Beginner Acoustic Guitar Lessons

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Beginner Guitar Sitemap beginner guitar lesson guitar parts how to string a guitar how to hold a pick how to tune a guitar open chords barred chords

Beginner Acoustic Guitar Lessons

"A man ceases to be a beginner in any given science and becomes a master when he has

learned that he is going to be a beginner all his life."

~Robin G. Collingwood

If you are beginning acoustic guitar lessons, The Guitar Suite is a great place to comelearn to play guitar. Because there are so many things for the beginner guitarist to learn,The Guitar Suite has organized the topics so that it becomes easy to learn acoustic guitar.

In the beginner acoustic guitar lessons section, you will learn the very basics of guitar.

Basic acoustic guitar

parts of an acoustic guitar What acoustic guitar strings and electric guitar strings are good to use How to put strings on a guitar How to hold a pick How to play basic open chords How to play basic barred chords How to tune a guitar
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Beginner Guitar Video Lessons

Once you go through each beginner acoustic guitar lesson, check out the other sectionson guitar. The Guitar Suite offers free guitar lessons in music theory so you canunderstand from a beginner to advanced level what you are playing. You will also learn

more intermediate and advanced guitar techniques . If you are more interested in thesongwriting process, I have lessons for that too. Finally, The Guitar Suite shows youactually how to get the most out of your guitar practice sessions .

All the acoustic guitar lessons here are self-paced and designed for you to learn on your own. All the lessons here are FREE.

When you finish TheGuitarSuite lessons, move on to the Jamplay lessons.

Parts of the guitar

Guitar headstock

Tuning MachinesTuning machines are the knobs that wind the strings. When you are looking for aguitar, make sure that these turn smoothly and evenly. If they don't, they probablyare not of very good quality. Grover tuners are a respected brand you can't gowrong with, but a bit pricey. All in all, if you buy a decent guitar, the tuners thatcome with it will be good.

Tuning Pegs:Guitar strings wrap around these.

Truss rod access:Unless you know a bit about adjusting the neck of your guitar, it's best to let a

professional do the adjusting. This can be tricky. Nut:

this is the piece on which the string pass over to attach to the tuning pegs.
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The neck of the guitar

The neck is usually made of a hardwood. It can be glued or bolted into the body. Or it canextend from the body as one piece.It also contains a "truss-rod" which can be accessedthrough the sound hole and adjusted if you find it's out of line.

Fretboard or Fingerboard:Consists of usually from 20 to 24 frets. The fretboard is made of hardwoodusually and it is a separate piece laid on the neck. It also usually contains pearl"inlays" that reference the 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 12th, 15th, 17th, etc. frets. We'll getinto "why" later.

Frets:The metal strips that lay across the fingerboard are your frets. These are whatdetermine your tones. When you press the string to the fingerboard down betweenthese frets and pluck or strum it, you get a tone. Where you press on thefingerboard determines your note.

Inlays:These are usually made of mother of pearl and mark (normally) the 3rd, 5th, 7th,9th and 12th frets.

The body of the acoustic guitar

Upper Bout:

The upper bout is the area above and including thesound hole. Your neck connects to the body of the guitar here. Generally, theupper bout has little effect on the tone or sound of the guitar. This guitar has acutaway for easier access to upper frets. Also, sometimes the upper bout on thetop holds electronics if you have a pickup or transducer installed on your acoustic.It's primary purpose is for resting the guitar on your leg.

Sound Hole:All of your sound comes out here. On acoustic / electric guitars, pickups may be

placed inside here to pick up the vibrations of the strings and electrify the guitar.


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o Erik Mongraino Dan Tyminskio Lucas Reynoldso Keller Williamso Keith Moseley

o Nickel Creek D'Addario

o Andy Timmonso Joe Satrianoo Larry Carltono Pete Yorno John Fruscianteo Earl Klugho Alex Skolnick

GHS Boomerso Carlos Santanao Dave Mustaineo FLEA (Red Hot Chillpeppers)o Eric Johnsono Foo Fighterso Neal Schon (Journey)o David Gilmour (Pink Floyd)

Martin Dean Markley

o Chris Daughtryo Dwight Yoakamo Al Pettewayo Bruce Springsteeno Russ Freemano Sugarlando Vince Gill

Ernie Ballo Slasho Eric Claptono Jimmy Pageo Angus Youngo John Mayer o Steve Morseo lots of other fantastic guitarists!

Everly DR

Check out how to string a guitar or hold a pick .

How to put strings on a guitar
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Wrap the string around the tuning peg about 3 times to the outside of the head of the guitar, wrapping it UNDER the itself . Then run the end of the string throughthe hole in the tuning peg.

Step 5:As the string exits the hole, weave the string back to the inside of the head of the

guitar. Weave it UNDER the string and pull it UP. (When you start turning thetuning machine, the string will lock itself into place)Step 6:

Wind the tuning machine until the string is in tune.Step 7:

Cut off any excess string

Stringing a classical or nylon string:

The bridge:

1. Slip string through the hole towards the back of the guitar.2. Once through, loop it back towards the neck of the guitar and loop it under itself where you slipped it in the bridge hole (loop it from underneath the bottomtowards the top)

3. Again loop it back towards the back of the guitar, this time feeding the stringunder itself.

4. Coil the string around itself 2x for bass (top 3) strings and 3x for the bottom 3strings.

5. Make sure that the last coilpoints toward the bottom of the guitar and IS BEHINDthe edge of the bridge. This locks the string in place.

Look at the photo below to see an illustration.

A. Insert string here.


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B. Comes out here and feeds back down towards C, or neck of guitar.

C. Loops under itself here and heads back towards the back of the guitar.

D. Wraps around itself 2x for bass strings and 3x for 3 high strings.

E. Slides under itself behind the bridge to lock itself in. (Pull tight)

Go to how to tune a guitar .

How to hold a pick

Relaxed hand Index finger across the back of pick Pad of thumb holding front of pick Wrist relaxed and not arched back The pick should be held at a slight angle downward ... this helps it slide across the

strings more easily.

Picking Techniques

String Muting

String muting is a common practice in heavy metal music. All you do is place the palm of your hand lightly on the string near the bridge of the guitar and strike the string. Oila, you

have performed a palm mute.

Alternate Picking

Alternate picking is a technique that allows you to pick faster. You should use an UP andDOWN motion when you pick. All of the movement should come from your wrist, notyour elbow.
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Rest Stroke

A rest stroke is when you strike DOWN on the string and the pick comes to rest on thenext string below it. This gives you a more powerful sound when you pick.

Fingerpicks ... or not?Some people use fingerpicks when they play fingerstyle. These are good if you have ahard time growing your fingernails or don't want to use fake nails. Classical guitaristdon't use them. They take very much care of their fingernails. Many "chickin' pickers"use fingerpicks and thumbpicks. A good brand of fingerpick is Alaskapik fingerpicks .

How to tune a guitar

There are three main ways to tune your guitar

1. An electronic tuner 2. Using harmonics to tune3. Using open strings to tune

The electronic tuner

The most accurate way to tune your guitar. If on eisn't available, you need to be able totune your guitar yourself.

