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I.M. Productions
P.O. Box 211
Alex, Va 22313
703 751 0086
MAJOR CHORDS, C, CMAJ, C6, CMAJ7, CMAJ9, CMAJ13, C69, CMAJ7#5, C5b, Caug, C+ CMAJ9#11,CMAJ13#11
MINOR CHORDS, Cm, Cm6, Cm7, Cm9, Cm11, Cm13, Cmaug, Cm#5, CmMAJ7
Half Diminished, Cm7b5
DIMINISHED, Cdim, C dim7
DOMINANT CHORDS, C7,7+, C9+, C13+, C13,C7b13, C7#11, C13#11, C7#11b13 C9, C9b13 C9#11, C13#11, C9#11b13, C7b9, C13b9, C7b9b13, C7b9#11, C13b9#11 C7b9#11b13, C7#9, C13#9, C7#9b13, C9#11, C13#9#11, C7#9#11b13, C7b5 C13b5, C7b5b13, C9b5, C9b5b13, C7b5b9, C13b5b9, C7b5b9b13, C7b5#9 C13b5#9, C7b5#9b13, C7#5, C13#5, C7#5#11, C13#5#11, C9#5 C9#5#11, C7#5b9, C13#5b9, C7#5b9#11, C13#5b9#11, C7#5#9 C13#5#9#11, C7#5#9#11, C13#5#9#11
SUSTAINED CHORDS, Csus ,C7sus, C9sus, C13sus, C7susb13, C7sus#11 C13sus#11, C7sus#11b13, C9susb13, C9sus#11, C13sus#11, C9sus#11b13 C7susb9, C13susb9, C7susb9b13, C7susb9#11, C13susb9#11 C7susb9#11b13, C7sus#9, C13sus#9, C7sus#9b13, C9sus#11, C13sus#9#11 C7sus#9#11b13, C7susb5, C13susb5, C7susb5b13, C9susb5, C9susb5b13 C7susb5b9, C13susb5b9, C7susb5b9b13, C7susb5#9, C13susb5#9 C7susb5#9b13, C7sus#5, C13sus#5, C7sus#5#11, C13sus#5#11, C9sus#5 C9sus#5#11, C7sus#5b9, C13sus#5b9, C7sus#5b9#11, C13sus#5b9#11 C7sus#5#9, C13sus#5#9#11, C7sus#5#9#11, C13sus#5#9#11
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED IMP
(c) 1994 - 1996 IVAN W. TAYLOR / IMP
CHORD THEORY
compiled by Paul Zimmerman
I. The Fret Board
==================
The first that you will need to learn is the notes on the fretboard. It is very important to any theory on guitar to know where the notes are on the neck. At first, memorize the notes on the first couple of strings. Then figure out what the notes on the rest of the strings will be. In a pretty short amount of time you should be able to do that. In time you'll develop more of a feel for where the notes fall, without having to think about it, but that's not necessary for chord theory. What you really need to be able to do is to be able to figure out what notes you're playing in a given chord.
e||-F--|-F#-|-G--|-G#-|-A--|
B||-C--|-C#-|-D--|-D#-|-E--| Note: # = sharp
G||-G#-|-A--|-A#-|-B--|-C--| b = flat
D||-D#-|-E--|-F--|-F#-|-G--|
A||-A#-|-B--|-C--|-C#-|-D--|-D#-|-E--|-F--|-F#-|-G--|-G#-|-A--| E||-F--|-F#-|-G--|-G#-|-A--|-A#-|-B--|-C--|-C#-|-D--|-D#-|-E--|
Notice that there is a full step between all notes except for B and C, and E and F. For the sake of simplicity I have only shown sharps, but it is important to understand where.the flats are. A# (# = sharp) is equal to Bb (b = flat). D# is equal to Eb. B# is equal to C, and Cb is equal to B. Once again, for the purpose of chord theory, it is not necessary to be instantly familiar with every note on the fretboard. What is necessary is to be able to figure out the notes of any given chord that you are playing.
II. Keys (the Circle of fifths)
================================
The next step in understanding any guitar theory is to understand the circle of fifths. Its importance is that it diagrams several important concepts. First, it is used in determining scales. Second, it is used to determine which chords are in any given key. Third, it is the basis for chord substitutions.
