ultimate guitar grade 4

Ultimate Guitar (Advancing 2)

PAGE 32

Ultimate Guitar (Grade 4)

Introduction:

The next step.

If you have completed Ultimate Guitar (Grade 3), then you are ready to launch into this book. For maximum benefit to be gained from this book you will need a good working knowledge of note reading in 1st position, reading in 5th position, basic theory concepts and simple chord chart reading. If any of these areas are unfamiliar to the student then a short remedial course should be undertaken before continuing.

What is in this book?

The Ultimate Guitar series seeks to provide a continuation in teaching methodology and logical layout. To that end you will find this book continues with music reading skills by gradually introducing notes in the higher positions.

The minor pentatonic, major pentatonic and blues scales are introduced with an emphasis on improvisation.

The accompanying CD provides tuning notes, examples and pieces. The recording is made in split stereo so you can use the balance control on your CD player to play the melody or the accompaniment separately. Melody is recorded on the right channel and accompaniment is recorded on the left channel.

Exercises or pieces are marked with to show that the piece is recorded onto CD and the track is number 1.

As in all of the Ultimate Guitar series books, lessons have an integrated theory component under the heading of Brain Stuff. These are in a workbook format and should be completed before continuing to the next lesson.

For the Teacher:

Grade 4 has been designed as a continuation in the study of music reading, theory, rhythm guitar, chord melody and musicianship that was begun in earlier grades of this course.

Scales for improvisation are included, but rather than present them in the usual way with dots on a fingerboard grid, I have found it beneficial for students when the scales are presented in lower positions where they need to read the notes off the staff. This also allows for the introduction of higher position notes and, in particular, the replacement of open notes with alternate position notes.

Considerable material is presented to encourage students to experiment with chordal additions and extensions to add colour to the sound of their rhythm playing.

Barre chords knowledge and skills are developed further and a barre chord chart is included for reference.

As students become more confident in their rhythm playing I recommend using the Frameworks Volume 2 play-a-long book and CD set. It contains blues oriented tracks that are fun to jam with but also give students some rhythmic backing to work with as they experiment with new strums and chord voicings.

There is also a blues based supplement that was formerly available as a stand-a-lone product but is now integrated into this course. It provides students with the basics of blues rhythm guitar concepts and the use of the primary chords.

The Brain Stuff sections are strategically placed within the course to coincide with theory topics and concepts being presented. These written theory exercises allow the teacher to maintain continuity with theory concepts and provide an easy way for the student to become acquainted with music in its written form.

It is my desire to present the finest teaching materials to tutors and students and hope this series of books plays a part in developing your students abilities to enable them to play at the highest level and find enjoyment in their music making efforts.

Andrew Hobler

Tuning notes can be found on the CD

Lesson 1Objectives:

1. To learn the A minor pentatonic scale.

2. To learn the hammer-on technique.

3. To learn to use the sus4 chord extension.

4. To learn to read more syncopated rhythms.

5. To review major scales and build the minor pentatonic scale.

A Minor Pentatonic scale

Scales are the building blocks of music and are a necessary tool for the guitarist interested in soloing.

The minor pentatonic scale (penta =5) is one of the most useful scales. It is formed from the 1, b3, 4, 5 and b7 of the major scale.

The A minor pentatonic scale contains A C D E G A and is shown below.

Practice ascending (going up) and descending (going down) the scale.

PRACTICE DRILLS

2 TIMES EACH NOTE(EIGHTH NOTES)

3 TIMES EACH NOTE(TRIPLETS)

4 TIMES EACH NOTE(SIXTEENTH NOTES)

2 TIMES EACH NOTE(SHUFFLE or SWING)

Kitchen Sync Blues

The Hammer-On

The hammer-on is one of the guitarists secret weapons. It allows us to play more smoothly with the notes connecting without the sound of the pick attack. It also allows us to play faster as not every note is picked.

Lets look at how its done.

The hammer-on occurs between 2 notes such as G and A on the 3rd string.

H.O stands for hammer-on and is sometimes abbreviated to H.

1. Play the open G and with as much finger speed as you can, smash the 2nd finger of your left hand onto the A note without picking it.

2. Play it again; this time make sure that the first note goes for 1 full beat before beginning the hammer.

3. You might find that the hammered note is not as loud as the picked note. This is quite normal as it takes practice to develop the finger speed required.

4. Play the following exercise and keep an accurate sense of rhythm.

Try putting some hammers into Aura Lee. Using a familiar song helps with the rhythm aspect of hammer-ons.

The sus 4 Chord Extension

Many of the concepts we cover here could be titled Easy Tricks That Make you Sound Like A Pro.

The chord extension sus4 (or suspended 4th) is a common one that guitar players love to use. It helps create movement (making it more interesting to play and listen to) without requiring any difficult techniques.

Firstly, some basic theory.

Suspended is simply the type of chord being used. (Like major, minor, seventh etc).

The4 part is a little trickier but like so many music questions and concepts it relates to scales.

Dsus4

The first of the Sus 4 chords you will learn is Dsus4. To understand what the chord symbol is telling us we need to refer to the D scale.

