How to understand chords on a guitar

Paleo

Paleo

Student Of The Blues
A final thought on why I suggested the CAGED course.

I was thinking more along the lines that you could use it simply for reference, rather than go out a buy a scale/chord encyclopedia.

The chord diagrams will show where the 3rds and 7ths are in all the Major and minor chord shapes. (Pages 12-23)

Neck diagrams will show you where they are in an extensive section on arpeggios. (Pages 24-44)

One page on how to make any chord or scale you could possibly want, i.e. form your own. (Page 45)

Finally, there are diagrams showing you where All the scale degrees are for the pentatonic and Major scales.(Pages 48-50)
 
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Elio

Elio

Student Of The Blues
Paleo said:
Actually it's "Guitar Theory Made Useful (And Easy)" :sneaky:

He explains how music "works".

How to build scales from notes, chords from scales, progressions from chords,etc.

None of this is specific to the guitar.

But he leaves out most of the theory the average guitarist doesn't need to know.

He does not show you where things are on the guitar. For most of the lessons you won't even see him.

(He does demonstrate fingerings for the Major Scale, its Modes and the 3 "Minor" scales.)

Once you learn how the notes are laid out on the neck in Standard Tuning*, you can then use the scale and chord formulas you learn in this course to find any scale degree or chord tone on your own.:)

"CAGED Unleashed" will show you where these things are on the guitar.

"Guitar Theory Made Useful (And Easy)" will explain "why".



*Courses with Griff's "learning notes on the guitar" lesson:

Soloing Without Scales, Lesson 6
Acoustic Blues Unleashed, Lesson 3
Classic Rock Guitar Unleashed, Lesson 10

This video, from the original "Soloing Without Scales", can be found online at:

https://bluesguitarunleashed.com/learning-note-names/comment-page-2/
Click to expand...

Oops, not sure what I was thinking. o_O
 
jmin

jmin

Student Of The Blues
Good question and good answers. I was thinking that one of the best “guitar” lessons I ever had was on the piano!
It was my mentor’s attempt to “show” a dumb kid (me) music theory. Since the piano is laid out linearly, (the guitar, not so much) it’s easy to “see” the number of the chord notes...they’re always in order! That was my powerful music theory lesson - it took all of 10 minutes to figure out the keyboard and really helped to visualize the theory...the guitar’s fretboard, that’s another thing! I think it was helpful to understand the theory first, then learn and apply it to the fretboard.
 
Silicon Valley Tom

Silicon Valley Tom

It makes me happpy to play The Blues!
There you are, in the process of learning all about guitar chords. Where on the neck of my guitar do I place my fingers to create a chord? After a good bit of work you will master this important task. Then you will take up tuning your guitar to a different tuning, and get to start the process all over! :cry: :eek: :confused: :) :ROFLMAO: :Beer:

Here are 11 different (additional) ways to tune your guitar:

https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/11-alternate-tunings-every-guitarist-should-know

Tom
 
david moon

david moon

Attempting the Blues
Silicon Valley Tom said:
There you are, in the process of learning all about guitar chords. Where on the neck of my guitar do I place my fingers to create a chord? After a good bit of work you will master this important task. Then you will take up tuning your guitar to a different tuning, and get to start the process all over! :cry: :eek: :confused: :) :ROFLMAO: :Beer:

Here are 11 different (additional) ways to tune your guitar:

https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/11-alternate-tunings-every-guitarist-should-know

Tom
Click to expand...
Tom why are you trying to confuse us all? (n)
 
Silicon Valley Tom

Silicon Valley Tom

It makes me happpy to play The Blues!
David, my man, the piano is laid out in a logical manner. It is hard to move one, I have found out, and at such times I relish my guitar. But to use all the tunings available on a guitar, one must like to suffer. I think that sticking to one guitar tuning is the ideal. I do use several, but the majority of guitar music was created with "standard tuning".

Tom
 
david moon

david moon

Attempting the Blues
Tom, I appreciate the link to the alternate tunings, just busting your chops a bit. I have a few basses with a Hipshot tuner to drop the low E to D. Not quite the same as retuning the whole guitar.

I have also moved pianos a few times and no fun.
 
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