Nuts

LEFT-HANDED
GUITAR THEORY
NUTS & BOLTS
Music Theory Explained in Practical, Everyday Context for All Genres
Andy Schneider
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SEEING MUSIC
METHOD BOOKS
© 2020 ANDY SCHNEIDER
WWW.SEEINGMUSICBOOKS.COM
CONTENTS
THEY HOLD EVERYTHING TOGETHER 7
FRETBOARD DIAGRAMS 9
HOW TO READ FRETBOARD DIAGRAMS 9
A NOTE ABOUT FRETBOARD DIAGRAMS 11
KNOW YOUR FRETBOARD (PART I) 13

THE FIRST 3 FRETS 13
MEMORIZING THESE EASILY 14
KNOW YOUR FRETBOARD (PART II) 15

THE FIFTH FRET 15
THE EVIL B STRING 16
LINKING SCALES, TRIADS AND CHORDS 19

IT ALL STARTS WITH A SCALE 19
HOW MAJOR SCALES ARE BUILT 20
MAJOR TRIADS 22
MAJOR CHORDS 22
G MAJOR SCALE, TRIAD AND CHORD 23
MINOR SCALES, TRIADS AND CHORDS 27

MINOR WORKS LIKE MAJOR 27
HOW MINOR SCALES ARE BUILT 27
THE A MINOR SCALE 28
ANOTHER A MINOR UP THE NECK 29
MINOR TRIADS 29
MINOR CHORDS 30
E MINOR SCALE, TRIAD AND CHORD 31
INTERVALS 35
INTERVALS OF THE MAJOR SCALE 35
INTERVALS OF THE MINOR SCALE 36
INTERVALS OF TRIADS 38
INTERVAL ADDITION 38
VISUALIZING ACROSS THE FRETBOARD 40
EVEN MORE SCALES AND CHORDS 43

PUTTING SCALES TO WORK 43
BARRE CHORDS 46
SEEING THE WHOLE FRETBOARD 51

USE A ZONE APPROACH 51
EVERYTHING REPEATS AT FRET 12 52
HOW MAJOR AND MINOR ARE RELATED 55

MAJOR AND MINOR TRIADS 55
MAJOR AND MINOR CHORDS 56
RELATIVE MINOR 56
7TH CHORDS 59
EXTENDING TRIADS FOR FLAVOR 59
MAJOR 7TH CHORDS 59
DOMINANT 7TH CHORDS 61
MINOR 7TH CHORDS 62
DIMINISHED 7TH CHORDS 63
TRANSPOSING CHORD PROGRESSIONS 65
HOW TO TRANSPOSE TO NEW KEYS 65
9TH CHORDS 71
KEEP IT GOING! 71
MAJOR 9THS 72
MINOR 9THS 73
DOMINANT 9THS 74
LEAVE THAT NOTE OUT? YES, YOU CAN! 77

GUIDELINES FOR BUILDING CHORDS 77
WHAT TO LEAVE OUT, BY SCALE DEGREES 77
CHORD PROGRESSIONS 81
12 NOTES, MILLIONS OF COMBINATIONS 81
THE KEY IS THE KEY 81
TERMINOLOGY OF CHORD NOTATION 82
COMMON PROGRESSIONS 82
BASIC IMPROVISING 87
IMPROVISING IS MAKING MELODIES 87
SOLOING OVER ONE CHORD 87
SOLOING OVER CHORD CHANGES 89
CHOOSING A SCALE 90
12 BAR BLUES 92
CREATING YOUR OWN CHORDS 97

TO BOLDLY GO WHERE NO MUSICIAN HAS
GONE BEFORE 97
MODERN AMBIGUITY 97
SUSPENDED CHORDS 100
CREATING YOUR OWN MUSIC 103

USE COMMON ROOT MOVEMENT 103
USE SECONDARY DOMINANTS 104
MODAL THEORY 107

WHAT ARE MODES? 107
HOW ARE MODES USED? 109
PLAYING WITH OTHER MUSICIANS 113

FIT THE PIECES LIKE PUZZLE 113
ARRANGEMENT 113
WORKING WITH A BASS PLAYER 116
WORKING WITH A DRUMMER 116
THE WISDOM OF SIMPLICITY 117
YOU PUT IT ALL TOGETHER 119

CHORD AND SCALE REFERENCE 121
SEEING MUSIC
METHOD BOOKS
LEFT-HANDED
GUITAR THEORY
NUTS & BOLTS
THEY HOLD EVERYTHING TOGETHER
THE NUTS AND BOLTS

All too often, guitarists are taught to play something without being
taught why they’re playing it. The process of “just put your fingers here,
here and here” doesn’t teach the fundamentals that build music. That’s
unfortunate because it’s a learning dead-end. It often takes awhile
before those guitarists try to create something new, only to find they’ve
been left without the tools to make their own music.
Music is a like any language. To speak it so others understand and enjoy what you’re
saying, you need to know how the language is constructed. Just as you do with your
native language, you want to be able to take any concept and re-work it to be your own.
Making music is a bit like storytelling.
It all begins with theory knowledge, but just the word ‘theory’ seems too fancy. And
studies of music theory can get pretty deep into the weeds, too far away from everyday
music creation for most folks.
Look at it this way: if music was a ship or a building, it would be the theory that holds it all
together. So, replace ‘theory’ with ‘nuts and bolts’ and you’ll begin to see what this book
is about.
So, this book won’t get fancy. Yes, there is lots of esoteric and exotic theory knowledge
that gets used in rather esoteric and exotic music. And that music is great and well worth
learning, but this book will keep the discussion to the practical, everyday stuff working
musicians use regularly.
In my years teaching guitar and talking with other

professional string players, I’ve noticed that we all
have developed an ability to “see” the music we play
on the fretboard of the instrument. We see the music
we play as a simple relationship of shapes and relative
positions. Look at these two shapes:
Just as you recognize the shapes above, stringed instrumentalists see music on the
fretboard of their instrument. This is an inherently special gift we who play stringed
instruments have been given. No other kind of instrument makes it so easy for the
musician to have a visual roadmap of the music, making things like improvisation or
transposing a song to another key so easy. Our fingers follow these maps to get to the
music. This book will show you how to see music as simple shapes and use these shapes
to more quickly and proficiently play and create music.
We’ll be covering how music is constructed and ‘looks’ on the neck of the guitar.
While we won’t get too far into any particular musical style or specific techniques, the
information here is common to all Western music: Rock, Folk, Country, Pop, Classical,
Jazz. While the first steps of guitar playing are the same for everyone, the next few steps
of learning chords can be taught many different ways. I’m going to walk you through
what I believe is the fastest and most powerful way. Learning guitar chords with a visual
method makes it so much easier and minimizes memorization. You will develop life-long
skills that you will use every day you pick up a guitar.
Turn the page, you’re about to “see” music!
-Andy Schneider
FRETBOARD DIAGRAMS
HOW TO READ FRETBOARD DIAGRAMS

You’re ready to start learning some notes. The diagrams in this book are kind of like
pictures of what you’ll see when you look at your guitar.
Strings
0
Frets
FIG.1 - FRET NOTATION FIG.2 - FRETBOARD
Hold your guitar upright in front of you and look at fretboard. The strings run up and
down, the frets run horizontally. That is the view used in fretboard diagrams.
0
Let’s try playing our first note. As indicated in
Figure 3, play open E, the 6th string. An open
circle indicates an open string, one that is played
without fretting with the right hand.
With your picking hand, feel free to use a pick

or just your thumb. For now, do whatever is
comfortable.
FIG.3 - OPEN 6TH STRING

Fretboard Diagrams 9
0 Did that go well? Try another, this time open A, the 5th
string.
FIG.4 - OPEN 5TH STRING
Figure 5 tells you to play the note found at the black dot on the 5th String at the 3rd fret.
It’s the 3rd fret because it’s three frets higher up the neck than the “0” in the upper right
corner of the diagram. The zero indicates that the diagram begins at the nut or “zeroth”
fret.
The “2” next to the black dot indicates you’ll use your second finger of your fretting hand
as in Figure 6.
FIG.5 - FRET NOTATION FIG.6 - RIGHT-HAND FINGERING
On these diagrams, a filled in circle indicates that you’ll put your finger at that fret.
Actually, you’ll put your finger just behind the fret, not right on top of the fret. The fret,
not your finger, is what stops the vibration of the string and changes its length.
Keeping your finger pressed with medium pressure, just behind the fret will produce the
clearest and best sound.
10 Left-Handed Guitar Theory Nuts and Bolts: A SEEING MUSIC METHOD BOOK
Don’t confuse a fretboard diagram with a
musical staff. Music staves indicate pitch and
rhythm. Fretboard diagrams like Figure 5 are like 4
a roadmap, showing you where to place your
fingers.
4
FIG.7 - MUSICAL STAFF
A NOTE ABOUT FRETBOARD DIAGRAMS

Most other books place the dot in-between the fret lines. While they’re trying to be
helpful, this just confuses the learning process. When you see a dot in this book, you’ll
know that it is showing you the note to be played and that you’ll place your finger just
behind that fret to hear it.
SOUNDCHECK
Fretboard diagrams indicate where to find a note and what finger to use to
play it.
The number in the upper right corner of a fretboard diagram indicates on which
fret the diagram begins.
Fretboard diagrams should not be confused with musical staves.
Fretboard Diagrams 11
It’s like
having a
guitar teacher
right there in
your room!
Hear this book!

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KNOW YOUR FRETBOARD (PART I)
THE NUTS AND BOLTS

One of the most important steps to playing guitar is learning the names
of the notes on the fretboard. If you know every note, everything else
will be much easier to learn and play. And while the fretboard seems
like a huge mess to be memorized, there are some super-easy shortcuts
that will make learning much more fun.
THE FIRST 3 FRETS

Let’s consider just the natural notes, those without sharps or flats. Start by playing all of
the notes here, one at a time, starting at the bottom.
E B G D A 0 Begin with the open 6th string, noted in the upper right
E
1 1 1 corner of the diagram. Say the note’s name, E as you
F C F play the note.
2 2 2
A E B
3 3 3 3 3
Next, put your 1st finger at first fret of that string, F and
G D F C G say it’s name. Then use your 3rd finger to play the third
fret, again saying its name, G.
Next, move to the open A string. Keep going, playing B

and C, then moving to the 3rd string. Keep ascending
that way, moving up the fretboard and across the strings
FIG.8 - FIRST 3 FRET
NOTE NAMES
until you get all the way to the high G in the lower left of
the figure.
The pitch you hear should get progressively higher with each note.
Note: These notes don’t always have to be played with the fingering given here. This is
just a good way to begin playing through all the notes.
Know Your Fretboard - Part One 13

MEMORIZING THESE EASILY
Memorizing things can be frustrating. Here’s an easy Similar Fingerings
way to remember the locations of the notes in Figure 8.
E B G D A E
There really are only three fingerings to remember
here. Notice how several of the strings share similar 0
1 1 1
fingerings.
2 2 2
First, notice how the 6th, 2nd and 1st strings, E, B and
E, all use the same pattern: open-string, 1st fret and 3 3 3 3 3
3rd fret. Memorize this one pattern (open, 1st, 3rd), and
you’ve memorized 3 strings!
Second, notice how the 4th and 5th strings use a slightly
different pattern of open-string, 2nd fret and 3rd fret?
FIG.9 - FIRST 3 FRET FINGERINGS
The 3rd string, G, is easy to remember because there’s
only one fretted note to remember, 2nd fret.
SEEING MUSIC
Do you see how the notes of the B string and both E strings
can be played with similar fingerings?
Do you see how the notes of the A and D strings are also
similarly fingered?
ASSIGNMENT
Today’s Assignment
Play all the natural notes from the exercise above in ascending order, saying
the note names as you go.
Once you get those memorized, challenge yourself by playing them in

descending order.
KNOW YOUR FRETBOARD (PART II)
THE NUTS AND BOLTS

You’ve already learned the names of the natural notes up to the 3rd
fret. Let’s take a look at a very special fret, the 5th fret.
THE FIFTH FRET

0
Remember the first three natural notes on the 6th
string? They are E, F and G. Want to guess what the
next one is?
It’s A and it’s found at the 5th fret.
FIG.10 - 6TH STRING 5TH FRET A
What’s the name of your 5th string? It’s A as well, 0

right? Well, these are the same note, played two
different ways.
Play both these notes to confirm they are the same

pitch.
Sometimes in guitar playing, it’s really convenient to

have a couple of options for a given note. Many notes
exist in several places around the neck.
Have a look at some more you already know. FIG.11 - SAME NOTE ON TWO STRINGS
Know Your Fretboard - Part Two 15

0 Three of these equivalent notes are in the C Major scale.
Start playing the C Major scale. The first note is C. The
second note is D. Stop! You’re playing the note D on the
A E 5th string at the 5th fret. What’s the name of the open
F C 4th string? It’s D! Confirm they’re the same note by playing
both the 5th string, 5th fret D and the open 4th string D.
B
C G D
Pretty neat, right? Figure 13 shows these open-string
equivalent notes.
FIG.12 - C MAJOR SCALE
Keep going, you know more than that! Again, let’s 0

start playing the C Major scale. C, D, E, F, G..Stop.
You should be on the 4th string at the 5th fret. You’ve
probably already guessed: This G is the same as the
open 3rd string G.
One more: Starting at the bottom, C, D, E, F, G, A,