To begin with, I'll demonstrate how the circle of fifths is used in a blues progression in G (something that hopefully everyone is familiar with). Twelve bar blues in G begins with 4 bars of G, 2 bars of C, 2 bars of G, one bar of D7, one bar of C, one bar of G, and finally one bar of D7 (as shown below). This progression is also commonly known as
|G |G |G |G |C |C |G |G |D7 |C |G |D7 |
a I - IV - V progression. If you are not familiar with this progression, learn it. It is one of the most basic building blocks in rock music. Traces of it can be found in everything from Led Zeppelin to Doo-Wop to surf music to Eric Clapton.
The next diagram shows the chords that are in the key of G.
I II III IV V VI VII
G A B C D E F#
As you can see, the G is the I, the C is the IV, and the D7 is the V in the I- IV - V progression. Any F chords played in the key of G need to be sharped, otherwise they are considered to be out of key.
In the same way, the circle of fifths shows which notes need to sharped or flatted in chord constuction. To form a major chord, the first, third, and fifth notes of the scale need to be played. In the case of Gmajor (or just G as it is commonly called), a G note would be 1, a B note would be 3, and a D note would be 5.
e||---|---|-o-|---| G (1) As you can see, the open G chord
B||---|---|---|---| B (3) is made up entirely of G, B, and D notes
G||---|---|---|---| G (1) (I, 3, and 5). Note that any G chord
D||---|---|---|---| D (5) requires a 7 note to be played would
A||---|-o-|---|---| B (3) be an F#, not an F.
E||---|---|-o-|---| G (1)
For the third part, the Circle of fifths gives an indication of when to play minors, etc. The following chart shows some guidelines. Later on
I = major
II = minor7
III = minor7
IV = major
V = dominant7
VI = minor (known also as the relative minor)
VII = diminished
I will show some substitution rules for incorporating more unusual chords into a progression. It is important to remember that these rules are only general guidelines. If you look at the chords of some songs that you know, you will probably see that as a general trend, these rules are followed, but on many occasions they aren't.
One thing to keep in mind: a chord progression may be in the key of A (A is the I chord) without playing an A chord first. Look at the following example.
|E |E |A |D |
This the chord progression in Lola, by the Kinks. In this case, it is in the key of A (A = I, D = IV, E = V). This shows that the first chord played in a progression does not determine the key. Another example is the IIm - V - I chord progression, which is one of the most common in western music. As you can see, it starts on the IIm chord.
Since I don't have very good graphics capabilities here, I will represent the circle of fifths in chart form, as would be read clockwise from 12 o'clock.
C - no sharps or flats.
G - F#
D - F#, C#
A - F#, C#, G#
E - F#, C#, G#, D#
B - F#, C#, G#, D#, A#
F# (Gb) - F#, C#, G#, D#, A#, E# (F)
Db - Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb
Ab - Bb, Eb, Ab, Db
Eb - Bb, Eb, Ab
Bb - Bb, Eb
F - Bb
Notice the spacing between chords is the same for each key. Here is the example again in the key of G.
I II III IV V VI VII
G A B C D E F#
Notice that there is a whole step between all chords except between III and IV, and between VII and I. This will be true for all keys.
That pattern is also the same as that for the major scale. The above diagram shows the notes contained in the G major scale.
The VI chord is called the relative minor, because it shares many notes with the tonic (I chord). If C were the tonic, Am would be the relative minor. If you play one after the other, you will notice they sound good together. If something is played in an Am key, you use the exact same chords as if it were being played in the key of C. In this way, you can determine all of the mionr keys as well from the circle of fifths.
3. Chord Construction
======================
A chord is a group of three or more different notes played together. Every chord is based on a specific formula which relates back to the major scale after which it is named. As shown earlier, the formula for a major chord is 1 3 5 hence a G major (GM) chord consists of the first, third, and fifth notes of the G major scale, G B D (refer to the circle of fifths chart). **Note the ROOT note is the note after which the chord is named (the 1 note). The formula for a minor chord is 1 b3 5. In the case of a G minor (Gm) the notes would be G Bb D. **Note: a G flat major (Gb) is Gb Bb Db, therefore a Gbm (G flat minor) would be Gb Bbb Db, or Gb A Db. There are many cases where a flatted note has to be flatted again according to the chord formula.