DEF#GABC#D

12345678

The chord formula for a sus 4 is 1, 4, & 5.

The notes in a Dsus4 chord are D G and A.

The shaded finger dot represents the not that is to be added to the chord.

The 2nd finger usually stays in place as the Dsus4 chord is often followed by the D chord.

Play this exercise and listen for clear sound on the 1st string.

Use the same chords but change the rhythm.

Add some syncopation. (Read on to discover more about syncopation).

Gsus4

Asus4

Esus4

Syncopated Rhythms

Syncopated rhythms are often played quite naturally as they are heard in music all the time and are therefore a familiar sound. The difficulties with syncopation are most commonly related to the notation of the rhythm.

In music, the strongest beats are usually those that are counted as numbers.(1 2 3 4).

The notes that fall on the and counts are considered the weak part of the beat.

When notes land on two consecutive weak beats the rhythm is said to be syncopated.

On the example below, place brackets around the counts where no picking attack will occur. Play slowly and carefully.

Syncopation adds lift to the music by being a little less predictable. You can add your own syncopation to melodies.

You have already played Camptown Races without any syncopation. Try this version where no new notes are added, but the rhythms have been displaced to add interest to the sound.

Note the position shifts and where they occur.

Try to shift where there is an open string sounding to ensure the notes stay connected.

Camptown Races

Notice how the piece lifts with the addition of syncopated rhythm. Try some syncopations of your own on other pieces of music. You will find that a metronome helps you keep time more accurately.

Two Fingered Blues

Lead Guitar

Rhythm Guitar

Brain Stuff 1Firstly, a brief review of major scales.

Scale

A scale is a series of notes that generally move in a stepwise direction.

The most common of these is the major scale.

A C major scale contains these notes:

CDEFGABC

Scale Degrees

Scale notes can be numbered from 1 through to 8. These are called scale degrees or scale step numbers.

Semitones & Tones (Half &Whole Steps)

A semitone is also called a half-step and is the interval between 2 consecutive notes on the chromatic scale.

C-C# is 1 semitone or half-step.

C#-D is 1 semitone or half-step.

A tone is also called a whole step and is the interval between 3 consecutive notes on the chromatic scale.

C-D is 1 tone or whole step.

D-E is 1 tone or whole step.

Major Scale Formula

The major scale formula is the set sequence that allows us to accurately construct the major scale regardless of the starting note.

The formula for the major scale is:

2212221

There are always 2 semitones (or half-steps) between the 1st and 2nd scale degrees in the major scale.

Reference chart of all Major Scales

The following table shows all major scales and should be used as a reference.

Key2345678

MamimiMaMamidimMa

CDEFGABC

GABCDEF#G

DEF#GABC#D

ABC#DEF#G#A

EF#G#ABC#D#E

BC#D#EF#G#A#B

F#G#A#BC#D#E#F#

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

FGABbCDEF

BbCDEbFGABb

EbFGAbBbCDEb

AbBbCDbEbFGAb

DbEbFGbAbBbCDb

GbAbBbCbDbEbFGb

Minor Pentatonic Scales

You have already learned about the minor pentatonic scale earlier in this lesson. We will now build the minor pentatonic based on various root notes.

The formula is:

1b345b7

ACDEGA minor pentatonic

CEbFGBbC minor pentatonic

Ex. 1Use the major scale reference chart and the formula for minor pentatonic scales and build one based on each root note.

Keyb345b 78

CC

GG

DD

AA

EE

BB

F#F#

C#C#

FF

BbBb

EbEb

AbAb

DbDb

GbGb

Project 1 Practice the A minor pentatonic scale.

Practice the hammer-on technique.

Practice the sus4 chord extension.

Complete Brain Stuff exercises.

Practice clamping technique from Grade 3.

Lesson 2Objectives:

1. To learn the E, F and G notes on the 2nd string.

2. To learn voice leading concepts.

3. To improvise using the A minor pentatonic scale.

4. To learn a relaxation stretch for the neck and shoulders.

E F and G Notes on the 2nd String

Lets continue learning the notes in higher positions by exploring the 2nd string.

Note that E F is still only 1 fret and F-G is 2 frets (as on the 1st string).

The next piece demonstrates how the addition of these notes to our knowledge of the fingerboard helps avoid unnecessary position changes.

We will also need to know the C note on the 3rd string. It is shown below.

In order to use the most logical fingering for the following piece we would also need to know the D note on the 3rd string. If you can find it on the 3rd string then use it in place of the D on the 2nd string.Joy to the World

Santa Lucia

Voice Leading

In this section we will look at how the chord voicings can be linked together in a progression to provide smooth voice leading.

This simply means that the chord progression flows using common notes and the smallest possible movements.

G - C is a very common chord sequence and rather than always playing the open G and C chords it is often effective to play smoothly connecting triads.

Play the two chord voicings that follow. Use the clamp technique to play the 1st and 2nd strings together with the 1st finger.

Notice how the G note is common to both chords. The D moves up to E (1 tone) and the B moves up to C (1 semi-tone away).

