Know Your Notes

8/11/2019 Know Your Notes

1/96

Know Your Notes

The Basics

Notes are named after the first seven letters in the alphabet. In order, they are:

A - B - C - D - E - F - G

Between any two notes, except B - Cand E - F, we also have

a sharpand/or flatnote.

These are the symbols that are used to denote sharp and flat:

= sharp

= flat

If we list the notes, again, and include the sharps and flats, we get:

A - A#/Bb- B - C - C#/Db- D - D#/Eb- E - F - F#/Gb- G - G#/Ab- A

One important thing to notice is that X#/Xbis one note that has two names (The termused to describe this is ENHARMONIC). For example, A#is the exact same note

as Bb. Sometimes, one name will be used, and sometimes the other name will be used.

We will cover this in much greater detail in a later lesson. For now, it's only important

that you know the names of the notes.


2/96

Another thing to notice is that after G#/AbWe arrive at Aagain. Thissecond Avibrates exactly twice as fast as the first A, and therefore, the ear tends to

hear it as another version of the same note. The second Ais called the OCTAVEof

the first A. If we continue after the second A, we getA#/Bban OCTAVEhigher than

the first, Ban OCTAVEhigher, Can OCTAVEhigher etc., etc., until we getto Aagain. This Ais two OCTAVEShigher than the first A. If we keep going, the

whole pattern just repeats over and over until we can't get any higher on the

instrument. (If you didn't run out of notes, you could keep right on going until the

notes were so high that only a dog could hear them!) The same is true if you travel in

the opposite direction. The pattern repeats until you run out of notes, or the neighbors

call the cops (whichever comes first).

Here's something to help you remember the sharps and flats. If you sharpen a pencil,

you raisea point on it. Therefore, if you play Aand then play the next highernote,

you would call the second note A#. If you flatten a pop can, you mash it down.Likewise, if you play Band then play the nextlowernote, you would call the second

note Bb. Remember that A#and Bbare the exact same note or ENHARMONIC.

This may be a bit confusing but, you'el get used to it.

All you have to remember is Athrough Gof the alphabet and a #/bnote in between

every two notes except B - Cand E - F(There's no such note asB#or Cb,

likewise, E#or Fb. There is an exception to this but, that's way down the road!).

The Fingerboard

Here's what the notes look like covering the fingerboard:


3/96

I've left the sharps and flats off to make the chart easier to read, but that doesn't mean

that you should ignore sharps and flats.

Now, let's take a closer look at how the notes are organized:

1. The open strings and the 12th fret are identical:

2. The low E-stringand the high E-stringare identical:

3. Octaves:


4/96

4. Adjacent notes:

The Practice

Go tothis page,and print about 2 billion copies.

Now, every time that you think you don't have anything to do, grab one of the sheets

you just printed out and fill in the names of the notes on each neck diagram. It really

doesn't matter if you write in the notes one string at a time or across the strings or in

any other manner you can come up with. Writing those notes out on the diagrams is

gonna help you to start seeing them. That is the whole point of doing the exercise.
http://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/neck-diagrams.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/neck-diagrams.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/neck-diagrams.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/neck-diagrams.html


5/96

Another good practice is to pick a note per day, and for that day, you practice locating

that note on your guitar neck. The next day, pick a different note. This exercise can be

extended to include practicing chords, scales, modes, arpeggios (you name it) from

your selected note.

A third exercise is for when you don't have your guitar near you (maybe you arewaiting at the bus stop or riding the subway). Pick a chord or a scale or even a lead

lick that you know and visualize exactly where you would play it on the guitar neck.

Then try to figure out what notes you would be playing. The more clear you are in

your mind about what frets and strings you would be playing, the greater the benefit

you will receive from this exercise.

Lastly, anytime while playing the guitar that you can remember to do this, stop and

ask yourself what notes you are playing. If you don't know what notes you are

playing, figure it out.

There's no real short-cut to learning to see the notes up and down the fingerboard. It

simply takes a desire and willingness to learn and practice. It also helps if you can see

a potential value in acquiring the skill.

Best of luck!

The Major Scale

The Basics

Although it might seem strange, (given the fact that the notes are named Athrough G)

music theory actually begins with the key of C.

Below is the CHROMATIC SCALEstarting with C:

C- C#/Db- D- D#/Eb- E- F- F#/Gb- G- G#/Ab- A- A#/Bb- B- C


6/96

A SCALEis nothing more than a clever way to travel from octaveto octave. The

word CHROMATICcomes from chroma or color. Think of thechromatic

scale(because it contains every note) as one that includes all the colors.

Every other scale (there are hundreds of them) is constructed by selecting only certain

notes from the chromatic scale.

The chromatic scaleis the model used for the concept of WHOLE-

STEPSand HALF-STEPS(sometimes referred to as WHOLE TONEandSEMI

TONE).

A HALF-STEPis the distance between any two notes along the chromatic scale. If

you play any note of the chromatic scale and then play the next higher note ORthe

next lower note, that is considered a HALF-STEP.

A WHOLE-STEPis equal to the distance of two HALF-STEPS. Therefore, if you

play any note of the chromatic scale and then play, not the next note, but, the note

after that, you are executing a WHOLE-STEP. (Cto C#is a half-step, Cto Dis

a whole-stepetc...)

When applied to the guitar, half-steptranslates to the distance of one fretand whole-

stepto the distance of two frets. It makes no difference what the names of the notes

are. The only thing that matters, is how far apart those notes are. (Understand

that Band Care one fret apart as are Eand F. these two pair of notes are thereforea half-stepand not a whole-step. This is a common misunderstanding that beginning

students have when first learning this concept. They assume that because there is

no sharpor flatbetween those notes that they are a whole-stepapart.)

Now, before we continue, another definition:

A note that is neither sharpnor flatis considered NATURAL. The symbol used to

denote NATURALlooks like this:


7/96

NATURALis understoodrather than written most of the time. In other words, unless

you see a #or battached to a note, that note is assumed to beNATURALand

therefore, does not require the use of it's symbol. (When dealing with standard music

notation however, you will encounter theNATURAL SIGNquite frequently.)

If you start on Cand play only the NATURALnotes until you reach the octave, youwill arrive at the notes of the C MAJOR SCALE:

C - D - E - F - G - A - B - C

Now, if we look at the whole-stepsand half-stepsbetween each note of the C

MAJOR SCALE, we find this pattern:

W - W - H - W - W - W - H

This pattern of whole-stepsand half-stepsis the single most important part of

understanding music theory.

Every major scale in every key follows this w/h pattern.

For example, if we start on Gand apply the pattern, we get the notes of the G

Majorscale:

G - A - B - C - D - E - F#- G

The note that you start with is called the ROOT NOTE. The root note defines what is

called KEY. When someone asks, "What key is this song in?", they are asking about

the root note of the scale that the song is based upon.

So, the major scale in the key of Fis constructed by starting on Fand following

the w/h pattern:


8/96

F - G - A - Bb- C - D - E - F

That's all there is to it! Start on a root note and follow the w/h pattern. You are now

the proud owner of a major scale.

Any note from the chromatic scale can (and will) function as the root note. So long as

the rest of the notes follow the w/h pattern, the scale will be aMajor scalein

the keyof that root note.

The Fingerboard

Up and down the individual strings (key of C, square is the root note):

etc...


9/96

Across the strings (key of C, square is the root note):

etc...

Combining the two (key of C, square is the root note):


10/96

Covering the entire fingerboard(key of C, square is the root note):

The Practice

When it comes to scales, the most important thing is to be able to turn the "pattern"

into "music". There's really no point to mindlessly running up and down the scale for

hours on end. As soon as you acquire a basic understanding of how the notes lay out

across the fingerboard, it's important to start "messing around" with the scale. You

need to start searching out the melodic possibilities of the scale.

Here are two MIDI files that will help you to get the Major scale under your finger

tips. Both are in the key of C.


11/96

Pedal tone is a static Cchord. While the chord is playing, you can play up and down

the C Majorscale and familiarize yourself with the sound of the various tones in the

scale.

Pedal Tone

Chord progression, as the name implies, is a chord progression in the key of C. While

the chord progression is playing, you can practice improvising lead lines out of the C

majorscale.

Chord Progression

You need to know the Major scale in every key, not just C. The best way to

accomplish this is to practice a different key every day. For that day's practice, stick to

that key only. If you find yourself getting bored with the key you are practicing, it

means that you are not digging into your practice deep enough. Instead of switching to

a new key, make yourself come up with something interesting. That is how you will

really learn to play!!

