to determine a chord. Listen to The Wind Cries Mary. If you put the 3rd of the triad in the bass it would be a 1st inversion. If you put the 5th of the triad in the bass it would be a 2nd inversion.

Slash ChordsSlash chords such as D/FG represent a chord with a note other than the root in the bass. In the D/FG example, this is a D major chord with and FG in the bass.

Augmented Chords +Augmented chords are the fourth and final type of triads. They are made of a root, third, and an augmented (sharped) 5th. Or you can think of them as a major chord with a sharp 5th.

37

2

1

37

X X XB+

D/F

2

3

1

X

X X XE+

2

1

37

G/B

3

1

X

X X XA+

2

37

2

X X XD+

3

1

7 2

G in 2nd inversion

3

X XD in 2nd inversion

11

X

5

3

Note: string 1-2-3 triad is the same as D shap

Inversions & Slash ChordsInversions of triads can also be written as slash chords. B is a chord tone of G major. G/B would be a G major in 2nd inversion.

See, Theory isn’t so bad.

7

4

4 7 45

76

5

64

7

4

4 7 45

6

5

64

7

Chromatic shape (4 notes per string)

39

5th String Root Major

Arpeggio ShapesAn arpeggio is a chord played one note at time. Arpeggio is also my second favorite word in the entire world. You could play any chord one string at a time and make an arpeggio. These are examples of frequently used arpeggio shapes. I use them every day in teaching, practicing, and performing. Feel free to experiment with your own patterns and shapes.

7

4

3 7 35

75

5

54


7

4

3 7 35

5

5

54

7

5th String Root Minor

57

65

5 9

6

9

7

55

77

9 5


57

65

5 9

9

7

55

67

79 5

57

55

5 8

5

8

7

55

77

8 5


57

55

5 8

8

7

55

57

78 5

6th String Root Major

6th String Root Minor

Scales

ScalesScales are an inevitable part of learning any musical instrument. Practicing scales helps to develop a solid technique, as well as a strong ear for the tones used in common musical examples.

A scale is an ordered group of notes, played ascending or descending (up or down), in systematic intervals. Scales are often the basis for melodies and harmonies as a composer is writing music.

The following shapes are closed patterns, meaning they use no open strings. Closed position scales can be moved into any position or key by sliding up and down the fretboard. Therefore, if you learn one pattern, you can move it into all twelve keys by moving the pattern to a different fret. Every shape given is extremely functional, and will vastly improve your understanding of the instrument.

42

“Practice your scales!” — Ancient music teacher wisdom

Chromatic Scales & PatternsThe chromatic scale is composed of all twelve tones in the octave. If you were to imagine a piano keyboard, a chromatic scale would be built from all the white and black keys played in succession. The chromatic scale is a perfect scale for warming up, as it utilizes each one of your fingers when played.

A true chromatic scale would look like this…

C D E F G A CB

C D F G A

874 6

3 4 5 64

5 7

3

6

52

2

5

43 51 32 4

6 874 6

3 4 5 65 7

3

5

2 4 52 43 5

1 32 4True Chromatic scale

“The Chicken”These variations of the chromatic scale are commonly used as practice shapes. I call these the Chicken. I think of them as a chicken racing across the road trying not to get smooshed…i.e. a buzzed note.

875 7

5 6 7 87

6 8

6

6

85

5

5

76 85 76 8

6 875 7

5 6 7 86 8

6

5

5 7 85 76 8

5 76 8Chromatic shape (4 notes per string)

5

75 7

5 6 77

6

6

6

55

5

765 76

6 75 7

5 6 76

6

5

5 75 76

5 76Chromatic shape (3 notes per string)

5



43

fig 4.1 This illustration of a piano keyboard shows all twelve tones in the chromatic scale before getting back to another C note, one octave higher.

Practice scales slowly and with the cleanest tone you can. Practice them super fast and aggressively! Practice them legato (smoothly), and staccato (short, quick notes). Play with a metro-nome or tap your foot. Sing each note you play. Make up melodies with each scale you learn.

