A triad is made of the scale degrees 1,3 and 5. We have established this from the beginning of class. Now we we look at the arrangements of these notes from the bass note up. If a triad is arranged 1,3,5 (with the 1 as the bass note) it's in root position. Your F chord is spelled this way. The note in parenthesis is optional because it's the root that is doubled on the D string.
-(1)-
--1-- Fifth
--2--Third
--3-- Root
-----
-----
A chord is in first inversion when the 3rd is the lowest note. This shape is similar to the open position C chord and D chord when only the D,G, and B strings are played. Here is a D chord in first inversion.
-----
--3--Root
--2--Fifth
--4--Third
-----
-----
The second inversion chord is like the open A chord where all of the notes are in the same fret but on different strings. The root is on the G string and the fifth is in the bass. Here is an A chord in 2nd inversion. Note that the open A string is not sounded as the lowest note in the chord needs to be the 5th.
-----
--2--Third
--2--Root
--2--Fifth
-----
-----
Now that we have all of these inversions, we can apply them to a song. Jack and Diane by John Mellancamp is a perfect example. It starts like this:
----------------------------
---5---5---5---5---3------
---6---4---6---4---2------
---7---6---7---6---4--0-0
---------------------------
---------------------------
It's an A chord in root position (like your F chord shape moved up to the fifth fret) followed by an E chord (the V) in first inversion. To make the switch from the A chord to the E chord, move down a half step and switch your first and seconf fingers. Note that the thord firnger stays on the D string. To get the last chord (IV) move the E chord (V) down a whole step. The opening riff ends with the open D string played twice.
The nest section of the tune starts on an A chord again, but this time it's in first inversion. To do this, make the first inversion form in 9th position. Then the rest of the chords follow like this:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-10--12--10--9--10--9--7--7--9--10---9----10--12-10--9--10--9--7--9--10--10--10-
-9-------------9--9---9--7--7--9--9----9----9-----------9--9---9--7--9--9----9---9--
-11------------9--11--9--7--7--9--11---9----11----------9--11--9--7--9--11--11--11-
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The motion between the first chord and the second chord is separated by two individual notes as indicated in the tablature, this does not change the chord progression.
Practice the change from first inversion A (the first chord) to the second inversion E (all 9th fret). Notice that the first finger stays in place on the 9th fret, and should barre so that the fingers on the 10th and 11th frets can be lifted and dropped back into place.
The third section of the tune begins on... you gessed it! An A chord. But this time it's in 2nd inversion (with the 5th in the bass). The motion is the same as the previous section (First finger stays in place on the 2nd fret, and should barre so that the fingers on the 3rd and 4th frets can be lifted and dropped back into place. The harmonic motion is I to IV this time instead of I to V. The V chord (E) is reached by sliding the 1st inversion D chord up a whole step. Clever!
------------------------------------------
-2-3-2-5-5-5-3-3-5-5-5---2-3-2-5-5-5-3-3-2
-2-2-2-4-4-4-2-2-4-4-4---2-2-2-4-4-4-2-2-2
-2-4-2-6-6-6-4-4-6-6-6---2-4-2-6-6-6-4-4-2
------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------
There are many songs that use these voicings to play I,IV,V progressions. Try to figure out the the verse of "Crazy Train" by Ozzy Osbourne (in the key of A) and the intro to "Runnin' with The Devil" by Van Halen.
Your assignment will be to perform all three sections of "Jack and Diane" in class. You will also need to be able to play root position, 1st and 2nd inversions of any major chord on demand. Good Luck!
Friday, April 18, 2008
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Unit 13: Relative Minor -Brown Eyed Girl
We have used only major chords up until this point, and it's time to start using minor chords. In notation, you'll see a small "m" after the root of the chord indicating it's minor tonality like this: Em
Sometimes, you'll see the abbreviation for minor like this:
Emin
Or if you're reading jazz notation, you'll see a dash like this:
E-
What makes a chord minor? A lowered 3rd scale degree. E major (1,3,5) is spelled E, G#, B. E minor (1,b3,5) is spelled E, G, B. If you've been paying attention to where these scale degrees are in the chords you already know, forming minor chords will be very easy. All you have to do is locate the third in any major voicing you know and drop it down a half step. Let's use E to start. Here's E Major with the names of the sounding pitches written in on each string:
---0---E
---0---E
---1---G#
---2---E
---2---B
---0---E
To make this chord minor, we lower the third. In E, the third is G#, so we'll make it G natural. To do this, we'll use the open G string.
