20

LESSONS
TO CHANGE THE WAY YOU PLAY
Words: Steve Allsworth, Chris Bird, Charlie Griffiths, James Uings
Photography: Joby Sessions

T
here are so many areas of guitar
playing that we’d all like to be
better at, but sometimes it’s
difficult to take a step back
from our playing and actually figure out
where to begin. The good news is that
once you do, you can start to remedy
these ‘problems’. This month, we want
to help you to identify the parts of
your playing that need working on,
but more importantly give you the
answers to actually help fix them.
Over the next 17 pages, we’re
going to give you 20 full lessons
on everything from developing a
more interesting chord vocabulary,
to improvisation, string bends,
building speed and mastering the
geography of the fretboard. There’s
something here for everyone, so
close the door, set your metronome
and let’s get to work!
 20 GUITAR LESSONS LESSON ONE
Do you sit, stand, slouch or even lie down when you play?
Your playing position affects that of your hands. Start the
transformation by getting your posture sorted…
POSITION, POSTURE, TECHNIQUE
1 SITTING POSTURE
Your feet should be shoulder-width
apart, pointing forward. Your shoulders
should be back and your back straight,
resting against the back of your seat.
2 ANGLE OF GUITAR
Your guitar’s body should sit against
your ribcage, with the underside of your
forearm resting on the guitar. Depending
on its shape, your guitar’s body should
reach your belly button.
3 STANDING POSTURE
Guitars are heavy, so make sure you
keep your back straight and avoid the
temptation to lean over towards your
fretting hand. Bad habits ingrained early
are difficult to undo later on.
48 FEBRUARY 2015
4 STRAP HEIGHT
A low-slung guitar looks cool, but all
your seated hand positions change
drastically and you’ll have to compensate.
Set your strap so the guitar’s position
doesn’t change when you stand.
5 PICKING
Aim to play notes with the tip of
your pick. This will help you play
accurately and will stop your pick
snagging on the strings.
6 WRIST MOVEMENT
Your picking and strumming
movement should come mostly from the
wrist. It should feel loose and move freely.
Your forearm will move a little, but make
sure it isn’t doing all the work.
7 THUMB POSITION
The pad of your thumb should be
upright around the middle of the neck.
Everyone’s hand is different, so there are
no hard and fast rules, but avoid pushing
with the base of your thumb, as this will
limit your mobility.
8 THUMB FOR BENDS
You’ll probably need to move your
thumb. Many players hook their thumb
over the top of the neck to give them extra
leverage when performing string bends.
9 FINGER PLACEMENT
Place your fingers close to the frets
without being directly on top of them.
This will eliminate fret buzz and help your
playing sound clean and accurate.
10 PLAYING CHORDS
Playing more than one note at
a time can result in fingers on lower-
sounding strings muting higher notes.
If you can’t play all the notes with your
fingertips, adjust your thumb position.
 LESSON TWO 20 GUITAR LESSONS

Understand how blues turnarounds work and
you’ll improve both your songwriting skills
and improv expertise. TG shows you how…
ADAPTED for styles as diverse as
rock, blues and jazz, the humble
turnaround has been used for
more than 100 years. These
clever changeovers lead the
listener’s ear with a strong ‘pull’
back to the beginning of the
progression, giving the feel that
you are recycling or ‘turning
around’ the whole chord
BLUES TURNAROUNDS
BASIC BLUES TURNAROUND
TRACKS 19-20
sequence. In a standard 12-bar
blues, the turnaround typically
occurs in the last two bars. The
simplest idea is to use a ‘V chord’
to lead you back to the root
chord. In the key of E, B7 (the V
chord) has this leading effect into
the E root chord. There are many
variations on this theme, and This turnaround in E uses a common descending pattern in bar 1 that’s based on an E
we’ll look at three common ideas. major arpeggio, moving down chromatically. The B9 chord in bar 2 is a bluesier
variation on B7 (made more bluesy by approaching from a C9). If this were a full 12-bar
blues, you’d expect an E root chord to follow the B9 as you restart the progression.

