tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59061240271101013482024-02-07T18:50:51.351-08:00Barrett's Guitar Q&ATalk about guitar tone, amps, technique, soloing, rhythm playing, theory, music reading, improvisation, and more.Barrett Tagliarinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03729204748010200052noreply@blogger.comBlogger64125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5906124027110101348.post-14614097019244765542017-01-20T15:41:00.000-08:002017-01-20T15:41:23.846-08:00"Autumn Leaves" easy arrangementI used this very straightforward simple arrangement of "Autumn Leaves" for my visiting class from MI Japan yesterday.
In case anyone is interested in using it, I posted the 2-page handout.
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pfYcJC3E0R8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL4FMN0K5VP1PCeeRPG8y0FdOuhKtm9PnLVm2MTSXLWXtsXeouWVSjFOQXzCO0oVzwxmWouMwV-0SvMYSx3k7wRxr4j-doQsQJGUyr8yBdggZJ0j9oF-E490-9_RaJNrX1I-ddWVti1MWf/s1600/Autumn+Leaves_0001.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL4FMN0K5VP1PCeeRPG8y0FdOuhKtm9PnLVm2MTSXLWXtsXeouWVSjFOQXzCO0oVzwxmWouMwV-0SvMYSx3k7wRxr4j-doQsQJGUyr8yBdggZJ0j9oF-E490-9_RaJNrX1I-ddWVti1MWf/s1600/Autumn+Leaves_0001.png" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Se8Cop2saXkTOVM7dI7pXnUj8zbE42NgmCS1IjdYDQ7_wZSkiMNSeIbAT3wjmEjDIpooovf9ZMKL_ni_zcC4JfHg6v3t9-3btqea1CJGXCv3EbqbT9MeJvGGFmxQGDJi2uuUMWneXB4A/s1600/Autumn+Leaves_0002.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Se8Cop2saXkTOVM7dI7pXnUj8zbE42NgmCS1IjdYDQ7_wZSkiMNSeIbAT3wjmEjDIpooovf9ZMKL_ni_zcC4JfHg6v3t9-3btqea1CJGXCv3EbqbT9MeJvGGFmxQGDJi2uuUMWneXB4A/s1600/Autumn+Leaves_0002.png" /></a></div>
Barrett Tagliarinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03729204748010200052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5906124027110101348.post-14448869206568146102015-02-11T10:12:00.000-08:002015-02-11T10:12:06.748-08:00Help with Guitar Fretboard Workbook page 24<pre><font size=5>
Guitar Fretboard Workbook
Here we go step by step through the creation of major scale
pattern 1 on page 24 (Exercise 12, problem 1).
Hopefully you are a little bit familiar with tablature
(like they use in guitar magazines), so you can understand
the examples that follow.
To create the major scale fingering pattern, you have to
first know some things from previous chapters:
1) The major scale formula: all whole steps except
for half steps from 3-4 and 7-8.
1 2 3^4 5 6 7^8, introduced on page 20.
and
2) How to play whole steps and half steps when
changing strings. (This is covered on page 23 and it's often the
culprit if you're having trouble with the page 24.)
and
3) The root shapes from Chapter 2. Root shapes
underlie EVERYTHING on the neck.
Make sure you're familiar with those 3 things before going on.
The D roots in pattern 1 are on the 2nd string,
3rd fret, and the 5th string, 5th fret. We find
the root shape first and put those circles in.
Here’s how it looks in tablature.
E ---------|
B --3------|
G ---------|
D ---------|
A -----5---|
E ---------|
At this point we have two roots. When building a scale,
the lowest one is the easiest to start from, because it is from
there we can count up the entire major scale formula.
We'll start with the lower root (on the 5th string 5th fret)
as "1." The scale from this note will proceed:
1 2 3^4 5 6 7^8. (Half steps from 3-4 and 7-8.)
Unlike in Chapter 6, we now want to stay put, so the hand
is in position to play the higher root when we get there.
No moving around unless it's really necessary. So, the
lower root ("note 1") should be played on string 5, fret 5,
with the 3rd or 4th finger, because the higher root
is on a lower fret!
The fingering is given below the tablature. LH means "Left Hand."
E ---------|
B ---------|
G ---------|
D ---------|
A --5------|
E ---------|
LH: 3 or 4
The next note is a whole step higher. As we learned on page 23 we can
play a whole step on the next string (string 4) at fret 2.
These two notes can only be played with fingers 4 and 1 if we are
to minimize shifting or stretching. Try it!
E ----------|
B ----------|
G ----------|
D -----2----|
A --5-------|
E ----------|
LH: 4 1
Remember you're looking at tab here. It's different from a
neck diagram---the notes are written in the order you play
them.
Note 3 is a whole step up from note 2. This too can be
played on string 4, with the ring finger at fret 4.
E ----------|
B ----------|
G ----------|
D ----2-4---|
A --5-------|
E ----------|
LH: 4 1 3
Note 4 is a half step from note 3. This is just one fret
higher and so should be played with the pinky finger.
E -----------|
B -----------|
G -----------|
D ----2-4-5--|
A --5--------|
E -----------|
LH: 4 1 3 4
From 4 to 5 is a whole step, so we must ascend to string 3,
three frets down the neck as we did before. So step 5 is on
string 3, fret 2. Index finger.
E -------------|
B -------------|
G ----------2--|
D ----2-4-5----|
A --5----------|
E -------------|
LH: 4 1 3 4 1
5 to 6 is a whole step, which we can play also on string 3,
two frets above the previous note, with the ring finger.
E --------------|
B --------------|
G ----------2-4-|
D ----2-4-5-----|
A --5-----------|
E --------------|
LH: 4 1 3 4 1 3
6 to 7 is a whole step, but we just used our ring finger.
Using the pinky finger on the same string (without
stretching or shifting) will only get us a half step. So we
play note 7 on the 2nd string at fret 2. As shown on page
23 of the book, this gives us a whole step when crossing
from string 3 to string 2.
