Barrett's Guitar Q&A

City Solo

2011-10-30T18:51:00.000-07:00

This was composed for a client of my friend, producer Billy Burke.

Pendulum Picking

2011-10-21T12:25:00.000-07:00

Hi Barrett,

I am working through your book Rhythmic Lead Guitar, I really enjoy it. After playing the guitar for 15 years, it's been really helpful to remind myself to play in time.

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?

Thanks for your help!
"John"

Hi John,

Yes, I do it that way too.

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.

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").

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.

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.

Thanks for your question.
Barrett

Rhythmic Lead Guitar Book/CD interview question

2011-06-27T14:00:00.001-07:00

Arpeggiating through a Minor ii-V-i

2011-06-06T20:06:00.000-07:00

Hi, I have and love the chord-tone soloing book - 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,

Mike

Hi Mike,

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.

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.

(By the way that's one goal of the altered scale. It includes notes on either side of the upcoming root.)

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.

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!)

Barrett
For you out there in TV land, the book under discussion can be previewed here:
Chord Tone Soloing

A Golden Rule of Practice

2011-04-28T10:37:00.000-07:00

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.

For example, let's say you are a beginner learning a C major scale in open position for the first time.

-----------------
-------------0-1-
---------0-2-----
---0-2-3---------
-3---------------
-----------------

1. First you refresh your memory of the pattern each day without much concern for technique or timing. Just locate the notes.

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.

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.

The idea that one thing does not have to be perfect before you can study anything else applies to everything you can practice.

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.

What Will I Get out of the Guitar Fretboard Workbook?

2011-04-14T08:58:00.000-07:00

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

Hi Bob,

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.

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.

That's just the beginning. Knowing the fretboard will help you with soloing, composing, transcribing, arranging, reading, etc.

Barrett

Removing Pick-Hand Anchors

2011-02-21T13:31:00.000-08:00

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.

I'd start with the metronome set at about 60 beats per minute.

You can let your fingernails drag across the pickguard as you play the single notes, but don’t anchor your fingertips on it.

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.

Keep it relaxed, and listen close to make sure it's clean and smooth-sounding.

Rhythmic Lead Guitar Book/CD

2011-02-02T19:17:00.000-08:00

This was so nice I just wanted to share it.

Barrett,

I had to write you and tell you about my guitar-playing growth since I received your Rhythmic Lead Guitar 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.

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.

Rhythmic Lead Guitar 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.

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!

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!

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.

Travis

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

2011-01-18T19:33:00.001-08:00

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

Help Me Start Practicing Again!

2011-01-11T20:12:00.001-08:00

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.

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

2011-01-06T10:35:00.000-08:00

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)

CAGED system review

2011-01-02T10:47:00.000-08:00

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

Minor Pentatonic Scale over Major Chord Progression

2010-12-20T16:01:00.000-08:00

Hi Barrett,
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!
Steve

Hi Steve,
To your questions:
"Would both scales work?"
Yes, both major heptatonic and minor pentatonic scales would work, depending on the stylistic context.

"Your using the C note to lead in to the A major chord. Is that just considered a passing tone?"
Yes, the C notes on track 3 would be melodic passing tones in harmonic common practice. (See Piston, Harmony, 5th edition, p.116.)

"I guess this all just boils down to why does the minor pentatonic scale work over an exclusive I IV V major chord progression?"

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Thanks very much for the excellent questions.
Barrett

The m7sus4 chord

2010-11-16T14:40:00.000-08:00

Hi barret,
I like your book Chord-Tone Soloing,
In page 108 (track 69) at the beginning of the chorus you have a Dmi7sus chord.
How do you construct such chord?

Dmi7 has b3, but a suspended chord replaces the third. So, how do you build it?
Thank you,
Armando

Hi Armando,

The m7sus chord has the same notes as a dominant 7sus chord.

1 4 5 b7

For the Dm7sus chord on page 108, those notes are D G A and C. On the guitar I'd put the 4th an octave higher like this: D A C G.

The different chord name is there to provide a context for improvisation. In the progression

Cm/Eb Dm7sus

you would play a scale that includes the minor 3rd, F natural, not the F# that would be implied by D7sus4.

The book tells you to play C Dorian over the chord progression. That gives you D Phrygian over the Dm7sus chord. You would not want to play D Mixolydian.

Also, if you were playing rhythm guitar instead of soloing, you might want to play a riff or embellished chord figure instead of just strumming the chord as written. The m7sus chord symbol assures that your rhythm playing should not include F#, the major 3rd.

Barrett

Practicing Cumulative Material

2010-10-29T10:11:00.000-07:00

This was in response to Roxine, who wants to know how to practice material in the Rhythmic Lead Guitar book/CD and the Guitar Fretboard Workbook at the same time.

I get a lot of inquiries on how much to practice exactly which items in specific order, when to move on to a new exercise, and so on.

The main advice is that whenever a topic is new for you it needs to be practiced for at least 2 weeks in order to enter your long term memory and for you to be able to use it without stopping to figure it out again. It could be 4 weeks or 6 weeks. The test is whether you know it enough to use it easily.

That means you should review any unfamiliar material in one chapter of any book every day for 2 weeks before moving on to any other topic that has that material as a prerequisite. This way you're not figuring out two things at once. When you feel this happening it means you are advancing too quickly.

I believe this applies to any educational process, not just music.

For these two books in particular, there's no worry about pacing one to match the other, because the two books cover different areas. I always write a book to stand alone as much as possible. You can study one for 10 minutes, then the other for 10 minutes, doing that once a day for several months, and see a lot of improvement in both fretboard knowledge and rhythmic command of music.

creating your own jazz soloing ideas

2010-10-22T11:35:00.000-07:00

> DLE
> writes:
>
> I have your fretboard and chord tome soloing books.
>
> I'm in a jazz band. Pretty much self taught, and still
> learning. Your books are terrific.
>
> I'd love to have some soloing ideas stemming out of the
> standard jazz progressions. Any thought to applying your
> skills to such a work?
>

Hi,

Thanks for using my books! I'm glad you like them.

You'll find chapters 20-23 of Chord Tone Soloing contain major and minor II V I progressions to play over with linear targeting.

I have a new book out, Rhythmic Lead Guitar, which discusses motific development, long (4- and 8-bar) phrasing, and handling song forms (12, 16, 32 bars, etc.) when soloing. These are all very important concepts for jazz improv. It also has examples of solos for jazz waltz, 4/4 swing, 16th-note shuffle and other grooves on the accompanying CD.

Along with checking that out I'd suggest that you include regular transcription and analysis of your favorite solos by other players. Take time with the analyses to look for elements that you've been exposed to in your studies, so you can see how they are applied to make the solos stronger.

Thanks again,
Barrett

Pacing Your Practice Schedule

2010-10-17T21:08:00.000-07:00

> Hi Barrett,
>
> first I just wanted to thank you for the work you have put
> in your books, I am currenlty following the Chord Tone
> Soloing. I have to tell you it has help me fill the gaps and
> have a more rounded picture of music.
>
> Barret, I wanted to ask you if you could share more
> Practice Plans, that could help me organize the content of
> your book as i progress.
>
> I would appreciate if you could do that.
>
> Again, thanks for sharing your knwoledge.
> Ivan

Hi Ivan,

Thanks for writing, and for using my book!

I often get asked to create a schedule telling how many minutes to practice each thing, and how many weeks to keep it on the practice list.

I could only do this if I watched your every practice session and constantly tested your ability to apply what you've learned. A private instructor can help, but you should learn to take responsibility for your own development and your retention of material. I am not copping out; it really has to be your job.

When you find you are using elements of an exercise in your own soloing vocabulary, that means you know that exercise well enough to retire it from your practice schedule to make room for advancement. If you forget how to use it in your playing, it's time to go back and review.

To learn anything takes repetition, so your first practice schedule should include reminding yourself daily of the above parameters for moving ahead in your practice. Otherwise, you might forget what we talked about here and find yourself either repeating stuff you already know when you could be moving ahead, or setting material aside before you really have a handle on it.

If you are a beginner, you should only practice for short sessions, playing slowly and accurately so that you teach yourself good technique habits. With time you will be able to cover more material in a session, and the sessions can get a little longer. New exercises are added each week, while the old ones get covered in less time because 1) you already know them and 2) you can now play them faster.

Barrett

Mojito

2010-10-01T19:13:00.000-07:00

An uptempo Latin instrumental inspired by "Armando's Rhumba" (Chick Corea) and "Tico-Tico" (Zequinha de Abreu).

Barrett Tagliarino - guitar.
Jon Rygiewicz - drums.
Alexis Sklarevski - bass.

The Difference between Rhythmic Lead Guitar and Chord-Tone Soloing

2010-09-08T10:09:00.000-07:00

Hey Barrett, what is the major difference between the book you are sending me (Rhythmic Lead Guitar) and the Chord Tone Soloing book?

Jeremy

Hi Jeremy,

Even though they're about the same general topic of melodic guitar playing, Rhythmic Lead Guitar and Chord-Tone Soloing are very different. Rhythmic Lead Guitar is a top-down approach to understanding time, form, phrasing, and melodic development. The title does not refer to playing lead and rhythm at the same time. Learning the concepts in this book will help you make a coherent contribution to the song's message, not just insert a bunch of random notes or licks. It's crucial information for any style of music.

The other book, Chord-Tone Soloing, is a detail-oriented method that teaches you to feel each note as part of a line carrying momentum as it moves toward a new chord at a specific time in the future. Applying this skill makes your melodies an integral part of the band, capable of standing alone and implying the sound and movement of the chord progression. It does NOT mean that you play only chord tones in your solos.

Both topics are important but seldom covered in commercial books. They're hard to teach. Each of these books took me over a year to write. The study of form and phrasing (as in RLG) does get covered in classical composition textbooks (one reason it's a good idea to study classical). The chord-tone approach gets coverage in some jazz method books (one reason it's a good idea to study jazz!), but it applies to any style of music.

Thanks again for checking out my books, and best of luck to you in your musical pursuits.
Barrett

Rhythmic Lead Guitar on Amazon

Chord-Tone Soloing on Amazon

Avoid Guitar Practice Overload

2010-08-16T11:22:00.000-07:00

mike@xxxx.com writes:

Hello Barrett,

I loved your last post on the "In Class Demonstration - Black Magic".

Since I cannot take lessons directly from you, I have to resort to your books and DVDs. I currently have:

Guitar Reading Workbook
Guitar Fretboard Workbook
Hal Leonard At a Glance Series: Scales and Modes

I am currently reading and studying the Guitar Reading Workbook and wanted to make sure that this is a good starting point for a beginner. I have been practicing for about two years now and know some notes on the fretboard and a few chords but that is about it. Besides the above 3 guitar learning aides, I have way too much material and I am at the point of frustration. I just wanted to pick your brain to make sure that I am at the right starting point for learning the guitar.

Mike
A beginner guitarist and a Fan.

Hi Mike,

Thanks very much for your kind words.

It's important to limit the things you work on, so that the guitar is always attracting you back to play it. If you do too much or organize things so that you can't see your progress, you're right, you'll become frustrated.

I recommend you continue to work on the the Guitar Reading Workbook (it's fine for someone with 2 years experience), but also put a strong focus on just learning things you'll enjoy playing within a short time, depending on your taste. For me, that might be copying some blues tunes and solos from Albert King. Crosscut Saw is a good example.

At two years, the Black Magic Woman solos might still be too hard, but you could make it a long term challenge, to go along with the other easy stuff. I do this myself. I have lots of easy songs to keep me seeing instant progress, and then one or two harder ones to kick my can.