B..Stop! Now you’re on the 3rd string at the 4th fret.
This is the same B as the open 2nd string B. But wait,
all the other note equivalents were at the 5th fret.
What’s up, here? FIG.13 - OPEN STRING
EQUIVALENTS
THE EVIL B STRING

OK, it’s not really evil. But, its unusual tuning does complicate guitar players lives quite a
bit. It also is what makes guitar harmonies beautiful. Have a look.
The pitch distance between the 3rd and 2nd strings, G and B, is unique. All the other
strings are spaced the same interval apart. This makes learning the guitar slightly tricky,
especially when it comes to making this jump across the G and B strings. It’s also what
gives the guitar its magic – the ability to make so many beautiful chords. And while it
takes time to appreciate, know that the guitar is tuned as it is for a reason. A really great
reason—it makes so many beautiful chords possible. Colorful chords are actually much
easier to reach because of this bit of tuning irregularity.
There’s only one more equivalent here. Play the 2nd string at the 5th fret. This note is E
and it’s the same E as the open 1st string. Check it out.
0
Here is a diagram of the equivalent pitches of the open
strings.
FIG.14 - OPEN STRING EQUIVALENTS
SOUNDCHECK
The natural notes of the first three frets can easily be remembered by grouping
them with other strings that use a similar fingering (see chapter “Know Your
Fretboard [Part I]”).
Many notes on the guitar can be found in several places on the fretboard.
The open-strings have equivalents, generally at the 5th fret. The exception is
the 2nd string, open B, whose equivalent note is found at the 4th fret of the 3rd
string.
Strings are generally tuned the same interval apart, the exception being the 2nd
and 3rd strings.
ASSIGNMENT
Review the notes through the 5th fret, E B G D A E 0
starting with the open 6th string, E. F C F
Work your way up the natural notes to
the 1st string, 5th fret, saying the names A E B
as you go. Take note of the open-string G D F C G
equivalents.
B
A E G D A
FIG.15 - NATURAL NOTES
Know Your Fretboard - Part Two 17

SEEING MUSIC
METHOD BOOKS
LINKING SCALES, TRIADS AND CHORDS
THE NUTS AND BOLTS

Know the simple but powerful relationship between scales, triads and
chords. Learn to play Major scales.
IT ALL STARTS WITH A SCALE

Scales are awesome because ALL music comes from them! First, all melodies come from
scales. But perhaps even more important: scales, triads and chords are all related. Scales
produce triads, triads produce chords.
Scales Triads Chords

FIG.16 - SCALES PRODUCE TRIADS, TRIADS PRODUCE CHORDS
The C Major Scale

Take a look at the C Major scale. The notes of the C Major scale in order are C, D, E, F, G,
A, B and C.
CDEFGABC FIG.17 - C MAJOR SCALE NOTE NAMES
All the notes here are separated by a whole-step, except those indicated by the “ ”
^
symbol. Those are separated by a half-step. On any string, two notes that are one fret
apart are separated by a half-step. Two half-steps equals one whole step, which would be
two frets distance.
Again, most notes here are one whole-step apart, with the exception being those
separated by a half-step.
Linking Scales, Triads and Chords 19
PLAY A C MAJOR SCALE
In Figure 18, start on the 5th string, 3rd fret and place your 2nd finger there. It’s
indicated by the dot with the “X” through it. This is the root, C.
Play the C, then keeping your 2nd finger there, add your 4th finger at the 5th fret
on the same string. Play this note, D.
Now, you can release these notes. On the 4th string at the 2nd fret, place your
first finger. Play this E.
Next play F, then G, then on to the 3rd string, similarly. At the end, you’ll reach
the high C.
The finger you should use for each fret is indicated in Figure 18.
0 0
1 1
A E
2 2
F C
3
B
4 4 4
C G D
FIG.18 - C MAJOR SCALE WITH FINGERINGS FIG.19 - C MAJOR SCALE WITH

NOTE NAMES
HOW MAJOR SCALES ARE BUILT

A major scale is a particular series of whole and half-steps.
A half-step is the distance between two notes that are one fret apart. A whole-step is
equal to two half-steps.
In all major scales, the half-steps are between the 3rd and 4th notes (or degrees) and the
7th and root degrees. All the other notes are a whole step apart, or the equivalent of two
frets in distance from each other.
In the C Major scale, the half-steps are between E and F and between B and C. Take note
of them in Figure 19.
MEMORY SUPERPOWER
To easily remember the fingering of the C
0
Major scale, use this tip:
On the 5th string, you use fingers 2 and 4. 1 1

Next, on the 4th string, you use fingers 1, 2 2
2 and 4 and on the 3rd string, you use 1, 3
and 4. 3
When you say it to yourself a few times, it 4 4 4

even starts to sound kind of musical. Say,
“2 4, 1 2 4, 1 3 4.” FIG.20 - C MAJOR SCALE
Remember how some notes can be found in several places on the guitar? Here’s another
example.
C Major Up the Neck

Have a look at Figure 21, then Figure 22. They are two different ways to play a C Major
scale.
1 1
A E 7
0 2 2
F C
1 1 3
A E B
2 2 4 4 4
F C C G D
3
B
4 4 4
C G D
FIG.21 - C MAJOR SCALE STARTING FIG.22 - C MAJOR SCALE STARTING

ON 5TH STRING ON 6TH STRING
They look a lot alike, don’t they? You can play a C Major scale using the same fingering
pattern “24, 124, 134” just by starting in a different place.
PLAY C MAJOR MIDNECK

In Figure 22, you’ll start by playing C on the 6th string at the 8th fret with your
2nd finger.
The first note of the scale is one fret above the first fret of the diagram, which
has a “7” located next to it. This “7” indicates that the diagram starts at the 7th
fret. So, the first note is at the 8th fret.
Play the scale in Figure 22, just as you did in Figure 21. Now play the scale from
Figure 21. They sound alike, don’t they?
Seeing Music
If you spotted the similarity of the shapes of Figures 21 and 22,
then you are already beginning to “see” music on the guitar!
MAJOR TRIADS
A triad is a collection of three notes of a scale. Triads are worth studying because they
are the building blocks of chords. Scales produce triads, triads produce chords. Have a
look.
Each note of a scale, can be given a number name, or degree. Using C Major as an
example: C, D, E, F, G, A, B and C have scale degrees 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 1, again. While
the last note, C, is the 8th note, it’s still called the 1st degree, because although it’s one
octave higher, its still the same note name, as the 1st degree, or root of the scale.
A triad contains the 1st, 3rd and 5th degrees of the

0
scale. So a C Major triad is spelled C, E, G.
PLAY A TRIAD E
C, E and G are the 1st, 3rd and 5th degrees of C

the C Major scale. One at a time, play these
three notes: C, then E, then G in Figure 23.
G
It has a familiar sound, doesn’t it?
FIG.23 - C MAJOR TRIAD STARTING
ON 5TH STRING
MAJOR CHORDS
Chords are built from triads. Take the notes from a triad—played together, they make
a chord. Optionally, rearrange them or combine them with the same notes in another
octave and you’ll have another way to play the chord.
To play a C Major chord, you’ll need to find a way to
hear all three notes of the C Major triad at the same 0
time.
You’ll remember from Figure 13 that the G of the triad in E

Figure 24, found at the 5th fret of the 4th string, is the
C
same note as the open 3rd string.
Moving the G to the open 3rd string places one note on

each of the 3rd, 4th and 5th strings. G
Play C, E and open G together. The C Major triad has FIG.24 - MOVING ONE NOTE TO CREATE A
become a C Major chord. A simple chord, but a chord CHORD
nonetheless.
Making a Chord From
E C G E C a Triad
0 While the three note chord in Figure 24 is a
1
perfectly fine C Major, there are many other ways
2 to play a C Major chord.
3
Here’s one in Figure 25 that uses five strings.
Since there are five strings, but only three notes in

a triad, a couple of the notes are doubled. Notice
how this chord has two C’s and 2 E’s.
FIG.25 - C MAJOR CHORD STARTING The small numbers next to the notes indicate
ON 5TH STRING which fingers to use. Un-filled dots are open
strings.
G MAJOR SCALE, TRIAD AND CHORD

Here’s the G Major scale. Notice how the half-steps are again in-between the 3rd and 4th,
and 7th and 8th notes. The # symbol indicates the note is “F sharp”, one half-step higher
than F.
#
GABCDEF G FIG.26 - G MAJOR SCALE NOTE NAMES
And here is how to find the G Major scale on the fretboard. It should look familiar. Notice
how it’s the same shape as the C Major scale.
Play the G Major scale in Figure 27.
0 0
1 1
E B
2 2
C G
3
F#
4 4 4
G D A
FIG.27 - G MAJOR SCALE WITH FIG.28 - G MAJOR SCALE WITH

FINGERING NOTE NAMES
BUILD A G MAJOR TRIAD
Here’s the triad, containing the 1st, 3rd and 0

5th degrees of the scale.
Notice again in Figure 30 how you will take B

advantage of the open D-string. By moving
G
the D from the 5th string to the 4th, each note
can be heard simultaneously.
D
FIG.29 - G MAJOR TRIAD

0
Play the G Major triad in Figure 30 with one
note on each of the 6th, 5th and 4th strings..
B
FIG.30 - MOVING ONE NOTE

TO CREATE A CHORD
Building a G Major Chord
G B G D B G
Here’s a G Chord that uses all 6 strings. This G Major 0
chord may look familiar if you’ve already learned a few
chords. Notice how there are 6 notes in this chord. 1
The lowest notes, G, B and D are directly from the
G Major triad. The next higher notes, G, B and G are 4 2
higher octave versions of notes found in the triad. Since
octaves always sound great together, they’ll work nicely
in this chord.
FIG.31 - G MAJOR CHORD

WITH FINGERINGS
Visualizing Chords
When learning chords, pay special attention to the root note. Always visualize the chord
as it’s built on the root. In the chord above, G is the root of G Major.
SEEING MUSIC
Did you notice how the G Major scale uses the same shape as the C
Major scale you learned earlier?
The G Major scale uses the same shape as C Major, but starts on a
different note, G. The scale is changed to G Major.
PUTTING IT TOGETHER
Major scales are made of whole and half-steps.
Major triads contain the 1st, 3rd and 5th degrees of the major scale.
Major chords are made from their corresponding chord’s major triad.
Pay special attention to the root and visualize the chord as built on the
root.

MINOR SCALES, TRIADS AND CHORDS
THE NUTS AND BOLTS

Know how to play minor scales and build minor triads and chords.
Understand the relationship between minor scales, triads and chords.
MINOR WORKS LIKE MAJOR

You just saw the relationship between major scales, triads and chords. The relationship is
simple: scales produce triads, triads produce chords. It works the same for minor scales.
They produce minor triads, those produce minor chords.
Note: There are several varieties of minor scales. For now, you’ll be learning the Natural
Minor scale as it is the most commonly used in Western music.
HOW MINOR SCALES ARE BUILT

All minor scales are a series of whole and half-steps.
In Natural Minor scales, the half-steps are between the 2nd and 3rd degrees and the 5th
and 6th degrees. All the other notes are a whole step apart.
So, in the A Minor scale, the half-steps are between B and C and between E and F. Take
note of them in Figure 32.
ABCDEFGA FIG.32 - A MINOR SCALE NOTE NAMES
Minor Scales, Triads and Chords 27

THE A MINOR SCALE
In Figure 33, start on the 5th string, and play it open, no fretting needed. It’s indicated by
the open circle with the “X” through it. This is the root, A.
Play the B, then keeping your 2nd finger there, add your 3rd finger at the 4th fret on the
same string. Play this note, C.
Now, you can release these notes. Play the 4th string open. This is D.
Next play E, then F, then on to the 3rd string, similarly. At the end, you’ll reach the high A.
The finger you should use for each fret is indicated in Figure 33.
0 G D A 0
2 2 2
A E B
3 3
F C
FIG.33 - A MINOR SCALE WITH FINGERINGS FIG.34 - A MINOR SCALE

WITH NOTE NAMES
MEMORY SUPERPOWER
To easily remember the fingering of the A Minor scale, use this tip:
On the 5th string, you use fingers 2 and 3. Next, on the 4th string, you also use
fingers 2 and 3 and on the 3rd string, you use just finger 2. Easy!
Say it to yourself a few times, until it’s unforgettable. Say, “Open 2 3, Open 2 3,
Open 2”
ANOTHER A MINOR UP THE NECK
Remember how some notes and scales can be found in several places on the guitar
neck? Here’s another example. Take a look at Figure 35, then Figure 36. They are two
different ways to play an A Minor scale.
They look a lot alike, don’t they? You can play an A Minor scale using the same visual
scale shape as a guide. While the fingering patterns change, what is important is how
they look alike. Take note of the similar geometric shapes.
To play the scale in Figure 36, you’ll start by playing A on the 6th string at the 5th fret
with your 1st finger.
The first note of the scale is at the 5th fret as indicated in the diagram, which has a “5”
located in the upper right corner.
Play the scale in Figure 36, just as you did in Figure 35. Now play the scale from
Figure 35. They sound alike, don’t they?
1 1 1
0 G D A 5
2 2 2 3 3 3
A E B
3 3 4 4
F C
FIG.35 - A MINOR SCALE STARTING FIG.36 - A MINOR SCALE STARTING

ON 5TH STRING ON 6TH STRING
MINOR TRIADS
Just as with major triads, minor triads are a collection of three notes of their scale: the
1st, 3rd and 5th degrees.
Using A Minor as an example: A, B, C, D, E, F, G and A have scale degrees 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,

6, 7 and 1, again. Since triads contains the 1st, 3rd and 5th degrees of their scale, an A
Minor triad is spelled A, C and E.

