The GUITARSIMPLIFIED

NEIL D. SANTOSAn Illustrated Guide to Music Theory and the Guitar

The GUITAR

NEIL SANTOSAn Illustrated Guide to Music Theory and the Guitar

BIG BOOK OF SCALES

Introduction Why I Wrote this Book

A Guitar Overview The Parts of the Guitar The Neck The Wood The Pickups Tuning the Guitar Different Body Shapes Holding the Guitar The Guitar Pick Fingerstyle Guitar Slide Guitar The Amplifier Effects Reading Chord Grids Reading Scale Grids Finding the Notes on the Neck Guitar Tablature Symbols in TAB A Beginner’s Guide to Strumming The Common Strum Cheat Sheet Guide Common Strum Cheat Sheet Finger Exercises Common Finger Exercises Permutations Three Note Permutations Chapter Summary

Rhythm The Beat Tempo The Rhythm Pyramid The Measure Time Signatures Odd Meters Rests Strong & Weak Beats Ties Dotted Notes Tuplets Triplets Swing

TABLE OF CONTENTS Syncopation Rhythm Slashes The Metronome Beginning Practice with a Metronome Chapter Summery

Scales The Chromatic Scale Root Notes Intervals Interval Number System Intervals in Depth Making Better Scales The Major Scale Formula Other Scale Formulas Modes Key Signatures Enharmonic Equivalents Handy Interval Grid A Collection of Scale Formulas Chapter Summary

Chords Creating Chords Triads Diatonic Chords Roman Numeral Analysis Diatonic Chord Chart Tensions Open Chords Power Chords Barre Chords Suspended Chords E-String Based Chords A-String Based Chords D-String Based Chords Inverted Chords Slash Chords Seventh Chord Inversions Drop 2 Chords The CAGED System Voice Leading Quartal Harmony Chapter Summary

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Harmony Diatonic Chord Progressions Diatonic Functions Primary Chords Primary Chord Chart Relative Minors Circle of Fifths Major Progression Map Minor Progression Map Borrowed Chords Common Borrowed Chords Common Chord Progressions Deceptive Resolutions Secondary Dominants Extended Dominants Substitute Dominants Key Modulation Establishing the Key Types of Modulation Blues Progressions Modal Writing Chord Scale Theory Common Scale Options Chapter Summary

Scale Infographics Major 7 Arpeggios Minor 7 Arpeggios Minor/Major 7 Arpeggios Minor 7b5 Arpeggios Dominant 7 Arpeggios Minor/Major Pentatonic The Blues Scale Dominant Pentatonic Melodic Minor Pentatonic Natural Major/Minor Scale Harmonic Minor Scale Melodic Minor Scale Whole Tone Scale Diminished Scale

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TABLE OF CONTENTSIntroduction Why I Wrote this Book

A Guitar Overview The Parts of the Guitar The Neck The Wood The Pickups Tuning the Guitar Different Body Shapes Holding the Guitar The Guitar Pick Fingerstyle Guitar Slide Guitar The Amplifier Effects Reading Chord Grids Reading Scale Grids Finding the Notes on the Neck Guitar Tablature Symbols in TAB A Beginner’s Guide to Strumming The Common Strum Cheat Sheet Guide Common Strum Cheat Sheet Finger Exercises Common Finger Exercises Permutations Three Note Permutations Chapter Summary

Rhythm The Beat Tempo The Rhythm Pyramid The Measure Time Signatures Odd Meters Rests Strong & Weak Beats Ties Dotted Notes Tuplets Triplets Swing

Syncopation Rhythm Slashes The Metronome Beginning Practice with a Metronome Chapter Summery

Scales The Chromatic Scale Root Notes Intervals Interval Number System Intervals in Depth Making Better Scales The Major Scale Formula Other Scale Formulas Modes Key Signatures Enharmonic Equivalents Handy Interval Grid A Collection of Scale Formulas Chapter Summary