In the following diagrams I will show the names, formulas, and fingerings for over 30 of the most common chords. The numbers show where to fret the strings and with which finger. A 1===1 means to barre that number of strings with your index finger. Any notes with a question mark ? underneath are optional (can be muted). Any strings with no note shown below are not to be played. Sharp and flat symbols will come before the note (b3). Shown are the most common barre chord fingerings (all open chords can be derived from the barre chord shapes). Not all chords have the root as the bass note, but most do. 1 = index finger, 2 = ring, 3 = middle, 4 = pinky.
Name: Major +-+-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+
How it's written: M* +-+-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+
Formula: 1 3 5 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
+-+-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+
1=========1 1=========1 | | | 1===1
+-+-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+
| | | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | 2 |
+-+-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+
| 3 4 | | | | | 3===3 | | | 3 | | |
+-+-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+
| | | | | | | | | | | | | 4 | | | |
+-+-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+
1 5 1 3 5 1 5 1 5 1 3 5 1 3 5 1 3
? ?
* G major can either be written GM or more commonly just G. ======================================================================
Minor
m +-+-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+
1 b3 5 +-+-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+
| | | | | | | | | | | |
+-+-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+
1=========1 1=========1
+-+-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+
| | | | | | | | | | 2 |
+-+-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+
| 3 4 | | | | | 3 4 | |
+-+-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+
| | | | | | | | | | | |
+-+-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+
1 5 1b3 5 1 5 1 5 1b3 5
?
This is the last standard minor that I will diagram. All chords can be turned into a minor by flatting the 3 note. I will diagram a couple that are not apparent, but the rest are very easy to figure out using this formula. ======================================================================
Fifth
5 +-+-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+
1 5 +-+-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+
| | | | | | | | | | | |
+-+-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+
1 | | | | | | 1 | | | |
+-+-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+
| | | | | | | | | | | |
+-+-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+
| 3 4 | | | | | 3=3 | |
+-+-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+
| | | | | | | | | | | |
+-+-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+
1 5 1 1 5 1 ======================================================================
Suspended 2
sus2 +-+-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+
1 2 5+-+-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+
| | | | | | | | | | | |
+-+-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+
1=========1 | | 1=1 | |
+-+-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+
| | | | | | | | | | 2 |
+-+-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+
| | 3 4 | | | | | | | |
+-+-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+
| | | | | | | 3 | | | 4
+-+-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+
5 1 5 1 2 5 1 2 5 1 5
? ?
======================================================================
Suspended 4
sus4 +-+-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+
1 4 5 +-+-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+
| | | | | | | | | | | |
+-+-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+
1=========11=========1
+-+-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+
| | | | | | | | | | | |
+-+-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+
| 3===3 | | | | 3=3 | |
+-+-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+
| | | | | | | | | | 4 |
+-+-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+
1 5 1 4 5 1 5 1 5 1 4 5
? ? ? ?
======================================================================
Suspended 2 Suspended 4
sus2sus4 +-+-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+
1 2 4 5 +-+-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+
| | | | | | | | | | | |
+-+-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+
1=========1 | 1=======1
+-+-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+
| | | | | | | | | | | |
+-+-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+
| | | 3 | | | | | | | |
+-+-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+
| | | | | | | | | | 4 |
+-+-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+
5 1 4 1 2 5 5 1 4 1 2
?
======================================================================
Major add 9*
add9 +-+-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+
1 3 5 9 (or 2) +-+-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+
| | | | | | | | | | | |
+-+-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+
1=========1 1=========1
+-+-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+
| | | 2 | | | | | | | |
+-+-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+
| 3=3 | | 4 | | 3===3 |
+-+-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+
| | | | | | | | | | | |
+-+-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+
| | | | | | | | | 4 | |
+-+-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+
1 5 1 3 5 9 5 1 5 9 3 5
? ?