Lots of other songs/licks/concepts might grab your attention, but resist the urge to wander over and work on them. Stick with one project for a few weeks at a time. Getting in a band with players near your level is one way to make that happen; you'll decide on a list of songs and by necessity only practice those until you're ready to play a party or club.

Barrett

In Class Demonstration - Black Magic

2010-08-13T14:18:00.000-07:00

Barrett demonstrates the Santana classic for Guitar Heroes of the 60s & 70s class. Flipvideo cam placed on music stand.

Guitar & Voice - Barrett Tagliarino : www.monsterguitars.com

Drums - Dylan Howard

Bass - Alex Wilkerson

Arpeggio Fingerings

2010-07-30T14:05:00.000-07:00

> Hi Barrett,
>
> I'm currently working through your chord tone soloing book.
> Thank you for this by the way, I'd been introduced to the
> CAGED system from a previous teacher, but ended up leaving
> him, and had been looking for a source that systematically
> took you through learning the guitar based on this method.
> So in that regard it's great, all the information I've been
> looking for in a well-organized, and surprisingly thin book.
> There's just one thing missing though, fingerings! I'm
> having difficulty with the arpeggios, for instance, for
> pattern 2 do I really need to play the notes on strings 4,3,
> and 2 with my pinky? That's how I've been doing it, but it
> seems really awkward. I have other questions, but that's
> really the most pressing one. As per your book, I've been
> making my practices more regimented, and I think it's
> helping. There's still a lot I wonder about whether I should
> be doing or not, but I feel like this a good start.
>
> Geoff

Hi Geoff,

There's no universal agreement among teachers about the best way to approach fingering. A final decision might be based on: if it sounds good (that's my main one), does not throw your hand into an awkward position for later notes, does not tire you, and does not form bad habits that cause these bad things to happen later.

Here's one way I practice fingering a Pattern-2 major 7th arpeggio. There are many other ways that work well for different reasons. This is a good one because it forces you to plan a little ahead.

Cmaj7

---------------3-7-|-3---------------------
-------------5-----|---5-------------------
---------4-5-------|-----5-4---------------
-----2-5-----------|---------5-2-----------
---3---------------|-------------3-2---2-3-
-------------------|-----------------3-----

FH 2 1 3 2 3 4 1 4 1 4 3 2 4 1 2 1 2 1 2

FH = fretting hand

We don't want an unnecessary string jump where an open string might ring out, or to get forced into an awkward move with the pinky finger. In the third note of the fingering you can see how I'm planning ahead by using the ring finger. The general idea is that we don't run out of fingers while we still have notes to play.

We want to play the fourth note with the middle finger, so that the next one can use the ring finger, saving the pinky for the sixth note, which is on the same fret as the one before. That is a situation that requires special care. I avoid using the same finger twice in a row unless it is for a specific sound.

These decisions may seem impossible to accomplish on the fly as you solo, but the idea is that you train your reflexes to do things while practicing so that they are automatic later.

Here is an excerpt from my upcoming book on technique and interval studies (still in the draft stage) which helps with the fingering challenge you mentioned: multiple single notes on the same fret but different strings.

Technique
The Fretting Hand

As a general rule, use one finger per fret. (Some scale patterns cover more than four frets and will require a position shift.) Use the pinky or 4th finger just as much as the others. It may feel weak at first, and there will be situations like string bends where you may substitute the 3rd finger for it later. But now you should make the commitment to use it.

Go Lightly
You should push the string onto the fret with the minimum pressure required to get a clean note with no buzz. Any more than that will waste energy, slow you down, and also possibly cause the note to go out of tune. Try steadily picking a string, and gently touch the fretting finger to it, right behind the fretwire, slowly increasing the pressure until the note sounds clearly. You may be surprised at how little force is required, as long as your thumb is centered behind the neck.

The First Challenge
There will be many times when you will follow a note with another one on the same fret but a different string. This can be hard to play cleanly. If you just lift the same fingertip up and put it down on another string, there will be a gap between the notes during the time your finger is in transit, and the still-vibrating string will sound its open note during that time.

There are two ways to deal with this situation, and I recommend practicing both. The first can be summed up by saying, "avoid using the same finger twice in a row." Think about it. Assume you have two notes on the 5th fret, on adjacent strings. Play the low note with the index finger and the higher one with the middle finger. This order is preferred over the opposite, which can tilt your hand into a slightly awkward position (though in rare cases it will be necessary).

[fig]

The same notes might need to be played with fingers 2 and 3, or fingers 3 and 4, depending on what came before and what's coming next.

[fig]

The above classical-based technique helps maintain proper fretting-hand posture, with the fingers curled over the fretboard, ready to attack notes with efficiency and speed. It gives you clean, solid-sounding tones. Applying it to the interval studies will teach your reflexes to plan ahead for proper execution of notes that are coming up.

Now let's consider the other method of switching from string to string on the same fret: finger-rolling. Play the lower note with the fingertip, and then roll the finger over by unflexing the last joint, to play the higher note with the pad of the finger. The tip should roll off and damp the lower note so that only the higher one is now heard.

[fig]

When rolling the notes in the opposite order, you have to plan ahead by fretting the higher-sounding note with the finger pad, so that the lower note will be played by the tip when you flex the joint. (Flexing is when you curl the finger more, the opposite of extending.) The two notes should not ring together as a chord unless that is specifically what you want.

[fig]

At first finger-rolling may be difficult, and you might end up moving your entire hand to get the finger to fret the next string while damping the previous one. Work on minimizing that rocking hand motion in this little finger-rolling exercise. It doesn't use a scale or any musical concept; it just rolls all four fingers. Press the 3rd finger on top of the 4th finger if it won't flatten by itself.

---1---2---3---4-|4---3---2---1---
-1---2---3---4---|--4---3---2---1-
-----------------|----------------
-----------------|----------------
-----------------|----------------
-----------------|----------------

With practice, you'll learn to relax the last finger joint in a way that allows it to flow into the flattened position. When you're finished with the notes that require this technique, return your fingers to the curved posture.

Thanks for sticking with me up to here!
Barrett Tagliarino

find out more about my books -
Rhythmic Lead Guitar: Solo Phrasing, Groove and Timing for All Styles
Guitar Reading Workbook
Chord Tone Soloing: A Guitarist's Guide to Melodic Improvisation
Guitar Fretboard Workbook
Throttle Twister: the Transcriptions
at
www.monsterguitars.com

Practice while Commuting by Bus or Train

2010-07-19T12:12:00.001-07:00

Hi Barrett. First, I really enjoy your workbooks. I finished Fretboard Logic a month or so ago and now I'm working through your Guitar Reading Workbook. What's perfect about your books is that I commute into San Francisco daily and I have been working through them on my bus ride. The problem is that I'm half way through The Guitar Reading Workbook with no book to work on next! I haven't found anything close to your books. My question is, do you have a recommendation for other guitar or theory workbooks (question and answer) you may have come across? I plan on picking upChord Tone Soloing book but Amazon didn't describe this as a work book per se.

In any case, thanks so much for the great books.
Saul

Hi Saul,

Thanks!

I had to think about your question a bit because I don't know of other guitar books that use the workbook approach, except for some college textbooks that come with a workbook for ear training exercises. You need audio for those though, so you probably won't want to do them on the bus.

But now you know a bit about chords and diagrams and notes on the staff, you can start to create your own chord diagrams and notation of music you know or are trying to read. Do it without a book.

Take a Real Book chart for a tune like "All the Things You Are" and draw a diagram for each chord. If you've gone through both the Fretboard Workbook and Guitar Reading Workbook this will be possible, if still a bit challenging.

(The "Fretboard Logic" you mentioned is a book by another author and I'm not very familiar with it.)

When I was learning notation this next thing helped a lot. Take a piece of blank staff paper and write out nursery rhymes ("Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" etc.) or any other simple familiar tunes like "Happy Birthday" or songs you sing on religious holidays. At first you'll need to figure them out on guitar and then write them down at home, but after awhile you'll be able to just write down the notes you hear and check them for accuracy later. It's very good for connecting notes you hear in your head to the fretboard and the written notes.

Thanks for working with my books. I'm sure you'll like Chord Tone Soloing, although you're correct, it is not a workbook. You need the guitar in your hands for it. You'll also like another book about soloing I did recently, "Rhythmic Lead Guitar." It relates all those rhythms you're reading about to actual application.

Barrett

strengthen fingers and improve speed and coordination

2010-07-13T08:39:00.000-07:00

Hi Barrett

i've been playing for a while (i'm 56) - never really got it together but know enough about the fretboard and theory to make the investment and enjoy the results.

of course i am ordering your fretboard workbook.

i am also looking for a learning tool that will help me strengthen my fingers and improve speed and coordination.

as for style - i like blues, old rock, and jazz

any suggestions?

many thanks
-Ethan

Hi Ethan

Thanks for using my book!

To strengthen the fingers and improve speed and coordination, you should just practice scales and etudes in time with a metronome or a drum machine and track your progress on a log sheet. That's all you need. No gadgets or anything special.

For the etudes, you can use anything you like hearing yourself play. I used classical violin studies like Paganini's Moto Perpetuo and 24 Caprices, and some Bach partitas. I also played lots of Charlie Parker melodies from the Real Book, eg. Donna Lee, Au Privave, Confirmation etc.

Barrett

More blues licks, just to ease the pain.

2010-02-08T23:34:00.000-08:00

Here's another blues solo. This one is a 12-bar progression in G minor. Lots of Dorian licks, sliding double stops, double-stop bends, and some unison bends.

http://www.monsterguitars.com/Blues_Shoes_Gtr_solo.mp3

The transcription is here:
http://monsterguitars.com/blues_shoes.pdf

The backing track was created by my friend Michael Sherman. He's a great piano player, among other things!
http://pelz-sherman.net/

Fun Supercross Video with "Fine Texas Tradition"

2010-02-04T22:24:00.000-08:00

Supercross Superheroes make mayhem in Anaheim. Soundtrack by Barrett, from the album Throttle Twister.

http://www.racerxonline.com/video/tuesday-socal-supercross-training.aspx

Left-Handed Guitarist Getting Started

2010-01-18T20:33:00.000-08:00

Hi Barrett,

Just turning 50 and I figured it's time to learn how to play the electric guitar :-) I recently bought a left-handed Les Paul Studio and I'm interested in your course material, but I assume your books are written for right-handed guitarists and don't know how difficult it would be for a left-handed guitarist to use them. Any insight/suggestions? Thanks!

Ron

Hi Ron,
Yes. For a horizontal neck diagram turn the book upside down on the music stand and it will show a mirror image of your fingering position. String and fret numbers will be the same. Plant your fingers, then turn the book over and see how it relates to what you're fingering.

Right-handed guys have to do some mental work to figure out the diagrams too. For them, the diagram is always upside down and they have to mentally crane their necks over to look upside down at the fretboard.

For a vertical neck diagram, you can tilt the book onto its right side and it will again be a mirror image of your fingering. Sit in front of a mirror with the guitar to see what I mean.

The Guitar Fretboard Workbook explains all about string and fret numbers right on the first page so you start out reading standard diagrams correctly. They are shown the way they appear in 99% of other guitar books.

If you're just starting out I recommend getting the Guitar Fretboard Workbook along with a beginner's method book like the Hal Leonard Guitar Method, and a book of fun songs to learn like the Beatles Complete Chord Song Book (ISBN-10: 0634022296). Concentrate on their early songs with only a few chords in them, like Love Me Do, PS I Love You, etc.

I also highly recommend you take at least one or two lessons in person from a reputable instructor who knows a little about both classical and electric technique. They are slightly different. Tape-record everything he says about technique and follow it so you don't develop bad habits that you will have to unlearn later.

Then be patient and practice in short bursts only at first. At age 9 it took me a year to be able to play an F chord as it appears on page 47 of Hal Leonard Book 1. I was considered a quick learner.

