# Guitar/Scales

!The god of music Apollo strumming a lyre. In Greek mythology the lyre
was invented by Hermes who presented it to Apollo as recompense for
stealing his
cattle.

Western music uses twelve notes called the complete chromatic scale. The
seven white keys and their corresponding black keys on a keyboard allows
for easy visualization of the complete chromatic scale and the twelve
semitones. From this simple twelve note system are all the other scales
derived. A scale is simply a way of ordering the twelve sounds found in
Western Music. It must be borne in mind that music as an activity
precedes musical theory and that the scales we use now have an evolution
that predates written records. Today\'s scale system is referred to as
the major-minor system. Go back to the Medieval period and the system
used then was called the Church Modes. The study of scales should start
with the major scales and minor scales or the blues and pentatonic
scales. Unlike the piano where each semitone is represented by a key; on
the guitar each semitone is represented by a fret. Pianists visualize
the chromatic scale as the seven white keys and five black keys but
guitarists should visualize their complete chromatic scale as all the
notes from the open E string (low) up to the open high e string.
Basically play all the open notes and fretted notes on the first four
frets in sequence starting with the low open E string and ending on the
high open e string. This is the complete chromatic scale over two
octaves as visualized on the guitar. Scales take their names from the
first note played - the C major, C minor, C diminished are all scales
that start with C. For historical reasons the major scale and the minor
scale consists of seven notes. Other scales may use more than seven
notes and some (e.g. pentatonic = 5) less than seven notes.

It is important to remember that on the guitar, if you know the pattern
of a particular scale, you can move that pattern anywhere else on the
fret board and be playing in a different key. By this, I mean if you are
playing a major scale, beginning on the low E string at the fifth fret,
which is an A note and then you played the same pattern of notes, but
you started on the 3rd fret of the low E string, you will be playing a G
major scale. If this sounds confusing to you, read the entire article,
and if it is still unclear, see the musical
scale article on Wikipedia or the Music
Theory wikibook.

There are many different scales: the major scale, three different forms
of the minor scale, the blues scale, the pentatonic scale, the whole
tone scale, the diminished scale and some scales that originated in
Spain and India. There are also very interesting scales from eastern
music. It is possible to create your own scales by altering another as
you wish, or completely coming up with your own. Note that though there
are three minor scales (Natural. Harmonic and Melodic) you don\'t
actually have to learn three different scales. The Harmonic and Melodic
Minor scales are variations of the Natural Minor scale. After you have
learnt, for example, the A natural minor scale, you only have to sharpen
the seventh note to change it to a Harmonic minor scale. The Melodic
Minor has two notes sharpened - the sixth and seventh note. Once again
the reasons for the existence of these scales is historical. The
Harmonic minor scale is so called because it is from this scale that
minor harmony is usually taken. A simpler way of saying this is that the
Harmonic minor scale is the scale we use to build the chords in a minor
key. The Melodic Minor scale is so called because this scale is
frequently used for building melodies.

The \"Circle of Fifths\" is a memory aid for learning the major and
minor scales which can equally be applied to all scales. The scales in
common use have evolved over many centuries and the established major
scale, followed by the natural minor and then the two variants: the
harmonic minor scale and the melodic minor scale form the basis of
Western music. The \"Circle of Fifths\" and major scales in tab can be
found in the Scale Manual section of this book.

All scales in this section are in the key of A and presented in tab
except the Hungarian Minor which is given in the key of C. This means
that the root note of all these scales is A.

## Pentatonic Scales

Pentatonic scales are the least complicated, because they have five
notes rather than the seven notes used in the major scale. The
pentatonic scale is used extensively by blues and rock guitarists and
provides an ideal starting point for jamming along with recorded music.
A very famous song that uses the A minor pentatonic is \"Stairway To
Heaven\" by Led Zeppelin.

### A Minor Pentatonic

`   `**`A-C-D-E-G-A`**

Most guitarists feel comfortable beginning with the A minor pentatonic,
which is the single most popular scale for solos in Western music. Most
guitarists know this shape of the Am pentatonic scale by heart, mainly
because it is so frequently used in solos. It can also be used for
pretty much anything, especially if you want to give it a slightly
melancholy sound.

Remember that this scale pattern (and any other scale pattern) can be
moved up and down the fretboard therefore allowing the guitarist to play
in many different keys using the one shape.

!600x100

In this diagram, the notes are ordered sequentially up the scale (going
higher in pitch). The different octaves of the first degree of the scale
(in this case, the A note) are highlighted with a yellow dot.

#### Learning the Scale

When you are learning any scale, it is helpful to break it down into
smaller chunks, which can be practiced and memorized much more easily.
With the A minor pentatonic scale, it is most commonly broken down into
these sections.

Section 1:

```{=html}
<div style="line-height:1em">
```
`e |--0-------3--`\
`B |-----1----3--`\
`G |--0-----2----`\
`D |--0-----2----`\
`A |--0-------3--`\
`E |--0-------3--`

```{=html}
</div>
```
!A minor pentatonic
Ex1{width="800"}

Section 2:

```{=html}
<div style="line-height:1em">
```
`e |-----3-----5--`\
`B |-----3-----5--`\
`G |--2--------5--`\
`D |--2--------5--`\
`A |-----3-----5--`\
`E |-----3-----5--`

```{=html}
</div>
```
!A minor pentatonic
Ex2{width="800"}

Section 3:

```{=html}
<div style="line-height:1em">
```
`e |--5--------8--`\
`B |--5--------8--`\
`G |--5-----7-----`\
`D |--5-----7-----`\
`A |--5-----7-----`\
`E |--5--------8--`

```{=html}
</div>
```
!A minor pentatonic
Ex3{width="800"}

Section 4:

```{=html}
<div style="line-height:1em">
```
`e |-----8-----10-`\
`B |-----8-----10-`\
`G |--7-----9-----`\
`D |--7--------10-`\
`A |--7--------10-`\
`E |-----8-----10-`

```{=html}
</div>
```
!A minor pentatonic
Ex4{width="800"}

Section 5:

```{=html}
<div style="line-height:1em">
```
`e |----10----12--`\
`B |----10------13`\
`G |--9-------12--`\
`D |----10----12--`\
`A |----10----12--`\
`E |----10----12--`

```{=html}
</div>
```
!A minor pentatonic
Ex5{width="800"}

Scales should be practiced repeatedly and slowly. Scales are an ideal
way to improve hand co-ordination and finger memory which in turn leads
to a personal technique. A common technical problem associated with the
guitar is string noise. Even a simple chord movement from C to Am should
be played at the slowest speed possible with care being taken not to
bend the strings and for each note, open or fretted, to ring out
clearly. The A minor pentatonic shapes shown above should be played
slowly up and down. If you are playing with a plectrum then practice
alternate picking or tremolo
picking. To play scales with fingers
just alternate the index and middle finger of the right hand. If you are
using a steel-string acoustic then to avoid tendonitis and hand fatigue
it is advised that you tune your guitar down a tone when practising
scales.

#### The Blues scale

*Please see the Blues section for more
lessons.*

You can easily modify the minor pentatonic scale by adding a single note
and turning it into the blues scale - the flatted fifth note (b5) of the
scale. In the diagram below, A blues scale is shown at the fifth fret.
The number represent the frets played, and the numbers in parentheses
represent the Blue Note which, as the name suggests, is the major source
of the blues vibe in the scale. The blue note is not actually part of
the Minor Pentatonic scale, although it is often added in for extra
colour.

```{=html}
<div style="line-height:1em">
```
`e |--5--------8--`\
`B |--5--------8--`\
`G |--5-----7-(8)-`\
`D |--5-----7-----`\
`A |--5-(6)-7-----`\
`E |--5--------8--`

```{=html}
</div>
```
!A minor pentatonic including \"blue\"
notes{width="800"}

### Major Pentatonic

The A major pentatonic also has five notes:

**A-B-C#-E-F#-A**

!600x100

The major pentatonic can be formed from any seven note major scale by
simply leaving out the fourth and seventh note. The difference between
the A minor pentatonic and the A major pentatonic is their modality.
They both use the same first degree, however it is the interval between
the first degree and the third that defines a scales modality. In the
major pentatonic we have a major third (A - C#) so therefore the modal
quality of this scale is major. The minor pentatonic has a minor third
(A - C) and therefore the modal quality of this scale is minor. Though
they both have the same tonality by starting on the same note they
differ in sound. Understanding that it is the third of a scale that
determines whether a scale is minor mode or major mode is important. In
a scale the I, IV and V notes are called the tonal degrees and the III,
VI, and VII notes are called the modal degrees.

```{=html}
<div style="line-height:1em">
```
`e |-----5---------`\
`B |-----5-----7---`\
`G |--4-----6------`\
`D |--4--------7---`\
`A |--4--------7---`\
`E |-----5-----7---`

```{=html}
</div>
```
!A major pentatonic scale - two
octaves{width="800"}

Practice this the same way you practice the minor pentatonic scale. When
you feel completely comfortable with both pentatonic scales, begin to
explore the other different scales.

## Major Scale

The pattern for any major scale is 2-2-1-2-2-2-1, meaning that the
difference from the first note to the second is 2 frets, from the second
to the third is 2 frets, from the third to the fourth is 1 fret, etc.
The difference in notes can also be called steps, 2 notes being a whole
step, and 1 note being a half step. This pattern in steps can be shown
as W-W-H-W-W-W-H or as full tones and semitones T-T-S-T-T-T-S.

Major scale in the key of A

**A-B-C#-D-E-F#-G#-A**

```{=html}
<div style="line-height:1em">
```
`e |-4-5---------`\
`B |---5---7-----`\
`G |-4---6-7-----`\
`D |-4---6-7-----`\
`A |-4-5---7-----`\
`E |---5---7-----`

```{=html}
</div>
```
\[\[Image:A major scale for guitar two octave 4th
position.png\|thumb\|800px\|left\|A major scale - two

`octaves]]`

## Natural Minor Scale

The pattern for any natural minor scale is 2-1-2-2-1-2-2, shown in steps
as W-H-W-W-H-W-W

Natural Minor Scale in the key of A

**A-B-C-D-E-F-G-A**

```{=html}
<div style="line-height:1em">
```
`e |---5--------`\
`B |---5-6---8--`\
`G |-4-5---7----`\
`D |---5---7----`\
`A |---5---7-8--`\
`E |---5---7-8--`

```{=html}
</div>
```
!A natural minor scale - two
octaves{width="800"}

The movable shape for this scale is shown:

```{=html}
<div style="line-height:1em">
```
`e |-------|---x---|-------|-------|-------|`\
`B |-------|---x---|---x---|-------|---x---|`\
`G |---x---|---x---|-------|---x---|-------|`\
`D |-------|---x---|-------|---x---|-------|`\
`A |-------|---x---|-------|---x---|---x---|`\
`E |-------|---x---|-------|---x---|---x---|`\
`             5th`

```{=html}
</div>
```
## Harmonic Minor Scale

The Harmonic minor scale has a very different quality than the minor
pentatonic scale. It has a \"middle-eastern\" sound when used to play
lead lines.

