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The GuiTar SyStem - Advanced - Table Of Contents

GuitarSystem.com Copyright © 2013 Railroad Media, Inc

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Table Of COnTenTs

DVD #17 - Advanced Strumming, Riffs, Chords And Minor Keys 1

Advanced Strumming � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 1Practical Application - Advanced Strumming Play-Along � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 5Advanced Riffs � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 12Practical Application - Advanced Rock Riff Play-Along � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 14Learning New Keys � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 19The Key Of D Major � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 201-4-5 Progression � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 21The Key Of F Major � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 211-5-6-4 Progression � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 22The Key Of B Major � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 232-5-1 Progression � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 23Advanced Chords � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 25Major And Minor 7th Chords � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 25How Major 7th Chords Are Made � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 25When To Use Major 7th Chords � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 26Common Major 7th Chord Shapes � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 26How Minor 7th Chords Are Made � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 28When To Use Minor 7th Chords � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 30Common Minor 7th Chord Shapes � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 30Practical Application - Loop 18 � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 33Minor Keys � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 34How Minor Keys Work � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 34The Chords In Any Minor Key � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 35Practical Application Part 1 - Minor Chord Scale � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 36Practical Application Part 2 - Minor Rock Play-Along � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 37

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Drop D Tuning � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 40Bar Chord Shape � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 40Right-Hand Palm Muting And Speed� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 41Fretboard Layout � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 42Chords In The Key Of D � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 42Practical Application - Drop D Play-Along � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 44DADGAD Tuning � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 47Common Shapes � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 47Celtic Double Strumming � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 48DADGAD Play-Along � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 509th Chords � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 57How Major 9th Chords Are Made � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 57When To Use Major 9th Chords � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 57



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Table Of COnTenTs

How Minor 9th Chords Are Made � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 59When To Use Minor 9th Chords � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 61Practical Application - Loop 18 � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 62Chord Inversions � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 65First inversion Major Triads � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 65First inversion Minor Triads � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 68Practical Application - Loop 19 � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 71

DVD #19 - Advanced Lead Techniques, Scales And Fretboard Layout 74

Lead Techniques And Exercises � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 74Practical Application Part 1 - Metronome � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 76Practical Application Part 2 - Licks � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 76The Major Scale (Key Of G) � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 77Review Of Major Scale Shapes � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 78Sixth String Root Note Major Scale, 4th Finger Starting � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 78Major Scale Shapes Starting On The 5th String � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 79Practical Application Part 1 - Metronome � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 82Practical Application Part 2 - Licks � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 83Improvisation Tips � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 83Practical Application Part 3 - Major Pop Play-Along � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 84The Minor Scale (Key Of E Minor) � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 84Relative Minor-Keys � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 84Review Shape (6th String Root Note, 1st Finger Starting) � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 84Three-Note-Per-String 6th String Root Note Minor Scale, 1st Finger Starting � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 85Sixth String Root Note Minor Scale, 2nd Finger Starting � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 86Sixth String Root Note Minor Scale, 4th Finger Starting � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 87Fifth String Root Note Minor Scales � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 88Fifth String Root Note Minor Scale, 1st Finger Starting � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 88Fifth String Root Note Minor Scale, 2nd Finger Starting � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 89Fifth String Root Note Minor Scale, 4th Finger Starting � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 89Practical Application Part 1 - Metronome � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 91Practical Application Part 2 - Licks � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 92Improvisation Tips � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 92Practical Application Part 3 - Minor Rock Play-Along � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 93Advanced Fretboard Layout � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 93Notes On The G String � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 93Notes On The B String � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 94Moving Any Scale To Any Location � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 94Practical Application - Licks � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 97Modal Scale String-Pairs � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 98Practical Application Part 1 - Licks � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 101Practical Application Part 2 - Contemporary Strumming Play-Along � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 102

The GuiTar SyStem - Advanced - Table Of Con-


iii

Table Of COnTenTs

DVD #20 - Advanced Scales, Sequencing And Sweep Picking 103

Advanced Scale Sequencing � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 103Sequencing In 6s � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 103Sequencing In Thirds � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 106Practical Application Part 1 - Licks � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 108Practical Application Part 2 - Advanced Strumming Play-Along � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 109The Remaining Major Pentatonic Scale Shapes (You Already Know These!) � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 110Sixth String Root Note Major Pentatonic Scale Shape, 4th Finger Starting � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 110Practical Application - Licks � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 113Fifth String Root Note Major Pentatonic Scale Shape, 4th Finger Starting � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 114Practical Application - Licks � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 116Fourth String Root Note Major Pentatonic Scale Shape, 2nd Finger Starting � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 117Practical Application Part 1 - Licks � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 119Practical Application Part 2 - Improvising Over The Advanced Strumming Play-Along � � � � � � � � � � � � � 120Sweep Picking � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 120Basic Sweep Picking Technique � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 120C Major Arpeggio Shape � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 122Practical Application - Loop 20 (I-IV) � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 124E Major Arpeggio Shape � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 125A Major Arpeggio Shape � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 126Practical Application - Loop 21 (I-IV-V) � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 128E Minor Arpeggio Shape � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 129A Minor Arpeggio Shape � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 130Practical Application - Loop 22 (i-iv-v) � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 132D Major Arpeggio Shape � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 133D Minor Arpeggio Shape � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 134Practical Application - Loop 23 � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 136

DVD #21 - Knowing Your Fretboard (The Big Picture) 139

The CAGED Chord Sequence � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 139Octave Centers � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 140CAGED Sequence Of Chords � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 141CAGED With Major Chords � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 144CAGED With Minor Chords � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 145CAGED Chords For E Major � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 149CAGED For E Minor � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 150CAGED For A Major � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 151CAGED For A Minor � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 152Practical Application - Loops 24-27 � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 153The CAGED Sequence With Pentatonic Scales � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 154



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Table Of COnTenTs

Major Pentatonic Scale Shapes With CAGED - Key Of G Major � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 154The Big Major Pentatonic Picture � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 157Minor Pentatonic Scale Shapes With CAGED - Key Of E Minor � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 159The Big Minor Pentatonic Picture � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 162Practical Application Part 1 - CAGED Major Pentatonic Licks � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 164Practical Application Part 2 - CAGED Minor Pentatonic Licks � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 165Practical Application Part 3 - Loops 28 And 29 � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 166The CAGED Sequence With Modal Scales � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 167Major Scale Shapes With CAGED - Key Of G Major � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 167Minor Scale Shapes With CAGED - Key Of E Minor � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 172Practical Application Part 1 - CAGED Major Scale Licks � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 177Practical Application Part 2 - CAGED Minor Scale Licks � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 178Practical Application Part 3 - Loops 28 And 29 � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 179Connecting Pentatonic Patterns � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 180Symmetrical Minor Pentatonic Scales � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 184Visualizing The CAGED Sequence With Symmetrical Pentatonic Scales � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 187Practical Application Part 1 - Symmetrical Major Pentatonic Scale Licks � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 188Practical Application Part 2 - Symmetrical Minor Pentatonic Scale Licks � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 189Practical Application Part 3 - Improvising Over Major And Minor Play-Alongs � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 189

DVD #22 - Advanced Lead Concepts 190

Connecting Scale Patterns � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 190Symmetrical Major Scales � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 190Symmetrical Minor Scales � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 192Visualizing The CAGED Sequence With Symmetrical Scale Shapes � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 194Practical Application Part 1 - Licks � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 197Practical Application Part 2 - Advanced Strumming Play-Along � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 198Intervals � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 199Perfect Fourth (P4) � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 199Augmented 4th/ Diminished 5th � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 200Minor Sixth (m6) � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 201Major Sixth (M6) � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 202Minor Seventh (m7) � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 203Major Seventh (M7) � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 204Ear Training Practice � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 204Improvisation Tips � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 204Practical Application - Loops 30 And 31 � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 205Modes � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 205The Mixolydian Mode � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 206How The Mixolydian Scale Is Made � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 206Mixolydian Scale Shape 6th String Root Note � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 209



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Table Of COnTenTs

When To Use The Mixolydian Scale � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 210Practical Application Part 1 - Licks � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 211Practical Application Part 2 - Mixolydian Play-Along � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 212Extra Credit - More Mixolydian Scale Shapes � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 215Pedal Tones � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 217Tapping With Pedal Tones � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 219Three-Note-Per-String Pentatonic Scales � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 220Stretching To Combine Pentatonic Shapes � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 220Practical Application - Licks � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 222Practical Application Part 1 - Licks � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 224Practical Application Part 2 - Blues Fusion Play-Along � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 224Practical Application Part 3 - Loop 32 � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 226Extra Credit - More Three-Note-Per-String Pentatonic Scale Shapes � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 228

DVD #23 - 7th Arpeggios And More Modal Playing 229

Major 7th Arpeggios � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 229Practical Application - Licks � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 234Minor 7th Arpeggios � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 235Practical Application Part 1 - Licks � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 238Practical Application Part 2 - Loop 33 - Major And Minor 7th Arpeggio Etude � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 240More Modal Playing � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 241The Dorian Mode � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 241How The Dorian Scale Is Made � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 241Sixth String Root Note Dorian Scale, 1st Finger Starting � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 243How To Use The Dorian Scale � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 244Fifth String Root Note Dorian Scale, 1st Finger Starting � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 246Practical Application - Licks � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 246Woodshed - Loop 34 � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 247Practical Application - Dorian Play-Along � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 247Extra Credit - More Dorian Scale Shapes � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 251The Phrygian Mode � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 252How The Phrygian Scale Is Made � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 252Sixth String Root Note Phrygian Scale, 1st Finger Starting � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 253How To Use The Phrygian Scale � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 254Practical Application - Licks � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 255Fifth String Root Note Phrygian Scale, 1st Finger Starting � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 256Practical Application - Licks � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 256Woodshed - Loop 35 � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 257Practical Application - Phrygian Play-Along � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 257Extra Credit - More Phrygian Scale Shapes � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 261Elements Of Soloing � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 262



vi

Table Of COnTenTs

Melody � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 262Rhythm � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 262

CD Track Listing 264

The GuiTar SyStem - Advanced - Advanced Strumming, Riffs, Chords And Minor Keys


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advanCed sTrumminG, riffs, ChOrds and minOr KeysadvanCed sTrumminG, riffs, ChOrds and minOr Keys

IntroductIon

Welcome to the advanced rhythm section of The Guitar System! In this first section we’ll be taking a look at advanced chords, strumming patterns, rock riffs, and minor keys. Along the way, you’ll learn some great, new acoustic and electric guitar play-alongs� The rhythm guitar exercises and songs in the following sections are more difficult than anything you’ve played so far. Get ready to improve your rhythm guitar playing with a ton of great new tools!

AdvAnced StrummIngYou’ve already learned a lot about strumming, in The Guitar System. In this section of lessons we’re taking the skills you already have and make them even better. You’ll start off by learning a couple of simple, new chords. Once you have those chord shapes down, you’ll apply them to a few, new advanced strumming patterns. The ultimate test in this section is the Advanced Strumming Play-Along� This tune will test your rhythm guitar skills as well as your overall strumming endurance� Exercise #1Before getting into your first, new strumming pattern, you need to learn a new chord shape. The first diagram below is the E chord you learned a while back in the intermediate rhythm guitar section� Now take a look at the second diagram. We’re basically changing one note in the chord to make the E chord into an E major 7th chord. Don’t forget that this shape omits the 3rd of the E chord. Try switching back and forth between these two chords until you start getting used to the new E major 7th chord shape�

This first advanced strumming exercise contains a lot of new stuff for us to talk about. The first thing we need to go over is how to count sixteenth notes. We’ve already covered this a little bit, but it’s important you thoroughly understand how to do this� Recall that there are four sixteenth notes in every quarter note� Instead of counting “one two three four” you need to count “one e and a two e and a three e and a four e and a�” Counting this way gives each beat four distinct counts. You’ll need to have that underlying “one e and a two e and a three e and a four e and a” in your head for most of the exercises in this section�

E Chord

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E Major 7 Chord

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The GuiTar SyStem - Advanced - Advanced Strumming Riffs Chords And Minor Keys


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Take a look at the sheet music below. The first measure starts off with a group of three sixteenth note triplets on the “and” of beat four. You can fit six sixteenth note triplets into one beat of 4/4 time. This is some pretty fast strumming! You might want to count out loud slowly and try to strum sixteenth note triplets before tackling this little exercise� The first strum of the second measure happens on beat one. That strum is a dotted eighth note, so you have to add half of an eighth note to the original eighth note� This leaves you with one and a half eighth notes� That dotted eighth note takes up the “one e and” of the first beat of measure two. The second strum of the second measure is a sixteenth note strum that occurs on the “a” of beat one�

Beats two, three and four of measure two are pretty easy� All you have to do is mute the strings and play three beats of straight sixteenth note strumming� When you reach beat one of measure three, you get to use the new E major 7th chord shape. The first dotted eighth note strum takes up the “one e and” of beat one. Switch to an E chord and strum another dotted eighth note, which takes up the “a” of beat one and the “two e” of beat two� Switch to an Asus2 chord for a half note, before strumming another group of three sixteenth note triplets using an E chord� Take the repeat sign back to measure two� When you complete measure two for the second time, you need to go straight to measure four� When you get to the Asus2 chord, you can just hold it out until the end of the measure� This is a long description for a pretty short exercise. If you don’t quite understand what’s going on, you can always pull up the video. Things will be much easier to understand there�

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1.E Major 7 E Asus2 E

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Exercise #2Exercise #2 uses a familiar chord shape in a new way� Take a look at the chord diagram. It looks just like an open E major chord but it’s moved up by five frets. This is an Aadd9 chord with an E on the bass (Aadd9/E)� This one should be pretty easy for you� This exercise is in 6/8 time, so be sure to count “one two three four five six” as you go through it� Remember that the eighth note gets the beat and you can fit two sixteenth notes into each beat. Look at the first five strums of this exercise� You can think about this as a mini “down down up down up” strumming pattern that’s repeated over and over again. Go through the chord progression using this mini strumming pattern for each chord change� The only time this mini strumming pattern is used more than once before changing chords is on measure four�

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E E Major 7 Aadd9/E E

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Asus2 Bsus4/E E

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Exercise #3This exercise is in 6/8 time and is taken directly from the Advanced Strumming Play-Along� The new strumming pattern presented here is one-measure long� The basic strumming pattern is “down up up up down down down�” Measure three uses the strumming pattern from the previous exercise� Try to relax and keep the constant strumming technique in mind as you play through this one!