PLAY AN A MINOR TRIAD
A 0
A, C and E are the 1st, 3rd and 5th degrees of
the A Minor scale. One at a time, play these three
notes: A, then C, then E in Figure 37. E
MINOR CHORDS
Of course, chords are built from triads. Nice, full chords
are often played with more than 3 notes. So to spread FIG.37 - AN A MINOR TRIAD
three notes into more than three notes, some of the notes
of the triad are doubled with, or replaced by, their octave
counterparts. The octave location of a note doesn’t
matter terribly. While “togetherness” is nice, its not
absolutely necessary when arranging notes for chords.
BUILD AN A MINOR CHORD

To play an A Minor chord, you’ll need to find a way to hear all three notes of the
A Minor triad at the same time. A little arranging is in order.
Of these 3 notes, 2 are on the same string. Obviously, you can’t play two notes
on the same string at the same time, so you’ll find a way to move one of them.
The C Note is a good candidate for relocation. It’s OK if it gets relocated to a
different octave. It will sound just fine.
0
Thinking back to when you learned all the notes
of the first 3 frets. you’ll remember that there’s C
another C in easy reach. It’s found at the 1st fret
of the 2nd string. It’s one octave above the C
you just played in the triad. C
FIG.38 - MOVING C TO HIGHER

OCTAVE
Moving the C from 5th string, 3rd fret to the A 0
2nd string, 1st fret places one note on each of C
the 2nd, 4th and 5th strings.
E
You could stop here. Those 3 notes will make an
acceptable chord, but notice how the 3rd string
is unused? Why not put it to work?
FIG.39 - THE A MINOR TRIAD, REARRANGED
E C A E A You’ll also remember from Figure 34

that there is an A on the 3rd string at the
0 2nd fret. It is one octave above the open
1
5th string A. Adding it to your chord will
3 2 sound really big and great!
And just for fun, why not put the

1st string to work, as well? It’s an open
E and the octave of the E you’re already
using at the 4th string, 2nd fret.
Now you’ve got 5 strings singing and a

FIG.40 - AN A MINOR CHORD really full sounding chord. All 3 notes of
the triad are present, as well as some
octaves of those notes. Give it a strum
using the fingering indicated.
E MINOR SCALE, TRIAD AND CHORD
#
EF GABCDE FIG.41 - E MINOR SCALE NOTE NAMES

Here’s an E Minor scale. It should look familiar. It’s the same shape as the A Minor scale,
just moved over one string.
Because the scale starts with E, it’s an E Minor scale.
0 D A E 0
2 2 2
E B F#
3 3
C G
FIG.42 - E MINOR SCALE WITH FIG.43 - E MINOR SCALE WITH

FINGERING NOTE NAMES
PLAY AN E MINOR TRIAD

E 0
The 1st, 3rd and 5th degrees of any scale
spell its triad and in E Minor those degrees are
E, G and B. B
FIG.44 - E MINOR TRIAD
BUILD AN E MINOR CHORD

G 0
Again, you’ll use a similar arrangement technique as
above, this time moving the G to the open 3rd string.
This new G is one octave above.
G
FIG.45 - MOVING ONE NOTE TO CREATE A CHORD
Looking for opportunities to double the existing notes E B G E B E
with octaves, you’ll see there are octave doubles on the 0
1st, 2nd and 4th strings. Notice how every note of this
6-note chord is present in the 3-note triad. 3 2
Give this big chord a strum and listen to its minor flavor.
FIG.46 - E MINOR CHORD WITH

FINGERINGS
Seeing Music
Did you notice how the E Minor scale uses the same shape as the A
Minor scale?
The E Minor scale uses the same shape as A Minor but starts on a
different note, E. The scale is changed to E Minor.
PUTTING IT TOGETHER
Minor scales are made of whole and half-steps.
Minor triads contain the 1st, 3rd and 5th degrees of the minor scale.
Minor chords are made from minor triads.

LEFT-HANDED
GUITAR THEORY
NUTS & BOLTS
INTERVALS
THE NUTS AND BOLTS

Learn the major, minor and perfect 0
intervals. Know what intervals are found in
both major and minor scales.
INTERVALS OF THE C
MAJOR SCALE
The pitch distance between two notes is called their interval. D
The interval is often given a name based on the scale type
in which it is found. Using C as an example, here are the FIG.47 - MAJOR 2ND
intervals you’ll find in a major scale.
0 0 0
C F C C
FIG.48 - MAJOR 3RD FIG.49 - PERFECT 4TH FIG.50 - PERFECT 5TH
0 0 0
C C C
FIG.51 - MAJOR 6TH FIG.52 - MAJOR 7TH FIG.53 - PERFECT OCTAVE

Intervals 35
Notice that the intervals are named “Major” with the exception of the 4th, 5th and Octave
which are named “Perfect”. This is because they are common to both major and minor
scales. Hence, they’re known as the Perfect 4th, Perfect 5th and Perfect Octave.
INTERVALS OF THE MINOR SCALE

For comparision, examine the C Minor scale. Compare it to
the C Major scale, which has no sharps nor flats. 0
1 1 1
CDE FGA B C
B F C
3 3 3
C G D
4 4
FIG.54 - C MINOR SCALE NOTE NAMES A E
FIG.55 - NATURAL MINOR SCALE

And here are the intervals found in the minor scale.
0 0 0
C C F C
E
FIG.56 - MAJOR 2ND FIG.57 - MINOR 3RD FIG.58 - PERFECT 4TH
0 0 0
C C B C
G
A
FIG.59 - PERFECT 5TH FIG.60 - MINOR 6TH FIG.61 - MINOR 7TH
It’s worth noting that intervals are not exclusive to any scale. As examples: a Major 3rd
is always a Major 3rd, regardless of the chord, key or scale. If the interval equals 4 half-
steps, it’s a Major 3rd.
Here are two pairs of notes, C and E, used in the C Major scale, and A flat and C, used in
the C Minor scale. Both pairs are separated by the interval of a Major 3rd.
0 0
C
A
FIG.62 - MAJOR 3RD FIG.63 - MAJOR 3RD
Similarly, a Minor 3rd is always a Minor 3rd.
Here are two pairs of notes, C and E flat, used in the C Minor scale, and E and G, used in
the C Major scale. Both pairs are separated by the interval of a Minor 3rd.
0 0
FIG.64 - MINOR 3RD FIG.65 - MINOR 3RD
Seeing Music
Intervals can be seen and heard! Notice how the Major 3rds in
Figures 62 and 63 have a similar appearance, as do the Minor 3rds
in Figures 64 and 65.
Intervals 37
INTERVALS OF TRIADS
0
A great way to think of a major triad is a Major 3rd with a
Minor 3rd stacked on top of it.
E
0
FIG.66 - MAJOR TRIAD AND ITS
COMPONENTS
A minor triad would then be a Minor 3rd with a Major 3rd

C stacked on top of it.
E
FIG.67 - MINOR TRIAD AND ITS
COMPONENTS
INTERVAL ADDITION
And now a little musical math: Major 3rd + Minor 3rd = Perfect 5th
0 0
E
C
C
G
G
E
FIG.68 - MAJOR 3RD + MINOR 3RD = PERFECT FIG.69 - MINOR 3RD + MAJOR 3RD = PERFECT
5TH 5TH
This kind of musical math can be worked out for every interval:
Major 2nd + Major 2nd = Major 3rd 0
0
FIG.70 - MAJOR 2ND + MAJOR 2ND = MAJOR
3RD
A E
C Major 3rd + Perfect 4th = Major 6th
FIG.71 - MAJOR 3RD + PERFECT 4TH = MAJOR

6TH
Seeing Music
As you begin to see these additive relationships, the fretboard will
open up to your creations.
Are you beginning to see relationships between notes, or similarities

in intervals?
Intervals 39
VISUALIZING ACROSS THE FRETBOARD
Intervals can be moved around the fretboard with great results! Play these Major 3rd
intervals and notice how they have a similar sound. They don’t have to allude to any
particular chord, but they are all Major 3rds.
A 0 5
F G#
12 A 5
G# F
FIG.72 - MAJOR 3RDS
These particular visualizations work well on most strings. However, things get a little
more complicated when the interval crosses from the lower strings to the 1st and 2nd
string. This is because the tuning interval of the 3rd and 2nd strings, G and B, is different
from the tuning interval of all other pairs of strings.
Now you must “add” another fret to your visualization of the intervals. Have a look at
these major intervals and compare them in Figures 73-75. Notice the intervals’ subtle
difference in appearance when they cross the G to B strings.
Interval Shapes Not Interval Shapes
Crossing G-B Strings Crossing G-B Strings
0 E C 5
FIG.73 - MAJOR 3RDS
0 C 5
F
F C
FIG.74 - PERFECT 4THS
0 C 5
C C
FIG.75 - PERFECT OCTAVE
Intervals 41
ASSIGNMENT
You’ve become familiar with both major and minor intervals and seen them
in the context of the C Major and C Minor scales.
Now, play all the scales you know, both major and minor and look for the
intervals between the root and the scale tone.
Look for the intervals between all the notes of those scales. For example,
between the 2nd and 3rd, or 3rd and 6th.
EVEN MORE SCALES AND CHORDS
THE NUTS AND BOLTS

All chords come from scales. Being knowledgable of scales makes it
easy to be knowledgable of chords. You’ve already seen C and G Major.
Here are a few more major scales and chords.
PUTTING SCALES TO WORK

BUILD CHORDS FROM SCALES
First play each scale, then the chord that is derived from it. For each scale, make
note of the triad, the 1st, 3rd and 5th degrees. See how they are all present in
the chords?
E B G# E B E
A E 0 0
1
D#
3 2
E B F#
C# G#
FIG.76 - E MAJOR SCALE FIG.77 - E MAJOR CHORD

E C# A E A
D A 0 0
G#
3 2 1
A E B
F# C #
FIG.78 - A MAJOR SCALE FIG.79 - A MAJOR CHORD

Even More Scales and Chords 43
F# D A D
G D 0 0
2 1
C# A E
3
D
B F#
FIG.80 - D MAJOR SCALE FIG.81 - D MAJOR CHORD
These E, A and D scales all look pretty similar, don’t they?
In fact, E and A look identical and D would also be identical, except the last two notes,
those on the B string, are shifted up one fret.
These E, A and D chords are all derived from the triads in their key.
Seeing Music
Did you notice the similarity in shapes
between the E, A and D scales?
The scales in Figures 76, 78 and 80 aren’t the only ways to play the E, A and D
scales. You can use the pattern you already learned for C and G.
You can use a familiar scale pattern and simply move it up or down the neck
to produce a new scale. The scale will retain the flavor (major or minor) of the
original, but now have a new root. The scale is said to have been transposed.
PLAY MANY SCALES
Play each of these scales which use the same fingering pattern, just starting on
different notes.
0 3 5
B F# C# G#
A E G D A E
F C C# D#
B D A E E B F#
C G D
FIG.82 - C MAJOR SCALE FIG.83 - D MAJOR SCALE FIG.84 - E MAJOR SCALE
0 3
F# C#
E B D A
C G G#
F# A E B
G D A
FIG.85 - G MAJOR SCALE FIG.86 - A MAJOR SCALE
Seeing Music
You’ve just learned C, G, E, A and D Major chords and the scales
and triads from where they are derived.
These five chords are the basis for learning every other chord.
In fact, every other basic chord you’ll play is a kind of version of
these chords. You’ll soon see how you can modify them slightly
and arrive at all kinds of new chords.