Chords Creating Chords Triads Diatonic Chords Roman Numeral Analysis Diatonic Chord Chart Tensions Open Chords Power Chords Barre Chords Suspended Chords E-String Based Chords A-String Based Chords D-String Based Chords Inverted Chords Slash Chords Seventh Chord Inversions Drop 2 Chords The CAGED System Voice Leading Quartal Harmony Chapter Summary

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Harmony Diatonic Chord Progressions Diatonic Functions Primary Chords Primary Chord Chart Relative Minors Circle of Fifths Major Progression Map Minor Progression Map Borrowed Chords Common Borrowed Chords Common Chord Progressions Deceptive Resolutions Secondary Dominants Extended Dominants Substitute Dominants Key Modulation Establishing the Key Types of Modulation Blues Progressions Modal Writing Chord Scale Theory Common Scale Options Chapter Summary

Scale Infographics Major 7 Arpeggios Minor 7 Arpeggios Minor/Major 7 Arpeggios Minor 7b5 Arpeggios Dominant 7 Arpeggios Minor/Major Pentatonic The Blues Scale Dominant Pentatonic Melodic Minor Pentatonic Natural Major/Minor Scale Harmonic Minor Scale Melodic Minor Scale Whole Tone Scale Diminished Scale

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Introduction Why I Wrote this Book

A Guitar Overview The Parts of the Guitar The Neck The Wood The Pickups Tuning the Guitar Different Body Shapes Holding the Guitar The Guitar Pick Fingerstyle Guitar Slide Guitar The Amplifier Effects Reading Chord Grids Reading Scale Grids Finding the Notes on the Neck Guitar Tablature Symbols in TAB A Beginner’s Guide to Strumming The Common Strum Cheat Sheet Guide Common Strum Cheat Sheet Finger Exercises Common Finger Exercises Permutations Three Note Permutations Chapter Summary

Rhythm The Beat Tempo The Rhythm Pyramid The Measure Time Signatures Odd Meters Rests Strong & Weak Beats Ties Dotted Notes Tuplets Triplets Swing

Syncopation Rhythm Slashes The Metronome Beginning Practice with a Metronome Chapter Summery

Scales The Chromatic Scale Root Notes Intervals Interval Number System Intervals in Depth Making Better Scales The Major Scale Formula Other Scale Formulas Modes Key Signatures Enharmonic Equivalents Handy Interval Grid A Collection of Scale Formulas Chapter Summary

Chords Creating Chords Triads Diatonic Chords Roman Numeral Analysis Diatonic Chord Chart Tensions Open Chords Power Chords Barre Chords Suspended Chords E-String Based Chords A-String Based Chords D-String Based Chords Inverted Chords Slash Chords Seventh Chord Inversions Drop 2 Chords The CAGED System Voice Leading Quartal Harmony Chapter Summary

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TABLE OF CONTENTSHarmony Diatonic Chord Progressions Diatonic Functions Primary Chords Primary Chord Chart Relative Minors Circle of Fifths Major Progression Map Minor Progression Map Borrowed Chords Common Borrowed Chords Common Chord Progressions Deceptive Resolutions Secondary Dominants Extended Dominants Substitute Dominants Key Modulation Establishing the Key Types of Modulation Blues Progressions Modal Writing Chord Scale Theory Common Scale Options Chapter Summary

Scale Infographics Major 7 Arpeggios Minor 7 Arpeggios Minor/Major 7 Arpeggios Minor 7b5 Arpeggios Dominant 7 Arpeggios Minor/Major Pentatonic The Blues Scale Dominant Pentatonic Melodic Minor Pentatonic Natural Major/Minor Scale Harmonic Minor Scale Melodic Minor Scale Whole Tone Scale Diminished Scale

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The Neck

A GUITAR OVERVIEW

Finger board Frets

Nut Headstock

Truss Rod

Neck BackBinding

Scalloped necks offer many benefits including faster playing, smoother bending, clearer notes, semi-tone bends.