Circle Of Fifths - keys signatures explained

The Basics

The circle of fifths is a handy tool for organizing the 12 possible Major scales into

what is called KEY SIGNATURE.

In theMajor Scale Lesson,we learned that "key" refers to the starting note (root) of

the scale. "Key signature" simply refers to the number of sharps or flats that occur in
http://www.zentao.com/guitar/lesson3/pedaltone.midhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/lesson3/pedaltone.midhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/lesson3/cionian.midhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/lesson3/cionian.midhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/major-scale.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/major-scale.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/major-scale.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/major-scale.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/lesson3/cionian.midhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/lesson3/pedaltone.mid


12/96

each key. No two major scales will contain the same number of sharps or flats, so

scales can be easily organized by key signature.

Let's take a look.

As we learned in theMajor Scale Lesson,the CMajor scale contains no sharp or flat

notes - C D E F G A B. This is the only Major scale with only natural notes. All other

keys will have a varying number of sharp or flat notes. Each key has a unique key

signature.

If we build our next scale starting with the 5th note of the Cmajor scale, we get

the GMajor scale - G A B C D E F#. Notice that the GMajor scale has one note thatis sharp (F#).

Now, lets build a third scale starting from the 5th note of the GMajor scale. That will

give us the Dmajor scale - D E F#G A B C#. Notice that we now have two notes that

are sharp (F#and C#).

If we build a fourth scale from the 5th note of the DMajor scale, we get the AMajor

scale - A B C#D E F#G#. As you've probably guessed, the AMajor scale has one

more sharp than the DMajor scale.

That's how it works.

If you build a Major scale from the 5th note of another Major scale, the newscale will have one more sharp than the scale you started with.

That's where the "5ths" in the circle of 5ths comes from, but what about the "circle"

part? The circle comes from the fact that if you continue to build a scale from the 5th

note of the previous scale, you will eventually wind up right back at the

beginning, CMajor:

Gis the 5th note of CMajor.

Dis the 5th note of GMajor.

Ais the 5th note of DMajor.
http://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/major-scale.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/major-scale.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/major-scale.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/major-scale.html


13/96

Eis the 5th note of AMajor.

Bis the 5th note of EMajor.

F#is the 5th note of BMajor.

C#is the 5th note of F#Major.

G#is the 5th note of C#Major.

D#is the 5th note of G#Major.

A#is the 5th note of D#Major.

Fis the 5th note of A#Major.

Cis the 5th note of FMajor.

We're right back where we started, as if we traveled in a circle.

Now, one of the conventions of key signatures is that a proper key signature does not

mix sharps and flats. You have one or the other, not both. Another convention is that

the letter name for each note can only be used once. These two conventions present us

with a problem.

Once you get to a certain point within the circle, it becomes impossible to observe

these two conventions without considering the note Fto be E#and the note Cto

be B#or resorting to the awkward designation of DOUBLE SHARP. (Denoted by x,

a double sharp note is equivalent to the note one whole-step higher than the letter

name being used. Cxis the same pitch as D.)

Let's look at the key of F#:

F#G#A#B C#D#E#(F)

In order to avoid using both Fand F#in the key signature, we have to "bend" the rules

and name Fas E#.


14/96

The convention of not using the same letter name twice is a hold-over from written

music notation. Seethis lessonfor an introduction to written notation. As you can see

from that lesson, each letter name is given a line or a space on the staff. It would be

very awkward trying to write both FandF#into the same key signature.

Now, once you get to the key G#in the circle of fifths, the dreaded double sharp

appears:

G#A#B#(C) C#D#E#(F) Fx(G)

At this point, things are getting out of hand. So, what would happen if, instead of

trying to use a G#scale, we were to use Abinstead? (Remember thatG#and Abarethe same note.)

Let's try it:

AbBbC DbEbF G

Hey, that's a lot better than that G#monstrosity!

So, let's take a look at key signatures with flats instead of sharps.

If we go back to the CMajor scale (C D E F G A B), but instead of going to the 5th

note, we go to the 4th note to construct our next scale, we get theFMajor scale- F G

A BbC D E. Notice that the key of FMajor has one flat.

If we build our next scale from the 4th note of the FMajor scale, we get the Bbmajor

- BbC D EbF G A. Notice that we now have two flats.

It's the same pattern all over again.

If you build a Major scale from the 4th note of another Major scale, the newscale will have one more flat than the scale you started with.

And once again, if you keep going, you're going to end up right back at C:
http://www.zentao.com/guitar/lesson4/theory-1.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/lesson4/theory-1.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/lesson4/theory-1.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/lesson4/theory-1.html


15/96

C F BbEbAbDbGbB E A D G C

Let's reverse the order of those notes:

C G D A E B Gb(F#).....

Hey! Wait a damn minute! Isn't that the same order we had before, when we were

working the sharps? (Gobackand take a look.)

It sure is.

If we take our original circle of 5ths and change each sharp to its flat equivalent weget this:

C G D A E B F#/GbDbAbEbBbF C

Now, since we're calling this a circle, let's look at it that way:

C is at the 12:00 position, because the key of C has no sharps or flats.
http://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/circle.html#is%20the%205thhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/circle.html#is%20the%205thhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/circle.html#is%20the%205thhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/circle.html#is%20the%205th


16/96

If you travel clockwise around the circle to the 6:00 position, each successive key has

one more sharp than the preceding key.

If you travel counterclockwise to the 6:00 position, each successive key has one more

flat than the preceding key. Moving counterclockwise around the circle is sometimes

referred to as the circle of 4ths and also referred to as "back-cycling" through thecircle of 5ths.

Now, let's take a look at F#/Gb:

F#G#A#B C#D#E#(F)

GbAbBbCb(B)DbEbF

It makes no difference whether you use sharps of flats with this key. Both give you

the same result. If you use sharps, you end up having to refer to Fas E#. If you use

flats, you end up having to refer to Bas Cb. It's pretty screwy, but there's nothing to

be done about it.

Here's a handy sing-song for remembering which notes are sharp or flat in each key:

Sharps = Father Charles Goes Down And Ends Battle.

Flats = Battle Ends And Down Goes Charles' Father.

Each successive key not only adds a new sharp or flat, but keeps the sharps or flats

that were present in the preceding key.

Moving around the circle clockwise

yields G(Father), D(Father Charles), A(Father Charles Goes) etc... The key

of Ghas one sharp, which is F. The key of Dhas two sharps, which are Fand C. The

key of Ahas three sharps, which are F, Cand Getc...

Moving around the circle counterclockwise

yields F(Battle), Bb(Battle Ends), Eb(Battle Ends And) etc... The key of Fhas one


17/96

flat, which is B. The key of Bbhas two flats, which are Band E. The key of Ebhas

three flats, which are B, E, and Aetc...

The fingerboard

The circle of 5ths is very easy to visualize on the fingerboard:

The circle of 4ths is just as simple:

In each case, you start with C, and add a sharp or flat for each successive key. It

doesn't get much easier, folks.

The practice


18/96

The circle of fifths falls into the category of "something handy to know but not

something that you can really practice"... that is, until you begin analyzing songs

and/or writing your own songs. Many common chord progressions follow the circle of

5ths. The more familiar you are with this device, the easier you will be able to spot it's

use within a song.

One use for the circle of 5ths in a compositional sense is as a key changing device.

Changing the key signature in the middle of a piece of music is

called MODULATION. The smoothest modulation occurs between keys that have

only one note difference between the two keys. If you've been paying attention, you

should realize that this is exactly how the keys are organized with the circle of fifths.

A good way to practice modulation, utilizing the "circle", is to pick a position on the

guitar neck and "run the scales" through the circle. Without moving up or down thefingerboard more than one fret, you should be able to pick out each successive sharp

or flat key and play that Major scale.

If you are soloing over a chord progression that suddenly shifts to a new key, the

ability to quickly change to the appropriate scale is a must. You won't always have the

luxury of shifting your hand position in order to change to a new scale.

Learn your scales.

Learn your fingerboard.

That's the only way.

Intervals

The Basics

Intervals are the units by which music can be measured. You could say that intervals

are to music what inches (or centimeters) are to carpentry. If a carpenter wants to

know how "things" fit together, he needs to understand how to measure those

"things". If a musician wants to know how music is put together, that musician needs

to understand intervals.


19/96

Intervals are defined by the Major scale. In other words, every aspect of music is

compared to the major scale to see how "things line up".

Simply put, an interval is the distance between two notes and the distances between

the notes of the major scale provide us with a reference point.