Creativity, repetition, and discipline are keys to getting the most out of your scale practice.

For practice, start on the root to hear the tonality of the major scale.

Open circles are the scale tones leading up to the root.

Major Scale ShapesMajor Scales, or Major Octatonic Scales, are the backbone of western harmony and melody. I’m not referring to cowboy songs, but to the vast majority of music created in western cultures. The scale is built from the intervals of a root, a major 2nd, major 3rd, perfect 4th, perfect 5th, major 6th, a major 7th, and an octave. Mastering all of these shapes will allow you to play all over the fretboard in any key. These sample shapes are built around the 5th position (5th fret) for example only. You can move them anywhere on the neck.

You will notice that the root note for the scale is not always the lowest note in the shape. For instance, you’ll notice that shape #1 has a root played with the 4th finger on the 5th string. The notes that are lower than the root are just a continuation of the notes descending down the scale.

5 74 6

4 75 7

7

4

6

4

775 7

4 64 7

5 7

4

6

4 7

5

Shape 1, A Major

5

7

5

5 7 85

4 75 6

5

(5)

7

8

(7)

7

(7)5 7 8

54 7

5 6

(5)

7

85 7

8

Shape 2, C Major

8

5

8

Shape 2, C Major

Shape 1, A Major

45

Can you find the chord shapes within these scales?

7(4)4 5

4 65 7

5

(5)

7

8

(7)

7

(7)7(4)

4 54 6

5 7

(5)

7

85 7

5

Shape 3, D Major

5

7

(5)(8)

(7)5 8

5 75

5

(5)

7

8

(6)

6 8

(6)(5)

(8)(7)

5 85 7

5

(5)

7

85 6 8

Shape 4, F Major

8

6 5

875

4 74

755 87

54 7

4

7

3

Shape 5, G Major

3

55 7

55

87 8

5 75 8

5 7 87

Shape 4, F Major

Shape 5, G Major

Shape 3, D Major

46

35

74 7

4 5 7

7

5

5

75 7 8

3

5

3 55 7

74 7

4 5 75 7

5 7 8

33 notes per string, Major shape 1

8

57

96 9

7 8 10

9

7

7

9 10

5 77 9

96 9

7 8 107 9

53 notes per string, Major shape 2

5

7

Three notes per string Major shapesThese are really wonderful major scales. Same notes, just in a really functional arrangement. The 6th string root is a combination of scale shapes 1 and 5. The 5th string root combines scale shapes 2 and 3.

Major shape 1, (3 notes per string) 6th string root

Major shape 2, (3 notes per string) 5th string root

47

Once you know your scales in each key, and what key your song is played in, you’re ready to improvise soloing.

Shape 4(repeated)

= root notes

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

Shape 5

Shape 2

Shape 4

Shape 1

Shape 3

Shape 3

Shape 2

Shape 1

Shape 5

Shape 4

Shape 4

E A D G B E

E A D G B E

C Major notes

The CAGED SystemHere’s another way to visualize the shapes on the guitar neck. The chart below shows all the notes in C major, along the neck of the guitar. Each of the 5 shapes are used: C, A, G, E, and D. Notice how shape #4 is in the open position as well as the 12th position. Each of these shapes fit together to give you the notes in C major. Do you see chord shapes in these geometries as well? Notice the overlapping notes between adjoining shapes as highlighted by the orange boxes in figure 4.3.

Let’s learn this concept by seeing CAGED in action on the guitar neck…

49

fig 4.2 fig 4.3

CAGED study in C majorLet’s begin with an open C major chord…

The next letter in CAGED is A, and the next shape that will fit into C moving up the neck is the A shape. You are playing a C major chord, but using the barred A shape to do so.

Confusing? I thought so. Try to visualize the shared notes between each adjoining shape. The arrows show these connections.

Next comes the G shape. Notice how strings 2, 3, and 4 of the A shape connect to the G shape. Starting to make sense?

