Download - guitarsystem-com.s3.amazonaws.com · fretting hand to pick every string. This means that all your fingers get a good workout and are warmed up very quickly Here’s the diagram for

Styles and Theory

GUITAR SYSTEMTHE

Styles and Theory

GuitarSystem.com Copyright © 2012 Railroad Media, Inc

The GuiTar SyStem - Styles And Theory - Table Of Contents

i

Table Of COnTenTs

DVD #24 - Chops And Metal 1

Chromatic Exercises � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 2Picking Exercises � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 4Fretting Hand Exercises � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 6Major Scale Exercises � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 8Pentatonic Exercises � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 12Sweep Picking Exercises � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 16Sequencing Exercises � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 19CAGED Exercises � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 26The 100-Scale Challenge � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 28Putting Your Own Routine Together - Loop 36 � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 28Metal � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 29Metal Tone � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 29Metal Rhythm � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 29Downstroke Riffs � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 29Metal Progressions � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 30Galloping � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 31Galloping With Power Chords � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 32Galloping And Riffs Together � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 33Practical Application - Metal Play-Along � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 34Metal Lead � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 38Tremolo Picking � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 38Practical Application - Licks � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 39Minor Pentatonic And Blues Scale Licks � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 40Harmonic Minor Scale � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 41Practical Application - Licks � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 43Fully Diminished 7th Arpeggios � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 44Practical Application - Licks � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 46Practical Application - Loop 38 - Metal Solo � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 47

DVD #25 - Fingerstyle And Classical Guitar 51

Nails Or No Nails � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 51Arpeggios � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 51Fingerstyle Technique � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 52PIMA � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 52Fingers � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 52Thumb � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 54Rolls � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 56Practical Application - Fingerstyle Play-Along � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 58Four-Step Fingerpicking Pattern � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 61


v


ii

Table Of COnTenTs


Practical Application - Four-Step Fingerpicking Play-Along � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 62Travis Picking � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 64Thumb � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 64Melodies � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 65Practical Application - Travis Picking Play-Along � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 69Classical Technique � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 72Free Strokes � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 73Rest Strokes � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 75Fretting Hand � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 77Practical Application - Classical Play-Along � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 78Spanish Classical � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 83Advanced Rolling � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 83Alternating Thumb And Fingers � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 85Practical Application - Spanish Classical Play-Along � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 86

DVD # 26 - Bluegrass And Country 91

Bluegrass Rhythm Guitar � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 91Common Bluegrass Keys � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 91Using a Capo � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 91Standard Strumming Pattern � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 92Standard Fills � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 94Common Bluegrass Chord Progressions � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 96Practical Application - Bluegrass Play-Along� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 96Bluegrass Lead Guitar � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 100Flatpicking Technique � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 100Open Scales � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 100Practical Application - Licks � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 102Melodies � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 103Mixing Up Licks And Melodies For Solos � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 104Practical Application - Loop 39 - Bluegrass Solo� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 105Country Rhythm Guitar � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 106Chicken Pickin’ � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 106Rhythm Riffs � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 108Common Chord Progressions � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 109Practical Application - Country Play-Along � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �111Country Lead Guitar � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 117Common Scales � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 117The Major Blues Scale � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 120Country Bending � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 122Dominant 7th Arpeggios � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 124Practical Application - Loop 40 - Country Solo � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 126



iii

DVD #27 - Jazz 130

Jazz Rhythm Guitar � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 130Jazz Style � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 130Tone � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 130Swing Beat � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 131Rhythm Guitar Role In Jazz � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 131Changing Keys � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 132The 2-5-1 Progression � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 132Leaving Out Notes In Chords � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 133Dominant 7th Chord Role � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 135Cycle Of 4ths And 5ths � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 136Practical Application - Jazz Play-Along � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 139The 6-2-5-1 Chord Progression � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 143Chord Scales � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 14411th Chords � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 14513th Chords � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 147Augmented Chords � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 148Minor 7 b5 And Diminished Chords � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 150Practical Application - Ultimate Jazz Play-Along � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 152Jazz Lead Guitar � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 156Octaves � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 156Emphasizing Chord Tones � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 158Melodies vs� Licks � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 161Melodies And Themes � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 161Making Up Melodies Using Intervals � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 162Practical Application - Jazz Play-Along - Jazz Solo � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 162Listening Recommendations � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 164

DVD #28 - Music Theory And Reading Music 165

Intervals (Half-Steps And Whole-Steps) � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 165The Musical Alphabet � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 166Sharps And Flats � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 166The Major Scale Formula � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 167E & F/ B & C Rule � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 167Building Major Scales � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 167Building Chords � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 170Intervals & Major And Minor Chords � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 170Minor Third (m3) � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 170Major Third (M3) � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 170How Major Chords Are Made � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 171How Minor Chords Are Made � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 172How Diminished Chords Are Made � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 173

Table Of COnTenTs



iv

How Augmented Chords Are Made � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 173Building Chords In Major Keys � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 175How To Tell What Chords Are In Any Major Key � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 175Chord Scales � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 179Key Signatures � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 180Cycle Of 4ths And 5ths � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 180Drilling Major Keys � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 182Minor Keys � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 184Identifying Chords In Minor Keys � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 185Secondary Dominant Chords � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 186Reading Music � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 189Elements Of Standard Notation � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 189Treble Clef � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 189Key Signatures � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 189Measures � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 190Time Signatures � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 190Lines And Spaces � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 191Ledger Lines � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 191Repeat Signs � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 192Accidentals � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 192Dollar Analogy � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 192Whole, Half, Quarter, Eighth And Sixteenth Notes � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 193Counting Out Loud � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 194Rhythm Exercises � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 194Names Of The Lines And Spaces � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 201Reading Exercises � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 202

DVD #29 - Ear Training And Playing By Ear 212

Why Train Your Ears � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 212Intervals � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 212Minor Second (m2) � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 213Major Second (M2) � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 214Octave � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 215Perfect Fifth (P5) � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 215Minor Third (m3) � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 216Major Third (M3) � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 216Perfect Fourth (P4) � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 217Augmented Fourth/ Diminished Fifth � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 217Minor Sixth (m6) � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 218Major Sixth (M6) � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 218Minor Seventh (m7) � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 219Major Seventh (M7) � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 219Daily Interval Exercise � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 220

Table Of COnTenTs



v

Table Of COnTenTs

Chords � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 221Root Identification � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 221Chord Quality � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 221Seventh Chords � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 222Major 7th � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 222Dominant 7th � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 223Minor 7th � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 223First Inversion � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 225Diatonic Chords � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 226Major Scale � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 227Major Pentatonic Scale � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 229Minor Pentatonic Scale � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 230Blues Scale � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 231Playing By Ear � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 233Song Format � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 237Listening To The Song First � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 237Parts Of The Song � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 237Identifying The Key Of Songs � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 237Tonal Center Identification � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 237Chord Analysis (Major and Minor Chords) � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 238Identifying Chords � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 238Root Note Identification � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 238Chord Quality Identification � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 239Major Third � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 239Minor Third � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 239Diatonic Chords � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 239Major Scale � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 239Major Chords In Major Keys (1 4 and 5) � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 240Minor Chords In Major Keys (2 3 and 6) � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 240Diminished Chords In Major Keys (7) � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 241Identifying Chord Extensions � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 241

DVD #30 - Live Play-Alongs 244

Conclusion 245

CD Tracklisting 246

The GuiTar SyStem - Styles And Theory - Chops And Metal


1

ChOps and MeTalChOps and MeTalIntroductIon

Metal is one of the most physically demanding styles of music on the planet� Having said that, I thought it would be a good idea to place the “Chops” section of The Guitar System right before the lessons on metal� This will ensure your picking and fretting hands are in maximum shape before tackling some of the more difficult examples in the “Metal” section� You don’t have to be into metal to work on your chops� Working on speed and accuracy is great no matter the kind of music you’re into� The “Chops” section will present you with a ton of exercises that work on your picking, speed, accuracy, left hand strength, sweep picking and much more� Once you go through the exercises in that section, you’ll be able to build a customized workout based on your particular playing goals� The “Metal” section is divided up into lead- and rhythm guitar sections� As I implied earlier, the music in this section is some of the most technically and physically demanding in the entire Guitar System� If you can play the rhythm and lead parts of the Metal Play-Along, you’ll be well on your way to become a metal master!

chopSIf your goal is to play clean and fast, I want to help make that goal a reality for you� This section of The Guitar System is designed to give you an incredible workout� The exercises found herein cover things like picking speed, accuracy, fretting hand strength and sweep picking� Since most of them are in the key of A major, you can use Loop 36—a vi-IV-V-I progression in the key of A major—as a practicing tool� In my opinion this is much more fun than playing with a metronome or nothing at all� There are a lot of exercises in this section, so I wouldn’t expect anyone to go through them every day� What you can do is make your own customized chops workout routine� All you have to do is go through each exercise and pick the ones that best suit your playing goals� For example, if you really want to work on alternate picking, you should definitely use all the alternate picking exercises on a regular basis.



2

chromatIc exercISeS

The chromatic exercises in this section are great for just about everything� You can use them for picking, fretting hand strength and even as a daily warm-up� You’re basically playing through a chromatic scale by using every finger on the fretting hand to pick every string. This means that all your fingers get a good workout and are warmed up very quickly� Here’s the diagram for the chromatic scale shape you’ll be using�

3

4

3

4

1

1

4

1

52

2 3

4

1

2 3

4

2

3

4

1

2 3

4

1

2

Chromatic Scale

Exercise #1 (Chromatic Scale Picked)This exercise focuses on picking speed and accuracy� You’ll be picking every note in the chromatic scale using alternate picking� The only tricky part is on the 1st string, where you’ll have to do some sliding due to its five notes. Other than that, this exercise is pretty straightforward�

1/1

1

5 6 7 84 5 6 7

3 4 5 62 3 4 5

2 3 4 51 2 3 4 5 4 3 2 1

5 4 3

3

25 4 3 2

6 5 4 37 6 5 4

8 7 6 5



3

Exercise #2 (Chromatic Scale Legato)This exercise is my all time favorite warm-up� You’re still playing through the same chromatic scale shape, but this time you’re only picking the first note of each string. When ascending you’ll use hammer-ons, and when descending you’ll use pull-offs� This exercise will get your fretting hand very strong in a relatively short amount of time� If you want to take it to the next level, try it on an acoustic guitar�

1/1

1

5 6 7 84 5 6 7

3 4 5 62 3 4 5

2 3 4 51 2 3 4 5 4 3 2 1

5 4 3

3

25 4 3 2

6 5 4 37 6 5 4

8 7 6 5



4

pIckIng exercISeS

If you’re having trouble with your picking speed or accuracy, you’ll definitely want to make the next four exercises part of your daily practice routine. They’re designed to help you woodshed some of the specific problem-areas most people have with alternate picking. Take these very slowly at first and remember to stay relaxed. Exercise #3 (Single-String Picking)This exercise strips everything away except for your alternate picking� You’ll be picking each open string using sixteenth notes� The idea here is for you to focus on the picking hand only� Start this exercise as slowly as you need to so each sixteenth note sounds as clean and clear as possible� It’s important that you do this exercise on every string because each one feels a little bit different when you pick it� Make sure to use very small motions with the pick� You also need to make sure that not all your picking motion is coming from the elbow. That can hurt after a while and it’s pretty inefficient.

1/1

1

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 00 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

3

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 00 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

5

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 00 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0



5

Exercise #4 (Rev Your Picking)Getting the fingers on the fretting hand to match up with the picking strokes can be one of the bigger challenges of alternate picking� That’s why I’ve added this exercise in, so you can sync up the picking and fretting hands faster� The basic idea is to start out playing the three notes in this exercise slowly� Gradually increase the speed of the exercise until you start to notice your hands falling out of sync with one another� At this point you can slowly decrease the speed back to the original, slow starting speed� Revving your playing like this has a magical way of syncing your hands up with one another�

1/1

1

9 10 9 7 9 10 9 7 9 10 9 7 9 10 9 7 9 10 9 7 9 10 9 7

3

9 10 9 7 9 10 9 7 9 10 9 7 9 10 9 7 9 10 9 7 9 10 9 7

Exercise #5 (Outside Picking)Two areas that often give alternate pickers problems are inside and outside of the string picking� Outside of the string picking, or outside picking, occurs when you play a lower string with a downstroke and move to a higher string with an upstroke� It also occurs when you play a higher string with an upstroke and move to a lower string with a downstroke� Either way, you end up with this challenging hopping motion� This exercise isolates the outside picking problem�

1/1

1

57

57

57

57

58

58

58

58

57

57

57

57

4

57

57

57

57

57

57

57

57



6

Exercise #6 (Inside Picking)Inside of the string picking, or inside picking, can be a problem too� When you pick a lower string with an upstroke and move to a higher string with a downstroke, you experience inside picking� You can also experience this when you play a higher string with a downstroke and move to a lower string with an upstroke� Either way, it’ll feel like your pick is trapped between two adjacent strings� This exercise will help you get used to picking “inside” two strings�

1/1

1

57

57

57

57

58

58

58

58

57

57

57

57

4

57

57

57

57

57

57

57

57

FrettIng hand exercISeS

The next couple of exercises shift focus from the picking hand to the fretting hand� If you think your fretting hand is a little weak, these two exercises are a must for your daily practice routine seeing they feature trills to give it a great workout�

Exercise #7 (Trill Exercise #1)

1/1

1

7 8 7 8 7 8 7 8 7 9 7 9 7 9 7 9 7 10 7 10 7 10 7 10 8 9 8 9 8 9 8 9

3

8 10 8 10 8 10 8 10 9 10 9 10 9 10 9 10



7

Exercise #8 (Trill Exercise #2)

1/1

1

5 65 6

5 65 6

5 65 6 5

6 56 5

6 56 5

6 5 75 7

5 75 7

5 7

3

5 7 57 5

7 57 5

7 57 5 8

5 85 8

5 85 8

5 8 58 5

8 58 5

8

5

58 5 6 7

6 76 7

6 76 7

6 7 67 6

7 67 6

7 67 6 8

6 86 8

6

7

86 8

6 8 68 6

8 68 6

8 68 6 7 8

7 87 8

7 87 8

7 8 78 7

8

9

78 7

8 78 7



8

major Scale exercISeS

It’s important to work on strength, speed and accuracy, but you may as well work on scales while doing this kind of practice� With that in mind, the next two exercises have you moving up the fretboard by playing up and down eight different A major scale shapes� These exercises are great for working on your chops and overall fretboard layout knowledge� Each scale shape has a description above it to help you identify which one you’re playing� Try to think of the CAGED sequence as you play through each scale� You’ll pick each note in every scale on Exercise #9, while on Exercise #10 you’ll use more of a legato approach�

Exercise #9 (Major Scale Picking)

1/2

1A Major Scale 6th String Root 4th Finger Starting

52 4 5

2 41 2 4

2 3 52 4 5 4 2

5 3 24 2 1

4 25 4 2

5

3A Major Scale 6th String Root 2nd Finger Starting

5 74 5 7

4 6 74 6 7

5 74 5 4

7 57 6 4

7 6 47 5 4

7 5

5A Major Scale 6th String Root 1st Finger Starting

5 7 95 7 9

6 7 96 7 9

7 9 107 9 10 9 7

10 9 79 7 6

9 7 69 7 5

9 7 5

8

A Major Scale 4th String Root 1st Finger Starting

7 9 117 9 11

9 10 129 10 12 10 9

12 10 911 9 7

11 9 7

10

A Major Scale 5th String Root 4th Finger Starting

129 11 12

9 119 10 12

9 10 12 10 912 10 9

11 912 11 9

12



9

1/2


52 4 5

2 41 2 4

2 3 52 4 5 4 2

5 3 24 2 1

4 25 4 2

5


5 74 5 7

4 6 74 6 7

5 74 5 4

7 57 6 4

7 6 47 5 4

7 5

5A Major Scale 6th String Root 1st Finger Starting

5 7 95 7 9

6 7 96 7 9

7 9 107 9 10 9 7

10 9 79 7 6

9 7 69 7 5

9 7 5

8


7 9 117 9 11

9 10 129 10 12 10 9

12 10 911 9 7

11 9 7

10


129 11 12

9 119 10 12

9 10 12 10 912 10 9

11 912 11 9

12

2/2

12

A Major Scale 5th String Root 2nd Finger Starting

12 1411 12 14

11 13 1412 14 15

12 14 16 14 1215 14 12

14 13 1114 12 11

14 12

14


12 14 1612 14 16

13 14 1614 15 17

14 16 17 16 1417 15 14

16 14 1316 14 12

16 14 12

16


1714 16 17

14 1613 14 16

14 15 1714 16 17 16 14

17 15 1416 14 13

16 1417 16 14

17



10

Exercise #10 (Major Scale Legato)

1/2


52 4 5

2 41 2 4

2 3 52 4 5 4 2

5 3 24 2 1

4 25 4 2

5


5 74 5 7

4 6 74 6 7

5 74 5 4

7 57 6 4

7 6 47 5 4

7 5

5


5 7 95 7 9

6 7 96 7 9

7 9 107 9 10 9 7

10 9 79 7 6

9 7 69 7 5

9 7 5

8


7 9 117 9 11

9 10 129 10 12 10 9

12 10 911 9 7

11 9 7

10


129 11 12

9 119 10 12

9 10 12 10 912 10 9

11 912 11 9

12


11


2/2

12

A Major Scale 5th String Root 2nd Finger Starting

12 1411 12 14

11 13 1412 14 15

12 14 16 14 1215 14 12

14 13 1114 12 11

14 12

14


12 14 1612 14 16

13 14 1614 15 17

14 16 17 16 1417 15 14

16 14 1316 14 12

16 14 12

16


1714 16 17

14 1613 14 16

14 15 1714 16 17 16 14

17 15 1416 14 13

16 1417 16 14

17



12

pentatonIc exercISeS

Picking through pentatonic scales can feel quite different from picking through major scales, because of their two-note-per-string shape� With that in mind, the next two exercises were designed to have you playing through all five A major pentatonic scale shapes along the fretboard. Try to visualize the CAGED sequence as you go through these exercises� You’ll pick every note with Exercise #11 and use hammer-ons and pull-offs with Exercise #12�

Exercise #11 (Pentatonic Scales Picked)

1/2

1A Major Pentatonic Scale 6th String Root 4th Finger Starting

2 52 4

2 42 4

2 52 5 2

5 24 2

4 24 2

5 2

3

A Major Pentatonic Scale 6th String Root 2nd Finger Starting

5 74 7

4 74 6

5 75 7 5

7 56 4

7 47 4

7 5

5


7 97 9

7 96 9

7 107 9 7

10 79 6

9 79 7

9 7

7

A Major Pentatonic Scale 5th String Root 4th Finger Starting

9 129 12

9 119 11

10 129 12 9

12 1011 9

11 912 9

12 9

9


12 1412 14

11 1411 14

12 1412 14 12

14 1214 11

14 1114 12

14 12


13


1/2

1A Major Pentatonic Scale 6th String Root 4th Finger Starting

2 52 4

2 42 4

2 52 5 2

5 24 2

4 24 2

5 2

3


5 74 7

4 74 6

5 75 7 5

7 56 4

7 47 4

7 5

5


7 97 9

7 96 9

7 107 9 7

10 79 6

9 79 7

9 7

7


9 129 12

9 119 11

10 129 12 9

12 1011 9

11 912 9

12 9

9


12 1412 14

11 1411 14

12 1412 14 12

14 1214 11

14 1114 12

14 12

2/2

11


14 1714 16

14 1614 16

14 1714 17 14

17 1416 14

16 1416 14

17 14

Exercise #12 (Pentatonic Scales Legato)

1/2

1


2 52 4

2 42 4

2 52 5 2

5 24 2

4 24 2

5 2

3


5 74 7

4 74 6

5 75 7 5

7 56 4

7 47 4

7 5

5


7 97 9

7 96 9

7 107 9 7

10 79 6

9 79 7

9 7

7


9 129 12

9 119 11

10 129 12 9

12 1011 9

11 912 9

12 9

9


12 1412 14

11 1411 14

12 1412 14 12

14 1214 11

14 1114 12

14 12



14

2/2

11


14 1714 16

14 1614 16

14 1714 17 14

17 1416 14

16 1416 14

17 14 1/2

1


2 52 4

2 42 4

2 52 5 2

5 24 2

4 24 2

5 2

3


5 74 7

4 74 6

5 75 7 5

7 56 4

7 47 4

7 5

5


7 97 9

7 96 9

7 107 9 7

10 79 6

9 79 7

9 7

7


9 129 12

9 119 11

10 129 12 9

12 1011 9

11 912 9

12 9

9


12 1412 14

11 1411 14

12 1412 14 12

14 1214 11

14 1114 12

14 12



15

Exercise #13 (Pentatonic String-Pairs)This exercise still uses the five A major pentatonic scale shapes, but this time you’ll be focusing on string pairs. Play the lowest four notes of the first A major pentatonic scale shape on the 6th and 5th strings. From there, move up to the next shape, and play four more ascending notes on the 6th and 5th strings� Do this for the remaining shapes� Once you go through this exercise on the 6th and 5th strings, you can try it on the 2nd and 1st strings� It may take you a while to memorize this exercise, but that’s okay� Take it slowly and make sure everything is clean� Exercises like this will sharpen your fretboard navigation skills�

1/1

1

2 52 4

5 74 7

7 97 9

9 129 12

12 1412 14

14 1714 16

17

3

2 52 5

5 75 7

7 107 9

10 129 12

12 1412 14

14 1714 17



16

Sweep pIckIng exercISeS

If you enjoyed the “Sweep Picking” section of The Guitar System, you’ll love the next four exercises. The first two are very similar to some of the chord scale exercises you’ve done in the past� The only difference is that you’re sweeping arpeggios instead of strumming chords� In Exercise #14 you’ll play through each major and minor arpeggio in the key of A with the help of the E major and E minor arpeggio shapes� Exercise #15 uses the A major and A minor arpeggio shapes to do the exact same thing� Be sure to take these exercises as slowly as you need to so you can play them cleanly�

Exercise #14 (Sweeping E Major And E Minor Shapes)

1/1

1

A Major Arpeggio E Major Shape B Minor Arpeggio E Minor Shape

5 97

76

55 9 5

56

77

9 5 7 109

97

77 10 7

77

99

10 7

3

C# Minor Arpeggio E Minor Shape D Major Arpeggio E Major Shape

9 1211

119

99 12 9

99

1111

12 9 10 1412

1211

1010 14 10

1011

1212

14 10

5

E Major Arpeggio E Major Shape F# Minor Arpeggio E Minor Shape

12 1614

1413

1212 16 12

1213

1414

16 12 14 1716

1614

1414 17 14

1414

1616

17 14

7

A Major Arpeggio E Major Shape

5 97

76

55 9 5

56

77

9 5



17

Exercise #15 (Sweeping A Major And A Minor Shapes)

1/1

1

A Major Arpeggio A Major Shape B Minor Arpeggio A Minor Shape

12 1614

1414

12 17 1214

1414

16 12 14 1716

1615

14 19 1415

1616

17 14

3

C# Minor Arpeggio A Minor Shape D Major Arpeggio A Major Shape

16 1918

1817

16 21 1617

1818

19 16 5 97

77

5 10 57

77

9 5

5

E Major Arpeggio A Major Shape F# Minor Arpeggio A Minor Shape

7 119

99

7 12 79

99

11 7 9 1211

1110

9 14 910

1111

12 9

7

A Major Arpeggio A Major Shape

12 1614

1414

12 17 1214

1414

16 12



18

1/1

1

5 97

7 119

109 12 9

109

11 77

9 5

4

12 1614

14 1817

17 21 1717

18 1414

16 12

Exercise #16 (Connecting Major Arpeggio Shapes)This exercise has you working on connecting major arpeggio shapes. The first two measures connect the E and D major arpeggio shapes� The second two measures connect the A and G major arpeggio shapes� Be sure to check out the recommended fretting hand fingerings on the sheet music below.

Exercise #17 (Connecting Minor Arpeggio Shapes)This exercise works in the same vein as the previous one, but this time you’ll connect minor arpeggio shapes� Take this one slowly, and try to keep track of where you are in the CAGED sequence� These composite arpeggio shapes can be very useful for jumping from lower to higher areas of the fretboard�

1/1

1

2 54

4 76

75 9 5

76

7 44

5 2

4

9 1211

11 1414

14 17 1414

14 1111

12 9



19

SequencIng exercISeS

If you’ve gone over every section of The Guitar System up to this point, you should have a pretty good idea of what scale sequencing is and how to use it� The following exercises really woodshed the scale sequences you’ve already learned� You’ll focus on sequencing in groups of 3s, 4s and 6s using alternate picking and legato technique�

Exercise #18 (Sequencing In 3s)

1/1

1A Major Scle Sequenced In 3s Picked

5 74

74 5 4 5 7 5 7

47

4 6 4 6 7 6 74

74 6 4 6 7 6 7

57

5

3

7 5 74

74 5 4 5 7 5 4 5 4

74

7 5 7 57

57 6 7 6 4 6 4

74

7

5

6 7 6 4 6 47

47 5 7 5 4 5 4

74

7 5

7A Major Scale Sequenced In 3s Legato

5 74

74 5 4 5 7 5 7

47

4 6 4 6 7 6 74

74 6 4 6 7 6 7

57

5

9

7 5 74

74 5 4 5 7 5 4 5 4

74

7 5 7 57

57 6 7 6 4 6 4

74

7

11

6 7 6 4 6 47

47 5 7 5 4 5 4

74

7 5



20

1/1

1A Major Pentatonic Scale Sequenced In 3s Picked

5 74

74 7 4 7

47

4 7 4 74

74 6 4 6

56

5 7 5 75

75 7 5

7

3

57 5 7 5

65

6 4 6 47

47 4 7 4

74

7 4 7 47

47 5

5A Major Pentatonic Scale Sequenced In 3s Legato

5 74

74 7 4 7

47

4 7 4 74

74 6 4 6

56

5 7 5 75

75 7 5

7

7

57 5 7 5

65

6 4 6 47

47 4 7 4

74

7 4 7 47

47 5

1/1

1A Major Scle Sequenced In 3s Picked

5 74

74 5 4 5 7 5 7

47

4 6 4 6 7 6 74

74 6 4 6 7 6 7

57

5

3

7 5 74

74 5 4 5 7 5 4 5 4

74

7 5 7 57

57 6 7 6 4 6 4

74

7

5

6 7 6 4 6 47

47 5 7 5 4 5 4

74

7 5


5 74

74 5 4 5 7 5 7

47

4 6 4 6 7 6 74

74 6 4 6 7 6 7

57

5

9

7 5 74

74 5 4 5 7 5 4 5 4

74

7 5 7 57

57 6 7 6 4 6 4

74

7

11

6 7 6 4 6 47

47 5 7 5 4 5 4

74

7 5



21

1/1


5 74

74 7 4 7

47

4 7 4 74

74 6 4 6

56

5 7 5 75

75 7 5

7

3

57 5 7 5

65

6 4 6 47

47 4 7 4

74

7 4 7 47

47 5


5 74

74 7 4 7

47

4 7 4 74

74 6 4 6

56

5 7 5 75

75 7 5

7

7

57 5 7 5

65

6 4 6 47

47 4 7 4

74

7 4 7 47

47 5



22


1/2

1A Major Scale Sequenced In 4s Picked

5 7 95

7 95 7

95 7 9 5 7 9

67 9

6 79

6 7 9 6 7 96

7 96 7

3

96 7 9 6 7 9

77 9

7 99

7 9 10 7 9 107

9 107 9

107 9 10 9 7

109

5

710 9

710 9 7 10 9 7

99 7

9 77

9 7 6 9 7 69

7 69 7

69 7 6 9

7

7 69

7 69 7

69 7 5 9 7 5

97 5

9 75

9 7 5


5 7 95

7 95 7

95 7 9 5 7 9

67 9

6 79

6 7 9 6 7 96

7 96 7

11

96 7 9 6 7 9

77 9

7 99

7 9 10 7 9 107

9 107 9

107 9 10 9 7

109



23

1/2

1A Major Scale Sequenced In 4s Picked

5 7 95

7 95 7

95 7 9 5 7 9

67 9

6 79

6 7 9 6 7 96

7 96 7

3

96 7 9 6 7 9

77 9

7 99

7 9 10 7 9 107

9 107 9

107 9 10 9 7

109

5

710 9

710 9 7 10 9 7

99 7

9 77

9 7 6 9 7 69

7 69 7

69 7 6 9

7

7 69

7 69 7

69 7 5 9 7 5

97 5

9 75

9 7 5


5 7 95

7 95 7

95 7 9 5 7 9

67 9

6 79

6 7 9 6 7 96

7 96 7

11

96 7 9 6 7 9

77 9

7 99

7 9 10 7 9 107

9 107 9

107 9 10 9 7

109

2/2

13

710 9

710 9 7 10 9 7

99 7

9 77

9 7 6 9 7 69

7 69 7

69 7 6 9

15

7 69

7 69 7

69 7 5 9 7 5

97 5

9 75

9 7 5

1/1


5 74 7

74 7

44 7

4 77

4 74

4 74 6

74 6

54 6

5 76

5 75

3

5 75 7 7 5

7 55

7 56

7 56 4

56 4

76 4

7 44

7 47

7 47 4


47 4

77 4

7 5 5 74 7

74 7

44 7

4 77

4 74

7

4 74 6

74 6

54 6

5 76

5 75

5 75 7 7 5

7 55

7 56

7 56 4

9

56 4

76 4

7 44

7 47

7 47 4

47 4

77 4

7 5



24

1/1


5 74 7

74 7

44 7

4 77

4 74

4 74 6

74 6

54 6

5 76

5 75

3

5 75 7 7 5

7 55

7 56

7 56 4

56 4

76 4

7 44

7 47

7 47 4


47 4

77 4

7 5 5 74 7

74 7

44 7

4 77

4 74

7

4 74 6

74 6

54 6

5 76

5 75

5 75 7 7 5

7 55

7 56

7 56 4

9

56 4

76 4

7 44

7 47

7 47 4

47 4

77 4

7 5



25


1/1

1

A Major Scale Sequenced In 6s Picked

5 7 95 7 9 5 7 9

6 7 9 6 7 96 7 9 6 7 9

7 9 10 7 9 107 9 10 10 9

3

710 9 7 10 9 7

9 7 6 9 7 69 7 6 9 7 6

9 7 5 9 7 59 7 5

5

A Major Scale Sequenced In 6s Legato

5 7 95 7 9 5 7 9

6 7 9 6 7 96 7 9 6 7 9

7 9 10 7 9 107 9 10 10 9

7

710 9 7 10 9 7

9 7 6 9 7 69 7 6 9 7 6

9 7 5 9 7 59 7 5

1/1

1

A Major Pentatonic Scale Sequenced In 6s Picked

5 74 7

4 74 7

4 74 6

4 74 6

5 74 6

5 75 7 5

7 56 4

7 56

3

A Major Pentatonic Scale Sequenced In 6s Legato

47 4

6 47 4

7 47 4

7 47 5 5 7

4 74 7

4 74 7

4 64 7

4 6

5

5 74 6

5 75 7 5

7 56 4

7 56 4

7 46 4

7 47 4

7 47 4

7 5



26

1/1

1

A Major Pentatonic Scale Sequenced In 6s Picked

5 74 7

4 74 7

4 74 6

4 74 6

5 74 6

5 75 7 5

7 56 4

7 56

3

A Major Pentatonic Scale Sequenced In 6s Legato

47 4

6 47 4

7 47 4

7 47 5 5 7

4 74 7

4 74 7

4 64 7

4 6

5

5 74 6

5 75 7 5

7 56 4

7 56 4

7 46 4

7 47 4

7 47 4

7 5

caged exercISeS

Chops aren’t always about playing leads: you can work on chord chops too� The following exercises work on the CAGED sequence in the keys of A major and A minor� Even if your hand is in pretty good shape for lead stuff, you might experience quite a burn when tackling these two exercises� If you feel that your chord knowledge and strength is a little weak, you’ll definitely want to incorporate exercises like these in your daily practice routine.

