ENTIAL CONCEPTS saat ois Ce) A Complete aa forAcknowledgments "d like to thank the following people for field-esting the molerial in this book: Billy Burke at Crossroads ‘Music in Monrovio, CA; Steven Stathatos; and Benjomin Zurbrugg, I'd also like to thank Dena Murray for her encouragement and valuable odvice, and special thanks to Jeff Schroedl, Doug Downing, and Hol Leanard Corporation far their suppor! May 2003, Barrett TogliorinoContents Inicoduction Diagioms, Frets, and Sirings The Five Root Shapes Whole Stops and Holf Stops Note Nomes Finding Notes The Major Scole The Five Mojor Scole Patterns The Noturol Minor Scole Pentatonic Scoles Major ond Perfect Intervols Minor, Diminished, and Augmented Intervals Compound Intervals Triad Arpeggios.. Triods Seventh Arpeggios Seventh Chords Extensions Aherations . Modes. Other Common Scales Other Common Chords Conclusion Solutions to Exercises About the Author 12 1s 7 20 23 26 29 33 37 39 4l 44 48 51 54 58 39 65 68 79Introduction eo: ploy © song on the guitar is an accomplishment. Ne doubt about it, when it all comes tageth: er, it sounds great. But here's © question for you: De you really understand whet you're playing? What hoppens if you moke o mistake? Chartces ore, you're like o lab rat earning the carect path through @ maze: Move the cheese, chonge the walle around, and you're lost. You go back to square ane. ‘What if you really knew where you wors, ond where you needed to go, ot all times? What if you under- stood the fretboard of your guitar? Actually understanding the fretboord would mean you'd be flying over the londscape, looking down at all the possible peths your fingers could take This workbook will help you gain that higher loval of understanding of the fretboard, In each chapler, an ‘essential concept is explained and immediately followed by exercises for you to complete. The knowledge is reinforced in the limetested way we all earned our ABC's as children: by repeating ideas aloud ond writing them down, Draw/Describe/Play I've spent meny frustrating hours watching my students look ot 6 chord or scale shape in a book and imme- diately try 16 play it. They waste ime fumbling over the notes. They get lost. Then they have to stort over ond look of the book again. Weeks loter, they oré sill lost, because they did no! take the time to plant @ clear nds. A three-pronged altack will cure this prablem: draw/describe/play. When you the lecations of the notes, only image of it in thei con drow 0 diogram of @ chord or scale by yourself and verbally descr then should you stort to play it Often my students reolize on their own that drawing diagrams is the bss! woy to learn the fretboord. They do it without being told, and then bring the diagrams for me to check for mistakes and to discuss fingerings. These are the people thot make the fastest progress. So, !hhave my students to thank for showing me how they learn. Together we created exercises that REALLY WORK to help you leorn the guitar. Writing ond talking ‘bout this material burns it into your brain, By completing these exercises, you can expect a real difference in the way you think about the guitor fret board in just o few months. Along with new insight, big improvements in your playing will naturally come over the next few years. The groy oreas tha! you now skip ever will gradually shrink ond then disappecr. How to Use This Book tater chapters in this book depend heovily on the ones at the beginning. Expect to keep going back. IF YoU are in your first few yeors of serious guitar study, | recommend spreading this program ovt over one year Spend a few minutes o doy for of least & week reviewing each chapter Stott each chapter by thinking about the objective stoted ct the heginning, IF you think you already have attained the objective, go right to the exercises. If you can complete all of them quickly with no mistakes, you con go on to the nex! chapter. IF nol, go back and siudy the chapler. Alter studying the text, if he exercises ore sill 100 hord, it probably means you missed something from a previous chapter. If his is new materiol for you, then itis very important that you take your time! Make sure you understand each chopter and compieie all the exercises before moving on if you decide you need more proclice (most people do}, | recommend repeating the diagrams in 6 sepe- role notebook of guitar diagram paper. You can buy itor just make it yourself with blank paper and « culerFrequently Asked Questions Why do I need to draw diagrams and say all this stuff out loud? Why can’t | just play? I'm telling you to draw and describe fretboard shapes because | want you to learn then. FAST. By them selves, scales, chords, and arpeggios ore nothing but exercises ond will bore you. The sooner you leorn hese basics, the sooner you will start playing real music thot excites you. Attempting lo play music of ony sophis: fication without these fundamentals will likely lead to frustrtion. What if I don't think | did it right? The answars ore included in the back of the book. It is impossible to cheot, so fook there anytime Hey! You left out...? ‘Many possible fingerings ore not included in the book. You ore encouraged to draw more diagrams than core included here, By the lost ten chapiers, the poss:bie number of shopes for scales, chords, and arpeggios becomes astronomical. The goo! of this book is that by the time you finish whats here, you will be oble to visualize the correct locations for anything you may encounter or imagine. How should | practice playing these shapes? Once you have memorized one of the fundamental fre!boord shapes, ploy it in time with o metronome se! 16 0 slow tempo (50-60 beats per minute). If you have not played extensively with a metronome, the odds ‘re thot your liming is bod. Le! me rephrase that: Ifyou are 0 human being, your timing is bad ond you need fo practice with a melzonome. For scoles end arpeggios, il will be clear how to practice with @ metronome. Ploy them vp ond down in eighth notes: we notes for every click of the metronome. For the intervals ond chords, itis most productive to ploy a few of them in sequence to keep your broin and fingers working. Practice them in whole notes (one chord for every four clicks) or half noles (one chord for every two clicks) Here ore 0 few important guidelines for practicing + Proctice intensely with no distractions for very short time periods, ond os offen os you can. 15-minute proctice sessions twice doily are © good place to slat. + |solote moterial into the smoilest possible pieces you can learn ond toke them one at a time. Do not try to leorn two new things ot once. + Moke o clean mental imprint of aew informetion withou! touching your guitar ot first. Toke your time ‘ond learn it righ! the first fime. Avoid going back fo the book to see it again + Practice the same material until itis committed Io long-term memory. This usually takes of leost two weeks, Keap 0 log so you know haw lang you've been working on each new shape * Do not practice mistakes. Go slow enough that you almost never make o mistake * Be potiert with yourself. How long it tokes is how long it tokes. * Congroluiate yourself for each small accomplishment. A pasilive meniol olitude is essential to help you keep goingDIAGRAMS, FRETS, AND STRINGS Objective: Understond fretboord diagrams. Name the open strings Frets Stondard guitar diegrams hove horizontol lines for frets and vertical lines for stings. strings Fret cumbers ore indicated, in this book, with Roman numerals thet go up os they get closer to the body of the guitor. They ore writ fen next to the ploce where your finger should be, which is between—aciually slightly behind—ihe meiol fretwires. The {rel number usually shows the position of the first (index} finger. 2 middle The diogram moy be o snop- shot of any section of the fin. gerboard, so you need to poy close attention to the fret num ber given Strings The sirings are numbered 6 through 1. The 6th string is the thickest and the 131 is the thinnest. The Ts! string is the highes! pilched string Going "up" fo the next string means going “up in musical pitch.” Unless you're ploying the guitor while stonding on your head {see Chopter 19, your fingertip gels closer fo the ground when you move i fo @ higher string, In this regard, the numbers are the opposite of what you might expect. I's too late for anybody to chonge this now Ali quitor books refer to the strings in this woy. Beginning wilh the 6th slring, the letier oames of the strings ore: E A D G BE, Go ahead ond memorize them before continuing. When you hove them memorized, you should be able to state clearly to oll within earshot thot the 4th string is D; the 2nd siring is B, and so forth. We're going 10 try to keep the amount of memorization low, but some is ynovoidobleExercise #1 Lobel the strings on the following blank diogram. Do it from memory, covering up the previous pore groph with your hand. The éth sting has been nomed fo" you Exercise #2 When 0 diagram covers many tres, itis figped over on its loft side. Les use this diogrom to repect the previous ossigament for practice. Label the stings. Go! Exercise #3 Answer these questions oloud, ond fill in the blanks. 