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Asus2 Bsus4/E E

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Exercise #4This advanced strumming exercise is in 4/4 time and doesn’t appear in any play-along. Keep the sixteenth note counting going, and remember that a dotted eighth note is equivalent to three sixteenth notes. I’ve included some downstroke and upstroke indicators to help you tackle this one�



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Practical Application - Advanced Strumming Play-AlongBelieve it or not, you’ve learned most of what you need to know to play this play-along. You’ve already gone over most of the parts to this tune in the previous advanced strumming exercises� You just need to go over a couple of small parts and the overall road map of the song� Remember that this song is in 6/8 time, so keep that “one two three four five six” counting going in your head or out loud. Start the song out (page 6) with quick sixteenth note triplet strumming—just like in Exercise #1� Measures 2-5 are Exercise #2. Make sure to take the repeat sign on measure five. When you get to the end of measure four for the second time, you need to go to the second ending on measure six. There’s a big rest on beat four of measure six that concludes the intro of the song� Measures 7-10 are Exercise #3. Those measures make up the first part of the verse. Measures 11-14 are very similar to measures 7-10 but the chord progression changes a little bit� Measures 15-18 (page 7) make up the pre-chorus of the song. Measures fifteen and sixteen use the same strumming pattern as the verse but while switching back and forth between a C#m7 chord and a Bsus4/E� Take note of the repeat sign that’s telling you to play these two measures three times. Continue with the same strumming pattern on measures seventeen and eighteen, but this time use an Asus2 chord and a Bsus4/E chord� The chorus of the song occurs on measures 19-30 and uses the same strumming pattern you saw in the intro� The chord progression in the chorus is different from the one in the intro, but it’s nothing that should give you any trouble�

Once you get to this point in the song (page 8), simply repeat the intro, verse, pre-chorus and chorus again� The bridge section (page 10) has quite a different feel to it� Take the volume down and use power chords and palm muting to create a more subdued vibe. Check out the first measure of the bridge for some suggested downstroke and upstroke indicators. Also note that the first strum on each measure of the bridge is palm muted. That isn’t true for the last measure. The only other thing you need to be aware of is the muting on the third and fifth strums of each measure� Play through the chord progression in the bridge, and watch out for the rest on measure sixty-seven� Repeat the bridge and then move right into the outro of the tune� The outro is the exact same as the intro� Stay on your toes for the sharp ending on beat four of measure seventy-two�

There’s an absolute ton of strumming going on in this song. Take your time, stay relaxed and slow it down if you need to. Once you can play through this tune, I’d say you’re one awesome strummer! You should be able to play and figure out pretty much any strumming pattern you like. From now on it’s just a matter of getting creative with your own strumming patterns and taking the time to figure out and learn the strumming patterns from your favorite songs� Good luck, and congratulations on your incredible strumming abilities!

Track #1



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Advanced Strumming Play-Along

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3E Major 7 Aadd9/E E

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VerseE Asus2 Bsus4/E

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C m7

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Asus2 C m7 Bsus4/E E

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IntroE E Major 7 Aadd9/E E Asus2 Bsus4/E

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1.E

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Asus2 Bsus4/E E

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Bsus4/EPre-Chorus

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C m7 EBridge

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67

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11

WoodShed

In this Woodshed section I’ll cut you loose to see what kind of strumming patterns you can come up with over the Advanced Strumming Play-Along� Pull up the track and see what you can do—you can even try to write your own strumming tune if you like!



12

AdvAnced rIffSIn the last section we took more of an acoustic strumming approach to you advanced rhythm guitar playing� Now you’re going to learn some new rock riffs to work on your advanced electric guitar rhythm playing. The exercises in this section can get pretty physical. That’s because there are a lot of fast notes and strumming going on. Once you get through these exercises, you’ll apply what you’ve learned to the Advanced Rock Riff Play-Along. Get ready for a lot of cool new riffs and a pretty good workout�

Exercise #1Exercise #1 combines lots of fast power chords, muting and single notes into one pretty wicked riff. There isn’t really anything new in here as far as playing or rhythm goes� Just watch out for the suggested picking indicators and the dotted notes�

1/1

1F5 G5 F5 G5

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3 63 4 3

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3F5 G5 F5 G5

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full

6

Exercise #2This exercise isn’t quite as busy as the previous one. You’re basically picking through a couple of power chords in the first measure and walking down a minor pentatonic scale in the second measure.

1/1

1G5 B5 E5

35

5

3 79

9 220

(2)(2)(0)

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13

1/1

1

3

D 9 E9 D 9

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Exercise #3Here’s a “bluesy” rock riff for you. Be sure to slide up from the D#9 to the E9 in the first part of the riff. The second part of the riff is a lick that uses the E blues scale�

Exercise #4This exercise is a pretty heavy rock riff that appears in the Advanced Rock Riff Play-Along. The first part of the riff uses all power chords and palm muting. I didn’t include any picking indicators here because I used all downstrokes, which is pretty common for this style of playing� The second half of the second measure uses the E blues scale� Measure three is exactly like measure one� The second half of measure four on the next page is a little bit different from the second half of measure two�

1/1

1

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50



14

Practical Application - Advanced Rock Riff Play-AlongThe Advanced Rock Riff Play-Along combines palm muting, power chords, open chords and crosspicking into one super-fun heavy tune� There are a lot of fast downstrokes in this play-along, so feel free to slow it way down if you need to� You already know the main intro riff, from working on Exercise #4� The riff appears on measures 1-4 (page 15) and is played twice. The verse of the song occurs on measures 5-12. The first two measures of the verse contain a pretty simple E5-Bm7-C chord progression. The rhythm shouldn’t be anything new to you. Measures seven and eight of the verse contain an E5-Bm-C-D5 progression; play the Bm and C chords with a simple crosspicking pattern� Measures 9-12 are exactly like measures 5-8 except for the little lick on the second half of measure nine� The chorus of the tune takes place on measures 13-22� Start off with an E11 chord by making a bar across strings 1-5 with the 1st finger (page 16). Once that chord is strummed, move on to an Em7 chord. Do this by keeping the bar in place, and hammering on to the 9th fret of the 4th string with the 3rd finger and the 8th fret of the 2nd string with the 2nd finger. The rest of the chords and picking patterns in the chorus are pretty straightforward. Just be sure to take some extra care with the counting when you get to the dotted notes� Hold down a D chord for the last two measures of the chorus, and then wrap things up with a little minor pentatonic riff� Measures 23-26 are what’s called chorus tag (page 17), which is a small part of the chorus that leads back into the verse� Once you play the chorus tag, you need to go back and play the verse, chorus and chorus tag again� Make sure to take the second ending when you get to the end of the chorus tag for the second time� The bridge of the song is the intro of the song again� Make sure to play the bridge twice before going back into the final section of choruses. After the bridge, play the four-bar chorus riff four times (page 18). Make sure to take the first ending for the first three times through the riff, and the fourth ending for the fourth and final time through the riff� If you made it through the Advanced Rock Riff Play-Along, I’d say you’re quite the rock riff guitarist. Take some time and try figuring out riffs from some of your favorite rock songs. You can also try to come up with some riffs for your own songs�

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Track #2



15

Advanced Rock Riff Play-Along

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IntroE5

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18

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19

LeArnIng neW KeySThroughout The Guitar System, you’ve learned quite a few play-along songs. Most of them were in very guitar-friendly keys such as A, D, E and G� I did that to help make your learning experience easier� Unfortunately, not all songs you’ll come across are in these guitar-friendly keys. That’s why it’s important for you to be familiar with as many keys as possible�

In this section, we’re going to review how major keys work, go over new keys and explore new chord progressions that you can use in your playing. Once you finish this section, make sure to continue learning and drilling new keys—that’s a big part of becoming a well-rounded musician.

revIeW of hoW mAjor KeyS WorK

Before moving on to new major keys, we need to review how major keys work� In order to analyze a major key, you have to start with its major scale. We’ll be in the key of G major for the review, so let’s start with a G major scale�

There’s a chord that goes along each note of any major scale. The first, fourth and fifth notes have major chords associated with them, and the second, third and sixth notes have minor chords associated with them� The seventh note of any major scale has a diminished chord associated with it� This means that the key of G major has three major chords, three minor chords and one diminished chord� Check the diagram below to see which ones�

Another thing I want to remind you of is the use of uppercase letters to symbolize major chords and lowercase letters to symbolize minor chords� The diagram above shows the chords in the key of G major, using uppercase and lowercase letters�

1G 2A 3B 4C 5D 6E 7F# 8G

G Major Scale

W W WWWH H

1G 2a 3b 4C 5D 6e 7f#

Chords In The Key Of G Major



20

The final thing I’d like to review is the use of Roman numerals with chords. We’ve already seen that every note in a major scale has a chord that goes along with it� There are seven notes in every major scale, which means that every major key has seven naturally occurring chords� Each one can be represented by a Roman numeral� Uppercase Roman numerals represent major chords, and lowercase Roman numerals represent minor chords� The following diagram shows each chord in the key of G major using Roman numerals�

the Key of d mAjor

Now that we’ve reviewed how major keys work, it’s time to reinforce your knowledge by teaching you new keys. In the next few sections, we’ll go over the keys of D, F and B major. The more keys you go over, the easier it’ll be to learn new ones� Check out the following diagrams for the key of D major� The key of D major has two sharps: C# and F#� Think about the major 1, 4 and 5 chords; the minor 2, 3 and 6 chords; and the diminished 7 chord� You should also think about the Roman numerals that go with each chord�

IG iia iiib IVC VD vie viif#

Chords In The Key Of G MajorWith Roman Numerals

1D 2E 3F# 4G 5A 6B 7C#

D Major Scale

ID iie iiif# IVG VA vib viic#

Chords In The Key Of D MajorWith Roman Numerals



21

1-4-5 ProgreSSIon

To help you get used to the idea of using Roman numerals with chords, let’s go through a simple 1-4-5 progression in the key of D� Recall that the 1, 4 and 5 chords in any major key are all major chords� The following diagram shows the D major scale with the 1st, 4th and 5th scale degrees circled�Notice the use of Roman numerals instead of actual chord names below� You can look at the TAB if you need to check which chords are used�

1/1

1

I IV V

232

0232

0232

0232

0232

0232

0232

0232

0

320003

320003

320003

02220

02220

02220

02220

02220

the Key of f mAjor

The key of F major has one flat: B flat. Check out the following diagram, and see if you can determine the major chords, the minor chords and the diminished chord� Take some time to write out the F major scale and all the chords associated with it�

1F 2G 3A 4Bb 5C 6D 7E 8F

F Major Scale


1 4 5 ProgressionIn The Key Of D Major



22

Here’s a diagram that shows all the chords in the key of F major using Roman numerals. Study it carefully. You’ll use nothing but Roman numerals to play through a chord progression in the next exercise�

1-5-6-4 ProgreSSIon

How about using Roman numerals to play a 1-5-6-4 chord progression in the key of F major? Check out the following diagram; it has the 1st, 4th, 5th and 6th scale degrees circled� Remember that the 1, 4 and 5 chords are major and the 6 chord is minor�

1/1

1

I V vi IV

133211

32010 1

023

1

1333

IF iig iiia IVBb VC vid viie

Chords In The Key Of F MajorWith Roman Numerals

IF iig iiia IVBb VC vid viie

1, 4, 5 & 6 ChordsIn The Key Of D Major



23

the Key of B mAjor

The key of B major has five sharps: A#, C#, D#, F# and G#. Check out the following B major scale.

Here’s a diagram that uses Roman numerals to define each chord in the key of B major. Try to memorize which chords are major and which are minor�

2-5-1 ProgreSSIon

The following diagram has the 1st, 2nd and 5th scale degrees circled� The 1 and 5 chords in the key of B major are B major and F# major, while the 2 chord is C# minor�

In this exercise you play through a 2-5-1 chord progression in the key of B major� The 2-5-1 progression is the most popular jazz chord progression in the world. You’ll learn more about it in the “Jazz” section (book 5, page 132) of The Guitar System� For now, just try to play through the 2-5-1 using only the Roman numerals in the exercise�

1/1

1

ii V I

46654

46654

46654

46654

244322

244322

244322

244322

24442

24442

24442

24442

24442

24442

24442

24442

1B 2C# 3D# 4E 5F# 6G# 7A#

B Major Scale

IB iic# iiid# IVE VF# vig# viia#

Chords In The Key Of B MajorWith Roman Numerals

IB iic# iiid# IVE VF# vig# viia#

1, 2 & 5 ChordsIn The Key Of B Major



24

WoodShed

You’ve put in a lot of hard work to learn these new keys, but there are quite a few major keys left for you to learn. In this Woodshed section I’d like you to pick a few new keys, write them out and study which chords naturally occur in them� You can start out with the Bb, Eb and Ab major keys�



25

AdvAnced chordS

mAjor And mInor 7th chordS

Major 7th and minor 7th chords can really give your playing a “jazzy” edge. In this section you’ll take a look at how major 7th and minor 7th chords are actually made. You’ll also learn a few of the more common shapes for these types of chords. These new chords will definitely give you a bunch of new colors to work with in your rhythm guitar playing�

hoW mAjor 7th chordS Are mAde

1G 2A 3B 4C 5D 6E 7F# 8G

G Major Scale

1G 2A 3B 4C 5D 6E 7F# 8G

G Major 7th Chord

minor 3rd

Major 7th Chord Formula

Major 3rdG

B

DMajor 3rd

F#

In order to understand how major 7th chords are made, you need to start with a major scale. Let’s go ahead and use a G major scale�

Do you remember when you built major triads? All you really did was grab the 1st, 3rd and 5th of any major scale� Well, to create any major 7th chord, you need to take the first, third, fifth and seventh notes of the corresponding major scale. To the right is the first, third, fifth and seventh notes of the G major scale circled� Those are the notes in a G major 7th chord� Easy!