BARRE CHORDS
The five chords you’ve already learned are open-string chords. They use a combination of
fretted notes and open-string notes.
Another type of chord is the barre chord. If you’ve been playing for a while, no doubt
you’ve seen barre chords many times. Barre chords use no open-strings and because of
this, can easily be moved up and down the neck to create new chords.
F Major Barre Chord

Compare this F Major barre chord to the open-string E chord you learned in Figure 87.
E B G# E B E F C A F C F
0 0
1 1 1 1
3 2 2
4 3
FIG.87 - E MAJOR CHORD FIG.88 - F MAJOR BARRE CHORD
You probably noticed that the two chords look very much alike. In fact, the F Major chord
is just like the E Major chord, just moved up one fret on the neck.
Seeing Music
When every note of the E Major chord is moved up one
fret, it becomes F Major!
F Minor Barre Chord
Compare this F Minor barre chord to the open-string E Minor chord you learned in
Figure 89.
E B G E B E F C A F C F
0 0
1 1 1 1
3 2
4 3
FIG.89 - E MINOR CHORD FIG.90 - F MINOR BARRE CHORD
Now, here is the real power of barre chords. You can move barre chords up and down
the neck to easily play any chord. The F Minor barre chord becomes F# Minor by simply
moving it up one fret on the neck. Moving it up again one fret, it becomes G Minor.
F# C# A F# C# F# G D B G D G
0 0
1 1 1 1
1 1 1 1
4 3
4 3
FIG.91 - F# MINOR BARRE CHORD FIG.92 - G MINOR BARRE CHORD

MOVE F MAJOR BARRE
Try moving this F Major shaped barre chord even further up the neck to create
new chords.
Seeing Music
Barre chords can be moved up and down the neck to create
new chords that retain the major or minor flavor and are
named after the root note!
B flat Major Barre Chord

Here is another barre chord, based on the open-string A chord shape you learned earlier.
The highest note on the 1st string has been left off for now. It still sounds very good.
Again, compare this B flat Major barre chord to the open-string A chord you learned in
Figure 93.
When the A chord is moved up one fret, it becomes B flat. The note on the 1st string has
been left off for ease in playing.
C# A E A D B F B
0 0
1
1 1 1
4 4 4
FIG.93 - A MAJOR CHORD FIG.94 - B FLAT MAJOR BARRE CHORD
Like all barre chords, you can move this chord up the neck to create new chords.
B flat Minor Barre Chord
Compare this B flat Minor barre chord to the open-string A Minor chord you learned in
Figure 95.
These two chords look very similar, right?
C A E A D B F B
0 0
1 1
3 2 2
4 3
FIG.95 - A MINOR CHORD FIG.96 - B FLAT MINOR BARRE CHORD
MOVE B FLAT MAJOR BARRE

Try playing the B flat Major barre chord. Then move it up one fret to arrive at B,
then up another fret to arrive at C and so forth.
Now you’ve got two ways to play both the C and G chords! The first way you
learned uses open strings, the second using barre chords.
E C G C G D B G D G
0 0
1 1 1 1
2
4 4 4 4 3
FIG.97 - C MAJOR BARRE CHORD FIG.98 - G MAJOR BARRE CHORD

PUTTING IT TOGETHER
There are two basic types of chords: open-string chords and barre
chords.
Every chord on the guitar is based on one of the five open-string

chords, C, G, E, A and D.
Just as there are different ways to play the same scale, there are
different ways to play the same chord.
The two major types of barre chords are the F Major type and the B flat
Major type.
The F Major type is based on the E Major open-string chord, moved up

one fret.
The B flat Major type is based on the A Major open-string chord, moved
up one fret.
Barre chords make it easy to move a chord up and down the fretboard.
The resulting chord will retain the major or minor color and be named
after the root.
SEEING THE WHOLE FRETBOARD
THE NUTS AND BOLTS

While you’ve learned the notes up to the fifth fret, you may be
wondering about all those notes at the higher frets. At first, the idea
of learning every note on the neck seems vast. But, when broken into
smaller areas, it becomes much easier.
USE A ZONE APPROACH

Here are some easy ways to break the fingerboard up into regions that are easy to
remember.
1 1
A E 7
2 2
You’ve already seen the C Major scale that begins on the F C
6th string, 8th fret. Here it is again in Figure 99. 3
B
4 4 4
C G D

A E C 5
F
The same scale, one octave higher, is seen in Figure 100
and is played on strings 1 through 3.
B D
Check out the different appearance due to the scale’s
C G
location, crossing the G to B strings.
See chapter “Intervals” to review how intervals appear

different when they cross these strings.
Seeing the Whole Fretboard 51

USE THE MIDDLE ZONE
Play both of these C Major scales, saying the note name as you play each note.
Practicing the C Major scales will help you learn the note names up to the
10th fret.
EVERYTHING REPEATS AT FRET 12

You already know the names of the notes at the 12th fret. Each note at the 12th fret has
the same name as it’s open-string. They are the same notes, one octave up.
PLAY THE 12TH FRET

Play the notes at the 12th fret of each string, followed by the open-string. They
sound one octave apart.
E B G D A E 0 E B G D A E 12
FIG.101 - OPEN-STRING NOTES FIG.102 - 12TH FRET NOTES

Just as the notes at the 12th fret are the same as the open-strings, the notes
above the 12th fret repeat in order from those you learned lower on the neck.
E B G D A E 0 E B G D A E 12
F C F F C F
A E B A E B
G D F C G G D F C G
FIG.103 - OPEN-STRING NOTES FIG.104 - 12TH FRET NOTES
Notice how the notes in Figure 104 are in the same order as in Figure 103?
USE THE 12TH FRET ZONE

Play the notes beginning at the 12th fret in ascending order, beginning with the
12th fret E in the upper-right corner of Figure 104.
PUTTING IT TOGETHER
The note names from the 5th to 10th frets are easily learned through
two C Major scales.
The 12th fret notes are the same as the open strings. The note names
repeat after the 12th fret.
ASSIGNMENT
Review the notes through the 5th fret, starting with the open 6th string, E.
Work your way up the natural notes to the 1st string, 5th fret, saying the
names as you go. Take note of the open string equivalents.
The natural notes in the mid-region of the fretboard — from the 5th to
10th frets — are easily learned through just two C Major scales.
Ready to get more from

your fretboard?
Loads of great exercises to put your
memory to work.
Seeing the Whole Fretboard 53

Bonus Assignment
Reinforce your memory by writing your own fretboard diagrams below. Write one
diagram for every C Major scale you’ve learned, in each zone.
HOW MAJOR AND MINOR ARE RELATED
THE NUTS AND BOLTS

Spoiler alert: There is an unbelievably cool relationship between major
and minor that may blow your mind! It’s coming at the end of this
chapter. Better sit down for this chapter!
MAJOR AND MINOR TRIADS

Major triads are built from the root, the Major 3rd and Perfect 5th degrees of the Major
scale. Minor triads contain the root, Minor 3rd, and Perfect 5th of the Minor scale.
Did you notice that both Major and Minor contain the root and Perfect 5th degrees?
So, the difference? It’s all in the 3rd. Major chords contain the Major 3rd. Minor chords
contain the Minor 3rd.
A Minor 3rd interval is one half-step below a Major 3rd. So, to turn a major chord into
minor, simply lower the Major 3rd one half-step!
G 0 G 0
E
Lowering
E the 3rd
C a half-step C
FIG.105 - MAJOR TRIAD BECOMING A MINOR TRIAD
How Major and Minor Are Related 55

MAJOR AND MINOR CHORDS
Notice the similarity between these C Minor and C Major chords.
E C G C E C G C
0 0
Lowering
the 3rd
1 1
a half-step
2
4 4 4 4 3
FIG.106 - C MAJOR CHORD BECOMING C MINOR
The C Major triad uses C, E and G. C minor uses C, E flat and G.
The major chord in Figure 106 is turned into a minor chord by lowering it’s 3rd degree
one half-step. Easy!
RELATIVE MINOR
Here are the A Minor and C Major scales.
ABCDEFGA FIG.107 - A MINOR SCALE
CDEFGABC FIG.108 - C MAJOR SCALE
Notice how there are no sharps or flats in the A minor scale? C Major has no sharps or
flats, either. These two scales have a special relationship. A minor is called the relative
minor of C Major. They share all the same notes.
PLAY THE RELATIVE MINOR

Play an A minor chord, followed by a C Major chord. Notice how they sound
somewhat similar? Even though one is major and the other minor, they sound like
they go together.
A Minor and C Major share two notes in common. The A minor triad is spelled A, C, E and
the C Major triad is spelled C, E, G. They have C and E in common.
PLAY E AND D MINOR

Play the E Minor and D Minor chords below. Notice how similar they look to their
major versions.
F# D A D F D A D
0 0
1
Lowering
2 1 the 3rd 2
3 a half-step 4
FIG.109 - D MAJOR CHORD BECOMING D MINOR

E B G# E B E E B G E B E
0 0
1
3 2
Lowering
3 2
the 3rd
a half-step
FIG.110 - E MAJOR CHORD BECOMING E MINOR

How Major and Minor Are Related 57
Seeing Music
Major and minor chords look almost identical!
PUTTING IT TOGETHER
All triads are spelled with the root, 3rd and 5th of their scale.
In a major triad, the 3rd is a Major 3rd above the root.
In a minor triad, the 3rd is a Minor 3rd above the root.
You can turn a major chord into a minor chord by lowering the major 3rd
of the chord one half-step.
Minor barre chords, like all barre chords, can be moved up the neck to
create new chords.
7TH CHORDS
THE NUTS AND BOLTS

So far, you’ve seen how to produce major and minor chords from their
triads and scales. Sometimes, it’s nice to add a little more flavor to a
chord. That’s where 7th chords come in. Here, you’ll see how to build
two types of 7th chords.
EXTENDING TRIADS FOR FLAVOR

Music is a lot like cooking. It’s about finding combinations of elements that are pleasing.
Sometimes basic flavors are enough. Pasta is generally a basic flavor, as is bread or
simple meat dishes. Other times, more spice is required to make things interesting. Long
ago, musicians found that applying the concept of triads beyond the basic root, 3rd and
5th combination provided more flavor. Have a look at what they found.
The concept of triads is one of taking a root note, adding the scale tone two notes above
and adding another note again, two notes higher. Scale tones: 1, 3 and 5. It’s like counting
by odd numbers, skipping the even numbers. Well, once upon a time, some very creative
musician asked, “What if I kept going? What if the scale tones I used were 1, 3, 5 and 7?”
This creative spark was on par with the invention of the light bulb, because it changed
how music would be created forever. E B G E C
0
MAJOR 7TH CHORDS 2
3
Going back to your old friend C Major, its 7th chord
would be spelled C, E, G and B. Take a minute to play
it now.
FIG.111 - C MAJ7 CHORD
7th Chords 59
Maj7
C
It’s a pretty sound, right? This chord is written like this:
Then, that very creative and inventive musician from FIG.112 - C MAJ7 SYMBOL
Days of Olde had another bright idea! What if this
process were repeated starting with other notes of the
scale? Musicians might build more varieties of these
colorful chords. What might they sound like?
The process this genius musician invented is passed down and repeated through the
ages: start on some note, skip a scale tone and adding the next one. Repeat, again
skipping then adding every other note as before.
BUILD A NEW 7TH CHORD

Repeat this age-old invention now:
Spell the C Major scale, but this time start on a different degree. For this
example, start on the 5th degree, G.
GABCDEFG FIG.113 - C MAJOR SCALE NOTES

STARTING ON G
Of this new sequence, select the 1st, 3rd, 5th and 7th degrees. They are: G, B, D
and F.
GABCDEFG FIG.114 - C MAJOR SCALE NOTES

STARTING ON G
G B G F B G
0
Now arrange these notes to form a chord.
See how every note of this chord is found in
1
Figure 114?
4 3 2
FIG.115 - G7 CHORD WITH FINGERINGS
7
This chord is written:
G
FIG.116 - G7 SYMBOL
DOMINANT 7TH CHORDS

The chord you just created differs from a Major 7th chord because it uses a different
interval from the root to the 7th. In the case of C Maj7, C to B is a Major 7th. In the case
of G7, G to F is a minor 7th.
0 0
C F G
FIG.117 - MAJOR 7TH ABOVE C FIG.118 - MINOR 7TH ABOVE G
7th Chords 61
Wait a minute! G, B and D form a major chord, but then the 7th is minor? Yes. This type
of chord is called a dominant chord and all dominant chords are built of a major triad with
the addition of a minor 7th.
MINOR 7TH CHORDS

min7
Wow! And this new flavor of chord was just waiting to
be discovered there inside the C Major scale. There’s
one more flavor of 7th chord waiting inside a major key
and it is the minor 7th, written:
A FIG.119 - A MIN7 SYMBOL
Minor 7th chords are built from a minor triad with the addition of a minor 7th. Notice how
all the notes of the A minor 7 chord are found in the C Major scale.
E C G E A
0
1
2
ABCDEFGA FIG.120 - C MAJOR SCALE NOTES STARTING