1. What is the ieter nome of the third string? 2. Which number string is the B string? 3. What is the some of the fifth string? 4, Which eumber string is G? 5. What is the rome of the sixth string? 6. Which number string is A® 7. What is the came of the second string? 8 Which number string is E2 9 Whal is the nome of the first string? 10. Which aumber siring is D?THE FIVE ROOT SHAPES Objective: Learn the five root shopes. very scole, chord, or melody is @ collection of notes that has one main note called @ root The coot is the note thot guides us. Without the root, we're lost ‘When we know where one root is, we con find another nearby. The two roots form a root shape. There ‘axe five roo! shapes in all, so we number them | through 5. They're shown below in the key of C. This is the Rosetta Stone, the Holy Grail, and the Magna Carts of guitar comprehension. IF you were watching © major motion picture production, @ mossive choir would kick in RIGHT NOW! Key of C As we proceed through this book, you'll discover how important thase roo! shapes are; every scole, orpeg- Gio, or chord thot we build will be based upon them. I'll refer to these shapes as “potterns”—e.g., Pattern 1 Potiern 2, elc.—becouse they'll eventually be associated with scale paiterns based on the same shapes. For now, let’s look at, play, and thoroughly learn all five root shapes, one at 0 time, aoting what distin gvishes each one from the others, Pul your first and third fingers on the notes in the diogrom ond repeot cloud "Pattern I has rools on the second ond fifh strings, two frets eport!” Now move your fist finger up lo the exact place the third finger formerly occupied of the third fret. Then put your third finger down ol the fifth frot of the third string, all the while barking in strident declaration: “Pattern 2 hos cools on the fifth and third strings, two frets apart!” Notice that Pattern 2 shares o root on the fifth string with Petiern 1 above. Eoch pottern overlaps the suc ceeding pottern. This overlap will opply to all chords, scales, ond orpeggios we'll sudyWhen you play the oots in Pattern 3, you do not hove fo stretch your hend and ploy oll three notes cl cence. The ideo is to leorn the spotiol relationchips. Just play the C on the third string ot the filth fret with your first finger, and play the remaining lwo notes one ater cnother with your fourth finger. Reinforce the new shape by soying: “Pattern 3 hos roots on the third, first, and sixth strings, three frets opor!” o Potiern 4 shores two notes with Pattern 3. Place your first finger on either the first or sixth string ot the eighth fret, ond your third finger on the fourth string at the tenth fre. Position your fingers correctly, hen soy loud: “Pattern 4 has rools on the first, sixth, ead fourth stings, two frets peril” vil For Pattern 5, place your first finger on the fourth string ot the tenth fret. Put your fourth finger ot the thit- teenth fret, second string. Once again: *Pattern 5 hos rools on the fourth ond second strings, three frets opor!” Now we have played oll five coat shapes, We aren't fin ished yet, however. The cycle repeots itsall up the fret's00rd until the guitor runs out of frels. So now we ploy Petiorn 1 ‘gain, starting with the highest nole we have played so fer, at the thirteenth fret. Continue with Potern 2 ot the fifteenth fret ond as many more as you can comfortably play. ‘The five root shapes moy stort on any nole, onywhere on the frelboord, but the shopes are olwoys the same ond always occur in the some order—though the sequence may begin cl © different point. For exam. ple, here ore the five root shapes os they occur on the frelboord in the key of G: Xxill Key of GExercise #4 Each note below belongs to two rool shapes. Complete both ard label with pottern numbers. The firs! one is done for you y va) 3) 4) 3 a Th Ton To 2 t é é Cl, POLE ° ° ¢ Oo { Fs ce co b coo 4) 7 8) 9%) 10 oom TT TT oT om LLtt 2 e ° coo | | { | { A CI LOL I Exercise #5 Drow the five root shapes based on the following notes. Lebel with potters numbers. The first one is done for you 1010) Play Once you've completed the above exerc'se, play through the diagrams on your guitar, Start othe bottom of the fretboard, ond work your way up. Sey the root shapes aloud os you play them, like this: “Number one: Pattern 4...Pattern 5...Patiern 1...Paltorn 2...Patiern 3...Patiern 4...Poitern 5... Number two...” Don’t worry about note names; just concentrate on naming {and playing) the root shapes. "WHOLE STEPS, AND HALF STEPS Objective: Learn the musical clphabet. Recognize whole steps and half steps. Memorize natural holf steps between B and C, E and F. here ore twelve notes in music. However, they are named by vsing only seven letters of he alphabet: A,B,C, D, EF ond G, Isn't that confusing? ‘We use seven letters because mos! music is based on sevennote scoles. A scole can be spelled quickly by using all seven letters. Some of the lettors may have accidentals [:, +, or 3) alter them to show exacily which of the welve possible notes is desired. Accidenials are of vital importance, so repeat this next sen- tence cloud (“the sharp (t) roises 0 note, the flat (>| lowers @ note, ond the natural (3) puts it back.” Another musical term for @ “scole note” is diatonic, Diaionic means “from the scale.” A nen-diatonic nole is one of the five notes that are not in the scale. {Scales have seven noles, and twelve minus seven equals five, of course.) About the some time wrilien music was reaching its modern sicie of development, keyboard instruments were being perfected. The guitar is an older insirument, but it follows the rules thot ore most eosil ilustroted by the keyboord. The keyboard is laid out so that the seven white keys form a C mojor scale. In between the white keys ore five black keys, The entire Iwelve-note pollera repects so we Can play music in higher or lower registers CH/Db The white keys ore colled notural nates, with the full names “C-otural”, “D-notural,” ond sot on. The block keys are nored by refering to th note above or bol (physically othe left or | righ!) For instance, the black key between C ond D may be called “C-sharp" (Ci), or it may be colled “Dlat” (D+) la olpe To see how the system opplies to the guitar, let’s take a look at the aetural notes in © pionotlke foshion: namely, up and dawn on o single string. Le’s use the fifth string. Notice that some notes are hwo frets apart, while others ore right next to each other. The distonce of two frets is colled o whole step [o.4.0., 6 “slep"). the distonce of one fre! is called o half step 2We need to remember that there is a half step between & and C, and between E ond F. These are the places where there ore no black keys separating the white Keys on the piono. On the guitar, these natural notes ‘aro just one fret aport, Each of the other noturol notes are o whole step [two frets} apart. For you lo learn this, I need you te open the window and holler to the world outside: “There is o holf step belween B ond €, ond a half slep between E ond FI” Then soy this: “Bernie Cohen and Ernie Fronk are hwo close friends of minel” The strings on the guitar are like six litle pions, each siarting on @ diferent note. Now for this next exercise, we'll draw the naturel noles on each string, in order to reinforce the ideo thot there is o half step from B to C, and a half step fram E to F. That's all you need ‘6 think about while you do this. Don't try to memorize every note on the fretboard yet Drow the natural notes on each string. Write the nemes below. The sixth string is done for you. 1314 Exercise #7 When you've completed the drawings of naturel notes, go bock ond write the names of the five acct dentols cround them. Write both the sharp |) names and the flot }) names. Thus, each accidental will hove two names. Hore’s how the first one will look fe) EF 4 6¢ 8 A g 8 D Exercise #8 The notes ot the hwelhh fret are the some os tlie open sitings. Use one diagram for each string ond label the note at the hwellth fret. Then waite the natural noves for each siring egain, only this Hime start ot the twellth feet ond spell backwards to the open posilion. Remember io use hall steps between F and E, os well os between C ond 8. a EF a G 9 zg xil For more pradtice, (play through the notural notes an each open string of your guitar, from open position to the highes! Fret you con comfortably play. Say each note {and is fel position) aloud 13 you play: “String 6: E, open..F, 1st et..G, Std frah..A, Sth fret..B, 7th fret, fete)" Seying the fret positions will reinforce your oworeness of whole and half steps. Again, don’t worry about memorizing the notes. Fits! get fo know the musical alphabet, and remember those