**A-B-C-D-E-F-G#-A**

This is a moveable shape and to play in other keys just move the shape
up or down the neck:

```{=html}
<div style="line-height:1em">
```
`e |--4--5-----7--8--`\
`B |-----5--6--------`\
`G |--4--5-----7-----`\
`D |--------6--7-----`\
`A |-----5-----7--8--`\
`E |-----5-----7--8--`

```{=html}
</div>
```
!A harmonic minor scale - two
octaves{width="800"}

This looks a little more complicated, and is certainly more difficult to
get to sound nice, but when you have mastered it, it will sound great!

## Melodic Minor Scale

This scale is actually *two* scales. Thus when one speaks of a \"melodic
minor\" pattern, one refers to two patterns - one ascending and one
descending.

**A-B-C-D-E-F#-G#-A** (ascending) **A-G-F-E-D-C-B-A** (descending)

This is best illustrated by playing the melodic minor scale. Below is
the A melodic minor scale in tab; note the sharps when ascending and the
naturals when descending.

!A melodic minor scale - one
octave{width="800"}

The ascending pattern is constructed by raising the 6th and 7th steps of
the natural minor scale. When descending the normal natural minor scale
is used without the 6th and 7th raised. The reason for this is to be
found in singing. Vocalists find the augmented second between the F and
G sharp in the Harmonic minor scale very awkward to sing. It is not
impossible but the dissonance of the interval and the sense of
\"leaping\" meant that a different approach was sought. The answer was
to also raise the sixth note. The awkward augmented second was gone and
the melody flowed better due to the absence of the leap.

## Hungarian Minor

The Hungarian minor scale is a type of combined musical scale. It is
akin to the harmonic minor scale, except that it bears a raised fourth.
Its tonal center is slightly ambiguous, due to the large number of half
steps. Also known as Double Harmonic Minor, or Harmonic Minor #4, it
figures prominently in Eastern European music, particularly in gypsy
music. Melodies based on this scale have an exotic, romantic flavor.

```{=html}
<div style="line-height:1em">
```
`e |--7--8-----10--11--`\
`B |--7--8--9----------`\
`G |--7--8-------------`\
`D |--------9--10------`\
`A |--------9--10--11--`\
`E |-----8-----10--11--`

```{=html}
</div>
```
!C Hungarian minor scale - one
octave{width="800"}

A Hungarian minor scale in the key of C would proceed as follows:

**C-D-Eb-F#-G-Ab-B-C**

Its scale degrees are 1 2 b3 #4 5 b6 7 and its step pattern w - h - + -
h - h - + - h, where w indicates a whole step, h indicates a half step,
and + indicates an augmented second.

### Derived chords

Chords that may be derived from the Hungarian minor scale are:

<File:C> minor barre chord for guitar 3rd position.png\|**C Minor**
<File:D7b5> chord for guitar 5th position.png\|**D7 Flat Fifth**
<File:E> augmented chord for guitar open position.png\|**E Flat
Augmented** <File:G> major chord for guitar open position (no doubled
third).png\|**G Major** <File:A> flat seventh chord for guitar barre 4th
position.png\|**A Flat Seventh** <File:B> minor sixth chord for guitar
open position.png\|**B Minor Sixth**

This scale is obtainable from the \*Arabic scale by starting from the
fourth of that scale. Said another way, the C Hungarian minor scale is
equivalent to the G Arabic scale.

In the video game, The Illusion of Gaia (published by the Enix
Corporation), the flute melody found in the Inca Ruins uses the C
Hungarian minor scale (a #4 is used in the second phrase); this music is
also quoted when the player reaches the Larai Cliff stage of the game,
transposed to D.

Joe Satriani has composed several songs using the Hungarian minor scale.

## Church Modes

The Church Modes preceded the Major-Minor system. The student is advised
to listen to the music of Palestrina as well as the jazz album *Kind of
Blue* by Miles Davis; both use modes to great effect.

For example, in the key of C, the notes are:

**C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C**

If you wanted to play in the 2nd mode, called the Dorian mode, then you
would just play the same notes, but start on the second note. So instead
you would play:

**D-E-F-G-A-B-C-D**

The different modes are called:

-   Ionian
-   Dorian
-   Phrygian
-   Lydian
-   Mixolydian
-   Aeolian
-   Locrian

The Phrygian mode - **E F G A B C D E** - is of special interest to
flamenco players. The third and seventh degrees are often sharpened,
giving the scale notes **E F G# A B C D# E**. This arrangement is
commonly used in descending form. The second degree of the scale is
referred to as a leaning note, which means the note tends to fall one
semitone. In this case F falls to E.


# Guitar/Scale Theory

!The Codex Las Huelgas is a music manuscript from the thirteenth
century. The codex superseded the papyrus scroll and is the precursor of
the modern printed
book.

## The Invention Of Notation

By the ninth century Western music had become standardized into a
notational form called `<i>`{=html}nuemes`</i>`{=html} which were shapes
that represented notes. One line was used to indicate the middle pitch
with nuemes above the line being higher in pitch and the nuemes below
the line being lower in pitch. This primitive notational system was more
of a memory aid rather than a complete notational system showing exact
pitch and duration. To read nuemes you needed to be familiar with the
piece of music beforehand. In the tenth century Guido d\'Arezzo, a
Benedictine monk and Choir Master, extended the one line to four lines
and set the exact pitch of each note. This new invention of the stave
allowed music to be notated more precisely. Guido d\'Arezzo also devised
the `<i>`{=html}solfeggio`</i>`{=html} system where a different syllable
is sung to each note of an ascending scale:

**Do - Re - Mi - Fa - Sol - La - Ti**

Today a scholarly approach has been applied to the music of the past in
relation to ensuring that the notation is interpreted correctly. An
example is baroque music where modern research into the instruments,
techniques and approach of this period has led today\'s musicians to
revise their interpretation and performance of Baroque notation.

During the Renaissance Italian composers tried to recreate the plays of
Ancient Greece and their experiments led to the invention of Opera.
Musicians have always mined the music of the past for ideas and maybe
some clue as to the roots of contemporary musical practices. From a
musicologist point of view we are living in a Golden Age simply from the
fact that mankind for the first time has the ability to record sound.
Though we take recorded sound for granted today; it must be said that
the future musicologist will find a rich legacy of sound recordings from
which to base their research. We can never hear the music of Ancient
Greece or the Medieval period; we can only attempt to recreate it. The
importance of notation as the only mechanism we had for preserving the
music of the past becomes self-evident.

## The Church Modes

The music up to the baroque period was created from a form of scales
known as the Church Modes which took their names from the tribes of
Ancient Greece.

-   **Ionian** - the Greeks who settled on the coast of modern day
    Turkey.

```{=html}
<!-- -->
```
-   **Dorian** - the Greeks who settled on Crete, Sparta and Corinth.

```{=html}
<!-- -->
```
-   **Phrygian** - the Greeks who moved further inland in Turkey to
    settle Anatolia.

```{=html}
<!-- -->
```
-   **Lydian** - a Greek tribe also from the Anatolia region of Turkey.

```{=html}
<!-- -->
```
-   **Mixolydian** - the Mixolydian mode was invented by Sappho, the 7th
    century B.C. poet and musician.

```{=html}
<!-- -->
```
-   **Aeolian** - originally Greeks from Thessaly who spread to the
    Greek islands and Asia-minor.

```{=html}
<!-- -->
```
-   **Locrian** - inhabitants of the ancient region of Locris in Central
    Greece.

The Ancient Greeks laid the foundation for the study of music and
intervals in a way that has defined Western music ever since. They
investigated intervals using mathematics and used ratios to describe
these intervals. The Church Modes are not scales from Ancient Greece.
The Ancient Greeks used a scale system based on the idea of tetrachords.
However the debt that the Medieval period owes to the Ancient Greeks is
reflected in the naming of the Church Modes. The Ancient Greeks also
described their modes as Dorian, Lydian, etc. However this shows a
continuity of music nomenclature rather than practice and the Ancient
Greeks used their modes in an entirely different manner to the Medieval
musician. Here is Aristotle\'s view of the modes:

> \"The musical modes differ essentially from one another, and those who
> hear them are differently affected by each. Some of them make men sad
> and grave, like the so-called Mixolydian; others enfeeble the mind,
> like the relaxed modes; another again, produces a moderate and settled
> temper, which appears to be the peculiar effect of the Dorian; the
> Phrygian inspires enthusiasm\"

The quote above is from Aristotle\'s `<i>`{=html}Politics`</i>`{=html}
which is a work about government and society and the individual\'s role
in both. This Aristotelian analysis of music influenced the early Church
fathers who sought to lay the foundations for the liturgy of the
Christian mass which had always contained musical elements.

The Church Modes derive from Gregorian Chant which is a body of
liturgical vocal music named in honor of Pope Gregory (590CE to 604CE)
who set others to collect all the earlier Christian plainsong for
codification. Pope Gregory instigated the revision of the existing
liturgical music into a coherent whole and in doing so defined the
musical practices of the early Christian faith. With regards to secular
(non-religious) music there is not much contemporary information
available for the modern reader. The church filling the vacuum left by
the demise of the Roman empire became the main conduit of information
and therefore the earliest substantial musical literature we have
available to study is primarily to do with the musical practices of the
Christian church.

As instruments and forms evolved, some of the Church Modes became
redundant as musicians found that those modes did not suffice for their
musical needs. A few of the Church Modes went on to form the basis of
our \"major-minor\" system and it is from these modes that baroque
musicians created the harmonic theory that has dominated music right up
to the twentieth century. The earlier Ionian mode is now called the
Major scale.