ON A
FIG.121 - A MIN7 CHORD WITH FINGERINGS
Review of 7th Chord Types
Major 7 Dominant 7 Minor 7
7th Major Minor Minor
Triad Major Major Minor
FIG.122 - COMPONENTS OF 7TH CHORD TYPES
DIMINISHED 7TH CHORDS
Theres one more type of 7th chord and it’s really
dim7
B
flavorful! You’ll remember that both major and minor
triads contain a perfect 5th. There’s a type of chord that
doesn’t use a perfect 5th but rather a tritone or flatted
5th. It’s called a diminished chord and it’s written:
FIG.123 - B DIM7 SYMBOL
A diminished triad is built from two minor 3rds. Examine the case of B Diminished.
FIG.124 - B DIM7 TRIAD COMPONENTS
It’s pretty rare to see a diminished chord that doesn’t include the 7th. That’s why this type
of chord is included in this chapter.
And to be really correct about it’s full name, this is more formally known as a half-
diminished chord. Yes, there is a full-diminished chord which varies slightly. It is rarely
seen in modern music, but more commonly seen D A F B
in Jazz or very old Pop standards. For now, just 0
concern yourself with this half-diminished chord.
1 1
3 2
When a 7th is added to a diminished chord, it is
always a minor 7th. B dim7 is played like this:
FIG.125 - B DIM7 CHORD
7th Chords 63
7th B C D E F G A
5th G A B C D E F
3rd E F G A B C D
Root C D E F G A B
CMaj7 D-7 E-7 FMaj7 G7 A-7 Bdim7
FIG.126 - SPELLING 7TH CHORDS RELATED TO
C MAJOR
PUTTING IT TOGETHER
You’ve just seen how to build 7th chords by extending the triad. You’ve
also seen how these 4 flavors of 7th chord are all related and come from
the Major scale.
Diminished chords (or more correctly, half-diminished chords) are built

from two Minor 3rds.
TRANSPOSING CHORD PROGRESSIONS
THE NUTS AND BOLTS

Transposing chord progressions to new keys will seem easy, now that
you know how to analyze a key and find the flavors of chords inside.
HOW TO TRANSPOSE TO NEW KEYS

Recall that in any major key, the chords built on individual chord tones will be major,
minor or diminished. You saw 7th chords spelled from their C Major scale roots in the
previous chapter, Figure 126.
It’s conventional in chord notation to either state the name of the chord (CMaj7) or use
Roman numerals to represent the chords of a key. For example, in the key of C, the chord
C Major would be represented by an upper-case Roman numeral “I”.
Lower-case Roman numerals indicate minor chords. Again in the key of C Major, the
chord D Minor would be represented by “ii” because D is the second degree of C Major.
Root C D E F G A B
Degree I ii iii IV V vi vii
Flavor Major Minor Minor Major Major Minor Dim
FIG.127 - C MAJOR SCALE DEGREES
AND DIATONIC CHORDS
Transposing Chord Progressions 65

This numeric method of chord notation is really handy, because it makes transposing the
whole progression easier.
Step 1
To transpose any progression, first identify the scale tones each chord is built on. Next,
identify each chords flavor. Write these down using Roman numerals.
Original Chord min

Key Name C D G
Numeric
C Major Name I ii V
Destination Numeric
Key Name ? ? ?
Chord
G Major Name ? ? ?
FIG.128 - CHORD PROGRESSION
TO BE TRANSPOSED
Step 2
Next, think of the destination key. In this example, it will be G Major. Examine the G Major
scale tones and corresponding diatonic chords below.
Root G A B C D E F#
FIG.129 - G MAJOR SCALE DEGREES
AND DIATONIC CHORDS
Step 3
Now, you can begin transposing this progression to your new key. Using the scale
degrees (Roman numerals) of the progression, find the corresponding scale degrees’
names in the destination key. These are the chord roots.
With the roots of each chord known, you can also fill in the chords flavors — major or
minor — as they were in the original sequence.
Original Chord min

Key Name C D G
Numeric
C Major Name I ii V
Destination Numeric
Key Name I ii V
Chord min
G Major Name G A D
FIG.130 - TRANSPOSED CHORD PROGRESSION
Play the original sequence, C Major, D Minor and G Major followed by the new transposed
version, G Major, A Minor and D Major.
Original
min
C Major
Key
C D G
Destination
min
G Major
Key
G A D
FIG.131 - ORIGINAL AND TRANSPOSED PROGRESSIONS

TRANSPOSE A PROGRESSION
Try another example, moving C Major-E Minor-F Major from the key of C Major to
the key of D Major.
Step 1 - Identify the Chord Roots and Flavors
Original Chord min

Key Name C E F
Numeric
C Major Name I iii IV
Destination Numeric
Key Name ? ? ?
Chord
D Major Name ? ? ?
FIG.132 - CHORD PROGRESSION
TO BE TRANSPOSED
Step 2 - Consider the Destination Key
Root D E F# G A B C #
FIG.133 - D MAJOR SCALE DEGREES
AND DIATONIC CHORDS
Step 3 - Transpose Chord Numerals to New Key
Original Chord min

Key Name C E F
Numeric
C Major Name I iii IV
Destination Numeric
Key Name I iii IV
Chord #min
D Major Name D F G
FIG.134 - TRANSPOSED CHORD PROGRESSION
Play the Original and Transposed Progressions
Original
min
Key
C Major C E F
Destination
#min
Key
D Major DF G
FIG.135 - ORIGINAL AND TRANSPOSED
PROGRESSIONS

PUTTING IT TOGETHER
Chord progressions are easily seen as individual chords that relate to
the key of the song. They can be represented numerically.
Numeric progressions can easily be transposed to a new key. In the

destination key, find the chords that numerically correspond to the
originals.
Music is a system of chords, built on roots and given a particular

flavor. The flavors, as you have seen, aren’t randomly assigned. They
precipitate out of the key of the song, through the scale of that key.
9TH CHORDS
THE NUTS AND BOLTS

You will be able to construct different varieties of 9th chords and
identify the different varieties.
KEEP IT GOING!
Remember how you learned to extend a triad beyond the 1st, 3rd and 5th degrees to
include the 7th? It probably won’t surprise you to learn that the next extension of chords
is the 9th chord and it includes the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th and 9th scale degrees.
But wait a minute! There are only 7 notes in a scale, with the root being repeated an
octave above as the 8th note. Then how can there be a note called the 9th?
Great point! In a set of 7 notes, how can there be a 9th note? Have a look.
Gently combining scales and math, one more than eight is nine, right? So if scales repeat
themselves at the 8th note (the octave of the root), the note after the 8th note of a
scale would be the 9th note. Since the scale’s 8th note is the octave of the root—or 1st
degree—the next degree could be called either the 9th or the 2nd degree.
Repeating
Scale C D E FG A B C E FG . . .
Degree 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 3 4 5...
Degree
Alternate
Name
1234567 8 ...
FIG.136 - SCALE DEGREE NUMBERING CONVENTION
9th Chords 71
When spelling chords, the 2nd degree is called the 9th because chords work well when
built by stacking 3rds, or rather extending triads. From the basic triad (1, 3 and 5), the 7th
is added to make a 7th chord, just like counting by odd numbers. Continuing to count by
odd numbers then, the 9th is added to make a 9th chord.
MAJOR 9THS
Just as with 7th chords, there are different flavors of 9th chords. Have a look at C Major
9. It is a major 7th chord with the addition of the major 9th degree.
Degree
1234567 89...
Scale
Notes C D E FG A B C D E FG. . .
FIG.137 - SELECTING NOTES OF C MAJOR 9
D B E C G D B G C
0 0
1
3 2 1 1 1
4 2
3
FIG.138 - C MAJOR9 FIG.139 - C MAJOR9

(MODERN ALTERNATE)
Maj9
C FIG.140 - C MAJOR9 SYMBOL
MINOR 9THS
And here is A minor 9. It is a minor 7th chord with the addition of the major 9th degree.
Degree
1234567 89...
Scale
Notes ABCDE F G A B C D E . . .
FIG.141 - SELECTING NOTES OF A MINOR 9
E B G E A B E C G A
1 1 1 1
0 5
2 4
FIG.142 - A MINOR 9 FIG.143 - A MINOR 9

(BARRED ALTERNATE)
min9
A FIG.144 - A MINOR9 SYMBOL
9th Chords 73
DOMINANT 9THS
There is another flavor that is seen frequently in popular music, that of the dominant 9th.
Remember dominant 7ths? Dominant 9ths are dominant 7 chords with the addition of a
Major 9th.
Degree
1234567 89...
Scale
Notes GABCDE F G AB. . .
FIG.145 - SELECTING NOTES OF G DOMINANT 9
A F B G A D B F G
1 1 1
0 3
2
1 1 4
3 2
FIG.146 - G DOMINANT 9 FIG.147 - G DOMINANT 9

(MODERN ALTERNATE)
9
G
FIG.148 - G DOMINANT 9 SYMBOL
There are some more exotic 9th chords that add a flat 9 or sharp 9 (a half-step less than
a major 9th or a half-step larger than a major 9th), but for now, just consider the diatonic
dominant 9th.
Now you’ve seen how to build any triad, basic chord and even add 7th or 9th extensions.
In the real world of playing music on an instrument, it may not always be possible to reach
all of these notes. For example in Figures 138 and 146, the 5th degree has been left out
for convenience. The resulting chord still sounds good and isn’t ambiguous. Further, good
guitarists know that it may actually sound best to not play every note in a chord.
PUTTING IT TOGETHER
Extending chords triadically results in 7th and 9th chords.
The three varieties of 9th chords seen in this chapter are based on
7th chords with the addition of the major 9th degree.
Not every note of the chord needs to be played in every situation. With
extended chords, this is often true. Sometimes a note, or two, can be
omitted and still retain the color and intention of the chord. (See the
next chapter for details.)
Hear this book!

Download your free
audio examples
9th Chords 75
LEAVE THAT NOTE OUT? YES, YOU CAN!
THE NUTS AND BOLTS

You don’t always have to play every note in a chord for it to be effective.
Learn how and when to simplify chords. Develop a strategy for building
your own chords, knowing what to include and what can be omitted.
GUIDELINES FOR BUILDING CHORDS

Remember, what follows are just guidelines. In music, there are few rules. Like,
unbreakable, never-ever can be broken rules. There are some good guidelines though
that can help you make great music.
Start building your own chords by following these guidelines, then experiment with new
sounds by bending the guidelines.
Generally in guitar playing, guitarists are somewhat limited because of the physical reach
of hands and just the general design and tuning of the instrument. However, there are
a LOT of combinations for any given chord that are still in range for you. Feel free to
experiment.
WHAT TO LEAVE OUT, BY SCALE DEGREES

In a given situation, there are some notes that are too important to ever omit and there
are other notes that may be less important. Remember, this is situational depending on
the music style and whether you’re playing solo or with other musicians. Again, there are
no iron-clad rules, no laws to abide, but there are some good guidelines to consider.
Imagine a song calls for a pretty complicated chord, say a major 9th chord. You’ll need to
identify what notes are contained in the chord. Then, you’ll look for a way to play arrange
them on the fretboard so they’re playable. If an easy and suitable solution doesn’t present
itself, you’ll probably want to simplify the chord by leaving out a note or two. After all,
you’ve only got 4 fingers!
Leave That Note Out 77

The Root
When playing solo, always include the root of every chord. It’s grounding and
generally considered very necessary. In musical groups, there may be a bass
player or other instrument playing the root note. That’s generally the job of the
bass instrument. If you’re in a group, you may consider omitting the root.
After you’ve placed the root on the bottom, you’re free to order the notes of the
chord anywhere you like.
The 3rd
Unless you’re making Rock music, include the 3rd in every chord. If you’re
making Rock, you may want just the root and 5th. Play it loud and proud!
The 5th
This note is pretty easily omitted from most chords. True, Rock music uses many
chords built from only the root and 5th. They’re called “Power Chords” because
the 3rd is omitted. As such, they sound great and powerful when played really
loudly. But, for more conventional chords, consider the 5th a good candidate for
omission.
7ths and 9ths

These are the most colorful notes and really define the flavor fully. However, they
are the most ornamental and while pretty, aren’t functionally necessary.Consider
them like dessert after a nice meal: very enjoyable, but probably not 100%
necessary.
So, if at all possible, include 7th or 9th extensions if you can, but don’t feel too
bad if you need to leave them out.
Here are some versions of chords that omit the 5th.
A F B G A F# B G
0 0
1 1 1 1
3 2 2
FIG.149 - G DOMINANT 9 CHORD FIG.150 - G MAJOR 9 CHORD
Check out the jazzy D9 chord at right. Of course, E C F# D

you can add the the 5th to this chord and it will 0
sound great, too! Back in the day, musicians called
this chord the “James Brown Chord” because it
was used frequently by James’ funky guitarists.
1
A E C F# D
0 4 4 2
FIG.151 - D DOMINANT 9 CHORD
1
4 4 4 2
FIG.152 - D DOMINANT 9 CHORD

- FUNKY VERSION
SEEING MUSIC
METHOD BOOKS
Leave That Note Out 79
PUTTING IT TOGETHER
Building chords on the guitar is a matter of strategy, knowing what
notes are important and what notes are less important. Since it may not
be desirable, or even possible, to play all the notes of a chord, prioritize
your note choices using the guidelines here.
CHORD PROGRESSIONS
THE NUTS AND BOLTS

Gain understanding of chord progressions by analyzing the root
movement and chord flavor.
12 NOTES, MILLIONS OF COMBINATIONS

