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DVD

ThE
A CHEMICA
GUITARIST
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2
uper

FRETBOARD SECRETS
UNLOCKED!
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By Richard

oyd

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i j k m THE ULTIMATE DVD GUIDE! t u w x

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ThE
A CHEMICA
GUITARIST
FRETBOARD SECRETS
UNLOCKED! 2

CHAPTER 1

EXPANDING YOUR PALETTE:


Playing walking bass on the guitar

CHAPTER 2

RIDING SATANS TRITONE:


How the devils interval makes all
things possible

CHAPTER 3

STACKED THIRDS:
Chord qualities and vertical strength

CHAPTER 4

AN ALCHEMY OF SWEET PATTERNS:


Working with diatonic thirds, sixths
and 10ths

CHAPTER 5

TRIAD ARCHIPELAGOES:
Modular routing up the fretboard

CHAPTER 6
OPEN ACCESS:

Double pull-offs and hammer-ons


in open position

CHAPTER 7

THE SINGLE-STRING MAGESTERIUM:


Learning scale patterns one string at a time

CHAPTER 8

GETTING INTO SHAPES:


The secret behind the circle of fourths/fifths
progressions

CHAPTER 9

ADVANTAGE POSITION:
Intervals, pedaling and chord arpeggios in
positional play

CHAPTER 10

THE WAR ON ERROR:


Using pentatonic bends to make your playing
mistake free

CHAPTER 11
ANCHOR STEAM:

Gaining chord power with finger anchors

CHAPTER 12
TRIPLE PLAY:

A study in triad inversions

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EXPANDING YOUR PALETTE


PLAYING WALKING BASS ON THE GUITAR
CHAPTER 1

Guitarists are not usually very


good bass players. Mostly they
play guitar lines on the bass.
But the greatest classic rock
guitar players certainly knew
how to play bass lines on the
guitar. For example, Jimi Hendrixs
Manic Depression is almost
completely composed of bass lines
played on the guitar, and the end of
his solo in Hey Joe consists of bass
lines. For that matter, Led Zeppelins
Black Dog is written from a bass line
developed by John Paul Jones. I could
go on naming examples like these.
Those of us who play guitar and
perform with bassists need to respect
their knowledge of the instrument,
because its something that most of
us dont have. I want to remedy that.
In this chapter of the DVD, Im going
to demonstrate a few simple tricks
that bass players use when they craft
bass lines, and in doing so, help you
dramatically expand your guitar
playing and intuition when it comes
to choosing which notes to play over a
given chord.
In this chapter, Im going to show
you a very simple pattern developed
out of chromatic walking bass
lines, walking meaning the notes
are constantly changing in a steady
rhythm, usually quarter or eighth
notes. If followed diligently, it can
really broaden your palette and show
you how to sound like a bass player
when you play that instrument, rather
than like a guitar player on the wrong
instrument.
Although some bass players,
especially inexperienced young
players or guitarists who pick up the
bass, tend to just pedal the root notes,
great bassists use all sorts of tricks and
walking lines to develop interesting
support for the other musicians, and if
you remove all the other instruments
except the drums and the bass, you
can still hear the song. Were going to
take that approach with the guitar, so
here we go:
First, of course, we have the triads
that contain the root, or tonic (1), the
mediant (3) and the dominant (5)
(FIGURE 1). We can play those three
notes forever, along with the octave.
But we can do more than that.
Between the mediant and the dominant
are the subdominant (4), which lives

3 GUITAR DVD

in the major scale, and the diminished


fifth (f5), the note we add to a minor
pentatonic to yield a hexatonic, or socalled blues scale, which reintroduces
the tritone against the tonic. So from
scale degree 3 we can walk straight
up with our four fingers and play a
chromatic run that contains the 3, 4, f5
and 5 of a given key. The octave is on
the next string, and we can play it by
flattening our pinkie against that string.
Lets assume that were playing not
jazz but rock and roll, which is for the
most part played in the Mixolydian
mode. This mode contains a flatted
seventh degree, or f7, so we can add
that, giving us the standard walking
bass line (FIGURE 2). To that pattern
we can add the submediant (6) and
leading tone (natural 7) as passing
tones. This gives us another four-note
chromatic thread, which ends with
the octave root note of the chord. This
gives us eight notes to work with, and

FIGURE 1 key of A
3fr

5fr

THESE
SIMPLE
TRICKS WILL
HELP YOU
GREATLY
EXPAND
YOUR GUITAR
PLAYING AND
INTUITION.

FIGURE 2 key of A

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3fr

5fr

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9fr
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12fr
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FIGURE 4 key of D

3fr

5fr

7fr
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9fr

12fr
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FIGURE 5 key of A

3fr

5fr

7fr

9fr
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&

12fr
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+
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+

7fr

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FIGURE 3 key of A

theyre extraordinarily simple to play


because they use all four fingers in
positional play. Plus, you can play them
either up or down. Using chromatic
passing tones between scale degrees 3
and 5 on one string and between 6 and
1 on the next higher string yields the
pattern illustrated in FIGURE 3.
To do the same thing with the IV
and V chords in a I-IV-V progression,
you could either shift the FIGURE
3 pattern up or down the neck or
alternatively stay in the same position
and make a fingering change, using
the pattern shown for the IV chord in
FIGURE 4. For the V chord, use the
same fingering two frets, or one whole
step, higher.
FIGURE 5 shows a big-picture
aerial overview of the two chromatic
walking patterns from FIGURES 3 and
4 transposed to the key of A. Notice
how they take up almost the entire
fretboard.

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RIDING SATANS TRITONE

HOW THE DEVILS INTERVAL MAKES ALL THINGS POSSIBLE


CHAPTER 2

I want to start this chapter by


telling you an ancient story
from the esoteric musical
tradition that I follow. Its
called the story of the Cosmic
Sacrificing Satan.
It goes like this: In the beginning,
God wanted to create a universe for his
enjoyment. But being God, he could
create only a perfect universe, which
disappeared instantly; anything that
is perfect has no reason to move or
change and therefore is dead and
poof!gone. God tried over and over
with no luck. Finally he asked his
firstborn son, Lucifer, to do him a favor:
to diminish himself and become a kind
of universal resistance that would
prevent any created thing from ever
reaching perfection.
Out of his love for the Creator,
Lucifer agreed and became the
diminished, or flatted, fifth, which
stands opposite the I in the cycle of
fifths/fourths. Because the diminished
fifth stands between the perfect fourth
and perfect fifth in the major scale,
it prevents any created thing from
reaching perfection and is thus called

the opposeror, more familiarly to


us, the devils interval.
We can get a good sense of how
Lucifer does his job by looking at the
ratios created by the intervals in the
major scale:

Now I am going to say something


startling: Without the devil and his
interval, nothing would exist, either
in music or in the universe. Without
the devil, nothing would move whatsoever, and the whole universe would
disappear. And then God wouldnt be
very happy!
To demonstrate how this works in
music, Im going to show you tritone
resolution in fourths and fifths so that
you can see how this once-forbidden
interval is really the force behind all
musical movement.
First we will go through the cycle of
fourths using two notes at a time on a
pair of adjacent strings tuned a perfect
fourth apart. As youll see, tritone
resolution comes through contrary
motion: as we resolve the paired notes
of the tritone, one note will move up
while the other moves down. FIGURE
1 depicts a complete cycle of fourths
starting from E on the D and G strings
at the 14th and 13th frets, respectively.
FIGURE 2 shows the tritone resolution
sequence through the cycle of fifths,
which is essentially the opposite of
what we did in FIGURE 1. Notice

1:1the tonic:

perfect
2:1the octave:

perfect
3:2the dominant, or fifth:

perfect
4:3the subdominant, or fourth:

perfect
5:4the mediant, or major third:

not perfect
6:5the minor third:

not perfect, somewhat

dissonant
9:8the major second,

or whole step:

quite dissonant
16:15the minor second,

or half step:

very dissonant
32:45the tritone,

or devils interval:

extremely dissonant

FIGURE 1 cycle of fourths


E

T
A
B

E7 A

A7

D7 G

G7

13 13 14 12
14 12 11 11

C7 F

F7

11 11 12 10
12 10 9 9

9
10

9
8

10
7

B 7E

E 7

8
7

7
8

7
6

8
5

6
5

5
6

A 7D

(D 7)
C 7

5
4

6
3

4
3

(G )
F F 7B

3
4

3
2

B7

4
1

2
1

1
2

*tritone

FIGURE 2 cycle of fifths


E

T
A
B

1
2

(A 7)(D )
G 7 C E 7 A

B 7E

F7

C7 F

G7

D7 G

A7

E7 A

B7

F 7B

C 7

3
2

4
1

4
3

3
4

FIGURE 3
3fr

5
4

6
3

6
5

5
6

7
6

8
5

8
7

7
8

9
8

10 10
7 9

9 11 12 12
10 10 9 11

A7
5fr

11 13 14 14
12 12 11 13

A7 tritone thread
7fr

9fr

3fr

5fr

7fr

9fr
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&
,

,
(

4 GUITAR DVD

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,

13
14

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T
A
B

13 13 14 12
14 12 11 11

11 11 12 10
12 10 9 9

9
10

9
8

10
7

8
7

7
8

7
6

8
5

6
5

5
6

5
4

6
3

4
3

3
4

3
2

4
1

2
1

1
2

*tritone

FIGURE 2 cycle of fifths


CONTINUED

F 7B

C 7

(A 7)(D )
G 7 C E 7 A

RIDING SATANS TRITONE


*

B 7E

F7

C7 F

G7

D7 G

A7

E7 A

B7

HOW THE DEVILS INTERVAL MAKES


ALL
POSSIBLE
*
* THINGS
*
*
*
T
CHAPTER 2
A 12 32 41 43 34 54 63 65 56 76
B
in both examples how the tritone
intervals alternately expand to a minor
sixth and contract to a major third.
To see how this applies to a specific
progression, lets take the popular
I-IV-V blues form. In functional
harmony, the V chords have a f7 in
them. A tritone exists between the
f7 and the 3 of the V chord. You can
always find the tritones because
they form a diagonal line across the
fretboard, except between the G and B
strings, where the line jumps two frets.
FIGURE 3 illustrates three neck
diagrams for A7, D7 and E7the I, IV
and V chords of a blues progression
in the key of A, all three chords being
dominant sevenths. The shaded notes
show how the tritone thread extends
through the chords. Notice that the
threads for D7 and E7 are, respectively,
one fret below and above that for A7.
Notice also that none of the tritones
contains the root notes of the chord,
which are implied and are assumed by
the listeners brain.
In the video portion that goes
with this chapter, youll see how this
knowledge can be applied. Once you
get it under your own fingers, you
will be, in essence, riding the devil,
but without having sold your soul to
anyone. Occasionally my students
ask me where I got this knowledge.
Sometimes I tell them that I befriended
the devil and tricked him into giving
me his understanding.