## The Piano Keyboard

The keyboard layout of the harpsichord and organ became standardized in
the 15th century and the invention of the keyboard played a large part
in laying down the foundation of modern tuning practices and theory.
Tempered-tuning was adopted as a direct result of these inventions. The
earlier system of mean-tuning meant that the errors introduced by the
problem of the Pythagorean Comma allowed only a few keys to be played.
If a piano was mean-tuned to C major then the player would find that
keys further away from this C major center would be unusable. The
guitarist can hear this by tuning the guitar in the first position
(first four frets) so that a C major chord is in tune with itself. You
will find that the chords in the first position are usable but as you
further progress up the neck the chords start to sound out of tune.
Tempered-tuning spreads the errors introduced by the Pythagorean Comma
evenly across the entire range of an instrument. By the time the piano
was invented in the 17th century, the tempered C major scale had become
the foundation for teaching music theory.

Since the keyboard has been such a dominating force in music, a complete
study of scale theory must make some reference to it. Thus, it is best
to first look at the piano keyboard and then compare it to the guitar
fretboard.

Before you begin it is good idea to familiarise yourself with the notes
of the C major scale. Roman numerals are used to label the scale
degrees.

  ------------------- --- ---- ----- ---- --- ---- -----
  **Roman Numeral**   I   II   III   IV   V   VI   VII
  **Note**            C   D    E     F    G   A    B
  ------------------- --- ---- ----- ---- --- ---- -----

!A piano keyboard showing the C major scale. Note that all the degrees
of the C major scale are on the white
keys.{width="240"}

If you play each key on a keyboard ascending from the middle C (diagram
on the right), you will have played the 12 tone chromatic scale. These
are all the notes available in Western music. The keyboard of a piano is
laid out so that when you play the C major scale, you use only the white
keys. The C major scale has no sharps (#\'s) or flats (b\'s) which means
that no black keys are used. Only the C major and its relative minor
have no sharps or flats; all other scales will have a sharp or flat in
their notation.

It is important to recognize that on the keyboard the distance between
two adjacent keys is always a semitone. On the guitar the same applies
to adjacent frets. Looking at the keyboard diagram you will see that
between the C and D is a black key which is a semitone above the C and a
semitone below the D. Between E and F there is no black key but it is
still notated as a semitone interval. There is also no black key between
B and C so they are also semitone neighbours. The 12 tone chromatic
scale consists of 12 sounds which are all a semitone apart. The C major
scale has seven notes which are represented by all the white keys. At
this point it is best to remember that adjacent keys are a semitone
apart and that a tone describes keys two semitones apart. Therefore C to
D is a tone because there are two semitones - C to C# and C# to D. E to
F# is also a tone.

The C major scale has no sharps of flats so that the chords are formed
using only the white keys. The most basic chord you can play is a triad
which consists of three notes. The piano student will be asked by their
tutor to play the seven triads in the key of C major almost immediately.
Once the piano student has formed the shape of the C major triad (C-E-G)
it is only a case of moving that shape up through the scale degrees
while naming the chords. A beginner on the piano will learn the chords
in the key of C major within minutes.

The guitar exercise below will allow you to quickly learn the chords of
the C Major scale. For the Dm triad and Bdim triad use your little
finger for the lowest note and for the lowest note of the last triad (C
major octave) use your third finger.

!Triads derived from the key of C major for
guitar{width="800"}

## Structure of the Major Scale

The major scale (or Ionian mode) is the main scale currently used in
music. It is made up of seven notes plus an eighth which duplicates the
first an octave higher. The Italian music system \"solfeggio\" where
each note is sung using a syllable - \"Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La, Ti,
(Do)\" - may help in illustrating this concept.

The interval pattern for any major scale is:

`        ```{=html}`2-2-1-2-2-2-1```{=html}` `

meaning that the difference from the first note to the second is 2
frets, from the second to the third is 1 fret, etc.

The difference in notes can also be called steps, 2 notes being a whole
step, and 1 note being a half step. This pattern in steps can be written
as:

`        ```{=html}`w-w-h-w-w-w-h```{=html}` `

It can also be represented as:

`        ```{=html}`t-t-s-t-t-t-s```{=html}` `

with \"t\" meaning \"tone\" and \"s\" meaning \"semitone\". The choice
is yours as to which of the three descriptors you choose to use.

The scale below uses the \"tone-semitone\" method:

!C major
scale{width="800"}

Please note that there is a distinction in terminology between American
English and UK English. It is common to find the word \"tone\" used in
American English to describe notes whereas in UK English the word
\"tone\" is never used.

For example:

American English: \"The leading-tone is always a semitone below the
octave in a major scale\"

UK English: \"The leading-note is always a semitone below the octave in
a major scale\"

_`<b>`{=html}Major scale in the key of
C`</b>`{=html}_

C - D - E - F - G - A - B - C

**Two Octaves Of C Major:**

!C major two octaves ascending at the seventh
position{width="800"}

This shape is moveable, and the fingering is shown below

            7th
    e:---x---|---x---|-------|-------|
    B:-------|---x---|-------|---x---|
    G:---x---|-------|---x---|---x---|
    D:---x---|-------|---x---|---x---|
    A:---x---|---x---|-------|---x---|
    E:-------|---x---|-------|---x---|

## Structure of the Minor scale

### Natural minor

The natural minor scale (or Aeolian mode) is one of the diatonic scales
along with the major scale. The word \"diatonic\" in a modern sense
refers only to the major and natural minor scales. In the key of A
minor, the harmonic form would be called \"non-diatonic\" because the
seventh note is sharpened.

`<b>`{=html}TIP:`</b>`{=html} Any natural minor scale can be changed
into a harmonic minor scale by sharpening the seventh note.

The natural minor scales are all \"diatonic\" because they consist of
the notes from the key they are derived from without any changes. The
harmonic and melodic form both contain changes to the original natural
minor scale and are therefore \"non-diatonic\".

Natural minor scales can be created for any key using the formula:

`          ```{=html}`w-h-w-w-h-w-w```{=html}

Below is the Am natural (or relative) scale with tones and semitones
shown:

!Am (natural)
scale scale"){width="800"}

Minor scale (diatonic) in the key of C:

C - D - Eb - F - G - Ab - Bb - C

**Two Octaves Of C Minor:**

!C natural minor two octaves ascending at the seventh
position{width="800"}

This shape is moveable, and the fingering is shown below

            7th
    e:-------|---x---|-------|-------|-------|
    B:-------|---x---|---x---|-------|---x---|
    G:---x---|---x---|-------|---x---|-------|
    D:-------|---x---|-------|---x---|-------|
    A:-------|---x---|-------|---x---|---x---|
    E:-------|---x---|-------|---x---|---x---|


# Guitar/Picking and Plucking

There are two major methods of right hand (for right handed players)
techniques namely, either by using a pick (also called a plectrum) or
fingers. The plectrum is very common in rock, country and pop music,
where it is considered convenient for strumming and louder guitar sound.
Use of fingers is most common among classical guitarists and flamenco
players, as combination of strings better executed using the right hand
fingers, and generally have softer sound than the pick. Other than
classical guitarists and flamenco players, use of a pick or fingers is a
matter of personal preference.

## Striking

### Using a pick

The primary advantages of the pick are its speed, its ease of striking
large chords and, because the fingernails and fingertips are not
involved, its preservation of player\'s picking hand. Furthermore, use
of a pick makes a louder and brighter sound. Its primary disadvantage is
its imprecision, making muting strings necessary. Also, if the player
wishes to switch to the tapping style, he or she can tap with or with
out the pick: to tap with the pick just put it on its side and tap it on
the desired fret. However, tapping with a pick makes it harder to tap on
multiple strings.

### Finger Strumming

Players wishing not to use a pick may try finger *strumming*. This is
accomplished by holding the picking hand\'s first finger to the thumb,
much as one might hold a pick, and striking the strings with the first
fingernail. Another way is to do all down strokes with the thumb and all
upstrokes with the index finger; like one is \'petting\' the strings.

### Apoyando Strikes

Apoyando, or splinter rested, involves the finger picking through a
string such that the finger stops when resting on the next string. This
technique produces a strong, loud tone, and is considered the opposite
of Tirando.

### Tirando Strikes

When performing a tirando, or shooting splinter strike, the finger does
not affect the next string at all. This is the opposite of apoyando.

## Fingerpicking

Fingerpicking is a method of playing the guitar where you use your thumb
and at least one other finger to pick or pluck notes, using your
fingernails, fingerpicks or fingertips. Talented players can use all
five fingers on their picking hand, but many players only use four
fingers and use their pinky finger as a brace on the guitar. Most
classical guitarists alter the shape of their picking hand fingernails
for the purpose of producing a desired sound, however this is not
necessary in non-classical music; one can purchase fingerpicks to fit on
the hand.

Generally fingerpicking involves picking through
chords organized in a melody. Fingerpicking
is used extensively in folk guitar and
classical guitar, but it is also
common in other genres.

Fingerpicking is surprisingly easy on an electric guitar, which is
strange because fingerpicking is often regarded as an acoustic style.
The player may hold his or her picking hand\'s fourth finger against the
right edge (left edge on a left-handed guitar), and if it is held
straight and steady, this technique may be used to brace the hand. This
technique is called anchoring, and is frowned upon by some players. It
is possible on acoustic guitars by using the bridge similarly, but this
is not as effective as it will deaden the sound. Classical guitarists
never anchor while playing.

When strumming with individual fingers, general rule is move the wrist
only if the thumb is used, while if any other finger is used, only said
finger will be used.

When you start trying to learn, your finger coordination will be
terrible and it is easy to be discouraged. It takes several weeks to let
your muscles develop, but if you practice using all your fingers at once
your overall dexterity will increase much faster.

### Classical picking

In classical guitar repertoire, there will be a \"PIMA\" marking for the
picking hand fingers (right hand for right handed players), which
indicate which finger to use:

-   **P**ulgar, or thumb.
-   **I**ndice, or index finger.
-   **M**edio, or middle finger.
-   **A**nular, or ring finger.

These four are the ones that are used most frequently. Sometimes, the
fourth finger is used, in which it is marked either **C**, **X** or
**E**.

Typically, the thumb has a down-picking motion and the fingers have an
up-picking motion.

:
### Clawhammer and frailing

Clawhammer, sometimes known as frailing, is a method generally used with
the five-string banjo and is characteristic of traditional Appalachian
folk music of the U.S. It is primarily a down-picking style, and the
hand assumes a claw-like shape and the strumming finger is kept fairly
stiff, striking the strings by the motion of the hand at the wrist and
elbow, rather than a flicking motion by the finger. Typically, only the
thumb and second or first finger are used and the finger always
downpicks, flicking the string with the back of the fingernail.