This is usually easier to see in music notation.

Lets use these in a funk rhythm.

This is usually written as follows.

Improvising with the A minor Pentatonic scale

Review the A minor pentatonic scale if you need to before continuing.

Since we have learned an alternative for the open E string, we could substitute this new position for the open E.

Practice this with the following drills before continuing.

PRACTICE DRILLS

2 TIMES EACH NOTE (EIGHTH NOTES)

3 TIMES EACH NOTE (TRIPLETS)

4 TIMES EACH NOTE (SIXTEENTH NOTES)

2 TIMES EACH NOTE(SHUFFLE or SWING)

1 TIME EACH NOTE(EIGHTH NOTES)

1 TIME EACH NOTE(TRIPLETS)

1 TIME EACH NOTE(SIXTEENTH NOTES)

1 TIME EACH NOTE(SHUFFLE or SWING)

Now you should have a good grasp of the new scale position.

Remember that the scales sound the same but the fingering allows us to play the notes in a certain way.

Play the following chord progression and listen to the sound of the chords.

Tonality

Does the progression sound major, minor or bluesy?

The sound is minor (and more specifically; A minor).

Why do we need to know this?

The tonality of the chord combination gives an idea of what we should use when we want to improvise (spontaneously compose!?) a melody (lead guitar) over the chord progression.

More on tonality later, but for now we can trust that the Aminor pentatonic scale will sound good over the Aminor chord progression above.

The idea here is to work with small chunks of the scale while the CD backing (Track 23) is playing in the background.

Begin with the following 3 notes.

Remember that A is the root note and will probably feature more prominently than the others.

Experiment with different rhythms, slides, hammers and picking dynamics.

Feel free to let notes ring (sustain) without the need to be picking all the time.

There are no right or wrong rhythms with this kind of playing so have fun with it.

Lets look at the next 3 notes in the scale.

Replay the CD (Track 23) and use these 3 notes to improvise with.

Now include the first 3 notes and go for it! Use the slides, hammers and different rhythms.

If you are playing an electric guitar, now would be a good time to crank in a little overdrive to give the notes more sustain.

Relaxation Exercise 1 The Funky Chicken

Guitarists generally have a build-up of tension in forearms, wrists, neck, back and shoulders. This tension can cause headaches, neck pain, tiredness and damage to the playing apparatus.

This may be due to the actual posture of the player, or the long hours spent practicing.

This is also a great exercise for people who work long hours in front of a computer.

It is important to break regularly (every 20 mins) and perform some of the exercises laid out in this book to relieve the muscles and tendons.

The simple exercise outlined below eases tension in the neck and shoulders.

Note that this is to be done gently.

The Funky Chicken

1. Look straight in front of you in either standing or sitting position.

2. Pull your face in to make a double chin without looking downwards.

3. Hold the position for a count of 5.

4. Repeat 5 times.

Brain Stuff 2Intervals

An interval is the distance between 2 notes.

Intervals are always measured from the lowest pitch to the highest.

They are named according to their relationship with the major scale that starts on the lower of the 2 notes.

Quality

Each interval is named with a combination of quality and quantity.

The quality of an interval refers to the type of interval.

These are generally classified as:

major

minor

perfect

augmented

diminished

Quantity

The quantity is the size of an interval.

These are named:

2nd

3rd

4th

5th

6th

7th

8th (or Octave)

Since intervals are always measured relative to the major scale built from the lowest note, the following chart should prove helpful.

The intervals in this example are based on the C major scale.

LowestHighestQualityQuantity

CDmajor2nd

CEmajor3rd

CFperfect4th

CGperfect5th

CAmajor6th

CBmajor7th

CCperfectOctave

Ex. 1Which of the intervals on the chart above are perfect?_____________________

Which of the intervals on the chart above are major? ______________________

Ex. 2Write the quantity of each of the harmonic intervals listed below. The first one has been completed for you.

Refer back to Brain Stuff 3 for the Major Scale Reference Chart if you need to.

Remember to treat the lowest note of the two as the root note of a major scale.

Project 2 Learn the E, F and G notes on the 2nd string.

Improvise using the A minor pentatonic scale.

Relax!!

Review all lessons.

Work with clamping.

Complete all Brain Stuff exercises.Lesson 3Objectives:

1. To learn more about the use of the A minor pentatonic scale.

2. Review of Pick Axis technique.

3. To play a popular song progression using the sus 4 chord shapes.

4. To learn the sus 2 chord extension.

More Uses Of The A Minor Pentatonic Scale

Lets try another common chord sequence and improvise with the backing track. Notice how the progression is in Aminor. It sounds at home when the chords return to Aminor.

I have included some licks for you to copy as part of the track. Rather than writing them down, it is important to use your ear to see if you can work them out.

Play along with the track and try to copy some of the solo licks by ear as well as making up your own.

Pick Axis

When we strum a chord on the guitar, we tend to start and finish as shown by the white line on the diagram below.

This means that most of the pressure from our strum arrives at the bass strings and middle stings. (6th, 5th and 4th.)