---0---E
---0---E
---0---G
---2---E
---2---B
---0---E
Viola! There's E minor.
Here's and E major chord followed by an E minor chord. See if you can hear the difference:
Your written assignment is to do this to 3 other chord forms that we have learned thus far- A, D, and F. Write them out in diagram form in your notes.
The second part of this unit is the relative minor rule. It goes like this:
The vi chord (minor) can extend or replace the I chord (major) in any key. That means in the Key of G major, the vi chord is Eminor and they can be used interchangeably because they share many of the same notes. G major is spelled G,B,D and E minor is spelled E,G,B. This gives us the common I, vi, IV, V progresson that's common in 1950's tunes like "Earth Angel". It's also used in the chorus of one of my favorite Van Morrison tunes "Brown Eyed Girl". Here's the chord progression to the intro and the verse: I, IV, I, V (G,C,G,D).
The chorus uses the relative minor over the lyrics "You my, Brown Eyed Girl" C, D, G, Em.
Your assignment is to play the chord progession in the open position if you are a beginner, and in the 7th position if you are advanced.
Sometimes, you'll see the abbreviation for minor like this:
Emin
Or if you're reading jazz notation, you'll see a dash like this:
E-
What makes a chord minor? A lowered 3rd scale degree. E major (1,3,5) is spelled E, G#, B. E minor (1,b3,5) is spelled E, G, B. If you've been paying attention to where these scale degrees are in the chords you already know, forming minor chords will be very easy. All you have to do is locate the third in any major voicing you know and drop it down a half step. Let's use E to start. Here's E Major with the names of the sounding pitches written in on each string:
---0---E
---0---E
---1---G#
---2---E
---2---B
---0---E
To make this chord minor, we lower the third. In E, the third is G#, so we'll make it G natural. To do this, we'll use the open G string.
---0---E
---0---E
---0---G
---2---E
---2---B
---0---E
Viola! There's E minor.
Here's and E major chord followed by an E minor chord. See if you can hear the difference:
Your written assignment is to do this to 3 other chord forms that we have learned thus far- A, D, and F. Write them out in diagram form in your notes.
The second part of this unit is the relative minor rule. It goes like this:
The vi chord (minor) can extend or replace the I chord (major) in any key. That means in the Key of G major, the vi chord is Eminor and they can be used interchangeably because they share many of the same notes. G major is spelled G,B,D and E minor is spelled E,G,B. This gives us the common I, vi, IV, V progresson that's common in 1950's tunes like "Earth Angel". It's also used in the chorus of one of my favorite Van Morrison tunes "Brown Eyed Girl". Here's the chord progression to the intro and the verse: I, IV, I, V (G,C,G,D).
The chorus uses the relative minor over the lyrics "You my, Brown Eyed Girl" C, D, G, Em.
Your assignment is to play the chord progession in the open position if you are a beginner, and in the 7th position if you are advanced.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Unit 12: Riff Based Songs
Down on the Corner is a classic rock song by Creedence Clearwater Revival. It's an excellent example of a riff based tune, and its in the guitar-friendy key of C. The progression is :/I /V I/: This part makes up the riff over those chords, and it's played twice making up the A section.
--C----------------G----------C ---
------------------------------------
------------------------------------
------------------------------------
------------------------------------
--3--0-----3--3--0-------2--3--3-
--------3----------3--3------------
The next part of the tune - the B section - is transposed up a fourth to the IV chord. In this key, it's F. The riff has a different ending note than the A section, however. The B section is played once.