half steps between E-F ond B-C.NOTE NAMES ‘Objective: learn to name any note on the hetboard. ‘© nome ony nole on the fretboard, use your knowledge of the natural holf steps (Bernie Cohen & Ernie Frank} ond the five root shapes. For exomple, les nome the note at the seventh fret of the second string. = | — OF ~ vi Method #1: Natural Notes Remembering the correct nlural whole steps ond half sleps, we can count up from the open 8 string Fa/Gb vil We see thot “he nole is FE or Gi. Until we know what scole the note is associated with, we don’t know whether fo use the siarp name or the flat name. That's OK. We need to know both names, so we'll use both names for all occidentols in these exercises. The twelfth fret of each string is the same note as the open string, so we can also count down from there to name the note ol the seventh fret. We need to know the musical alphabet backwards, as well as forwards, Fa/Gb Method #2: Root Shapes We can also use the five root shapes to name the nole, Since our note is on the second siring, il belongs 10 Pattern 5, which has roots on the second and fourth strings, three frets apart. Thus the note on the fourth fret of the fourth string hos the some name as our note. Pottern 5 Ss vil 45Pattern 4 has rools on the first, sixth, and fourth sirings, two freis aport, Therefore the nole at the second fret of the sixth string also hes the some name as our note. This nole is two frels above the ogen E, so it [and our note} is FE or Gi. Pottern 4 Pottorn 5 Mil New Note: D at the 7th fret Using root shapes to name notes works well you memotize a few more noles besides the open stings. For instance, add the D ot the seventh feet of the third siring to your memory. ® Vil Now you'll be foster af naming the notes on the third slring in this general areo. And because any nole 60 the third string is part of root shapes 2 and 3, you have direct knowledge of notes that moke up those shapes Exercise #9 Stole aloud ond write the names of the nctes found at these positions on the fretboard. Use the diagram below, if needed, to help yau visualize the notes. 1. 3rd string, 2nd fet 9 bth string, 8th fret 2. Sth string, 3rd fret: 10. Sih string, 7th fret: 3. 2nd sicing, Ath fret: 1°. Bnd string, 7th fret 4. Ath string, 6th fret 12, 2nd string, 11th fret: ih string, 7th fret 13. 4th string, 8th fre: 6th string, 9th fret: 14, 3rd string, 10th fret: 3rd string, 11th fret: 15. Ist string, 13th fret: eNO Oo ih string, 4th fretFINDING NOTES Objective: Proctice finding notes on the frelboord in vorious positions. EF inding notes on the freiboord can be tricky because the some note con be ployed ot several different places. Which place is best? Usually the choice is best made by technical considerations. This book is nol really cbout technique; it's about knowing where things are. Bu! good technique and solid fretboard knowledge go together. When movements are smooth ond economical, it's horder to get lost. This is how peo- ple play without looking ot their hands. + Use a minimum of position shifting. ‘here will be mony mes when you'll break this rule to find the eosiest wey to ploy a phrose, or to gel the best sound from the guitor. But especially when reoding or learning @ piece of music by ear for the first time, use minimum hond movement. Find notes as close fo your current hond position 0s possible and ploy them with the closest finger + Stay where you are yniil you know exaclly where you ore going. Don't pick up your fingers oF let go of the neck. Use the los! note you played as 0 starting point for finding the nex! one. + Avoid using the same finger twice in a row. This is onolher rule you'll break. Whea it causes you to slide out of position, i's something io avoid when learning new shopes. Be awore of the highest ond lowest notes you'l be playing, and plan accordingly so that you do not have to breok this rule ony more than necessary. Finding notes is 0 visual process, 0 | won't confuse you by overexplaining it. IF you familiarize yourself with 0 few notes in vorious ploces, you con use your knowledge of natural half steps and/or root shapes to find all the others. The following exercise will give you prociice in finding notes in various freiboord positions. You moy need to use any one of the four fingers of the lefi hand or even to shift the hond up or down by one fret to find the ole you want. This is important: when o fret position is indicoted on o diagram in this book, don’t let your first finger go lover than that fret. For exomple, sey you're in fourth position and you need to play 0 C, Find the C by folowing the root shopes from a familior note [in this example, the open B siring). Use the second finger to ploy the C so that no position shifing is needed. 2nd finger (SSeS = t +6} 1 Ott iat Vv position 718 Exercise #10 Drow the nole on the cortect string, af the fel indicated. Use your knowledge of the natural notes or of the five rool shopes. You moy need to use various methods: count up from each open string count dawn from the 12th fret of each string count up or down from onother fomiliar note (e.g., D at the 7th fret} © choose @ nearby noie (e.g., E} and find that note first y Fvill 10) c Practice 1. Spend five minules © dey reming notes aloud on the fretboard. The best way is to name the notes ‘of ony songs 0 licks you've learned, but you cin olso use random notes. So, insteed of thinking This Finger goes here,” soy cloud, “I'm playing A> on the nin fre of the second sting!” Do this for ot leost o week 2. Boch week for the next seven weeks, focus on one naturel note. Stait with A and spend five min- ties a day on it, Use the five root shapes to draw a diagram with of the A's on the entire fret ‘board. While looking ot the diagram and playing each A on your guitar, nome. its position aloud Tike this: “Fibh string, epen. Third siring, second fret. Sixth string, fit fret. First sting, filth Fret.” Keep going until you've covered cll the A's on the fretboord. The next day, drow the diagram ‘agoin, and repeat the naming process. During that week, take notice of each time you play an ‘A. Week 2, move on to 8 and repeat this process. [Don’t stop working your way through the rest of this book; just add this to your regular practice routine.) 19THE MAJOR) SCALE Objective: Understand ond construc! major sceles on the fretboard. ‘this chapter, you'll learn the construction of major seoles sfarling on ony note. In the next chopter, you'll work on fingering poiterns for them. Eventually, you'll memorize the scales ond their potterns—but it’s bet- fer thot you undersiond whot scoles are firs The Major Scale Formula ‘The notes of © seole are relerted to os stale degrees, or jus' “degrees.” To figure out where the degrees core, you need only memorize the major scale formula. Repect it aloud « few times: “Whole, Whole, Half, Whole, Whole, Whole, Half” In any mojor scole, there ore holf steps between the 3rd ond 4th degrees, and between the 7th ond 8th degrees, There ore whole steps between the othar dagrees. When writing o scale on poper, put corels (4) between the notes that are o holf step apart, like this: 1 2 344 S 6 748, In order to maintain this formula when starting on notes other thon C, we have to include some acciden- tals {the black keys on the piono}. If you remember that there are notural half steps between BC ond EF, you'll be oble to deduce whot the accidentals ore in any scale. For example, le’s spel the F mojor scale starting from Fat the third frel on the fourth siving. First there is whole step between degrees 1 and 2, F to G. Then 0 whole step from the 2nd to the 3rd is A. To follow the formula, we need o half step belween the 3rd and 4th degrees, But B is too for—o whole sep owoy-— s0 we play B> instead. Bis therefore the 4th note of the F major scale. sedle degre 1 2 so From the 4th to the Sth is o whole step. This works cut to be C notural, because of the naturally occur 1g hol step between B and C. Then two more whole steps give us D ond E, The fincl holf step from the 7th to the 8th degree brings us back to F suledegiee. 