Here is the E shape…remember that you’re playing a C major chord. Where is the root?

We can then move up into the D shape which shares the 10th fret C note with the E shape.

And finally, we’re back into the C shape at the 12 fret. Now we’ve played C major in 5 positions (6 if you include the octave).

A shape

C shape

G shape

E shape

C

3

1

2

X

G shape

43

2

5

A shape

2 43

X

3

34

2

8

D shape

2 3

4

10

D shape

D shape

2

3

4

12

X

1

C shape

The CAGED Challenge…Now that you are beginning to see the overlapping geometries on the neck, try finding the CAGED chord progressions for all the open chords and move up the neck to the next octave. Start with an open G. The letter after G in CAGED is E. The order will always be C-A-G-E-D! Remember that after D, you will go back to the C shape.

55 7

4 5 74

7

75 7

5 7

3

5

3

5 75 7

4 5 74 7

5 75

3

5

3 7

5

Dorian Mode

Ionian Mode

5 74 6

4 75 7

7

4

6

4

77555 7

4 6 774 7

5 7

4

6

4 775

5

ModesThe Major Scale is a systematic series of whole and half steps (W-W-H-W-W-W-H) that gives us that characteristic sound all music students grow up practicing.

Modes are wonderful tools for improvising and writing melodies. Modes represent permutations of the twelve-tone octave in seven note scales using different combinations of whole and half steps. The result are the seven modes of the western musical system…Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian, and Locrian. Sounds cool huh?

To begin, we’ll listen to the modes and learn how they relate to a major scale. The Ionian mode, or the first mode is actually a major scale. Therefore, there are no sharped or flatted notes. The Dorian mode, or the second mode can be thought of as a major scale with a flatted 3rd and 6th.

Notice the different characteristics of each mode. The first note of each shape is the root.

51

Ionian mode (1-2-3-4-5-6-7) Ionian is another name for Major Scale

Dorian mode (1-2-H3-4-5-6-H7)

653

3 5 73 5 7

4 63

6

5 6

5 655 63

3 5 73 5 7

4 63 5 6

5

Locrian Mode

55 7

3 5 74 7

5 65 7

3

5

3

75 75 7

3 5 74 7

5 65

3

5

3 7

5

Aeolian Mode

55 7

4 5 74 7

5 75 7

4

6

3

75 75 7

4 5 74 7

5 75

4

6

3 7Mixolydian Mode

5

Locrian mode (1-H2-H3-4-H5-H6-H7)

Aeolian mode (1-2-H3-4-5-H6-H7) Aeolian is another name for natural minor

Mixolydian mode (1-2-3-4-5-6-H7)

52

55 7

3 5 73 7

5 65 6

3

5

3

65 65 7

3 5 73 7

5 65

3

5

3 6

5

Phrygian Mode

56 7

4 6 74

4 5 75 7

4

6

4

75 76 7

4 6 74

4 5 75

4

6

4 7

5

Lydian ModeLydian mode (1-2-3-G4-5-6-7)

Phrygian mode (1-H2-H3-4-5-H6-H7)

Modes continued…Every major scale shape that you learned earlier contains all of the modes. A mode can be thought of as a major scale using a different scale degree as a tonic. You only need to know the closed position major scale shapes to play all of the modes.

So…you can go to any of your major scale shape patterns and build your modes. For example, to play C Lydian, play a C Major scale, and sharp the 4th scale degree.

The notes in C Major are: C D E F G A B (this is also called C Ionian) The notes in C Lydian are: C D E FG G A B

It is important to remember which notes are altered for each mode.

5 7 85

4 75 6

5

7

87

5 7 85

4 75 6

7

85 7

8

Shape 2, C Major

8

5

5 7 95

4 75 7

5

7

87

5 7 95

4 75 7

7

85 7

8

Shape 2, C Major

8

5

C Lydian mode (1-2-3-G4-5-6-7)

C Major scale or C Ionian mode (1-2-3-4-5-6-7)

53

Major Pentatonic Scales (1-2-3-5-6)Major Pentatonic Scales are comprised of a root, a major 2nd, a major 3rd, a perfect 5th, and a major 6th. These are used very frequently in traditional Chinese music, African music, and American folk music. You could also think of these as major scales without a perfect 4th and a major 7th.