Don’t forget that there’s another way to make chords: the stacking thirds method� Remember, through this method you can create major chords by stacking a minor third on top of a major third� So, to get a G major 7th chord out of a G major chord, all you have to do is stack another major third on top of the major chord you already have� You end up with G B D F#: the notes in a G major 7th chord�



26

When to uSe mAjor 7th chordS

Major 7th chords have a “jazzy” sound to them that you may or may not like� So when is it typically okay to use major 7th chords? If you’re in a major key, the 1 and 4 chords can be major 7th chords. For example, in the key of G major, you could have a G major 7th or a C major 7th� You can use regular major chords or major 7th chords� It’s really up to you and the sound you want to express with your playing.

common mAjor 7th chord ShAPeS

Enough with the theory. It’s time to learn some new major 7th chord shapes. The major 7th chord shape on the left has its lowest root note on the 6th string. This chord can really feel like you’re cramming your fingers into a really tight space� Play it a few times, and try moving it to different locations up and down the fretboard� The next major 7th chord shape is taken directly from the A major bar chord shape� Take a look at the following two C chord diagrams� Do you see how only one note changed? This is the result of moving the root note on the 3rd string, down by one half-step, to the 7th of the chord�

G Major 7 Chord6th String Root Note

133 4

2

X XC Major Bar Chord

2 3

X

4

3

C Major 7 Chord5th String Root Note

3

3 4

2

X

I ii iii IV V vi vii

Major 7th ChordsIn Any Major Key



27

The third major 7th chord shape is based on the open D major chord shape� To play this shape, you need to learn to use the open D major chord shape as a movable chord—kind of like a bar chord� Take a look at the diagram for the open D major chord and the G major chord with the root on the 4th string� You have to move the open D shape, up by five frets and play its 4th string with the 1st finger instead of leaving it open. Take some time and try out this new movable D chord shape for yourself� Now that you know the movable open D chord shape, you can make it a movable major 7th chord shape� All you have to do is change one note� Check out the diagram on the right to see how the note you were playing with the 4th finger has simply moved back one fret. The fingering changes a bit. You can also grab the three notes on the 7th fret with a bar if you want to. I like to use my 3rd finger for that. Move this shape around and try memorizing the major 7th sound. Next, you’ll put these major 7th chord shapes to use by playing through some exercises.

Exercise #1In this first exercise you switch back and forth between the 6th and 5th string root note major 7th chord shapes you just learned. The chords you’re using are the 1 and 4 chords in the key of G major.

1/1

1

G Major 7 C Major 7

3

443

3

443

3

443

35453

35453

35453

D Major

1

3

XX

2

G Major Chord4th String Root Note

15

3

4

2

X X

G Major 7th Chord4th String Root Note

15X X



28

Exercise #2This exercise still uses the 1 and 4 chords in the key of G major, but this time you’re throwing the D-shaped major 7th chord into the mix�

1/1

1

G Major 7 C Major 7 G Major 7

5777

5777

5777

5777

35453

35453

35453

35453

3

443

3

443

3

443

3

443

3

443

3

443

3

443

3

443

hoW mInor 7th chordS Are mAde

So you made it through the “How Major 7th Chords Are Made“ section! Now you need to learn how to make minor 7th chords. Since you already know how to construct major 7th chords, this will be easy for you. Let’s start with a major scale, much like when you learned to build a major 7th chord. You’ll be building an E minor 7th chord, so let’s start with an E major scale.

Make an E major 7th chord by circling the 1st, 3rd, 5th and 7th notes of the E major scale�

The next step is lowering the 7th scale degree, or D#, by one half-step to create a D� If you left this chord like this, you’d have an E dominant 7th chord. You’re just one step away from the E minor 7th chord.

1E 2F# 3G# 4A 5B 6C# 7D# 8E

E Major Scale

1E 2F# 3G# 4A 5B 6C# 7D# 8E

E Major 7th Chord

1E 2F# 3G# 4A 5B 6C# 7D 8E

E Dominant 7th Chord



29

Can you guess what the final step for the creation of a minor 7th chord is? Recall that a minor chord can be made by lowering the 3rd of any major chord by one half-step. Well, that’s what you have to do here. Take the G# and lower it to a G� And with that you have all the notes in an E minor 7th chord� If you know the minor scale that corresponds to the minor 7th chord you want to make, you can skip a ton of steps and still make a minor 7th chord. Let’s say you know the E minor scale� If you start with a minor scale, all you have to do to make a minor 7th chord is circle the 1st, 3rd, 5th and 7th scale degrees. It’s that simple. Let’s take a quick look at how to build minor 7th chords using the stacking thirds method� Recall that a minor chord is simply a major third stacked on top of a minor third� In order to make a minor chord into a minor 7th chord, all you have to do is stack another minor third on top of the minor chord�

1E 2F# 3G 4A 5B 6C# 7D 8E

E Minor 7th Chord

1E 2F# 3G 4A 5B 6C 7D 8E

E Minor Scale

1E 2F# 3G 4A 5B 6C 7D 8E

E Minor 7th Chord

minor 3rd

Minor 7th Chord Formula

Major 3rd

E

G

B

Dminor 3rd



30

When to uSe mInor 7th chordS

So how do you know when to use minor 7th chords? If you’re in a major key, you can substitute a minor 7th chord for any regular minor chord� Remember that the 2nd, 3rd and 6th chords in a major key are all minor� You can use a minor 7th chord for any of these chords. It all depends on the type of sound you’d like to express with your playing� Take a look at the following diagrams to see the naturally occurring minor chords in the key of G major� The 2, 3 and 6 chords in the key of G major are A minor, B minor and E minor, respectively� You can use minor 7th chords for any of those chords�

common mInor 7th chord ShAPeS

The minor 7th chord shapes here are pretty easy to make, especially if you already know all the minor bar chord shapes. The first minor 7th chord shape is based on the E minor bar chord shape. To create a minor 7th chord shape from it, you need to take the 4th finger off of the 4th string. You’re basically lowering the root note of the chord to the lowered 7th�

3 4

5

A Minor

3

5

A Minor 7


Minor 7th ChordsIn Any Major Key


Minor 7th ChordsIn The Key Of G Major



31

The second minor 7th chord shape is based on the A minor bar chord shape� Like in the previous shape, changing only one note is enough to make the minor 7th chord pop out� In this case, it means taking the 4th finger off of the 3rd string.

The last minor 7th chord shape you’ll learn is based on the open D minor chord shape. The first step in learning this shape is to make the open D minor shape movable, just like what you did with the open D major chord� The following two diagrams show you how to move the open D minor shape, up by two frets, in order to make an E minor chord� Move this shape around until you start getting used to its feel�

2

3 4

7

E MinorX

2

3

7

E Minor 7X

D Minor

1

3

XX

2

E Minor

2

XX

4

1

3

2



32

E Minor 7

2

XX1

3

4

2

Here’s the minor 7th chord shape that’s based on the open D minor shape. Notice how only one note was lowered—and by a whole-step. The fingering is quite different from the original movable D minor shape�

The following two exercises will help you apply minor 7th chords� Take your time with them and try to memorize the distinct sound of minor 7th chords� In the next section you’ll use major, dominant and minor 7th chords to play through some 2-5-1 chord progressions�

Exercise #1

Exercise #2

1/1

1

A minor 7 E minor 7 D minor 7

57

5

575555

575555

79

87

7

57565

57565

1/1

1

E minor 7 A minor 7 D9

2

334

2

334

2

334

2

334

575555

575555

575555

575555

5455

5455

5455

5455

4

G Major 7

3

344

3

344

3

344

3

344



33

Practical Application - Loop 18Loop 18 is a simple swing drum beat� You can practice the 2-5-1 chord progression on the sheet music below, over this beat� Once you can play it as written, try coming up with your own chord progressions using the major and minor 7th chord shapes you just learned� I left the bass, guitar and keyboards out of this loop so you can make up your own progressions� Have fun!

1/1

1

ii C#m7 V F#7 I BM7

9119999

9119999

9119999

9119999

9119119

9119119

9119119

9119119

7

887

7

887

7

887

7

887

7

887

7

887

7

887

7

887

5

ii Bm7 V E7 I AM7

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797777

797777

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79797

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79797

5

665

5

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5

665

5

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5

665

5

665

5

665

5

665

9

ii Am7 V D7 I G Major 7

575555

575555

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575555

57575

57575

57575

57575

3

443

3

443

3

443

3

443

3

443

Track #3



34

mInor KeySUp until this point in The Guitar System, you’ve been learning mostly about major keys. In the next few sections we’ll take a look at minor keys, how they work and what chords occur naturally within them. Once the theory is out of the way, you’ll apply everything you’ve learned about minor keys to the Minor Rock Play-Along.

1G 2A 3B 4C 5D 6E 7F# 8G

G Major Scale

1G 2A 3B 4C 5D 6E 7F# 8G

G Major’s RelativeMinor Key Is E Minor

6E 7F# 1G 2A 3B 4C 5D 6E

E Minor Scale

hoW mInor KeyS WorK

For you to learn how minor keys work, we’ll start with a G major scale� The 1st scale degree of any major scale is the root, or focal point of that scale� This is nothing new for you� I just want to make sure you understand that everything comes back to the major scale� The following diagram is a simple G major scale� Remember that the 1st, 4th and 5th scale degrees of any major scale have major chords associated with them; the 2nd, 3rd and 6th scale degrees have minor chords associated with them; and the 7th scale degree has a diminished chord associated with it� The following diagram shows the diatonic, or naturally occurring, chords in the key of G major� Do you remember a while back when we talked a little bit about relative minor-keys? In order to find the relative minor-key of a major key, you have to go to that major scale’s 6th scale degree. Let’s clear this up by using G major as an example� E minor is the relative minor-key to G major� This is so because E is the 6th scale degree of the G major scale� Since relative major-keys and relative minor-keys share the same key signature and chords, memorizing a minor key ends up being very easy if you already know the relative major-key� If you take the G major scale and write it out starting on the 6th scale degree, or the E note, you automatically end up with the E minor scale� Quick and easy!


Chords In The Key Of G MajorWith Roman Numerals



35

the chordS In Any mInor Key

Now that you have the E minor scale, you can find out what chords are in the key of E minor� Check out the following diagram� Notice how the chords associated with the notes in the E minor scale are the exact same as the chords associated with the notes in the G major scale: the G chord is still a G major, the E chord is still an E minor, the C chord is still a C major and so on� The only difference is that you start with the sixth note of the G major scale: E� It’s time to take the focus off of the G and put it onto the E. In order to do this, we’re going to make the E the 1st scale degree instead of the G� When we do this the E becomes the root note� Even when the root of the key is switched to the E, the quality of the chords in the key of E minor stay the same� For example, the E is still an E minor and the G is still a G major, the only difference is that now they’re the 1 and the 3 chord, respectively� In any minor scale the first, second and fifth notes have minor chords associated with them; the third, sixth and seventh notes have major chords associated with them; and the second note has a diminished chord associated with it� The keys of G major and E minor are made up of the exact same notes and chords� The only real difference comes in when the focal point, or root, is moved from the G to the E�

A mInor

Now that you’ve learned how minor keys work, let’s reinforce that knowledge by looking at another minor key: A minor� The following diagram shows you the notes and chords in that key. In order to find the relative major-key of A minor, you have to go to the third note of the A minor scale, which in this case is C� That note tells you that the relative major-key for A minor is C major� Both keys share the same key signature of no sharps and no flats.

vie viif# IG iia iiib IVC VD

Chords In The Key Of E MinorWith Roman Numerals

1E 2F# 3G 4A 5B 6C 7D

E Minor Scale

ie iif# IIIG iva vb VIC VIID

Chords In The Key Of E MinorWith Roman Numerals

ia iib IIIC ivd ve VIF VIIG

Chords In The Key Of A MinorWith Roman Numerals



36

Practical Application Part 1 - Minor Chord ScaleIn this Practical Application you’re going to play through a minor chord scale in the key of E minor� Notice how all the chords here are also in the key of G major� If you started on the G chord, you’d be playing a G major chord scale. Before you move on to the actual chord scale, I want to make sure you have a good shape for the 2 chord in the key of E minor: the f# diminished chord� You can use a minor7b5 in place of this chord. Here’s a diagram for an F#minor7b5. Go over it a few times before moving on to the chord scale�

F# Minor 7 b5

1

2

X X

3 4

1/1

1i em ii f #m7b5 III GM iv am

022000

2

221

3

55

433

577555

5

v bm VI CM VII DM i em

7

9777

98

10988

10 121211

1010

10 121414121212

WoodShed

In this Woodshed section I‘m going to assign you some homework� Take a piece of blank paper and a pen, or grab your computer� Write out the notes and chords in the keys of E minor, A minor, G minor and D minor� If you’re having trouble coming up with the correct notes for these keys, you can always think about each minor key’s relative major-key. Remember that the relative major-key is the note that’s three half-steps away from the original minor key’s root note. This should be a pretty good workout for your brain.