* 9 = 2, but one octave higher:1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 (or 9) 3 4 (or 11) 5 6 (or 13) ======================================================================
Major 6
6 or M6 +-+-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+
1 3 5 6 +-+-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+
| | | | | | | | | | | |
+-+-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+
1=========1 1=========1
+-+-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+
| | | 2 | | | | | | | |
+-+-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+
| 3=3 | 4 | | | 3=====3
+-+-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+
| | | | | | | | | | | |
+-+-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+
1 5 1 3 6 1 5 1 5 1 3 6 ======================================================================
Major 6 add 9
6add9 +-+-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+
1 3 5 6 9 +-+-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+
| | | | | | | | | | | |
+-+-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+
| | 1=====1 | 1=======1
+-+-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+
| | | | | | | | | | | |
+-+-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+
| | | 2 | | 3 | | 4 | |
+-+-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+
4 | | | | | | | | | | |
+-+-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+
1 5 9 3 6 3 5 1 5 6 9 ======================================================================
Dominant 7
7 +-+-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+
1 3 5 b7 +-+-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+
| | | | | | | | | | | |
+-+-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+
1=========1 1=========1
+-+-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+
| | | 2 | | | | | | | |
+-+-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+
| 3 | | | | | | 3===3 |
+-+-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+
| | | | | | | | | | | 4
+-+-+-+-+-+ +-+-+-+-+-+
1 5 b73 5 1 5 1 5 1 3 b7
?
Chart..
what chord to use
try this chart I often use....
m means minor,
b means flat,
# means sharp,
dim means diminished.
A chord name with nothing by it means that chord is Major... such as C. C means C Major... Dm means D minor, etc.
The fifth chord in each key can also be played as a dominant 7th.. but I didn't show that here.
Keys -- Chords in that Key
C -- C Dm Em F G Am Bdim
Flat Keys:
F -- F Gm Am Bb C Dm Edim
Bb -- Bb Cm Dm Eb F Gm Adim
Eb -- Eb Fm Gm Ab Bb Cm Ddim
Ab -- Ab Bbm Cm Db Eb Fm Gdim
Db -- Db Ebm Fm Gb Ab Bbm Cdim
Gb -- Gb Abm Bbm Cb Db Ebm Fdim
Cb -- Cb Dbm Ebm Fb Gb Abm Bbdim
G -- G Am Bm C D Em F#dim
D -- D Em F#m G A Bm C#dim
A -- A Bm C#m D E F#m G#dim
E -- E F#m G#m A B C#m D#dim
B -- B C#m D#m E F# G#m A#dim
F# -- F# G#m A#m B C# D#m E#dim
C# -- C# D#m E#m F# G# A#m B#dim
If you know what key your melody is in... this chart will be useful to you. You'd just find the key your melody is in.. that that row of chords are the ones that are available to you. You'd just try them against the melody until you find a combination you think sounds nice.
If you don't know what scale your melodies are in.. go to http://members.tripod.com/~TakeCourage/theory.html
General MIDI
Patch List
(See Below for Percussion Map)
0 Acoustic Grand Piano 64 Soprano Sax
1 Bright Acoustic Piano 65 Alto Sax
2 Electric Grand Piano 66 Tenor Sax
3 Honky-Tonk Piano 67 Baritone Sax
4 Rhodes Electric Piano 68 Oboe
5 Chorused Piano 69 English Horn
6 Harpsichord 70 Bassoon
7 Clavinet 71 Clarinet
8 Celesta 72 Piccolo
9 Glockenspiel 73 Flute
10 Music Box 74 Recorder
11 Vibraphone 75 Pan Flute
12 Marimba 76 Bottle Blow
13 Xylophone 77 Shakuhachi
14 Tubular Bells 78 Whistle
15 Dulcimer 79 Ocarina