A common characteristic of clawhammer patterns is the thumb does not
pick on the downbeat, as one might in typical finger-picking patterns
for guitar. For example, this is a common, basic time signature\|2/4
pattern:

1.  Pick a melody note on the downbeat (quarter note)
2.  On the second beat (music)\|beat, strum a few strings with your
    strumming finger or brush with all fingers (roughly an eighth note)
3.  Immediately following (on the second half of this beat), pick a note
    with the thumb, usually the shorter fifth string. (roughly an eighth
    note)

Here, the thumb plays the high drone (fifth string) on the second
\"and\" of \"one and two *and*\". This combined with the second finger
strumming provides a characteristic \"bum-ditty bum-ditty\" sound.

Some people, however, make a distinction between frailing and
clawhammer:

-   In frailing, the first fingertip is used for up-picking melody, and
    the second fingernail is used for rhythmic downward brushing.
-   In clawhammer, only downstrokes are used, and they are typically
    played with one fingernail as is the usual technique on the banjo.

### Travis Picking

Another well known style of finger picking is called Travis picking,
named after Merle Travis who was a country singer known for his
legendary picking skills. When picking, you use your thumb and first
finger to hit notes at the same time, creating a double stop or
interval, and then
continue picking with the first finger. Usually the thumb is responsible
for picking the bass line, while the first/second finger is for melody.
Skilled players can carry two separate melodies with the upper and lower
strings.

You can create impressive rhythms playing with just your thumb and first
finger, but to really become talented you must practice using more
fingers. For example, Chet Atkins expanded to use all three fingers,
with thumb for bass line.

:
### Rasgueado

The rasgueado or splinter striking technique originated from Spanish
flamenco music, and usually refers to three or four fingers and
sometimes the thumb striking the strings in quick succession. The notes
quickly follow one another and produce a \"rattling\" or cascading
effect.

### Scruggs style

Scruggs-style finger-picking is a
syncopated, five-string banjo style used in bluegrass
music. It is played with thumb, first and
second fingers; the fourth and/or third fingers are typically braced
against the head of the instrument. The strings are picked rapidly in
repetitive sequences or rolls; the same string is not typically picked
twice in succession. Melody notes are interspersed among arpeggios, and
musical phrases typically contain long series of staccato notes, often
played at very rapid tempos. The music is generally syncopated, and may
have a subtle swing or shuffle feel, especially on mid-tempo numbers.
The result is lively, rapid music, which lends itself both as an
accompaniment to other instruments and as a solo.

Scruggs style picking was popularized by Earl
Scruggs in the early 1940\'s in rural North
Carolina.

## Tapping

Tapping is a style of playing where notes
are created by quickly pressing, or tapping, the string down on the fret
that you want to play. Usually tapping involves both hands, and most
often it is on an electric guitar. It is possible to tap on an acoustic,
but you cannot hear the notes as clearly as on an electric.


# Guitar/Arpeggios and Sweep Picking

## Introduction

The word **arpeggio** (ar-*peh*-jee-oh) is Italian for \"like a harp\".
It is a common technique for playing chords on the harp. To play an
arpeggiated chord on the guitar, pick each note of the chord slowly, one
string at a time. You can play arpeggios with a plectrum or fingerstyle.

### Exercise 1

Below is a simple arpeggio study using these chords:

```{=html}
<div style="font-family:'Courier New'">
```
File: A major chord for guitar (open).png\|**A major** File: D major
chord for guitar (open).png\|**D major** File: E major chord for guitar
(open).png\|**E major**

```{=html}
</div>
```
!Sixteen Bar Arpeggio Study in A
major.png "Sixteen Bar Arpeggio Study in A major"){width="800"}\
==Sweep picking== **Sweep picking** is a more specialized technique,
occurring most often in metal. It involves playing a fast arpeggio with
a special technique: when switching from one string to the next, mute
the note currently ringing by lifting the fretting finger. A sweep can
become a rake if notes are muted incorrectly. Rakes can sound nice, but
they are not sweeps. Remember only one note can ring out at a time or it
won\'t sound good. It takes practice and it helps to start slow and
build up speed.

Below is example tablature of sweep picking:

!Sample tablature for sweep
picking

This is not the only way to notate sweeps. Small sweeps can be indicated
with grace notes or even the arpeggio notation with the word \"sweep\"
(or, less correctly, \"rake\") written above.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

In a more classical approach, arpeggios must follow a distinct pattern
of notes depending on the chord/scale we\'re playing. This is similar to
playing chords note-by-note on a piano (not on a guitar).

The basic chords (the major and minor triads) are composed of three
tones: the first, the third and the fifth note of the scale (major or
minor, depending on the chord type).

For instance, the C major scale is: C D E F G A B. So, according to the
1-3-5 principle, the C major triad consists of C, E and G. Note that the
C major chord on a guitar also consists only of these three notes but
they are not always in the 1-3-5 order. Now, while playing \"classical
arpeggios\", you would not just pick around the chord randomly but you
would play C, E, G, then C, E, G an octave higher, etc. This is what is
called an arpeggio scale. You can play around it, up and down with
complete freedom or just use the 1-3-5 pattern as a bass line. This
method can also be used with more complex chords (sus4, maj7, etc.) but
then it follows a pattern different from 1-3-5 structure, depending on
the chord type. In all, this is a very simple but effective method for
composing.

While playing guitar, this might not appear as interesting as picking
\"full\" six-string chords but it can be used to give your music a
classical edge. It also has a more lead quality to it than using full
chords and requires more skill. Playing fast arpeggios like these is
sometimes used in metal music with very satisfactory results. The
\"classical arpeggios\" are in no way better than the \"harp like
chords\" and it is ultimately up to the player/composer to choose what
is best for the song in question.

## External links


# Guitar/Slides

The **slide** is one of the simplest guitar techniques. There are two
kinds of slides: shift slides and legato slides. In a shift slide, a
note is fretted, then struck, and then the fretting finger slides up or
down to a different fret, and the string is struck again. A legato slide
differs in that the string is struck only for the first note.

![](guitar-slide.png "guitar-slide.png")

The first slide pictured is a shift slide; the second is a legato slide.
A few tablature writers do not distinguish between the two slides, using
only shift slide notation. The abbreviation \"sl.\" for slide may be
omitted. When sliding from a higher fret to a lower fret, the slanted
lines are usually changed to have a downward slope instead of an upward
slope, to emphasize the sliding \"down\". It is possible to slide up
from an open string, but this often does not sound as clean because this
requires a hammer-on
at the first fret (or for really fast slides, a higher fret) before
sliding up. Likewise, it is possible to slide down to an open string but
it requires a pull-off at the first (or some other) fret.

In Internet tablature, a slide from the third fret to the fifth might be
written like any of these:

`   3/5`\
`   3>5`\
`   3>s>5`\
`   3s5`

Internet tablature rarely distinguishes between the two kinds of slides.

Less commonly, tablature can instruct the guitarist to \"slide into\" or
\"slide out of\" a note. In printed tablature, they are notated
identically except, in the case of slide-into, the first note is
omitted, and in the case of slide-out-of, the second note is omitted. In
other words, the note slides in from nowhere, or out to nowhere. It
simply tells the guitarist to quickly slide from or to an arbitrary
point, usually only a few frets away.

Good sliding keeps the new note audible, while keeping the note in tune.
If you don\'t press the string hard enough, you mute the string or buzz
it on the frets. Too hard and the string bends out of tune. The latter
does not happen often, but sounds awful and should be avoided.

Example\
C C C C \| F F C C \| G F C G
:   350px
:
```{=html}
<!-- -->
```

E E E E \| A A E E \| H7 A E H7
:   350px
:


# Guitar/Hammer-ons, Pull-offs, and Trills

Hammer-ons and pull-offs are two closely related techniques. They are
used to play *legato*, that is, in a smooth manner, and are also used to
help the guitarist to play faster. They are most commonly used in
electric guitar work, but can be used in acoustic tunes as
embellishments.

## The hammer-on

![](Hammer_on.gif "Hammer_on.gif") Hammer-ons can be done anywhere on
the fretboard, but for the beginner it is easiest using an open string.
To quickly learn, strike an open E on the first string. While the note
is still ringing, quickly and firmly press a finger on the third fret.
If done properly, a G note should be sounding.

Quickly pressing your finger down and raising the note without hitting
the string again is called \"hammering on\". Without electric
amplification, the hammer-on tends to be quieter than regularly struck
notes, especially if you haven\'t practiced it! Because the strings are
closer to the fretboard, hammer-ons are easier to execute on an electric
guitar. However, this doesn\'t make them less common on an acoustic
guitar, where they are used frequently to embellish open
chords

The hammer-on can just as easily be played with fretted notes: just play
the note normally and hammer onto another (higher-numbered) fret on the
same string. If you practice hammer-ons, eventually you will be able to
move each finger smoothly and independently.

## The pull-off

![](Pull_off.gif "Pull_off.gif") The pull-off is the opposite of the
hammer-on. Again, using the E string, hold it at the third fret. Strike
the string and while the note is still ringing, release the fretting
finger. If done properly, the G should be followed by an open E. If the
note doesn\'t ring out properly, try hitting the G harder and releasing
faster.

Like the hammer-on, the second note tends to be less loud than the
first. To help alleviate this, a slight sideways motion of the fretting
finger while pulling off will add extra vibration to the string, and
give you some extra volume. Often it is hard for a beginner to
accomplish, and the sideways movement helps greatly.

A pull-off looks like this:

    D|---7p5--5p4--4p2--2p0--|

## The trill

A trill is two alternating notes, such as an A and A#. Only the first
note is struck; the rest are rapidly hammered-on and pulled off

de:Gitarre: Folkdiplom -
Hammer-On
it:Chitarra/Hammer on e Pull
off


# Guitar/Bending and Vibrato

**Bending** and **vibrato** are two related effects which help give
extra \"life\" to notes, especially sustained notes, by changing their
pitch. The techniques are not commonly used on the acoustic guitar or
general rhythm playing. However, they are *extremely* important to many
styles involving distorted guitar, e.g., rock or metal, even when
playing rhythm (though, in that case, bends and vibratos are usually
embellishments). Bending or an equivalent effect is not possible on all
instruments; the piano, for example, cannot have notes that change in
pitch. This is one reason why it is important to know how to bend:
because you can!