Exercise #21 (CAGED With Major Chords)

1/1

1

A Major Chord G Shape A Major Chord E Shape A Major Chord D Shape A Major Chord C Shape

542225

577655

79109

12119109

5

A Major Chord A Shape A Major Chord G Shape A Major Chord A Shape A Major Chord C Shape

1214141412

171614141417

1214141412

12119109

9

A Major Chord D Shape A Major Chord E Shape A Major Chord G Shape

79109

577655

542225



27

1/1

1

A Major Chord G Shape A Major Chord E Shape A Major Chord D Shape A Major Chord C Shape

542225

577655

79109

12119109

5

A Major Chord A Shape A Major Chord G Shape A Major Chord A Shape A Major Chord C Shape

1214141412

171614141417

1214141412

12119109

9

A Major Chord D Shape A Major Chord E Shape A Major Chord G Shape

79109

577655

542225

Exercise #22 (CAGED With Minor Chords)

1/1

1

A Minor Chord G Minor Shape A Minor Chord E Minor Shape A Minor Chord D Minor Shape A Minor Chord C Minor Shape

5

22

357

55

75

79108

12

910

5

A Minor Chord A Minor Shape A Minor Chord G Minor Shape A Minor Chord A Minor Shape A Minor Chord C Minor Shape

121414

1213

17

1414

15 121414

1213

12

910

9

A Minor Chord D Minor Shape A Minor Chord E Minor Shape A Minor Chord G Minor Shape

79108

577

55

5

5

22

3



28

the 100-Scale challenge

The final exercise is more of a challenge for you. I challenge you to pick one scale and try to play it through 100 times� It can be any scale, and you can pick it or play it with hammer-ons and pull-offs� Playing a scale this many times takes a lot of focus, but it’s an incredible workout� If you do this for a week, I guarantee your lead-guitar chops will improve� Be sure to keep the notes you play as clean as possible and to stay relaxed� If you feel any pain, you should stop and rest� This isn’t about pushing through any pain barrier; it’s about maintaining focus and relaxation�

puttIng your own routIne together - loop 36You made it through all the exercises in the “Chops” section! As I mentioned earlier, it would be pretty unreasonable to expect anyone to go through these exercises every day. What you need to do now is decide what specific things you’d like to work on. This is something your overall playing goals will help you define. If one of your goals is to be a better picker, you should probably incorporate the alternate picking exercises into your daily practice routine� If you want to get better at sweep picking, you should incorporate the exercises on that technique� Your goals and areas of focus will change over the years, and your practice routine should change along with them� No matter what your goals are, the exercises in this section will always be here for you to come back and use� Pick a few to incorporate into your daily practice� If you’re faithful to them, you’ll see amazing results over time� You can use Loop 36 to help you in your practice sessions�

Track #1



29

metalMetal is one of the most physically demanding styles of music covered in The Guitar System� That’s the main reason the metal lessons were included right after the “Chops” section� Throughout these lessons we’ll look at some of the main techniques and ideas used in metal rhythm and lead guitar� Once you’ve learned some of the finer points of metal, you’ll apply your knowledge to the Metal Play-Along and a metal solo.

metal tone

The first thing we’re going to talk about is setting a good guitar tone for metal. Generally, people who are new to metal, crank the gain on their amp all the way up and turn their mids all the way down� While that’s a unique tone, it can get pretty muddy-sounding� Try adding only as much gain as you think you actually need for the passages you’re playing. Any more gain than that can end up making you lose some sound definition. I also recommend having some mids in your tone� That way your guitar won’t get buried in the mix if you’re recording or playing with other musicians� Metal guitar players usually use distortion pedals instead of overdrive pedals� Distortion pedals are a little sharper-sounding and usually have a little more gain� If you don’t have a distortion pedal, that’s okay� You can just use the distortion on your amp�

metal rhythmMetal rhythm guitar usually involves a lot of fast picking, downstrokes and palm muting� This isn’t always the case, but a lot of metal music does rely heavily on these elements to create an aggressive sound� The following exercises present some riffs, chord progressions and techniques that’ll really help you get into the world of metal rhythm guitar�

downStroke rIFFS

The following three riffs use a lot of downstrokes and palm muting to help you understand how typical metal riffs are made� You don’t have to play each note with a downstroke, but using all downstrokes will help you get a more aggressive sound� Give these metal riffs a try and then try to make up your own�

Exercise #1

1/1

1

0 0 0 02

0 0 02

0 0 0 02

0 0 02



30

Exercise #2

Exercise #3

1/1

1E5 G5 F 5 B5

0 0 0 0 02

3 3 3 3 35

2 2 2 2 24 2 2 2 2 2

4

1/1

1

0 00

0 02

0 03

0 02

0 01

0 00

0 02

0 03

0 02

0 01

metal progreSSIonS

There are countless metal chord progressions that we could go through in this section� Instead, let’s focus on a couple that just scream metal! The 1 to b7 and the 1 to b5 progressions are two of the most metal-sounding chord progressions on the planet� Play through each progression, and see if you can memorize the distinct sound of each one�

1 to b7

1E 2F# 3G 4A 5B 6C 7D 8E

E Minor Scale

1/1

1E5 D5 E5 D5

022

57

57

57

022

57

57

57



31

1 to b5This particular example of a 1 to b5 progression shows up later on in the intro of the Metal Play-Along� Try to memorize this one�

1E 2F# 3G 4A 5Bb 6C 7D 8E

E Minor Scale With Lowered 5th

gallopIng

Galloping is a pretty aggressive rhythm guitar technique found in all kinds of rock, hard rock and metal� The term galloping comes from horse galloping because horses galloping down a trail is exactly how the group of three notes used within this technique sound� Odds are you’ve heard this before in some of your favorite rock and metal tunes� The following lessons will show you what galloping is and how to apply it to a few exercises and riffs�

technIque

The standard galloping technique uses one long note and two short notes, all of which are palm muted� In the example on the following page, the long note is an eighth note and the short notes are sixteenth notes� The picking pattern for these three notes is “down down up�” For now you’ll just use an open E power chord� Try to play the example� Do you see how it kind of sounds like a horse galloping? Take your time and start “galloping” out slowly� Once it’s clean you can speed it up as much as you like�

1/1

1E5 A 5 G5

02

02

02

02 1

3

35

3E5 A 5 B5

02

02

02

02 1

324



32

1/1

1E5

02

02

02

02

02

02

02

02

02

02

02

02

02

02

02

02

02

02

02

02

02

02

02

02

gallopIng wIth power chordS

The next two exercises show you how to start galloping while moving some power chords around the fretboard� If you are into Metallica or Iron Maiden, you have definitely heard things like these before.

Exercise #1

Exercise #2

1/1

1E5 A 5

02

02

02

02

02

02

02

02

02

02

02

02

02

02

02

02

02

02

02

02

02 1

3

1/1

1E5

02

02

02

02

02

02

02

02

02

02

02

02

02

02

02

02

02

02

02

02

02

02

02

02

3G5 F 5 B5

35

35

35

35

35

35

35

35

35

35

35

35

24

24

24

24

24

24 2

424

24

24

24

24



33

Exercise #1

Exercise #2

gallopIng and rIFFS together

The next step in your metal rhythm guitar journey is to combine the galloping technique with riffs� Exercises #1 and #2 show you exactly how to do this� Once you get the basic idea down, you can try to make up your own metal rhythm parts�

1/1

1E5

02

02

02

02

02

02

02

02

02

02

02

02

02

02

02

02

02

02

02

02

02 1 0

30

1/1

1E5

02

02

02

02

02

02

02

0 0 3 2 0 2 02

02

02

02

02

02

02 0 2

2 5 41

woodShed - loop 37Loop 37 is a customized drum track that you can use to create your own galloping rhythm riffs� I left the guitar and bass out to give you maximum freedom� Have fun with this one, and get ready for the very challenging Metal Play-Along coming up in the next section�

Track #2



34

Practical Application - Metal Play-AlongThe Metal Play-Along is probably the most technically challenging song in the entire Guitar System� You’ll use a lot of fast downstrokes and palm muting for this aggressive tune, so your chops will have to be pretty sharp to play through the entire thing� Feel free to treat each section of this song as an exercise� Breaking it up into smaller parts like this can make it a bit more manageable� The intro (page 35) to the song should sound pretty familiar because it’s very similar to the example used in the 1 to b5 metal chord progression lesson� Play through this progression twice and then hold out an E power chord� Not too hard so far! The next section of the song is labeled Interlude and presents the trickiest part of the tune� It features a pretty fast power chord riff followed by the main single-note riff of the song� The single-note riff is pretty challenging, so make sure to take it slowly. If you need help with the fingering, you can always refer back to the video. The verse (page 36) of the tune is a bit more subdued version of the interlude, which means you’re still using a power chord riff followed by the main single-note riff� Play the verse four times, and don’t forget to take the second ending when you get to the fourth rotation� The second ending is a big transition into the chorus of the song� The chorus completely changes gears with its triplet-based feel, a lot of palm muted power chords and a small riff at the end of the phrase� Play through the chorus twice, and then take the Da Segno sign back to the interlude� Go right back into the interlude riff, and then play all the way down to the Da Segno marker again� When you reach the Da Segno marker for the second time, move on to the bridge of the song on measures 16-19 (page 37), and play it four times� The bridge is pretty easy when compared to some of the other parts you’ve learned� It’s also the section you’ll be soloing over later on in the lessons on metal lead guitar�

Finish the song off by playing the interlude riff four times and landing on an E power chord� Like I said earlier, there are a lot of physically demanding parts in this song, so take your time with each one� When you can play through this song you should be able to tackle just about any metal song you like� Good luck!

Track #3



35

1/3

1

IntroE5 A 5 G5

02

02

02

02 1

3

35

3E5 A 5 B5

02

02

02

02 1

324

5E5

02

(0)(2)

7

Interlude

E5 A 54x

E5 A 5

02

02

02

02

02

02

02 1

3

0 0 3 2 0 2

4x

02

02

02

02

02

02

02 1

30 2

2 5 41

9

VerseE5 A 5 E5 A 5

1-3.E5 A 5E5

02

02

02 1

3

02

02

02 1

3

02

02

02 1

3

02

02

02 0 2

2 5 41



36

2/3

11

4.E5 A 5E5 G5 F 5 F5 G5 F 5 F5

3 3

ChorusE5

3 3 3

0202

02 1

3

02

0235

24

13

35

24

13

02

02

02

02

02

02

02

02

13 3 3 3

G53 3 3

02

02

02

02

02

02

02

02 5

353

53

53

53

53

53

53

15

G5 B5

33 3

3

BridgeE5 D5/A E5

3 3 35

35 2 2 2

4 5 4

02

02

02

02

02

02 0

0

02

17A 5 E5 D5/A

02

02

02

02

02

02 1

320 0

202

02

02

02

02 0

0

02

4x19

A5 A 5Interlude

E5 A 5

4x

02

02

02

02

02

02 2

0

20 1

3

02

02

02

02

02

02

02 1

3

0 0 3 2 0 2

1/3

1

IntroE5 A 5 G5

02

02

02

02 1

3

35

3E5 A 5 B5

02

02

02

02 1

324

5E5

02

(0)(2)

7

Interlude

E5 A 54x

E5 A 5

02

02

02

02

02

02

02 1

3

0 0 3 2 0 2

4x

02

02

02

02

02

02

02 1

30 2

2 5 41

9

VerseE5 A 5 E5 A 5

1-3.E5 A 5E5

02

02

02 1

3

02

02

02 1

3

02

02

02 1

3

02

02

02 0 2

2 5 41



37

2/3

11

4.E5 A 5E5 G5 F 5 F5 G5 F 5 F5

3 3

ChorusE5

3 3 3

0202

02 1

3

02

0235

24

13

35

24

13

02

02

02

02

02

02

02

02

13 3 3 3

G53 3 3

02

02

02

02

02

02

02

02 5

353

53

53

53

53

53

53

15

G5 B5

33 3

3

BridgeE5 D5/A E5

3 3 35

35 2 2 2

4 5 4

02

02

02

02

02

02 0

0

02

17A 5 E5 D5/A

02

02

02

02

02

02 1

320 0

202

02

02

02

02 0

0

02

4x19

A5 A 5Interlude

E5 A 5

4x

02

02

02

02

02

02 2

0

20 1

3

02

02

02

02

02

02

02 1

3

0 0 3 2 0 2

3/3

4x21

E5 A 5 E5

4x

02

02

02

02

02

02

02 1

30 2

2 5 41

022



38

metal leadIn the following lessons we’ll take a look at how to apply some of the things you already know to metal leads, namely tremolo picking, minor pentatonic and blues scale licks� You’ll also learn about some completely new lead-guitar tools that’ll make your metal solos even better, like the harmonic minor scale and the fully diminished 7th arpeggio� Once you get an idea of how to use these lead-guitar tools in a metal context, you’ll learn an incredible metal solo that you can play over the Metal Play-Along� You’ll also be free to experiment with everything you’ve learned, to make up your own metal solos� Again, this style of playing can be pretty physically demanding�

tremolo pIckIng

We’ve already covered a little bit of tremolo picking in previous picking exercises� In this lesson we’ll approach it from a metal perspective seeing it’s often used in metal as a lead- and rhythm guitar tool� The following exercises incorporate tremolo picking to play through some scales� Exercise #1 uses groups of four notes and Exercise #2 groups of two notes�

Exercise #1

1/1

1

7 7 7 7 9 9 9 9 10 10 10 107 7 7 7 9 9 9 9 10 10 10 10

7 7 7 7 9 9 9 9

3

7 7 7 7 8 8 8 8 10 10 10 107 7 7 7 8 8 8 8 10 10 10 10 8 8 8 8 7 7 7 7

5

10 10 10 10 8 8 8 8 7 7 7 79 9 9 9 7 7 7 7

10 10 10 10 9 9 9 9 7 7 7 7

7

10 10 10 10 9 9 9 9 7 7 7 7 7



39

Exercise #2

1/1

1

7 7 7 7 9 9 9 9 10 10 10 107 7 7 7 9 9 9 9 10 10 10 10

7 7 7 7 9 9 9 9

3

7 7 7 7 8 8 8 8 10 10 10 107 7 7 7 8 8 8 8 10 10 10 10 8 8 8 8 7 7 7 7

5

10 10 10 10 8 8 8 8 7 7 7 79 9 9 9 7 7 7 7

10 10 10 10 9 9 9 9 7 7 7 7

7

10 10 10 10 9 9 9 9 7 7 7 7 7

1/1

1

7 7 9 9 10 107 7 9 9 10 10

7 7 9 97 7 8 8 10 10

7 7 8 8 10 10 8 8 7 7

3

10 10 8 8 7 79 9 7 7

10 10 9 9 7 710 10 9 9 7 7

Practical Application - LicksThe three licks in this section do a great job of showing you how to use tremolo picking in your rhythm riffs and lead licks� Play through each lick, and then try to come up with your own tremolo picking licks and riffs� Keep an ear out for licks like these in your favorite metal songs�

Lick #1

1/1

1E5 A 5 G5

02

02

02 1

3

35

(3)(5) 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1

3 3 3 3



40

Lick #2

Lick #3

1/1

1

1414 12

1214 14 14

12 12 14 1412

full

15 (15)

1/1

4x1

4x

7 7 7 78 8 8 8

0 0 0 00 0 1 1

mInor pentatonIc and BlueS Scale lIckS

In this section I’m going to show you how to use minor pentatonic and blues scales to create incredible-sounding metal lead-guitar licks� I vividly remember seeing one of my favorite metal bands live� I was astonished with how their solos were so heavily based on the standard minor pentatonic and blues scale shapes� That just goes to show that it’s not always what you know, but rather what you do with what you know that counts�

Lick #1

1/1

12 14 1512

15 14 12 14 1512

15 14 12 14 1512

15 14 12 14 1512 15 12 15 12

full

15



41

Lick #2

Lick #3

1/1

1

1414 12

1214 14 14

12 12 14 1412

full

15 (15)

1/1

4x1

4x

7 7 7 78 8 8 8

0 0 0 00 0 1 1

1/1

full

15 12

full

15 12

full

14 12

full

14 1214 12

1214 13 12 14 13 12

12

14

1/1

1414

1414

1212

1414

141414

1212

141414

1212

14 12 14

harmonIc mInor Scale

The harmonic minor scale is used quite a bit in metal� In the following lessons we’ll take a look at how it is made and you’ll learn a common harmonic minor scale shape and a few licks that’ll get you used to using it� In order to do all this, we’ll start with a natural minor scale: E minor� To turn the E minor scale into an E harmonic minor scale you only have to modify one note: the 7th degree� If you raise the 7th degree of any natural minor scale by one half-step, you end up with a harmonic minor scale� Here’s a diagram of the E minor scale with the D note, or 7th scale degree, raised by one half-step to a D#�

1E 2F# 3G 4A 5B 6C 7D 8E

E Minor Scale

1E 2F# 3G 4A 5B 6C 7D# 8E

E Harmonic Minor Scale



42

111

3

4

4

3

4

4

1

2

12

E Minor Scale

2 2

4 4

1

12

1

1

1

3

4

4

3

3

4

4

1

2

12

E HarmonicMinor Scale

2

4

1

1

2

4

Take a look at the standard 6th string root note E minor scale shape—the diagram on the left� Compare it to the 6th string root note E harmonic minor scale shape—the diagram on the right� Do you see how the 7th scale degree is raised by one half-step? Play through this harmonic minor scale shape until you get used to its feel and sound�

Exercise #1

1/1

12 14 1512 14 15

13 14 1612 14 16

13 16 1714 15 17 15 14

17 16 1316 14 12

16 14 1315 14 12

2

15 14 12



43

Practical Application - LicksHere are a few licks that show you how to use the harmonic minor scale in a metal context� Lick #3 is in the upcoming metal solo, so make sure to memorize that one really well� Feel free to make up your own harmonic minor licks too!

Lick #1

Lick #2

Lick #3

1/1

12 14 1512 14 15

13 14 13141315 14 12

15 14 11 12

1/1

12 14 15 14 1216

1216 13 12 13 12

1413 14

1/1

12 14 1512 14 15 12 14 15

13 14 16 13 14 1612 14 16 12 14 16

13 16 17 13 16 1714 15 17 15

17

2

(17)



44

Fully dImInIShed 7th arpeggIoS

The fully diminished 7th arpeggio is used quite a bit in metal and shred music� In the following lessons we’ll take a look at how it is made, and you’ll learn a couple of fully diminished 7th arpeggio shapes and some licks to go along with them� This type of arpeggio has a pretty distinct sound, so make some room for a brand new tool in your lead-guitar toolbox� By now you should have a pretty good idea of how major 7th, dominant 7th, minor 7th and minor 7 b5 chords are made� If you take a look at the following chart, you’ll hopefully be able to see that the only difference between the E minor 7 b5 and the E diminished 7th chord is the 7th of the diminished 7th chord, which is lowered by a half-step� There are two distinct approaches you can follow to make a fully diminished 7th chord� Let’s take a look at them both while keeping the E diminished 7th chord as our example�

In the first approach we start with a major 7th chord—in this case an E major 7th—and lower its 3rd and 5th by one half-step and its 7th by one whole-step� The end result is a fully diminished 7th chord, and in the case of our example, an E fully diminished 7th chord� It’s probably a good idea to commit this formula to memory� The second approach is based on the concept of stacking thirds� By stacking three minor thirds you get a fully diminished 7th chord� Check out the diagram above if you have any questions about this�

Minor 3rd

Fully Diminished 7 Chord Formula

E

G

Bb

DbMinor 3rd

Minor 3rd

diminished 7th

E Major 7 E G# B D#

E G# B D

E G B D

E G Bb D

E G Bb Db

E Dominant 7

E Minor 7

RootChord Type 3rd 5th 7th

E Minor 7 b5

E FullyDiminished 7



45

1

3

4 4

1

12

E Fully Diminished7th Arpeggio

1

4 4

1

12

E Fully Diminished7th Arpeggio

2 2

There are two basic fully diminished 7th arpeggio shapes for you to learn. While the first one is pretty simple, the second one challenges you with the biggest stretches so far� Take a look at each arpeggio shape, and see if you can play through them before going on to the following exercises�

1/1

9 1211

9 12 911

12 9

1/1

9 12 15

9 12 15 12 9

15 12 9

Exercise #1

Exercise #2



46

Practical Application - LicksHere are a few licks that make good use of the two fully diminished 7th arpeggio shapes you just learned� Licks like these are usually played pretty quickly, but don’t sacrifice clarity for speed. Have fun with this new sound!

Lick #1

Lick #2

Lick #3

1/1

9 1211

9 12 911

12 9 12 1514

12 15 1214

15 12

1/1

12 15 18

12 15 18 15 12

18 15 12 15 18

12 15 18 15 12

18 15 12 15 18 15

1/1

15 12 9

15 12 9

15 12 9

15 12 9

15 12 9

15 12 9 12 9



47

Practical Application - Loop 38 - Metal Solo It’s time to apply everything you’ve learned about metal lead guitar to a pretty incredible solo� There are a lot of technical things going on in this solo, so you’ll probably want to break it down section by section and even bar by bar� You already know most of this solo from the licks you learned in the past few lessons� That’s a nice bonus! This solo is in the key of E minor, so get ready to use a lot of E minor, E minor pentatonic, E blues and E harmonic minor scales� This solo was written to go over the bridge of the Metal Play-Along, a section that I culled into an entire track: Loop 38� It’s a great track to practice this solo, so pull it up if you like� Now let me walk you through the solo� The lick on measures 1-3 (page 48) uses the E minor scale, the E blues scale and a pedal tone idea to create an interesting start to the solo� On measure four you shift to a different minor pentatonic scale shape and use two-note tremolo picking to ascend through part of it, before ending with a big bend� The lick that takes most of measures five and six features an E minor pentatonic scale along with some serious bending� Nothing new for you! The lick that starts at the end of measure six should look familiar to you� Recognize it? It’s Lick #1 from the “Minor Pentatonic And Blues Scale Licks” section� The lick after that (page 49) is basically Lick #2 from the “Fully Diminished 7th Arpeggios” lick section� Measures eleven and twelve are Lick #2 from the “Minor Pentatonic And Blues Scale Licks” section� This lick is followed by Lick #3 from that same section. The final three measures of the solo are taken directly from Lick #3 of the “Harmonic Minor Scale” section� Hopefully this solo gives you a very clear understanding of exactly how you can use the lead-guitar elements we’ve gone over in this section� You don’t have to play exactly what’s written in the solo� In fact, I encourage you to develop your own licks, melodies and solos using everything you’ve learned� You can pull up the Metal Play-Along and solo over the whole thing�

Track #4



48

1/2

7 9 7 10 77

78

79

78

77

7 7 9 7 10 79 8 7

7 7

3

9 7 10 77

78

79

78

77

714 14

12 12 14 1412

full

15

5

full

1512

full

1512

full

1512

full

1512

full

1512

full

15 1214 12 14 12

1412 14 15

7

1215 14 12 14 15

1215 14 12 14 15

1215 14 12 14 15

12 15 12 15 12

full

15

9

12 15 18

12 15 18 15 12

18 15 12 15 18

12 15 18 15 12

18 15 12 15 18 15



49

1/2

7 9 7 10 77

78

79

78

77

7 7 9 7 10 79 8 7

7 7

3

9 7 10 77

78

79

78

77

714 14

12 12 14 1412

full

15

5

full

1512

full

1512

full

1512

full

1512

full

1512

full

15 1214 12 14 12

1412 14 15

7

1215 14 12 14 15

1215 14 12 14 15

1215 14 12 14 15

12 15 12 15 12

full

15

9

12 15 18

12 15 18 15 12

18 15 12 15 18

12 15 18 15 12

18 15 12 15 18 15

2/2

11

full

15 12

full

15 12

full

14 12

full

14 1214 12

1214 13 12 14 13 12

12

14

13

1414

1414

1212

1414

141414

1212

141414

1212

14 12 14

15

12 14 1512 14 15 12 14 15

13 14 16 13 14 1612 14 16 12 14 16

13 16 17 13 16 1714 15 17 15

17

17

(17)



50

concluSIonThat’s it for the “Chops And Metal” section of The Guitar System. You’ll definitely want to use the “Chops” section as a reference over the years� As you grow as a musician, your areas of focus will change� At times you might not be focused on chops at all, and that’s okay� There’ll be other times when you’ll really need to focus on chops for one reason or another� Whatever the reason, the chops lessons will always be here for you when you need them� Hopefully the “Metal” section has showed you how to apply some old and new things to a very fun style of music� If you’re into metal, I want to encourage you to take some time to explore some of your favorite metal bands, as well as some new ones� Listen to how they use the techniques we’ve gone over� In the next section of The Guitar System we’re going to make a big shift and focus on some fingerstyle and classical guitar� If you thought the Metal Play-Along was challenging, just wait until you get to some of the fingerstyle and classical guitar lessons!

The GuiTar SyStem - Styles And Theory - Fingerstyle And Classical Guitar


51GuitarSystem.com Copyright © 2013 Railroad Media, Inc

51

finGersTyle and ClassiCal GuiTarfinGersTyle and ClassiCal GuiTar

IntroductIon

Fingerstyle and classical guitar can really open up a whole new world of playing for you� These two styles of music use the thumb and fingers to play the notes on the guitar. This allows you to perform more complex things that you could never play with a single pick. To me, fingerstyle and classical guitar are very similar to playing the piano: the thumb acts as the left hand on the bass notes and the remaining fingers act as the right hand on the higher notes� Throughout these lessons we’ll look at the techniques you need to learn to play fingerstyle, classical and Spanish classical music. You’ll stumble upon five very fun and challenging play-alongs along the way, so get ready for some very rewarding hard work�

FIngerStyleFingerstyle guitar involves picking the notes on the guitar with the thumb and fingers of the picking hand. This style can be played on any type of guitar, but the steel string acoustic guitar is usually the weapon of choice� Don’t worry if you don’t have this type of guitar: you can use whatever you have� Throughout this section you’ll learn the fundamental techniques required to start playing fingerstyle guitar. Once you have them down, we’ll jump into three very diverse fingerstyle play-alongs. If you really like fingerstyle guitar, I recommend checking out players like Phil Keaggy, Tommy Emmanuel, Doyle Dykes, Doc Watson, Andy McKee and Leo Kottke�

naIlS or no naIlS

Growing the fingernails out a bit on the picking hand can give you a sharper, louder sound when playing fingerstyle guitar. I know of many amazing fingerstyle guitar players who either play with long fingernails or their bare fingertips. So whether or not you use longer fingernails on the picking hand is really up to you. If you decide to grow your fingernails, I recommend picking up a fingernail file. This will help keep your fingernails smooth and free from snags. If you choose to use your bare fingers, you’ll have to be a little patient while you build up some calluses�

arpeggIoS

Up until this point in The Guitar System, arpeggios have been used as more of a lead or crosspicking tool� In fingerstyle and classical guitar, arpeggios are usually played by “rolling” through a chord. This will become clear to you once we start going through the basic techniques required for fingerstyle guitar.



52

FIngerStyle technIque

There are several different schools of thought when it comes to fingerstyle technique. The Guitar System covers three basic fingerpicking techniques and focus on one of them. I’ve seen great players use them all, so I won’t say that one is better than the other� It really just comes down to what works best for you� The first technique has you planting the pinky on top of the guitar as an anchor point, which most people tend to do somewhere on or around the pickguard� Anchoring the pinky like this gives you a nice reference point that’ll make picking the strings with the remaining fingers a lot easier. The second technique involves planting the wrist on the bridge of the guitar� Again, this gives you a nice reference point for picking the strings� This method also puts you in a good position to get more volume out of the guitar strings� The final technique is called classical method and it’s the one I like to use� This technique doesn’t use any anchor points for the picking hand. Instead, the picking hand floats freely above the strings. Try this, stick out the picking arm right in front of you� Make sure it’s straight and relaxed, kind of like you’re holding an apple or a baseball� Now bring your arm in to where your fingers and thumb are hovering above the strings and just touching them. This is the posture to keep in mind when using the classical method of fingerpicking.

pImaBefore moving on to some actual fingerstyle exercises, you need to know about the labeling system for the fingers on the picking hand—also known as pima� The thumb is labeled p, the 1st finger i, the 2nd finger m and the 3rd finger a� The pinky isn’t used much but it’s labeled c. Keep an eye out for these finger indicators in the following exercises�

FIngerS

The next few exercises will help you learn to use the 1st, 2nd and 3rd fingers on the picking hand to play fingerstyle guitar. Remember to start with a relaxed hand posture, kind of like you’re holding a baseball� Your fingers should be naturally curved around to the strings. Most of the picking motion should come from flexing the fingers in, toward the palm of your hand. When doing this, notice all three finger joints contributing to the motion�

i

ma

c

p



53

Exercise #1For this first exercise, set the 1st finger on the 3rd string, the 2nd finger on the 2nd string and the 3rd finger on the 1st string. Make an open C Chord. The first two measures work on your ability to fingerpick with the 1st finger. The third measure contains a full rest to give you time to shift your focus to fingerpicking with the 2nd finger on measures four and five. Take one more whole rest in bar six, and get ready for two measures of fingerpicking with the 3rd finger. Take this exercise very slowly and concentrate on accuracy and getting a very even sound between all of your fingers. Regardless of which fingerstyle method you’ve chosen, you should make sure to stay pretty relaxed. Take some time to study the techniques of your favorite fingerstyle guitarists.

1/1

1C

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 01 1 1 1

5

1 1 1 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

1/1

1C

01

0

01

0

01

0

01

0

Exercise #2With this exercise you’ll be basically “rolling” up the top three notes of an open C major chord by playing the 3rd string with the 1st finger, the 2nd string with the 2nd finger and the 1st string with the 3rd finger. Do this over and over again. Rolling is a very crucial skill to learn if you want to be a fingerstyle guitarist!



54

Exercise #3This exercise works on rolling down an open C chord. Start with the 3rd finger on the 1st string, and then move on to playing the 2nd string with the 2nd finger and the 3rd string with the 1st finger.

Exercise #4In this exercise you’ll combine rolling up with rolling down—full-blown rolling—to play through an open C chord� Take this one slowly, and be sure to pay attention to the picking-hand indicators�

thumB

Now that you have some basic fingerstyle technique down, it’s time to shift your focus to the thumb. When playing fingerstyle guitar, the thumb kind of acts like the left hand of a piano player. In other words, you’ll be playing mostly bass notes with the thumb� If you’re using the classical method, you can go ahead and set the picking hand up in the relaxed position we went over earlier� Make sure the thumb is relaxed, kept relatively straight and not curved too far one way or the other while plucking notes�

1/1

1C

01

0

01

0

01

0

01

0

1/1

1C

01

01

01

01

01

01

01

01



55

Exercise #1This first exercise works on thumb accuracy by having you alternate between the lowest three strings of a G chord with it� I’ve inserted a measure of rest between each measure of playing� This will give you time to work on aiming for the correct string with the thumb�

Exercise #2This exercise and the following two are very similar to Exercise #1� The biggest difference is the inexistence of rests� You’ll have to be spot on with your aim�

1/1

1G

3 3 3 32 2 2 2

5

0 0 0 0

1/1

1G

3 3 3 32 2 2 2

0 0 0 02 2 2 2

5

3 3 3 3



56

1/1

1G

32

0

32

0

32

0

32

0

32

0

3

1/1

1G

32

02

32

02

32

02

32

02

Exercise #3

Exercise #4

rollS

The next four exercises combine the thumb with the remaining fingers for some full-blown fingerstyle playing. Take each exercise slowly, and try to space out the notes as evenly as possible� Rolling through chords like this is an extremely important fingerstyle technique to master.

Exercise #1

1/1

1G

3

00

3

3

00

3

3

00

3

3

00

3



57

Exercise #2

Exercise #3

Exercise #4This exercise is the first to feature chord changes within rolls. Make sure you’re comfortable with the previous three exercises before trying this one� Ideas like this will be used throughout the upcoming play-along�

1/1

1G

30

0

3

30

0

3

30

0

3

30

0

3

1/1

1G

3

00

30

0

3

00

30

0

3

00

30

0

3

00

30

0

1/1

1G Em

3

03

33

0

3

0

0

03

33

0

0

0



58

Practical Application - Fingerstyle Play-AlongThis play-along uses everything you’ve learned about fingerstyle guitar so far. It has four distinct parts—each with its own unique fingerpicking pattern. You should be able to figure most of this tune out from the TAB but I’ll go over some of the trickiest parts with you� The verse (page 59) of the song is pretty straightforward� You’re simply rolling up through a G-G/F-C chord progression. The only really tricky part is the fingering for the G/F on the second measure. To help you out with this, let me explain how to transition from the G chord on measure one to the G/F� After playing through the G chord, leave the 3rd and 4th fingers where they are, let go of the string you’re holding with the 2nd finger, and use the 1st finger to grab the 1st fret of the 6th string. The fingerpicking pattern changes a bit when you get to the chorus. Instead of just rolling up the chords, you have to roll up and back down the G, B minor and E minor chords. To balance things down a bit, the fingerpicking pattern gets a little simpler on the last two measures of the chorus: you only have to roll up a C and a D chord� The bridge section breaks things down with some simple whole note strumming—nothing too difficult here. The outro (page 60) of the tune uses the exact same chord progression as the verse, but the fingerpicking pattern changes quite a bit: you have to roll down the chords. The basic fingerpicking pattern for the G and G/F on the first two measures of the outro is “mipmipmi.” On the last two measures you have to switch to a C chord and roll down the 1st, 2nd and 5th strings five times. Repeat the outro four times. Don’t forget to take the fourth ending on the last repetition, where you’ll roll up a C and a D before ending on a G chord�

Track #5



59

1/2

1

VerseG G/F C

3

03

3

3

03

3

1

03

3

1

03

3

3

03

3

3

03

3

4x4

1-3. C DChorus

G

4x

3

03

3

3

03

3

3

03

3

02

32

3

03

33

0

3

0

7Bm Em C D

2

43

23

4

2

4

0

03

33

0

0

0

3

01

0

02

32

10

BridgeG Bm Em

330

320

2

34

2

4

0

000

22

13

C DOutro

G G/F

3

010

25

030

4

33

3

33

3

33

33

1

33

1

33

Fingerstyle Play-Along



60

2/2

16

C1-3. 4.

C D

33

3

33

3

33

3

33

3

33

3 3

01

0

5

03

0

19G

3

0

33

20

1/2

1

VerseG G/F C

3

03

3

3

03

3

1

03

3

1

03

3

3

03

3

3

03

3

4x4

1-3. C DChorus

G

4x

3

03

3

3

03

3

3

03

3

02

32

3

03

33

0

3

0

7Bm Em C D

2

43

23

4

2

4

0

03

33

0

0

0

3

01

0

02

32

10

BridgeG Bm Em

330

320

2

34

2

4

0

000

22

13

C DOutro

G G/F

3

010

25

030

4

33

3

33

3

33

33

1

33

1

33

woodShed

Now that you have some basic fingerpicking skills in your bag of tricks, I want you to try coming up with a fingerpicking song in the key of A major. The chords in this key are A major, B minor, C# minor, D major, E major, F# minor and G# diminished. Combine these chords, your new fingerpicking skills and a little creativity to come up with your own fingerstyle song!



61

Four-Step FIngerpIckIng patternIn this section we’re going to take a look at a more complex fingerpicking pattern called four-step fingerpicking pattern� It’s called four-step fingerpicking pattern because it requires four distinct finger motions that are used over and over again. Variations of this four-step pattern are used all the time in fingerstyle guitar playing.