As far as electronic tuners go, there are 2 basic kinds: electronic tuners for electric guitars

and tuners for acoustic guitars.

The tuners for electric guitars have an input jack that you simply plug your guitar into,strike a string and you read the display that tells you how close to being in tune your string is.

If you want a tuner for an acoustic guitar, you should look for one that has an internalmicrophone in it. This can sometimes be troublesome because the microphones are verysensitive and they can pick up other noises. But nonetheless, buying an electronic tuner iswell worth the investment. Nothing can turn an audience off or kill the mood of your masterpiece than a flat or sharp note.

Some tuners are small enough to keep in your gig bag or case. These are called onboardtuners and they just clamp right on to your guitar's headstock.

The Harmonics Tuning Method
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This is the second most accurate method of tuning your guitar because you can actuallyhear the difference in sound waves. Check out the samples below and then look to seehow you can learn this way of tuning.

Tuning a guitar with harmonics:

1. Place your index finger lightly above the metal just behind the 5th fret and pick it.2. Now place your ring finger above the metal just behind the 7th fret on the next

string down and pick it.3. If you hear what sound like sound waves, the string are out of tune. If you don't

and they sound like the same wave, the strings are in tune.

Listen below.

The Open String Tuning Method

This is the third most effective way to tune your guitar. It's probably the easiest to do butnot as accurate as the other 2 ways. Here's how you do it:

1. Press the fifth fret of the 6th string (low E) and pick it.2. Now pick the open A string. If they sound exactly the same they are in tune. If

you hear a difference, they are out of tune.3. Repeat with the other strings except the B to E. On the B string press the 4th fret.

Click which string you want to see and hear and then roll over the noteswith your mouse to hear the note.

Open Chords

What is an open chord?

An open chord is the typical old "cowboy chord." These are the chords that people learnfirst because they are the easiest guitar chords to form. The reason the open chord is easyis because you only have to press down on a few strings to form the chord, leaving therest of the strings open to ring out.

Learning to play open chords

As a beginner guitarist, you should learn the essential 5 open chords that make up theopen chord family. They are the...

1. open A chord2. open C chord3. open D chord4. open E chord


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5. open G chord

These are the first chords to learn because they are possibly the easiest to learn and theycan be used as a base for forming many other chords in different positions on the neck, asyou'll see in the Music Theory section. Let's take a look at how to form these chords.

How to form open chords

Click the arrow below to hear the open chords in action. Then scroll over the chordnames to switch between open chords.

For some reason, Internet Explorer doesn't like Flash Files in many instances. If it's not working for you, try using Firefox or Google Chrome. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Moving beyond open chords

Once you become good at playing these chords, move on to the barred chords . After thatgo on to the music theory section to learn what's going on behind the scenes and to learna lot more chords, open chords and otherwise.

If you want a series of lessons that really will show you the ins and outs of playingchords, the theory behind chords, using chords in songs and rhythms, then Learn andMaster Guitar is by far the best available Home Study Guitar Course for you. It's veryhigh quality and lots of guitarists have learned to play using it.

Barred Chords

What is a barred chord?

A barred chord is one of the first types of guitar chords you will learn. Because this is the beginner guitar lesson section, we will look at just major barred chords and minor barredchords.

Basically, a barred chord is a chord that requires you to put one or more of your fingersflat across more than one string (usually 4-6 strings) to form the chord.

Challenges of playing a barred chord

A lot of times it's a little hard to play a barred chord if you are a beginner guitarist. Ittakes some time to work up the strength to play them correctly without any buzz for thestrings. But if you go to the acoustic guitar techique section, you can find some good tipsunder the relaxing page to help you get better at playing barred chords.

Usefulness of barred chords
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Barred chords are great to know for mobility on the fretboard. Although there are manymoveable shapes for chords, barred chords are the first step in learning them. Below youcan see the five major barred chords shapes that are moveable. Incidently if you go back to open chords you'll see that they are the same as these barred chords. But here we'll gointo moving on beyond major chords into major barred chords and minor barred chords.

Also we'll show you how these barred chords can move up and down the fretboard.

These are the open chord shapes but they also work up and down the fretboard. You canmemorize these by the anacronym CAGED, which can learn more about in the musictheory section.


Seeing barred chords in action

Music Thoery Sitemap

Music Theory

music theory guitar chords major chords minor chords moveable chords caged theory diminished chords augmented chords 6th chords 7th chords 9th chords music intervals music intervals TAB interval worksheet (PDF) guitar scales pentatonic scales major scale major scale exercises minor scales minor scale exercises guitar mode positions guitar modes charts Reverence: a study
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mode chart worksheet (PDF) minor mode chart worksheet (PDF) Blank Tab (PDF) chord progressions cadences

chord journal (PDF) chord leading-resolving circle of 5ths chord substitution

Music Theory

"He who loves practice without theory is like the sailor who boards ship without a rudder and compass and never knows where he may cast."

~Leonardo da Vinci

How music theory can help you

Many people play guitar and take guitar lessons without ever really studying the musictheory behind what they're playing. That's okay. But if you really want to get the most outof your guitar playing and songwriting , knowing some music theory can give you a lot of musical insight and ideas.

Music theory topics

Guitar ChordsTo understand music theory it's important to be able to form chords on your guitar. In this section you'll learn guitar chords : major chords, minor chords,augmented chords, moveable chords, and diminished chords. Of course, withLearn and Master Guitar , you will learn all of this and more in a proven andeffective lesson format.

Guitar Solo
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Music theory doesn't stop at chord formation. Understanding the theory of music behind the guitar scales is important if you want to be able to solo really well. I'llshow you a lot of scale formations here. You'll also learn about intervals. But if you want a more structured and helpful way to learn to solo, Learn and Master Guitar is the best resource I have found to teach you how to apply music theory to

your guitar playing.Advanced Chord TheoryAfter you have gone through all of the other music theory lessons, check out thelessons on advanced chord theory. Here you'll learn the circle of 5ths , chordleading , and chord substitution .

Beginner Guitar | Guitar Practice | Guitar Technique | Music Theory | So

Caged Guitar Theory

Remembering Chords based on CAGED and modal positions

If we look at the modal positions we can see that we can figure out different chord positions as well. Basically this process is based on what is called the CAGED system.All it is really is a different way of looking at what you've already learned in guitar chords .

Basically with CAGED we can create chord forms up and down the fretboard from theformation of the chords C, A, G, E and D in that order. First let's look at the chordformations for each of these chords.

CAGED guitar theory in action

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Below click any of the RED TEXT to interact with the CAGED guitar lesson.

CAGED chord charts

A chords
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B CHORDS

C CHORDS

D CHORDS

E CHORDS


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F CHORDS

G CHORDS

Go on to Chord Leading

Major Chord

How to play and use the major chord

By far, the major chord is the most used type of chords in popular music. They carry anupbeat, hopeful, full sound. They lack any hint of mystery, sadness, fear, funkiness or

anything of the like.