75

57

75 8

5

(5) 87

55

(5)

77

5 85

8

C Major Pentatonic

5

8

74 7

45 7

5 7

7

(5) (7)5 7

4 74

5 7

(5) (7)

5 7

5

D Major Pentatonic

7

774

44 6

5 7

774

44 6

5 7

5

A Major Pentatonic

5

47

45 7

Shape 2, C Major Pentatonic

Shape 3, D Major Pentatonic

Shape 1, A Major Pentatonic

55

(8)

5

(5)

75 7

85 8

5(8)

5

(5)

75 7

8

5

5 85

F Major Pentatonic

8

6

Shape 4, F Major Pentatonic

55

77

4 75

5

4 7

7

53 5 7

77

4 75

5 73

G Major Pentatonic

5

8

Shape 5, G Major Pentatonic

= major root notes

Open circles are the scale tones leading up to the root.

85

68

86 8

6

(6)8

56

(6)

88

6 86

6

C Major Pentatonic

8

5

8

85

(5)

75

6 85

(8)8

5

(5) (8)

75

6 85

5

D Major Pentatonic

5

7

8

875

5 75 8

8

5

875

5 75 8

85

A Major Pentatonic

8

8

5

8

7

5

5

(8)

6

(6)

85 8

96 8

6(8)

6

(6)

85 8

96 8

6

F Major Pentatonic

6 8

6

56

85 7

66

8

8

853 6 8

88

5 76

6 83

G Major Pentatonic

5

8

Minor Pentatonic Scales (1-H3-4-5-H7) Minor pentatonic scales are made up of a root, a minor third, a perfect 4th, a perfect 5th, and a minor 7th. The H3 and H7 give the characteristic bluesy tones you hear so much in the rock solos and riffs. Notice that the shapes of the minor pentatonics are the same as the major pentatonic scales…with a different root.

Shape 2, C Minor Pentatonic

Shape 3, D Minor Pentatonic

Shape 1, A Minor Pentatonic

56

Shape 4, F Minor Pentatonic

Shape 5, G Minor Pentatonic

= minor root notes

Major Blues Scales (1-2-H3-3-5-6)The major blues scale is just like the major pentatonic, adding a minor third to the mix. This gives you root, a major 2nd, a minor third, a major 3rd, a perfect 5th, and a major 6th.

57

75

57

75 8

5

(5) 8766

55

(5)

77 88

5 85

8

C Major Pentatonic

5

8

74 7

45 7

5 7

7

(5) (7)5 7

433 74

5 766

(5) (7)

5 7

5

D Major Pentatonic

7

774

44 6

5 7

7 8874

44 55 6

5 7

5

A Major Pentatonic

5

47

45 7 88

Shape 2, C Major Blues Scale

Shape 3, D Major Blues Scale

Shape 1, A Major Blues Scale

(8)

5

(5)

75 7

85 8

5(8)

5 66

(5)

75 7

8 99

5

5 85

F Major Pentatonic

8

6

Shape 4, F Major Blues Scale

55

77

4 75

6

4 7

7

53 5 766

77

433 75

655 73

G Major Pentatonic

5

8

Shape 5, G Major Blues Scale

Minor Blues Scales (1-H3-4-H5-5-H7)The minor blues scale is the minor pentatonic adding a diminished 5th (H5). Minor blues scales are made up of a root, a minor third, a perfect 4th, a diminished 5th, a perfect 5th, and a minor 7th.