Exercise #1This first exercise introduces you to the four-step fingerpicking pattern. Don’t even worry about making a chord at this point—just focus on the picking hand� The four-step pattern is “pipm�” The strings you can use this pattern on, change in accordance with the chords you’re playing and the sounds you want to hear� In this exercise though, the first p is played on the 6th string, the i is played on the 2nd string, the second p is played on the 5th string and the m is played on the 1st string. It can be hard to keep track of where your fingers are, so take it slowly� The more you practice this pattern the better your aim will get�

Exercise #2In this exercise you’ll go through a G chord with the exact same four-step pattern covered in Exercise #1�

Exercise #3This exercise uses the four-step fingerpicking pattern with an open C major chord. Watch out for the notes you play with the thumb� Seeing this exercise is performed over a C chord, the notes moved to the 5th and 4th strings�

1/1

1

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

1/1

1

G

3

3

2

3

3

3

2

3

3

3

2

3

3

3

2

3

1/1

1C

3

1

2

0

3

1

2

0

3

1

2

0

3

1

2

0



62

Practical Application - Four-Step Fingerpicking Play-AlongIt’s time to put the four-step fingerpicking pattern to use by learning a new fingerstyle play-along. There are only two parts to this song, and the same four-step fingerpicking pattern is played throughout most of the tune. The index and middle fingers always fingerpick the 2nd and 1st strings, while the thumb moves between different strings with each chord� Besides changing strings with the thumb as the chords change, the only tricky parts are the fingerings used for the chords in the verse� Basically, you have to hold down an A minor 7th chord while changing the bass note on every measure. The bass note on the first measure is an open A string and on the second measure is a G note. I like to play that note with my 3rd finger. On the following measure the bass note is moved down to the 2nd fret� I like to grab that note with my thumb� In order to play the bass note on measure four, the thumb has to be lowered to the 1st fret of the 6th string� Finish off the verse with an Am/G similar to what was played on measure two� The only part of this song that doesn’t use the four-step fingerpicking pattern is the last measure of the chorus. In it, you’ll simply roll up an F chord and a G chord� Play the verse and the chorus over and over again until you feel like ending the song on the A minor chord on measure nine�

Exercise #4Exercise #4 is a bit tricky: you change chords while playing the four-step fingerpicking pattern. The C to G chord change is pretty simple, but the strings you play with the thumb are different for each chord� Take it slowly, and make sure you’re hitting the proper strings with the thumb for each chord�

1/1

1

C G

3

1

2

0

3

1

2

0

3

3

2

3

3

3

2

3

Track #6



63

Four-Step Fingerpicking Play-Along

woodShed

In this Woodshed section I want you to try and make up your own song using the four-step fingerpicking pattern� The possibilities here are pretty endless, so you’ll only be limited by your own creativity� Who knows, maybe you’ll write a hit�

1/1

1

VerseAm Am/G Am/F#

0

1

2

0

0

1

2

0

3

1

2

0

3

1

2

0

2

1

2

0

2

1

2

0

4x4

Am/F Am/GChorus

C G

4x

1

1

2

0

3

1

2

0

3

1

2

0

3

1

2

0

3

3

2

3

3

3

2

3

7F G Am

1

1

3

1

1

1

3

1

1

21

1

3

03

3

02210



64

travIS pIckIngThe next style of fingerpicking we’re going to look at is called Travis picking� Travis picking features a constant bass line that’s played with the thumb while the remaining fingers keep a melody going. This can be pretty challenging at first because you have to think about two completely different things at the same time.

The following exercises break down Travis picking into manageable bite-sized pieces� First we’ll look at how the thumb is used to create the constant bass line� Once you have that down, you’ll add a melody on top� You’ll probably have to think about this pretty hard at first, but if you practice Travis picking regularly, it’ll become second nature�

thumB

Travis picking uses a constant bass line with the thumb� That bass line can be on one string or it can alternate between several strings� The following exercises will help you get used to using the thumb to create constant bass lines�

Exercise #1In this first exercise you have to create a constant bass line with the thumb by alternating between the open E and A strings� Take your time with this one and work on your thumb’s aim�

Exercise #2This exercise is exactly the same as the last one� The only difference is the string you start playing from: the A string instead of the E string�

1/1

1

00

00

00

00

00

00

00

00

1/1

1

00

00

00

00

00

00

00

00



65

Exercise #3This exercise takes your ability to play constant bass lines to the next level by having you alternate between the open 6th and 4th strings. Skipping over strings like this can be pretty challenging at first, but it’s a great exercise for working on thumb accuracy�

Exercise #4Exercise #4 has the most complex alternating bass line. The first two notes are played on the open 5th and 4th strings, and the second two notes are played on the open 6th and 4th strings� If you can play through this exercise, I’d say you’re ready to add some melodies to the constant bass lines�

1/1

1

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

1/1

1

00

0

00

0

0

00

0

0

00

0

0

0

melodIeS

Hopefully by now you’re used to playing constant bass lines with the thumb� Now you need to complete the Travis picking technique by adding melodies to the bass lines� The next seven exercises will help you understand how to start playing these melodies with the fingers on the picking hand. Exercise #1In this exercise you keep a simple, constant quarter note bass line going on the open low E string for each measure� While this is going, add a melody to the open high E string on the second and fourth beats of each measure. You can play the open high E string with any finger from the picking hand. I like to use my 2nd finger. This can be pretty difficult at first, so slow this exercise way down if you need to.

1/1

1

0 0

0

0 0

0

0

(0)

0

0

0 0

0



66

Exercise #2In this exercise the melody from Exercise #1 is combined with a new constant bass line� Instead of playing the bass line on the open 6th string exclusively, you have to alternate between the open 6th string and the 2nd fret of the 5th string� Notice that an open E chord is used throughout this entire exercise� There’s one important new element introduced in this exercise� Look at the palm muting indicators under the notes on the sheet music� The P.M.- - - - symbol is telling you to palm mute the bass notes� This gives the exercise a completely different feel and helps the melody stick out a bit� You don’t want to mute the bass notes too much or they’ll be indecipherable� At the same time, you don’t want to mute them too little or they’ll ring out over the melody notes� Palm muting the notes in a constant bass line is pretty common in Travis picking� One thing I should mention here is the option for you to use a thumb pick� I like to use a thumb pick simply because it makes it a little easier to mute the bass notes while maintaining thumb accuracy� A thumb pick can also give you a little sharper tone� Whether you use a thumb pick or not while Travis picking is really up to you�

Exercise #3The bass line in this exercise is exactly the same as the one from Exercise #2� The melody is a bit different, though� Instead of playing an open 1st string on beats two and four, you have to play exclusively on beat one of each measure�

1/1

1E

02

0

02

0

0

(0)

2

0

02

0

1/1

1E

0

0

20

20

0

20

2



67

Exercise #4This exercise combines the bass line from the previous exercise with a bit more complex melody line� The melody is still played with whole notes on the first beat of each measure, but the notes descend along the 2nd string� Concentrate on keeping the bass line going on beats one, two, three and four� If you can do that, all you have to do is add in the descending melody line on the first beat of each measure.

Exercise #5Except for the number of melody notes, this exercise is exactly like the last one� Instead of a whole note on beat one, the melody is made up of two half notes on beats one and three of each measure�

1/1

1E7 E6 E

0

3

20

20

2

20

20

0

20

2

4

0

0

20

2

1/1

1E7 E6 E

0

3

20

3

20

2

20

2

20

0

20

0

2

4

0

0

20

0

2



68

Exercise #6In this exercise the melody has more than one note being played at the same time� I like to use my 1st and 2nd fingers for these notes. The melody notes occur on beats two and four of each measure. To play them you need to make an E7 chord and leave it in place throughout the entire exercise� The top notes of the melody can be performed on the 3rd and 2nd frets of the 2nd string with the pinky�

Exercise #7This last exercise is taken directly from the upcoming play-along. The alternating bass line you’ll find here is the one from the past few exercises� The same can be said about the melody notes but not their rhythmic pattern� You have to play the melody notes on beat two, the “and” of beat three and the “and” of beat four� This is pretty tricky! One other thing you should take note of is the swing beat indicator at the beginning of the exercise� Since the indicator is telling you to swing the eighth notes, the notes on the “and” of beats three and four are the only affected by it. Take this one very slowly at first, and count out loud if you need to.

1/1

1E7 E6 E

02

31

02

31

0

(3)(1)

2

21

02

12

0

(2)(1)

2

01

02

01

4

0

(0)(1)

2

01

02

01

1/1

1

3

E7 E6 E

02

31

0

31

2

31

0

(3)(1)

2

21

0

12

2

21

0

(2)(1)

2

01

0

01

2

01

4

0

(0)(1)

2

01

0

01

2

01



69

1/1

1

3

E7 E6 E

02

31

0

31

2

31

0

(3)(1)

2

21

0

12

2

21

0

(2)(1)

2

01

0

01

2

01

4

0

(0)(1)

2

01

0

01

2

01

Practical Application - Travis Picking Play-AlongIf you can play the previous exercise, you’ll have no problem with this play-along� This is a pretty “bluesy” little Travis picking tune that’s a lot of fun to perform� Let me walk you through it�

The first four measures (page 70) are Exercise #7 played twice. Measures 5-8 switch to an A7 chord. The Travis picking pattern here is basically the same as on the first four measures but moved over by one string. That means that the alternating bass pattern is on the 5th and 4th strings and the melody is on the 2nd and 1st strings� Measures 9-12 are pretty much the same as the first four measures of the tune. The only difference here is that measure twelve has a little quarter note run that leads you into the B7 chord on measures thirteen and fourteen (page 71)� This chord uses the same Travis picking pattern you’ve been playing since the tune started, but the strings it is played on changes a bit. Measures fifteen and sixteen switch back to an A7 chord, and measures seventeen and eighteen move to an E7 chord� Finish off the tune with a B7 on measures nineteen and twenty� Repeat as desired! Once you can play this song, you’ll have the tools needed to really pursue Travis picking� Since you have the basic coordination down, you’ll probably find that new Travis picking songs will be a little easier for you to learn. If you enjoy this kind of music, you should really dig into some songs� I recommend starting with the classic Travis picking song “Deep River Blues�”

Track #7



70

Travis Picking Play-Along

1/2

1

3

E7 E6 E

02

31

0

31

2

31

02

21

0

12

2

21

02

01

0

01

2

01

4A7 A6

02

01

0

01

2

01

02

32

0

32

2

32

02

22

0

22

2

22

7A E7

02

02

0

02

2

02

02

02

0

02

2

02

02

31

0

31

2

31

10E6 E

02

21

0

12

2

21

02

01

0

01

2

01

0 40 1

13B7 A7

21

02

2

02

1

02

21

02

2

02

1

02

02

32

0

32

2

32



71

1/2

1

3

E7 E6 E

02

31

0

31

2

31

02

21

0

12

2

21

02

01

0

01

2

01

4A7 A6

02

01

0

01

2

01

02

32

0

32

2

32

02

22

0

22

2

22

7A E7

02

02

0

02

2

02

02

02

0

02

2

02

02

31

0

31

2

31

10E6 E

02

21

0

12

2

21

02

01

0

01

2

01

0 40 1

13B7 A7

21

02

2

02

1

02

21

02

2

02

1

02

02

32

0

32

2

32

2/2

16E7

02

32

0

32

2

32

02

31

0

31

2

31

02

31

0

31

2

31

19B7

21

02

2

02

1

02

21

02

2

02

1

02

woodShed

In this Woodshed section I want to challenge you to come up with your own Travis picking pattern� Make up a chord progression and add a constant bass line to it� Once you have that down, you can build a melody on top� Get creative and see what you can write�



72

claSSIcalClassical music is one of the more challenging genres to play on the guitar� It can be pretty complex, physically as well as mentally demanding� One reason for this is that learning classical pieces may involve a lot of music reading� We won’t cover how to read music in this section� If you think you’d really like to get into classical guitar, I highly recommend that you skip to the “Reading Music” section (page 189) of The Guitar System before trying to tackle the play-along songs in this section� In this series of lessons we’re going to cover some of the most important things you need to know to play classical guitar� If you started from the beginning of the “Fingerstyle” section, you should already have some pretty good fingerpicking technique working for you. The Classical and the Spanish Classical Play-Alongs are some of the most challenging pieces in the entire Guitar System� Get ready for a big challenge� A classical guitar is different from a steel string acoustic guitar in several ways� First of all, the strings on a classical guitar are made of nylon� Even the lower strings are threads of nylon wrapped in metal� These nylon strings allow for a wider range of tones when fingernails are used to pick the notes. A classical guitar also has a wider fretboard than a steel string acoustic guitar. There are other significant differences but these are the two most notable� You don’t have to have a nylon string guitar to play classical music, but owning one will help you get the appropriate vibe and sound�

claSSIcal technIque

If you chose the classical technique, or classical method, for your picking hand, back in the “Fingerstyle” section, you should already have a good grasp of appropriate classical picking technique� If you didn’t choose this technique, we’ll briefly cover it here.

The classical method doesn’t rely on any anchor points for the picking hand. Instead, the hand floats above the strings� Stick the picking arm out right in front of you� Make sure it’s straight and relaxed, kind of like you’re holding an apple or a baseball. Now bring the arm in to where the fingers and thumb are hovering just above the strings and touching them. This is the posture to keep in mind when using the classical method of fingerpicking. If you didn’t go through the fingerstyle lessons, you’ll need to know the finger labeling system for the picking hand—also known as pima� The thumb is labeled p, the 1st finger i, the 2nd finger m and the 3rd finger a� The pinky isn’t used much but is labeled c. Keep an eye out for these finger indicators in the following exercises.



73

Free StrokeS

Two types of finger strokes are used in classical guitar: free strokes and rest strokes� We’ll go over both in detail, but for now, let’s take a look at free strokes� Start with a relaxed hand posture, kind of like you’re holding a baseball. Your fingers should be naturally curved around the strings. Most of the picking motion should come from flexing your fingers in, toward the palm of the hand. When you do this, you should notice all three finger joints contributing to the motion.

Try performing a free stroke with the 1st finger, or p finger. If you’ve grown fingernails on the picking hand, the fleshy part of your finger should barely hit the string right before the fingernail picks the string. Do you see how your finger kind of freely floats off after hitting the string? That’s where we get the term free stroke from� The following exercises will help you refine the ability to use free strokes with the i, m and a fingers.

Exercise #1This exercise works on getting you used to playing free strokes with the 1st, 2nd and 3rd fingers on the 3rd, 2nd and 1st strings, respectively� Stay relaxed, remember the posture we went over for the picking hand and keep an eye on the picking-hand indicators�

Exercise #2This second exercise gets you playing an ascending roll, or “ima” pattern, over and over again on the top three open strings�

1/1

1

0 0 0 00 0 0 0

0 0 0 0

1/1

1

00

0

00

0

00

0

00

0

Exercise #3This exercise is the exact opposite of the previous one: it gets you performing a descending roll on the top three strings with an “ami” pattern�

1/1

1

00

0

00

0

00

0

00

0



74

Exercise #4Exercise #4 is basically a combination of the two previous exercises� This means you’ll be rolling up and down the top three open strings over and over again with an “imam” pattern� Try playing the notes in time and making them even-sounding�

Exercise #5You can use free strokes to play melody lines, scales and even solos� In this exercise you use free strokes to play a four-note pattern on the 1st string. The fingerpicking indicators tell you to alternate the free strokes between the 1st and 2nd fingers. As soon as you play with the 1st finger, the 2nd finger should come right out to the string and be ready to do its thing�

Exercise #6This exercise challenges you to go through a G major scale with free strokes� Moving between strings like this can be pretty hard at first. So take it slowly, and remember to play alternating free strokes with the 1st and 2nd fingers.

1/1

1

00

00

00

00

00

00

00

00

00

00

00

00

1/1

1

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

1/1

1

3 52 3 5

2 4 52 4 5

3 52 3 2

3

5 35 4 2

5 4 25 3 2

5 3



75

reSt StrokeS

The second type of stroke used in classical guitar is the rest stroke� Rest strokes can be a bit brighter- and louder-sounding than free strokes� This is one of the reasons they’re usually used for single-note melody lines� Place the picking hand in a good classical picking position, and then pull your arm back a dab so the fingers can straighten out a bit. Rest the thumb on one of the lower strings. Pick the open E string with the 1st finger, but this time try to get most of the motion from the third joint. As soon as you pick the note, the 1st finger should come to rest on the B string� If you need a visual reference for this, pull up the video and watch some real rest strokes in action. The following five exercises will help you develop your rest strokes. Exercise #1 This first exercise uses all rest strokes on the open E string. The first measure is played with the 1st finger, the second measure with the 2nd finger and the third measure with the 3rd finger. Try making similar-sounding rest strokes with each finger.

Exercise #2This exercise is pretty much like the previous one. The only thing that changes here is the finger pattern. Instead of playing one measure per finger, you have to alternate each rest stroke between the 1st and 2nd fingers.

Exercise #3This exercise should look pretty familiar to you� Remember Exercise #5 from the “Free Stroke” section? Well, here you’re using the 1st and 2nd fingers to play this four-note pattern with rest strokes instead of free strokes.

1/1

1

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

1/1

1

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

1/1

1

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



76

Exercise #4This next exercise is a six-note pattern on the 1st and 2nd strings repeated over and over again� Be sure to alternate the rest strokes between these two fingers even when changing strings.

Exercise #5Let’s put your rest stroke skills to the test by having you go through a G Phrygian scale� When playing free strokes on the lower strings, the thumb can hover or rest on top of the guitar� As you move up to higher strings, the thumb should come to rest on the lower strings of the guitar� Try to play in time, and make every note consistent-sounding�

1/1

1

36 4 3 4 6

36 4 3 4 6

36 4 3 4 6

3

1/1

1

3 4 63 5 6

3 5 63 5

3 4 63

6

3

4 35 3

6 5 36 5 3

6 4 3



77

FrettIng hand

Classical-guitar music can be pretty demanding on the fretting hand� There are typically a lot of strange chord changes and big stretches going on in any given classical piece� To help you with the physical challenges you’ll face in classical-guitar music, I provided you with an incredible dexterity exercise for the fretting hand� This exercise helped me a lot when I first started playing classical guitar, and I’m sure it’ll help you too. Exercise

1/1

1

34 3

43

4 3

43

4 3

43

4 3

443

34

4

34 3

43

4 3

43

4 3

43

4 3

443

34

7

34 3

43

4 3

43

4 3

43

4 3

443

34



78

Practical Application - Classical Play-AlongThis play-along was probably the hardest tune for me to perform in The Guitar System� It’s even harder to teach in a book� With that in mind, I’m going to skip the lengthy step-by-step explanation here and give you a few tips for getting this song down� First of all, it’s pretty important that you know how to read music if you want to learn this song and classical guitar in general� If you haven’t gone through the “Reading Music” section (page 189) of The Guitar System yet, I highly recommend that you skip ahead and do that� You don’t have to be a sight-reading expert, but some basic music reading skills will make learning classical pieces much easier for you� If you skipped the fingerstyle lessons, I highly recommend going back and working on those before moving on. There are a lot of things in those lessons that’ll make getting through this play-along much easier� It’s your call, though� I wrote this tune a long time ago after going to my grandmother’s funeral� The organist at the funeral played a haunting hymn that I’d never heard before� I didn’t even know the name of the hymn but was able to remember a small part of the melody� I basically took it and developed it into an entire song� The Classical Play-Along is an abbreviated version of the composition I ended up with. This just goes to show that you can find musical inspiration just about anywhere! There are five basic parts to this song, and the melody I just mentioned shows up on three of those parts. On the first one the melody is pretty simple, while on the second one it’s a little more complex. The final section of the tune is also the third part to feature the recurring melody, and it’s also the most complex� I hope you enjoy learning this song as much as I enjoyed writing it� Good luck!

Track #8



79

Classical Play-Along

1/3

AD

23

0 0

0

2 2 2 03

0

32 0

3

G D

3

3

37

0

3 5

02

30 0

0

2 2 2 0

6

G A D

3

0

32 0

3

3

3 2

0

3

0

9

BD

23

0 0

023

2 2 2 03

02

32 0

12

G A D

3

3

00

37

0

3 5

23

02

30 0

023

2 2 2 0



80

2/3

15

G A7 D5/A

3

02

32 0

3

3

00

300

3

2

0

02

3200

18

C G3x

D5/A

0

32

0

03

3

0

03

0

3x

0

32

0

21

G D5/A

03

3

0

03

00

32

0(0)

(3)(2)

(0)

24

DD DM7 D6

7710

0

77

710

79

(0)

77

79

77770

77

77

7

27

D B maj7(no5)/D Gm/D

5

(0)

77

75

7335

0

33

35

33

(0)

33

33

3

1/3

AD

23

0 0

0

2 2 2 03

0

32 0

3

G D

3

3

37

0

3 5

02

30 0

0

2 2 2 0

6

G A D

3

0

32 0

3

3

3 2

0

3

0

9

BD

23

0 0

023

2 2 2 03

02

32 0

12

G A D

3

3

00

37

0

3 5

23

02

30 0

023

2 2 2 0



81

2/3

15

G A7 D5/A

3

02

32 0

3

3

00

300

3

2

0

02

3200

18

C G3x

D5/A

0

32

0

03

3

0

03

0

3x

0

32

0

21

G D5/A

03

3

0

03

00

32

0(0)

(3)(2)

(0)

24

DD DM7 D6

7710

0

77

710

79

(0)

77

79

77770

77

77

7

27

D B maj7(no5)/D Gm/D

5

(0)

77

75

7335

0

33

35

33

(0)

33

33

3

3/3

30

D 1. D5/A

232

0

32

32

32

(0)

32

32

3

00

23

33

ED

(0)(0)

(2)(3)

23

0 0

0

2

0

2

00

2

0

0

0

3

00

3

00

2

0

0

0

36

G D

3

30

3

00

7

0

3

0

5

00

02

0

3

0

0

0

0

0

2

0

2

00

2

0

0

0

39

G A7 D

3

00

3

00

2

0

0

0

3

32

3

32

2020

023



82

3/3

30

D 1. D5/A

232

0

32

32

32

(0)

32

32

3

00

23

33

ED

(0)(0)

(2)(3)

23

0 0

0

2

0

2

00

2

0

0

0

3

00

3

00

2

0

0

0

36

G D

3

30

3

00

7

0

3

0

5

00

02

0

3

0

0

0

0

0

2

0

2

00

2

0

0

0

39

G A7 D

3

00

3

00

2

0

0

0

3

32

3

32

2020

023



83

SpanISh claSSIcalSpanish classical guitar uses some of the same techniques that you learned in the classical guitar lessons� In this section we’ll look at how to tweak the techniques you already know, to give your playing a Spanish sound� We’ll also look at some new techniques that are often used in Spanish classical-guitar music� Once you’re up to speed on the techniques and sounds used in this type of music, you’ll apply everything you’ve learned to the Spanish Classical Play-Along�

advanced rollIng

If you went through all the fingerstyle guitar lessons, you should have a pretty good idea of how to roll through a chord� Spanish classical music often rolls up through chords in a very unique way to create a distinct Spanish sound� The next three exercises will help you develop upward rolling in a way that’s very typical of this style� Exercise #1This first exercise has you rolling up an open E chord using the thumb, index, middle and ring fingers. To get this exercise up to speed, start out slowly with very deliberate movements and make sure the fingers are in the right place at the right time� This means that as soon as you pick the open E string with the thumb, you have to throw the remaining fingers to the top three strings and have them prepared to roll through them. If all three fingers are prepared and in place, they’ll be ready to play when it’s their turn and won’t lose any time, making your playing faster�

1/1

1

E

0

10

0

0

10

0

0

10

0

0

10

0

0

10

0

0

10

0

0

10

0

0

10

0



84

1/1

1

E

0

10

0

2

10

0

21

00

0

10

0

2

10

0

21

00

0

10

0

2

10

0

3

21

00

0

10

0

2

10

0

21

00

Exercise #2In this exercise you’re still rolling up an open E chord, but this time the notes played with the thumb alternate between the E, A and D strings� The speed this exercise is played at is still pretty demanding, but now there’s the added challenge of hitting the correct string with the thumb� Take this one slowly and speed it up when it’s clean�

Exercise #3Exercise #3 uses the exact same picking pattern as Exercise #2. The first two measures have you play an open E chord� This chord is then moved up by one half-step for the last two measures to have you go through an Fadd# 11/E chord. As soon as you hear these two chords played together, you’ll definitely think Spanish classical guitar.

1/1

1

E

0

10

0

2

10

0

21

00

2

10

0

0

10

0

2

10

0

21

00

2

10

0

3

Fadd 11/E

0

20

0

3

20

0

32

00

3

20

0

0

20

0

3

20

0

32

00

3

20



85

alternatIng thumB and FIngerS

One thing you’ll do quite often in Spanish classical music is alternate between notes using the thumb and fingers. This might sound pretty simple, but as soon as you go through the next three exercises you’ll see how this simple technique can give your playing a very distinct Spanish sound� Give these exercises a try before moving on to the Spanish Classical Play-Along� Exercise #1This first exercise has you alternating back and forth between the thumb and 1st finger. Throughout the exercise the thumb plays the 5th string and the 1st finger plays the open 2nd string. Take this one slowly, and try to space the notes out as evenly as possible�

Exercise #2Exercise #2 uses the same basic idea as Exercise #1, but this time you have to alternate between the thumb, 1st and 2nd fingers on the picking hand. The basic picking pattern here is “pipm.” The 1st and 2nd fingers play the open 2nd string and the thumb plays the notes on the 5th string�

1/1

1

5

0

7

0

8

0

7

0

5

0

7

0

8

0

7

0

1/1

1

7

0

9

0

10

0

9

0

7

0

9

0

10

0

9

0



86

1/1

1

7

0

9

0

10

0

7

0

9

0

10

0

9

0

7

0

10

0

9

0

7

0

9

0

10

0

7

0

9

0

10

0

3

9

0

7

0

10

0

9

0

7

0

9

0

10

0

7

0

9

0

10

0

9

0

7

0

10

0

9

0

7

Exercise #3This one kicks things up a notch by alternating the notes played with the thumb, between the 5th and 4th strings� Take notice that you still use the 1st and 2nd fingers to play the open 2nd string between each note played with the thumb. Be sure to alternate between these two fingers.

Practical Application - Spanish Classical Play-AlongWelcome to the Spanish Classical Play-Along! If you take a look at the sheet music on the following page, you’ll notice that this song is in 3/4 time� This means that each measure has three beats and the quarter note gets the beat�

This tune starts out with some fast upward rolling on the first four measures (page 87). The rolling here is exactly like the rolling used with Exercise #3 from the “Advanced Rolling” section� Be sure to take all the repeat signs� Measures five and six bring things down by having you strum and hold up an open E chord for two measures. In the next part of the tune you use rest strokes to play through an E Phrygian scale lick� You’re playing all triplets here, so make sure to cram three notes into each beat� Practice this lick by itself until you get it down� Measures 11-16 (page 88) bring the energy of the song down by having you strum through sustained chords again. Measures 17-22 are probably the most difficult to master because you have to alternate between playing the last three strings with the thumb and the open 2nd string with the 1st and 2nd fingers. This part of the tune is very similar to some of the exercises you went through earlier� The biggest difference is in its length, which is a bit longer� Finish the tune with some more dotted half note strumming�

One thing I should mention here is the timing used throughout this song� If I were to play this song with a metronome, it would sound and feel very different from what was captured in the video� I took some artistic liberties and “floated” the time in certain places. This simply means that I slowed down and sped up depending on the mood of the song� Floating the time in solo guitar pieces like this one can really add another level of expression to your playing�

Track #9



87

Spanish Classical Play-Along

1/3

4x1

E4x

Fadd 11/E

4x

0

10

0

2

10

0

21

00

4x

0

20

0

3

20

0

32

00

4x3

E4x

Fadd 11/E

4x

0

10

0

2

10

0

21

00

4x

0

20

0

3

20

0

32

00

5

E

022100

(0)(2)(2)(1)(0)(0)

7

33 3

33

3

0 1 30 1 3 1 0

3 1 02 0

3 2 03 2

93

03 1 0 (0)



88

2/3

11

E

0

22

01

0

(0)

(2)(2)

(0)(1)

(0)

13

Fadd 11/E

033200

(0)(3)(3)(2)(0)(0)

15

E

0

22

01

0

(0)

(2)(2)

(0)(1)

(0)

173x

7

0

8

0

11

0

7

0

9

0

10

0

3x

9

0

7

0

11

0

8

0

7

19

7

0

8

0

11

0

7

0

9

0

10

0

9

0

7

0

11

0

8

0

7

0

10

0

21

8

0

7

0

5

0

3

0

1

0

0 (0)

1/3

4x1

E4x

Fadd 11/E

4x

0

10

0

2

10

0

21

00

4x

0

20

0

3

20

0

32

00

4x3

E4x

Fadd 11/E

4x

0

10

0

2

10

0

21

00

4x

0

20

0

3

20

0

32

00

5

E

022100

(0)(2)(2)(1)(0)(0)

7

33 3

33

3

0 1 30 1 3 1 0

3 1 02 0

3 2 03 2

93

03 1 0 (0)



89

2/3

11

E

0

22

01

0

(0)

(2)(2)

(0)(1)

(0)

13

Fadd 11/E

033200

(0)(3)(3)(2)(0)(0)

15

E

0

22

01

0

(0)

(2)(2)

(0)(1)

(0)

173x

7

0

8

0

11

0

7

0

9

0

10

0

3x

9

0

7

0

11

0

8

0

7

19

7

0

8

0

11

0

7

0

9

0

10

0

9

0

7

0

11

0

8

0

7

0

10

0

21

8

0

7

0

5

0

3

0

1

0

0 (0)

3/3

23

E Fadd 11/E

022100

033200

25

E

022100



90

concluSIonThe world of fingerstyle and classical guitar is much bigger than any instructional product could ever hope to cover� The good news is that you’re armed with the tools you need to go out and pursue these styles of music as much as you like. If you like fingerstyle and classical guitar, I want to encourage you to dig into it. One of the best things you can do to get better at these styles of music is to simply listen to many different artists� That does it for the lessons on fingerstyle and classical guitar. In the next section of The Guitar System we’ll enter the world of bluegrass and country music� We’ll take a look at how to apply new and “old” ideas and techniques to these two fun styles of music�

GuiTar SyStem - Styles And Theory - Bluegrass And Country


91

blueGrass and COunTryblueGrass and COunTryIntroductIon

Bluegrass and country guitar are like musical cousins� That’s why I chose to include them in the same section of The Guitar System� Bluegrass music is almost always played on an acoustic guitar, and the type of country you’ll be learning here is almost always played on an electric guitar� Don’t let the type of guitar you own stop you from going through both styles of music, seeing each contains valuable information for any guitar player�

BluegraSSWhen I was growing up, my dad would always take me to bluegrass jams� I have to confess it wasn’t my favorite thing in the world at the time, but now when I look back, I see just how fun those times were� I really ended up learning a lot about bluegrass music at those jams� If you’re into bluegrass music, I really want to encourage you to look for jams that might be going on in your area of the world� They’re absolute gold mines for learning how to play bluegrass, and people at those events are usually pretty great� Bluegrass guitar is almost always played on an acoustic guitar—usually a dreadnought� If you don’t have an acoustic guitar, don’t let that stop you from learning the material in this section� In the following lessons we’ll look at some of the most important things you need to know to play bluegrass rhythm and lead guitar�

BluegraSS rhythm guItarLet’s start off by taking a look at some of the most essential elements of bluegrass rhythm guitar� If you get them all down, you should have no trouble joining in a bluegrass jam session� We’ll start by covering things like common bluegrass keys and how to use a capo� From there you’ll learn some of the standard strumming patterns and fills used in bluegrass music.

common BluegraSS keyS

Bluegrass music typically uses a lot of open chords� That’s why most bluegrass songs are written in keys that accommodate this type of chords� For example, the most common bluegrass keys are probably G major, C major and A major� Those keys make it easy to play a lot of open chords� Keep that in mind as you listen to and learn bluegrass tunes�

uSIng a capo

Now, there may come a time when playing open chords in bluegrass isn’t possible� That commonly happens with songs written in a key that doesn’t allow for any open chords or singers who can’t sing in its original key� In situations like these the only thing you can do to keep that bluegrass sound is to use a capo�

The GuiTar SyStem - Styles And Theory - Bluegrass And Country


92

As discussed previously in the “Fundamentals” section, a capo is a clamp you can put on a guitar to act as a bar� Let’s say you’re playing a bluegrass song in the key of F but want to play an F major with an open chord shape instead of bar chord shape� That’s not a problem if you have a capo� All you have to do is place it on the 1st fret of the guitar and play an open E chord shape moved up by one fret� Capos can be real lifesavers at bluegrass gigs! Let’s look at one more example just to make sure you understand how a capo works� If a song is calling for a D chord but you want to play an open C shape, all you have to do is place the capo on the 2nd fret and move the open C shape, up by two frets� This will enable you play a D chord with an open C chord shape�

Standard StrummIng pattern

If you’re going to play bluegrass music, you need to learn the standard bluegrass strumming pattern� The next few exercises will help you get used to using this strumming pattern with several different chords� Once you get this pattern down, you can literally jump right in and jam with other bluegrass musicians� Exercise #1The basic bluegrass strumming pattern is a downstroke on one bass note followed by two full strums using a downstroke and an upstroke� Make an open G chord and play the 6th string with a downstroke� Follow that bass note up by strumming the entire G major chord twice: first with an downstroke and then with an upstroke. The TAB for this strumming pattern only shows the top four or five strings being strummed, but you don’t have to strictly stick to that� It’s kind of what naturally happens when you use this strumming pattern� The remainder of the exercise has you alternating the bass notes between the 6th and 5th strings� It can be a bit difficult to hit the proper bass strings at first. Practicing this strumming pattern slowly will help your aim get more accurate over time�

1/1

1

G

320003

20003

20003

0003

320003

20003

20003

0003

320003

20003

20003

0003

320003

20003

20003

0003



93

Exercise #2Exercise #2 uses the basic bluegrass strumming pattern on a C chord� The biggest difference between this exercise and the last one is on the bass notes, which alternate between the 5th and 4th string this time�

Exercise #3This exercise is basically a combination of the last two: the first two measures are Exercise #1 and the second two measures are Exercise #2. Slow this exercise way down if you find that your bass note aim isn’t quite right. Actually looking at the picking hand will improve your precision�

1/1

1

C

32010

2010

2010

010

32010

2010

2010

010

32010

2010

2010

010

32010

2010

2010

010

1/1

1

G

320003

20003

20003

0003

320003

20003

20003

0003

320003

20003

20003

0003

320003

20003

20003

0003

3

C

32010

2010

2010

010

32010

2010

2010

010

32010

2010

2010

010

32010

2010

2010

010



94

Exercise #4This last exercise throws a D chord into the mix� Look at measures three and four� You have to play a D chord using the standard bluegrass strumming pattern� Notice that the bass notes are alternating between the 4th and 3rd strings�

Standard FIllS

The next three exercises show you how to dress up the standard bluegrass strumming pattern with some standard bluegrass fills. If you listen to bluegrass, you’ll definitely hear these fills all over the place. Once you learn a few bluegrass tunes, you’ll have a good idea of how these fills are used in a real musical setting. Exercise #1This first exercise starts out with the standard bluegrass strumming pattern on a G chord. The fill takes place on beat three as an open 5th string followed by a hammer-on to the 2nd fret on the “and” of three� The second measure is just like the first. If you make the G major chord with the 2nd, 3rd and 4th fingers, you’ll perform the hammer-on with the 2nd finger. If you make the G chord with the 1st, 2nd and 3rd fingers, you’ll perform the hammer-on with the 1st finger. Do you see how adding that little hammer-on can dress up the standard bluegrass strumming pattern a little bit?

