The Harmonized Major Scale

A harmonized scale is the process of taking a note from a scale and treating it as the root note of a chord then adding two or more notes above the root to create harmonies. When all of the notes are played together we create a chord.

In this lesson we deal with the harmonized major scale.

Before we can understand any of the above we need to learn the step pattern for the major scale. This will provide us the root notes of each of the chords. 

For ease of identification each chord is assigned a name and a number. To avoid confusing the chord number with fingerings, frets or scale degrees the chord is numbered using roman numerals.

In this lesson each chord is written melodically (horizontal) and harmonically (vertical)

To create the first chord in the key of C Major take the 1st, 3rd and 5th notes from the scale. These notes create the C Major chord. 

Taking the 2nd, 4th and 6th notes of C Major we create a D minor chord. This is the second chord of C Major.

Now by taking the 3rd, 5th and 7th notes of C Major we create an E minor. This is the third chord of C Major.

Repeating the process take the 4th, 6th and 8th or octave of the 1st notes of C Major to create an F Major chord. This is the fourth chord of C Major.

Now that we have introduced the octave of C you will notice that C could be considered the 1st or 8th note of the scale. Here we will consider it to be the 1st.

This is illustrated in the next chord. We crate the fifth chord in the key of C Major by taking the 5th. 7th and 2nd (same as the 9th). This is gives us a G Major chord.

Taking the 6th, 1st and 3rd notes creates the sixth chord of the Key of C Major.

 To create the last chord in the key of C Major we take the 7th, 2nd and 4th notes. This makes the 7th chord, B Diminished

The next chord is written out to illustrate the use of the octave from where we started. It is the same as the 1st chord but one octave higher. From this point the process of making each chord repeats in the second octave.

When all the chords put played one after the other we end up with this series of chords.

Just as the step pattern to create a major scale stays the same regardless of key centre so does the order of the chord types stay the same:

It is limiting to play these chords on just three strings so we can find the notes that make each chord type, Major, Minor and Diminished on multiple strings. Doing so benefits us in two ways;

1.  We have more than just three string chords

2.  We create shapes that involve less physical stretching.

Utilizing these shapes we create the C Harmonized major with "garden variety" chord forms. Shapes that are common to all guitarists regardless of genre.

For a complete version of this lesson in PDF format free of charge please contact us through this form: http://www.themusicroom.co/Contact-Us.html and I will be happy to email you the entire lesson. 

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Two One Octave Minor Scales

When I start to teach students about scales I begin with one octave shapes.

From my experience of teaching I have found that students often learn one octave shapes quicker and with greater ease than two octave forms. This seems to have three distinct advantages; it makes the shape easier to play easier to memorize and also makes the connection from horizontal explanation (the theory) to vertical application (performance) easier to demonstrate and understand.

I often present these two scale shapes at first because they fit comfortably under the fingers due to the absence of position shifts. I move each shape up and down the fingerboard in half steps as a warm up then apply them over a minor blues or minor ii-v-i.

Once the two shapes can be played accurately it’s time to connect them to make a two octave A minor scale. This makes for an easy introduction to position shifts and longer improvisational phrases.

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Riff 'O' The Week - Week Two

This is the second video from my eight week Riff o' The Week Course. This line fits perfectly over a
minor ii - v7 - i.

To illustrate how this riff might be applied  often have students play this riff over bars 5, 6, 7 and 8 of  the Kenny Dorham classic Blue Bossa.

When you are comfortable playing this riff in C minor move it through all twelve keys. 

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Twitter, Theory in 140 Characters or Less

This particular handout is a review of a series of daily Twitter tweets I have made recently called EZ Theory 4 The Day. I set myself the challenge to explain snippets of theory in 140 characters or less.  After a week I thought it would be helpful to add some visuals to the tweets.