If you haven't already, go to the Beginner Section and look at the open chord page there.It shows you some great pictures and audio on how to play major chords.

We are able to figure out the position of every major chord based on our intervals and our root note. The root note is what defines the chord. So, a C chord will have C as the root,B chord has B and so on. Very simple.
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The major chord family

The major chord family can consist of many chords. The main thing is that the chord hasa major 3rd in it. This is what makes it a major chord. But as you will see below, therecan be many, many chords that belong in the major category.

What these charts do is take the basic 5 positions for each of the chords and gives youone way of playing them in order to cover the entire fretboard. If you simply learn theseyou'll have an incredible array of chords and a very strong foundation to be able to nailany chord at any pace up the neck


The structure of the chord is also simple.

The major chord formula is:

1 - 3 - 5

So the root is 1, it tells you what chord letter to assign like A, B, C, D , E, F or G.

The 3 is a major third above that:

A = C#B = D#C = E

D = F#E = G#F = AG = B

And the 5 is a perfect fifth above 1:A = EB = F#C = GD = AE = B

F = CG = D

So together the Major Chords are as follows:Major Chord Tonic 3rd 5thA A C# EB B D# F#C C E GD D F# A


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E E G# BF F A CG G B D

A Major Chords

B Major Chords

C Major Chords

D Major Chords

E Major Chords

F Major Chords

G Major Chords


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So there you go, there are many positions for each of the major chords. Next we'll look atthe minor chords and their, structure, feel and positions.

The chart below shows the pattern for all of the tonics (1) - the 3rds and the 5ths on thefretboard.

TAN= the tonic or 1BLUE= the 3rdRED= the fifth

If you can find the tonic you can find the distance from the 3rd and 5th. So anycombination of these 3 notes on the fretboard creates a major chord for that tonic. Look atthe chart and try to figure out as many possible fingerings for a major chord as you can. If you look at the chord charts above, you see them in the chart below.

Check out minor chords or 7 chords . Learn and Master Guitar is an excellent guitar instrucational DVD series that can teach you how to use chords in a comprehensive homestudy course. Check it out .

Minor ChordsPlaying and using minor chords

Minor chords can be used for a variety of reasons. But for the most part, they express afeeling more intimate sounding than the major chords . I tend to gravitate towards the use
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of minor chords. Some of the feelings I try to get across though this type of chord aresadness, reflectiveness, mystery, longing, desire, and others.

The structure of the chord is also simple. If you haven't already, go to the Beginner Section and look at the open chord page there. It shows you some great pictures and

audio on how to play minor chords.

The minor chord formula:

1 - b3 - 5


The 3 is a minor third above that:

A = C

B = DC = EbD = FE = GF = AbG = Bb

And the 5 is a perfect fifth above 1:

A = EB = F#

C = GD = AE = BF = CG = D

So together the minor Chords are as follows:

A = A - C - EB = B - D - F#C = C - Eb - G

D = D - F - AE = E - G - BF = F - Ab - CG = G - Bb - D

Minor chord guitar charts
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The chart below shows the pattern for all of the tonics (1) - the minor 3rds and the 5thson the fretboard.

If you can find the tonic you can find the distance from the minor 3rd and 5th. So anycombination of these 3 notes on the fretboard creates a minor chord for that tonic. Look at the chart and try to figure out as many possible fingerings for a minor chord as youcan. If you look at the chord charts above, you see them in the chart below.

Check out major chords or 7 chords . Learn and Master Guitar is an excellent guitar instrucational DVD series that can teach you how to use chords in a comprehensive homestudy course. Check it out .
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4th string

minor CHORDS

6th string

5th string

4th string

MAJOR 7 CHORDS

6th string

5th string

4th string

minor 7 CHORDS

6th string

5th string

4th string

DOMINANT 7 CHORDS

6th string

5th string


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Diminished chords are unstable chords, they are very dissonant. They seem like they lack something, they need something. And usually that something ends up being the major chord a half step up from that diminished chord.

Diminished chords are usually written like "o" or "-" or "dim". And they are usually used

as passing chords. You don't stay on them too long. They lead to other chords

One reason for this is that the diminished tends to be a 7 chord , and we'll get into thetheory of chord progressions later. But for now just know that, for example, a c#diminished chord would naturally want to lead into a D major chord . Or an Edim wouldwant to go into an F major chord

Now there are really three different kinds of diminished chords that are commonly heard.

diminished triad diminished 7th (fully)

half diminished 7th

Diminished chord formulas:

diminished triad 1 - b3 (m3) - b or O5

(basically this is playing 3 minor 3rds in a row)

half diminished 7th 1 - b3 (m3) - b or O5 - b7

(also called min7b5)

diminished 7th 1 - b3 (m3) - b or O5 - bb7

(actually a M6 interval)

Diminished Triads The min7b5 chords (half diminished) fully diminished 7th chords

A = A - C - EbB = B - D - FC = C - Eb - GbD = D - F - Ab

E = E - G - BbF = F - Ab - BG = G - Bb - Db

A = A - C - Eb - GB = B - D - F - AC = C - Eb - Gb - BbD = D - F - Ab - CE = E - G - Bb - DF = F - Ab - B - EbG = G - Bb - Db - F

A = A - C - Eb - F#B = B - D - F - G#C = C - Eb - Gb - AD = D - F - Ab - BE = E - G - Bb - C#F = F - Ab - B - DG = G - Bb - Db - E

Diminished Chord Charts
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Check out augmented chords or 7 chords . Or if you really want to understand how youcan use all this information, check out Learn and Master Guitar .

Augmented chords

What is an augmented chord?

Augmented chords are unstable, or tense sounding chords. They are typically written as"+" or "aug". They are usually used as a passing chord between to other chords because
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of the tension in their sound. They also tend to be lead by that sharp 5th to the next half step up.

The augmented chord formula is: 1 - 3 - #5 (or +5)

(basically this is playing 3 Major 3rds in a row)

So augmented triads are as follows: (thanks for the tips Jim in Michigan)

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


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Check how to play diminished chords or 7 chords . If you want more complete lessons onhow to play guitar chords, we recommend tyring Learn and Master Guitar . By far the bestguitar instructioanl program out there.

6 chords

What is a 6 chord?

Sixth chords are peculiar sounding chords. It can be major or minor, augmented or diminished.

The 6th chord (major) can probably be best described as whimsical. It's the kind of chordyou'd think a harp would play. Try out some of the chord formations and see if they canfit into your repertoire.
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The chart below shows the pattern for all of the tonics (1) - the major 3rds, 5ths and 6thson the fretboard.

If you can find the tonic you can find the distance from the 3rd, 5th and 6th. So anycombination of these 4 notes on the fretboard creates a 6th chord for that tonic. Look atthe chart and try to figure out as many possible fingerings for a 6th chord as you can. If you look at the chord charts above, you see them in the chart below.

If you are looking for a guitar system to help you truly understand how to use chords inyour style of playing, check out Learn and Master Guitar . It is the best and mostcomprehensive guitar instructional available.
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7 chords

What is a 7 chord?

