The Infinite Guitar

THE INFINITE GUITAR The complete roadmap for exploring the boundless contemporary guitar

Copyright 2006, Chris Juergensen

All Rights Reserved

No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any way without prior permission from the author.

TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION The Art of Practicing……………………………………………………………………………………1 The Five Areas of Practice……………………………………………………………………………4 About This Book………………………………………………………………………………………7 About The Author………………………………………………………………………………………8 CHAPTER 2: THE SPIRIT OF THE GUITAR Betty………………………………………………………………………………………………………10 Inroads to Europe……………………………………………………………………………………11 Birth of the Blues in America……………………………………………………………………12 Before you do Anything……………………………………………………………………………13 CHAPTER 3: CHORDS AND THEIR SYMBOLS The Chord Symbol………………………………………………………………………………………15 Understanding Examples and Diagrams in This Book……………………………16 Triads……………………………………………………………………………………………………………19 Sus Chords………………………………………………………………………………………………………22 7th Chords………………………………………………………………………………………………25 Min7(b5) Chords………………………………………………………………………………………………28 7#5 and b5 Chords………………………………………………………………………………………29 Min(maj7) Chords…………………………………………………………………………………………30 Dim7th Chords………………………………………………………………………………………………32 What You Can Leave Out………………………………………………………………………………34 6th Chords………………………………………………………………………………………………………35 9th Chords………………………………………………………………………………………………38 7b9 and #9 chords……………………………………………………………………………………40 Altered Dominant Chords………………………………………………………………………………42 Add9 Chords……………………………………………………………………………………………………44 69 Chords…………………………………………………………………………………………………47 11th Chords……………………………………………………………………………………………49 The “Lydian” Chord…………………………………………………………………………………………50 Putting 9th and 11th Chords Into Practice……………………………………………52 13th Chords……………………………………………………………………………………………53 13th Chords With Altered 9ths………………………………………………………………55 Putting 13th Chords Into Practice……………………………………………………57 Extensions and Diatonic Progressions…………………………………………………58 Upper Extension Chord Forms………………………………………………………………59

CHAPTER 4: SLASH CHORDS Slash Chords…………………………………………………………………………………………66 7th Chord Inversions………………………………………………………………………………70 Creating Complex Harmony………………………………………………………………………71 Major Family Slash Chords…………………………………………………………………73 Domin an t Family Slash Ch ords………………… ………………… ………………… … 77 Slash Chords and the Half/Whole Diminished Scale………………………80 Minor Family Slash Chords……………………………………………………………………81 Slash Chord Overview…………………………………………………………………………85 CHAPTER 5: INCORPORATING OPEN STRINGS IN YOUR VOICINGS Open String Chord Voicings………………………………………………………………………86 CHAPTER 6: INCREASING YOUR CHORD VOCABULARY Increasing your chord vocabulary…………………………………………………88 Harmonizing Chords From the Half/Whole Diminished Scale…………………91 Putting this concept to use…………………………………………………………92 Harmonizing Chords From the Lydian Scale……………………………………………95 Harmonizing Chords From the Lydian Augmented Scale………………………96 CHAPTER 7: VOICE LEADING Contrapuntal Motions……………………………………………………………………………97 Chords……… ……………………………………………………………………………………………98 Contrapuntal Motions in Action…………………………………………………………101 Examples of Good Voice Leading………………………………………………………102 Chords Construction Formula…………………………………………………………………104 CHAPTER 8: THE MAJOR SCALE What is the Major Scale?………………………………………………………………………109 Playing the Scale……………………………………………………………………………111 About Picking…………………………………………………………………………………………112 Harmonizing the Major Scale…………………………………………………………113 Major Scale Patterns…………………………………………………………………………115 The Changing Diatonic Chords……………………………………………………………117 CHAPTER 9: SEQUENCES Building Diatonic Diatonic Diatonic Diatonic Diatonic

Technique………………………………………………………………………………118 3rds…………………………………………………………………………………………120 4ths…………………………………………………………………………………………121 5ths…………………………………………………………………………………………123 6ths……………………………………………………………………………………………126 7ths……………………………………………………………………………………………127

CHAPTER 10: ARPEGGIOS Scales vs. Arpeggios/Diatonic Triad Arpeggios……………………………128 7th Arpeggios………………………………………………………………………………………129 Add9 Arpeggios…………………………………………………………………………………131 Practicing Over Chord Progressions…………………………………………………132 Arpeggio Substitutions…………………………………………………………………………133 Arpeggio Overview…………………………………………………………………………138

CHAPTER 11: INTRODUCING THE MODES OF THE MAJOR SCALE The The Th e The The The

Modes……………………………………………………………………………………………142 Dorian Mode………………………………………………………………………………143 Phry gian Mode… …………………………………………………………………………146 Lydian Mode…………………………………………………………………………………151 Mixolydian Mode…………………………………………………………………………155 Aolian Mode (The Natural Minor Scale)…………………………………158

CHAPTER 12: THE PENTATONIC SCALES The Major Pentatonic Scale…………………………………………………………161 The Minor Pentatonic Scale…………………………………………………………163 The Pentatonic Scale and the Blues……………………………………………165 CHAPTER 13: THE HARMONIC MINOR SCALE T h e H a r m o n i c Mi n o r S c al e … ……… … …… …… …… … …… …… …… … …… …… …1 6 6 Harmonic Minor Scale Patterns…………………………………………………………167 CHAPTER 14: THE MODES OF THE MELODIC MINOR SCALE Melodi c Min or Scal e Pattern s/History Lesson… …………… ………… ……16 8 The Modes of the Melodic Minor Scale………………………………………170 The Altered Mode………………………………………………………………………171 The Lydian Dominant Mode………………………………………………………………………174 The Locrian #2 Mode……………………………………………………………………………176 The Lydian Augmented Mode…………………………………………………………179 Th e D ori an b2 Mode…… ……… ………… ……… ………… ……… ………… ……… …… 18 1 CHAPTER 15: THE HALF/WHOLE DIMINISHED SCALE The Half/Whole Diminished Scale…………………………………………………………183 CHAPTER 16: INTERVALIC APPROACH TO IMPROVISATION Breaking the Tertian Paradigm…………………………………………………………187 Diatonic 4ths……………………………………………………………………………………188 Diatonic 5ths……………………………………………………………………………………189 CHAPTER 17: REDISCOVERING THE PENTATONIC SCALE Rediscovering the Minor Pentatonic Scale…………………………………………191 Sequences………………………………………………………………………………………192 Minor Pentatonic Scales Over Major Chords …………………………………194 Minor Pentatonic Scales Over Minor Chords……………………………………198 Minor Pentatonic Scales Over Altered Dominant Chords………………………201 Scale Overview………………………………………………………………………………………205

CHAPTER 18: COMPOSITION AND HARMONIZATION Working With Triads……………………………………………………………………………………208 The Numbering System…………………………………………………………………………209 Composing and Harmonizing………………………………………………………………210 Mr. Roger’s Diatonic Neighborhood……………………………………………212 Expanding Harmony by Using 7th Chords………………………………………215 Secondary Dominant Chords ……………………………………………………218 Borrowed Chords……………………………………………………………………………220 Complete Harmonic Freedom …………………………………………………………222 CHAPTER 19: READING STANDARD NOTATION Introducti on to Reading Stan dard Notation… ……… …… …… ……… …… 225 The Notes in Open Position on the First and Second String……………229 Ties………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………23 0 The Notes in Open Position on the Third and Fourth String……………232 The Notes in Open Position on the Fifth String……………………………233 Dotted Notes……………………………………………………………………………………234 The Notes in Open Position on the Sixth String…………………………236 The Notes in Second Position in the key of C Major………………………239 Triplets…………………………………………………………………………………………………242 The Notes in Second Position in the key of G Major………………………245 Six teenth Notes… ……… ……… ………… ……… ………… ……… ………… ……… ………247 The Notes in Second Position in the key of F Major………………………250 The Notes in Fourth Position in the key of C Major………………………253 The Notes in Second Position in the key of D Major………………………255 CHAPTER 20: EARS P e r f e c t P i t c h … … … ……… … … …… … …… … … …… … …… … … …… … …… … … …… … …2 5 6 Developing Relative Pitch……………………………………………………………………257

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION Playing vs. Practicing At a recent guitar seminar held at the school I run in Tokyo, Jennifer Batten said this when asked about practicing and practice routines; "Practice as much as you possibly can stand without it turning into something you hate to do." Practice should be fun but challenging. Practice should be done with specific goals in mind. I know tons of guitarists who think they are practicing but what they are really doing is just playing. Playing is important too but practice is something different. What you practice should come out in your playing. If it doesn't, you're not practicing efficiently. Before you sit down to practice, make sure you know what goals you are trying to reach by practicing, short term and long. It may even help to keep a log of your practice sessions. When, how long you practiced, what specifically you practiced and why you practiced it. The goal must come before the process is determined.

Continuance Just like going to the gym, the important thing is to practice just about every day. Four hours today and nothing else for a week will amount to close to nothing. If you can only stand practicing an hour or so, that's fine, just as long as it is almost every day. Let it become a habit.

Vision Remember the dreaded F chord? You almost gave up didn't you? Me too. After you got it under your fingers, it was smooth sailing for a while until the next hurdle came up. More so than any other instrument, the guitar will challenge you this way. That is why it is important to set realistic goals with specific time limits for yourself. Always remember, nothing can be learned in an hour or so. The goals you set should be for weeks or months. Some of the things that I am currently practicing will take me a year to get together. Don't get discouraged; anything worth learning will take time.

Balance The way you practice should change with time. I've been playing for twenty somewhat years, so what I practice these days, is completely different than what I worked on my first few years. I know all my scales and have enough technique that I don't need to work on those very much. I usually work on improvising over really hard chord changes. Stuff like John Coltrane's

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"Giant Steps" or a Wayne Shorter song. I may sequence my own chord changes and try playing over them. I also find that working on the tunes for the gigs I do often turn into a good learning experience. For that reason I never turn down gigs that I know are going to be a real pain in the butt to get the tunes together for.

In the Beginning If you are just starting out, you should dedicate a lot more time to technique than I do nowadays. But don't let that be the only thing you work on. If I could change anything about the way I practiced when I first started out, I would cut down the time I worked on technique and would have dedicated more time to rhythm playing and reading. When I think back, it kind of cracks me up because I was working on scales and arpeggios for about five or six hours every day. I was sure that I was destined to be the fastest guitarist in the universe. When I went to MI in the eighties, I was shocked because every student around me was really, really fast. You have to recall, this was about the same time Yngwie Malmsteen and Joe Satriani were at their zenith and Paul Gilbert was just getting his start in Mr. Big. Everyone was lightning fast and it dawned on me that I had been focusing on something that was soon to be in little demand. I completely failed to shine amongst my fellow students. I have to admit, all the scales and arpeggios I worked on in my younger days left me with chops that I still have today but there was a time that I struggled because I didn't have my rhythm and reading chops together. I realized that I was way more likely to get a gig because I could play great rhythm or could read anything upside down than because I have fast fingers. It is now a whole different era of music and chops don't count as much any more. That's because the eighties was one big guitar sporting event. I actually notice a whole different trend going on with young guitarists these days. It seems a lot of aspiring guitarists have no interest in getting their chops together at all, which is a whole different problem. The point I'm trying to make here is that balance is the key to good practice. Work on your technical expertise, your reading and comping skills, your ears and your theory knowledge.

Wasting Time Don't practice something you aren't going to use. We guitarists often make the mistake of practicing exercises that have nothing to do with music at all. It makes no sense because there are so many things that we could be working on to increase our technique that we can actually use in a song or something. Instead we tend to work on these real mathematical chromatic exercises or

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something that will never find its way into a guitar solo. I often get students who ask me why, even though they practice all the time, they don't have any chops. They haven't realized it but they actually do have chops but the only thing they can play with real precision is the strange mathematical chromatic lines that they practice all the time. Work on what you can use.

Ruts If you fall into a rut, stop what you're doing. Sometimes you will feel frustrated about your playing. Don't worry, it's completely natural. It seems like you practice and practice and nothing seems to change. You sometimes seem to lose all your creativity. I often have this problem myself. This is what I do: I stop whatever I'm doing and get out a CD of some musician I really admire. I listen to the CD and find some phrase that I want to know and figure it our by ear. I may have to slow it down to do so. I then analyze it to find out how I can use it (this is why music theory is so important). Then I practice it over some chord changes and let it be come a part of my vocabulary. It never fails to amaze me how something like this can start to get my creative mind working again. When I was studying guitar at music school in the eighties, I fell into a horrible rut halfway through the year. I asked Jazz legend Joe Diorio what he thought I should do. He asked me; "Have you been out on a date lately?" I answered; "No." He asked; "How about to the movies?" I answered: "No." He then asked me; "Read any good books lately?" I answered; "Well, I've kinda been looking at a book on orchestration these days." Then he said; "No wonder you can't do anything creative on the guitar, your life is a complete bore." He then instructed me to not touch a guitar on Sundays and have some fun. Go on a date or read a book, see a movie, give your brain some food. To write a love song it helps to be in love. To be a creative musician your life has to be somewhat creative. Recently I went with all my guitar students to make pottery one weekend.

Some Practice Advise Use rhythm whenever you can. The one thing that hasn't changed about the way I practice is exactly that. When I started going to lessons my teacher would often give me scales and the chord changes that would work with them. I would tape myself playing the changes on one of them super gigantic tape players that we had back in the dark ages and jam along with it. These days I use a sequencer that I program the changes into. It makes practice time way more interesting and helps to develop my ears. A metronome is fine for practicing but it will only help your rhythmic ear. It won't help your harmonic ear.

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The Five Areas of Practice As I said before, what you practice will change as you advance as a player. No matter how long you play, the basic five things you work on will most likely stay the same. The amount of time spent on each of them will probably vary to accommodate your changing strengths and weaknesses. I can't tell you exactly what and how much you should be working on any one of these five different sections because I have never heard you play so I don't know your strengths and weaknesses. Nor have I ever discussed your goals as a guitarist with you. You or you and your guitar teacher will have to decide how much time to dedicate to each one of them. Use the following section as a guide:

1. Single Note Studies (Scales, Arpeggios and General Technique) Scales and arpeggios are important to work on for two reasons. One reason is because the only way to develop strong technical skills is by practicing them and the other is because any solo you play, regardless of genre, is going to be based on scales or arpeggios. If you don't have much experience working on scales and arpeggios, at first the whole thing will be just plain mathematics and that's okay for the time being. Don't worry if at first the whole thing seems a little mechanical at first.

2. Harmony (Chords and Rhythm Playing) Harmony is one of the most overlooked aspects of practice. It's strange because we generally start off playing the chords to our favorite songs. As soon as we learn to solo a bit, we never think about them again. When I started out, I made the mistake of buying one of those chord dictionary books that just ended up frustrating me because there were so many chords and no explanation about how or when to use them or string them together. It is important to see how the chords fit together with one another. I use the "Real Book" to practice with a lot of the time. The "Real Book" is a fake book of hundreds of Jazz standards. I look at the chords and try to find voicings that work well with one another. I may even record them and improvise over the changes after sight-reading the head. I can knock off my sight-reading, scales and chords all in one shot this way. It's best to kill a bunch of birds with one stone when it comes to practicing. Each individual musical genre has its own rhythmic styles and unique chord voicings so work a little on everything. Some styles lend them self well to the fingers rather than the pick and some, like Funk, leave you little choice but to use a pick.

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3. Reading This is where most guitarists make their first mistake. They don’t spend enough time working on their reading skills. There is a lot demand for guitarists who can read music, especially those who can sight read. It is important to be literate on your instrument so get started early. Learning how to read music will help you to learn to notate music as well, and knowing how to notate music if fundamental if you wish to communicate your ideas to other musicians.

4. Theory (Brain Power) Music theory is important because without understanding theory you will never really be able to analyze music. Without being able to analyze music you will never be really be able to understand why you like certain songs or guitar solos that your hear. Without being able to analyze music you will also never be able to conceptualize certain melodic or harmonic techniques and make them your own. Especially if you want to get into Jazz, you will need to understand theory because of the complicated nature of chord scale relationships in the genre. While you are working on playing all the major scales, practice writing them out too. Scales, intervals, chords and arpeggios are all important to study. The good thing about theory is that you don't necessarily need a guitar to work on it. You can do it on your morning commute or while you are waiting in some line somewhere. Music theory will help you to glue together all the five areas of practice into one broad musical landscape.

5. Your Ears Figuring out songs and solos are important for developing you ears. I was fortunate to not have all the resources that we have today. I was forced to get out the records and work everything out using my ears. I think it is great that we have everything transcribed these days but try to use the transcriptions as a tool to help you figure stuff out. Try to learn things first by using your ears. If your ears are not yet well developed enough to figure songs out, you can start out by trying to identify intervals and chords.

The Perfect Student Before you become the perfect player try to become the perfect student. I personally believe the keys to me becoming a somewhat successful guitarist was one; all the great teachers I had along the way, and two; all the great students I have had. They both have been the source of endless inspiration. When you find yourself a great teacher, keep him on his feet. Ask questions and

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challenge him from time to time. I drove my first teacher, Wayne Reese, nuts. I asked him some questions he probably never heard before; "Mr. Reese, why does a blues scale work over both dominant chords and minor chords?" and; "Why are all the strings on the guitar tuned in fourths except the second string? Instead of a B string, shouldn't it be a C string?" and; "Why does a melodic minor scale get played ascending one way and descending the other?" I bet he was researching things all over the place before the next lesson. When I shipped off to California, Mr. Reese told me that the lessons with me were fun and he learned some new things too. The student teacher relationship is exactly that, a relationship. It shouldn't be a one sided thing at all.

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About this Book The whole thing started around 2002. I started posting a new lesson on my site, chrisjuergensen.com every month for free. I suppose it was my way of passing around the enormous amount of priceless information that I have picked up from all of the talented musicians I have been fortunate enough to have played or studied with over the years. They were more than happy to spend some time to share what they knew for absolutely free of charge and I wanted to do the same. I simply used my humble site as the tool. Soon enough I began getting over a thousand hits a day and e-mails thanking me from all over the world. The one comment I heard over and over again was; “You should write a book.” Finally a Japanese publisher asked me to organize and rewrite the lessons from the site and they would translate it into Japanese and publish it, which they did. The byproduct was a 266 page unpublished English version that I decided to publish myself. The reason I decided to publish it myself is simple; I want everybody to be able to afford it (as a matter of fact, the English version is half the price of the Japanese one). This book is a compilation of what I have taught over the last twenty years. It is far from complete, which is on purpose. The last thing I wanted to write was a syllabus of chords, scales and sequences. I prefer to teach you the concepts behind these things and give you the opportunity to discover the rest yourself. Thus the subtitle; “The complete roadmap for exploring the boundless contemporary guitar.” This book is not the terrain itself but simply the roadmap. Whether you run, walk or fly using the map as your guide is for you to decide yourself. I have always believed that discovery is half the learning process so I designed this book to point you in the proper directions and allow you to take the steps yourself. To use this book properly, you may need to jump around from section to section. While you learn about triads on page 19 and 20, you may want to jump to pages 66 and 67 and learn about their inversions. To understand where these chords get their origins, go to page 113 and learn about the major scale. While you are at it, spend some time learning how read on page 225. Take things very slowly because there is a lifetime of information in this book, you might want to spend a week on a single page if you are not that experienced. Do not get overwhelmed, if something does not make sense to you, ask someone with more experience for help (e-mail me if you want). As most instructional books cater to either beginners or experienced players, you will find that this book was written for every level player, starting at the very basics and moving on, step by step, to the very complex. Hopefully this book will be one that you can not only learn from but teach from also. -Chris Juergensen, March 5th, 2006

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About the Author

Native New Yorker, long time studio musician and session guitarist Chris Juergensen is in constant demand as a sideman, front man and clinician. He has played sold out venues as intimate as the world famous Blue Note and as large as the Long Beach Auditorium. After teaching guitar for six years at the prestigious Musicians Institute in Los Angeles along side with Paul Gilbert (Mr. Big), Scott Henderson and Joe Diorio, Chris left the states to become the Director of Education at Tokyo School of Music in Japan where he still resides. His first solo CD, “Prospects” has been critically acclaimed throughout the world and his newest release,” Big Bad Sun" paints a completely new portrait of him.

In 1995, for his efforts in promoting international music education, Chris was made an honorary citizen of New Orleans by Marc H. Morial, the Mayor of the city and more recently asked to perform on behalf of Japan at the Japanese embassy in Seoul Korea in 2004. He currently writes a monthly column for the British magazine “Music Maker” and is a guest writer for iBreathemusic.com.

He has performed, recorded or done something in one manner or another with such artists as Lincoln Goines (Mike Stern), Richard Hartley and Soul Resurrection, Toss Panos (Steve Vai, Mike Landau), Billy Sheehan (Mr. Big), Keith Wyatt (The Blasters), Ralph Humphrey (Manhattan Transfer, Frank Zappa, Wayne Shorter), Kim Plainfield (Tania Maria, The Pointer Sisters), Jay Dibbs (Vanessa Williams), Steve Bailey (The Rippingtons, Dizzy Gillespie), Jennifer Batten (Jeff Beck, Michael Jackson), Mike Shapiro (Al Jarreau, Sergio Mendes), Jerry Watts (Andy Summers, Billy Idol), Russel Ferante (Joni Mitchell, Yellowjackets), Kevyn Lettau, Hussain Jiffry (Robben Ford, Michael MacDonald, Whitney Houston, Chaka Khan) and The Hideous Sun Demons.

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Contacting the Author

E-mail: [email protected] Website: http://chrisjuergensen.com

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CHAPTER 2: THE SPIRIT OF THE GUITAR To become a great guitarist, first you have to understand what the guitar is, where it came from and what kind of person plays one. You first have to swim in its spirit and rejoice in its romance.

Betty My heart was beating as I waited outside the door of the little studio where I was about to get my first lesson on the guitar at twelve years old. I prayed to God the night before; "I want to be the greatest guitarist ever." My new teacher called me into the room and asked me to take out the $50 guitar my parents bought me for Christmas. He asked me to take a good look at it. He then asked me what I thought it looked like. I didn't know the answer. He said; "it's shaped kind of like a girl don't you think?" "Kinda curvy," he said. He then told me to treat it like a girl. "Hold it gently, treat it nice and don't let it get dirty." It's true when you think about it though. Nobody I know names his or her guitar "Pete" or "Joe." They usually give it a girl's name, like "Lucille" or something. My guitar's name is "Betty."

Keep on Moving Why did the guitar get built in the first place? What makes the guitar different from all the other instruments? I'll answer it for you. Unlike a piano, you can carry it around with you. That's why the guitar got invented. Most historians would agree that it was born in or around the desert, somewhere in the east, maybe around the Arabian Peninsula or the Persian Gulf. You see, people had to move around a lot in those days; you went where the water or game was. They couldn't carry a piano around on a camel (or whatever guys rode around on in those days) so they wired some gut strings on a wooden thing with some holes in it to amplify the sound and carried it around with them. Without a doubt they used it by itself or in a group to accompany themselves, probably singing tunes about life and love and things like that. I must stress the word accompany. You can carry a violin around with you, but you are going to look silly accompanying yourself singing a tune with it. The polyphony of the guitar, which would develop over time, is what would eventually make the guitar the most popular instrument on the planet. Those guitars weren't called guitars in those days and didn't have six strings like guitars do today. And they probably looked different, although it was basically the same thing that Jimmy Page played on "Whole Lotta Love" that made me want to play the guitar in the first place. The romance of the guitar is found in its mobility. Even the first

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guitarists were rolling stones, travelers, playing under the stars.

Inroads to Europe The guitar would eventually find its way into Spain and the Troubadours would carry it around Europe singing the same songs celebrating life in different languages. The guitar would get all its strings in Spain, become popular and eventually develop into the modern day guitar.

Appeal One of the reasons the guitar is so accepted by the masses is that it is the true instrument of the common man. The problem back in the old days was there was no electricity. These days, if you wanted to throw a party and get all your friends over to dance, you would just plug in a radio and go to it. A few hundred years ago, if you wanted to dance you had to hire an ensemble, since there were no radios. If you didn't have any cash, you would have to make your own music. I imagine all the neighborhood cats would bring their guitars down to the local watering hole and play some tunes while the girls would dance and sing and generally have a good time. This tradition is still alive in Flamenco music today. The guitar is a radio.

Spending Money I'm going to have to go backwards here and give you a little history lesson. In the 1300s all of a sudden, the European population got a middle class. It is for a reason you would probably never imagine: The Plague. The plague killed off about a third of all Europeans back in those days. Since all those people died, a labor shortage was born. Since there weren't enough workers, the workers demanded better wages. Europe’s working class finally had some spending money and they wanted to use it. Since they didn't have Gucci downtown they wanted silks from the Far East. Also, since they didn't have electricity they didn't have refrigerators. Since they didn't have refrigerators they also wanted spices from the Far East, China and India. Spices would help preserve or, yes, cover up the taste of food that was getting a little too ripe. Spices were worth their weight in gold. Ever wonder why food around the equator is real spicy? Anyway, this gave birth to two things: the search for an all-water rout to Asia and to the African slave trade. I know, you're asking what does this have to do with the guitar? I'm getting to it.