Above all, try to make it fun. Let me know when you hit that F.

Thanks
Barrett

Rhythmic Lead Guitar Book/CD (Jan 2010)

2010-01-12T22:58:00.000-08:00

Rhythmic Lead Guitar: Solo Phrasing, Groove and Timing (2010) Book/CD pack that takes you step by step from beginner to master of the rhythmic aspect of soloing and riff creation. Learn to count beat divisions and subdivisions at every level to contribute the right feel to songs in any style.

You'll apply exact timing to bends, slides, legato articulations and grace notes to get your soloing under your complete rhythmic control. No prior music reading knowledge is required, but you will learn a bit about correct rhythmic notation as you go. Over 150 examples are tabbed and notated, and demonstrated at slow tempos on the CD.

Chapters 12-19 cover motific development; setting up audience expectations with form signaling; odd meters; creating syncopation with displacements, additive rhythms, pedal tones, polyrhythms, and metric modulation.

This Book/CD combo is now available exclusively at Barrett's amazon.com marketplace.

Thanks!

Pattern Numbers on the Guitar Fretboard

2010-01-11T21:34:00.000-08:00

Hey Barrett,

I've been playing guitar for 10 years now, but I am going through your Guitar Fretboard Workbook to be able to visualize the fretboard better. So far, knowing the root shapes is definitely coming in handy. However, I have come across something that doesn't quite make sense to me. When I get to the Natural Minor Scale section of the book, exercise #13 doesn't quite make sense to me. For example, #3 is E Minor Pattern 1. I understand the scale formula and I also realize that the Natural Minor corresponds to the 6th degree (aeolian) of diatonic harmony. Now, I can see how you would conclude that #3 deals with "root" shape 1, but it doesn't make sense to me that you would call it "pattern" 1. That particular scale shape seems like it corresponds with "pattern" 5 in terms of playing all the notes of the scale. Hopefully you understand what I am trying to say and can clear things up for me. I really am enjoying your book, but for some reason exercise #13 doesn't quite make sense in terms of what pattern you would call each scale. I would greatly appreciate your help. Thanks much, take care.

Anthony

Hi Anthony,

I think I understand what you're suggesting. You're saying it would make more sense if a scale fingering were to retain the same pattern number no matter which of its notes is used as the root.

For example you want to refer to E minor scale Pattern 1 as Pattern 5, because it is the same fingering as G major scale Pattern 5, and just remember that the roots are different.

(The relative minor concept is drilled on Exercise 14, right after where you are.)

That approach might seem easier at first, but it is harmful to musicality later. Unfortunately I may not be able to explain why it is disadvantageous until you've looked at later chapters. But I'll make a short good-faith attempt.

When you work with chords, arpeggios, intervals, and modes, you'll see that the root shape determines the pattern number in every case, and all the other notes of these things are measured in comparison to a major scale from the same root---not from a different root. Do it this way until you have these basic shapes clearly planted in your mind. The method you're proposing as your primary thought process will help you later in certain circumstances, for harmonic substition and mode location.

So, we are going to say that because it has root shape 1, the E minor scale in 4th position is a Pattern 1 minor scale, even though the Pattern 5 G major scale uses the same notes and the same fingering, and in spite of the hardship of recognizing the b3, b6, and b7 in the "new" scale.

Any note except the root can be altered against the natural-degree markers on the yardstick of the major scale. For example, you can have a scale that is the same as C major except its 7th is flatted: C Mixolydian. Its Pattern 2 fingering is at fret 2, like C major. We call it Pattern 2 of C Mixolydian (again, even though it is equivalent in fingering to F major Pattern 5).

When you play the C7 chord that goes with this scale, it'll help you understand that we don't necessarily want to be thinking about F major.

C7

-3-
-5-
-3-
-5-
-3-
---

This chord does go to F major quite easily, but it could also be used in other situations that have nothing to do with F at all. Therefore we want to measure it in comparison with a major scale from its own roots: Pattern 2 in this spot on the fingerboard. The scale is C Mixolydian. Start with the 2nd finger.

C Mixolydian

------------------
------------------
-----------2-3-5--
-----2-3-5--------
-3-5--------------
------------------

This explanation may or may not make sense to you at your current position on the learning ladder. If not, I'm going to have to ask that you temporarily trust that the book's system contains the most-reduced and simplest methodology and reserve any suggested changes until after you've gotten through Chapter 21. Please contact me when you reach page 67!

Thanks,
Barrett

An 8-bar blues solo

2010-01-06T09:27:00.000-08:00

Hello guitar lovers!

I'm trying to keep up more posts on my blog. This week I've got a little 8-bar blues solo for you.

Here's the sound file:

http://monsterguitars.com/blu.mp3

And here's the transcription:

http://monsterguitars.com/Steal_Away.pdf

Till next time!

Sam's Report

2009-12-07T22:38:00.000-08:00

(Sam is one of my friend's sons.)

Hey Barret its sam im doing a report on the invention of the electric guitar a musical innovation and heres some questions: How do you think the electric guitar changes Jazz? Do you think rock would be as it is if it werent for the electric guitar? Do you think the electric guitar made a huge difference in music or not?

Hi Sam,

The electrification of the guitar made it loud enough to move out of its previous role as a supporting rhythm instrument in jazz bands and into sharing the lead spot with saxes, trumpets, and clarinets. One of the first major jazz guitarists was Charlie Christian with Benny Goodman's band. Musicians still study Charlie Christian's playing today. The guitar is a good instrument to play jazz on because it can provide chordal accompaniment like a piano, and also play expressive single note lines like a sax or trumpet, or shift quickly between both roles in rapid succession, sometimes even doing both at once. A good example of this chord-melody style of playing was Joe Pass.

The popularization of solid-body electric guitars and basses by Les Paul and Leo Fender made even louder volumes possible without feedback problems. This in turn made it easier for bands to play loud enough to fill a venue with sound with fewer microphones and less equipment needed overall. Rock music in part became successful because entertainment for a large audience could be provided by just 4 or 5 musicians instead of a bigger group. Instead of a big bus and a large entourage, you could start with a van and a few dedicated members.

The electric guitar has advantages over other instruments in its tonal flexibility; it's a very expressive instrument, with body types, pickups, effects, and amplifiers all creating huge variety in tone. It's also got lots of visual appeal because 1) you can move around the stage or dance while playing it, and 2) its playing position makes it easy for people to watch each note being produced. This is harder to see on a keyboard or wind instrument.

The answer to your final question is yes. Without electric guitar there are many kinds of music that would probably not even exist: rock, metal, punk, and modern blues.

twitter posts

2009-11-21T10:19:00.000-08:00

My twitter username is BarrettTag. (Yes, that's ttT in there.)

http://twitter.com/BarrettTag

Trying to tie blog posts, tweets, and other updates together.

Intro Lick from "Wrecked on the Sirens' Rocks." You can play it!

2009-10-30T15:29:00.000-07:00

Click the play button below to start the half-speed version.

Click here to load the notation in a separate page.

The rectangular marks represent downstrokes of the pick. The V's are upstrokes.

Dan's Major Triad Diagrams

2009-10-12T21:52:00.001-07:00

After his post, Dan replied with some nice diagrams he made of the major triads. You can see these and many more at his website.

Root Position

First Inversion

Second Inversion

The 12 close-voiced triads

2009-10-10T13:48:00.000-07:00

Dan writes:
>
> Hello Barrett,
>
> I'm a beginning guitarist, and I've been working my way
> through your "Guitar Fretboard Workbook". It is a great
> workbook, and I really like your style of "read it, write
> it, play it" which really helps me learn.
>
> As you state late in Chapter 22, I've been constructing a
> final project workbook with all sorts of shapes, chords,
> scales, and arpeggios. However I am confused by one item.
> You recommend to make diagrams of 72 triads (12 major, 12
> minor, etc.). I cannot figure out how to come up with 12
> major triad chords. In chapter 14 you show five patterns of
> each triad and then talk about inversions, but I still can't
> figure out how you come up with 12. Did you mean 15? Five
> triad patterns plus five first inversions plus five second
> inversions?
>
> Please let me know how to come up with a good practice list
> for triads.
>
> Thanks, Dan
>

Hi Dan,

The last sentence on page 44 of Chapter 14 says, "We will divide each (triad shape) into four small three-string shapes..."

Here is another way to look at it that I think you'll find helpful.

If you stay on one stringset (a group of adjacent strings), there are three triad voicings. Play this example on the top three strings for D major.

-2--5--10-----
-3--7--10-----
-2--7--11-----
--------------
--------------
--------------

Those are, in order, 2nd inversion, root position, and 1st inversion.

On the next string set, the same D major triad goes like this:
--------------
-3--7--10-----
-2--7--11-----
-4--7--12-----
--------------
--------------
Those are 1st inversion, 2nd inversion, root position.

Following this systematic exhaustion we have 4 possible sets of adjacent strings: 321 432 543 654. Multiply that 4 by the 3 inversions on each stringset and you get 12 close-voiced triads.

Here are the major triads on the other two stringsets.

--------------
--------------
-2--7--11-----
-4--7--12-----
-5--9--12-----
--------------

-------------
-------------
-------------
-4--7---12---
-5--9---12---
-5--10--14---

The list does not yet include any open-voiced triads like this, which would greatly increase the number of permutations:

-5-
-3-
---
-4-
---
---

Some of the inversions are shared by two root shape/pattern numbers. For example, this voicing is shared by Pattern 2 and Pattern 3.

---
-7-
-7-
-7-
---
---

Thanks for your mail, and congratulations on finishing the book.

All the best,
Barrett

Does One Book Include the Stuff in the Other?

2009-09-16T10:18:00.000-07:00

> Hey Barrett,
>
> I was webshopping for a good book on learning the
> fingerboard. Been playing guitar for over 30 years and bass
> for over 15 years, but the fingerboard has continued to
> elude me.
>
> Your books look promising, and I am interested in the
> Fretboard workbook or the Chord Tone Soloing book. However,
> I've read in several reviews that the first is sort of
> incorporated in the latter. So if I buy Chord Tone, will I
> need the other one?
>
> Also, if you are familiar with the guitargrid system
> (www.guitargrid.com), can you explain how your system is
> different?
>
> I hope you can clarify this. Like many musicians, I have
> loads of books already, but I have been disappointed so many
> times.
>
> Thanks, Alex V.

Hi Alex,

Thanks for writing. Since your stated purpose in the first line of your email was to learn the fingerboard, I would say you should get the Guitar Fretboard Workbook first. That is exactly what it teaches.

In the reviews there are people who prefer the Fretboard Workbook over Chord Tone Soloing, and vice versa. The books are not the same. Chord Tone Soloing is slightly more advanced, so generally speaking I (and some other teachers who use both books) recommend the Fretboard Workbook first. The amount of years you've already played (30) may or may not have a bearing on the decision. I can't tell from here.

The Fretboard Workbook drills you with diagram exercises on every kind of shape: roots, intervals, scales, arpeggios, and chords. It is foundation for both lead and rhythm work.

Chord Tone Soloing does have a chapter that covers those shapes, but there are no specific written exercises for them. Instead this book spends most of its time helping you prepare yourself to hit the right notes over any chord progression you might encounter while soloing.

I tried to take a look at the sample lesson at guitargrid.com, but it said displaying samples would "reveal key elements of the entire method," so they couldn't show them. That means I can't evaluate it!

I think any decent book will show you the material; its success does not depend on any secrets but instead on the clarity of its writing, and whether it gives you assignments to force you, the student, into doing the work. That's what I've learned in my 22 years as a GIT instructor. Teachers must give lots of assignments or the student will gloss over the material.