Counting all the natural notes, A through G, and all of the sharp or flat notes in-between,
there are only 12 notes. With these, millions of chords and progressions are possible. So,
when considering a new song, how can a person begin to organize this array of options
and possibilities? To make sense and order to what may seem like a bunch of unrelated
notes and chords. Knowing how to examine chord progressions gives you the power to
learn them faster, re-purpose them when needed and even create your own music.
With each song, musicians perform a simple analysis of chords and their movements,
starting with the root of each chord.
When facing a new chord, first notice it’s root. Next observe the color or flavor, major or
minor. Third, if one exists, notice any extensions like a 7th or 9th.
THE KEY IS THE KEY

The key of a song is an aptly named term. Some examples of key names are C Major or
B Minor. The key establishes the governing scale for the song. Most of the melody and
most of the notes of each chord used will be found in the scale of the song’s key. “Most”
is a necessary qualifier here.
In simple forms of music, like children’s songs, all of the notes will be in the song’s key.
Think of a song like “Three Blind Mice”. All of the notes of the melody and all the notes of
each chord are found in the song’s key.
In more advanced and sophisticated music, accidental notes are used. These are notes
that aren’t found in the scale of the key. They’re used for a kind of musical spice, a variety
that provides interest to your ears. An example would be an E flat Major chord in the
middle of a song in the key of C Major. Of course, there is no E flat in the key of C, so
Chord Progressions 81
E flat would be considered an accidental. For now, consider just the notes in the key: the
diatonic notes, not the accidentals.
To determine the key of a song, you usually can look to the first or last chord. Often,
they’re the same chord. Whatever chord you find there is usually also the song’s
key. These first and last chords either announce the given key or provide a satisfying
resolution for the ears.
It’s important to acknowledge the key of the song, because after the composer writes the
root movement of the chords, the color and extensions are usually determined solely by
the key. Remember from the chapters examining 7th and 9th chords, the particular flavor
of the triad, 7th and 9th are all normally determined based upon the root of that chord
and its scale degree in the key of the song.
TERMINOLOGY OF CHORD NOTATION

Chords are often called by the scale degree of their root note. As you saw when
transposing chord progressions, thinking of chords as they relate to the song key makes
transposition easy.
You may have heard a bandleader call for a “I-IV-V” tune. This means the chords of the
song will have roots of the 1st, 4th and 5th degrees of the song’s key. In C Major, the
chords would be C Major, F Major and G Major. In the key of G Major, they would be
G Major, C Major and D Major.
The next time you learn a song, look for these chords. Many popular Blues, Rock and
Country songs employ them.
COMMON PROGRESSIONS
You already know that the combination of chords, with their various roots and flavors can
take on a nearly infinite number of combinations. Yet, there are many combinations that
are seen frequently. These common sets of chords sound great together and provide a
kind of sonic vocabulary that our ears find familiar and comforting.
Since they appear together often, it’s worth getting familiar with them.
I-IV-V
Perhaps the most common grouping in Western music. Here are some examples.
C F G C
FIG.153 - I-IV-V PROGRESSION IN C MAJOR
G C D G
FIG.154 - I-IV-V PROGRESSION IN G MAJOR
I-vi
The sixth chord of a major key is a minor chord. As it shares two notes in
common with the root chord, it is known as the relative minor.
A F#min A F#min
FIG.155 - I-VI PROGRESSION IN A MAJOR
G Emin G Emin
FIG.156 - I-VI PROGRESSION IN G MAJOR
I-vi-IV-V
If you combine these first two examples, you get I-vi-IV-V. This progression was
used frequently in 1950’s Rock ‘n’ Roll and 1960’s Country music.
C Amin F G
FIG.157 - I-VI- IV-V PROGRESSION IN C MAJOR
G Emin C D
FIG.158 - I-VI- IV-V PROGRESSION IN G MAJOR
I-vi-ii-V
Here’s a progression very similar to the last one: I-vi-ii-V. This is used a lot in
classic Jazz music and Show Tunes.
C Amin Dmin G
FIG.159 - I-VI-II-V PROGRESSION IN C MAJOR
G Emin Amin D
FIG.160 - I-VI-II-V PROGRESSION IN G MAJOR
i-VI-VII
This is a progression in a minor key. i-VI-VII. Examples are E minor, C Major,
D Major or A minor, F Major, G Major. Lots of Classic Rock tunes and Folk songs
use this progression.
Emin C D Emin
FIG.161 - I-VI-VII PROGRESSION IN E MINOR
Amin F G Amin
FIG.162 - I-VI-VII PROGRESSION IN A MINOR

ASSIGNMENT
Have a look at a song you already know. Write down the chords and circle
the chord that is the key. Now examine the chords for their relationship to
the key as you did earlier in this chapter. You’ll often be able to see that the
flavor of the chords is determined by the scale degree of their roots.
This doesn’t work 100% of the time as there are always special cases, so
don’t be discouraged if you find something puzzling. Even after decades
of experience, musicians keep being surprised by new chord choices and
movement. It’s what keeps music fresh and new. But, generally your chord
analysis will help you understand the structure of the song.
BASIC IMPROVISING
THE NUTS AND BOLTS

Develop an understanding of how melodies are related to the key of the
song. Learn a few simple techniques for creating great solos, fast.
IMPROVISING IS MAKING MELODIES

Improvising is all about constructing melodies on-the-spot. Now, that sounds nice and
simple, doesn’t it? And who doesn’t like a good melody? But how are good melodies
made?
Good melodies come from scales! Aren’t you glad you read the earlier chapters about the
construction of scales? There are many types of scales that can be employed and various
strategies for applying them. Here’s an overview:
SOLOING OVER ONE CHORD
CREATE A SIMPLE MELODY

Start by working with a C Major scale. Play it up from the bottom, then return,
descending down the scale. This gets the key and flavor in your ears.
For this first exercise, pick out

any three of those notes. It’s Play
easiest to use 3 consecutive
notes, such as the 1st, 2nd and Along
3rd degrees.
Audio
Now make up a melody, just like
if you were singing it. Keep it Track
simple and use nice, long notes FIG.163 - AUDIO BACKING TRACK -
C MAJOR REPEATING
like a singer would.
Basic Improvising 87
Now play along
0 0
with the recorded
tracks that
accompany this
A E A E
book and try
your hand at F C F C
improvising a B B
melody. Simple
results are OK. C G D C G D
You’ll get more
speedy and FIG.164 - SOLO NOTE SELECTION FIG.165 - SOLO NOTE SELECTION
sophisticated with
practice.
CREATE ANOTHER MELODY

0
Think again about that C Major scale. The
rules of this exercise are: you can play any
note you want, as long as it is one of those 8 A E
notes.
F C
Here’s the fun bit, you don’t have to start
B
your melodies on the root. For now, start
your lines on either the root, 3rd or 5th and C G D
connect them via the other scale notes,
stopping at the 3rd, 5th or root. Try each of FIG.166 - SOLO NOTE SELECTION
these note choices while playing along with
the recordings, then invent some new note
choices and create melodies with those.
0
A E
F C
C G D
FIG.167 - SOLO NOTE SELECTION
SOLOING OVER CHORD CHANGES
Chord progressions, or changes, require a little practice. When you’re quite comfortable
playing melodies over just one chord, you’ll be ready to advance to playing over chord
progressions.
As you become more experienced at soloing, you’ll want to make each solo special. A
special solo shouldn’t sound like the one just before. One way to do this is to apply a
strategy to your new melody. These strategies give shape to the solo and make it stand
out.
C F G C
FIG.168 - I-IV-V PROGRESSION IN C MAJOR
Soloing Strategies
Many Chords,
Play
One Scale Along
Other times, musicians may use Audio
a more ‘blanket’ approach. They
cover each chord with notes from Track
only one scale. As an example,
FIG.169 - AUDIO EXAMPLE - MANY
over C Major, F Major and G
CHORDS, ONE SCALE
Major, a musician might choose
FIG.170 - AUDIO EXAMPLE - MANY
notes only from the scale of C
CHORDS, MANY SCALES
Major.
Play along with the repeating progression in Figure 168, only playing notes from
C Major. If you’re at a loss for note ideas, see Figures 163-167.
Many Chords, Many Scales

Some musicians follow this method: for each new chord in a progression, choose
notes from the corresponding scale. As an example, if a song is in C Major, as
the chords progress from C Major to F Major to A Minor, the soloist would shift
their note choices from the C Major scale to the F Major scale to the A Minor
scale.
Again, play along with the recording of Figure 168, changing the scale of your
note selection on each new chord.
CHOOSING A SCALE
There are lots of scales in the musical universe. Many have important relationships to the
major or minor scales you’ve already seen. Many are derived from these scales. Here are
a few scale choices that are good places to start improvising.
Basic Scalar
You just saw this approach in the example above. One scale was used in the
Many Chords, One Scale strategy and three different scales were used in the
Many Chords, Many Scales strategy.
Major Pentatonic Scale 0

The Major Pentatonic scale is a simplified
version of the major scale containing five
A E
notes: the root, 2nd, 3rd, 5th and 6th.
F C
Try improvising a melody using the C Major
B
Pentatonic scale. Figure 172 is a I-IV-V in
C Major. Play along with the recording that C G D
accompanies this book, or record your own
version using the chord progression here.
FIG.171 - C MAJOR
Keep your melodies simple at first. Start with PENTATONIC SCALE
just one note per measure, played on the first
count of each measure. Make each note last
all four counts.
C F
G7 C
FIG.172 - I-IV-V7 PROGRESSION
Minor Pentatonic Scale
0
The minor pentatonic scale is a simplified version
of the minor scale containing five notes: the root,
minor 3rd, 4th, 5th and minor 7th.
Use the Many Chords, One Scale strategy, B F C

playing the C Minor Pentatonic as a ‘blanket’
scale over the entire progression.
C G D
A E
FIG.173 - C MINOR PENTATONIC SCALE
Notice in Figure 174 that no chord is indicated over the 2nd, 4th, 6th or 8th
measures. If no chord is indicated for a bar, it doesn’t mean there is no chord.
Whenever you see a measure without a chord, refer to the previous measure
and use the chord indicated. So, measure 2 will repeat the C Minor chord in
measure 1, as will the F Minor in measure 3 be repeated in measure 4, and so on.
Cmin Fmin
G7 Cmin
FIG.174 - I-IV-V7 PROGRESSION
Blues Scale
0
A modified version of the minor pentatonic is the blues
scale. The blues scale is a minor pentatonic with the Flatted 5th
or
addition of the flat 5 degree. “Blue”note
The flat 5, or “blue note”, is commonly used in Blues B F C
music. The flat 5 is one-half step below the 5th of the
G
scale.
C G D
Again try improvising over the C Minor progression in
Figure 176, using the C Blues scale in Figure 175. A E
FIG.175 - C BLUES SCALE
12 BAR BLUES
Have a look at the 12 bar blues in Figure 176. While there are many variations on the
blues form, this is the most common. This same progression can be found in Rock, Blues,
Country and Jazz and is great for creating music with other musicians.
F C
G7 F C
FIG.176 - 12 BAR BLUES IN C MAJOR
To play a I-IV-V in A Major, you’ll need to be handy with the A, D and E Major chords and
A, D and E scales. Here are the various scales you’ve used, transposed to the key of A
Major.
3 3 3
F# C#
D A G D A G D A
G# E
A E B A E B A E B
F C F C
FIG.177 - A MAJOR PENTATONIC SCALE FIG.178 - A MINOR PENTATONIC SCALE FIG.179 - A BLUES SCALE
3 C G D 5 C G D 5
B F# A
G D D A E D A E
C# B F B F
D A E
FIG.180 - D MAJOR PENTATONIC SCALE FIG.181 - D MINOR PENTATONIC SCALE FIG.182 - D BLUES SCALE
5 D A E 7 D A E 7
C# G# B
A E E B F# E B F#
D# C G C G
E B F#
FIG.183 - E MAJOR PENTATONIC SCALE FIG.184 - E MINOR PENTATONIC SCALE FIG.185 - E BLUES SCALE
IMPROVISE 12 BAR BLUES
There are lots of ways to improvise over a Blues form. That flexibility is part of
the reason Blues has lasted as a genre and inspired so many other genres.
First, try the 12 bar Blues using the A Blues scale over the form in Figure 186.
Now, try the same progression using A, D and E Major Pentatonic scales over
the A7, D7, E7 chords, Figures 177, 180 and 183.
Try it again, using A, D and E Minor Pentatonic scales over the A7, D7 and
E7 chords, Figures 178, 181 and 184.
Now, try using the A Blues scale, Figure 179, over the whole song except on
the E chord, or V chord. On the E chord, use the E Major Pentatonic scale,
Figure 183. This approach is common among Blues players.
D A
E7 D A
FIG.186 - 12 BAR BLUES IN A MAJOR
CREATE YOUR OWN BLUES
Here are the numeric values of the chords in a 12 bar Blues. In the key of your
choosing, record your own chord backing track. Set a metronome if it helps
you keep time. Use your new backing track and improvise some solos over
them.
IV I
V7 IV I
FIG.187 - 12 BAR BLUES
Seeing Music
Crafting your own chords and music—that’s where the real power
of being able to “see” scales comes in. While it’s important to learn
the names of the notes in each pentatonic scale, it’s not necessary
to begin improvising. As a guitarist, you’ve been given a special gift
to be able to “see” the notes as they lie on the fretboard. This lays
out a road map to help you get to your musical destination.
In the result, your ears will guide you to the correct notes for a
situation, but you can start training your ears when they’re guided
by your visual ability.
PUTTING IT TOGETHER
There are two basic strategies to approaching chord changes: Many
Chords, One Scale and Many Chords, Many Scales
Several scales can be applied using one of these strategies: full scales,
major pentatonic, minor pentatonic or the blues scale.
A major pentatonic is a simplified version of a major scale. It contains

the root, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, and 6th scale tones of the major scale.
A minor pentatonic is a simplified version of a minor scale. It contains

the root, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 7th scale tones of the minor scale.
A blues scale is a minor pentatonic with the flat 5 tone added. The flat 5
is one half-step below a perfect 5th.
There are many approaches to improvising over a Blues form. They

include using a single major or minor pentatonic or blues scale over
the entire progression, as well as using different pentatonics or blues
scales over each chord.
Hear this book!