This section deals with bending and vibrato using your fingers, not the
different technique of using the vibrato bar. The two techniques do the
same basic thing, but using the vibrato bar as a substitute for
fretting-hand bending is not good practice; it is best used for very
heavy bends or heavy vibratos, not slight embellishments like finger
bending. It is more difficult to be subtle with a vibrato bar, and it is
usually a bit out of the way for the picking hand to reach, making it
harder to use. In short, while in some cases which style of bending or
vibrato is used is a matter of taste, the two techniques are not
interchangeable and are used for different effects.

## Bending

!A string as it looks during a two fret bend. Notice how the player is
using three fingers to help bend the
string.
Bending is exactly as it sounds: bending the string to the side by
pushing it (towards the sixth string) or pulling it (towards the first
string), often while a fretted note is ringing. The first three strings
are normally pushed, and the others are normally pulled. This is
particularly important on the first and sixth strings, as you do not
want the string to fall off the fretboard. Whether the string is pushed
or pulled, the note will be raised in pitch.

Many aspiring guitarists cannot bend properly. The *sound* of a bend is
more important than how it is actually executed or how it looks, but a
bad bending technique usually leads to a bad sound. Your favorite
guitarist might bend using just his or her fingertips and you might be
inclined to copy this --- don\'t! Your hands can sound every bit as good
as your hero\'s without copying his or her technique. There are two keys
to bending properly: proper thumb positioning, and bending with the
proper muscles. Do not keep your thumb behind the neck, where it usually
is, but bring it up perpendicular to the neck (a position that is
*normally* incorrect, but not in the case of bending). Keep the fingers
firm. Do not bend your fingers, but push or pull with your forearm. You
will hardly see your forearm move, possibly just see a couple of muscles
flex. It will feel awkward at first, but if you can bend with the thumb
in the proper position and without bending the fingers, you are probably
doing it correctly.

Many guitarists will have trouble bending more than 1/4 step (half a
semitone) or perhaps 1/2 step (one semitone) with only one finger,
especially on frets close to the nut and on the thinner strings. It is
much easier to bend with more than one finger, for instance, with the
index finger on the first or second fret and the ring finger on the
third, and pushing or pulling with both fingers in order to bend at the
third fret. More fingers may be used if this is not enough. It should be
possible to bend at least a full step (the pitch difference of two
frets) this way.

## Pre-bending

Bending, whether by pushing or pulling the string, raises the tension in
the vibrating portion of the string, and thus always *raises* the pitch
of the note. This means it is easier to slide up rather than down in
pitch. To create the impression of bending down, the guitarist uses a
technique called *pre-bending*, that is, bending *before* the string is
struck, then strike and release the bend (either gradually or quickly,
depending on the intended effect).

## Bend and Release

The ideas of bending and pre-bending can be combined for a \"bend and
release\", that is, striking a note, bending it up, then releasing it as
you would with a pre-bend. This will often be perceived as a \"bounce\"
in pitch, especially if played quickly. The reverse is also possible:
pre-bend, release, and bend. Repeatedly and steadily bending and
releasing is called *vibrato*.

## Vibrato

Players of many instruments, including the human voice, use vibrato to
help add expression to sustained notes. Vibrato is performed in two
major ways, the first by rapidly bending the string back and forth,
causing a modulation in pitch; therefore, all of the information above
about bending applies here, except it is performed faster or more
prolonged. Or it can be performed in a \'classical\' style where one
applies pressure parallel to the string towards the neck then towards
the bridge repeatedly, which allows one to achieve vibrato upward and
downward in pitch, albeit with a smaller change. A small, subtle vibrato
might not require the assistance of other fingers; the fretting finger
should be sufficient. However, for sustained vibrato or vibrato on the
first or second frets, using multiple fingers for bending is a good
idea.

it:Chitarra/Bending e
Release


# Guitar/Harmonics

Harmonics are fun sounds to produce. They can be quiet and bell-like on
an Acoustic or they can be loud and squeally on an overdriven Electric.

## Harmonics Introduction

!**Harmonic series** of a string. Playing harmonics on the guitar uses
a technique that stops certain partials from
sounding{width="250"}
When you strike a note on the guitar, the sound generated is not just
one note but a series of notes. The *fundamental* (also called the first
harmonic) is the loudest and lowest of the series and fainter notes
which all have their own frequency of vibration, amplitude, and phase
are heard as well. The frequencies are integer multiples of the lowest
frequency. Looking at the diagram you will notice that the upper
partials (this is the name given to any sine waves associated with a
complex tone) follow a pattern 2,3,4,5,6,and 7 and these equal-sized
sections resonate at increasingly higher frequencies. The guitar
technique described below shows how to play harmonics by lightly
touching the string directly over the fret. You are essentially
cancelling out certain partials from being heard by not allowing that
part of the string to vibrate. Pianists have no means of manipulating
strings to produce harmonics unless they lift up the lid of the piano
and lightly touch the string. Woodwind instruments can produce harmonics
by the technique of *overblowing*. It must be noted that we all tend to
hear or play music as a \"single sensation\" and that the partials
present are not considered or heard as separate during that experience.

### List of natural harmonics

-   **12th fret** - octave above open string
-   **7th or 19th fret** - octave plus a perfect fifth above open string
-   **5th or 24th fret** - two octaves above open string
-   **4th, 9th or 16th fret** - two octaves plus a major third above
    open string

There are more harmonics than these but these are the easiest to produce
and the most audible. They are ordered from lowest to highest in pitch.\
== Natural harmonics == Natural harmonics are the easiest to produce. A
good place to begin is the 12th fret of the high e string. With your
fretting hand, lightly touch a finger against the string directly above
the 12th fret. Do not hold it down or apply any pressure. Then strike it
with your picking hand and immediately release the string; almost
simultaneously. If executed properly the result should be a
high-pitched, silvery note. Try it again at the 7th and 5th frets; as
shown on the Natural Harmonic fretboard diagram. Each harmonic shown on
the diagram will produce a sound that is higher in pitch than its
fretted note counterpart. Harmonics will sound quieter and the higher
harmonics may be nearly inaudible without the overdrive of an amp.

![](Guitar_Natural_Harmonics_5th-7th-12th_Frets.png "Guitar_Natural_Harmonics_5th-7th-12th_Frets.png"){width="1700"}

### Harmonic Chords

Below are the Harmonic chords of **Em** and **Bm**. Both chords are
first inversion with the third in the bass. You can play Harmonic
arpeggios, add the open low E string to the Harmonic Em chord or play a
melodic phrase.

![](Guitar_Fretboard_Harmonic_Chords_Em_and_Bm.png "Guitar_Fretboard_Harmonic_Chords_Em_and_Bm.png"){width="1700"}

Below are the Harmonic chords of **G** and **D**. Both chords are second
inversion with the fifth in the bass.

![](Guitar_Fretboard_Harmonic_Chords_G_and_D.png "Guitar_Fretboard_Harmonic_Chords_G_and_D.png"){width="1700"}

A good example of the use of natural harmonics is in the song *Imperium*
by Machine Head. Clear 5th fret harmonics can be heard enforcing the low
drop B tuning.

## Pinch harmonics

Pinch harmonics are also known as Artificial Harmonics though there is
really nothing artificial about them. This is an advanced technique and
was popularized mostly by Billy
Gibbons and later Zakk
Wylde, as well as many others as early
as the 1970s including many Heavy
Metal artists. These harmonics follow
the same principles of physics as a natural harmonic; the difference
being how the harmonic is produced. In this technique a note is struck
in a downwards motion with the pick and in the same motion the string is
touched (one might really say brushed) with the edge of the thumb that
is holding the pick. You can also use the edge of the index fingernail
followed by the pick.

Pinch harmonics are most effective and audible using an Electric guitar
with overdrive or distortion. These harmonics are virtually inaudible
when using a clean (not distorted or overdriven) amp channel with the
Electric guitar or when using an Acoustic. It can sound good when
correctly used even without much overdrive but it\'s not always clear or
detectable. Use overdrive or distortion for best results especially
while learning and practicing this technique. This technique takes
practice to master. Beginners may need to spend some time on scales,
soloing, blues, riffing, strumming patterns before they feel comfortable
enough to attempt this technique. It is mostly used in soloing and
intense expressive riffing.

As mentioned above, these harmonics are produced by striking a note with
the pick and touching the string with the picking thumb. Grip the pick
so that the tip barely peeks out between your fingertips (this is why
they are called \"pinch\" harmonics). It\'s easier when you are fretting
a note with the left hand. Try fretting the 5th fret of the D string and
plucking the string just below the neck pick-up pole pieces (maybe 1/8\"
toward the bridge from the pole pieces). The position of the plucking
along the length of the string is one of the most important parts of
this technique. While with regular picking the position of the picking
along the string can make slight variations in the sound of the note,
when executing pinch harmonics the right position is vital and tiny
positional differences can make entirely different harmonics. So try
adjusting the picking hand just millimeters up and down the string
around the area of the pick-ups.

Try imagining the pick and your picking thumb plucking the string at the
same time although the thumb is really just brushing past it. Consider
it to be really one motion. Try thinking of your thumb and the pick as
one entity and instead of picking straight down, pick down and a little
bit (millimeters) out away from the face of the guitar so your picking
motion is a sort of \'letter J\' out from the face of the guitar and so
the thumb brushes past the string and remember that the thumb should
only touch the string for an instant just like the pick does.

Try executing pinch harmonics while fretting different notes and by
striking the string in slightly different places all around the pickup
area of the guitar. Many kinds of harmonic ringing sounds may be
produced.

Without a pick, this technique may be simulated by plucking the string
with the fingertip and lightly touching it with the fingernail.
Classical guitarists use this technique and it is also found in jazz
finger-style guitar.

These harmonics, as opposed to natural harmonics, end up being much more
practical to use while playing and when mastered can be used boldly like
Zakk Wylde making the harmonic part of the riff, or subtly and possibly
unintentionally to add color and character to the notes or chords while
playing almost anything.

Pinch harmonics can easily and effectively be combined with other
techniques, such as bending or
vibrato.