StandardDot

SharkFin

Block

Trapezoid

Custom

Custom

Fret wires come in nickle/silver, stainless steel

and gold color versions. The size of the wire will

affect the playability of the guitar. Larger and

taller frets are great for single line playing while

smaller frets are more suited to playing chords.

A B C D E

A .080” x .037” Small fret wire. Used on Vintage Fender necks.

B .106” x .036” Medium Jumbo. Used on Gibson necks.

C .103” x .046” Jumbo. Used on Modern Fender necks.

D .095” x .045” Narrow and Tall. A popular choice for fret wire.

E .118” x .058” Huge! Used on Ibanez necks.

Width x Height Description

The Frets

Scalloped Fretboard

There is a neck shape to fill up any hand. Too small of a neck and your hand will quickly get tired. Too large and you can’t get your fingers around it. Below are just three of the many possible shapes.

The Back ContourNeck inlays are there to help you identify your position on the neck but that doesn’t mean you can’t have fun with them. Custom inlays are a way to add a little character to your axe.

Neck Inlays

The Ibanez® Wizard neck is an example of a very thin neck which is great for playing fast.

Gibson® Les Pauls are known for having thick necks that are excellent for bending

Fender® Stratocasters & Telecasters have necks that a majority of players find comfortable

Standard Thin

Standard Thin

I would like to thank Warmoth.com for their help with the information on this page. I have a few of their custom necks and highly recommend checking them out if you’re in the market.

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The BeatAll music has a pulse. We usually call it the beat, and it is what keeps a piece of music moving along and allows the musicians to play together. When you tap your foot or dance while listen-ing to a song, you are reacting to the beat. Sometimes it is easy to hear (dance music) but sometimes it isn’t as obvious (some classical music). Feeling the beat is easy however. Consider this popular children’s song. Just follow the bouncing ball.

TempoThe tempo refers to the speed at which a piece of music is played. It is measured in Beats Per Minute (BPM). The higher the BPM, the more notes need to be fit into a minute, the faster the music. Typically, pop and rock music maintain a steady tempo throughout a song, while classical music tempos shift for dramatic effect. Rubato is a rhythmic technique of speeding up and slowing down the tempo of a song to add expressiveness used by solo instrumentalists.

There are old Italian terms that can be used to indicate tempo. They are typically used in classical music. While each covers an approximate tempo range, they are mainly used to convey a general 'feel', and are less precise than a strict BPM tempo measurement.

There are so many of them, that they can be hard to remember. Here are a few of the more common tempo names:

A study conducted on top 40 pop songs from the last thirty years determined that the optimum tempo for a “hit” is around 120 bpm.

RHYTHM

Mary, Had a, Little, Lamb, Little, Lamb, Little, Lamb

Mary, Had a, Little, Lamb, its, Fleece was, White as, Snow

Adagio slowly

(60-80 bpm)

Andante walking

(80-100 bpm)

Moderato moderate

(100-120 bpm)

Allegro lively

(120-160 bpm)

Presto quickly

(160-200 bpm)

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The Chromatic ScaleMost Western music can be traced back to the Chromatic Scale as it is the foundation of all of the scales and chords that we use. It contains 12 notes that are an equal distance apart or in other words, all the black and white keys on a piano.

Root NotesBoth examples above are referred to as the “C Chromatic Scale” because they start and end on the note “C”. C is considered their Root Note which is the starting note from which any scale is created. If we were to start the scale on the note E they would then become the “E Chromatic Scale”.