The pick is aimed at the middle of the strings (between 4th and 3rd) and we start strumming. This is called the Pick Axis.

This is fine when the chord is using all 6 strings but with a chord like Bm we need to be careful NOT to hit the 5th and 6th strings.

To do this we simply change the aim of the pick. (See following diagram)

Guitarists usually change pick axis all the time without even realising it, as it is one way of varying the sound of the strum.

Instead of always hitting all 6 strings we can easily adjust pick axis to lighten the sound of the strum.

We can aim at particular strings we want to emphasise as we strum.

Popular Progression 1

The sus2 Chord Extension Dsus2

Like the sus 4 chord we learned in lesson 3, the sus2 extension is another easy way to sound like a pro.

The first of the Sus 2 chords you will learn is Dsus2. It is sometimes written as D(add9) or D(addE) or more recently D2. To understand what the chord symbol is telling us we need once again to refer to the D scale.

DEF#GABC#D

12345678

The chord formula for a sus 2 is 1, 2,3 & 5.

The notes in a Dsus2 chord are D E F# and A.

The following progression uses a combination of D and Dsus2 chords. Use the Dsus2 as a substitute for D in some of the songs you have learned. Use Pick Axis technique to ensure that the 1st string is emphasised.

Now try this combination of D Dsus2 and Dsus4 chords. Remember to use Pick Axis.

More sus2 Chord Voicings

Here are some more sus2 voicings to try.

Project 3 Continue with clamping exercise and all riffs in this lesson.Lesson 4Objective:

1. To play a minor blues song.

2. To learn about slash chords.

3. To learn the harmonised C Major scale.

4. To learn more relaxation stretches.

Wayfaring Stranger

Slash Chords

It has become popular in recent times to notate some chords as slash chords.

This enables the player to immediately associate the chord name with the bass note required.

The slash chord always has the chord name on the left and the bass note on the right side of the diagonal slash.

Example:

Cma7/E = Cmajor7th chord with an E note as the lowest pitch in the chord.

Dm7/A = Dminor7th chord with an A bass note.

The slash chord is a vital part of much of todays music, (regardless of style), as it enables us to write a fairly specific chord sound without resorting to the sometimes cumbersome music notation.

It is not always necessary for the guitarist or pianist to play the bass note as well as the chord as the bass note is often played by the bass player.

Use the song Wayfaring Stranger to practice slash chords. You should know enough about the positions of low notes and chord voicings to accomplish this task quite quickly. Write down any new chord shapes you discover.Relaxation Exercise 2 Fore

This stretches the muscles that straighten fingers and bend the wrist.

Fore

1. Make a loose fist with your left hand while keeping your arms down in front of you.

2. Without bending your left elbow, cradle your left hand with your right hand and gently bend the wrist and fingers of this hand so that you feel a stretch in the left forearm.

3. Hold for a count of 7.

4. Change arms and repeat.

Brain Stuff 4Harmonising the Scale

The process of harmonising the scale is actually a very simple one.

The major scale can have triads built from each step of the scale, using only notes within that scale.

For example;

C major scale is harmonised only using notes from the C major scale.

G major scale is harmonised only using notes from the G major scale.

Ex 1.

(a) Write a C major scale on the staff below.

(b) Number the scale steps (degrees) 1-8.

(c) Above the note C write the 3rd and 5th notes of the scale.

(d) What type of triad have you formed?

Major, minor, diminished, or augmented.

(e) Write the name below the triad.

(f) Follow this same process with the other scale steps, in each case put a 3rd and 5th above the scale tone.

(((((((((((((((((Ex. 2 Which of the triads on the staff above are major in quality? Write the scale degree number. __________________________________

Which triads are minor in quality? ________________________

Which triad is diminished in quality? ____________________

2. Tonal Harmony

The chords that result from this process form the basis of tonal harmony.

Many chord progressions, (and melodies) in music revolve around a central tonality, or key centre.

In fact, many songs use only chords from a single harmonised scale.

An understanding of this simple process, (and the practical workings of it), are the key elements in understanding chord/scale (melody/harmony) relationships.

3. Formula of Major Scale Triad Qualities

1234567

mamimimamamidim

Ex. 3

Using the formula above, write out the names of the triads in each key listed in the following table.

1234567

C maC maDmEmiF maGmaAmBdim

F ma

Bb ma

Eb ma

Ab ma

Db ma

Gb ma

G ma

D ma

A ma

E ma

B ma

Project 4 Complete Brain Stuff. Practice Wayfaring Stranger

Lesson 5Objectives:

1. To discover B, C and D notes on the 3rd string.

2. To learn some commonly used variations of the G, C, D and Em chords.

3. To learn Popular Progression 2.

B, C and D Notes on the 3rd StringWhere would you find a B note on the 3rd string? Fret Number____

What about C on the 3rd string? Fret number_________

D is always 2 frets higher than C so would be on fret _________Apply this new information by playing 4 songs you know and replacing the 1st position notes with these ones. (Where possible).