To hear pinch harmonics in action check out the following:

-   Ozzy Osbourne\'s *Ozzmosis* (and several other albums) features many
    different examples of pinched harmonics in various solos.
-   In the movie *Rock Star* at the beginning, the lead guitarist (Nick
    Catanese of Black Label Society/SPEED X) in Blood Pollution (the
    Steel Dragon cover band) is \"not hitting the squeal\". The squeal
    they\'re speaking of is a pinch harmonic.
-   One of the best examples of a bend and a pinch harmonic is Judas
    Priest\'s *Lochness* off the album *Angel of Retribution* at about
    1:10.
-   In System of a Down\'s hit song *BYOB* it is the first bend in the
    chorus (*Every bodys going to the party*) part. It is the only PH in
    the song, so listen carefully

Don\'t despair if you can\'t get harmonics as clear as Judas Priest or
Zakk Wylde, they\'ve got equipment made just for making sounds like
that. They both have expensive high gain amplifiers and their guitars
are equipped with pickups that are naturally very good at pinch
harmonics. Some pickups amplify pinch harmonics better than others (some
pickups hardly amplify them at all). Judas Priest and Zakk Wylde both
play guitars with EMG humbuckers, which are some of the hottest pickups
and some of the best at amplifying pinch harmonics. Hot pickups (EMG,
Duncan JB, Duncan Live Wire, Bill Lawrence 500XL) do an excellent job of
picking up pinch harmonics. Once you\'ve practiced at home, ask to try
out a guitar with \"hot pickups\" and a \"high gain\" amplifier at the
local guitar shop if you want a taste(warning: it\'s easy to get
spoiled/hooked!).

## Tapped harmonics

This technique, like tapping itself, was popularized by Eddie van
Halen. Tapped harmonics are an
extension of the tapping technique. The note is
fretted as usual, but instead of striking the string, the string is
tapped at one of the frets listed in the natural harmonic list. Do not
hold the string down with the tapping hand, just bounce the finger
lightly on and off the fret. This technique can be extended by fretting
a note, then tapping relative to the fretted note. For instance, hold
the third fret, and tap the fifteenth fret, for the twelfth fret
harmonic, because 12+3=15.

## Other techniques

A final technique (known as the harp harmonic) is a sort of combination
between the natural and tapped harmonic techniques. Fret the note
normally, and place the picking hand index finger on a natural harmonic
relative to the fretted note (just as in tapped harmonics). Pluck the
string with another finger and release the index finger, just as if
producing a natural harmonic.

it:Chitarra/Armonici


# Guitar/Tremolo Bar Techniques

The tremolo bar was originally only found on Fender guitars, but now
they are on many types of electric guitar. Unfortunately, it has an
inappropriate name, because \"tremolo\" means a fast succession of two
different tones. A more accurate but less common name is the **vibrato
bar**, and they are also known as **whammy bars**.

There are several different types of tremolo bars, details of which can
be found in the Anatomy of the
Guitar section, but certain
types can only perform certain techniques. Thus, you should make sure
the tremolo bar you have can do what you want it to do, before you buy
it.

In general, it is good to learn to hold the tremolo bar between your
third and fourth fingers, so you can use the bar and hold a pick at the
same time.

This section will provide a description of how to accomplish various
techniques, but it will be up to the guitarist to discover how to
perform them.

## Dive Bomb

A Dive Bomb may be achieved by striking a natural harmonic then lowering
the tone. An \"explosion\" may added by keeping the bar pressed down and
flicking the low E string repeatedly.

Also, there is an alternative way to do a dive bomb, by flicking a
string, dipping the bar down, tapping a harmonic, then manipulating the
resulting note however you want. This technique is also known as a
\"Squeal\", or \"Dime Squeal\" named after Pantera guitarist, Dimebag
Darrel.

## Dipping

Dipping is a technique that allows you to make note changes a little
more interesting. Before you change to a higher note, use the bar to
quickly lower and then raise the pitch.

## Cat Purr

With this technique, a pitch is held for a beat, and then raised up a
tone. The lever is moved slowly, and once you reach the upper or lower
tone, you immediately hold, and then reverse direction. This results in
a sound that can sounds remarkably like a cat.

## Ruler Sound

If you press the tremolo bar down, and then suddenly release it upwards
and quickly alternate between high ups and down, it makes a snap-away
sounds, like a ruler vibrating off the edge of a table. The principle
behind this is similar to the cat purr.

## Windmill

The \"windmill\" develops if you just keep turning the tremolo bar in a
circle. Naturally, the tone moves up and down at a regular pace.
However, this can sound very \"outer space\" and can easily be over
done, and you should use this sparingly.

## String Choke

If the strings are really slack, you can quickly whip the tremolo bar
back up until it clicks, making a string choke. Sometimes overtones will
remain, and you can get some interesting sounds and harmonies. However,
these tend to disappear quickly as it is drowned out by the harmonics of
the new string pitch.


# Guitar/Tapping

## Fretboard Tapping

!Eddie Van Halen
**Tapping** is the short name of *fretboard tapping* or *finger
tapping*, a technique where the fingers hammer down (tap) against the
strings in order to produce sounds rather than striking or plucking the
strings. If both the left and right hand are used then it is called
two-handed tapping.

It is not clear who first developed tapping but it was certainly
popularized by Eddie van Halen. Van
Halen was listening to *Heartbreaker* by Led Zeppelin and he was quite
inspired by the solo, which contained a variation of tapping. This is
arguably the song that pushed Van Halen to use \"tapping\" frequently.

A rather different kind of independent two-handed tapping was discovered
by Harry DeArmond and named \"The Touch System\" by his student Jimmie
Webster. The \"Touch System\" is a complete playing method rather than a
technique. Another method of independent tapping was discovered by
Emmett Chapman, where the right hand comes over the fretboard and lines
up with the frets like the left. The three kinds of tapping techniques
are:

### Interdependent tapping

Interdependent tapping is by far the most common type of tapping. It is
generally used as a lead guitar technique, most commonly during solos;
however, a small number of songs are entirely tapped. The player\'s
picking hand leaps out to the fretboard and begins to tap the strings
with the fingers. However, one must get the pick out of the way in order
to tap. Some players do this by sticking the pick between their fingers;
others simply use the middle finger to tap.

The Van Halen technique of getting rid of the pick is done by moving the
pick into the space between the first and second joints of his middle
finger. Eruption by Eddie Van Halen is a good example of this technique.

### The Touch System

!Stanley Jordan As mentioned
before, this is a whole playing style and a whole book could be written
about it. The first musician to play this way was pickup designer Harry
DeArmond in the 1940\'s, who used tapping as a
way to demonstrate the sensitivity of his pickups. While each hand could
play its own part, DeArmond held his right hand in the same orientation
as conventional guitar technique. This meant the ability of that hand to
tap scale-based melody lines was limited. He taught his approach to
Gretch Guitars employee Jimmie Webster, who wrote an instruction book
called \"The Touch System for Amplified Spanish guitar.\" Webster made a
record and travelled around demonstrating the method. Even though it
inspired a few builders (Dave bunker, for example), the Touch System was
limited by the lack of equal movements for the right hand and never
caught on.

### The Free Hands Method

In 1969 Emmett Chapman, who had no
previous knowledge of DeArmond, Webster or any other tapping guitarists,
discovered that he could tap on the strings with both hands, and that by
raising the neck up could align the right hand\'s fingers with the frets
as on the left, but from above the fretboard. This made scale-based
melody lines just as easy to tap in the right hand as the left, and a
new way of playing a stringed instrument was born. Chapman redesigned
his home-made 9-string guitar to support his new playing method, and
began selling his new instrument (The Chapman Stick) to others in 1974.
In 1976 Chapman published his volume of collected lessons he used for
teaching guitarists and Stick players as \"Free Hands: A New Discipline
of Fingers on Strings.\"

It has been popularised by players such as Tony Levin, Nick Beggs, John
Myung, Bob Culbertson, and Greg Howard, and is currently experiencing a
surge in popularity due to the internet. Stanley Jordan became famous in
the 1980s for using the same method on the guitar. Jordan discovered the
method independently after Chapman did, was signed to Blue Note Records,
and released several successful albums.The method that Chapman invented
and Jordan also used allows complete self-accompaniment and
counterpoint, as on piano.

it:Chitarra/Tapping


# Guitar/Octaves

## Octaves

Using octaves is a useful way of reinforcing melody lines. When a melody
is played simultaneously at different octaves; the ear interprets it as
a single melodic voice. Octave lead playing stands out and is not that
difficult to master. Any melody you know can be expanded to include
octaves. The diagram below shows three octave pairs of the note C. All
are movable and once grasped can be incorporated into your playing with
ease. Wes Montgomery was a jazz guitarist who made octaves his trademark
and his influence is heard in the work of the guitarist George Benson.

![](Guitar_Fretboard_Diagram_Octaves_C.png "Guitar_Fretboard_Diagram_Octaves_C.png"){width="1700"}

## C major scale using Octaves

![](C_major_scale_for_guitar_using_octaves.png "C_major_scale_for_guitar_using_octaves.png"){width="800"}\
==F major scale using Octaves==

![](F_major_scale_for_guitar_using_octaves.png "F_major_scale_for_guitar_using_octaves.png"){width="800"}


# Guitar/Chord Types

A chord is two or more different notes played simultaneously. Most
chords have three notes though. Chords derive their names from the
*root* note; so a C chord has C for its root note and a G7 chord will
have G. The interval between the root note and the third determines
whether a chord is a major or minor. Chords may be strummed or the notes
picked individually though beginners find strumming much easier. The
more advanced technique of picking is examined in the Picking and
Plucking chapter.

While chords are primarily used for rhythm guitar, basic chord knowledge
can be important for lead playing as well. Knowing how chords are
constructed can help when learning the lead parts of many songs since
there is always a relationship between a chord and the lead part. For
example, if you have to play a lead part over a C major chord (C-E-G)
and you use the notes of a D flat major chord (Db-F-Ab) then the result
will be very dissonant. Additionally, many lead patterns revolve around
arpeggios. These are chords with their notes played in sequence (the
word \"arpeggio\" actually means \"broken chord\") rather than together.
For more information on arpeggios, see the Arpeggio and Sweep
Picking chapter.

Chords are easy to play though understanding the theory behind chord
construction (harmony) will require some understanding of scales. While
it is not essential to have a knowledge of scales to be able to use this
section, understanding scales will definitely improve your general
musicianship. With that in mind, go ahead and learn and use these chords
without worrying too much about the theory and when you have the time
take a look at the page on general music theory and
the page on scales.

Beginners are advised to start with open
chords, which are often the easiest
chords to form. Learning open chords is important because it sets the
stage for learning how to form barre chords. Barre
Chords are chords you form by pressing
all (or some) of the strings down with the first finger. This finger
acts as the barre (the same job that the nut of the guitar does when you
are playing open chords). Because of this barre chords don\'t usually
include open strings and can be moved freely up and down the neck. As
you move your barre chord, the shape of the chord remains the same
although all the notes change. Barring is an important technique and
greatly opens up the neck of the instrument.