Seventh chords are very common chords. Much of jazz is based upon 7th progressions.The seventh note is one of the notes that really defines the sound of the chord. It's one of the strongest notes.

A seventh chord can be major, minor, augmented or diminished. Remember that the 3rdis the note that determines whether it is major or minor.

7 chord formation

The seventh automatically assumes the seventh note is a flatted seventh, or the note awhole step (2 frets) above the octave of your tonic. If it is not, if it's only one fret aboveyour tonic it's called a major 7th chord. A minor 7th chord is your flatted third plus theflatted 7th. It sound a bit confusing but we'll look at the charts.

Using the 7 chord

As far as use of 7th chords, the 7th is used a lot in jazz and in country music. It naturallysounds twangy, not as uplifting as the major chord (not the major 7th.) It's a fun lovingchord. And it's better for comping or rhythm than melodic use.

Now the major 7th is decidedly jazzy. It has a very soft, soft jazz feel. And it's pretty. Ittends to work better melodically than the 7th.

The minor 7th also is very jazzy sounding, but it's more complex sounding than the major 7th. As with all minors, it doesn't lend itself to uplifting melodies. It is contemplative butcan also be used to get your groove on.

The 7th chord formula is: 1 - 3 - 5 - b7

The major 7th chord formula is: 1 - 3 - 5 - 7

The minor 7th chord formula is: 1 - b3 - 5 - b7


The 3 is a third above that the 5 is a perfect fifth above 1 the 7 is a flatted 7th above 1A = C#B = D#C = ED = F#E = G#

A = EB = F#C = GD = AE = B

A = GB = AC = BbD = C


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F = AG = B

F = CG = D

E = DF = EbG = F

So together the 7th Chords are as

follows:The minor 7th Chords are as follows:

A = A - C# - E - GB = B - D# - F# - AC = C - E - G - BbD = D - F# - A - CE = E - G # - B - DF = F - A - C - EbG = G - B - D - F

A = A - C - E - GB = B - D - F# - AC = C - Eb - G - BbD = D - F - A - CE = E - G - B - DF = F - Ab - C - EbG = G - Bb - D - F

The Major 7th Chords are as follows:A = A - C# - E - G#B = B - D# - F# - A#C = C - E - G - BD = D - F# - A - C#E = E - G # - B - D#F = F - A - C - EG = G - B - D - F#

7th Chords (for minor 7th just flatten the 3rd ...move it down 1 fret)


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The charts above are a good quick reference.

But if you really want to know the fretboard and, the charts below are a much better wayto learn them.

Guitar Theory: 7 Chord Charts


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Check out 6 chords or 9 chords . Or if you want to really learn how to play guitar, check out Learn and Master Guitar .

9 chord

What is a 9 chord?

9 chords are exactly like the 7 chords but we add a 9th to it. A 9th is an octave higher than the tonic and then add a second (2 frets up)

The 9th chord formula is: 1 - 3 - 5 - b7 - 9

The major 7th minor 9th chord formula is: 1 - 3 - 5 - 7 - 9

The minor 7th minor 9th chord formula is: 1 - b3 - 5 - b7 - 9

So together the 9 Chords are as follows: The minor 9 Chords are as follows:
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A = A - C# - E - G - BB = B - D# - F# - A - C#C = C - E - G - Bb - DD = D - F# - A - C - EE = E - G # - B - D - F#

F = F - A - C - Eb - GG = G - B - D - F - A

A = A - C - E - G - BB = B - D - F# - A - C#C = C - Eb - G - Bb - DD = D - F - A - C - EE = E - G - B - D - F#

F = F - Ab - C - Eb - GG = G - Bb - D - F - AThe Major 9th Chords are as follows:

A = A - C# - E - G# - BB = B - D# - F# - A# - C#C = C - E - G - B - DD = D - F# - A - C# - EE = E - G # - B - D# - F#F = F - A - C - E - GG = G - B - D - F# - A

Guitar Chords : 9 Chords
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see that the black note (the minor 2nd) is right there. Count 2 frets up and the blue note(the major 2nd) is right there. From there you can see where these same notes are on allof the other strings.

Another example would be the 5th interval. This is a perfect interval because there are no

minor or major notes for it, it's all by itself because it's perfect. Look at its chart. In thisexample the root note is an A on the 6th string, count up 7 frets and you see the perfectinterval on the 12th fret. So the perfect 5th of an A is E ... A B C D E

Hope this helps a bit.

Interval Charts for Guitar


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Tips for learning guitar intervals:

Practice playing the notes on the fretboard and try to learn how the location of eachinterval relates to its root note.

Some key terms and concepts:

Consonance:This refers to when an interval is more harmonious. Or there doesn't seem to bemuch friction in their relationship aurally. They feel stable.

Consonant Intervals:

Octave (perfect consonance) can only be perfect, augmented or diminishedFifth (perfect consonance)

Fourth (perfect consonance) Major Third (imperfect consonance) Minor Third (imperfect consonance) Minor Sixth (imperfect consonance) Major Sixth (imperfect consonance)

Dissonance:This refers to when an interval in not very harmonious. There seems to be frictionor the notes sounding together sound unstable. Dissonant intervals feel like theyneed to go somewhere. When they go to a major tone or chord this is calledresolution.


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Dissonant Intervals:the Tritone

(major, minor, augmented or diminished) Minor Second Major Second Minor Seventh

major Seventh

If you look at any of the charts and study them, you'll see that the positioning of the noteson the fretboard reveal something. It reveals that certain intervals are closely related.

Second intervals and seventh intervals are closely related. If you take an A note and playits major 7th interval, you end up playing a G# (2 strings down and one fret up). Nowwhere is that note compared to the A note's octave? A half step up, so it becomes a minor 2nd. This is called interval inversion.

INVERTING INTERVALS

In general terms this is what happens when you invert intervals

Starts as Becomes

So, for example, a perfect fourth of an open G is C. That C anoctave lower is going to be a fifth lower.

Take a few minutes to experiment on the fretboard and figure outeach interval's position and then its inverse on the fretboard. You'lllearn the fretboard in no time.

Great, what does augmented and diminished mean?

Well, when you lower and raise notes, you're changing intervals.

Look at the chart below to get an idea what's going on.

Perfect PerfectMajor minor minor Major diminished augmentedaugmented diminishedunisons octaves

2nds 7ths3rds 6ths4ths 5ths5ths 4ths6ths 3rds7ths 2ndsoctaves unisons

- 1 fret (1/2 step) Interval + one fret (1/2 step)diminished perfect augmenteddiminished minor Major minor Major augmented--- diminished minor or perfectmajor or perfect augmented ---


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Okay so that seems like too many notes for the fretboard. Well it is. Some tones or intervals are named with several notes. These are called enharmonic intervals or notes.

Check out the exercises for playing intervals on yor guitar.

Or if you want more thorough guitar lessons, The Guitar Suite endorses a fantastic guitar instructional series called Learn and Master Guitar .

Intervals Tab

Use the tabs below to help you learn how each interval feels and sounds on the guitar fretboard.