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Birth of a New Musical Era To make a long story short, Columbus rather than going all the way around Africa, decided to sail west. He knew the world was round rather than flat and figured he would sail into Asia using a shortcut. He wanted to get there through the backdoor using an Atlantic route. He misjudged the distance but in the process he discovered the South American continent. He never found out the truth, and died thinking he found India. That's why Native Americans are known as Indians. Pretty silly if you think about it. Anyway, when the news got out, a bunch of people wanted to go. Who do you think raised their hands? Remember that going in a boat to South America was most likely a real drag. It probably took months to get there and once you got there all you had was a jungle. I can tell you for sure that it wasn't rich people. Rich people weren't about to give up their big houses to go live in the woods in a foreign land. It was the guys looking for a new life who went, and they brought their guitars along with them.

Africans That's right, it wasn't the rich, but the other guys who went. You need a lot of people to build a New World, so at first the Europeans used the Native Americans as slaves. The only problem with this idea was that besides being cruel and unethical, almost all of them died because they had no resistance to the diseases that the Europeans brought over. That's why the scourge of mankind, the slave trade, started. On the way over to the New World they stopped off in Africa and got themselves cheap help. To make a long story short (again), the Spanish and Portuguese workers brought over their guitars (radios) with them, combined their musical ideas with the percussive skills of the Africans and a new era of music was born. The Rumba would evolve in Cuba. Meringue starts up in the Dominican Republic. Argentineans create the Tango. The Portuguese, trying to get around Africa to East Asia, mistakenly ran into South America (pretty funny if you think about it) and since nobody is around, they claim part of it and call it Brazil. The music they make is called the Bossa Nova and the Samba. The Clave, the rhythm that can be found in all Latin music, is a present from Africa. If you ever get a chance to hear some genuine African drum music, you will hear the same Clave throughout. Even in Louisiana, blues players used the Clave to build rhythmic motifs. Check out Bo Diddly's "Who do you Love" if you get the opportunity.

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Birth of the Blues in America In the early nineteen hundreds, ex-slaves started carrying the guitar around the south with them and playing blues music for mostly black audiences. The spirit of the guitar was still the same. It was perfect to carry around and accompany oneself with. Robert Johnson would end up making a name for himself before he dies at the tender age of twenty-seven in Mississippi. In 1948, twenty-eight year old Muddy Waters moves up to Chicago from Mississippi, looking for a better life away from the South. Once again, a man in search of a new life carrying a guitar with him. He finds the clubs in Chicago overwhelmingly large. So he, like many of the guitarists started to do in those days, jumps on the electric bandwagon and begins to pave the way for electric blues to become musical force. Later on in the sixties Jimmy Page and Jimi Hendrix get into the old recordings of Muddy Waters and Robert Johnson and make their own versions of their tunes, and I end up listening to Jimmy and Jimi at twelve and get hooked. And that's why I find myself at twelve years old at my first lesson. And keeping with the tradition, my teacher, on this sunny Saturday morning, teaches me how to play a medium shuffle, twelve bar blues in G that I still play today with the same feeling of adventure that I felt way back then.

Before You Do Anything Before you start working on your scales and chords and all the other things you need to do to become the greatest guitarist around, start by understanding the spirit of the guitar. Let's review:

The Guitar is Like a Woman - Treat the guitar with respect. When I meet a new student for the first time I always play his or her guitar before I do anything else. I check to see if the guitar is clean and well cared for. It is a reflection of the student's attitude about guitar and music in general. If you want to find out if the Sushi chef is good or not, check his knife.

The Guitar is a Radio - The guitar was built to move, not for you to play in your room. It was designed for you to carry with you and tell your story with it. It was made so people could listen and sing and dance and celebrate life. The guitar isn't about chops - it's about stories. Every time I travel with my guitar, it makes me feel happy to know I'm carrying on in the tradition of the Troubadours and blues musicians of the past. I don't care if the flight attendant is perturbed because my guitar takes up all the room in my overhead compartment. I'm bringing it with me. And when I get where I'm going, I'm going to tell someone a story with it.

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The Guitar is About Adventure - The guitar was carried around the world by people looking for new lives and new chances. All these people were risk takers, and their guitars were their best friends. Don't ever be afraid to be a musician. No matter what bad luck and trouble comes to you in life, you will always have the guitar to play, it will never split on you in times of turmoil. And don't forget, one of the greatest joys in life there is, is the joy of making music, and you can do it your whole life and the journey never ends. I would rather live as a poor, happy guitarist than a rich, unhappy banker. Always follow your heart and you have nothing to fear.

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CHAPTER 3: CHORDS AND THEIR SYMBOLS Chord symbols and music theory in general is a subject that can bring us mild mannered guitarist to fits of rage. For that exact reason, before we start, I feel I must explain a few certain points. The notation of chord symbols varies slightly from player to player depending on what circles he runs in and where he studied. My opinions are the direct result of my experiences as a studio and session player in LA and also based on my educational experience. Music theory is not written in stone and your ear is the final judge of what is right and wrong, there is nothing musically illegal. Music theory is simply a guideline for what the ear generally accepts in respect to certain genres, and as these genres evolve so will chord symbols and music theory in general. I personally believe that harmonic theory should be studied and understood so that the very same guidelines can be questioned and manipulated to ones liking. I don't think any two musicians can 100% agree on this subject so it is important to do some more research on your own and keep an open mind.

Chord Symbols The goal of the chord symbol is to simply tell the guy playing the chords exactly what you want him to play, what he is allowed to include in the chord and what he is not. When dealing with certain genres such as Jazz, a lot of liberties can be taken with the voicings. Not so with other genres such as Pop and Rock, a C chord written in a rock chart generally means play a C chord, while the same C chord written in a Jazz tune can be enhanced with a 9th, #11th, 13th or various other extensions or combinations of extensions without much second thought. A good working knowledge of music theory plus some experience is essential in making these decisions. The melody line will also give you clues on what to include or exclude in chord voicings.

Writing Chord Symbols You don't want to confuse the guy comping either. You'll realize this the first time you have to read a chart in a dark, smoky bar or on some stage where the lighting is less than adequate (which is the majority of the time). Chord symbols should be direct and to the point. The last chord symbol I want to read is one that I have to think about for more than a millisecond, they should be easy to read. I'll give you one example of a chord symbol that comes up from time to time and makes me crazy: CM7. The reason I dislike it is because I have to look twice at it to make sure whether it is major or minor. Especially when written by hand, CM7 and Cm7 can look a lot alike. The other chord symbols that get used a lot are the simple minus mark to denote a minor chord and

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triangle meaning major. These are widely accepted and they don't bother me but I prefer the simple, easy to read symbols: Cmaj7 and Cmin7. Sometimes the symbols maj7 and min7, get replaced with the shorter versions: ma7 and mi7. These are okay too but maj7 and min7 seem the best choices to me, it's hard to confuse them on a gig.

These are some common ways to notate the same Cmaj7 chord. All are correct but some easier to read than others:

Playing Chords It is more important for you to understand how to build your own chords than to memorize hundreds of chord shapes. For that reason I have only included the most common voicings or voicings of particular interest, but suggest you spend more time experimenting and finding voicings that suit your style and the style of the music you may be playing. You are free to leave out certain notes also. I have included the roots, but if you are playing with a bassist they are not necessary to include in the voicing. Fifths, unless altered, are also not necessary. The notes that determine the quality of the chords are 3rds, 7ths and the upper extension if one is given in the chord symbol. The voicing you use for a particular chord should be determined by the voicing for the chord that came before and comes after.

Understanding the Notated Examples in this Chapter All of the notated chords are written in the key of C. The numbers on the bottom show you the intervals contained inside of the chord. These are only the theoretic voicings, the notes can be doubled and/or stacked in any order. More so than the common chord voicings that I will give you, it is more important for you to understand the rules of how to construct the chord and experiment building your own chord voicings.

Using the previous guideline you would know this about the following chord:

The chord is a C major 7th chord and the chord symbol is commonly notated as: Cmaj7. The major 7th chord contains a root, major 3rd, perfect 5th and a major 7th but does not necessarily have to be voiced in that order.

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Understanding the Chord Diagrams in this Chapter

The name written at the top of each chord diagram is the common name of the chord.

Strings are vertical and frets are horizontal.

If not in open position, the fret number will be next to the appropriate fret.

Fingering rule is as follows: X = not to be played 0 = the string is to be played open 1 = index finger 2 = middle finger 3 = ring finger 4 = pinky

Black notes are roots

Below the diagram, the voicing is written out for your convenience.

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Using the previous guidelines you would play this chord as follows:

Voicing: 1,5,7,3,5

6th string – No note should be played as an X is placed above the string.

5th string – Third fret, index finger. The note is black, advising you that this note is the root. If you were to move the chord to the fifth fret, it would become a Dmaj7 chord. The voicing written under the chord also tells you that this note is the root (1).

4th string – Fifth fret, ring finger. The written voicing tells you that this note is the 5th.

3rd string – Fourth fret, middle finger. The written voicing tells you that this note is the 7th.

2nd string – Fifth fret, pinky. The written voicing tells you that this note is the 3rd.

1st string – Third fret, index finger. The written voicing tells you that this note is the 5th.

Roman Numeral System I will often describe chords and certain chord progressions by using the Roman numeral system invented by a late- baroque French composer Jean-Phillipe Rameau. We still use this system today to analyze chord progressions. If you are not familiar with the system, you may want to jump to page 113 and learn about it before moving on.

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Triads - Three Note Chords Triads are three note chords, “Tri” as in tricycle or tripod. While Jazz favors “bigger” chords such as 7th and 9th chords, rock is based mostly (but not exclusively) on triads. These chord symbols are the easiest to read and write. Nothing too confusing here, to notate a C major triad, a simple C will work fine. For a C minor chord: min as in Cmin. A diminished chord generally gets written as dim while an augmented triad gets notated as aug. Check the triads and their intervals below:

Common Triad Voicings The following shapes can be moved up and down the neck. After learning the shapes, try moving them to different positions on the fingerboard:

6th string root forms

Voicing: 1,5,1,3,5,1

Voicing: 1,5,1,b3,5,1

Voicing: 1,b3,b5,1

Voicing: 1,1,3,#5,1


Voicing: 1,5,1,3

Voicing: 1,5,1,b3,1

Voicing: 1,b5,1,b3

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Voicing: 1,3,#5,1


Voicing: 1,5,1,3

Voicing: 1,5,1,b3

Voicing: 1,b5,1,b3

Voicing: 1,#5,1,3

Learning triad forms Learning all the triad shapes is important no matter what style of music you play. They are common in most genres and are the foundation for the “big” chords that we will get to later. Don't settle only for the standard voicings I’ve given above, learn every shape. When you get done learning all the major shapes, see if you can figure out the minor, diminished and augmented ones too:

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Try the following chord progression using the major triads given. Notice how some notes stay the same while others move up and down. This is called voice leading, a subject that I will cover at the end of the section on harmony (page 97). Try playing the same chord progression somewhere else on the fretboard. This use of triad voicings is what made Jimi Hendrix a genius at playing chords. Don’t worry if all the chords do not have the roots as the bass notes, the bassist takes care of that:

Points to remember about triads

1.

Triads, especially the major triad, are used often in slash chords. A slash chord is simply a chord over a specific bass note. For example, a C/E slash chord would mean a C triad played over an E bass note. Some common slash chords: C/E, C/G, C/Bb, C/D (more on slash chords on page 66).

2.

Sometimes the diminished triad gets notated with a small circle as in Co and the augmented triad with a plus mark as in C+.

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Sus chords When the 3rd is omitted and replaced by a 4th the triad gets called a sus or sus4 chord as in Csus or Csus4. Sometimes rather than the 4th replacing the 3rd, the 2nd replaces it. This chord gets called a sus2 chord. Sus refers to either a suspension of the 4th above the 3rd or of the 2nd below the 3rd of the chord.

Common Sus4 and Sus2 Chord Voicings The following shapes can be moved up and down the neck. After learning the shapes, try moving them to different positions on the fingerboard:


Voicing: 1,1,4,5,1


Voicing: 1,5,1,4

Voicing: 1,5,1,2,5

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Voicing: 1,5,1,4

Voicing: 1,5,1,2

Sus4 and sus2 chords are often used together in this way:

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Points to remember about sus chords

1.

Sus indicates that something has happened to the 3rd. It has either been replaced by the 4th or the 2nd (although these days the 3rd sometimes gets included in the voicing).

2.

The chord symbol sus without a 4 or 2 after it is referring to the 4th and not the 2nd. You don't need to write sus4 at all, just plain sus will do. If you mean sus2, you have to write it that way. Remember: sus by itself means sus4.

3.

The sus2 chord is a great replacement for a plain old major chord. While the suspended 4th in the sus4 chord tends to beg for resolution, the suspended 2nd in the sus2 chord, being a whole step below the 3rd, does not. The lack of the 3rd kind of neuters the chord giving it an interesting, ambiguous, slightly modern quality. Matter of fact, the sus2 chord could technically even be substituted in the place of a minor chord. Why not? No 3rd to complicate things.

4.

Since the symbol sus is indicating that one of the 3rds neighbors has replaced it, there can be no other suspensions other than the 4th and 2nd. There is no such chord as a sus5, sus6 or sus7 chord.

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7th chords - Four note chords 7th chords are also easy read and write, especially if they have no alterations (as in raised or lowered 5ths and/or 9ths). Cmaj7, Cmin7, C7, Cdim7, Cmin(maj7) and C7sus are all standard 7th chords. If the 5th is altered in the chord, you have to write it that way in the chord symbol: Cmaj7#5, Cmin7b5, C7#5 or C7b5. Below are the theoretical voicings, you can place the chord tones in any order or octave that you want:

Common 7th Chord Voicings The following shapes can be moved up and down the neck. After learning the shapes, try moving them to different positions on the fingerboard:


Voicing: 1,7,3,5

Voicing: 1,5,b7,3,5,1

Voicing: 1,5,b7,3,5,1

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Voicing: 1,5,b7,4,5,1


Voicing: 1,5,7,3,5

Voicing: 1,3,5,7,3

Voicing: 1,3,b7,1

Voicing: 1,5,b7,4,5

Voicing: 1,5,b7,b3,5

Voicing: 1,5,b7,3,5


Voicing: 1,5,7,3

Voicing: 1,3,5,7

Voicing: 1,5,b7,b3

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Voicing: 1,5,b7,3

Voicing: 1,5,7,3

Don't be deceived 7th chords seem simple by nature, after all, there are only four notes, but if you use your head a little and rearrange the four notes you'll be surprised with what you can come up with. Both the chords below are simple Cmaj7 chords but the voicings are exquisite:

Voicing: 3,5,7,1

Voicing: 5,7,1,3

Coming up with your own voicings As there are four notes in a 7th chord, you can technically make twenty-four different voicings (at least according to my mathematical skills). Use the chart below to come up with your own voicings. I tried every one myself and I'm pleased to inform you that they can technically all be played although some sound better than others. You can skip strings, use open strings, play the notes in any octave, and double notes if you want. When you get done with the maj7 voicings, go on to all the other 7th chords. Try playing the following voicings left to right, Ex: 1357 - 3571 5713 - 7135. Now why do you think I would want you to do that?

Voicings 1357

3571

5713

7135

1375

3517

5731

7153

1537

3751

5173

7315

1573

3715

5137

7351

1735

3157

5371

7513

1753

3175

5317

7531

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Common min7(b5) Chord Voicings As the name suggests, a minor 7th chord with a flatted 5th present:


Voicing: 1,b7,b3,b5


Voicing: 1,b7,b3,b5

Voicing: 1,b5,b7,b3


Voicing: 1,b5,b7,b3

The min7(b5) chord is commonly found in the minor iio – V – i chord progression:

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Common 7#5, 7b5 chord Voicings

Dominant 7th chords with raised or lowered 5ths come from the whole tone scale or altered mode from the melodic minor scale (page 171):


Voicing: 1,b7,3,#5,1

Voicing: 1,b7,3,b5


Voicing: 1,b7,3,#5

Voicing: 1,b7,3,b5

Dominant chords with altered fifths tend to resolve to the tonic chord as in the following iio – V – I progression:

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Common min(maj7) Chord Voicings A minor triad with a major 7th added is called a min(maj7) chord. This chord is the tonic or “i” chord from both the harmonized harmonic and melodic minor scale (pages 166 and 168):


Voicing: 1, 7,b3,5


Voicing: 1,5,7,b3


Voicing: 1,5,3,b3

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As you have probably discovered, these chords sound a little strange by themselves. They generally get played in progressions such as the following. Notice how the root of the Cmin chord on the fourth string descends chromatically to the major 7th of the Cmin(maj7) chord and finally to the minor 7th of the Cmin7 chord:

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Common dim7th Chord Voicings All the notes in a dim7th chord are minor 3rds apart. Because of the symmetry of the chord, any note can be the root, Ex: Bdim7 = Ddim7, Fdim7 or Abdim7:


Voicing: 1,bb7,b3,b5


Voicing: 1,b5,bb7,b3


Voicing: 1,b5,bb7,b3

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Diminished chords are generally used to connect one chord to another as in the following chord progression:

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What You Can Leave Out Unlike the piano, the guitar is limited by the amount of notes you can include in a chord. In every chord there are important notes as well as notes that can be left out without anyone missing them. If you are playing solo guitar, or as a duet with a vocalist, the root is important to leave in the chord but if you are playing with a bassist, especially in a jazz setting, it can be left out. Sometimes bassists will actually get angry with you if you include the bass notes in the voicings. He is likely to say; "leave the bass notes to me, buddy." I personally make a habit of not playing roots. The next note of least importance is the natural 5th. Since the natural 5th is present in major, minor and dominant chords, it does not determine the harmonic quality of the chord. If the chord symbol says that the 5th is to be lowered or raised, its best to include it in the chord voicing but otherwise it doesn't count for much. The two most important notes are the 3rd and 7th. These two notes determine everything. That's right, roots are roots and 5ths are 5ths but 3rds and 7ths are what make a chord what it is, minor, major or dominant. Examine the ii - V - I chord progression below, I voiced the chords using only 3rds and 7ths. It is important to play these voicings with someone playing the bass notes. If you can't find a bass player, just include the roots yourself:

My first experience in a Jazz ensemble When I first started playing Jazz, I thought you had to include everything in the chord voicing. The guys in the ensemble told me to quit playing such big, bulky, square chords and play some light airy voicings. The bassist told me; "for starters, leave out the notes on your 6th and 5th strings, I'll take care of those." He then added; "Play from the 3rds up." I learned from that experience that a few strategically placed chord tones work better than six note voicings especially in a large jazz ensemble like a big band. When it comes to voicing your chords, it may help if you just think: 3rd, 7th and the upper extension that is designated in the chord symbol (such as the 9th, 11th or 13th).

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6th chords Back when Jazz first got its start, 6th chords used to be more popular than 7th chords. Both the 6 and min6 chord contain the major 6th in the chord. You can just think of a 6th chord as a triad (minor or major) with the major 6th added into the chord. Compared to the min6 chord the major version is definitely easy on the ears. Since 6th chords don't contain 7ths, the major 6th chord can replace either a major or dominant chord:

Common 6 Chord Voicings Learn the following voicings and move them to different locations on the fretboard:


Voicing: 1,6,3,5

Voicing: 1,1,3,6

Voicing: 1,6,b3,5


Voicing: 1,6,3,5

Voicing: 1,1,3,6

Voicing: 1,6,b3,5

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Voicing: 1,3,6,1

Voicing: 1,5,6,b3

Although the 6 and min6 chords can generally replace their maj7 and min7 chord counterparts, the min6 chord sometimes gets used the following way. Notice the descending chromatic movement that is taking place on second string:

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Points to remember about 6th chords

1.

Although the 6 chord can easily replace any major chord, it is important to remember that the min6 chord, containing a major 6th interval can only replace a ii chord. You may want to think of the min6 chord as a "dorian" family chord (page 142).

2.

6th chords can also be thought of as inverted 7th chords: C6 (C-E-G-A) = Amin7 (A-C-E-G), Cmin6 (C-Eb-G-A) = Amin7b5 (A-C-Eb-G).

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9th chords – 5 note chords 9th chords are quite common for all major, minor and dominant chords. The major and minor 9th chords are usually notated as maj9 and min9, while the dominant 9th chord, when the 9th is unaltered (not raised or lowered), is notated with just a 9 as in C9. The 9sus chord is also quite common, it can also be thought of and played as a slash chord: Bb/C or Gmin7/C:

Common 9th Chord Voicings Learn the following voicings and move them to different locations on the fretboard:


Voicing: 1,7,3,5,9

Voicing: 1,5,b7,b3,5,9

Voicing: 1,b7,9,5

Voicing: 1,b7,9,4,b7


Voicing: 1,3,7,9

Voicing: 1,b3,b7,9

Voicing: 1,3,b7,9,5

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Voicing: 1,b7,9,4


Voicing: 1,3,7,9

Voicing: 1,b3,b7,9

Voicing: 1,3,b7,9

Voicing: 1,4,b7,9


1.

To be called a 9th chord, the voicing must contain a 7th.

2.

Some other 9th chords that you may want to think about are the min9(maj7) chord from the melodic minor scale (page 168) and the min9(b5) chord from the locrian #2 mode of the melodic minor scale (page 176). See if you can construct them yourself.

3.

There have been some adventurous musicians from time to time who lower the 9ths in major and minor chords. Although not standard practice, if you chose to do so, notate these chords the same way you would when notating altered dominant chords: Cmaj7b9, Cmin7b9.

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Common 7#9, 7b9 chord Voicings Both the 7#9 and 7b9 chords can be found in the harmonized half/whole diminished scale (page 183). The 7b9 chord may also be found in the diatonic chords constructed from the harmonic minor scale (page 166). Unlike altered dominant chords, these chords can, and often do, contain a natural 5th:



Voicing: 1,b7,3,5,#9


Voicing: 1,3,b7,#9

Voicing: 1,3,b7,b9


Voicing: 1,3,b7,#9

Voicing: 1,3,b7,b9

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Dominant chords with raised or lowered 9ths tend to resolve to tonic chords. Notice how I’ve included the natural 5th in the second chord, the A7b9:

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Altered Dominant Chords Sometimes the natural 9th in the dominant 9 chord is replaced by an altered (raised or lowered) 9th. When the 9th is altered in the chord, it is notated as a 7th chord plus the altered extension: C7#9, C7b9. When both the 9ths and 5ths are altered, the alterations must be included in the chord symbol, often in parentheses: C7(#5,#9), C7(b9,b5), C7(#9,b5), C7(b9,#5). It is quite common to notate the altered dominant chord with just the word alt. This is done when you want the guy playing the chords to simply make his own decisions on how to alter the 5ths and 9ths, Ex: C alt. Here are a few of altered dominant chords:

Common Altered Chord Voicings I have included the roots in the voicings but some of them are not playable unless you use your left hand thumb. If you are playing with a bassist, the root will not be necessary to include but it is important to remember where they are located as a reference point:


Voicing: 1,b7,3,#5,b9

Voicing: 1,b7,3,#5,#9

Voicing: 1,b7,3,b5,b9

Voicing: 1,b7,3,b5,#9


Voicing: 1,3,b7,#9,#5

Voicing: 1,3,b7,b9,b5

Voicing: 1,3,b7,#9,b5

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Voicing: 1,3,b7,b9,#5

The tension created by the altered extension begs for resolution. That is why the altered dominant chord generally resolves to the tonic chord. You can commonly find them in ii – V – I chord progressions:

Points to remember about altered dominant chords

1.

Altered dominant chords are derived from the altered mode of the melodic minor scale (page 171).

2.

It is not unusual for (altered) dominant chords to contain both the #9 and b9 as in C7(b9,#9).

3.

It is not uncommon for the raised 5th to be notated as a b13th as in C7(b13).

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Add9 Chords These chords are just like 9th chords, but the 7th is excluded from the voicing. Having no 7th, the major version of the add9 chord works for both major and dominant chords. The minor add9 chord is characteristically dark sounding. They are notated: add9 and min add9:

Common add9 Chord Voicings Learn the following voicings and move them to different locations on the fretboard:


Voicing: 1,5,9,3,5,1

Voicing: 1,5,9,b3,1


Voicing: 1,5,9,3,5

Voicing: 1,5,9,b3

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Voicing: 1,3,5,9

Voicing: 1,b3,5,9

The simple addition of the 9th to the minor and major triad creates a warm open sounding chord. Try the following progression first using triads and then add9 chords. You will be surprised what the addition of one note to a simple triad can do. It may take you a little time to get used to the stretch, but it is well worth the effort:

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Points to remember about add9 chords

1.

To be called an add9 chord, the voicing cannot contain a 7th.

2.

You are not likely to run across any other "add" chords besides the add9 chord. The reason is because the "add" means that there is no 7th in the chord and without a 7th a 13th chord would simply become a 6 or min6 chord. The min add11 chord is questionable I guess but I personally have never run across it myself in a chart, probably because the absence of the min7th doesn't make much harmonic difference and for that reason, not important enough to notate it as such. It's safe to assume that the only "add" chord you are going to run into is the add9.

3.

Sometimes the add9 chord gets notated with just a 9 in parenthesis: (9). Don't get confused between a dominant 9th chord as in C9 and an add9 chord as in C(9). I personally don't like the (9) chord symbol; it causes a second of unneeded contemplation.