E ----------------|
B --------------2-|
G ----------2-4---|
D ----2-4-5-------|
A --5-------------|
E ----------------|
LH: 4 1 3 4 1 3 1
From 7 to 8 is a half step, which we can play with the
middle finger on string 2, fret 3.
E ------------------|
B --------------2-3-|
G ----------2-4-----|
D ----2-4-5---------|
A --5---------------|
E ------------------|
LH: 4 1 3 4 1 3 1 2
At this point we have played/drawn one octave's worth of
scale, from D to D. The guitar has more D major scale notes
available in this position beyond what we've drawn. To
continue the scale higher we count up the formula again,
treating note 8 as the new "1."
E ----------------|
B -3--------------|
G ----------------|
D ----------------|
A ----------------|
E ----------------|
From 1 to 2 in the scale is a whole step; a two fret
distance. We play note 2 with our 4th finger at fret 5 of
string 2.
E ----------------|
B -3-5------------|
G ----------------|
D ----------------|
A ----------------|
E ----------------|
LH:2 4
From 2 to 3 in the scale is also a whole step. This is a
3-fret distance down the fretboard when going from string 2
to string 1. Use your index finger for the last note in
this tab.
E -----2----------|
B -3-5------------|
G ----------------|
D ----------------|
A ----------------|
E ----------------|
LH:2 4 1
From 3 to 4 in the scale formula is a half step, a one-fret
distance on the same string. We’ll play it with the
second
finger.
E -----2-3--------|
B -3-5------------|
G ----------------|
D ----------------|
A ----------------|
E ----------------|
LH:2 4 1 2
The highest D major scale note we can reach without
shifting or stretching is the 5th, which is a whole step
above note 4. The little finger plays this at the 5th fret.
E -----2-3-5------|
B -3-5------------|
G ----------------|
D ----------------|
A ----------------|
E ----------------|
LH:2 4 1 2 4
To get the available D major scale notes BELOW the lower
root, we count the major scale formula backward, treating
this low "1" as "8." Again, we'll be counting DOWN the
major scale formula from 8 to 1. 8^7 6 5 4^3 2 1
E ---------|
B ---------|
G ---------|
D ---------|
A --5------|
E ---------|
LH: 4
From 8 to 7 is a half step (one fret when played on the
same string). We can play note 7 on string 5, fret 4, with
the ring finger.
E ---------|
B ---------|
G ---------|
D ---------|
A --5-4----|
E ---------|
LH: 4 3
From 7 to 6 is a whole step. We can play that with the
index finger on fret 2.
E ----------|
B ----------|
G ----------|
D ----------|
A --5-4-2---|
E ----------|
LH: 4 3 1
6 to 5 is a whole step. To follow the "minimize shifting" rule we
have to play this on string 6, at fret 5. Pinky finger.
E -----------|
B -----------|
G -----------|
D -----------|
A --5-4-2----|
E --------5--|
LH: 4 3 1 4
5 to 4 is a whole step. That's two frets down; at fret 3 on
string 6. Play it with your 2nd (middle) finger.
E ------------|
B ------------|
G ------------|
D ------------|
A --5-4-2-----|
E --------5-3-|
LH: 4 3 1 4 2
Finally we can use our index finger to play one last half
step to get from 4 to 3.
E ---------------|
B ---------------|
G ---------------|
D ---------------|
A --5-4-2--------|
E --------5-3-2--|
LH: 4 3 1 4 2 1
When all notes are included, from root to root as well as
those we can reach above or below without shifting, we have
created fingering pattern 1 of the D major scale. All the notes
are shown here, but you should start and finish on either root
when practicing it.
E -----------------------------2-3-5-|
B -----------------------2-3-5-------|
G -------------------2-4-------------|
D -------------2-4-5-----------------|
A -------2-4-5-----------------------|
E -2-3-5-----------------------------|
LH:1 2 4 1 3 4 1 3 4 1 3 1 2 4 1 2 4
I suggest taking a break now, and reviewing this process
and the scale pattern it creates every day for a week or
longer.
When you are clear on it and can play the scale from
memory, start the entire process again with pattern 2 of
the D major scale. The roots are on string 5, fret 5, and
string 3, fret 7. By experimenting with starting with the
1st and 2nd finger you'll find the lower root should be
played with the 2nd finger in order to minimize shifting.
E ---------------|
B ---------------|
G -----7---------|
D ---------------|
A --5------------|
E ---------------|
LH: 2 4
You will find a one-fret shift is required on string 2.
It is unavoidable.
This is the entire resulting Pattern 2 major scale fingering:
E -----------------------------5-7--|
B -----------------------5-7-8------|
G -----------------4-6-7------------|
D -----------4-5-7------------------|
A -----4-5-7------------------------|
E -5-7------------------------------|
Hope this helps, and again, thanks very much for digging into
the Guitar Fretboard Workbook.