5 GUITAR DVD

FIGURE 3
3fr

8
5

8
7

7
8

9
8

10 10
7 9

9 11 12 12
10 10 9 11

A7
5fr

11 13 14 14
12 12 11 13

A7 tritone thread
7fr

9fr

3fr

5fr

7fr

9fr
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&
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,
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D7
3fr

5fr

D7 tritone thread
7fr

3fr

5fr

7fr
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E7 tritone thread

E7
5fr

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7fr

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13
14

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STACKED THIRDS

CHORD QUALITIES AND VERTICAL STRENGTH


CHAPTER 3

In this chapter, Im going to


teach you the structures of
various types, or qualities,
of chords and show you
some exercises that have you
playing them as single-note
arpeggios up and down one string.
The exercises will not only give you a
deeper understanding of how chords
are structured because of the inherent
visual-aural connection, they will also
help you build strength and dexterity
in your fret hand by having you use
multiple hammer-ons and pull-offs in
combination.
A triad is a three-note chord
structure consisting of a root, or tonic,
which we will refer to as 1, a third
and a fifth, the third and fifth being the
third and fifth degrees of a seven-note
diatonic scale, such as the major scale
or one of the minor scales. A triad is
formed by taking the first five notes of
the scale and omitting the second and
fourth1(2)3(4)5. The three notes (1, 3
and 5) can be thought of as stacked
third intervals, or simply stacked
thirds. As you already know, there are
two types of thirds, major and minor.
Stacking them in various combinations
yields four different possible triad
qualities: major, consisting of a major
third and a minor third stacked on top
of it, minor, which is the oppositea
minor third on top of a major third
diminished, which is two consecutive
minor thirds, and augmented, which is
two major thirds (see FIGURE 1).
In our first exercise (FIGURE 2), we
will begin by ascending and descending
a major arpeggio repeatedly, using the
open low E string as the root note and
fingering the third and fifth with the
index and ring fingers (or index and
pinkie) at the fourth and seventh frets,
respectively, employing hammer-ons
and pull-offs wherever possible. From
the open string to the fourth fret is a
major third, the span of four frets, and
on top of that youre adding a minor
third, three frets distance, from the
fourth fret to the seventh.
Repeat this sequence several times
then switch to minor. Now you have
lowered your index finger to the third
fret, with a four-fret span between the
index finger and pinkie.
From minor, we morph to diminished
and a 0363 ascending/descending fret
pattern. Finally we have augmented, the
fret pattern being 0484.

6 GUITAR DVD

FIGURE 1 triads
major: 1 3 5

minor: 1 3 5

minor third

Am

major third

T
A
B

5
6
7

major third

diminished: 1 3 5

augmented: 1 3 5

A+

minor third

5
5
7

minor third

minor third

4
5
7

major third

major third

6
6
7

FIGURE 2 single-string triad arpeggio exercise


repeat each bar several times, using hammer-ons and pull-offs wherever possible

T
A
B

major: M3 m3

minor: m3 M3

diminished: m3 m3

Em

E+

augmented: M3 M3

0 4 7 4 0 4 7 4

0 3 7 3 0 3 7 3

0 3 6 3 0 3 0 3

0 4 8 4 0 4 8 4

FIGURE 3 single-string seventh chord arpeggio exercise

T
A
B

major seven: M3 m3 M3

dominant seven: M3 m3 m3

minor seven: m3 M3 m3

Emaj7

E7

Em7

Em7 5

E 7

0 4 7 4 0 7 11 7

0 4 7 4 0 7 10 7

0 3 7 3 0 7 10 7

0 3 6 3 0 6 10 6

0 3 6 3 0 6 9 6

If you play that entire exercise on


each of the bottom four strings (the
low E, A, D and G), you will be moving
up in fourths, and your fret hand will
get quite a workout.
A seventh chord is formed by
stacking an additional third upon a
three-note triad structure, using the
formula 1-3-5-7, expressed in terms
of scale degrees. Similar in form to
the previous exercise, FIGURE 3
is a drill that has you surveying five
different types of seventh chords.
Here we begin with major seventh,
which is intervallically spelled 1, 3, 5,
7. As you can see, this chord quality is
constructed from the interval stack
major-third, minor-third, major-third,
or M3-m3-M3. Next is dominant
seventh, spelled 1, 3, 5, f7, its interval
stack being M3-m3-m3.
From there we lower the third to
yield minor seventh, spelled 1, f3, 5, f7,
or m3-M3-m3. Next is minor seven flatfive, also known as half diminished
seven, spelled 1, f3, f5, f7, or m3m3-M3. The exercise concludes with
(fully) diminished seven, spelled 1, f3,
f5, ff7, or m3-m3-m3. This gets a little
weird, because the double-flat seven is
the same pitch as the sixth. A variation
on this exercise would be to play each
arpeggio straight up and down, tapping
the top note (the seventh) with your

VERTICAL
KNOWLEDGE
IS A
MUST FOR
PLAYING
CHORD
INVERSIONS
AND
UNDERSTANDING
CHORD
FORMATION.

minor seven flat five: m3 m3 M3 diminished seven: m3 m3 m3

pick-hand index or middle finger.


We could add the augmented chord
to the end of FIGURE 3, even though
it cannot be a four-note chord because
the fourth note is the octave root.
However, the augmented triad (see
FIGURE 2) helps by harmonically
pulling us toward the next key in the
cycle of fourths, in this case, A
We can also begin FIGURES 2 and
3 on the low E and then progress up
in fourths by moving over string by
string until we get to the G. We cant
go any further, however, because the
next string (B) is tuned a major third
higher rather than a fourth, but if we
wanted to, we could begin on the B
string and then move to the E, A, D
and G strings.
If you incorporate these exercises
into your practice regimen your
fret-hand strength and dexterity will
increase enormously and your ear
training and theory skills will receive
a continual review and sharpening.
This requires some thinking while in
movement but its well worth it. In
addition, you can play all of the thirds
by starting on a fret other than the
open string. (I demonstrate this in the
video for this chapter.) This vertical
knowledge is a must for playing chord
inversions and understanding chord
formation.

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AN ALCHEMY OF SWEET PATTERNS


WORKING WITH DIATONIC THIRDS, SIXTHS AND 10THS
CHAPTER 4

In the last chapter, we looked at the way in which diatonic (scale-based) thirds can be
stacked to form triads and seventh chords, which we then played as arpeggios, moving up
and down one string only. In this chapter, Im going to show you the pattern structures
of the intervals thirds, sixths and 10ths as they fall on pairs of strings, and in doing so,
introduce you to some absolutely magical ways to think about and use them. Once you
learn these structures, your musical knowledge will advance toward what is called deep
functional harmony; in other words, were going to pack a giant punch into a group of rather
simple pattern structures. This will open a huge shortcut to a vast body of musical knowledge on
the guitar that otherwise might take you years to figure out and lots of guitarists never figure
this stuff out! So fasten your safety belts. Here we go.

FIGURE 1 diatonic thirds on the low

E and A strings, key of G


FIGURE
1 iidiatonic
thirds on the low
I
iii IV V vi vii o I
implied
E and
keyFof GG
chords: G
Am
Bm ACstrings,
D Em

FIGURE
I 1
implied
chords:

o I
diatonic
thirds
iii IV
viilow
ii
V on
vi the

E and
key Fof GG
Am
BmACstrings,
D Em

ii

iii

IV

vi

vii o I
M3
G

implied
interval
M3
type:
chords:
G m3
Am m3
Bm M3
C M3
D m3
Em m3
F

Tinterval
type:
M3 m3 m3 M3 M3 m3 m3 M3
A
12 14
B
T 2 35 57 78 109 10
12 14 15
interval 3
A
type:
M3 m3 m3 M3 M3 m3 m3 M3
FIGURE
2 4 3diatonic
5
7sixths
9 on
10 the
12 14
B
7 G8 strings,
10 12key14of A
15
T 3 5A and
A
o I
FIGURE
on
the
I 2 4ii 3diatonic
iii5 IV7sixths
V9 vi
vii
10
12
14
B A 3 Bm5A and
G8 strings,
A
C7 m D
E10 F12key
m G14of A15
I 4ii diatonic
iii IVsixths
V on
vi the
vii o
FIGURE