--F----------------C---------G ----
------------------------------------
------------------------------------
------------------------------0--0-
--3--0-----3--3--0-------2--------
--------3----------3--3------------
------------------------------------
The form is rounded out by playing the A section again, so the complete form for the verses in this song is AABA. Now let's look at the chorus:
The chorus is a IV,I,V,I progression in the key of C. Note that all of the root notes are in the 3rd fret. Cool eh?
"(F)Down on the (C)corner (G)out in the (C)street..."
Your quiz content will be to play the riff in AABA form and to play the chords to the chorus.
Good Luck!
--C----------------G----------C ---
------------------------------------
------------------------------------
------------------------------------
------------------------------------
--3--0-----3--3--0-------2--3--3-
--------3----------3--3------------
The next part of the tune - the B section - is transposed up a fourth to the IV chord. In this key, it's F. The riff has a different ending note than the A section, however. The B section is played once.
--F----------------C---------G ----
------------------------------------
------------------------------------
------------------------------0--0-
--3--0-----3--3--0-------2--------
--------3----------3--3------------
------------------------------------
The form is rounded out by playing the A section again, so the complete form for the verses in this song is AABA. Now let's look at the chorus:
The chorus is a IV,I,V,I progression in the key of C. Note that all of the root notes are in the 3rd fret. Cool eh?
"(F)Down on the (C)corner (G)out in the (C)street..."
Your quiz content will be to play the riff in AABA form and to play the chords to the chorus.
Good Luck!
Friday, March 28, 2008
Unit 11: Scales
Scales are the musical alphabet. They teach ear training, music theory and good technique. Guitarists use scale patterns to find logical positions on the guitar to sightread, play melodies and improvise.
We'll be starting with a major scale pattern that works with the root on the 6th string (E) and on the 5th string (A). Take your time with these. It's better to be slow and clean than fast and sloppy.
This is a G major scale. It's played in 2nd position with the root on the E string. "Position" is whatever fret your first finger is in on the neck. Once the first finger is placed, the other three fingers follow in adjacent frets. Here's the scale with finger numbers:
2 4 (E string)
12 4 (A string)
1 34 (D string)
And here's the scale in Tab with fret numbers:
------------------------------
------------------------------
------------------------------
-------------2-4-5------------
-------2-3-5------------------
--3-5-------------------------
Play this scale up and down the neck in increments of half steps. Once your fingers go down to play a note, they should stay down until you need to play another note with that finger. Alternate your picking direction to down-up-down. Be patient and practice slowly. After you are comfortable with this pattern try the same pattern starting with the root on the A string.
The test will be playing this scale up and down the neck in increments of half steps.
60 beats per minute, eighth notes. Good luck!
We'll be starting with a major scale pattern that works with the root on the 6th string (E) and on the 5th string (A). Take your time with these. It's better to be slow and clean than fast and sloppy.
This is a G major scale. It's played in 2nd position with the root on the E string. "Position" is whatever fret your first finger is in on the neck. Once the first finger is placed, the other three fingers follow in adjacent frets. Here's the scale with finger numbers:
2 4 (E string)
12 4 (A string)
1 34 (D string)
And here's the scale in Tab with fret numbers:
------------------------------
------------------------------
------------------------------
-------------2-4-5------------
-------2-3-5------------------
--3-5-------------------------
Play this scale up and down the neck in increments of half steps. Once your fingers go down to play a note, they should stay down until you need to play another note with that finger. Alternate your picking direction to down-up-down. Be patient and practice slowly. After you are comfortable with this pattern try the same pattern starting with the root on the A string.
The test will be playing this scale up and down the neck in increments of half steps.
60 beats per minute, eighth notes. Good luck!
Monday, March 24, 2008
Unit 10: Hey Joe
In this lesson we learn a tune by one of the great masters of the guitar: Jimi Hendrix. Hendrix did not write this song, but he certainly made it famous. I like it because the chord progression uses almost all of the chords you already know, and it introduces on new chord: E major.