CONTRARY MOTION TRACKS 21-22 JAZZ TURNAROUND TRACKS 23-24

There are two common moves in a blues turnaround: a descending run (E, D, C#, C, B) The blues turnaround isn’t limited to a V-I move. In some blues progressions, and
and an ascending (E, G#, A, B b , B). They both finish on the crucial B root note of the especially jazz, a I-VI-II-V chord progression extends the idea with more complex
all-important V chord. Here, we combine both patterns, moving in opposite directions. harmony. Normally in C, the chords would be Cmaj7, Am7, Dm7, G7. We’ve ‘jazzed’
Practise first with the higher notes to hear the strong sound of this turnaround. them up with a Joe Pass-style walking bass line.

MARTY FRIEDMAN’S ‘SPIDER’

POWERCHORD FINGERING
BACK in issue 171, Marty Friedman x x x x x x x x
told TG about his preferred ‘spider’
fingering for powerchords, explaining
that this four-fingered approach 6 1 6
allows him to play faster and cleaner
changes. The first/third finger shape 2
is the obvious fingering, but if you add
in a second/fourth finger shape you 3
can cross the strings and cover the
© Paul Bergen / Contributor

4
fretboard swiftly. Try alternating
between the two shapes shown here,
paying close attention to the
fingering; as you gain confidence, try
moving up and down the neck. Eb5 B5

FEBRUARY 2015 49
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Beat creative plateaus by retuning your guitar.
TG looks at two of our favourite altered tunings
DADGAD tuning often goes hand
in hand with acoustic guitar in
folk circles, but it’s equally at
home on the electric. The folk
angle is mainly because of its
modal sound, hence why it’s also
known as D modal tuning or
Celtic tuning. All this really means
is that there are fewer obvious
major and minor chord shapes
due to the tuning, with a lot of
chord shapes using ambiguous
2nd and 4th intervals (the open
strings themselves create a large
Dsus4 sound). This can create a
moody atmosphere that sounds
ALTERED
TUNINGS
great strummed or played as
arpeggios. Jimmy Page was a big
fan of DADGAD (check out Led
Zeppelin’s Kashmir and Black
Mountain Side).
Open E (EBEG#BE) is the
tuning of choice for many blues
slide players, including the likes
of Derek Trucks and Sonny
Landreth. When strummed, the
open strings sound an E chord.
Open E isn’t just for slide players,
however, as bands such as The
Black Crowes use this tuning
extensively for a bluesy Southern
rock sound.

DADGAD TUNING TRACKS 25-26

Because this tuning feels so alien, just by using your ears and a few relatively simple shapes, you can come up with some original and unusual-sounding chords. The final bar is
reminiscent of a folk-style Jimmy Page line that’s based around a D major sound.

OPEN E TUNING TRACKS 27-28

This whole riff should have a ‘let ring’ vibe throughout, and due to the tuning you needn’t worry too much about open strings bleeding into one another. The pull-offs shouldn’t be
too tricky, but make sure you hit the relaxed ‘swing’ feel throughout.

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CHORDS WITH
OPEN STRINGS
Add some shimmer to your rhythm playing with
open-string variations on simple chords

E CHORDS B CHORDS C#M CHORDS A CHORDS

x x o x x o x x o x x o
UTILISING open strings can add
new dimensions to basic chord 4 1 4 2 3 4 5 2 5 1
progressions. This simple and
effective technique has been 3 4 2
used to great effect by players
as diverse as Alex Lifeson, Jeff 3 3
Buckley, The Edge and Ed
4
Sheeran, to name but a few.
The approach works best when
playing in a key that shares a lot Eadd9/G# Badd11/F# C#m/G# A
of notes with the open strings,
such as the keys of E and G. x o o x o o x o o x o o o
Here, we’re taking a typical
pop/rock chord progression in E 7 1 2 1 4 1 5
major and looking at various ways
to play the chords while keeping 2
either the first or second strings
open. Try playing through the 3 4 3 4 3 4 3
chord chart using some of the
shapes shown here.

TRACKS 29-38 E5 Bsus4 C#m7 Aadd9

x o o x o o x o o x o o

16 1 11 1 13 1 9 1

3 3 3
PRACTICshEapTIesPlik!e any 4 4 4 4
Treat these time
other chord and spend ges.
practi sin g so me ch an E Badd11 C#m7 Aadd9
on
Aim to fret each stringt you
your fin ge rti ps so tha o o o o o o o x x x x o o
ings.
don’t mute out open str
7 1 9 T 1 5 1
1 2
2 1

3 4 3 4 3 2
4

E5 Badd11 C#m7 Aadd9

As they ring against the fretted notes, the open strings are crucial to the sound and
feel of these chords. Practise each chord first by strumming, then picking each string
individually to check that each note is clean. When you’re ready, try mixing and
matching these shapes with the chord progression over our backing track.

