Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Why Learn a Pattern Numbering System? And Which is Best?

Hello Barrett,

I've recently bought Chord Tone Soloing and for the first time in a long time am excited to get stuck in to some proper learning, it's brilliantly written so thank you for that. I have a quick question if that's ok: At the start of section II you set out the octave shapes and the corresponding major scape shapes. Now I've stumbled across CAGED references before but never done anything with it, but what I do notice is that most other places refer to your 'shape 1' as 'shape 3' - obviously it's only a small terminology discrepancy, but I wondered what the thinking behind it was? I'm happy to stick with the nomenclature in your book and make mental note to translate when I read about CAGED shapes elsewhere but just thought I'd ask.

Anyway thanks again for what looks to be a great learning resource,

Tim

Hi Tim,

If you go through the book and identify and mark some of the diagrams with your previous numbering system, soon you'll be familiar with both ways and can decide if you'd like to adopt the new way.

The system you learned before probably started its numbering on the basis of which chord shape is easiest to play or most likely to be used by a beginner. An E-shaped barre chord is used as pattern 1 in those systems. (That makes the D shape into pattern 2, and the C shape into pattern 3, etc.)

The CAGED system and the 5 patterns derived from it that are used in my books and all Musicians Institute programs start with the C shape as pattern 1. The logic here is based on music theory instead of physical reasons. For example, the key of C is the first you should learn to read music in as it has no sharps or flats. You'll also begin with the C major scale to study how chords and intervals are built.

Here is one octave's worth of the pattern 1 major scale tabbed out in open position. Key of C major. (An octave is the eight-note distance up the scale to another note with the same letter name.)

------------------
-------------0-1--
---------0-2------
---0-2-3----------
-3----------------
------------------
C D E F G A B C
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8


The C major "campfire chord" in open position is then also called pattern 1, and the shapes move up the neck from there. You don't have to finger and play these chords in their entirety. To get the sound of the chord in any position you only need to play the root, 3rd and 5th: one instance each of the C, E, and G notes. Try playing these examples one note at a time instead of trying to finger the entire shape right off. The eventual goal is just to know where the chord factors (Root, 3rd, 5th) are in relation to each other in each shape.

From left to right, we have the fretted string, the note name, and the scale degree, which is also the chord factor.

Pattern 1 (C shape)
0 E 3rd
1 C Root
0 G 5th
2 E 3rd
3 C Root
0 E 3rd

Pattern 2 (A shape)
3 G
5 E
5 C
5 G
3 C
3 G

Pattern 3 (G shape)
8 C
5 E
5 C
5 G
7 E
8 C

Pattern 4 (E shape)
8 C
8 G
9 E
10 C
10 G
8 C

Pattern 5 (D shape)
12 E
13 C
12 G
10 C
10 G
12 E

Thanks for buying and studying the Chord Tone Soloing book/CD pack, and thanks very much for the compliments!

Barrett

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Help Me Start Practicing Again!

Hi Barrett,
I need your help!!!
You are a wonderful teacher and surely may help me...Your books are really good...
I recently changed my day job and now I have free time in the morning to practice, but I suddenly stop to practice since that change...can you suggest any strategy to get back to practice like before?
Thanx Marco

Yes! Try this:

Start in the morning by picking up the guitar and playing 2 minutes only, before breakfast, before you do anything. You can do nothing, not even go to the bathroom, until you play 2 minutes. You can do 2 minutes, no problem. Play anything. Then put it down and do anything else. Watch what happens to your brain.

Thursday, January 6, 2011

How to solo over progression E-A-F-Em

I'm attempting to learn a bit of theory to help my guitar improvisations, but one thing I am struggling with is what I could play to go well with the chords of rhythm guitar that i'm playing to.

At the moment i'm playing to a track strumming a sequence of E A F Em chords.

Where to from here with the lead?

Dugggy


Knowing what key center(s) the chords create is a good start. It does not always tell you exactly what scales or notes to use because of stylistic variations.

E A F Em

There is no single key that fits all these chords. There are at least two keys.

First let's look at E and A. You can fit both into one key.

E and A can be the "I" and "IV" in the key of E major. E and A can also be the "V" and "I" in the key of A major.

Depending on the style you could start with either the E or A major scale or the E or A major pentatonic scale.

