Key of C Major

3 0
0 1 2 3
4 0 1 2
3 4 0 1 2 3 4 0 1 2 1 2 3 4

Ex. 1.1 - The Octave

0

4 3

2 1 0 4 32 1 03 2 1 0 4 3
21 0 4 3 2 1 0 4 3 2 1 0

2 3 4
0 1

Ex. 1.3 - The Standard C Major Scale

Ex. 1.4 - The Extended C Major Scale

Ex. 1.5 - Etude no. 1

10

12

16

Sean Ashcraft

Ex. 1.2 - The Chromatic Scale in Open Position

write in fingerings as needed

Ex. 1.6 - Etude no. 2

20

G7

Ex. 1.7 - Etude no. 3

G7

G7

Dm

G7

Cmaj7

24

Fmaj7

B7

Em7

Am7

Dm7

G7

these notes are relative the root can change and

still sound harmonic if relative
intervals are the same

Ex. 1.8 - Building Chords

32

picking random notes doesn't

always sound harmonic

root of C

28

0
0
4
3
2

Building a Major C Chord

Root

Major 3rd

specific notes sound more

harmonic than others

Minor 3rd

0
1
0
2
3

0
0
0
2
3

Building a Major G Chord

Root

Major 3rd

Minor 3rd

Copyright 2009 KLB Publishing

Building a Minor E Chord

Root

Minor 3rd

Major 3rd

Em

35

Building a Dominant 7th C Chord

Root

Major 3rd

Minor 3rd

Building a Dominant 7th G Chord

C7

0
1
3
2
3

Minor 3rd

Root

Ex. 1.9 - Basic Chords in C (diatonically, or alphabetically)

C

39

0
1
0
2
3

Dm

1
4
2
0

Em

0
0
0
3
2
0

1
1
2
3

3
0
0
0
1
2

Major 3rd Minor 3rd

Minor 3rd

G7
1
0
0
0
2
3

Am
0
1
3
2
0

Ex. 1.10 - The Chord Classes in C

43

T-class

D-class

Am

G7

61

Dm

Em

Am

Dm

Ex. 1.15 - Authentic Cadence

Ex. 1.16 - Plagal Cadence

Ex. 1.18 - Half Cadence

Am

Ex. 1.14 - Rule 4: You Can Start

with T-Class/I Goes Anywhere (T -> "D" -> T -> P -> D -> T)

Ex. 1.17 - Deceptive Cadence

67

Rhythm slashes indicate for the performer to improvise an appropriate rhythm

54

Ex. 1.12 - Rule 2: Jumps Stay "In Class" (P -> P, etc.)

Ex. 1.13 - Rule 3: You Can

Start Anywhere (D -> T)

3
4
2
1

Dm

Ex. 1.11 - Rule 1: Follow Arrows (P -> D -> T)

47

P-class

Em

G7

Ex. 1.20 - Etude no. 5 - "Classical" Progression

Ex. 1.19 - Etude no. 4 - "Pop/Rock" Progression

Am

74

Em

Am

Dm

G7

Ex. 1.21 - Etude no. 6 - Simple 12-Bar Blues

81

G7

88

Ex. 1.22 - Seventh Chords and their Resolution

95

G7

B7

102

1
4
1
3
2

or G7

Am

B7

or

Cmaj7

0
0
0
2
3

Fmaj7
0
1
2
3

1
1
2
0

Cmaj7

Fmaj7

Am

122

B7

3
1
2
1

Em

Em7

Am7

Ex. 1.26 - "Sus" Chords

Resolution
128 Csus2

4
0
0
3

Csus4
1
1
0
4
3

Em7

Fsus2
1
1
0
3

Am7
4
1
2
2
0

Dm

Dm7

Gsus2
4
(3)
1
0
X
2

Dm7

Am

Ex. 1.25 - Etude no. 9 - Pure Diatonic "Jazz" 12-Bar Blues

116

Em7
0
4
0
3
2
0

Am

Ex. 1.23 - Etude no. 7 - "Pop/Rock" Progression: Elaborated

Am

Ex. 1.24 - Etude no. 8 - "Classical" Progression - Elaborated

108

Dm7

Am7

Dm

Cmaj7

Gsus4
4
1
0
0
X
3

G7

Fmaj7

G7

Dm7

G7

Am7

Dm7

G7

G7sus4 G7

Asus2 Am

Asus4 Am

1
1
0
0
X
3

0
0
2
2
0

0
4
2
2
0

136 Dsus2

Dm

0
4
2
0

4
3
2
0

Preparation (and Resolution)

140

Fsus2

Ex. 1.27 - "Add" Chords

C2

F2

4
1
2
3

0
4
0
2
3

4
1
2
0

Dm

Am2
0
1
4
2
0

Dm7

Asus4

0
3
1
2

Esus4

0
1
3
2
(4)
4

small numbers refer to fret number for now

F6
1
4
2
(3)
3

G7sus4

C6

Dm7

Em

0
0
4
3
2
0

Am

Dm2

Ex. 1.28 - Notes in C Major on 6th and 5th Strings

149

D7sus4

Gsus4

G2
3
0
1
0
X
2

Dm

"retardation"

144

Dsus4

G7

G6
0
0
0
0
2
3

Dm6

1
0
2
0

8 10 12 12 10 8 7 5 3 1 0
0 2 3 5 7 8
10 12 12 10 8 7 5 3 2 0

I III V VIII X XII

X XII
VIII X XII III V VII VIII
I III V VIII
III V VII

Ex. 1.29 - Power Chords in C Major

153 E5

F5 G5 A5

C5 D5 E5

E5

3
2

F5 G5 A5

C5 D5 E5

A5 C5 D5 E5

4
3
1

F5 G5 A5

A5 C5 D5 E5

3
2

G5 A5
F5 X XII

Roman numerals are now refering to position (fret number for 1st finger)

Ex. 1.30 - Etude no. 10 - "Pop/Rock" w/ Power Chords

Ex. 1.31 - Etude no. 11 - "Punk Rock"

161

C5

A5

F5

G5

C5

G5

A5

Ex. 1.32 - Etude no. 12 - "True" 12-Bar Blues w/ Power Chords

169

175 C5

C5

G5

F5

F5

F5

C5

A5

D5

G5

VIII
VIII

stretch!
Ex. 1.33 - The 5 - 6 - 7 - 6 Shuffle

C5

181

C6

C5

C6

C5

C6

C7

C6

F5

F6

F5

F6

F5

F6

F7

F6

stretch!

VIII
VIII

C5

185

C6

C5

C6

G5

G6

G7

G6

stretch!

VII

II

Ex. 1.34 - Inverted Chords as Quasi-Power Chords

C/E

G/B

189 an example of an

inverted chord

4
1

G/B

4
1

C/E

the most common in C

C5

G/B

Ex. 1.35 - Sus2 Power Chords

F2

198

4
3
1

204 F2

G2

A2

C2

3
1
0

C2

D2

F2

4
3
1

C2

C5

C6

C5

C6

C7

VII

A2

D2

C6

A5

VIII VII
V


C5

4
1

G/B

-1

4
3

4
1

G2

A2

III

C5

notice this slight

change in fingering

A5

C6

4
1

stretch!

these in context

C/E
4

"Punk Rock" Progression with Inverted Chords

194

C5

C/E

G/B
II
4
-1

4
3
1

F5

F5

Progression with Sus2 Chords

C2

A2

F2