Barrett
</font>
</pre>Barrett Tagliarinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03729204748010200052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5906124027110101348.post-52554775180901567222014-05-28T14:46:00.001-07:002014-05-28T14:46:04.638-07:00String Bending HelpDear Mr Tagliarino,<br />In the book "Interval Studies and Lead Guitar Technique", you discuss fret hand damping technique - I have a quick question about that.<br /><br />When bending on the guitar mostly on the high E string, I find that the B string often slides under my bending (ring finger) and then the B string also rings out. <br /><br />I have been trying to figure out how to stop that. On bends, I touch the B (to mute it) with my index finger, but because the ring finger is fretting a higher fret, the B string still rings out.<br /><br />I also always mute with my palm, but on a bend, the palm mutes the B string but sometimes also will mute the sound of the E string as it gets bent up. <br /><br />The only thing that works but it is not so easy is that i try to have my index and middle finger helping to bend the E string but at the same time touching and pushing the B string up and away and helping to keep it from getting under my ring finger and ringing out. <br /><br />I was wondering how you keep the b string from ringing out? <br /><br />Thank You so much - I know you are really busy!<br />Azi <br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Yeah Azi! Great question!</span><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Option 3 is the best way: get under the B string and use the fingertip to push the string out of the way as you bend. It will get better with practice. You need a slight rolling motion so the string catches on your fingertip. </span><br />
<br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I actually use the same ring finger tip to do both: bend the E string, and move the B string out of the way.</span><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">While you're working on it, try adjusting your string action a little bit higher at the bridge, especially for the strings that don't want to cooperate with you (mostly the B). It also helps to have jumbo frets on your guitar - I like Dunlop 6105 frets for bending. You can really get under those strings with the big frets under you.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Thanks!</span><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Barrett</span><br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" />Barrett Tagliarinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03729204748010200052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5906124027110101348.post-48689971386996672002014-04-30T10:29:00.000-07:002014-04-30T10:29:23.181-07:00Interleaved PracticeWhen I started working in LA, the pace was crazy and I'd often get thrown into the deep end. We'd get maybe one or two rehearsals in---sometimes none at all---then start gigging. There'd be lots of mistakes on the first show or two. We just had to play through them (no do-overs allowed of course!) and try to keep the crowd with us.<br />
<br />
But I noticed that the mistakes disappeared within just a couple shows. It was nerve-wracking, but the memorization happened much faster there than in my home practice, where I'd play one thing over and over until I thought I had it down cold. This confirmed what I'd been told by my teachers: one hour on a gig is worth ten of rehearsal.<br />
<br />
But the research suggests that it's not just the high-pressure environment that makes you learn faster. It's the interleaving-induced forgetting and remembering.<br />
<br />
If you have 30 new charts to memorize by Saturday, the traditional approach would be to take all day, going over each chart several times in a row, until you can play it perfectly from short-term memory, probably spending 30-60 minutes per chart. This, however, is no guarantee that you will remember it on the gig. You'd probably just remember the last few songs you worked on Saturday morning.<br />
<br />
With interleaving, you play each song once per session, letting your brain know what its eventual target is. Take about five minutes for each song. You allow yourself to make mistakes, because you have to move on. Do that with all 30 songs, then sleep on it, and do it again. Force yourself to remember, and relearn what you forgot. It's more effective.<br /><br /><a href="http://bjorklab.psych.ucla.edu/research.html">http://bjorklab.psych.ucla.edu/research.html</a>Barrett Tagliarinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03729204748010200052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5906124027110101348.post-64420015162451048472014-01-28T13:49:00.000-08:002014-01-28T13:49:18.758-08:00A Flat-Picking solo for "Whiskey Before Breakfast"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0anY3VHi4rcfygv1Xu7pSFJHwj00mQYZLTblar6ykC4J15POV1eDHuXQUntUp1KuFDGSv_odx1Q2WSSD13uZqeg-ZWD-lLSm9yF_DmCUe602s3oiGNx3SSbS9kGoXeJ11T9LSALrbffFJ/s1600/Whiskey-Before-Breakfast-so.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0anY3VHi4rcfygv1Xu7pSFJHwj00mQYZLTblar6ykC4J15POV1eDHuXQUntUp1KuFDGSv_odx1Q2WSSD13uZqeg-ZWD-lLSm9yF_DmCUe602s3oiGNx3SSbS9kGoXeJ11T9LSALrbffFJ/s1600/Whiskey-Before-Breakfast-so.png" /></a></div>
<br />Barrett Tagliarinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03729204748010200052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5906124027110101348.post-84176300416292169272013-12-17T14:50:00.000-08:002013-12-17T14:50:01.973-08:00Help! I can't reach all the notes in the G shape?<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hey Barrett</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am confused about how to finger the five patterns of major chords in the CAGED system. Especially Pattern 3. It's impossible for my hand to play all these notes cleanly.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">David </span><br />
<br />
Hi David,<br />
<br />
(For those reading, here is tablature for Pattern 3: the "G" shape. I am using it to outline a C major chord at the 5th fret.)<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">-8-</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">-5-</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">-5-</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">-5-</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">-7-</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">-8-</span><br />
<br />
<br />
Don't worry about playing it all at once using all 6 strings. You will rarely (if ever) need to play the whole shape at once.<br />
<br />
Each of the five major chord shapes in the CAGED system is essentially a multiple-use tool that you need to recognize as a single entity.<br />
<br />
Think about a more familiar multi-use tool. For example, a claw hammer is good for driving nails, and it also has a claw for pulling nails. It is good for both the hammer head and the claw to be available on the same handle, but you'd only rarely need to use both sides at once. Of course, you still identify the entire thing as one tool.<br />
<br />
<br />
The chord shape works the same way. Depending on the song, you might use the bottom two notes only:<br /><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">----</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">----</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">----</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">----</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">-7--</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">-8--</span><br />
<br />
or the top three notes only:<br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">-8--</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">-5--</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">-5--</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">----</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">----</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">----</span><br />
<br />
or any other combination; for example, strings 5, 4, and 3:<br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">----</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">----</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">-5--</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">-5--</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">-7--</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">----</span><br />