1 2 a4 5 6 78 20Accidentals When o scole starts on an occidental note, you may use either « sharp or flat to name it. The other note names should follow suit. Don't mix sharps and fats together in a single scole, Usually, one choice will have fewer accidentals than the otter, moking it a bit easier fo use. In the following exomple, I'd coll the scale Db major because it has only five flats, bu! C} majer with seven sharps is also correct. Maybe you're wondering how one note ean be called F in one diagram and €¢ in the other I's because of this impoctont rule about spelling scales: “All seven letters get used exocily once in o scale.” \ call it the alphabet rule, Wher | tell this to my students, I get a big "Ahs!” from them. Check out the dias grams on this poge ogoin, and you'll see thal each nate get its own letter and cil seven letters are used once The D major scole must contain both FF and Ct in order ta follow the mojor scale formula and the alpho- bet rule, Exercise #11 Spell mojor scales on one string beginning on the notes shown below. Use the major scole formula and the alphobet rule. Name the noles oloud os you write y 5 2410) ‘Now play throvgh the above diagrams. Soy the name of each scale aloud, ond then the name of ‘each note as you play it: °D major: D.EF#GAB..C#D..” 22THE FIVE MAIGCR (SCALE PATTERNS Objective: Construct the five patterns of major scales. wr steps ond holf steps were easy fo see when the major scale wos played on one string. Normelly, however, we play scoles in one posilion ocross olf the sings. To do this, we need to know whole steps ond holf steps crossing from one string to the nex! Whole Steps The whole step is usvolly o three-fret distance down the freloord when ascending from one string to the next, But on exception occurs when crossing from the third fo the second string, In this case, the whole step is © twosrot distance Why? Becouse we hove lo compensate for the tuning change belween the third ond second strirgs. This is true for everything we learn on the fretboard. A word to the wise: The tuning change on the second string is there for good reason. If you eliminate it 10 “make things eosier,” you won't be able lo play chords, ond you'll create lots of other unnecessory challenges for yourself. Don't do it Now leis see the different ways o half step can look Half Steps The holf step is usually 0 four-fret distonce down the fretboord when ascending from one string to the next The exceplion again occurs when crossing to the second string: in that cose, the half step is o three-tret distonce. 23Building Major Scale Patterns We can build mojor scoles with all she notes on one string os we did in Chapter 6, or with any number ‘of notes per string before ascending 1 the next string; however, our goal In creating fingering patterns is 1o minimize position shifts so we con keep better rack of where everything is located under our fingers. This will help us solo over chord changes ond key changes, and play smooth rhythm parts, The five patterns of the major scole that we'll construct correspond exoctly to the five rool shapes. Each cole potiern hos three notes per siring, exeeet Tor one spot in each pattern where only two notes are played on. string, The rools ore circled so you con immediately see which of Patierns 1 through 5 you ore ploy When practicing these patterns, stort ond stop on the root, but ploy all the notes you con reach withav! shift ing to o different position, Exercise #12 Drow major scole polieras on these roots by following the major — — * t * | * (Te L | i I I LTT LOU ALE LE Major Third } The major thied inlerval is the equivalent of two whole steps, I's an important intervol in| LL building chords ond defining chord quolity, | Le UT t u LTT inn CELE Leu CE Perfect Fourth t ‘TTT ‘The guitar is tuned in perfect fourths. Each | + string is a fourth higher than the one below i, L except the 2nd siring, B, which is tuned o eH rmojor third higher thon the 3rd string, G. 4 44Perfect Fifth — pare e For the perfect fifth interval ond > ‘onything larger, we need to know how Soe to skip @ string. By inoducing sting HH ‘Ge skipping, wo cross the 2nd string more Y often, so there ore more shapes to Loy learn qt Cl cl Major Sixth O oom Major Seventh It’s eosies! to identify 0 mojor seventh os being one fret smoller than the octove, KLEE ™ > aa q y I Perfect Octave Octaves ore the some os the five roat shapes you al-eady learned! If you doa’t know them yet, go bock ‘ond veview. Exercise #23 Describe the eight mojor and perfec! intervals in each way they con appear on the fretboard. Here’s 0 description of perfec! unison: Unison is five-rel distance down the fretboard on adjacent strings. Unison fram the third to the sec- ond string is o fourlvel distance down the fretboard. 35Exercise #24 Identify the following intervals by using the major scale counting method. Abbreviate mojor os MA ond perfect os P. 1 MAS 2 3) 4 3 To ToT TH ° H ° ty ° I ¢ rl eT e |] | @ {TTY | PET IPE 7 6 7) 8) 9 10) Tet Mm Sania SSE] [To tt | e @ eit | | fel |) if ry | t 1 ene L F I Exercise #25 Drow all possible woys the specified intervals can be ployed from the starting note. {Notice thot, when there is more thon one woy lo ploy on interval, the allernotives form unison shepes!) 1 Asegading 21 Descending 3) Ascgncing 4 Descending SV Ascending | t ul ] | H Pot ro CHUL Seth 6) Descending 7) Ascending 8) Descending 10) Descending Pa AZ, PS MAS ott ttm Ml (To an L| [ 5 i { I FLED ut op OE U Play through the intervals in the above exercise. Say each interval name cloud os you play ond describe bow it oppecrs on the fretboord.MINOR, DIMINISHED, AND AUGMENTED INTERVALS Objective: Apply diminution ond augmentation to intervols. Recognize minot, diminished, ond augmented intervols. BA 2722 he news es of on intervel. The opposite, diminution, is the reduction in size of on interval. As intervals chonge in size, so do the quality labels thot we give them: Interval Quality Table Augmented Perfect 1,4,5,8 Diminished As shown above, perfect intervals {1, 4, 5, 8) become either “ougmenied” or “diminished” 'n quolity when increased or decreosed by half step. Major iniervals (2, 3, 6, 7| ikewise become “augmented” when increased in size, or “minor” when decreased [ond then “diminished” if decreased again}. A diminished interval, increased by half step, becomes elther minor or perfect, depending on which quan: tity of interval itis: major (2, 3, 6, 7) of perfec (1, 4, 5, 8) An inlerval can also be cugmented or diminished by 0 whole slep or more, moving it by the corre: sponding amount in the table, even going pas! it into “double augmented” or “double diminished" terctory Ifyou keep going, you'll wind up in China. Interval Quality Abbreviations Augmented oug * A ‘ P 4 {00 symbol MA a {n0 symbol) Diminished dim ° D boo Intervals are used so often in describing chords and scales thot they practically have their own longuage. When describing on interval, the sharp (#] is used insteod of “aug”, and the flat (is offen used insteod of “mi” or “dim”. Perfect ond mojor intervals are implied by no mention of their quality ot all. You will see this in chord and scale spellings. For instance, here's @ quick way 10 spell the natural minor scole: 1 2.43-4:54647. When describing lintervais, place the symbal before the number, not after. When a perfect (1, 4, 5, or 8} interval becomes diminished, itis often written with one flat (b). When a mojor (2, 3, 6, 7) inlervol is diminished by two hall steps, itis ofen writen with hwo flats (1) instead of "dim" or The augmented fourth/diminished fifth intervals ore also called the tritene, cbreviated TT. A tritone equois three whole steps. 3738 Exercise #26 Draw the indiceted intervals above the nates. Start by finding the mejor or perfect interval and then make the necessory cugmentation or diminution, Where it’s possible to play the interval more thon one way, draw both ways, The first two are dane for you 1) Ascending mid 2) Descendin 3) Ascendir dims? oe 41 Descending Sr 5) Ascending ug? 10) He ccn coo | Lo LA LENT 12) Dexening 13) 14) Descending 15) Ascending m7 f 1 HH L EEE im = _| i To T l T a [| ! Hf t A mi D Play through the cbove diagrams. Say each interval name aloud os you play it Exercise #27 Each inlervel hos multiple possible names; however, only one interval nome is correct when the note nomes are known.Correctly name the following ascending intervals. The first wo ore done. (Hint: spell the mojor scale first) 3. FioCh = FoB = EloA = Glob Bb to OF CitoE = C to Bob Dic eNewRON 5 a (Fmajor=FGABC.) 9 IF mojor = FG A Bb...) 10. (Emojor =EFFGFA..) 1 LTT | 12, 13, 14 15 AtoG Ein 8 FrtoD Ab toe BioF Ghio A, Dio®COMPOUND INTERVALS Objective: Recognize and construct compound intervals ompound intervals ore inlervals lorger thon on ociave. These intervals shore the quolily of their counterparis in the lower octave, which can be colied simple intervals Compound Intervals and Their Simple Interval Equivalents Mojor Perfect Tih] 2nd plus on oclove 10th | 3rd plus on ociove ith | 4th plus on octave 12ih_ | Sth plus on octove 1th | 6th plus on octave 14th | 7th plus on octave 15th Two octaves ‘As described in Chopter 111, we offen use sharp and fiat symbols instead of “oug”, "mi", and “dim” when ‘weiting these intervols. “Ma” or “P* is implied by the lack of a symbol To construct compound iniervals, odd an octave fo the sitiple interval os shown in the toble obove. For exomple, 0 ninth above F is the same as a second above F, plus an octave. 