## Different Kinds of Chords

### Major chords

The most basic chord is called a triad and consists of three different
notes. A major triad consists of the root, a major third, and a perfect
fifth. The early study of chords should be based around how to build the
tonic triad (chord) from any major scale. To build the tonic triad you
take the first note of any major scale and the third note (a major 3rd)
and the fifth note (a perfect fifth). Take for example building a tonic
triad (chord) from the C major scale. If you look at this C major scale:

**C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C**

you will notice that the first, third and fifth notes of the scale are
C, E, and G. The most obvious thing that most guitarists become
instantly aware of is that the C major played in the first position
actually involves playing 5 strings and therefore must have more notes
than a triad. The C major chord shown below has these notes C, E, G, C,
E. If you cancel out the doubles you are left with a C major triad. This
brings us to an important rule: any chord tone (note) can be doubled
without affecting the chords designation. Therefore a C major triad
(C-E-G) and the first position C major chord below (C-E-G-C-E) are both
still C major chords though the 5 note version will sound fuller due to
the note doubling. Major chords have a characteristically bright and
happy sound.

```{=html}
<div style="font-family:'Courier New'">
```
File: C major chord for guitar (open).png\|**C major**

```{=html}
</div>
```
### Minor chords

The minor triad consists of a root, a minor third and a perfect fifth.
The interval between the root and third is a minor third and the
interval between the root and fifth is a perfect fifth. Minor chords
have a dissonant quality due to the interval of a minor third. It must
be remembered that we are talking about building chords from scales and
that these intervals, the minor third and perfect fifth, are the
interval designations from the scale which are then applied to naming
the intervals in a chord. Which is why the triad intervals are not named
1st, 2nd and 3rd respectively.

Minor chords are best understood in relation to their major chord
counterpart. In the example below we will use E major and E minor. When
we play an E major chord, we can flatten the third of the chord by
lifting the finger that is holding down the third string at the first
fret, making it an open string. By altering this one note so that the
interval is changed from a major third to a minor third, we have formed
a new chord: E minor.

```{=html}
<div style="font-family:'Courier New'">
```
File: E major chord for guitar (open).png\|**E major** File: E minor
chord for guitar (open).png\|**E minor**

```{=html}
</div>
```
Switching between major and minor chords can be relatively easy, as it
involves the change of only one note. Some chord changes, for example
changing between an open F major to a F minor, will need a little more
effort.

### Dominant Seventh chords

A minor seventh is added to a major chord. When a minor seventh is added
to any major chord that major chord is changed into a dominant seventh.
The dominant chord always refers to the chord built on the fifth degree
of any major scale. Look at the C major scale below:

**C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C**

The fifth degree of the scale is G. The chord built on the fifth
contains the notes: G-B-D. To change this dominant major chord to a
dominant seventh you need to add a fourth note. The note you add is F
(the minor seventh) which now makes: G-B-D-F. This chord has very strong
need to resolve usually to the tonic. The reason the interval in G-B-D-F
is called a minor seventh and not a perfect fourth is that interval
designation is determined from the root of the chord being discussed.
Take for example the G major scale below:

**G-A-B-C-D-E-F#-G**

As you can see the interval G-F# is a major seventh. You can form a
minor seventh interval by lowering the seventh by a semitone: G-F. This
holds true for all major seventh intervals.

At first it seems quite strange looking at the interval relationship of
another key to determine the chord intervals of the key you are playing
in. With practice it becomes very easy but does involve learning a few
major scales.

```{=html}
<div style="font-family:'Courier New'">
```
<File:A7> chord for guitar (open).png\|**A7** <File:G7> chord for guitar
(open).png\|**G7**

```{=html}
</div>
```
### Sixth chords

Add a sixth to the chord. The two chords below are major chords from the
key of C with a sixth added.

```{=html}
<div style="font-family:'Courier New'">
```
<File:F6> chord for guitar (open position).png\|**F6 (Subdominant in C
major)** <File:C6> chord for guitar (open position).png\|**C6 (Tonic in
C major)**

```{=html}
</div>
```
### Suspended chords

To form a suspended chord the third is replaced with either a second or
a fourth. The third of a chord defines its modality - whether a chord is
major or minor. By removing the third and replacing it with a second or
fourth you have suspended the chord\'s modal quality. This creates a
chord that is neither major or minor and the ear interprets the chord as
harmonically ambiguous.

Suspended chords derived from a D major chord:

```{=html}
<div style="font-family:'Courier New'">
```
<File:Dsus2> chord for guitar (open position).png\|**Dsus2** File: D
major chord for guitar (open).png\|**D major** <File:Dsus4> chord for
guitar (open position).png\|**Dsus4**

```{=html}
</div>
```
Suspended chords derived from the A major chord:

```{=html}
<div style="font-family:'Courier New'">
```
<File:Asus2> chord for guitar (open position).png\|**Asus2** File: A
major chord for guitar (open).png\|**A major** <File:Asus4> chord for
guitar (open position).png\|**Asus4**

```{=html}
</div>
```
Suspending an E major chord:

```{=html}
<div style="font-family:'Courier New'">
```
File: E major chord for guitar (open).png\|**E major** <File:Esus4>
chord for guitar (open position).png\|**Esus4**

```{=html}
</div>
```
### Slash chords

Chords that are not in root position. For example, a C/G is a C chord
with a bass note of G. They are also referred to as \"inversions\".
Slash chords are always notated with their chord name first followed by
the bass note.

```{=html}
<div style="font-family:'Courier New'">
```
<File:C> major chord for guitar (open position in second
inversion).png\|**C/G** <File:F> major chord for guitar (open position
in second inversion).png\|**F/C**

```{=html}
</div>
```
### Diminished chords

These consist of a stack of minor thirds. You can extend a diminished
triad (three note chord) by adding another minor third; which gives you
a four note chord called a diminished seventh chord. The diminished
seventh chord is notated as Co7 or dim7. Diminished seventh chords are
built entirely from minor thirds, so you can move the chord shape up the
neck in intervals of a minor third (three frets) and this will be
exactly the same notes as the original chord but in a different order.
The term \"inversion\" is used when chords have their notes rearranged.

```{=html}
<div style="font-family:'Courier New'">
```
<File:Edim7> chord for guitar (root).png\|**Edim7 - root position**
<File:Edim7> chord for guitar (third in bass).png\|**Edim7 - 1st
inversion** <File:Edim7> chord for guitar (fifth in bass).png\|**Edim7 -
2nd inversion**

```{=html}
</div>
```
A half-diminished chord consists of a diminished triad with a major
third on top. In other words, a half-diminished chord is a diminished
triad with a minor seventh.

Diminished chords are full of tension because of the dissonance created
by stacking minor third intervals and they are normally resolved to a
consonant major or minor chord.


# Guitar/Barre Chords

Barre chords are chords that involve using one finger, usually your
first finger, to press all the strings down at once on a single fret.
Barring turns your first finger into a movable
capo. You can then use your
remaining three fingers to play open chord shapes, but in any position
on the fretboard. Not all open chord shapes are easy to play with a
barre, but once you have learned barring techniques, your chord
vocabulary will increase and you will be able to play all along the
fretboard.

Initially, barre chords are much more difficult to play than open
chords. Before being able to play a barre chord, you first must train
your hand be able to barre the fretboard. To do this, you take your
first finger and press it lightly against the strings (applying no
pressure) so that the finger covers all the strings along the same fret.
Keep increasing the pressure until all the strings can be heard to sound
clearly. A common mistake for beginners is to barre with full pressure
which leads to hand fatigue. By lightly touching the strings and
increasing the pressure in small increments, you will find that the
pressure you need to apply to make the strings sound is much less than
you imagine. Your thumb should be directly behind your first finger on
the neck for full support. To illustrate the concept of a barre, compare
the difference between the open strings (where the nut acts like a
\"zero\" barre) and the full barre at the third fret.

```{=html}
<div style="font-family:'Courier New'">
```
File: Open Strings.png\|**The nut acts as the barre** File: Full bar at
3rd Fret.png\|**Full barre at the third fret**

```{=html}
</div>
```
### Six String Barre Chord

A six string barre chord is a chord in which all the strings are being
played. It can be compared to E chords, because, since the guitar is
tuned to E, it effectively is an open barre chord. (you can view all
open chords as a form of barre chords, which do not require you to press
all the 6 strings somewhere \[ because you use the open strings - 0 -
hence their name \]. Let us examine the form of a major six string barre
chord, in this case G, along with the major E chord:

```{=html}
<div style="font-family:'Courier New'">
```
File: E major chord for guitar (open).png\|**E major** File: G major
chord for guitar (3rd fret full bar).png\|**G major**

```{=html}
</div>
```
In both of these chords, the relationship between the individual notes
is identical, which is why the G chord is still a major chord. The
difference is the root note, which determines the keys of the respective
chords. By looking at the root note, we can see that the difference
between all the notes of the E major and G major are three frets. But so
long as the relationship remains the same, the major barre chord form
can be played on any fret neck. For example, it could be played as an A
major or a B major by putting it in these two positions:

```{=html}
<div style="font-family:'Courier New'">
```
File: A major chord for guitar (5th fret full bar).png\|**A major**
File: B major chord for guitar (7th fret full bar).png\|**B major**

```{=html}
</div>
```
The usefulness of barre chords comes from this ability to be played
anywhere on the neck. Sliding the chord shape up and down the neck
allows you to play many different chords relatively easily, and barre
chords are a fundamental tool for rhythm guitarists since they can
easily be used to create syncopated chord progressions.

As we saw earlier, the difference between a major and a minor chord is a
flattened third. Using a barre chord, the transition between a major and
a minor chord is relatively simple. The difference between an E major
chord and E minor chord is the lifting of a single finger, thereby
lowering the note by a semitone. With any barre chord that is formed
using the E major shape, you can lift a single finger and play the
corresponding minor chord. The minor barre chord form, shown beside the
major barre chord form:

```{=html}
<div style="font-family:'Courier New'">
```
File: E major chord for guitar (open).png\|**E major** File: E minor
chord for guitar (open).png\|**E minor** File: G major chord for guitar
(3rd fret full bar).png\|**G major** File: G minor chord for guitar (3rd
fret full bar).png\|**G minor**

```{=html}
</div>
```
The same idea can be applied to seventh chords, or any other chord you
can think of.

```{=html}
<div style="font-family:'Courier New'">
```
File: E7 chord for guitar (open D).png\|**E7** File: G7 chord for guitar
(3rd fret full bar).png\|**G7**

```{=html}
</div>
```
### Five String Barre Chords

The same principles hold for five string barre chords, except instead of
using the E chord shape, the A chord is used. Additionally, it should be
emphasised that only five strings are played, which means that the low E
string should not be allowed to sound.

```{=html}
<div style="font-family:'Courier New'">
```
File: A major chord for guitar (open).png\|**A major** File: C major
chord for guitar (3rd fret bar).png\|**C major**

```{=html}
</div>
```


# Guitar/Movable Chords

Because of the relative tuning of the strings on a guitar, it is very
easy to play a variety of chords that can be moved up and down the neck.
The most basic types of movable chords are the power
chord and barre
chord. This section deals with chords
that, in general, do not use open strings. Once the shape of the chord
is memorised, it can be played anywhere on the fretboard.