1/1

1

G

320003

20003

20003

0003

320003

20003

20003

0003

320003

20003

20003

0003

320003

20003

20003

0003

3

C

32010

2010

2010

010

32010

2010

2010

010

32010

2010

2010

010

32010

2010

2010

010

5

D

0

232

232

0

2320

2320 0

232

232

0

2320

2320 0

232

232

0

2320

2320 0

232

232

0

2320

2320



95

Exercise #2The second fill is similar to the first one but is slightly adjusted to be used with a C chord. This time you perform the hammer-on with the 2nd finger. It’s nice to throw in fills like this every now and then just to change things up a bit�

Exercise #3Exercise #3 is a fill that’s usually played at the end of a phrase in bluegrass songs. Listen to just about any traditional bluegrass song and you’ll probably hear this fill. This one will be in the upcoming Bluegrass Play-Along, so make sure to memorize it�

1/1

1

G

320003

20003

0 20003

0003

320003

20003

0 20003

0003

320003

20003

0 20003

0003

320003

20003

0 20003

0003

1/1

1

C

32010

2010

0 2010

010

32010

2010

0 2010

010

32010

2010

0 2010

010

32010

2010

0 2010

010

1/1

1G

30 2

0 2 00



96

common BluegraSS chord progreSSIonS

If you listen to a lot of bluegrass, you’ll probably notice that a few chord progressions are used quite often� The most common bluegrass chord progression you’ll probably hear is the 1-4-5 progression� If you’re in the key of G major, the chords in that progression are G major, C major and D major� Two more chords that are used quite often in bluegrass music are the minor 6 chord and the major 2 chord� The minor 6 chord in the key of G is an E minor chord, and the major 2 chord is an A major� The E minor chord occurs naturally in the key of G major but the A major doesn’t� If you’re really into bluegrass, you should probably memorize the 1, 4, 5 and 6 chords for the keys of A, C and G major�

Practical Application - Bluegrass Play-AlongWelcome to the Bluegrass Play-Along! I’m pretty sure you’ll have a very fun time playing with this tune� Just so you know, my dad played the mandolin and banjo on this song� If you can play through this entire tune, you should have no trouble jumping in to any song that may come up at a bluegrass jam. Take it slowly at first, and speed things up once you can play everything cleanly� There are only three main parts to the Bluegrass Play-Along. The first one is labeled Intro (page 97) and is a bit untraditional for a bluegrass tune� Basically, you have to play some hits with an open G, an F power chord and an E power chord� Play through the G-F5-E5-F5 chord progression four times before moving on to the verse of the tune� The verse goes through a G-C-E minor-C-D-G progression with the standard bluegrass strumming pattern� Keep an eye out for the three fills that you learned in the fills lessons. The third fill comes in at the end of the fourth measure of the verse. Remember when I said that this fill is generally used at the end of bluegrass phrases? This is a perfect example of that! The second ending of the verse uses the same fill as the first ending, but the last part of the second ending goes right into a walk-down that leads you into the chorus of the song (page 98)� The chorus of the song uses quite a few E minor, C, G and D chords in conjunction with the standard bluegrass strumming pattern and fills. The only new part in the chorus is the walk-down that takes place at the end of measure thirteen� I like to use all downstrokes for this walk-down for a little extra volume� Finish off the chorus with Exercise #3 from the “Standard Fills” section� Once you finish the chorus, go back to the beginning of the song and repeat all three main parts. Play them three times each before moving on to the outro (page 99)� The outro is the exact same as the intro but you’ll need to land on one final G chord on measure twenty-two. This is a pretty challenging bluegrass tune, so don’t be discouraged if it takes you a while to play through the entire thing� You don’t have to wait until you have this song down perfectly before going out to play at bluegrass jam sessions� Once you have a general idea of how the standard bluegrass strumming pattern works, you can go right out and try to play with some other bluegrass musicians�

Track #10



97

Bluegrass Play-Along

1/3

1

IntroG F5 E5 F5 G F5 E5 F5

320003

133

022

133

320003

133

022

133

3

G F5 E5 F5 G F5 E5 F5

320003

133

022

133

320003

133

022

133

5

VerseG C Em

320003

20003

0 2 20003

20003

320003

20003

0 2 20003

20003

32010

2010

0 2 2010

2010

022000

22000

0 2 22000

22000

7

C D1.

G

32010

2010

0 2 2010

2010

0232

232

0 2 30 2

0 2 00

320

33

0

320

33

0

320

33

0

320

33

0

9

2.G

ChorusEm

30 2

0 2 00

3 2 1 0 022000

022000

0 2022000

022000

0 022000

022000

0 2022000

022000



98

2/3

11

C G Em D

32010

2010

0 2 2010

2010

320003

20003

0 2 20003

20003

0 022000

022000

0 2022000

022000

0232

232

0

232

232

13

C Em

32010

2010

0 2 2010

2010

33 2 1 0 0

22000

022000

0 2022000

022000

0 022000

022000

0 2022000

022000

15

C G C D

32010

2010

0 2 2010

2010

320003

20003

0 2 20003

20003

32010

2010

0 2 2010

2010

0232

232

0 2

17

GOutro

G F5 E5 F5

30 2

0 2 00

320003

320003

320003

320003

320003

133

022

133

19

G F5 E5 F5 G F5 E5 F5

320003

133

022

133

320003

133

022

133

1/3

1

IntroG F5 E5 F5 G F5 E5 F5

320003

133

022

133

320003

133

022

133

3

G F5 E5 F5 G F5 E5 F5

320003

133

022

133

320003

133

022

133

5

VerseG C Em

320003

20003

0 2 20003

20003

320003

20003

0 2 20003

20003

32010

2010

0 2 2010

2010

022000

22000

0 2 22000

22000

7

C D1.

G

32010

2010

0 2 2010

2010

0232

232

0 2 30 2

0 2 00

320

33

0

320

33

0

320

33

0

320

33

0

9

2.G

ChorusEm

30 2

0 2 00

3 2 1 0 022000

022000

0 2022000

022000

0 022000

022000

0 2022000

022000



99

2/3

11

C G Em D

32010

2010

0 2 2010

2010

320003

20003

0 2 20003

20003

0 022000

022000

0 2022000

022000

0232

232

0

232

232

13

C Em

32010

2010

0 2 2010

2010

33 2 1 0 0

22000

022000

0 2022000

022000

0 022000

022000

0 2022000

022000

15

C G C D

32010

2010

0 2 2010

2010

320003

20003

0 2 20003

20003

32010

2010

0 2 2010

2010

0232

232

0 2

17

GOutro

G F5 E5 F5

30 2

0 2 00

320003

320003

320003

320003

320003

133

022

133

19

G F5 E5 F5 G F5 E5 F5

320003

133

022

133

320003

133

022

133

3/3

21

G F5 E5 F5 G

320003

133

022

133

3200

30



100

BluegraSS lead guItarNow that you have some bluegrass strumming skills in your toolbox, it’s time to learn about bluegrass lead guitar and the picking style that’s mostly associated with it: flatpicking� Throughout these lessons we’ll look at the basic technique for flatpicking and how to use it in conjunction with open scales, to start playing bluegrass leads.

FlatpIckIng technIque

The term flatpicking comes from the flat pick guitarists play with. Most of the time, flatpickers use alternate picking to give their notes the most volume and definition. Basic flatpicking technique really isn’t all that different from the picking technique you’ve learned in other sections of The Guitar System� But there are a few things I should mention about it, though�

If you’re playing bluegrass leads, you might find yourself picking the strings pretty hard to get more volume out of them. Sometimes this can really stress out the fingers you use to hold the pick with. If I need to pick harder to get a lot of volume out of my acoustic guitar, I generally like to brace the index finger with the 2nd finger. This helps take some of the stress off of the index finger. Make sure not to tense up when trying to get more volume out of the guitar. That can really stress out your fingers and arms. Most bluegrass lead-guitar players use at least a medium pick� Thicker picks are of great help when playing solos over a full bluegrass band because they get a bit more volume out of the guitar� Experiment with a couple of heavier picks, and see which one gives you the best results� Many flatpicking guitarists set the palm of their picking hand and the wrist on the bridge of the guitar. This helps them keep track of which string(s) they’re playing� It also enables them to get a bit more volume out of the guitar without stressing out their fingers, hand and arm. If you want to see this flatpicking technique in action, you should watch a video of Dan Crary playing�

open ScaleS

Bluegrass leads tend to use open strings whenever possible� Having said that, it makes sense to use open scales when building bluegrass solos� In the following pages I provide you with diagrams and musical examples for the open C major, G major and G major pentatonic scales� Play through and get familiar with each shape before moving on to the licks in the following Practical Application�



101

c major

g major

Open C Major Scale

3 3 33 3

22 2

11 1

1/1

1

30 2 3

0 20 1 3

0 1 3 1 03 1 0

2 03 2 0

3

Open G Major Scale

33 33

22 22 2

1

4

1/1

1

30 2 3

0 2 40 2

0 1 30 2 3 2 0

3 1 02 0

4 2 03 2 0

3



102

g major pentatonIc

Open G MajorPentatonic Scale

33 3

22 2

1/1

1

30 2

0 20 2

0 30 3 0

3 02 0

2 02 0

3

Practical Application - LicksThis Practical Application provides you with three licks that use open scales exclusively� Licks #2 and #3 show up in the bluegrass solo later on, so it’s important you memorize them� Make sure to follow the picking indicators in each lick� Once you can play these three licks, try coming up with your own� Lick #1 (Open G Major Pentatonic Scale)

1/1

1

3 03 0

2 02 0

0



103

Lick #2 (Open G Major Pentatonic Scale)

Lick #3 (Open G Major Scale)

1/1

0 20

22 0

2 02

0

0

1/1

0 20 1 3

0 2 3

0

23

33

melodIeS

Bluegrass guitarists often incorporate the melody of the song they’re playing, into their solos� This is a great way to make solos fit in with the song and sound more interesting. The next two exercises use the open G major and open G major pentatonic scales within short melodies� These melodies show up in the upcoming bluegrass solo and are a bit more complex than the licks you learned in the last section, so get ready for a challenge� Remember to relax as you play these more advanced passages� Exercise #1

1/1

1 30

01 3

0 2

23



104

1/1

30 3

30 3

30 7 5 3

Exercise #2

Exercise #2

mIxIng up lIckS and melodIeS For SoloS

Mixing up melodies and licks is a fairly common practice in bluegrass solos� The following two exercises show you how to combine melodic lines, with straightforward licks, with the help of the open G major and open G major pentatonic scales� These exercises show up in the bluegrass solo, so be sure to get them down now� Exercise #1

1/1

30 3

30 3

30 3 0

3 03 2 0 2 0

1/1

1 30

01 3

0 2

23

3 03

03 0

20

0

woodShed

In this Woodshed section I want you to make sure that you’ve completely memorized the open C major, open G major and open G major pentatonic scales� Once you have them down, you can try moving them to new keys using a capo� Find a song with a simple melody that you like, and play it using one of the open scales�



105

Practical Application - Loop 39 - Bluegrass SoloBefore learning the bluegrass solo I’ve written out for you, I want you to pull up the Bluegrass Play-Along and work on making up bluegrass solos while the song plays� The song is in the key of G major, so you can use the open G major and open G major pentatonic scales� Once you’re done with this, you can move on to learning the bluegrass solo below� The bluegrass solo I wrote out for you is quite challenging� The good news is that you already know most of it if you went through the exercises in the “Bluegrass Lead Guitar” section� This eight-bar solo—with a few pick-up notes at the beginning—is meant to be played over the verse of the Bluegrass Play-Along� You can pull up Loop 39 if you like; it’s perfect for practicing this bluegrass solo� I’ll skip explaining this solo in-depth since you should know most of it from the previous exercises� Still, if you need some help, you can always pull up the video for this lesson�

1/1

1

00 1

020

30

0 20

22 0

2 02

0

0

4

1 30

01 3

0 2

23

3 03

03 0

20

03

0

6

33

0 33

0 3 03 0

3 2 0 22

30

8

7 5 3 0 3 03 0

23

0 20 1 3

0 2 3

0

23

33

Track #11



106

countryThe country guitar lessons in The Guitar System focus on a specific style of playing called chicken pickin’� In the first half of the “Country” section, we’ll go over country rhythm guitar, and in the second half, we’ll cover country lead guitar� If you’ve gone through every lesson in The Guitar System up to this point, you’ll be familiar with most of the musical concepts covered in the country lessons� The only real difference is the technique used and the way chords and scales are applied� Once you learn to do a bit of chicken pickin’, you’ll be able to experiment along with the Country Play-Along� Get ready for some serious fun�

country rhythm guItarCountry rhythm guitar is basically a combination of blues, rock, pop, folk, and other styles of music with a country twang added in� Country guitar players usually use a single-coil pickup in the bridge position to get a really bright chicken pickin’ sound� The following lessons will show you how to apply chicken pickin’ to some country riffs and chord progressions�

chIcken pIckIn’Chicken pickin’ is kind of a hybrid between using a regular pick and fingerstyle guitar. Most chicken pickers hold the pick between the thumb and 1st finger and use the 2nd, 3rd and 4th fingers to play notes as well. It’s pretty common to pluck the strings a bit harder to get a really bright and poppy sound out of the guitar� Most country guitarists grow out the fingernails on their picking hand to help them get a bit more aggressive sound� You don’t have to grow your nails out, but at least try it out to see if you like it� The following exercises will help you get used to using chicken pickin’ in your rhythm guitar playing� Exercise #1This first exercise works on alternating between the guitar pick and the middle finger. Make an E power chord and alternate back and forth between the 6th and 5th strings using the pick and the middle finger, respectively. This is a very basic coordination pattern used all the time in chicken pickin’�

1/1

1

02

02

02

02

02

02

02

02



107

1/1

1

0

2

0

2

0

2

0

2

0

2

0

2

0

2

0

2

1/1

1

0

22

0

22

0

22

0

22

0

22

0

22

0

22

0

22

1/1

1

02

0

2

02

0

2

02

0

2

02

0

2

Exercise #2Exercise #2 gets you used to alternating back and forth between the pick and the 3rd finger. You’ll probably notice that the 3rd finger is quite a bit weaker than the 2nd finger. That just means you’ll have to work a bit harder to get this finger in shape.

Exercise #3This exercise gets you working on alternating between the pick and two fingers. The first eighth note of each beat is played with the pick, while the eighth notes on the “ands” are played with the 2nd and 3rd fingers at the same time� Try to make everything sound as even as possible� Dig into the strings a little harder to get that poppy chicken pickin’ sound�

Exercise #4This exercise is great for working on chicken pickin’ finger independence due to its picking pattern: pick, 2nd finger, pick, 3rd finger. Play through it as many times as you need to in order to perform it smoothly.



108

1/1

1

0

22

0

24

0

25

0

24

0

22

0

24

0

25

0

24

Exercise #5With this last exercise you venture into the world of chicken pickin’ rhythm riffs� Be sure to play the 2nd fret of the 5th and 4th strings by making a bar with the 1st finger. Keep that bar in place throughout the exercise because it’ll come in handy when playing the “ands.” This way, you just need to extend the 3rd finger to play the 4th fret of the 5th string and the 4th finger to play the 5th fret of that same string.

rhythm rIFFS

The three exercises included in this section are great examples of country rhythm riffs that use chicken pickin’� Riffs like these are scattered throughout the Country Play-Along, so make sure to learn them well. The first two riffs are in the key of E major, and the last one is in the key of A major� If you need help with any of these riffs, you can always reference the video� Have fun with these riffs� Once you have them down, you can start working on some of your own� Exercise #1

Exercise #2

1/1

1

022

40

22

042

22

022

40

52

042

22

1/1

1

42

20

52

042

22

042

20 3

03 0



109

Exercise #3

1/1

1

A

0

324

2

20

325

0

324

0

22

2

common chord progreSSIonS

Country music uses many different chord progressions, but there are a few you’ll see quite often� The next four exercises expose you to some of the most common ones you’ll see in country music� Each chord progression is defined in the title of its respective exercise. Play through each one, and try to memorize their sound and flow. Exercise #1 (1-4-5-1)

Exercise #2 (1-5-6-4)

1/1

1

I E IV A V B I E

022100

20

220

24442

022100

1/1

1

I E V B vi C#m IV A

022100

24442

46654

02220



110

Exercise #4 (1-7b-4)

Exercise #3 - The Standard Country Chord Progression (1-5-1-4-1-5-1)

1/1

1

I E V B I E IV A I E V B I E

022100

24442

022100

02220

022100

24442

022100

1/1

1I E bVII D IV A

022100 2

320

02220

02220

woodShed

Before moving on to the Country Play-Along you need to make sure you have a good grasp of a couple of things: basic chicken pickin’ technique and all the riffs in the “Rhythm Riffs” section� As soon as you have these two things covered, you’ll be ready to tackle the Country Play-Along�



111

Practical Application - Country Play-AlongThe Country Play-Along is a pretty good example of a modern country chicken pickin’ tune� The intro and verse are very similar to the riffs you learned in the “Rhythm Riffs” section� The only thing you really have to worry about is the form of the song� The band comes in on measure five, so for the first four bars (page 112) it’s all about you and a riff based on an E power chord� Play the riff from measures one and two throughout measures 5-8 except for the eighth note on beat one� After taking the repeat three times at the end of measure eight, switch to a riff played over an A chord for measures nine and ten (page 113)� Measures eleven and twelve have you playing the E riff again, while measures thirteen and fourteen have you switching to a B riff. Wrap up the verse with an E riff on measure fifteen and a build-up on an E power chord on measure sixteen� The chorus of this song is pretty straightforward� You have to strum and crosspick through two basic chord progressions: C# minor-A major-E major-B major and C# minor-A major-B major-E major (page 114)� Play through each chord progression twice before taking the Da Segno sign back to the fifth measure. Play through the verse again� When you get to the chorus for the second time, you need to play a double chorus before moving on to the bridge (page 115)� The bridge is exactly like the verse but played more like a blues riff than a chicken pickin’ riff� Be sure to let the notes in the bridge, ring out more than you did in the verse� This is the section you’ll solo over in the Practical Application on country soloing� Once you finish the bridge, move on to the outro (page 116) of the song. The outro is built on the same progressions as the chorus� Play through the progressions, and end on the E chord at the end of measure forty-six� The Country Play-Along should give you a good idea of what to expect when learning a modern country song� Take the techniques and elements of country rhythm guitar that you’ve learned and try to figure out some of your favorite country tunes� You can even try writing your own country song!

Track #12



112

Country Play-Along

1/5

1

IntroE

022

40

22

042

22

022

40

52

042

22

3

022

40

22

042

22

0

2 02

30

3 0

5

Verse

E

22

40

22

042

22

022

40

52

042

22

7

E3x

022

40

22

042

22

3x

022

40

52

042

22

9A

0

22 4

022

0

24 2

2

0

22 4

052

0

24 2

2



113

1/5

1

IntroE

022

40

22

042

22

022

40

52

042

22

3

022

40

22

042

22

0

2 02

30

3 0

5

Verse

E

22

40

22

042

22

022

40

52

042

22

7

E3x

022

40

22

042

22

3x

022

40

52

042

22

9A

0

22 4

022

0

24 2

2

0

22 4

052

0

24 2

2

2/5

11E

022

40

22

042

22

4 40 0 1 1

13B

244

2

44 4

4 44

244

2

44 4

4 44

15E

022

40

22

042

22

02

02

02

02

02

02

02

02

17

ChorusC m A E Bsus4

46

600

02

200

02

224400

24400

19C m A Bsus4 E

46

600

02

200

24

00

4

0

22

022



114

3/5

21

C m A E Bsus4

46

600

02

200

02

224400

24400

23C m A B E

46

600

02

200

24

00

4

0

22

022

25

C m A E Bsus4

46

600

02

200

02

224400

24400

27

C m A B E

46

600

02

200

24

00

4

0

22

0

22

0

22

0

22

0

22

29

BridgeE

4x

022

04

022

0 042

022

0

4x

022

04

052

0 042

022

0

2/5

11E

022

40

22

042

22

4 40 0 1 1

13B

244

2

44 4

4 44

244

2

44 4

4 44

15E

022

40

22

042

22

02

02

02

02

02

02

02

02

17

ChorusC m A E Bsus4

46

600

02

200

02

224400

24400

19C m A Bsus4 E

46

600

02

200

24

00

4

0

22

022



115

3/5

21

C m A E Bsus4

46

600

02

200

02

224400

24400

23C m A B E

46

600

02

200

24

00

4

0

22

022

25

C m A E Bsus4

46

600

02

200

02

224400

24400

27

C m A B E

46

600

02

200

24

00

4

0

22

0

22

0

22

0

22

0

22

29

BridgeE

4x

022

04

022

0 042

022

0

4x

022

04

052

0 042

022

0

4/5

31A

0

220

40

22

0 0

240

22

0 0

220

40

52

0 0

240

22

0

33E

022

04

022

0 042

022

0 022

04

052

0 042

022

0

35B

244

26

244

2 264

2 244

244

26

244

2 264

2 244

37E

022

04

022

0 042

022

0 02

02

02

02

02

02

02

02

39

OutroC m A E Bsus4

46

600

02

200

02

224400

24400

41

C m A3x

B E

46

600

02

200

3x

24

00

4

0

22

022



116

5/5

43

C m A E Bsus4

46

600

02

200

02

224400

24400

45

C m A B E

46

600

02

200

24

00

4

0

22

4/5

31A

0

220

40

22

0 0

240

22

0 0

220

40

52

0 0

240

22

0

33E

022

04

022

0 042

022

0 022

04

052

0 042

022

0

35B

244

26

244

2 264

2 244

244

26

244

2 264

2 244

37E

022

04

022

0 042

022

0 02

02

02

02

02

02

02

02

39

OutroC m A E Bsus4

46

600

02

200

02

224400

24400

41

C m A3x

B E

46

600

02

200

3x

24

00

4

0

22

022



117

country lead guItarCountry lead guitar doesn’t use a ton of new concepts, focusing instead on adding a little country style and chicken pickin’ to things you already know� In the next lessons I’ll school you on how to do this by teaching you to play the major pentatonic, minor pentatonic, and blues scales in a country context� I’ll even throw a new scale at you: the major blues scale� This one sounds pretty awesome in country solos�

common ScaleS

There are a few scales that you’ll hear over and over again in country solos: the major pentatonic scale, the minor pentatonic scale and the blues scale� With that in mind, I came up with licks for each of these scales so you can learn to apply them in a country context with the help of the following lessons�

major pentatonIc Scale

The major pentatonic scale is used quite often in country music� You’ll probably be surprised at how a few slides and bends can make a regular major pentatonic scale sound pretty country� Play through the following three licks to see how the major pentatonic scale can be used to play country lead-guitar licks�

Lick #1

Lick #2

1/1

1

12 1412

14

full

14 1214

12 (12)

1/1

99 12 9

9 911 9

119

1112



118

Lick #1

Lick #2

mInor pentatonIc Scale

In country music you can use minor pentatonic scales over minor chords and sometimes over major chords� The chord progression over which you’re playing determines if a minor pentatonic scale sounds right over a particular major chord� The next three licks are a great for showing of how minor pentatonic scales are used in a country context� These licks contain a lot of double-stops, hammer-ons, pull-offs, slides and bends� Take note of how these techniques are used to create a country lead-guitar sound�

Lick #3

1/1

1212

1212

1212

1212

1212

99 12

11 99

11 911

9

1/1

12 14

1212

1212

12 14

1212

1212

14 12 14

1/1

full

1512

15 1215 12

15 1214 12

14 12 14



119

Lick #1

Lick #2

Lick #3

1/1

1413 13

1412 14

12

full

1512

12 15 17

BlueS Scale

Believe it or not, the blues scale is one of the most common scales used in country music� However, when soloing over a country chord progression, you have to be careful with it� Sometimes it may not be appropriate to use it for the chords over which you’re playing� You’ll have to rely on your ears to understand exactly when it’s okay to solo with the blues scale over country music� The following three licks will give you a great idea of how to use the blues scale in country solos�

1/1

7 107 8 9

7 98 10 8

full

10

1/1

141212 12

141214 15

1214 12

12

1413 12

12

14 (14)



120

Lick #3

1/1

141414 12

1214

1212

14

½

1412

12

full

15 12

full

15

the major BlueS Scale

Up until this point you’ve been using scales you already know, to play country licks� In this lesson we’ll go over a new scale that’s known as the major blues scale� Let’s start by taking a look at a major pentatonic scale� Check the E major pentatonic scale diagram on the bottom left-hand corner of this page, and play through it a few times� There are a couple of ways to think about and build the major blues scales. In the first one, the major blues scale is based on the relative minor-key of the major key in which you’re playing� This means that if you start on an E major pentatonic scale, its relative minor-blues scale is a C# blues scale� If you play a C# blues scale over an E major chord, you get the major blues sound� The second way to think about a major blues scale is as a major pentatonic scale with a minor third, or relative b5, added in� If you’re playing an E major pentatonic scale, for example, all you have to do is add a G note to turn it into a major blues scale� At the bottom right-hand corner of this page is an E major pentatonic scale with a minor third added in� Play through this scale with the help of the sheet music on the following page, and listen to how it has both major and “bluesy” qualities at the same time�

111

2

3

4 444

22

4

12

E Major Pentatonic Scale6th String Root

2nd Finger Starting

11

12 1

3

34 4

4

1

3

4

1

3

12

C# Blues Scale4th String Root

1st Finger Starting

11

12

4

4

1

4

1 112

E Major Pentatonic ScaleWith Lowered 3rd

(Relative b5) Added

4

3

3 33



121

1/1

12 14 1511 14

11 1411 12 13

12 1412 14 15 14 12

14 1213 12 11

14 1114 11

15 14 12

Below you’ll find great examples of how to use the major blues scale to play some cool country licks. Play through each one, and watch out for double-stops, bends, hammer-ons and pull-offs� Once you can play these licks, you should experiment with the major blues scale to see what you can come up with on your own�

Lick #1

1/1

3

1212

15 16 1212 14

1212 14 12

12 1314

Lick #2

Lick #3

1/1

full

1512

15 1215 14 12

14 1213 12 11

14

1/1

12 14 1511 14

11 14 11

½

1214 11 14



122

country BendIng

Bending is one of the most important techniques for achieving a truly country sound with your leads� The next several licks show you how to use regular bends, two-string bends and pedal-steel bends in country solos� Your fingers might get pretty sore after going through these licks. Don’t worry, because they’ll toughen up after a while.

Lick #2

Lick #1

Lick #3 (Pedal-Steel Bend)Several of the next few licks contain pedal-steel bends� They’re called pedal-steel bends because they simulate the type of sound you get when playing a pedal steel guitar. These can be pretty difficult because one note is bent up while the other one is kept still�

1/1

12

½

15

½

15 12

1/1

full

1512

full

1512

½

15 1215 12

½

12

1/1

full

1010

810 10

9 810 10

99



123

Lick #4 (Two-String Bend)

Lick #5 (Pedal-Steel Bend)

Lick #6 (Pedal-Steel Bend)

1/1

½

99 7

7

9

77

78

9

1/1

1114

full

1411

(14)(11)

1/1

½

1413

1413

1411

full

1411



124

domInant 7th arpeggIoS

The final country lead-guitar tool we’ll look at is the dominant 7th arpeggio. Dominant 7th chords are used quite often in country songs—especially for the 5 chord—and sound great over dominant 7th chords� The following exercises show you two of the most common dominant 7th arpeggio shapes and how to play them�

Exercise #1

Exercise #2

1

1

22

3

4

2 2

4

12

E Dominant 7 Arpeggio6th String Root

2nd Finger Starting

1/1

1211 14

12 1413

1210 12 10

1213

14 1214 11

12

1 1

3

44

2

47

E Dominant 7 Arpeggio5th String Root

4th Finger Starting



125

Now, below you’ll find four licks that are great examples of how to apply dominant 7th arpeggio shapes to country lead guitar� Lick #1 is taken directly from the upcoming country solo, so be sure to memorize it� Once you can play these licks, try coming up with your own�

Lick #1

Lick #2

Lick #3

1/1

76

4 75

4 7 45

7 46

7

1/1

12 910

12 9 1211

12 (12)

1/1

3

33

3

1413

1210 12 10

1213

14 12 14 12 14 14

1/1

7 6 5 45

7 46

full

77

full

7 5 (5)



126

Practical Application - Loop 40 - Country SoloThe country solo I’ve written out for you is a great example of how you can use each element of country lead guitar that we’ve covered� You use lots of bends, pentatonic scales, blues scales, dominant 7th arpeggios and slides to play over the chord changes in the bridge of this song� You already know most of the licks in this solo from working on the exercises found within the “Country Lead Guitar” section, but there are still new things to learn, though�

The first lick of the solo is brand new and takes place in most of measures 1-3 (page 127). It’s a pretty simple double-stop lick that uses some chicken pickin’ and hammer-ons� The second lick starts at the end of measure three, ends on measure five and is very similar to Lick #1 in the “Blues Scale” section of the lessons on country lead guitar� The only real difference between both licks is the type of bend used at the end of the pattern� This one has a pedal-steel-type bend, while the one from Lick #1 has a normal bend� To play the pedal-steel bend, you have to bend the 10th fret of the 2nd string up while holding down the note on the 10th fret of the 1st string� The lick on measure six is almost identical to Lick #3 from the “Country Bending” section� The only real difference is the way this one ends: with a slide to the E on the 12th fret of the 1st string� Measure eight presents a new lick that’s based on an E dominant 7th arpeggio� This lick isn’t too complicated, so give it a try on your own� The lick on measure nine (page 128) is identical to the first lick in the “Dominant 7th Arpeggios” section. Tag this lick with the simple, bend-heavy one on measure ten� The lick on measure eleven is Lick #1 from the “Minor Pentatonic Scale” section� Finish off this phrase with the pedal-steel lick on measure twelve� The first half of the next two-bar lick takes place on measure thirteen, and it’s a new, little double-stop pattern for you to learn� The second half is on measure fourteen, and it’s Lick #4 of the “Country Bending” section� Work on each half of the lick before putting them together�

woodShed

In this Woodshed section I want you to pull up the Country Play-Along and experiment with everything you’ve learned about country lead guitar� This song is in the key of E major so you can use the E major, E major pentatonic, E minor pentatonic and E blues scales to build your leads� Be careful with where you use the E minor pentatonic and E blues scales� Let your ears judge where these scales sound good or bad�

Lick #4

1/1

3

1413

1213

1210

1210

full

1512

12

full

15

Track #13



127

The last lick on this solo is two bars long and played on measures fifteen and sixteen. Its first half is taken right from the second lick of the “Major Blues Scale” section, while the second half uses the bend from Lick #5 of the “Country Bending” section� The only difference here is that the bend is played twice� That’s the entire country solo� I’d be lying to you if I told you that this solo is easy� Once you can play through it, you should be able to play most country solos you hear on the radio�

1/2

1

50

50

30

20

00

0 10

0 12

3

(2)7 10

7 8 97 9

8 10 8

5

full

1010

full

1010

810 10

9 810 10

99

12

7

(12) (12) 12 1012

12 1314

9

12 910

12 9 1211

12 (12) 12

½

15

½

15 12

11

12 14

1212

1212

12 14

1212

1212

14 12

full

1415

1212

14 12 14



128

2/2

13

977 7

89

77

87

9

½

99 7

7

9

77

78

9

15

full

1512

15 1215 14 12

14 1213 12 11

14 11 14

full

1411

full

1411

1/2

1

50

50

30

20

00

0 10

0 12

3

(2)7 10

7 8 97 9

8 10 8

5

full

1010

full

1010

810 10

9 810 10

99

12

7

(12) (12) 12 1012

12 1314

9

12 910

12 9 1211

12 (12) 12

½

15

½

15 12

11

12 14

1212

1212

12 14

1212

1212

14 12

full

1415

1212

14 12 14



129

concluSIonIf you really like country guitar and want to get better at it, you now have the tools required to accomplish that� There’s no substitute for experimenting with the techniques and concepts learned in these lessons� The best advice I have for you is to listen to a lot of country music and try to figure out what the guitar players are doing. This will slowly build your country guitar vocabulary� If you want to listen to some really smoking country guitar players, I’d recommend listening to Brad Paisley, Brent Mason, Danny Gatton, and Johnny Hiland� The next style of music we’re going to cover is jazz� Jazz tends to strike fear into the hearts of many guitar players� That’s because there’s a lot of music theory involved in jazz� I’ll break jazz down to its most fundamental pieces so that anyone can understand and play it� So don’t worry�

