In this example we have a I – VI – II – V progression in the key of D major. All the chords are common to the key of D major so you can utilize the D major scale over the whole progression as D major relates to all the chords. That is one road to take. Another road is to play over each chord individually with a different scale or arpeggio as it relates to that one individual chord that you are playing over. Print out the PDF file as I list some suggestions of a few scales, modes, and arpeggios that work over the given chords. Some arpeggios are also drawn out so you can see them on paper and put them in your reference library. There is a myriad of options and I list just a few to get you started, so get creative. Remember to listen carefully for the chord changes and try to end your phrases on strong chord tones. Mix things up – perhaps play through the changes at first utilizing all D major scales as that relates to all and then switch and practice playing over each chord. Practice with the jam track and really work on treating each chord like a separate event.

Have fun and try to build melodic ideas and play off yourself. Find the magic and then repeat the hip licks , vary them a little each time but keep going back to that melody lines. Remember, its rhythm, repetition and melody that will draw listeners into your solo – you want to engage the listener and draw them into what you are doing on the guitar.

Here is me playing over the jam using the jam track and playing the scales, modes, and arpeggios that I outline in this written lesson. Listen for the arpeggios and how I play both what relates to all (D major scales over all chords), and also play over each chord – treating each chord like a separate event – check it out by clicking HERE on this link

As per our previous lessons we have learned that music theory falls back to the major scale. The major scale is the standard in music that all is compared. The major scale is a seven note scale that you have probably heard before as doe, re, me, fa, so, la, ti – then it repeats and goes back to doe. Each note of the major scale also refers to a chord in that scale – there are seven notes in the major scale and therefore seven basic chords in any major key. Remember we are talking about major key in this lesson – we will look at minor key in another lesson.

Now we will build chords from each degree of the major scale and you will easily be able to know which chords are in any given key. A scale is a series of sounds arranged by order of pitch, or alphabetically, from any given note to its octave. To find the notes in any major key, (major scale), start at the root and go up following this pattern: whole step, whole step, half step, whole step, whole step, whole step, half step. This will take you to the root one octave higher than where you began, and will include all seven notes in the major key in that octave. Remember, any chord might show up in any given key, however, some chords are much more likely to be in a given key than others. The most likely chords to show up in a given key are the chords made from combinations of the notes in that keys’ major scale. You’ll find that although the chords change from one key to the next, the pattern of major and minor type chords is always the same for any major key.

In the PDF file that coincides with this lesson we will examine the C major scale and build the chords in that key right from the scale. Then just follow this template to build the chords in any key. The chords in each key are built by stacking thirds. If you start on C and skip every other note in the scale for a total of 3, you have built a C major chord. The major chord follows the formula root, 3rd, 5th. So a C major chord is constructed from the three notes C, E, and G, the root of the scale, the third note of the scale, and the fifth note of the scale. (If this is not clear or totally new, before going forward, please stop and review the previous lessons on chord construction).

Now if we do the exact same thing except start on the D note, the second degree of the scale, and skip every other note – or just keep stacking thirds, we then have the three notes that construct a D minor chord, (as illustrated in the PDF document). The process of stacking 3 notes up in the major scale continues until you have a total of 7 chords, one for each note of the scale. Each major key will have a total of seven chords.

Because major scales are always built from stacking thirds, the pattern is always the same for every major key. The chords built on the first, fourth, and fifth degrees of the scale are major type chords (I, IV, and V). The chords built on the second, third, and sixth degrees of the scale are minor type chords (ii, iii, and vi). The chord built on the seventh degree of the scale is a diminished chord. So whichever key you are building chords from the pattern will always be the same. Major….Minor….Minor….Major….Major….Minor….Diminished – commit this pattern to memory!

Other written lessons to print out and read that coincide and dovetail with this lesson:
-SONGWRITING and Theory LESSON – chords in each MAJOR key – CHORD CHART – PDF FILE

It is so critical for the guitarist to know a large catalog of chords and how to utilize and embellish them. In this written lesson we will look at some different voicings for major 7th, 6th, ninth, and 13th chords. These chords are a lot of fun. The PDF file shows the chords diagrammed out as well as their fingerings and interval structure. Most of the chords shown have low root notes off the 6th string or the 5th string.

Major 7th, 6th, 9th, and 13th chords are all in the major family. You can usually tell major chords from minor chords by looking at the 3rd interval. Most major chords have a major 3rd interval while most minor chords have a flattened 3rd or b3 interval. Many major family chords are built off one another, and this principle is clearly illustrated by looking at each chord’s interval structure.