37

Practical Application Part 2 - Minor Rock Play-AlongThe Minor Rock Play-Along is kind of a funky tune that’s great for applying major and minor 7th chords, as well as your knowledge of minor keys. There aren’t really any riffs in this tune, just a lot of major and minor 7th chords and strumming� The chorus, verse and bridge are the main parts you need to learn� Have fun with this one, and take your time learning the strumming rhythms�

1/2

1

ChorusEm7 Bm7 Am7 Bm7 Em7

2433

2433

2433

XXXX

2433

2433

2433

2

3

4

2

2

01

20

0

2

3

4

2

22433

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2433

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4

Bm7 Am7 Bm7Verse

Em7 Bm7 Cmaj7

2

3

4

2

2

2

3

4

2

2

01

20

0

2

3

4

2

2

79

87

7

79

77

77

35453

7

Em71-3.Bm7 Cmaj7

4.Bm7 Cmaj7 D7

79

87

7

2

24

32

35453

2

24

32

2

24

32

2

24

32

35453

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57575

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2433

2433

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2

3

4

2

2

01

20

0

2

3

4

2

22433

2433

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2433

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2433

Minor Rock Play-Along

Track #4



38

1/2

1


2433

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XXXX

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2433

2

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01

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2

3

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2

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XXXX

2433

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2433

2433

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4

Bm7 Am7 Bm7Verse

Em7 Bm7 Cmaj7

2

3

4

2

2

2

3

4

2

2

01

20

0

2

3

4

2

2

79

87

7

79

77

77

35453

7

Em71-3.Bm7 Cmaj7

4.Bm7 Cmaj7 D7

79

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2

24

32

35453

2

24

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2

24

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2

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35453

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57575

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2433

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2

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4

2

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01

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2433

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2/2

13

1.Bm7 Am7 Bm7

2.Bm7 Cmaj7 D7

BridgeEm7 C

2

3

4

2

2

2

3

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2

2

01

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2

3

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2

2

2

24

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2

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79

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16

Em7 C D

(8)(8)(9)(10)(10)(8)

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(8)(8)(9)(10)(10)(8) 10

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19

Em7 C Em7 C

79

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(8)(8)(9)(10)(10)(8)

79

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79

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22

DChorus

Em7 Bm7 Am7 Bm7

88910108

88910108

88910108 10

1212111010

101212111010

101212111010

101212111010

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2

3

4

2

2

01

20

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2

3

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2

25

Em7

4x

Bm7 Am7 Bm7 Em7

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XXXX

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2433

2433

2433

2433

4x

2

3

4

2

2

2

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01

20

0

2

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2

22433



39

2/2

13

1.Bm7 Am7 Bm7

2.Bm7 Cmaj7 D7

BridgeEm7 C

2

3

4

2

2

2

3

4

2

2

01

20

0

2

3

4

2

2

2

24

32

2

24

32

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32

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79

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7

79

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79

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X 88910108

16

Em7 C D

(8)(8)(9)(10)(10)(8)

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7

79

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7

79

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79

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79

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X 88910108

(8)(8)(9)(10)(10)(8) 10

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19

Em7 C Em7 C

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79

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DChorus

Em7 Bm7 Am7 Bm7

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2

3

4

2

2

01

20

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3

4

2

2

25

Em7

4x

Bm7 Am7 Bm7 Em7

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4x

2

3

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22433

The GuiTar SyStem - Advanced - Alternate Tunings And Advanced Chords


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alTernaTe TuninGs and advanCed ChOrdsalTernaTe TuninGs and advanCed ChOrds

IntroductIon

Welcome to the world of alternate guitar tunings! An alternate tuning is any tuning other than the standard EADGBE tuning� There are many alternate tunings you can use on the guitar� The Guitar System will focus on drop D tuning and DADGAD tuning� Both can be used on either electric or acoustic guitar, but drop D tuning is more common with electric guitar. Since this is the case, you’ll be learning a pretty heavy rock tune in the “Drop D Tuning” section. Don’t let that stop you from experimenting with drop D tuning on your acoustic guitar. DADGAD tuning is more common on the acoustic guitar. With that in mind, you’ll be learning a great Celtic-sounding song in the “DADGAD Tuning” section� The chords that take place in DADGAD tuning are very different from the chords used in standard tuning� Alternate tunings can open up a whole new world for your playing� Keep an open mind throughout this section, and see if you’d like to incorporate these alternate tunings in your day-to-day practice�

droP d tunIngDrop D tuning is probably the easiest alternate tuning to get into� All you have to do to put your guitar into drop D tuning is lower the 6th string by one whole-step� Try that right now: lower the low E string down to a D note� You’ll end up with DADGBE. Strum the three lowest strings on the guitar and listen to the nice growl you get. As stated previously, drop D tuning can be used for acoustic and electric guitar playing but we’ll approach it from an electric guitar perspective�

Standard TuningE A D G B E

E Note LoweredOne Whole-Step To D

Drop D TuningD A D G B E

BAr chord ShAPe

Put your guitar in drop D tuning, and play the lowest open three strings of the guitar. You’re basically playing a D power chord� Now think about the regular power chord shape� When we tune the low E string down by one whole-step, we have to compensate for this change by bringing the lowest note of a regular power chord up by one whole-step� Take a look at the diagrams on the following page to check the resulting new power chord shape� To play it, you have to place a bar across the lowest three strings� Drop D tuning makes power chords very easy to play. That’s one of the reasons drop D tuning is so popular in rock music.



41

A Power Chord

15X X X

A Power ChordDrop D Tuning

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Exercise #1This first exercise uses a sixteenth note strumming pattern and the drop D bar chord shape to play through a D5-G5-A5 progression�

Exercise #2Almost every strum in this exercise is played with a palm muted downstroke� Playing downstrokes this quickly can be quite tiring if you’re not used to it. You’re staying on a D power chord throughout this entire exercise� The only real variation here is the group of sixteenth note triplets at the beginning of beat three�

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rIght-hAnd PALm mutIng And SPeed

Rock music that uses drop D tuning, typically has a lot of palm muting going on. In this section you’ll take a look at several exercises that make use of the new drop D power chord shape and quite a bit of palm muting� Once you go through these exercises, you’ll see how drop D tuning makes using power chords easier than ever.



42

fretBoArd LAyout

Having one or more strings in a new tuning can be hard to get used to at first. The following diagram shows you how the notes on the low E string change when you down tune it to D� Notice that the notes on the 6th string become the same as the notes on the 4th string�

chordS In the Key of dBefore moving on to the following exercises and play-along, I want to go over the chords in the key of D with you� The following diagram bares these chords� This is a great time to drill another major key!

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

E D#/Eb D F F#/Gb G#/Ab G A B D A#/Bb C#/Db C

ED#/EbD F F#/Gb G#/AbG A B DA#/Bb C#/DbC

Exercise #1This first drop D riff is taken directly from the upcoming play-along: the Drop D Play-Along. There’s a lot of fast strumming and palm muting going on here�

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Chords In The Key Of D Major



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Exercise #2This exercise is also taken directly from the upcoming play-along� The power chords on measure two change very quickly� This is a great example of how drop D tuning can make playing fast power chords much easier than with standard tuning�

Exercise #3This drop D riff is taken from the intro of the Drop D Play-Along� Up until now, drop D tuning has been mostly used with power chords� This exercise uses single notes and power chords to make one riff�

Exercise #4Here’s the verse riff from the upcoming play-along. Each measure starts off with an open drop D power chord. The first three measures come back in on the “a” of beat three, and the fourth measure comes in on the “and” of beat three�

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Practical Application - Drop D Play-AlongIt’s time to put everything you’ve learned about drop D tuning into action with the Drop D Play-Along. You’ve already learned most of the parts to this tune� All you have to do now is put them together in the right order� There’s a lot of strumming, picking and palm muting going on in this tune. Take your time, and slow it way down if necessary� The first two measures of the tune (page 45) are Exercise #1 from the previous section. Make sure to repeat this two-bar phrase four times� You can consider this section the intro of the song� Measures three and four are taken directly from Exercise #3 of the previous section� Make sure to repeat these two measures four times� This section doubles as main riff and chorus of the song� The picking on this part can be tricky when played at full speed� Take your time, and slow it way down if you need to� Measures 5-8 are the verse of the song. These measures should look familiar to you because they’re Exercise #4 from the previous section� Make sure to mute the strings completely during the rests and take the repeat sign� Once you get to measure eight for the second time, you should take the Da Segno back to the marker at the beginning of measure three� Play all the way through to the Da Segno sign again, and then move on to measure nine� Measures nine and ten (page 46) are the chorus of the song, and measures eleven and twelve are the bridge. The first measure of the bridge is the same as the first measure of Exercise #2. The second measure of the bridge is pretty straightforward� End the tune by playing the chorus riff, four more times� That’s it for the Drop D Play-Along. If you liked the sound of drop D tuning, I encourage you to find some bands that use drop D tuning. Listen to their songs and try figuring them out for yourself! You can always look for some drop D TABs too� They should be pretty easy for you to read after going through this play-along�

Track #5



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Drop D Play-Along

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47

dAdgAd tunIngWhen it comes to the acoustic guitar, DADGAD tuning is probably my favorite alternate tuning� DADGAD has a nice wide-open sound that can really inspire you to take your playing in new directions� Since DADGAD is so different from standard tuning, it kind of forces you to think differently about the things you play� Before getting into some of the common chord shapes used with DADGAD, we need to go over how to put your guitar in the DADGAD tuning. The first step is to tune the low and high E strings to D notes by lowering them by one whole-step; I like to use the open D string as a reference note for this� Try it! Play the open 4th string and then the open 6th string� Lower the 6th string until it matches the sound of the 4th string� The D note on the 6th string is one octave lower than the D on the 4th string� Repeat this process with the high E string� Only one step left to complete the DADGAD tuning: lowering the B string down by one whole-step to an A note� You can use the open 5th string as a reference note� Play the open 5th string followed by the open 2nd string� Lower the pitch of the 2nd string by one whole-step� The A note on the 2nd string is one octave higher than the A note on the open 5th string. You’ve successfully put your guitar into DADGAD tuning!

Standard TuningE A D G B E

Lowered Notes

DADGAD TuningD A D G A D

common ShAPeS

Now it’s time to learn some of the more common chord shapes used with DADGAD. The first three chords we’ll look at are super easy. In fact, they only use one finger! The DADGAD Play-Along is in the key of D major, so all the following chords are in the key of D major� The first diagram on the following page is for a D5 chord. All you have to do to make this chord is place one finger on the 2nd fret of the 3rd string� Strum all six strings� This shape will be used as the 1 chord in the key of D� The second chord diagram is for a G Major add 9 with a D on the bass (Gadd9/D)� Make this chord by placing one finger on the 2nd fret of the 5th string. Strum all six strings. This will be used as the 4 chord in the key of D. The final DADGAD chord shape will serve as the 5 chord in the key of D. Place any finger on the 2nd fret of the 4th string and strum all six strings. That’s an A7sus4 chord with a D on the bass (A7sus4/D). Try switching back and forth between these three, simple shapes to make up your own little tunes�



48

ceLtIc douBLe StrummIng

In order to make it through the following DADGAD Play-Along, you need to learn something that I like to call Celtic double strumming: one upstroke followed by two downstroke� Playing two downstrokes in a row can be pretty tricky at first. Take it very slowly, and concentrate on the basic coordination required to play two consecutive downstrokes. One thing that helps me is to get the first downstroke with the strumming motion from my arm. I continue my downward strumming motion but most of the action for the second downstroke comes from my wrist�

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49

Practical Application - DADGAD Play-AlongThe DADGAD Play-Along is very different from anything you’ve learned so far in The Guitar System. This tune has a very Celtic feel to it. The low D string that’s played throughout most of the tune conjures up a nice droning sound that’s often associated with Irish or Celtic music. The chords in this tune aren’t very hard, but the strumming will really test your endurance. The little riff at the beginning of the song is pretty challenging� You may have to slow it way down to play it perfectly� The first two measures (page 50) are pretty straightforward. Measure three introduces the Celtic double strumming pattern with the new D5 chord. Repeat measure three, four times. Measure four is the difficult little crosspicking riff I was talking about. It’s very important to follow the picking indicators for this part. The first six notes are pretty straightforward: three downstrokes followed by three upstrokes� The second group of six notes changes a bit, but the first three notes are still played with downstrokes. The next two notes are played with upstrokes. The last note is played with a downstroke, in order to go right back into the “up down down” strumming pattern of the following measure� Measures five and six are the Celtic double strumming pattern for one measure followed by the crosspicking riff� Play these measures three times� Measures 7-15 wrap up the intro of the song with some Celtic double strumming� Watch out, though� Although simple, some of the chords are totally new to you� Make sure you pay attention to the TAB and you should have no problems� The verse of the song is located on measures 16-19 (pages 51, 52)� These measures basically use the same strumming pattern to play through a simple 1-4-5-1 progression in the key of D major� Your strumming hand might be getting tired by now. If you keep practicing this kind of strumming, it’ll get easier with time and your arm will get in shape� Measures 20-28 represent the chorus and contain the most difficult chords of this song. You only have to learn one new shape and move it around to several different locations. Make the first chord of the chorus by placing the 2nd finger on the 7th fret of the 6th string, the 3rd finger on the 7th fret of the 5th string, the 4th finger on the 7th fret of the 4th string and the 1st finger on the 6th fret of the 3rd string. This is the new shape you’ll be using, and when played in this location it’s an Aadd11 chord. Take some time to memorize it. Move the new chord shape, up by two frets and lower the third to play the Bm7 chord on measure twenty-one� Next, move it down to where the 1st finger is on the 4th fret to play a Gadd9 chord. The rest of the chorus uses this new shape and the other DADGAD chord shapes you already know� Measures 29-32 (page 53) are a chorus tag that’ll lead you back to the verse of the song. Watch out for the stop at the end of measure thirty-two� At this point you need to play the verse, chorus and chorus tag all over again (page 54-56)�

Track #6



50

DADGAD Play-Along

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4/6

29


3 3 3 3

D53 3 3 3

00002

0200

0200

00002

0200

0200

00020

0020

0020

00020

0020

0020

00200

0002

0002

00200

0002

0002

00200

0002

0002

00200

0002

0002

31


D53 3 3

00002

0200

0200

00002

0200

0200

00020

0020

0020

00020

0020

0020

00200

0002

0002

00200

0002

0002

00200

0002

0002

00200

33

VerseD5

3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

00200

0002

0002

00200

0002

0002

00200

0002

0002

00200

0002

0002

00200

0002

0002

00200

0002

0002

00200

0002

0002

00200

0002

0002

35


D53 3 3 3

00002

0200

0200

00002

0200

0200

00020

0020

0020

00020

0020

0020

00200

0002

0002

00200

0002

0002

00200

0002

0002

00200

0002

0002



55

5/6

37

ChorusAadd11

3 3 3 3Bm7 Gadd9

3 3 3 3

77600

7776

7776

77600

7776

7776

77600

7776

7776

77600

7776

7776 7

99

00

9997

9997

99700

9997

9997

0

455

04555

4555

00455

4555

4555

39

Aadd113 3 3 3

D5 Gadd93 3 3 3

77600

7776

7776

77600

7776

7776

77600

7776

7776

77600

7776

7776

00200

0002

0002

00200

0002

0002

00455

4555

4555

00455

4555

4555

41

Aadd113 3 3 3

Bm7 Gadd93 3 3 3

77600

7776

7776

77600

7776

7776

77600

7776

7776

77600

7776

7776

99700

9997

9997

99700

9997

9997

00455

4555

4555

00455

4555

4555

43

Aadd113 3 3 3

F6 Gadd93 3

77600

7776

7776

77600

7776

7776

77600

7776

7776

77600

7776

7776

00233

2333

2333

00233

2333

2333

004555

45


3 3 3 3

(0)(0)(4)(5)(5)

00002

0200

0200

00002

0200

0200

000201 0

020

0020

00020

0020

0020

6/6

3x47

D53 3 3 3


3x00200

0002

0002

00200

0002

0002

00200

0002

0002

00200

0002

0002

00002

0200

0200

00002

0200

0200

00020

0020

0020

00020

0020

0020

49

D53 3 3

00200

0002

0002

00200

0002

0002

00200

0002

0002

00200

(0)(0)(2)(0)(0)