BmA and
C mG
D strings,
E F key
m G of AA

ii

Bm C m D

iii

IV

vi

F mG

o I
I 7ii diatonic
iii IV10ths
V on
vi the
vii low
FIGURE

AmE and
Bm G
C strings,
D Emkey
F of G
G

ii

T
A
B
T
A
B
T
A
B

IV

Am Bm C

vi

FIGURE
I 2 iidiatonic
iii IVthirds
V

Em F

I
iii IV V vi vii o I
ii
M3
B m3
Cm m3
Dm M3
E M3
F m3
Gm m3
A M3
B

T 3 4 6 8 10 11 13 15
A 3M3 5m3 7m3 8M3 10M3 12m3 14m3 15M3
B
11 13 15
T 3 45 67 88 10
10 12 14 15
A 3M3 m3
m3 M3 M3 m3 m3 M3
FIGURE
5 diatonic sixths on the
B
6 B8 strings,
10 11 13of 15
T 33 45D and
D
7
8 10 12key
14 15
A
FIGUREI 5 iidiatonic
sixths
iii IV
V on
vi the
vii o I
B D Em
D and
keyCof DD
F mBGstrings,
A Bm
iii IV
V on
vi the
vii o
FIGUREI 5 iidiatonic
sixths

11

12

14

16

34

55

77

89

10
11

12
12

14
14

15
16

3
4

5
5

7
7

8
9

10
11

12
12

14
14

15
16

10

12

14

15

Em
F mBGstrings,
A Bm
D and
keyCof DD

ii

Em F m G

iii

IV

vi

Bm C

I 8ii diatonic
iii IV10ths
V on
vi the
vii o
FIGURE

T
A
B
T
A
B
T
A
B

DmA and
Em B
F strings,
G Amkey
B of C
C

ii

Dm Em F

10

12

13

15

17

35

56

78

8
10

10
12

12
13

14
15

15
17

3
5

5
6

7
8

8
10

10
12

12
13

14
15

15
17

10

12

14

15

iii

IV

FIGURE 3 diatonic sixths on the low


E and D strings, key of G

FIGURE
3ii diatonic
sixths on the low
I
iii IV V vi vii o

vi

Am B

AmE and
Bm D
C strings,
D EmkeyF of G
G

E and
Am
Bm D
C strings,
D EmkeyF of G
G

ii

Am Bm C

iii

IV

on
vi the
vii olow
I
vii o I

vi

Em F

T
A 5 7 9 10 12 14 16 17
B
T 7 8 10 12 14 15 17 19
A 5 7 9 10 12 14 16 17
FIGURE
6 diatonic sixths on the G and
B
10 E12
14 15
T 7 8 high
strings,
key 17
of G19
A
5
7
9 10 12 on
14 16 G
17
FIGURE
I 6ii diatonic
iii IVsixths
V vi the
vii o Iand
B G7 Am
8 high
10
14
key 17
BmE12
Cstrings,
D 15
Em
Fof G19
G
o I
8va
I throughout
iii IVsixths
V on
vi the
vii G
FIGURE
6ii diatonic
and

Amhigh
BmE Cstrings,
D key
Em of
F GG

8va throughout

ii

Am Bm C

iii

IV

vii o I

vi

Em F

10

12

14

15

T 8va throughout
12 14 16
A 43 55 77 98 11
10 12 14 15
B
T 4 5 7 9 11 12 14 16
A
FIGURE
95 diatonic
10ths on the D and
3
7
8 10 12 14 15
B
E strings, key of F
T 4 5 high
7
9 11 12 14 o 16
FIGURE
A I 9ii diatonic
iii IV10ths
V on
vi the
vii D Iand
key Eof F F
B F Gmhigh
AmE Bstrings,
C Dm
o I
8va
I 9ii diatonic
iii IV10ths
V on
vi the
viiD
FIGURE
and

vii o I

FIGURE
I 3ii diatonic
iii IVsixths
V

vii o I

T 3 5 7 8 10 12 14 15
A 4 5 7 9 11 12 14 16
B
T 3 5 7 8 10 12 14 15
A 4 8 5diatonic
7
910ths
11 on
12the
14 16
FIGURE
B
key14of C
7 B8strings,
10 12
15
T 3 5A and
FIGURE
A I 4 8ii 5diatonic
14o I16
iii7 IV910ths
V11 on
vi12 the
vii
C
B C DmA and
Em FB strings,
G Amkey
B of C

on
vi the
vii o I

G and
keyA of B
Cm
Dm BE strings,
F Gm
B

vii o I

7 GUITAR DVD

G and B strings, key of B


FIGURE
2 iidiatonic
thirds on the
I
iii IV V vi vii o I
G and
keyA of BB
B Cm
Dm BE strings,
F Gm

vii o I

T
A 2 4 6 7 9 11 13 14
14 16
B
T 4 5 76 97 119 12
11 13 14
A 2 74 diatonic
FIGURE
10ths on the low
4
5
7
9 11 12 14 16
B
E and G strings, key of G
T
6
7
9 11 13 o 14
FIGURE
A I2 7ii4 diatonic
iii IV 10ths
V on
vi the
vii low
I
5 E and
7
9 strings,
11
14
G
G
B G4 Am
Bm
C
D 12
Emkey
F of16
G
iii

FIGURE 2 diatonic thirds on the

T
A
B
T
A
B
T
A
B

high
Gm
AmE Bstrings,
C key
Dm of
E FF

8va

ii

Gm Am B

58va 6

10

12

13

15

17

35

56

78

8
10

10
12

12
13

14
15

15
17

3
5

5
6

7
8

8
10

10
12

12
13

14
15

15
17

10

12

14

15

iii

IV

vii o I

vi

Dm E

THIRDS

As you recall from chapter three, there


are only two types of thirds: a major
third, which is two notes two whole
steps apart, or the distance of four frets
on a single string, and a minor third,
which is two notes three frets away
from one another, or the distance of
a whole step and a half step (or a half
step and a whole step). So if we were
to take a major scale and add a third
to each degree or note in the scale, we
would end up with a formula like the
following, with the numbers indicating
the scale degrees and each dash
representing a half step:
1 3 major third
24
minor third
35
minor third
4 6 major third
5 7 major third
61
minor third
72
minor third

Now we are going to look at the
pattern structure as if we were in a
helicopter, looking down at crop circle
patterns in a cornfield. Unless a guitar
has 24 frets, it is not long enough to
enable you to see two complete one-octave patterns side by side up and down
the neck. So were going to look at the
pattern as though were viewing it from
a great distance. Major thirds will be
represented by the capital letter M,
and minor thirds with a lowercase m.
Looking at the patterns from this perspective gives us the following formula,
which repeats in successive octaves:
M m m M M m m, M m m M M m m, M
m m M M m m, etc
The great thing about a third is that
it clearly and economically implies a
chord with only two notes. Taken in
context, the above formula of diatonic
thirds suggests the set of diatonic
triads I ii iii IV V vi vii without the
inclusion of the fifths.
Take care to note and remember that
the minor thirds (m) always come in
pairs while the major thirds (M) can
show up as either singles or pairs, and
that counting from the first degree,
or tonic, will produce a formula that
goes major, pair of minor thirds; pair
of major thirds; pair of minor thirds
and then the single major third again.
Instead of thinking from the one (I), we
should think from the pattern, which
is mostly pairs, and the consecutive
pairs are all whole steps apart from one
anotherthe half steps show up only

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzTHWA
CONTINUED

AN ALCHEMY OF SWEET PATTERNS


WORKING WITH DIATONIC THIRDS, SIXTHS AND 10THS
CHAPTER 4
between the minor iii and major IV, and
between the minor vii and major I.
Now we can arbitrarily pick a key
and look at an example. (Note that as
we move from thirds to sixths to 10ths,
some of the shapes of the major and
minor thirds will change. This can
lead to some confusion because major
thirds relate to minor sixths and vice
versa, but we wont worry about that
for now.) Im going to put our first
example in the key of G (FIGURE
1). This fretboard pattern structure
for diatonic thirds applies to all pairs
of adjacent strings that are tuned in
fourths; that is, E-A, A-D, D-G, and
B-E. We will need a different pattern
structure for the G-B pair, however,
because these two strings are tuned
to a major third, one half step lower
than a perfect fourth. This tuning
discrepancy is important because it
affects the physical/visual shapes on
the fretboard.
When playing through FIGURE 1,
dont think about the notes so much as
think about the pattern structure, or
sequenceM m m M M m m. We want
to learn as much as we can without
introducing unnecessary cognitive
dissonance. As Einstein put it, As
simple as possible, but no simpler.
FIGURE 2 illustrates the pattern
structure for diatonic thirds as they
lay on the string set G-B, beginning
in third position in the key of Bf for
comparison with the previous set of
shapes depicted in FIGURE 1, which
also begins in third position.
You should learn each of these two
fretboard patterns thoroughly and
learn it as a circle, in other words, learn
to start on all the different degrees
of the scale: start with two pairs of
minors, then with one minor followed
by one major followed by the pairs, etc.
In other words, learn it thoroughly in
all modes.

SIXTHS

Sixths are built from the same two


notes as thirds, only invertedmeaning
the higher note is either transposed
down an octave or the lower note is
transposed up an octaveso that the
third degree is now on the bottom.
Intervals are named from the lowest
note, so 345671 is called a sixth, but it
still only contains the same two notes
the third and the one, or root.
The formula for sixths going
through the major scale will look like
this, again with numbers indicating

8 GUITAR DVD

the scale degrees and the dashes


representing the number of half steps:

31

42

53

64

75

16

27

31
Again, we find the same formula in
terms of major and minor shapes
so that the whole thing still follows
the diatonic pattern M m m M M m
m. However, at this point I need to
disclose a little theoretical caveat that
I hope wont confuse or bewilder you,
and that is that major intervals, when
inverted, technically become minor
intervals, and vice versa. So a major
third contains the same two notes
as a minor sixth, albeit in different
registers, and a minor third becomes a
major sixth when inverted.
Now that we have that pesky
theoretical disclaimer out of the way,
lets look at diatonic sixths. FIGURE
3 illustrates the fretboard pattern for
diatonic sixths in the key of G on the
low E and D strings. Remember that
all of these pattern structures are keyindependent on the guitar, that is, they
can start anywhere, and they can start
anywhere within the pattern, meaning
in any mode of the parent major
scale. In this example Im showing
sixths in the key of G for the sake of
comparison to FIGURE 1. Notice that
were starting with the third on the
lower string and the root, or I, on the
higher string.
Regarding right-hand technique,
as each pair of notes is played on
nonadjacent strings, you can either
dampen the middle string with your
fret hand and strum all three strings, as
you would do when playing strummed
octaves, or use hybrid picking, what
I refer to as the claw technique,
which entails picking the lower note
with your pick while simultaneously
plucking the higher note with your
middle or ring finger.
This pattern structure works on
two string pairs, E-D, which we looked
at in FIGURE 3, and A-G, shown in
FIGURE 4 in the key of A. When we
cross the tuning anomaly line of the
G and B strings, the shapes change, and
the following pattern structure works
for the string pairs D-B and G-E, both
shown beginning in third position in
FIGURES 5 and 6.