16 Hammond Organ 80 Lead 1 (Square)
17 Percussive Organ 81 Lead 2 (Sawtooth)
18 Rock Organ 82 Lead 3 (Calliope)
19 Church Organ 83 Lead 4 (Chiff)
20 Reed Organ 84 Lead 5 (Charang)
21 Accordion 85 Lead 6 (Voice)
22 Harmonica 86 Lead 7 (Fifths)
23 Tango Accordion 87 Lead 8 (Bass + Lead)
24 Nylon Guitar 88 Pad 1 (New Age)
25 Acoustic Guitar 89 Pad 2 (Warm)
26 Jazz Guitar 90 Pad 3 (Polysynth)
27 Electric Guitar 91 Pad 4 (Choir)
28 Muted Guitar 92 Pad 5 (Bowed)
29 Overdriven Guitar 93 Pad 6 (Metallic)
30 Distorted Guitar 94 Pad 7 (Halo)
31 Guitar Harmonics 95 Pad 8 (Sweep)
32 Acoustic Bass 96 Rain
33 Fingered Electric Bass 97 Soundtrack
34 Picked Electric Bass 98 Crystal
35 Fretless Bass 99 Atmosphere
36 Slap Bass 1 100 Brightness
37 Slap Bass 2 101 Goblins
38 Synth Bass 1 102 Echoes
39 Synth Bass 2 103 Sci-Fi
40 Violin 104 Sitar
41 Viola 105 Banjo
42 Cello 106 Shamisen
43 Contrabass 107 Koto
44 Tremolo Strings 108 Kalimba
45 Pizzicato Strings 109 Bagpipes
46 Concert Harp 110 Fiddle
47 Timpani 111 Shanai
48 Ensemble Strings 1 112 Tinkle Bell
49 Ensemble Strings 2 113 Agogo
50 Synth Strings 1 114 Steel Drums
51 Synth Strings 2 115 Wood Block
52 Choir "Ahhh" 116 Taiko
53 Voice "Oooh" 117 Melodic Tom
54 Synth Voice 118 Synth Drum
55 Orchestra Hit 119 Reverse Cymbal
56 Trumpet 120 Guitar Fret Noise
57 Trombone 121 Breath Noise
58 Tuba 122 Seashore
59 Muted Trumpet 123 Bird Tweet
60 French Horn 124 Telephone
61 Brass Section 125 Helicopter
62 Synth Brass 1 126 Applause
63 Synth Brass 2 127 Gunshot
General MIDI Percussion Map
*C4 = Middle C
Pitch MIDI Note # Description
====Octave 1=======================
B 35 Acoustic Bass Drum
====Octave 2=======================
C 36 Bass Drum 1
C# 37 Side Stick
D 38 Acoustic Snare
D# 39 Hand Clap
E 40 Electric Snare
F 41 Low Floor Tom
F# 42 Closed Hi Hat
G 43 Hi Floor Tom
G# 44 Pedal Hi Hat
A 45 Low Tom
A# 46 Open Hi Hat
B 47 Low-Mid Tom
====Octave 3=======================
C 48 High-Mid Tom
C# 49 Crash Cymbal 1
D 50 High Tom
D# 51 Ride Cymbal 1
E 52 Chinese Cymbal
F 53 Ride Bell
F# 54 Tambourine
G 55 Splash Cymbal
G# 56 Cowbell
A 57 Crash Cymbal 2
A# 58 Vibraslap
B 59 Ride Cymbal 2
====Octave 4=======================
*C 60 High Bongo
C# 61 Low Bongo
D 62 Muted High Conga
D# 63 Open High Conga
E 64 Low Conga
F 65 High Timbale
F# 66 Low Timbale
G 67 High Agogo
G# 68 Low Agogo
A 69 Cabase
A# 70 Maracas
B 71 Short Whistle
====Octave 5=======================
C 72 Long Whistle
C# 73 Short Guiro
D 74 Long Guiro
D# 75 Claves
E 76 High Wood Block
F 77 Low Wood Block
F# 78 Muted Cuica
G 79 Open Cuica
G# 80 Muted Triangle
A 81 Open Triangle
OK....here is an explanation of the Modes.....this is intended as an initial "road map", and more details and usage explanations will follow...:
SECTION I --- Theory and Concepts
SECTION II --- Positions in Tab
THEORY AND CONCEPTS:
There are seven Modes........each contains seven notes. Before looking at them graphically, it is important to understand how they are constructed. Read the following section, but don't sweat it if you don't grab it all right away......look at the charts, and play with them a bit, and then re-read the explanations, and it should all make more sense...... and remember, the best way to understand the modes is to USE THEM.... please don't expect to just "get it" by looking at them !!!
Lets look at the first mode, which is Ionian. Ionian contains seven notes. The first note ( root note ) will dictate what the scale ( and key ) is. EX...if the root is G, then the scale is G Ionian. Got it ?? Good..!!!
Now...the "second" mode will be built off of the "second" degree ( note ) of the Ionian. The "third" mode will be built off of the "third" degree ( note ) of the Ionian. And so on, until we have all seven modes ( seven notes, seven modes ).