E is a 6 string strummed chord that looks like this in Tab:
--0--
--0--
--1--
--2--
--2--
--0--
After a short introductions (which I show you in class) the chord progression begins. It stays like this for the entire song:
C G/ D A/ E /E/
That C for two beats and G for two beats followed by d for two beats and A for two beats. The E chord gets two whole measures of time of 8 beats. Start with the chords in open position, and then begin to explore other areas of the neck like Jimi does. For the test you need to play the progression three ways. First, all open chords:
--0--3--2-----0--
--1--0--3--2--0--
--0--0--2--2--1--
--2--0--0--2--2--
--3--2-----0--2--
-----3--------0--
Next, play in 3rd position:
-----3-----5--4--
--5--3--7--5--5--
--5--4--7--6--4--
--5--5--7--7--6--
--3-----5-----7--
-----------------
Notice that the C chord is like the open A chord, but moved up from the 2nd fret to the 5th fret? Instead of ringing an open A for the root, we move the A string note up to the 3rd fret (the same distance).. The G chord is like the F chord that you learned in "Saving Grace", but it's moved up to the 3rd fret so it's not F anymore.
Finally, play in 10th position:
--8--7--10--9----
--8--8--10--10--9
--9--7--11--9---9
-10--9--12--11--9
----------------7
-----------------
In this case, our C voicing is the same as our "Saving Grace" voicing, but it's on C (10th Fret). The G chord is the same as the open D voicing, but we applied the same concept of moving the chord up the neck and eliminating the open strings. That's the test. Good luck!
Hendrix played all over the guitar and mixed up these voicings at will. To really get a taste of the genius on jimi Hendrix, i suggest learing this song note for note, chord for chord. There are plenty of good transcriptions available in tab format. I suggest a published verion as on-line tab is notoriously inaccurate. For a real life-changing experience, forgo the transcription learn it by ear.
E is a 6 string strummed chord that looks like this in Tab:
--0--
--0--
--1--
--2--
--2--
--0--
After a short introductions (which I show you in class) the chord progression begins. It stays like this for the entire song:
C G/ D A/ E /E/
That C for two beats and G for two beats followed by d for two beats and A for two beats. The E chord gets two whole measures of time of 8 beats. Start with the chords in open position, and then begin to explore other areas of the neck like Jimi does. For the test you need to play the progression three ways. First, all open chords:
--0--3--2-----0--
--1--0--3--2--0--
--0--0--2--2--1--
--2--0--0--2--2--
--3--2-----0--2--
-----3--------0--
Next, play in 3rd position:
-----3-----5--4--
--5--3--7--5--5--
--5--4--7--6--4--
--5--5--7--7--6--
--3-----5-----7--
-----------------
Notice that the C chord is like the open A chord, but moved up from the 2nd fret to the 5th fret? Instead of ringing an open A for the root, we move the A string note up to the 3rd fret (the same distance).. The G chord is like the F chord that you learned in "Saving Grace", but it's moved up to the 3rd fret so it's not F anymore.
Finally, play in 10th position:
--8--7--10--9----
--8--8--10--10--9
--9--7--11--9---9
-10--9--12--11--9
----------------7
-----------------
In this case, our C voicing is the same as our "Saving Grace" voicing, but it's on C (10th Fret). The G chord is the same as the open D voicing, but we applied the same concept of moving the chord up the neck and eliminating the open strings. That's the test. Good luck!
Hendrix played all over the guitar and mixed up these voicings at will. To really get a taste of the genius on jimi Hendrix, i suggest learing this song note for note, chord for chord. There are plenty of good transcriptions available in tab format. I suggest a published verion as on-line tab is notoriously inaccurate. For a real life-changing experience, forgo the transcription learn it by ear.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Unit 9: Other D,C,G songs
Now that you are comfortable with three basic chords that make up a I IV V progression in the key of C, It's time to add a few more songs to your repertoire.
In this lesson we will cover "More Than A Feeling" by Boston, "Sweet child of Mine" by Guns and Roses and "Every Rose Has it's Thorn" by Poison.
"More than a Feeling" starts on D, uses a sus 4 then switches to C. The bass note drops to B implying a G chord with the 3rd in the bass and then finishes on G. The chords are not strummed, but arpeggiated. That means each note of the chord is plucked individually instead of all at once. It's the same chord progression to "Sweet Home Alabama". The rest of the song is a little different, but it's not hard. We'll go over it in class, but it's not going to be on the test. The objective of the lesson is for you to realize that these chords, and these chord progressions exist in many other songs.