Let's look at the C majorScale:

C - D - E - F - G - A - B - C

The Cnote functions as the root or 1, and the rest of the notes are

numbered 2through 8. In other words, D= 2, E= 3, F= 4, G=5, A= 6, B= 7and theoctave C= 8. (This is where the name octavecomes from. Octo = 8, as in octopus.)

Before we continue, you need to fully understand a couple of points about the major

scale:

1 - The major scale is derived by following the whole-step half-step pattern: w - w - h

- w - w - w - h. This w/h-step pattern is what "really" dictates where the intervals lit

on the fingerboard.

2 - The major scale can start on any note of the chromatic scale. I'm only using thekey of Cas an example. Everything that applies to theCmajor scale applies to any

and all other major scales.

If you are not clear on how major scales are built and how they cover the fretboard in

every key, you need to check out theMajor Scalebefore continuing with this lesson.

The major scale is the only musical element that has the intervals 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 -

7 - 8. Everything else has a different interval structure. You see, intervals are just likenotes in that they can be sharp or flat. For example, you will run into such things

as b3, #5and b7.

This numbering of the notes is called the FORMULA. Scales, chords, chord

progressions, and even entire songs can analyzed by their underlying formula. All

other musical structures can be learned on the guitar by understanding the formula ie.,

how that structure is different from the major scale.
http://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/major-scale.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/major-scale.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/major-scale.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/major-scale.html


20/96

Let's take a look at the Harmonic Minor Scale. The harmonic minor scale, when

compared to the major scale, has the intervals: 1 - 2 - b3 - 4 - 5 - b6 - 7 - 8. This

means that the harmonic minor scale is exactly like the major scale except that

the 3rdand 6thintervals are flattened (lowered by one fret).

CMajor:

CHarmonic Minor:

C - D - E - F - G - A - B - C

C - D - Eb- F - G - Ab- B - C

Now, understand that the notes and the intervals are one and the same, but just

because a note is sharp or flat, that doesn't mean that the interval is sharp or flat and

vice versa. You have to know the major scale absolutely well in order to understand

how this interval stuff works.

Once and for all, the intervals are dictated by the major scale. Depending on what key

the major scale is in, you will have sharp or flat notes in the scale.

Take the Emajor scale for example: E - F#- G#- A - B - C#- D#- E. In this

case, E=1, F#= 2, G#= 3etc... You have to know the notes that are already in the

key before you can determine what the b3(or any other interval) might be. In the key

of E, the b3would be G(3= G#).

Intervals are the distance (how many frets) between the notes. If you put your index

finger on any note on any string, and call that note the root (or 1),2will ALWAYSbea whole-step higher, no matter the name of the note you are playing. That is how

intervals work. They follow the w/h-step pattern without exception.

So, the harmonic minor scale (1 - 2 - b3 - 4 - 5 - b6 - 7 - 8) starting on Ewould look

like this:

EMajor:

EHarmonic Minor:

E - F#- G#- A - B - C#- D#- E

E - F#- G - A - B - C - D#- E

Every aspect of music theory is discussed in terms of this interval formula. This is

why I often say that the major scale is the single most important element of music

theory - every thing else is compared to the major scale.


21/96

Now, for the sake of clarity, I usually just refer to intervals by number and throw in

sharp or flat if it's needed, but there is an old system for naming intervals that a lot of

overly educated people insist on using. I figure I better go over this with you, so you

won't think I ripped you off or I don't know what I am talking about.

If you haven't already, you are bound to run into people saying things like minor3rd, perfect 5thand major 7th. The reason that I don't use these names in

conjunction with intervals is that these names are also used to name chords. Most

people that I have taught just find it confusing. I say, "If there is a simpler way to

understand something, why not use the simpler way?"

So here goes:

The 2nd, 3rd, 6th and 7th are considered major intervals. If you lower (flat) a major

interval it becomes minor. So 3 = major 3rd, andb3 = minor third etc... When this

system was invented (back in the days when you had to wear a powdered wig if youwanted to be taken as a serious rock star), there was no such thing as sharping the 2, 3,

6 or 7. More on this in a moment.

The unison (playing the same note), 4th, 5th and octave are considered perfect

intervals. If you lower a perfect interval, it becomes diminished. So 5 = perfect 5th,

andb5 = diminished 5th. If you raise (sharp) a perfect interval it becomes augmented.

So 4 = perfect 4th, and #4 = augmented 4th. (I hope your getting all this.)

In more recent times, it has become necessary to account for raising (sharping) the

major intervals. Rather than come up with a unique name for this, the powers that bedecided to just call these intervals augmented as well. So, a person is stuck trying to

remember which names fit which intervals and when to use a unique name for the

interval as opposed to the same name.... "no...wait...don't tell me... that must be the

augmented 3rd from the perfect 5th.... or was that a diminished 5th?"

As far as I'm concerned, it's much easier to call 'em by number and say sharp or flat.

The Fingerboard:

Up and down the strings:

Major Scale


22/96

Harmonic Minor Scale

Across the strings:

Major Scale

Harmonic Minor Scale


23/96

The Practice:

Learning intervals is just like learning the notes on the fingerboard. All it really takesis the willingness to stop yourself once in a while and ask a couple of questions.

"What key am I in?" "What interval am I playing relative to the root note of the key?"

Ask those questions a few times and you will start getting the hang of this stuff.

Here are a couple of exercises to work on:


24/96


25/96

Both exercises are based on the same idea: moving the 3rd interval through the scale.

Notice that as you move the interval through the scale that sometimes the interval is

normal and other times the interval is flat. Study this carefully, it is very important to

understanding how chord progressions work.

Also, you need to work these exercises out in all possible positions on the fingerboard

for all keys. Lots of work to do there :-)

Then you need to do the same thing starting with each of the other possible intervals.

Work them through the scale and pay close attention to the spots where the interval

changes from normal to sharp or flat.

Have fun.

Triads


26/96

The Basics:

Chords are the basis for western harmony. Other cultures may take a different

approach, but in the west, the chord is king.

The most basic chord is called a TRIAD. There are four possible triads:

major: R - 3 - 5

minor: R - b3 - 5

augmented: R - 3 - #5

diminished: R - b3 - b5

Triads derive their name from the fact that each one contains only three intervals and

the fact that the intervals in each are a 3rdapart:

major: 3 + b3

minor: b3 + 3

diminished: b3 + b3

augmented: 3 + 3

What this 3 + b3stuff means is that if you were to start on a root note (Cfor

example), and build a major triad, the second note in the triad (E) would be

a 3rdhigher than the root, and the third note of the triad (G) would be a b3rdhigher

than the second note (E). This "stacking thirds" concept is very important when it

comes to chords, so make sure you understand this part.


27/96

When it comes to playing triads on the guitar, you will encounter what is

called CLOSE VOICING, and OPEN VOICING.

Close voicing means that all three notes of the triad are within the same octave. Open

voicing (not the same thing as open position) means that one or more notes of the triad

are outside of an octave.

It is also common practice to double one or more of the notes in a triad. This produces

a fuller sounding chord.

The Fingerboard:

Close voicing:

major

minor


28/96

diminished

augmented

Open voicing:

major


29/96

minor

diminished

augmented

Octave doubled (close voicing):


30/96

major

minor

diminished

augmented


31/96

The practice:

Triads form the basis for all other chords (except for suschords which are covered inanother lesson). No matter what the chord is, you will find a triad hiding inside of it.

Take every chord that you know, and identify the triad that the chord is built upon.

Another good practice is to pick a root note and build each of the four triads off of that

root note.

You should also take a each triad and search out every possible location that the triad

can be played on your guitar.

Triad Inversions

The Basics:

An important aspect of chordal understanding is what is called VOICING. Voicing

simply means how the notes of the chord are arranged from low to high. In theTriad

lesson,I cover two important voicings, open and close. In this lesson, we are going to

look at three other ways that a triad may be voiced. This is called INVERSIONS. A

chord is inverted when any note other than the root of the chord is used as the lowest

note. That sounds pretty heavy duty, but it is really quite simple.
http://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/triads.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/triads.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/triads.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/triads.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/triads.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/triads.html


32/96

Most people, when first learning about chords, tend to think that the lowest note in the

chord MUSTbe the root note of the chord. This is not always the case. Very often, a

note other than the root will be used as the lowest note of a chord. There are several

reasons for this including but not limited to ease of playing and the particular sound

quality that is produced by inverting a chord.

There are three possible inversions of any triad:

Root position: The rootof the chord is the lowest note.

1st inversion: The 3rdof the chord is the lowest note.

2nd inversion: The 5thof the chord is the lowest note.

That's all there is to it. I told you it was easy!

