Drop 2 Chords

Volume 5 in the Fretboard Fundamentals Series

Written By: Matthew Warnock
Published By: Guitar for Life LLC
Copyright 2019 Guitar for Life LLC

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 Table of Contents

How to Use This eBook
What are Drop 2 Chords
Drop 2 Rhythm Patterns
Drop 2 Picking Patterns
Drop 2 Maj7 Chords
Drop 2 7th Chords
Drop 2 m7th Chords
Drop 2 m7b5 Chords
Drop 2 dim7 Chords
Drop 2 mMaj7 Chords
Drop 2 Maj7#11 Chords
Drop 2 7#11 Chords
Drop 2 Maj7#5 Chords
Drop 2 7#5 Chords
Drop 2 Voice Leading Exercises
Drop 2 Major ii V I’s 1
Drop 2 Major ii V I’s 2
Drop 2 Major ii V I’s 3
Drop 2 Minor ii V I’s 1
Drop 2 Minor ii V I’s 2
Drop 2 Minor ii V I’s 3
Drop 2 Comping Studies
Drop 2 Soloing Studies
Drop 2 Mixed Studies
Drop 2 Standards Workouts
Blank Music Paper
About the Author

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 How to Use This eBook
Welcome to Drop 2 Chords, great to have you here!

Before you dive into the book below, take a minute to understand how
the book is laid out and how to work each section.

Have fun as you dig into these essential chord shapes in your practice
routine.

Drop 2 Rhythms
Each exercise in this eBook is written in plain rhythms so you can
quickly get the shapes under your fingers.

To take these exercises further, you can add any of the rhythms from
this section to any exercise in this eBook.

Drop 2 Picking Patterns

To help you expand every exercise in this eBook, you’re give various
essential picking patterns in this section.

These patterns can and should be applied to each exercise in this eBook
to bring variety and musicality to those workouts.

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 Drop 2 Fingerings
After you learn about how to build each drop 2 chord at the start of the
main chapters, you learn how to play those chords.

Start with one shape at a time, focus on one string set at a time, and
work around the fretboard from there.

The 6543 string set is included in all of these fingerings, but it’s the least
used on guitar.

So, if you find those chords muddy or hard to play, work the 5432 and
4321 string sets first.

Then, check out the 6543 string sets when ready to see if you can keep
some or all of those shapes in your playing.

Drop 2 12 Keys Exercises

To help you memorize these new chords across the fretboard, you run
each drop 2 you learn through 12 keys.

Work these exercises by reading first, then memorize them and run
them with a metronome without looking when ready.

While you may rarely play some of these keys, the act of moving shapes
around 12 keys is excellent for memorization.

It also really shores up your notes on the fretboard as you work these
shapes in every key on the guitar.

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 Drop 2 Voice Leading Exercises
Here you work on common voice leading cycles to alter 1, at most 2,
notes at a time to move through drop 2 chords.

An example of this is playing Cmaj7-C7-Cm7-Cm7b5-Cdim7 by lowering
one note at a time from the previous chord.

These exercises teach you memory, fretboard knowledge, and drop 2
shapes as you work them through different cycles.

Drop 2 Comping Studies

Moving on to practical applications of drop 2 chords, in this section you
learn 3 comping studies over essential jazz progressions.

After you learn these, or any, studies, write out a few of your own to
practice these concepts further in your studies.

Drop 2 Soloing Studies

In this section, there are three studies that break drop 2 chord shapes
up into single note arpeggios, that you then use to create soloing lines.

This concept, breaking up chords into single notes, is highly effective
and efficient as a soloing approach.

You learn chord shapes for comping, but then you immediately break
them up and have an arsenal of soloing ideas as well.

Huge win-win in the woodshed.

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 Drop 2 Mixed Soloing Studies
With these studies, you learn solos that mix solid chords and broken-
chord arpeggios.

These are the most technically demanding studies in this eBook, so take
your time, sign along, and have fun expanding your drop 2 vocabulary.

Drop 2 ii V I Workouts
Here, you test your memory as you’re given the chord progression and
the inversion for each drop 2, then you play those chords.

You don’t have to wait until you finish the book to get into these
workouts.

Learn some drop 2 shapes, then test your retention on these exercises.

See how you do, go back and shore up the ones you missed and move on
to the next group.

Then return to these exercises and test your memory on those new
chords, then repeat that process throughout the book.

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 Drop 2 Maj7 Chords
In this chapter you learn how to build and play maj7 drop 2 chords.

Start by digging into how to build these chord shapes, then move on to
adding them to the fretboard below.

Here are the interval patterns for each inversion of drop 2 maj7 chords.


§ Root Position = 1 5 7 3
§ 1st Inversion = 3 7 1 5
§ 2nd Inversion = 5 1 3 7
§ 3rd Inversion = 7 3 5 1


Or in notes, these would be for a Cmaj7 chord:


§ Root Position = C G B E
§ 1st Inversion = E B C G
§ 2nd Inversion = G C E B
§ 3rd Inversion = B E G C


Now that you know how to build these drop 2 maj7 chords, time to take
them to the fretboard.

Play the given fingerings first, then take them through the 12 keys
exercises before moving on to the next drop 2 chords from there.

When you have maj7, 7, and m7 drop 2 chords down, feel free to work
on the major ii V I exercises later in this eBook.

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 Drop 2 Maj7 Fingerings
You now learn how to play drop 2 maj7 chords on three string sets and
in four inversions on each string set.

That means there are 12 different fingerings for the drop 2 maj7 chord
that could possibly be learned and used in your playing.