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audio examples
CREATING YOUR OWN CHORDS
THE NUTS AND BOLTS

Create new and exciting chords by avoiding a few of the guidelines used
by more traditional chord construction.
TO BOLDLY GO WHERE NO
MUSICIAN HAS GONE BEFORE
Traditional music requires traditional chords. In a genre that’s well defined by a period
in time (such as Classic Country), it’s not well received to mix in modern, complex or
dissonant chords. But in newer forms of music, you may want to find your own chordal
twists to create new and exciting music. You’ve already seen the guidelines for creating
familiar and traditional chords. But how to forge ahead to invent your own chordal
tapestries?
MODERN AMBIGUITY
Traditionally, harmony contained lots of flavors. 7th, 9th and even more exotic
embellishments were highly favored. Today, it’s more common to avoid such highly
defined and colorful harmony, opting for simple backing chords. Sometimes, the chords
used are so stripped of harmonic definition that they become a little ambiguous. It’s
neither good nor bad, musically. Music is only made of choices that express feelings,
ideas and personalities and the choices used in today’s music are used to evoke these
feelings in a new and modern way.
Modern music often uses backing chords that don’t use the 3rd scale tone at all. While
the melody will use the 3rd, the backing chords won’t.
In fact, lots of Rock songs use the power chord, which is just the root and 5th degrees.
Creating Your Own Chords 97

While a power chord chord doesn’t define the color of the chord on it’s own, they way
major or minor would, it sounds quite powerful. The indication of major or minor is
usually provided by the melody.
B E G C
0 0
FIG.188 - E5 POWER CHORD FIG.189 - C5 POWER CHORD
B E A
In Figure 190, the A5 add9 chord is also somewhat 0
ambiguous, since there is no 3rd to indicate major
or minor color. This chord is very sparkly and works
best as a substitute for a major chord.
The term “add9” means that the 9th was added to

the base chord without also adding a 7th.
FIG.190 - A5ADD9
SEEING MUSIC
METHOD BOOKS
The chords in Figures 191-193 use the concept of a drone note. The high E string is
common to every chord played in the progression. Hear how nicely it rings through the
entire progression? Very modern, indeed.
E C# A E A E D B F# B E D A D
0 0 0
FIG.191 - A MAJOR FIG.192 - B MINOR ADD9 FIG.193 - D5 ADD9
Here’s another example of a modern chord progression, this time with two drone notes.
E B A E A E B B F# B E B D A D
0 0 0
FIG.194 - A5 ADD9 FIG.195 - B5 FIG.196 - D5 ADD6 ADD9

SUSPENDED CHORDS
Suspended chords add the 4th degree to the original chord. Suspended chords can be
major, minor or dominant in color.
The term “suspended” comes from classical music. It means that the suspended note, the
4th, sounds like it’s not ‘at rest’. If that note is moved to it’s nearest neighbor, the 3rd, it
sounds much more restful.
D A E A C# A E A
0 0
FIG.197 - A5SUS FIG.198 - A MAJOR
A E D A A A E C A A
0 0
5 5
FIG.199 - A5SUS FIG.200 - A MINOR
PLAY A SUSPENDED CHORD
Listen to a chord suspension by playing the A suspended chord in Figure 197,
followed by an A major chord in Figure 198. Hear how the sound “rests” with the
standard A major chord? Then try the A5sus followed by A Minor in Figures 199-
200. Cool, right?
PUTTING IT TOGETHER
Not all chords contain the 3rd. Power chords are just the root and 5th
degrees.
One feature of some modern musical styles is the use of drone notes.
Usually found on the first two strings, the drone note or notes are
common to multiple chords.
A suspended chord adds the 4th scale tone to the chord. Suspended
chords can be major, minor or dominant in color.
If another instrument is playing the chord roots, such as a bass, you

might not need to play the roots of chords at all.
Chords don’t need to be complex. The root, 3rd and 5th are all that are
necessary. If a 7th chord, the root, 3rd and 7th are all that are needed.

CREATING YOUR OWN MUSIC
THE NUTS AND BOLTS

There’s nothing so rewarding as creating a piece of music that is truly
yours. While some people throw away all the “rules” of music, this
approach usually doesn’t go far. Audiences, even less experienced
listeners, appreciate familiar music construction techniques. Here, you
will be able to apply the nuts and bolts of music composition to create
any chord progressions you like. You’ll be able to follow conventional
construction, or be much more daring: combining chords in fresh or
unusual ways.
USE COMMON ROOT MOVEMENT

It’s common in many types of music for chords to advance by perfect fourths. A common
progression is the I-vi-ii-V7. Take a look at an example in Figure 201.
The progression starts in C Major, then moves to it’s relative minor, A minor. From A
minor, the chord advances up a perfect fourth to D minor. From D minor, it advances
again up a perfect fourth to G7. That movement in perfect fourths is the key to this great
sound.
Remember that in the key of C Major, the A and D chords will be minor and the G chord
sounds great as a dominant chord.
C Amin Dmin G7
FIG.201 - ROOT MOVEMENT LARGELY IN FOURTHS
Creating Your Own Music 103

PLAY UNEXPECTED CHORDS
Here’s a progression that breaks from the common I-vi-ii-V7 progression. The
roots are still the same, but the minor chords are now major. Play the common
progression in Figure 202 and then play the modified version in Figure 203.
Notice the large difference in the sound.
C Amin Dmin G7
FIG.202 - COMMON I-VI-II-V7 PROGRESSION
C A D G
FIG.203 - UNEXPECTED CHORD FLAVORS
The progression in Figure 203 sounds familiar because the roots move in a familiar way,
as in Figure 202. However, unlike Figure 202, the chords are not all diatonically related to
the C Major scale, adding an unexpected feel.
This kind of substitution is great if you’re composing your own music. In general, these
types of substitutions are pretty risky if you’re playing an already existing song because
these new chord choices are non-diatonic and sonically adventurous. Chances are, if
someone presents you with a 1-6-2-5 song, they probably want to hear minor chords on
the 6 and 2 chords.
USE SECONDARY DOMINANTS

A dominant chord is very often found on the V chord of a progression. There are times
when the dominant chord sounds great substituted for a major chord.
When a dominant chord is used at any position other than the V chord, it is called a
secondary dominant.
Secondary dominants have a very ‘funky’ sound and are used often in funk, blues,
country, pop and jazz music.
PLAY SECONDARY DOMINANTS
Remember the I-IV-V progression? Here it is again with all dominant chords. Play
the I-IV-V with secondary dominants.
C7 F7 G7 C7
FIG.204 - FUNKY I7-IV7-V7 PROGRESSION
B E C E A F F B G
0 7 9
FIG.205 - C7 FIG.206 - F7 FIG.207 - G7
PUTTING IT TOGETHER
Chord progressions often advance by perfect 4ths. An example is the
I-vi-ii-V7 progression.
When each chord of a progression uses chords found in the key of the
song, the song has a familiar feel.
Some songs use familiar chord movement, advancing by 4ths, but with
chords of unexpected color.
Secondary dominants are dominant chords found in positions other

than the V chord.
Creating Your Own Music 105

Blank Fretboard Diagrams
MODAL THEORY
THE NUTS AND BOLTS

The modes of a Major scale are directly related to that scale. You’ll learn
how to create all 7 modes and be able to apply them to melodies.
WHAT ARE MODES?

Modes are scales built from the notes of a major scale. They’re different versions which
all contain the same notes, starting on a different note.
Here are the 7 modes of C Major.
Locrian BCDEFGAB
Aeolian A B C D E F G A
Mixolydian G A B C D E F G
Lydian FGABCDEF
Phrygian E F G A B C D E
Dorian D E F G A B C D
Ionian CDEFGABC
FIG.208 - MODES OF C MAJOR
Modal Theory 107

Modes on the Fretboard
0 3 D A E 7
B F
A E C G D E B
F C C G
B D A E
C G D F
FIG.209 - C IONIAN FIG.210 - D DORIAN FIG.211 - E PHRYGIAN
D A 7 E B 9 G D A 12
F F C G
E B A E B
F C G G D A F C
FIG.212 - F LYDIAN FIG.213 - G MIXOLYDIAN FIG.214 - A AEOLIAN
A E B 14
F C
G D
FIG.215 - B LOCRIAN
When played on the 3rd, 4th and 5th strings, the modes look like this:
Notice how C Major itself, is considered a mode, Ionian. And remember A Natural Minor
from earlier? Here it is again, called A Aeolian.
Now take another look at the scales, noting the similarities between many of them.
Ionian, Lydian and Mixolydian all contain their own root, Major 3rd and perfect 5th. For
this reason, they all sound a bit similar, like the major scales from earlier. Give them a
play, and notice the sort of “family resemblence”.
Having a minor flavor, Lydian, Phyrgian and Aeolian have their own root, minor 3rd
and perfect 5th. Play these now and note their similarities.
Because of their similarities, sophisticated musicians will often substitute these modes for
the more traditional minor or major scales. They share enough with the more common
scales to be appropriate, yet ofter a little spice when variety is sought.
Of course, every major key has similar associated modes built upon the unique scale
tones of that original scale.
HOW ARE MODES USED?

One manner in which modes are used, such as in jazz, progressive or punk rock, jam or
psychedelic rock, is to use them as “blankets” to create colorful and unexpected melody
and harmony. Soloists will choose a particular mode for solos and create melodies from
it. Rarely changing the tonal center, these scales are thrown over a large chunk of the
progression like a blanket.
Another way modes are used is to build melodies or chords in ways that blend well with
the chord progression. Melodies built using a modal approach flow well from one chord
to another because the modes share so many notes. This is much like the Many Chords,
Many Scales strategy seen earlier, just using some different scales.
Modal Theory 109

USE BLANKET MODES
Try some modes as a blanket over these progressions. Instead of improvising
over the indicated E Minor, try swapping either E Phrygian or E Mixolydian over
this progression.
E#9 B7
FIG.216 - E MINOR PROGRESSION
G
0 D A E 7 E 9
G# F D A F
E E B
G D C G E B G
E#9 Chord FIG.217 - E PHRYGIAN FIG.218 - E PHRYGIAN
The Sharp 9 chord 5 C# G# E 9

is full of exotic
C# G# D A
flavor and a real
favorite among D A E F#
Blues and Jazz
E B
players. It is built
from a dominant E B F#
7th chord with a
sharp 9 added. A
sharp 9 is raised
one half-step from FIG.219 - E MIXOLYDIAN FIG.220 - E MIXOLYDIAN
a major 9. Remember that the major 9 is also the major 2nd. One half-step above
the major 2nd is the minor 3rd, so the sharp 9 note could also be called a minor
3rd. Paired with the major 3rd used in the dominant 7 chord, the sharp 9 chord
contains both the major and minor 3rd tones. Talk about flavor!
USE MANY MODES
Ready for a bigger challenge? Revisit the 12 bar Blues from earlier, Figure 176.
Try playing a C Mixolydian, F Mixolydian and G Mixolydian over the entire
progression, in place of similar pentatonics.
PUTTING IT TOGETHER
There are seven modes of the major scale.
Each mode is unique in its combination of degrees, making it well suited

in “blanket” applications.
Ionian, Lydian and Mixolydian have major-sounding traits.
Dorian, Phrygian and Aeolian have minor-sounding traits.
Modes can be used to create melodies that flow well from chord to
chord in a progression.
Modal Theory 111

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PLAYING WITH OTHER MUSICIANS
THE NUTS AND BOLTS

Playing music with other musicians involves a bit of a mind trick, a shift
in perspective. When playing solo, the entire song construction is up
to you. With others, it’s about designing the sound of the group and
finding your role to play in that construction.
FIT THE PIECES LIKE PUZZLE