TENTHS

A GRASP
OF DEEP
FUNCTIONAL
HARMONY
WILL OPEN
A SHORTCUT
TO A VAST
BODY OF
MUSICAL
KNOWLEDGE.

Tenths are just like thirds but with the


higher note, the third, transposed up an
octave: 1234567123. As this represents a
distance of 10 scale degrees, its called
a 10th. The first pattern structure
Im going to show you for 10ths only
works on one string pair, the low E
and G, because the notes can only be
played three strings apart, and after
this we encounter the G-B string
tuning anomaly. I will demonstrate
this pattern once again in the key of
G (see FIGURE 7), beginning in third
position, but remember that it works
from anywhere on this string pair.
As there are now two unused strings
between each pair of notes, youll need
to use the claw technique to play
10ths. Note that the formula for 10ths
follows the same formula as thirds: M
m m M M m m.
The other pattern structure for
10ths works on the string pairs A-B
and D-high E. FIGURE 8 depicts the
pattern on the A and B strings in the
key of C, beginning in third position for
comparison with the previous set of
shapes. The physical pattern is identical
on the D and high E strings, and played
in this same position gives you 10ths in
the key of F (see FIGURE 9).
When it comes to functional
harmony, thirds, sixths and 10ths
serve essentially the same purpose.
Theyre just different ways of playing
the degree tones 1 and 3 (or f3) and
implying diatonic triads. Now we can
really start to have some fun. First of
all, consider the textural and emotional
qualities of the three different interval
types. Thirds, as they are played
on adjacent strings, sound tight
and solid. A well-known example
of thirds is the intro lick to Van
Morrisons Brown Eyed Girl. Sixths,
with an unused string and a fairly
wide gap between the two constituent
notes, have the third on the bottom and
impart a somewhat romantic feeling.
You can hear sixths a lot in blues and
country, and in practically every Dylan
song from his early electric period.
Steve Croppers signature intro guitar
lick in the Sam and Dave classic Soul
Man is a prime example of sixths.
Finally, we have 10ths, in which the
tonic and its third are separated by an
octave with two empty strings between
them. This builds on the romance of
sixths for something achingly wistful.
Thats why 10ths are used to such great
effect in the Beatles Blackbird.

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzTHWA

TRIAD ARCHIPELAGOES
MODULAR ROUTING UP THE FRETBOARD
CHAPTER 5

surprisingly far simpler and clearer


than one would imagine.
In this chapters lesson, were
going to work with triads, which
come in four qualities: major,
minor, diminished and augmented.
Numerically, or intervallically, they
are spelled as follows, with the dots
representing the number of half steps
between adjacent tones:

IF YOU DONT KNOW what an

arpeggio is, dont feel too bad.


When I was younger I called
it an archipelago, which is a
small string of islands! No matter how I tried, I just could not
get the word arpeggio to come out of
my mouth.
There was a certain amount of
poetry in my error, however, as an
arpeggio is simply the intervallic
degrees, or islands, of a chord, played
as single notes, one after the other. In
this chapter, Im going to show you
some ways of playing arpeggios up and
down the fretboard that will not only
make shredders shudder in delight
but also introduce beginners and
intermediate players to a methodology
of thinking and visualization that is

major
minor
diminished
augmented

FIGURE 1 illustrates how these four


triads lay on the fretboard as arpeggios.
You will see that each arpeggio shape
incorporates two adjacent strings;

FIGURE 1 root-position arpeggios


a) F major (numbers in circles indicate chord tones)
1fr

5fr

1 35
1f35
1f3f5
1 3s5

7fr

THIS WILL
INTRODUCE
YOU TO A
WAY OF
PLAYING
ARPEGGIOS
THAT IS
SIMPLE AND
CLEAR.

b) F minor
9fr

1fr

3fr

5fr

7fr

9fr
*

&

&

*
(

&

&

&

&

c) F diminished
1fr

since the guitar has six strings, you


could play each shape three times
starting at each octave, or root note.
This will require positional jumping
of the index finger on the way up.
On the way down, whatever finger
is used to fret the top note, be it the
middle or ring, leads through three
octaves. Remember that these shapes
are movabletheyre the same shapes
no matter what keys theyre in. This
approach is intervallic, so forget the
musical alphabet for the time being.
On guitar, one should learn by pattern,
numberand degree, and the alphabet
can come later.
Now were going to learn these same
arpeggios in second inversion, starting
each one from the 5. This will place
the root note on the second, or higher,

d) F augmented
3fr

5fr

7fr

9fr

1fr

3fr

5fr

7fr

9fr
*

&

&

&

&

&

FIGURE 2 second-inversion arpeggios


a) Bmajor
1fr

&

3fr

5fr

b) Bminor
7fr

9fr

1fr

3fr

&
*

7fr
&
*
(

&
*

&
*

5fr

&
*

9fr
(

&
*

c) Bdiminished
1fr

d) Baugmented
3fr

5fr

7fr
&

9fr
(

1fr

3fr

5fr

9 GUITAR DVD
&

&

*
(

&

9fr
(

*
(

&

7fr
&

*
(

&

&

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzTHWA
*

&

c) F diminished
1fr

CONTINUED

&

d) F augmented
3fr

5fr

7fr

9fr

1fr

3fr

5fr

7fr

TRIAD ARCHIPELAGOES
(

&

&
(
MODULAR ROUTING
UP THE
FRETBOARD

&

&
CHAPTER
5

&

FIGURE 2 second-inversion arpeggios


a) Bmajor
3fr

b) Bminor

5fr

7fr

9fr

1fr

3fr

5fr

7fr

&
*
(

&
*

9fr

&
*
(

&
*

&
*

&

1fr

9fr

&
*

c) Bdiminished

d) Baugmented

1fr

3fr

5fr

7fr

1fr

9fr
(

&

3fr

5fr

7fr

9fr
(

&

*
(

&

&

&

&
*

FIGURE 3 Django Reinhardt fingering


a) G major > = index B =middle
3fr

5fr

7fr

9fr

b) G minor
12fr

>
B

15fr

3fr

5fr

7fr

>

c) G diminished
7fr

9fr

>

B
B

12fr

15fr

3fr

5fr

7fr

9fr

12fr

>

>
B

>

>

string of each pair (see FIGURE 2).


Except for the diminished, which
has a shape that takes some getting
used to, this is fairly simple. The
augmented is easy if you just use two
fingers, as demonstrated in the video
that accompanies this chapter, but you
probably wont use the augmented
arpeggio much in ordinary play. In fact,
in playing up the diatonic chord scales
by arpeggio, you will only need the
major, minor and diminished, because

>

>

B
B

>
B

15fr

>

10 GUITAR DVD

>
B

d) G augmented

5fr

>

15fr

>
>
>

B
B

3fr

12fr
>

>
>
>
>

9fr

>

the major chord scale follows the


formula: major, minor, minor, major,
major, minor, diminished.
As you can see, this whole approach
to arpeggio playing requires quick
jumps of the hand and wrist position.
But theres a lot you can do with it, some
of which I demonstrate in the video
portion. There are several other ways
you can play the arpeggios, but this is
the simplest and easiest to understand,
as you have the full arpeggios on two

strings, making them easy to stack up.


Finally, in FIGURE 3 I show you a
method of playing all four arpeggios
using only the first two fingers, la
the great Gypsy jazz guitarist Django
Reinhardt, who, due to a hand injury,
could use only two fingers. I have
included arrows in FIGURE 3 to
designate movement of the middle
finger. These shapes and fingerings are
incredibly fun and useful once you get
the knack of them.

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzTHWA

OPEN ACCESS

DOUBLE PULL-OFFS AND HAMMER-ONS IN OPEN POSITION


CHAPTER 6

IN THIS CHAPTER, were going

to look at pull-offs and hammer-ons, in particular double


pull-offs and hammer-ons
played in open position, and
using the nut. Ive employed
these techniques a great deal in my
own work, as have Jimmy Page, Jeff
Beck, Danny Gatton, many old blues
guitarists and, to a lesser extent, shredders and metal players.
These exercises will strengthen
your fret hand and improve finger
coordination. They will also give your
fingers a thorough workout, as you
have to really dig into the strings to
execute them. Hammer-ons require
that you give the strings a hard tap,
while for pull-offs you must pull, or
snap, the string in toward your palm
as you let go of it. Back when I was
perfecting these techniques, I would
perform pull-offs and hammer-ons
until I got blisters on my fingers. These
eventually grew into calluses, which
then developed large dents. I suggest
that you make pull-offs and hammerons a regular part of your practice
regimen, using the exercises in this
chapter as a foundation. But be careful
to not overdo itthe goal is not to hurt
yourself, but rather to gain the benefits
of strength, coordination, speed,
dexterity and endurance.
Lets begin with pull-offs performed
on the high E string. Simultaneously
place your ring finger at the third fret
and pre-position your index finger at
the first fret. Pick the string to sound
the third-fret note, then snap your
ring finger off the fretboard by pulling
the string slightly sideways, in toward
the palm, as you remove your finger.
Done properly, this pull-off will keep
the string vibrating and sound the note
at the first fret. Then pull your index
finger off the first fret with another
aggressive downward/inward snap to
allow the open string to sound. This
snapping motion, in which the fretting
finger essentially re-plucks the string,
is critical to the pull-off technique, as
it keeps the string vibrating enough to
give the next note sufficient volume. If
you were to just lift the finger directly
off the string, the next note would be
barely audible.
I usually call this exercise Figaro,
because if you do it properly you
should be able to chant Fi-ga-ro, Figa-ro, Fi-ga-ro, as you play the three
notes of the double pull-off repeatedly.
The phrase should be played as a
rolling triplet.