56

WoodShed

If you enjoyed the DADGAD Play-Along, I encourage you to go out and find guitar players who use this tuning� Listen to their songs and see if you can learn some of them for yourself� You can also use this tuning with simple songs that you like, by giving use to open DADGAD chord shapes� Songs with basic 1-4-5 progressions like “Amazing Grace” work very well for this�

6/6

3x47

D53 3 3 3


3x00200

0002

0002

00200

0002

0002

00200

0002

0002

00200

0002

0002

00002

0200

0200

00002

0200

0200

00020

0020

0020

00020

0020

0020

49

D53 3 3

00200

0002

0002

00200

0002

0002

00200

0002

0002

00200

(0)(0)(2)(0)(0)



57

9th chordSIn this section we’re going to turn our attention away from alternate tunings and take a look at new chords. You’ll start off by learning about major and minor 9th chords. Once you have those under your belt, we’ll look at some chord inversions�

hoW mAjor 9th chordS Are mAde

1G 2A 3B 4C 5D 6E 7F# 8G 9A

G Major 9th Chord

minor 3rd

Major 9th Chord Formula

Major 3rdG

B

DMajor 3rd

minor 3rdF#

A

Learning how major 9th chords are made will be a breeze for you if you’ve gone through the section “How Major 7th Chords Are Made�“ Start by building a G major 7th chord� Recall that a major 7th chord is made by using the 1st, 3rd, 5th and 7th scale degrees of any major scale� In order to make a major 9th chord, all you have to do is circle the 9th of that same major scale� Well, the major scale doesn’t go to a ninth note, so you have to repeat notes� The octave is a G note and the ninth note is an A� You can think of the A note as the 2nd scale degree if it helps you� When you add the 9th to the G major 7th chord, you end up with a major 9th chord spelled 1G 3B 5D 7F# 9A� You can build major 9th chords by stacking thirds as well� Recall that a major 7th chord is made by stacking a major third, a minor third and another major third� We can make this into a major 9th chord by stacking another minor third on top of a major 7th chord� Check out the following diagram for a visual explanation of stacking thirds to create a G major 9th chord�

When to uSe mAjor 9th chordS

Major 9th chords are typically used in place of the 1 or 4 chord in a major key� If you were in the key of G major, you could use a major 9th chord in place of the G or C major chords� Try replacing 1 or 4 chords from some of your favorite songs with the following major 9th chord shapes you’re about to learn�


Major 9th ChordsIn Any Major Key



58

common mAjor 9th chord ShAPeS

Here are two common major 9th chord shapes. The first shape is a bit strange. If you’re fingerpicking the chord, you can leave out the 5th string. If you’re strumming the chord, I recommend playing the top four strings only. Even though you’re fretting the 5th string with a bar, you shouldn’t be playing it. The second major 9th chord diagram is probably the most common you’ll see. Notice that this chord only contains four notes. It’s common practice to omit notes in some guitar chords. In this case the 5th of the chord was left out. Avoid strumming the open E strings� Make this chord a few times and move it to new locations�

2 3

4

3

G Major 9th6th String Root

X1

3

4

3

C Major 9th5th String RootX X

2

Exercise #1In this exercise you’ll alternate back and forth between a GM7 chord and a CM9 chord. C is the 4 chord in the key of G, so that’s why the major 9th chord sounds good in this exercise. Try listening to the difference in sound between a major 7th chord and a major 9th chord�

1/1

1

Gmaj7 CM9(no5) Gmaj7

3

43

4

3

43

4

3

43

4

3

43

43243

3243

3243

3243

3

43

4



59

Exercise #2With this exercise you’ll use the two major 9th chord shapes you just learned. You’re basically playing through a 1-4-5-1 progression in the key of G� Go through the exercise, and then repeat the same progression with open chords instead. Do you hear how big of a difference it makes to use the 7th and 9th chords? It’s more “jazzy.“

Exercise #3Here, you’ll play through a GM9-CM9-D9-GM7 progression with a swing feel. Try listening to the quality and sound of each type of chord�

1/1

1

Gmaj9 CM9(no5) D7 Gmaj7

3

5344

3

5344

3

5344

3

5344

3243

3243

3243

3243

57575

57575

57575

57575

3

443

1/1

1

3

GM9(no5) CM9(no5) D9 Gmaj7

1091110

1091110

1091110

1091110

3243

3243

3243

3243

5455

5455

5455

5455

3

443

3

443

3

443

3

443

hoW mInor 9th chordS Are mAde

Let’s move on to making some minor 9th chords. You already know how to make a major 9th chord, so let’s start with that� Check out the second diagram on the following page, of the E major scale with the notes of an E major 9th chord circled� Remember, to create a major 9th chord you have to circle the first, third, fifth, seventh and ninth notes�

1E 2F# 3G# 4A 5B 6C# 7D# 8E

E Major Scale



60

1E 2F# 3G# 4A 5B 6C# 7D# 8E

E Major 7th Chord

1E 2F# 3G# 4A 5B 6C# 7D# 8E 9F#

E Major 9th Chord

1E 2F# 3G 4A 5B 6C# 7D 8E 9F#

E Minor 9th Chord

1E 2F# 3G 4A 5B 6C 7D 8E

E Minor Scale

1E 2F# 3G 4A 5B 6C 7D 8E

E Minor 7th Chord

1E 2F# 3G 4A 5B 6C 7D 8E 9F#

E Minor 9th Chord

minor 3rd

Minor 9th Chord Formula

Major 3rd

E

G

B

D

F#Major 3rd

minor 3rd

In order to make a minor 9th chord, you have to lower the 3rd and 7th of a major 9th chord by one half-step� In this case, the 3rd of an E major 9th chord is a G# and the 7th is an D#� Lower those two notes by one half-step to end up with an E minor 9th chord: 1E 3G 5B 7D 9F#� You can make a minor 9th chord by starting with a minor scale too� Look at the diagram of the E minor scale below� Start out by making a regular minor 7th chord� Circle the 1st, 3rd, 5th and 7th scale degrees of any minor scale to make a minor 7th chord� All you have to do to turn this minor 7th chord into a minor 9th chord is add the 9th—also known as the 2nd scale degree� If you prefer stacking thirds to build chords, we’ll go over that method as well. Recall that a minor 7th chord can be made by stacking a minor third, a major third and another minor third on top of each other� In order to make this minor 7th chord into a minor 9th chord, all you have to do is stack one more major third on top�

Choose the chord-making method that works best for you� Same result, different methods!



61


Minor 9th ChordsIn Any Major Key

Exercise #1The following exercises are pretty simple. I’ll let you go through them on your own� Listen to the sound of the minor 9th chords you’ll be playing. Try to memorize that sound so you can use minor 9th chords whenever your ears “tell” you to�

43

5

A Minor 96th String Root

1

3 47

E Minor 95th String RootX X

2

1/1

1

Am9 Em9

5 575557

5 575557

7577

7577

7577

When to uSe mInor 9th chordS

Minor 9th chords are typically used in place of the 2 or 6 chords in any major key. If you’re in the key of G major, you can use an A minor 9th chord or an E minor 9th chord� Try using the following common minor 9th chord shapes in place of your regular minor 2 and 6 chords�

common ShAPeS

Here you’ll learn about two minor 9th chord shapes that are pretty easy to memorize. The first shape is based on the E minor bar chord shape. It’s basically an E minor 7th bar chord shape with one note added to it. Place the bar on the 5th fret to play an A minor 9th chord� Recall the dominant 9th chord shape with the lowest root note on the 5th string� The second minor 9th chord is basically that shape but with the 3rd lowered by one half-step� Try this new shape out, and move it up and down the fretboard� Listen carefully and try to memorize the overall minor 9th sound�



62

Exercise #2

1/1

1

Em9 Am9 D7

7577

7577

7577

7577

575557

575557

575557

575557

57575

57575

57575

57575

4

Gmaj7

3

443

3

443

3

443

3

443

3

443

3

443

3

443

3

443

WoodShed

I want to use this Woodshed section to make sure you understand the intricacies behind the making of major and minor 9th chords. If you don’t quite understand everything involved in these processes, you can always take a break and try going through everything in a week or so� You should also have all four major and minor 9th chord shapes completely memorized�

Practical Application - Loop 18This Practical Application section will put your new major and minor 9th chords to use by having you go through a new chord progression called 6-2-5-1 progression� All these exercises use 7th and 9th chords, which makes for a pretty “jazzy” sound. Since that’s the case, I’ve supplied you with a nice “jazzy” drum loop. Pull up Loop 18 and play through the following four exercises� Each exercise is in a different key�

Track #7



63

1/1

1

Em9 Am9 D7

7577

7577

7577

7577

575557

575557

575557

575557

57575

57575

57575

57575

4

Gmaj7

3

443

3

443

3

443

3

443

3

443

3

443

3

443

3

443

1/1

1

F m9 Bm9 E9

799

9799

9799

9799

9797779

797779

797779

797779

7677

7677

7677

7677

4

Amaj7

5

665

5

665

5

665

5

665

5

665

Exercise #1

Exercise #2



64

1/1

1

3

G m9 C m9 F 7

1191111

1191111

1191111

1191111

1191111

1191111

91199911

91199911

91199911

91199911

91199911

91199911

9119119

9119119

9119119

9119119

9119119

9119119

4

Bmaj7

7

887

7

887

7

887

7

887

7

887

7

887

7

887

7

887

7

887

7

887

7

887

7

887

1/1

1

Bm9 Em9 A7

2022

2022

2022

2022

20

0002

20

0002

20

0002

20

0002

02020

02020

02020

02020

4

DM9 Dmaj7

5

64

5

5

64

5

5

64

5

5

64

5

57675

57675

57675

57675

Exercise #3

Exercise #4



65

chord InverSIonSAn inversion is a chord where any note other than the root is its lowest. You’ve already learned some root position triads in a previous lesson. In this section we’re going to take a look at first inversion triads. Like the root position major and minor triad shapes that you learned, these first inversion triads have four basic shapes. Once you get them down, you’ll apply them to a first inversion etude�

fIrSt InverSIon mAjor trIAdS

A first inversion triad has the 3rd of the chord as its lowest note. The following diagram shows a root position G major triad on a musical staff� Notice how the notes are stacked neatly on the lines� That G triad is spelled G B D� Do you see how the G note, or root of the chord, is the lowest note?

If you take the 3rd of this same G triad and make it the lowest note in the chord, you end up with a first inversion triad� One way to do this is to take the root of the chord and move it up by one octave� This makes the B note the lowest in the chord� The chord still has the same notes in it, but the lowest note is now a B note, the 3rd of the major G triad�

Notes In a RootPosition G Major Chord

GBD1

543

First InversionG Major Chord

G

BD

1

433

First InversionG Major Chord

G

BD

1

433

fIrSt InverSIon mAjor trIAd ShAPeS

Like root position major triads, first inversion major triads have four basic shapes� Check out the following four chord diagrams; each one represents a first inversion G triad. Notice how the root note is now the highest and the third note is the lowest� I like to reference these triads from root notes because it makes it easier to know where to place these chords�

First Inversion G MajorTriad 4th String Root Note

15

3

1

X X X



66

1/1

1

G/B C/E D/F#

557

557

557

557

101012

101012

121214

121214

Exercise #1This exercise uses the 4th string root note first inversion triad shape to play through a G/B-C/E-D/F# progression� Notice how all the chords in this exercise are slash chords� Remember that slash chords have a note other than the root as its lowest. As you work through the following first inversion exercises, try to listen to the lowest note of each chord and recognize it as the 3rd of that chord�

1/1

1

G/B C/E D/F#

557

557

557

557

755

755

977

977

Exercise #2This exercise has the same progression as Exercise #1� The only difference is the use of both the 4th and 3rd string root note first inversion triad shapes�

1/1

1G/B C D

121214

121214

121214

121214

121214

121214

121214

121214 15

1412

151412

151412

151412

171614

171614

171614

171614

Exercise #3This exercise uses the 3rd and the 4th string root note first inversion shapes and the 4th string root position shape, to play through a 1-4-5 progression in the key of G major�

1

XX X

First Inversion G MajorTriad 3rd String Root Note

First Inversion G MajorTriad 2nd String Root Note

283

1

X X X

First Inversion G MajorTriad 1st String Root Note

133

1

X X X



67

Exercise #4Here you’ll use the 2nd and 1st string root note first inversion shapes to play through a 1-4-5 progression in the key of G major�

WoodShed

In this Woodshed section you’re going to use the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th string root note first inversion triad shapes to play through several 1-4-5 progressions� This is a great exercise for testing your knowledge on first inversion major triad shapes. Once you can play through this exercise, try moving the first inversion triad shapes to different keys�

1/1

1

G/B C/E D/F#

879

879

879

879

879

879

879

879

889

889

889

101011

101011

101011

101011

101011

1/1

1

G/B C/E D/F# G/B

557

557

557

557

557

557

557

557

557

557

557

779

779

779

779

779

121214

121214

121214

121214

121214

121214

121214

121214

4

C/E D/F# G/B C/E D/F#

131214

131214

131214

151416

151416

151416

151416

151416

334

334

334

334

334

334

334

334

889

889

889

101011

101011

101011

101011

101011

7

3

3

02

00



68

fIrSt InverSIon mInor trIAdS

Now that you’ve learned first inversion major triad shapes, it’s time to work on first inversion minor triad shapes. Like first inversion major triad shapes, first inversion minor triad shapes have the 3rd of the triad as its lowest note. The first diagram below represents a root position E minor triad. Notice how the E, or root of the chord, is the lowest note�

The second diagram below shows a first inversion E minor triad. Notice how the 3rd of the chord, the G note, is now its lowest� The notes of the E minor triad are still E G B but the note on the bass is now a G�

Notes In a RootPosition E Minor Chord

EGB1

754

First InversionE Minor Chord

E

GB

1

545

First InversionE Minor Chord

E

GB

1

545

fIrSt InverSIon mInor trIAd ShAPeS

The following four chord diagrams represent the four first inversion minor triad shapes. Compare them to the first inversion major triad shapes from the previous section� Notice how only one note has changed in each shape� The note in question is the 3rd of each chord, which was lowered by one half-step� Go through these shapes until you’re familiar with them, and remember to use the root notes as reference points.