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Check out our interval worksheet or go on to guitar scales . Check out Learn and Master Guitar

Guitar Scales

Just because you know umpteen billion scales, it doesn't mean you have to use them all ina solo.

~Kirk Hammett

Importance of guitar scales

The guitar scale is the basis from which all chords come. Without the scale, there is nostructure to music.

When you practice playing scales on the guitar, you begin to hear intervals, you begin togain strength and dexterity in your fingers, you start to hear musical relationships, youform a basic understanding about chord formulas. The benefits of learning scales isendless.

BUT, be careful that you don't simply practice going up and down the scales in your guitar lessons . You should examine and explore scales. Try to find the life in each one.And understand the theory behind each one.

Types of guitar s cales

There are several guitar scales. Some may be considered modes of certain scales. Butwe'll go ahead and lump them all together even though technically a scale mode isn't thesame thing as a scale.

major scale / aka ionian mode minor scale / aka aeolian mode major penta tonic scale minor penta tonic scale blues scale chrom atic scale guitar modes

odorian modeo phryg ian mode

o lydian modeo mixolydian modeo locrian mode

harmonic minor scale melodic minor scale whole tone scale
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A very good idea would be to try to memorize or learn the major pentatonic scale for each of the keys A through G. Below is a chart that shows every key's major pentatonicscale.

Tonic (major pentatonic scale) 2nd 3rd 5th 6thA B C# E F#B C# D# F# G#C D E G AD E F# A B

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

Minor Pentatonic Scale

The minor pentatonic pretty much is the major pentatonic scale except you shift the tonic,or 1st note to 3 frets below. So the chart's notes remain the same but the root or tonic isdifferent. Take a look.

I made a mistake on the B string... the blue fretted note on the 3rd fret should actually beon the 2nd fret. My bad yo. hehe

Above you can see that there seems to be fewer notes than the major and minor scales.It's true. The major pentatonic eliminates the 4th and the 6th of the major scale. This may

be the reason it is easier to remember. Also by eliminating the 7th it makes the scale moreuniversally usable. The 7th note, remember, sets the flavor of the chord. Without definingit the scale can fit over more chords. Every single major pentatonic scale for every singlekey signature follows the same pattern:

W + H ... W ... W ... W + H ... W or Whole step and a half - Whole step - Wholestep - Whole step and a half - Whole step


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A step is the distance between 2 notes: half step = 1 fret whole step = 2 frets

So here are the notes for all of the minor pentatonic scalesTonic (minor pentatonic scale) flat 3rd 4th 5th flat 7thA C D E GB D E F# AC Eb F G BbD F G A CE G A B DF Ab Bb C EbG Bb C D F

So obviously these two scales are related because each major pentatonic shares the samenotes with its pentatonic minor scale. Here are the scales as they relate.

Major Pentatonic Scale Relative Minor Pentatonic ScaleA F#mB G#mC Am

D BmE C#mF DmG Em

Of course all of these scales should be practiced across the fretboard. They also havemodal positions just like the major and the minor scales. And the process is the same. Iwould practice each modal position for each scale. Use the blank tab sheet on the website or above to TAB out your exercises if you'd like.

All of this talk about chords, modes and scales begs a question. "How do we tie them alltogether?" Well, you can do one of two things. You can take all of this information andexplore it, apply it, combine and create with it yourself, which I really hope you do. T

The other pages in theis section of the site will be dedicated entirely to figuring outchordal, modal and scalar relationships and how they relate to one another.

Right now let's wrap up with a little study that incorporates some of the stuff that wetalked about so far in a study Hope you like it.


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Major Scale

Major Scale Theory

All right let's start with a left brained approach to the major scale. We'll get the theory outof the way so w e can ge t into some phrasing exercises and some reflections on how touse this thing we call the major scale.

Above you can see every major scale note on the fretboard. And unless you've spent awhole lot of time studying the lesson on Intervals (see the songwriting section), you

probably haven't mastered every note and every phrasing on it yet.

Major Scale Pattern / Formula

Every single major scale for every single key follows the same pattern:W - W - H - W - W - W - H

or

Whole step - Whole step - Half step - Whole step - Whole step - Whole step -Half step

Stepthe distance between 2 notes:

half step = 1 fret whole step = 2 frets

Major scale on the guitar fretboard

On the guitar you can play a whole major scale up to the 12th fret and see the pattern onone string.
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Okay now that you can see the charts and where the notes fall on the fretboard, lets startin on some exercises . These exercises are to help remember the structure and the

placement of the notes and to practice with a metronome to build clarity and speed.They're not supposed to create interesting phrasing yet.

Major Scale GuitarMajor Scale Exercises

Major Scale Exercise 1

|---------------------------4-5-4--------------------------------------------||-----------------------5-7-------7-5----------------------------------------||-----------------4-6-7---------------7-6-4----------------------------------|

|-----------4-6-7---------------------------7-6-4-----------------------6-7-9||-----4-5-7---------------------------------------7-5-4---------4-5-7S9------||-5-7---------------------------------------------------7-5-5-7--------------|

|----------------------------------------------------------------------------||----------9-10-9------------------------------------------------------------||-6-7-9S11--------11-9S7-6-------------------------------1-2-

1---------------||--------------------------9-7-8---------------------2-4-------4-2-----------||-------------------------------9-7S5-4-------2-4-5----------------5-4-2-----||----------------------------------------7-5-5---------------------------5---|


|-----------------------------5--------------------------------||-------------------------7-9---9-7----------------------------||-------------------6-7-9-----------9-7-6----------------------|

|-------------6-7-9-----------------------9-7-6----------------||-------5-7-9-----------------------------------9-7-5----------||-5-7-9-----------------------------------------------9-7-5----|


|---------------------------------------------------------------------||-----------------------------------------------------------5---5-7-5-||-----------------------------------------4---4-6-4-6-7-6-7---7-------|
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|-----------------------4---4-6-4-6-7-6-7---7-------------------------||-----4---4-5-4-5-7-5-7---7-------------------------------------------||-5-7---7-------------------------------------------------------------|

|---4---4-5-4-5-7-5----||-7---7----------------||----------------------||----------------------||----------------------||----------------------|


|--------------------------------------------------------------||--------------------------------------------------------------||-----------------------------------------------4-----4-6------||-----------------------4-----4-6---4-6-7-4-6-7---6-7-----7----||-----4-5---4-5-7-4-5-7---5-7-----7----------------------------||-5-7-----7----------------------------------------------------|


|---------------------------------------------------------------------||---------------------------------------------------------------------||-------------------------------------------------4-------4-6-----4-6-||-------------------4-------4-6-----4-6-7---4-6-7---4-6-7-----6-7-----||-----4-5-7---4-5-7---4-5-7-----5-7-------7---------------------------||-5-7-------7---------------------------------------------------------|


|-----------------------------------------------4---5-4-7-5----||---------------------------------------5---7-5---7------------||---------------------------4---6-4-7-6---7--------------------||---------------4---6-4-7-6---7--------------------------------||---4---5-4-7-5---7--------------------------------------------||-5---7--------------------------------------------------------|

|-5-7-4-5---4--------------------------------------------------||---------7---5-7---5------------------------------------------||-----------------7---6-7-4-6---4------------------------------||-----------------------------7---6-7-4-6---4------------------||-----------------------------------------7---5-7-4-5---4------||-----------------------------------------------------7---5----|