The only hard part about inversions is not getting them mixed up on the fingerboard.

That just takes a little practice. (as if you didn't already know that was coming.)

The Fingerboard:

Close voiced major chords:

Root Position

1st Inversion


33/96

2nd Inversion

Open voiced major chords:

Root Position

1st Inversion


34/96

2nd Inversion

The Practice:

Plot out the inversions for close voiced major triads on each set of three strings: E-A-

D, A-D-G, D-G-B, G-B-E. Be careful with the third and fourth sets. The B-

stringchanges the shape of everything.

Now, do the same thing for minor, augmented and diminished.

Make learning these inversions a priority in your own practice. They really are the

"secret" to great playing.

Once you are thoroughly familiar with close voicing, start working on open voiced

inversions. You will find that the better you know the close voiced triads, the easier it

is to see the open voiced variety.

Don't just memorize these chords, internalize them. In other words, you have to get to

know them. Each inversion has a personality of its own. You need to get to know that


35/96

personality. One way of doing that is to try using the different inversions in chord

progressions. Another way to get familiar with the inversions is to listen for them in

songs that your know. You might be surprised to learn that the reason "that one chord

in the middle of the chorus" of your favorite song doesn't sound right when you try to

play it on your guitar, is because you are not using the correct inversion.

Harmonizing the Major Scale

The Basics:

Most chord progressions that you will come across are based on a formula. That

formula is the harmonized major scale, or what I call the CHORD SCALE. There are

exceptions to this statement, but usually, those exceptions can be traced back to the

harmonized major scale as well.

If we take the major scale:

C - D - E - F - G - A - B - C

And we build a triad off of each note of the scale using only notes found within the

scale, we get this:

I C-E-G1-3-5

Cmaj

ii D-F-A1-b3-5

Dmin


36/96

iii E-G-B1-b3-5

Emin

IV F-A-C

1-3-5

Fmaj

V G-B-D1-3-5

Gmaj

vi A-C-E1-b3-5

Amin

vii B-D-F1-b3-b5

Bdim

VIII C-E-G1-3-5

Cmaj

Study the chart closely. It's important that you understand how each of these triads are

taken right out of the Cmajor scale. (Go to theTriads lessonif you are not absolutely

clear an how triads are built.)

Now, it's important that you understand that we could have used any major scale for

our demonstration. I use the Cmajor scale for examples so I don't have to type sharps

and flats. But, remember, what works for the major scale in one key works for the

major scale in ALLkeys. (Go to theMajor Scale lessonif you are not absolutely clear

on how major scales are constructed.)

This is where the Roman numerals come into play. By referring to the Roman

numerals, we can talk about chord progressions without having to dictate the key. For

example, a very common chord progression is I-IV-V-I. This progression is used in alot of songs.

Let's look at the chart again:
http://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/triads.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/triads.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/triads.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/major-scale.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/major-scale.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/major-scale.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/triads.html


37/96

I C-E-G1-3-5

Cmaj

ii D-F-A

1-b3-5

Dmin

iii E-G-B1-b3-5

Emin

IV F-A-C1-3-5

Fmaj

V G-B-D1-3-5

Gmaj

vi A-C-E1-b3-5

Amin

vii B-D-F1-b3-b5

Bdim

VIII C-E-G1-3-5

Cmaj

I-IV-V-I means to play the chord built off of the first degree (note) of the scale

followed by the chord built from the 4th degree, the chord built off of the 5th degree

and back to the chord built off of the 1st degree. In the key of C, that would be C-F-

G-C.

To play the progression in another key, you need to know the chord scale for the key

you want to play in. That sounds like you have to know a different chord scale for

every key, but it is much easier than that.

Let's look at the key of G:

I G-B-D Gmaj


38/96

1-3-5

ii A-C-E1-b3-5

Amin

iii B-D-F#1-b3-5

Bmin

IV C-E-G1-3-5

Cmaj

V D-F#-A1-3-5

Dmaj

vi E-G-B1-b3-5

Emin

vii F#-A-C1-b3-b5

F#dim

VIII G-B-D1-3-5

Gmaj

Notice that we get the same TYPESof chords in the EXACT SAME ORDERas

before. The only thing that changes is the root notes of each chord and the notes in

each chord follow the Gscale instead of the Cscale. No matter what key we choose,

the chord types will occur in the exact same order so long as we follow the major

scale in that key. (if we use a different scale, then the chords will be different.)

What this means to you, is that all you have to learn is which number = which chord

type and how far apart the chords are from one another. It's really easy!

The major scale follows this whole-step/half-step pattern:

w - w - h - w - w - w - h


39/96

The chord scale follows the same pattern:

I ii iii IV V vi vii VIII

w w h w w w h

Now, all you have to do is remember which type of chord each number represents.

I ii iii IV V vi vii VIII

w w h w w w h

maj min min maj maj min dim maj

Notice that upper case numerals are used for major chords and lower case for minor

and diminished. This is to help you keep the chord types straight.

There is an old system for naming each chord within the chord scale, and some people

insist on using it. I figure that I better show it to you, so you won't feel left out:

I Tonic

ii Supertonic

iii Mediant

IV Subdominant

V Dominant

vi Submediant

vii Leading Tone


40/96

You will here the word "dominant" thrown around quite often. The others you may

never run into, but you never know.

The Fingerboard:

Key of F, using barre chords:

I - Major

ii - minor

iii - minor


41/96

IV - Major

V - Major

vi - minor


42/96

vii - diminished

VIII - Major

Key of C, using "cowboy" chords:

I - Major


43/96

ii - minor

iii - minor

IV - Major


44/96

V - Major

vi - minor

vii - diminished


45/96

VIII - Major

The Practice:

The first thing you need to do is play up and down the chord scale in EVERYkey.

There is no substitute for this practice. You gotta be able to see the chord types and

the w/h-steps no matter where the chords land on the fingerboard. The more chord

shapes and inversions that you know, the more you need to play through the chord

scale using those shapes.

Next, take every chord progression that you know (and every one that you learn from

now on) and see if the chords fit the chord scale.

A few of points to keep in mind:

1 - A lot of progressions are based around chord I, but any chord in the scale can be

the main chord of a song. For example, V-IV-I-V and vi-IV-V-vi are two very popular

rock progressions. ii-V is a popular jazz progression. These three progressions don't

even use the I chord!


46/96

2 - very few songs use the entire chord scale. They usually just use part of the chord

scale.

3 - A song doesn't have to stay in one key. If you run into a progression that doesn't

seem to fit the scale, you might be looking at chords for more than one key mixed

together.

4 - There are a lot of variations on this chord scale that are common practice. Some

progressions will substitute major chords for minor chords or vice-versa. Some

progressions will borrow chords from other scales or keys and throw those into the

mix.

Always look for what I call handles (something you can grab ahold of) in chord

progressions. For example, if you see two major chords a whole step apart, there is adamn good chance that those chords are IV and V. That is the only place within the

chord scale that two major chords appear that way. Study the chart some more and

look for those handles :-)

Now, it's a good idea to work this stuff out on paper. Write the chords down and

arrange them from low to high (it doesn't matter what order they occur in the song).

This will help you to see the w/h-steps between the chords. It's also good practice to

fill in the missing chords. Sometimes one or more of those chords will pop up later in

the song.

Next, you should try to come up with a few of your own progressions using the chord

scale. That will teach you a lot!

Relative Major and Minor

The basics:

For every major scale there is a related minor scale. These two scales are built from

the same notes:


47/96

Major Scale: C - D - E - F - G - A - B - C

Relative Minor Scale: A - B - C - D - E - F - G - A

The only difference between the two scales is which note you start with. The minor

scale starts from the sixth note of the major scale. The scales are

called RELATIVEbecause they share the exact same notes.

Let's look at a couple more keys, and I'm sure you will get the hang of this one:

Major Scale: G - A - B - C - D - E - F#- G

Relative Minor Scale: E - F#- G - A - B - C - D - E

Major Scale: D - E - F#- G - A - B - C#- D

Relative Minor Scale: B - C#- D - E - F#- G - A - B

Now, the relative minor scale is more often called "the" minor scale and treated as its

own separate scale. As such, it's important to understand how the minor scale is

constructed. In order to see how the minor scale is constructed, we have to compare it

to the major scale starting from the same root note as the minor scale:

Amajor scale: A B C# D E F# G# A

Intervals: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8


48/96

Aminor scale: A B C D E F G A

Intervals: 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 8

Compared to the major scale, the minor scale has a flattened 3, 6 and 7, so the minor

scale yields this formula:

1 - 2 -b3 - 4 - 5 - b6 -b7 - 8

Once you know the formula, you can build the minor scale from any root note without

having to concern yourself with the relative major scale. This is called PARALLEL.