The GuiTar SyStem - Styles And Theory - Jazz


130

IntroductIon

Jazz tends to scare off some guitar players because of all the music theory involved in learning it� However understandable this might be, there’s actually no reason to fear it� In this section I’ll break down the most fundamental elements of jazz into small manageable lessons�

The first half of the jazz section is all about jazz rhythm guitar. It focus on tone, style, chords and chord progressions to help you jump into the world of jazz� There are two great jazz play-alongs to learn along the way� You’ll not only be able to play them but also to understand the theory behind them� The second half of the jazz section is where you’ll dig into jazz lead guitar� Those lessons focus on style and playing over jazz chord changes. Some jazz chord progressions can be pretty difficult to solo over, but don’t worry� We’ll take it step-by-step and you’ll even learn a very cool jazz solo that hits all the chord changes in one of the play-alongs� If you’ve been dying to get into and understand jazz, these lessons will give you the tools you need to move toward your goals�

jazz rhythm guItar

jazz Style

Before you get into actually playing jazz, let’s take a moment to talk about tone, style and the rhythm guitar’s traditional role in jazz. These are the types of things I learned about on my first day in jazz ensemble in college. It’s much better to learn about these simple topics now than it’s to look silly when you show up to a rehearsal� Trust me, I’m speaking from experience�

tone

The keyword to think about when dialing in a good jazz tone is mellow� More times than not you’ll see jazz guitar players using hollow body guitars� They’ll almost always use the neck pickup of their guitar because it gives them a more mellow sound� Some guitarists even roll back on their tone knob to mellow the sound out even more�

Amp settings are really about personal preference, but you should remember to keep it pretty mellow� In other words, don’t add too much treble and definitely lay off of the distortion. Of course, all of these tonal recommendations are just typical guidelines that’ll help you get into the jazz style� You can use any kind of guitar, amp or tone that you like�

JazzJazz



131

SwIng Beat

Most examples played in The Guitar System have used a straight, or evenly spaced, eighth note feel� Jazz usually uses a swing beat, or feel, for eighth notes� This means that the eighth notes aren’t evenly spaced apart for each beat: the first eighth note is long and the second one is short� If you think about each beat as a group of three eighth note triplets, the first eighth note takes up the first two triplets and the second eighth note takes up the third one. This may be difficult to understand, but it’ll probably click as soon as you listen to the first couple of jazz examples. As you can see from the following sheet music, the swing beat is made up of one quarter note, one quarter note triplet and one eighth note triplet� This is the rhythm you’ll hear the drummer playing on the ride cymbal in most jazz songs� You’ll probably recognize it as soon as you listen to the jazz play-alongs� This beat is critical for the overall feel of jazz�

rhythm guItar role In jazz

Rock music tends to emphasize the first and third beats of each measure in 4/4 time, while jazz emphasizes the second and fourth beats� You’ll probably notice that jazz drummers constantly play the pedal of their hi-hats on the second and fourth beats of each measure� This really emphasizes those beats and sets the feel for the entire tune�

1/1

3

1/1

3

3 3 3 3

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

1/1

3

GM71 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

3

443

3

443

3

443

3

443

3

443

3

443

The basic role of a rhythm guitar in a big-band or a jazz ensemble is to harmonize the hi-hats on the second and fourth beats of each measure� This means you’ll generally be playing chords on those beats� This is a bit of an over simplification of the guitar’s role in jazz music, but it’s a great place to start. It’s also pretty common to play chords on every beat in 4/4 time� Above is an example of these two common jazz rhythm guitar strumming patterns�



132

changIng keyS

One of the things that makes jazz more difficult than other styles of music is the fact that most jazz songs change keys quite often� The main tool used in jazz to change keys is the 2-5-1 chord progression� The next few lessons will show you exactly what a 2-5-1 progression is and how it’s used to change keys in jazz�

the 2-5-1 progreSSIon

The 2-5-1 chord progression is know as the jazz chord progression� If you can learn to identify 2-5-1 chord progressions, playing jazz will be much easier for you� A 2-5-1 progression is made up of the 2nd, 5th and 1st chords of any key� Let’s look at an example� The chords in the key of G major are G major, A minor, B minor, C major, D major, E minor and F# diminished� The 2nd, 5th and 1st chords in the key of G major are A minor, D major and G major, respectively� This is a 2-5-1 progression in the key of G major! On the following sheet music the example starts with a 2-5-1 progression in the key of A major� B minor, E major and A major are the chords in this progression� On measure four the 2-5-1 progression changes to in the key of G� As discussed previously, the chords in a 2-5-1 progression in the key of G are A minor, D major and G major� Notice how the 1 chord in the key of A became the 2 chord in the key of G� In other words, the A major became an A minor� This is a very common way of using 2-5-1 progressions to change keys�

1/1

3

ii Bm7ii V I In The Key Of A Major

V E7 I A7M

7

77

7

7

77

7

7

77

7

7

77

7

79797

79797

79797

79797

5

665

5

665

5

665

5

665

3

ii Am7ii V I In The Key Of G Major

V D7

5

665

5

665

5

665

5

665

5

555

5

555

5

555

5

555

5

57

7

5

5

57

7

5

5

57

7

5

5

57

7

5

6

I G7M

3

443

3

443

3

443

3

443

3

443

3

443

3

443

3

443



133

1/1

3

ii Bm7ii V I In The Key Of A Major

V E7 I A7M

7

77

7

7

77

7

7

77

7

7

77

7

79797

79797

79797

79797

5

665

5

665

5

665

5

665

3

ii Am7ii V I In The Key Of G Major

V D7

5

665

5

665

5

665

5

665

5

555

5

555

5

555

5

555

5

57

7

5

5

57

7

5

5

57

7

5

5

57

7

5

6

I G7M

3

443

3

443

3

443

3

443

3

443

3

443

3

443

3

443

1G 2A 3B 4C 5D 6E 7F# 8G 9A

G Major 9th Chord

1

R

3

7

93

4

10

G Major 9No 5th

X X

2

leavIng out noteS In chordS

Many of the chords you’ll be playing in the jazz lessons have quite a few notes in them� The guitar has six strings and we only have four usable fingers in the fretting hand, so we’ll not always be able to play every note of a chord—we’ll often leave out a note or two. The first note to go is usually the 5th of the chord� Here’s a diagram of the notes in a G major 9th chord. Notice that there are five notes in this chord� The chord diagram to the right shows you a common voicing for a major 9th chord with the chord tones labeled� Notice that 5th of the chord is nowhere to be found. You’ll find that quite a few of the new larger chords you’ll learn have omitted notes�



134

2-5-1 progreSSIonS wIth 7th chordS

Jazz chord progressions often use 7th chords—it just gives a “jazzier” sound� The following three exercises show you how to use 7th chords in 2-5-1 chord progressions� The progressions are in the key of G major and feature new chord shapes for you to learn� Diagrams for these chords are included above the exercise in which they appear� Exercise #1

1/1

1

Am7 D7 Gmaj7

5

555

5

555

5

555

5

555

5

57

7

5

5

57

7

5

5

57

7

5

5

57

7

5

3

443

3

443

3

443

3

443

1/1

7 1

2 3

4

Am7

7 111

2

D7

5 1

444

Gmaj7

1

Am7 D7 Gmaj7

7988

7988

7988

7988

77

7

8

77

7

8

77

7

8

77

7

8

5777

5777

5777

5777

1/1

12 111

2

3

Am7

12 1

2

3 4

D7

12 111

4

Gmaj7

1

Am7 D7 Gmaj7

14121312

1214121312

1214121312

1214121312

12

1413

12

14

1413

12

14

1413

12

14

1413

12

14

12121214

12121214

12121214

12121214

Exercise #2

Exercise #3



135

domInant 7th chord role

Dominant 7th chords play a very important role in jazz. They’re essential in figuring out what key you’re playing in� Below is a list of all the 7th chords found in any major key: two major 7th chords, three minor 7th chords and only one dominant 7th chord� The 5 chord in any major key is always a dominant 7th chord� Knowing this can make identifying 2-5-1 progressions much easier�

Next we have the 7th chords in the key of G major� Notice how the 5 chord is a D dominant 7th chord� You can generally identify a 2-5-1 chord progression in the key of G by the D dominant 7th chord� A 2-5-1 in the key of G is Am7-D7-GM7� The D7 is a dead giveaway that you’re in the key of G major�

I Major 7 ii minor 7iii minor 7IV Major 7

V Dominant 7vi minor 7

vii minor 7 b5

7th Chords In Major Keys

I G Major 7 ii a minor 7iii b minor 7IV C Major 7

V D Dominant 7vi e minor 7

vii f# minor 7 b5

7th Chords In The Key Of G Major

ii a minor 7 | V D Dominant 7 | I G Major 7 ii V I In The Key Of G Major



136

ii V I

4th 4th

cycle oF 4thS and 5thS

Do you remember when you learned to use the cycle of 4ths and 5ths to determine key signatures? Well, you can also use it to memorize 2-5-1 chord progressions� You see, a 2-5-1 progression is nothing more than a cycle of 4ths� How? Let’s say you start on the A on the diagram below� Four chords away from it is the D, and four chords away from the D is the G� When you put those chords together you get the 2-5-1 progression in the key of G: Am7-D7-GM7� In the 2-5-1 progression in the key of G, starting on the A and moving to the left on the diagram, or around the cycle of 4ths, is what leads you to the D and the G� The distance from A to D is a 4th, and the distance from D to a G is a 4th� This is just another way to think about 2-5-1 progressions�

C

Cycle Of 4ths And 5ths

G

D

A

E

BGb/F#Db

Ab

Eb

Bb

F

��

��

��

��

��

4ths 5ths



137

changIng keyS wIth 2-5-1 progreSSIonS

Let’s work on changing keys with 2-5-1 progressions a little more� The following three exercises use 2-5-1 progressions to move from one key to another� The key of each 2-5-1 is indicated above the measures� If you’ve gone through the entire Guitar System up to this point, you should know all the chords in these exercises� Exercise #1

Exercise #2

1/1

1

Bm7ii V I In The Key Of A Major

E7 Amaj7

7

777

7

777

7

777

7

777

76

57

76

57

76

57

76

57

5

665

5

665

5

665

5

665

5

665

5

665

5

665

5

665

5

Am7ii V I In The Key Of G Major

D7 Gmaj7

5

555

5

555

5

555

5

555

5453

5453

5453

5453

3

443

3

443

3

443

3

443

3

443

3

443

3

443

3

443

1/1

1

Bm7ii V I In The Key Of A Major

E7 Amaj7

9111010

9111010

9111010

9111010

9

99

10

9

99

10

9

99

10

9

99

10

97

99

97

99

97

99

97

99

97

99

97

99

97

99

97

99

5


D7 Gmaj7

7988

7988

7988

7988

7778

7778

7778

7778

57

77

57

77

57

77

57

77

57

77

57

77

57

77

57

77



138

1/1

1

C m7ii V In The Key Of B Major

F 7 Bm7ii V In The Key Of A Major

E7

9

999

9

999

9

999

9

999

9897

9897

9897

9897

7

777

7

777

7

777

7

777

76

57

76

57

76

57

76

57

5


D7 Gmaj7

5

555

5

555

5

555

5

555

54

35

54

35

54

35

54

35

3

443

3

443

3

443

3

443

3

443

3

443

3

443

3

443

Exercise #3

woodShed

Before moving on to the Jazz Play-Along, you need to make sure you fully understand what a 2-5-1 progression is and how it’s used to change keys� It’s also a good idea to write out 2-5-1 progressions in different keys� Take some time to write them out in the keys of A, B, Bb, C, D, E, F and G�



139

Practical Application - Jazz Play-AlongThe Jazz Play-Along applies everything you’ve learned about jazz rhythm guitar and 2-5-1 progressions, to real music� This tune stays in the key of G major most of the time, but each 2-5-1 chord progression is labeled to help you keep track of any key changes� There are new chords for you to learn as well, and they’re TABed out if you need help playing them� Now, let me walk you through the play-along so you know exactly what challenges await you in its three main sections� The intro (page 140) consists of the first three measures: the pick-up measure and measures one and two. Except for the GM7 chord at the end of measure two, these three measures are played with a D7 chord� That GM7 chord actually takes you from the intro to the main part of the song� The main chord progression of the tune takes place on measures 3-18 and is played twice. The first time through, I’m using downstrokes to strum on all four beats of each measure� The second time through, which starts after taking the repeat sign at measure eighteen (page 141) back to measure three, I switch to playing only on the second and fourth beats of each measure� This helps change things up and keeps the song interesting� Measures 19-34 use the exact same chord progression as measures 3-18 but with different chord voicings� These chords are made higher up the neck of the guitar� When you play with a keyboard player or horns, you’ll find that using higher chord voicings keeps your chords from sounding too muddy. Again, I strum quarter notes on every beat the first time through this section and switch to playing on beats two and four the second time through� The play-along ends with an outro section (page 142) that descends through a GM7-FM7-D#M7-CM7-GM7 progression that’s played with two common major 7th chord shapes�

It can be pretty easy to rush on this song, so make sure to lay back and wait for the beats to come to you� Rushing can make things sound really square and tense� That’s the last vibe you want in a jazz song� Have fun with this tune, and don’t be afraid to try new chord voicings throughout the main chord progression�

Track #14



140

Jazz Play-Along

1/3

3

D7 Gmaj7

5453

XXXX

54

35

(5)(4)

(3)(5)

3

443

3

G6 Am7ii V In The Key Of G Major

3

443

3

443

3

443

3

443

3

342

3

342

3

342

3

342

5

555

5

555

5

555

5

555

6

D7 Bm7ii V In The Key Of A Major

E7

5453

5453

5453

5453

7

777

7

777

7

777

7

777

76

57

76

57

76

57

76

57

9

Am7ii V In The Key Of G Major

D7 Cmaj7

5

555

5

555

5

555

5

555

5453

5453

5453

5453

35453

35453

35453

35453

12


E7

5453

5453

5453

5453

7

777

7

777

7

777

7

777

76

57

76

57

76

57

76

57



141

1/3

3

D7 Gmaj7

5453

XXXX

54

35

(5)(4)

(3)(5)

3

443

3

G6 Am7ii V In The Key Of G Major

3

443

3

443

3

443

3

443

3

342

3

342

3

342

3

342

5

555

5

555

5

555

5

555

6


E7

5453

5453

5453

5453

7

777

7

777

7

777

7

777

76

57

76

57

76

57

76

57

9

Am7ii V In The Key Of G Major

D7 Cmaj7

5

555

5

555

5

555

5

555

5453

5453

5453

5453

35453

35453

35453

35453

12


E7

5453

5453

5453

5453

7

777

7

777

7

777

7

777

76

57

76

57

76

57

76

57

2/3

15


D7 Gmaj7 G m7 5

5

555

5

555

5

555

5

555

5453

5453

5453

5453

3

443

3

443

4

443

4

443

18


D7 Gmaj7 G6

5

55

5

5

55

554

35

54

35

5777

5777

5777

5777

575

7575

7575

7575

7

21



7988

7988

7988

7988

7778

7778

7778

7778

9111010

9111010

9111010

9111010

24

E7 Am7ii V I In The Key Of G Major

D7

9

99

10

9

99

10

9

99

10

9

99

10

7988

7988

7988

7988

7778

7778

7778

7778

27

Cmaj7 D7 Bm7ii V I In The Key Of A Major

5557

5557

5557

5557

57575

57575

57575

57575

7

777

7

777

7

777

7

777



142

3/3

30


D7

76

57

76

57

76

57

76

57

7988

7988

7988

7988

7778

7778

7778

7778

33

Gmaj7 G m7 5 Am7ii V I In The Key Of G Major

D7 Gmaj7 Fmaj7 D maj7

5777

5777

6777

6777

5

55

5

5

55

554

35

54

35

10121112

8109

108

6878

36

C maj7 Gmaj7

(6)(8)(7)(8)

4656

3

443

2/3

15


D7 Gmaj7 G m7 5

5

555

5

555

5

555

5

555

5453

5453

5453

5453

3

443

3

443

4

443

4

443

18


D7 Gmaj7 G6

5

55

5

5

55

554

35

54

35

5777

5777

5777

5777

575

7575

7575

7575

7

21



7988

7988

7988

7988

7778

7778

7778

7778

9111010

9111010

9111010

9111010

24


D7

9

99

10

9

99

10

9

99

10

9

99

10

7988

7988

7988

7988

7778

7778

7778

7778

27

Cmaj7 D7 Bm7ii V I In The Key Of A Major

5557

5557

5557

5557

57575

57575

57575

57575

7

777

7

777

7

777

7

777



143

the 6-2-5-1 chord progreSSIon

Another very common chord progression in jazz is the 6-2-5-1� This progression simply adds another note to the cycle of 4ths at the beginning of a regular 2-5-1 progression� Let’s look at an example� A 2-5-1 in the key of G is Am7-D7-GM7� If you add in a chord that’s a 4th before the A, you get an E� In the key of G major that E is an E minor chord. So, a 6-2-5-1 in the key of G major is Em7-Am7-D7-GM7. Not too difficult, right?!

The following three exercises feature 6-2-5-1 progressions in the keys of G and A major. Try to memorize the flow and sound of a 6-2-5-1 progression as you go through these exercises� Once you have them down, you can play 6-2-5-1 chord progressions in any key you like� Exercise #1

vi ii V I

1/1

Em7 Am7 D7 Gmaj7

79787

79787

79787

79787

5

555

5

555

5

555

5

555

5

57

7

5

5

57

7

5

5

57

7

5

5

57

7

5

3

443

3

443

3

443

3

443

Exercise #2

Exercise #3

1/1

1

Em7 Am7 D7 Gmaj7

79787

79787

79787

79787

7988

7988

7988

7988

77

7

8

77

7

8

77

7

8

77

7

8

5777

5777

5777

5777

1/1

1

F m7 Bm7 E7 Amaj7

9119109

9119109

9119109

9119109

9

1010

119

1010

119

1010

119

1010

11

79797

79797

79797

79797

7999

7999

7999

7999

GuiTar SyStem - Styles And Theory - Jazz


144

chord ScaleS

We’ve already covered chord scales in other sections of The Guitar System, but I really wanted to include a few in the “Jazz” section as well� These chord scales will help you memorize which 7th chords occur naturally in any major key� They’ll also help you completely memorize the 6th, 5th and 4th string root note 7th chord shapes� Recall that in any major key the 1st and 4th chords are major 7th chords; the 2nd, 3rd and 6th chords are minor 7th chords; the 5th chord is a dominant 7th chord and the 7th chord is a half diminished, or minor 7 b5, chord� So, the 7th chords that occur naturally in, say, the key of G major are G major 7th, A minor 7th, B minor 7th, C major 7th, D dominant 7th, E minor 7th and F# minor 7 b5� The following chord scales will help you play through the 7th chords in the keys of G, C and F major using the 6th, 5th and 4th string root note chord shapes� Exercise #1 (6th String Root)

Exercise #2 (5th String Root)

1/1

1

Gmaj7 Am7 Bm7 Cmaj7 D7 Em7 F m7 5 Gmaj7

3

443

5

555

7

777

8

998

10

101110

12

121212

14

141413

15

161615

1/1

1

Cmaj7 Dm7 Em7 Fmaj7 G7 Am7 Bm7 5 Cmaj7

35453

57565

79787

8109108

12101210

10 1214121312

14151415

1517161715



145

Exercise #3 (4th String Root)

woodShed

Before moving on to the new chords in the next lesson, take some time to go through a few 7th chord scales on your own� You’ve already done this for the keys of C, F and G major� Now you can try the keys of A, Bb, B, D and E� Knowing chord scales will help you get fast at recognizing 2-5-1s, 6-2-5-1s and many other jazz chord progressions�

1/1

1

Fmaj7 Gm7 Am7 B maj7 C7 Dm7 Em7 5 Fmaj7

3555

5766

7988

8101010

10121112

12141313

1514

1515

15171717

11th chordS

It’s time for you to learn new types of chords that use more extensions. The first type we’ll look at is the 11th chord� We’ll cover two types of 11th chords: the dominant 11th chord and the minor 11th chord� Here’s the formula for a dominant 11th chord� It’s basically a dominant 7th chord with a 9th and an 11th added to it�

The dominant 11th chord can be used anywhere you’d normally use a dominant 7th or 5 chord� Here’s a D dominant 11th chord, or D11, spelled out for you� Once you understand how this chord is made, you can try building other dominant 11th chords on your own� If you choose to use a dominant 11th chord, make sure it doesn’t conflict with any melody that might be going on. Take a look at the chord diagram for a D11, which is a pretty common voicing for a dominant 11th chord� Notice that there are only four notes in this chord�

1 3 5 b7 9 11Dominant 11th Chord Formula

1D 3F# 5A b7C 9E 11GD Dominant 11th Chord

1

3 45

D11No 5th or 3rdX X

2



146

If you want to build a minor 11th chord, all you have to do is start with a minor 7th chord and add the 9th and 11th� Here’s a diagram that shows you the minor 11th chord formula� If you use this formula to spell an A minor 11th chord, you end up with A C E G B D� I’ve thrown in a shape for a minor 11th chord� Give it a try and then move it around the fretboard� The next two exercises apply these new 11th chord voicings to a couple of 2-5-1 chord progressions� Play through these exercises and listen to how the 11th chords kind of dress up the progressions� Once you can play these two little progressions, you should have a pretty good idea of how 11th chords are used in jazz�

1 b3 5 b7 9 11Minor 11th Chord Formula

1A b3C 5E b7G 9B 11DA Minor 11th Chord

1

3 45

A Minor 11No 5th or 9th

X X

2

Exercise #2

Exercise #1

1/1

1

I G7M ii Am7 V D11 I G7M

443

3 5

555

5

553

443

3

1/1

1


443

3

443

3

443

3

443

3 5

553

5

553

5

553

5

553

443

3



147

1/1

1


443

3 5

555

5

553

443

3

1/1

1


443

3

443

3

443

3

443

3 5

553

5

553

5

553

5

553

443

3

13th chordS

The next type of chord we’ll look at is the 13th chord� We’ll cover the formulas as well as a few shapes for major 13th and minor 13th chords� Once you have these chords down, you’ll have another color to use in your jazz rhythm guitar playing� The formula for a major 13th chord is basically a major 7th chord with the 9th, 11th and 13th added in� If you use this formula for coming up with a G major 13th chord, you end up with G B D F# A C E� That’s a lot of notes for one chord! Check out the chord diagram on the right-hand side of this page for a pretty common major 13th voicing�

1 3 5 7 9 11 13Major 13th Chord Formula

1G 3B 5D 7F# 9A 11C 13EG Major 13th Chord

35

G Major 13thNo 11th

2

1 b3 5 b7 9 11 13Minor 13th Chord Formula

1A b3C 5E b7G 9B 11D 13F#A Minor 13th Chord

2 35

A Minor 13thNo 5th or 11th

X1

Minor 13th chords are pretty much like major 13th chords� The only real difference is that they’re based on the minor 7th chord instead of the major 7th chord� So, a minor 7th chord with the 9th, 11th and 13th added in is the formula for a minor 13th chord� As an example, let’s look at an A minor 13th chord, which is spelled A C E G B D F� There’s a minor 13th chord diagram to the left for you to try as well� The two exercises on the following page show you how to start using these new 13th chords in a couple of 2-5-1 progressions� Play through each exercise, and listen to how the 13th chords change the overall vibe of the progression when compared to regular 7th chords� Once you’re comfortable with these 13th chords, you can try using them in your own jazz progressions�



148

Exercise #1

Exercise #2

1/1

1

I G Major 13 ii Am7 V D7 I G Major 13

223

32

2

5

555

575

57 2

23

32

2

1/1

1

I G7M ii A minor 13 V D7 I G7M

443

3

443

3

443

3

443

3 5

5577

5

5577

575

75 5

575

7 443

3

augmented chordS

Augmented chords are major chords with the 5th raised by one half-step� If you apply the augmented formula to a G major chord, you end up with a G augmented chord spelled G B D#� You’ll see augmented chords in jazz quite a bit more than in pop and rock music� The following diagrams show the augmented chord formula, while on the following page you can find a couple of common augmented chord shapes.

1 3 #5Augmented Triad Formula

1G 3B #5D#G Augmented Triad



149

1/1

1

I G Major 13 ii Am7 V D7 I G Major 13

223

32

2

5

555

575

57 2

23

32

2

1/1

1

I G7M ii A minor 13 V D7 I G7M

443

3

443

3

443

3

443

3 5

5577

5

5577

575

75 5

575

7 443

3

5

G AugmentedTriad

X X X

3

1

2 3

5

G AugmentedX X

4

Exercise #1Augmented chords have a very distinct and easily recognizable sound� The chord progression in this exercise is a great example of how augmented chords are used� When I hear progressions like this, I always think about jazz or very early rock ‘n’ roll songs�

1/1

1G Gaug Cmaj7 Cm

543

543

543

543 4

45

445

445

445

5453

35453

35453

35453

3

35543

35543

35543

35543

5

Gmaj7 Em7 Am7 D9 Gmaj7

3

443

3

443

79787

79787

5

555

5

555

5455

5455

3

443



150

mInor 7 b5 and dImInIShed chordS

The next type of chord we’ll look at is the minor 7 b5� This chord has popped up several times throughout The Guitar System� Minor 7 b5 chords—also called half diminished chords—are used quite often in jazz when compared to rock and pop� If you start with a major 7th chord and want to make a minor 7 b5 chord, all you have to do is lower the 3rd, 5th and 7th scale degrees by one half-step� The 7th chord of any major key is a minor 7 b5 chord� For example, the 7th chord in the key of G major is an F# minor 7 b5, which is spelled F# A C E� Below are two very useful minor 7 b5 voicings for you to add to your chord library� 1F# b3A b5C b7E

F# Minor 7 b5

F# Minor 7 b5

1

2

X X

3 4

F# Minor 7 b5

21

X X

3 4

9

1 b3 b5 bb7

Fully Diminished7th Chord Formula

1F# b3A b5C bb7EbF# Fully Diminished 7

1 b3 b5 b7Minor 7 b5 Chord Formula

The final type of chord we’ll look at is the fully diminished 7th chord. If you know how to make a minor 7 b5 chord, making a fully diminished 7th chord will be very easy for you� The only difference between a minor 7 b5 chord and a fully diminished 7th chord is the 7th scale degree, which is lowered by one whole-step instead of one half-step� An F# minor 7 b5 chord is spelled F# A C E, and an F# fully diminished 7th chord is spelled F# A C Eb� On the next page you’ll find the two most common fully diminished 7th chord shapes.



151

F# Diminished 7

1

2

X X

3 4

9

F# Diminished 7

21

X X

3 4

4

Below are two chord progressions that use a couple of the fully diminished 7th and minor 7 b5 chord shapes� Play through these exercises, and listen to the subtle sound difference between the fully diminished 7th and minor 7 b5 chords� If you want to work on minor 7 b5 chords, go back and work on 7th chord scales some more�

Exercise #1

Exercise #2

1/1

1Amaj7 C m7 Fdim7 Amaj7

654

7654

7654

7654

746

54

4

46

54

4

3

34

4

3

34

4

665

5

1/1

1

Bm7 E6 G m7 5 Amaj7

7

777

7

777

7

777

7

777

7665

7665

4

443

4

443

5

665



152

Practical Application - Ultimate Jazz Play-AlongThe Ultimate Jazz Play-Along uses pretty much everything you’ve learned about jazz rhythm guitar� Although it’s mostly played in the key of A major, it changes keys in a couple of spots� I’ve written out which ii-V progressions are used, over each measure and for your reference� The tempo here is another thing I want you to look out for� This tune is quite a bit faster than the Jazz Play-Along, which means chords will be flying by at a pretty good rate� Get ready for a challenge�

This tune starts (page 153) with a simple melodic theme that’s actually repeated at the end as well� A theme that’s used to start and end a tune is often referred to as the “head” of a song� The melody in the head of this tune is repeated four times in four different keys� The fourth time through, it changes a tiny bit, so watch out for that� Play through the head twice before moving on to the next sections of the song�

Next up are the verse and chorus� To play them properly you have to go through the verse twice before moving on to the chorus (page 154)� Then, take the Da Segno at the end of measure twenty-five (page 155), go back to measure ten and repeat the verse and chorus for a second time� In the first rotation through the verse and chorus, I play a straight quarter note rhythm with downstrokes. In the second rotation I switch to playing on beats two and four of each measure� You should be familiar with the chords in these two sections� I went as far as throwing fully diminished 7th and minor 7 b5 in here for you� Once you go through the verse and chorus for the second time, wrap things up by playing the head, twice�

There are three really big things you need to focus on to be a well-versed jazz rhythm guitar player: listen to a lot of jazz, add new chords to your chord library, and analyze and identify chord progressions in jazz tunes� Doing so will help you get the jazz style down, give you more options when learning new tunes and enable you to pick out 2-5-1 progressions very quickly�

If you’re really into jazz, I recommend picking up The Real Book� This book is a collection of the most popular jazz songs of all time� Sitting down and working through a tune in this book is great practice for identifying and learning new chords and chord progressions�

Track #15



153

Ultimate Jazz Play-Along

1/3

Head

3

D m7ii V In The Key Of C# Major

A 9

13 12 13

1113 11 10 11

13

11

111111

11101111

11 10 11

911 9 8

3



E9

911

9

999

9899

9 8 9

79 7 6 7

9

7

777

7677

6

Amaj7 1.

7 6 7

57 6 4

7

5

66

5

5

66

5

5

66

5

5

66

5

13 12 13

1113 11 10

9

2.Amaj7

Verse

Amaj7 C m7 Fdim7

5

66

5

5

66

5

5

66

5

5

66

5

654

7654

7654

7654

746

54

4

46

54

4

3

34

4

3

34

4

12F m7 F m9 Bm7

4

55

64

55

64

55

64

55

64

54

64

54

64

54

64

54

67777

7777

7777

7777



154

2/3

15

Bm9 Bm7 E13 E7

7779

7779

7775

7775

7

799

7

799

7

799

7

799

79797

79797

79797

79797

18

ChorusBm7

ii V In The Key Of A Major

E7 C m7

ii V In The Key Of B Major

F 7

9111010

999

10

(9)

(9)(9)

(10)

9

999

9119

11

21

Bm7ii V In The Key Of A Major

E6

(9)(11)(9)(11)

7

777

66

5

7

(6)(6)

(5)

(7)

66

5

7

24

Amaj7 A m7 5 Bm7 E6 Head

5

665

5

665

6

665

6

665

7

777

7

777

7665

7665

13 12 13

1113 11 10

27


A 9 C m7ii V In The Key Of B Major

F 9

1113

11

111111

11101111

11 10 11

911 9 8 9

11

9

999

9899

1/3

Head

3


A 9

13 12 13

1113 11 10 11

13

11

111111

11101111

11 10 11

911 9 8

3



E9

911

9

999

9899

9 8 9

79 7 6 7

9

7

777

7677

6

Amaj7 1.

7 6 7

57 6 4

7

5

66

5

5

66

5

5

66

5

5

66

5

13 12 13

1113 11 10

9

2.Amaj7

Verse

Amaj7 C m7 Fdim7

5

66

5

5

66

5

5

66

5

5

66

5

654

7654

7654

7654

746

54

4

46

54

4

3

34

4

3

34

4

12F m7 F m9 Bm7

4

55

64

55

64

55

64

55

64

54

64

54

64

54

64

54

67777

7777

7777

7777



155

2/3

15

Bm9 Bm7 E13 E7

7779

7779

7775

7775

7

799

7

799

7

799

7

799

79797

79797

79797

79797

18

ChorusBm7

ii V In The Key Of A Major

E7 C m7

ii V In The Key Of B Major

F 7

9111010

999

10

(9)

(9)(9)

(10)

9

999

9119

11

21


E6

(9)(11)(9)(11)

7

777

66

5

7

(6)(6)

(5)

(7)

66

5

7

24

Amaj7 A m7 5 Bm7 E6 Head

5

665

5

665

6

665

6

665

7

777

7

777

7665

7665

13 12 13

1113 11 10

27


A 9 C m7ii V In The Key Of B Major

F 9

1113

11

111111

11101111

11 10 11

911 9 8 9

11

9

999

9899

3/3

30


E9

9 8 9

79 7 6 7

9

7

777

7677

7 6 7

57 6 4

33

Amaj71. 2.