Each of these "new" modes will have its own name, depending on the degree from which it started. But, each mode will contain the same notes as the Ionian, they will just be arranged in a different order. Ex.--Ionian would be 1-1, second mode would be 2-2, third mode would be 3-3, and so on... This means that for each mode, we will have a new "position" using the same notes as the original position, but located somewhere else on the neck. Still with me..??? Good..!!!
"But I don't really care, I just want to jam..."....you say ??? No problem..!!! If you know the "root" note is the same as the key you want to be in....then you can just "jam" within the patterns, all up and down the neck, and you will always be in key..!!! ( Theres more to it than that, but for just "jamming", this will do for now..).
OK...back to the good stuff....:
Each of the Modes has its own name. They always go in the same order, and the name always pertains to the same "degree"......they are as Follows:
1-Ionian
2-Dorian
3-Phrygian
4-Lydian
5-Mixolydian
6-Aeolian
7-Locrian
At this point I would like to let you in on a little secret.......the Ionian mode is the same as the Major scale, and the Aeolian is the same as the Minor scale......!!!! These are also known as the "relative major" and "relative minor".....cool eh ??? See.....its not all that bad...!!!! OK.....I think that's enough theory for now......that will give you the basic idea ( and it really is basic )......More on all of this later..... now, lets get to the positions...!!!
POSITIONS IN TAB:
I hope that during all of the electronic transfers, this does not bet bungled..!!! Please let me know if it does, and I will see about remedying it......
These positions are all written in the key of G
Ionian: Dorian:
------2-3-------- ---------5--7--8-----
-------3----5---- --------5---7--8----
-----2----4-5--- ----4--5---7---------
-----2----4-5--- ----4--5---7---------
-----2--3--5---- --3--5----7----------
--------3----5-- ------5----7----------
Phrygian:
-------7---8------10------
------7---8-----10--------
------7-----9---------------
------7-----9--10---------
------7----9--10----------
-----7--8-----10----------
Mixolydian: Aeolian:
-------10---12------- ---12---14-15----------
-------10---12-13--- ---12-13---15----------
----9----11-12------ ---12---14-------------
----9-10--12-------- ---12---14-----16-----
----9-10--12-------- ---12---14--15--------
------10---12------- ---12---14--15--------
"Cool...!!!"...you say, "but where the hell are the other two modes!!!".... Good question, I'm glad you asked !!!
You will notice ( if you look ) that Ionian, Dorian, and Mixolydian all have only two notes on the Low E string. You will notice that Phrygian and Aeolian have three !!! ( Hmmm....I sense a plot here...)...... You will find Lydian hiding in the Phrygian fingering, and Locrian Hiding in the Aeolian fingering....!!!! To use them directly, just start on the second note of each position..!!! For this example that would be the "8" in Phrygian, and the "14" in Aeolian....then use the same fingering from there on...... More on all that later....for now, just work with the "five" fingerings.
You will also notice ( if you play them ), that You get the same notes ( scale ) if you play the Ionian as you do if you play all the notes of the Low E ( sixth ) string..!!!! Starting to make sense.??? Remember how all of the modes are built off of the "degrees" of the Ionian...??? Well now you can "visualize" it..!!!!
You will ALSO notice ( gosh, I hope...) that the ending of one mode overlaps the beginning of the next..!!! And that the end of the Aeolian is the beginning of the Ionian...so....yup...you guessed it....you can scroll theses around the neck endlessly..!!!!! This might be an old concept for some of you who have learned all of the positions of the pentatonic.!!! Same idea except the Pentatonic uses five notes ( pent ) and the modes use seven...!!!!
Well...that's the basics...there is alot more, but with this much knowledge, you will still know more than alot of your hero's who make lots more money than you and I do..!!!!