<br />
All of these are identified as part of the overall Pattern 3 shape, which spells C major when played at the fret numbers shown.<br /><br />For more information and practice, see the Guitar Fretboard Workbook.<br />
<br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Guitar-Fretboard-Workbook-Barrett-Tagliarino/dp/0634049011">http://www.amazon.com/Guitar-Fretboard-Workbook-Barrett-Tagliarino/dp/0634049011</a>
<br />
<br />
Thanks!<br />
Barrett Tagliarinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03729204748010200052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5906124027110101348.post-21833085487148825282013-11-02T14:20:00.000-07:002013-11-02T14:20:02.739-07:00Numbering Fretboard Patterns<br />
Hi Brett,<br />
<br />
I have been working through your "Guitar Fretboard Workbook" for almost a year now. I really enjoy your method and have learned so much. I have seen other books where the authors use 5 patterns or root shapes to map out the fretboard as you do in this book. For example, "(title)" from (author), has this on page 4 of his book. However, when I saw this I became confused because his "pattern 3" is your "pattern 1" and his pattern 5 is your pattern 2, etc. He states that he defines his patterns based on the Key of C (6th string root note of C). I would be happy to email you a copy of this page if you would like to comment. I simply want to learn the correct way, if there is only one correct way that is.<br />
<br />
Thank you,<br />
Keith<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hi Keith,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Thanks for getting this book and working with it. I'm glad it's helping you.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The numbering system it uses can in some ways be considered arbitrary, as you correctly imply. However the system as it is in GFW is more common and increasing in popularity with most teachers over time.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The numbers correlate to CAGED, the open position chords that each successive shape resembles as you move C roots up the neck starting from open position.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">C = 1</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A = 2</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">etc</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you play a pattern 2 C chord (barre chord at the 3rd fret, root on string 5) you will see it corresponds to an open-position A chord.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm sure you understand this and just want to make sure that this method of numbering is more useful. In fact either way could conceivably work just as well in the abstract. But if you consider that more guitars players you converse with in the future will use this method than most others, it's the way to go.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Just as if 100,000 years ago we all had started using the word "blue" to refer to what we know now as "red," we'd all be in agreement and the result would be the same: clear thought and communication.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For guitar players, that historical neanderthal moment is now!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Thanks again,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Barrett</span><br />
Barrett Tagliarinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03729204748010200052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5906124027110101348.post-3592521490380201282013-09-13T14:04:00.000-07:002013-09-13T14:04:21.380-07:00Jacob strikes again. re Interval Studies - why?Hey Barrett,<br />
<br />
why from a soloing/lead guitar or chord based perspective would intervals actually be beneficial to someone's playing or their guitar sound? Everyone mentions them and I've looked through the exercises on Fretboard Workbook and Chord Tone Soloing and I'm still confused on how they can help things like expression and sound? Thanks a lot!<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Hi Jacob, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Often players get stuck in a rut where they only play the next note in a scale.
For example, you just played C. If your next note is always B or D then you have a problem that can be fixed by practicing interval studies.
Here is my book on the subject. </span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Interval-Studies-Lead-Guitar-Technique/dp/0980235340/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1379105980&sr=1-6">http://www.amazon.com/Interval-Studies-Lead-Guitar-Technique/dp/0980235340/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1379105980&sr=1-6</a>Barrett Tagliarinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03729204748010200052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5906124027110101348.post-81784849500550406892013-07-12T09:25:00.000-07:002013-07-12T09:25:05.242-07:00step 1 to soloing over chord changes: find root shapesJacob writes:
<p><font face="arial">
Hi Barrett,
<P>
I was running through Fretboard Workbook as a review now that I'm on Chord Tone Soloing and I was wondering, with the 5 root shapes aspect, should I have simply learned the 5 shapes themselves or learned them to the point where I could play them at ears glance. As in, if someone said, play the root shapes in F sharp, I'd be able to play them in it immediately with any of the 5 patterns? Or is that a too advanced requirement for the first book of a series? Thanks again Barrett!
<P>
</font>
Hi Jacob,
<br>Thanks for getting these books and working with them. Sounds like you are working pretty hard! It'll pay off.
<P>
In order to best apply the concepts in Chord Tone Soloing, yes, it is a great idea to know your fretboard patterns as deeply as possible. Finding root shapes for the chords in the closest available position will allow you to solo melodically without jumping up and down the neck, so there's less chance of getting lost.
<P>
Say for example you are soloing, with your hand at the 5th fret, over these chords:
<P>
|A C#7| F#7 | Bm F#7| Bm |
<P>
Nearby shapes are:
<br><font face="courier">A pattern 4
<pre>
-5-
---
---
-7-
---
-5-
<P>
C#7 pattern 2
---
---
-6-
--
-4-
---
<P>
F#7 pattern 5
--
-7-
---
-4
---
---
Bm pattern 3
-7-
---
-3-
--
---
-7-
<P></pre></font>
That progression is the first four measures of "Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out," by the way. It is a slow 8-bar blues. Here are the remaining four bars.
<P>D D#dim7 |A F#7 |B7 | E7 |
<P>
Barrett
Barrett Tagliarinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03729204748010200052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5906124027110101348.post-32474405711629726842012-11-03T12:47:00.000-07:002012-11-03T12:47:12.447-07:00Understanding Intervals<font face="verdana">
Hi Barrett
<P>
I am working my way through your Chord Tone Soloing book and am so far half way through Part II. It has already improved my understanding for guitar playing a lot. Your books are the best guitar learning material I have ever read - and that's a lot. Thank you!
<P>
I'm having a problem with understanding the 6ths intervals on page 34 (track 20).
How can it be 6ths if you are in the key of C?<br>
C-E = 3rd interval<br>
It would make sense to me if we were in the key of E: E-C = 6th interval.
<P>
I can see the tones are the same, but not how it can be a 6ths interval? Won't E always be the 3rd tone in the key of C?
<P>
Could you please explain to me how to understand this?
Thank you again<br>
-Martin from Denmark<br></font>
**************************************************************<br>
<font face="courier">Hi Martin,<br>
We use a number like "3rd" to describe two things. This is how there can be confusion.
<P>
A "3rd" is a <b>scale degree</b> (which is what you are thinking). As you say E is always the 3rd degree in the key of C major.
<P>
A "3rd" is also an <b>interval</b>: the exact distance between any two pitches. Not just from one C to the next higher E. There is more than one C and more than one E. Which C and which E do we mean?
<P>
From C <b>up to</b> E is a 3rd:
<P>
C D E<br>
1 2 3
<P>
And from E <b>down to</b> C is also 3rd.