Thanks again, and I wish you the greatest rewards on the guitar.
Barrett

Practicing Harmonized 3rds and 6ths Within Patterns

2009-03-15T15:31:00.000-07:00

Hey Barrett,

I am incorporating the Guitar Fretboard Workbook and Chord-Tone Soloing into my newly dedicated practice regime. Well done!

I have a question. I am starting off my sessions with playing 2 of the 5 scale shapes in one key doing the descending 2,3,4, and five note patterns demonstrated on pg 30 of CTS then in melodic 3rds and 4ths. Tough but great. I want to move on to the Diatonic 3rds and 6ths but I am confused.

On pg. 34 it shows the C going up in thirds with the C scale on the G string and then in 6ths with it on the B. I think how I can see how to practice them on adjacent strings but I don't know how to practice them within each of the five patterns.

Am I missing something or is there somewhere you can point me to get an idea of how to practice them?

I have been a guitar maker for years, acoustic and electric, so if you need anything or have a question please feel free to ask. I also make and repair pickups if you ever have one crap out on you.

Thanks again and continued success,

Andrew
****************************
Hi Andrew,

Thanks for buying and using my books. I applaud your addition of diatonic 4ths to your practice regime, because it shows initiative. Those are not explicitly demonstrated in the book.

You need to shift between at least two adjacent scale patterns in order to play harmonized 3rds throughout a key, because it's not possible for a string to produce two fundamental pitches at once. With 6ths, this problem does not occur, so we'll be able to play them entirely within a single fingering pattern.

You did not say which two of the five patterns you have learned, so they might not be adjacent ones.

Starting from square one then, here is one octave's worth of Pattern One in D major. Play the first note with your little finger. Memorize the scale.

D major, Pattern One
------------------
-------------2-3--
---------2-4------
---2-4-5----------
-5----------------
------------------

Now learn this ten-note chunk of Pattern Two in D major. This one should start with the middle finger.

D major, Pattern Two
---------------------
-----------------5-7-
-----------4-6-7-----
-----4-5-7-----------
-5-7-----------------
---------------------

The pitches of the scale are named with letters, like this:
D E F# G A B C# D

or with scale degree numbers like this:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Notice these numbers are SCALE DEGREES, not fret numbers.

To start harmonized 3rds, we play scale degrees 1 and 3 (D and F#) together. We can think of these as part of Pattern One or of Pattern Two of the scale, because they are common to both.

---
---
---
-4-
-5-
---

Next we'll play scale degrees 2 and 4 (E and G) together. These notes cannot be played simultaneously in Pattern One because they'd be on the same string, so we move up into Pattern Two.

---
---
---
-5-
-7-
---

To get the next two-note chord (also called a double stop), we'll shift back into Pattern One. The two notes can't be played together as a chord in Pattern Two. The notes are F# and A, scale degrees 3 and 5.

---
---
-2-
-4-
---
---

The next 3rd-interval double stop is from scale degrees 4 to 6, G to B. These are common to Pattern One and Pattern Two.

---
---
-4-
-5-
---
---

Now we are up to degrees 5 and 7 of the scale: A and C#. We are in Pattern Two again.

---
---
-6-
-7-
---
---

Next, degrees 6 to 8. These are back in Pattern One.

---
-3-
-4-
---
---
---

We're going to learn at least one octave's worth of harmonized 3rds here, so we need to keep going. This is 7 to 2 in the scale, C# to E.

---
-5-
-6-
---
---
---

Now here's 1 to 3 again, but an octave higher than where we started.

---
-7-
-7-
---
---
---

After some practice of the above steps, we get this: a D major scale harmonized in 3rds with minimal shifting.

------------------------------------
-----------3-5-7---7-5-3------------
-----2-4-6-4-6-7---7-6-4-6-4-2------
-4-5-4-5-7---------------7-5-4-5-4--
-5-7---------------------------7-5--
------------------------------------

For harmonized 6ths, shifting out of one position is not required because the notes are far enough apart to never risk being on the same string.

-------------5-7---7-5--------------
-------5-7-8-----------8-7-5--------
-4-6-7-----4-6-7---7-6-4-----7-6-4--
-----4-5-7---------------7-5-4------
-5-7---------------------------7-5--
------------------------------------

Of course, shifting out of position will be required if we want to continue the pattern into higher or lower registers of music, so don't stop with just the examples I showed you. Learn it all over the place, and move it to all the other keys!

Thanks for your question, it is a good one.

With your permission I'd like to send you free mp3s from my new CD, with hopes that if you like it enough, someday you might pick it up.

Here's the title track:
http://monsterguitars.com/cd01/Barrett_Tagliarino-02-Throttle_Twister.mp3

Feel free to share it with as many friends as possible.

Thanks again,

Barrett
http://monsterguitars.com

the dominant 13 sus 4 chord

2009-03-07T23:40:00.000-08:00

> Hi Barrett
>
> I just came across an interview you did, talking about
> showing paul gilbert
> some 13sus4 chords! cool stuff.
>
> I like to take chords and then learn them all over the
> neck..
>
> what formula should I use? should I drop any notes out?
>
> and mainly how would I use them in context?
>
> Thanks!
>
> Aaron

Hi Aaron,

I should correct you there. I did not "show Paul" 13sus4 chords! He knew how to play them when he came over, but wanted to talk about playing over them and how their compositional uses were explained in theory. Just being clear, he already knows a lot and has a great ear, but is constantly improving himself musically.

An A13sus4 chord may contain any or all of these pitches:

1 4 5 b7 9 13
A D E G B F#

You'd often leave out the 9th or 5th. Or leave out the root and let the bass player cover it.

Guitarists can voice it like this in 5th position with a 1st finger barre:
A E G D F# A

You'd first use this chord in the same place you'd use a dominant 7th chord in a major key, on degree V. In D major that V is A13sus4.

There are many other places dominant chords get used, as I'm sure you know. In the blues, the I, IV, and V are all dominant. All may be suspended and extended if you like the sound.

In any place where the triad of the intended functional target of a dominant chord is major, you can try a 13sus4. So in a D major tonality you can try an E13sus4 (V of V) along with the I and V.

Because the 4th is covering up the 3rd in the chord you can also just think of E13sus4 as Em13 with no 3rd, a substitute for Em7.

If you want to switch modes a little, you can use B13sus4 in the key of D major and switch to D Lydian in your melody when the chord occurs. You will get B Dorian over the B13sus4 chord.

The rule for use of dominants also applies to minor keys, so in the key of B minor you can try E13sus4: V of VII, A13sus4: V of III, and D13sus4: V of VI (though you'll have to switch to B Phrygian in the melody because of the C note here).

In nontraditional composition, 13sus4 chords can be used to create parallel harmony phrases. Think of the top note as a member of a pentatonic scale and slide the whole chord around, creating a simple melodic riff with the top note.

Those are the main applications; there are probably lots more.

Thanks for writing, and with your permission I'd like to send you links to mp3s from my latest record. Feel free to share with friends.

Barrett

CAGED system vs. Pattern Numbering

2009-02-25T21:24:00.000-08:00

Kit said...

Hi Barrett, I really appreciate your Fretboard Workbook - great stuff. Would you be able to clarify one thing for me? I've been really helped by memorizing the 5 Major Scale "patterns" but why do the CAGED shapes get numbered differently so CAGED position 1 = E shape = pattern 4? Thanks again for producing a great book.

Kit
*********************
Barrett says:
THANKS KIT!

Hopefully I get what you're asking. I'll try explaining how the CAGED system works from a couple of different perspectives and how it relates to the pattern numbering system used in my books and in all Musicians Institute guitar curricula.

First, as we move a specific fingering shape around the fretboard to different keys, we want it to be identified by the same pattern name --- be it C, A, G, E, or D --- or by a pattern number: 1, 2,3, 4, or 5. That way we know how to put our fingers down.

For example, when we have the index finger on string 2 and the ring finger on string 5 as in the following tab, that's Pattern One in the key of C. These are both C notes. In the CAGED system, this is the C shape.

-----
-1---
-----
-----
-3---
-----

If we move the hand up the neck by two frets, that's still Pattern One, but now it's in the key of D. In the CAGED system, this is called a C shape or form, but these are both D notes.

-----
-3---
-----
-----
-5---
-----

Move it up another two frets and it's still Pattern One, but this time it's in the key of E. These are both E notes. In the CAGED system, an "E root shape of the C form," if you will.

-----
-5---
-----
-----
-7---
-----

Now another perspective. We want consecutive pattern numbers for shapes that connect up the neck. First look at Pattern One of C again. In the CAGED system, this is the C.

-----
-1---
-----
-----
-3---
-----

If we want to play C patterns higher up the neck, we will prepare by placing our index finger in the spot formerly occupied by the ring finger.

-----
-----
-----
-----
-3---
-----

The addition of another C note on the third string gives us Pattern Two of C. Notice this high C is the same pitch as the one we played on the second string.

In the CAGED system, this is called the A shape---because it resembles the roots of the first A chord we learn in open position (and that is the only reason).

-----
-----
-5---
-----
-3---
-----

Next, by placing our index finger on the higher C we prepare to play Pattern Three of C.

-----
-----
-5---
-----
-----
-----

Pattern Three has roots on the 6th, 3rd, and 1st strings. There are three C notes here. (I don't expect a beginner to play all three at once.) In the CAGED system, this is the G shape---because it resembles the roots of a G chord in open position.

-8---
-----
-5---
-----
-----
-8---

By placing our index finger on the place formerly occupied by the pinky, we prepare to play Pattern Four of C. You can barre all the way across the fretboard for this.

-8---
-----
-----
-----
-----
-8---

The addition of the ring finger on fret 10 completes Pattern Four roots in the key of C. In the CAGED system, this is the E shape---because it resembles the roots of the E chord in open position.

-8---
-----
-----
-10--
-----
-8---

A similar process, moving the index finger up to fret 10, gives us the Pattern Five root shape for C. In the CAGED system, this is the D form---because it resembles the roots of the first D chord we learn in open position. That is the only reason for the "D form" name. There is nothing else inherently "D" about it. These are both C notes.

-----
-13--
-----
-10--
-----
-----

Pattern One occurs again next, with the index finger on the 13th fret. These are both C notes.

-----
-13--
-----
-----
-15--
-----

Moving on up, we get another instance of C roots in Pattern Two. Again, the CAGED system refers to this as an "A" form, because it resembles the roots of an A chord when played in open position.

-----
-----
-17--
-----
-15--
-----

Right now it may seem like no big deal to call a chord with these roots a "C Chord of the A Form," but later you'll encounter additional layers of complexity, as when you apply substitute chords on top of each other.

For example, one way to make a C chord sound much jazzier would be to play an E chord instead, just keeping C as the bass note.

First play this:
-----
-5---
-5---
-5---
-3---
-----

then this:
----
-5--
-4--
-6--
-3--
----

Using pattern numbers for reference, the upper part of this chord is a Pattern One E major, that we've superimposed over the Pattern Two C chord.

Using the CAGED System for reference, the upper part of this chord is a C-form E major, that we've superimposed over the A-form C chord.

Either way is correct, but I find the first way of looking at it to be easier. The chord doesn't look much like an open-position A, and I've already got two other chords with letter names to think about: C and E.

Another name for this chord is Cmaj7#5. It is a Pattern Two chord, because its roots are on strings 5 and 3. (Although since the root does not need to be duplicated, the 3rd string is used for another chord tone here.)

I'd also use a Pattern Two scale over the chord. In this case, the scale is C Lydian Sharp 5, Pattern Two.

-----------------------4-5-4---------
-----------------3-5-7-------7-5-3----
-----------2-4-5-------------------5-4
-----2-4-6----------------------------
-3-5----------------------------------
--------------------------------------

The Pattern Two roots of the scale are, as always, on strings 3 and 5.

