The Basics I. The Neck: -Know the notes on the neck cold!

- Neck Theory: Whole Steps: A-B, C-D, D-E, F-G, G-A Half Steps: B-C, E-F Practice: -Start with your open strings, go all the way and down the neck playing and saying each of the notes. - Play Find the note. Pick a note and find/play it all over the neck on each string. II. Scales: -The basic scales are Major, Minor, Pentatonic and Blues -Scale Theory: -Each scale has a construction of Whole steps and Half steps. The specific arrangement of the steps gives the scale its sound. -Construction (the numbers represent the scale degrees used later in chords and harmony): Major: 1 w 2 w 3 h 4 w 5 w 6 w 7 h 8 Ex. C D E F G A B C Minor: 1 w 2 h 3 w 4 w 5 h 6 w 7 w 8 Ex. C D Eb F G Ab Bb C Pentatonic: 1 w+h 3 w 4 w 5 w+h 7 w 8 Ex. C Eb F G Bb C Blues: 1 w+h 3 w 4 h b5 h 5 w+h 7 w 8 Ex C Eb F Gb G Bb C Practice: -Play each scale in each key using the 5 pattern (CAGED) method -Play each scale in each key linearly on each string

III.

Chords: -Chords are simply notes from a scale played at the same time. The note choices create the chord quality. -Chord Theory: -The basic chords are Major, Minor, Major7th, Monor7th, Dominant7th, Minor7th(b5). Every other chord is just a derivative of these chords. IGNORE those 20,000 Chords! books. -Just like scales, chords also have constructions, this time using scale degrees. Constructions: -Major: 1-3-5 C-E-G -Minor: 1-b3-5 C-Eb-G -Major7th: 1-3-5-7 C-E-G-B -Minor7th: 1-b3-5-b7 C-Eb-G-Bb -Dominant7th: 1-3-5-b7 C-E-G-Bb -Minor7th(b5): 1-b3-b5-b7 C-Eb-Gb-Bb (also called half-diminished [fully diminished would be bb7])

Chord quality chart: Major 1 major 3rd Minor 1 minor 3rd Major7 1 major 3rd Minor7 1 minor 3rd Dominant 7 1 major 3rd Minor7(b5) 1 minor 3rd

3 b3 3 b3 3 b3

minor 3rd major 3rd minor 3rd major 3rd minor 3rd minor3rd

5 5 5 5 5 b5

major3rd minor3rd minor3rd major3rd

x x 7 b7 b7 b7

Practice: -Play each chord in each key in each pattern -Try playing only partial chords to develop inversions. IV: Putting It All Together:

-Pick a Key and Quality (major, minor, etc..) -Create a scale in that key and quality (Lets start with C Major) -Find the chords suitable to solo over in C Major. To build all the diatonic chords in C major, harmonize the scale. -Harmonizing a Scale: 1. Pick a key and scale quality. 2. Build the scale: C(1) w D(2) w E(3) h F(4) w G(5) w A(6) w B(7) h C(8) 3. Build chords (either just major and minor or extend to the 7th chords) using each scale degree as the root of the chord and then picking every other note to make up the 3,5,7,etc. Refer to the chord quality chart to determine what kind of chord youve built. Example: C Major Scale: C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C Chord 1: C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C the bold letters make up our first chord = C-E-G-B C Major 7th Chord 2: C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C = D minor 7th Chord 3: C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C (2 octaves of the scale just to see the upcoming notes) = E minor 7th Chord 4: C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C = F major 7 Chord 5: C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C = G dominant 7 also written as G7 Chord 6: C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C = A minor 7 Chord 7: C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C = B minor7(b5) Chord 8: same as chord 1 So from harmonizing the scale we get all the diatonic chords that can be used under C major: Cmaj7 Dmin7 Emin7 Fmaj7 G7 Amin7 Bmin7(b5) Cmaj7 This is essentially playing the C major scale, but in chords. Now, start with maybe 2 of the chords in your progression and solo over them in C major. Start simple with your soloing. Play just a few notes to establish a melody. Stick to one position on the neck. As you get comfortable, expand your soloing to more positions on the neck, more notes and more styles. Use more chords in your progression. You can use non-diatonic chords (chords from outside C major) to add nice changes. Of course, then you have to alter your soloing notes as well to match the non-diatonic chords. Good luck!