Common Variations to G C D and Em Chords

These chords are substitution chords for the usual G Em C and D chords.

Experiment with using them.

Brain Stuff 3The Triad

The triad is a 3 note chord.

The 4 different Triad types

There are 4 different chord types that are written as triads.

These are:

major

minor

augmented

diminishedMajor Triad

The formula for a major triad is:

1, 3, 5 of the major scale.

Ex.

Build a major triad on each of the root notes given below. The first one has been completed for you.

Ex.

Name the triads on the staff below.

Ex.

Spell out the triads on the chart below by filling in the blanks.

TriadD miECGmAbB augCmF

1D

3FEA

5ABGG

TriadBbDAmG dimA augEbEmF#

1Bb

3GA#

5EDbF

TriadBmDbBb dimE augFmD augAG

1

3FF#C#

5CD

Project 7

Blues Extra

Blues is the basis for a huge number of songs and music styles and has influenced thousands of artists from all popular music genres.

The prominence of the guitar in blues music makes it a particular favourite of guitarists.

12 Bar Blues

The 12 bar blues is the most common and well known form of the blues and has a number of variations which we will study and become familiar with.

12 BAR BLUES

4/4 1 chord1 chord1 chord1 chord

4 chord4 chord1 chord1 chord


1 chord is the 1st chord in the key.

4 chord is the 4 th chord in the key.

5 chord is the 5th chord in the key.

Substitute the chords from the table below into the appropriate positions in the chart above.

Key1 chord4 chord5 chord

CCFG

FFBbC

BbBbEbF

EbEbAbBb

AbAbDbEb

DbDbGbAb

GbGbCbDb

GGCD

DDGA

AADE

EEAB

BBEF#

We can now substitute the chords from the chart into the chord progression below.

This example is in the Key of A, but of course any key is able to be used.

12 BAR BLUES IN A

4/4A

A

A

A

D

D

A

A

E

D

A

E

Write out and play the 12 bar blues in all keys.

Adding 7th Chords

The most common variation with this progression is to make the chords into "7ths".

The MAJOR chords have a " happy" sound whereas the use of the 7th chord tends to give the blues progression a more dissonant "BLUESY" sound.

The chord chart below shows the 12 bar blues progression in the key of A with the 7ths added.

12 BLUES IN THE KEY OF A

4/4A7

A7

A7

A7

D7

D7

A7

A7

E7

D7

A7

E7

Play the blues progression in each key with the 7ths added.

Quick Change

Another common variation is sometimes called the "QUICK CHANGE" blues.

The main difference is that the 2nd bar contains the 4 chord before changing back to the 1 chord in bar 3.

The rest of the progression remains unchanged.

The chord chart below shows the 12 bar blues with the QUICK CHANGE variation and 7ths added.

4/4A7

D7

A7

A7

D7

D7

A7

A7

E7

D7

A7

E7

Play the "quick change" blues progression in all keys.

12 BAR BLUES IN C

4/4C5

C5

C5

C5

F5

F5

C5

C5

G5

F5

C5

G5

Chuck Berry Style

Another guitarists technique is sometimes called the "Chuck Berry" style or "Rockabilly" and can be played using either moveable or non-moveable power chord shapes.

The diagrams below show the non-moveable shapes.

When adding the note with your 3rd finger the chord becomes a 6th.

This is occasionally written on music as A A6 A A6 etc.

The shapes below are moveable and you will notice the similarity between these and the power chords of the same name.

12 BAR BLUES IN A

4/4A

A

A

A

D

D

A

A

E

D

A

E

Play the 12 bar blues progression in all keys with the "Chuck Berry" style chords.

By this stage you should be very familiar with the 12 bar blues progression in all keys. Review any section of this course that you may be unfamiliar with.

Another common chord sequence in the blues is an 8 Bar Blues.

8 Bar Blues

8 BAR BLUES

4/4



1 chord is the 1st chord in the key.

4 chord is the 4 th chord in the key.

5 chord is the 5th chord in the key.

Substitute the chords from the table below into the appropriate positions in the chart above as in the first lesson of the blues pack supplement.

The power chord techniques and "Chuck Berry" style can be used with this variation also.

Key1 chord4 chord5 chord

CCFG

FFBbC

BbBbEbF

EbEbAbBb

AbAbDbEb

DbDbGbAb

GbGbCbDb

GGCD

DDGA

AADE

EEAB

BBEF#

8 BAR BLUES IN A

4/4A7

E7

D7

D7

A7

E7

A7

E7

Write out and play the 8 bar blues in each key.

Minor Blues

Both of the blues progressions studied so far can be played using minor chords instead of major or 7th chords.

12 BAR BLUES IN Gm

4/4Gm

Gm

Gm

Gm

Cm

Cm

Gm

Gm

Dm

Cm

Gm

Dm

8 BAR BLUES IN Am

4/4Am

Em

Dm

Dm

Am

Em

Am

Em

Play the 12 bar blues in all minor keys.

Play the 8 bar blues in all minor keys.

Quick change and half step substitutions still apply.