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69 Chords Like the add9 chords, these chords also contain no 7th. Along with the 9th, the major 6th is also included in the voicing. When the intervals of the chord are voiced in a particular manner (1-6-9-5-1), it creates a series of perfect 4th intervals that give the chord a modern, angular sound. The chords are notated: 69 and min69:

Common 69 Chord Voicings Learn the following voicings and move them to different locations on the fretboard:


Voicing: 1,6,9,5,1

Voicing: 1,6,b3,5,9


Voicing: 1,3,6,9,5

Voicing: 1,b3,6,9,5

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The 69 chord is a nice replacement for a maj7 or maj9 chord:

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11th chords – 6 note chords Along with the 7th, the 11th is also added to the triad. There are a few basic guidelines to remember here, as I mentioned before, regarding sus4 chords, major 3rds and 4ths are not considered to get along so well. To fix this small problem, generally (and I stress the word generally), the major 3rd either gets omitted or the 11th gets raised, a harmonic compromise in a way. This does however create a few naming problems. By leaving the 3rd out of the voicing, we will simply be making the chord into a sus4 chord. If we leave the 3rd in and raise the 11th, the chord symbol needs to be written so. For these two reasons you don't run across major or dominant 11th chords such as C11 very often. As far as the minor version goes, the minor 3rd and natural 11th get along fine so there is no need to raise the 11th. Therefore, theoretically there are only three 11th chords and they tend to be notated this way: Cmaj7#11, C7#11 and Cmin11:



Voicing: 1,7,3,#11,7

Voicing: 1,b7,b3,11,b7

Voicing: 1,b7,3,#11

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Voicing: 1,7,3,#11

Voicing: 1,b3,b7,9,11

Voicing: 1,b7,3,#11

The “Lydian” Chord: The maj7#11 chord is sometimes referred to as the “Lydian” chord. It is a beautiful, modern sounding chord. Sometimes you may come across the word “Lydian” in a chart rather than a chord symbol (more on the lydian mode on page 151). The composer is just telling you to play a major family chord with a #11 somewhere in it. Try the following progression as an exercise:

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1.

For the major and dominant versions, when the 3rd is desired in the 11th chord voicing, the 11th tends to get raised.

2.

The 9th does not need to be included in the voicing but the 7th and 3rd do. Without the 3rd present, the chord becomes a sus4 chord

3.

Is there a dominant 11th chord? Yes and no. Technically a 3rd and 4th don't get put in the same major or dominant chord so a dominant 11th chord doesn't generally show up in a chart. With the 3rd removed, the 11th gets considered a 4th and that would just make the chord into a sus chord. In reality, the (modern) ear accepts the 3rd and 4th in the same chord if voiced correctly so the dominant 11th chord does get played from time to time, it just gets notated as a 9sus chord and the 3rd is considered an option. You may from time to time run across an 11 chord in a chart, but the composer most likely is telling you to play a 9sus chord (1-4-5-b7-9). Add 3rds at will but be careful.

4.

What is the difference between a 7#11 and a 7(b5) chord? Hmm.. Not too much on the surface but there are a few differences that need to be discussed. One thing that needs to be considered is what liberties can be taken with the chord. Derived from the lydian dominant mode of the melodic minor scale, the 7#11 chord can contain the natural 5th. The 9th, and 13th are also in the scale so they too can be added to the chord. Since the 7(b5) chord is most likely coming from the altered mode of the melodic minor scale, altered 9ths can probably be added without any complications. The 7#11 chord generally resolves down a half step, while the 7(b5) chord generally resolves up a 4th to the tonic chord.

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Putting 9th and 11th Chords Into Practice

Keeping Things Simple Notice how I've kept things simple in the following exercise by voicing all the chords with only four notes each. Most of the chords simply include the root, 3rd, 7th and the extension designated in the chord symbol. As I stated earlier, 5ths don't count for much so you are free to leave them out if they are not altered.

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13th Chords – 7 Note Chords 13th chords technically can contain every scale tone, but since there are seven scale tones in the major scale and only six strings on the guitar, it is a physical impossibility. There are certain choices that have to be made when playing 13th chords. 9ths and 11th can be left out and as I said before, the 5th isn't really necessary. If a bassist is present, you definitely don't need a root in the voicing. If you were to leave out the 7th, what you would get is a 6 chord. The most important notes are the 3rd, 7th, and 13th. As with our other major and dominant family chords, when the major 3rd is present, the 4th generally gets raised to a #11th (if you choose to include it in the chord). If you eliminate the 3rd and leave in the natural 4th, the chord will become a sus chord as in C13sus4.



Voicing: 1,7,9,3,13

Voicing: 1,b7,b3,9,13,1

Voicing: 1,b7,3,13,1

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Voicing: 1,b7,4,13,1


Voicing: 1,5,7,9,13


Voicing: 1,3,b7,9,13

Voicing: 1,5,b7,4,13

Points to remember about 13th chords:

1.

For the major and dominant versions, when the 3rd is desired in the voicing, the 11th tends to be raised.

2.

The 9th and #11th do not need to be included in the voicing but the 7th and 3rd do. Without the 7th included in the voicing the chord is considered a 6 chord.

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Dominant 13th Chords With Altered 9ths The 13#9 and 13b9 chords are the chords derived from the symmetrical scale known as the half/whole diminished scale (page 183). Unlike the altered dominant chords created by the altered mode of the melodic minor scale, the chords made from the half/whole diminished scale contain a natural 13th and an unaltered 5th. They generally resolve the same way altered chords do, to the I chord. Because of the symmetrical structure of the diminished scale, the upper chord shapes can be moved up or down in minor 3rds to create other dominant chords:

Common 13#9, 13b9 Chord Voicings Learn the following voicings and move them to different locations on the fretboard:


Voicing: 1,b7,3,13,#9



Voicing: 1,3,b7,#9,13


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The next example demonstrates how the dominant chord from the half/whole diminished scale works. Notice how the G triad on the top three strings of the Emin11 chord moves down a half step to a F# triad in the A13b9 chord:

Points to remember about 13th chords derived from the half/whole diminished scale

1.

The #11th can also be though of as a b5th so sometimes the 13#11 chord shows up as a 13b5 chord in a chart, as in C13b5. Some possible chord symbols from this chord family: C13b9, C13#9, C13(b5,#9), C13(b5,b9), C13(b9,#11), C13(#9,#11), etc..

2.

Just remember: we've traded our raised 5th from the altered mode for a 13th.

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Putting 13th Chords Into Practice

Jazz Blues Although I have included the roots in the voicings, they are unnecessary to play when a bassist is present. If you must play them, try to use your left hand thumb or sacrifice one of the upper extensions to free up a finger:

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Extensions and Diatonic Progressions

Know the extensions for each diatonic chord Since the upper extensions for each diatonic chord is different, you will want to be cautious when playing diatonic progressions. Play all the diatonic chords as add9 chords and you'll understand what I mean, while the natural 9th works fine in the I, ii, IV, V and vi chords, the addition of the natural 9th in the iii chord will make you cringe (the 9th is a iii chord is lowered). Keep in mind, this is important only when dealing with very diatonic chord progressions. More liberties can be taken with Jazz but you may need to exercise caution when playing other genres. Use the chart below as a reference guide.

Diatonic Chord

Extensions

Notes

I

1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13

Avoid #11ths as in maj#11.

ii

1, b3, 5, b7, 9, 11, 13

Anything goes, use min6 chords at will.

iii

1, b3, 5, b7, b9, 11, b13

Avoid 9ths and 6ths (13ths) as in min9, min6 or min13.

IV

1, 3, 5, 7, 9, #11, 13

Avoid sus chords.

V

1, 3, 5, b7, 9, 11, 13

All natural extensions work fine.

vi

1, b3, 5, b7, 9, 11, b13

Avoid 6ths (13ths) as in min6 or min13.

viio

1, b3, b5, b7, b9, 11, b13

Avoid 9ths and 6ths (13ths) as in min9(b5).

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Upper Extension Chord Forms

Useful Shapes I tend to use certain shapes or forms over various bass notes to get desired chords. This not only makes things simpler because one shape can be turned into a half dozen chords but is also a great aid in voice leading. Let's start with some shapes you may already be familiar with, here is our first one:

Our first chord is a C9 chord. The important thing to take note of is the upper form (the white dots). While keeping the same (C) root and moving the shape to a different location, we can make a new chord, in this case a C7(#5,b9) chord. I've included the roots in black but I usually don't play them:

voicing: 1,3,b7,9,5

voicing: 1,b7,3,#5,b9

Compare a G7(#5,b9) and Db9 chord using the previous voicings and you'll see why the Db9 chord works as a bV substitution for the V chord, G7. You will hear it better by comparing these two chord progressions: Dmin7 - G7(#5,b9) - Cmaj7 and Dmin7 - Db9 - Cmaj7.

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Our next shape can be thought of as a half/whole diminished scale chord shape:

Next we'll turn a C7#9 chord into a C13b9 chord. If you absolutely have to play the bass note on the C7#9 chord, use your thumb:

voicing: 1,3,b7,#9,5

voicing: 1,b7,3,13,b9

Our next shape:

We can turn this shape into a C7(#5,#9) and a C13 chord:

voicing: 1,3,b7,#5,#9

voicing: 1,b7,3,13,9

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Some more dominant shapes that come in handy:

C13 and C7(#5,#9):

voicing: 1,3,b7,9,13

voicing: 1,b7,3,#5,#9

Our next shape can also be thought of as a half/whole diminished scale chord voicing:

This shape gets turned into a C13(b9) and a C7(b9):

voicing: 1,b7,b9,3,13

voicing: 1,b9,3,5,1

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Major Scale Modal Shapes

While the last examples dealt primarily with dominant chords the next shape works quite well for both major and minor sounds. This shape is built from the major scale. First, let's memorize the shape:

These are all major scale modal family chords that can be made with the shape:

voicing: 1,5,1,2,5

voicing: 1,6,9,3,6

voicing: 1,b7,b3,11,b7

voicing: 1,7,3,#11,7

voicing: 1,1,4,5,1

voicing: 1,3,13,7,3

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Melodic Minor and Major Scale Modal Shapes

The next shape is also a very useful one. Unlike the previous shapes, you can use this shape to make major, minor, dominant and altered dominant chords. This shape can be found in both the major and melodic minor scales (page 168). First memorize the shape without the root:

I’ve included the roots in black but I don't usually include them when playing the chords. I do however use the roots as a reference to locate the chord. If you chose to think modally, all these chords can be thought of as both major and melodic minor family shapes with the exception of the C7(#5#9) chord which is strictly melodic minor (from the altered mode). Our first chord, C13 can come from either the mixolydian or lydian dominant mode. Our second chord, Csus(b9) comes from either the phrygian or dorian b2 mode. As I mentioned before, our third chord, C7(#5,#9) is strictly altered. The fourth chord, Cmin69 comes from either the dorian mode or the melodic minor scale. Our fifth chord, Cmin11(b5) can come from the locrian mode or the locrian #2 mode from the melodic minor scale. And last but not least, our sixth chord, Cmaj7#11 comes from either the lydian mode or the lydian augmented mode:


voicing: 1,b3,5,6,9

voicing: 1,b9,4,5,1


voicing: 1,3,#5,b7,#9

voicing: 1,1,3,#11,7

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Strictly Melodic Minor Modal Shapes

The next shape is strictly melodic minor modal harmony. Memorize the shape before we move on to the individual chords:

Our first chord below, a C13(#11) chord comes from the lydian dominant mode. The second chord, the C13sus(b9) chord comes from the dorian b2 mode. Our third chord, the C7(#5,#9) chord is derived from the altered mode. You won't be able to play the root in this voicing. I included it as a reference but you'll have to leave it to your bassist. I had to think about how exactly to name our next chord, the Cmin9(maj7) chord. It is a beautiful voicing derived from the melodic minor scale itself. Our fifth chord, the Cmin11(b5) chord comes from the locrian #2 scale. This voicing contains the natural 9th. There is no minor 3rd in the voicing but the minor harmony is implied so strongly that it really makes no difference. Our last chord, the Cmaj7#5 chord comes from the third mode of the melodic minor scale, the lydian augmented mode, it may help to think of it as an E/C chord:

voicing: 1,b7,9,#11,13

voicing: 1,b3,5,7,9


voicing: 1,3,#5,1,#9


voicing: 1,1,3,#5,7

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Putting the Shapes to use

I'm taking a lot of liberties with the voicings in this example. In a Jazz setting, this is okay as long as the voicings don't clash with the melody. With minor chords, usually the upper extensions with the exception of the 6th (13th) can be added to the chord without any conflict but be careful with dominant chords, check where they are going before adding your extensions. Notice how I used a Csus2 chord as a replacement for the final Cmin7 chord, as there is no 3rd present in the chord it can function as either major or minor. I like the ambiguous quality of the chord used in this manner, I’m letting the listener decide if it is major or minor:

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CHAPTER 4: SLASH CHORDS A slash is this: /, so a slash chord should have one of them in its name. These are all slash chords: G/B, C/Bb, F/G, Cmaj7/E. The symbol on the left of the slash is a chord and the symbol on the right is the bass note. So the slash chord G/B means that you have to play a G triad over a B bass note. If I wanted you to play this chord, I would probably say; "Play G on B" or "play G over B." There are basically two types of slash chords: one is an inversion of the chord itself, this makes the bass note (notated on the right of the slash) the 3rd, 5th or 7th of the chord. In the other type of slash chord, the bass note functions as the actual root of the chord. There is a gray area where these two types of slash chords overlap.

Triad Inversions The first type of slash chords we will deal with are just simple triad inversions. Simply by voicing any triad with the 3rd or 5th in the bass will yield a slash chord. Ex: a common C major triad voiced with the third, E as the bass note will yield a C/E slash chord, voiced with the 5th, G as the bass note will yield a C/G slash chord. When the triad has as the bass the root, it is said to be in root position. With the 3rd in the bass, 1st inversion and with the 5th in the bass, 2nd inversion.

Bass Note

Inversion

1

root position

3

1st inversion

5

2nd inversion

Play each inversion below. The roots are in black for reference:

root position

1st inversion

2nd inversion

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The previous chord examples are just a few of the many triad voicings that can be constructed, see if you can come up with some more voicings of major triads. After you figure some more of the major voicings out, try to come up with the minor shapes also.

Why would you want to use the inversion anyways? These kinds of slash chords are often used to simply create chromatic bass movements in your chord progressions. Take a look at the chord progression below; all the chords are in root position:

Although the bass movement works fine, we can create a smoother bassline by playing the first G chord in 1st inversion. This will make the bassline for the first two chords descend chromatically. The bassline will also descend through the diatonic scale for both measures:

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Lets take this concept a step further. Play the "before" version...

And now the "after" version. Check out how the bassline is completely chromatic for the first four chords:

The first inversion major chord (3rd in the bass) is probably the most commonly used of the inversions. While triads in root position and in their inversions are the rule in pop and rock, you aren't likely to find triads in root position very often in Jazz, the 1st inversion major triad however can be found from time to time as in the example below:

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Creating Contrary Motion I’m going to show you how we can use slash chords to create contrary motion. In the chord progression below, the chords all descend in whole steps...

And once again the "after" version. While the chords descend in whole steps, the bassline ascends creating some musical interest.

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Seventh Chord Inversions Just as triads can be inverted, so can seventh chords. The 3rd, 5th and 7th can all be used as the bass note. As seventh chords are four note chords, we get the choice of four notes for our bass notes:

Bass Note

Inversion

1

root position

3

1st inversion

5

2nd inversion

7

3rd inversion

Some of the inversions work better than others. While the maj7 chord in first and second inversion sound beautiful, the 3rd inversion (7th in bass) sounds horrible. I couldn't even come up with a decent example for this book (give it a shot anyways, you never know). While the 3rd inversion for the maj7 chord sounds pathetic, the 3rd inversion of the dominant 7 chord (b7th in the bass) is somewhat common. Generally the inversions of the maj7 and dominant 7 chords are used more commonly than the inversions of the min7 chords, the min7 chord in first inversion simply turns into a maj6 chord. Ex: Amin7/C = C6. Try out the chord progression below and you'll hear how beautiful and spacious the maj7 chords in 1st and 2nd inversion sound. Oh yeah, I'll explain the Bb/C chord a little later, try not to think about it too much for now:

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Creating complex harmony using slash chords While the first kind of slash chords we worked with were simply inverted triads or 7th chords used to create a desired bass movement, the next type are something all together different. With triads and 7th chords, the bass note (on the right of the slash) is either the 3rd, 5th or 7th of the chord, in the next examples all the bass notes will be the actual roots. Before we start making some harmonically complex chords, let's first make some 7th chords by using the slash chord technique we studied in the previous examples. Examine the following Amin7 chord. If you look carefully you will find that the top three notes form a C major triad. Therefore you can think of an Amin7 chord as a C triad simply placed over an A bass note, that's right, Amin7 = C/A:

Voicing: 1,b3,5,b7

I moved the bass an octave lower than it is notated so we can hear the actual C triad over the A bass note.

Diatonic 7th chords notated as slash chords As you discovered in the last example, 7th chords can be thought of as slash chords. I took the diatonic 7th chords of the C major scale and notated them as slash chords. Above the chord is the standard notated 7th chord name, below is the slash chord name:

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I wrote the last example just to simply show you that you've been playing slash chords all along and might have never realized it. Before we move on to more complex harmony I need you to make sure that you know all of the triad shapes. The shapes are going to get put on top of various bass notes and open up into some fairly harmonically complex chords. Generally major triads get used way more than minor triads for this kind of thing so I'm only going to cover them. First review all the major triad shapes on page 20 before moving on to the next section.

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Major Family Slash Chords There are basically three different major family slash chords. I tend to use these as my first choice whenever I play any major family chord.

1. Major triad up a 5th - By placing the major triad a 5th above the bass note we can make a slash chord that functions as a maj9 chord. Ex: To make a Cmaj9 chord using a slash chord, simply place a G triad on a C bass note and you'll render a maj9 chord (without a 3rd). G is a 5th above C: G/C = Cmaj9. Check the example below:

Voicing: 1,5,7,9

Rule: a major triad superimposed a perfect 5th above the bass note will render a slash chord that sounds and functions as a maj9 chord.

Try it yourself: Try putting together the following slash chords using the triad shapes we learned earlier: E/A, B/E, F#/B, D/G, A/D, G/C, C/F.

This slash chord pretty much replaces any major chord. Anywhere you would play a maj7 or maj9 chord, use this one instead. The following example just illustrates how this slash chord could replace the standard “I” chord in a ii - V - I:

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2. Major triad up a 2nd - By placing the major triad a 2nd above the bass note we can make a maj13#11 chord. Ex: To make a Cmaj13#11 chord using a slash chord, simply place a D triad on a C bass note and you'll render a major chord that sounds and functions like a maj13#11 chord (without the 3rd, 5th and 7th). D is a 2nd above C: D/C = Cmaj13#11. I tend to think of this slash chord as the "lydian" slash chord because of the #11th. Check the example below:

Voicing: 1,13,9,#11

Rule: a major triad superimposed a major 2nd above the bass note will render a slash chord that sounds and functions like a maj13#11 chord.

Try it yourself: Try putting together the following slash chords using the triad shapes we learned earlier: E/D, C/Bb, G/F, D/C, A/G.

You could argue about what this slash chord actually is; if you analyze it assuming the bass note is the root it looks like a maj13#11 chord but it could also be argued that it is a dominant 7th chord in 3rd inversion (the bass note being the b7th of the chord). Both are correct. That's right this slash chord could replace either a Cmaj7 chord or a D7 chord. This is one of the gray areas regarding slash chords:

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In the example below, the second and last slash chords are our "lydian" slash chords while the fourth chord in the sequence is a 2nd inversion Eb chord:

Analysis: Bb – Bbmaj13#11 – Bbmin7 – Eb (2nd inversion) – Bmaj13#11

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3. Major triad up a 3rd - By placing the major triad a 3rd above the bass note we can make a maj7#5 chord. Ex: To make a Cmaj7#5 chord using a slash chord, simply place an E triad on a C bass note and you'll render a maj7#5 chord. E is a 3rd above C: E/C = Cmaj7#5. Check the example below:

Voicing: 1,7,3,#5

Rule: a major triad superimposed a major 3rd above the bass note will render a maj7#5 chord.

Try it yourself: Try putting together the following slash chords using the triad shapes we learned earlier: F/Db, C/Ab, G#/E, B/G, E/C.

Play the following chord progression; the slash chord in the third measure is our maj7#5 chord. The first and last chord is the slash chord from the first example (maj9 functioning slash chords). This example is similar to what Wayne Shorter does in his some of his compositions:

Analysis: Gmaj9 – Amaj7#5 – Bbmaj9

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Dominant Family Slash Chords Both altered and unaltered dominant sounding chords can be created using slash chords. Let's start with the unaltered type.

4. Major triad down a 2nd - By placing the major triad a 2nd below the bass note we can make a dominant 9sus chord. Ex: To make a C9sus chord using a slash chord, simply place a Bb triad on a C bass note and you'll render a 9sus chord. Bb is a 2nd below C: Bb/C = C9sus. Check the example below:


Rule: a major triad superimposed a major 2nd below the bass note will render a slash chord that sounds and functions as a dominant 9sus.

Try it yourself: Try putting together the following slash chords using the triad shapes we learned earlier: C/D, A/B, G/A, D/E, Eb/F.

This slash chord replaces any unaltered dominant chord. Anytime you run across a 9sus chord in a chart, use this slash chord. The example below is somewhat similar to what Herbie Hancock may have done in one of his compositions:

Analysis: Gmaj9 - G9sus - Gmaj13#11 - G9sus

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5. Major triad up a b5th - By placing the major triad a tritone (dim5th) above the bass note we can make a dominant 7(b9,#11) chord. Ex: To make a B7(b9,#11) chord, simply place a F triad on a B bass note and you'll render a slash chord that sounds and functions as a 7(b9,#11) chord. F is a tritone above B: F/B = B13(b9,#11). Check the example below:

Voicing: 1,b9,#11,b7

Rule: a major triad superimposed a tritone (dim5th) above the bass note will render a slash chord that sounds and functions as a 7(b9,#11) chord.

Try it yourself: Try putting together the following slash chords using the triad shapes we learned earlier: C/F#, A/Eb, D/Ab, F#/C, B/F.

This slash chord, like the example before, is also derived from the half/whole diminished scale. Try the example below:

Analysis: Emin9 - A7(b9,#11) - Dmaj13#11

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6. Major triad up a 6th - By placing the major triad a maj6 above the bass note we can make a dominant 13b9 chord. Ex: To make a C13b9 chord, simply place an A triad on a C bass note and you'll a chord that sounds and functions as a 13b9 chord. A is a 6th above C: A/C = C13b9. Check the example below:

Voicing: 1,3,13,b9

Rule: a major triad superimposed a major 6th above the bass note will render a slash chord that sounds and functions as a dominant 13b9 chord.

Try it yourself: Try putting together the following slash chords using the triad shapes we learned earlier: B/D, A/C, F#/A, D/F, C/Eb.

This slash chord technically is derived from the half/whole diminished scale. Try the example below:

Analysis: Emin9 - A7(b9,#11) - A13b9 - Dmaj9 - Dmaj13#11

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Slash Chords and the Half/Whole Diminished Scale Because of the symmetrical structure of the half/whole diminished scale, any chord that is derived from it can be moved up or down in minor third intervals and will still function as some kind of dominant chord. I know, if you are hearing this for the first time, you are scratching your head. I’ll give you a somewhat common example; when resolving a V chord to a I chord, you could do it using slash chords. Let’s say, for example, your V chord is B7, you could play a B triad. By superimposing triads a minor 3rd over the B bass note, you would create these chords: B is simple enough to understand, next, a triad placed a minor 3rd above B would make a D/B slash chord that could be analyzed as a B7#9 chord. The next triad placed a minor 3rd above this one would be F/B, analyzed as a B7(b9,#11) chord. The final slash chord would be a Ab/B analyzed as a B13b9 chord:

Analysis: B - B7#9 - B7(b9,#11) - B13b9 - Emin9

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Minor Family Slash Chords Unlike major and dominant harmony, there aren’t any real groundbreaking things that done with slash chords in regards to minor harmony. There are basically three shapes that I tend to use.

7. Major triad up a b3rd - This example is the same one we looked at before, the plain old min7 chord. The only reason you may want to use this slash chord rather than a plain old min7th chord is only to tie harmonic motifs together. In a series of slash chords it may help to think of an Amin7 as a C/A chord to keep the triad voicings moving in a congruent manner.

Voicing: 1,b3,5,b7

Rule: a major triad superimposed a minor 3rd above the bass note will render a plain old min7 chord.

Try it yourself: Try putting together the following slash chords using the triad shapes we learned earlier: E/C#, D/B, G/E, F/D, Eb/C.

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This slash chord simply makes a min7 chord. It helps to notate it as a slash chord if you want to make sure the person playing the chords specifically voices it with a triad on top, by simply notating the chord as a min7 chord, the person comping the changes may take the liberty of playing a min9, min11 or min13 chord. The min7 chord notated as a slash chord will make sure the harmonic motif stays uninterrupted.

Analysis: Bmin7 - B9sus - Bbmaj9 - Emaj9

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8. Major triad down a 2nd - We've also looked at this one before in Ex.4. As I mentioned before, slash chords often don't have 3rds of 5ths present so they can be looked upon as either. This slash chord works well as both. Consider it either a 9sus or a min11 chord:


Rule: a major triad superimposed a major 2nd below the bass note will render a slash chord that functions as a min11 chord.