Both methods for arriving at the minor scale are important. Know them well.

The Fingerboard:

Major scale - key of C:

Relative minor scale (key of Aminor):


49/96

Major scale - key of C:

Parallel minor scale (key of Cminor):


50/96

The Practice:

Draw up a chart with the notes of every major scale and relative minor scale.

Do it again.

Keep doing it until you don't need a stupid chart to know your scales.

Next, work out the parallel minor scale in every key over the entire fingerboard.

Then, take a break.

Pentatonic scales

The Basics:

Pentatonic scales are the staple of rock guitar. They are also widely used in jazz,

blues, country and bluegrass music. This fact makes pentatonic scales a very

important part of learning to play.

So, what are pentatonic scales?

Technically speaking, any scale composed of five notes can be called a pentatonic

scale (penta = five and tonic = notes). In the real world, however, learning only two

different pentatonic scales will cover 99.9% of the playing situations that you will

encounter. These two scales are referred to as theMAJOR PENTATONICandthe MINOR PENTATONIC.

The major pentatonic is built from these intervals:


51/96

R - 2 - 3 - 5 - 6

In the key of C, that would be:

C - D - E - G - A

This scale works very well over chord progressions that are based primarily on major

chords. Try it over I-IV-V-I, V-IV-I-V or I-iv-IV-V-I. (Check out theChord Scale

lessonif you have no idea what those Roman numerals mean.)

The minor pentatonic is built from these intervals:

R - b3 - 4 - 5 - b7

In the key of C, that would give us:

C - Eb- F - G - Bb

This scale works well for chord progressions based on minor chords. Try it over iv-ii-

iii-iv or ii-iii-IV-ii.

You can also use minor pentatonic over certain major chord progressions if you want

a "bluesy" sound. Try it over I-IV-V-I or V-IV-I-V. Be careful with the b3when you

try it this way. The b3can sound horribly out of place over a major chord. One way to

avoid this is to play the b3, bend, slide or hammer into the 3and then land on the root.

That is a classic blues lick. (Check out theIntervals lessonif you are unclear on

intervals.)
http://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/chord-scale.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/chord-scale.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/chord-scale.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/chord-scale.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/intervals.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/intervals.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/intervals.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/intervals.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/chord-scale.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/chord-scale.html


52/96

When it comes to progressions that are based on power chords, the easiest way to

figure out whether to use major pentatonic or minor pentatonic is "by ear". Try one. If

it doesn't work, try the other one. 9 times out of 10, one or the other pentatonic scale

will work perfectly. Often times, both will work, and you can mix and match in the

same solo.

The Fingerboard:

Relative:

Cmajor

Aminor

Parallel:


53/96

Cmajor

Cminor:

The Practice:

Learn the major and minor pentatonic in every key over the entire fingerboard. Pay

particular attention to the difference in sound between the two scales. The major

pentatonic has a sweet, almost country flavor to it. The minor pentatonic has a darker,

more blues sound to it. Knowing this difference in sound will help you to match your

playing to the flavor of the chord progression.

Also, if you already know the major and minor scale well, you can learn to see the

pentatonic scales by leaving out the appropriate intervals (4 and 7 for major, 2 andb6

for minor).

Once you know the scales pretty well, turn on the radio and try improvising lead lines

along with whatever tune is playing. You can do this with any CD you own as well.


54/96

The trick is to try and home in on the key of the song. once you determine the key, try

either major or minor pentatonic in that key. Remember, if one doesn't work, the other

one probably will. It doesn't get much easier folks.

Now, impress your friends and neighbors by playing some blues licks in A.

7th Chords

The Basics:

7th Chords are used in a lot of different styles of music, but nowhere are these chords

as prominent as they are in blues and jazz music. The theory behind 7th chords is

pretty simple, but a lot of guitar players seem to get all flustered by them. If you know

the triads (go to theTriads Lessonif you don't know your triads), you should have no

problem learning the 7th chords.

7th chords, as the name implies, are built by adding a 7th interval to the four possible

triads:

Major:

1 3 5 7 Major 7

C E G B written CMaj7, CM7

1 3 5b7 Dominant 7

C E G Bb written C7

Minor:

1b3 5 7 minor/Major 7

C Eb G B written Cmin/Maj7, Cm/M7
http://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/triads.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/triads.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/triads.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/triads.html


55/96

1b3 5b7 minor 7

C EbG Bb written Cmin7, Cm7

Diminished:

1b3b5b7 minor 7b5 or half diminished 7

C Eb Gb Bb written Cmin7b5, Cm7b5, C

1b3b5bb7(6) Diminished 7

C Eb Gb Bbb(A) written Cdim7, C 7

Augmented:

1 3 #5 7 Augmented 7

C E G#B written CAug7, C+7, CM7#5

There are some things you need to understand about 7th chords.

In theTriads Lesson,I explain how chords are built by stacking 3rds. This formulaholds true for adding the 7th to the chord. That is why you don't find an augmented

chord with ab7 (G#to Bbis a 2nd interval) or a diminished chord with a natural 7.

(Gbto Bis a 4th interval. Check out theIntervals Lessonif you don't know intervals.)

Both of these chords are still possible to play, they just have a different name. This is

covered in theExtended, Altered and Other Types of chords Lesson(not posted yet).

Dominant chords cause a lot of confusion. This is due to the fact that the "dominant"

part is understood rather than written. You will hear a lot of players refer to the

majors, minors and "sevens" when they talk about chords. What they are really

referring to is major triads, minor triads and "dominant" 7th chords. These three chordtypes are used in a billion songs, and these players have never learned to distinguish

between the good old "7" chord (G7, D7, E7 etc...) and all the other possibilities.

Don't make the same mistake.

Diminished chords are weird because you have to distinguish between half diminished

and full diminished 7th chords. Not only that, but the full diminished 7th chord has
http://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/triads.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/triads.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/triads.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/intervals.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/intervals.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/intervals.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/triads.html


56/96

thatbb7(called double-flat seven). Thebb7 is arrived at by flatting the 7 and then

flatting it again. This gives you the same interval as the 6. Thebb7 is covered in

the Symmetrical Scales Lesson(not posted yet).

The hardest part of learning and using 7th chords (as well as extended and altered

chords) is the fact that there is no standard way to write them. In the chart above, Igive you a couple of common ways that you might see the chord written in a song

book or chord dictionary, but every author seems intent on inventing a new system for

naming chords. One guy thinks that major chords should be notated using a triangle,

another guy thinks that a plus sign is the way to go, and the third guy uses some

Egyptian hieroglyph. The only way around this mess is to know your chords well

enough that you can pretty much figure out for yourself which chord is needed.

Now, let's see what happens when we plug 7th chords into the chord scale. (Go totheChord Scale Lessonif you don't know what the chord scale is.)

Degree Note Triad 7th Chord Name

I C C E G C E G B Tonic

1 3 5 1 3 5 7

ii D D F A D F A C Supertonic

1b3 5 1b3 5b7

iii E E G B E G B D Mediant

1b3 5 1b3 5b7

IV F F A C F A C E Subdominant

1 3 5 1 3 5 7

V G G B D G B D F Dominant

1 3 5 1 3 5b7

vi A A C E A C E G Submediant

1b3 5 1b3 5b7
http://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/chord-scale.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/chord-scale.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/chord-scale.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/chord-scale.html


57/96

vii B B D F B D F A Leading Tone

1b3b5 1b3b5b7

Compare the intervals in each of these chords to the7th chord chartI gave you above.

You will see that the I and IV are Maj7, the ii, iii and vi are min7, the V is Dom7, and

the vii is min7b5 (half diminished). These are the most commonly used 7th chords.

You need to know them very well, and you need to know where they sit within the

chord scale.

Also, notice that the V chord (Dominant) is the only place that we find the intervals 1

3 5b7. That is why that particular arrangement of intervals has been given the name

Dominant 7.

The Fingerboard:

Here is a common fingering for each of the possible 7th chords:
http://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/7th-chords.html#Majorhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/7th-chords.html#Majorhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/7th-chords.html#Majorhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/7th-chords.html#Major


58/96

For each of these chords, you don't want to play the A-stringor the high E-string.

The high E-stringis easy to leave out. You just have to make sure you don't hit itwhen you strum the chord. The A-srtingis a little harder to leave out. What you have

to do is dampen that string with the finger that is playing the low E-string. Do this by

angling that finger so that it lightly touches the A-srtingand keeps that string from

ringing. This is easier to do than you may be thinking, so don't be shy. Give it a try.