52 FEBRUARY 2015

PLAY RHYTHM
ACROSS THE
FRETBOARD
Break away from open-
position rhythm playing and
use the CAGED system to
discover major and minor
chords across the entire
fretboard
THE CAGED system makes it easy to access
any chord across the neck; here, we’re applying
the approach to major and minor chords.
If you already know the five essential open
chord shapes C, A, G, E and D, then you are
already halfway there, because the CAGED
system simply moves these shapes around the
neck as barre chords. Moving between the five
shapes will help you create more engaging,
interesting and even unusual rhythm parts.
The trick is seeing how the CAGED shapes link
together, sharing notes on certain frets. Barre
chords have no open strings, and this makes
them ‘movable’ shapes, so you can move each
shape to any fret and play in any key you wish.
It doesn’t matter if some shapes are tough to
play; just don’t fret all the strings and play a
‘partial’ chord.
TRACKS 39-42
CREATIVE RHYTHM PART
This is a simple two-chord progression based on C and Am chords. The C chord is in bars 1 and 2, but notice that it runs through all five CAGED shapes. We’ve done the same with
Am in bars 3 and 4. Try creating your own parts by moving the CAGED shapes up and down the fretboard to access other keys.
20 GUITAR LESSONS COVER FEATURE
MAJOR CHORDS MINOR CHORDS
C shape Am shape
o o
1 1
o 3
2 2
3 o
x x
A shape Gm shape
1
4
3
x
x
1
1
2 1
2
x 4
G shape Em shape
4 1
1 1
1 1
1 4
2 3
3 1
5 5
E shape Dm shape
1 2
1 4
2 3
4 1
3 x
1 x
8 5
D shape Cm shape
3 x
4 3
2 1
1 2
x 4
x x
8 9
Start with the open ‘C shaped’ C major chord These five shapes are based on open-
then ascend the neck to play C chords in the position minor chord shapes. You do not
other positions indicated above, first using always start with a C shape; but the
an ‘A shape’, then a ‘G shape’, an ‘E shape’ sequence of shapes always remains the
and so on. Strum the full chords first, and same. Here, we start on an Am chord,
then pick each string to check that all of the followed by a ‘G minor-shaped’ Am chord,
notes are clean. then an ‘E minor-shaped’ Am chord, and so on.
TRACKS 43-44
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A MAJOR SCALE SHAPES A MINOR SCALE SHAPES

Shape 1 (E shape) Shape 1 (Em shape)
1 2 4 1 3 4
2 4 1 2 4

PLAY LEAD
1 3 4 1 2 4
1 3 4 1 3
1 2 4 1 3 4
1 2 4 1 3 4

ACROSS THE
4 4
Shape 2 (D shape) Shape 2 (Dm shape)
1 3 4 1 2 4

FRETBOARD
1 3 4 2 4
1 2 4 1 3 4
1 2 4 1 3 4
1 3 1 2 4
1 3 4 1 2 4
Just like chords, scales can 6 7
Shape 3 (C shape) Shape 3 (Cm shape)
also be played in five CAGED 1 2 4 1 3 4
positions across the fretboard. 1 2 4 1 3 4
1 3
Unlock your soloing potential 1 3 4
1
1
2
2
4
4
with this essential lesson 1 3 4 1 3
1 2 4 1 3 4
9 9
TO SUCCESSFULLY play solos and melodies Shape 4 (A shape) Shape 4 (Am shape)
over chords, it helps to associate chords and 1 2 4 1 2 4
scales with each other. Put simply, major scales 1 3 4 1 2 4
sound good over major chords and minor 1 3 4 1 3
scales sound good over minor chords. 1 2 4 1 3 4
Here, we map out the major and minor scale 1 2 4 1 3 4
shapes both from the same root note so that 2 4 1 2 4
you can compare the two sounds. The A 11 12
‘natural’ minor scale (A B C D E F G) has a cool,
dark atmosphere, whereas the A major scale Shape 5 (G shape) Shape 5 (Gm shape)
(A B C# D E F# G#) is happier-sounding. 1 4 1 2 4
3
These scales exist all over the fretboard, but 1 2 4 1 3 4
1 2 4 1 3 4
just like the CAGED chord system, they can
1 3 1 2 4
be arranged in five manageable chunks,
1 3 4 1 2 4
called ‘positions’ or ‘shapes’. It can be hard to
1 3 4 2 4
spot the chord shapes these scales resemble,
13 14
so treat this as a longer-term goal.
Run through these shapes, starting on the sixth Work through the minor scales using the same
TRACKS 45-48 string and finishing on the first. It helps if you
remember where the root notes are. As the scales
method as with the major scales. Memorising
all of these shapes is a long-term goal that can
feel familiar, try to spot the related barre chord take a while, so it is fine to focus on learning one
shapes within the notes that form these scales. or two shapes until you are comfy with them.