Try it yourself: Try putting together the following slash chords using the triad shapes we learned earlier: B/C#, A/B, E/F#, D/E, C/D.

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This slash chord in its minor form works well for any genre but it gets used quite often in a rock setting. It tends to follow a min7th chord with the same root. It often gets used in the following manner:

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Slash Chord Overview There are way to many slash chords to describe in detail. Take a look at the chart below and try each of the slash chords out. I simply superimposed each of the chromatic triads over a C bass note. The second column simply describes the extensions created and the third column gives some common progressions and the last column, some points to remember. Beware of enharmonic notes:

Slash Chord

Extensions

Common Progressions -

Notes

C/C

1,3,5

Just a plain old C chord

Db/C

b9,4,b13

Cmin7-Db/C or Cmin7-D/C-Db/C-C

Phrygian tonality

D/C

9,#11,13

C-D/C or Cmin7-D/C

Lydian sounding, replacement for any major chord

Eb/C

b3,5,b7

Eb/C-D/C-Db/C-C

Plain old min7 chord

E/C

3,#5,7

-

Maj7#5 chord, lydian augmented tonality

F/C

5,1,3

-

Major triad in 2nd inversion

F#/C

b7,b9,#11

G/C

5,7,9

Ab/C

3,5,1

Db-Ab/C or Dbmin7-Ab/C

Major triad in 1st inversion

A/C

3,b9,13

Gmin9-A/C-Fmaj9

half/whole diminished tonality

Bb/C

4,b7,9,

B/C

b3,b5,7

Gmin9-F#/C-Fmaj9

half/whole diminished tonality

-

Plain old maj9 chord

-

Plain old 9sus chord or min11 chord

Dmin7-G(alt)-B/C

Usually replaces a “i” chord. Diminished tonality

Try to experiment and have some fun. I've only described what can be done by superimposing major triads over bass notes, see what you can do with augmented and minor triads. Also see what happens when you superimpose 7th chords over various bass notes, Ex: Gmin7/C. A great example illustrating the use of slash chords in a composition is Mahavishnu Orchestra’s “Resolution” from the “Birds of Fire” CD.

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CHAPTER 5: INCORPORATING OPEN STRINGS IN YOUR VOICINGS Making the Guitar Sound Like a Guitar One of my personal philosophies regarding playing the guitar is; “to make the guitar sound like a guitar.” What I mean is simple really. I try to incorporate all the techniques that can be uniquely done (or almost uniquely done) on the guitar every chance I get. Let’s think about it for a minute first. Name a few things that you can do on the guitar that you can’t do convincingly on most other instruments? Here are a few examples:

Bending strings – This technique is pretty difficult on other instruments. It can be done rather convincingly on the trombone but most other instruments fall short on this technique. I bend every possible chance I get.

Sliding – The guitar is special because your fingers actually touch the guitar strings. Sliding can be done on violins and other stringed instruments but let’s face it, the guitar is perfect for using this technique because of its long neck length and commonly used amplification which enhances the effect. You can also use a slide like guitar legend Duane Allman did.

Harmonics – This is also a technique that reeks of the guitar. Pinched, natural and tapped harmonics are very typical “guitar” techniques. Use them at will.

Open strings – Using open strings in chords and scales is also very typical to the guitar. I try to incorporate an open string or two every chance I get. Anytime a chord or scale contains an E, A, D, G, and/or B note, an open string can be substituted for the fretted one. This is exactly the subject that I will talk about in this chapter.

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Open String Chord Voicings One of the things that makes the guitar different than other instruments is the fact that you can incorporate open strings into chord voicings and scales creating rich, open sounds. Notice how you can make a simple major scale sound more interesting just by replacing some of the notes with the same notes played on the open strings. Let the notes ring as long as possible:

While the minor ii - Vs in the exercise below are perfect for Jazz, the other voicings will work well for any style. Try the chords below and try to find ways to get them into your playing:

voicing: 1,b7,9,b3,b7

voicing: 1,5,9,3,#11

voicing: 1,1,3,9,5

voicing: 1,5,9,11,b7,b3

voicing: 1,5,9,#11,7,3

voicing: 1,b7,b3,b5,11


voicing: 1,6,b3,9,5

voicing: 1,b7,b3,11,b5

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voicing: 1,9,#11,9,5

voicing: 1,3,b7,b9,1

voicing: 1,3,b7,#9,b9

CHAPTER 6: INCREASING YOUR CHORD VOCABULARY Warning! You have entered the realm of harmonic complexity here. If you are not well versed in your chords, turn back now or skip it for the time being. Scales will also play an important part in this chapter so you may want to jump ahead to chapters 8, 11, 14 and 15 before returning here. This chapter may take a while to get through so be patient.

Increasing your Chord Vocabulary Now that you have the tools to make countless voicings of any individual chord by manipulating the intervals of the desired chord in the order that pleases your ear, we can take the process a step further by harmonizing the chord through the scale of its origin. For examples sake, let’s say you like the sound of the following Aadd9(#11) chord:

Voicing: 1,#11,5,9

We will use the voicing as the base for six new voicings, all you will need to do is simply move every chord tone in the chord voicing up by one scale step. Because the first chord contains both a raised 11th and natural 5th, the only scale you can technically use is the lydian scale. More so than the major scale, the lydian mode is a more “balanced” scale for creating major family chords as the #11th and 3rd get along fine together and can show up in the same chord without any complications. Use the following A lydian scale for your reference:

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Now let’s harmonize the next chord from the scale. The B note (the 9th of the chord) on the first string will move up to a C note while the E note on the second string (the 5th) will move up to an F# note. The D# note on the third string (the #11th) will move up to a E note and the A note on the fourth string (the root) moves up to a B. The reason I picked an A chord is because we can leave the fifth string throughout for the whole process. This way you can hear what all the separate upper chord voicings sound like over the root, the A note:

The next step is to move every chord tone in our new chord up a scale step to form our new chord. The C# note on the first string moves up to a D# note. The F# note on the second string moves up to a G# note. Next, the E note on the third string moves up to an F# note. Finally, the B note on the fourth string moves up to a C# note. Our root on the fifth string stays the same throughout the process:

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If we continue the process through the whole diatonic lydian scale, we will get a set of seven lydian family chords:

Things to try:

1.

Change the root to make other modal family chords in the same key. By changing the root in the previous exercise from A to F#, you will get seven F# dorian family voicings. G# = G# phrygian, C# = C# aolian, B = B mixolydian, etc..

2.

Arrange the intervals of the first chord to accommodate a different mode based on the same root. Ex: change the first chord voicing from the current (1-1-#11-5-9) to (1-1-11-5-9) and harmonize the next six chords using the A dorian mode (G major scale). Change the first voicing to (1-1-11-5-b9) and harmonize the next six chords using the A phrygian mode (F major scale), etc..

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If we do the same thing using the half/whole diminished scale we get interesting results. The symmetrical structure of the scale will only yield two different repeating shapes. First, the chord we will use:


The half/whole diminished scale that we will now use to create a new set of chords (keep in mind; where as the major scale is a seven note scale, the half/whole diminished scale is an eight note scale yielding eight chords rather than seven):

The chords we get by harmonizing our original chord through the scale:

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Putting this Concept to use I’ve incorporated what we have been working on in the following example. There are a lot of chords to play so this technique works best in slow or medium tempo applications:

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More Voicings to try The following chords blossom into spectacular voicings. See if you can harmonize six more voicings from the following chord using the A dorian mode.


The A dorian mode to use for harmonizing the next six chords:

Write your six new voicings in the blank diagrams using a pencil (in case you make a mistake):

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Harmonize six more voicings from the following chord using from the A dorian (G major scale) mode:

Voicing: 1,b7,b3,11,9

The A dorian mode to use for harmonizing the next six chords:

Write your new voicings in the blank diagrams using a pencil (in case you make a mistake):

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Harmonize six more voicings from the following chord using from the A lydian mode (E major scale):

Voicing: 1,7,9,3,13

The A lydian mode to use for harmonizing the next six chords:


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Harmonize six new voicings from the same chord, this time using from the A lydian augmented mode (F# melodic minor scale). The A lydian augmented mode to use for harmonizing the next six chords:


Use this technique to harmonize new chords from voicings that you like the sound of. Not only will you increase your chord vocabulary but it will also force you to use your head a bit.

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CHAPTER 7: VOICE LEADING I'm going to walk you through some of the basics of voice leading in this lesson. When playing through the examples, try to use your fingers rather than a pick. Using your fingers will help separate the notes and help you to hear the individual notes in the chords. Classical genius Segovia once said in an interview that to play with a pick robs the guitar of its polyphony. So give it a shot!

Contrapuntal Motions The lessons I learned about voice leading while studying classical music in college haven't change since Bach. We have learned to stretch harmony, melody and rhythm but voice leading still generally works the same way. The four types of contrapuntal motions:

1.

Parallel motion - Both voices move in the same direction the exact same distance. This is an example of parallel major 3rds:

2.

Similar motion - Both voices move in the same direction any distance. An interval of a major 3rd moves up to an interval of a minor 3rd in the example below:

3.

Contrary motion - Both voices move in opposite directions. In the next example, both voices are moving in opposite directions to form a perfect 5th.

4.

Oblique motion - One voice stays the same while the voice moves in one direction or the other. This example of oblique motion demonstrates how one voice stays the same while the upper voice moves up to form a perfect 4th.

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So far we have only dealt with two notes at a time. The same principles hold true for chords also.

Chords The first thing you start working on in your music theory class in college is four part harmony. You start by analyzing and writing Bach Chorales. Although it is four part harmony (chords with four voices), it is mostly triads with one of the notes doubled somewhere in each of the chords. Bach was adventurous compared to his predecessors; he used a dominant 7th chord as a V chord from time to time. A dominant 7th chord has a tritone (diminished 5th) inside of it that kind of scared musicians back in those days so Bach may have been considered a rebel amongst his peers, Ex: G7 = G - B - D - F, the tritone is B - F. Play the interval and see if it scares you. Bach was also a master of counterpoint, the art of writing two melodies on top of each other.

Dominant chords usually got resolved to the tonic chord this way back in Bach's days. At least I had to resolve them this way or my Theory II teacher would get angry with me and threaten to call the Baroque police:

Some rules or at least some standard practices for the *Baroque period (Key:C): 1.

The b7 in the V chord (F) moves down to the 3rd of the I chord (E)

2.

The root of the V chord (G) stays as the common tone (if possible) in the I chord (G)

3.

The 3rd of the V chord (B) moves up to the root in the I chord (C)

4.

The 5th of the V chord (D) moves either up to the 3rd (E) or down to the root (C) of the I chord

*Most of music historians tend to believe that the Baroque period ended with the death of Bach. Another famous Baroque period composer was Vivaldi (an Italian). Before the Baroque period we had the Renaissance. The Classic period begins with Bach's death and pretty much gets going with Mozart. While both Bach and Vivaldi wrote sacred music (for the church), Mozart started writing music for the common people (operas) in German (so people could understand what the hell was going on). The classic period ends with the death of another great German composer, Beethoven.

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After that we get into the Romantic period. Tchaikovsky and Wagner are some names associated with this period. After the Romantic period we move into the 20th century, which we left behind recently.

What this means to us in the 21st. century Our chords have become way more harmonically advanced since the Baroque period, for this reason the way we resolve our chords has also changed. Many of the chord voicings we use these days don't even contain 5ths or even roots for that matter. Regardless, the four types of contrapuntal motion remain the same. The concept of "keeping the common tone" still plays an important part in voice leading.

Parallel 5ths Parallel motion wasn't really considered cool back in the Baroque days. Especially parallel 5ths and Octaves. Other intervallic parallel motion such as 3rds or 2nds, etc. was considered okay. The reason that parallel motion wasn't cool is simple, the separate notes in the moving chords should move around in different directions or at least not the exact same distances to create a sense of melody inside the harmony or at least to create some musical interest. Everything moving in identical intervals is boring to the ear. These days parallel 5ths and octaves are standard procedure for some genres of music such as hard rock, but for now let's concentrate on the more traditional form of voice leading.

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What is proper voice leading? Probably, when a chord changes to the next one, one voice should stay the same (if it is present in both chords); you might say; "keep the common tone." Another voice moves up and another down. This is an example of what I think is pure perfection when it comes to voice leading: a standard blues turnaround. Check out how the top voice stays the same, the note on the second string moves up in half steps and the note on the fourth string moves down in half steps.

A blues turnaround like the one in the last example probably came into fashion in the 1930's or so. Funny how some blues cats made a musical statement that would have made Bach proud. Muddy Waters or Robert Johnson definitely didn't study music theory in college, did they? I guess it's safe to assume that all these music theory rules are really universal musical laws already known by the ear.

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The Four Contrapuntal Motions in Action Let's take a look at the different kinds of motion in action. What kind of motion is taking place in the following examples? Check the answers at the end of the chapter:

1.

Only one kind of motion going on here, what is it?

2.

Only one kind here also, what kind of motion do you think it is? Compare the sound of this one to the last example:

3.

Two types of motion going on here, what are they? Hint: look at the top note in both chords and then the ones below:

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4.

Two types here too, what are they?

Examples of Good Voice Leading Check what the separate voices in the chords are doing. Are they all moving in the same direction? Are some voices moving while others are staying put as common tones?

Notice in the first two chords how the notes on the fourth and third string slide down a half step while the note on the second string stays where it is. In the Bbmaj7#11 chord, is there any common tones carried over from the previous F7#5?

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The next example is similar to the previous one except I included notes on the first string. Feel free to leave off the notes on the sixth and fifth strings when playing with a bassist.

The voicing for the Bbmin11 chord is worth the stretch. Avoid the roots for these chords when playing in an ensemble situation. If you have to play the roots, you'll have to use your thumb on the first one. The root on the Abmaj9 chord is on the fourth string so it is probably safe to leave in when playing with a bassist because it is in a high enough register.

Test Answers for page 101: 1.

Parallel motion

2.

Similar motion

3.

Oblique and parallel motion

4.

Oblique and contrary motion

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Chord Construction Formulas Although most of the following information has already been presented to you, you can use this section as a quick reference chord guide. The following construction rules should help you to learn how to build any chord you want. Simply write out a C major scale and stack and alter the extensions to create any of the chords you desire. Remember the order is not mandatory; you don't have to stack the chords in 3rds. Ex: stacked in thirds: maj7#11 (1-3-5-7-#11), stacked randomly: maj7#11 (1-5-3-#11-7). Experiment with different voicings and have fun finding new sounds. Extensions written in parenthesis can be omitted freely.

triads 5

5

b5

#5

3

b3

b3

3

1

1

1

1

maj

min

dim

aug

Triads: Triads are three note chords (a music theory text book will probably state that a chord must have at least three notes to be considered a chord). Any of the notes can be repeated and the order of the notes makes no difference. Triads are often played above a bass note that is not present in the triad itself. This technique creates what is known as a slash chord because a slash mark is used in the chord symbol. Ex: G/A (a G triad placed over an A bass note).

sus chords 5

5

4

2

1

1

sus4 sus2

Sus chords: In sus chords the 3rd is replaced with a 4th or a 2nd. Although this is the general rule, these days some musicians voice the chord with the natural 3rd included also. Best to be careful when including the 3rd with the 4th, they kind of rub together causing a dissonance but good voice-leading can make it work.

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7th chords 7

7

7

b7

b7

7

b7

b7

b7

b7

bb7

5

#5

b5

5

b5

5

5

5

#5

b5

b5

3

3

3

b3

b3

b3

3

4

3

3

b3

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

maj7

maj7#5 maj7b5

min7

min7b5 min/maj7

7

7sus 7#5 7b5 dim7

7th chords: 7th chords are four note chords. It may help you to think of them as triads with the extension of the 7th added on. You may want to figure out what triad the top three notes of a 7th chord make. Ex: C maj7#5 (C-E-G#-B) = E/C (E triad over an C note).

6th chords 6

6

5

5

3

b3

1

1

6

min6

6th chords: A triad with an added major 6th. Since the 6th chord doesn't contain a 7th interval, this chord can function as either a major or a dominant chord. The only other thing you may want to keep in mind about the 6th chord is that if you rearrange the order of notes, it turns into a min7th chord. Ex: C6 (C-E-G-A) = Amin7 (A-C-E-G). The notes of the min6 chord can be rearranged to make a min7b5 chord. Ex: Amin6 (A-C-E-F#) = F#min7b5 (F#-A-C-E). For this reason, the min6 chord is a common substitution for a min7b5 chord. Try it yourself, any time a min7b5 chord shows up in a song, play a min6 chord a min3 above it. Ex: F#min7b5 = Amin6, Bmin7b5 = Dmin6, etc.. Rule: a 6 and a 13 are the same note, so what's the difference between a 6th chord and a 13th chord? Simple; a 6th chord contains no 7th while a 13th chord contains a 7th. Some textbooks may state that where the 6th is placed also makes a difference (placed above the octave makes it a 13th) but I don't buy it.

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9th chords 9

9

9

9

b9

#9

b9

#9

b9

#9

9

b9

7

b7

b7

b7

b7

b7

b7

b7

b7

b7

b7

b7

5

5

b5

5

5

5

b5

b5

#5

#5

5

5

3

b3

b3

3

3

3

3

3

3

3

4

4

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

9

7b9

7#9

9sus

sus b9

maj9 min9 min9b5

7(b5,b9) 7(b5,#9) 7(#5,b9) 7(#5,#9)

9th chords: I've included chords with and without altered extensions.

Remember: 9ths are the same as 2nds. Also, you may from time to time run into a chord with both a raised and lowered 9th. Ex: E7(b9,#9).

Add9 chords 9

9

-

-

5

5

3

b3

1

1

add9 minadd9

add9 chords: A triad with the 9th added, no 7th allowed here.

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69 chords 9

9

6

6

5

5

3

b3

1

1

69

min69

69 chords: A minor or major triad with both the major 6th and 9th interval included, no 7th.

11th chords #11

11

#11

(9)

(9)

(9)

7

b7

b7

5

5

5

3

b3

3

1

1

1

maj7#11 min11

7#11

11th chords: When chords get this big you may have to leave some notes out. An 11th chord doesn't need a 9th. After that the 5th will not change the quality of the chord so it can technically be left out. If you are playing with a bassist you won't need to play the root (some bass players actually get mad at you if you play roots at all).

Remember: 11ths are the same as 4ths.

Rule: technically a major 3rd and natural 11th (4th) cannot be included in the same chord (They kind of rub together being so close and all). For this reason, when a major 3rd is present in the chord the 11th gets raised to a #11th. The 3rd can also be omitted; this will however turn the chord into a sus4 chord (when a 3rd is not present, the 11th is considered a 4th). Ex: 7#11

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(1-3-5-b7-#11), 7sus4 (1-4-5-b7). For this reason I consider the lydian mode the perfect major scale, simply because the raised 11th doesn't rub against anything (same in regards to the lydian dominant mode). When dealing with the major scale you have to be careful of the natural 4th, but by building chords using the lydian mode, anything goes. The rule about 4ths don't apply to minor chords, the min 3rd doesn't get in the way of anything so don't even worry about it.

Breaking the Rules: Although the natural 3rd and 4th technically can't be included in the same major or dominant chord, you can pull it off by placing the 4th in a different octave, either above or below the 3rd and it will keep them from rubbing together. It will create a few naming problems but it still can be done. Try these voicings from the 5th string and you'll see what I mean: Cadd4 (C-F-G-C-E) or B7#9(11) (B-D#-A-D-E). Your ear is the final judge on these matters.

13th chords 13

13

(#11)

(11)

(9)

(9)

(9)

b9

#9

(9)

7

b7

b7

b7

b7

b7

5

5

5

5

5

5

3

b3

3

3

3

4

1

1

1

1

1

1

maj13 min13

13

13

13

(#11) (#11) (#11)

13

13 -

13b9 13#9 13sus

13th chords: The biggest of all the chords. All scale notes are included. Feel free to omit the 11ths, 9ths, 5ths and roots (when a bassist is present).

Remember: 13ths are the same as 6ths.

Rule: As I stated before, without a 7th present, the 13th is considered a 6th.

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CHAPTER 8: THE MAJOR SCALE (THE INONIAN MODE) The Major Scale No matter what genre you're into, it is essential to get the major scale under your fingers. There are basically two reasons: first, all western harmony is born from it, Jazz, Rock, Classical, Pop, you name it, its harmony came from the simple major scale. And second, If you want to get your chops together, your going to have to work on your scale playing daily and the major scale is the best place to start. We guitarists tend to learn how to play the chords for songs we're into first and then somewhere down the road realize that we have no technique. It's because we tend not to work on our technique first. Most other musicians start off working on and practicing scales and arpeggios routinely before they get into playing actual music. So I'm assuming you are at the crossroads, you have a few tunes under your belt but have come to the conclusion that if you want to get your playing together, you're going to have to learn how to play and use some scales. Let's start with the standard C major scale.

What is the Major Scale Anyway? As I mentioned before, it is the mother of western harmony. Even if you are not familiar with it, you know it but didn't know that you did. It is the Do-Re-Mi-Fa-Sol-La-Ti-Do scale. Like any other scale, it is based on an unchangeable series of half and whole steps (a half step equals one fret or note while a whole step equals two). The C major scale and its series of half and whole steps:

The first two notes C and D are two notes apart so it is considered a "whole step," the same for the second and third notes D and E. But the third and fourth notes E and F are only one note apart therefore considered a "half step." The order of "steps" will never change for the major scale (even if the key does). The order: W-W-H-W-W-W-H. If you remember the order of steps, you can construct a major scale starting on any note.

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Other Keys Try to write out the major scale in other keys. If you stick to the pattern of half and whole steps, you should be able to figure out all the major scales. Fill in the blanks and have one of your teachers check the answers for you:

W

W

H

W

W

W

H

C

D

E

F

G

A

B

C

G

A

?

C

D

E

F#

G

D

E

F#

?

A

B

C#

D

A

?

C#

D#

?

F#

G#

A

E

F#

G#

?

B

C#

?

E

B

C#

?

E

?

G#

A#

B

F#

?

A#

B

C#

?

E#

F#

C#

?

E#

?

G#

A#

B#

C#

Cb

Db

Eb

Fb

Gb

Ab

Bb

Cb

Gb

Ab

?

Cb

?

Eb

F

G

?

Eb

F

Gb

Ab

Bb

C

?

Ab

Bb

?

?

?

F

G

A

Eb

?

?

?

?

?

D

Eb

Bb

C

?

?

F

G

A

Bb

F

G

A

?

C

D

?

F

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Playing the Scale Before we get going on major scale harmony, let's get you playing the scale so you can get used to the sound of it. Below is one of the five major scale patterns. The black dots are the roots (in this case C). The horizontal bottom line is the sixth string and the top, the first string. The vertical lines are the frets. Lets start by playing root to root from the sixth string to the first string. To do this, place your middle finger on the black note on the sixth string. Play the next note, which will be on the tenth fret, sixth string with your pinky. Now you are ready to move on to the fifth string. The first note you will play on the fifth string will be on the seventh fret with your index finger. The next two notes with your middle finger followed by your pinky. Keep going till you get to the black note on the first string. If you get confused about what fingers to use, just remember this: Any note on the seventh fret will be played with your first finger, any note on the eighth fret, with your middle finger, any note on the ninth fret with your ring finger and any note on the tenth fret with your pinky (don't cheat, get used to using your pinky):

Use your ears You should be able to here the Do-Re-Mi-Fa-Sol-La-Ti-Do thing going on here. If you don't, reread the instructions above and try it again. Try to get uses to the sound of the scale; this is not just for your fingers but for your ears too. Play it up and down and try to pick out some melodies from the scale if you can.

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About Picking There a basically three different ways to pick:

1.

Alternate - This is the most standard way to pick. Simply play everything with a down stroke followed by an up stroke. Down, up, down, up.................

2.

Economy - Shredders use this picking technique quite often. You simply take the quickest route to the next string. Using the C major scale that we have been working with as an example, if you were to start on the lowest note on the sixth string (7th fret, index finger), you would pick: (sixth string) down stroke, up stroke, down stroke, (fifth string) down stroke, up stroke, down stroke, (fourth string) down stroke, up stroke, down stroke, etc.. Players who use this technique tend to play scale patterns that have three notes per string. If you get this technique down you can achieve light speed.

3.

Legato - You would only pick one time per string. Using the same example as above (from the lowest note on the sixth string): (sixth string) down stroke, hammer on, hammer on, (fifth string) down stroke, hammer on, hammer on, etc..

I would suggest you work first on the alternate picking and try the other two later on. They are all useful techniques and the combination of them will lead to spectacular results.

Practicing the scale You can practice your scales while watching TV if want to just want to improve your technique. You don't have to play the notes of the scale in any particular order and you should try to work out mathematical sequences if you can. But if you really want to become a great soloist you will have to practice improvising over chord changes. You can use a sequencer or make yourself a backing track or get together with one of your guitar pals. The problem is; what chords do you make the chord progressions with? We'll have to get into major scale harmony here.

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Harmonizing the Major Scale Chords are born from scales. When you stack the first, third and fifth note in the C major scale on top of each other, you get a chord, a C chord. Since this chord is built on the first note of the major scale we can call it the "one" (I) chord. Check out the example below.