11 GUITAR DVD

The tablature for this exercise is


extraordinarily simple (see FIGURE
1). Once you have this exercise under
your fingers, practice it on the other
strings using the same 3-1-0 fingering,
as shown in FIGURE 2. Youll notice
that what youre playing is not a proper
scale, but thats okay, because youre
just practicing the mechanics of the
double-pull-off here.
Now lets look at double hammerons. In our next exercise (FIGURE
3), double hammer-ons are performed
by picking the open string and then
quickly tapping, or slapping, your frethand index finger down onto the string
at the first fret, followed immediately
by your fret-hand ring finger tapping at
the third fret. Hammer down as firmly
as you can so that the two hammered
notes are heard at the same volume as
the picked open-string note.
So far we havent concerned
ourselves with playing proper scales
with hammer-ons and pull-offs. Lets
do that now. Looking at the cycle of
fourths/fifths, we see that there are
only three major keys that use all six
open strings in them: C, D and G. All

FIGURE 1
double pull-offs exercise

T
A
B

3 1 0 3 1 0 3 1 0 3 1 0

5fr
3

etc.

1fr

FIGURE 2

FIGURE 3

double pull-offs across the neck

double hammer-ons across the neck

310

T
A
B7fr

7fr
FIGURE
4

G
5fr
5fr

310

310

9fr

5fr

5fr

3fr

310

7fr

3 1 0

3 1 0

310

7fr 3

420

9fr 3
3

320

3 2 0

3 1 0

9fr

0 1 3
T
0 2 4
A
0 2 4
0
2
3
B023

D
1fr

3fr

5fr

5fr

double pull-offs in G major


0 2 3

T
A
B

320

310

420

420

3 2 0

3 2 0

FIGURE 9

7fr pull-offs
9fr in D major
double

double hammer-ons in D major

T
A7fr
B7fr

320
9fr4 2 0
420
9fr
4 2 0
3

0 1 3

FIGURE 7

FIGURE 8
320

5fr

0 1 3
T
0 2 4
A
0 2 3
B013023

7fr hammer-ons
9fr
double
in G major

double hammer-ons in C major

FIGURE 6
7fr

0 1 3

FIGURE 5

9fr

310

0 1 3
T
0 1 3
A
0 1 3
B013013

9fr

double pull-offs in C major

T
A
B

1fr

THESE ARE
TECHNIQUES
THAT JIMMY
PAGE, JEFF
BECK, MANY
OLD BLUES
GUITARISTS
AND EVEN
SHREDDERS
AND METAL
PLAYERS USE.

5fr

the other major keys have accidentals


that prevent you from pulling off to,
and hammering on from, an open
string. For example, the key of F major
contains Bf, and the key of A major
contains Gs.
FIGURES 4-9 illustrate openposition double pull-offs and hammerons played across the strings in the
keys of C, G and D major. Note that in
each case the note B is played twice in
a row, first on the open second string
and then on the G strings fourth fret,
or vice versa.
Keep in mind that the patterns
Ive shown you for these three major
scales/keys also work for their relative
natural minor keys, namely A minor,
B minor and E minor, as well as
their relative modes, for example G
Mixolydian, E Dorian and C Lydian.
On the video portion of this chapter, I
demonstrate how to play pull-offs and
hammer-ons in these keys, as well as
in others that use accidentals. Youll
find that, once you know how these
techniques look and sound, youll
start to recognize them in much of the
music you listen to.

3 2 0
3

0 2 3
T
0 2 4
A
0 2 4
0
2
4
B023
3

0 2 3

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzTHWA

THE SINGLE-STRING MAGISTERIUM


LEARNING SCALE PATTERNS, ONE STRING AT A TIME
CHAPTER 7

IN THIS CHAPTER, were going

FIGURE 1 the major scale and its modes

to return to the idea of using a


Ionian
&
single string not only as a way
(major)
to learn major and pentatonic
scale formations, but also to
Dorian FIGURE
1
'
lay the foundation of chordal
Ionian
structure. Due to the manner in which
&
(major)
Phrygian
the guitar is tunedin perfect fourths,
(
except for the second and third strings,
Dorian
'
B and G, which are tuned a major third
Lydian
)
apartwhenever you play a scale using more than one string, some of the
Phrygian
(
Mixolydian
intervals in the scale formula become
*
invisible as you cross strings.
Lydian
)
The only way to see the complete,
Aeolian
+
unbroken formula for a scale pattern
(natural minor)
is to play it on a single string. The
Mixolydian
*
ancients had a particular instrument
,
Locrian
for doing this: the monochord, a
Aeolian
+
single-string device with movable
(natural minor) FIGURE 2
frets, as on a sitar, on which one could
measure ratios and distances. Since the
,&
first
mode
Locrian
major scale contains seven arithmetic
(major pent)
modes, and there are 12 keys, learning
FIGURE 2
second mode
'
the major scale thoroughly yields an
understanding of 84 regular scales, in
first mode
&
all the modes, both major and minor.
(major
pent)
third mode
(
The pentatonic scale, whether major or
second
mode
'
minor, is a five-note scale. Of necessity,
fourth mode
*
it must contain five modes, starting
from each of the five notes; since there
third mode
(
are 12 keys, learning the pentatonic
fifth mode
+
scale thoroughly yields knowledge of
(minor pent)
fourth mode
60 pentatonic scales. Thus, learning
*
the 84 major scales and the 60
FIGURE 3
pentatonic scales yields knowledge of a
fifth mode
+
staggering 144 regular scales.
(minormajor
pent)
&
In actuality, however, you need to
learn just two scales: the major scale
FIGURE 3
and the major pentatonic scale.
minor
&
All the other scales can be derived
major
&
from these.
diminished
&
To review, the formula for the
major scale is whole step, whole step,
minor
&
half step, whole step, whole step,
augmented
&
whole step, half stepor W W H W
diminished
&
W W Hand this pattern continues
FIGURE 4
infinitely in successive octaves. This is
spelled, intervallically, 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1.
augmented
&&
major
seven
The natural minor scale is the Aeolian
mode, which starts from the sixth
FIGURE 4
degree of the major scale and gives
dominant seven
&
you 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 (W H W W H W W).
major seven
&
FIGURE 1 presents a useful way to
minor seven
&
learn and review all seven modes of
the major scale up and down a single
seven
&
minordominant
seven flat-five
string, with each mode starting at the (half-diminished seven)

5fr

'

3fr

5fr

the major scale


and)its modes
(
3fr

5fr

'
3fr
)

3fr
(
3fr

(
5fr
*
)

*
3fr
)

5fr

)
+
*

+
5fr
5fr

,
5fr

&

3fr
*

5fr
+

3fr

&

+
3fr
3fr
,

5fr
,
5fr

'

5fr

&

7fr
7fr
7fr

'
&
(

3fr
3fr
'

3fr

5fr

(
3fr

5fr

the major pentatonic scale and its modes


'
3fr
3fr

(
5fr
*

5fr

3fr
(

5fr

+
3fr

5fr

3fr
3fr

*
&

5fr
5fr

7fr

7fr
7fr
)
7fr

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7fr
)

7fr
+
*
&
+
'

&

5fr
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'

7fr
7fr

3fr

)
9fr

'

9fr
*
9fr

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*

5fr

7fr

5fr

7fr

&

&

'
'
(

'

)
+

'

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*

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'
)

12fr

12fr

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12fr
12fr

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)
+
*
,
+

,
&
12fr

&
(

12fr
12fr
12fr

'
*

9fr

12fr
12fr

'

&
9fr
(

&

12fr

&

9fr
9fr

'

12fr
12fr
+

&
9fr
+

&

(
12fr

9fr
9fr

12fr

12fr
(
*

12fr
,
12fr

'

9fr
+

'
7fr
7fr

,
12fr

9fr
&
9fr
9fr

7fr
7fr

9fr
9fr

&

7fr

(
3fr
triad qualities

'

7fr
7fr

&

triad qualities
3fr
3fr

&
9fr

&

'

5fr
5fr
'

9fr

,
+

7fr
,

9fr

7fr

7fr

12fr
+

9fr
+

,
7fr

the major pentatonic scale and its modes


&

9fr
*

7fr
*

+
3fr
,
3fr
&

5fr

7fr
)

12fr
12fr

(
9fr
9fr

'
&
(
'
*
(
+
*

12fr
12fr

9fr

12fr

9fr

12fr

i
&

12 GUITAR DVD

3fr

minor seven

&

diminished seven
minor seven flat-five
(half-diminished seven)