For example, the major seventh chord, (root, 3rd, 5th, 7th), is built off the major chord, (root, 3rd, 5th) – just add the 7th to the major. The dominant 7th chord is also built of the major by adding a b7 to the major making the formula root, 3rd, 5th, b7th. The ninth chord is then built off the 7th, (root, 3rd, 5th, b7th, 9th), – just add the 9th to the 7th.

Practice the examples below in all keys and commit the intervals to memory, as you will find them incredibly useful in everyday playing scenarios.

Pentatonic scales are probably the most commonly utilized scales in most music genres all over the world. Penta, is Latin for five, much like a penta-gram has five sides or a penta-gon is a five sided object. Pentatonic scales are constructed from five notes. In this lesson we will be discussing the minor pentatonic scale. The minor pentatonic scale is a great scale to start with when you are learning scales and lead guitar. Often it will be the first scale you will learn as it is so universal and so commonly used. Remember as with all scales that knowing the scale is only half the battle – the other half is to learn when and how to use it, over what chords, over what progression – how to take that scale and apply it in a way that makes good musical sense.Another key thing to remember is just don’t memorize the shapes. You will always be a better musician and have a leg up on the competition if you take the extra time to learn the intervals and the notes that you are playing. Too many guitar players just learn shapes and fingerings and dont take this extra step – it is so worth it and will make you such the better player. So please keep this in mind.

The Minor Pentatonic scale is constructed from five notes from the Natural Minor Scale, or Aeolian mode. The minor pentatonic scale is built from the five scale degrees of root, b3^rd, 4^th, 5th, and b7th. Print put the 4-page handout that coincides with this lesson and examine the diagrams. The scale illustrated on page one is what many call the basic “box” position and has its low root played with the first finger on the low E string. As with all of my scale diagrams the root notes are illustrated with black circles and the numbers inside the circles indicates the fingering to be utilized when playing the scales. It’s important to learn this basic scale first, as we are going to build upon this scale. Eventually you will need to learn the scale in all positions all over the neck as well as how to link the scales together, and in all keys.

Print out the written lessons and watch the video lessons below that go along with each. Commit the scales and intervals to memory and start putting licks together and practicing the scales over the various jam tracks in the “jam tracks” section of the website. Watch these lessons in the intermediate section of the “video lessons” section of the site as they coincide with this 4-page written lesson:

-Introduction to the MINOR PENTATONIC scale – one of the most common scales in music – 22:23 minutes

–The EXPANDED I minor Pentatonic and blues scale – COMBINES THREE BOX PATTERNS – 17:45

–When to use the MINOR PENTATONIC and BLUES scales – its critical to know the applications -12:11 min

-PENTATONIC SCALES linking exercises – USE THE WHOLE NECK and link your scales together – 12:54 min

Then when you start to get comfortable with the scale you can start embellishing it and spicing it up with the blue note and many other elements to jazz it up a bit. Watch these videos in the intermediate section to learn how to spice up the minor pentatonic scale:

–Spice up MINOR PENTATONIC scales and make it THE BLUES SCALE and much more! Part 1 12:10 minutes

-Spice up Minor Pentatonic Scale – learn to play across the neck, no more boxy! Part 2 12:16 minutes

-Spice up that Minor Pentatonic Scale with melodic phrasing – Guitar Lesson Part 3 12:55 minutes

Practice the right things, have fun, develop your ear, and keep refining your art and honing your skills!
Rock on!

Let’s examine how we can use the pentatonic scale in ways that can give you different and unique sounds. To work on applying the principles and techniques explained below, practice your lead playing and improvisation over jam tracks or looped progressions. As discussed previously, a pentatonic scale is made from five notes, (Penta is Latin for five).

We will take Minor Pentatonic first, and then look at different ways of applying the Major Pentatonic scale. The minor pentatonic scale consists of five notes from the Natural Minor scale, root, b3rd, 4^th, 5^th, and b7th. Natural minor, or Aeolian mode, adds the 2^nd and b6 intervals making the scale root, 2nd, b3rd, 4th, 5th, b6th, and b7th.

The Dorian mode has only one different note from the Aeolian mode. Dorian has a major 6th while Aeolian has the b6th. So the intervals in the Dorian mode are root, 2nd, b3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, and b7th. Dorian is considered more of a minor mode due to the strong minor intervals of b3 and b7, but it also has elements of major it in with the major 2nd and major 6th. We will examine this more later when we use Dorian to improvise over major key I-IV-V blues and shuffles.