A Family of Diatonic Chords We can do the same thing for all the notes of the major scale. Let's do the same thing for the second note, D in the C major scale. We'll just stack every other note on top of each other and we'll get a D minor chord. Since this chord is built on the second note of the major scale it gets named the "two" (ii) chord:

The Whole Diatonic Triad Family If we do the same thing for each note of the C major scale, we will get seven chords, one for each note of the scale. These chords are called triads because they only contain three notes ("tri" as in triangle or tripod). The roman numerals below denote the quality of the chord, large case meaning major (I, IV, V), small case meaning minor (ii, iii, vi) and small case with the small circle after it (viio) means diminished:

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Harmonized as 7th Chords Looking at the last previous example it is interesting to see that when harmonizing the major scale as triads, there are only three different chord types; major, minor and diminished. By taking the harmonization process one step further and harmonizing the scale in 7th chords, we get four different chord types:

Things to consider What would happen if you harmonized the scale in 9th, 11th or 13th chords? If you were to harmonize each chord to its full potential, you would get seven completely different chords, what would they be?

Common Diatonic Chord Progressions The previous chords are the chords that work with the C major scale, any one or any combination of them can be used as a backing chord or chord progression. Anything goes but the following are some common progressions using the diatonic chords from the C major scale. Record them and practice improvising with the major scale pattern that you just learned. Feel free to add any extensions to the chords that you may have learned about in chapter 3. Be sure to check the chart on page 58 if you are not sure which extensions you can use without complications:

Ex.1)

Ex.2)

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Ex.3)

Ex.4)

More Major Scale Patterns

Major Scale Patterns When you get the one pattern of the C major scale under your fingers, try moving on to the other four. They will all work over the same chord progressions I’ve given above. The black notes will all be C. I'll point you in the right direction just in case: For pattern 1, the black note on the fifth string will be on the 15th fret (pinky). For pattern 2, the black note on the fifth string will be on the 3rd fret (middle finger). For pattern 3, the black note on the sixth string will be on the 8th fret (pinky). For pattern 4 the black note on the sixth string will be on the 8th fret (you already know this one). For pattern 5 the black note on the fourth string will be on the 10th fret (middle finger). Practice playing the following patterns over some of the previous chord progressions or make up your own using any of the diatonic chords in the key:

Pattern 1

Pattern 2

Pattern 3

Pattern 4

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Pattern 5

Other keys When you have the C major scale down you can try to move to other keys. All five patterns will stay the same only the frets will change:

G major

E major

Bb major

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The Changing Diatonic Chords Of course when you change scales, the diatonic chords for the key will also change. For the proper chords, use the chart below. Try to transpose some of the chord progressions that you learned or make up your own and improvise using all five patterns of the major scale in various keys:

Diatonic Triads in the Harmonized Major Scale

Key

I

ii

iii

IV

V

vi

viio

C

C

D

E

F

G

A

B

G

G

A

B

C

D

E

F#

D

D

E

F#

G

A

B

C#

A

A

B

C#

D

E

F#

G#

E

E

F#

G#

A

B

C#

D#

B

B

C#

D#

E

F#

G#

A#

F#

F#

G#

A#

B

C#

D#

E#

C#

C#

D#

E#

F#

G#

A#

B#

Cb

Cb

Db

Eb

Fb

Gb

Ab

Bb

Gb

Gb

Ab

Bb

Cb

Db

Eb

F

Db

Db

Eb

F

Gb

Ab

Bb

C

Ab

Ab

Bb

C

Db

Eb

F

G

Eb

Eb

F

G

Ab

Bb

C

D

Bb

Bb

C

D

Eb

F

G

A

F

F

G

A

Bb

C

D

E

maj

min

min

maj

maj

min

dim

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CHAPTER 9: SEQUENCES Building Technique Now that you have the major scale under your fingers, it's time to move on to the next step, which is to start building technique. We will do this by working on various sequences and patterns until they become effortless. I must admit, sequences are and sound very mathematical which, by the way, is exactly what good improvisation shouldn't sound like. But by learning and practicing the various sequences I'm about to show you, you should eventually be able to forget them while retaining a high level of technique that will allow you to play practically anything your ear tells you to. Each sequence you learn will pose a different technical challenge and that is where true learning begins. The ultimate goal of this section is to gain technical fluidity.

What exactly is a sequence? It is a musical equation or formula in a sense, one that generally repeats it self from each of the consecutive notes of a scale. It is math, musical math. Although there are various variations and combinations, there are basically two different types of sequences: the "intervallic" and "group of" sequence. "Intervallic" Sequences - This type of sequence jumps directly from the starting note of the scale (C, in the example below) to the designated interval without sounding the notes in between (in the example given below, a 4th). We then play the next note of the scale (in this case a D note) and jump to the diatonic 4th of that note (G in the example). The process continues from every consecutive note in the scale. The example given below is an ascending intervallic 4ths sequence:

"Group of" Sequences - "Group of" sequences rather than jumping directly to the interval, the player plays the diatonic notes between the starting note and the interval in question (4ths in this example). The process continues from every consecutive note in the scale. The example below is an ascending group of 4 sequence:

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How to practice these sequences All the sequences I've written out are written out using only one scale pattern and in one key (C major scale, pattern 4), the simplest rhythmic notation and ascending only. What you need to do:

1.

Practice them in using all scale patterns and in all keys.

2.

Practice them using different rhythmic figures such as triplets, sixteenth notes and various combinations.

3.

Figure them out descending as well. Just do the same thing in reverse, high to low rather than low to high.

4.

Practice them to backing tracks as much as you can or with a friend.

5.

When you have the major scales under your fingers, move on to the other scales such as the harmonic and melodic minor scales.

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Diatonic 3rds

1. Intervallic 3rds sequence - No real technical problems here except for the F to A interval on the third to second string (third measure, third beat). You'll have to use your pinky to play both notes but since there is no jumping over strings, it doesn't pose too much difficulty. What we are basically doing with this sequence is simple; we play the first note of the scale (C in this case) and then play the note that is up a diatonic third from it, not playing any of the notes in between. We then do the same with the next note of the scale (in this case, from D):

2. Group of 3 sequence - No real technical difficulties with this one either. As it is a "group of 3" sequence it may sound more natural using triplets, I've simply notated it using eighth notes to make it as simple as possible. It actually "rubs" a little bit played this way, which is to my liking:

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Diatonic 4ths

I'm going to get into specific variations with the 4ths section only. The last two sequences were just to get you warmed up so now I'm going to show you some different variations of the different sequences. I'm only going to do this here with the 4ths and not with the other intervals for two reasons: one, it's way to much work to transcribe them all and it will take me forever. But the most important reason is because I want you to use your head. The only way you are really going to learn these things are by figuring them out for yourself. I'll only help you here with the 4ths; you'll have to figure out how to do the same things with the other intervals yourself. 3. Intervallic 4ths sequence - This is one of my favorite sequences and it poses a lot of problems. Because 4ths generally fall on the same fret of the adjacent string, you'll have to use a lot of the same fingers for corresponding notes. You'll also get your first taste of string skipping. The F and B notes (third measure, third beat) fall on the third and first string which means you'll have to jump over the second string to get there. We are doing the same thing as in the our first sequence only this time using 4ths rather than 3rds:

4. Intervallic 4ths sequence (variation 1) - I just simply reversed the intervals:

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5. Intervallic 4ths sequence (variation 2) - A combination of the previous two sequences:

6. Intervallic 4ths sequence (variation 3) - Rather than playing the root followed by a diatonic 4th and continuing the intervallic jump from each consecutive note in the scale, the next sequence starts with the root followed by two diatonic 4ths:

7. Group of 4 sequence - No real road blocks here. To create interest you might want to play this sequence using triplets:

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Diatonic 5ths

8. Intervallic 5ths sequence - Tons of string skipping going on in this intervallic 5ths sequence:

9. Intervallic 5ths sequence (variation 1) - Same as sequence no.5, utilizing 5ths rather than 4ths:

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10. Intervallic 5ths sequence (variation 2) - root followed by a diatonic 5th, but rather than continuing the pattern from next consecutive note (D in this case) we skip the note and play the interval from the third note (E) before returning to the second note (D):

11. Group of 5 sequence - The first five notes of the scale followed by the next five. You will notice that the "group of 5" sequence played using eighth notes will rub rhythmically against the common time meter of most songs. Again, something I like:

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12. Group of 5 sequence (rhythmic variation) - Sometimes the "group of” sequences work best applied using the same rhythmic figure as the number in the group. Since the notes are grouped in fives, see if you can play each group of five notes over one beat. This is difficult to do so it may help to verbalize the rhythm by verbalizing a five-syllable word. One I use for five is; "opportunity" OP-POR-TU-NI-TY. Just tap your foot and say opportunity to each beat and you'll be verbalizing a 5 over 1 rhythm. As the following sequence is basically the same as the previous one using a different rhythm, I've only notated one measure:

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Diatonic 6ths

13. Intervallic 6ths sequence - The string-skipping thing is getting out of hand:

14. Group of 6 sequence - The most natural way to play this sequence would be using triplets but any rhythmic figure will work fine:

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Diatonic 7ths

15. Intervallic 7ths sequence - You have a big jump on the last beat of the second measure, over two strings:

16. Group of 7 sequence - If your tempo is slow enough, try this sequence using seven notes per beat:

Make these and the other sequences you come up with part of your everyday practice routine. They are a must for developing technique.

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CHAPTER 10: ARPEGGIOS Scales vs. Arpeggios There are basically two different methods of improvisation, one employs the use of scales over a given chord or chord progression, the other, the use of arpeggios. Many players adhere to either one method or the other but to become a great improviser, you should become an expert of them both. It is however, much easier to outline the chord changes in songs with fast tempos and many key changes such as in Bebop using arpeggios. The important thing to remember is that arpeggios are born from scales, just as the diatonic chords. They can all be found in the diatonic scale and it is beneficial to be learned from that standpoint. Let’s take a look at the arpeggios that can be found in the pattern 4 major scale that we have been working on. All examples (unless otherwise stated) will be given using the diatonic arpeggios in the proper order (C, Dmin, Emin, F, G, Amin, Bdim) Let’s start with the diatonic triad arpeggios:

diatonic one-octave triad arpeggios C

Dmin

Emin

F

G

Amin

Bdim

1. Diatonic one-octave triad arpeggio sequence – Although the trick to using arpeggios is to use them over the proper chord, in other words, a C arpeggio over a C chord, a D minor arpeggio over a D minor chord and so forth, this sequence is a good exercise to get you started:

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diatonic open-voiced triad arpeggios C

Dmin

Emin

F

G

Amin

Bdim

2. Diatonic open-voiced triad arpeggio sequence - Similar in theory as the previous exercise except the 3rd is placed last and an octave above the 5th, Ex: 1 - 5 - 3. This technique is sometimes called octave displacement. These triad arpeggios are similar to the type Eric Johnson uses:

diatonic one octave 7th arpeggios Cmaj7

Dmin7

Emin7

Fmaj7

G7

Amin7

Bmin7(b5)

3. Diatonic one-octave 7th arpeggio sequence – 7th arpeggios only contain four notes and should be practiced in every possible combination. There are twenty-four different combinations (use the chart on page 27 for a reference). There are too many to give individual exampled for them all but I will give you a few starting with the most simple: 1-3-5-7:

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4. Diatonic one-octave 7th arpeggio sequence (variation 2) – 7th arpeggios in this order of intervals: 1-5-3-7:



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diatonic one-octave add9 arpeggios Cadd9

Dmin add9

Emin add(b9)

Fadd9

Gadd9

Amin add9 Bdim add(b9)

8. Diatonic add9 arpeggio sequence - If we include the diatonic passing tone between the root and 3rd before playing the 5th, we get an add9 arpeggio that John Coltrane used quite often. The order of intervals: 1-2-3-5:

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Practicing over Chord Progressions When using arpeggios rather than scales as an improvisational tool, the point is to play the same arpeggio as the chord. It takes a bit of practice but is an important part of being a good soloist. First let’s try to apply the proper arpeggios to a diatonic chord progression:

This technique will come in handy when playing over chords that are not completely related and at a tempo where using scales may not be practical. The following example changes keys several times:

Practice using arpeggios over various chord progressions both diatonic and not. Try to make the arpeggios sound musical by varying the order of intervals and using various rhythmic figures. When you are familiar with all the arpeggio shapes, you can move on the next section that deals with superimposing them.

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Arpeggio Substitutions A substitution is a simple way to create upper extensions by superimposing specific arpeggios over a chord. So far we have practiced using arpeggios over the same chord, for example a Cmaj7 arpeggio over a Cmaj7 chord but other arpeggios can be superimposed to create more musical interest. I’ll give some of the more common ones as examples but the possibilities are endless.

Common Arpeggio Substitutions for Major Chords

1. Min7 arpeggio played on the 3rd degree of a Major Chord – For demonstrative purposes, let’s say that the major chord in question is a Cmaj7 chord. The 3rd of the chord is E, so the substitution would be an Emin7 arpeggio. Take a look at the analysis below and you will understand why. The Emin7 arpeggio simply creates a Cmaj9 tonality so rather than playing a Cmaj7 arpeggio over a Cmaj7 chord, an Emin7 arpeggio is another alternative:

In the following example, an Emin7 arpeggio is being superimposed over a Cmaj7 chord:

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2. Min7 arpeggio played on the 6th degree of a Major Chord – Again, by studying the analysis below we can see that the Amin7 arpeggio played over a C major chord implies a C6 tonality:

In this example, I superimpose both an Amin7 and Emin7 arpeggio over the Cmaj7 chord:

What other arpeggios could you superimpose over a Cmaj7 chord? Try these: Gmaj7, D. What extensions would they create?

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Common Arpeggio Substitutions for Minor Chords

1. Maj7 arpeggio played on the b3rd degree of a Minor Chord – For demonstrative purposes, let’s say that the minor chord in question is Cmin7. The b3rd would be Eb, so the arpeggio to be played would be a Ebmaj7 arpeggio. The maj7 arpeggio superimposed this way, creates a min9 tonality:

In this example, I’ve superimposed an Ebmaj7 arpeggio over the Cmin7 chord and combine both a Dmin7 and Bbmaj7 arpeggio for the Bbmaj7 chord:

What other arpeggios could you superimpose over a Cmin7 chord? Try these: Amin7(b5), Gmin7. What extensions would they create?

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Common Arpeggio Substitutions for Dominant Chords

1. Dim7 arpeggio played on the 3rd degree of a Dominant chord – Another common substitution that creates the sound of a 7b9 chord:

In this example, the Edim7 arpeggio played over the C7 chord creates a 7b9 tonality:

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2. Dominant 7 arpeggio played on the b5th degree of a Dominant chord – This is a very common substitution used to create an altered tonality. Examine the analysis below:

And in this last example, the F#7 arpeggio superimposed over the C7b9 chord creates a C7(b5,b9) tonality:

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Arpeggio Overview The following charts should give you some insight on what arpeggios can be superimposed over specific chord types. Along with the ones we have covered previously in this chapter, I have also included other possibilities. Some of these will work better over vamps but regardless, feel free to experiment. Starting with major family chords:

Possible Arpeggios that can be Superimposed over Major Family Chords arpeggio

degree to be played on

chord/scale tones created

major triad

1

1,3,5

major triad

2

9,#11,13

major triad

5

5,7,9

major triad

3

3,#5,7

lydian augmented tonality

min7

3

3,5,7,9

standard substitution

min7

6

1,3,5,6

standard substitution

maj7

5

5,7,9,#11

lydian tonality

min7b5

#4

1,3,#11,13

lydian tonality

min(maj7)

6

1,3,#5,13

lydian augmented tonality

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comments

lydian tonality

For minor family chords:

Possible Arpeggios that can be Superimposed over Minor Family Chords arpeggio



comments

augmented triad b3

b3,5,7

melodic minor tonality

augmented triad 5

b3,5,7


augmented triad 7

b3,5,7


major triad

b3

b3,5,b7

major triad

4

1,11,13

major triad

5

5,7,9

major triad

b7

b7,9,11

major triad

7

b3,b5,7

major triad

2

b5,9,13

maj7

b3

b3,5,b7,9

min7b5

6

1,b3,5,13


For min7(b5) chords:

Possible Arpeggios that can be Superimposed over min7(b5) Chords arpeggio



comments

augmented triad

2

b5,b7,9

locrian #2 tonality

augmented triad

b5

b5,b7,9

locrian #2 tonality

augmented triad

b7

b5,b7,9

locrian #2 tonality

min(maj7)

b3

b3,b5,b7,9

locrian #2 tonality

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For unaltered dominant chords:

Possible Arpeggios that can be Superimposed over Unaltered Dominant Chords arpeggio



comments

augmented triad

2

b7,9,#11

lydian dominant tonality

augmented triad

b5

b7,9,#11


augmented triad

b7

b7,9,#11


major triad

2

9,#11,13


min7b5

3

3,5,b7,9

min7b5

#4

1,3,6,#11


min(maj7)

5

5,7,9,#11


For sus chords:

Possible Arpeggios that can be Superimposed over sus Chords arpeggio



maj7

b7

4,b7,9,13

major triad

4

1,4,6

major triad

b7

4,b7,9

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comments

For altered dominant chords:

Possible Arpeggios that can be Superimposed over Altered Dominant Chords arpeggio



comments

dim7

3

3,5,b7,b9

diminished tonality

dim7

5

3,5,b7,b9

diminished tonality

dim7

b7

3,5,b7,b9

diminished tonality

diminished triad

b2

3,5,b7,b9

diminished tonality

augmented triad

1

1,3,#5

altered tonality

augmented triad

3

1,3,#5

altered tonality

augmented triad

#5

1,3,#5

altered tonality

major triad

b3

5,b7,#9

diminished tonality

major triad

b5

b5,b7,b9

altered tonality

major triad

6

3,b9,13

diminished tonality

major triad

b6

1,#5,#9

altered tonality

min7b5

b7

3,#5,b7,b9

altered tonality

min(maj7)

b2

1,3,#5,b9

altered tonality

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CHAPTER 11: INTRODUCING THE MODES OF THE MAJOR SCALE The Modes Now we can go on to the modes of the major scale. If you are new to using these modes you should work on each mode one at a time until you have it under your fingers. You must be completely familiar with the major scale before starting. If you are ready, start by memorizing the names and order. This is the basic formula; if we take a major scale (let's say a C major scale) and write it from the root to the root (C) we will get the ionian mode. Write it from the 2nd degree, D to D in this case, we'll get the dorian mode. E to E, the phrygian mode. F to F, the lydian mode. G to G, the mixolydian mode. A to A, the aolian mode. And last but not least, B to B will give you the locrian mode. I used the C major scale as an example but it works the same for all the major scales.

1. Ionian (the major scale) 2. Dorian 3. Phrygian 4. Lydian 5. Mixolydian 6. Aolian (the natural minor scale) 7. Locrian

The order of the modes will never change even when the key does. Examine the chart below. By checking the very bottom column of the chart you can find out what chord the mode works over. Ex. the D dorian mode is the same as the C major scale and works over an Dmin7 chord.

Key

ionian

dorian

phrygian

lydian

mixolydian

aolian

locrian

C

C

D

E

F

G

A

B

G

G

A

B

C

D

E

F#

D

D

E

F#

G

A

B

C#

A

A

B

C#

D

E

F#

G#

E

E

F#

G#

A

B

C#

D#

Chord

maj7

min7

min7

maj7

7

min7

min7b5

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Warning! This is where a lot of players get confused. They ask; "How come when I play the D dorian scale it sounds the same as the C major scale?" Of course it does, cause it is! It's not the scale; it's the chord that counts. If you play a C major scale, D to D, over a C major chord, it's going to sound like a C major scale because that's what it is. You have to use the mode over the appropriate chord to get the modal effect. In this case, you have to play the D dorian mode over a D minor chord. Matter of fact, you don't even have to play it D to D, you just have to play a C major scale over a D minor chord to get the dorian sound.

Remember: It isn't where you start and stop in the major scale; it's the chord or chord progression you play over. The C major scale played over a D minor chord is a D dorian scale whether you start on the C note or not.

Analyzing the Dorian Mode Now we are going to get into the dorian mode; how to find it and how to use it. First of all, let's examine it closely. If we compare it to the D major scale below it we can see the difference. It looks like the major scale with a minor third and a minor seventh. As it also contains the major 6th, it has more of a bright sound compared to it's minor brothers the aolian and the phrygian mode, which both contain the minor 6th making them sound darker.

D dorian scale

D major scale

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Harmonizing the Dorian Mode If we start making chords from the scale, by stacking it by the root, third, and fifth we first get a minor triad. If we add the seventh, we get a Dmin7th chord. If we continue, a min9th and min11th chord. This is the important thing to remember; the 6th (or 13th) is major. Therefore we get a min13th and/or min6th chord. Remember this too; a min6 chord has a major sixth not a minor one: 1-b3-5-6. Same with a min13 chord: 1-b3-5-b7-13. The only difference between a min6 and min13 chord is, a min13 chord contains a seventh (b7) while the min6 chord doesn’t. No other minor mode from the major scale contains a major 6th, therefore, if you run into a min6 or min13 chord in a chart, your only mode choice is really the dorian mode. Chords from the dorian mode: min, min6, min7, min9, min69, min11, min13

Playing the Dorian Mode

Playing the Dorian Mode The next step here is to get you to be able to play any dorian scale anytime you want quickly. The point is; to figure out on the spot what major scale you need to be playing. Remember what I said before; it's not where you start or stop, it's what chord you are playing over that counts. Let's say you're jammin' with these guys and it's your turn to take a solo. You look down at the chart where it has written "guitar solo" and it's got a big Dmin7 chord symbol sitting there for eight measures. You decide you are going to go for that big jazz sound and use the D dorian scale. All you have to do is determine what major scale you have to play. This is what you do; you use the dorian mode rule which is: dorian mode = major scale down a major 2nd. What does that mean? It may help you to remember what a major 2nd interval looks like; it is simply the interval two frets above or below another note on your fretboard. D is on the tenth fret on the 6th string, C is a major second down (two frets below) from that note. All you have to do is play a C major scale over the D minor chord and everything will work out ok.

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Practicing over Chord Progressions One of the most common chord progressions for the dorian mode is the typical ii - V. Carlos Santana does it all the time. You will need to play a D dorian scale over the chord progression below. Once again, what major scale is the same as the D dorian scale? Remember our rule? The major scale that is a major 2nd below D is the name of the major scale we will need to play. C is a major 2nd below D, so C major is the major scale that we are looking for. Play a D dorian scale (C major scale) over the following chord progression. Oh yeah, a hint: try mixing up a D minor pentatonic scale with the dorian scale to get a Santana type vibe:

Now that you should be able to play the dorian scale at the drop of a hat, it's time to get you improvising over some different chord progressions. The first four bars are all D minor. What major scale are you going to play to get the D dorian mode? Remember you need to play the major scale that is down a major 2nd from D. The answer is? C major. How about the next four bars of F# minor? The major scale that is a major 2nd down from F# is? E. You'll need to play an E major scale over the F# minor chord. When you become comfortable improvising over the following progression, try to make up some chord progressions of your own using two or more unrelated minor chords:

Making Music The goal is to make music. Simply by playing the proper major scale over the modal chord, although theoretically correct, will not necessarily make your solo musical. You must use your ears and pay close attention to the strong notes in the chord you are playing over. Try to think of your solo as a separate composition all together, a song inside a song.

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The Phrygian Mode If you have the dorian mode down, you are ready to move on to the phrygian mode. Like the dorian mode, the phrygian mode is minor. While the dorian mode is bright sounding, the phrygian mode is dark and exotic. While the dorian mode is easy to understand and apply, the phrygian mode has its challenges.

By using the chart below you can determine what major scale to play to get the mode you are looking for and what chord the mode works over, Ex: the C phrygian mode is the same as the Ab major scale and works over a Cmin7 chord.

Key

ionian

dorian phrygian

lydian

mixolydian

aolian

locrian

Db

Db

Eb

F

Gb

Ab

Bb

C

Ab

Ab

Bb

C

Db

Eb

F

G

Eb

Eb

F

G

Ab

Bb

C

D

Bb

Bb

C

D

Eb

F

G

A

F

F

G

A

Bb

C

D

E

Chord

maj7

min7

min7

maj7

7

min7

min7b5

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Analyzing the Phrygian Mode First of all, let's examine it closely. If we compare it to the C major and C dorian scale below it we can see the difference. It looks a lot different than both scales. Right off the bat, it has a minor 2nd. After that it has a minor third. Like both the major scale and dorian mode it has a natural 11th and 5th. The 6th is minor making it different than both the major scale and dorian mode and giving it its super minor sound. The 7th is minor. I think the combination of the minor 6th and 2nd is what gives this mode its exotic flavor.

C phrygian mode

C dorian mode

C major scale

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Harmonizing the Phrygian Mode If we start making chords from the phrygian mode, by stacking it by the root, third, and fifth we first get a minor triad. If we add the seventh, we get a min7th chord. If we continue, we'll get some pretty strange chords; a min7b9 chord and to be honest, you don't come across one of them to often. Besides working over a static minor chord, this mode also works over a iii - IV chord progression very well. Ex: Cmin7-Dbmaj7. A lot of heavy metal players like to use this chord progression to go crazy with the phrygian mode. Chords from the phrygian mode: min7, min7b9, 7susb9, sus(b9), min11(b9)

The Phrygian Chord More often than minor chords, the phrygian mode gets used over sus4 chords. The reason is because sus chords don't contain 3rds, the min3rd of the scale gets naturalized in a way. You may want to even consider the min 3rd as an augmented 9th which makes it seem compatible with dominant chords. Jazz guys like Wayne Shorter and Herbie Hancock used to like to use the phrygian mode over a sus(b9) chord.