9= 2+ octove b10=b3+ocove Hl = $A +ociove 613 = b6 + octave 49 = $2 + oclove e { Exercise #28 Construct the compound intervals indicoted above these notes. Write the simple intervol first {in poren- theses), then the octave. b13 al I Ow to + t 1 oo I EES 3949 bg 13 bI3 a ron m7 TTT Th TTT HH ® HH tH ot roy 4 L LED a AL LAL FAL Nome the following compound intervals. N 2 4) 5) Cc oF A Dt 8 6G Bb Cb co oo ooo | Oo « vl tive 2 Te [| L TT {itt ¢ itt AL ae ee ALL 8) 7 9% 10) Ab Eb Bc Fae & oC mm oe mm ul Ltt {| H 4 | ce qi 5 BS op TT oy -U) PAL 12) 13) 14} 15) —E At eb Fb Ab Bb cf Cy ¢ 1] ) Ty vil TT | J Che whey ! co ‘| xO | hp ett H Gop Play through the compound intervals in this chopter. Say each one aloud before you play it. Describe how the inferval appears on the fretboard, or identity 7s relationship to « simple infervol thal you already know. 40TRIAD ARPEGGIOS Objective: Construct tied arpeggios on the fretboard. A chord is two oF more notes sounding ot the some time. An arpeggio is the notes of o chord ployed in sequence instead of at the same time. Arpeggios are easier to create on the fretboard than chords, 50 we'll spell them first. In the next chapter, we'll create tho chord shopes thal use the same notes. The most bosic orpeggio (and chord) is the tiad. A triad consists of three notes: 0 root, thied, and fifth These notes con be repeated in different octaves to provide complete arpeggio shopes for Patterns ? through 5 Don’t iry to memorize all the shopes in one doy! Stor! by memorizing the spellings os shown in boldface by repeating them oload. Then drow the shapes by using the intervels in the spelling Major The mojor triad has 0 roo! and the intervals of a major third and o perfect fh: 1, 3, 5. They're the some os degrees 1, 3, and 5 of the major scale, We repeat these three notes in different octaves} to complete Poltern 2 of « C mojor lriod orpeggio. C Mojor Arpeggic C Mojor Arpeggio, Pattern 2 Exercise #30 Draw five potterns of D mojer triad arpeggios, using only notes from the five major scale patterts, Do hot g0 below the position marker, but drow all notes thot can be reached without shifing the left hand by more than one fret, 1) Dmejer tried arp 2) D mojor tried orp 3} D major tried orp Pattern 1 Pattern 2 Pattern 3 4) D mojor triad orp 5) D mojor tried arp Pottern 4 Pattern 5 Now play the D major arpeggio shapes above. Say noch pattern number aloud before you ploy @. As with scole potterns, play each arpeggio shape from the lowest root up to the highest note, than down to the lowest note and back up to the root. Be sure ta listen to the distinctly mojor quality of the arpeggio. atMinor The minor tried has a minor third and a perfect fifth above the root: 1, 5, 5. Exercise #34 Drow five patterns of D minor tried arpeggios. Do not go below the position morker, but draw all notes thot con be reached without shifting the left hond by more than one fret 1) D minor tried arp 2) D minor triad arp 8) D minor tried orp Pattern 1 Pattern 2 Pottera 3 4) D minor tied orp 5} D miner triad arp Pattern 4 Patiern 5 x Now play each D minor orpeggio shape above. Soy eoch poltern number sloud before you ploy i, cond listen for the distinely minor sound Diminished The diminished triad has a minor third and o diminished filth: 1, »3, 25. Notice that the diminished triod contains two minor thirds in @ rove. Exercise #32 Draw D diminished tried arpeggios for each of the five rect shapes. Do not go below the position marker, but drow oll notes thot con be reached without shifting the lef hand by more than one fret. Some possible shapes may skip string. That's OK. 1) D dim triad orp 2) D dim triad arp 3) Dim triad orp Pattern 1 Pattern 2 Pattern 3 vil 4) D dim triad orp 5) D dim triad orp Pottorn 4 Pattern 5 TT xl ‘Once again, play each D diminished orpeggio shope cbove. Soy each pattem number cloud ‘before you play it, ond listen for the distinctly diminished quolity 42Augmented The augmented triad has 0 mojsr thi:d end on cugmented fifth: 1, 3, #5. Notice thot this tried consists of two major thirds in o row. Also notice thot the interval between the #5 and the next rool, ¢ diminished fourth, is equivalent to © mojor third. This mokes for a symmetrical construction, cesulting in repeating pat lesns on the freiboord, so that any note con be considered the root. e #33 Drow D augmented triad orpeggios for each of the Five root shapes. [Don't circle every nole, smor! guy!) When constructing cugmented arpeggios, you may find hwo possible ploces within a paitern to ploy some of the notes. Both ore correct 1) Daug triad orp 2) Dag triad orp 3) Daug tried orp Pattern 1 Pattern 2 Pattern 3 5) 4) Doug triad orp 5) Doug wiac arp Pater 4 Pattern 5 ey - Een Play each O augmented orpeggio shape above. Sey each pattern number cloud belare you play it Listen t0 hear tha distinclly augmented quolity.44 TRIADS Objective: Construct close voiced triads on the fretboard. Play all inversions of close voiced triads we orpeggies ore played one noie ot a time, chords are strummed oF plucked simulioneous- ly. An orpeggio may have two notes on one string, but o chord may nol, because a slring can only produce one nole at 6 time. That's why we worked on arpeggios first, ond now chords. Chords are just o lit tle harder. By finding the notes of cn orpeggio on different sitings, we can strum or pluck them together. Doing so ereotes o chord. The particular arcongement of notes in o chord is called its woicing. A complete voicing for «@ triad only needs three notes; however, guitariss often play triad voicings with some of the notes doubled in diferent octoves, so they con floil owoy at five or six stings with reckless ebondon. The easiest guitor chords are voiced in this manner: bosic bore and open position “cowboy” chords. In case you dida't know, these familior chords ore Iriods. Mojor Triad Borre Chord Voicing: Ponern 2 Open Position Mojor Tried Chord Voicings [*Cawhoy Chords") A G x@ oe e@e a Now we'll build sixstring patterns of successive clase voiced triads tho! are somewhat similar to the orpeggio shopes we studied, but fil the requirement of hoving one note per string. Ino close voiced triad, the root can only be followed by the third, which con only be followed by the fifth, then onother root in the next ‘octave, then the third ogain, and so on 1 3 5 1 3 5 79 When we create these diagrams, we will see thrae basic shapes that repeat to cover the enlite fretboard ‘one based on each note of the triad when starling from the sixth string. Don't expect to be able to ploy oll six stings of these shapes al once. We will divide each of them into four small three-sring shapes when we ploy themMajor Triad A major triad consists of o root, mojor third, and perfect fifth: 1, 3, 5. Mojor triad symbols can look {ike ony of these: Almoj, Atma, AbMo, Al. Exercise #34 ‘Complete the close voiced major tricds below. Circle the roots and label each pattern number. When one of these sixstring tried shapes crosses belween two potters, label bot. 2) C mojor tried 3) C mojor tried 1).C major triad xil Pott Minor Triad A minor triad has root, minor third, ond perfect fifth: 1,53, 5. Minor triad symbols con look like ony of these: Abmin, Almi, AMi, Abs, Aim. Exercise #35 Complete the close voiced C minor triods shown below. All rools are circled. Label eoch pattern number. 2). C min triad 3) C min triad TT ia CoE x! | Patt 1) minor triad | Pott vill 45Diminished ‘Triad A diminished triad consists of © root, minor third, ond diminished fifth: 1, #3, 5. Diminished triods are ‘written with the word “dim” or with o little circle: Abdim, Ab” Exercise #36 Complete the close voiced C diminished triods shown below. Alll roots are circled. Labe! each pattern number, 1) Cdim triad 2) C dim triad 3} Cdim triad WLS ] co Augmented Triad ‘An augmented triad consists of @ root, major third, and an ougmented fifth: 1, 3, #5. The augmented triad has the some symmotrical properties as its arpeggio. Augmented triad symbols use the word “aug” or «@ plus sign: Abaug, Abt Exercise #37 Draw close voiced C augmented triods on the racts shown below. Actually they're oll possible roots, ond they're oll potters 1, 3, or 5, crossing into patterns 2 or 4. 1) C aug triad 2) C aug triad 3) Coug triad v val [T@ rot x o _ I | [ Patt 3 Patt @ _ 46Inversions Roo! Position D major Wiad Wher is root is the lowest note played, o chord 's soid to be in vas root position. GK) When its third is the lowest note played, the chord 's in jor tad st inversion le] © Wher its fifth is the lowest note played, the chord is in Second Inversion D mojor triad si3 second inversion. Practice Go bak to the exercises in tie chapter ond play thetn th thieesicte Inversions like the ones shawn above, For each shape, you will play four volcings, starting on the sixth, fifth, fourth, andl thie strings, respectively, Nume each chord, pattern number, inversion, ond which is the lowest (boss) note aloud os you play. “€ major, Patern 3, root position, root in the bass. C major, Potters 3, first inversion, third in the boss, CC mojor, Patterns 3 and 2, second inversion, fifth in the bass.. C major, Pattern 2, root position, root in the bass!” 47SEVENTH ARPEGGIOS Objective: Construct seventh orpeggios on the fretboard. Ss eventh chords ore the next step up from triads. They contain four notes. Once agein, we'll work with orpeggios before we explore teventh chords themselves. The basic intervallic construction is the some. Major Seventh A major triad with a major seventh added to it is called a major seventh chord. The notes ore 1, 3, 5, ‘ond 7. Here are some acceptable symbols for major seventh chords: Cmaj7, Cmo7, Co” Exercise #38 Drow five complete six-siring shopes for F major seventh orpeggios by adding the mojor seventh to F mejor tried arpeggios. Circle the roots 2) Fmo7 arp 2) Fmo7 arp 3) Frno7 orp Pottern 5 Pottera 7 Potter 2 r oT - Aen W Vil 4) Fma7 orp. 5) Fmo7 orp. Pattern 3 Pattern 4 i rm Er} ie Cor Co IK Xi Play through each of the F mojor seventh arpeggio patterns cbove. Say each potlern number cloud before you ploy, Listen for the distinct sound of the mofor seventh Minor Seventh When a minor triad has 0 minor seventh added, i's called 0 minor seventh chord. The notes ore 1, 63, 5, ond b7, these are correct symbols for minor seventh chords: Cmin7, Cmi7, C7. 