-----
-----
-5---
-----
-3---
-----

That last example was meant to show that there are situations that may be better served by using pattern numbers than the CAGED system alone. I'm not expecting you to be familiar with either the chord or scale presented.

It also shows that the pattern numbering system works the same for scales as the chords they are played on top of in the same fretboard position.

Tablature/Notation Book for Throttle Twister

2009-02-09T16:51:00.000-08:00

All guitar parts on the entire CD, including guest solos, are transcribed in both tablature and traditional notation for you in an 8.25" by 11" book! At amazon.

New CD is available today, (Jan. 24, 2009)

2009-01-24T13:02:00.000-08:00

The title is Throttle Twister. Eleven tracks of rock guitar instrumentals.

Guitar: Barrett Tagliarino
Bass: Alexis Sklarevski
Drums: Jon Rygiewicz
B3 on tracks 5 & 9: Steve Welch
Guest appearances by Paul Gilbert and Scott Henderson.

You can order it straight from the CD duplicator here. Check it out even if you're not buying! The cover is very cool, done by Ari Baron & Plushie the Pinstriper. Click the "Rotate Case" button at the upper left to see the back of the CD box.

You can stream all the songs in their entirety and download one for free at last.fm, and I will rotate free tracks on a monthly basis so you can download them all for free --- if you are willing to take eleven months to collect them! Contact me if you want to be notified of those mp3 releases.

There will also be a complete transcription book of all the guitar parts, expected to be available in a couple of weeks. I wrote it all out myself, so: what appears in the book will be what was really played.

Thanks!

Remembering Solos in Rehearsal

2008-08-19T20:48:00.000-07:00

Hi Barrett,

I've been learning some hard rock/heavy metal cover tunes (Priest,
Scorpions, etc.) to play with a drummer. We had an initial rehearsal last night, and it went pretty well until it came time to play the solos (ones transcribed from the record, not improvised). I got lost pretty quickly, even though I had been practicing them along with the records.

My question is: How do you recommend learning/practicing solos from recordings? I know you need to play along with the record initially, but this can become a "crutch" as I learned last night. Is there some way to incorporate priciples from Chord-Tone Soloing to do this (metronome, chord tracks, etc.)?

Thanks
Ed

************************

The same thing happens to me too, and I can't claim any special secret knowledge for preventing it, other than maybe the philosophy that long term memory is assisted by multiple perspectives on the same information: physical, aural, visual, verbal, etc.

Here are some things I do to try to learn a solo well enough that I can pull it off on a gig or rehearsal the first time and every time. I'll do some or all of these things depending on how important the gig is and how much time I have to get ready.

First: everything you said. I practice without the recording as soon as possible and only check back with it if I am totally stuck. I make my own backing sequence to play over, and also play it with a metronome only. I always try to practice the solo and each lick in the proper time, even if I am alone. I do not skip the rests or empty bars to save time. The song structure has to march by in my head like a treadmill.

I try to find the easiest and most obvious fingerings for everything and practice it the same way every time so it becomes muscle memory.

I will put my guitar aside, and slowly visualize the solo being played, one note at a time.

I sing the solo away from the instrument, bit by bit; usually singing scales first for about 5 minutes before I start.

I will intentionally set up situations to test my ability to play the solo while I'm distracted. I'll play it while I'm talking or watching tv at the same time.

Teach the solo to someone else if you get the chance; carefully explaining where to put each finger for each note as you play. Or just teach it to an imaginary student using the verbalization method.

Once I know a solo I practice it frequently, but only once through at a time. Make it similar to the live situation, where you can't back up if you make a mistake. Force yourself to plow on through, just like you'd have to on a gig. The best memorization comes from playing something on the gig several nights a week for months, so emulate that situation. That is a mixture of feeling the pain of blowing it in front of a crowd, and then going back and reviewing it later so that it hopefully it doesn't happen again.

Intentionally screw with yourself by dropping out or improvising a couple bars, then jump back in with the real licks from the original solo. You want to be able to jump back in after a dropout. Practice it starting from all different places, not just from the beginning.

Other things I do: I usually write the solo out by hand when I'm transcribing anyway, but if I learned it from sheet music I'll put that away and write it out again from memory. It takes time, but it helps you really know the ins and outs of each phrase, what beat it starts on, and all its details, because you have to count it all out and write each pitch. Then I read the thing I've written. Then I put it away and go back to it only if I am totally stuck at remembering it.

When (not "if") I forget it, I try to figure it out again without using the paper or the recording. It's usually in my head somewhere as melodic memory, but maybe with no muscle memory attached.

I play it super slow, counting the beats aloud so I really know it.

Also try playing it faster than the original (but still in time with the metronome). This is a good one; it forces you to really get the thing down to reflex.

Transposing the solo to another key can be helpful for getting your ear trained to control your fingers, but you want to be careful that you don't let multiple fingerings get you confused.

After doing all that, I'll still mangle it a few times before I start getting it right in front of an audience with consistency. At that point, I'm almost EXPECTING it to suck, and am about ready to give up. Then it starts coming out perfectly just to spite me.

Arpeggio Fingering Considerations

2008-07-01T15:24:00.001-07:00

> Hi Barrett,
>
> I had a question about the Major Triad Arpeggios on p.35 of
> the Chord-Tone Soloing book:
>
> Just wondering why the Pattern 5 arpeggio is different, in
> that it moves outside the position of the corresponding
> Pattern 5 Major scale with its initial stretch to the
> third, unlike all the other major triad arpeggios which
> stay within their respective scale forms.
>
> I know these things aren't carved in stone (though the
> CAGED system seems pretty structured to me), but it's
> almost like the Pattern 5 major triad shape moves into
> Pattern 1 initially then back to Pattern 5 again!
>
> Any thoughts on this?
>
> - Ed

Hi Ed,

Thanks for writing. Here are some quick thoughts on Pattern 5 arpeggios that also apply to the others.

If you start a pattern 5 arpeggio with the 1st finger on the root, then the one shown on page 35 is easiest to play smoothly, although you're right, it does cross over into pattern 1's territory.

If you start with the 2nd finger on the root, then the way you suggest (similar to patterns 2 & 4) starts off looking easier. But it gets a little tricky when you get to the notes played by the 3rd and 4th fingers on the top 3 strings. It is harder to play cleanly because of the independence required between fingers 3 and 4.

In the long run you'll want to know how to do it either way (and more other ways), depending on which finger happens to be closest at the time, and where your melody is going afterward.

That brings up an exercise that I highly recommend. See what happens when you start the arpeggios from every possible finger on each note, while avoiding any moves that might create a gap or a smear in the sound. (For example: playing two consecutive notes on different strings and different frets with the same finger---I try to avoid that.)

Here is how the exercise physically plays out. Start a major triad arp from a root on the sixth string with each of the 4 fingers, and you often get a different fingering for the same notes. Then try every possible starting finger for the arp but starting from the 3rd, then the 5th, then the next root, and so on. Draw fingering diagrams if necessary.

You'll find it often pushes you into a different area of the neck from where you started. But if you know those first 5 basic shapes it'll help you figure out where the next note is when you get shifted up into the next pattern.

It is lots of work. If you practice this, though, your playing will eventually be ultra-smooth. That's always the final deciding factor: whatever ends up producing the most even, stable, and consistently clean sound is what you should use, even if it creates a conceptual problem or messes up a pattern.

Thanks again,
Barrett

melodic structure

2008-05-27T02:13:00.000-07:00

Barrett,
Hey, buddy. I've just been working through your Chord-Tone Soloing book again and was wondering if you would indulge me and answer a couple of questions. These both have to do with the whole concept of hitting the closest available chord tone of the next chord. First of all, I have been trying to break out of my pentatonic rut by switching pentatonic scales with each chord. I thought of you because when I just switched scales without much thought as to what tone I "began" on, it sounded pretty rough; however, when I kind of focused on a neighboring note that was a chord tone of the next chord, things sounded much better. Question one is this: What if my phrases are kind of chord based, instead of linear/scalar and aren't really moving in a certain direction? In other words, if I am hitting a D over a D chord, but it's not really part of an ascending or descending line, and I move to an A chord, does it matter if I hit the C# or the E? Secondly, I am a HUGE fan of Neal Schon of Journey--I think his solos are the most beautiful and memorable, by far, out there. It seems to me that he solos entirely out of the tonic/parent diatonic scale, and I have spent the last year painstakingly trying to figure out how to solo with the entire major scale, without much luck. That's what brought me back to your book. I have had it in my head that you only hit the 4 note over the IV chord and can only hit the 7 over the V, etc.--heck, I've experimented with everything. Putting rhythm aside and only focusing on note choice, is there an easy insight you can give me into improvising with the major scale a la Neal Schon? I know that's a pretty wide-open question. Thanks again, Barrett, and keep up the great work.
Travis P.

Hi Travis,

For your first question: "if I am hitting a D over a D chord, but it's not really part of an ascending or descending line, and I move to an A chord, does it matter if I hit the C# or the E?"

Either the C# or the E will work on the A chord even if it is not part of a linear idea, though the linear approach to the chord tone reinforces your ability to hit it at the right time in a way that feels musical.

Beyond hitting the closest available tone of the next chord, you might next need to study melodic structure. Neal Schon's a good exemplifier of it.

Some quick examples are the little guitar melody in "Any Way You Want It" (around 2:00) and the longer one in "Who's Crying Now" (at 3:28).

These melodies are designed (not improvised, really) to fit a phrase of a specific length. A 'phrase' here is defined as a short chord progression, with a discernible beginning and end, that is usually repeated. In "Any Way You Want It" it's a four-bar phrase (G D/F# Em C). In "Who's Crying Now" it's eight bars (Am Am F F Dm G Am Am).

You can clearly hear the resolution point at the end of each phrase in the melody lines. The melody stops naturally in these places.

On "Any Way You Want It" the melody stops on the tonic G, which is the 5th of the IV chord at the time.

On the slow song he stops on the 9th of the Im chord at the end of the 8-bar phrase. There's a little breathing room before the same melody starts again. In the solo that follows, he keeps that phrase length in mind at all times, so he can finish up and return to the signature melody right on time for the fadeout.

Chord Tone Soloing sets you up for the skill by forcing you to count bars. In this case you have to count 4 or 8 bars while you're playing and do your best to finish off your licks at the beginning of bar 4 (or 8). With that in mind, it's ok if it goes past that point by a beat or two, but DO NOT let it hang over the end of bar 4 and into the next phrase. If it does hang over, it may feel like you're doing something really cool, but by about two bars later I can almost guarantee you're going to start feeling lost, and the melody will take on a random meandering quality that you don't want.

For practice you should start looking at chord progressions, writing them down and trying to identify the phrase lengths. If there is a I, IV, or V chord in bar 4 or 8, then it's probably there that you need your melody to resolve to a long chord tone, then take a breath and start it over. It can repeat exactly (and there's nothing wrong with planning it instead of improvising) or it can repeat with some variation.

Exaggerate that long note at the end. It should be longer than you think. A whole note in bar 4 is totally ok. Remember, there's a band playing with you, and they will fill up that space.

With time this kind of phrasing will develop as a reflex when improvising.

I better go now. Good luck and have fun.
Barrett

2008-04-10T22:30:00.000-07:00

Upcoming CD Released Free, One Track
at a Time

The tunes are all written, and I'm spending lots of time in the studio now. It's all instrumental rock, with an emphasis on melodic soloing and cool arrangements, with the requisite hot licks and some shredding here and there.