First Inversion E MinorTriad 4th String Root Note

123

1

X X X

First Inversion E MinorTriad 3rd String Root Note

193

1

X X X



69

First Inversion E MinorTriad 2nd String Root Note

35 2

1

X X X

First Inversion E MinorTriad 1st String Root Note

112 1 1

X X X

Exercise #1In this exercise you’ll use 4th string root note first inversion minor and major triad shapes to play an Em/G-G/B progression�

Exercise #2This exercise uses 4th and 3rd string root note first inversion minor triad shapes to play through an Em/G-Am/C progression�

1/1

1Em/G G/B

223

557

(5)(5)(7)

1/1

1Em/G Am/C

223

223

223

223

223

223

223

223

223

223

223

223

223

223

223

223



70

Exercise #3This exercise will help you work on 1st and 2nd string root note first inversion minor triad shapes.

Exercise #4The final first inversion minor triad shape exercise is built around a 6-2-5-1 chord progression. See if you can play through this one�

1/1

1Em/G Am/C

545

545

545

545

555

555

555

555

1/1

1Em/G Am/C

9910

9910

9910

9910

10910

10910

10910

10910

3

D/F# G

101011

101011

101011

101011 12

1210

121210

121210

121210



71

Practical Application - Loop 19In this Practical Application you’re going to play through a first inversion triad etude� The etude is basically a 6-2-5-1 progression in the key of G major that you have to play through five times. You have to use pretty much every first inversion triad shape you’ve learned. To help make this a fun experience, I’ve included a loop for you to work with� Pull up Loop 19 and give this etude a try� If the loop is too fast, stop it and slow things down� Take this as slow as you need to until you get the chord changes under your fingers.

WoodShed

In the following Practical Application you’ll use pretty much every first inversion major and minor triad shape you’ve learned so far. Therefore, I want to use this Woodshed section to make sure you know them all very well. Getting through the Practical Application will be much easier if you have the first inversion shapes very well memorized� Take some time—a week or even a few months—to get these shapes down�

1/2

1Em/G Am/C

223

223

223

223

223

223

223

223

3D/F# G

00

200

200

200

2 320

320

320

320

5

Em Am/C

754

754

754

754

555

555

555

555

7

D/F# G

423

423

423

423

543

543

543

543

9

Em Am/C

987

987

987

987

778

778

778

778

11D G

910

7910

7910

7910

71097

1097

1097

1097

Track #8



72

1/2

1Em/G Am/C

223

223

223

223

223

223

223

223

3D/F# G

00

200

200

200

2 320

320

320

320

5

Em Am/C

754

754

754

754

555

555

555

555

7

D/F# G

423

423

423

423

543

543

543

543

9

Em Am/C

987

987

987

987

778

778

778

778

11D G

910

7910

7910

7910

71097

1097

1097

1097

2/2

13Em/G Am

9910

9910

9910

9910 12

109

12109

12109

12109

15D G/B

1112

101112

101112

101112

10

1214

121214

121214

121214

12

17

Em/G Am

121212

121212

121212

121212 14

1312

141312

141312

141312

19

D/F# G/B

121214

121214

121214

121214

121214

121214

121214

121214

21

121214



73

concLuSIonYou’ve learned a lot of new things about rhythm guitar playing, alternate tunings and new chords, in the past few sections. You had to absorb an enormous amount of information. Don’t feel like you have to have everything from these sections mastered before moving on to other parts of The Guitar System. It’s a good idea to come back to these lessons in a couple of months, or even years, to pick up what you missed. In the next few sections we’ll switch gears to talk about some advanced lead-guitar topics�

2/2

13Em/G Am

9910

9910

9910

9910 12

109

12109

12109

12109

15D G/B

1112

101112

101112

101112

10

1214

121214

121214

121214

12

17

Em/G Am

121212

121212

121212

121212 14

1312

141312

141312

141312

19

D/F# G/B

121214

121214

121214

121214

121214

121214

121214

121214

21

121214

The GuiTar SyStem - Advanced - Advanced Lead Techniques, Scales And Fretboard Layout


74

advanCed lead TeChniques, sCales and freTbOard layOuTadvanCed lead TeChniques, sCales and freTbOard layOuT

IntroductIon

Welcome to the “Advanced Lead Techniques, Scales And Fretboard Layout” section of The Guitar System� Throughout the next lessons I’ll take your lead-guitar skills to the next level by improving your chops and adding several new major and minor scale shapes to your scale library. There’s a gigantic amount of information contained in this section. Don’t feel like you have to have everything down before moving on to other parts of The Guitar System� Once you complete these lessons, you should view them as a reference or guide for the major and minor scale shapes�

LeAd technIqueS And exercISeSIn this first section we’re going to take a look at some picking and speed exercises that’ll help take your lead-guitar playing to the next level. When working on picking and speed, it’s important to use a metronome. With that in mind, you’ll be doing some good old-fashioned metronome practice with these new exercises. Once you get the exercises down, you’ll learn more advanced guitar licks. Picking Exercise #1 (Picking Technique)This first exercise uses quarter, eighth, sixteenth notes and eighth note triplets to work on your alternate picking. Starting out slowly and gradually getting faster will help clean up your picking� The exercise tells you to play only two measures of each note value� However, you can play each note value for as many measures as you like when you get behind your guitar� I recommend practicing each note value until your playing is perfectly clean�

1/1

1

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

3

3 3 3 3

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0



75

Picking Exercise #2 (Tremolo Picking)This exercise introduces you to tremolo picking while going through an A major scale� Instead of playing each note once you have to do it four times� This gives the scale an entirely different feel and forces you to work on your picking control�

Speed Exercise #1Now that you’ve worked on picking, it’s time to work on speed. This exercise uses three notes on one string. Choose whatever string you like, but I recommend using it on all six� The basic idea is to slowly play back and forth between three notes on one string using alternate picking� After a measure of playing the slower eighth notes, switch to sixteenth notes� This is kind of like walking for a measure and then sprinting for a measure� This exercise will help you sync up the picking and fretting hands�

1/1

1

5 5 5 5 7 7 7 74 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 7 7 7 7

4 4 4 4 6 6 6 6 7 7 7 7

3

4 4 4 4 6 6 6 6 7 7 7 75 5 5 5 7 7 7 7

4 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 5

1/1

1

5 7 5 4 5 7 5 4 5 7 5 4 5 7 5 4 5 7 5 4 5 7 5 4

Speed Exercise #2This exercise will have you playing through an A major scale using quarter, eighth and sixteenth notes. You’ll probably want to practice it with a metronome� Make sure you can play this exercise cleanly at whatever tempo you choose� I recommend starting at around 70 beats per minute�



76

WoodShed

In this Woodshed section I want to make sure you’ve memorized all four previous exercises. If you have a metronome, set it to where you can play each exercise cleanly� Slowly increase the speed of the metronome until your playing starts to get sloppy� At this point, back the metronome down a bit and practice for a while at the new tempo you set�

Practical Application Part 1 - MetronomeIn this Practical Application section you’re going to do some good old-fashioned metronome practice. Start at 70 beats per minute, and play an A major scale to a metronome click set to eighth notes. As soon as you’re comfortable playing the scale at this speed, increase the metronome speed by 5 beats per minute� When you feel comfortable at 75 beats per minute, increase the metronome by 5 more beats per minute� Continue increasing the metronome by 5 beats per minute until you can no longer play the scale cleanly�

Practical Application Part 2 - LicksYou put a lot of hard work on your picking and speed in the past few lessons. Now it’s time to learn a few new licks that’ll showcase your new lead-guitar skills. The following licks contain a lot of fast runs, so your speed and picking skills are bound to be sharpened!

Lick #1This first lick starts out with a repeated three-note pattern that’s very similar to Speed Exercise #1 from the previous section� The second measure moves down the A major pentatonic scale� Be sure to use alternate picking throughout this lick� Once you can play it as written, you might want to go through it with a more legato feel�

1/1

1

5 7 5 4 5 7 5 4 5 7 5 4 5 7 5 4 7 57 5

6 47 4 7



77

Lick #2The second lick I have for you uses tremolo picking to ascend through the first four notes of an A major scale. From there you simply ascend through an A major pentatonic scale� End the lick by landing on the A note on the 7th fret of the 4th string�

Lick #3The first half of this lick ascends through an A major scale. The second half switches to an A major pentatonic scale and continues to ascend�

1/1

1

5 5 5 5 7 7 7 74 4 4 4 5 5 5 5

5 74 7

4 74 6

7

1/1

1

5 74 5 7

4 6 74 7

4 74 6

5 75

the mAjor ScALe (Key of g)You’ve already learned two basic shapes for the major scale. Both have their lowest root note on the 6th string: one starts with the 1st finger and the other with the 2nd finger. In this section you’re going to finish learning the remaining fundamental major scale shapes: the 6th string root note shape that starts with the 4th finger and three 5th string root note shapes. Each 5th string root note shape starts with a different finger: the 1st, the 2nd and the 4th� This may seem like a ridiculous amount of scales to learn, but believe it or not, you already know most of these shapes�



78

1 1 1 1

2 2

3 3

4 4 4 4 4

2 2

4

3

G Major Scale

SIxth StrIng root note mAjor ScALe, 4th fInger StArtIng

There are three basic major scale shapes that have the lowest root note on the 6th string. You’ve already learned the ones that start with the 1st and 2nd fingers. Check out the following scale diagram to learn the shape that starts with the 4th finger. The root note on the 15th fret of the 6th string is a G note, which means you’re playing a G major scale. Don’t forget to take note of where all the root notes are located�

revIeW of mAjor ScALe ShAPeS

Before digging into new major scale shapes, we should review the two you’ve already learned in The Guitar System� Go through the following scale diagrams, and make sure you have them down� Fully memorizing these shapes will help you move through the next lessons quickly�

1

1

11

3

1

3 3 3 4

1

2

44

2

4 415

G Major Scale6th String Root

4th Finger Starting

1

1

1

1 122

33

4

4

2

1

2

4 4 4

4

3

Three -Note-Per-StringG Major Scale



79

Exercise #1The next two exercises will help you get used to playing through the new major scale shape�

Exercise #2

mAjor ScALe ShAPeS StArtIng on the 5th StrIng

Congratulations! You’ve learned all three 6th string root note major scale shapes. Now it’s time to move on to the major scale shapes that have their lowest root note on the 5th string� The good news is you already know the shapes! That’s right. The 5th string root note major scale shapes are the exact same as the 6th string root note major scale shapes� The only difference is we have to compensate for the way the guitar is tuned� That means that every time you get to the 2nd string you have to shift everything up by one half-step� Check out the first two scale diagrams on the following page. Both are three-note-per-string G major scales that start with the 1st finger. Compare the two shapes. Do you see how the patterns are the same when you start from the lowest root note of each scale? The only difference occurs when you get to the B string� Because of the way the guitar is tuned, when you get to the B string you have to shift everything up by one half-step� This is great to know because it can save you a lot of time on memorizing new scale shapes� Instead of memorizing three new patterns for the 5th string root note major scale shapes, all you have to do is use a little brain power to visualize the half-step jump when you get to the B string! On the following page you’ll find diagrams for the 6th and 5th string major scale shapes that start with the 2nd finger. Compare the two shapes, and visualize the jump when you get to the B string. Take a look at the 6th and 5th string major scale shapes that start with the 4th finger, and give the 5th string root note shape a try�

1/1

1

1512 14 15

12 1411 12 14

12 13 1512 14 15 14 12

15 13 1214 12 11

14 1215 14 12

15

1/1

1

1512 14 15

12 1411 12 14

12 13 1512 14 15 14 12

15 13 1214 12 11

14 1215 14 12

15



80

1111

22

33

44 444

22

4

3


2nd Finger Starting

1

111

22

3

3

4

2

4

4

44

2

4

10


2nd Finger Starting

1111

3 3 3

4

1

2

4

1

2

4 4

2

410


4th Finger Starting

1

1

11

3

1

3 3 3 4

1

2

44

2

4 415


4th Finger Starting

1

1

1

1 122

33

4

4

2

1

2

4 4 4

4

3


1st Finger Starting

1

1

1 1

2

2

34

2

1

2

4

1

2

4 4

4 4

10


1st Finger Starting



81

Exercise #1 (1st Finger)Here’s an exercise for the 5th string major scale shape that starts with the 1st finger. I’ll leave to you the choice of picking every note or using hammer-ons and pull-offs�

Exercise #2 (2nd Finger)This exercise is meant to help you work on the 5th string root note major scale shape that starts with the 2nd finger.

Exercise #3 (4th Finger)Finally, here’s a simple exercise for the 5th string root note major scale shape that starts with the 4th finger.

1/1

1

10 12 1410 12 14

11 12 1412 13 15

12 14 15 14 1215 13 12

14 12 1114 12 10

14 12 10

1/1

1

10 129 10 12

9 11 1210 12 13

10 12 1013 12 10

12 11 912 10 9

12 10

1/1

1

107 9 10

7 97 8 10

7 8 10 8 710 8 7

9 710 9 7

10



82

Exercise #4 (All Three Shapes)This exercise lets you know just how well you actually know each 5th string root note major scale shape, by having you play through the 4th, 2nd and 1st finger shapes, one right after the other. Take your time, and slow the exercise down as much as you need to in order to hit every note in every shape� If one shape is still giving you some trouble, now is a great time to go back and practice it some more�

1/1

1

107 9 10

7 97 8 10

7 8 10

10 129 10 12

9 11 1210 12 13

10 12

3

10 12 1410 12 14

11 12 1412 13 15

12 14 15

WoodShed

Before moving on to the following Practical Application, it’s important to know all three 5th string root note major scale shapes very well. You’ll be doing some metronome practice, so the last thing you want is trying to remember a scale shape when the beats are racing by�

Practical Application Part 1 - MetronomeIn this Practical Application you’re going to get the new major scale shapes up to speed with some metronome practice� Pull out a metronome, and set it so you can play every note in the 5th string root note shapes cleanly� Once you play perfectly at that tempo, increase the speed a bit� You can continue increasing the speed at what you play this exercise as long as every note is clean and clear at the tempo you’re at.



83

Practical Application Part 2 - LicksAt this point you should have the 5th string root note major scale shapes down pretty well� Being so well versed with these scales makes this the best time to have you use them to play some licks. These licks don’t really present anything new, so I’m going to let you go through them on your own.