&

3fr

3fr

3fr

3fr

3fr
3fr

5fr

7fr

(
5fr

7fr

7fr
7fr

3fr

5fr

7fr

3fr

(
5fr
(
5fr

7fr

5fr

7fr

seventh chord qualities


3fr

3fr

3fr

3fr

3fr

3fr

(
(

7fr

(
5fr

7fr

5fr

*
7fr

5fr

7fr

5fr

*
7fr

5fr

7fr

(
(

9fr

12fr

9fr

12fr

9fr

12fr

*
9fr

12fr

9fr
9fr
*

12fr
12fr
,

5fr
5fr
((

&

&

7fr

*
7fr

(
seventh chord qualities

3fr

diminished seven

(
5fr

5fr

9fr

12fr

9fr

9fr

9fr

&

&

12fr

*
*

12fr

&

, 12fr &

9fr

9fr

12fr
,
12fr

, 12fr &
&
,

9fr

9fr

&

12fr

9fr

&

&

12fr

&

Aeolian
(natural minor)
Aeolian
(naturalLocrian
minor)

&

Locrian

&

,
3fr

&

5fr

'

7fr

)
9fr

12fr

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzTHWA
+

,
3fr
3fr

&

'

5fr

5fr

'

'

FIGURE 2 the major pentatonic scale and its modes


3fr

5fr

7fr
)
7fr
)
7fr

FIGURE 2 the major pentatonic scale and its modes


first mode
&
'
(
3fr
5fr
7fr
(major pent)
first
mode
&
'
(
CONTINUED
3fr
5fr
7fr
(major mode
pent)
second
'
(
*
3fr

5fr

7fr

)
9fr
*
9fr
*

* 12fr
+
12fr
+

9fr
*
*
+

9fr
9fr

12fr
+

12fr

12fr
&

9fr

12fr

&
&
'

THE SINGLE-STRING MAGISTERIUM

second mode
third mode

'

(
3fr
3fr

5fr

5fr

7fr

7fr

LEARNING SCALE PATTERNS,


ONE STRING
AT A TIME
*
+

third mode
(
fourth
mode
CHAPTER
7*

3fr

5fr

+
3fr

5fr

fourth mode
fifth mode
(minor pent)
fifth mode
(minor pent)

+
3fr

major

*
+

5fr

&

&
'

7fr
7fr
7fr

'
'
(

& 12fr

'

&
9fr

'

&
9fr
9fr
9fr

' 12fr
(

12fr

12fr
*

9fr

'

12fr

12fr

(
*
*
+
+

FIGURE 3 triad qualities


3fr
FIGURE 3 triad qualities
&

major
minor

&

minor

&

diminished

&

diminished
augmented

&
&

augmented

&

major seven

3fr

5fr
&

7fr

&

9fr

&

5fr

3fr

7fr

3fr

5fr(

7fr

3fr
3fr
3fr
3fr

dominant seven
minor seven
minor seven
minor seven flat-five
(half-diminished seven)
minor seven flat-five
(half-diminished seven)
diminished seven
diminished seven

&
&
&
&
&
&
&

7fr

5fr

*
7fr

9fr

12fr

5fr

*
7fr

9fr

12fr

(
5fr

7fr

*
9fr

12fr

&
&

3fr

7fr

3fr

(
5fr

7fr

3fr

3fr

12fr
12fr

7fr
7fr
7fr

9fr
*
*
*
*
*

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5fr

7fr
7fr

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(
(

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*
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*
*

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9fr

&
&

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, 12fr
,

9fr

9fr

12fr

&

, 12fr &
&
,

9fr

5fr

12fr
,
12fr
,
12fr

9fr

(
(

first fret. You will notice here that I


have indicated the scale degrees as
they relate to each modes relative
major scale.
The formula for a major pentatonic
scale is W W m3 W m3 and is spelled,
intervallically, 1 2 3 5 6 1. The relative
minor pentatonic scale starts from
the sixth degree of major pentatonic:
6 1 2 3 5 6 (m3 W W m3 W). FIGURE
2 illustrates the pentatonic scale and
each of its modes played up and down
a single string.
Both scales are diatonicthat is,
each is comprised of just two types
of intervals. The major scale contains
only whole steps and half steps, and
the pentatonic scale has only whole
steps and minor thirds.

13 GUITAR DVD

9fr
9fr

(
5fr

3fr

3fr

3fr

12fr
12fr

7fr

5fr
(
5fr
(
5fr

3fr

9fr
9fr

5fr

3fr

3fr

12fr

5fr

3fr qualities
FIGURE 4 seventh chord

major seven
dominant seven

9fr
*

(
(

FIGURE 4 seventh chord qualities


&

7fr

(
5fr

12fr

, 12fr
,

12fr

Chords also feature just two types


of intervals, major and minor thirds,
which are stacked atop one another.
Triads are made up of three notes:
the tonic (a.k.a. the root), the third,
which can be major or minor, and the
fifth, which can be perfect, diminished
or augmented. Each combination of
these interval types yields a different
triad quality, of which there are
four possible ones, all of which
are illustrated on a single string in
FIGURE 3. They are, in order shown,
major, minor (f3), diminished (f3 and
f5) and augmented (s5).
Now lets look at seventh chords,
which are the four-note chords
made up of the odd scale degrees
within one octave. FIGURE 4 shows

&
&
&

YOU NEED
TO LEARN
JUST TWO
SCALES:
THE MAJOR
SCALE AND
THE MAJOR
PENTATONIC
SCALE.
ALL OTHER
SCALES CAN
BE DERIVED
FROM THESE.

&
&

the five most common seventh chord


qualities.
To practice this study, I advocate
using only one finger and sliding it up
and down any given string following
each formula. To learn all the regular
scales and most commonly used chord
qualities, you need to know only four
intervals: half steps, whole steps,
minor thirds and major thirds. Playing
them on a single string is the only
way to avoid the invisibility of intervals
and gain a complete grasp of this
concept. Remember that many famous
players spent some time learning on
a single string: Jimi Hendrix, Muddy
Waters, Buddy Guy, John Lee Hooker,
Magic Sam The list goes on. Let it
include you.




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GETTING INTO SHAPES

THE SECRET BEHIND THE CIRCLE OF FOURTHS/FIFTHS PROGRESSIONS


CHAPTER 8

IN CHAPTER FOUR of my first

DVD, The Alchemical Guitarist:


Fretboard Secrets Unlocked, we
looked at the five-chord cycle,
which consists of the chords
E, A, D, G and C, played in that
order, forward and backwardthat is,
through the cycle of fourths (forward)
and fifths (backward). I also demonstrated how you can barre the open
shapes of these chords and move them
up and down the fretboard to play every other major chord in a five-chord
cycle of fourths and fifths.
In this chapter Im going to show
you how to create minor chord shapes
in the same way. Then well look at
how to use the cycle of fourths and
fifths to create perfect progressions, in
particular the ii-V-I, which is perhaps
the most important and famous
progression in jazz, and also in almost
every style of Western music. This is
because the ii-V-I progression follows
the deepest law of music and allows
the greatest changes in chord tonality
within the shortest distance in the
cycle of fourths and fifths.
Lets begin by reviewing the five
major chord shapes in open position
(FIGURE 1) and their movable barred
forms (FIGURE 2). Now lets take
these movable shapes from FIGURE
2 and flat all the thirds to create minor
voicings, shown in third position in
FIGURE 3. You will notice that the
first three shapes are barred, but
the last twothe Gm and Cm
shapesare not. Thats because these
two voicings have more than one
flatted third in them and do not lend
themselves to barre chord form. As
a result, we have to abandon some of
the strings to play them. The Gm
shape is in first inversion, meaning the
third is the lowest note in the voicing.
The Cm shape is the most difficult
to finger, due to a rather wide pinkie
stretch. For now, you may find it easier
to play it in the higher positions where
the frets are closer together. Once you
have these minor triad shapes in hand,
practice playing them through the
cycle of fourths and fifths, forward and
back, up and down the fretboard.
Now lets have a quick refresher in
the cycle of fourths/fifths (FIGURE 4).
Its here that we will see the reason for
all of our work. We can take any three
chords for this example, but Ill take E,

FIGURE 1 fingerings for chords in open position


E
A
D
G

23 1
or 3 4 2

234

132
or 2 4 3

21
or 3 2

FIGURE 2 fingerings for barred shapes


E shape
A shape
D shape
(F)
(B)
(E)

134 211

112341

11 243

14 GUITAR DVD

3fr.

134 211

3fr.

113421

E
>

321114

143121

Gm shape
(Bm)

3fr.

11 342

21444

B
K

G/F
^^

D K>>

G >>>

k^ D/C

^^^ A/G

C K>

>>
F

K
B/A

k^^
E/D

1
2

C shape
(D)

FIGURE 4 the cycle of fourths and fifths


A
>K

32
or 4 3

3
4

G shape
(A)

a
FIGURE 3 moveable minor shapes
Em shape
Am shape
Dm shape
(Gm)
(Cm)
(Fm)

Cm shape
(Em)
3fr.

3fr.

4213

FIGURE 2 fingerings for barred shapes

a b cE dshape
e f g hAi
jklD
mshape
n o p q Grshape
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shape
FIGURE 1 fingerings for chords in open position
(B)D
E (F)
A
G (E)

(A)

CONTINUED

(D)

GETTING INTO SHAPES

THE2 SECRET
BEHIND
PROGRESSIONS
2 3THE
4 CIRCLE OF
1 3FOURTHS/FIFTHS
2
21
3 1
3
32 1
3
2
4
or 4 3 2
or
2
4
3
or
or
3
4
2
CHAPTER 8

FIGURE 2 fingerings for barred shapes


134 211
112341
11 243
E shape
A shape
D shape
G shape
C shape
A and D. If E is the I, then A is the IV
beauty of it will become obvious. Thus,
(B)everything (E)
(A) progression
(D)
and D(F)
is the fVII. If I move
we have a five-chord

FIGURE 3 moveable minor shapes


Em shape
Am shape
Dm shape
(Gm)
(Cm)
(Fm)

321114

one space counterclockwise through


three minors followed by two majors
the cycle, then A is the I, D is the IV
that resolves itself at the tonic, which
and E is the V. If I move it all one
is the second major chord of the
more space counterclockwise, then D
progression.
is the I, A is the V and E becomes the
So why cant we start with the vii
iia
Em.
a3six-chord
1 3minor
4 2 1chord,
1
1 1Thus,
2 3 4we
1 have 1 1 and
2 4 create
3
2 1 1 1 4progression?
143121
achieved a change in chord quality.
This is because the vii is a diminished
Looking at the cycle, we see that,
triad (1 f3 f5), and there is too great
FIGURE
3 moveable in
minor
shapes
moving
counterclockwise,
fourths,
a change in chordal quality between
weEm
haveshape
three minors
in ashape
rowiii, Dm shape
it and the iii.Gm
In fact,
the reason
why
Am
shape
Cm
shape
vi and iifollowed by two majors, V
our five-chord progression works so
(Gm)
(Cm)
(Fm)
(Bm)
(Em)
and I. In the key of C this progression
well is because there is no change
would be Em Am Dm G C. Once you
in chord quality from the iii to the
3fr. the natural3fr.
3fr.ii; the change comes
3fr. from
3fr.
play this progression,
vi to the

3fr.