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|---------------------------------------------------------4-7-5----||------------------------------------- ----------5-6---7-5-----5----||-----------------------------4-----6- --4-7---6-----7---------6----||-----------4-----6---4-7---6---4-7--- 6-----7-----------------7----|

|---4-7---5---4-7---5-----7----------- -----------------------------||-5-----7----------------------------- -----------------------------|

|-7-4---5-----4-------------------------------------------------------||-----5---7-----5---7-----5-------------------------------------------||-----------7-----6---7-4---6---7-4---6-----4-------------------------||-----------------------------7-----6---7-----6---7-4---6-----4-------||-----------------------------------------9-----7-----5---7-----5-----||-----------------------------------------------------------9-----7---|

|----------------||----------------||----------------||----------------||-7-4---5--------||-----5---7-4----|


|--------------------------------------------------------------||--------------------------------------------------------------||---------------------------------------------------4----------||---------------------------4-------6-4---4-7-6-4-6---7-6-7----||---4-------5-4---4-7-5-4-5---7-5-7-----7----------------------||-5---7-5-7-----7----------------------------------------------|

|--------------------------------------------------------------||--------------------------------------------------------------||--------------------------------------------------------------||-7-4-6-7-6---4-6-4-----4--------------------------------------||-----------7-------5-7---7-4-5-7-5---4-5-4-----4---------4----||-----------------------------------7-------5-7---7-4-5-7-5----|


|-------------------------------------------------------------------|

|-------------------------------------------------------------------||---------------------------------------------------------4---------||---------------------4---------4-6-------4-6-7-----4-6-7-----4-6---||-----4-5-7-----4-5-7-----4-5-7-----4-5-7-------5-7---------7-------||-5-7-------5-7---------7-------------------------------------------|

|----------------------------------------------------------------------||----------------------------------------------------------------------||---4-6----------------------------------------------------------------|
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|-7-----6-7-7-6-4-----7-6-4-------4---------------------------------7--||---------7-------7-5-------7-5-4---7-5-4-----7-5-4-------5-4-------7--||---------5-------------------------------7-5-------7-5-4-----7-5-4-5--|

Major Scale Technical Exercises and Tips

Create your own major scale exercises using the blank tab

When you create them, use a note in particular as a reference point and always go back toit, play different patterns or riffs then come back so that your notes have a home, so tospeak

Use these patterns to figure out where different chords lie in them, if you look hardenough you can create any chord from the major scale. There may be some deviations butevery chord can stem from the patterns you just learned. You just need to learn theminside and out.

Creative Exercises and Tips for playing the major scale

When you play your major scale patterns, sing along with them.

If you're using the major scale to solo, think of a melody and try to work it into the soloto keep it interesting. Don't simply play a bunc h of phrases (see the songwriting section)thrown together.

Think of movement when you solo, remember the intervals and their feel. Try to throwsome of them purposefully and strategically into the solos.

Some comments on the major scale and soloing

The major scale and its theory can get very complex. At this point they are simply tolearn the positioning and practice the positioning of the major scale. We'll discuss themwith guitar chords later on an intermediate and then on an advanced level.

You can know the major scale and create really nice licks and solos. You don't need toshred. Look at Zack Wylde, guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne, or Eric Clapton. They use the

pentatonic scale just about exclusively in their solos and they're awesome. They knowwhat feel they want in the playing and they know that scale well enough to express thatfeeling.

The major scale and every other scale is the same way. Learn it well and you'll be able todo wonders with it. You don't need to know every mode to every scale. First of all, itwould take a heck of a long time to do that. Secondly, being an accomplished guitarist
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has more to do with musicianship than technicality. Say something with your music and people will love it, regardless of how complex or simple it is.

The major scale is a great tool to have and use in your playing. Tak e a look at th e nextmodal positioning charts and learn them. You'll be able to play the major scale at will,

anywhere you want.

Keep the major scale intervals in mind

W - W - H - W - W - W - H

Check out the minor sc ale or t ake a look at Learn and Master Guitar , a phenomenal guitar instructioanl series that will have you soloing with the major scale in no time.

Minor Scale

3 types of minor scales :

the natural or relative minor the harmonic minor the melodic minor.

Natural Minor / Relative Minor Scale

the Natural minor scale

The aeolian mode , the 6th position of the major scale is the natural minor.

So basically you'd play the aeolian mode pattern to play the natural minor scale

And basically what the relative minor scale does to the major scale is flatten the3rd, the 6th and the 7th. Or you just move them up a fret towards the headstock.

Relative Minor Scale Chart:

Tonic (rel. minor scale) 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7thA B C D E F G

B C# D E F# G AC D Eb F G Ab BbD E F G A Bb CE F# G A B C DF G Ab Bb C Db EbG A Bb C D E F

Let's look at the A relative minor scale on the fret board to get a visual of the pattern.
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Natural/Relative Minor Formula:

W - H - W - W - H - W - W

or

Whole step - Half step - Whole step - Whole step - Half step - Whole step - Whole step

StepThe distance between 2 notes:

half step = 1 fret whole step = 2 frets

On the guitar you can play a whole major scale up to the 12th fret and see the pattern onone string.

As you notice, A is the only relative minor scale that has no sharps or flats:

A B C D E F G

That's because it shares the same notes as the C major chord/scale.

Harmonic minor scale

Harmonic minor scale

This scale is exactly like the previous one except we leave the 7th alone. Itshouldn't be flatted from the major scale.

So play the relative, natural minor first then play it again but this time sharpen the7th. This is the harmonic minor scale.

That leaves a step and a half between the 6th and the 7th notes of the scale. Thisscale has a bit of a classical feel to it. Depending on how you use it, it may soundmiddle eastern as well.
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Harmonic minor scale charts:

Tonic (harm. minor scale) 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7thA B C D E F G#B C# D E F# G A#

C D Eb F G Ab BD E F G A Bb C#E F# G A B C D#F G Ab Bb C Db EG A Bb C D E F#

Harmonic minor scale pattern:

W - H - W - W - H - W1/2 (3 frets) - H

or

Whole step - Half step - Whole step - Whole step - Half step - Whole step and a half -

Half step

The Melodic Minor Scale

Melodic minor scale

The last minor scale to learn is the melodic minor scale. It's based upon thenatural minor. Except you raise sharpen the sixth and seventh on the way up(ascending) and play the regular natural minor notes on the way back down to thetonic (descending). It looks a lot like the chart above but you can see thedifference between the 6th and the 7th. Take a close look and compare.

So the fretboard for A melodic minor going up would look like below. On theway back to the tonic refer to the natural minor chart.