Chord Substitution

A variation to the minor blues progression from the previous lesson is to use a 7th chord in place of the 5 chord in the progression.

This adds a very strong "pulling" sound.

12 BAR BLUES IN Gm

4/4Gm

Gm

Gm

Gm

Cm

Cm

Gm

Gm

D7

(Cm)

Gm

D7

The Cm chord in bar 10 is sometimes left out to allow the full effect of the D7 chord to be heard.8 BAR BLUES IN Am

4/4Am

E7

Dm

Dm

Am

E7

Am

E7

Play minor blues in both the 12 and 8 bar forms in each key using the 7th chord as a substitution.

The Minor Triad

The formula for the minor triad is:

1, b3, 5 of the major scale.

Ex.

Build a minor triad on each of the given root notes.

The Augmented Triad

The formula for the augmented triad is:

1, 3, #5 of the major scale.

Ex.

Build augmented triads on the following root notes.

The Diminished Triad

The formula for the diminished triad is:

1, b3, b5 of the major scale.

Ex.

Build diminished triads from the given root notes.

Lesson 8

Objectives:

1. To learn the key of Eb major.

2. To learn a moveable major scale fingering pattern.

3. To learn the minor7b5 chord.Project 8

Lesson 9

Objectives:

1. To learn the C Major pentatonic scale.


3. To learn more strumming patterns.

4. To learn the vibrato technique.

5. To learn to play the C Major triads on strings 1, 2 and 3.

Objectives:

1. To learn the E major and E minor barre chord frames.

2. To learn to use voice leading in chord changes.


4. To use the C Major triads over the I, IV, V chord progression.

Objectives:

1. To learn and use the A Major Pentatonic scale.

2. To learn the G, A and B notes on the 4th string.

3. To learn the F#m11 and B7 chord change.

4. To learn another stretch/relaxation exercise.

G, A and B notes on the 4th String

Relaxation Exercise 3 Drop D

Another neck and shoulders stretch. This one is great for guitar players whose posture is a little hunched. (Put your hand up if that doesnt apply to you!)

1. Sitting down, lock your fingers together behind your head.

2. Gently drop your head to your chest and slowly turn your head to the right. Keep your hands locked behind the head.

3. Hold for a count of 10.

4. Return your head to its usual position.

5. Repeat the exercise, turning the head to the left this time.

6. Do 2 times on each side.

Brain Stuff 8

The Circle of 5ths

Project 11

Lesson 12

Objectives:

1. Applying the harmonic minor third interval.

2. More fingerpicking.

3. To learn to use slash chords and the descending bass line.


5. To learn the key of Bb.

Project 12

OBJECTIVE: To learn the Secondary Chords in the key of G.

In the previous lesson you studied the primary chords in the key of G. These are G, C, and D.

Secondary Chords

The secondary chords are built from the 2nd, 3rd, 6 th and 7 th steps of the major scale.

12345678

PrimaryGCDG

SecondaryAmBmEmF#dim

These 7 different chords are used together often as a basis for songs in the key of G.

When figuring out songs by ear," knowledge of this basic theoretical concept is invaluable as it may enable you to predict some probable chord movements.

Where possible you should try to associate the sound of a chord movement with a song you have played or are familiar with.

For example; the chord sequence G-Bm is quite common and is the progression used in the first line of Puff the Magic Dragon!! When I hear those chords, (regardless of the key), it reminds me of that song.

Play the chord changes below with some different rhythms.

Let us look at the triads from Lesson 2 again.

G (R1)

G (R2)

G (R3)

What would happen if one of the notes in the triad was changed?

In the root 1 shape move the note on the 3rd string down by 1 fret. Listen to the sound of the chord. The result is a Gminor triad or chord.

Use the root 2 shape and move the note on the 1st string down by 1 fret. This gives a G minor triad or chord.

Use the root 3 shape and move the note on the 2nd string down by 1 fret. This gives a G minor triad or chord.

Gm (R1)

Gm (R2)

Gm(R3)

Work on the chord progression below using a combination of triad shapes.

GEmAmD

C Minor Pentatonic

Pattern 1

Blues Scale

One of the most popular styles of music is of course the blues.

In this lesson you will learn the blues scale pattern that can be applied when jamming with the blues chord patterns and in many other musical situations. The 12 bar blues and some of its variations have already been studied in the supplement for book 1 of this course. Refer back to these if necessary.

The pattern shown below is the blues scale pattern 1.

C Blues

Pattern 1

Take special note of the root note (circled) of the scale as this will be a valuable guide as this pattern is transposed up and down the fingerboard.

The chart below shows the blues scale and the key that can be found at each position when using the pattern 1 fingering. You will refer back to this often through this course.

Pattern 1

Blues scale Chart

FRET #KEY of

1F

2F or Gb

3G

4G# or Ab

5A

6A# or Bb

7B

8C

9C# or Db

10D

11D# or Eb

12E

13F

For a blues in the key of A the chart shows that you may begin with your 1st finger on the 5th fret of the 6th string and use those notes from pattern 1.