134 211
134 211

3fr.

3fr.

113421

113421

11 342

11 342

21444

FIGURE
theof fourths
cycleand
of fifths
fourths
FIGURE
4 the 4
cycle
A
>K
D K>>

E
>

A
>K

B
K

E
>

G/F
^^

^^^ A/G
>>
F

K
B/A

k^ D/C

k^^
E/D

^^^ A/G

C K>
>>
F

15 GUITAR DVD

4213

and fifths

k^ D/C

C K>

G >>>

APPRECIATE
THE DEPTH 3fr.
OF THE CYCLE
OF FOURTHS
AND FIFTHS.
21444

B
K

G/F
^^

D K>>
G >>>

GmTHESE
shape
SHAPES WILL
(Bm)
HELP
YOU

K
B/A

k^^
E/D

143121
the ii to the V, which is major. So it is
within the iiVI progression that the
greatest chordal changes occur. This
is the reason why this progression is
so important in music. As soon as you
hear the changes over this progression,
you will recognize themor something
close to themin just about every tune
you come across.
If you follow these two cycles, not
only will your chord playing facility
increase but you will also begin to
see and appreciate the depth of the
cycle of fourths and fifths, as well
as understand why I use it as the
backbone to everything I teach.

Cm shape
(Em)

3fr.

4213

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ADVANTAGE POSITION

INTERVAL STUDIES, PEDALING AND CHORD ARPEGGIOS IN POSITIONAL PLAY


CHAPTER 9

IN THIS CHAPTER, Im going

which will help to strengthen your


fretting fingers. In addition, we will
concentrate on vertical movement
within positional play. Note that when
playing in position, there should be no
movement of the wrist whatsoever, and
each of your fingers should be assigned
to one fret within the position.
You can practice this methodology
in any position, key or mode. For these
examples, Ive chosen fifth position and
the key of A major, using the A major
scale (A B Cs D E Fs Gs). FIGURE
1 shows the intervals written out in
tablature. Be sure to play each pattern
forward then backward, as indicated.
Remember that the key of A major
is arbitrarythis works anywhere on
the fretboard with any scale or mode.
While you may feel discomfort from
learning to barre with all four of your
fingers, the benefits of strength will
come with time and practice.
Our second positional play exercise

to show you three methods


for practicing interval studies, using what is known as
positional play, or what we
commonly call the boxes. Though
Ive spent a lot of time discussing ways
in which to get your playing out of the
boxes, positional play is useful and
necessary as it enables you to access
a wealth of notes without ever having
to move your fretting hand out of one
position.
In the first portion of this lesson,
well study intervals by playing through
thirds, fourths, fifths, sixths, sevenths
and octaves in a single position. (Well
skip major second intervals because
they often appear on the same string,
and thus playing them adequately
requires you to shift position, which
is not allowed in this lesson.) An
advantage to this method is that you
must barre across two or three strings,

IF YOU
WORK AT
THESE
EXERCISES,
YOU WILL
START TO
DISCOVER
MANY
MAGICAL
TRICKS
UNDER
YOUR
FINGERS.

(play each sequence forward, then backward)

FIGURE 1 A major scale, fifth position

a) thirds

*
4

5 4 7 5

5
6

4 7 6

c) fifths

6 4 7 6

4
7

6
5

7
7

4
4

5
7

b) fourths

5
4

7
6

5
4

*
4

7 4

7 4

6
7

f) octaves

7
5

6
4

*tritone interval

d) sixths

e) sevenths

7 5

*
4

7
5

7
7

7
4

5
6

5
7

FIGURE 2 pedaling

a)

ascending

16 GUITAR DVD 5 7 5

4
5

6
5

b)

4
7

6
7

7
7

c)

4 5 4 7 4

4
4

6
4

(play each sequence forward, then backward)

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FIGURE 1 A major scale, fifth position

CONTINUED

a) thirds

*
5

6 4 7 6

4 7 6

c) fifths

ADVANTAGE POSITION
4

5 4 7 5

4
7

7 5

involves pedaling, or oblique motion,


in which the notes of a scale or melody
move against, or alternate with, a
stationary or reiterated note. The result
sounds very baroquenot surprising,
as this was a technique favored by
composers like J.S. Bach. FIGURE 2
involves pedaling up from every degree
across on octaves and then down the
same way. You may find going down
more difficult because it requires that
you barre your finger and then remove
the barre for the subsequent note.
For our third and last exercise
of this chapter, well play through
ascending and descending three-note
triad chordscale arpeggios in position,
as shown in FIGURE 3. Because we
cannot complete two octaves in this
single position, the final three-note
arpeggios will require position shifting.
If you work at these exercises, you
will start to discover all sorts of magical
tricks under your fingers. In addition
to being useful in rock and roll, the
movements shown in FIGURES 2 and
3 sound quite beautiful and classical.
I hope you enjoy playing them as much
as I do.

4
4

*
4

7 4

7 4

6
7

7
5

6
4

7
5

7
4

f) octaves

*tritone interval

d) sixths

INTERVAL STUDIES, PEDALING AND CHORD ARPEGGIOS IN POSITIONAL PLAY


e) sevenths
CHAPTER 9
4
5
4
5

b) fourths

5
7

FIGURE 2 pedaling

a)

ascending

5 7 5

6
5

d)
4

5 7 5

6
5

j)
4

4
7

4
4

f)

4 6 4 7 4

descending
i)
5 4 5
5
5
7
5

5
4

5
4

5
4

p)
7

7
4

l)
5

6
4

n)

4 5 4 7 4

k)
7 5 7

o)
4

h)

m)
7

c)

e)

g)

6 7 6

b)

7
7

FIGURE 3 chord-scale triads in position

17 GUITAR DVD

Bm

4 7
3

C#m

5
3

4 7
3

D
6

E
4 7
3

F#m
6
3

4 7
3

G#
6

4 7

A
7

Bm
6

4 7

C#m
7

D
7

E
5

4 7

F#m

G#

5 9

7 10

A
10

9 12

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THE WAR ON ERROR

USING PENTATONIC BENDS TO MAKE YOUR PLAYING MISTAKE FREE


CHAPTER 10

The technique discussed in this


chapter is exceedingly simple.
The story behind it goes back
to my earliest days of playing
the guitar, in New York City
in the 1960s. My best friend,
Velvert Turner, was studying under
Jimi Hendrix, and he and I would get
together to practice the things that
Jimi had shown him. In the process, I
figured out a way to play a pentatonic
scale in three octaves using only the
index and ring fingers in a diagonal
pattern that slides up the fretboard
one whole step every other string,
beginning with three notes on the low
E string and two on the A. Ive shown
you this 3+2 pattern before, so you
should recognize it in FIGURE 1. The
long, curved arrows connecting the
notes indicate finger slides, with the
ring finger sliding on the way up and
the index sliding on the descent.
At the time, it was more important
for me to avoid playing wrong notes
than it was for me to learn how to
play right notes. In the process of
discovering this pattern, I found places
within it where it was possible to
perform a bendwhole step, half step
or microtonalthat would never sound
out of key. This magic bend spot occurs
at the major secondthe second note
within the pentatonic pattern shown
in FIGURE 1, as indicated by the
short, upward-pointing arrow. (When
bending with the ring finger, support
it with the middle finger or the middle
and index. Doing so will give you more
strength with which to pull or push the
string and thus better pitch control.)
FIGURE 2 illustrates a similar
and equally useful pattern. Here you
start with only two notes on the low
E string, play three on the A, via a
finger slide, then repeat the same
2+3 five-note shape through three
octaves. In this case, the fourth note of
the repeating form, which again is the
major second of the scale, will be the
note you can bend.
Guitarists sometimes struggle for
years and never see this entire diagonal
pattern, especially if they have been
taught the boxes. I was fortunate
that I didnt learn this way, and never
used a book to learn theory. Hell, my
best friend was Jimi Hendrixs protg!
What did I need a book for? Instead,
Velvert and I practiced these diagonal
patterns. Best of all, since only the
index and ring fingers are used, the

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pinkie is free to play the next string so


that you get riffs like the one shown in
FIGURE 3.
Next, we discovered diagonal
patterns employing minor thirds,
and again using only the index and
ring fingers. The ascending pattern
depicted in FIGURE 4, which Ive
shown you before, is based on a 3+2
form consisting entirely of minor
thirds and whole steps and is spelled
m3-W-W-m3-W. FIGURE 5 shows
the descending pattern, which is a
little different, with the index finger
sliding down on the higher string of
the pattern in each octave. FIGURES
6 and 7 illustrate ascending and
descending 2+3 patterns for a fifthstring root pentatonic scale.
Notice that all the minor thirds
are surrounded by whole steps and
therefore can be bent up a whole

FIGURE 1 G major pentatonic (


3fr

SOON YOULL
BE FLYING
UP AND
DOWN THE
FRETBOARD,
ASSURED OF
MAKING NO
MISTAKES.