Melodic minor scale charts:


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For all of these scales there are modes also, just like in the major scale. And it works justlike the major scale , where the ionian starts with note 1 of the scale, dorian starts withnote 2, phrygian starts with note 3 and so on. It's a lot of theory but try it and see if youcan chart them out! Of course, try out the minor scale exercises too.

If they aren't enough, Learn and Master Guitar will certainly be enough to help youthoroughly understand guitar scales and how to apply them.

Minor Scale Exercises

If you're not sure what the relative minor scale is... check out the relative minor scale page.

Minor Scale in the key of A

|-----------------------------5--------------------------------||-----------------------5-6-8---8-6-5--------------------------||-----------------4-5-7---------------7-5-4--------------------|

|-------------5-7---------------------------7-5----------------||-------5-7-8-----------------------------------8-7-5----------||-5-7-8------------------ ------ -----------------------8-7-5----|

Minor Scale Triplets

|---------------------------------------------------5---7-5----||---------------- -------------------- ---5---6-5-8-6---8--------||---------------------------4---5-4-7-5---7--------------------||-------------------5---7-5---7--------------------------------||-------5---7-5-8-7---8----------------------------------------||-5-8-7---8----------------------------------------------------|

|-7---5--------------------------------------------- ------------||---8---6-8-5-6---5---------------------------------------------||---------------7---5-7-4-5---4---------------------------------||---------------------------7---5-7---5-------------------------||-----------------------------------8---7-8-5-7---5-------------||-----------------------------------------------8---7-8-5-7-3-5-|
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If you want some tips for practicing scales , check out the major scale exercises .

If you really want to learn scales inside and out and how to relate them to chords andimplement them into your playing, The Guitar Suite endorses and recommends Learn andMaster Guitar . It's a great instructional series.

Guitar Modes

What is a guitar mode or a scale mode?

Essentially a scale mode is a scale played with a different interval structure.

With modal positions and scales, all you do is move up the fretboard. For example if youare playing in the key of A major and you are playing the A major scale, if you keepreturning to the A note, you are in the Ionian mode (or A Ionian/major mode). If you'restill in the key of A major but you solo over a B, you're going to use that B note as your reference point to return to. So you still play the A major scale but you start and return tothe B note. So you just start the scale on the second note of it, in this case B. If you studythe charts below, you'll see that all these modes put together actually are nothing but themajor scale covering the span of 12 frets. You use the same pattern for any key,anywhere on the fretboard. So no m atter w hat key you ar e playing in, as long a s youknow the key and the progression, you can figure out what note to start on or reference inyour soloing based on the chord being played in the progression. It sounds complicated

but once you figure out the patterns you'll find it's not that bad.

Ionian Mode: this is the first position of the major scale. The root of the key is the same as the starting

position of the scale.

Dorian Mode: this is the second position of themajorscale. The root of the key becomes a minor 7th to the starting note of the scale.

Phrygian Mode: this is the third position of themajor scale. The root of the key becomes a minor 6th to the starting note of the scale.
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Lydian Mode: this is the fourth position of themajor scale. The root of the key becomes a perfect5th to the starting note of the scale.

Mixolydian mode: this is the fifth position of themajor scale. The root of the key becomes a perfect4th to the starting note of the scale.

Aeolian mode: this is the sixth position of themajor scale. The root of the key becomes a minor 3rd to the starting note of the scale. This also therelative minor scale of the key you are playing in. So if you are

playing in the key of A major, this would be the Arelative minor scale. Or the E aeolian mode, they're

both the same thing.

Locrian mode: this is the seventh position of themajor scale. The root of the key becomes a minor 2nd to the starting note of the scale.

Above you can see that all the modes put together = the major scale. Remember a coupleof things:

a mode is not a scale, so a D major scale played in dorian position is actually E dorian

the interval pattern is the same for all keys, I just showed A


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the patterns I've shown you can be played in different ways. That is to say, just like themajor scale (ionian) having several positions, so too do the modes. The important thing isto reference or start the scale on that particular note for the scale.

Ionian - 1st, Dorian - 2nd, Phrygian - 3rd, Lydian - 4th, Mixolydian - 5th, Aeolian - 6th,

Locrian - 7th

Guitar Mode Charts

C major scale

Mode Notes

Ionian mode: C D E F G A BDorian mode: D E F G A B CPhrygian mode: E F G A B C DLydian mode: F G A B C D EMixolydian mode: G A B C D E FAeolian (minor) mode: A B C D E F GLocrian mode: B C D E F G A

What this means above is that if you are in the key of C and you play a chord derivativeof the C major scale, then based on the feel you want, you would choose the appropriatemode for the chord being played. We'll talk about all of this and go through someexamples in later lessons. For now let's chart out all of the notes in every key just to

prime us for that step. We already did C, the only key with no sharps or flats.

Tonic is A or A major scaleMode NotesIonian Mode A B C# D E F# G#Dorian B C# D E F# G# APhrygian C# D E F# G# A BLydian D E F# G# A B C#Mixolydian E F# G# A B C# DAeolian (minor) F# G# A B C# D ELocrian G# A B C# D E F#

Tonic is B or B major scaleMode NotesIonian Mode B C# D# E F# G# A#Dorian C# D# E F# G# A# BPhrygian D# E F# G# A# B C#Lydian E F# G# A# B C# D#Mixolydian F# G# A# B C# D# EAeolian (minor) G# A# B C# D# E F#


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Locrian A# B C# D# E F# G#Tonic is D or D major scale

Mode NotesIonian Mode D E F# G A B C#Dorian E F# G A B C# DPhrygian F# G A B C# D ELydian G A B C# D E F#Mixolydian A B C# D E F# GAeolian (minor) B C# D E F# G ALocrian C# D E F# G A B

Tonic is E or E major scaleMode NotesIonian Mode E F# G# A B C# D#Dorian F# G# A B C# D# EPhrygian G# A B C# D# E F#Lydian A B C# D# E F# G#Mixolydian B C# D# E F# G# AAeolian (minor) C# D# E F# G# A BLocrian D# E F# G# A B C#

Tonic is F or F major scaleMode NotesIonian Mode F G A Bb C D EDorian G A Bb C D E FPhrygian A Bb C D E F GLydian Bb C D E F G AMixolydian C D E F G A BbAeolian (minor) D E F G A Bb CLocrian E F G A Bb C D

Tonic is G or G major scaleMode NotesIonian Mode G A B C D E F#Dorian A B C D E F# GPhrygian B C D E F# G ALydian C D E F# G A BMixolydian D E F# G A B CAeolian (minor) E F# G A B C DLocrian F# G A B C D E

Now to put those on the fretboard. Once you memorize these fingerings you will ha

Reverence: Guitar Study


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Chord Progressions

THE MAJOR SCALE AND PROGRESSION THEORY

GET THE GUITAR PROGRESSION CHORD CHARTS (sorry they're too big for HTML so I put them in PDF) 420k but it's worth the download!!!!

There are so many chords and chord progressions, the combinations of them are virtuallyunending. So we'll start with the old standby, the MAJOR SCALE and how it affectschord progressions.