Lick #1

Lick #2

Lick #3

1/1

1

10910

9 10 1212

10 12 1312

1/1

1

109

7

10 107 9 10

7 97 8

1/1

1

15 14 1215

14 1215 13

1215 13 12 15 13 12

1413 12

14 12 1114 12 10

14 12 1014

10

ImProvISAtIon tIP

You’ve gone over emphasizing the root notes and even the triads of the chord over which you’re playing. Before you move on to the next Practical Application I want to make sure you’re thinking about the notes you’re playing when soloing, instead of randomly using notes in a scale� Whenever you solo over a tune, it’s a great idea to take a few minutes to look at the chord progression and become as familiar with it as possible. If you’re playing over a G major to C major groove, you’ll want to emphasize the G, B and D notes over the G chord. Likewise, you’ll want to emphasize the C, E and G notes over the C major chord. Taking a few minutes to analyze the chord progression you’ll be playing over will really make your solos sound awesome�



84

Practical Application Part 3 - Major Pop Play-AlongIt’s test time. I want you to take the new major scale shapes you’ve learned and see what you can do over the Major Pop Play-Along. This song is in the key of G, so you’ll be using all six major-scale shapes to express yourself on the guitar� Before you actually start soloing over this play-along, take a few minutes to check out the chord progression� See what chords are played, and try to emphasize the notes in those chords when you play�

the mInor ScALe (Key of e mInor)Let’s dig a little deeper into the world of minor scales. To start things off we’ll take a look at the very important concept of relative minor-scales� Once you have it down, you can move on to learning some new minor scale shapes. Finally, you’ll apply the new minor scale shapes learned here to some licks and solos.

reLAtIve mInor-KeyS

It’s very important that you have a firm grasp on the concept of relative minor-keys. A relative minor-key is a minor key that shares the same key signature with its parent major key. Let’s look at an example to clarify this statement. If you’re in the key of G major, the key signature is one sharp: F#. There’s a minor key that shares that same key signature: E minor� Hence, the keys of G major and E minor have the same key signature of one sharp: F#� You may be wondering, “How do I find a major key’s relative minor-key?” Well, as long as you know the major scale for any major key, finding its relative minor-key is super easy. If you know the major scale of a given key, you’ll know its sixth note; if you know its sixth note, you’ll know its relative minor-key.

Take a look at the following diagram; it’s a G major scale with its sixth note circled� This means that E minor is the relative minor-key to the key of G major� Get it? Knowing how relative minor-keys work is very important� It’ll help you memorize minor key signatures and which chords occur in minor keys. We’ll deal more with relative minor-keys throughout The Guitar System� For now, just remember that the sixth note of any major scale will lead you to that major key’s relative minor-key.

revIeW ShAPe (6th StrIng root note, 1St fInger StArtIng)Here’s a quick review of a minor scale shape you’ve already learned� This shape will be referred to as 6th string root note, 1st finger starting� Play through it a few times to jog your memory�

1G 2A 3B 4C 5D 6E 7F# 8G

Relative Minor

1

1 1

33

4 4

3

4

1 1

3

12

E Minor Scale

2

4

1

2

4

Track #9



85

three-note-Per-StrIng 6th StrIng root note mInor ScALe, 1St fInger StArtIng

This next minor scale shape is still a 6th string root note shape that starts with the 1st finger, but it’s a little different from the last one you learned. This shape has three notes on each string� Play through it and try to familiarize yourself with it� The following exercises will help you memorize this new minor scale shape�

Exercise #1

Exercise #2

111

3

4

4

3

4

4

1

2

12

Three-Note-Per-StringE Minor Scale

6th String Root Note1st Finger Starting

2 2

4 4

1

12

1/1

1

17 15 1316 14 12

16 14 1215 14 12

15 14 12 (12)

1/1

1

12 14 1512 14 15

12 14 1612 14 16

13 15 1714 15 17 15 14

17 15 1316 14 12

16 14 1215 14 12

3

15 14 12



86

Exercise #1

Exercise #2

SIxth StrIng root note mInor ScALe, 2nd fInger StArtIng

Here’s another new shape for the minor scale. This one has the lowest root note on the 6th string, but this time you’re starting with the 2nd finger. Try memorizing this shape and the root note locations� The next couple of exercises will help you do that�

1

1

1

344

1212

E Minor Scale6th String Root Note2nd Finger Starting

2

2

44

4 4

2

1

2

1/1

1

12 1410 12 14

10 12 1411 12 14

12 13 1512 14 15 14 12

1/1

1

1215 13 12

14 12 1114 12 10

14 12 1014 12 (12)



87

SIxth StrIng root note mInor ScALe, 4th fInger StArtIng

This last 6th string root note minor scale shape starts with the 4th finger on the lowest root note� Play through it a few times, and then give the following two exercises a try�

1 1

1

3

344

1

312

E Minor Scale6th String Root Note4th Finger Starting

4

4 4

22

1

2

1/1

1

129 10 12

9 10 129 11 12

10 12 1310 12 (12)

1/1

1

12 1013 12 10

12 11 912 10 9

12 10 912 10 12

Exercise #1

Exercise #2



88

fIfth StrIng root note mInor ScALeS

So you’ve learned all four 6th string root note minor scale shapes. That’s awesome! Now it’s time to learn the 5th string root note minor scale shapes. You may be thinking, “Holy cow! I can’t memorize that many scale shapes!” Well, the good news is you already know the 5th string root note shapes� The 6th string root note minor scales have shapes that start with the 1st, 2nd and 4th fingers. The 5th string root note minor scales use the exact same shapes; you just have to compensate for the tuning of the guitar once you get to the B string� The following diagrams have the matching 6th and 5th string root note minor scale shapes side by side� If you look closely, you should be able to see how the 6th and 5th string root note shapes are the exact same� The only differences are the lowest root note, which is moved from the 6th to the 5th string, and the notes on the B string, which have to be moved up by one half-step because of the way the guitar is tuned� Try working your way through all 5th string root note minor scale shapes� Remember to visualize the 6th string root note minor scale shapes while you’re playing these. That’ll cut down on a lot of memorization.

fIfth StrIng root note mInor ScALe, 1St fInger StArtIng

111

3

4

4

3

4

4

1

2

12

E Minor Scale6th String Root Note

1st Finger Starting

2 2

4 4

1

12

1

11

3

4 4

3

4

4

1

2

7

E Minor Scale5th String Root Note

1st Finger Starting

2

2

4

4

1

1

2



89

fIfth StrIng root note mInor ScALe, 2nd fInger StArtIng

fIfth StrIng root note mInor ScALe, 4th fInger StArtIng

1

1

1

344

1212


2

2

44

4 4

2

1

2 1 1

111

3

4

4

27


2 24

4

4 4

2

1

2

1 1

1

3

344

1

312


4

4 4

22

1

2 1

1

3 3

4

4

1

7


4

1 1

4 4 4

222

1

2

Once you’re comfortable with these new shapes, you can move on to the following 5th string root note minor scale exercises�



90

Exercise #1 (1st Finger)

Exercise #2 (2nd Finger)

Exercise #3 (4th Finger)

1/1

1

7 9 107 9 10

7 9 118 10 12

8 10 12 10 812 10 8

11 9 710 9 7

10 9 7

1/1

1

7 95 7 9

5 7 97 8 10

7 8 10 8 710 8 7

9 7 59 7 5

9 7

1/1

1

74 5 7

4 5 75 7 8

5 7 8 7 58 7 5

7 5 47 5 4

7 5 37 5 3 5 7

3

3 5 7



91

Exercise #4 (All Three Shapes)

1/1

1

74 5 7

4 5 75 7 8

5 7 8

7 95 7 9

5 7 97 8 10

7 8 10

3

7 9 107 9 10

7 9 118 10 12

8 10 12

WoodShed

In this Woodshed section I want you to take some time to get familiar with the 6th and 5th string root note minor scale shapes you’ve just learned. This is a lot of information, so don’t feel like you have to have all these scales down perfectly before moving on to new lessons. It’s better to know one or two minor shapes really well than to know them all poorly� Feel free to use this section as a reference for minor scale shapes over the following years�

Practical Application Part 1 - MetronomeOne thing that’ll help reinforce these new minor scale shapes is some solid metronome practice. You can break out your metronome or the Minor Rock Play-Along to help you stay in time as you practice these minor scales� If you use a metronome, remember to start out slowly� Increase its speed every time your playing is clean at the tempo you’re at.



92

Practical Application Part 2 - LicksIn this Practical Application I supply you with some minor scale licks that’ll give you a good idea of how to use these new minor scale shapes to make music� Work through the following three licks, and then see if you can come up with your own�

Lick #1

Lick #2

Lick #3

1/1

1

7 7 7 7

9

12 10 812 10 8

11 9 9

1/1

1

12 10 812 10 8

11 9 7 11 9 710 9 7

10 9 7

1/1

1

3

5 85 8 7 5

8 7 57 4

7 57

ImProvISAtIon tIPS

Before you move on to the next Practical Application, I want to give you some improvisation tips� Learning all these minor scale shapes is great, but just playing through them can get a bit boring after a while� One thing you can do to break the scale up a bit is to use minor triads. Emphasizing the minor triad of the chord you’re playing is a great way to make your playing sound a bit less like a scale and more like a melody� You can also use those triad shapes in conjunction with minor scales to come up with some great solos�



93

Practical Application Part 3 - Minor Rock Play-AlongIt’s time to apply everything you’ve learned about the minor scale to some real music! Pull up the Minor Rock Play-Along� This song is in the key of E minor, so you can make up some of your own solos using the E minor, E minor pentatonic and E blues scales� You can also use E minor triads and scale sequencing to make your playing a bit more interesting� Take your time with this one, and come back to it any time you feel like working on soloing with minor scales�

AdvAnced fretBoArd LAyoutIn this next collection of lessons you’re going to get a bit more familiar with the guitar neck by going over some very important fretboard layout ideas. We’ll start off by going over the notes on the G and B strings. Guitar players always seem to procrastinate when it comes to learning the notes on these two strings. Don’t let that be you. Once we go over the notes on the G and B strings, we’ll take a look at scale movability. Finally, you’ll start looking at the fretboard in a more horizontal fashion by learning about modal scale string-pairs�

e & f/ B & c ruLe revIeW

If you’ve made it this far in The Guitar System, you should have the E & F/ B & C rule memorized. Just in case you’ve forgot it, I’ll mention it once more before moving on to the “Notes On The G String” and “Notes On The B String” sections. The E & F/ B & C rule states that any two natural notes, besides E & F and B & C, have a whole-step between them.This means that E & F and B & C have half-steps between them. Keep that in mind as you go through the notes in the following diagrams�

noteS on the g StrIng

Here are all the notes on the G string� Go through each fret on the G string and say the name of its corresponding note out loud. It may take a while to memorize the notes on the G string but it’ll sure be worth it in the long run. Going over the notes on the G string regularly is the secret to memorizing them�

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

A E B D A#/Bb C#/Db D#/Eb C G#/Ab F F#/Gb G G

Track #10



94

noteS on the B StrIng

You made it to the last one! The notes on the B string are the only ones we haven’t gone over. Do just as you’ve done with all the other strings on the guitar: go through each fret on the string and say the name of its corresponding note out loud� Take a week or a month to concentrate on just the notes of the B string� Before you know it, you’ll have them all memorized.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

B F F#/Gb G#/Ab G A B A#/Bb E D C#/Db D#/Eb C

movIng Any ScALe to Any LocAtIon

You’ve already been exposed to scale movability, but I really want to make sure you understand what it is and how it can benefit your playing. If you know a scale shape, you can move it to any key you like. The only thing you have to be aware of while doing so is the root note you move it to, because that’ll determine the name of the scale�

Let’s look at an example. The first graphic below is a 6th string root note A minor scale that starts with the 1st finger. The root note is an A note, which means we’re in the presence of an A minor scale. If we moved this scale shape, up to where the lowest root note was on the 9th fret of the 6th string, we’d still have a minor scale but now it would be a C# minor scale� This is because of the root note being moved to a C#�

1/1

1

A minor scale

5 7 85 7 8

5 74 5 7

5 6 85

1/1

1

C# minor scale

9 11 129 11 12

9 118 9 11

9 10 129



95

Once you know one scale shape, you can play it in any key you like� You just have to get used to moving it around and be aware of where the root notes are located� The following exercises walk you through moving around some of the scale shapes you’ve already learned. Give them a try.

mAjor ScALe ShAPeS

Exercise #1

Exercise #2

Exercise #3

1/1

1Bb Major Scale 5th String Root Note 1st Finger Starting Bb Major Scale 6th String Root Note 1st Finger Starting

1 3 51 3 5

2 3 53 4 6

3 5 6

6 8 106 8 10

7 8 107 8 10

8 10 11

1/1

1

C Major Scale 5th String Root Note 2nd Finger Starting G Major Scale 5th String Root Note 2nd Finger Starting

3 52 3 5

2 4 53 5 6

3 5

10 129 10 12

9 11 1210 12 13

10 12

1/1

1

D Major Scale 5th String Root Note 4th Finger Starting A Major Scale 5th String Root Note 4th Finger Starting

52 4 5

2 42 3 5

2 3 5

129 11 12

9 119 10 12

9 10 12



96

mInor ScALe ShAPeS

Exercise #1

Exercise #2

1/1

1

D Minor Scale 5th String Root Note 1st Finger Starting D Minor Scale 6th String Root Note 1st Finger Starting

5 7 85 7 8

5 75 6 8

5 6 8

10 12 1310 12 13

10 12 1410 12 14

11 13 1512

3

13 15

1/1

1

F minor scale 6th String Root Note 1st Finger Starting

1 3 41 3 4

1 3 51 3 5

2 4 63 4 6

3

B minor scale 6th String Root Note 1st Finger Starting

7 9 107 9 10

7 9 117 9 11

8 10 129 10 12



97

Exercise #3

1/1

1

C Minor Scale 6th String Root Note 2nd Finger Starting C Minor Scale 5th String Root Note 2nd Finger Starting

8 106 8 10

6 8 107 8 10

8 9 118

3 51 3 5

1 3 53 4 6

3 4 6

WoodShed

I have two assignments for you in this Woodshed section. The first one is to go over the notes on the G and B strings again. The second one is to find all the D notes on the entire fretboard. If you’re feeling extra studious, you can work on finding all the G and A notes too. This kind of stuff isn’t the most fun thing to do in the world, but it’ll greatly help your playing.