The sus(b9) chord, sometimes known as the "Phrygian" chord:

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Playing the Phrygian Mode The next step here is to get you to be able to play any phrygian scale anytime you want quickly. The point is; just like the dorian mode, to figure out on the spot what major scale you need to be playing. Remember what I said before; it's not where you start or stop, it's what chord you are playing over that counts. On the chart you are reading, it tells you that you have to play a solo over a Csus(b9) chord (a typical "phrygian" chord). All you have to do is determine what major scale you have to play to get the phrygian mode. This is what you do; you use the phrygian mode rule which is: phrygian mode = major scale down a major 3rd. Remember how this works? Ab is a minor 3rd down from C so all you have to do is play a Ab major scale over the Csus(b9) chord and you'll be playing the phrygian mode.

Practicing over Chord Progressions Now that you should be able to find and play the phrygian mode anytime you want, it's time to get you improvising over some different chord progressions. The C phrygian mode can be used over the whole twelve bars. What major scale are you going to play to get the C phrygian mode? Remember you need to play the major scale that is down a major 3rd from C. The answer is? Ab major:

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This mode also lends itself well to Neo-Classical hard rock. You may want to try playing over a Cmin - Db chord progression with a hard rock feel, if that is the kind of music you are into. By the way, the king of the ancient kingdom of Phrygia (somewhere in what is now known as modern Turkey I believe) was King Midas, who by legend could turn anything he touched into gold. Maybe the phrygian mode is the “golden” scale!

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The Lydian Mode The last two lessons dealt with the first two modes of the major scale, the dorian and the phrygian modes. Both these minor modes lead us to the first major mode of the major scale, the lydian mode. As we'll discover, the lydian mode contains a raised 4th giving it a harmonic and melodic sense of momentum (speaking of momentum, In biblical times, Lydian warriors from the ancient kingdom of Lydia were famous for their archery).

For demonstrational purposes, let's take C lydian as an example. As you can see in the chart below, the C lydian mode is the same as the G major scale and works over a Cmaj7 chord.

Key

ionian

dorian

phrygian

lydian

mixolydian

aolian

locrian

C

C

D

E

F

G

A

B

G

G

A

B

C

D

E

F#

D

D

E

F#

G

A

B

C#

A

A

B

C#

D

E

F#

G#

E

E

F#

G#

A

B

C#

D#

Chord

maj7

min7

min7

maj7

7

min7

min7b5

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Analyzing the Lydian Mode If we compare it to the C major and C lydian scale below it we can see the difference. It looks a lot like the major scale with the exception of the raised 4th. Like I said before, the raised 4th gives the ear the sensation of momentum. This mode sounds super modern. If we start making chords from the scale, by stacking it by the root, third, and fifth we first get a major triad. If we add the seventh, we get a maj7th chord. If we continue, we'll get a major 9th chord, and that's where the similarities end with the major scale. The raised 11th makes a maj7#11th chord. After that, a major 13th chord. A rule to remember; a maj13th chord has to have either a #11th or no 11th at all, a natural 11th (same as a 4th) tends to rub against the 3rd, giving an unpleasant effect. A natural 11th can only be included if the 3rd is omitted, making the chord a sus chord. In this case the 11th would be considered a 4th rather than an 11th. This mode usually gets used against a maj7, maj9, or maj7#11 chord but sometimes gets used against a IV - V chord progression, in this case a C - D chord progression.

C lydian mode

C major scale

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Harmonizing the Lydian Mode If we start making chords from the lydian mode, by stacking it by the root, third, and fifth, just like with the ionian mode (the major scale) we first get a major triad. If we add the seventh, we get a maj7th chord. The difference between this scale and the major scale is the maj7#11 chord it creates. Chords from the lydian mode: maj7, maj9, maj7#11, maj13, add9, 69

Playing the Lydian Mode Just like the previous two modes, the point is to figure out on the spot what major scale you need to be playing. Let's say you are playing with your friends Bob and Pete and the chart they give you says you have to play a solo over a Gmaj7#11 vamp. You need to figure out what major scale you need to be playing so you just remember your lydian scale mode rule which is: lydian mode = major scale up a perfect 5th. Remember how this works? D is a perfect 5th from G. All you have to do is play a D major scale over the Gmaj7#11 chord and you'll be playing the lydian mode.

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Practicing over Chord Progressions Try playing over the following progression. Use an A lydian scale over the first chord. Remember our rule: a perfect fifth above A is E so just play an E major scale over the chord and everything will work out ok. For the other two chords in the progression: C lydian = G major, E lydian = B major:

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The Mixolydian Mode Up to now the only modes we've discussed have been either minor or major (dorian, phrygian and lydian). This lesson will deal with the mixolydian mode, which is the only dominant mode of the major scale.

For demonstrational purposes, let's take C mixolydian as an example. As you can see in the chart below, the C mixolydian mode is the same as the F major scale and works over a C7 chord.

Key

ionian

dorian

phrygian

lydian

mixolydian

aolian

locrian

Eb

Eb

F

G

Ab

Bb

C

D

Bb

Bb

C

D

Eb

F

G

A

F

F

G

A

Bb

C

D

E

C

C

D

E

F

G

A

B

G

G

A

B

C

D

E

F#

Chord

maj7

min7

min7

maj7

7

min7

min7b5

Analyzing the Mixolydian Mode If we compare it to the C major and C mixolydian mode below it we can see the difference. It looks a lot like the major scale with the exception of the minor 7th. There are many different dominant modes (from the melodic minor, harmonic minor, half/whole diminished and whole tone scale) but the mixolydian mode is the simplest harmonically. It contains no alterations.

C mixolydian mode

C major

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Harmonizing the Mixolydian Mode If we start making chords from the scale, by stacking it by the root, third, and fifth we first get a major triad. If we add the seventh, we get a C7 chord. After that, all the unaltered extensions. The only thing you may want to be careful of: try not to include both the major 3rd and the natural 4th in the same chord (at least theoretically).

Chords from the mixolydian mode: 7, 9, 7sus4, 13

Playing the Mixolydian Mode Just like the previous two modes, to figure out on the spot what major scale you need to be playing. Let's say you are playing with your band mates and the chart they give you says you have to play a solo over an A7 vamp. You need to figure out what major scale you need to be playing so you just remember your mixolydian scale mode rule which is: mixolydian mode = major scale up a perfect 4th. Remember how this works? D is a perfect fourth from A. All you have to do is play a D major scale over the A7 chord and you'll find yourself playing the mixolydian mode.

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Practicing over Chord Progressions Try playing over the chord progression below. Use an F# dorian scale (major scale down a major 2nd = E major) over the F#min7 chord and a D mixolydian scale (major scale up a perfect 4th = G major) over the D9 chord.

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The Aolian Mode (The Natural Minor Scale) The final mode we will discuss is the aolian mode. I’ve saved it for last because you will need to understand it before moving on to the harmonic and melodic minor scales.

For demonstrational purposes, let's take C aolian as an example. As you can see in the chart below, the C aolian mode is the same as the Eb major scale and works over a Cmin7 chord.

Key

ionian

dorian

phrygian

lydian

mixolydian

aolian

locrian

Ab

Ab

Bb

C

D

Eb

F

G

Eb

Eb

F

G

Ab

Bb

C

D

Bb

Bb

C

D

Eb

F

G

A

F

F

G

A

Bb

C

D

E

C

C

D

E

F

G

A

B

Chord

maj7

min7

min7

maj7

7

min7

min7b5

Analyzing the Aolian Mode If we compare it to the C aolian mode and C dorian mode below it we can see the difference. It looks a lot like the dorian scale except it contains a minor 6th rather than a major 6th.

C aolian mode

C dorian mode

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Harmonizing the Aolian Mode When we harmonize the aolian mode, the chord we get look a lot like the same chord we get from the dorian mode until we add in the 6th. The 6th, being minor, no min6 or min13 chord is possible as both these chords contain a major 6th. Therefore a typical “aolian” chord would be a minb6 or min7b13 chord.

Chords from the aolian mode: min7, min9, min11, minb6, min7b13

The Aolian (Natural Minor) Chord Family – The aolian mode is important because its chord family has been used to write and harmonize music for centuries. Unlike the other modes, which are generally used to play over static modal chords, the aolian mode and its inherent chords have been the foundation of minor harmony. As progressions are more common with this mode, take some time and familiar yourself with its family of chords. This will be important as well for understanding the harmonic and melodic minor scale which both are based on this scale. As you did with the diatonic chords of the major scale, try to come up with some chord progressions using the diatonic chords from the natural minor scale and use the aolian mode to improvise with.

Hundreds of years ago, composers had problems dealing with the minor v chord, it does not want to resolve to the tonic chord like the major or dominant 7th V chord in major keys. They came up with an interesting way to solve this problem that we will discuss later.

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Playing the Aolian Mode Like all the other modes, if you know your major scales and know the rule to apply the major scale in a modal context you will be fine. The rule for the aolian mode is: aolian mode = major scale up a minor 3rd. If you need to play a C aolian scale, play the major scale that is a minor 3rd above C and you will get it (Eb).

Practicing over Chord Progressions As I stated previously, unlike the other modes, the aolian mode is generally used in chord progressions rather than over isolated “modal” chords. The aolian mode or natural minor scale is very popular for rock. Play E aolian (G major) over the entire following chord progression:

I'll end the lessons on the modes of the major scale here with the aolian mode. The locrian mode works over a min7(b5) chord but the locrian #2 mode from the melodic minor is a better choice (page 176) .

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CHAPTER 12: THE PENTATONIC SCALES The Major Pentatonic Scale "Penta" simply means five. That's why a five-sided shape is called a pentagram and a five-pointed star is called a pentacle. Have you ever seen the Pentagon building from above? As you know, it is a five-sided building. Therefore, you would be correct in assuming that pentatonic scales are five note scales. Pentatonic scales are as old as dirt, ancient. They are the foundation for most African and Asian music. The major scale is an infant in comparison (Although someone recently found an ancient Neanderthal bone flute segment, estimated at about 43,000 up to 82,000 years old that supposedly plays some of the notes of the major scale). Probably any five note scale could be describes as a pentatonic scale but the ones that we generally play in western music are the major pentatonic and minor pentatonic scales.

If we were to stack all the notes of the major pentatonic scale on top of each other what you would basically get is a C69 chord. If you haven't yet started doing this type of analysis, it is a good time to start. Try to look at scales not just horizontally but vertically as well. That's right, chords are scales and scales are chords just depending on how you place the notes in time. As I said before, pentatonic scales only contain five notes and because of that they don't sound nearly as "scalular" as regular seven note scales and sound somewhat like arpeggios. Some musicians find it easier to sound more “musical” using the pentatonic scale.

Analyzing the Major Pentatonic Scale If we compare the major pentatonic scale to the major scale it would appear to a major scale minus the 4th and 7th.

C major pentatonic

C major scale

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Major Pentatonic Scale Patterns Pretty much anywhere you would normally use a major scale, you can also use the major pentatonic scale. Used in combination can yield good results. Here are the five patterns:

Pattern 1

Pattern 2

Pattern 3

Pattern 4

Pattern 5

Practicing over Chord Progressions Use in combination both the A major pentatonic and A major scales over the following chord progression. Both the scale patterns are given below for your convenience:

A major scale/major pentatonic scale patterns

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The Minor Pentatonic Scale This is usually the first scale that we learn as guitarists so it probably doesn’t need much explanation. If you were to make a chord from all the notes in the scale, the minor pentatonic scale would yield a min7(11) chord. As with the major pentatonic scale, the minor version works well in conjunction with other scales.

Analyzing the Major Pentatonic Scale If we compare the minor pentatonic scale to the aolian (natural minor) and dorian mode it looks like the aolian or dorian mode minus a 2nd and 6th.

C minor pentatonic

C aolian mode (natural minor)

C dorian mode

Minor Pentatonic Scale Patterns Pretty much anywhere you would normally use an aolian or dorian scale, you can also use the minor pentatonic scale. These are the patterns:

Pattern 1

Pattern 2

Pattern 3

Pattern 4

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Pattern 5

Practicing over Chord Progressions Use in combination both the C minor pentatonic and C aolian scales over the following chord progression. I have notated the aolian mode (natural minor) with the roots in black:

C aolian mode (natural minor)/minor pentatonic scale patterns

Use in combination both the C minor pentatonic and C dorian scales over the following chord progression. The dorian scale patterns are notated with the dorian modal roots in black:

C dorian mode/minor pentatonic scale patterns

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The Pentatonic Scale and the Blues Both the major pentatonic and minor pentatonic scale work well against the blues chord progression and used together can yield great results. The use of the major pentatonic scale against a dominant chord can be explained theoretically but the use of the minor pentatonic scale against the same chord defies logic. The minor third should technically clash with the major 3rd of the dominant chord but in all reality works very well. I suppose the minor third is functioning like a sharp 9th, a common extension found in dominant chords. It may help to lay out both the major pentatonic and minor pentatonic scales out side by side until you get the hang of using them in conjunction with each other.

Practicing over Chord Progressions Use in combination both the A major and minor pentatonic scales for the following blues chord progression:

A major/minor pentatonic scale patterns

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CHAPTER 13: THE HARMONIC MINOR SCALE The Modes from the Harmonic Minor Scale Although the modes of the harmonic minor scale are not as commonly used as the modes of the melodic minor scale, it is still a fairly commonly used scale and important to know and use. It is most commonly used over a V chord or iio – V in a minor key.

Analyzing the Harmonic Minor Scale The harmonic minor scale is constructed by raising the 7th of the natural minor scale (aolian mode). The reason this was done was to simply create a dominant V chord rather than the minor one present in the diatonic chords created from the natural minor scale:

C harmonic minor mode

C aolian mode (natural minor)

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The Harmonic Minor Chord Family The raised 7th in the harmonic minor scale gave composers the benefit of the major V chord compared to the minor one from the natural minor scale. Compare the diatonic chords from both the natural minor scale and harmonic minor scale. If you harmonize the harmonic minor scale as 7th chords, you will find the V chord becomes a dominant 7th chord:

diatonic triads of the C harmonic minor scale

diatonic triads of the C natural minor scale (aolian mode)

Harmonic Minor Scale Patterns

Pattern 1

Pattern 2

Pattern 3

Pattern 4

Practicing over Chord Progressions The harmonic minor scale gets used mostly over the iio – V of a minor iio – V – i. Use an A harmonic minor scale over both the Bmin7(b5) and E7b9 chord. Over the Amin7 chord use the A dorian or aolian mode:

In a rock context, the harmonic minor scale gets used quite often over a major V chord in a minor progression. Ex: Amin – G – F – E. For a progression like this you would use an A aolian mode over the first three chords and an A harmonic minor scale over the E chord.

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CHAPTER 14: INTRODUCING THE MODES OF THE MELODIC MINOR SCALE The Modes from the Melodic Minor Scale Knowledge of the melodic minor scale and its modes are a necessity if you want to play serious jazz or fusion. Just like the modes of the major scale, each mode of the melodic minor scale has a distinct personality.

To be able to use and understand the melodic minor scale modes, it is important to know all five of the scale patterns. Take some time and learn the patterns if you are not already familiar with them. Oh yeah, I need to warn you about something here; this scale may sound wrong to you. I first learned about it when I got into jazz in my early twenties and I could not get this scale to work for me. No matter how I played it, it sounded awful to my virgin ears. Don't give up, take my word for it, when you get it together, it will become one of the most, if not the most important scale you will know. You might want to get your ear going ahead of time by buying a John Scofield CD like; "Still Warm" or something similar.

Melodic Minor Scale Patterns

Pattern 1

Pattern 2

Pattern 3

Pattern 4

Pattern 5

History Lesson The melodic minor scale is built by raising the 6th and 7th degrees of the natural minor scale (the aolian mode). In the old days the rule of this scale was that while ascending you raised the 6th and 7th scale degrees but when descending you lowered them back to the natural pitches. Why do you think they did this? I have heard different theories, one being that the scale is simply easier to sing that way, and also that passages that ascend tend to favor the raised pitches while descending passages favor the natural pitches, but regardless, the final result is a whole new set of diatonic chords to work with. As I described in Chapter 13, about a few hundred years ago, the composers didn't like the way the minor v chord sounded (from the natural minor scale), it doesn’t resolve strongly to the tonic or i chord. So they just added a G sharp (raised 7th) note to the A

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minor scale and everyone was happy because they all of a sudden got a dominant V chord. That's how the harmonic minor scale came in to existence. After a while maybe they just wanted more chord choices than the harmonic minor scale could give so they and added the raised 6th to match the already raised 7th. With the creation of the melodic minor scale, a whole new set of diatonic chords came into being.

Harmonizing the Melodic Minor Scale Don't let this ascending, descending thing confuse you; nobody plays it like that anymore. Nowadays, musicians are more interested in the upper chord extensions we get from the melodic minor scale and the modal choices it supplies. When used for improvisation it would be pointless to play it differently ascending and descending. Some musicians call it the “Jazz Melodic Minor” scale to differentiate it from the melodic minor scale used in a classical setting. Anyway, check out all the interesting 7th chords we get when we harmonize the scale:

If you were to harmonize the diatonic chords as 9th, 11th and 13th chords from the scale you would see why the melodic minor scale becomes of particular interest to the modern day musician and composer.

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The Modes of the Melodic Minor Scale Now we can go on to the modes of the melodic minor scale. Memorize the names and order. This is the basic formula; if we take a melodic minor scale (let's say an A melodic minor scale) and write it from the root to the root, we will get the melodic minor scale. Write it from the 2nd degree, B to B in this case, we'll get the dorian b2 mode. C to C, the lydian augmented mode. D to D, the lydian dominant mode. E to E, the mixolydian b6 mode. F# to F#, the locrian #2 mode. And last but not least, G# to G# will give you the altered mode (sometimes referred to as the super locrian mode). I used the A melodic minor scale as an example but it works the same for all the melodic minor scales.

1. Melodic Minor 2. Dorian b2 Mode 3. Lydian Augmented Mode 4. Lydian Dominant Mode 5. Mixolydian b6 Mode 6. Locrian #2 Mode 7. Altered Mode (Super Locrian Mode)

The Answer is in the Name While the names may seem intimidating, they are easier to understand than you may think. If you remember the terms, the meaning and use of the individual modes will fall into place:

Lydian – refers to a raised 4th or 11th. Augmented – A raised 5th. Dominant – refers to a lowered 7th. Altered – refers to altered (raised and/or lowered) 5ths and 9ths.

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The Altered Mode Let's start with one of the most popular modes of the melodic minor scale, the altered mode. The altered mode is based on seventh degree of the melodic minor scale and is dominant by nature. If we compare the altered mode below to the mixolydian mode from the major scale, we can see that the altered mode contains both the altered 5ths and altered 9ths. If you stack all the notes in thirds to make chords you will find quite a wide variety of altered dominant chords.

Analyzing the Altered Mode By comparing the mixolydian mode to the altered mode below we can see that while the mixolydian mode basically contains no alterations, the altered mode contains all of them. I have notated the altered mode using all enharmonic notes for comparative purposes:

C altered mode

C mixolydian mode

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Harmonizing the Altered Mode Just as we did with the modes of the major scale, we must harmonize the altered mode to find out what kind of chords can be made from it. As you can see from the analysis below, all altered extensions available using this scale. Keep in mind; #11ths and b5ths are the same as well as b13ths and #5ths. Chords from the altered mode: 7b5, 7#5, 7b13, 7b9, 7#9, 7(b5,b9), 7(#5,b9), 7(b5,#9), 7(#5,#9), 7(b9,#9), 7(b5,#5), 7(b5,#5,b9,#9), or any other combination of altered extensions.

Playing the Altered Mode Anytime you run into an altered dominant chord; any dominant chord with an altered 5th and/or 9th, use the altered mode. Remember the altered mode rule: altered mode = melodic minor scale up a minor 2nd. What does that mean? Just play the melodic minor scale that is up one fret.

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Practicing over Chord Progressions Before you get going on the chord progression below, you might want to start by just improvising over the E altered chord for a while to get used to the sound of the melodic minor scale. When you are ready, just play the appropriate dorian scales over the minor chords and play an E altered scale for the E altered chord. All you have to do is play the melodic minor scale that is a minor 2nd (one fret) above E:

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The Lydian Dominant Mode This mode of the melodic minor scale will help you get a bit more of a jagged vibe when playing over unaltered dominant chords.

Analyzing the Lydian Dominant Mode The use of this scale is given away by it's name; Lydian = #11, dominant = b7. This scale creates unaltered dominant chords but keep in mind it, unlike the mixolydian mode, contains a raised 11th. Compare the mixolydian mode to the lydian dominant mode below and check out the differences.

C lydian dominant mode

C mixolydian mode

Harmonizing the Lydian Dominant Mode If we start making chords from the lydian dominant mode we first get a 7 chord followed in order by a dominant 9, 7, 7#11 and 13 chord. Remember: no 7sus4 chords found anywhere in the vicinity of this scale. Chords from the Lydian dominant mode: 7, 9, 7#11, 13

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Playing the Lydian Dominant Mode Anytime you run into an unaltered dominant chord, you can use the lydian dominant mode. Remember the lydian dominant mode rule: lydian dominant = melodic minor scale up a perfect 5th.

Practicing over Chord Progressions This scale can be used as a replacement for the mixolydian mode over just about any dominant chord (except a sus4 chord). Use the C dorian mode (Bb major) over the Cmin7 chord, the Ab lydian dominant mode (Eb melodic minor) over the Ab13 chord. For the final measure, play the G altered mode (Ab melodic minor scale).

One big giveaway for this scale is when a bV sub pops up in a ii - V - I. Check out the example below. Play C dorian (Bb major) over the Cmin11 chord, B lydian dominant (F# melodic minor) over the bV sub, the B7#11 chord. Play Bb lydian (F major) over the Bbmaj7 chord.

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The Locrian #2 Mode This mode works perfect against a min7(b5) chord. The combination of both the locrian #2 and altered mode work well over the minor iio - V.

Analyzing the Locrian #2 Mode Once again, the name tells you exactly what the scale is: a locrian scale with a raised 2nd. Compare the two:

C locrian mode

C locrian #2 mode

Harmonizing the Locrian #2 Mode If we start making chords from the locrian #2 mode, the 7th chord we get is a min7(b5) chord, continuing on to the 9th chord, we get a very interesting chord indeed and characteristic of this mode, a min9(b5) chord. Chords from the locrian #2 mode: min7(b5), min9(b5), min11(b5)

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Playing the Locrian #2 Mode This mode of the melodic minor scale will work well over any min7b5 chord. It is important to remember the locrian #2 mode rule: locrian #2 = melodic minor scale up a minor 3rd.

Practicing over Chord Progressions The combination of both the locrian #2 and altered mode work together quite effectively for the minor iio - V. Work on the following exercise slowly and gradually bring it up to the desired tempo. Practice it in all positions and keys. Remember: B locrian = D melodic minor (melodic minor up a minor 3rd), E altered = F melodic minor (melodic minor up a minor 2nd) and A dorian = G major (major scale down a major 2nd). You can also try using an A melodic minor scale over the Amin7 chord. The major seventh in the scale works fine as a passing tone:

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For the following exercise, use a C dorian (Bb major) scale over the Cmin7 chord, the F# locrian #2 mode (A melodic minor) over the F#min7(b5) chord, F dorian mode (Eb major scale) for the Fmin7 chord and finally the Db lydian dominant mode (Ab melodic minor scale) for the Db9 chord:

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The Lydian Augmented Mode Once again, the name tells you what it is: a lydian scale with a raised 5th. This mode is the scale choice for a maj7#5 chord but can also be used effectively over a maj7 chord if you don’t mind bending the rules a little and are confident in your playing.

Analyzing the Lydian Augmented Mode If we compare the lydian augmented mode to the lydian mode from the major scale, we can see that the only difference is the augmented 5th interval:

C lydian augmented mode

C lydian mode

Harmonizing the Lydian Augmented Mode By harmonizing the lydian augmented mode, we come up with a variety of augmented major chords. The maj7#5 chord can also be thought of as a slash chord, Ex: Cmaj7#5 = E/C. Chords from the lydian augmented mode: maj7#5, maj9#5, maj7(#5,#11), maj13#5

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Playing the Lydian Augmented Mode This mode of the melodic minor scale works best over a maj7#5 chord but can also be used creatively over any major family chord. It is important to remember the lydian augmented mode rule: lydian augmented mode = melodic minor scale down a minor 3rd.

Practicing over Chord Progressions You have found yourself within the realms of very complex harmony so you may want to take this one as slow as you can. Use E dorian (D major) over the Emin9 chord, A lydian augmented (F# melodic minor) for the Amaj7#5 chord, Bb lydian (F major) over the following Bbmaj13 chord and finally B altered over the B7(#5,#9) chord. Take it slowly, this chord progression sounds best as a ballad:

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The Dorian b2 Mode As the name suggests, the dorian b2 mode is basically a dorian scale with a flatted 2nd. Even though dorian is included in its name, it is generally not a replacement for the dorian mode but is mostly applied like the phrygian mode, used against a sus(b9) chord.