1. There are 7 notes in the major scale, each made up of different intervals.2. You can build chords on each of these notes.3. Some of them are minor chords, some of them are major chords, some of them are

diminished chords.

REMEMBER THAT CHORDS CAN BE SUBSTITUTED BY OTHER CHORDS INTHEIR FAMILY so the I, IV and V may be substituted for other major family chords

the Major Chord Progression Pattern:

Major I ... minor ii ... minor iii ... Major IV ... Major V ... minor vi ... diminished vii

Chord / Key A B C D E F G

I A B C D E F G

ii b minor c# minor d minor e minor f# minor g minor a minor

iii c# minor d# minor e minor f# minor g# minor a minor b minor

IV D E F G A B C

V E F# G A B C D

vi f# minor g# minor a minor b minor c# minor d minor e minor

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

Major chord progression charts

THE FILE BELOW IS A FLASH FILE. For some reason, Internet Explorer doesn't like Flash Files in many instances. If it's not working for you, try using Firefox or GoogleChrome. Sorry for the inconvenience.
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Cadence

Okay, now that you know a little bit more about chords and scales and how they fittogether, lets look at some progressions. Now as you can see from the major chord

progressions and the minor chord progressions pages we looked at before, the possibilities are limitless essentially.

We can combine any chord with any others in any order from a scale, and then we caneven change keys within a song. So the combinations below can be used with any chordscale in any key.

Look at the combination and try it in any of the chord scales or your own. Let's take alook.

This may seem like a whole lot to do. But start with the major scale chords. Print it out.Then play the following chord combinations in one key to get the feel, keeping note of your ideas along the way.

3 CHORD PROGRESSIONS FROM THE 1

1-2: ... 1-2-1 ... 1-2-3 ... 1-3-2 ... 1-2-4 ... 1-4-2 ... 1-2-5 ... 1-5-2 ... 1-2-6 ... 1-6-2 ... 1-2-7... 1-7-21-3: ... 1-3-1 ... 1-3-4 ... 1-4-3 ... 1-3-5 ... 1-5-3 ... 1-3-6 ... 1-6-3 ... 1-3-7 ... 1-7-31-4: ... 1-4-1 ... 1-4-5 ... 1-5-4 ... 1-4-6 ... 1-6-4 ... 1-4-7 ... 1-7-41-5: ... 1-5-1 ... 1-5-6 ... 1-6-5 ... 1-5-7 ... 1-7-51-6: ... 1-6-1 ... 1-6-7 ... 1-7-61-7: ... 1-7-1


2-1: ... 2-1-2 ... 2-1-3 ... 2-3-1 ... 2-1-4 ... 2-4-1 ... 2-1-5 ... 2-5-1 ... 2-1-6 ... 2-6-1 ... 2-1-7... 2-7-12-3: ... 2-3-2 ... 2-3-4 ... 2-4-3 ... 2-3-5 ... 2-5-3 ... 2-3-6 ... 2-6-3 ... 2-3-7 ... 2-7-32-4: ... 2-4-1 ... 2-4-5 ... 2-5-4 ... 2-4-6 ... 2-6-4 ... 2-4-7 ... 2-7-42-5: ... 2-5-1 ... 2-5-6 ... 2-6-5 ... 2-6-7 ... 2-7-62-6: ... 2-6-1 ... 2-6-7 ... 2-7-62-7: ... 2-7-1


3-1: ... 3-1-2 ... 3-2-1 ... 3-1-3 ... 3-1-4 ... 3-4-1 ... 3-1-5 ... 3-5-1 ... 3-1-6 ... 3-6-1 ... 3-1-7... 3-7-13-2: ... 3-2-3 ... 3-2-4 ... 3-4-2 ... 3-2-5 ... 3-5-2 ... 3-2-6 ... 3-6-2 ... 3-2-7 ... 3-7-23-4: ... 3-4-3 ... 3-4-5 ... 3-5-4 ... 3-4-6 ... 3-6-4 ... 3-4-7 ... 3-7-43-5: ... 3-5-3 ... 3-5-6 ... 3-6-5 ... 3-5-7 ... 3-7-5
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explore your more creative and reflective side and experiment with these combinationsand recognize their relationships to one another.

All you are doing with these chord progression exercises is learning chordal intervals.This is the important thing. If you recognize and learn the relationship between notes and

chords, you can compose whatever you want. And you can play whatever you hear..if you have the technical ability.

Now once you go through all of the chords above, feel free to add chords here and there.Then play them fingerstyle. You can add an incredible amount of texture and depth, andmovement form there.

This was a short lesson, but if you set yourself to play through and use these exercises,you could use this page for weeks worth of practice.

Check out Learn and Master Guitar for a great instructional that teaches you all about

chord progressions.

Chord Leading

What is chord leading?

It is the tendency for one chord to lead to the next chord. It is the feeling that it needs tomove somewhere else.

How does chord leading?

Leading and resolution are directly tied to one another. As you know, the leading tone isthe 7th tone of the scale, or the 7th chord of the progression. Well, honestly all notes havea tendency to go somewhere. Some have stronger tendencies than others. The strongesttendency to resolve is from the 7th tone. The reason this is because the 7th is one half step up from the tonic or root.

Which chords lead to which?

Well, that is the whole reason for this section. To find out what leads to what and to alesser degree, why. It has to do with resolution, though. As we'll see.

Chord resolution

Resolution is the need to end up somewhere (on a particular note.) Chords resolve to othechords more stable in the key. Sometimes you use a chord that isn't even in the key andthey have to be resolved to a chord in key. You can have subtle and smooth resolution or strong resolution. Subtle resolution is generally done in half steps. This is why the 7th
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chord is called the leading tone, because it leads or resolves so naturally to the tonic. The5th to the 1st would be considered a strong resolution.

What do all those names mean? (TONIC, SUPERTONIC, MEDIANT,etc...)?

Each one of these terms describes a relationship between it and the tonic or root of thechord / key. In our discussion of the chord flow chart, I'll explain what each one meansand does in detail.

Do I need to know what they mean?

No, not really. You can learn by ear what strength each of these chords does in relation tothe tonic. That's the main reason I had you go through all of those chord cadences above,to gain that feel. Gaining this feel is one of the hardest things to do. But once you dodoors will open for you musically.

Chord Leading Chart

The following chart DOES NOT explain what chords HAVE to do. This is simply a chart explaining how strong of a relationship the chords in a key

have with regards to leading and cadences. Any of these chords CAN RESOLVE DIRECTLY TO THE TONIC. But the

further away the chord lies from the tonic, the stronger it is on its own it is or lessit needs to be resolved to the tonic.

The chord next to it is the most natural move to get it to the tonic.

Basically this chart shows the PATH OF LEAST RESISTANCE.

TONIC CATEGORY: (RESTFUL CATEGORY)


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o D keeps F#,adds C# ...3. Each of these new sharps just happens to be a perfect 5th from the first sharp,

F# ... f# g a b c d e

To remember the order of these, remember this quote or make up your own,

Cool Guitarists Do Absolutel

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