C MAJOR SOLO TRACKS 49-50

This short, simple solo uses just three scale positions, and will help you start connecting the CAGED shapes together. The key of C major is three semitones higher than A major,
so our solo is based on the same shapes shown above, but three frets higher up the neck.

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A MINOR SOLO TRACKS 51-52

This solo is more challenging, in that it uses all six strings and all five CAGED scale shapes. Learning the solo in full will help you understand how to navigate the tricky position
shifts. Make sure that you also compare the tab with the scale shapes.

FOUR-FINGER DEXTERITY
Take your playing to new levels with four exercises designed to develop your finger
independence, dexterity, and the brain power needed to coordinate tricky fretting moves

LATERAL SPIDER EXERCISE TRACK 53 CHROMATIC TWISTER TRACK 54

This variation of the classic spider exercise is designed to perfect your accuracy across This lick is designed to get all four fingers moving. The move from second to third finger
the fretboard. It can easily be extended over the whole neck and on all six strings. is particularly fiendish, so take your time building up the speed.

STRING SKIP LEGATO TRACK 55 TYPEWRITER LICK TRACK 56

This exercise is tough on the fret hand thanks to the string skips and hammer-ons. Aim The idea here is to play the repeating note with each of your fretting fingers, one after
for a steady, even flow of notes. For more of a challenge, move the lick to lower strings. the other. The repetition is a great way to check that your thumb is in the best position.

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STAMINA AND
STRENGTH
The benefits of improving 1. Greater flexibility
You’ll be able to reach further
your fret-hand strength along the fretboard, helping
are many. Dig down deep everything from chords all the
way to tapping and legato.
and try out TG’s tough
arpeggio exercise for a 2. Wider stretches
You’ll develop the ability to fret
full-on fretting workout wider and more interesting-
sounding chords.
3. Better chord accuracy
Start saying goodbye to
annoying fret buzzes and hello
to crystal-clear chords.
4. Stronger fingers
This will give you more
confidence when playing
anything from block chords
to arpeggios.
HEALTH WARNING!
As with any strength
stamina workout, it’s wi or
listen to your fret ha se to
A little aching is normal,nd.
if you feel any sharp pa but
in,
stop immediately
5. Perfect barre chords
The foundation to many chords
starts here, so you’ll condition
the small muscle between the
thumb and forefinger.

STAMINA EXERCISE TRACKS 57-59

There are some shapes that will feel completely alien, simply because you’ve never used your fingers in that configuration before. Start very slowly, concentrating on perfect
thumb positioning, ensuring you have a proper arched finger shape, and use the fingertips rather than the pads. This will all help to avoid buzzes and scuffed/muted strings.

PAUL GILBERT SAYS ‘MAY THE

4TH (NOT) BE WITH YOU’
YOU probably know the blues scale. Simply add
a b5th into the minor pentatonic scale and you
get the blues scale. Über shred lord Paul Gilbert
5 1 1 1 1 1 1 5 1 1 1 1 1
has his own take on the blues scale, simplifying
2 2
the shape by taking out the 4th interval –
“probably the least interesting of the notes of
3 3 3 3 3
the blues scale”, according to Paul. Ditching the
©REX/Brian Rasic

dull-sounding 4th results in a more direct, 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4

to-the-point and aggressive scale that's perfect
for edgy blues, fusion and heavy metal soloing.
It's easy to play on the guitar, too. A blues scale A blues scale
(no 4th)
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BEND IN TUNE Bending in tune separates the

novice guitarist from the pro.