Analyzing the Dorian b2 Mode Comparing the dorian b2 mode to both the phrygian and dorian mode, we can see that it is simply a phrygian scale with a major 6th or a dorian scale with a minor 2nd:

C dorian b2 mode

C phrygian mode

C dorian mode

Harmonizing the Dorian b2 Mode Unlike the phrygian mode from the major scale, the dorian b2 mode of the melodic minor scale contains a major 6th so you can construct a 13sus(b9) chord from the scale: Chords from the dorian b2 mode: min7, min11, min13, sus(b9). 13sus(b9)

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The Dorian b2 Chord Just as the phrygian mode from the major scale can be harmonized to build a sus(b9) chord, the dorian b2 mode yields a very exotic sounding sus chord also, the 13sus(b9) chord.

The 13sus(b9) chord:

Playing the Dorian b2 Mode This mode of the melodic minor scale works best over a sus(b9) or 13sus(b9) chord. It is important to remember the dorian b2 mode rule: dorian b2 mode = melodic minor scale down a major 2nd.

Practicing over Chord Progressions Use the C dorian b2 mode (Bb melodic minor) over the following C13sus(b9) vamp:

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CHAPTER 15: THE HALF/WHOLE DIMINISHED SCALE The Half Step/Whole Step-Diminished Scale The half/whole diminished scale is what we call a symmetrical scale, meaning it is based on a repeating pattern of specific intervals. In the case of this scale, a 1/2 step interval followed by a whole step interval.

Half Step/Whole Step-Diminished Scale Patterns

Because of the half/whole diminished scale's symmetrical structure, by remembering one pattern of the scale, you are actually remembering four. You can play any pattern of the scale up or down a minor 3rd and still be playing the same diminished scale. Let's take the last pattern we just learned and move it down a minor 3rd. It is still a C half/whole diminished scale:

By looking at the complete half/whole diminished scale diagram below you can see that it is the same pattern repeated over and over again:

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Analyzing the half/whole diminished scale Unlike most scales, which generally contain seven notes, the half/whole diminished scale is an eight-note scale. Basically there are two scales that are used for improvising over and harmonizing altered dominant chords. One being, the subject of this lesson, the half/whole diminished scale and the other, the altered scale (the seventh mode of the melodic minor scale). Let's take a look at and compare the two of them. By comparing them you will find that while both scales offer the raised and lowered 9ths, only the half/whole diminished scale contains a 13th. As a trade off for the 13th, the altered scale offers both the raised and lowered 5ths:

C half/whole diminished

C altered mode

C mixolydian mode

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Harmonizing the half/whole-diminished scale As you can see below, the 7th chord that this scale makes is a simple dominant 7th chord but what makes the half/whole diminished scale special is the extensions it creates for the chord. If we add in the 9ths, we get the option of adding either a b9 or a #9 or both. We also have the option of a #11th (or if you think enharmonically, a b5th). The altered scale will also give the same three extension options but the one extension that the altered scale will not give you is the natural 13th. The only scale that gives you both the altered 9ths plus a natural 13th is the half/whole diminished scale.

Chords from the half/whole diminished scale: C7, C7b5, C13, C7#9, C7b9, C7, C7(b5,#9), C7(b5,b9), C7(b9,#9), C13(b9), C13(#9), etc.

Practicing over Chord Progressions You will find that the half/whole diminished scale looks and sounds similar to the blues scale. For this reason it works well over a simple dominant vamp. You can create interesting effects by trading between the two. Play the blues scale over the following C7#9 vamp and step out by using the half/whole diminished scale. John Scofield is a master of this technique. Check out his classic tune, "Techno" from his "Still Warm" CD.

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The half/whole diminished scale also works well over the V chord in a ii - V - I chord progression. Just remember: no raised 5ths are allowed in the chord if you want to use this scale. For the progression below, use a G dorian scale (F major) over the Gmin9 chord, a C half/whole diminished scale over the C13b9 chord , a F lydian scale (C major) over the F69 chord and finally a D half/whole diminished scale over the D13b9 chord:

CHAPTER 13: SUPERIMPOSING THE PENTATONIC SCALE

Another commonly used symmetrical scale is the whole tone scale. The whole tone scale is a six-note scale based on a series of whole steps. The chords that come from the scale are dominant chords with altered 5ths only.

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CHAPTER 16: INTERVALIC APPROACH TO IMPROVISATION Breaking the tertian paradigm Western Music is based on what we call Tertian harmony. This basically means that the chords we use are built by stacking 3rds on top of each other. Because of this, our brains are wired to hear and accept 3rds over all other intervals and that is why, even when we improvise, we tend to use 3rds as our interval of choice. This lesson will help you break out of restraints of Tertian harmony and at the same time help you break away from using the standard scale shapes that have become ingrained in your brain. You see, intervals larger than 3rds create technical problems on the guitar and the scale patterns that we use aren't designed for the task either. In this lesson I will introduce to you various intervallic ideas and to play and use them effectively, you will find that you will have to throw away all the scale patterns you have gotten used to, which I believe is the first step in realizing improvisational freedom. You will have to think in intervals rather than in scale steps.

How to use the ideas in this chapter Unless otherwise described, most of the examples in this lesson have been made using the diatonic C major scale. This means that any modal application will work fine. Each example can be used effectively over an Fmaj7 (lydian), Dmin7 (dorian), G7 (mixolydian), or any of the other modal type chords. Moving them around to other keys and expanding on each concept is up to you. I don't want to rob you of the opportunity to use your creative mind so I'll only be transcribing the examples in the most minimal manner. Take the next step yourself. You can always e-mail me if you need help.

Why 4ths and 5ths? 4ths and 5ths are angular and modern sounding, making various sequences using these two particular intervals perfect for the applications described in this lesson. It is also important to remember 4ths inverted are 5ths and vice versa. The "major/minor" type intervals (2nds, 7ths, 3rds and 6ths) are more organic sounding by nature and used in similar applications sound less effective.

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Diatonic 4ths

1. Intervallic 4ths - Perfect 4ths are difficult to play on the guitar because they usually fall on the next adjacent string on the same fret, which means you are forced to use the same finger. This is fine when you only want to play the 4th interval once but if you want to play a line utilizing a series of 4ths it becomes quite difficult to play the line smoothly. Although it is quite a stretch, I found that rather than playing the 4th on the adjacent string it is possible to play it on the same string. For me, doing this using a legato style of playing works great. Check out the line:

2. Intervallic 4ths (variation 1) - This example is simply expanding on the last one:

3. Intervallic 4ths (variation 2) - This example runs through the whole series of 4ths in the C major scale. Take notice of the one augmented 4th (F - B). I also jump down an octave twice to accommodate the line:

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4. Intervallic 4ths used over chord changes - Next I'm going to use the same intervallic idea to play through a ii - V - I in the key of C:

Diatonic 5ths

5. Intervallic 5ths - In order to get you used to playing and hearing 5ths, I'm going to get you to play through the major scale using them. You are already familiar with the shape of the 5th interval; it looks like a simple power chord. The only exception is the B - F interval which is a diminished 5th:

6. Intervallic 5ths (variation 1) - I'm stacking 5ths on top of each other for this example. Notice how every note in the C diatonic scale gets used:

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7. Intervallic 5ths (variation 2) - A variation on the last example using pull offs and slides. Play the intervallic 5th, pull-off to the diatonic note below, slide up to the 5th again with your first finger and repeat the process:

8. Intervallic 5ths used to make arpeggios - You can make some very wide sounding arpeggios by using stacked 5ths. These can be sweep-picked for a spectacular effect:

To explore this subject further, see if you can find the book "Intervallic Designs" by Joe Diorio. It is probably the most concise book on the subject but may be difficult to get a hold of. You can also try to pick up one of Joe’s cds. He is the master of this kind of thing. Another guitarist who uses intervallic lines quite often is Jennifer Batten.

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CHAPTER 17: REDISCOVERING THE MINOR PENTATONIC SCALE Like most guitarists, probably the first scale that I learned was the pentatonic scale, the minor pentatonic scale for that matter. I didn't even bother learning another scale for the next few years. It was easy to remember and easy to use. As the years went on I slowly but surely picked up the "other" scales. The major scale and its modes, the harmonic minor scale, the melodic minor scale and its modes and the symmetrical scales (the diminished and whole tone scales) all became part of my vocabulary and the minor pentatonic scale kind of got tossed aside so I could concentrate on using my new and exciting friends. Once I started playing Jazz and Fusion I would only pull out the minor pentatonic scale for a fleeting moment during a Jazz or minor blues and left it at that. I still used it in Rock and traditional Blues but that was about it. Fortunately, several years ago I realized that my old friend, the minor pentatonic scale can be used in the most interesting ways. It can be superimposed over almost any major, minor or dominant chord to create complex modal harmony. These new uses of the pentatonic scale I'm about to describe has changed the way I approach improvisation and has become one of the most valuable tools that I know.

The Minor Pentatonic Scale The applications I'm about to introduce to you are all based on the minor pentatonic scale. The reason that I base all of the following improvisational techniques on the minor pentatonic scale rather than the major pentatonic scale is simple and selfish, being the first scale that I learned, I'm way more comfortable with it. If you are more familiar with its counterpart the major pentatonic scale, simply change the formulas to correspond to the proper major pentatonic scale. If you are not an expert at playing the minor pentatonic scale yet, take some time and review the five patterns on page 163.

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Sequences The same blues licks that you always play may or may not work in these new applications that I'm about to teach you so you may want to break away from your usual pentatonic phrases. The pentatonic scale is full of 4ths and 5ths intervals, try to take advantage of them as much as you can. Not that sequences should be relied on too much but these are some sequences that I tend to use, starting with an intervallic 4th sequence.

1. Intervallic 4ths sequence:

2. Intervallic 4ths sequence (variation 1) - A variation on the last sequence:

3. Intervallic 5ths sequence:

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Play the previous sequences descending as well as ascending. There are also dozens of other sequences you should try to discover on your own. Sequences are great tools when used tastefully but if you over do it, you'll sound like a computer.

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Minor pentatonic scales over major chords I'm going to get us started on using the minor pentatonic scale over major family chords. For demonstrational purposes, let's pretend that the major chord that we need to improvise over is a Cmaj7 type chord. Here is the basic formula to remember:

Over a major chord, you can play a minor pentatonic scale based on the 7th, 3rd and 6th of the chord.

1. Minor pentatonic played on the 7th degree of a major chord - Yes it's true, on the 7th. This means that you first need to locate the 7th of your maj7th chord, in this case, Cmaj7. What is it? That's right, the major 7th of Cmaj7 is B. So, you can play a B minor pentatonic scale against the Cmaj7 chord. I know it seems strange but check out the analysis below and you'll see why it works:

The first thing that might strike you as odd is that there is no root present in the scale. Don't worry about it, roots are not a necessity in scales when used for improvisation. When I realized the fact that roots don't need to be present, it opened up thousands of new scale/chord relationship possibilities. It may be helpful to think of this pentatonic scale as "lydian" because of the #11 present in the scale. As the scale played over a C major chord contains all the upper extensions (9, #11, 13) it may work better over a chord with the same or some of the same extensions (Cmaj7#11, Cmaj13, etc.) but it functions well over simple maj7 and maj9 chords as well.

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2. Minor pentatonic played on the 3rd degree of the chord – A minor pentatonic played on the 3rd degree yields us another nice choice. The 3rd of C is E, so all we need to do is play an E minor pentatonic scale. Check the chord tones we get below:

As in the previous example, we also do not have a root present in the scale. Unlike the common major pentatonic scale, we get the nice addition of the major 7th. We are kind of trading our root we get in the major pentatonic scale for a major 7th in this one.

3. Minor pentatonic played on the 6th degree of a major chord - The 6th of C is A, so we need to play an A minor pentatonic scale to give us our next possibility. Check the scale tones we get with this choice:

If you know your theory, you know that the A minor pentatonic and C major pentatonic scale are one in the same. So nothing new and exciting here but it will still come in handy later.

Formula Chart Here is the handy-dandy formula chart for applying the minor pentatonic scale to major chords:

minor pentatonic scales/major chords degree to be played on


7

2,3,#4,6,7

3

2,3,5,6,7

6

1,2,3,5,6

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Practicing Over Chord Progressions Let's start by using what we have learned over an all-major chord progression. It is a simple three-chord progression made up of Amaj9, Cmaj9 and Emaj9 chords for four bars each. I tend to make a mental (sometimes a physical) chart of the minor pentatonic scale possibilities and find the ones that are a fret or so apart. This way it becomes very easy to connect lines and motifs. In the example below, I would probably tend to choose:

chord

minor pentatonic

Amaj9

G#

chord

minor pentatonic

Amaj9

C#

or maybe... Cmaj9

A

Cmaj9

B

Emaj9

G#

Emaj9

C#

Record the changes and experiment with all possible pentatonic scales:

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The reason I picked these pentatonic scales is because for the Cmaj9 chord all I have to do is move the G# minor pentatonic scale up a half step to an A minor pentatonic scale. Not so much for a lack of effort but because it is a great way to connect a motif over the barline. Check out how I use this intervallic 4ths and 5ths pattern to do so:

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Minor pentatonic scales over minor chords Next we are going to do the same thing but this time we'll be using minor pentatonic scales to improvise over minor chords. The formula to learn:

Over a minor chord, you can play a minor pentatonic scale based on the root, 2nd and 5th of the chord.

1. Minor pentatonic played on the 1st degree (root) of the chord - This scale over this chord is most likely how you've been using it anyway so I'm not going to get into much detail here. Before you move on to the next examples at least check what chord tones we get with the most common application of the minor pentatonic scale:

2. Minor pentatonic played on the 2nd degree of the chord - You can play a minor pentatonic scale a whole step up from a minor chord. Check out why:

This application of the minor pentatonic scale played on the 2nd of the minor chord will give you the major sixth which is "dorian" by nature so I tend to think of this scale used in this context as the "dorian" pentatonic. Superimposed this way, the minor pentatonic scale contains all the upper extensions of the minor chord (9th, 11th, 13th) and works nicely over a min6 or min13 chord.

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3. Minor pentatonic played on the 5th degree of the chord - This is another nice alternative for the plain old minor pentatonic. Played up a fifth you will get the following chord tones:

Unlike the straight minor pentatonic scale, you get the nice addition of the 9th when played in this context. You will also be losing your b3rd, which gives the scale more of an ambiguous tonality, which I personally like.

Formula Chart Once again the formula chart, this time for applying the minor pentatonic scale to minor chords:

minor pentatonic scales/minor chords degree to be played on


1

1,b3,4,5,b7

2

1,2,4,5,6

5

1,2,4,5,b7

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Practicing Over Chord Progressions Let's start by using what we have learned over an all minor chord progression. This chord progression is a simple two-chord vamp of a Cmin9 and Emin9 chord for four bars each. Again, I tend to pick the pentatonic scales that are close to each other so I can connect motifs over the barlines:

chord minor pentatonic Cmin9 C

or maybe...

Emin9 B

chord

minor pentatonic

Cmin9

G

Emin9

F#

Record the changes and experiment:

This is an intervallic 5th sequence played over the barline:

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Minor pentatonic scales over altered dominant chords Next we are going to do the same thing but this time we'll be using minor pentatonic scales to improvise over altered dominant chords. The formula to learn:

Over an altered dominant chord, you can play a minor pentatonic scale based on the b3rd, 4th and b7th of the chord.

1. Minor pentatonic played on the b3rd degree of the chord - The b3rd or #9th of C is Eb so that is the minor pentatonic scale we will play here. Check out what we will get:

What more could you ask for here? You get all four of the altered extensions (b5,#5,b9,#9).

2. Minor pentatonic played on the 4th degree of the chord - In the case of C7(alt), a F minor pentatonic scale:

Maybe not the best choice for a 7(b9,b5) chord but a great match for a C7(#5,#9) chord. You will have to be a little careful in your handling of the natural 4th but because the pentatonic scales have so many perfect 4th intervals anyway, it doesn't seem to bother the ear too much.

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3. Minor pentatonic played on the b7th degree of the chord - In the case of C7(alt), a Bb minor pentatonic scale:

As with the previous example, you'll need to exercise a little caution with the 4th but other than the b5 you get all the other extensions for the altered dominant chord (#5, b9, #9).

Formula Chart Once again the formula chart, this time for applying the minor pentatonic scale to altered dominant chords:

minor pentatonic scales/alt chords degree to be played on


b3

b5,#5,b7,b9,#9

4

1,4,#5,b7,#9

b7

4,#5,b7,b9,#9

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Practicing Over Chord Progressions Let's finish by using what we have learned over a ii - V - I chord progression. As I mentioned in the previous examples, I tend to look for the scales that are a half step apart. Out of the three pentatonic choices we get for each chord, these are probably the scales I would pick:

chord

minor pentatonic

chord

minor pentatonic

Dmin7

E

G7(alt) Bb

G7(alt)

F

Cmaj7 B

Cmaj7

E

Dmin7 A or maybe...

Record the changes and experiment:

Notice how in this example I simply move the pentatonic scale up half steps to accommodate each chord:

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Using the same pentatonic scales over a two chord per measure ii - V - I chord progression in the same key:

In this example I use the same intervallic motif as our first example but this time starting on an E minor pentatonic scale, moving up a half step for the G7(alt) chord and resolving it by moving back to the E minor pentatonic scale:

It is still important to learn all your scales and arpeggios but the various applications of the minor pentatonic scale we covered in this lesson are just one improvisational tool that you can keep up your sleeve.

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Scale Overview The following charts should give you some insight on what scales can be superimposed over specific chord types. Starting with major family chords:

Possible Scales that can be Superimposed over Major Chords scale



Comments

major

1

1,2,3,4,5,6,7

ionian mode

major

5

1,2,3,#4,5,6,7

lydian mode

minor pentatonic

7

2,3,#4,6,7

No root present

minor pentatonic

3

2,3,5,6,7

No root present

minor pentatonic

6

1,2,3,5,6

major pentatonic scale

melodic minor

6

1,2,3,#4,#5,6,7

lydian augmented scale

For minor family chords:

Possible Scales that can be Superimposed over Minor Chords scale



Comments

major

b3

1,2,b3,4,5,b6,b7

aolian mode

major

b6

1,b2,b3,4,5,b6,b7

phrygian mode

major

b7

1,2,b3,4,5,6,b7

dorian mode

minor pentatonic

1

1,b3,4,5,b7

minor pentatonic

minor pentatonic

2

1,2,4,5,6

minor pentatonic

5

1,2,4,5,b7

melodic minor

1

1,2,b3,4,5,6,7

melodic minor

melodic minor

b5

b2,b3,4,b5,b6,6,7

a little from all minor modes

whole tone

7

b2,b3,4,5,6,7

no root present

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For min7(5) chords:

Possible Scales that can be Superimposed over Min7(b5) Chords scale



Comments

major

b2

1,b2,b3,4,b5,b6,b7

locrian mode

melodic minor

b3

1,2,b3,4,b5,b6,b7

locrian#2 mode

For unaltered dominant chords:

Possible Scales that can be Superimposed over Unaltered Dominant Chords scale



Comments

major

4

1,2,3,4,5,6,b7

mixolydian mode

melodic minor

5

1,2,3#,4,5,6,b7

lydian dominant mode

minor pentatonic

1

1,4,5,b7,#9

blues tonality

minor pentatonic

6

1,2,3,5,6

major pentatonic scale

For sus chords:

Possible Scales that can be Superimposed over Sus Chords scale



Comments

major

4

1,2,3,4,5,6,b7

mixolydian mode

major

b6

1,b2,#2,4,5,b6,b7

phrygian (for susb9 chords)

melodic minor

b7

1,b2,#2,4,5,6,b7

dorian b2 mode (for susb9 chords)

minor pentatonic

2

1,2,4,5,6

minor pentatonic

5

1,2,4,5,b7

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For altered dominant chords:

Possible Scales that can be Superimposed over Altered Dominant Chords scale



half/whole diminished

1

1,b2,#2,3,#4,5,6,b7

whole tone

1

1,2,3,b5,#5,b7

melodic minor

b2

1,b2,#2,3,#4,#5,b7

minor pentatonic

1

1,4,5,b7,#9

minor pentatonic

b3

b5,#5,b7,b9,#9

minor pentatonic

4

1,4,#5,b7,#9

minor pentatonic

b7

4,#5,b7,b9,#9

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Comments

altered mode

altered tonality

CHAPTER 18: COMPOSITION AND HARMONIZATION

Art or Science This lesson is going to walk you through the basics of song writing. One thing you have to remember: writing a song is more of an art than a science. There is no one correct way to write music, all composers use different methods and various combinations of those methods to come up with the finished product. In order to study composition, you will also have to study some theory. A good understanding of music theory is not completely necessary to write good music but it is essential to analyze well-written music and to conceptualize various compositional techniques. A word of advice: if you have little experience writing songs and/or you don't have some basic theory under your belt, this lesson is going take you a while to get through. Take your time; there is no need to rush. If you have some writing experience and/or some theory knowledge, the first half of this lesson will give you a chance to review before moving on to some advanced ideas in the second half.

Working With Triads and Diatonic Harmony First we will need to learn how to compose in one key. Later on I'll explain a completely different method of composition, one based on a method of complete harmonic freedom, but first let's work within the perimeters of one major scale. If you are not yet familiar with the major scale and the diatonic chord system, take this opportunity to become so by reviewing page 113. You have to have a good understanding of this before you move on so make sure you have it.

The chicken or the egg, a short history of monophony Which came first, scales or chords? I'm not a music historian so I'm guessing, but I think that several hundred years ago, probably in Europe, guys used to sit around and sing melodies from the major (or some similar) scale in unison. I bet they got real bored of doing this and to make the whole thing a little more fun, someone decided to experiment. One guy probably said to another guy; "Hey, this is lame, instead of me and you singing the same exact thing in unison, let's try singing different notes!" His friend then replied; "Okay, when you sing the first note of the scale C, I'll sing the fifth note G." After trying that for a while they got another guy to sing the third note E, and three-part harmony was born. They then continued on, building a three-part chord for every note in the diatonic major scale. That is most likely how the diatonic chords were born (it was actually called Organum and developed during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries in Paris).

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The numbering system These chords need to be numbered so we can analyze written music and so we can communicate our musical ideas. There may be some argument on how to notate the numbers for each chord but nobody will argue the order or harmonic quality of the chords; The "one" chord in the key of C major is a C major chord no matter how you notate the number 1. This is how the numbers usually get notated:

As I stated on page 113, large case Roman numeral (I, IV, V) refers to major quality chords while small case Roman numerals (ii, iii, vi) refer to minor quality chords. Small case Roman numerals followed by the small circle (viio) stand for diminished quality chords.

Speaking the language of musicians Remembering the order is important so that you can communicate with other musicians. Rather than telling the guys in the band that the changes for the new tune you wrote are; C major, A minor, F major and G major, it is a lot simpler just to say; "Play a one - six - four - five in C."

Voicings It makes no difference how we stack the three notes. C, E and G stacked in any order and doubled as many times as the person voicing the chord pleases will not change the fact that it is still a C chord, the "I" chord in the key of C. Play every C major chord voicing you know and you'll see what I mean, each one is made up of only C, E, and G notes. Check out the example below, each chord below is a C chord:

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Analysis 1 - OK, time to get you going on harmonic analysis. Try to figure out what the chords are below. We are looking for both the chord name (above) and the Roman numeral below. Check your answers at the end of the lesson.

Composing and Harmonization Sorry it took so long. Finally I'm going to talk about the actual writing process. First of all, what exactly is a song? A song basically consists of two main components; chords and notes. You may prefer to think of them as harmony and melody. Sometimes the melody is sung using lyrics, other times it is played on a musical instrument. The idea is really rather simple. You either have to find a chord for your melody note or a melody note for your chord. Let's say we're going to write a song in the key of C and our melody note is a C note. What chord do we chose as its partner? The important thing to remember is this: the melody note should be included in the chord somewhere. The trick here is to find the chord or chords that contain a C note, our melody note. Look at the example below:

These three chords are the only chords in the key of C that contain a C note, so they are (for now) our only choices. Our melody note, C is the root of a C major chord, the 3rd of an A minor chord and the 5th of an F major chord. Try to sing the C note and play each of the chords. Although you may prefer one over the others, you should find that all three chords are all pretty good matches.

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Melodic Analysis I need to have you do a different type of analysis, melodic analysis. In the last exercise we tried to determine what chords we were looking at. In this exercise we will try to determine what chord tone the melody note is. The rules for triads are as follows:

triad

chord tone

major 1

3

5

minor 1

b3

5

dim

b3

b5

1

Analysis 2 - Try to figure out what chord tone each melody note is. Check your answers at the end of the chapter.

211

Getting started Writing a song is just a series of decisions, choosing the right chord for each note of your melody is the objective. Let's try it out on a super simple melody. The melody below is as simple as they come, a descending C major scale.

Let's try to pick some chords for our melody. As I said earlier, this is more of an art than a science so there are no real rules that you have to worry about breaking but there are a few guidelines that you might want to keep in mind: Try to think of the diatonic chord family as a neighborhood:

Mr. Roger's Diatonic Neighborhood I ii iii IV

V

vi

viio

Think of this chord as home, you may want to start and end here A transit chord, like the park. You may stroll through here on your way somewhere else but you probably don't want to sleep here. Another transit chord, the 7/11. Pass through on your way to better things. Strong tonality, this is the bank. You may want to go back home after here especially if you just withdrew a bunch of cash. You also may go somewhere else. This is the super market. You just bought ice cream and a fish so you want to get home. If you went to the bank before coming here, you really might want to be heading home. Grandma's house. You could actually hang around here for a while. You may even want to make this your new home. Your local criminal's house. If you pass by here after the bank and super market you'll shoot home like a rocket.