Good luck...!!! And please let me know what you think...!!! Questions are welcome.... I can be reached at any of the following: christop@ix.netcom.com
73561.3325@compuserve.com
keystring@aol.com
first you need to know a thing called the circle of fifths
C
F-----G
Bb--------- D
Eb-------------- A
Ab--------- E
Db--- B
F#
OK you NEED to write this down now that you have seen that I had better explain the circle of fifths is made up of the order of sharps and flats (you haveto remember though everything revolves around this circle)
well now we get to the order of flats
B E A D G C F
which can be remembered by the phrase BEAD Greatest Common Factor I know it sounds stupid but it works now to the order of sharps
F C G D A E B
the best way to remember this is to be dyslexic
because (if you haven't noticed) it is the order of flats in backwards
how about that so if you know one you know both
now it is important that you know both
(or at least can figure them out)
so now that we know them we can go on
now you are saying what good does this do me
ok well if you look at sheet music and find your sharps
you will see on music with one sharp, that sharp will be F#
with 2 sharps F# and C#
with 3 sharps F#, C#, and G#
and so on
if you have 3 sharps they will always be F#, C#, and G#
now for flats the same rule goes
if you have one flat it will be Bb
if you have two flats they will be Bb and Eb
if you have three flats they will be Bb, Eb, and Ab
ok if you don't understand that go back over it util you do
now we go into the hard part
ok everyone know their scales right (nope)
I wouldn't have a clue about them until I found his system
and as almost any band director will tell you scales are the best way
to learn to play or to improve on your playing skills
right now I will tell you about your scales
ok if you will notice if a scale starts on the same note it ends on
only an octave higher (please tell me you know what an octave is)
(ok one octve would be from this note A to A
you know say you start on this A then you would play B then C
D E F G A that would be one octave)
now let us work on the C scale hmm C scale
it starts on C ok now this is the C scale (your C scale not concert C)
C D E F G A B C
now to play it properly start on the lowest C and play to the highest C
you can play
but look it starts on C and ends on C in between it is in and order
alphabetical order so it you are writting the C scale out
you know it starts on C and end on C an in between it is in alphabetical order WOW now you can figure out any scale (almost)
now the only thing lacking is how to figure sharps and flats out in the scales guess what I am going to tell you now
and will figure sharps and flats using the circle of fifths
get out the circle of fifths that you wrote down
ok to figure out sharps you need to look at the need to
know the name of the scale (all sharp scales are to the right of C)
say now we have A scale
ok from C how many do we have away to A
ok we have G D A that is 3 and that is how many sharps you have in the A scale
now we know it starts on A and ends on A
and in between is in alphabetical order
so far we know
A B C D E F G A
now which are sharp well just look at the order of sharps
F#, C#, and G#
so the scale looks like this
A B C# D E F# G# A
yes, and now we can all figure out sharp scales
now for flats (they are easy to)
ok say we have the Ab scale now we know
so far
Ab B C D E F G Ab
next we need to know the rest of the flats
to figure them all you need is to look at the name Ab now look at the order of flats it goes B E A D
go one past the name (so if it was Db it would have Bb Eb Ab Db Gb in it) (if it has F then it just starts over one past F is B)
ok now this is what we know about the scale
Ab Bb C Db Eb F G Ab
we have figured out Ab scale now
we now know how to figure out any scale (for those times the band dir. pops a test on you)
and that is not all just wait for my next txt file
(you get to play on it)
written by: Stephen Rochester
thought up by: Phillip Pope
This file is for guitar/bass, and is NOT a beginner's
file. Learn your instrument a bit, and then use the
scale information here to broaden your knowledge and/or
library of scales. At the bottom is a list of musical categories and some scales that fit in them.
Also, there will be some Mode listings, which are based of
of particular scales. These are helpful, especially to lead guitarists and the more creative bassists.
NOTE: Printing out this file will help a great deal, as you will be able to look at everything from a more objective view, rather than being stuck in the middle of the file.