E major: E F# G# A B C# D# E major pentatonic: E F# G# B C#

A major: A B C# D E F# G# A major pentatonic: A B C# E F#

I like the second choice (A major or A major pentatonic) because the upcoming F chord does not fit as easily with an E tonal center, even though that's the first chord. E as the tonal center would require a modal approach in the next two bars, which is not the first thing you want to learn. (It'll be the second thing!)


Now to the chords F and Em.

These may be the "vi" and "V" chords in A minor.

So to get a really simple solid approach to playing in a non-jazzy way over the progression, try just playing:

A major or major pentatonic for the first two chords, then A minor or minor pentatonic for the second two chords.

There are many other ways to do it, but this is a good start that lets you concentrate on your phrasing rather than jumping through lots of scales in your head.


The source of this thinking is knowing how to find all the chords in a key center. This is done by harmonizing the scale.

You create the chords I-vii by stacking 3rds above each note.

If the scale is A major: A B C# D E F# G#

it produces these chords:

I           A C# E    (A)
ii B D F# (Bm)
iii C# E G# (C#m)
IV D F# A (D)
V E G# B (E)
vi F# A C# (F#m)
vii G# B D (G#dim)

Sunday, January 2, 2011

CAGED system review

Tim writes:
I've recently bought Chord Tone Soloing and for the first time in a long time am excited to get stuck in to some proper learning, it's brilliantly written so thank you for that. I have a quick question if that's ok: At the start of section II you set out the octave shapes and the corresponding major scape shapes. Now I've stumbled across CAGED references before but never done anything with it, but what I do notice is that most other places refer to your 'shape 1' as 'shape 3' - obviously it's only a small terminology discrepancy, but I wondered what the thinking behind it was? I'm happy to stick with the nomenclature in your book and make mental note to translate when I read about CAGED shapes elsewhere but just thought I'd ask.

Anyway thanks again for what looks to be a great learning resource,

Tim


Hi Tim,


If you go through the book and identify and mark some of the diagrams with your previous numbering system, soon you'll be familiar with both ways and can decide if you'd like to adopt the new way.


The system you learned before probably started its numbering on the basis of which chord shape is easiest to play or most likely to be used by a beginner. An E-shaped barre chord is used as pattern 1 in those systems. (That makes the D shape into pattern 2, and the C shape into pattern 3, etc.)

The CAGED system and the 5 patterns derived from it that are used in all Musicians Institute programs (including my books) start with the C shape as pattern 1. The logic here is based on music theory instead of physical reasons. For example, the key of C is the first you should learn to read music in as it has no sharps or flats. You'll also begin with the C major scale to study how chords and intervals are built.

Here is one octave's worth of the pattern 1 major scale tabbed out in open position. Key of C major. (An octave is the eight-note distance up the scale to another note with the same letter name.) In tablature, the top line is the string closest to the floor.

-----------------
------------0-1--
--------0-2------
--0-2-3----------
3----------------
-----------------
C D E F G A B C
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8


The C major "campfire chord" in open position is then also called pattern 1, and the shapes move up the neck from there. You don't have to finger and play these chords in their entirety. To get the sound of the chord in any position you only need to play the root, 3rd and 5th: one instance each of the C, E, and G notes. Try playing these examples one note at a time instead of trying to finger the entire shape right off. The eventual goal is just to know where the chord factors (Root, 3rd, 5th) are in relation to each other in each shape.

From left to right in each, we have the fretted string (starting with the string closest to the floor), the note name, and the scale degree, which is also the chord factor.

Pattern 1 (C shape)
0 E 3rd
1 C Root
0 G 5th
2 E 3rd
3 C Root
0 E 3rd

Pattern 2 (A shape)
3 G
5 E
5 C
5 G
3 C
3 G

Pattern 3 (G shape)
8 C
5 E
5 C
5 G
7 E
8 C

Pattern 4 (E shape)
8 C
8 G
9 E
10 C
10 G
8 C

Pattern 5 (D shape)
12 E
13 C
12 G
10 C
10 G
12 E

Thanks for getting my book, and thanks very much for the compliments.

For everyone else, the book we are discussing is here:
Chord Tone Soloing.

Thanks again, and I hope you're having fun!
Barrett

Barrett Tagliarino

Barrett Tagliarino