EVERY TIME TG’s exercise will take your

string bending to the next level

IT TAKES a combination of strength, control,

feel and a lot of practice, but the 12 short licks
we’ve tabbed here will take you through most
of the techniques you’ll require to perfect
your intonation. Each line can be adapted
into any key and style, so the exercises don’t
just end here.
Listen to the audio track. You’ll hear each
phrase played over a simple backing, and
that’s followed by a short space for you to
play back the same lick in a ‘listen and repeat’
style. he first few phrases have a naked
bend with no vibrato – great for practising
your intonation. Next, you’ll hear the same
phrase played with vibrato (a notoriously
tricky technique) that requires more fret-
hand control. Make sure you try both along
with the track.

IP!
PRACayTtoICpraEctTise string
The best w y fretting the target
bending is b that you’re bending
pitch (the noutecan get the sound of
up to) so yo ur head. Try this with
the note in yostring-bend phrases
some of the efore you play along
tabbed here be backing track
with th

STRING BENDING TRACK 60

Don’t forget to support your finger for maximum control. So, if you’re bending with your third finger, keep your first and second fingers on the string for added strength.
Unlike spider exercises, you can angle your fingers and squeeze the neck for more of a push.

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SPEED UP YOUR LEAD

If you want to build some serious speed in your lead, focus on one hand at a time

ALTERNATE PICKING TRACKS 61-62

Step 1 Fret hand Get acquainted Step 2 Pick hand Alternate picking
with the exercise by means never playing
placing your fretting two downstrokes or
fingers on the right two upstrokes in a
frets. For bar 1, use row. Try muting the
your first, third and strings all together
fourth fingers for bar with your fret hand
, use your first, so that you can focus
second and fourth on picking evenly
fingers. arm up by and transitioning to
using hammer-ons a new string cleanly.
and pull-offs to Remember, no
produce the notes. fretting for this stage
Don’t pick yet! of the exercise!

SWEEP PICKING TRACKS 63-64

Step 1 Fret hand These arpeggios are Step 2 Pick hand Sweep picking is
CAGED system similar to strumming,
shapes first, an but in a controlled,
shaped’ C chord, then slow-motion manner.
a ‘C shaped’ G chord. The idea is to move
Use hammer-ons to your pick up and
train your fingers to down across the
fall into place. Try to strings, letting the tip
have only one finger of your pick strike the
in contact with the strings evenly and
fretboard at a time. steadily. Mute the
Focus only on fretting strings and pick
here don t use your without fretting any
pick yet. notes for now.

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Final step Metronome practice

You’ve prepared each hand for both exercises, so it is time
to synchronise both hands using a metronome

1 Start at a
comfortable tempo
at which you can play
2 Ensure that your
fingers and your
pick both arrive at the
3 Practise each
example for
90 seconds, then
4 Test your limits
by gradually
raising the tempo until
the exercises without string at exactly the increase the tempo in you can no longer
making mistakes. same moment. small increments. play accurately.

“Test your limits by raising the tempo until

you can no longer play accurately”

VIBRATO
Nearly every guitarist uses this expressive technique, but have you ever really analysed your
vibrato skills? Improve your feel as TG looks at six of the most iconic vibratos in history

1 BB KING
Blues legend BB King has a very fast, shallow vibrato. To emulate it, try
taking your thumb off the neck and shaking your hand rapidly, but don’t
bend the string more than a quarter-tone.
TRACKS 65-70
4 BRIAN MAY
Dr May makes his guitar sing with a slow pulsing vibrato similar to
David Gilmour’s, but a wider semitone curve adds an almost operatic
vocal effect, which permeates Queen’s music.

2 ANGUS YOUNG 5 STEVE VAI

Angus’ playing has a blues foundation, and with it comes the fast Vai’s tone-wide vibrato is almost comparable to a classical violinist. You
utter associated with that style, but his rock attitude comes through can emulate his style by drawing a circle with your finger as you bend
with a more pronounced bend, which should be roughly a semitone. and release the string.