When the songs are all mixed and mastered, you'll be able to download one song for free each month. Every month the free song will be switched to a different one off the album. You can contact me to be notified when the CD is available or when each new monthly song is available. Just state your preference. If you give me your address I won't give it to anyone else. No time for marketing shenanigans. I will only contact you when I have new product!

Of course you'll also be able to buy the CD right away if you want CD quality, or if you don't want to wait for the songs. That would be nice.

Help with Guitar Fretboard Workbook, pg 10: Root Shapes; also Dropped Tunings

2008-04-04T22:13:00.000-07:00

Hi Barrett,
[...I am on the 2nd chapter of the Fretboard workbook where you are talking about root shapes. I totally understand memorizing the the C notes for the Key of C... but once you mention G and then go on to the exercises I am lost. I guess I understand that the shapes work in a train like pattern... when a certain shape starts at any given point on the fret board the next shape will be the same as it would be if that shape started anywhere else....

I am looking at the finished example in exercise 4 page 10. Do I need to know the key before I can make the shape? Maybe I am reading too far into this but I am just so lost. Is there a book that I should read before this one? Once again thank you for taking time out of your day to try to ease my mind...]

Steve S.

First quick answer: you are correct, you don't need to worry about keys or note names to do Exercises 4 and 5. There is no way to know them yet. I just show you a starting note in Exercises 4 and 5. At the moment it doesn't matter what the name of the note is.

In a way, I'm glad that you got stuck on Exercises 4 and 5 and not a later one. It gives me the opportunity to say right up front that you need to go slow and be patient. We all do. Part of what makes it hard is that you probably expect yourself to just rip through it because you've been playing for years. You don't need another book to prepare for this one, but be ready to spend a long time on each chapter. It's not like a chord chart that you can strum through in a day or two.

The only prior knowledge you need for Exercises 4 and 5 is contained in the book. Make sure you know your correct fret and string numbers as shown on page 6. If you have to stop and think about those, it'll make you forget what you're doing when you try to do the later exercises. It's like math in that way. You have to learn how to count without thinking before you learn to add and subtract.

You may want to review pages 8 and 9 every day for a week or two. The root shapes need to be memorized so well that you could teach them to someone else. Throughout the book, wherever I have you repeat things aloud, I'm telling you they should be memorized that firmly.

When you can play the five patterns of root shapes (as shown on page 8) without looking at the book, you are playing every C note on the guitar---except for some high ones way up the neck.

The demonstration diagrams are not completely abstract, with no note names, because I want to stress the fact that the big sequence of five root shapes stays the same when the key changes. So the diagram is shown in the key of C on page 8, and in G at the bottom of page 9. The main concern at this point, however, is not note names or keys, but just learning the relative locations of the notes within the root shapes and the exact order those root shapes follow.

So please bust out some blank paper and draw the exact same "C" diagram for yourself. Then draw the same diagram two more times, moving each note one fret higher each time. The shapes should stay the same, but you will be drawing all the roots in C#, and then in D. It'll be just like sliding a clear plastic template with dots on it over the graph formed by the strings and frets.

Then, to further cement the knowledge, please answer these questions for me.
(The answers are further down in this post.)
1. Which root shapes have a note on the 3rd string?
2. I have my first finger on the 6th string at any fret. Which root shape can I play?
3. How many frets apart are the roots in pattern 5?
4. I have my pinky finger on the 2nd string at fret 4 (or higher). Which root shape can I play?
5. Which root shapes have a note on the 4th string?
6. I have my 2nd finger on the 5th string at fret 4. Which root shape can I play?
7. Which root shapes have a note on the 1st string?
8. In pattern 1, the roots are two frets apart. Which strings are they on?
9. If I have my first finger on the 5th string, which root shape can I play?
10. What if I have my 4th finger on the 5th string? Which root shape can I play?

You are correct when you say "when a certain shape starts at any given point on the fret board the next shape will be the same as it would be if that shape started anywhere else." You can start with (for example) pattern 2 at the first fret, and go up from there to pattern 3 at fret 3.

It's the same as if I told you to recite the alphabet starting from the letter E, you could say, "E F G H I J," and so on. If I told you to recite it from the letter W and start over when you hit the end, you could say, "W X Y Z A B C," etc. The same applies to the five root shapes. Pattern 5 is always followed by pattern 1 as you move up the neck.

When you go back to the book on page 10, I suggest you do Exercise 5 before Exercise 4. Experience has shown that Exercise 5 is a little bit easier for most people; I think it's because it doesn't make you think about your fingers as much.

answers
1. Patterns 2 and 3
2. Pattern 4
3. 3 frets apart
4. Pattern 5
5. Patterns 4 and 5
6. Pattern 2
7. Patterns 3 and 4
8. Strings 2 and 5
9. Pattern 2
10. Pattern 1, but only if the 4th finger is at fret 2 or higher.

OK, please work on that and get back to me.
Barrett

Thanks for the great reply! Ok... so I think I am starting to get it now. Looking at excercise 5 helped me. But lets make sure I am thinking about this the right way. If you look at exercise 5 number 2... the first notes is on the 3rd fret on the b string. So I look up at exercise 1 and I see that the note appears twice in that position on the b string not just on the 3rd fret. So then I apply the pattern that I see in the 1st exercise to number 2. So anyway... this means that anytime I have a root on the high e string/low e string it means that it will involve a triangle pattern.... right? no matter what? As long as I am in standard tuning. Now I usually play in Drop C tuning... CGCFAD. I think thats what... 2 or 2 and a half steps down from D standard tuning? Well how much would these diagrams change? Would I have to memorize another set of diagrams or is there a way to use these? I guess the triangle patterns on the 6th string would be the only ones shifted... but is there an easier way to think about it? I actually just bought your soloing book maybe 30 mins ago from amazon... I know that book is probably over my head until I get this one down. But to be able to solo and play lead riffs in my band is my goal. I can write pretty good stuff but when it comes to playing something different over the other guitar playing riffs... I start to get lost.

Steve

Hi Steve,

You're right. In standard tuning, any time you have a root on an E string, you will have a triangular pattern of roots: either pattern 3 (if your pinky is playing the E-string notes) or pattern 4 (if your index or maybe your middle finger is playing the E-string notes). I think you're getting it. The answers are all in the back of the book to help you make sure.

Dropped D tuning (DADGBE) is the same as standard tuning in its absolute string intervals except for the 6th string. So again you are correct; the fretboard workbook will apply, except that any note on the 6th string will need to be moved up by two frets in the diagram. Also, as I'm sure you know because it's why you're using this tuning, some chords will become available that are not mentioned in the book because they are too hard to play in standard tuning.

If you then tune the entire guitar down a whole step, producing CGCFAD, any note or chord root letter in the book will of course be off by a whole step.

I think it would be a good idea to make a few of your own diagrams (not a whole book's worth) just to get you on track with the tuning you use. It can't hurt. Another thing I'm sure you've considered is keeping one guitar in standard tuning around the house to use when you're working with books or playing along with most of the recorded guitars you hear.

Thanks for buying the other book, Chord Tone Soloing, too! I think you'll like it, and it won't be as tough as you might think to understand. I tried very hard to put every little step in the correct order and keep the learning curve as shallow as possible for the first half of the book. So go ahead and check out the first couple of chapters when you get it, even if you're still working with the other one. I'd be interested in hearing what you think of it.

Barrett

New Guitar Reading Workbook's Out Today (Feb. 15, 2008)

2008-02-16T15:15:00.000-08:00

I got the idea for the Guitar Reading Workbook (click to buy it) from teaching Reading classes to beginning GIT students. I gave them extra diagram exercises sort of like those in my Fretboard Workbook. They said it helped them learn and made the subject more fun, so I expanded the idea into a complete reading method book.

After explaining a topic as concisely as possible, I give a written exercise that solidifies the concept in your brain. Early ones might take about 5 minutes. Later ones can take up to half an hour to complete. The exercises differ from chapter to chapter. Sometimes you just have to write the names of some notes or chords that you see on the staff. In others, you write which beat number a rhythm falls on. Later, you'll read some tab and translate it into regular notation, look at some notes and identify the chord they make, and so on. When you've finished the written part, you pick up the guitar, turn on the metronome, and play the notation.

Throughout the book I try to make everything as easy and clear as possible, so you don't have to ever learn two new things at once. But if you get this book, you should spend at least 6 months to a year with it. Go slowly! It starts out basic but takes you into some reasonably advanced territory.

This new book is available at amazon.com and can be ordered from any regular bookstore (if they don't already have it).

Per the comment below, you can look at a pdf of a couple of sample pages from Chapter Two here: http://monsterguitars.com/gtr-rdng-wkbk.pdf

Sometimes pdf's lock up a browser (though this is a small one - about 65K), so maybe you'd rather right click the link and save it before viewing.

How Long Should I Practice Each Scale Pattern Before Adding Another One?

2008-01-14T18:14:00.000-08:00

>xxxx@xxxxxxx.com writes:
>
> Just picked up a copy of you Chord-Tone soloing book.
> Great reviews is what sold me. I'm just trying to expand
> my guitar knowledge and hopefully my soloing. My
> question is I've come to Major scales chapter 6. As a
> practicing schedule would you like start on pattern 1 for
> a couple of weeks, add two, and so on. Then when would
> you start intervals, and chords and arpegios? I'm trying
> to develop a schedule and I'm just looking for some
> suggestions. Thanks and I'm looking forward in diving
> into your book!!
>
S.S.
> Winchester, KY

Hi S.S,

The short answer is, you know yourself best. If you get them mixed up or start forgetting shapes as you learn new ones, then you're going too fast. I can't give you a set time frame for each thing like one week, two weeks, etc. because it is different for everybody.

You want to gradually add new fretboard shapes (chords, scales, and arpeggios) to your practice schedule in a way that doesn't overwhelm your ability to absorb the information. It's like juggling. Maybe you can juggle four balls but adding the fifth one makes you drop all of them. You'd have to stick with four for a little longer.

I think trying to learn too many new shapes at once is the same way. When you can get up cold in the morning, turn on the metronome, and play a scale pattern in time, with no mistakes on the first try (and it feels like you know it), then it's ok to start working on a new one.

After you know them, you can always benefit by continuing to practice the scales and arpeggios so you don't forget them, and can do more things with them. I still practice them after knowing them for many years, only now I'm practicing longer melodic sequences of notes that use them.

As an example, last night I was practicing this 8-note scale sequence, both alternate-picked and using pulloffs. It is written in pattern 3 of C major.

E|-8-5-7-8-7-5-----|
B|-------------8-6-|
G|-----------------|
D|-----------------|
A|-----------------|
E|-----------------|

When moved through the scale it looks like this. Each measure starts one note lower than the one before.

E|-8-5-7-8-7-5-----|-7---5-7-5-------|
B|-------------8-6-|---8-------8-6-5-|
G|-----------------|-----------------|
D|-----------------|-----------------|
A|-----------------|-----------------|
E|-----------------|-----------------|

E|-5-----5---------|-----------------|
B|---6-8---8-6-5---|-8-5-6-8-6-5-----|
G|---------------7-|-------------7-5-|
D|-----------------|-----------------|
A|-----------------|-----------------|
E|-----------------|-----------------|

This way I'm still practicing the scale, but I'm doing something unfamiliar with it that may become part of a solo or a melody later.

Once you know a shape, you want to do the same: continue to practice it but in a way that you haven't done before. That way you will stay engaged in what you are learning. If you start to daydream about other stuff while you practice, that's bad. Then you're going too slow; so you need to move faster, make it a little harder, or of course, add a new scale, interval, or arpeggio to the list of practice items.

Shoot for a pace that falls between these two extremes and you should be OK!

I hope this helps. Thanks again, and good luck.