<P>
E D C<br>
3 2 1
<P>
but from E <b>up to a higher</b> C is a 6th:
<P><pre>
C D E F G A B C
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
(1 2 3 4 5 6)
</pre>
<P>
From C <b>to an even higher</b> E is a 10th:
<P>
C D E F G A B C D E<br>
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
<P>
Please let me know if this helps you. And thank you very much for getting my book.<br>
Barrett</font>Barrett Tagliarinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03729204748010200052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5906124027110101348.post-87687715904909711462012-03-10T17:08:00.000-08:002012-03-10T17:09:20.929-08:00Tasty Diminished Licks on the Blues<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/MO7oRGnbOCA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Barrett Tagliarinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03729204748010200052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5906124027110101348.post-19217530480584025172012-02-29T11:26:00.001-08:002012-02-29T11:28:44.944-08:00Double-Stop Blues LickShort and easy to learn, but cool.<br /><br /><iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/RbYNaiy9iZE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Barrett Tagliarinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03729204748010200052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5906124027110101348.post-7512337753687866162011-10-30T18:51:00.000-07:002011-10-30T18:56:13.267-07:00City SoloThis was composed for a client of my friend, producer Billy Burke.<P><br /><iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/CSKNtm_ljBE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><P><br /><img src="http://monsterguitars.com/Gorod_Solo.png">Barrett Tagliarinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03729204748010200052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5906124027110101348.post-63650830522765967192011-10-21T12:25:00.000-07:002011-10-21T12:32:38.587-07:00Pendulum PickingHi Barrett,<br /><br /> I am working through your book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Rhythmic-Lead-Guitar-Phrasing-Groove/dp/0980235324/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_4">Rhythmic Lead Guitar</a>, I really enjoy it. After playing the guitar for 15 years, it's been really helpful to remind myself to play in time.<br /><br /> I am working through the portion on intentionally make the pick miss the string while maintaining constant motion along with the foot. I realized I don't do that at all, especially when I am playing the acoustic guitar when all I'm doing is mainly strumming. I would just like to ask if it make sense for me to correct that, so that I will maintain constant motion. Do you do it yourself as well when playing acoustic?<br /><br /> Thanks for your help!<br />"John"<br /><br /><font face=verdana size=2><br />Hi John,<br /><br />Yes, I do it that way too.<br /><br />One of the main benefits of keeping your hand moving along with the foot, even if it is not really a visible movement, is that you start strumming again on either a down or an upstroke that is aligned with the down or upbeat of the music.<br /><br />If you are just strumming 8th notes on an acoustic (with pick or fingers) to accompany vocals in a pop or folk tune, then I'd recommend the alternation to keep the time steady. A good example is "Yesterday" by the Beatles. When Paul sings the title word (at about 1:15), the final up strum with "-day" is left to ring for a quarter note duration, and he comes back in with up-down-up strums before the down beat of the bridge section ("Why she had to go").<br /><br />Strict right-hand alternation even when some notes are not played (some call it "pendulum picking") is useful for making sure you play syncopated single notes and chords without rushing the time. If you try to play single-note funk parts (or mixed single-note lines with chords like the two guitars in Rufus's "You Got the Love") without this steady alternation, it's much harder to stay in the groove.<br /><br />For strumming chords with no single notes involved, you may alter this approach for tonal purposes. Downstrokes and upstrokes sound a little different from each other. The downstrokes are chunkier and the upstrokes are a little more chime-like due to the order of the strings being hit. Usually the first strings you hit in a strum get hit the hardest and therefore get a volume boost. Punk and metal rhythm parts are often played with downstrokes only and would not have the same impact otherwise. I usually play ska skanks with only upstrokes (they're on upbeats anyway) on the high strings for stinging accents that stay in the rhythmic pocket.<br /><br />Thanks for your question.<br />Barrett<br /></font>Barrett Tagliarinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03729204748010200052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5906124027110101348.post-66027367050039755592011-06-27T14:00:00.001-07:002011-06-27T16:15:10.890-07:00Rhythmic Lead Guitar Book/CD interview question<iframe width="560" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/fI38BT2A9p8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Barrett Tagliarinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03729204748010200052noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5906124027110101348.post-25452068009465954042011-06-06T20:06:00.000-07:002011-06-06T20:20:32.796-07:00Arpeggiating through a Minor ii-V-iHi, I have and love the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0634083651/barrett_t-20?creative=125581&camp=2321&link_code=as1">chord-tone soloing book</a> - so glad I started working through it. I am working on chapter 17, arpeggio connection. However when I try arpeggio connection over a progression, such as Autumn Leaves, with extended chords I run into a little problem over altered arpeggios, such as the B7(b9). I understand the spelling is 1, 3, 5, b7, b9, then into the next octave with 3, 5, b7, b9 but how do I perform the arpeggio connection exercise over this chord? Do I include the root, but only in the beginning in the low register? How do I determine where and which ‘1’ of the arpeggio is the root (to include) when I'm descending? Would I essentially just be arpeggiating a diminished chord (B# diminished) over the dominant seventh flat nine chord? There is probably no straight answer but thanks,<br /><br />Mike<br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Hi Mike,</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Good question, and you're right that there's no hard and fast answer. I just connected arpeggios over a minor ii-V-i a bunch of times to make sure, and all three of these possible ways sound good to me over the B7b9 in any register: root, b9, or both.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">You can expect that you get some freedom on the V7 chord in a minor ii-V-i, and a lot of things will work. Jump over and check out the licks on page 106. They just happen to also be on B7-Em. They all have both B and C as high notes, with the B falling on either a strong or weak beat. On that particular chord situation---V7 resolving to im, almost any chord tone or altered extension sounds cool on the beat: 1-3-b5-#5-b7-b9-#9 (or the perfect 5th if it is present---most accompanists will alter the 5th or leave it out to give you freedom). I just avoid the root of the upcoming chord (E). I want to save that note for the resolution.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">(By the way that's one goal of the altered scale. It includes notes on either side of the upcoming root.)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">That "anything goes" idea is not true of all chord types, though. For example, I don't always like hitting the root of a major 7 chord right on the downbeat in the upper register when playing a line of eighth notes. I'll go for the 7th or 9th instead.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">If I'm going to hit the root there, I try to make it a quarter note or longer so the listener has time to hear it as something out of the ordinary. The line stalls, but you get an interesting "suspended" kind of sound in its place. (Actually it sounds more like an appoggiatura, but don't say that word if you want to keep a job!)