By itself it may seem a little esoteric however I have decided posted it here as it maybe of use even to those that have not been "in on the conversation" so to speak. Please feel free to join me on twitter @notefarm

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Triplet Minor Scale

Playing a scale in triplets is not only a nice way to work on technique but also a very direct way to introduce new rhythmic idioms into our playing. I use this handout after the teaching the triplet major scale. Once these two relative major and minor scales are mastered I have students move them through the cycle of fifths. 

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Riff 'O' The Week - Week One

This is the first in a series of eight videos I made aimed to be quick, straightforward and fun creativity boosters. To kick things off is a nice A minor line in the style of Pat Martino. 

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String Skipping

There are many concepts that aid in our development as instrumentalists and over time we pursue and practise them all. One concept at the top of that long list is playing a melody written for instruments other than the guitar. Doing this forces us to think outside the framework of the guitars fingerboard. In the world of jazz you will find yourself regularly playing music written for both saxophone and voice. 

I found that to successfully connect these types of melodies I had to re-think how I approached the fingerboard and question the very idea of playing in position. A very important step to making seamless connections with minimal position shifts was the use of string skipping. I found that once I truly got to grips with this technique I was able to connect phrases of a melody in a way that traditional position playing would never have allowed. This made melodies sound more natural and connected. With continued investigation of this technique I found that it not only helped improve my sight reading because it involved fewer position shifts but it also started to become part of my improvisational vocabulary.

This next lesson is a handout I use when I work with students to introduce them to the concept of string skipping and also to help with technique issues of pick control and tone. 

Even though this exercise does indeed move horizontally along the fingerboard I have found it to be a wonderful tool to get use to navigating over strings rather than across them. 

Set your metronome at a comfortable tempo at first. I start students off at 100 BPM and gradually increase once the complete exercise can be played with consistent volume and tone.

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Triplet Major Scale

On the surface this lesson seems to be all about speed but scratch a little deeper and you will find it offers much more. Aside from timing it also helps with two areas many guitar players overlook, consistency of dynamics (volume) and tone. 

Play this exercise with a metronome taking care care not to play to fast to soon. As you feel more confidant with the left hand fingering and the right hand picking focus your attention on volume and tone. Avoid the temptation to accent the first note of each triplet.

Changes in tone often occur from string to string. Listen as you play. Aim to achieve a balanced, even tone.

 The deeper implications of this exercise can be summed up with one word..."consistency".

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Interval Patterns

The guitar naturaly lends itself  to "shapes", chord shapes, scale shapes, arpeggio shapes. At first we set out to learn and memorise as many shapes as possible and certainly shapes do make memorisation of theory easier. How ever care must be taken to avoid the trap of  playing shapes and not hearing the notes they contain. I use this handout to help my students break free of  "shape thinking".

The first example deals with the 3rd, 1st, 5th and 7th of each chord. I recommend you study and play one bar at a time singing the intervals as you play them. I often focus on just the first bar by playing the D minor 7 chord while my student plays and sings, 3, 1, 5, 7. Only move to the next bar once this can be executed with confidence. 


This lesson handout focuses on playing over a ii-v7-i in C.  The next step is to take the same patterns through the cycle of fifths.When you feel comfortable with the execution of these patterns try applying them to the jazz standard All The Things You Are.

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C Major in 2nd and 5th Position

I use this handout when I teach both early classical and jazz guitar students. Aside from the benefits to sight reading and knowledge of the fingerboard it also helps in making a smooth and seamless transition between the two positions.

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Blue Train

Released in 1957 John Coltranes Blue Train soon became a hard bop classic. It is still very much a part of the  Jazz repertoire not only studied by students of jazz but also performed by groups the world over. Presented here is an arrangement I used recently for an open jam session for beginning jazz guitarists at The Music Room in Bexhill.

This hand out has three components. First the chords you will need to know to perform this arrangement followed by the actual song and then a notated solo. I used the solo to help those that felt too self-conscious to improvise and for those more experienced it was used as a sight reading exercise.