48Exercise #39 Drow compleie sixstring shopes for F minar seventh arpeggios by adding the minor seventh to F minor d arpeggios. Circle the roots. 1) Fmi7 arp 2) Fmi? orp 3) Fmi7 arp, Pattern 4 Pattern 5 Poitern 1 4) Fmi7 orp 5) Fmi7 arp Pattern 2 Patera 3 vil x Play through each of the F minor seventh arpagaio shopes cbove. Say each potiern number aloud before you play i, Listen for the distinc! sound of the minor seventh. Dominant Seventh When 6 mojor tried has o minor seventh added to it, the result is called « dominant seventh chord. The notes of a dominant seventh ore 1, 3, 5, ond 7, The correct symbol for this very important sonority is just the chord lelter followed by the number 7. The dominant quolity is implied by the complete and utter lack of any other symbol: C7, C7. Exercise #40 Draw complete sixsiring shapes for F dominont seventh arpeggios by edding the minor seventh to F major triad arpeggios. Circle the roots. 1) orp 27 orp 3) £7 ap Pattern 5 Pottern 1 Pattern 2 4) F7 orp 5) F7 orp Pattern 3 Pattern 4 xi Play each of the F dominant seveeth arpeggio shapes obove. Soy each pattern number cloud before you play it. Listen For the distinct sound of the dominant seventh. 49Minor Seventh Flat-Five When @ diminished triad has © minor seventh added to it, the result is © munor seventh flattive chord Another populer name for this chord is halfdiminished seventh. The notes are 1, »3, 5, ond 57. Minor sev centh flotfive chord symbols con be spelled like this: Bimi7):5), BSm735, Br-705, 8:°7. Exercise #41 Draw complete sixstring shapes for F minor seventh flaMive arpeggios by adding the minor seventh to F diminished triad arpeggios. Circle the roots. Label with the complete nome ond pottern number. 1) Fmiz(b5) orp 2) Fri7|>5) orp 3) Fmi7(55) orp, Pattern 4 Potiern 5 Pattern 1 4) Fmi7{b5) orp 5) Fmi7(b5) orp Pattern 2 Pattern 3 Vil x Play eoch of the F minor seventh floHiive onpeggio shopes above. Say each pottern number aloud before you play 3. Listen fer the distinct sound of the minor seventh Motive. When 0 diminished triad has a diminished seventh added to it, the result is a diminished seventh chord. The notes ore 1, 53, 55, and 597. The diminished sevenih orpeggio is © symmeirical construction, repeoting fre! board shapes with all notes seporated by minor ihirds, Common spellings are: Cdim?, C*7 Exercise #42 Drow complete sixstring shopes for F diminichod seventh arpaggios by adding the diminished seventh to F diminished triad erpeggios. Circle the roots. Label with the complete nome ond pattern number. 1) Feira? orp 2) Fim? orp 3) Fim? orp Pattern 5 Pattern | Pattern 2 is ry / | CEE Err rr vil 4) Fim? orp Pattern 3 iK Play 2och of the F diminished seventh crpeggio shapes obove, Soy each potern number aloud before you play it. Listen for the distinet sound of the diminished seventh 50SEVENTH CHORDS Objective: Construct stock seventh chord voicings Ss: far, we've leorned chords in close voicings. However, triads and seventh chords often sound better land are easier to ploy in open voicings. In foal, seventh chords are sometimes physicelly unplayalsle in close voicings on the gui- tor. Our fingers con't always reach all the notes. For instance, look 2 this close voiced Amai7 chord. The chord spans too many frets fo be practical Io oll but advanced players. 1 also hes 100 meny low notes close logelher, moking i! sound derk or muddy. To find more useful voicings for any chord, raise or lower one or more notes by on octave. Doing so creales on open Voicing. Let's ity it. The nates ofthe close voiced A mojor seventh chord ore 1=-3-5-7. If we raise ils thitd by an octave, we get a tenth: 1-5-7-10. The chord is now open voiced because the notes are no longer os close logether in pitch os possible. On the frelocard, we can ploy the Amaj7 chord with a fifth intervol, which shifts Us up to Pattern 4 Since the 10th and 3rd create tho same quality of chord, we'll call this voicing 1-5—-7-3. for easy recognition of the chord tones, We'll refer to cll notes by their original quantities even if we move them by on octave. The filth interval on the betlom two strings still makes this chord 0 bit dark in sound. If we raise the fifth degree by on octave, we gat 1~7-10~12. We coll this 1-7-3-5 ‘Strumming this voicing requites the fretting hand's Hist finger to do two jobs: 1) hold down the root on the sixth string, and 2} damp the fifth string. If you ore plucking the chord with your fingers instead of strumming it, don’t pluck the fh string, 1-7-3-5 is 2 stock voicing for Pattern 4 mo7, mi7, dom?, mi7(>5), and dim7 chords, Ama? bas? feel oor Thete ore mony possible voicings for these chords, but the stock voicings are the ones you want to be able to grab quickly. When you practice, emphasize the stock veicings in Patterns 2 and 4 al firstthey’re the easiest, with roots con the 6th and Sth strings—so that you can get through « chord chart of a song. Then leorn the others when you can, becouse they create some nice sounds and smoother chord movements. The goal is fo have o stock voicing ready to play for each chord type in all five patierns, Stock Seventh Chord Voicing Table Pottern Stock Voicing _|__ Root On: 4 1-7-3-§ | bth atring 2 1-3-7-3 Sty steing 5 1-5-7-3 4th string, 3 5137 3rd siring | 1 BPS 2nd string 51Exercise #43 Diogram 1-7-3-5 stock voicings of seventh chords using Pattern 4. 1) Amo7 a7 3) Ami7 4) Ami7{b5) 5) Adin? 73s 1 s7as 173s 1 aaa 1 w7vaes TT f HT ve ® ve vit [ Vv [ @ Exercise #44 Diagram 1-5-7-3 stock voicings of seventh chords using Patterns 2 and 5 1) Cmo7 a7 3) Cori 4) Cmi71b5) 5) Cdim7 1573 vsiza 1 sa7ha 135471 vh5753. ot cm otto | [ | @ Wh@ "i @ ni @ 4 bt | tt | | I NLL - LJ LALIT hs 6) Fimo? 9) Fi7(65) 10) Fdim7 sz Lasi7i3 Losiizb3 ! wf il i hi @ th 1 I 1 i n 1 | LI } { 7 HL PO ANT. uD tA Exercise #45 Diagram 5-1-3-7 stock voicings for seventh chords in Pattern 3 1} Bbmo7 2 Bb 3) 4) Bomi7(b5} 5) Bbdim7 bia? 34307 b5 15357 45.1 53087 TT] 74 un) | [6 uw | Te {Exercise #46 Diagram 3-7-1-5 stock voicings for seventh chords in Pattern 1. 1) Oma7 2 7 3) 4) Dmi7(b5} 5) Odim7 37) as sas7 ibs sau bs T i I wT {@ Mw ® MH Wht @ i t ial | rT] | cI { a f [| aS LANL CYT A few more slock voicings for Poltern I leave out the fifth ond include on octove, This works well for all bosic chord types excep! mi7(b5} or dim7, where the b5 is necessary to estoblish the quolity of the chord. ‘One example is the 1-3-7-1 voicing. Exercise #47 Diagrom 1-3-7-1 stock voicings for seventh chords in Pottern 1. Circle the cots. 3) Dmi7 fat 1 | (el ete Be sure to play through ail the stock voicings in this chapter. Again, focus on the voicings in Patterns and 2 ot fist Then try the following: Pick @ chord tyoe fe... ma7} and 0 root note fe.g., C), and play all the stock voicings for thot chord through each pottern, tram low to high on the neck. As you play, soy cloud the chord name, potein number, and stock voicing, like this: i iW Practice “°C major seventh, Pattern 1, 1-3-7-1. C major seventh, Pattern 2, 3-7-1-5, C major seventh, Patiern 2, 1-5-7-3... C major seventh, Potion 3, 5-1-3-7.. € mojor seventh, Pattern 4, 173-5... ‘C major seventh, Pattern 5, 1-5-7-3" Pick another chord type for onather 100! and repect this exercise 53EXTENSIONS Objective: learn rules of extended chord and orpeggio construction; cpply to tretboord. extended chords ore seventh chords with odded intervols—ninths, elevenths, or thirteenths, These ore “extensions.” In some parts of the world, these added notes are called “tension noles.” Extended chords may be specified in 0 given piece of music, or they may be substituted for seventh chords os the play. er sees i. We'll just use the word “chord” here, but the following rules apply #2 both chords ond arpeggios: ‘When extending a seventh chord, the basic quality of the chard does not change. Extend any mo7, dom7, mi7, or ri7[+5) chord by adding %, 11, ot 13 to the name. Diminished sev- enth