Every beginning guitarist wants to jump in and start playing solos. But the first question is always "What notes do I play?" Today, let's take a look at how to choose a scale to play over a particular chord.There are a variety of ways to think about choosing a scale, and this is just one. But it's a powerful one that can open up a lot of new melodic avenues for you.Let me make one thing clear from the beginning. You can play...more
So, you've walked into a jam session and the you've got a couple songs under your belt that you'd like to play. In walks a singer and a harmonica player. You call out your first tune and they both want it in a different key. What to do?!Guitar is one of the easiest instruments for transposing keys. Using a simple numbering system you can drop all your chords into a new key and be ready to go in no time.Here's how it...more
The concept of playing Lead Guitar can be hard to wrap your head around at first. How do they think that fast? How do they move that fast? How do they choose those notes? Well, let me give you a few of the tools you'll need to be a shred beast too...Tip #1 - The notes you'll play match with the chords you're playing over. So, if you're soloing over a C major chord (spelled C E G), then those notes are going to work perfectly. The other notes can be in there too, but your emphasis will be on the notes of the chord.Tip #2 - Pick a scale that includes the notes from at least most of the chords you'll be playing over. Let's say you have a chord progression that goes A D E A. Spell those chords out first:A - A C# ED - D F# AE - E G# BWhich scale includes those three sharp notes? A major. You can use an A major scale to solo over that whole progression and you'll be just fine. When you start to encounter progression that don't all easily fit into one scale, you'll simply pick another scale (in the same way) to play over the chords that don't fit your original one.Tip #3 - Start with small groups of notes. When you see a player...more
The fretboard of a guitar can look like a big mystery sometimes. It's not as logically laid out as a piano keyboard which can be learned very quickly. But there's a couple simple little tricks that will have you able to find any note you need on the guitar very quickly and easily.Let's expose the big mystery, shall we?As with...more
One of the toughest things most beginner guitarists have to contend with is being able to switch chords without dropping beats. Every guitarist goes through it, but there are some simple things to keep in mind to make it easier.When you watch your favorite guitar player, they make it looks so easy don't they? Ok, except maybe for...more
Transposing a song on guitar or any other instrument to a new key is a very simple process. A couple of quick tips and you'll be able to transpose to your heart's content. We'll start with changing your chord progression to a new key, then look at how to work with a melody.The first obvious question is, why bother? Why not just leave the song in the key it's in? Certain instruments like horns and harmonica have keys that are easier to play in than others. On piano or guitar we pretty much have equal access to all the keys, but no all instruments are so lucky. Another reason is that singers have a particular range and set of keys that are comfortable to sing in. The key of C major may be too high for your singer. Drop to A major and you'll get a better performance.Some composers and songwriters (myself included) feel that different keys carry a different feeling or connotation past the basic major or minor. To me D minor is mournful, while E minor is angry. G major is happy and laid back while A major has an energetic edge to it. You may or may not feel the same. But as you try transposing your songs to different keys take note of whether it...more
Getting a little bored with the 'ol pentatonic minor scales? Ready to spice things up with some new notes? Let's crack open the book on modes and see how you can bring the Dorian mode into play quickly and easily.There are different...more
The Melodic Minor is one of the most versatile scales a guitar player can know. The basics of it are easy. But as with anything, it's most important to know how and where to use it. So let's dive in and see what a guitarist armed...more
Ah, the mysterious tritone. It can be used to great effect for really changing up the sound of your chords progressions. And not just for jazz players either. Metal, rock, and blues players get a lot of action on the so-called...more
Have you ever watched your favorite guitarist and wondered how they got so fast? You may think you'll never get there, but that's not true. With guitar, just like anything else, you get out of it what you put into that. That's the...more
Once you've gotten through your whole, half, and quarter notes, it's time to get to the interesting rhythms in between the beats. Your next step is 8th notes. Let me show you some simple steps to getting your eighth note grooves...more
I play my guitar nearly every day, whether teaching or performing. But real practice time is a precious commodity, as I'm sure it is for you too. And when time is at a premium you need to make sure that you use it wisely.So how do...more