Also, the correct fingering is given below each chord. Though some of the fingerings

may seem a little awkward, I strongly recommend that you learn to finger the chords

this way. How you finger a chord is very important when it comes to using the chord

within a chord progression. These are the fingerings that have proven themselves

every time.

The Practice:


59/96

Learn each of the various 7th chords in the diagrams above. Don't just memorize

them. You gotta know this stuff inside and out. That includes knowing which note is

functioning as which interval. practice switching back and forth between every

possible combination of 7th chord. This will either tie your fingers in knots or

increase your dexterity ten-fold.

Once you have the fingerings that I have shown you down cold, practice moving 7th

chords through the chord scale like this:

If you can play through that without fumbling, you're doing pretty well.

Next, you need to start figuring out other possible fingerings for each of the 7th

chords in all keys.


60/96

I strongly suggest that you get yourself a couple of good chord books. These are also

called chord dictionaries. There are so many possible ways to play 7th chords (as well

as extended and altered chords) that a person can easily get lost or overwhelmed. A

good chord book will help you to cut through the confusion and learn the tried and

true fingerings used by most players.

The two books that I personally recommend are:

Chord Chemistryby Ted Greene - This book is the most comprehensive chord

reference I have ever seen. The author goes to the trouble of showing you every

fingering imaginable for each chord. Lucky for us regular folks, he also breaks

them into one section of essential fingerings and another section of "other

fingerings". This book also covers how to use these chords in a thorough and

logical manner, unlike most chord books I have seen.

A Guide to Chords, Scales & Arpeggiosby Al Di Meola - This book is

nowhere near as comprehensive as Chord Chemestry, but the manner in whichthe chords are organized will help you to learn the essential fingerings faster.

There is also a section on scales and arpeggios and a section where Al provides

excerpts from his own tunes to show you how to use and improvise over the

chords you have learned.

These two books compliment each other perfectly, and will provide you with the

resources you need to really learn your chords.

The next step is to plug these chords into a few standard chord progressions:

Formula Example

ii V I Dm7 G7 CM7

I ii iii ii CM7 Dm7 Em7 Dm7

I ii iii ii V I CM7 Dm7 Em7 Dm7 G7 CM7

iii vi ii V I Em7 Am7 Dm7 G7 CM7

I IV ii vii I CM7 FM7 Dm7 Bm7b5 CM7
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0898986966/zentaohttp://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0898986966/zentaohttp://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0793526779/zentaohttp://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0793526779/zentaohttp://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0793526779/zentaohttp://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0898986966/zentao


61/96

As you may have noticed from the examples, 7th chords are used most often in jazz

music. But they also form the basis for blues music. The standard blues progression

doesn't just follow the chord scale though. It utilizes a unique variation.

The standard blues progression is based off of the I, IV and V chords from the chord

scale, but each chord is treated as a Dominant 7 chord. In the key of C, theprogression looks like this:

C7

//// //// //// ////

F7 C7

//// //// //// ////G7 F7 C7 G7

//// //// //// ////

If you've never seen this way of writing a chord progression, it's pretty basic. The

slash marks represent strums of the guitar strings. Each group of four strums is equal

to a measure or bar. There are 12 bars. You've probably heard people talk about

playing a 12-bar blues. Now you get to find out what it means.

The basic formula for a 12-bar blues is 4 bars of the I chord (C7), 2 bars of the IV

chord (F7) and then back to the I chord for 2 bars. This is followed by what is called

the "turn-around" because the sequence of chords in the final four measures sets you

up to play the whole thing over again. The turn-around consists of one bar for each for

the the V chord (G7), IV chord, I chord and V chord in that order.

Now, you are not relegated to playing jazz or blues if you decide to whip out some 7thchords. A lot of rock, country and folk tunes throw in the occasional 7th chord to

spice up a progression. The best thing you can do is grab some song books and look

over the chord progressions. You can learn a lot that way.

Also, don't be afraid to experiment. I have used various 7th chords in a lot of stuff I

have written, even some really heavy rock progressions.


62/96

You never know 'till you try.

Modes Part I - Introduction

Modes are the cornerstone of great guitar playing. A thorough understanding of the

theory and application of modes will not only enhance your ability to improvise lead

solos, this understanding will enhance your knowledge of all aspects of musical

organization.

In order to begin working with the concept of modes, you must have a firm grasp ofall the materials covered in previoustheory lessons.It is especially important that you

are completely familiar with themajor scaleand how the major scale translates

intointervals.Furthermore, it is important that you understandtriadsand7th

chordsand how these chords are arranged within thechord scale.

This lesson is divided into four parts:

Modes Part I - Introduction Modes Part II - Derivative

Modes Part III - Parallel

Modes Part IV - Application

Introduction

Modal theory is very simple once you understand it, and yet, this simple concept has

been the cause of more confusion than any other musical principle in existence.
http://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/http://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/http://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/http://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/major-scale.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/major-scale.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/major-scale.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/intervals.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/intervals.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/intervals.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/triads.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/triads.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/triads.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/7th-chords.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/7th-chords.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/7th-chords.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/7th-chords.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/chord-scale.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/chord-scale.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/chord-scale.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/modes/#Introductionhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/modes/#Introductionhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/modes/modes-2.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/modes/modes-2.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/modes/modes-3.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/modes/modes-3.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/modes/modes-4.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/modes/modes-4.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/modes/modes-4.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/modes/modes-3.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/modes/modes-2.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/modes/#Introductionhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/chord-scale.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/7th-chords.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/7th-chords.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/triads.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/intervals.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/major-scale.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/


63/96

For most musicians, the terms scaleand modeare interchangeable. While there is a

certain amount of truth to this perception, understanding the difference between a

scale and a mode is essential.

A scalecan be defined as a series of notes, arranged by order of pitch, between a root

and the octave. Theoretically, any combination of notes between the root and octavecould be considered a scale. On the more practical side, there are a finite number of

note combinations that have gained acceptance in western music. Eastern music, on

the other hand, tends to be more open-ended as far as the note combinations that are

considered acceptable.

A modecan be thought of as a way of manipulating the notes of a scale in order to

generate a greater variety of sounds. The focus of this lesson is on the modes of the

major scale. Modal manipulation of scales other than the major scale is covered

elsewhere.

The major scale in the key of Cconsists of the notes: C D E F G A B C

The major scale is also composed of the intervals: R 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Any combination of notes that deviate from the major scale will yield a different

interval structure. The interval structure is what gives the scale its characteristic sound

quality or mood.

Now, when you play a scale from the root up to the octave, the ear arranges the sound

of the scale according to the note you started on and the resolution of the notes at the

octave. The same thing happens when you descend from the octave to the root. If you

change the pitch of the root note to Dand keep the interval structure intact, the ear

hears that you played the same scale but from a higher pitch.

Thus, so long as you do not deviate from the interval structure, you can transpose the

scale higher or lower, and the sound quality of the scale remains easily recognizable.

But if you change the interval structure, the resulting scale will have a different sound

quality or mood.

This is where modes come into play.

Modes allow us to generate an interval structure that is different than that of the major

scale and therefore, produce a unique sound quality.


64/96

Modes are derived by taking a scale and starting and stopping on a note within the

scale other than the root note.

For example, if we take the Cmajor scale (C D E F G A B C) and start and stop on

the Dnote instead of the Cnote we get:

D E F G A B C D

We are still playing the notes of the Cmajor scale, but starting and stopping on

the Dnote makes it sound as though Dis the root note. You may have to play the

scale several times this way before you will begin to hear Das the tonal center. It's

imperative that you do not play any wrong notes at this point, or the effect will be lost.

Now, once the tonal center is established as D, we arrive at a new scale sound. The

scale no longer sounds like Cmajor, because our ear is hearing resolution to D.

If we compare this new scale to Dmajor, we find that it is different from that scale as

well.

The notes of the Dmajor scale are: D E F#G A B C#D

Our new scale contains Fnatural and Cnatural which are two very important tones in

the scale. Altering the 3rd and 7th tone of the scale changes the sound dramatically.

This new scale is called D Dorian mode. Dis the root note, Dorianis the

classification for this new sound and modemeans that we start and stop on a noteother than the root of a parent scale.

The important thing to understand at this point is that this new scale is a "D" scale and

not a "C" scale. Most people, when they first learn this stuff, assume that they should

use D Dorian as a substitute for Cmajor. This is not exactly how it works. Instead of

thinking of this new scale as having anything to do with C, think of it as having only

to do with D.