FIGURE 2 C major pentatonic

= root)

5fr

7fr

step. Furthermore, if you slide up a


whole step from the minor third, that
note can also be bent a whole step. I
demonstrate this in the video.
The beauty of these patterns is that
once youve learned them, they can
be used over any music you hear, even
if youve unfamiliar with the tune or
dont know what key its in. Simply
place your fingers on the guitar and
start hunting around for notes. Once
you find which notes you can bend
or slide, you can use them to bring an
off note up to pitch, and within a few
seconds of playing this way youll find
a couple of correct notes from which
you can determine the key center.
Soon youll be flying up and down the
fretboard, assured of making absolutely
no mistakes. Thats the magic of this
systemall the slides or bends are
whole steps.

9fr

3fr

12fr

5fr

7fr

9fr

12fr

FIGURE 3
hold bend

T
A
B

10

10

3(+2)

FIGURE 4 G minor pentatonic, ascending


3fr

5fr

7fr

9fr

FIGURE 6 C minor pentatonic, ascending


3fr

5fr

7fr

12fr

10 (10)

3(+2)

FIGURE 5 G minor pentatonic, descending


3fr

5fr

7fr

9fr

FIGURE 7 C minor pentatonic, descending


9fr

3fr

5fr

7fr

12fr

9fr

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzTHWA

ANCHOR STEAM

GAINING CHORD POWER WITH FINGER ANCHORS


CHAPTER 11

IN THIS CHAPTER, Im going

to take one particular set of


chords and show you how
to quickly and easily learn
all the possible inversions,
so that you can move up and down
the neck without having to do a lot
of thinking about the chord structure or where to put your fingers.
Were going to use dominant seventh
chords for this study, which are fournote chords, intervallically spelled 1
3 5 f7. Dominant seventh chords are
referred to by a letter name followed
by the number 7, for example, A7.
FIGURE 1 is a fretboard diagram
illustrating four different fingering
positions and shapes for an A7 chord
(theoretically spelled A Cs E G) on
the top four strings. Each shape is a
different voicing, or stacking, of the
chord tones: Root-position means
the root is the lowest note, and first-,
second- and third-inversion signify
that the third, fifth or seventh are the
lowest note, respectively.
Among these four shapes, or
grips, there are two of what I call
anchor fingerings that enable
you to conveniently alternate
between two adjacent shapes. The
first anchor, shown in FIGURE 2,
involves barring the index finger
across the top four strings to play
both the second and third inversions.
All that is required after that is to
shift the barre up or down three frets
and add the middle finger (or ring,
if you prefer) one fret above it on
either the high E string or the G.
When the added finger is on the
high E string, the chord is in second
inversion, and when you shift the
barre up three frets and move the
added finger over to the G string you
get the third-inversion shape. To
get these grips under your fingers,
practice toggling back and forth
between them several times.
FIGURE 3 depicts the second
anchor fingering, which provides
a finger-friendly way to alternate
between the root-position and
first-inversion voicings. Here were

19 GUITAR DVD

FIGURE 1 A7

3rd inv.
5fr

2nd inv.
3fr

FIGURE 3 A7

root pos.
7fr

5
1
7
3

4
3

4
3

3rd inv.

12fr

FIGURE 4 A7

2(or 3)

4
3

starting in root position, with the


index finger on the D string. In this
case, it is the ring finger and pinkie
that collectively serve as an anchor
on the G and high E strings. As you
can see, to play the first-inversion
voicing, you slide these two fingers
up three frets while the index and
middle fingers trade strings, the
index jumping from the D to the B
and the middle moving from the B to
the D.
Once you get the hang of these
two anchor moves youll see that
theyre a lot of fun to use and that
they bring incredible versatility and
nuance to the dominant-seven chord
quality, especially if youre playing a
progression in which youre called
upon to vamp for a couple of bars or
longer.
This finger-anchor technique also
works with another string set, the
low E, D, G and B, as illustrated in
FIGURE 4. Note that in this case its
imperative to damp the A string with
the fretting fingers as you strum the
bottom five strings. Here well start
with the second inversion, meaning
that the fifth of the chord is on the
bottom, in this case at the 12th fret.

3fr
3
1
5

7
3
1
5

1st inv.

9fr
7

3rd inv.
5fr

3fr

12fr
1

2(or 3)

2nd inv.

9fr
3

FIGURE 2 A7

1st inv.

7
3
1
5

fingering:

root pos.
7fr

4
3

5
3
7

root pos.
5fr

2(or 3)

1st inv.
7fr

2nd inv.

3
2
1

12fr
1

7
5

2(or 3)

9fr

3
3

The anchor fingers are the ring and


pinkie again, with the index and
middle fingers flipping as the entire
form moves down three frets to the
first-inversion shape.
The other two inversions shown
in FIGURE 4, the root position and
third inversion, cant be linked so
easily, unless you use the thumb to
fret the low E string for the rootposition shape, which some people
have trouble doing, and barre the
index finger across the D, G and
B strings. The third inversion,
however, is particularly interesting
because the middle finger can be
used on either E string. (Compare the
first chords in FIGURES 1 and 4.)
I use this to great effect in the song
Big Hole on my most recent CD,
The Radiant Monkey.
So here you have a very common
chord typedominant seventhat
is used in rock and roll, rhythm and
blues, country blues and blues of
all kinds. Taking that perky major
seven and flattening it so that it is
a dominant seven is done in almost
every kind of popular music except
jazz. And even jazz includes it half
the time.

4
3

5
1

4
3

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzTHWA

TRIPLE PLAY

A STUDY IN TRIAD INVERSIONS


CHAPTER 12

IN THIS FINAL CHAPTER,

were going to look at triads


and learn their inversions by
following, as always, the cycle
of fourths and fifths. But before we begin, let me stress the difference between triads and chords. A
triad consists of three notes, whereas
a chord can contain three or more
notes. For example, barre chords
typically employ all six strings of the
guitar. For this lesson, were going
to focus specifically on triads, and as
you will see, each can be found within fret-hand shapes that are already
familiar to you.
There are four different triad
qualities: major, minor, diminished
and augmented. The most significant
are major and minor. Ultimately,
you should learn them all, but I
this chapter well focus on only the
major and minor triads. Once you
learn them, youll find youre able to
play an astonishing variety of triad
patterns that are very different from
barre chords.
Triads consist of the tonic, the
mediant and the dominant, or as we
commonly refer to them, the 1, the
3 and the 5. These can be in three
different inversions: root position
(1-3-5), first inversion (3-5-1) and
second inversion (5-1-3).
Triads are sounded by playing
notes on three strings. If you look
at each trio of adjacent strings,
youll see that, intervallicly, there
are three different types of groups,
or string sets: the first consists of
the low E, A and D strings, which
are tuned in fourths, as is the
neighboring set consisting of A, D
and G; the second type contains
the D, G and B strings, which are
tuned a fourth and a third apart,
respectively; and the third type
consists of the G, B and high E
strings, which are tuned a third and
a fourth apart, respectively.
Thus, we have nine shapes:
three inversions for each of the
three different types of string sets.
I have written them out for you in
tablature, starting with the high E,
B and G string set (FIGURE 1) and

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followed by the B, G and D string set


(FIGURE 2). The third set (FIGURE
3) is written on the G, D and A
strings and is exactly the same as the
D, A and low E set.
If you follow the instructions
you will find it very easy to play
these shapes. You can seesaw back
and forth between two or three of
them, or just work your way up the
fretboard. The most important thing
is to move alphabetically in fourths
or fifths.
Now, lets look at the minor sets.

FIGURE 4 presents the shapes


for the high E, B and G string set.
FIGURE 5 shows them for the B,
G and D string set, and FIGURE 6
illustrates the shapes for the G, D
and A set, which will work as well
for the D, A and low E string set.
If you understand this lesson
and follow it correctly, you will find
yourself in possession of a serious
knowledge of the fretboard, and in
command of a brand-new approach
to what otherwise might be tired old
chords.

FIGURE 1
E

C#

F#

C#

F#

0
1
2

2
2
2

3
2
4

3
4
5

5
5
5

6
5
7

6
7
8

8
8
8

9
8
10

9
10
11

11
11
11

12
11
13

12
13
14

C#

F#

1
2
2

2
2
4

2
4
5

4
5
5

5
5
7

5
7
8

7
8
8

8
8
10

8
10
11

10
11
11

11
11
13

11
13
14

13
14
14

Am

Dm

Gm

Cm

Fm

Bbm

Ebm

Abm

C#m

F#m

Bm

Em

Em

Am

Dm

Gm

Cm

Fm

Bbm

Ebm

Abm

C#m

F#m

Bm

Em

0
0
2

1
2
2

3
2
3

3
3
5

4
5
5

6
5
6

6
6
8

7
8
8

9
8
9

9
9
11

10
11
11

12
11
12

12
12
14

Em

Am

Dm

Gm

Cm

Fm

Bbm

Ebm

Abm

C#m

F#m

Bm

Em

0
2
2

2
2
3

2
3
5

3
5
5

5
5
6

5
6
8

6
8
8

8
8
9

8
9
11

9
11
11

11
11
12

11
12
14

12
14
14

0
0
1

0
2
2

2
3
2

3
3
4

3
5
5

5
6
5

6
6
7

6
8
8

8
9
8

9
9
10

9
11
11

11
12
11

12
12
13

FIGURE 2

FIGURE 3

FIGURE 4
Em

0
0
0

0
1
2

1
3
2

3
3
3

3
4
5

4
6
5

6
6
6

6
7
8

7
9
8

9
9
9

9
10
11

10
12
11

12
12
12

FIGURE 5

FIGURE 6

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