chords are usvolly not extended, The extensions are ciways major or perfect, unless otherwise staled in the chord nome. All extensions up to end including the one stated in the chord name are included, though sometimes this is impossible because it exceeds the six-note limit of the guitor, or it is unplayable by the four fin- gers and thumb. In proctice, the extension listed in the name should be added to the seventh chor The lower extensions ore optional. (For example, in a mal3 chord, the 9th ond 11th need not be played | This toble shows the theovelical extensions for severth chords, Notice | said theoretical. Don't slop here, becouse this is just @ step on the woy to the real deol. 54 Extension Table Chord Tones | Extended Chord | Resulting Name Extensions Mojor 7 mao 9 1.357 malt oN mal3 91113 Minor 7 mi9 9 1,73, 5,57 iT a1 mil 911,13 Dominent 7 9 9 1,3, 5,07 W on 13 FITS Minor 765} mi9(05) 9 153,55, 7 mil 105) ont i135) 911,13Those Nasty Elevenths The eleventh interval is equivalent to the perfect fourth. When played in chord that contains major third, the fourth andl third can clash. This meant mojor end dominant chords need special considerotion when being extended up to or beyond the eleventh. The clash Is not @ problem in an arpeggio, because the notes ore not simultaneous, but i's a real concern when playing a chord. There ore a few common proctices designed to get cround this problem Otten, the eleventh is augmented when extending a mojor or dominont chord. This avoids the closh of the 11th with the mojor third. The symbol (#11} should be written on each chord neme where this nole is used: Cmo7#11}) 1,3, 5, 7,411 e713, 5,57, #11 Cma941i} 1,3, 5, 7,9, #11 COIN) = 1,3, 5,17, 9, #1 Cmal 311) — 1,3, 5, 7,9, 411, 13 C13) 1,3, 5,47, 9, FI, 13 Other options to avoid the “3-11 clash” 1] Omit the eleventh when constructing @ mejor 1 ih or dominent 13th chord. Cmo13 — 1,3, 5,7,9, 13 C13 13,547,913 2) Omit the third, especially on extended dominant chords, cu = 1,5,17,9, 01 C13 = 1,5,47, 9,110,138 Exercise #48 Constuct the extended arpeggios. Include each nate just once. Nome the patiern numbers. 1) Gma? 2) Dmi9 3} Ag Pattern Pattern Pattern 4) Emi9(b5) 5) Bmo9{# 11) 4) Famild Pattern _ Pattern —__ Pattern __ 7) Db9 8) Ab9IEII) 9) Ebmit Pattern Pottern 5510) Bb13 11) Fit (b5) 12) Cmot3i¢11) Pattern Pottern Potiern xl 13) G9 14) B11 15) Amil3 Pattern Pottern Pottern Vil Play through each of the obove orpeggict. speaking cloud the chord ame, pattern number, ond voicing. “G major ninth, Patter 4...]-3-5-7-9 D minor ninth, Pottern...fete.)" ‘When building extended chords, we use the some technique for adopiing seventh chords to the guitar frek boord: raise or lower notes by on eclove to crevle voicings thot hove one note per string. W's usvolly best to keep the extensions on the top of the chord. ‘As we soid before, it's OK, even preferable, to leave some notes oul when constructing on exiended chord ‘on the fretboard. The choice depends on the siyle of music, ord whot notes the bass or other instruments are ploying, Try leoving out the fh ond/or root, in that order. See how thot sounds. Exercise #49 Diagrim extended chords using the voicings i yy co 2) Gbmal3 3 BbI3 4) Dmo? 5) F#7(#11) rae 1733 1_s7ai 1aze 1am, OT oT { TT 1 fe 1e C [ LI | @i oe ue@ Vv } LI LI [{T) | | [I Ct J Lt 8) e13 9%) GIB 10) F9{B11) waiss seas) 1 ay7 98 LUT | wil_{ {tT | eo) mW [ Cl | L (pre [col [ HL | L t I HT ALLL ap PANT HY EAL 56Play each extended chord on the previous page, soying aloud the chord nome, pattern number, and voicing. °C ninth, Pattern 1, 1-3-47-9.. G mojar thirteenth, Patiern 4, 1-7-3-13...fete)” Exercise #50 White the correct name, pattern number, ond voicing for these exlended chords. 1) Chore! Cmo9 2) Chord 3) Chord 4)Chord 5) Chord Pot 2 Pott Pot Pott Pott is79 - ] [ cto vi [ CTT mt e wot W ° o cil e #9 u L 4 u ttt SRGRG U TTT | COO ID [ 1 TT 6) Chord 7) Chord 8) Chord 9) Chord 10) Chord Pott Pott Pot Patt Poit TT Th i ee wl lel te wee % { it (ple Play each extended chord voicing above, saying olovd the chord name, the pattern number, the voicing, and ‘he rote names. “C mojor ninth, Pattern 2, 1-5-?-9, C-G-B-D... fete.)”ALTERATIONS Objective: Construct altered chords on the fretboard. n alteration is when o chord tone or extension is augmented or diminished. Alerotions most often ao in dominant chords, and in some major chords, The rules for altering chords also apply to ollering arpeggios The possible alteration: are 5, #8, '9, #9, #11, and b13. Generally, these clterotions are written in porentheses o ovoid confusion about the root of the chord. For example: Bib} = B major tried with 55 = 13-55 (B-Dé-F] BES = Ub power chord [root and fifth only} = 1-5 (BF) Rules of Altered Chord Construction +The presence of #5 or #5 in o chord means that the natural filth is not included. * The presence of b9 or #9 means that the natural ninth is not included. * A411 oF b13 in a chord implies that ony fifths or ninths are najural unless otherwise stated. + When @ chord nome has the word “alt” in it, the chord is always dominant, with altered {iths ond/or altered ninths. Which altered fifths ond ninths fo use is left up to the player to decide, but no natural fiths or ninths core allowed in o chord with the word alt May contain ‘May NOT contoin 25, 45, 49, 49 5,49 colt Exercise #51 Construct eltered chotds vsing the voicings indicated. label the chords. 1) AbZb9) 2) 3) a 7359 news rawoen Lane | fT C41 Ha nn I COT) q wi Coo vole ia | KT lol very | LL LI | uf | Litt ty I U as LE So tH Ly 7) 8) °F 10) ET 17s. Lass 1 co nq ) }+ rt 4 | n@ LI vin@ | T rH | u | | HEE co | | HT 4 — I a, mL WL TL Play through the above altered chords, saying cloud the chord name, pattern number, voleing, and note somes. “A> 79), Pattern 4, Tob7u3-5-09, AroGo-C-BrBr...fete.}"Objective: Memorize the order of the modes. Learn to find the lonion. Ww" studying the noturo! minor scale, you discovered it was reloted to the major scole you had clready leorned. To review, the relationship is: “The sith degree of a mojor scole is the rool of its relative minor.” You may have noticed when prociicing the major scale oF the natural minor scale that it is hard to heor which nole is the root, unless you emphasize the nate you wan! to be the rool in some way, like always stort ing and stopping on jl, But when played over 6 chord progression in o minor or major key, itis easy to hear which note is the root mir ‘abma? For exomple, ploy these two chords « couple of times to lil ty ‘establish the C minor key: Mi ¢ LT leo HEH While the sourd of these chords is stillin your eors, play any pollen C natural minor ‘of the C notural minor scale. Here’s Pattern 2. Pottern 2 We Notice thot while © minor isthe relative minor of Bb mojor ond uses ollthe g some notes, the music you are moking does no! sound much like Eb moior | @e@@| | otal. oe { |e aracief i For comparison, now play these chords a few times to establish the mojor key sound: cor, Now ploy the & major scale. i's he some soles o¢ the C natural &b mojor minor scale. Pottern 1 The noe peiceived to be the root of the scale depends mostiy-on context what chord{s) the scale is being ployed over, Any note can be made te sound like the root of the scale by playing it with the right chords in the background. me This principle opplies to oll the notes of the mojor scale, not just the sixth degree. Each degree of the major scole is the root of a mode. The modes shore Sngering patterns with the five patterns of the mojor scale. They Use the same notes, yet they sound os differen’ fram the major scole as does the natural minor scale. 5960 Memorize the order of the modes, with their numbers and Greek nomes, Troditionolly, Romon numerals ore used when writing about mode theory. So put on your sandals and toga, ond memorize this lis 1 onion (o.k.0. Major] MW Dorion Il Phrygion 1V_ tydion V Mixolydion VI. Aeolian (o.k.0. Notural Minor] Vil Locrion Practice When you have the nomes and numbers memorized, cover up the lis! with your hand and answer these questions: 1. Whot is the fifth mode? 9. Whet number mode is Locrian? 2. What number mode is Aeolian? VO. Whe is the sixth mode? 3. What is the third mode? 11, Whet number mode is Dorian? 4, What is the second mode# 12. Whot fs the fourth mode? 5. What number mode is Ionian? 13. What number mode is Phrygion? 6, What is the seventh mode? 14. What was that fit mode again? 7. What number mode is Mixolydian® 15. What number mode is Lydian? 8. What is the first mode? Find the lonian The most important modes ara lonion ond Aeatian, which you already know. The first mode of the mojor scale, loniaa, is the major scale. The sixth mode of the major scale, Aeolian, is the notural minor scafe. In your next assignment, you are going to play © mode by finding its relotive major. To do that, you'll need to Find the lonian. Use the following steps, ond don’t rush. Everybody messes this up becouse they 190 too fost and skip the steps. Please just go slowly ot First and follow the steps. Let's say thot you wanted to play in F Mixolydian. To get a specific mode: 1, Determine the mode number. Mixolydian is the fith mode, so F is now “5.” 