This will get you understanding the theory behind modes much faster.

Now if we compare the DDorian mode to the Dmajor scale we find that Dorian has

this interval structure:

1 2 b3 4 5 6 b7 8


65/96

The interval structure of a scale is very important. This is what defines the sound

characteristics of the scale. The interval structure also dictates how and when a scale

can be used.

Try this experiment:

Play one octave of the Dmajor scale, at the 10th fret, starting off your index finger,

like this:

Now, flat the 3rd and 7th intervals to make the scale DDorian mode, like this:

The two scales sound completely different. (Again, you may have to play the Dorian

scale several times to get used to the new sound.)

Now, play this MIDI file and practice switching back and forth from Dmajor

to DDorian.


66/96

D pedal tone

At this point, there are two things to remember:

1 - DDorian (D E F G A B C D) has the exact same notes as Cmajor (C D E F G A

B C). The only difference is which note within the scale you use as the root.

2 - DDorian (1 2 b3 4 5 6 b7 8) has a different interval structure than Dmajor (1 2 3 4

5 6 7 8). These two scales have a completely different sound.

If these two points are not clear, go back and read through this lesson again.

Now, to get the Dorian mode, we took the major scale and used the second note

within that scale as the root and thereby created an entirely new scale. That is the

concept of modes in a nutshell.

If we do the same thing with the third note of the Cmajor scale, we get

the EPhrygian mode (E F G A B C D E).

Compared to the Emajor scale (E F#G#A B C#D#E), EPhrygian has this interval

structure: 1 b2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 8.

Notice that we compared the EPhrygian mode to the Emajor scale just as we

compared the DDorian mode to the Dmajor scale. Any new scale must be

compared to the major scale starting from the same root as the new scale in

order to understand the interval structure of that new scale.

EPhrygian mode, played off the index finger, at the 12th fret looks like this:
http://www.zentao.com/guitar/modes/dpedaltone.midhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/modes/dpedaltone.midhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/modes/dpedaltone.mid


67/96

Play this MIDI file and practice switching between Emajor and EPhrygian mode:

E pedal tone

The remaining four modes of the major scale are extrapolated in the same manner as

we have already seen. Therefore, I am simply going to list each from their respective

root notes along with the resultant interval structure and leave it to you to work out the

fingerings:

FLydian mode - 1 2 3 #4 5 6 7 8 GMixolydian mode - 1 2 3 4 5 6 b7 8

AAeolian mode - 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 8

BLocrian mode - 1 b2 b3 4 b5 b6 b7 8

Here are MIDI files for practicing the remaining modes:

F pedal tone

G pedal tone

A pedal tone

B pedal tone

Modes Part II - Derivative

Modes are derived from a parent scale. Any scale can function as this parent scale,

but, for practical purposes, our discussion is limited to the modes of the major scale.

This is the most common and useful modal structure in western musical theory.
http://www.zentao.com/guitar/modes/epedaltone.midhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/modes/epedaltone.midhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/modes/fpedaltone.midhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/modes/fpedaltone.midhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/modes/gpedaltone.midhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/modes/gpedaltone.midhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/modes/apedaltone.midhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/modes/apedaltone.midhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/modes/bpedaltone.midhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/modes/bpedaltone.midhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/modes/bpedaltone.midhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/modes/apedaltone.midhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/modes/gpedaltone.midhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/modes/fpedaltone.midhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/modes/epedaltone.mid


68/96

Modes are a hold-over from Ancient Greek musical theory, and, although they are not

used very often in classical music, their use in rock, jazz and blues music is

indispensable.

The Ancient Greeks had the idea that you could take a parent scale and invert it so

that each of the tones of the scale, in turn, would function as the root note. Thus, theycould generate seven melodic structures, each having a completely different sound

quality as compared to the others, from the same group of notes.

Each of these seven inversions of the scale were associated with the various tribes of

Greece and given the name of that tribe.

The Ancients ordered the scales in descending fashion:

1. C- Ionian

2. B- Dorian

3. A- Phrygian

4. G- Lydian

5. F- Mixolydian

6. E- Aeolian

7. D- Locrian

Oddly, the churches of Western Europe reversed the order of designation:

1. C- Ionian

2. D- Dorian

3. E- Phrygian

4. F- Lydian

5. G- Mixolydian

6. A- Aeolian


69/96

7. B- Locrian

This is the order and naming that we use today. You must commit this order and

naming to memory, as you will use this knowledge frequently.

Keep in mind that each of the seven modes listed above share the same key signature.

That is to say, they are all composed of the exact same notes. The only thing that

distinguishes one from the next is the fact that you are using a different note within

the parent scale as the root.

Now, if we change the key of the parent major scale, we still get the same modes, in

the same order, but the root notes will change. For example, let's look at the key of G

major:

1. G- Ionian

2. A- Dorian

3. B- Phrygian

4. C- Lydian

5. D- Mixolydian

6. E- Aeolian

7. F#- Locrian

The key of D majoryields:

1. D- Ionian

2. E- Dorian

3. F#- Phrygian


70/96

4. G- Lydian

5. A- Mixolydian

6. B- Aeolian

7. C#- Locrian

Ionianwill always be first, Dorianwill be second, Phrygianis third, etc. The root

notes of each mode will always follow the whole-step/half-step pattern of the parent

major scale.

Take notice, if you haven't already, that the Ionian modeand the parent scale are one

and the same. It's helpful if you think, "way of playing the scale" in place of the word,"mode." So the "good ol' major scale", as you've always known it, is the first way

or Ionian mode.

In order to see the relationship of the seven modes on the guitar, it's helpful to divide

the major scale into seven patterns along the length of the fingerboard:


71/96


72/96

If we change the root note in each successive pattern to match the modal structure it

looks like this:

1. C Ionian

2. D Dorian


73/96

3. E Phrygian

4. F Lydian

5. G Mixolydian


74/96

6. A Aeolian

7. B Locrian

Notice that we are using the exact same patterns, in the exact same order, at the exact

same positions on the fingerboard. The only thing that has changed is the note within

each pattern that functions as the root. (the squares!!)


75/96

Here's an exercise to help you understand derivative modal relationships:

Below are seven MIDI files labeled according to the modes. Click on each link in turn

and practice the corresponding pattern ascending and descending, making sure to start

and stop on the correct root.

It is usually easiest to hear the scale if you start and stop on the root that is also the

lowest note of the pattern, but, eventually you will want to practice using the root

on the D-stringand the root on the high E-string.

Now, once you are comfortable with the pattern and the sound of the mode, start

improvising short melodic phrases using the mode. You don't have to get fancy. Justkeep it simple and concentrate on using the correct notes. What you're trying to do is

become familiar with the sound of the mode and the idea of playing the notes of the C

major scalewith a note other than Cfunctioning as the root.

Good luck!

1.C - Ionian

2.D - Dorian

3.E - Phrygian

4.F - Lydian

5.G - Mixolydian

6.A - Aeolian

7.B - Locrian

Modes Part III - Parallel
http://www.zentao.com/guitar/modes/cpedaltone.midhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/modes/cpedaltone.midhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/modes/cpedaltone.midhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/modes/dpedaltone.midhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/modes/dpedaltone.midhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/modes/dpedaltone.midhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/modes/epedaltone.midhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/modes/epedaltone.midhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/modes/epedaltone.midhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/modes/fpedaltone.midhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/modes/fpedaltone.midhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/modes/fpedaltone.midhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/modes/gpedaltone.midhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/modes/gpedaltone.midhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/modes/gpedaltone.midhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/modes/apedaltone.midhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/modes/apedaltone.midhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/modes/apedaltone.midhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/modes/bpedaltone.midhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/modes/bpedaltone.midhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/modes/bpedaltone.midhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/modes/bpedaltone.midhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/modes/apedaltone.midhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/modes/gpedaltone.midhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/modes/fpedaltone.midhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/modes/epedaltone.midhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/modes/dpedaltone.midhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/modes/cpedaltone.mid


76/96

Once you completely understand how modes are derived and are becoming familiar

with the distinct sound quality of each, it's important to be able to see them as separate

scales. In order to do this, you need to memorize the interval structure of each mode.

There isn't any easy way to go about this memorization. You just have to keep

plugging away at it until you have it down.