While these chords are possible, you learn some and keep them in your
playing, while others you try out and they aren’t for you.

Whether it’s the 6543 string set sounding muddy, or the tough stretches
on the 5432 strings, you can keep some and leave others.

The goal when learning new voicings is not to memorize them all and
use them all the time in your playing.

The goal is to learn shapes that fit your hands, get the sounds in your
head onto the guitar, and be accurate and musical in your playing.

With that in mind, play through all of these chords, keep ones you like,
shelve ones you don’t for later and expand out from there.

Start by playing the shapes, then take them through the 12 keys exercise
at the end of this chapter before advancing from there.

About fingering, any time you have two notes, same fret different
strings, use a barre. So one finger on both notes.

From there, always use consecutive fingers first and adjust if that
doesn’t work.

For an Am7b5 on the top 4 strings for example, you could play xx1333
fingers, but that causes problems down the road.

Instead, use xx1222, consecutive fingers and a better fingering.

Have fun!

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 Drop 2 Maj7s in 12 Keys Exercises
You now take these drop 2 maj7 chords into 12 keys as you practice
them around the fretboard in your routine.

You can work this exercise one bar, two bars, four bars, or any larger
group of bars you prefer.

As long as you eventually memorize the chords and the order of the
chords, all good.

Here are guidelines and tips for practicing these chords in all 12 keys
across three string sets on guitar.


§ Play the chords as written, no tempo or rhythms.
§ Start with one 6-bar group, inversion, at once.
§ Add in a metronome when ready.
§ Play the written rhythm to begin.
§ Add in other rhythms when ready.
§ Add in various picking patterns when ready.
§ Memorize the chord shapes as you go.
§ Say the names of each chord as you play them.
§ Sing the lowest note of each chord.
§ Sing the highest note of each chord.
§ Single the middle notes of each chord one at a time.
§ Move on to the next inversion, 6-bars, and repeat.


Now that you know how to practice these chords, have fun with them in
the woodshed!

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 Drop 2 minor ii V I String Set 3
Here, you work on voice leading with minor ii V I drop 2 chords on the
top 4 strings of the guitar.

These chords are the most popular on guitar as they work well in all
harmonic situations and stay out of the way of the bassist.

Here are tips to work on these patterns to get the most out of them in
the woodshed.


§ Learn the first phrase, memorize it.
§ Play that phrase in multiple keys.
§ Sing the top note of each chord.
§ Sing the bottom note of each chord.
§ Sing the middle notes of each chord.
§ Work the chords with a metronome.
§ Play the chords over the audio example.
§ Play the chords over the backing track.
§ Change up the rhythms.
§ Experiment with picking alterations.
§ Add these chords to any jazz standard you’re studying.
§ Write out a comping study using these chords.


Now that you know how to work these chords, have fun taking them to
the fretboard, backing tracks, and jazz standards in your playing.


Audio Example 17

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 Drop 2 Comping Studies
You now dive into learning comping studies on the guitar using drop 2
chords over 3 jazz standard forms.

The goal for these studies is to see drop 2 chords in action, then you can
apply that material to your own comping.

One of the best ways to work any study is to play the study once, then
you comp with your own chords after that.

Alternate between the study and your own comping over the backing
track.

Over time, those chords and phrases will start to sneak into your
playing from the study without noticing.

It’s a fun and effective way to digest new material in an organic fashion.

Have fun with these studies, enjoy playing them as written and mixing
that material into your own playing.

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 Major Blues Study
You first learn a comping study over the major blues form.

Here, you use drop 2 chords with a focus on adding movement within
the chord changes.

To help you get the most out of this study, here are practice guidelines
and tips to check out in the woodshed.


§ Learn the study one bar at a time.
§ Play each drop 2 chord on its own from the study.
§ Memorize the study as you learn it.
§ Play whole study along with metronome.
§ Sing along to the study, top notes of each chord.
§ Sing along to the study, bottom notes of each chord.
§ Pluck each chord and sing every note in that chord.
§ Play study with the audio example.
§ Play the study with the backing track.
§ Play the study, then you improvise, alternate from there.


Now that you know how to learn this study, time to take it to the
fretboard.

After you can play this study with the audio example and/or backing
track, write out a similar study of your own.

That way you learn drop 2 chords, apply them to a practical situation,
and add to your soloing repertoire at the same time.

Can’t go wrong there in the practice room.



Audio Example 18

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 About the Author
I grew up listening to classic rock and blues, and I still love those styles
of music. But, it’s soloing I really love, and that’s what drew me to jazz.

My love of jazz has taken me from small town Canada around the globe.

I studied at three of the top jazz programs in the world, starting with
McGill University, then Western Michigan, and finishing with a
Doctorate from the University of Illinois (UIUC).

I’ve taught over 7000 private jazz guitar lessons, and my students range
from beginners, to Professors at NYU, and everything in between.

I’ve also taught jazz guitar, popular music, and music business at
universities in Canada, the US, the UK, Brazil, and Nepal.

I’ve played over 2500 gigs in 8 countries and shared the stage with
Randy Brecker, Stefon Harris, and Slide Hampton.

Some of my favorite gigs were at:


• Lincoln Center
• International Association for Jazz Education Conference
• NuJazz Festival (Brazil)
• Savassi Jazz Festival (Brazil)
• International Jazz Day Festival (Nepal)


Jazz has been in my life for 20 years, and every day I’m glad I found this
great music. Because of this, I want to share this love of jazz and guitar
with you. You never know where it’ll lead you.

For the best free jazz guitar lessons on the web, visit
mattwarnockguitar.com

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