Basic Scales:
Major (Ionian): HHWHHHW
Natural minor (Aeolian): WHWWHWW
Natural: WHWWWWW
Blues: m3WHHm3
Harmonic minor: WHWWHm3H
Harmonic major: WWWWHm3H
Pentatonic (minor): m3WWm3W
Pentatonic (major): WWm3Wm3
Jazz melodic minor: WHWWWWH
Whole tone: WWWWWW
Chronological: HHHHHHHHHHHH
Diminished (half-whole): m3m3m3m3m3m3
Diminished (whole-half): WHWHWHWHWH
Dorian: WHWWWHW
Phrygian: WWWHWW
Lydian: WWWHWWH
Mixolydian: WWHWWHW
Locrian: HWWHWWW
Exotic Scales:
Natural (minor): WHWWWW
Natural (major): WWHWHW
Neapolitan Minor: HWWWHWH
Neapolitan Major: HWWWWWH
Double Harmonic (minor): WHm3HHm3
Double Harmonic (major): Hm3HWHm3
Oriental: Hm3HHm3HW
Enigmatic: Hm3WWWHH
Hirajoshi: WHm4Hm4
Hungarian Minor: WHm3HHm3H
Hungarian Major: m3HWHWHW
Kumoi: Hm4WHm4
Iwato: Hm4Hm4W
Hindu: WWHWHWW
Spanish 8 Tone: HWHHHWWW
Pelog: HWm3m3W
Hungarian Gypsy: WHm3HHWW
Overrtone: WWWHWHW
Leading Whole Tone: WWWWWHH
Arabian: WWHHWWW
Balinese: HWm4Hm4
Gypsy: HWHWHm3H
Mohammedan: WHWWHm3H
Javanese: HWWWWHW
Persian: Hm3HHWm3H
Algerian: WHm4HHm3HWHW
Byzantine: Hm3Hwhm3
Jewish: Hm3HWHWW
Mongolian: WWm3Wm3
Egyptian: Wm3Wm3W
Japanese: Hm3WHm4
Blues w/ major 3rd and flattened 5th: m3HHHHm3W
Diminished whole tone (Mystic scale): HWHWWW
Japanese Pentatonic: WHm4Hm4
Locrian natural: HWWHm3HW
Ionian augmented: WWHm3HWH
Dorian #4: WHm3HWHW
Phrygian dominant: Hm3HWHWH
Lydian #2: m3HWHWHH
Altered dominant: HWHWWHm3
Modes:
The Major scale and its Modes:
1st Ionian: WWHWWWH
2nd Dorian: WHWWWHW
3rd Phrygian: WWWHWW
4th Lydian: WWWHWWH
5th Mixolydian: WWHWWHW
6th Aeolian: WHWWHWW
7th Locrian: HWWHWWW
Modes for the Natural scale:
Home note Name of mode
e
f f Lydian dominant (or Lydian flat 7) c c (ascending) melodic minor g
g (descending) melodic major
d
a
b b Altered
Harmonic Minor and its Modes:
1st Harmonic: WHWWHm3H
2nd Locrian natural: HWWHm3HW
3rd Ionian Augmented: WWHm3HWH
4th Dorian #4: WHm3HWHW
5th Phrygian Dominant: Hm3HWHWH
6th Lydian #2: m3HWHWHH
7th Altered Dominant: HWHWWHm3
Scale Styles:
All the scales referenced below are listed above.
Spanish (Latin): Phrygian
Lydian
Locrian
Gothic (strange): Diminished (half-whole)
Chronological
Whole-tone
Diminished (whole-half)
Arabian
Indian/Eastern (reed): Natural minor (Aeolian)
Harmonic minor
Double Harmonic (minor)
Double Harmonic (major)
Kumoi
Altered dominant
Neapolitan Minor
Phrygian dominant
Jazz (Swing): Jazz melodic minor
Dorian
Neapolitan Major
Blues w/ major 3rd and flattened 5th
Arabian
Oriental: Pentatonic (major)
Funk/Rock/ Metal: Pentatonic (minor)
Blues scale
Major (Ionian)
Egyptian
Natural minor (Aeolian)
Mixolydian
Locrian
Hirajoshi
There are about 15 basic chord progressions used in contemporary "popular" music. The following is one of the more sophisticated of the 15. Obviously the progression may be transposed into any key. Unless specifically indicated, please assume the chord is to be played for one bar. (Of course, this is a generic progression and you may play any chords for as bars as you like -- but what is set forth here is "classic.") [M=major -- m = minor]
D6, A9, G6, GM7, F#m7, Em7(1/2 bar), A7 flat 9(1/2 bar), DM7, D6, D6, A9, G6, GM7, B7 flat 9, Gm6, A9, A7 flat 9, D6, A9, G6, GM7, F#m7, Em7(1/2 bar), A7 flat 9 (1/2 bar), DM7, D6
Again, this is a classic progression and is the backbone of numerous hit tunes. You should be able to write all sorts of melody lines for this progression. Naturally, it is important that you select chord inversions that complement the progression. This is a matter of taste.
Last modified on Wednesday, November 25, 2009