Here are the modes, listed in order of appearance, with the interval structure of each:

1. Ionian - 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

2. Dorian- 1 2 b3 4 5 6 b7 8

3. Phrygian- 1 b2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 8

4. Lydian- 1 2 3 #4 5 6 7 8

5. Mixolydian- 1 2 3 4 5 6 b7 8

6. Aeolian- 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 8

7. Locrian- 1 b2 b3 4 b5 b6 b7 8

A useful tool for memorization, as well as, organizing the sound of each mode is to

arrange them in order of "brightness":

Lydian- 1 2 3 #4 5 6 7 8

Ionian - 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Mixolydian- 1 2 3 4 5 6 b7 8

Dorian- 1 2 b3 4 5 6 b7 8

Aeolian- 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 8

Phrygian- 1 b2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 8


77/96

Locrian- 1 b2 b3 4 b5 b6 b7 8

Arranged in this order, each successive mode has only one interval that is different

than the mode before it.

Practice the intervals thusly:

Click on the MIDI file below.

Play one octaveof the C Lydian mode, at the eighth fret, ascending and descending,

until you are comfortable with the sound and fingering:

Then, change the appropriate interval to make the scale C Ionian(Lower the #4one

fret):


78/96

Once you're comfortable with that, change the scale to C Mixolydian, then to C

Dorianetc...

C pedal tone

With thederivative approach,our objective was to see the modes from different root

notes within the parent major scale. The objective of the parallel approach, however,

is to learn to see all of the modes from the same root.

This is where the unique sound quality of each mode begins to stand out. It is this

unique sound quality that dictates the use of the individual modes. If you attach a

description of this sound quality to each of the modes, it will help you to betterorganize your playing.

Here is how I hear the modes, but don't be afraid to come up with your own

description. (Click on each for a short mp3 example over a pedal tone.):

1.Ionian- Very clean sounding, almost to the point of sounding sterile. Your

Grandma would love this one.

2.Dorian- Can sound smooth and soulful or hip and bluesy, depending on how you

use it.

3.Phrygian- Has a very Middle-Eastern or Spanish sound.

4.Lydian- Very clean, like Ionian, but the #4 gives it a more spacey, unresolved

quality.

5.Mixolydian- "Funky" or "folky", depending on how it's used. This mode has been

used for everything from old sea chanteys, to a lot of '70s rock tunes.

6.Aeolian- Dark and sad like those old cowboy songs, or tough and mean as used in

a lot of heavy-rock songs.

7.Locrian- The real ear-twister of the bunch. Can sound Spanish like Phrygian, but

much darker and more unresolved.
http://www.zentao.com/guitar/modes/cparapedaltone.midhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/modes/cparapedaltone.midhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/modes/modes-2.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/modes/modes-2.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/modes/modes-2.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/musicfiles/ionianpedal.mp3http://www.zentao.com/guitar/musicfiles/ionianpedal.mp3http://www.zentao.com/guitar/musicfiles/ionianpedal.mp3http://www.zentao.com/guitar/musicfiles/dorianpedal.mp3http://www.zentao.com/guitar/musicfiles/dorianpedal.mp3http://www.zentao.com/guitar/musicfiles/dorianpedal.mp3http://www.zentao.com/guitar/musicfiles/phrygianpedal.mp3http://www.zentao.com/guitar/musicfiles/phrygianpedal.mp3http://www.zentao.com/guitar/musicfiles/phrygianpedal.mp3http://www.zentao.com/guitar/musicfiles/lydianpedal.mp3http://www.zentao.com/guitar/musicfiles/lydianpedal.mp3http://www.zentao.com/guitar/musicfiles/lydianpedal.mp3http://www.zentao.com/guitar/musicfiles/mixolydianpedal.mp3http://www.zentao.com/guitar/musicfiles/mixolydianpedal.mp3http://www.zentao.com/guitar/musicfiles/mixolydianpedal.mp3http://www.zentao.com/guitar/musicfiles/aeolianpedal.mp3http://www.zentao.com/guitar/musicfiles/aeolianpedal.mp3http://www.zentao.com/guitar/musicfiles/aeolianpedal.mp3http://www.zentao.com/guitar/musicfiles/locrianpedal.mp3http://www.zentao.com/guitar/musicfiles/locrianpedal.mp3http://www.zentao.com/guitar/musicfiles/locrianpedal.mp3http://www.zentao.com/guitar/musicfiles/locrianpedal.mp3http://www.zentao.com/guitar/musicfiles/aeolianpedal.mp3http://www.zentao.com/guitar/musicfiles/mixolydianpedal.mp3http://www.zentao.com/guitar/musicfiles/lydianpedal.mp3http://www.zentao.com/guitar/musicfiles/phrygianpedal.mp3http://www.zentao.com/guitar/musicfiles/dorianpedal.mp3http://www.zentao.com/guitar/musicfiles/ionianpedal.mp3http://www.zentao.com/guitar/modes/modes-2.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/modes/cparapedaltone.mid


79/96

Now that we have liberated the modes from their parent scale, it's much easier to

transpose them into other keys. For example, if we transpose each of the modes tothe key of Gand play them at the third fret, it looks like this:

1. Ionian - 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

2. Dorian- 1 2 b3 4 5 6 b7 8

3. Phrygian- 1 b2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 8


80/96

4. Lydian- 1 2 3 #4 5 6 7 8

5. Mixolydian- 1 2 3 4 5 6 b7 8

6. Aeolian- 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 8


81/96

7. Locrian- 1 b2 b3 4 b5 b6 b7 8

Take a good look at each of the patterns in the example, and you will notice that they

are the exact same patterns that we have already used in thederivative section of this

lesson. They're even in the same order. What has changed is that they are all being

played from the same root(Gat the third fret, low E string).

Patterns are a very useful tool on the guitar, so long as you don't let the patternsdo all the work for you.

Becoming a skilled player is much more than whipping out your favorite pattern every

time you take a solo. You've got to step beyond the patterns and understandthe intervalsthat you are playing, as well as, how those intervals function,

both harmonicallyand melodically, within the context of the music you are playing.

Eventually, you will need to be able to see the interval structure of each mode

covering the entire fretboard:
http://www.zentao.com/guitar/modes/modes-2.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/modes/modes-2.html


82/96

1. Ionian - 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

2. Dorian- 1 2 b3 4 5 6 b7 8

3. Phrygian- 1 b2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 8

4. Lydian- 1 2 3 #4 5 6 7 8


83/96

5. Mixolydian- 1 2 3 4 5 6 b7 8

6. Aeolian- 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 8

7. Locrian- 1 b2 b3 4 b5 b6 b7 8


84/96

Now, click on the MIDI file, pick a mode, and learn those intervals!

G pedal tone

Modes Part IV

Applying modes to chords and chord progressions

Parallel

A parallel approach to chords and chord progressions is probably the best place to

start, although, in the long run, this approach is more applicable to jazz and country-

style playing than it is to rock or blues-style playing. Players of jazz and country tend

to take things one chord at a time, utilizing different scales for each chord in a chord

progression. Rock and blues players, on the other hand, tend to utilize one scale that

fits the entire chord progression.

Be that as it may, it is important to have a thorough understanding of which chord

types can be constructed from each of the modes.

Chords
http://www.zentao.com/guitar/modes/gparapedaltone.midhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/modes/gparapedaltone.midhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/modes/gparapedaltone.mid


85/96

Mode Triad 7th 9th* 11th* 13th*

Ionian Maj Maj7 Maj9 Maj11 Maj13

Dorian min min7 min9 min11 min13

Phrygian min min7 min7(b9) min11(b9) min11(b9b13)

Lydian Maj Maj7 Maj9 Maj7(#11) Maj13(#11)

Mixolydian Maj 7 9 11 13

Aeolian min min7 min9 min11 min11(b13)

Locrian dim min7(b5) min7(b5b9) min11(b5b9) min11(b5b9b13)

* 9th, 11th and 13th chords are covered in the Extended, Altered and Other Types of

Chords Lesson. (not posted yet)

Knowing which chord types can be constructed from each mode will help you to

apply the modes in an actual playing situation. Let's say for instance that you

encounter a Bmin7 chord. According to the chord chart, three different modes can be

associated with a min7 chord, Dorian, Phrygian and Aeolian. This means thatfor Bmin7, you could play the BDorian mode, the BPhrygian mode, the BAeolian

mode, or any combination of the three possibilities.

There is an entire universe of harmonic and melodic possibilities waiting to be

discovered within the modes of the major scale. This chart is only a place to start.

Derivative:

A great majority of the popular songs that you are likely to encounter have been

written around modal chord progressions. In order to understand this modal structure,

we have to take a look at thechord scale.
http://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/chord-scale.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/chord-scale.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/chord-scale.htmlhttp://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/chord-scale.html


86/96

Just like modes, the secret to using the chord scale is which chord you resolve the

progression t

Know Your Notes

Documents

Transcript of Know Your Notes