Guitar Mastery Simplified: How Anyone Can Quickly Become a Strumming, Chords, and Lead Guitar Ninja by Erich Andreas Page A
Authors: Erich Andreas
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and 1/2 steps .
Minor chord (1, b3, 5): a minor chord consists of the
1st, flat 3rd and 5th scale steps of the major scale. The distance
between the 1st and 3rd notes is 1 and 1/2 steps .
The distance between the 3rd and 5th notes is 2 whole-steps. This
means that any major chord you know can easily be converted to a minor chord by
flatting the 3rd, or lowering it by a half-step (1 fret ).
If you already know your E major and E minor chords, notice that the only
thing that changes between the 2 chords is the 1st finger. When that 1st
finger is pressed down (on the 1st fret of the 3rd string), it’s sounding the
3rd of the scale. When the finger is released the string is played open
and the flatted 3rd is sounded.
Another example is the A major and A minor chord.
Notice the difference between the 2 chords. There is only 1 note
that changes between the 2 and that takes place on the 2nd string when the C#
is flattened by a half-step making the note a C which changes the chord from
major to minor. Since there is only 1 note that changes
from both chord examples that we just used (E minor and A minor), we can assume
that all the other notes are ones and fives.
Let’s try another example. Play a D major and then play a D
minor. Notice that the only note that changes is on the first string,
where the F# is flattened to an F to make the chord minor. Again we can
assume that all the other notes in this chord are ones and fives because the
only thing that changes between the major and minor chord is the third.
Diminished chord (1, b3, b5): a diminished chord
consists of the 1st, flatted 3rd and flatted 5th scale steps of the major
scale. The distance between the 1st and 3rd steps is 1 and ½ steps.
The distance between the 3rd and 5th steps is 1 and 1/2 steps . Since the only difference between the minor
chord and the diminished chord is the 5th scale step, it’s simple to convert
any minor chord into a diminished chord by simply flatting any “fifths” that
occur in the chord. For example, play a D minor chord. Your 2nd
finger should be playing the 2ns fret of the 3rd string. That note is the
only 5th in a D minor chord, so lowering it by half-step or one fret will
change that chord to a D diminished chord. In order to play this chord properly
you will most likely need to bar the 1st three strings with your 1st finger on
the 1st fret while your 3rd finger plays the 3rd fret of the 2nd string.
Augmented chord (1, 3, # 5): an augmented chord consists of the 1st, 3rd and sharpened 5th scale steps of
the major scale. The distance between the 1st and 3rd steps is 2
whole-steps. The distance between the 3rd and 5th steps is 2 and 1/2
steps. Since the only difference between the major chord and the
augmented chord is the 5th scale step, it’s simple to convert any major chord
to an augmented chord by simply sharpening any “fifths” that occur in the
chord. For example, play a D major chord. Do you remember where the
5th is from our last example? That’s right, the 2nd fret of the 3rd
string.
So the only thing we need to do to change this major chord
to an augmented chord is raise the 5th by a half step or 1 fret. I’m not
going to help you out on the fingering of this one. You are growing in
your skills and sometimes you won’t have instruction to rely on. So use
your intuition and common sense to discover a fingering for this new chord that
is logical and playable for you. There is no right answer per se.
There may be more logical answers for this type of thing however.
Being equipped with these 4 formulas and a movable major
scale will allow you to create literally hundreds of chord forms across the
guitar neck. For the intermediate and advanced guitar player this is
where we start upping our game. I use these formulas all the time when
formulating guitar parts for studio or live performance.
Now for the exercise portion of the program!
Strum an open G major
Minor chord (1, b3, 5): a minor chord consists of the
1st, flat 3rd and 5th scale steps of the major scale. The distance
between the 1st and 3rd notes is 1 and 1/2 steps .
The distance between the 3rd and 5th notes is 2 whole-steps. This
means that any major chord you know can easily be converted to a minor chord by
flatting the 3rd, or lowering it by a half-step (1 fret ).
If you already know your E major and E minor chords, notice that the only
thing that changes between the 2 chords is the 1st finger. When that 1st
finger is pressed down (on the 1st fret of the 3rd string), it’s sounding the
3rd of the scale. When the finger is released the string is played open
and the flatted 3rd is sounded.
Another example is the A major and A minor chord.
Notice the difference between the 2 chords. There is only 1 note
that changes between the 2 and that takes place on the 2nd string when the C#
is flattened by a half-step making the note a C which changes the chord from
major to minor. Since there is only 1 note that changes
from both chord examples that we just used (E minor and A minor), we can assume
that all the other notes are ones and fives.
Let’s try another example. Play a D major and then play a D
minor. Notice that the only note that changes is on the first string,
where the F# is flattened to an F to make the chord minor. Again we can
assume that all the other notes in this chord are ones and fives because the
only thing that changes between the major and minor chord is the third.
Diminished chord (1, b3, b5): a diminished chord
consists of the 1st, flatted 3rd and flatted 5th scale steps of the major
scale. The distance between the 1st and 3rd steps is 1 and ½ steps.
The distance between the 3rd and 5th steps is 1 and 1/2 steps . Since the only difference between the minor
chord and the diminished chord is the 5th scale step, it’s simple to convert
any minor chord into a diminished chord by simply flatting any “fifths” that
occur in the chord. For example, play a D minor chord. Your 2nd
finger should be playing the 2ns fret of the 3rd string. That note is the
only 5th in a D minor chord, so lowering it by half-step or one fret will
change that chord to a D diminished chord. In order to play this chord properly
you will most likely need to bar the 1st three strings with your 1st finger on
the 1st fret while your 3rd finger plays the 3rd fret of the 2nd string.
Augmented chord (1, 3, # 5): an augmented chord consists of the 1st, 3rd and sharpened 5th scale steps of
the major scale. The distance between the 1st and 3rd steps is 2
whole-steps. The distance between the 3rd and 5th steps is 2 and 1/2
steps. Since the only difference between the major chord and the
augmented chord is the 5th scale step, it’s simple to convert any major chord
to an augmented chord by simply sharpening any “fifths” that occur in the
chord. For example, play a D major chord. Do you remember where the
5th is from our last example? That’s right, the 2nd fret of the 3rd
string.
So the only thing we need to do to change this major chord
to an augmented chord is raise the 5th by a half step or 1 fret. I’m not
going to help you out on the fingering of this one. You are growing in
your skills and sometimes you won’t have instruction to rely on. So use
your intuition and common sense to discover a fingering for this new chord that
is logical and playable for you. There is no right answer per se.
There may be more logical answers for this type of thing however.
Being equipped with these 4 formulas and a movable major
scale will allow you to create literally hundreds of chord forms across the
guitar neck. For the intermediate and advanced guitar player this is
where we start upping our game. I use these formulas all the time when
formulating guitar parts for studio or live performance.
Now for the exercise portion of the program!
Strum an open G major
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