With all you now know about chords, their relationship to the song’s key, their
construction, embellishment and function, you’ve got a lot of options underneath your
fingers. Why not use those options to create a great overall performance with your
fellow musicians? An intricate bit of art that displays good planning and execution? Your
audience will appreciate your craftsmanship.
Again, these are suggestions, not rules. Give them consideration and adopt them if they
work for you in a given situation.
ARRANGEMENT
Would you believe that 98% of the notes used in 98% of popular music fall within just
3 octaves? Sure, the piano has 8 octaves and we can hear pitches across that huge
range, but rarely do pianists use that full range. Similarly, across a group of musicians
most of the notes being played or sung are within a very tight region. When too many
musicians end up playing at the same time in the same octave, or register, the result is
musical mud. That’s not fun for anyone. So how can a guitarist avoid a muddy musical
outcome?
Arrangement is the key and there are two ways to approach the subject. Either musicians
can agree to arrange their parts in different regions or octaves or, if playing in the same
register, they might arrange to play their parts at slightly different times. Either is a great
strategy for keeping the music clear and musically pleasing.
Playing with Other Musicians 113

Harmonic Arrangement
When playing with a B G D G G D B G
keyboardist or another
3 3
guitarist, choose your
chords leaving room for
the other musician. In
the case of playing with
another guitarist, it’s usual
for the players to work in
slightly different regions.
Here are a few examples

of how both players can FIG.221 - G MAJOR - GUITAR 1 FIG.222 - G MAJOR - GUITAR 2
work together.
E C G E C C G E C
0 8
1
2
FIG.223 - C MAJOR - GUITAR 1 FIG.224 - C MAJOR - GUITAR 2
E C A E A A E C A
0 5
1
3 2
FIG.225 - A MINOR - GUITAR 1 FIG.226 - A MINOR - GUITAR 2
Time Arrangement
Most songs are in 4/4 time, meaning there are 4 beats per measure. In that small space,
it’s really easy to make things muddy when too many instruments play on top of each
other.
Use a little metric arrangement, placing your note choices so they work together, not
compete.
C C
4
4
FIG.227 - PROGRESSION 1 - GUITAR 1
C C
4
4
C C
4
4
C C
4
4

WORKING WITH A BASS PLAYER
Sometimes the bass part is played by a bass guitar and other times by a keyboard.
In either case, some conflict can happen because of the overlapping ranges of those
instruments with the guitar.
For example, the bass guitar and upright acoustic bass are tuned identically. Both have
a lowest note of E, exactly one octave below the guitar’s lowest note. Yes, despite the
perception of bass music as being extremely low and unique, bass players only have one
octave that is all theirs. If they aren’t playing in their lowest octave, they are playing in the
guitar’s region. That doesn’t make them wrong! It does require you to keep an ear out
for this, as some bassists will wander up their neck and encroach on your well-planned
chords. When you need to, give them a little space by avoiding the lowest notes on your
lowest strings. Look for other ways to arrange your part, keeping an eye (and ear) on the
necessary notes for a given chord (see Chapter Leave That Note Out).
WORKING WITH A DRUMMER

In most Western musical forms, the rhythmic element of drumming is played by a drum
kit. The drummer uses the bass drum, or kick drum (the one on the floor) to keep time
on the 1st and 3rd beat of a measure. The snare drum plays on 2 and 4. This point isn’t
immediately seen by new musicians. The drummer’s job can seem very mysterious at
first. If you’re new to thinking about the drummer’s role, watch one play Rock, Country or
Pop and as they play, count along, “One, Two, Three, Four”. You’ll find that although they
may add some snazzy embellishments, beats one and three are supported by the kick
drum, two and four by the snare.
This really applies to more popular forms of music, not Jazz. The drummer’s role in Jazz is
extremely subtle, perhaps in reaction to the more staid support found in popular music.
As a rule, Jazz drummers traditionally keep time on the ride cymbal and use all the drums
for punctuation, not rhythmic anchoring to the count of the measure. It is a wonderful
and highly creative use of the drum kit as a supporting element.
THE WISDOM OF SIMPLICITY
Don’t be afraid to keep things simple! Avoid flashy rhythms, licks, hard-to-reach chords
and aim for simple musical components. Some artists, even musical legends, make
careers out of this concept. Simple can be pleasing and rewarding. As a bonus, it leaves
space for the other elements of the music: melody, lyrics and many small embellishments.
Imagine a Christmas tree with so many ornaments, lights and doo-dads that you can’t
even see the pretty green tree underneath. It would look pretty silly, right? Never let your
music become that cluttered, poorly arranged tree.
Also remember, you’re the artist and what seems extremely simple to you will still be
greatly entertaining to your audience.
PUTTING IT TOGETHER
Arrangement with instruments in a similar range can be either by note
choice or rhythmically.
Before playing a chord, ask yourself if the entire chord is necessary. Is

someone else, maybe a bass player, already filling that sonic region?
Simple works! Sometimes a simple chord and rhythm are all that are
needed to let the song breathe and perhaps give the melodic element of
the song room to live.

YOU PUT IT ALL TOGETHER
Time to congratulate yourself on all you’ve learned!
• How to read fretboard diagrams
• How to divide the fretboard into zones for memorization
• How to create major and minor scales, triads and chords
• How to identify any musical interval
• How to transpose a chord progression
• The relationship between major and minor
• How to spell various types of 7th and 9th chords
• How to edit a chord for playability
• How to begin improvising solos and develop soloing strategies
• All 7 modes of a major scale
• How to create your own chords from scratch
• How to create your own chord progressions
• How to arrange your playing with other musicians

ASSIGNMENT
Keep learning! You’re well on your way to total guitar and musical
knowledge!
There are several books in the Seeing Music family you may find interesting
to develop your knowledge and skill. Seeing Music books put you inside
the mind of professional guitarists everywhere who organize their vast
knowledge by very simple visual means. Our books give you the tools to
continue teaching yourself, to be able to play anything, anytime.
Keep on makin’ music, musician!
You Put It All Together 119

Blank Fretboard Diagrams
CHORD AND SCALE REFERENCE
Fretboard Reference
E B G D A E 0 0
F C F
A E B
G D F C G
A E G D A
FIG.231 - NATURAL NOTES FIG.232 - OPEN-STRING EQUIVALENTS
Chords - Diminished
E B G C
D A F B 1 1 1
0 10
2
1 1
3 2
FIG.233 - B DIMINISHED FIG.234 - C DIMINISHED
Chord and Scale Reference 121

Chords - Dominant 7th and 9th
B E C E A F F B G
0 7 9
FIG.235 - C7 FIG.236 - F7 FIG.237 - G7
G B G F B G E C F# D
0 0
4 3 2
1
4 4 2
FIG.238 - G7 FIG.239 - D9
A E C F# D A D B F G A F B G
1 1 1
0 3 0
2
4 1 1
3 2
1
4 4 4 2
FIG.240 - D9 FIG.241 - G9 FIG.242 - G9
Chords - Major
E C# A E A C# A E A
0 0
3 2 1 1 1 1
FIG.243 - A MAJOR FIG.244 - A MAJOR BARRE
D# B F# B E C G E C F# D A D
0 0 0
1
1 2 2 1
3 3
4 4 4
FIG.245 - B MAJOR BARRE FIG.246 - C MAJOR FIG.247 - D MAJOR
E B G# E B E G B G D B G
0 0
1
3 2 1
4 2
FIG.248 - E MAJOR FIG.249 - G MAJOR

Chords - Minor
E C A E A A E C A
0 5
1
3 2
FIG.250 - A MINOR FIG.251 - A MINOR
E B G E B E F C A F C F
0 0
1 1 1 1
3 2
4 3
FIG.252 - E MINOR FIG.253 - F MINOR BARRE
G D B G D G
0
1 1 1 1
4 3
FIG.254 - G MINOR BARRE
Chords - Major and Minor 7th and 9th
E C G E A E B G E C
0 0
1
2 2
FIG.255 - A MINOR 7 FIG.256 - C MAJOR 7
A F# B G G D B G C
0 0
1 1
2 1 1 1
4 2
3
FIG.257 - G MAJOR 7 FIG.258 - C MAJOR 9
B E C G A E B G E A
1 1 1 1
5 0
4 2
FIG.259 - A MINOR 9 FIG.260 - A MINOR 9

Chords - Modern
G C B E
0 0
FIG.261 - C5 FIG.262 - E5
B E A
0
FIG.263 - A5 ADD9
E D B F# B E B B F# B
0 0
FIG.264 - B MINOR SUS FIG.265 - B5 SUS
E B D A D
0
E D A D
0
FIG.266 - D5 ADD9 FIG.267 - D5 SUS6/9
A E D A A
D A E A 0
0
FIG.268 - A5 SUS FIG.269 - A5 SUS

Scales - Major
D A 0 0 A E C 5
G# F
A E B A E B D
F C C G
F# C # B
C G D
FIG.270 - A MAJOR SCALE FIG.271 - C MAJOR SCALE FIG.272 - C MAJOR SCALE
3 G D 0
B F#
G D C# A E
C# D
D A E B F#
FIG.273 - D MAJOR SCALE FIG.274 - D MAJOR SCALE
5 A E 0 0
C# G# D#
A E E B F# E B
D# C G
E B F# C# G# F#
G D A
FIG.275 - EMAJOR SCALE FIG.276 - E MAJOR SCALE FIG.277 - G MAJOR SCALE
Scales - Minor
G D A 0 D A E 0
A E B E B F#
F C C G
FIG.278 - A MINOR SCALE FIG.279 - E MINOR SCALE

Scales - Modes
0 3 D A E 7
B F
A E C G D E B
F C C G
B D A E
C G D F
FIG.280 - C IONIAN FIG.281 - D DORIAN FIG.282 - E PHYRGIAN
D A 7 E B 9 G D A 12
F F C G
E B A E B
F C G G D A F C
FIG.283 - F LYDIAN FIG.284 - G MIXOLYDIAN FIG.285 - A AEOLIAN
A E B 14
F C
G D
FIG.286 - B LOCRIAN

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LEFT-HANDED

Hear this book!

KNOW YOUR FRETBOARD (PART I) 13

KNOW YOUR FRETBOARD (PART II) 15

LINKING SCALES, TRIADS AND CHORDS 19

MINOR SCALES, TRIADS AND CHORDS 27

EVEN MORE SCALES AND CHORDS 43

SEEING THE WHOLE FRETBOARD 51

HOW MAJOR AND MINOR ARE RELATED 55

LEAVE THAT NOTE OUT? YES, YOU CAN! 77

CREATING YOUR OWN CHORDS 97

CREATING YOUR OWN MUSIC 103

MODAL THEORY 107

PLAYING WITH OTHER MUSICIANS 113

YOU PUT IT ALL TOGETHER 119

THE NUTS AND BOLTS

In my years teaching guitar and talking with other

Turn the page, you’re about to “see” music!

HOW TO READ FRETBOARD DIAGRAMS

FIG.1 - FRET NOTATION FIG.2 - FRETBOARD

With your picking hand, feel free to use a pick

FIG.3 - OPEN 6TH STRING

FIG.4 - OPEN 5TH STRING

FIG.5 - FRET NOTATION FIG.6 - RIGHT-HAND FINGERING

A NOTE ABOUT FRETBOARD DIAGRAMS

Fretboard diagrams should not be confused with musical staves.

Hear this book!

THE NUTS AND BOLTS

THE FIRST 3 FRETS

Next, move to the open A string. Keep going, playing B

Know Your Fretboard - Part One 13

Once you get those memorized, challenge yourself by playing them in

THE NUTS AND BOLTS

THE FIFTH FRET

It’s A and it’s found at the 5th fret.

FIG.10 - 6TH STRING 5TH FRET A

What’s the name of your 5th string? It’s A as well, 0

Play both these notes to conﬁrm they are the same

Sometimes in guitar playing, it’s really convenient to

Know Your Fretboard - Part Two 15

Keep going, you know more than that! Again, let’s 0

One more: Starting at the bottom, C, D, E, F, G, A,

THE EVIL B STRING

FIG.14 - OPEN STRING EQUIVALENTS

FIG.15 - NATURAL NOTES

Know Your Fretboard - Part Two 17

THE NUTS AND BOLTS

IT ALL STARTS WITH A SCALE

Scales Triads Chords

The C Major Scale

CDEFGABC FIG.17 - C MAJOR SCALE NOTE NAMES

FIG.18 - C MAJOR SCALE WITH FINGERINGS FIG.19 - C MAJOR SCALE WITH

HOW MAJOR SCALES ARE BUILT

On the 5th string, you use ﬁngers 2 and 4. 1 1

When you say it to yourself a few times, it 4 4 4

C Major Up the Neck

FIG.21 - C MAJOR SCALE STARTING FIG.22 - C MAJOR SCALE STARTING

PLAY C MAJOR MIDNECK

A triad contains the 1st, 3rd and 5th degrees of the

C, E and G are the 1st, 3rd and 5th degrees of C

You’ll remember from Figure 13 that the G of the triad in E

Moving the G to the open 3rd string places one note on

Since there are ﬁve strings, but only three notes in

G MAJOR SCALE, TRIAD AND CHORD