E7 Amaj7

7

5

66

5

5

66

5

5

66

5

5

66

5

13 12 13

1113 11 10 7

67

5767

5767

5767

5

5

66

5



156

jazz lead guItarThroughout The Guitar System you’ve been slowly learning how to play over chord changes� You started out by emphasizing the root note of the chord over which you were playing� You then took it one step further by learning to emphasize chord tones through arpeggios� The jazz lead-guitar lessons you’re about to go through really focus on playing over chord changes and emphasizing the notes of the chords over which you’re playing� Playing over chord changes in jazz can be pretty challenging� There are usually quite a few chord changes and the chords are usually more complex than the standard minor or major chords� We’ll start out by looking at how to use octaves for a “jazzy” lead-guitar sound before you slowly make your way to playing over more complex chords and chord progressions�

octaveS

Octaves can give you a very ”jazzy” sound if you use them properly� If you recall from earlier lessons, there are two basic shapes for playing octaves� One shape can be used when the lowest note is on the 6th or 5th strings, while the other gets used when the lowest note is on the 4th or 3rd strings� Review these shapes with the help of the following diagrams before moving on to the following exercises and licks�

Octave G Notes

3

Octave G Notes

5

The exercises on the following page use octaves to go through G major scales. The first exercise is all about playing octaves with the lowest note on the 6th string� The second exercise stays in one position to play through the scale� Give both exercises a try, and get used to the feel of octaves�



157

Exercise #1

Exercise #2

1/1

1

3

5

5

7

7

9

8

10

10

12

12

14

14

16

15

17

1/1

1

3

5

5

72

4

3

5

5

72

5

4

7

5

8

The next three licks will give you a good idea of how to “jazz up” octaves� Play through each one and then try coming up with your own� There’ll be a couple of octave licks like these in the upcoming jazz solo� Lick #1

Lick #2

1/1

1

7

10 11

8 9

12

7

10

7

9

1/1

4

2

5

3

5

3

5

23

54

5

7

5

7

5

75

7

3

5



158

Lick #3

1/1

3

10

12

10

12

10

12

10

128

11

9

12

10

12

7

9

10

12

emphaSIzIng chord toneS

Playing over chord changes by emphasizing chord tones is what happens when a soloist emphasizes the notes from the chords over which they’re playing� For example, if you’re playing over a G major 7th chord, you should use licks and melody lines that emphasize the G, B, D and F# notes that make up that chord� If you’re playing an E minor 7th chord instead, E, G, B and D are the notes you want to emphasize� Playing over chord changes by emphasizing chord tones can be one of the most difficult things to learn on the guitar� In fact, if you tackle an entire jazz standard with tons of complex chord changes, it can seem almost impossible� Don’t worry, though� You’ll start off by simply emphasizing the chord tones of just one chord� From there you’ll add in more chords and eventually learn the entire solo at the end of this section� The five licks on the following pages will show you exactly how to emphasize the notes in the chords over which you’re playing� The eighth notes are swung for more of a “jazzy” style� Each one of these licks is taken directly from the jazz solo at the end of this section� I’ll walk you through each lick just to make sure you understand exactly what’s going on�

1G 2A 3B 4C 5D 6E 7F# 8G

G Major 7 Arpeggio

1E 2F# 3G 4A 5B 6C 7D 8E

E Minor 7 Arpeggio



159

1/1

3Gmaj7 G6

78

710 12

108 7

910

1/1

3

Am7

7 109

8 108

Lick #1Lick #1 is tailor made to be played over a G major 7th chord� The G major 7th arpeggio that this lick is based on is the C-major-shaped G major 7th arpeggio with its lowest root note on the 10th fret of the 5th string� This is a great example of how a bit of jazz style can turn a simple arpeggio into a great jazz lick�

Lick #2This lick was made to be played over an A minor 7th chord� The A minor 7th arpeggio shape we’re using here is based on the D minor arpeggio shape� If you didn’t quite understand this last sentence, you should probably go review arpeggio shapes and the CAGED sequence�

Lick #3Here’s a lick designed to play over an A minor 7th chord and a D dominant 7th chord. The first measure ascends through an A minor pentatonic scale that’s started with the 1st finger on the 4th string, which is where its lowest root note is� Measure two emphasizes the root and 3rd of the D dominant 7th chord�

1/1

1

3

Am7

3

D7

7 107 9

8 108 8 10

7 11 7



160

Lick #5This final lick is a bit more complex than the others covered so far: you have to play over four chord changes. The first chord is a G major 7th and is played on the first two beats of measure one. To emphasize its notes you have to walk up a G major 7th arpeggio� The next chord in the progression is a G# minor 7 b5� Again, to emphasize the notes in this chord you have to walk up an arpeggio: the G# minor 7 b5 arpeggio. This takes care of the first measure� The following measure hints at the A minor 7th chord by starting on a G note, or 7th of the chord� The last three notes of the measure walk down a D major triad�

This is a lot to think about for one lick� However, if you’re able to follow this lick, I can safely say that you understand the fundamentals of playing over chord changes�

Lick #4This lick combines a B minor pentatonic scale and a B minor 7th arpeggio to emphasize the notes on a B minor 7th chord� Both the B minor pentatonic scale and the B minor 7th arpeggio have their lowest root notes on the 6th string�

1/1

1

3

Bm7

3

97 9

77 10 7

10 7

1/1

1

3

Gmaj7 G m7 5

3 3

Am7 D7

54

32

64

32 3 2 7 5

77



161

1/1

1

3

Bm7

3

97 9

77 10 7

10 7

melodIeS vS. lIckS

Melodies are a big part of jazz guitar� There are several different ways in which you can use them in your jazz lead-guitar playing� You can play the melody, or head, of a famous song—sometimes it’s nice to throw in a hint of a famous song in your solos� Another way to use melodies in your solos is to borrow the melody from another song� If you listen to a lot of jazz, you’ll occasionally hear jazz musicians throw in a melody from an entirely different song� This is called quoting a melody or a song�

melodIeS and themeS

The head of the Ultimate Jazz Play-Along is a great example of a melody that you might hear in a jazz standard� Try to find a jazz standard you really like and learn the head, or melody, to that tune. You might want to start with “Autumn Leaves” or “Watermelon Man�” Here’s the head of the Ultimate Jazz Play-Along for you to go over again if you like�

Exercise #1

1/1

1

3D m7

ii V In The Key Of C# Major

A 9

13 12 13

1113 11 10 11

13

11

111111

11101111

11 10 11

911 9 8

4



E9

911

9

999

9899

9 8 9

79 7 6 7

9

7

777

7677

7

Amaj7

7 6 7

57 6 4

7

5

66

5

5

66

5

5

66

5

5

6

5

6

5

66

5

5

66

5

5

66

5

5

6

5

6



162

makIng up melodIeS uSIng IntervalS

We need to have a little discussion about improvisation� Before we can really get into this, you might want to go through the “Ear Training” section of The Guitar System (page 212)� Up until now in the jazz lead-guitar lessons we’ve only been talking about using scales and arpeggios to play over chord changes� Still, there’s an entirely different way to approach playing melodies and solos on the guitar� You can make up your solos and melodies entirely by ear, using everything you’ve learned about intervals� This way of playing kind of throws out all the scale and arpeggio shapes you’ve learned and relies on your ears and the notes you’re hearing in your head to produce solos� If you hear the sound of a major third in your head, you need to be able to play a major third on the guitar� If you hear the sound of a minor sixth, you need to be able to play that too� This takes a lot of practice and you have to know the guitar fretboard very well� The only way to gain this skill is to work on ear training and spend time with your instrument� Most guitarists never really get to this point, and if they do, it’s because of their drive, discipline and love for the music they play� If it’s your goal to freely improvise on the guitar, I want to encourage you to go through the ear training lessons in The Guitar System� Then, come back to this lessons and apply everything you’ve learned to some truly free improvisation over the Ultimate Jazz Play-Along�

Practical Application - Jazz Play-Along - Jazz SoloThe jazz solo you’ll be learning here is pretty advanced, but the good news is you already know most of it from the licks you learned in the past few lessons� Having said that, I want you to go through this solo and analyze each lick. See if you can figure out how each line emphasizes the chord over which it’s played. If you need help, you can always check out the video� Don’t be afraid to scribble little notes on the solo if you need to� Pull up the Jazz Play-Along and give it a try� Good luck!

1/2

3 Gmaj7 G6

78

710 12

108 7

910 7

3

Am7 D7 Bm7

7 109

8 108

7

7

10 11

8 9

12

7

10

6

E7 Am7

3

D7

7

9 97 10

7 98 10

8 8 10

7 11 7

7

9

Cmaj7 D7 Bm7

3

8 7

98

8 10 8

1110

97 9

77 10 7

10 7

12

E7 Am7 D7

99

99

9 4

2

5

3

5

3

5

23

54

5

7

5

7

5

75

7

Track #16



163

1/2

3 Gmaj7 G6

78

710 12

108 7

910 7

3

Am7 D7 Bm7

7 109

8 108

7

7

10 11

8 9

12

7

10

6

E7 Am7

3

D7

7

9 97 10

7 98 10

8 8 10

7 11 7

7

9

Cmaj7 D7 Bm7

3

8 7

98

8 10 8

1110

97 9

77 10 7

10 7

12

E7 Am7 D7

99

99

9 4

2

5

3

5

3

5

23

54

5

7

5

7

5

75

7

2/2

15Gmaj7 G m7 5

3 3

Am7 D7 Gmaj7

54

32

64

32 3 2 7 5

77

8



164

lIStenIng recommendatIonS

That brings us to the end of the “Jazz” section� If you really like jazz and want to learn more about it, there’s one thing I want to recommend to you� This may sound simple but one of the best things you can do for your jazz playing is to listen to a lot of jazz music� It’ll help you play in the proper style and build your chord and lick vocabulary� It’s important to grab inspiration and influence from every musical source you can. Some of my favorite jazz artists to listen to are Miles Davis, Kenny Burrell, Herbie Hancock, Pat Martino, Pat Metheny, and Chet Baker� Only about half of these artists are guitar players, so hopefully you’ll be exposed to some great non-guitar influences. A lot of guitar players only listen to other guitarists. Don’t let that be you!

concluSIonThat pretty much does it for the “playing” portion of The Guitar System� If you’ve made it this far, you’re doing an incredible job! The next few sections focus on some areas that guitarists tend to avoid and fear� If you’ve been a bit wary of music theory, reading music or ear training, I want to encourage you to really dig into the following lessons� They’ll make you a much stronger and well-rounded musician�

GuiTar SyStem - Music Theory And Reading Music


165

MusiC TheOry and readinG MusiCMusiC TheOry and readinG MusiC

IntroductIon

This portion of The Guitar System is going to cover two topics that often strike fear into the hearts of guitar players: music theory and reading music� We’ve already covered a lot of ground regarding these two topics throughout The Guitar System� I put this section together because I thought it’d be nice for you to have somewhere to go and work on these two things exclusively� Music theory and reading music can be quite intimidating at first, but the rewards you get from studying these two topics can be quite incredible. Knowing how music works will enable you to figure out songs and write music at an entirely different level� Being able to read a page of sheet music is almost like being able to read another language. It may be difficult at first but working on these two areas will pay off big time in the long run.

muSIc theoryThere has been a lot of music theory scattered throughout The Guitar System, but I wanted to include a whole section devoted to it� Don’t worry if there were some previous music theory sections that you didn’t quite grasp� We’ll start with the basics and progress through everything you need to know to truly understand how music works� Starting from square one will ensure that there are no gaps in your music theory education� Music theory is kind of like a good movie or book: you’ll pick up a few new things every time you go through it� That’s really the nature of studying music theory. Try not to get frustrated if you don’t get everything the first time through� Just pick up what you can and accept music theory for what it is�

IntervalS (halF-StepS and whole-StepS)The first topic we need to cover is intervals. Regardless of which instrument you play, an interval is simply the distance between any two notes. The first two intervals you need to be familiar with are the half-step and whole-step� These intervals are the building blocks for many of the following music theory topics�

The GuiTar SyStem - Styles And Theory - Music Theory And Reading Music


166

halF-StepS

The first interval you need to learn about is the half-step. It’s a bit easier to see what a half-step actually is when you look at the keyboard of a piano� If you take a look at the picture provided, you can see that a half-step is nothing more than the interval between any two adjacent notes—no matter the color of the keys� For our purposes, a half-step on the guitar is any note that’s one fret away from the note on which you start� Play any note on the guitar and then move to an adjacent fret—up or down, it doesn’t matter which� That’s a half-step� A half-step can also be called minor second, which is sometimes abbreviated to m2� There are other ways to play half-steps on the guitar, but we won’t worry about those right now�

whole-StepS

Let’s go back to the piano keyboard so you can learn about whole-steps� Take a look at the picture provided� You can see that unlike a half-step, there’s a key between the notes that make up this interval� This is how you identify a whole-step� If you want to play a whole-step on the guitar, move two frets away from the fret you are on� It doesn’t matter what note you start on and if you move up or down the guitar neck� So basically, you can think of a whole-step as two half-steps� A whole-step can also be called major second, which is sometimes abbreviated to M2� There are other ways to play whole-steps on the guitar, but we won’t cover those right now as well�

the muSIcal alphaBet

The musical alphabet uses the first seven letters of the English alphabet: A, B, C, D, E, F and G. These notes are called natural notes because they do not contain any sharps or flats. We’ll look at what sharps and flats are in the next section�

SharpS and FlatS

Sharps and flats can be combined with natural notes to modify their pitch. Sharps raise natural notes by one half-step and flats lower natural notes by one half-step. Below you can see what sharps and flats look like.

Half-Step

Whole-Step

Sharp = Flat =

Flat =



167

the major Scale Formula

The major scale is the foundation for pretty much all the music theory covered from here on out� Understanding the major scale and how it’s made will make the following music theory lessons much easier for you� Go through this section as many times as you need to, in order to fully understand how the major scale is constructed� The major scale is a combination of whole-steps and half-steps� To create a major scale, you need to memorize the major scale formula� The formula is “Whole-step Whole-step Half-step Whole-step Whole-step Whole-step Half-step�” This can be abbreviated to “WWHWWWH�” I like to shorten this formula out by thinking, “Two whole-steps and a half-step followed by three whole-steps and a half-step�” Repeat this formula until you have it completely memorized�

e & F/ B & c rule

The next concept you need to understand to build a major scale is something called E & F/ B & C rule� This rule says that in the natural musical alphabet (A B C D E F G) there’s a whole-step, or two frets, between every letter except for E & F and B & C� Both E & F and B & C have one half-step, or one fret, between them�

Completely understanding this rule is crucial for finding notes on the fretboard and building major scales. Take some time to read through this rule a few times and soak it in� This rule may seem a bit abstract right now but it’ll become clear in the next few lessons� Just memorize it for now and take it at face value�

BuIldIng major ScaleS

You now have all the knowledge needed to build a major scale� So it’s time for you to use the major scale formula and the E & F/ B & C rule to build a G major scale� All major scales contain seven notes� Start on the G note on the 3rd fret of the 6th string� The major scale formula starts with a whole-step, so move from the G note on the 3rd fret to the A note on the 5th fret of the 6th string� Now you need another whole-step� You can reach that whole-step by going up to the B note on the 7th fret of the 6th string� Next, the major scale formula calls for a half-step� This means you have to move from the B note on the 7th fret of the 6th string to the C note on the 8th fret of that same string� If you remember the E & F/ B & C rule, which states that B and C are only one half-step apart, you’ll understand why you only moved from B to C� Next, the major scale formula calls for three more whole-steps. To play the first one, move from the C on the 8th fret to the D on the 10th fret� Then, continue up by another whole-step to the E note on the 12th fret� After that, the third whole-step places you on the F# note on the 14th fret� You might be wondering, “Why didn’t I land on an F instead of an F#?” The E & F/ B & C rule states that E and F are only one half-step apart� Since you had to move up by a whole-step, landing on the F on the 13th fret wasn’t an option�

W W WWWH H



168

Now you just need one more half-step to complete the G major scale� You can accomplish this by moving from the F# on the 14th fret to the G on the 15th fret� This entire process of creating a major scale may seem a bit cryptic right now but you’ll get better and faster at it with some practice� The next few exercises will help you build more major scales� Go through each scale armed with the major scale formula and the E & F/ B & C rule�

1G 2A 3B 4C 5D 6E 7F# 8G

G Major Scale

W W WWWH H

Exercise #1

Exercise #2

Exercise #3

Exercise #4

1D 2E 3F# 4G 5A 6B 7C# 8D

D Major Scale

1A 2B 3C# 4D 5E 6F# 7G# 8A

A Major Scale

1E 2F# 3G# 4A 5B 6C# 7D# 8E

E Major Scale

1F 2G 3A 4Bb 5C 6D 7E 8F

F Major Scale



169

woodShed

In this Woodshed section I want you to build some major scales on your own� I’ve left blank spaces on the following diagrams so you can build Bb, B, Eb, Ab and Db major scales� Remember everything you’ve learned about sharps and flats, the major scale formula and the E & F/ B & C rule.

W W WWWH H

1. Bb

W W WWWH H

2. B

W W WWWH H

3. Eb

W W WWWH H

4. Ab

W W WWWH H

5. Db



170

BuIldIng chordSNow that you know how the major scale is built, you can move on to learning about how chords are made� Throughout the following lessons you’ll learn to build major, minor, diminished and augmented chords� Three-note chords like the ones I’ll be teaching you about are known as triads� There are two basic methods for building chords: pulling notes out of a major scale and using intervals called major thirds and minor thirds. The first method works as described: notes are pulled out from a major scale to build chords—this method works for both major and minor chords� With the second method, the intervals are stacked on top of one another in specific combinations to create various types of chords. This is known as stacking thirds� The method you choose to use is up to you because both give the exact same results� I tend to favor one or another, depending on the particular musical situation I find myself in.

IntervalS & major and mInor chordS

The next two intervals you’ll learn about are the minor third and the major third� These intervals are very important for building chords� The major third gives major chords their distinct sound, while the minor third does the same for minor chords�

mInor thIrd (m3)A minor third—also known as m3—is made up of three half-steps� It’s this interval that gives minor chords their distinct minor sound� Some people say that it’s a sad sound—I tend to agree�

major thIrd (m3)A major third—also known as M3—is made up of four half-steps� This interval is responsible for giving major chords their distinctive happy sound�

Minor 3rd = 3 half-steps

Major 3rd = 4 half-steps



171

how chordS are made

Now that you know the difference between a major third and a minor third, you can move on to building some actual chords� The following lessons will show you how to put together major and minor chords using the two methods described earlier: pulling notes from a major scale and stacking thirds� Again, choose the one that makes most sense to you�

how major chordS are made

As I mentioned earlier, there are two methods for building chords. The first one involves picking specific notes out of a major scale. The second one involves stacking major thirds and minor thirds in a specific order. In the following lessons we’ll look at how to use both methods to build major chords�

StackIng thIrdS

To create a major chord all you have to do is start with a major third and stack a minor third on top of it� Let’s build a G chord using this method� Start on the G note on the 3rd fret of the low E string� Move up one major third, or four half-steps, to the B note on the 7th fret� G to B is a major third, exactly what’s needed to start building a G major chord� Now you need to stack a minor third on top of the major third� To do this, find the note that’s a minor third away from the B note. Move up three half-steps from the B on the 7th fret to the D on the 10th fret� B to D is a minor third� That completes the major chord formula, and you end up with the notes G, B and D�

r-3-5If you can spell major scales, this method for creating major chords will probably seem pretty easy to you� You see, to create a major chord with this method, all you have to do is circle the root (R), third (3) and fifth (5) notes of its corresponding major scale� So to start things off, you have to take a look at the major scale that the major chord you want to build takes its name from� As an example, we’ll take a look at how to build a G major chord� This means the G major scale is the starting point� Here’s a G major scale diagram for a quick refresher� Now that you’re fully aware of the notes in the G major scale, you need to circle its root, third and fifth notes to get the notes in a G major chord� Simple, right?! This method produces the exact same result as stacking thirds: G, B and D, the notes in a G major chord�

Minor 3rd

Major Chord Formula

Major 3rdG

B

D

1G 2A 3B 4C 5D 6E 7F# 8G

G Major Scale

1G 2A 3B 4C 5D 6E 7F# 8G

Notes In a G Major Chord



172

how mInor chordS are made

Just like major chords, minor chords can be built by stacking thirds or pulling notes out of a particular scale� In the next few lessons we’ll take a look at how to make minor chords using both of these methods�

StackIng thIrdS

The stacking thirds formula for building minor chords is the exact opposite of the one used for building major chords� This means that instead of stacking a minor third on top of a major third, you need to stack a major third on top of a minor third� Let’s build an E minor chord using this method so you can see what I mean� Start on the open low E string, and move up by three half-steps to the G on the 3rd fret, or the minor third� Next, stack a major third on top of this minor third� With the G note as the next starting point, you have to move up the fretboard by a major third, or four half-steps� This takes you to a B, the note on 7th fret of the low E string� As you can see, by using the opposite stacking thirds formula of the one used for building major chords, you ended up with E G B: the notes in an E minor chord�

r-b3-5Let’s build an E minor chord with the second method� To start things off, you need to take a look at the E major scale. If you circle the E major scale’s root (R), third (3) and fifth (5) notes, you end up with the notes in an E major chord: E, G# and B� This is similar to what you went through previously to build a major chord� Since you’re trying to build an E minor chord, it seems like this method is a bit useless, right?! Well, actually, not quite� You see, by lowering the 3rd of any major chord by one half-step you get its matching minor chord� This means that by lowering the G# (3) in the E major chord by one half-step to a G natural (b3), you get an E minor chord� Making minor chords is even easier if you know the minor scale of the minor chord you’re trying to create� For example, if you know the E minor scale, you can easily create an E minor chord� All you have to do is circle the root (R), third (b3) and fifth (5) notes of the E minor scale to spell out an E minor chord.

Minor 3rd

Minor Chord Formula

Major 3rd

E

G

B

1E 2F# 3G 4A 5B 6C 7D 8E

E Minor Scale

1E 2F# 3G 4A 5B 6C 7D 8E

Notes In An E Minor Chord



173

how dImInIShed chordS are made

The type of chord you’re learning to make next is the diminished chord� In order to do this, you’ll start with a G major chord, which is spelled G B D, and go through both methods for building chords�

r-b3-b5 Start out by turning the G major chord into a G minor chord� Remember that lowering the 3rd of the major chord by one half-step is what you need to do to accomplish this� So, lower the B (3) note from the G major chord down to a Bb (b3)� This gives you a G minor chord, which is spelled G Bb D� For the final step you have to lower the 5th of the minor chord by one half-step� This means that you need to lower the D (5) in the G minor chord to a Db (b5)� This gives you the notes in a G diminished chord, which is spelled G Bb Db�

StackIng thIrdS

The stacking thirds formula for building diminished chords is a minor third stacked on top of a minor third� You’ll learn where to use these chords in later music theory lessons� For now, just memorize the formula for creating diminished chords�

1G 3B 5D G Major Chord

1G 3Bb 5D G Minor Chord

1G 3Bb 5Db G Diminished Chord

Minor 3rd

Diminished Chord Formula

G

Bb

DbMinor 3rd

1G 3B 5D G Major Chord

1G 3B 5D# G Augmented Chord

how augmented chordS are made

The final chord type we’ll cover in this section is called augmented chord� Much like you did in the previous section on making diminished chords, you’ll use a G major chord as a guinea pig for the two building-chord methods�

r-3-#5 If you start with a major chord, all you have to do to turn it into an augmented chord is raise the 5th by one half-step� Since a G major chord is spelled G B D, you need to raise its 5th, or D note, by one half-step to a D# (#5)�



174

Augmented Chord Formula

Major 3rdG

B

D#Major 3rd

woodShed

I have some homework for you in this Woodshed section� Below you’ll see several chord names followed by three blank lines� I want you to spell out each chord in those lines� If you can do this, you’ll be ready to move on to the next section�

G Major Chord:

D Major Chord:

B Major Chord:

C Minor Chord:

E Minor Chord:

B Minor Chord:

StackIng thIrdS The stacking thirds formula for augmented chords is a major third stacked on top of another major third� As you’ll see in the following lessons, the augmented chord is the only type of triad that we covered that doesn’t occur naturally in a major key� Don’t worry too much about this right now, though�



175

BuIldIng chordS In major keySKnowing what chords are in a major key is a very valuable skill to have as a guitar player. It’ll enable you to figure out songs for yourself and even write your own� The following lessons will show you how to tell which chords in a major key are major, minor, and diminished� If you’ve understood everything in the “Music Theory” section up until this point, these lessons will probably be pretty easy for you�

how to tell what chordS are In any major key

If you can build major scales, finding out what chords are in a major key will be a breeze for you. There’s a simple formula for finding out what chords are in any major key. First we’ll look at how to find the major chords in any major key, and then we’ll look at how to find the minor chords in any major key. Finally, we’ll look at the single diminished chord that occurs in any major key�

The major scale is made up of seven notes, and every note has a chord that goes along with it� This means that every major key has seven chords in it� We’ll be in the key of G major for this lesson, so take some time to memorize the notes in this scale�

major chordS In any major key

If you know the major scale of the key in which you’re playing, it’s pretty easy to find out what chords are major chords in that key. All you have to do is circle the first, fourth and fifth notes of the major scale. This holds true for every major scale and every major key�

Exercise #1In the ongoing example of G major, the first, fourth and fifth notes are G, C and D, respectively. This means that the major chords in the key of G major are G major, C major and D major� The next two exercises show you the major chords in the keys of F and D major� Take some time and go through the major chords in this exercise and the following ones�

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

G Major Scale

1 4 5Major Chords In Any Major Key

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

Major Chords In G Major



176

Exercise #2

Exercise #3

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

Major Chords In D Major

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

Major Chords In F Major

mInor chordS In any major key

Finding the minor chords in any major key is just as easy as finding the major chords. All you have to do is take the second, third and sixth notes of that key’s corresponding major scale� It’s that simple! Go through the following exercises to get a better feel for this method�

Exercise #1Let’s go back to the G major scale for this exercise� Using the method described previously, circle its second, third and sixth notes: A, B and E, respectively� This means that the minor chords in the key of G major are A minor, B minor and E minor� The following exercises show the minor chords in the keys of D and F major to further help you understand how to find minor chords within major keys.

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

G Major Scale2 3 6

Minor Chords In Any Major Key

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

Minor Chords In G Major

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

Minor Chords In D Major

Exercise #2



177

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

Minor Chords In F Major

Exercise #3

dImInIShed chordS In any major key

We’ve already covered the types of chords that go with the first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth notes in any major scale� The only note we’ve not accounted for is the seventh� The 7th degree of any major scale has a diminished chord that goes along with it� Exercise #1In the key of G major, the 7th scale degree is an F#� This means that there’s an F# diminished chord in the key of G major�

Exercise #2

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

Diminished Chord In G Major

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

Diminished Chord In F Major

woodShed

This Woodshed section has five different major keys listed on the following page. The idea here is for you to write out the major scale for each one of them� Once you’ve done that, go through each scale and label each degree as major, minor or diminished, depending on the type of chord that goes with each note� Remember that the 1st, 4th and 5th scale degrees have major chords associated with them; the 2nd, 3rd and 6th scale degrees have minor chords associated with them and the 7th scale degree is the diminished oddball� Good luck!



178

1. D

2. A

3. E

4. F

5. Bb



179

chord ScaleS

One way that you can reinforce your knowledge of what chords occur in any major key is through chord scales� Major chord scales go through each chord in a major key� The following three chord scales are in the keys of G, D and F major� Each chord scale uses either the E bar chord shape or the A bar chord shape� These chord scales are great for helping you memorize what chords are in certain keys� Give them a try� Exercise #1 (Key Of G Major)

Exercise #2 (Key Of D Major)

Exercise #3 (Key Of F Major)

1/1

1

I G ii Am iii Bm IV C V D vi m vii F#dim I G

355433

577555

799777

81010988

101212111010

121414121212

141210

355433

1/1

1

I D ii Em iii F#m IV G V A vi Bm vii C#dim I D

57775

79987

91111109

1012121210

1214141412

1416161514

161412

1719191917

1/1

1

I F ii Gm iii Am IV Bb V C vi Dm vii Edim I F

1332

11

355333

5

7555

7688766

8

1010

988

10121210

1010

12108

131515141313

woodShed

In this Woodshed section I want you to go through some chord scales on your own� Use bar chords to go through chords scales for the keys of A, B, C, D, E, F, G and Bb major� This may seem like a mountain of information to tackle but you’ll find that chord scales get easier after you’ve done a few on your own.



180

key SIgnatureSA key signature is a series of sharps and flats, or no sharps or flats, placed at the beginning of a piece of music to let you know what key that particular piece of music is in� The topic of key signatures can be quite confusing at first, but I’ll break it down into bite-sized pieces for you. When we create a major scale through the major scale formula, we end up modifying notes with flats or sharps. The number of flats or sharps that the major scale ends up with is the key signature for that particular key� For example, the G major scale is spelled G A B C D E F#� There’s one sharp in that scale, so its key signature is one sharp� You can certainly memorize the key signature for each major key, but the fact of the matter is you don’t have to. In this section we’ll take a look at a system for finding the key signature for any major key and how key signatures work� This system will also help you memorize the sharps or flats contained in each key signature.

cycle oF 4thS and 5thS

The diagram on the following page is called cycle of 4ths and 5ths� Pretty scary looking, right?! The cycle of 4ths and 5ths is very useful for finding out the key signature for any major key. The home base, or starting point, for the 4ths and 5ths is the C note at the top of the diagram� This is because the key of C major has no sharps and no flats. Here’s how this diagram works. If you count a perfect fifth (seven half-steps) away from the C note, you end up on the G note to the right� Another perfect 5th from that G note is a D note just to the right on the diagram� One perfect 5th away from that D note is an A note and so forth� This is where we get the term cycle of 5ths from�

If you start on the C and count up a perfect fourth (five half-steps), you land on an F. That F note is just to the left of the C on the diagram� A perfect fourth from the F note is a Bb� That Bb note is just to the left of the F on the diagram� Each note toward the left is a perfect fourth away from the previous note in the diagram� That’s where we get the term cycle of 4ths from� In the coming lessons you’ll see how the cycle of 4ths and 5ths applies to learning key signatures� For now, just concentrate on understanding the basic structure of the cycle of 4ths and 5ths diagram� Review this section as many times as you need to until it becomes crystal clear�

Key Signature1



181

C

Cycle Of 4ths And 5ths

G

D

A

E

BGb/F#Db

Ab

Eb

Bb

F

��

��

��

��

��

4ths 5ths

F C G D A E B

Cycle Of 5ths For Sharp Keys

0Sharps

2Sharps

3Sharps

4Sharps

5Sharps

6 Sharps

1Sharp

FcgdaeB (the cycle oF 5thS) The cycle of 5ths can be used to determine the key signatures for all the keys that have sharps� You can also use it to determine the sharp notes in each key� The cycle of 5ths that we’ll use starts on an F� This cycle is F C G D A E B� The saying I like to use to remember this cycle of notes is “Father Charles Goes Down And Ends Battles�” That’s a little cheesy but works� We’ll once again start on the C of this cycle because the key of C major has no sharps and no flats. Move to a G, the next note in the cycle� The key of G has one sharp� In order to determine what sharp this is, you need to go back to the very beginning of this cycle of 5ths. The first note in the cycle of 5ths is an F note. This means that the one sharp in the key of G major is an F#�



182

B E A D G C F

Cycle Of 4ths For Flat Keys

0Flats

2Flats

3Flats

4Flats

5Flats

6Flats

1Flat

drIllIng major keyS

You’ve learned a lot about major keys and how they work� Now you need to apply this information in a practical way� Drilling major keys is a great way to solidify the music theory concepts we’ve covered, while forcing you to memorize the chords that occur naturally in those keys� The four exercises on the following page show you the notes and chords in the keys of G, D, A and F major� Notice that some of the letters are uppercase and some are lowercase� Uppercase letters are often used for major chords, and lowercase letters are used for minor chords� You’ll also see Roman numerals next to each note� Roman numerals are often used as a kind of shorthand for chords� Uppercase Roman numerals represent major chords, and lowercase Roman numerals represent minor chords� This means that the Roman numeral I is a major 1 chord and the Roman numeral ii is a minor 2 chord� In the key of G major, those chords are G major and B minor, respectively� Go through the following exercises and think about each major scale and the chords that occur naturally in them�

BeadgcF (the cycle oF 4thS)The cycle of 4ths can be used to find the key signature for any key that has flats in it. It can also tell you which flats occur in any flat key.

In order to use the cycle of 4ths to determine key signatures, you need to actually memorize it starting on the B note� That cycle is B E A D G C F� To help me remember it, I think of the word bead and then of the gum Juicy Fruit� Of course, Juicy Fruit would be spelled GuiCy Fruit for the G, C and F in the cycle of 4ths� The starting point for the B E A D G C F cycle of 4ths is the C because the key of C major has no sharps and no flats. Move to the next note in the sequence, that note is an F. The key of F has one flat. In order to see what flat it is, you need to return to the beginning of the cycle of 4ths. The first note in the cycle of 4ths is a B. This is the one flat in the key of F major: Bb. The note after the F in the cycle of 4ths is a B back at the beginning of the cycle� This means that the key of Bb has two flats. Go back to the beginning of the cycle to find that the two flats in the key of Bb are Bb and Eb. Are you starting to see how the cycle of 4ths works? Let’s do one more flat key just to ensure that you understand how the cycle of 4ths works. The note after the B in the cycle is an E. The key signature for the key of Eb major is three flats: Bb, Eb and Ab. The cycle of 4ths can be used to determine the key signatures for all the remaining flat keys: Ab, Db, Gb and Cb.