3 DAVID GILMOUR 6 ZAKK WYLDE

David Gilmour is the granddaddy of taste, and his vibrato is smooth, ylde by name and wild by nature. akk s vibrato is as e treme and
often ethereal and has a very subtle and slow rise and fall in pitch. ferocious as they come, and he bends the string on average a tone and a
Think BB King in super-slow motion. half. rip firmly to lever the string up and down.

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THREE-NOTE-PER-
STRING SHAPES
Three-note-per-string licks are a cool alternative
to the box shapes of the pentatonic scales. If you’re
a mainly pentatonic lead guitarist, these two licks
will take your playing to the stratosphere

THREE-NOTE-PER-STRING LEGATO TRACKS 71-72

This lick moves across the entire fretboard via a clever sequence that includes a position shift in each phrase. It’ll test your strength and dexterity in all of your fingers, but more
important is that it’s a cool way to cross the fretboard in a musical way.

MEGA-LICK TRACKS 73-74

The logical next step for any three-note-per-string legato exercise is to start introducing slides to improve your neck coverage. This one takes practice to avoid ‘stuttering’ during
the slides, so start off slowly to make sure your rhythms are accurate.

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MODE INTERVALS/NOTES/FORMULA SOUND QUALITY/ CHARACTERISTIC CHORD

MOOD PROGRESSION
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Ionian C D E F G A B (C) Bright, happy C–F–G
T T S T T T S

1 2 b3 4 5 6 b7 8

LEARN
Dorian Dark, yet sweet Dm6–G
D E F G A B C ( D)
T S T T T S T
1 b2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 8
Phyrgian E F G A B C D (E) Dark, exotic Em–F

THE MODES
S T T T S T T

1 2 3 #4 5 6 7 8
Lydian F G A B C D E (F) Bright, mysterious Fmaj7#11–C
T T T S T T S

FOR GOOD
1 2 3 4 5 6 b7 8
Mixolydian G A B C D E F (G) Bright, with a dark edge G–F
T T S T T S T
1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 8
Aeolian A B C D E F G (A) Dark, sad Am–G–F

Scared of modes? Don’t be.

T S T T S T T
1 b2 b3 4 b5 b6 b7 8
Locrian Discordant, Bm7b5–Em
Here’s all you need to know… B C D E F G A (B)
S T T S T T T
unresolved

IONIAN MODE TRACK 75

THE MAJOR scale has a distinctive sound,
thanks to its sequence of intervals: tone,
tone, semitone, tone, tone, tone, semitone
(TTSTTTS). When the major scale starts
from a different note, the order of these
intervals changes and produces seven new
scales, called ‘modes’. Each mode has its own
distinctive mood.
The best way to get a feel for each mode is
to compare the different intervals that each
starting point produces. The Ionian mode is
the same as the major scale and has the
intervals: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7. All other modes and
their intervals are compared to it. Modes
with a major 3rd (marked ‘3’) are major and
are generally happy-sounding. Modes with
a minor 3rd (with a ‘b3’) are minor and have
a generally dark sound. The table above tells
you all you need to know about the modes
derived from the C major scale.
Try our tabbed licks to get a feel for modal
lead. The licks are identical, except that each
begins a step farther up the C major scale to Because the major scale is so common, it is rarely
ensure it is a mode. referred to as the Ionian mode. Its bright, happy sound is
great for upbeat tracks and soaring melodies.

DORIAN MODE TRACK 76 PHRYGIAN MODE TRACK 77 LYDIAN MODE TRACK 78

Dorian is a minor-sounding mode, but it has a brighter Phrygian is a minor-sounding mode that has a distinctly Lydian is a major-sounding mode that has an exotic
sound than other minor scales and modes (thanks to its exotic, some say Spanish, sound. Its dark sound means sound that is used a lot in jazz and instrumental rock as
major 6th) and is used a lot in blues and jazz. that it is used a lot in heavy metal. a substitute for the, often dull, major scale.

MIXOLYDIAN MODE TRACK 79 AEOLIAN MODE TRACK 80 LOCRIAN MODE TRACK 81

Mixolydian is a major-sounding mode that is used a lot in Also known as the natural minor scale, the Aeolian is a The Locrian mode is the least common of the modes, as
rock and country music. It is mixed frequently with major minor-sounding mode with a dark, sad sound. Early hard its root chord is the discordant m7 b 5. However, it is used
pentatonic licks. rock and metal was based heavily on the Aeolian mode. occasionally in heavy metal and fusion.