58

85

68

86 8

6

(6)8

5446

(6)

88

6 8776

6

C Major Pentatonic

8

5

8

85

(5)

65

6 85

(8)8

5

(5) (8)

6 775

6 8544

5

D Major Pentatonic

5

7

8

875

5 75 8

8

5

87665

5 7 885 8

85

A Major Pentatonic

8

8

5

8

7

5

5

(8)

6

(6)

85 8

96 8

6(8)(8)(7)

6

(6)

8 995 8

96 877

6

F Major Pentatonic

6 8

6

56

85 7

66

8

8

85443 6 8

88

5 66 76

6 8 993

G Major Pentatonic

5

8

Shape 2, C Minor Blues Scale

Shape 3, D Minor Blues Scale

Shape 1, A Minor Blues Scale

Shape 4, F Minor Blues Scale

Shape 5, G Minor Blues Scale

Minor ScalesThere are three frequently used minor scales… Natural Minor, Harmonic Minor, and Melodic Minor.

Natural Minor (1-2-H3-4-5-H6-H7)Natural Minor is built from a root, major 2nd, minor 3rd, perfect 4th, perfect 5th, minor 6th, and a minor 7th. Another way to think of a natural minor is a major scale with a H3, H6, and H7.

Do these 5 shapes at right look familiar to you? They are the exact same shapes that you learned from the major patterns, with different roots. The natural minor scale is built from the 6th degree of a major scale. Pretty confused?

Think about this. The C major scale is made of CDEFGABC, correct? If we build a scale off of the 6th scale degree, which is A, we have built an A natural minor scale (ABCDEFGA). The tonal center has changed. Instead of basing our melodies around C, we are using A. Listen to the sound of these scales starting on their roots.

Amazing.

5 7 87 8

54 7

55

6 87 8

5 7 87 8

54 7

55

6 87 8

5

Shape 2, C Major

85

87

85

A Natural Minor scale (A-B-C-D-E-F-G-A)

59

5 7 85

4 75 6

5

7

87

5 7 85

4 75 6

7

85 7

8

Shape 2, C Major

8

5

C Major scale (C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C)

(6) (8)8

5 7 85

5 6 8

7

5 6

(5)

8

87

(6)7

(8)(5)8

5 7 85

5 6 85 6 8

5

Natural Minor shape 4

85

(5)(8)

4 5 74 5 7

7 8

(7)

5 7

(5)

885

(5)(7)

87(8)(5)

4 5 74 5 7

7 85 7 8

5


Natural Minor, Shape 4


75

88

54 5 7

5 6 8

7

7 8

75 7

88

54 5 7

5 6 87

5


85

8

87

55

544 5 7

6 75 7 8

7

5

(5)5 74

(5)

4 5 76 7

5 7 85

5


87

84

87



753

3 54 5 7

5 63

7

7

75 73

3 54 5 7

5 63 7

5


85

87

5


60

Harmonic Minor (1-2-H3-4-5-H6-7)A harmonic minor scale is a natural minor scale with a raised 7th. Another way of thinking of it is as a major scale with a flatted 3rd and 6th. Here are the shapes…

(6)7 8

5 7 86

5 4 85

(5)

6 0

(6) (6)(8)7 8

5 7 86

5 6 85 6 9

5

Harmonic Minor 4

(5)85

87

810

(7)(6)

(8)

4 5 74 5

4 7 85

(5)

7 8

(7)(6)

(8)87

4 5 74 5

4 7 85 7 8

7

Harmonic Minor 5

(5)

85

Harmonic Minor, Shape 4


75 7 8

64 5 7

5 64

8

7

75 7 8

64 5 7

5 64 7

5

Harmonic Minor 2

885

87

85

(5)4 5 7

4 5 86 7

5 7 8

(4)

6

(5)4 5 7

4 5 86 7

5 7 86

7

Harmonic Minor 3

(4) 87

84

87



77

75 7

3 64 5 7

5 64

37

75 7

3 64 5 7

5 64

5

Harmonic Minor 1 3

35

56


61

Jazz Melodic Minor (1-2-H3-4-5-6-7)Jazz Melodic Minor is a major scale with a flatted 3rd. Traditionally, a melodic minor is played differently ascending than descending. An ascending melodic minor scale is a major scale with a flatted 3rd. Descending, it is played as a natural minor scale (see True Melodic Minor). These are the ascending shapes for melodic minor…