SCALES

The Chromatic Scale on Piano (from C to C)

C D E F G A B C

C# D# F# G# A#

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22

The Chromatic Scale on Guitar (from C to C)

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

The C & E Chromatic Scales with highlighted root notes

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

E F F# G G# A A# B C C# D D# ERoot Note

Root Note

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Diatonic Chords

CHORDS

Note Names

Chord Tones

G B D

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

GB

D

G MajorV major

G B D

R 3 5

Note Names

Chord Tones

A C E

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

AC

E

A Minorvi minor

A C E

R b3 5

2 3

10 0

R 5 R b3 5

2 3

1

0 0 0

R 3 5 R 3 R

3

11

R

5 R

3

5

33

9 10 11 12 13

4

2

11

R

5

R b

3 5

11 12 13 14 15

3

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Common Chord ProgressionsThe number of chord progressions you can create is virtually endless. However, there are certain ones that keep popping up over and over. That’s because they sound great and lend themselves to catchy melody writing. Let’s take a look at a few that have stood the test of time.

HARMONY

Chord Progression Song Example Chords

IVbVIIIIIIVbVIIi “What if God Were One of Us”

- Joan OsbornA min F C G

IVIIVVIVII “Lay Down Sally”

- Eric ClaptonC F G C

IVVIIVVviII “Stand By Me”

- Ben E. KingC A min F G

IVVIiiVIVII “Run Around”

- Blues TravelerC F D min G

IVVIIVIVII “Brown Eyed Girl”

- Van MorrisonC F C G

IVVIIVViiiII “The Weight”

- The BandC E min F G

IVIVIiiiViiII “Like A Rolling Stone”

- Bob DylanC D min E min F

IVVG (X4)

IVivIiVVIi “Black Magic Woman”

- SantanaA min E A min D min

IVbVIIIivVbVIIi “Mr. Jones”

- Counting CrowsA min F D min G

IViiiIviVVII “Pachelbel’s Canon”

- Johann PachelbelC G A min E min

IVVIiiVIIIVF C D min G

IVIVIviVVII “With or Without You”

- U2C G A min F

D minor

2

3

1

0

2 3

1

A minor0 0

2 3

E minor0 0 00

2

3

1 1

F major

2 3

1

0 0 0

G major

3

2

1

C major0 0

Tonic Subdominant Dominant

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DETAILS

R, b3, 4, #4, 5, b7

Scale Tones

The Blues scale is basically the minor - major pentatonic scale with an added note. The “blue note” that we add is the #4 and it gives the scale a bit of attitude.

The patterns are a little strange, but if you can approach this scale as the minor and major pentatonic and just memorize where the blues note shows up you’ll get it in no time.

Each mode has its own characteristics and usefulness. Refer to the blue text to the left.

Suspended

Whole Step

Minor Third

Wb3

Tonality

Minor

Major

Dominant

Augmented

Diminished

THE BLUES SCALE

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22

Minor Pentatonic Blues*R, b3, 4, #4, 5, b7Use on: min7 chords

Major Pentatonic Blues*R, 2, b3, 3, 5, 6

Use on: Major chords

Egyptian Blues*R, b2, 2, 4, 5, b7Use on: Sus chords

Man Gong Blues*R, b3, 4, b6, 7, b7Use on: min7 chords

Ritusen Bluesen*R, 2, 4, 5, b6, 6Use on: Sus chords

b3 W W b3 W

* Completely fictitious name

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Neil Santos is a musician, artist, teacher and blogger, a graduate of Berklee College of Music and a music teacher with over a decade of experience. He currently uses his musical knowledge and graphic design skills to teach thru his blog scaletrainer.com. He lives with his wife and son near Boston, Massachusetts.

Everything you ever wanted to know about music theory and guitar but were afraid to ask.

You don’t need to know how to read music, understand theory or even how to hold a guitar. Everything is covered here in simple and easy to understand lessons.

Whether you’re new to guitar and want to build a good foundation of the basics or you’re a more advanced player who would like to write better songs and improvise more freely by delving into music theory, this book will help you.

The mysteries of music and the guitar used to make my head spin but now that I’ve come to understand them I can see that they don’t need to be complicated at all.

Traditional methods of teaching music can put a barrier between you and the knowledge you crave. Using simple graphics and bite size descriptions I will teach you step by step to make sense of this instrument you love.