Barrett

Building Major Scale Patterns

2007-11-25T21:06:00.000-08:00

Hello Barrett,

First, I want to tell you that your GFW book is one of most successful books that I ever found about learning guitar. Thanks !

I'm studying alone - no teacher. I have some difficulties though in understanding the purpose of root shapes. What is the logic behind root shapes ? Why they are there?

And another question - about building major scale patterns. According to major scale formula it goes WWH,WWWH. When I look at major D pattern (p.24) I see completely different picture, nothing that looks even close to the formula. Why is that? The book doesn't explain that one very clearly.
Thanks in advance for your answer.
Daniel

Hi Daniel,

Thanks for your message, and I appreciate your kind comments about my work.

I'd like to start by answering your second question.

To be clear to everybody reading this, we're talking about the major scale pattern on page 24 (Exercise 12, problem 1) in Chapter 7 of the Guitar Fretboard Workbook.

Rather than just show you a scale fingering pattern and saying, "memorize this," the book sets you up with a few basics that you'll need in order to understand and build your own scale patterns:

1) The root shapes from Chapter 2.

2) 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 as a one-string scale pattern.

3) How to play whole steps and half steps when changing strings. (This is covered on page 23.)

Make sure you've memorized those 3 things first. The exercise will be confusing unless you know them pretty well. Now we'll walk through the scale-building exercise on step at a time.

The D roots are on the 2nd string, 3rd fret, and the 5th string, 5th fret. Let's 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. So, the lower root ("note 1") should be played on string 5, fret 5, with the PINKY or 4th finger.

The fingering is given below the tablature. LH means "Left Hand."

E ---------|
B ---------|
G ---------|
D ---------|
A --5------|
E ---------|
LH: 4

Note 2 is a whole step higher. We are already using the 4th finger for note 1, so (as we learned on page 23) we can play a whole step on the next string (string 4) at fret 2. This note should be played with the index finger. Remember
you're looking at tablature here. It's different from a neck diagram---the notes are written in the order you play them.

E ----------|
B ----------|
G ----------|
D -----2----|
A --5-------|
E ----------|
LH: 4 1

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 above 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 backwards, 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 "no 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.

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. The lower root should be played with the second finger.

E ---------------|
B ---------------|
G -----7---------|
D ---------------|
A --5------------|
E ---------------|

**************************

To your second question---why do we study root shapes---it's for several reasons. First, they show us how to find and name all the notes on the fretboard. If you know the name of one note on the guitar, any note, you can use the 5 root shapes to find the same note in all its other positions on the neck.

Root shapes also provide us with the starting point for building chords, scales, and melodies. The root is the only note that stays the same whether a chord or scale is major, minor, augmented, or diminished or any other quality. For example, look at the Pattern 1 root shape in D again.

E ---------|
B --3------|
G ---------|
D ---------|
A -----5---|
E ---------|

The D major chord in this pattern looks like this. The notes in this chord are Root, 3rd, 5th, Root.

E ------|
B --3---|
G --2---|
D --4---|
A --5---|
E ------|

The D minor chord has the same roots but the 3rd is different.

E ------|
B --3---|
G --2---|
D --3---|
A --5---|
E ------|

The D augmented chord has the same roots but the 5th is different.

E ------|
B --3---|
G --3---|
D --4---|
A --5---|
E ------|

The D diminished chord has the same roots but the 3rd and 5th are different. Don't worry if you can't make this stretch; it's for demonstration.

E ------|
B --3---|
G --1---|
D --3---|
A --5---|
E ------|

I hope I am reading your question correctly. It suddenly occurs to me that you might mean, "Why should I learn this if I just want to play some songs that somebody else has already written?". The easy answer is, you don't. You can just memorize the places where you are supposed to put your fingers.

The real answer comes by way of an analogy. If you were learning to drive a car to a store, someone could show you only the exact moves needed to get there: turn the ignition key until the engine starts, hold the brake down and put the car in drive, and so on, in excruciatingly exact detail until you turn off the car in front of the store!

That method is dangerous. Instead you learn the general principles for safe driving, the location of the place you're headed, and a mental map of the roads in the area.

Guitar playing is the same. Nobody will die if you mess up, but the whole process is easier if you understand and know your options if you take a wrong turn.

-Barrett Tagliarino

Open-Position vs Movable Chords; Open-Voiced vs Close-Voiced Chords

2007-09-16T12:26:00.000-07:00

> xxxx@gmail.com writes:
>
> Hello,
> I bought the "guitar fretboard workbook" and am enjoying
> it.
> I am trying to learn guitar with your book and have no
> teacher.
> Working on the codes (triads), I got a question.
> What's the differences between the open movable codes
> (CAGED form) and the close voiced codes? Close voiced
> codes are also movable and partially barred, aren't they?
> Usages are different?
> I appreciate your answer in advance. Thank you!

Thank you for buying my book. I'm glad you are enjoying it.

The word "open" has two uses. This can cause confusion. The word "position" too has different uses for music in general and the guitar in particular. Semantic problems like this make it a good idea to talk to a live teacher once in a while. I'll nonetheless try to explain "open-position" versus movable chords, then open vs. closed voicings, all on the printed page.

First, "open" means unfretted strings on the guitar. "Position" means the location of the the first finger. "Open position" chords like the C, A, G, E, and D chords on page 44 have open (unfretted) strings included. These are called "open position chords" but since "position" means the location of the first finger on the fretboard for all other chords but these, they might better be called "unfretted-string chords."

The C and E chords might be called "first position chords" because when you play them, your index finger is usually at fret 1. But you could play them (especially the E chord) using only your 2nd, 3rd, and 4th fingers. Try both ways.


 C chord
-0-
-1-
-0-
-2-
-3-
---

 E chord
-0-
-0-
-1-
-2-
-2-
-0-

In the A, G, and D chords, your first finger is usually at the 2nd-fret position. But again, you could play them without using the first finger at all. Try them both ways. When we move the chords up the neck, we'll need that first finger to be free.


 A chord
-0-
-2-
-2-
-2-
-0-
---

 G chord
-3-
-0-
-0-
-0-
-2-
-3-

 D chord
-2-
-3-
-2-
-0-
---
---

Any of these chords is only movable if you replace the open-string notes with fingered ones as you move up. If there was more than one open-string note, a barred 1st finger can be used to do the job that was formerly done by the nut of the guitar. Now the position of the chord is named by the fret where the first finger is.

By moving the E chord up one fret, for example, we get an F chord in 1st position.


F, 1st position
-1-
-1-
-2-
-3-
-3-
-1-

To sum up: "position" on the guitar means the location of the first finger, or where it would be even when you decide not to use it (!), with the exception of so-called "open-position" chords, which must have at least one unfretted string.

The chiming chords that mix open strings with notes higher up the neck are named by the position of the first finger also. This is a 7th-position B(add4) over A.


B(add4)/A
-0-
-7-
-8-
-9-
-0-
---

Next, "open voicings" (page 51) are chords where the notes are not as close together as possible. Now we are not strictly talking about strings or fingers anymore. Open voicings can be played on a guitar, an accordion, or any other polyphonic instrument by making one of the tones an octave higher or lower.

It's still the same chord name (Ami, for example) but now the notes are spread out.
Here are two open-voiced Ami chords. Don't strum all six strings. Just pluck the notes shown fingerstyle.
-0---8-
-1---5-
-------
-----7-
-0-----
-------

For comparison, a close-voiced chord has all its notes as close together as possible. Here are two close voicings of Ami.

-0---5-
-1---5-
-2---5-
-------
-------
-------

In all the above chords the notes are A, C, and E in some order. Musicians choose which version of a chord to use so they can:

1. create a melody on the top when moving from one chord to the next, or

2. create a bass line on the bottom when moving from one chord to the next, or

3. create an inner melody, or

4. make sure some notes stay the same or move as little as possible when the chords change, or

5. create a sound they like for any reason. An example of this might be Jimi Hendrix's open-voiced chords in "Castles Made of Sand" that he apparently chose for their "spacey" texture.

Hope this helps. Let me know.
Thanks,
Barrett

Practicing Arpeggios

2007-08-18T22:32:00.000-07:00

Barrett-

I understand that for a Major Arpeggio - we take the Notes as follows -
   1. ROOT
   2. Maj 3rd
   3. Perfect 5th
    
In other words -i.e. 1 3 5 of the Major Scale.
    
Now what is the best way to practice and use these
practically ?  Like should I first try to figure them out
 using the "5 ROOT SHAPES" ? Do I have to memorise the
 Individual Patterns for each root shape - for each
 Arpeggio ?



Yes, this is a good long term goal. Learning the 5 patterns
of various arpeggio types to the point where you can use
them when improvising will take a lot of practice, but it's
the kind of practice I enjoyed. It will also make you sound
like an accomplished player in the long run.

How do I practice playing arpeggio shapes? Should I practice them in the same way as I did my Scale Shapes (From Lowest to Highest note)?

For a good place to start, yes, it's easiest to begin by practicing from the lowest root, then include all the notes you can reach without shifting. Practice them in eighth notes with a metronome set at a very slow tempo.

The next exercise is to arpeggiate the chords of a short progression; for example |G |Dm |C |F |. Play steady 8th notes and switch arpeggios right on the downbeat. You will play eight chord tones for each measure of music.

When the shapes are familiar enough, start switching by the closest available tone to the last one played.

This example starts on string 6, playing all the way up and then starting down the G major triad arp with the left hand at the 2nd fret. Then it switches to Dm for measure 2. The closest note to the final D (in measure 1) on the 2nd string in the next arpeggio (while moving in the same direction - down) is A on the 3rd string.

G B D G B D G D |

A F D A D F A D |

The next measure's chord is C, and we just finished the previous measure by playing a D on the 3rd fret of the 2nd string. The closest member of a C chord we can reach while continuing to ascend is an E on the 5th fret of string 2. We continue up to G on the 1st string and then change directions on beat 2 of the measure, descending all the way down the C major arpeggio to G on the lowest string at fret 3.

E G E C G E C G|

Now it is time for the F chord in measure 4. Staying in position, we can change directions and head back up, starting with the closest member of an F chord: A on the 5th fret of string 6. We'll end up changing back to a descending line on the final note of the measure.

A C F A C F A F|

We can start the chord progression over again, and this time encounter a new series of notes because the closest one in G is now the D on string 2, fret 3. Each time we repeat the progression, the series should start on a different one of the available tones of G at this position. If you find yourself repeating a series, just move to a starting note you haven't used yet.

This type of arpeggio exercise is explained more fully (and tabbed out) in my "Chord Tone Soloing" book.

Thanks

Barrett

Finding a Private Instructor

2007-07-07T19:45:00.000-07:00

Hey Barrett,
Do you ever teach long-distance private lessons via webcam, emailing files, or anything along those lines? I've been frustrated by a few recent experiences with teachers in my area whose method or temperament didn't suit me.

This is just my opinion, but in spite of your difficulty in finding a satisfactory instructor, I still think a few one-on-one lessons are the way to go. If you live near any medium-to-large-sized city, there must be a teacher with whom you would get along. Maybe it's just a matter of looking in the right place.

Especially for working on rhythm guitar playing, as you mentioned, you need immediate feedback from the instructor---saying "No! That's not it! Stop rushing! Tap your foot, damn it!" or "Yes! That's it!"---as he watches your hands, feet, and body, and plays along with you in real time. It's hard to make that happen online.

Look for somebody who has most of these things:
-is formally educated in music with at least a year at Berklee, MI, or a university,
-is articulate and a good listener,
-is drug-free,
-has played lots of different kinds of gigs,
-is commercially published, or has some charts and/or handouts that he's accumulated for teaching purposes. This shows a commitment to teaching.
-keeps track of your lesson activities
-gives homework, especially when he sees you lack focus.