1. USE THREE MINOR PENTATONIC SCALES OFF DIFFERENT ROOTS OVER MINOR TYPE CHORDS

Lets examine how we can use the Minor Pentatonic scale in other ways over minor chords then just playing the minor pent scale over the root. For example, lets take an E minor seventh chord. An Em7 chord is made from the scale degrees of root, b3rd, 5^th, and b7th.

So the notes in an Em7 chord would be E-G-B-D. Basically you are adding a D note or b7th to an E minor triad, E-G-B.

Em7 chord – r, b3rd, 5^th, b7th E-G-B-D

E minor Pentatonic – r,b3, 4, 5, b7 E-G-A-B-D

E Dorian mode – r, 2, b3, 4, 5, 6, b7 E-F#-G-A-B-C#-D E Dorian adds the 2^nd (F#), and 6^th (C#) to E minor pent scale

You can utilize THREE minor pentatonic scales over a minor type chord – so for example over Em7 chord play:

1. the one off the root – E minor pentatonic E – G – A – B – D
2. go up a whole step – F# minor pentatonic F# – A – B – C# – E adds the 2^nd (C#) and 6th (F#)
3. go up a fifth – B minor pentatonic B – D – E – F# – A adds the 2^nd (F#)

Examine the notes that you will play utilizing each minor pentatonic scale over the Em7 chord. As illustrated above all three minor pentatonics that you can utilize over the Em7 chord have all the notes in the E Dorian mode. So this technique gives you a real Dorian sound. Most guitarists would just utilize the minor pentatonic scale over the root, but this technique gives you three super useful scales to play over a minor type chord. The cool thing about using three pentatonic minor scales over a minor type chord or Dorian progression is that you can play the same licks in each shape – changing the key gives each a unique sound over the progression – so you get three different sounds. Try mixing them up and play off each one and get three different tonal variations. Try this technique over other minor chords and in different keys using different progressions.

Remember that utilizing the three minor pentatonics off the root, 2^nd, and 5^th, gives you the Dorian scale. So when playing over all the chords in which the Dorian mode would work, then the three pentatonics over all the chords would work too! You can also use the three over each different minor chord in the progression.

Example. Am7- D progression – as always your first step should be to analyze the chords to get the roadmap of what to use improvisation and solo wise. The progression is in the key of A minor. Its basically a I minor to a IV major. So by examining the chords lets look at a few options that we can use for solo and improvisation. There are so many things you can do – isn’t the guitar awesome!

-use Am pentatonic and blues scales over both chords – remember you can use minor pentatonic and blues any time you are playing in a minor key – that should be your default setting. Use over all chords.

-use the three minor pent scales for the Dorian flavor over all chords since you know Dorian works over all – as explained above. Use three – the ones:

1. off the root – use all your A minor pentatonic scales

2. go up a up a whole step and use all your B minor pentatonic scales

3. up a fifth and use all your E minor pentatonic scales

-use A Dorian, (same as G major). One modal option over both chords is to utilize the A Dorian mode. We know this because you have a minor key progression where the IV chord is major, so that means A Dorian is an option when playing over all the chords and will work real well over both chords – it relates to both chords in the progression.

-use Am, Am7, Am9 arpeggios especially over the Am7 chord

-use D maj arpeggios over the D chord

-use A Phrygian over the Am7 chord (same as F major) – produces an exotic sound characterized by the b2 (Bb note)

-use A Aeolian over the Am7 chord (same as C major)

This written lesson is a six-page lesson to help you with open chord changing techniques. As I always mention – guitar is all about technique and we need to build a solid foundation with rock solid fundamentals so no poor techniques or bad habits are being utilized. Chord changing can be one of the more challenging aspects on guitar, so its absolutely crucial that you apply the proper techniques as I discuss in this lesson.

Use this written lesson in conjunction with the corresponding video lessons in the beginner section. Seeing the techniques and principles on paper in tandem with the video lessons will make the learning curve faster and more enjoyable.

Read through all six pages as you watch the video lessons and remember to take your time with these principles and techniques. Rome was not built in a day and it takes a while to get the muscle memory in your fret hand fingers developed. It comes with time and practice – you can do it! In this lesson is also a review to ensure you are practicing the right things and following the needed techniques to make chord changing faster and easier.