212

I've written out all the possible chord choices above each melody note. The Roman numerals are also written below the staff. Try each chord and try to come up with a chord progression that you like. I would also suggest that you sing the melody note while you try out each of the three chords choices:

Harmonization 1 - I've written a pretty standard chord progression for the same melody. This chord progression is similar to the one *Pachelbel used for "Pachelbel's Canon" written about three hundred years ago. Remember, there is no correct or incorrect here, what ever pleases your ear is the right choice.

*Pachelbel was this German Cat who made his debut in the late 1600s. He used to hang around with Bach's father, Ambrosius who asked him to teach one of his sons, Johann Christoph how to write and play music. Johann Christoph would later teach his younger brother Johann Sebastian (the famous Bach) music. It's funny how the whole thing fits together.

213

Song writing time You should be ready to compose your own song now. Granted, a simple diatonic song but never the less a song. There are a ton of songs written within the exact same parameters that have sold millions. "Stand by me" (I - vi - IV - V), "Let It Be" (I -V - vi - IV - I - V - IV - I), just to name a few. I usually come up with the first few melody notes and then find the chords that please my ears. Work a measure or two at a time. I find that using this method, the song seems to write its self. Go on, get out some staff paper and get to work. After you get the hang of it, I'll move on to some more complex compositional techniques. Take a day, week, however much time you need. Come back to this page when you're ready....

214

Expanding Harmony by Using 7th Chords What we've learned so far is the method that musicians starting using hundreds of years ago. We still compose music the same way today. We have learned to stretch harmony a bit but the basic idea is the same. At first the composers of that period were mostly limited to either roots, thirds or fifths as their melody notes but, as with all art, things began to change. Probably Bach and some other cats around that period (the Baroque period) started to include 7th chords in their harmonizations. They mostly made the V chord into V7 chord and left the other chords as triads. I would guess that what happened is this: since the V chord and viio chord both resolve to the I chord so strongly, the viio chord often followed the V chord before resolving to the I chord. Play it and you'll see.

Take a good look at the G major and B diminished triad above and you will realize that the B diminished triad looks a lot like a G7 chord without a root:

The G7 chord probably started replacing the G and Bdim chord progression. They sort of got combined.

The Diatonic Seventh Chords As the years went by, musicians started taking Bach's lead and expanding harmony by using seventh chords. As you first learned on page 114, when you harmonize the diatonic scale in 7th chords, you get a new set of chords. While the I, IV and V chords were all simple major chords when we harmonized the scale in triads, when we harmonize the scale in 7th chords we find that the I and IV chords are maj7th chords while the V chord becomes a dominant 7th chord. The viio chord becomes a min7b5 chord：

215

Choices Creating a series of 7th chords simply gave them one more choice for their melody note. Besides the root, 3rd and 5th, they got to use the 7th of the chord as a melody note. Instead of three chord choices per melody note, they got four. Previously we only had the choice of three chords for our C melody note, now we also get the addition of the Dmin7 chord:

Melodic Analysis - Let's try the melodic analysis thing again. This time we'll be checking our melody note against the diatonic 7th chords. Here are the rules:

7th chord

chord tone

maj7

1

3

5

7

min7

1

b3

5

b7

min7b5

1

b3

b5

b7

7

1

3

5

b7

Analysis 3 - Try to figure out what chord tone each melody note is. I've included a few of the answers already: for our first chord, the melody note is a C, which is the b7th (minor 7th) of the Dmin7 chord. Try it yourself, answers at the end of the chapter:

216

Harmonization 2 - Using 7th chords will give you a very adult sound. Sometimes the addition of just one 7th chord in a sea of triads will do wonders for one of your compositions. As far as melody notes go, roots, 3rds and 5th are very strong tonally. Generally using a 7th as a melody note will give you more of an ambiguous sound but sometimes ambiguity works very well. Check out the example below. Again, try to sing the melody while you play the chords. Try to determine what chord tone the melody note is in each individual chord. Oh yeah, forgot to mention, I took some liberties with both the V chords. Think about it a little and you'll figure out what I did:

Song writing time I would suggest that you take some time here and write some simple songs using the methods we've studied. Here are the basic guidelines:

1.

Write your melody from the major scale.

2.

Choose your chords from the same harmonized scale.

3.

Make sure your melody note can be found in the chord somewhere (1,3,5 or 7).

4.

Try to have some fun.

217

Momentary Key Changes Using Secondary Dominant Chords

Secondary Dominant Chords You can place a dominant chord in front of most of the diatonic chords in the key you're working in. It just creates a momentary key change. The secondary dominant chord is simply the V chord of one of the diatonic chords in question. The only diatonic chords that do not have secondary dominants are the I and viio chord. The reasons are simple: the I chord already has its own dominant chord, the V chord of the key you are in, and the viio chord being neither major or minor does not have a key (never heard of the key of B diminished have you?) so it doesn't get its own V chord. When I first started studying theory I found it difficult to locate the secondary dominants so I did it this way: I just thought of the fifth string root of the diatonic chord and then mentally located the note on the same fret on the sixth string. That note is the root of the secondary dominant chord. Ex: the ii chord is Dmin, D is on the fifth string fifth fret, the fifth fret note on the sixth string is A so A7 is the V/ii (five of two) chord.

Try to become familiar with the chart below:

Diatonic Triads, 7th Chords and Secondary Dominant Chords in the Key of C

Diatonic Chords

I

ii

iii

IV

V

vi

viio

C

Dmin

Emin

F

G

Amin

Bdim

G7

Amin7

Bmin7b5

Cmaj7 Dmin7 Emin7 Fmaj7

Secondary Dominant Chords

-

V/ii

V/iii

V/IV

V/V

V/vi

-

-

A7

B7

C7

D7

E7

-

Harmonization 3 - I took our song and reharmonized it using secondary dominant chords where the melody permits.

218

Jazz Secondary dominants are used in just about all styles of music, from the Baroque period to Blues and Jazz. Jazz musicians also tend to stick, not only the V, but both the ii and V before the chord being led up to. For example, in the previous harmonization you might put a Bmin7 before the E7 chord and a Gmin7 before the C7.

The Star Spangled Banner Just being patriotic here. Check out how secondary dominant chords are used in the American anthem. This is actually the song the professor at my local community college, Dr. Hinkle used to explain secondary dominant chords. It is a good song for simple analysis, all the melody notes are chord tones.

Key of G Test - See if you can fill in the appropriate chords in the graph below. Answers at the end:

Diatonic Triads, 7th Chords and Secondary Dominant Chords in the Key of G

Diatonic Chords


I

ii

iii

IV

V

vi

viio

G

?

?

?

?

?

?

Gmaj7

?

?

?

?

?

?

-

V/ii

V/iii

V/IV

V/V

V/vi

-

-

?

?

?

?

?

-

Song writing time If you are ready, see if you can come up with a simple song using the tricks we've learned so far. There is no rush, take your time and come back when you are ready....

219

Borrowed chords

Borrowing from the minor scale To expand our chord choices, we can borrow from the diatonic chords of the minor scale. First we will have to figure out the diatonic chords of the minor scale. To save you the work, I did it for you. Before you go on, make sure you understand what I did. Make yourself familiar with the chart below. Take special notice of the III, VI and VII chord.

Diatonic Triads in the Harmonized C Natural Minor Scale

Key: Cmin

i

iio

III

iv

v

VI

VII

C

D

Eb

F

G

Ab

Bb

min

dim

maj

min

min

maj

maj

If this is getting difficult to understand read this explanation very slowly: the III, VI and VII chord in the chart above are all flatted compared to the chords in the parallel major key (C major). The iii, vi and viio chords from the major scale are all built on natural pitches and because of this, when we export the three chords from the C minor scale to C major we have to notate them with flats: the iii chord in C major is an E minor chord while the III chord in C minor is an Eb major chord thus notated bIII when imported into the major key. The i chord does not get borrowed as it would simply change the key to its minor counterpoint. The most common borrowed chords are the bIII, iv, bVI and bVII chords:

Diatonic Triads, 7th Chords, Secondary Dominant and Borrowed Chords in the Key of C

Diatonic Chords

I

ii

iii

IV

V

vi

viio

C

Dmin

Emin

F

G

Amin

Bdim

Emin7

Fmaj7

G7

Amin7

Bmin7b5

Cmaj7 Dmin7 -

V/ii

V/iii

V/IV

V/V

V/vi

-

-

A7

B7

C7

D7

E7

-

-

iio

bIII

iv

v

bVI

bVII

-

Ddim

Eb

Fmin

Gmin

Ab

Bb


Borrowed Chords

220

Try making up some chord progressions using some of the borrowed chords. The following chord progressions are just a few that I came up with for you to try out. The borrowed chords are bold:

I vi

iii

iv I

I

V

ii

I

vi

IV bVI

vi

bVII

IV

I

bVII

I

Harmonization 4 - Once again I took our song and reharmonized it using secondary dominant and borrowed chords. I took the liberty of flatting the E note in the third measure so I could use the borrowed Ab chord. When you are writing, feel free to change the melody as needed.

Song writing time again Take some time and see what kind of song you can come up with using the borrowed chords we’ve been studying. Take your time....

221

Complete Harmonic Freedom

Chromatic Harmony There is another method of composition, one completely without rules of any sort, complete harmonic freedom. The concept is simple: use any chord you want. It starts the same way, decide on a melody note and find a chord for it. Your melody note also does not have to be limited by a scale. This might seem simple but it is not. You will have to know a lot of chord voicings to make this method successful for you. Up to this point we limited ourselves to roots, 3rds, 5ths and 7ths as our melody notes but now we will dispose of those restrictions. As you will see the choices we have now become limitless. Let's take the same melody note as before, a C note and try to come up with as many chords as we can:

C melody note as the:

chord choices

root

C, Cmin, Cdim, Csus, Cmin7, Cmaj7, C7, C7sus, Cmin7b5, etc..

3

Ab, Abmaj7, Ab7, etc..

b3

Amin, Amin7, Amin7b5, etc..

5

F, Fmin, Fsus, Fmin7, Fmaj7, F7, etc..

b5

F#min7b5, F#7b5, etc..

#5

E7#5, Emaj7#5, etc..

7

Dbmaj7, Dbmin(maj7), etc..

b7

Dmin7, D7, Dmin7b5, etc..

9

Bbmaj9, Bbadd9, Bbmin9, Bbminadd9, Bb9, etc..

b9

B7b9, Bsus(b9), etc..

#9

A7#9, A7(#5,#9), etc..

4 (11)

Gsus, G7sus, G9sus, Gmin11, Gsus(b9), etc..

#11

F#maj7#11, F#7#11, etc..

6 (13)

Eb6, Eb69, Ebmin6, Ebmin69, Eb13, Ebmaj13, Eb13b9, Eb13#9, etc..

b6 (b13)

Eminb6, Emin7(b13), etc..

222

Your melody note in relation to the chord The important thing to remember when using this method is that the melody note should be included in the chord voicing somewhere. Let's say that you decide that you want your C melody note to get matched up with a F# major chord, technically this is fine because the C note can be analyzed as a #11th but if you don't include it in your chord somewhere it will sound plain wrong. Therefore rather than choosing an F#maj7 you will be a lot better off picking an F#maj7#11. When I use this method of composition (which is most of the time) I voice the chord with the melody note on top (on the first or second string). I have my favorites, For melody notes I tend to go with 7ths and #11ths for major chords and 9ths and 11ths for minor chords, #9ths and #5th for dominant chords but I don't limit myself to these choices. In the example below check out how I use four mostly unrelated chords to place under our C melody note. Sing the note and play the chords:

Harmonization 5 - Let's go back to our previous simple descending C major scale melody and I'll give you an example of some of the chord changes I might come up with. Using this method will render the Roman numeral system obsolete.

223

Who to check out If you are interested in checking out some great composers who use this technique, buy yourself any of the Miles Davis CDs featuring Wayne Shorter. Wayne Shorter in my opinion is one of the greatest modern day composers. You should also check out the solo stuff he released and any of the Weather Report CDs. Also pick up yourself some Mike Stern, John Scofield and Herbie Hancock.

Song Writing Advice One time I asked Mike Stern to give me some tips on writing music. I think he is a brilliant composer and I wanted some advice. I was looking for some theoretic pointers, you know; “this melody note against this chord sounds great” kind of thing. But instead he gave me much better advice. He told me that the most important thing about writing a song is to finish it. He said that when you write a song you are likely to become discouraged because you can’t write the B section or chorus or you can’t find the right chord. You get tired of listening to the song over and over again and end up hating it. Regardless, no matter what you do, write it to the end and then decide if it is good or not. Finishing what you start is the key to becoming a great composer.

Test Answers:

C

Amin

Emin

F

G

I

vi iii IV

V

I

Analysis 2:

1

5

3

b3

Analysis 3:

b7

C

Analysis 1:

5

1

b3

b7

b5

7

1

b3

3

b7

3

b5

5

Diatonic Triads, 7th Chords and Secondary Dominant Chords in the Key of G

Diatonic Chords

I

ii

iii

IV

V

vi

viio

G

Amin

Bmin

C

D

Emin

F#dim

Gmaj7 Amin7 Bmin7 Cmaj7

D7

Emin7 F#min7b5

Secondary Dominant

-

V/ii

V/iii

V/IV

V/V

V/vi

-

Chords

-

E7

F#7

G7

A7

B7

-

224

CHAPTER 19: READING STANDARD NOTATION Introduction to reading standard notation Although there are many great guitarists that can’t read music, it definitely comes in handy if you want to communicate musically with other musicians. It also is useful for writing down musical ideas and compositions so you don’t forget them later on. Tablature is very popular and sometimes helpful when you need to learn specific fingerings but standard notation is more precise and is understood by all musicians, not just guitarists. You will also find that being a good reader will open many doors for you as far as musical employment.

Practicing the examples in this chapter Practice the rhythmic exercises by clapping your hands, tapping your fingers (when you are on the train), or by playing notes or chords. Where chords are not given for the reading exercises, see if you can harmonize them using the techniques you learned in the last chapter. They are mostly diatonic so it should be an easy and fun way to get your composing skills together. I’ve also written most of the reading exercises as duets so you don’t have to practice them alone.

Notes and Rests Notes tell you what pitch to play and how long to play it. Rests tell you how long to not play. The big round note below is a whole note and it lasts for four beats. Tap your foot and count to four, keep counting and tapping and play a chord and let it last the whole four beats. A half note, as you may have grasped by its name, gets two beats a piece. A quarter note gets one beat each; so each time you tap your foot, play a chord on each beat. The pattern continues with eighth notes, sixteenth notes, thirty-second notes, sixty-fourth notes, and so on, each type of note being half the length of the previous type.

Whole note

(1

2

3

4)

Whole Rest

Half Note

(1

2) (3

Half Rest

Quarter Note

4)

(1)

(2)

(3)

Quarter Rest

225

(4)

Eighth Note

(1)(+)(2)(+)(3)(+)(4)(+)

Eighth Rest

Rhythmic Exercises - Play or clap the following rhythms. Remember, it is important to look ahead while reading. If you find the examples simple, turn the page upside down and read them again:

Ex.1)

Ex.2)

Ex.3)

Ex.4)

226

Ex5.)

Ex.6)

Ex.7)

Ex.8)

Ex.9)

227

Ex.10)

228

The notes in open position on the first and second string

(Keep in mind, music written for guitar is played an octave lower than written)

Reading Exercises – Play the following exercises in a tempo comfortable for you. Use a metronome and try looking ahead. Record the chord changes or have someone accompany you:

Ex.1)

Ex.2)

Ex.3)

229

Tied Notes – Tied notes are written with a curved line connecting each note. Notes of any length may be tied together, and more than two notes may be tied together. The two tied notes will sound like one note of the combined lengths. Although dotted notes can be used to produce the same results, tying notes is the only method to lengthen notes over bar lines.

(1

2

3)

(4)

(1

2)

(3

4

1)

(2

3

4)


Ex.1)

Ex.2)

Ex.3)

230

Ex.4)

Ex.5)

231

The notes in open position on the third and fourth string


Ex.1)

Ex.2)

232

The notes in open position on the fifth string


Ex.1)

Ex.2)

233

Dotted Notes – A dot placed next to a note or rest increases its value by exactly half.

(1

2

3)

(4)

(1 + 2) (+) (3 + 4) (+)

(1

2

3)

(4)


Ex.1)

Ex.2)

Ex.3)

234

Ex.4)

Ex.5)

235

The notes in open position on the sixth string

Reading Exercises – Play the following exercises in a tempo comfortable for you. Play each as a duet with another guitarist or try to play both parts together as a fingerstyle piece:

Ex.1)

Ex.2)

236

Rhythmic Exercises - So far all the songs and exercises we have practiced so far have been in “common time” or 4/4. The following rhythmic exercises will introduce 3/4 time meaning that there will be three beats per measure rather than four:

Ex1.)

Ex.2)

Ex.3)

237

Reading Exercises – Play the following exercise in a tempo comfortable for you. Play it as a duet with an other guitarist or try to play both parts together as a fingerstyle piece:

Ex.1)

238

The notes in second position in the key of C major

Reading Exercises – Play the following exercises in a tempo comfortable for you. Play each as a duet with another guitarist or try to play both parts together as a fingerstyle piece:

Ex.1)

239

Ex.2)

240

Ex.3)

241

Triplets – a triplet sub-divides one note into equal thirds. When you tap your foot, you should play three notes per one beat.

(1)

(2)

(tri ple et) (4)

(1)

(tri ple et) (3)

(4)


Ex.1)

Ex.2)

Ex.3)

242

Ex.4)

243

Reading Exercises – Play the following exercise in a tempo comfortable for you. Play it as a duet with another guitarist or try to play both parts together as a fingerstyle piece:

Ex.1)

244

The notes in second position in the key of G major

245

Reading Exercises – Play the following exercise in a tempo comfortable for you. Play it as a duet with another guitarist or try to play both parts together as a fingerstyle piece. Remember, the key signature is telling you that all F notes are to be played raised:

Ex.1)

246

Sixteenth Notes – One note is sub-divided into four equal parts.

(1)

(2)

(3)(e)(+)(a)

(4)

(1)

(2)(e)(+)(a) (3)

(4) (+)

Rhythmic Exercises - Play or clap the following rhythms. If you play the rhythms using chords, try to pick from your wrist:

Ex.1)

Ex.2)

Ex.3)

247

Ex.4)

Ex.5)

Ex.6)

Ex.7)

248

Reading Exercises – Play the following exercise in a tempo comfortable for you. Play it as a duet with another guitarist or try to play both parts together as a fingerstyle piece:

Ex.1)

249

The notes in second position in the key of F major

Reading Exercises – Play the following exercises in a tempo comfortable for you. Play each as a duet with another guitarist or try to play both parts together as a fingerstyle piece. Don’t forget, every B note will be flatted except where otherwise noted. Beware of accidentals in exercise 2 (the B natural and G sharp in measure six) and in exercise 3 (the B natural in measure ten that you will have to play twice):

Ex.1)

250

Ex.2)

251

Ex.3)

252

The notes in fourth position in the key of C major

Reading Exercises – Play the following exercises in a tempo comfortable for you. Play each as a duet with another guitarist or try to play both parts together as a fingerstyle piece. Beware of accidentals:

Ex.1)

253

Ex.2)

254

The notes in second position in the key of D major

Reading Exercises – Play the following exercises in a tempo comfortable for you. Play each as a duet with another guitarist or try to play both parts together as a fingerstyle piece. Play all F and C notes raised except where otherwise noted. Beware of the accidental in the ninth measure:

Ex.1)

255

CHAPTER 20: EARS So, I'm sitting in the car with this beautiful girl, minding my own business and all of a sudden, out of the blue, this horrible sound starts blaring out of nowhere. My heart starts to race. I'm thinking that a fire has broken out and an alarm is going off. Or maybe a bank has been robbed and someone has sounded the alarm! Escaped prisoners! Mayhem, hysteria, what's going on here? I turn to the cute brunette sitting next to me and I ask her; "What's that hideous sound?" She turns to me with eyes wide open, her perfect lips part and she answers; "B flat."

Perfect Pitch There are certain musicians who have the uncanny ability of being able to identify any pitch you throw at them. That means that if you played a B flat on your instrument, they could tell you what it was immediately with little or no hesitation. Because of this, if they develop this interesting ability to its full extent, they can also learn to listen to something and play it back without much effort. Some musicians using this strange and bewildering musical sixth sense can even transcribe stuff without even using their instruments to help them along the way. Pretty cool, don't you think? I know this bassist who not only has perfect pitch; he also has a photographic memory, the ability to look at something and kind of take a mental photo of it, and recall it perfectly. Just like looking at a photo for reference, a digital camera in his brain. He can just look at a chart of anything, take a mental snapshot of it and play it back without having to look at the chart again. Jeez, I can hardly even read a chart!

How to get it Unfortunately, if you don't have it now and you're old enough to be reading this without the help of your Mom or Dad, it's probably going to take a little work. Most of the musicians who have perfect pitch developed it as kids. I would assume it's because they started learning music while their brains where developing and their brains got wired for sound better then the rest of us. Guitarists generally don't have perfect pitch. I think the reason for this is simple: we guitarists tend to start playing later in life. Pianists often get started by their parents really early in life, some as young as four or five.

256

Colors Some musicians who have it, describe the sounds of certain notes as colors. There are some courses and programs to develop perfect pitch. I don't know if they work or not but I have an open mind. You may want to try one of the programs out for yourself. If it works out, let me know and I'll do it too.

Not Exactly Perfect I don't have perfect pitch; I have what we call relative pitch (I'll get to it later). If God came out of the heavens and asked me if I wanted perfect pitch I would say; "Sure, God." But if he only gave me one wish, I would pick world peace over perfect pitch. Perfect pitch would come somewhere between free strings for life and a complete ban on whale hunting.

Will Perfect Pitch Make You the Greatest Guitarist in the Universe? I'm not sure, but it can't hurt. I know a lot of musicians, some of them have perfect pitch but most of them don't. One thing I do know for sure, perfect pitch or not, all the really great players I personally know have good ears. It is important to develop your ear. I know one musician with perfect pitch, a pianist. He can tell you what any note is, figure out any phrase in half the time it takes me, listen to song once and play it back for you. But you know what? He really isn't that hot a player. Because of his gifted ear he could definitely be a better player than me but I don't think he really works on all the other stuff that I did. He doesn't write well, doesn't understand scale/chord relationships and doesn't seem to practice very much. I would love to have his ear but I wouldn't trade it for the other things that I have as a player.

Relative Pitch Relative pitch is a little different than perfect pitch. People who have relative pitch have the ability of recognizing what one pitch is in relation to another. I know I just confused you, sorry. I'll give you an example: If you play one note and tell me that it is an E note and then play, let's say, a B flat note without telling me that it is a B flat note, I would know what it is because my ear tells me that the interval between the first note (E) and the second note (B flat) is a diminished 5th. I just know the sound of a diminished 5th interval and because I know my music theory, I know that the note that is a diminished 5th from E is B flat. The cute girl sitting next to me in the car on that day in Studio City would know the B flat without having to hear the E note first.

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E Note on the Brain To be honest, I've been playing guitar long enough that I have a built-in E note in my head. The reason is because the first thing I play when I pick the guitar up every day is the sixth string, which as you know, is an E note. After 30 years, it just kind of got engrained in my brain. For that reason, half the time I can usually tell what any single note is by itself even without the first note to compare it to. It is still relative pitch because I'm still mentally comparing the note in question to an E note, the E note stuck in my brain. Someone with perfect pitch doesn't have to compare one note to any other note (even a mentally created one) to know what it is. By the way, a Diminished 5th is the interval that starts off the Jimi Hendrix song, "Purple Haze." In the case of "Purple Haze," a B flat and an E note, try it. I know the sound of "Purple Haze's" intro so I know the sound of a Diminished 5th interval.

Developing Relative Pitch You can develop relative pitch with a little practice. Take a look at the intervals below. Memorize what they look and sound like one by one. I also included some song names that will help you to remember what the intervals sound like. After you get used to the sounds of all the intervals, have one of your guitar player buddies test you on 'em. I'll start with the easier intervals first:

Perfect 4th - Song examples: "Here Comes the Bride", "Amazing Grace."

Perfect 5th - Song examples: "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star," Theme to "Star Wars."

Major 3rd - Song examples: "When the Saints Go Marching In", "On Top of Old Smoky."

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Major 6th - Song examples: "My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean," "My Way."

Diminished 5th (Augmented 4th) - Song examples: "Purple Haze" intro, "Maria" from West Side Story.

Major 2nd - "Happy Birthday."

Minor 3rd - "Greensleeves," "Smoke on the Water."

Minor 2nd - "Jaws."

Minor 6th - "Love Story" (in reverse).

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Minor 7th - "Star Trek" Theme

Major 7th – It is hard to come up with a song that jumps directly to a major 7th interval but “Over the Rainbow” is a decent example. The melody is an octave followed by a major 7th interval. Get used to the sounds and shapes of all the intervals. Move them up and down the fingerboard and on to other strings. You will find the shapes will stay the same till you get to the fourth and third strings. Get together with a guitar friend and test yourselves: have him play an interval and see if you can tell what it is by its sound. You'll find your ears improving a little everyday and before you know it, you won't need a beautiful brunette to tell the names of various daily pitches anymore.

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The Infinite Guitar

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