</span><br /><br />Barrett<br />For you out there in TV land, the book under discussion can be previewed here:<br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0634083651/barrett_t-20?creative=125581&camp=2321&link_code=as1">Chord Tone Soloing</a>Barrett Tagliarinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03729204748010200052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5906124027110101348.post-81900642550689221292011-04-28T10:37:00.000-07:002011-04-28T10:53:38.091-07:00A Golden Rule of Practice<font face=verdana size=2 color=black><br />You learn much faster if you alternate between concepts and let them progress in parallel. It’s best to work on one thing at a time, but don’t wait for the one thing you’re working on now to be perfect before you work on something else. <br /><br />For example, let's say you are a beginner learning a C major scale in open position for the first time.<br /><br />-----------------<br />-------------0-1-<br />---------0-2-----<br />---0-2-3---------<br />-3---------------<br />-----------------<br /><br />1. First you refresh your memory of the pattern each day without much concern for technique or timing. Just locate the notes.<br /><br />2. Then spend a few minutes playing without the metronome, focusing on clean playing technique, damping the open strings so that only one note at a time is heard. It's ok if during this, you have to stop to remember where the notes are.<br /><br />3. Then switch to building rhythmic accuracy and picking technique by playing a little bit faster with the metronome. It’s ok if during this last part, a few open strings ring out now and then.<br /><br />The idea that one thing does not have to be perfect before you can study anything else applies to everything you can practice. <br /><br />Another quick example: don't wait until you can play one song perfectly before starting to work on another one. If you did that, then after a year you'd only know one song, and that song would actually not sound as good as if you'd worked on 10 songs in the same time period.<br /></font>Barrett Tagliarinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03729204748010200052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5906124027110101348.post-72239697963874446032011-04-14T08:58:00.000-07:002011-04-14T09:06:07.066-07:00What Will I Get out of the Guitar Fretboard Workbook?Hey Barrett I am now on chapter 7 of Guitar Fretboard Workbook. I understand the five patterns, and that they are different (but the same order) depending on which note you start with. I know how to find notes on the fretboard, albeit very slowly and laboriously. What should I be expecting to have gotten out of the Fretboard Workbook by this point - just memorization of patterns and how to find notes? Is there a bigger picture to all of this that I am missing, or is it just part of a longer process? When I get to, say, 1/2 of the book complete, to what extent should I be a better guitar player (as opposed to memorizing patterns)? Right now I can play a bunch of chords and mimic a number of songs. What should my goal be upon completion of the book? I'm trying to establish some context and also to make sure I am not missing anything. Thanks again, Bob <br /><p><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Hi Bob, </span></p><br /><p><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">This book helps you with everything musical that you can do on the guitar. It will be an obvious difference when you apply it for awhile, but I can't say if you'll notice the difference halfway through it. There's not much that it doesn't help, even in the simplest scenario. </span></p><br /><p><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Let's say all you ever do is learn songs from magazine tablature. At first that is a process of rote memorization. You read and memorize each finger position one at a time. It's like memorizing song lyrics in a foreign language without knowing what they mean. You can do it, but it's easier to remember and recite convincingly if you actually know what you're saying. But if you know your scales, arpeggios, and chords the way GFW teaches them, then you will identify these things in the music and understand and therefore better remember and execute it. </span></p><br /><p><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">That's just the beginning. Knowing the fretboard will help you with soloing, composing, transcribing, arranging, reading, etc. </span></p><br /><p><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Barrett</span> </p>Barrett Tagliarinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03729204748010200052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5906124027110101348.post-43471816180331012402011-02-21T13:31:00.000-08:002011-02-21T13:36:41.407-08:00Removing Pick-Hand Anchors<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOj6yBL-LzJ74uWyBoXrSlspJ91MFDh9RkQoddm_4_t5XGfZjGUTB6xN0TOrvk_ljqjAC3grBtsugCqdbZS61jPvYysMdi9w7cSE6t8KNVYWCYoimt7jNJ1x5dWzepxFq1wHoAnf-BlWac/s1600/Anchors_Away.png"><img src="http://monsterguitars.com/anchors/Anchors_Away.png"></a><br />This short exercise is designed to train you to pick without anchoring your fingertips on the pickguard, and to encourage forearm rotation when playing single notes. You’ll switch from playing a few notes to strumming a big chord, keeping things loose yet striving for accuracy. <p>I'd start with the metronome set at about 60 beats per minute. </p><p>You can let your fingernails drag across the pickguard as you play the single notes, but don’t anchor your fingertips on it. </p><p> To damp unwanted strings while playing singles notes, you can bring the heel of your palm in to touch the strings by the bridge, but try to keep the ball of the thumb off the guitar. Also use the edges of the fret-hand fingers to damp the strings above and below the one you are playing. </p><p> Keep it relaxed, and listen close to make sure it's clean and smooth-sounding.<br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Barrett Tagliarinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03729204748010200052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5906124027110101348.post-46765133375569693052011-02-02T19:17:00.000-08:002011-02-02T19:20:37.446-08:00Rhythmic Lead Guitar Book/CD<div><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">This was so nice I just wanted to share it.</span><br /></span><br />Barrett,</span></div> <div><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;" > I had to write you and tell you about my guitar-playing growth since I received your <em>Rhythmic Lead Guitar</em> book (only a week ago!). I am literally twice the lead player I was this time last week, and I was pretty good to start with. I must confess, I am not painstakingly going through the book and doing all of the exercises, but let me briefly tell about the insight this book has given me.</span></div> <div><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;" > <br />I am a pretty good chord-tone guy and unlike most pretenders, do reasonably well over diatonic progressions, especially major key stuff. My problem was really the opposite of most guys--my theory is rock solid and my fretboard mastery is great--but for some reason unknown to me, I was always a choppy train wreck when it came to everyday minor pentatonic wanking. Well, no more my friend.<br /><br /><em>Rhythmic Lead Guitar</em> made me really sit down and analyze the different available beat subdivisions, and it also helped me realize the differences between a shuffle (my band plays a lot of three-chord boogies) and a straight feel, and more specifically, between straight and swung 8th notes. I have a Fender G-Dec amp and first practiced all of these subdivisions with a metronome at different tempos and then practiced soloing over a looped shuffle for hours. Like a lightbulb coming on after 15 years of frustration, I literally and figuratively found my groove like a seasoned pro. I think I had been trying to play straight eighth notes over shuffles, and my use of triplets was underutilized.</span></div> <div><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;" > <br />From there, I moved on to songs with a straight feel, which too have always given me fits. My main problem with these songs is that my 8th-note phrasing sucked (excuse my language) because I tried to use too many notes. Now I focus on just two or three-note chunks, and it sounds great!