(7)5 6 8

5 74 7

4 6 85 7

(5) (7)5 6 8

5 74 7

4 6 875

8

8

C Melodic Minor

(5)

5

8

(7)7

3 5 74 6

5 6 85 7 9

(5) (7)7

3 5 74 6

5 6 85 97

55

D Melodic Minor

(5)

7

810

C Jazz Melodic Minor, Shape 2

D Jazz Melodic Minor, Shape 3

75 7

4 64 5 7

5 74

35 7

5 74 6

4 5 75 7

4

55

3

A Melodic Minor 3

57

55

A Jazz Melodic Minor, Shape 1

63

(6)(5) (7)

5 6 85 7

5 84 6 8

(5) (8)(6) (8)(5) (7)

5 6 85 7

5 864

8

F Melodic Minor8

(5)8

6

53 5

4 73 5 7

5 75 6

76

8

5 63 5

4 73 5 7

5 75

3

G Melodic Minor6 8

73

5

8

F Jazz Melodic Minor, Shape 4

G Jazz Melodic Minor, Shape 5

64

True Melodic Minor

75 7

4 63

5 75 7

4 6 55 33

53 57 357

773

A Melodic Minor 3

57

55

Ascending H3 Descending H3, H6, H7

Diminished ScalesA Diminished scale is a series of whole and half steps.

Whole Tone ScalesA Whole Tone scale is a series of whole steps.

75 6 8

44 5 7

4 64 7

7

A Diminished Scale8

7 885 6 8

4 664 5 7

4 6 774 7 8

5

5

5

76 8 10

9 118 10 12

151211 13 15

Whole Tone Scale

7 996 8 10

97 118 10 12

1410 1211 13 15

5

5

A Diminished

Whole Tone Scale

65

The last teacher I had was Michael Nicolella. He is a world class

performer and instructor. There were two things he taught me

that I recall on a daily basis. One time I showed up for lessons,

and he was in the process of re-plumbing the pipes in his home.

I was pretty impressed to see such an intellectual heavyweight

remodelling his home by himself. When I commented on his

handiness, he responded something to the effect, “Hey, if I can

play a Bach fugue on the guitar, I can figure out how to plumb

my house.”

I realized a major benefit of learning a musical instrument is

learning how to think. Problem solving, expression, creativity, and

decision making are all skills that you apply to daily life. Music

also teaches us how to deal with success, failure, confidence

and insecurity.

The second bit of wisdom Michael imparted to me that I teach

every day is there are two ways to make a musical problem

simpler: break it into smaller pieces, and/or slow it down.

68

Parting Thoughts

69

This is awesome advice if you’re learning your first Tarrega piece,

writing an essay for school, or plumbing your house. This idea

compelled my writing this series of books. This first book gives

the basic gist of how the guitar is laid out, and what you need to

know to play it. The next book will deal purely with rhythm, the

third technique, and the last will teach sight reading.

For many students, learning all these things at once is

overwhelming and self-defeating. I remember staring at Leo

Brouwer scores in college…odd time signatures, hard fingerings,

septuplets…which positions should I play in? I felt my brain

melting. Having a great instructor was key for my navigating

challenging music. I would recommend private or group lessons

with a good instructor regardless of your interests. Time spent

playing with someone more advanced than you will improve your

playing more effectively than any other practice. Developing

a solid technique early will avoid tough changes later. Also, a

good technique can migrate to new styles of guitar as your

tastes change.

This book was written to be used with an instructor, that doesn’t

mean you can’t tackle it on your own. Music comes in so many

forms and degrees of challenge, I think they are all fantastic.

I hope this book helps you on your path of a lifetime of learning.