Record yourself playing a blues progression (any key) and play along with the recording using this scale. Make sure you choose the pattern carefully!!

Remember that the scale fingering simply gives correct note choices but does not really sound too musical until we are able to work with it to phrase the notes so that they make sense.

Practice with the drills laid out in previous Single String lessons.

OBJECTIVE:To learn about tonality as it applies to pop music and to apply the scales learned so far in some musical situations.

Tonality

Tonality is the name given to the sound of a chord progression or song.

In pop music there are 3 different tonalities. These are major, minor and blues.

The guitarist is often required to play an improvised solo or fill. The tonality of the music plays an important role in determining the choice of scale, appropriate phrasing and tone.

Phrasing

Phrasing and tone will be dealt with in the Guitar 1 Section 2 Supplement. Our focus at this point is on the choice of scale.

By this stage you would have noted that the 3 scales have the same fingering pattern although the minor and blues begin on a different fret than the major pentatonic. To use the correct scale it is important to establish the key and tonality of the chords you are wanting to play over.

Look at the chord progression below and play through it a few times.

So far this section of the course has covered the C major pentatonic, the C minor pentatonic and the C blues scale in pattern 1.

The table below shows 3 tonalities, 12 keys and 12 positions on the fingerboard and is a useful reference guide.

Pattern 1

FretBluesMinorMajor

1 or 13FFAb

2 or 14F#F#A

3 or 15GGBb

4 or 16G#G#B

5AAC

6BbBbDb

7BBD

8CCEb

9C#C#E

10DDF

11EbEbGb

12EEG

This chart contains a lot of information that will take some time to learn thoroughly.

You will notice the 2 fret numbers. These give the scale position exactly 12 frets (or 1 octave) higher than the original position.

Fingerboard Concept 1

At this point you will need to begin developing a picture of the guitar fingerboard. Players see the fingerboard in many interrelated ways. The use of scale-chord relationships, note reading and harmony will develop your picture of the fingerboard.

Playing a few licks and riffs from tablature alone will be of no use in this pursuit. Some general guidelines are written below and may help you in this vital area of playing and understanding the guitar.

One of the most important goals for a guitarist is to know the names of all the notes on the fingerboard. This appears quite a daunting task at first but if tackled systematically and slowly, then much can be achieved in a relatively short time.

One way to begin this process is to learn the notes on the 6th string. These notes correspond with the root notes of the E frame bar chords, root 6 power chords and pattern 1 blues scale names you have learned.


Learn the notes on the 5th string with special emphasis on those above the 5th fret. Remember that these correspond to the root 5 power chords and also the A frame bar chords.


Octave Landmark System

By now your confidence should be growing in the area of naming the notes being used.

The 3rd concept to introduce is the Octave Landmark System.

This is a very simple concept that is based on knowing the name of 1 note and through the use of some octave shapes, being able to name another note on the fingerboard. This can save a great deal of time in counting frets as recognition of the note name generally occurs very quickly.

These shapes are diagrammed below.

Octave 6th string and 4th string

Octave 5th string and 3rd string

Octave 4th string and 2nd string

Octave 3rd string and 1st string

Work with these diagrams on your guitar and apply the information with Fingerboard Concepts 1 and 2. Test yourself by randomly choosing a note name and attempt to find it on each string using the Octave Landmark System. Remember that the notes on the 6th string have the same letter name as those on the 1st string at the same fret number. For example; A on the 6th string is at the 5th fret. A on the 1st string is also at the 5th fret.

Pattern 4 Blues Scale

The blues scale pattern below is known as pattern 4. Its naming note is found on the fifth string. As with the other scales, it can be freely moved around the fingerboard to put it into different keys (transposed).

C Blues Scale Pattern 4

The chart that follows shows how the pattern can be transposed and which key will be played on each fret.

Pattern 4

FretBluesMinorMajor

1 or 13BbBbDb

2 or 14BBD

3 or 15CCEb

4 or 16DbC#E

5DDF

6EbEbGb

7EEG

8FFAb

9GbF#A

10GGBb

11AbG#B

12AAC

Note that the most commonly used names for the keys are used. For example; A blues tune in the key of Gb is more common than a blues in the key of F#.

Play the major scale using the drills above. Be aware of the letter names of the notes you are playing and of the key signature (how many sharps or flats there are in the scale).


You will have noticed how time consuming and tedious it is to count the notes on the guitar from fret 1. It is considerably easier to do if you can begin on a higher fret. The fingerboard concept explained here is designed to eliminate much of the time we waste in working up the fingerboard.

Simply memorize:

the note names of the 6 open strings.

the note names of the strings played at fret 5.

the note names of the strings played at fret 12.

Remember that the open strings and the notes at the 12th fret will have the same letter name, although those at the 12th fret are an octave higher in pitch.


If you have worked on the exercises to improve your knowledge and concept of the fingerboard, there should be a difference in how you see the instrument. It is hoped that your view is becoming more closely aligned with note names rather than just shapes.

The final of these concepts is most successful when practiced without the guitar in your hands. Therefore, you will need to visualize the fingerboard of your guitar.