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UNDERSTANDING
CHORD NAMES
Chord names can sometimes look incredibly complex. Learn a few
simple rules and concepts to demystify this dark art of music

TRACKS 82-91

SCALE INTERVALS As with the modes, the best way to understand chord naming is to compare the
notes in each chord to the notes in the major scale. Chords that use lots of notes
reference major scale notes an octave higher. These ‘octave up’ intervals are
known as compound intervals. These are the notes, and numbered intervals in
the key of C major.

C D E F G A B
1 2 3 4 5 6 7

(8) 9 (10) 11 (12) 13 (14)

BUILDING TRIADS nown as triads , the most basic chords are built from three notes. attened note
(b3, etc) lowers a note by a semitone; a sharpened note (#5, etc) raises it by a
semitone. The b and # signs tell you how to adjust the major chord to make it either
minor, diminished or augmented.

Chord type Short name 1st 3rd 5th

1 3 5
Major C
C E G

1 b3 5
Minor Cm
C Eb G

1 b3 b5
Diminished Cdim (C°)
C Eb Gb

1 3 #5
Augmented Caug (C+)
C E G#

64 FEBRUARY 2015
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MAJOR & MINOR 7THS The major and minor triads are the most common. When you see a complex chord
name with lots of numbers, it is usually an extra note added to one of these basic
chord types. The most common of these are chords that add the 7th or b7th.

Chord type Short name 1st 3rd 5th 7th

1 3 5 7
Major 7th Cmaj7
C E G B

1 b3 5 b7
Minor 7th Cm7 (Cmin7)
C Eb G Bb

1 3 5 b7
Dominant 7th C7
C E G Bb

6TH CHORDS his can be applied to lots of chords which, at first glance, look comple . or
example, a C6 chord is simply a C major chord with the 6th note of the major scale
added, while a Cm6 is a C minor chord that also has a major 6th added.

Chord type Short name 1st 3rd 5th 6th

1 3 5 6
Major 6th C6
C E G A

1 b3 5 6
Minor 6th Cm6 (Cmin6)
C Eb G A

COMPLEX CHORDS Even a complex chord such as Cmaj7#11 looks simple when viewed in this way.

Chord type Short name 1st 3rd 5th 7th 9th 11th
1 3 5 7 9 #11
Major 7#11 Cmaj7#11
C E G B D F#

TGR263.coverfeature.fig20.musx
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Notes:

ALEX SKOLNICK’S ‘SEQUENCED’

MAJOR SCALE

œœœœœ
TESTAMENT axeman Alex Skolnick certainly knows

& 44 œœœ œœœœœ Œ

a thing or two about creative soloing. Alex’s idea

œ
tabbed here is based on the C major scale; these are
humble beginnings, technically speaking, but Alex
shows that even a basic scale can be used creatively.
The idea is to take every 4th interval in the scale
(eg, C-F, D-G, E-A and so on) and swap between T 9 7
ascending or descending the pairs of notes. You can A 9 7 10 9 7

apply this idea to any scale you know and try other
B 10 8 7
10
10 7
8
© REX

intervals, too. 3rds sound particularly good.

FEBRUARY 2015 65
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JOE BONAMASSA
GETS MORE OUT
OF THE MINOR
PENTATONIC
MANY guitarists opt for the minor
pentatonic scale for solos. This isn’t a
bad thing; the minor pentatonic
is a versatile scale and many
guitarists use it almost exclusively
(Eric Clapton, Slash, Angus Young).
Joe Bonamassa is a pentatonic master,
but, more importantly, Joe uses the
scale as a framework that he can build
upon, adding in unrelated notes that
sound great. The benefit is you have to
remember only the odd new colourful
note rather than learning a bunch of
new scales. Play through the minor
pentatonic scale and try improvising
with just one of the extra notes
highlighted in green.
IMPROVE
YOUR IMPROVS
Get improvising now! TG goes beyond the major scale
and takes a shortcut to improvisational nirvana
IMPROVISING can be a mind, it can be tough to get Remember, this is only a guide,
minefield. hich scale should around to playing anything. The there are limitless options and
you use over which chord? What handy ow chart below will these are by no means the only
ideas and techniques work with allow you to quickly see what ones available to you. But it’s
which style? With all these your best options are for most always good to have some
questions running through your common progressions. structure to start with.
TG’S IMPROVISATION FLOW CHART
Follow this handy flow chart to help you work through your improvisation options and
hopefully produce something that’s more musical as a result. Start with the chord you are soloing over:
DOMINANT MINOR,
7TH M7, M9