It's not really necessary that he's an astounding player, unless you're desperate for that kind of inspiration.

Major-Scale Fingering Patterns

2007-04-29T15:01:00.000-07:00

Hello Barrett,
I just bought GFW, and since I like the workbook approach, I just ordered your other 2 books.

I'm just curious, should each exercise be repeated a certain amount of times before moving on to the next one?

Also, one thing that has always confused me about learning scales is that not every author uses the same scale system. Mark John Sternal uses a 3-note-per-string/7 position system, Uncle Tim's books use three positions for diatonic scales (and two positions for pentatonics), while you use 5 to cover the root centers like Fretboard Logic. Should all the various scale systems be learned in addition to the one in your books?

On the first question (should each exercise be repeated a certain amount of times):

My subjective opinion is that more practice of every imaginable type is better, including written exercise beyond all the fill-it-in diagrams that are in the book as is.

You could redraw any new shapes on blank paper and then play them every day for a week or two (or three), until they are committed to memory. Visualize scale fingerings away from the instrument, verbally describe the names of the notes and what strings and frets they are on, and even try teaching them to a friend. That really helps cement the information.

The idea is similar to the Olympic luge racers who use video and visualization to mentally rehearse each section of their course rather than just sledding down the course over and over.

There is not a specific number of repetitions that I'm sure will do the trick for any particular item. Beyond a certain point, rote repetition can cause you to tune out mentally. Do a lot of practicing of course, but as soon as possible make small variations in your approach, like starting a scale from each of its possible notes, starting from the high notes and descending, using different tempos, different rhythms like triplets, applying it over chord progressions, and so on.

Now I'll take a crack at the second question: (Should all the various scale systems be learned in addition to the one in your books?):

The short answer is that the 5-pattern system is most important, but I do also practice the popular 3-note-per-string/7-position scales that you mention are in Mr. Sternal's book, along with other patterns. They are all useful in some way.

The 5-pattern or CAGED system is easiest for relating melodies to the underlying chords, which you'll find out more about when you look at Chord Tone Soloing. You'll probably agree that melody should take precedence over physical concerns.

That said, the 3-note-per-string scales have a certain symmetry that makes them easy to learn and practice. They also let you economy-pick and use lots of hammerons and pulloffs, so they're good for playing fast.

Take your time and really learn the 5 patterns. After the 5 patterns of scales are ingrained you will know where the notes are, so then it's not so hard to connect one pattern to the next. While playing pattern 1, you have to be visualizing pattern 2 so you can move up into it without a glitch. The 3-note-per-string patterns do exactly that: cross from one root shape to the next.

I like knowing where the root is, keeping track of it when playing any pattern. Try yelling out the word "root" whenever you hit that note. Remember, the root is not the lowest note in the pattern. It's the note that is circled in the diagrams, it's the point of musical resolution, it's the "bits" in "Shave and haircut, two bits," and so on. I'm sure you knew that, but I'm playing it safe here.

It's also cool to (later) work out some 4-note-per-string scale fingering patterns. These use all 4 fingers on each string and move through most of the guitar's range. You could crudely call this "Holdsworth" fingering.

Another thing that's useful (but somewhat counterintuitive) is to start high up on the neck (say F on the 13th fret with your 2nd finger) and then play up a major scale using two notes per string only. This forces your hand to move away from the body as you ascend, moving you down from pattern 4 into pattern 3, and so on. You could crudely call this "Django" fingering.

I'm unfortunately not familiar with Uncle Tim's books, so I'm not qualified to comment on his scale presentation. On the surface I can't see how you could easily cover the entire neck with only two patterns of pentatonic scales. I'm not accusing Uncle Tim of this, but I've seen books where some areas of the fingerboard have to be skipped over.

Maybe he uses 3-note-per-string pentatonics, which I'd consider pretty advanced. They require a lot of stretching, and sort of interfere with the standard repertoire of pentatonic blues licks, but they would cover the entire fingerboard.

It could be that he is thinking of something different from me by the word "pattern," which I suppose could mean any collection of fingerboard locations that you're trying to remember. For me, it's something you can play in one spot on the fretboard, with a minimum of position-changing.

Playing with Distortion

2007-04-22T15:14:00.000-07:00

Hi Barrett,

Can you guide me a little regarding controlling distortion?

Actually I find it almost impossible to play with distortion, except when playing power chords. When I try to play a few lead notes (melody) the distortion just becomes uncontrollable and it sounds really very bad. It's like the notes sound bad together with each other (when they mix or sound together).

I really want to practice a few leads, scales, etc., with distortion to learn to play a bit of rock and metal, but I just can't figure out what to do. I tried to mute every note before going to the next note, but it sounds very 'broken" and non-continuous.

How do people play such beautiful and smooth solos with distortion ?
Thanks.

Try this experiment. On your distorted electric guitar I want you to wrap a soft hand towel or a big tube sock around the first few frets of the neck. It should be tightened just enough to completely damp the sound of the strings. If you strum this guitar, it will just go "thunk" and then stop.

Now try playing on the frets above this "damper." If your playing sounds much better than it did before, then you need to work on damping the unwanted noises with your fretting-hand fingers and your picking-hand palm. Instead of completely damping each note before moving on, you should practice an overall mentality of keeping a close grip in either hand, where you are almost muting the note that you are actually playing (or maybe even so that you are muting it, a little) so that all the other strings are definitely damped.

If, on the other hand, it still sounds pretty messy even with the cloth there, then you may have a problem with the number of strings you are pressing down at the same time, or picking accuracy. Practice slowly, making sure that you're lifting your finger off one string just as you depress another, and that you're only picking the one string at a time that you want. Eventually this will become a habit, and you'll have cleaner execution without thinking too much about it.

It is also possible that you are simply using too much distortion. Many beginning players use more than is needed. Try setting it so that a cleanly played note stays at the same apparent volume for about 3 or 4 seconds before it starts to decay; in other words, about twice the subjective amount of sustain as your clean tone.

Try turning down the tone control on the guitar itself. The more "in your face" (bright and trebly) the tone is, the more details in the guitar's sound will be heard, including finger noise, fret noise, and incidentally-sounding strings.

I often play leads with my tone control set at nearly zero when I'm forced to use a solid state amp with a built-in lead channel. There are also many possibilities for improving the tone by turning down the volume knob on the guitar itself. It does many more things than just make it quieter or louder. Depending on the pickups you are using, restricting the guitar's dynamic range by lowering the volume knob can act as a sort of compressor, again smoothing out the sound. Compensate by adding a little more gain at a later stage, like on your distortion pedal.

Finally, consider that your guitar sound is going to be eventually fit into an overall mix that includes drums, bass, and maybe another guitar or keyboard part. While I do recommend learning to play cleanly as possible, a _small_ amount of extraneous guitar noise will not stick out as much in that situation as it does when the guitar is listened to alone.

Barrett

Tone Shaping

2007-03-26T23:17:00.000-07:00

3:59 PM 3/26/2007 My first entry.

Dear Barrett,

I'm using a Guitar Effects software and just wanted to know the meaning of a few terms -

Sir, what do the following terms / Knobs mean and do -

1. Presence
2. Filter

I've read many a times that to get a heavy metal sound (like Metallica's) one should scoop the Mids, Does this mean that we keep the Treble and Bass to the fullest and Mids knob to the full ? If yes then what will the Presence knob do ? I tried to figure it out but couldnt guess very well. If you could kindly advice regarding this, I'll be very grateful to you.

Hi.

Though your question is specifically about guitar effects software, the terms presence, filter, bass, mid, and treble would also apply to an amp and hardware effect units, which is how I tend to think.

A filter is a device that removes part of the audio signal. The tone knob on your guitar is a filter that removes high frequencies while allowing the low frequencies to pass through unchanged.

An equalizer (EQ) is a set of filters that control various frequency ranges. An equalizer with filters only is said to be passive. An active equalizer, on the other hand, can also boost selected frequencies using AC or battery power.

Some effects like wah wah pedals contain variable filters and/or boosters whereby you can actively control which frequencies you want to cut or boost, and the amount by which they are affected, in real time, or according to a programmed cyclical preset.

Though there is no law set by an authority, let's say any frequency below 300 Hz is bass, from 300Hz to 3kHz is midrange, and above 3Khz is treble.

Definitions for the "presence" range vary, but the idea is that it covers part of the treble range (perhaps 4 kHz to 6 kHz) that makes most instruments sound closer and more distinct. Boosting this area too much can make a sound that is irritating, especially when you start to play louder. On some amps, this knob is effectively disabled when the treble control is turned all the way up. The tone controls on many amps do not act completely independently.

The word "scoop" refers to the appearance of a graph of the audio signal. When the mid is "scooped" (like scooping ice cream out of a bucket with a spoon), there is a visible dip in the middle of the waveform. To get a scooped sound, turn down the mid.

Exaggeration of the scooped effect can result in a tone that sounds great at home or in the studio, but causes your guitar sound to disappear when you're playing with a live band.

Sculpting your tone is difficult at first because there is a natural tendency to want to use a visual numeric reference for the various knobs ("Kirk Hammett puts the treble on 7, so I will too"), but really, this won't work. All amps, guitars, microphones, rooms, PAs, and stage setups are different. Ideally you should set the knobs with your eyes closed (and your ears open!), then go stand as far away from your amp as far as your cables will permit. Play with the band, then walk back to the amp and make any adjustments; then run out into the front and repeat the process.

Often there's no time for this, so you should err on the side of caution and keep the tone and volume knobs in a conservative range, just making sure that the snare drum and vocals are louder than your guitar and that you can hear everything else clearly. Notice I did not mention that you should be able to hear yourself. If you can't hear your own playing, sometimes it's because you are standing in the wrong place or you are unaccustomed to the situation.

Avoid cranking up the amp to the annoyance of other players or the audience just so you can hear every detail of your playing as you are used to at home. If you have a sound system, practice with loud backing tracks so you can get used to hearing how your guitar contributes mostly its fundamental pitches and percussive attacks, while some of the details are (rightly) covered up by the other instruments.

Though you should try to get close to your desired sound with your amp, guitar, and fingers, you will never sound exactly like a CD that you want to emulate unless you have the same: pedals, cables, mics, preamps, compressors, equalizers, convertors, clocks, effects, plugins, mixing and mastering software, monitors, ears, experience, etc. etc. Every link in the audio chain has a drastic effect on the end result.

In some cases there is nothing you can do but experiment with different equipment and settings, but personally that is something I enjoy. With that in mind, whenever possible I try to buy only quality equipment that I can sell later if it turns out to be wrong for me. I've gotten stuck with some items like cheap guitars and effects that are impossible to get rid of. Other things, like major-brand tube amps and quality microphones, people buy instantly. These things hold value and sometimes go up. So oddly enough, buying an expensive analog hardware item (amp, guitar, pedal, mic, preamp) can sometimes save you money because a) you'll usually not have to waste time replacing it, and b) if you do, you can get most of the money back by selling it.

A last word about tone: In all cases the overall volume level of the band and the individual instrument has to be taken into consideration, as well the relative mix and the frequencies emphasized by the other instruments. A good engineer will craft an overall mix that makes all instruments heard and sound good, sometimes selectively filtering parts of one instrument's sound to make room for important parts of another. That's why band members should usually not participate in a mixing session unless they are quite experienced. They expect to hear themselves louder because they are closer to their own instrument than any other when they play. They also don't want part of their signal to be cut out, even though it is necessary to make it fit into the mix.

Sorry to ramble on about it. The short answer is, the louder you're playing, the less EQ compensation you need. When playing quietly at home by yourself, it'll probably sound good to do what you suggest: crank up the treble and bass, scoop the mids, and turn the presence up pretty high.

Thanks, Barrett