## Major and Minor shapes

Movable chords often use the general shapes of open
chords. However, not all open chords are
easy to play as a movable chord. Note that C major and G major is
absent. This is because the shape of the chords, particularly G major,
demands of the guitarist an advanced technique. Classical guitarists use
a foot-stool and adopt a specific playing posture and hand position when
they play and this allows them to form these chords with relative ease.
The classical guitar also has nylon strings and these offer hardly any
resistance to fretting. That is not to say that the C major and G major
shape cannot be played on a steel-string acoustic; its just more
difficult because of the string tension. They are slightly easier to
play on the electric guitar. After mastering the easier shapes, try
learning the C major and G shapes. The D major shape and D minor movable
chords (as shown below) are usable but tend not to be used regularly due
to the shape being slightly awkward to hold and move to other chords.
The easiest shapes to learn are the E major and A minor chords shape.
Tip: the more difficult shapes can be broken down into smaller units and
they also make ideal arpeggio studies where you can approach them more
as a succession of notes in a riff without the need for forming the full
chord.

```{=html}
<div style="font-family:monospace, monospace;">
```
File: E major chord for guitar (open).png\|**E major** File: A major
chord for guitar (open).png\|**A major** File: D major chord for guitar
(open).png\|**D major** File: E minor chord for guitar (open).png\|**E
minor** File: A minor chord for guitar (open).png\|**A minor** File: D
minor chord for guitar (open).png\|**D minor**

```{=html}
</div>
```
If you examine the notes that make up the chords, it becomes clear that
the thickest string plays the root note of the chords. Thus, in order to
turn these into movable chords, you also have to fret down an extra
string to complete the chord. Here are the same chords, but higher up
the neck in a movable shape. Notice how the shapes of the chord on the
strings you play are exactly the same as the open chords, except with
the thickest string now being fretted.

```{=html}
<div style="font-family:monospace, monospace;">
```
<File:F> major chord for guitar (barred).png\|**F major** <File:B> major
chord for guitar (barred).png\|**B major** File: E major chord for
guitar (low E and A muted).png\|**E major** File: G minor chord for
guitar (E and B muted).png\|**G minor** <File:B> minor chord for guitar
(barred).png\|**B minor** File: E minor chord for guitar (low E and A
muted).png\|**E minor**

```{=html}
</div>
```
### Inversions of Major and Minor

## \"Artist\" Chords

Although these guitarists certainly did not invent the chords, they made
them popular by using them in many of their songs. More often than not,
a player will first encounter them trying to learn a famous song. These
are loose categorizations, and are easily applicable to more than one
artist, so please keep that in mind.

### 7#9 (Hendrix Chords)

No chord reminds people more of Jimi Hendrix than the 7#9. These are
also used widely by Prince. The voicing for this shape is 1-3-7-#9.

```{=html}
<div style="font-family:monospace, monospace;">
```
File: B7sharp9 chord for guitar.png\|**B7/#9** File: E7sharp9 chord for
guitar.png\|**E7/#9** File: A7sharp9 chord for guitar.png\|**A7/#9**

```{=html}
</div>
```
### 7/9 and 7/9/13 (James Brown Chords)

These chords are essential for getting a funk sound. The voicing for
this 7/9 shape is 1-3-7-9-5.

```{=html}
<div style="font-family:monospace, monospace;">
```
File: B9 chord for guitar.png\|**B7/9** File: E9 chord for
guitar.png\|**E7/9** File: A9 chord for guitar.png\|**A7/9**

```{=html}
</div>
```
The 7/9/13chord is an easy modification of the 7/9 chord. It was perhaps
most famously used in \"Sex Machine\" by James Brown, as a change
between the 7/9 chord. Little changes like that give music some extra
texture and they also work particularly well in jazz.

Because the 7/9/13 chord requires five notes, you cannot play it with
less than five strings, or else you would be playing a different chord.
The voicing for this shape is 1-3-7-9-13.

```{=html}
<div style="font-family:monospace, monospace;">
```
File: B13 chord for guitar.png\|**B7/9/13** File: E13 chord for
guitar.png\|**E7/9/13**

```{=html}
</div>
```


# Guitar/Chord Progressions

A knowledge of chord progressions will help you communicate and play
with other musicians. Knowing the most commonly used chord progressions
allows for greater enjoyment and unity when playing with other
musicians.

## The I-IV-V

The most common chord progression is I-IV-V. Note that Roman Numerals
are used to describe these chord progressions, where the \"I\" chord
stands for the chord on root note, the \"II\" for the chord on the
second note of the scale, and so on. Many songs use only these three
chords. If one views chords as a set of balancing scales with the root
note and octave root at opposing ends it will be noted that the IV and V
chords are at equal distance respectively to the root and octave root.
Take for example the key of C major:

**C - D - E - F - G - A - B - C**

You will see that the G note (or chord) is a fifth above the root note.
The note F is a fifth below the octave. This movement of a fifth is very
pleasing to the human ear in its sense of balance and cohesion in
relation to the root note. Another way to view chord progressions is
that of a journey. In the sense that the root (or tonic) chord is the
starting point and the octave root is at the end. All other points
(chords) provide interest and variation with the fourth and the fifth
chord occupying a special place on the journey due to them being
half-way.

Many chord progressions start at the tonic (I), moves away to somewhere
else, only to come back to the tonic. You can play this progression with
major chords or you can substitute minor chords for the IV or V.

### Applying the I-IV-V

Eddie Cochran and Buddy Holly are two artists who have used this
progression extensively. Note that this chord progression uses a V7
chord. A V7 chord is just a V chord with an extra note. It is so common
a device that when learning a chord progression many guitarist will play
it through a few times using I-IV-V (normal V chord with no extra note)
and then will play the chord progression I-IV-V7 a few times before
switching back to the normal I-IV-V.

```{=html}
<div style="font-family:'Courier New'">
```
<File:E> major chord.svg\|**E major (I)** <File:A> major chord.svg\|**A
major (IV)** <File:B7> chord.svg\|**B7 (V7)**

```{=html}
</div>
```
## I-vi-IV-V

This progression is commonly referred to as the 50\'s progression,
because it was common to many of the popular songs of the 1950\'s,
notably \"Stand by Me\". Note that the vi chord is a tonic extension, as
it contains many of the same notes as the tonic (I) chord. You may see
this progression with sevenths added in a blues song (e.g., G7, e min 7,
C7, D7). Here is the progression in the key of G major.

```{=html}
<div style="font-family:'Courier New'">
```
<File:Gmaj> chord.svg\|**G major (I)** <File:Em> chord.svg\|**E minor
(vi)** <File:Cmaj> chord.svg\|**C major (IV)** <File:Dmaj>
chord.svg\|**D major (V)**

```{=html}
</div>
```
## The I-V-I-I

This is a popular progression at the beginning of a much larger line,
and can be combined with many other scale degrees.

## II-V-I

As its name indicates, the progression is: IImin7, V7 and Imaj7. In a
pop song, the chords might be IImin, V7, IMaj, with the first and last
chord being three-note chords (triads). In jazz, all three chords are
usually seventh chords. The II/V/I is important in jazz, where some
songs have the progression in a number of keys.

```{=html}
<div style="font-family:'Courier New'">
```
<File:Dm7> chord.svg\|**Dm7 (ii-min7)** <File:G7th> chord.svg\|**G7
(V7)** <File:C> maj7 chord.svg\|**Cmaj7 (I)**

```{=html}
</div>
```
Alternatively you can change the chord type on the II, and alter the
voicing of the V. Some examples are:

-   IIm7b5(9)/V7alt /Imaj7

(with a V7alt, the performer alters the 9th to b9 or #9 and/or makes the
11 into #11 and/or makes the 13 into b13)

### Applying the II-V-I

II-V-Is can be chained together, creating complex progressions. Here\'s
an example that starts in C major and moves to the relative minor, a
minor:

```{=html}
<div style="font-family:'Courier New'">
```
<File:Cmaj> chord.svg\|**C major (I)** <File:Bm7b5> chord.svg\|**Bm7b5
(II)** <File:E7> chord.svg\|**E7 (V)** <File:Am7> chord.svg\|**Am7 (I)**
<File:Dm7> chord.svg\|**Dm7 (II)** <File:G7th> chord.svg\|**G7 (V)**
<File:C> maj7 chord.svg\|**Cmaj7 (I)**

```{=html}
</div>
```
```{=html}
<div style="font-family:'Courier New'">
```
` C      Bm7b5 E7   (I     ii  V)`\
` Am7    Dm7   G7   (I     ii  V)`\
` C      (etc...)   (I     etc..)`

```{=html}
</div>
```
An example of complicated progression that can be created this way is
the \"Coltrane Changes\", where the
\"I\" chords move by Major 3rd intervals. Here\'s a simple example:

```{=html}
<div style="font-family:'Courier New'">
```
` Dm7  G7  Cmaj7    (ii V I  )`\
` F#m7 B7  Emaj7    (ii V I  )`\
` Bbm7 Eb7 Abmaj7   (ii V I  )`\
` Dm7  etc...       (I etc...)`

```{=html}
</div>
```
The way the ii-V-I progression works is first that it moves by 4ths
upwards, which very often produces interesting results, and the 7th goes
down a half tone below and becomes the following chord\'s 3rd.

## Minor ii-V-i

Another commonly used chord progression is the minor ii-V-i. One can
derive this from the melodic minor scales shown above, while
substituting a IminMaj7 for the IMaj7 chord, or by using three
modes "wikilink") from one harmonic minor
scale , which produces the
following chord progression:

-   ii m7 b5/ V7 / i

In the key of c minor, this would be:

-   d m7 b5/ G 7 / c min