The Exercise

1Choose a fret. For example; fret 3.

2Picture your finger playing the note on the 6th string at the 3rd fret.

3Name the note you are visualizing.





etc., etc., etc.,.....

You may use this exercise for many years as there are variations that you can do to improve the speed at which you are able to recite these notes.

A useful variation is to:

1Choose a note.

2Attempt to find that note on each string. Start at the 6th string.

As your confidence with chord spelling grows you can use your knowledge of the fingerboard to build new chord shapes and sounds. There are many combinations available.

If you happen to find a good sounding chord that you have never played before, you should take the time to figure out the name or at least be able to write it down in music notation.

Do not neglect this part of your training as it is invaluable regardless of the style of music you intend playing.

These 5 patterns are all part of a giant A minor pentatonic scale that encompasses the entire fingerboard of the guitar. They weave together in such a way that a simple slide can take the fingers from one pattern to the next very easily. Ideally, the guitarist should become as familiar with these scales as possible and endeavor to see these small patterns as part of the total minor pentatonic scale in each key.

A minor pentatonic

Pattern 1 root on 6th string

A minor pentatonic


A minor pentatonic


A minor pentatonic


A minor pentatonic


The tables that follow show the scale pattern number, the fret number, the tonality and the key.

There is a great deal of information here and this is meant to be used as a reference at this stage. Make use of the scale patterns by attempting to jam with your favourite albums. You might be surprised at how often this scale is used!!

There are a number of ways to become familiar with the scales/keys/tonality/fret information. Attempt to play in one key, (for example D minor), in all 5 patterns. Look (and listen) for the root note D and make mental notes of where these are on the fingerboard.

Pattern 1

Fret no.BluesminorMajor

1FFAb

2F#F#A

3GGBb

4G#G#B

5AAC

6BbBbDb/C#

7BBD

8CCEb

9C#C#E

10DDF

11EbEbGb

12EEG

13FFAb

14F#F#A

15GGBb

Pattern 2


1EbEbGb

2EEG

3FFAb

4F#F#A

5GGBb

6G#G#B

7AAC

8BbBbDb/C#

9BBD

10CCEb

11C#C#E

12DDF

Pattern 3


1---

2---

3---

4C#C#E

5DDF

6EbEbGb

7EEG

8FFAb

9F#F#A

10GGBb

11G#G#B

12AAC

13BbBbDb/C#

14BBD

15CCEb

Pattern 4


1BbBbDb/C#

2BBD

3CCEb

4C#C#E

5DDF

6EbEbGb

7EEG

8FFAb

9F#F#A

10GGBb

11G#G#B

12AAC

13BbBbDb/C#

14BBD

15CCEb

Pattern 5


1---

2---

3---

4G#G#B

5AAC

6BbBbDb/C#

7BBD

8CCEb

9C#C#E

10DDF

11EbEbGb

12EEG

13FFAb

14F#F#A

15GGBb

Chords in each key12345678

Key SignatureMamimiMaMamimi7b5Ma

CDEFGABC

1#GABCDEF#G

2#DEF#GABC#D

3#ABC#DEF#G#A

4#EF#G#ABC#D#E

5#BC#D#EF#G#A#B

6#F#G#A#BC#D#E#F#

1bFGABbCDEF

2bBbCDEbFGABb

3bEbFGAbBbCDEb

4bAbBbCDbEbFGAb

5bDbEbFGbAbBbCDb

6bGbAbBbCbDbEbFGb

Chords in each key (with 7ths added)12345678

Key SignatureMa7mi7mi7Ma77mi7mi7b5Ma

CDEFGABC

1#GABCDEF#G

2#DEF#GABC#D

3#ABC#DEF#G#A

4#EF#G#ABC#D#E

5#BC#D#EF#G#A#B

6#F#G#A#BC#D#E#F#

1bFGABbCDEF

2bBbCDEbFGABb

3bEbFGAbBbCDEb

4bAbBbCDbEbFGAb

5bDbEbFGbAbBbCDb

6bGbAbBbCbDbEbFGb

Repertoire Section

CD 1

CD 28

Dsus 4

Emi7

C 2

G

CD 15

CD 1

CD 7

CD 4

CD 3

CD 2

CD 5

CD 6

CD 13

CD 8

X

X

X

D sus4

4th finger

CD 9

CD 10

CD 31

CD 11

X

X

Gsus4

4th finger

CD 12

CD 34

CD 14

X

4th finger

Asus4

4th finger

Esus4

CD 22

Strong beats.

CD 16

CD 17

CD 18

1

5th fret

CD 19

CD 20

G (G B D)

X

X

X

X

X

C (C E G)

X

3rd fret

3rd fret

CD 21

Mute here by lifting the fingers off the fret.

CD 23

Start with pick here.

Finish with pick here.

Start with pick here.

Finish with pick here.

CD 24

CD 25

X

X

CD 27

D sus2

CD 26

X

X

Esus2

Asus2

X

Gsus2

Csus2

( A Hobler Third Hand Music

ultimate guitar grade 4

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