</span></div> <div><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;" > <br />Finally, let me tell you another side effect of you making me aware of my beat choices. As I mentioned, I have started using many more triplets (it's cool to use them over a song with a straight feel, too, right?), but at fast tempos, I had to find different patterns that would allow me to use hammer-ons and pull-offs. This forced me to examine all of my pentatonic boxes for different options, and within a day, I was seeing and connecting all of the shapes like never before. Unbelievable!</span></div> <div><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;" > <br />Sorry this email is so long, but I thought you would appreciate what is some fairly specific feedback on your book. Again, some of it is beyond my scope and my interest, but by just focusing on the beat subdivisions (and hearing examples of them) and by learning the difference between a swung eighth note and a regular one, I have started on the fast track to becoming the lead guitar player I have always wanted to be. Thank you so much. I will try to find the time to get on Amazon and write a kind review.<br /><br /></span></div> <div> </div> <span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;" > Travis</span>Barrett Tagliarinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03729204748010200052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5906124027110101348.post-65833318597103289442011-01-18T19:33:00.001-08:002011-01-18T19:37:13.479-08:00Why Learn a Pattern Numbering System? And Which is Best?Hello Barrett,<br /><br />I've recently bought <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Chord-Tone-Soloing-Guitarists-Improvising/dp/0634083651/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_3">Chord Tone Soloing</a> 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.<br /><br />Anyway thanks again for what looks to be a great learning resource,<br /><br />Tim<br /><br />Hi Tim,<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.)<br /><br />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.<br /><br />Here is one octave's worth of the pattern 1 major scale tabbed out in open position. Key of C major. (An <span style="font-weight: bold;">octave</span> is the eight-note distance up the scale to another note with the same letter name.)<br /><br /><span style="font-family: courier,monaco,monospace,sans-serif;">------------------</span><br /><span style="font-family: courier,monaco,monospace,sans-serif;">-------------0-1--</span><br /> <span style="font-family: courier,monaco,monospace,sans-serif;">---------0-2------</span><br /><span style="font-family: courier,monaco,monospace,sans-serif;">---0-2-3----------</span><br /> <span style="font-family: courier,monaco,monospace,sans-serif;">-3----------------</span><br /><span style="font-family: courier,monaco,monospace,sans-serif;">------------------</span><br /><span style="font-family: courier,monaco,monospace,sans-serif;"> C D E F G A B C</span> <span style="font-family: courier,monaco,monospace,sans-serif;"><br /> 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8</span><br /><br />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.<br /><br />From left to right, we have the fretted string, the note name, and the scale degree, which is also the chord factor.<br /><br />Pattern 1 (C shape)<br />0 E 3rd<br />1 C Root<br />0 G 5th<br />2 E 3rd<br />3 C Root<br />0 E 3rd<br /><br />Pattern 2 (A shape)<br />3 G<br />5 E<br />5 C<br />5 G<br />3 C<br />3 G<br /><br />Pattern 3 (G shape)<br />8 C<br />5 E<br />5 C<br />5 G<br />7 E<br />8 C<br /><br />Pattern 4 (E shape)<br />8 C<br />8 G<br />9 E<br />10 C<br />10 G<br />8 C<br /><br />Pattern 5 (D shape)<br />12 E<br />13 C<br />12 G<br />10 C<br />10 G<br />12 E<br /><br />Thanks for buying and studying the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Chord-Tone-Soloing-Guitarists-Improvising/dp/0634083651/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_3">Chord Tone Soloing book/CD pack</a>, and thanks very much for the compliments!<br /><br />BarrettBarrett Tagliarinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03729204748010200052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5906124027110101348.post-7644097515260649422011-01-11T20:12:00.001-08:002011-01-11T20:12:56.616-08:00Help Me Start Practicing Again!Hi Barrett,<br />I need your help!!!<br />You are a wonderful teacher and surely may help me...Your books are really good...<br />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?<br />Thanx Marco<br /><br />Yes! Try this:<br /><br />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.Barrett Tagliarinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03729204748010200052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5906124027110101348.post-77970080995923531102011-01-06T10:35:00.000-08:002011-01-06T10:37:41.489-08:00How to solo over progression E-A-F-Em<div class="usertext-body"><div class="md"><p style="font-family: arial;">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.</p> <p style="font-family: arial;">At the moment i'm playing to a track strumming a sequence of E A F Em chords.</p> <p style="font-family: arial;">Where to from here with the lead?</p><p style="font-family: arial;">Dugggy<br /></p><p style="font-family: arial;"><br /></p><p>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.</p> <p>E A F Em</p> <p>There is no single key that fits all these chords. There are at least two keys.</p> <p>First let's look at E and A. You can fit both into one key.</p> <p>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.</p> <p>Depending on the style you could start with either the E or A major scale or the E or A major pentatonic scale.</p> <p>E major: E F# G# A B C# D# E major pentatonic: E F# G# B C#</p> <p>A major: A B C# D E F# G# A major pentatonic: A B C# E F#</p> <p>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!)</p> <hr /> <p>Now to the chords F and Em.</p> <p>These may be the "vi" and "V" chords in A minor.</p> <p>So to get a really simple solid approach to playing in a non-jazzy way over the progression, try just playing:</p> <p>A major or major pentatonic for the first two chords, then A minor or minor pentatonic for the second two chords.</p> <p>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.</p> <hr /> <p>The source of this thinking is knowing how to find all the chords in a key center. This is done by harmonizing the scale.</p> <p>You create the chords I-vii by stacking 3rds above each note.</p> <p>If the scale is A major: A B C# D E F# G#</p> <p>it produces these chords:</p> <pre><code>I A C# E (A)<br />ii B D F# (Bm)<br />iii C# E G# (C#m)<br />IV D F# A (D)<br />V E G# B (E)<br />vi F# A C# (F#m)<br />vii G# B D (G#dim)<br /></code></pre></div> </div>Barrett Tagliarinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03729204748010200052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5906124027110101348.post-46866885704451506652011-01-02T10:47:00.000-08:002011-01-02T11:00:24.933-08:00CAGED system review<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Tim writes:</span><br /><blockquote style="border-left: 2px solid rgb(16, 16, 255); margin-left: 5px; padding-left: 5px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><div class="plainMail">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.<br /><br />Anyway thanks again for what looks to be a great learning resource,<br /><br />Tim<br /></div></blockquote><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Hi Tim,</span><br /><p><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">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.</span><br /></p><p><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">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.)</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">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.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Here is one octave's worth of the pattern 1 major scale tabbed out in open position. Key of C major. (An </span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">octave</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> is the eight-note distance up the scale to another note with the same letter name.) In tablature, the top line is the string</span> closest to the floor.