2. Count down te the lonian. With the major scale formula, we can count down to find tive lonion— i.e, he relotive major. For example, if Fis tho Sth degree, then we count $ 4 3 2 1. The root must be Bb whole step half step whole step | whole stop 3. Play the major scale, but start and step on the specified root. Play Bb lonion from F to F. Voild! You're playing F MixolydionExercise #52 Fill in the blanks using the three-step method outlined cbove to “Find the lonian.” 1. B Mixolydion = ___lonion from 8 to B. Gloction = __lonion from G to G. C tydion lonian from Ato A. 6 Ionian from CtoC. 7. A Phrygion 8. FDorion = _lonion from F to F. 9, A lonion = __lonion from A to A. 2 3. E Dorlan © ___lonian from E to . 4 Elydion = _lonian from E to E 5. - DAeolion = _lonion from Dito D. 10. A Mixolydian = _lonian from A to A Exercise #53 Diagram the following modes based on the root given. The roots ore olready circled. Drow o squore ‘around the root of the major scale thot the mode is equal to. lobe! the diagram with the poltern number of the mode ond the pottern number of the relative onion, 1) -@ Mixolydian Pattern 4 (C tonion Pattern 2 | 2) — byeion Pattern fonian Pattern) 3) — Dorian Pattern — {— Ionian Prattern — ) 4) — Phrygion Pattern (Ionian Pattern} 5) —Asolian Pattem — _(___ loniom Pattern —) © 6) — bydion Pattern {— lonian Pattern — } 617) — lection Pattern onion Patiern —} g) — Mixolydian Pattern (_— lonian Pattern) 9) — Dorian Pattern — Jonicn Pottern __ ) Vil lonion Pattern _ ) 10) — Aeolian Pattern — Exercise #54. Determine the scole spelling for each mode. lonian {major} and Aeolian (notural minor) are shown. Use the fretboard patterns in the previous exercise, o rely on your knowledge of natural whole and half steps in the key of C (Ionian), lonion: 123%456748 Mixalydion’ Dorian: Aeolian: 12463 4 5*b6b78 Phrygian: Locrian: tydian: Practice Record each of these lypical modal chord progressions for « full three minutes, Don't use any style of thythes ot all. Use o clean sound and let the chords ring for four beats of the meironame on each chord, repeoting for three minuies. Then record the next pragression. Then rewind, find the modes indicated, and play over the recarding. IC 1G IF 161 —C Ionian ICma7 ID 1 = C lydion ICmi7 1F9 ICmi71Dmi71 — C Dorian IC7 IBrma7 | = C Mixolydian ICmi IDs | = C Phrygian ICmi 1Bb Ab 1B 1 — C Aeolian ‘301d pup aBuoys 1eyp0d 104 oBo¥s ou} 4204 62OTHER COMMON SCALES Objective: Discuss intervallic construction of various scales. Construct patterns Ss coles con be defined by the intervals they contain. Essentially this means thot every new scale you learn should be compored to Ye Olde Mojor: 1 2 3%4 5 6 748. Once agein, the corel symbol (*) signifies ‘o holf step, Some scales conioin 11/2 step interval between notes. To show this, o long line is used (—) This chopler is here for reference, ond to proctice the process of finding fingering patterns. | don't expect you to learn five patierns of six different scoles and be able to blast through them oll in o week! Learning scales, and how to use them, should be spraod out over months, even yeors. For any seale, five fingering potterns are possible, based on the five root shapes. Strive to create potterns thot minimize shifting. Blues 183 49054547 B Country Blues 1 2463435 6-8 (The “Blues Relative’) Harmenic Minor 1263 4 5%06-7 48 Melodic Minor 1293 45.6 748 Diminished (Whole-Holf) 12953 AMDS bOAbb7 7B, Dominant Diminished (Holt Whole} 1452 2383 2545 6467 8 Exercise #55 Diagram the five potterns of the blues scole in the key of D. D blues Pattern 3 1) Dbives Pattern 1 Play each blues scole pattern cbove. Say the pattern number oloud before you ploy itolso try soying each scale degree as it's played. 63Exercise #56 Diagram the five patterns of the harmonic minor scale in the key of E. 1) Ehormonic minor 2) Ehormonie minor 3) Ehormonic minor 4 Eharmonic minor 5) E harmonic minor Pattern 1 Pottern 2 Pattern 3 Poltern 4 Paltern 5 | ] TT | vile M1 val | x xa + o nt | © | Herr | | eo} ® a ® | sre HHA FR Hg fee cA ELL DER Play each hormonic minor scale pottern above. Say aloud the patern number, ond identify each scole degree os i's played. Exercise #57 Diogrom the five potterns of the melodic minor scale in the key of Ab 1) Ab melodic minor 2) Ab melodic minor 3) Ab melodic minor 4) Ab melodie minor 5) Ab melodic minor Pattern 1 Pattern 2 Pattern 3 Pattern 4 Pattern 5 vil x xi TTT wT] vf I teed 1) ¢ Te @ ee Ly | 3K) ® > @ 909 | oe 4 i {I @ i 1 can O HT P J bo [ PA Play wach melodic minor tcale pattern abave. Say oloud the pattern number, and identity each scale degree is it’s played. 64OTHER COMMON CHORDS Objective: Proctice intervallic construction of various chords. RB seventh chords and their extended ond oltered versions, there are some other common chords you should know. Usvally you can deduce the correci spelling from the nome *In suspended chords, the third is reploced by the fourhh scale susd — 1-4-5 degree, creating @ susd chord. Recenlly, he sus2 chord nome hos sus2 — 1-2-5 ‘also come into use. Though they're technically not true triads, include the threenote sus4 ond sus? chords in your study of tr ads. They're very common and useful ‘Sixth chords ore triads wilh © major sixth added. The triod type, 6—1-3-5-6 mojor or minor, stays the same, ond the odded sixth is always mi6 — 1-13-5-6 ‘mojor. (That means there's @ mojor 6th interval in @ minor 6 chord!) *Six/nine chords ore like the sixth chords but with mojor ninth 6/9 —1-3-5-6-9 ‘odded also. The triad type stoys the some. These chords ore usvol: mi6/9 — 1-+3-5-6-9 ly considered mejor or minor, nol dominant. They do not contain © seventh Addo chords are triads with only mojor ninths added, no sev add9 — 1-3-5-9 enths. Be careful not to confuse on add? with o dominant ninth — mifadd9) — 1-$3-5-9 chord (C9: 1-3-5-57-9) or @ mejor ninth chord (Cma9: 1-3-5- 7-9 Exercise #58 In these diagroms, Ill give you the name and a specific voicing. All you hove to do is draw the chord, Then, experiment lo find o practical fingering. There wif be ot leost one playable fingering for each. It's OK to use your thumb, too. BS Asus4 D7susd Gsus2 has Leia 12s | Ly! J f @ x T@ 0 |Slash Chords 10 slash chord, a tried or seventh chard i superimposed over o bass note thal nol the rao! of the chord. The woy to reod these aloud is “this over that,” e.g., "C over D”. When the bass note is a chord tone, the sloth chord is © way of specifying an inversion. Otherwise, 0 slosh chord is a way of specifying 0 vole: ing for on extended or altered chord Exercise #59 Draw the following slosh chords. ce C/G cs C/Bb Cmi/&b a5) 513 79s) wast sos) i} q | | C vie v 7 vin] val @ vite ei t I T fT r| aa [to CoE EEL oo Cmi/G Cmi/Bb Cmi/B He vil it val ‘e \@ V| LH rH Ht th Litt} ri el A L BALD Cma7/D = B13 C/Eb = Eb13(b9) C/Gb =Gb7(b5,b9) C/Ab = Abma7(i5) Cmi/D = O7susdlb9) 1 areas 1319 1_sri94s 736s 1794 || xi | | val xi | I TT | ul | aft ve em an ( L | CANT A a QL PO Play through all the chords in this chapter, saying olovd the chord nome and spelling each voicing, 66CONCLUSION Objective: Create o frelboord diogrom notebook f you've completed oll the exercises in this book, you deserve lo feel good abou! yourself, Now you should hove on ideo how to find things on your own. You may not be fast ot it yet, but that’s completely normall Things will get easier now thal you ore familior with the guitar's inherent system and hove @ learned o (very) file theory, ‘Apply what you've learned in this book to everyihing you ploy—past, present, and fulure. For instonce, try playing a song you know in a new position. By now, you've probably realized thot every nole is under your fingers already; you don't have to move more thon one frel in either dicection Final Project Buy or make 0 notebook of blank diagroms. Ini, systemotically diagram each of these basic patterns ond keep for your practice: #5 Root Shopes #5 Mojor Scales +5 Minor Scales +5 Mojor Pentotonic Scales +5 Minor Pentatonic Scoles #30 Triad Arpeggios (5 Mojox, 5 Minor, 5 Augmented, 5 Diminished, 5 Sus4, 5 Sus2) #20 Seventh Arpeggios {5 Mejor, 5 Miror, 5 Dominant, 5 Mi7(+5)) +72 Triads (12 Mojor, 12 Minor, 12 Augmented, 12 Diminished, 12 Susd, 12 Sus2} #20 Slock Seventh Chords (5 Mojor, 5 Minor, 5 Dominant, 5 Mi7(+5}) Al fifteen diagrams per page, you'll have about twelve pages. Spend obout fifteen minutes © day Far the next three months ploying the shopes in your book. As you masler the basic shapes, add new materiel to your notebook: scales, modes, chord voicings, arpeggios, ele. Enjoy the process. Speaking of enjoying the process, i's been o pleasure for me to work on this book and | sincerely hope it helps you achieve your musical goals. Good luck. 67