Let’s look at one more sharp key just so you completely understand how to use the cycle of 5ths to determine your sharp key signatures� The note after the G in the cycle of 5ths is a D� The key of D has two sharps� If you take the first two letters from the sequence, you end up with an F and a C. The two sharps in the key of D major are F# and C#� You can use the cycle of 5ths to determine the key signature for all sharp keys, which includes G, D, A, E, B, F# and C#�



183

Exercise #1

Exercise #2

Exercise #3

Exercise #4

IG iia iiib IVC VD vie viiof#

Key Of G Major

ID iie iiif# IVG VA vib viioc#

Key Of D Major

IA iib iiic# IVD VE vif# viiog#

Key Of A Major

IF iig iiia IVBb VC vid viioe

Key Of F Major

woodShed

In this Woodshed section I want you to drill the keys of A, B, C, D, E, F, G and Bb major on your own and in two steps: write out one of these major scales and then label each note in it with its correct chord type� You can even include Roman numerals if you like�



184

mInor keySUp until this point in the “Music Theory” section, you’ve only been working with major keys� In this lesson we’re going to talk about minor keys and how they work� Before learning about minor keys, you have to know how to create a minor scale� There are two basic methods for making minor scales and we’ll cover both� The first method starts with a major scale. As an example, let’s use a G major scale to create a G minor scale� All you have to do to turn the G major scale into a G minor scale is lower the 3rd, 6th and 7th scale degrees by one half-step� When you do this, you end up with a G minor scale that’s spelled G A Bb C D Eb F. Not too difficult, right?! The second method is based on a scale formula� Do you remember the major scale formula? Like major scales, minor scales have a formula that can be used to build them� While both formulas combine whole-steps and half-steps, they do it differently: the major scale formula is “WWHWWWH” and the minor scale formula is “WHWWHWW�” The next few exercises walk you through the A, E, C and D minor scales� You can choose to build minor scales using the method that works best for you�

1G 2A 3B 4C 5D 6E 7F# 8G

G Major Scale

1G 2A 3Bb 4C 5D 6Eb 7F 8G

G Minor Scale

W H W W H W W

Minor Scale Formula

Exercise #2

Exercise #1

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

A Minor Scale

1E 2F# 3G 4A 5B 6C 7D 8E

E Minor Scale



185

Exercise #4

Exercise #3

1C 2D 3Eb 4F 5G 6Ab 7Bb 8C

C Minor Scale

1D 2E 3F 4G 5A 6Bb 7C 8D

D Minor Scale

woodShed

Now that you know how minor scales are created, you can make some on your own� Pick any minor key you like, and see if you can create its minor scale� If you don’t know which one to choose, give F and Bb minor a try�

IdentIFyIng chordS In mInor keyS

Do you remember when you learned that each note in a major scale has a chord that goes along with it? Well, every note in a minor scale has a chord that goes along with it too. When you’re in a minor key, the first, fourth and fifth notes have minor chords associated with them; the third, sixth and seventh notes have major chords and the second note has a diminished chord� This is always the same for any natural minor key�

The following exercises show you the chords that occur naturally in the keys of E, D and C minor� I’ve included some uppercase and lowercase Ms next to each major and minor chord� This is another way to communicate the quality of a chord on a piece of music�

i iio III iv v VI VII

Chords In Any Minor Key

Exercise #1

iem iif#o IIIGM ivam vbm VICM VIIDM

Chords In E Minor



186

idm iieo IIIFM ivgm vam VIBbM VIICM

Chords In D Minor

icm iido IIIEbM ivfm vgm VIAbM VIIBbM

Chords In C Minor

Exercise #2

Exercise #3

woodShed

Now that you know how to identify the chords in a minor key, I want you to drill some minor keys on your own� Go through the keys of A, Bb, F and G minor. Write out the minor scale, and then fill in the type of chord that goes with each note�

Secondary domInant chordSIn this last topic of the “Music Theory” section, we’ll take a look at secondary dominant chords� This type of chord doesn’t occur naturally in a major key, but you’ll hear it quite often in many different styles of music� That’s why I’ve included it in this section� Another name for a secondary dominant chord is five of five chord� Just keep that in mind as we move forward� The first step in creating a secondary dominant chord is to find the 5 chord of the major key in which you’re playing� The 5 chord in any major key is a very important and stable-sounding chord� Let’s use the key of G as an example� The 5 chord in the key of G major is a D major�

The next step is to switch to the key of the 5 chord you just found� In our example, the 5 chord is a D major� That means you need to switch to the key of D major� The final step is to find the 5 chord of the new key you’re in. In the key of D major that chord is an A major. This A major is the secondary dominant chord for the key of G major� Do you see where the term five of five comes from? You basically start in one major key, move to its 5 chord and find the 5 chord for that 5 chord.

1G 2A 3B 4C 5D 6E 7F# 8G

G Major Scale

1D 2E 3F# 4G 5A 6B 7C# 8D

D Major Scale



187

Major II ChordIn Any Major Key=Secondary Dominant

or Five of Five Chord

There’s actually a simpler way to create secondary dominant chords, using the 2 chord of a major key� In the case of the G major scale in our example, the 2 chord is an A minor� If you make that A minor into an A major chord, you end up with a secondary dominant chord� Pretty easy, right?! The next two exercises feature the secondary dominant chords for the keys of E and D major�

Exercise #1

Exercise #2

ID iie iiif# IVG VA vib viic#o

Chords In D Major

II E Major=Secondary DominantFor The Key Of D

IE iif# iiig# IVA VB vic# viid#o

Chords In E Major

II F# Major=Secondary DominantFor The Key Of E

woodShed

Now that you know how secondary dominant chords are made, go through several major keys and find their five of five chords. You should also try to use some secondary dominant chords in your playing and writing. Have fun!



188

concluSIonIf you understand everything that was covered in the previous lessons, I’d say you have a pretty solid music theory foundation� There are many other music theory topics we could discuss, but I think you’re armed with the tools needed to learn more about music theory on your own� Throughout the years you’ll surely learn more about it� Just remember this: almost everything comes back to the major scale� If you understand the major scale, you’ll be able to study and figure out pretty much any topic, in the world of music theory. If you didn’t quite understand everything presented here, that’s okay� Most people tend to retain music theory in big chunks� When you go through these lessons again, you’ll pick up another chunk�



189

readIng muSIcHow do you make a guitar player play quietly? Put a piece of sheet music in front of him! This is an old joke that makes fun of the fact that most guitar players can’t read music� Don’t let that be you! I’m not going to say that every guitarist has to learn how to read sheet music but it sure is helpful at times� In this section we’re going to go over how to read standard notation on the guitar� Learning to read music is kind of like learning to speak and read another language� It takes a lot of work to learn and has to be done pretty often to keep the rust off� We’ll start off by looking at some of the symbols and elements of standard notation� Once you’re familiar with the sheet music layout, we’ll go through 40 progressive rhythm exercises� Concentrating on rhythm in the beginning will make reading actual music much easier later on� Once you understand how to read rhythms, we’ll move on to 40 progressive music-reading exercises� These exercises start out very simple and get progressively more difficult. By the end of this section you won’t be the brunt of that bad joke I told, because you’ll know how to read music on the guitar�

elementS oF Standard notatIon

Before starting to read music, you need to be familiar with the symbols you’ll be encountering on a piece of sheet music� These aren’t the only symbols you’ll see, but they are the most common ones� Once you understand what each symbol means, we’ll jump into the world of rhythm�

treBle cleF

If you look at the very beginning of a piece of guitar sheet music, you’ll see a squiggly G-like symbol� This symbol is a treble clef� There are several different clef symbols, but the treble clef is the one you’ll see on sheet music for the guitar�

key SIgnatureS

Right next to the treble clef on a piece of sheet music there’s usually a series of sharps or flats. Those sharps or flats are called key signature� A key signature tells you the key of the song you’re playing� C major and A minor have no sharps and no flats, so there aren’t any sharps or flats in the key signatures of those keys.

Treble Clef

Key Signature



190

meaSureS

A piece of sheet music has vertical lines spaced regularly throughout� Those lines divide the music into measures� We’ll talk more about measures when we get into counting rhythms�

tIme SIgnatureS

Just to the right of a key signature, there’s usually two stacked numbers� Those numbers are known as the time signature and express a couple of things about a piece of music� The top number tells us how many beats are in each measure, and the bottom number tells us what kind of note gets the constant beat, or pulse�

4/4The most common time signature is 4/4 (pronounced four four)� The top number is a 4, which means there are four beats in each measure� In order to determine which note gets the beat, you need to replace the top number with a 1� This leaves you with the fraction 1/4, which means that the quarter note is the constant beat, or pulse, throughout a song�

3/4Three four is another very common time signature� It tells us that there are three beats in each measure and the quarter note is the constant beat, or pulse�

1/1

1

Measure

Bar Lines

{Time Signature

44

Four Beats Per Measure

Quarter Note Gets The Beat

34

Three Beats Per Measure

Quarter Note Gets The Beat



191

68

Six Beats Per Measure

Eighth Note Gets The Beat

12 8

Twelve Beats Per Measure

Eighth Note Gets The Beat

Lines & Spaces

Ledger Lines

1/1

1

5

6/8Next we have 6/8 (pronounced six eight), which is quite different from the other time signatures covered so far� The 6 on top tells us that there are six beats in each measure, and the 8 on the bottom tells us that the eighth note is the constant beat� This time signature has a nice swinging feel� You swing one way on beats one, two and three and back the other way on beats four, five and six.

12/8Twelve eight time has twelve beats in each measure and the eighth note gets the beat� The most popular 12/8 song I can think of is “Texas Flood” by Stevie Ray Vaughan� You can give the 12/8 Blues Play-Along a listen to see what this time signature sounds like�

lIneS and SpaceS

The lines and spaces on the sheet music are where all the notes you’ll be playing are written down. There are five lines and four spaces on the treble clef. We’ll get into the names of the lines and spaces later on in the “Reading Music” section�

ledger lIneS

Since there are only five lines and four spaces, we have to have a way to write higher and lower notes on sheet music� Any time you see notes written above or below the lines and spaces, they’re written on/ or next to ledger lines� This graphic gives you a good idea of how ledger lines are used in guitar sheet music�



192

Repeat Sign

1/1

1

55 5 5 5

repeat SIgnS

Repeat signs are two little dots that tell you to repeat a certain measure or group of measures� If there’s a number with an x above the repeat sign, a section should be repeated however many times that number says to� For example, with a 3x above a repeat sign a section has to be played three times� Otherwise, repeat a section once�

accIdentalS

Accidentals are symbols placed next to notes and that alter their pitch� The most common accidentals you’ll see are sharps, flats, and naturals. Sharps raise natural notes by one half-step, flats lower natural notes by one half-step and naturals cancel out any pre-existing accidentals�

Sharp Raises Any Natural Note By One Half-Step

Lowers Any Natural Note By One Half-Step

Cancels Any Sharp, Flat Or Other Accidental

Flat

Natural

b#

Accidentals

1/1

1

13 2

1

note and reSt valueS

Before diving into the 40 rhythm exercises, we need to talk about note values, rest values and how rhythm works� To do this we’ll use “the dollar analogy,” which will help you understand whole, half, quarter, eighth and sixteenth notes and rests�

dollar analogy

Most music is in 4/4 time, which means that each bar, or measure, gets four beats, or pulses� I’m pretty sure everyone has heard a drummer count off a song: “one �� two �� three �� four�” That’s really all we’re talking about here, counting to four over and over again�

Now you need to learn a little bit about basic note values� Imagine each measure, or group of four counts, as one dollar� Since whole notes and whole rests take up four beats, they take up the entire dollar as well�

Half notes and half rests are kind of like a fifty-cent piece. Instead of taking up all four beats, like a whole note does, half notes and half rests take up two beats� It’s kind of like cutting the dollar, or whole note, in half� Two half notes take up one full measure in 4/4 time�

Quarter notes and quarter rests represent one beat, or one quarter, out of a measure, or dollar� There are four quarters in a dollar, and each measure of 4/4 time can have four quarter notes or quarter rests in it�



193

The dollar analogy falls apart when we get to eighth notes� You can think of eighth notes as splitting quarter notes in half. When you split a quarter note in half you end up with two eighth notes. That means you can fit up to eight eighth notes or eighth rests in one measure of 4/4 time� When playing eighth notes in a piece of music, it’s a great idea to count “one and two and three and four and” instead of just “one two three four�” This helps keep track of where the eighth notes fall in the measure� If you split an eighth note in half, you end up with two sixteenth notes. You can fit 16 sixteenth notes or sixteenth rests into one measure of 4/4 time� The upcoming rhythm exercises will use every note value covered: from whole notes to sixteenth notes�

whole, halF, quarter, eIghth and SIxteenth noteS

Here’s a nice chart that shows you what each note value looks like and how many of each can fit into one measure of 4/4 time� Try to get familiar with the look of each note� You’ll be seeing a lot of these in the upcoming rhythm and reading exercises�

w

h hqeeeeeeeexxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

q q q

One Measure Of 4/4 Time Can Have

2 Half Notes

1 Whole Note

8 Eighth Notes

16 Sixteenth Notes

4 Quarter Notes

One Measure Of 4/4 Time Can Have

2 Half Rests

1 Whole Rest

8 Eighth Rests

16 Sixteenth Rests

4 Quarter Rests

whole, halF, quarter, eIghth and SIxteenth reStS

The following chart gives you the exact same information as the previous one, but this one is for rests� Rests are indicators used to target parts in the music you’re not supposed to play on� The time values for rests work just like the time values for notes, but rests look a lot different than notes� Study the chart, and get familiar with the symbols for each rest value�



194

countIng out loud

Before starting the rhythm exercises, I want to talk to you about counting out loud� It’s important that you learn to count out loud at first. This will help you develop your internal metronome. You may feel silly but that’s okay. Feeling silly is a small price to pay for having good timing and being good at reading music� Be sure to count out loud!

Exercise #1This first exercise uses only whole notes and half notes. Remember that a whole note gets four beats and a half note gets two beats� Be sure to count out loud�

Exercise #2The next four exercises add quarter notes to the mix� Don’t forget that each quarter note gets one beat� Take these exercises as slowly as you need to, in order to play them properly and in time�

Exercise #3

Exercise #4

1/1

1

1/1

1

1/1

1

1/1

1

rhythm exercISeSIt’s time to start reading some rhythms� All 40 exercises in this section use the open B string exclusively but you can play any note you like� You don’t even have to have a guitar with you to work on these exercises� You can simply tap on your leg if you want to� These rhythm exercises start out pretty simple and get more and more complex as you move along� New rhythmic elements are added every few exercises, so I’ll provide you with a detailed explanation when this happens, to make your life easier�



195

Exercise #5

1/1

1

Exercise #6Exercise #6 introduces the whole rest� A whole rest looks like a solid rectangle hanging from the fourth line and takes up four beats� The whole rest in this exercise is telling you to abstain from playing in the second measure�

Exercise #7This exercise adds in a few half rests� Half rests look like a little solid black rectangle sitting on top of the third line and tell you to rest for two beats�

Exercise #8

Exercise #9

Exercise #10

1/1

1

1/1

1

1/1

1

1/1

1

1/1

1



196

Exercise #11This exercise introduces the quarter rest� Just like the quarter note, the quarter rest gets one beat� The only difference is that unlike a quarter note, you don’t play anything with a quarter rest�

Exercise #12

Exercise #13

Exercise #14

Exercise #15

Exercise #16This exercise introduces you to a tie� A tie joins two notes together and looks like a little arc� Look at the tie connecting the last quarter note on measure one to the whole note on measure two� It’s telling you to play that quarter note and hold it out throughout the entire second measure� These two notes tied together give you a total of five beats.

1/1

1

1/1

1

1/1

1

1/1

1

1/1

1

1/1

1



197

Exercise #17

Exercise #18

Exercise #19

Exercise #20

Exercise #22

Exercise #21This exercise introduces eighth notes� Remember that eighth notes only take up one half of a quarter note or one half of a beat� Don’t forget to count “one and two and three and four and” when playing them� That’ll help you keep track of where you are in the measure�

1/1

1

1/1

1

1/1

1

1/1

1

1/1

1

1/1

1



198

Exercise #23Eighth rests kind of look like a little seven and tell you to rest for half of a beat� These rhythm exercises are starting to get a little more difficult now. Remember to count out loud.

Exercise #24

Exercise #27

Exercise #25

Exercise #28

Exercise #26Exercise #26 introduces sixteenth notes to your rhythm reading� Each quarter note beat can contain four sixteenth notes, so when you play them you need to count “one e and a two e and a three e and a four e and a�” This will help you keep track of where you are in the music�

1/1

1

1/1

1

1/1

1

1/1

1

1/1

1

1/1

1



199

Exercise #32

Exercise #33

Exercise #34

Exercise #29

Exercise #30Sixteenth rests look like eighth rests with an extra little tail� Sixteenth rests get the exact same value as sixteenth notes� The only difference is that sixteenth rests keep you from playing�

Exercise #31Exercise #31 introduces you to dotted notes� When you see a dot next to a note, take half of that note’s value and add it to its full value� Look at the dotted half note at the beginning of this exercise� The dot is telling you to add a quarter note to the duration of the half note. This means that the dotted half note takes up the first three beats of the first measure.

1/1

1

1/1

1

1/1

1

1/1

1

1/1

1

1/1

1



200

Exercise #35

Exercise #36This exercise introduces quarter note triplets to your rhythm reading� Whenever you come across quarter notes that are accompanied by brackets and a 3, you’re dealing with quarter note triplets� A group of three quarter note triplets should be spaced out evenly over two beats. As this exercise shows on measure three, you can fit six quarter note triplets in one measure of 4/4 time� It can be tricky to get used to evenly spacing out three notes over two beats� When counting triplets, it’s helpful to count “trip-a-let” for every group of three you encounter�

Exercise #37You can fit three evenly spaced eighth note triplets into one quarter note beat. This is a tricky exercise, so make sure to count out loud and take it slowly�

Exercise #38

Exercise #39If you take a look at the beginning of this exercise, you’ll notice it’s in 6/8 time� This means there are six beats in each measure and the eighth note is the beat� Your counting will need to change from the “one two three four” used in a lot of the rhythm exercises you’ve been through, to “one two three four five six.”

1/1

1

1/1

1

3 3

1/1

1

3 3 3 3

1/1

1

3 3 3 3

1/1

1



201

Exercise #40

That’s it for the rhythm exercises! That may have seemed tedious but you’ll really thank yourself for working on your rhythm and counting skills when you start working on the reading exercises� If you want to work on your rhythm skills even more, pull up any piece of music you may have and try tapping all of the rhythms�

nameS oF the lIneS and SpaceS

Before delving into the reading exercises, you need to know the names of the lines and spaces on the treble clef� The lowest line of the treble clef is called E� This means that any note you see on the bottom line is an E note� After the E there’s a space called F and after that a line called G� The names of the lines and spaces just go through the notes in the musical alphabet� Here’s a diagram to help you understand this�

lIneS

Looking at just the lines or just the spaces can make memorizing their names a little easier� The names of the five lines are E, G, B, D, and F. The saying, “Every Good Boy Does Fine” is usually used to remember the names of the lines on the treble clef�

SpaceS

The names of the four spaces on the treble clef are F, A, C, and E� The word face and the following diagram can help you memorize them�

1/1

1

EG

BD

F

FA

CE

EG

BD

F

FA

CE



202

readIng exercISeSIt’s finally time to start reading some actual music. The following 40 exercises start out very simple and gradually get more complex. The majority of these, limit the frets you have to play on by focusing exclusively on the first four. You’ll start out with just a few notes on the 1st string and slowly add notes on the other five strings. This will help keep things simple while you’re learning to read music�

open poSItIon exercISeS In the key oF cThe first 28 exercises stay in what we call the open position on the guitar� This means that every single note is played on an open string or the first three frets. You’ll start out with three notes on the 1st string and gradually add notes on the other strings. The first 20 exercises are in the key of C major, so you don’t have to worry about any sharps or flats just yet.

FIrSt StrIng

There are three notes on the 1st string that you’ll be learning how to read in the following exercises: the open E, the F on the 1st fret and the G on the 3rd fret� The top space represents the open E note and the top line represents the F note on the 1st fret� The G note on the 3rd fret can be found above the top line� The whole note on measure two of Exercise #1 is a great example of this� Remember everything you’ve learned about rhythm as you play through these exercises�

Exercise #1

Exercise #2

Exercise #3

1/1

1

1/1

1

1/1

1



203

Exercise #4

Exercise #5

Exercise #6

Exercise #7

Exercise #8

Second StrIng

Let’s add some notes on to the 2nd string: the open B, the C on the 1st fret and the D on the 3rd fret� The open B is located on the middle line, the C is located on the fourth space and the D is located on the fourth line� Memorize the locations for these notes on the guitar and the treble clef� Once you have them down, you can tackle the following three exercises�

thIrd StrIng

The 3rd string only adds two new notes to the reading exercises� Those notes are the open G and the A on the 2nd fret� The open G is on the second line and the A is on the second space� Memorize these note locations and then give the next few exercises a try� Remember to count out loud�

1/1

1

1/1

1

1/1

1

1/1

1

1/1

1



204

Exercise #9

Exercise #10

Exercise #11

Exercise #12

Exercise #13

Fourth StrIng

It’s time for the 4th string to come into play with the open D, the E on the 2nd fret and the F on the 3rd fret� The open D is located right below the bottom line, the E is on the bottom line and the F is on the bottom space�

1/1

1

1/1

1

1/1

1

1/1

1

FIFth StrIng

The three notes added to the 5th string introduce you to some ledger lines� There’s an open A note on the second ledger line, a 2nd fret B note below the first ledger line and a 3rd fret C note on the first ledger line.

1/1

1



205

Exercise #14

Exercise #15

Exercise #16

Exercise #17

Exercise #18

SIxth StrIng

The three notes you’ll be learning to read on the 6th string use some serious ledger lines� They are the open E on the space just below the third ledger line, the 1st fret F note on the third ledger line and the 3rd fret G note on the space just below the 2nd ledger line. These notes can be difficult to read at first because of the ledger lines. If you practice reading these notes regularly, you’ll eventually be able to recognize them instantly with ease�

1/1

1

1/1

1

1/1

1

1/1

1

1/1

1



206

all StrIngS

The next 10 exercises use every note you’ve learned on all six strings� Through the exercises you’ll see some chords and key changes� I’ll be sure to give you a heads-up when any new element is introduced�

Exercise #19

Exercise #22

Exercise #20This exercise introduces you to reading chords� Whenever you see notes stacked like the half notes on the last measure of this exercise, get ready to play some chords. Chords can be pretty difficult to read, but if you spend a lot of time working on your reading skills, you’ll start to recognize certain chord shapes at a glance�

Exercise #21Exercise #21 changes keys: from C major to G major� The key signature for this exercise has a sharp on the top line, or the F line� This means that any F note should be an F#� So any time you see an F note, you’ll need to raise it by one half-step to play an F#�

1/1

1

1/1

1

1/1

1

1/1

1



207

Exercise #25

Exercise #23Check out the chord on the last measure of this exercise� That note cluster is a standard open G major chord� I just thought I’d save you some time on interpreting the notes� Try to memorize the overall shape of this chord� You’ll see it quite often if you read a lot of music�

Exercise #24This exercise is the first in a series of five in the key of D major. With a key signature of two sharps—F# and C#—these exercises require you to raise the F and C notes to F# and C# notes� Make sure you don’t forget that�

Exercise #26This exercise introduces accidentals� Recall that accidentals are placed next to notes, in order to modify them� The two types of accidentals you’ll be dealing with are sharps and naturals� Sharps raise any natural note by one half-step and naturals cancel out any pre-existing accidentals�

This exercise is in the key of D, so any C and F notes will be C# and F# notes, respectively� The second and third notes in the exercise are a C#, but due to the natural sign next to the third note, the C# drops one half-step to become a C natural� The fourth note is that same C natural but this time there’s a sharp next to it� This accidental raises the C natural back up to a C#� Accidentals are only good for one measure� Every time you cross a bar line the music resets to the original key signature� Keep that in mind as your read other pieces of music�

1/1

1

1/1

1

1/1

1 33

1/1

1



208

Exercise #27

Exercise #28

Exercise #29

Exercise #30

1/1

1

1/1

1

other poSItIonS

All the musical examples we’ve covered up till now have used notes in the open position exclusively� Reading music can get a little more difficult when you move to higher positions on the guitar fretboard. The next several exercises show you how to read music in a couple of positions other than the open position�

Second poSItIon

If a piece of music asks for a note or series of notes on a particular string, you’ll see string indicators next to them� Take a look at Exercise #29� The circled numbers tell you to start each series of notes on a particular string� For example, the circled six below tells you to start the first measure on the 6th string and play the following notes on that general area of the guitar� This is where reading music on the guitar can get pretty difficult. The main reason for this is that there are several ways and positions to play the exact same thing on the guitar� If you don’t have string indicators, the particular position or strings used to play a passage is left to your best judgment� The next few exercises are mostly in the second position on the guitar. This means that the 1st finger plays notes on the 2nd fret, the 2nd finger plays notes on the 3rd fret, the 3rd finger plays notes on the 4th fret and the 4th finger plays notes on the 5th fret.

1/1

1

6

4

1

1/1

1

1 1

6

4 3

3



209

Exercise #31

Exercise #32

Exercise #33

Exercise #34

Exercise #36

Exercise #35The next three exercises switch to the key of F major. Since the key signature for F major is one flat, and that flat is Bb, be sure to lower by one half-step any B notes you encounter�

1/1

1

13

5

1/1

1

1/1

1

1/1

1

33

1/1

1 43

2

5

1/1

1



210

Exercise #37

Exercise #38

Exercise #40

Fourth poSItIon

The last three reading exercises switch to the fourth position on the guitar. This means that the 1st finger plays the notes on the 4th fret and the remaining fingers fall in place on the three higher frets. Remember to use the string indicators to get a rough idea of where you should play each note� These last three exercises are in the key of A major� The key signature for A major is three sharps: F#, C# and G#� So make sure you don’t play any F, C or G natural notes�

Exercise #39Exercise #39 changes from a straight beat to a swing beat� You can tell this by the little swing-rhythm indicator located above the first measure. Make sure to swing the eighth notes.

1/1

13

3

3

3

1/1

1 54

21

1/1

1

3

1/1

1



211

concluSIonYou made it to the end of the “Reading Music” section! You now have all the basic tools needed to get as good at reading music as you want� Be proud of yourself� Many guitar players don’t even attempt what you’ve accomplished in these lessons� Becoming proficient at reading music on the guitar can be quite challenging. The hardest part is probably learning how to read in each position on the guitar� You don’t have to kill yourself working on your reading skills day and night, but it’s good to have some basic skills down� In the next section we’ll focus on ear training and playing by ear. If you want to figure out songs for yourself, write your own music and make up great solos on the spot, the upcoming lessons will be a gold mine for you� Get ready for some very rewarding lessons!

The GuiTar SyStem - Styles And Theory - Ear Training And Playing By Ear


212

ear TraininG and playinG by earear TraininG and playinG by ear

We’ve covered topics related to ear training and playing by ear, throughout The Guitar System, but I wanted to give you an entire section devoted to only these two topics� Ear training is essential if you want to be able to play by ear, figure out songs for yourself and play exactly what you hear in your head. This may sound complicated but we’ll take it one step at a time� The “Ear Training” section focus on helping your brain and ears memorize the sounds of intervals, chords and scales. Once you can identify certain musical sounds, it’ll be much easier for you to figure out the chords and solos in your favorite songs� As soon as you go through the ear training lessons, we’ll move on to the “Playing By Ear” section. Those lessons teach you to figure out and write songs by applying the things learned in the “Ear Training” section�

ear traInIngEar training is the act of training your ears and brain to recognize certain musical sounds� When you memorize the sound of an interval or chord, your brain recognizes it whenever you hear it� You’ll start out by memorizing the sounds of intervals before doing the same for chords and scales�

why traIn your earS

You may be thinking, “Why do I need to train my ears?” If you train your brain and ears to recognize and label certain sounds, you’ll be much faster at figuring out songs and making up your own solos. You could skip this section and learn little bits and pieces here and there, about how to do these two things� There’s a better way, though� Care to join me?

IntervalSThe first topic we’ll cover is intervals. An interval is the distance between any two notes. The 12 intervals included in this section have already been discussed in previous lessons of The Guitar System, but I wanted to make sure you had one place you could go to, in order to train your ears to identify intervals� Intervals are the building blocks of ear training� As soon as you’ve memorized how they sound, you’ll be ready to move on to some chords and scales�



213

mInor Second (m2)The first interval we’ll cover is a minor second, sometimes called m2� A minor second is simply one half-step� On a piano keyboard, a minor second is any note that’s right next to the note on which you start� Similarly, a minor second on the guitar can be any note that’s one fret away from the note on which you start� For example, playing an F on the 1st fret of the 6th string after an E on the open 6th string is a minor second� Play those two notes over and over again and try to memorize their sound in relation to one another� It helps to associate the sound of each interval with something you already know� The sound of a minor second always reminds me of the theme music for the movie Jaws� Try to come up with your own familiar tunes to help you memorize the specific sound of each interval in these lessons. Half-Step

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

E F F#/Gb G#/Ab G A E B

B

D A#/Bb C#/Db D#/Eb C

A

E

G

D



214

Whole-Step

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12


B


A

E

G

D

major Second (m2)A major second—also known as M2—is made of two half-steps� On a piano, a major second is any note that’s two keys away from the one you start on� On a guitar it’s any note that’s two frets away from the note on which you start� As an example, play an E note on the open 6th string followed by an F# on the 2nd fret of the 6th string� That’s the sound of a major second� When I hear the sound of a major second, I always go back to how the first two notes of a major scale sound when played consecutively� Take some time to memorize the sound of a major second and come up with your own association for this particular sound�



215

mInor thIrd (m3)A minor third, sometimes called m3, is made of three half-steps� Play an E on the open 6th string and then a G on the 3rd fret of the 6th string� That’s the sound of a minor third� The song that I use to remember the sound of a minor third with is “So Long Farewell” from The Sound of Music� This is an incredibly important interval because it gives minor chords their minor sound� Play this interval over and over again until you start to memorize its distinct sound�

major thIrd (m3) The major third, or M3, is made up of four half-steps� This is the interval that gives major chords their distinct major sound� Play an E note on the open 6th string and then a G# note on the 4th fret of the 6th string� That’s the sound of a major third. The first two notes of the song “Kumbaya” are a great example of what a major third sounds like�

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12


B


A

E

G

D

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12


B


A

E

G

D



216

octave

Octaves and perfect fifths are the two most stable intervals. Let’s skip to those two intervals next. An octave is 12 half-steps away from any note you start on and shares its name with it� For example, if you play an E note on the open 6th string, an octave above that E note is another E note but on the 12th fret of the 6th string� The song I like to think about when I hear an octave is “Somewhere Over the Rainbow�” Play those two E notes and listen to the unmistakable sound of an octave�

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12


B


A

E

G

D

perFect FIFth (p5)A perfect fifth, sometimes called P5, is made up of seven half-steps� Play an E note on the open 6th string and then a B note on the 7th fret of that same string. That’s the sound of a perfect fifth. When I hear a P5 I like to think of the first two notes from the Star Wars theme song. Commit the sound of a perfect fifth to memory.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12


B


A

E

G

D



217

perFect Fourth (p4)A perfect fourth is made of five half-steps and is sometimes referred to as P4� The song I like to associate with the sound of a P4 is “Here Comes the Bride�” Play an E on the open 6th string and an A on the 5th fret of the 6th string� That’s the sound of a perfect fourth�

augmented Fourth/ dImInIShed FIFth

This next interval can be called augmented fourth, diminished fifth, flat 5, or tritone and is made up of six half-steps� The tritone was considered a very nasty and dissonant interval in the classical music era� Today it’s used quite often in metal, rock, blues and even jazz. The sound of a tritone reminds me of the first two notes of The Simpsons theme song� Play an E on the open 6th string followed by a Bb on the 6th fret on that same string to hear the sound of a tritone�

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12


B


A

E

G

D

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12


B


A

E

G

D



218

major SIxth (m6)The major sixth, or M6, has always sounded to me like the first two notes of the song “My Bonnie.” Play an E note on the open 6th string followed by a C# on its 9th fret� Hopefully you can see that a major sixth is made of nine half-steps�

mInor SIxth (m6) A minor sixth, or m6, is made of eight half-steps and sounds like the Beethoven song “Fur Elise�” Play an E note on the open 6th string followed by a C on its 8th fret� That’s the sound of a minor sixth� Play this interval over and over again, and try to find a musical example you can associate it with.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12


B


A

E

G

D

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12


B


A

E

G

D



219

mInor Seventh (m7)An interval that’s made up of 10 half-steps is called minor seventh—also known as m7� This interval always reminds me of the opening theme song to the original Star Trek show� Play an E on the open 6th string and a D on its 10th fret to hear the sound of a minor seventh. Commit that sound to memory, and try to find a musical example you can associate it with�

major Seventh (m7)The major seventh, or M7, with its 11 half-steps is the last interval we’ll be taking a look at� The only song I can think of to associate the sound of a major seventh with is “Take On Me” by the band A-ha� Play an E on the open 6th string followed by a D# on the 11th fret of that same string� Take some time to get familiar with the sound of a major seventh�

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12


B


A

E

G

D

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12


B


A

E

G

D



220

daIly Interval exercISe

Now that you have a good idea of what all 12 intervals sound like, we can go through a great daily ear training exercise� This exercise only uses notes out of the major scale so you’ll only be using the following intervals: M2, M3, P4, P5, M6, M7 and the Octave� As soon as you get good at doing this exercise with the intervals in the major scale, you can start throwing in the other intervals that were covered� This exercise is in the key of G major, so you’ll be going through a G major scale. In the first four measures, play the root note of the scale followed by the note that’s a major second away from it� Do this by alternating back and forth between a G note and an A note. This will help you memorize the specific sound of a major second. The next four measures work on your ability to identify a major third by having you alternate back and forth between a G note and a B note�

The exercise continues in this same format for the remaining intervals in the major scale� If you understood how to use this exercise to practice your ability to recognize major seconds and major thirds, you won’t have any issues in doing so with the remaining intervals� Do this every day and you’ll start to instantly recognize intervals everywhere you go!