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:courier,monaco,monospace,sans-serif;" >-----------------</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:courier,monaco,monospace,sans-serif;" >------------0-1--</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:courier,monaco,monospace,sans-serif;" >--------0-2------</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:courier,monaco,monospace,sans-serif;" >--0-2-3----------</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:courier,monaco,monospace,sans-serif;" >3----------------</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:courier,monaco,monospace,sans-serif;" >-----------------</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:courier,monaco,monospace,sans-serif;" > C D E F G A B C</span> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:courier,monaco,monospace,sans-serif;" ><br />1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">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.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">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.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Pattern 1 (C shape)</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">0 E 3rd</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">1 C Root</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">0 G 5th</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">2 E 3rd</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">3 C Root</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">0 E 3rd</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Pattern 2 (A shape)</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> 3 G</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> 5 E</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> 5 C</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> 5 G</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> 3 C</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> 3 G</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Pattern 3 (G shape)</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> 8 C</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> 5 E</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> 5 C</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> 5 G</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> 7 E</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> 8 C</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Pattern 4 (E shape)</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> 8 C</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> 8 G</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> 9 E</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> 10 C</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> 10 G</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> 8 C</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Pattern 5 (D shape)</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> 12 E</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> 13 C</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> 12 G</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> 10 C</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> 10 G</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> 12 E</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Thanks for getting my book, and thanks very much for the compliments. </span><br /><br />For everyone else, the book we are discussing is here:<br /><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0634083651/barrett_t-20?creative=125581&camp=2321&link_code=as1">Chord Tone Soloing</a>.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Thanks again, and I hope you're having fun!</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Barrett</span><br /></p>Barrett Tagliarinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03729204748010200052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5906124027110101348.post-42176346966707899832010-12-20T16:01:00.000-08:002010-12-20T16:04:57.673-08:00Minor Pentatonic Scale over Major Chord Progression<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Hi Barrett,</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">I just bought your book "chord-tone soloing" and I have a question with the first chapter. You are a playing A to D which is just a I IV chord progression in A major. Why is it that you are using the minor pentatonic scale and not major scale? Would both scales work? A marriage of major and minor? Your using the C note to lead in to the A major chord. Is that just considered a passing tone? I guess this all just boils down to why does the minor pentatonic scale work over an exclusive I IV V major chord progression? Any help would be great. Thanks a lot for your time!</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Steve</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Hi Steve,</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">To your questions:</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">"Would both scales work?"</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Yes, both major heptatonic and minor pentatonic scales would work, depending on the stylistic context.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">"Your using the C note to lead in to the A major chord. Is that just considered a passing tone?"</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Yes, the C notes on track 3 would be melodic passing tones in harmonic common practice. (See Piston, Harmony, 5th edition, p.116.)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">"I guess this all just boils down to why does the minor pentatonic scale work over an exclusive I IV V major chord progression?"</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">This is a stylistic sound that is best considered outside common practice harmonic theory. Most guitarists have heard plenty of rock and blues music where minor over major happens all the time, so I start the book with it. It's a type of dissonance that people are accustomed to now but might have been strange during the "common practice" era of harmonic theory in the 18th and 19th centuries.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Minor-based notes over major harmonic progressions (interpreted into a series of dominant chords) are usually attributed to Western classical harmony blending with African influences to give birth to blues, ragtime, jazz, gospel, and similar styles.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Chord Tone Soloing book has three parts. On page 2 it says "Part One is a very simple preview to show you where the book is going." It helps everyone---including beginners who may have never heard of a key center or don't know the difference between major and minor chords---to understand what's coming. This means you're ahead of the game a little, so that's good.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">The examples in Part One just show how important it can be to choose the right note when the chords change, even when playing within a single scale. They do not teach any new information for most players. I use A minor pentatonic in 5th position because even beginning guitarists are likely to know the fingering already.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Right from the beginning we get a non-chord target tone, in Chapter Two. This shows that while we need to know where chord tones are, they will not always be our targets.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Analysis of chords and progressions comes after the foundation of scales, chords, arpeggios, and diatonic harmony. Later we go back and see how blues and rock conventions let you play minor sounds over dominant 7th chords and major triads. Starting after p. 74, non-diatonic notes of this type appear throughout the rest of the book.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">It sounds like you know some theory already, but please make sure to read all the introductions and all the text in the book as you go. I tried to make it short, but sometimes people skip the words and go straight to the examples. For this book that can cause problems because we're learning concepts, not licks.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Thanks very much for the excellent questions.</span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;">Barrett</span></span>Barrett Tagliarinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03729204748010200052noreply@blogger.com0