Minor pentatonic with 2nd

1 3 4 SINGLE CHORD OR SINGLE CHORD OR
1 4
PROGRESSION PROGRESSION

1 2 4
1 3 SINGLE CHORD PROGRESSION SINGLE CHORD PROGRESSION
1 3
1 3 4 CLASSIC ROCK/ BLUES INDIE/CLASSIC ROCK METAL BLUES/JAZZ
ONE STOP ONE STOP
5 COUNTRY/JAZZ
SOLUTION? SOLUTION?
Minor pentatonic with 6th AEOLIAN PHRYGIAN DORIAN
1 BLUES SCALE/
4 MIXOLYDIAN MAJOR NO YES NO YES
1 3 4 PENTATONIC
1 3
2 ALL THE CHORDS WITHIN
1 4
© Will ireland

I-IV-V MIXOLYDIAN MODE MINOR PENTATONIC

ONE MINOR KEY?
1 3
1 4
NO YES NO YES
5

b7 MAJOR ALL MAJOR OR b2 CHORD?

AEOLIAN
CHORD? DOMINANT 7TH?

NO NO PHRYGIAN NO
MIXOLYDIAN MODE BLUES SCALE

IV CHORD MAJOR?
REVIEW B7 MAJOR
INDIVIDUAL CHORD
CHORDS NO DORIAN

NO YES V CHORD OR DOMINANT 7TH?

REVIEW
INDIVIDUAL MIXOLYDIAN
CHORDS HARMONIC MINOR

66 FEBRUARY 2015
 20 GUITAR LESSONS COVER FEATURE

PERFECT
PRACTICE ROUTINES
Allocating a set amount of time every day to a focused practice
session designed around your strengths and weaknesses will
hone the skills that will help you improve

1 PLAN YOUR TIME

Set aside a realistic amount of time you can dedicate
to practice, then divide it into short sections. What you do
exactly is up to you, but scales and chords, rhythm playing,
lead playing, sight reading and improvising are a few
common categories.
7 PLAY WITH OTHER MUSICIANS
Aside from personal practice, you should play with
other musicians. You don’t need a whole band, just one
other person on any instrument. Your playing will improve
as you learn to jam and lock in with other players.

2 CHOOSE SPECIFIC GOALS

Although you may have general ideas such as ‘lead
playing’ in your routine, make sure that you have a specific
goal within that subject. For example, you might set a goal
such as ‘play through chord changes using arpeggios’.
8 LISTEN TO YOUR PLAYING
When you’re concentrating hard on your playing it can
be hard to evaluate what needs to be improved, so it’s
important to listen back to what you’ve played. It’s easy to
record yourself playing – even a phone recording is fine.

3 NOODLING IS NOT PRACTISING

Hours of potential practice time are lost to noodling.
Beware of playing endlessly with no direction. Even when
practising a specific goal, it’s easy to lose concentration and
drift into playing familiar licks that won’t help you improve.
9 EVALUATE YOUR PLAYING
As you listen back to your playing, make notes on
what you think could be improved. This might be things
such as ‘string bends are out of tune’ or ‘solo lacks
structure’. These observations will help you identify what
you need to work on in future.

“Hours of practice time are

Listening back to your
playing can help you pick
what needs improvement

lost to noodling. Beware

of playing endlessly with
no direction”
4 FOCUS ON PRACTICE
Turn off your phone, close Facebook and shut the door.
Practice is practice and nothing else should interfere. Make
sure you concentrate on your playing 100 per cent so you
can be sure you’re giving it everything you have.

5 ACCURACY OVER SPEED

There are no prizes for fast, sloppy playing. Focus on
playing as accurately as possible. If you can’t play
something at full speed, slow it to a speed where you
can play it. Only increase speed when you can play
without errors.

6 PLAY WITH MACHINES

All your scale practice should be done to a metronome
and, eventually, you should play everything with one. This
will give you a solid sense of time and help you play with
other musicians.

FEBRUARY 2015 67