A Note to Instructors…I love guitar taking guitar lessons. My first instructor taught in

a corner of a car battery warehouse. Forklifts and foul language

accompanied my learning Ode to Joy, Stairway, and Sweet Home

Alabama. Since then, I’ve had nearly forty music instructors, and

I’m always scouting for another one. I appreciate online lessons,

but nothing is like one on one private guitar lessons.

A good instructor can gauge a student’s current motivation,

mood, interests, capabilities, and creativity. Carefully planned

lessons can be tossed aside in a pinch to create a dynamic

learning environment (I usually have a primary lesson plan,

and a back up). Some days, it’s important for a lesson to be a

good therapeutic jam session! These are keys to keeping most

students playing.

By most students, I mean the eighty percent of students

that would normally begin lessons, take for a year and quit.

How many times have you heard from the parents of your

students…they started piano, hated it, quit, and now wish

they’d stuck with it. I’ve found that if I can keep students

interested through the first year, they rarely quit. Performance

opportunities, community involvement, and self confidence

keep them engaged. Most of my students start in early middle

school, and stay with lessons until they leave for college.

71

72

One very important thing to remember is that not every

student wants to be Van Halen or Juilian Bream! There

are many ways to appreciate and study music. If you’re

a music teacher, music was probably your life growing

up. Most people don’t have that level of passion or

commitment. You cannot expect an athlete who wants

to round out his bag of tricks by playing guitar to practice

two hours a day. You can have a great student-teacher

relationship with him/her by teaching a solid technical

and musical foundation using current repertoire of

interest. As time passes, students will often open their

minds to great works of more in depth styles such as jazz

or classical.

My students and their families at the 2010 Guitarbeque Jam Photo: Grant Chyz

I thought up this series of books as a creative tool for music

instructors and their students. I’ve never had the patience to

make it through a method book. I always turned to the last pages

to find the cool pieces. I recommend using this book the same

way. It’s meant to be on the music stand. Open to the circle of

5ths to help analyze a harmonic structure. Perhaps to the blues

scales to help a student get out of the pentatonic box with

improvising. Maybe to the barre chords to create ii-V-I’s in all

keys.. You get the idea.

Lastly, I want to reiterate this book is part of a series. Rhythm,

sight reading, and technique will be covered in other books.

However, you can use this book along with whatever method

you may be using with your students. As I write this, I begin my

fifteenth year as a guitar instructor. It’s an awesome gig, and I

enjoy it more every year. I hope this series with your students

and practice.

74

2007 & 2010 Guitarbeque perfomances Photos: Grant Chyz & Erik Bell

To all the people who made this book happen…Thanks!

Me and my daughter Edie performing at Guitarbeque Photo: Grant Chyz

75

First to my core guitar teachers, (in chronological order) Mike

Rhoads, Erik Hedrick, Keith Stevens, Steven Novacek, and

Michael Nicolella. Collectively, I’ve spent over six hundred hours

in their studios. I’ve taken another three hundred or so lessons

from thirty other instructors. Thanks to all of you.

Thanks to Pop for being a musician and instructor. To Mom,

Dad, and Dawnsi for being so supportive all through the years.

Thanks to my spectacular wife Alyson for being my muse, Edie

and Huck for being my kids.

Thanks to my community of friends, colleagues, and mentors.

Pete, for showing me how to jam. Bartholemew/Mack/

Watsons/Shultz…for feeding my mind and body. Jaeger, my

flamenco guitar buddy…for the inspiration. To my best friend

Jeremy Berman for the phone calls, coaching, and tennis stories.

I’d like to thank Erik Bell for the killer design work, photography,

and art direction. Regardless of how this book performs, it looks

better than anything out there…and ultimately, isn’t that what

really matters?

Lastly to my students and their parents. You’ve taught me how

to teach, to listen, to and to be patient. Thanks for letting me

teach you music. It’s been my pleasure.

Again, thanks to Alyson. For those who know us, you all realize

that I’d never make it through a single day without her.

Notes

77

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