1/1

1M2

5M3

9P4

13P5

17M6

21M7

25Octave



221

Root PositionG Major Chord

G RootBD1

543

chordSYou’ve already learned how to recognize 12 intervals, which is pretty awesome! The next step in your ear training journey is to start recognizing chords by ear� I’ll begin by training your ears to identify the root note of any chord� Once you can do that, you’ll learn how to tell if a chord is major or minor� This may sound like a lot of work but you already have most of the skills needed to recognize simple chords�

root IdentIFIcatIon

Have you ever wondered how some guitarists can just pick up a guitar and start playing chords along with any song that might be playing? Well, they have just trained their ears to recognize the sound of certain chords� If you want to be able to do the same as them, the first thing you need to be able to do is identify the root note of any chord you might hear� Strum an open G chord� The notes in that chord are G, B and D� What you have to do is focus in on the G note, or root, of that chord� Play the G chord again followed by the G note on the 3rd fret of the 6th string� This may sound silly but try singing that G note� Play the full chord again and keep singing the G note� If you can identify the root note of a chord, you’re pretty much halfway to determining its full name� Go through the entire process of locating and singing the root note, for all the open major and minor chords� Once you can identify the root note of any open chord, you’ll be ready to move on�

chord qualIty

The next step in figuring out a chord is to determine its quality: major, minor, diminished or augmented. However, to simplify your learning experience, we’ll stick to just major and minor chords� The two intervals that determine the quality of a chord are the major third and the minor third� You should already know the sound of these intervals from the previous ear training lessons� A major chord has a note that’s one major third above the root, and a minor chord has a note that’s one minor third above the root� For example, a G major chord is spelled G B D and a G minor chord is spelled G Bb D� Do you see how the B came down from a major third to a Bb, or, in this case, a minor third? Play a G major bar chord using the E bar chord shape, and then switch to a G minor bar chord using the E minor bar chord shape� You only change one note when switching between these two chords� Do you hear the difference between the major third in the major chord and the minor third in the minor chord? This is the key to identifying major and minor chords�



222

Minor 3rd

Major Chord Formula

Major 3rdG

B

D

Minor 3rd

Minor Chord Formula

Major 3rd

G

Bb

D

Once you’ve identified the root and quality of any chord, you should have a pretty good idea of what chord you’re listening to� For example, if I identify the root note of a chord as C and its quality as minor, I can safely say that I’m hearing some kind of C minor chord� In the next lesson we’ll look at identifying several different types of 7th chords�

7th chordS

Now that you have an idea of how to identify major and minor chords, it’s time to expand your chord recognition skills to include 7th chords� We’ll build off of everything you’ve learned, in order to train your ears to hear the difference between five different types of 7th chords. This can get a bit tricky, but if you take it one step at a time you’ll be just fine.

major 7th

The first type of 7th chord you’ll learn to identify is the major 7th chord. You already know how to identify the root and quality of a major chord, so this won’t be too difficult for you. A major 7th chord simply adds one note to a major chord: a major seventh from the root of the chord� Let’s use a G major chord as an example� While a G major chord is spelled G B D, a G major 7th chord is spelled G B D F#� The F# is a major seventh away from the G root note� Do you remember the sound of a major seventh? It’s the interval that sounds like the song “Take On Me�” If you can learn to identify the major seventh interval, recognizing major 7th chords will be a breeze for you� Major 7th chords sound pretty “jazzy�” That’s another little hint for identifying these chords�

1G 2A 3B 4C 5D 6E 7F# 8G

G Major 7th Chord

Major 7th Occurs NaturallyIn The G Major Scale



223

1G 2A 3B 4C 5D 6E 7F 8G

G Dominant 7th Chord

Major 7th Is Lowered One Half-Step To a Minor 7th

domInant 7th

Just like major 7th chords, dominant 7th chords add one note to a regular major chord� The interval you need to listen for in a dominant chord is a minor seventh� A G major chord is spelled G B D, and a G dominant 7th chord, or G7, is spelled G B D F. The interval from a G to an F is a minor seventh, the interval that really defines the sound of a dominant 7th chord� Play a G7 chord and try to memorize the dominant 7th sound� Most people think of dominant 7th chords as blues chords� That may help you memorize the overall sound of this type of chord�

mInor 7th

Minor 7th chords are regular minor chords with a minor seventh added in� So while a G minor chord is spelled G Bb D, a G minor 7th chord is spelled G Bb D F� Minor 7th chords have two intervals accountable for their sound: the minor third and the minor seventh� Play a G minor 7th chord and see if you can pick out these two intervals�

1G 2A 3Bb 4C 5D 6E 7F 8G

G Minor 7th Chord

Major 7th Is Lowered DownOne Half-Step To a Minor 7th

Major 3rd Is Lowered DownOne Half-Step To a Minor 3rd



224

mInor 7 b5Minor 7 b5 chords are very similar to minor 7th chords except for the 5th of the chord, which is one half-step lower. When the 5th of the chord is lowered by one half-step, you end up with a tritone instead of a perfect fifth. Along with the minor third and minor seventh, the tritone is one of the intervals used for identifying a minor 7 b5 chord� Play this chord and see if you can hear each one of these intervals� It helps if you have a friend that can quiz you on all of these chords and intervals�

1G 2A 3Bb 4C 5Db 6E 7F 8G

G Minor 7 b5

Major 7th Is LoweredOne Half-Step To a Minor 7th

Perfect 5th Is Lowered OneHalf-Step To a Diminished 5th

Major 3rd Is LoweredOne Half-Step To a Minor 3rd

1G 2A 3Bb 4C 5Db 6E 7Fb 8G

Fully Diminished G 7th Chord

Major 7th Is LoweredOne Whole-Step To a Diminished 7th

Perfect 5th Is Lowered OneHalf-Step To a Diminished 5th

Major 3rd Is LoweredOne Half-Step To a Minor 3rd

dImInIShed 7th

A fully diminished 7th chord is very similar to a minor 7 b5 chord� The only difference is that the diminished 7th chord has a 7th that’s two half-steps lower instead of one� A diminished seventh interval sounds the exact same as a major sixth interval� Play a G diminished 7th chord and listen to its distinct sound�



225

InverSIonS

Up until this point you’ve only been working on identifying chords that have the root note as the lowest in the chord� That’s great but not very realistic� As a musician, you’ll constantly run into chords that have notes other than their root as the lowest� These chords are called inversions� In this section of lessons, we’ll take a look at how to recognize inversions by ear�

FIrSt InverSIon

A root position chord is a chord that has the root as the lowest note� Below is an example of what a root position G major chord might look like on a piece of sheet music� A first-inversion chord is a chord that has its 3rd note as the lowest note. For example, a G chord with a B as its lowest note is the first inversion of a G major chord. Below you’ll find an example of what a first inversion G major chord might look like on a piece of sheet music� When identifying first-inversion major triads, the first thing I do is listen for the lowest note of the chord. If that note sounds like it wants to go back down to the root of that chord’s major scale, you’re playing a first inversion major chord� The 3rd of the chord just sounds like it could easily walk down to the second note of the major scale and continue on to the root�


G RootBD1

543

First InversionG Major Chord

G

BD

1

433



226

Second InverSIon

The first step to identifying a second-inversion triad is to see which note of the chord is the bass. If that note is the 5th of the chord, you have a second-inversion triad� I like to double-check myself by singing the root of the chord, up to the 5th� Here’s what a second-inversion triad might look like on a piece of sheet music�


G RootBD1

543

Second InversionG Major Chord

B

DG

1/1

1

87

7

dIatonIc chordS

Before we move on to some scale ear training, I want to discuss diatonic chords for a minute� Diatonic chords are chords that occur naturally in any key� For example, in the key of G major, those chords are G major, A minor, B minor, C major, D major, E minor and F# minor 7 b5�

When you’re trying to figure out the chords in a song, it’s a good idea to start with those that occur naturally in whatever key you’re playing� Of course, these aren’t the only chords you could use, but they’re a great place to start�

1G 2A 3B 4C 5D 6E 7F# 8G

G Major Scale

1G 2a 3b 4C 5D 6e 7f#

Chords In The Key Of G Major



227

ScaleSIn this section we’re going to take a look at how to use your interval recognition skills to start identifying scales� Every scale is made up of intervals, and some of those intervals can give you hints as to which scale you’re hearing� No matter the scale you’re trying to identify—major, minor, major pentatonic, minor pentatonic, blues—the following lessons will show you which intervals are important in helping you identify them�

major Scale

The major scale is the foundation for just about all the music theory covered in The Guitar System� Having said that, it’s very important that you have the ability to identify the major scale by ear. The intervals that define the sound of a major scale are the major third and the major seventh� Let’s take a quick look at exactly how to identify a major scale when you hear one�

1/1

1

R M3 M7

root IdentIFIcatIon

The first step in identifying a major scale is to pick out the root of the scale. If you don’t have a reference point, or a home base, you’ll never really be able to tell what scale you’re playing or listening to� Again, the key to root note identification is to be able to sing the root note of whatever scale you’re listening to.

major thIrd

The major third is the interval that gives a major scale its major quality� The G major scale is spelled G A B C D E F#. G to B is a major third. The sound of this interval is the first hint that you might be hearing a major scale.

major Seventh

The second interval that defines the sound of a major scale is the major seventh. The G major scale is spelled G A B C D E F#� G to F# is a major seventh� This is the second hint that you might be playing or hearing a major scale�



228

R m3 m7

1/1

1

mInor Scale

Do you remember how to make a minor scale? You basically start with a major scale and lower the 3rd, 6th and 7th scale degrees by one half-step� The most important intervals to the minor scale sound are the minor third and the minor seventh�

root IdentIFIcatIon

The first step in identifying a minor scale is to locate the root. Again, if you have no home base, you won’t able to tell what scale you’re playing� Try to play through a minor scale while singing the root note�

mInor thIrd

Minor thirds give minor scales and minor chords their distinct minor sound. The first hint that you’re hearing a minor scale is the minor third that occurs from the root to the third note of the scale� For example, since the G minor scale is spelled G A Bb C D Eb F, the interval between G and Bb is what will identify this scale as some kind of minor scale�

mInor Seventh

Think back to the intervals that were important to a major scale� One of them was a major seventh� A minor scale doesn’t have a major seventh but does have a minor seventh� This interval really sets the minor scale apart from the major scale� In a G minor scale, which is spelled G A Bb C D Eb F, the minor seventh is the interval between G and F�



229

major pentatonIc Scale

Let’s take a look at how to recognize major pentatonic scales by ear� Remember that pentatonic scales are only five-note scales. If you only hear five notes throughout a scale, odds are you’re listening to some kind of pentatonic scale. The notes in a major pentatonic scale are the first, second, third, fifth and sixth of the major scale, and its defining intervals are the major second and the major third.

1/1

1

R M3M2

root IdentIFIcatIon

If you have a suspicion that the scale you’re listening to is a pentatonic scale, the first thing to do is identify the root� Pinpointing the root helps you determine if you’re playing a major or minor pentatonic scale� Play through a G major pentatonic scale, and listen to what the G root notes sound like in relation to all the other notes in the scale�

major Second

The major second in a major pentatonic scale is unique because a minor pentatonic doesn’t have a major second in it—not even a minor second� If you hear a pentatonic scale with a major second in it, you’re probably listening to a major pentatonic scale� Play through a G major pentatonic scale and take note of the major second that occurs between the G and A notes�

major thIrd

The major third in a major pentatonic scale defines the major quality of the scale. Play through a G major pentatonic scale, and take note of the major third that occurs between the G and B notes� If you identify a scale as a five-note scale, find the root, spot a major second and a major third, you’ll definitely have enough evidence to say that you’re listening to a major pentatonic scale�



230

mInor pentatonIc Scale

The minor pentatonic scale is probably the most common five-note scale you’ll hear. The intervals that define it and set it apart from a major pentatonic scale are the minor third and the perfect fourth� A minor pentatonic scale is made of the first, third, fourth, fifth and seventh notes of a minor scale. Play through a G minor pentatonic scale and listen to the overall sound�

1/1

1

R m3 P4

root IdentIFIcatIon

Like all the other scales you’ve learned to identify, the first step in identifying a minor pentatonic scale is to determine the root of the scale� Play through a G minor pentatonic scale and see if you can sing the root note� Be sure to sing out loud�

mInor thIrd

The interval that gives a minor pentatonic scale its minor sound is the minor third� If you play a G minor pentatonic scale, the minor third is the interval between the root and the Bb note� Recognizing the minor quality of a minor pentatonic scale is a lot like recognizing the minor quality of a minor chord� Simply play through a G minor pentatonic scale and listen for the sound of a minor third�

perFect Fourth

A perfect fourth doesn’t occur in a major pentatonic scale but it does occur in a minor pentatonic scale� If you hear a five-note scale with a perfect fourth in it, you’re probably listening to a minor pentatonic scale. The perfect fourth in a G minor pentatonic scale is the interval between the root and the C note�



231

BlueS Scale

If you can identify a minor pentatonic scale, identifying a blues scale will be very simple for you� The only difference between the minor pentatonic scale and the blues scale is the flat 5 note. We’ll go through the entire process of identifying a blues scale in the following paragraphs�

1/1

1

R m3 P5P4 b5

root IdentIFIcatIon

The root note of any blues scale is the first place you should start. Play through any blues scale and see if you can sing the root note. Once you can identify the root note, move on to the other defining notes of this scale.

mInor thIrd

The blues scale is technically a minor scale because it contains a minor third instead of a major third� Play through any blues scale and listen for the minor quality that the minor third yields� This is exactly like identifying a minor pentatonic scale or a minor chord�

perFect Fourth

Just like in the minor pentatonic scale, the perfect fourth really sets the blues scale apart from the major pentatonic scale� Play through any blues scale and take note of the perfect fourth� In a G blues scale the perfect fourth is the interval between the root and the C note�

Flat 5The flat 5, or tritone, is the most distinct-sounding interval in the blues scale. This is the note you want to listen for when trying to tell the difference between the minor pentatonic scale and the blues scale� If you play through a G blues scale, the flat 5 interval occurs between the root note and a Db note.



232

concluSIonThat’s it for the “Ear Training” section! The huge amount of information presented here will be vital to your growth as a musician in the future� Don’t feel like you have to master everything in the “Ear Training” section in a few months or even a year� Many people spend years working on their ear training—I still work on mine from time to time� In the following lessons you’ll apply everything you’ve learned about ear training to playing the guitar by ear� If one of your goals is to learn any song by ear, you’ll love these lessons� Get ready to unlock the magic of your trained ears!



233

playIng By earNow that you’ve trained your ears to recognize intervals and chords, it’s time to put those skills to use� The following lessons will help you use your ear-training skills to learn your favorite songs and play by ear� I’ll be using the Contemporary Strumming Play-Along to help demonstrate each concept in this section� The ideas and concepts presented here require you to experiment and practice for yourself� Choose a few songs to learn once you’ve gone through every lesson on playing by ear� Hopefully in time, you’ll be able to learn any song that your heart desires and all on your own�

Contemporary Strumming Play-Along

1/3

1

ChorusE Bsus4

079900

079900

079900

079900

079900

079900

079900

079900

079900

079900

079900

079900

079900

079900

079900

079900

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

3

C m7

4x

A2

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

4x

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

5

VerseE Bsus4

022100

022100

022100

022100

022100

022100

022100

022100

022100

022100

022100

022100

022100

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

7

A2

3x

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

3x

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

9

C m7 Bsus4

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

Track #17



234

2/3

11

A2

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

13

ChorusE Bsus4

079900

079900

079900

079900

079900

079900

079900

079900

079900

079900

079900

079900

079900

079900

079900

079900

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

15

C m7 A2

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

17

BridgeC m7 G m A2

3x

46600

46600

46600

XXXXX

466444

XXXXXX

02200

3x

(0)(2)(2)(0)(0)

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

19

F m Bsus4

244222

244222

244222

244222

244222

244222

244222

244222

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

1/3

1

ChorusE Bsus4

079900

079900

079900

079900

079900

079900

079900

079900

079900

079900

079900

079900

079900

079900

079900

079900

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

3

C m7

4x

A2

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

4x

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

5

VerseE Bsus4

022100

022100

022100

022100

022100

022100

022100

022100

022100

022100

022100

022100

022100

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

7

A2

3x

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

3x

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

9

C m7 Bsus4

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400



235

2/3

11

A2

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

13

ChorusE Bsus4

079900

079900

079900

079900

079900

079900

079900

079900

079900

079900

079900

079900

079900

079900

079900

079900

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

15

C m7 A2

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

17

BridgeC m7 G m A2

3x

46600

46600

46600

XXXXX

466444

XXXXXX

02200

3x

(0)(2)(2)(0)(0)

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

19

F m Bsus4

244222

244222

244222

244222

244222

244222

244222

244222

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

3/3

21

ChorusE Bsus4

079900

079900

079900

079900

079900

079900

079900

079900

079900

079900

079900

079900

079900

079900

079900

079900

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

23

C m7 A2

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

25

VerseE Bsus4

022100

022100

022100

022100

022100

022100

022100

022100

022100

022100

022100

022100

022100

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

27

A2

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

29

E

022100



236

3/3

21

ChorusE Bsus4

079900

079900

079900

079900

079900

079900

079900

079900

079900

079900

079900

079900

079900

079900

079900

079900

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

23

C m7 A2

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

46600

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

25

VerseE Bsus4

022100

022100

022100

022100

022100

022100

022100

022100

022100

022100

022100

022100

022100

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

24400

27

A2

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

02200

29

E

022100



237

Song FormatThe first step to playing by ear and figuring out songs is listening to the song you want to learn and determining its form� Being as familiar as possible with a song before you even pick up a guitar, helps you learn it much quicker� Knowing where the song changes from verse to chorus or chorus to bridge enables you to divide the song into more manageable parts�

lIStenIng to the Song FIrSt

The absolute first step to learning a song by ear is to actively listen to it over and over again. Active listening is a type of focused listening, which means you’re focusing on everything that’s happening throughout a song in a non-distracted way� Passive listening is the complete opposite: you listen to a song without really engaging your brain with what’s happening in the tune� We do this all the time when we drive or do any other activity while listening to music� Active listening will help your brain and ears pay attention to the music� Listen to the Contemporary Strumming Play-Along as many times as you need to, in order to get familiar with each little part�

partS oF the Song

Once you’ve listened to the song a few times, you should have a basic idea of what’s going on in all the different sections� The next step is to identify and label them� For example, you should identify the verse and chorus of each song and how long they actually are� It helps to write down the different parts of a song, along with the number of measures they take up� If you listen to the Contemporary Strumming Play-Along, you’ll notice that there are three distinct parts� See if you can write down the order and length of each one. This may take some time at first but you’ll get pretty quick at identifying the parts of songs after some practice�

IdentIFyIng the key oF SongSAfter you’ve listened to a song and identified all its parts, you need to determine its key. There are several clues you can follow to determine the key of a song. The first thing you should do is use your ears to try and lock in on the tonal center� Once you have a pretty good idea of what key the song might be in, you can analyze the chords in the song to confirm your suspicions.

tonal center IdentIFIcatIon

If you need to figure out what key a song is in, you should simply listen to the song and give it your best educated guess� By this point you should have pretty well trained ears� Listen to a song and see if you can sing or play the root note on your guitar� It may take some time to hunt around for the root note but that’s okay�



238

chord analySIS (major and mInor chordS)Once you’ve guessed what key a song is in, you can confirm that hunch by analyzing the chords in the song. If you haven’t gone through the “Music Theory” section of The Guitar System, you should probably do that before continuing (page 165)� If you’re familiar with the chords in most major keys, you can look at the chords in the song you’re trying to learn to confirm its key. The Contemporary Strumming Play-Along is in the key of E� Let’s say you didn’t know that but your ears were telling you that it might be. To confirm your suspicions, you could look at the chords in the song and compare them to the chords that occur naturally in the key of E major: E major, F# minor, G# minor, A major, B major, C# minor and D# diminished� Look at the chords in the Contemporary Strumming Play-Along� All but one of the chords in the key of E major are used! That’s a pretty strong evidence that the song is in the key of E major� Of course, not all songs are this straightforward� Many of the songs you’ll encounter use chords that don’t occur naturally in their key� Some songs even change keys! This is called modulation�

IdentIFyIng chordSOne of the most important parts of learning to play by ear is to identify the chords of a song� There are some simple steps you can take to train your ears to identify pretty much any chord on the planet� Let me walk you through the entire process of identifying chords�

root note IdentIFIcatIon

The first step in identifying a specific chord is to determine its root note. More times than not, the root note is the lowest note, or bass note, of the chord� If you’re listening to a full band, sometimes it can help to focus on the bass guitar for the root note of the chord� If you’re listening to solo guitar or piano music, you have to listen for the lowest note� Of course, the lowest note won’t always be the root of the chord, but it’s a good place to start� Remember that chord inversions have notes other than the root of the chord as their lowest note� When you identify the root of a chord, it really helps to sing the root out loud� It may take some time to really zone in on the root notes of chords, but steady practice will work wonders� If you work hard and know the key of a particular song, you’ll eventually be able to figure out the chords in that song, without any instrument at all.

1E 2f# 3g# 4A 5B 6c# 7d#

Chords In The Key Of E Major



239

chord qualIty IdentIFIcatIon

Once you’ve identified the root note of a particular chord, the next step is to determine the quality of the chord. When I talk about chord quality, I simply mean whether it’s major or minor� To determine a chord’s quality you have to be able to listen and identify major thirds and minor thirds�

major thIrd

A major third is the interval that gives a major chord its major sound� Let’s look at example� An E major chord is spelled E G# B� The interval from an E to a G# is a major third� If you can memorize how this interval sounds, you’ll be able to distinguish major chords from a minor chords with ease�

mInor thIrd

This interval is the one responsible for giving a minor chord its minor sound� An E minor chord is spelled E G B� The interval from an E to a G is a minor third� That’s the sound you need to listen for when identifying minor chords� Once you practice this a little bit, you probably won’t even think about major thirds or minor thirds� You’ll just be able to immediately tell whether a chord is major or minor�

dIatonIc chordS

Diatonic chords, or chords that occur naturally in any key, are a great place to start when trying to figure out the chords in a particular song� Of course, these aren’t the only chords played in songs, but they’re a great starting point� Figuring out the chords of any song will be a lot faster if you’re familiar with the chords that occur naturally in any key�

major Scale

In order to find out what chords are in a major key, you need to start with that key’s major scale. The Contemporary Strumming Play-Along is in the key of E major, so you’d start with an E major scale� Here’s an E major scale for you to review�

1E 2F# 3G# 4A 5B 6C# 7D# 8E

E Major Scale



240

1E 2f# 3g# 4A 5B 6c# 7d#

Chords In The Key Of E Major

dIatonIc chordS

Each note in a major scale has a chord that goes along with it� Here’s the E major scale again, but this time it uses uppercase and lowercase letters� The uppercase letters represent major chords, and the lowercase letters represent minor chords� In the following paragraphs we’ll take a closer look at the major and minor chords that occur naturally in any major key�

major chordS In major keyS (1, 4 and 5)There’s a simple way to determine the major chords in any given major key� All you have to do is remember that the first, fourth and fifth notes of any major scale have major chords that go along with them. In our example of E major, the major chords are E major, A major and B major� If you take a look at the Contemporary Strumming Play-Along, you’ll see loads of E, A and B major chords�

1E 2f# 3g# 4A 5B 6c# 7d#

Major Chords In The Key Of E Major

1E 2f# 3g# 4A 5B 6c# 7d#

Minor Chords In The Key Of E Major

mInor chordS In major keyS (2, 3 and 6)The second, third and sixth notes of any major scale have minor chords that go along with them� Our example is in the key of E major, and the minor chords in that key are F# minor, G# minor and C# minor� If you take a stroll through the Contemporary Strumming Play-Along, you’ll find these three chords. Do you see how knowing what chords occur naturally in any key can help you figure out a song? This really takes a lot of the guesswork out of the equation�



241

dImInIShed chordS In major keyS (7)The only diatonic chord not used in the Contemporary Strumming Play-Along is the one based on the 7th scale degree� The chord based on the 7th scale degree of any major scale is a diminished chord� This chord is generally used the least out of all seven diatonic chords�

1E 2f# 3g# 4A 5B 6c# 7d#

Diminished Chord In The Key Of E Major

Knowing which chords occur naturally in any major key limit your options and help you figure out exactly what’s going on in any song written in a major key. If you know that you have seven basic options to start with, figuring out the key of a song and the chords in it will be much easier� Of course, not all songs stick to diatonic chords, but most use them for their basic structure�

IdentIFyIng chord extenSIonSWhen listening to songs you’ll surely hear more types of chords than just major, minor and diminished chords� In this section you’ll learn to identify chord extensions such as 7ths, 9ths, 11ths and 13ths� This may seem pretty difficult right now but all I’m really doing is adding one more step to your chord identification process.

root note IdentIFIcatIon

The first step in identifying a 7th, 9th, 11th or 13th chord is to determine the root of the chord� This is nothing new to you� Simply listen to the chord and sing or play the root note on the guitar�

chord qualIty IdentIFIcatIon

Step number two in identifying a 7th, 9th, 11th or 13th chord is determining the quality of the chord� Is that chord major- or minor-sounding? As soon as you determine the quality of the chord, you can move on to identifying any chord extension that may exist�


G Root

1

Minor 3rd

Major Chord Formula

Major 3rdG

B

D

Minor 3rd

Minor Chord Formula

Major 3rd

G

Bb

D



242

extenSIon IdentIFIcatIon

The final step in identifying any 7th, 9th, 11th or 13th chord is to pinpoint exactly which extension, or extensions, take place in the chord you’re hearing. This might be pretty difficult at first because of the many notes being played at once� With that in mind, the next few lessons were created to train your ears to recognize several specific chord extensions.

major 7th

The first chord extension we’ll look at is a major 7th. If you add a major seventh, or M7, to a major chord, you end up with a major 7th chord� The key to identifying a major 7th chord is to memorize the sound of a major seventh interval� Play a G major 7th chord and see if you can identify the major seventh interval� Here’s an example of what a root position G major 7th chord might look like on a piece of sheet music�

mInor 7th

If you add a minor seventh, or m7, to a major chord, you end up with a dominant 7th chord� On the other hand, if you add a minor seventh to a minor chord, you end up with a minor 7th chord� The key is to identify a chord as major or minor and then identify the minor 7th� Play a G dominant 7th chord followed by a G minor 7th chord� Listen carefully to the difference between the two� Here’s an example of what a G dominant 7th chord might look like on a piece of music�

9th (SuS2)The next chord extension we’re going to look at is a 9th� The 9th is simply the second note of any major scale� Whenever you have a 9th in a chord, you’ll usually play the 7th of the chord as well� You can find the 9th in sus2, major 9th, and minor 9th chords. The key to identifying any kind of 9th, or 2nd chord, is to memorize the sound of a 9th� Play an Asus2 or an A major 9th chord and see if you can pick out the 9th�

11th (SuS4)The 11th of a chord is also the fourth note of any major scale� If there’s a 7th and a 4th in the chord you’re playing, the 4th can be referred to as the 11th� Chords like the sus4, major 11th and minor 11th all contain the 11th—also known as the 4th scale degree� Play an Asus4 chord or an A major 11th chord and see if you can identify this new chord extension�

1/1

1

M7

1/1

1

m7

1/1

1

9th (Sus2)

1/1

1

11th (Sus4)



243

13th (6th)The final chord extension is the 13th. If there’s no 7th in a chord, this extension is referred to as the 6th� If there’s a 7th in the chord, this extension is referred to as the 13th� Play an E6 or an E 13th chord and see if you can identify this chord extension�

concluSIonI know that the goal of many guitarists is to be able to figure out and play their favorite songs. I hope these lessons on ear training and playing by ear have helped you get much closer to your goals� The concepts you went through require some faithful practice, but once you’ve trained your ears, you’ll have them at your disposal at any time� Try to make ear training a part of your weekly practice routine� You don’t have to spend a lot of time on it but consistent practice will give you some amazing results� As my college professor used to say, “You’ll be able to hear grass grow and paint dry!”

1/1

1 13th (6th)

The GuiTar SyStem - Styles & Theory - Live Play-Alongs


244

live play-alOnGslive play-alOnGsAfter all the hard work you’ve put in, I thought it’d be fun for you to check out some of the play-along songs in a real world setting� With that in mind, I enlisted the help of my friends Jared Falk, Steve Klassen, Steve Davis and Brett Ziegler to play through 10 of these songs� These are the actual musicians that played on all of the audio tracks� Hopefully you’ll have fun watching how all the parts were actually played on each instrument�

The GuiTar SyStem - Styles And Theory - Conclusion


245

That’s it� You made it through the entire Guitar System! There’s a monumental amount of information contained in this program� It’s for this reason that The Guitar System is a great reference tool even after you’ve made it through all of the lessons� Throughout the years you’ll grow as a musician and your musical tastes will expand and change� Any time you want to explore a new style or some new chords or scales, The Guitar System will be here waiting for you� Just like a good book or movie, you’ll probably pick up something new every time you go through it� No single guitar product can teach you everything you need to know about playing� Practicing, jamming with friends, listening to music and playing live can teach you things you’d never be able to learn from a book or a video� Now that you know how to play the guitar, you should seek creative outlets for your skills� Don’t be afraid to get out there and have fun� There’s absolutely no substitute for sitting down and spending time with your instrument� I know it’s not everyone’s goal to be the next rock star or shredder and that’s fine. However, I do want to encourage you to be consistent in your practice� You don’t have to practice for six hours every day, but consistent practice will make all the difference in the world in your overall progress� Use the Practice Routine Generator to set up a practice schedule� Be faithful to it, but don’t be afraid to tweak it as your goals change and your playing improves� Remember this: discipline + consistency = success! To your guitar success my friend, Nate Savage

COnClusiOnCOnClusiOn


246

The GuiTar SyStem - Styles And Theory - CD Track Listing

Cd TraCk lisTinGCD 08

Track #1 - L36 - Loop 36 - vi-IV-V-I Progression (Chop Building)Track #2 - L37 - Loop 37 - Drum Loop (Galloping)Track #3 - P29 - Metal Play-AlongTrack #4 - L38 - Loop 38 (Bridge of Metal Play-Along With Rhythm Guitar)Track #5 - P30 - Fingerstyle Play-AlongTrack #6 - P31 - Four-Step Fingerpicking Play-AlongTrack #7 - P32 - Travis Picking Play-AlongTrack #8 - P33 - Classical Play-AlongTrack #9 - P34 - Spanish Classical Play-Along

CD 09

Track #10 - P35 - Bluegrass Play-AlongTrack #11 - L39 - Loop 39 (Verse of Bluegrass Play-Along With Rhythm Guitar)Track #12 - P36 - Country Play-AlongTrack #13 - L40 - Loop 40 (Bridge of Country Play-Along With Rhythm Guitar)Track #14 - P37 - Jazz Play-AlongTrack #15 - P38 - Ultimate Jazz Play-AlongTrack #16 - P37 - Jazz Play-Along (With Rhythm Guitar)Track #17 - P14 - Contemporary Strumming Play-Along (With Rhythm Guitar)

CD 10

Track #18 - Live Major Pop Play-AlongTrack #19 - Live Rock Riff Play-AlongTrack #20 - Live Hair Metal Play-AlongTrack #21 - Live 12/8 Blues Play-AlongTrack #22 - Live Minor Blues Play-AlongTrack #23 - Live Minor Rock Play-AlongTrack #24 - Live Mixolydian Play-AlongTrack #25 - Live Dorian Play-AlongTrack #26 - Live Country Play-AlongTrack #27 - Live Advanced Strumming Play-Along


247

The GuiTar SyStem - Styles And Theory - Credits And Special Thanks

Credits And Special Thanks

Written by: Nate SavageProduced by: Victor Guidera, Jared Falk & Nate Savage

Director of Cinematography: Victor GuideraCameramen: Steve Jackson, Nick Metzger & Trent HarmsGraphic/Product Design: Dave Atkinson & Nate Savage

Book Layout: Dave Atkinson & Nate SavageBook Editor: Hugo Almeida

Proofing: Hugo Almeida, Shanna Falk, Gabriela Kettner & Nate SavageHead Post Editors: Jame Falk, Victor Guidera & Nate Savage

Assistant Editor: Kyle Trienke, Trent Harms, Steve Jackson, Nate Savage & Nick MetzgerChief Audio Engineer: Victor Guidera

Assistant Audio Engineer: Kyle TrienkeMastered by: Victor Guidera

Keyboards: Brett ZieglerGuitars: Nate Savage & Steve DavisDrums: Jared Falk & Dave AtkinsonBass: Steve Klassen & Nate Savage

Banjo & Mandolin: Paul Savage

All music written by Nate Savage except for the Advanced Strumming Play-Along (“Bird Song” – Written by Practical Shoes [Sam and Angie Wakefield])

Nate Would Like to Thank:

Christ, Mom, Dad, Kristi and Gretchen (the fun dog), Sam Wakefield and the Wakefield crew – Don, Melody, and Angie – Derek Parrott, Jared and Shanna Falk, Natasha Nastiuk, Josh Allard, the crew at Railroad Media,

Perry Springman and the Springman Family, C�L� and Lois Brorsen, Autumn Downing, Karly Warkentin, Dr� Randy Snyder, Joel Wetzstein, Steve and Courtney Klassen, Eric and April Brown, Brian Lacher, Ray Solis,

Steve Davis, Brett Ziegler, Joshua Mattia, Dave Atkinson, Rick and Gabby Kettner, Jeff Claassen, Jordan Dick, Kenton Hirowatari, Jenn and Elger Krahn, Kyle Trienke, Trent Harms, Jaime and Cassie Falk, Shane at Taylor

Guitars, D’Addario, Texas, coffee, and Monster!

All of my influences and inspirations over the years, specifically Ty Tabor, Tony Palacios, Brett Garsed, Eric Johnson, Monte Montgomery, Greg Howe, Richie Kotzen, Beppe Gambetta, Steve Lukather, John Petrucci,

Paul Gilbert, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Joe Satriani, Shawn Lane, Steve Morse, Steve Vai, Phil Keaggy, Ted Kirkpatrick and Pat Metheny�

Copyright © 2013 Railroad Media Inc. - All Rights Reserved WorldwideThe information contained on this disc is protected under the copyright laws of theUnited States and other countries. These discs are sold for home use only. Duplication,public exhibition, rental or other commercial use in whole or in part is strictly prohibited.

www.GuitarSystem.com

RailroadMedia.com | Toll Free: 1-800-439-8921 | 1-604-820-7606

Download - guitarsystem-com.s3.amazonaws.com · fretting hand to pick every string. This means that all your fingers get a good workout and are warmed up very quickly Here’s the diagram for

Top Related