Natural Notes

A simple chart to help the beginning guitar player learn the coordinates of the natural notes on the guitar fingerboard. Thinking horizontally (from left to right) memorise one string at a time.

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Six One Octave Scales

I often use these scales as an introduction to improvisation. Once a student is confidant with the execution of each scale I will use them as a warm up at the beginning of a lesson. If using as a warm up play each scale and move up in half steps finishing one octave higher than started. Then play each scale as written (with the tonic on C) and move all six scale shapes up in half steps again finishing one octave higher than started.

 

FORMULA

Written underneath each scale are the scales formula as it relates to the key of C Major. Under the harmonic and melodic minor I have also written out the formula as it relates to the natural minor scale.

As you learn each scale make sure you also memorise the formula. This extra step will give you the ability to crate any of these scales anywhere on the fingerboard and free you from thinking in terms of “shapes” which can be restrictive. Knowing the formula is one step you can take towards becoming better guitar player. 

 

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Four Simple Exercises Towards Metronomic Greatness

In a world full of iPods, smart phones, and tablet computers the metronome may not be the the most glamorous or most exciting gadget you own but it is one of the best value for money practice tools you can buy.

I always recommend that students practice daily with a metronome. It is an invaluable practice aid because it demonstrates inaccuracies in our playing which in turn frees us to focus on what we can’t do rather than repeatedly practice what we can.

In a day and age of sample accurate perfection and recording projects done on digital audio workstations it is important now more than ever to get used to playing to metronome also known in the studio as a click track.

For those new to working with a metronome or those who haven't sat with one in a while here are a four simple exercises designed to help you make friends with your metronome.

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Five Steps to Becoming a Better Guitarist

There is no doubt that the internet has made learning the guitar more accessible than ever. It is also a mine field of information and misinformation alike. While there is no “magic pill” that will turn you into a guitar god overnight there are however some easily overlooked, simple, and inexpensive good practice habits that will last you a life time. What follows are five steps that you can add to your practice session today.

        KNOW WHAT YOU WANT TO ACHEVE BEFORE YOU BEGIN

 It's embarrassingly simple but so often overlooked. Before you start your practice session know how long it will last. Have a clear idea of the material you want to cover and a reasonable expectation of how much you really will get done in the time you have allotted. For example; I want to learn a chord melody arrangement of My Shining Hour to do this I will need to spend some time limbering my fingers. I will need the music on my music stand. I will only expect to learn and memorize the first 16 Bars today.

        PRACTICE IN TIME

Play all warm up exercises and examples with a metronome. Not only will it help you keep better time which in turn in makes you a better guitar player you will also see results as the numbers on the metronome get gradually higher. It is a great feeling to know you are playing cleanly 20 BPM faster today than you were yesterday.

         TWELVE KEYS

 Learn to play everything in all twelve keys this will engage your mind as well as your fingers. It is guaranteed that being comfortable with music in all twelve keys will make you a more confident player and free you from thinking when performing.

        SING WHAT YOU PLAY

Singing your musical phrases will certainly help you with your rhythmic and melodic phrasing. It will also add a natural "vocal" like quality to your playing. You can start with something regimented like singing as you play one octave major and minor scales through the cycle of fifths. Another well used exercise is to sing each note of the chords of an ii - v7- i before trying to play them.

        

        LISTEN

 It's simple to say but often we are so focused on playing we don’t listen. Ask yourself; am I playing with good tone and dynamics? How is my rhythmic phrasing? Am I playing appropriately for the moment? Your ears are a great barometer of correctness by listening you will learn to trust them. Rather than playing all the new sounds you have been working on you will train yourself to play appropriately for the situation you are in.

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Welcome!

Hello! Thanks for stopping by the Blog for The Music Room in Bexhill.
We are a small independent guitar school. We teach, Jazz, Classical, Rock and welcome the chance to help students on there musical path. You can find out more about what we do at our website;
www.themusicroom.co
Our blog will be filled with our musical musings and we hope you will find our posts helpful and informative.
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