For the next two selections you'll need to tune your guitar down a half step. This is a common technique that tends to give the guitar a darker sound. Simply make your E string an Eb, make your A string an Ab and so on until all of the strings are down one half step from traditional tuning.
Use your ear to hear where the chords change, Listen to the bass note first, and then apply the full chord. The progressions are all very similar. I am not spelling out the chord progressions here on purpose as I want you to use your ears and figure out how to play these pieces on your own. I won't always be your guitar teacher you know, you'll have to do this on your one one day. Knowing that the chords are C,G, and D (but not in that order), you shouldn't have any trouble. Good luck!
In this lesson we will cover "More Than A Feeling" by Boston, "Sweet child of Mine" by Guns and Roses and "Every Rose Has it's Thorn" by Poison.
"More than a Feeling" starts on D, uses a sus 4 then switches to C. The bass note drops to B implying a G chord with the 3rd in the bass and then finishes on G. The chords are not strummed, but arpeggiated. That means each note of the chord is plucked individually instead of all at once. It's the same chord progression to "Sweet Home Alabama". The rest of the song is a little different, but it's not hard. We'll go over it in class, but it's not going to be on the test. The objective of the lesson is for you to realize that these chords, and these chord progressions exist in many other songs.
For the next two selections you'll need to tune your guitar down a half step. This is a common technique that tends to give the guitar a darker sound. Simply make your E string an Eb, make your A string an Ab and so on until all of the strings are down one half step from traditional tuning.
Use your ear to hear where the chords change, Listen to the bass note first, and then apply the full chord. The progressions are all very similar. I am not spelling out the chord progressions here on purpose as I want you to use your ears and figure out how to play these pieces on your own. I won't always be your guitar teacher you know, you'll have to do this on your one one day. Knowing that the chords are C,G, and D (but not in that order), you shouldn't have any trouble. Good luck!
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Unit 8: Sweet Home Alabama
This lesson will introduce the suspended chord, and the 6 chord. We will also play through the same chord progression in 3 different ways. You will be responsible for playing all three versions of the chord progession (It's a V,IV,I in G- The same as "Love Me Do" but backwards.) as well as being able to explain the theory behind the new chords. Let's cover those first.
The notation for suspended chord in our song looks like this: Csus2. C is the root, sus (the suspension)is the instruction to replace the third of the chord and 2 is the scale degree with which you should replace the third. So if a C major chord (1,3,5) is spelled like this: C-E-G; then a Csus2 is spelled like this C-D-G. "Sweet Home Alabama" uses the Csus2 chord as the second chord in the main riff and in the verse like this:
D Csus2 G
------------------------------------------------------------------
------------3---------------3-------------3-----------------------
--------------2---------------0-------------0------------------2-0
------0-0----------0-----------------------------------0-2-0------
----------------------3--3--------3-----------------0-2-------3----
-------------------------------------3-3-----------3----------------
Another way to suspend a chord is to use the 4th instead of the 2nd to replace the third. The notation for this would be Csus4. Or, since it is more common to use the suspended 4th, simply Csus. The reason the 4th and the 2nd are the notes used in a suspension is because those are the notes that surround the 3 in the scale.
Onto the 6th chord. Think of this concept as an extension of the 5th chord or "power" chord. The 5th chord (a root and it's 5th) isn't really a chord at all because it has no third. "D5" is simply a D and an A played at the same time.
D5
---------
---------
---------
----7----
----5----
---------
To provide a little motion, guitarists move the 5th up to the 6th and back. Check out "Johnny B. Goode", "Old Time Rock and Roll" and "Keep Your Hands To Yourself"
---------------------------
---------------------------
---------------------------
---7-7-9-7-5-5-7-5---------
---5-5-5-5-3-3-3-3-5-5-7-5-
-------------------3-3-3-3-
A little disclaimer: It is common to see the chord C6 in the jazz context. In this case, the chord is spelled as a complete C triad, with the 6th on top- C-E-G-A. I prefer to spell this chord CMaj6 as it implies the 3rd with the "Maj". For our rock and roll purposes, use the above definition. It is, after all, only shorthand.
The other way to play this chord progression (D,C,G) is in the interlude section of "Sweet Home". In this section the voicing we have learned as "A" (second fret on the D,G, and B strings) is moved up to the 7th fret for the D chord and the 5th fret for the C chord. This works the same way the F chord turned into the G chord in "Saving Grace". Remember? An F chord played up a whole step on the guitar becomes a G chord. So an "A" chord (second fret) moved up to the 7th fret becomes A "D" chord. Compare these two chords:
D D
--2-- -----
--3-- --7--
--2-- --7--
----- --7--
----- -----
----- -----
They sound exactly the same.
This tune will take a little while to get down comfortably. Practice, follow the lead sheet, and listen to a recording.
So this has been a long post. Here's what you will be responsible for playing on the test:
1. The main riff
2. The interlude
3. The chorus
4 The 4 bar solo after the 1st chorus *Advanced players only*
The written component will include:
1. Spell a variety of sus chords
2. Spell 5th and 6th chords
3. Scale and chord refresher
The notation for suspended chord in our song looks like this: Csus2. C is the root, sus (the suspension)is the instruction to replace the third of the chord and 2 is the scale degree with which you should replace the third. So if a C major chord (1,3,5) is spelled like this: C-E-G; then a Csus2 is spelled like this C-D-G. "Sweet Home Alabama" uses the Csus2 chord as the second chord in the main riff and in the verse like this:
D Csus2 G
------------------------------------------------------------------
------------3---------------3-------------3-----------------------
--------------2---------------0-------------0------------------2-0
------0-0----------0-----------------------------------0-2-0------
----------------------3--3--------3-----------------0-2-------3----
-------------------------------------3-3-----------3----------------
Another way to suspend a chord is to use the 4th instead of the 2nd to replace the third. The notation for this would be Csus4. Or, since it is more common to use the suspended 4th, simply Csus. The reason the 4th and the 2nd are the notes used in a suspension is because those are the notes that surround the 3 in the scale.
Onto the 6th chord. Think of this concept as an extension of the 5th chord or "power" chord. The 5th chord (a root and it's 5th) isn't really a chord at all because it has no third. "D5" is simply a D and an A played at the same time.
D5
---------
---------
---------
----7----
----5----
---------
To provide a little motion, guitarists move the 5th up to the 6th and back. Check out "Johnny B. Goode", "Old Time Rock and Roll" and "Keep Your Hands To Yourself"
---------------------------
---------------------------
---------------------------
---7-7-9-7-5-5-7-5---------
---5-5-5-5-3-3-3-3-5-5-7-5-
-------------------3-3-3-3-
A little disclaimer: It is common to see the chord C6 in the jazz context. In this case, the chord is spelled as a complete C triad, with the 6th on top- C-E-G-A. I prefer to spell this chord CMaj6 as it implies the 3rd with the "Maj". For our rock and roll purposes, use the above definition. It is, after all, only shorthand.
The other way to play this chord progression (D,C,G) is in the interlude section of "Sweet Home". In this section the voicing we have learned as "A" (second fret on the D,G, and B strings) is moved up to the 7th fret for the D chord and the 5th fret for the C chord. This works the same way the F chord turned into the G chord in "Saving Grace". Remember? An F chord played up a whole step on the guitar becomes a G chord. So an "A" chord (second fret) moved up to the 7th fret becomes A "D" chord. Compare these two chords:
D D
--2-- -----
--3-- --7--
--2-- --7--
----- --7--
----- -----
----- -----
They sound exactly the same.
This tune will take a little while to get down comfortably. Practice, follow the lead sheet, and listen to a recording.
So this has been a long post. Here's what you will be responsible for playing on the test:
1. The main riff
2. The interlude
3. The chorus
4 The 4 bar solo after the 1st chorus *Advanced players only*
The written component will include:
1. Spell a variety of sus chords
2. Spell 5th and 6th chords
3. Scale and chord refresher
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