Practical Application - LicksHere are a couple of licks that I wrote to help you combine the 6th and 5th string root note scale shapes� Go through each lick and see if you can identify which shapes are being used� Once you understand the basic idea presented in these licks, try coming up with your own�

Lick #1

Lick #2

1/1

1

5 7 85 7 8

5 74 5

full

7

12 14 1512 14 15

12 14

1/1

1

3 33 3

33

full

97

710 8 7

9 7 69

14 16 1714 16 17

14 1614

16



98

Lick #3

modAL ScALe StrIng-PAIrS

Up until this point in The Guitar System, you’ve been focusing on playing scales in a vertical fashion. By this I mean you’ve been learning scale shapes that basically work their way across the guitar strings. In this section we’re going to take a look at how to play up and down the guitar neck in a more horizontal fashion. In order to do this we’re going to look at something called modal scale string-pairs� Modal scale string-pair shapes are six-note patterns on two adjacent strings� There are seven string-pair shapes that you need to learn� Believe it or not, you already know them! These shapes move up and down the fretboard in a very specific pattern. Once you get familiar with them, you need to memorize the order in which they occur.

1/1

1

3 5 63

5 63 5

63 5 6

310 12 13

1012 13

10 1213

10 12 1312

LeArnIng the Seven ShAPeS

Let’s start by taking a look at the seven modal scale string-pair shapes. Whether you realize it or not, you’ve already played all seven of these six-note patterns. Take a look at Shape #1. It’s the first six notes of the 6th string root note, three-note-per-string major scale shape�

1 1

3

4

2

4

5

Modal StringPair Shape #2

1

2

4

1

2

4

3


1 1

3

4

2

7


4



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1

1

2

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2

4

8


1

2 2

4

1

4

10


1 1

3 3

4 4

12


1 1

22

44

14


3

All 7 Modal StringPair Shapes Together

ALL Seven ShAPeS together

Now that you’ve memorized the seven modal scale string-pair shapes, it’s time for you to learn how to use them to move up and down the fretboard� Take a look at the diagram to the right� The seven modal scale string-pair shapes are laid out on the 6th and 5th strings� The diagram is in the key of G major, so all the filled-in circles represent G notes. Study the diagram, and try to identify each modal scale string-pair shape out of this master diagram�



100

Exercise #1This first string-pair exercise is in the key of G major and goes through all seven string-pair shapes on the 6th and 5th strings. You can pick each note or use hammer-ons—it’s really up to you. Hopefully this exercise shows you how modal scale string-pairs can help you work your way up and down the fretboard�

Exercise #2This next exercise moves the string-pair shapes to the 2nd and 1st strings� However, you can move them to any two strings� You just need to be aware that if moved to the G and B strings, the shapes change a bit because of the way the guitar is tuned�

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3 5 73 5 7

5 7 85 7 9

7 8 107 9 10

8 10 129 10 12

10 12 1410 12 14

12 14

3

1512 14 15

14 15 1714 15 17

15 17 1915 17 19

15

1/1

1

1 3 52 3 5

3 5 73 5 7

5 7 85 7 8

7 8 107 8 10

8 10 128 10 12

10 12

3

1310 12 14

12 13 1512 14 15

13 15 1714 15 17 15



101

Practical Application Part 1 - LicksHere are a few modal scale string-pair licks� They should give you a good idea of how to apply modal scale string-pair shapes musically� Go through these licks before you start working on your own�

Lick #1

Lick #2

Lick #3

WoodShed

In this Woodshed section I want you to take some time and make sure you have memorized the seven modal scale string-pair shapes� Set a goal to have them learned; it can be a week or even a few months� The important thing is to set the goal and then work toward achieving it�

1/1

13

3

3

3

3

3

12 14 1512 14 15

14 15 1714 15 17

15 17 1915 17 19

15

1/1

1

33

33

33

12 10 812 10 8

10 8 710 8 7

8 7 58 7 5

1/1

1

3 5 73 5 7

4 5 75 7 9

5 7 97 9 10

7 9 1010



102

Practical Application Part 2 - Contemporary Strumming Play-Along

If you have the modal scale string-pair shapes memorized, you should put them to use� Pull up the Contemporary Strumming Play-Along and try to solo over it� Since this song is in the key of E major, you should adjust the starting point of your string-pairs accordingly�

concLuSIonThat about wraps it up for the “Advanced Lead Techniques, Scales And Fretboard Layout” section of The Guitar System� There was a lot of information presented here that may take you a very long time to master� So feel free to move on to other sections of The Guitar System� You can come back to this one later on, to keep perfecting your skills and learning new things. In the following section you’ll continue your advanced lead-guitar journey by taking a look at sweep picking and some advanced scales and scale sequencing�

Track #11

The GuiTar SyStem - Advanced - Advanced Scales, Sequencing And Sweep Picking


103

advanCed sCales, sequenCinG and sweep piCKinGadvanCed sCales, sequenCinG and sweep piCKinG

IntroductIon

You should be proud of yourself! At this point you probably feel like you’ve learned more scales and lead-guitar techniques than you ever thought possible� Let me take a second to encourage you� I want to make sure you know that the more scales you learn, the easier it becomes to learn new ones� Keep that in mind as you work through the upcoming lessons on advanced scale sequences, the remaining major pentatonic scale shapes and sweep picking�

AdvAnced ScALe SequencIngThis section introduces you to two new scale sequences. The first one uses groups of six notes and the second uses thirds. Note that sequencing in thirds is different from sequencing in groups of three notes. You’ll apply each sequence to major, minor and pentatonic scales� Get ready for a good workout� Once you learn the basic sequences, you’ll use them with some fun guitar licks.

SequencIng In 6S

This first sequence is in groups of six notes. It’s a little bit different from other sequences you’ve learned so far, in that you won’t have to play it for every note of the scale. Check out the first exercise below, where you play a three-note-per-string major scale shape that starts with the 1st finger on the 6th string root note. Play the first six notes of the scale. Notice how the following six-note sequence starts on the lowest note of the 5th string instead of on the second note of the scale� This occurs throughout the sequence�

See if you can play through the entire G major scale in Exercise #1 with this new sequence. There’s a lot of picking going on, so take it slowly at first.

Exercise #1 (Ascending)

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13

3 33 3

3 33 3

3

3 5 73 5 7 3 5 7

4 5 7 4 5 74 5 7 4 5 7

5 7 8 5 7 85 7 8

8



104

Exercise #2 (Descending)

The next two exercises apply the new six-note sequence to pentatonic scales� For Exercise #3, start on the lowest note on the 6th string and play six notes� Then, move to the lowest note on the 5th string and play six more notes� Continue this sequence while moving up the scale�



1/1

1

33 3

3 3

3 33 3

3

10 8 710 8 6 10 8 6

9 7 5 9 7 59 7 5 9 7 5

8 7 5 8 7 58 7 5

1/1

1

3 52 5

2 52 5

2 52 4

2 52 4

3 52 4

3 53 5 3

1/1

1

33 3

3 3

3 33

10 710 8

9 710 8

9 79 7

9 79 7

10 79 7

10 710 7

7



105

SequencIng In 6S (LegAto)Now it’s time to see if you can use the new six-note sequence with some hammer-ons and pull-offs. The following exercises use major, minor and pentatonic scales. See if you can figure out which scale is used in each exercise.

Exercise #1

Exercise #2

Exercise #3

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3 33 3

3 33 3

3

3 5 73 5 7 3 5 7

4 5 7 4 5 74 5 7 4 5 7

5 7 8 5 7 85 7 8

8

1/1

13

3 33 3

3 33

12 1512 14

12 1412 14

12 1412 14

12 1412 14

12 1512 14

12 1512 15 12

1/1

1

33 3

3 3

3 33 3

3

10 8 710 8 6 10 8 6

9 7 5 9 7 59 7 5 9 7 5

8 7 5 8 7 58 7 5



106

Exercise #4

1/1

1

33 3

3 33 3

3

5 35 3

4 25 3

4 25 2

4 25 2

5 25 2

5 25 3

SequencIng In thIrdS

Sequencing in thirds is quite different from sequencing in groups of three notes. Let’s walk through the first exercise to make this statement clearer�

Exercise #1 uses a 6th string root note G major scale, 2nd finger starting. Start on the lowest root of the scale: the 3rd fret of the 6th string� Play that note and then skip a note in the scale� Doing so, places you on the 2nd fret of the 5th string, or the first 3rd of the sequence. From there, start on the second note of the scale and skip another note� Those two notes are the 5th fret of the 6th string and the 3rd fret of the 5th string, respectively� It usually takes a while to get the basic coordination for sequencing in thirds down cold. That’s simply because this sequence is very different from all the others you’ve played. Take it slowly, and listen to how this sequence gives the major scale a wide-open sound�


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53 2 5 3

25

4 2 5 42

54

3

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55 3

25

3 2 5 3



107


Exercise #3

1/1

1

35

23 5

53

4 5 2 45

24 5 2

3

45

23 5 2 3

52

3 5 2 3

1/1

1

32

53 2 5 3

25

4 2 5 42

54

3

2 5 43

55 3

25

3 2 5 35

23

5

55

34 5 2 4

52

4 5 2 45

23

7

5 2 35

23 5 2 3



108

WoodShed

Before moving on to the licks in the following Practical Application, you need to make sure you have the basic coordination down for the two new sequences. You don’t have to play them lightning fast but should be able to play through them cleanly� Take a few days, weeks or months and get these sequences under your fingers.

Practical Application Part 1 - Licks

Lick #1 (Minor Pentatonic Sequencing In 6s)

Lick #2 (Minor Scale Sequencing In 6s)

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53 2 5 3

25

4 2 5 42

54

3

2 5 43

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25

3 2 5 35

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5

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52

4 5 2 45

23

7

5 2 35

23 5 2 3

1/1

1

full

14 1214

12 1512 14

12 1412 14

12 1412 14

12 1412 14

12 1512 14

12 1512

1/1

13

33

3 33

5 7 95 7 9

7 9 107 9 10 7 9 10

7 9 11

½

11 9



109

Lick #3 (Major Scale Sequencing In Thirds)

Lick #4 (Minor Scale and Minor Pentatonic Sequencing In 6s)

Practical Application Part 2 - Advanced Strumming Play-AlongThe last couple of lessons gave you some new weapons for soloing, sequencing in groups of six notes and in thirds. Now it’s time to have some fun with these new tools. Pull up the Advanced Strumming Play-Along and see what you can do� This song is in the key of E major so you can work on some new soloing and sequencing ideas using the E major and E major pentatonic scales� Enjoy!

1/1

1

33

3

3

full

5 3 5 2 35

23 5

53

4 5 25

1/1

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15 14 1215 13 12

15 1215 12

14 1215 12

14 1214 12 14

Track #12



110

the remAInIng mAjor PentAtonIc ScALe ShAPeS (you ALreAdy KnoW theSe!)

Just when you thought your brain couldn’t hold any more scale patterns, I turn you to learning the three remaining major pentatonic scale shapes. But wait! You already know these shapes because you’ve learned all five minor pentatonic scale shapes! All you have to do is shift the root notes around to make the minor pentatonic scale shapes into major pentatonic scale shapes� Before getting into the three new major pentatonic scale shapes, let’s take a few minutes to review the two major pentatonic scale shapes you’ve already learned. The following scale diagrams represent the 6th and 5th string root note major pentatonic scale shapes that start with the 2nd finger. Go over them to make sure they’re fresh in your head and hands�

111

2

3

4 444

22

4

3

G Major Pentatonic Scale6th String Root

2nd Finger Starting

11

2

4

2

4

2

4 44

2

4

10

G Major Pentatonic Scale5th String Root

2nd Finger Starting

SIxth StrIng root note mAjor PentAtonIc ScALe ShAPe, 4th fInger StArtIng

As I mentioned earlier, you already know the remaining three major pentatonic scale shapes, whether you realize it or not. In order to help you grasp this, we’ll compare each major pentatonic scale shape to its corresponding minor pentatonic scale shape—the one you already know. Take a look at the first diagram on the following page. It’s a simple 6th string root note E minor pentatonic scale shape that starts with the 1st finger.



111

If you want to turn this minor pentatonic scale shape into a major pentatonic scale shape, all you need to do is change the root note from the 6th degree of a major scale to the 1st degree of a major scale� The diagram below does this for you� Notice how the root notes in it have all moved� If you move the lowest root notes to the 6th string, 4th finger starting, you end up with a major pentatonic scale. The root note location was kept on the 12th fret, but you’re playing it with your 4th finger now. This gives you an E major pentatonic scale. Play through this shape a few times, starting and ending on the new root note location�

1111

33

444

11

3

12

E Minor Pentatonic6th String Root

1st Finger Starting

1 1111

3 33

4

1

4 412

E Major Pentatonic6th String Root

4th Finger Starting



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111

2

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4 444

22

4

12

E Major Pentatonic Scale6th String Root

2nd Finger Starting

12

Exercise #1

1/1

1

129 11

9 119 11

9 129 12 9

12 911 9

11 911 9

12 9 12

You now have two shapes for the 6th string root note major pentatonic scale: one starts with the 2nd finger and the other with the 4th. Check the diagram for the 2nd finger shape below. Being able to visualize both shapes at the same time is a pretty important skill to acquire if you want to be a well versed lead-guitar player� The diagram on the right shows both 6th string root note shapes kind of overlapping one another. Try to play one shape while visualizing the other. If you can do this, you’ll be able to switch between the two pretty easily� This is another important step in learning to navigate the fretboard� The following exercises will help you get used to the 6th string root note major pentatonic scale shape, 4th finger starting. They’ll also help you switch between the two 6th string root note major pentatonic shapes. Give them a try�



113

Exercise #2

1/1

1

129 11

9 119 11

9 129 12

12 1411 14

11 1411 13

12 1412

Exercise #3

Practical Application - LicksHere are a couple of licks that use the 6th string root note major pentatonic scale shape, 4th finger starting. Play through them and then see what kind of licks you can come up with on your own using this new shape�

Lick #1

Lick #2

1/1

1

3

33

3

12 912 9

11 9 11 1312 14

12

1/1

1

129 11

9 11 1411 13

12 1412

1/1

1

129 11 9 11

911

9 11 9 11911

9 11 9 11911

9 12 9 129 12



114

fIfth StrIng root note mAjor PentAtonIc ScALe ShAPe, 4th fInger StArtIng

To learn the next major pentatonic scale shape, you need to take a look at the minor pentatonic scale shape that has its lowest root note on the 5th string and is started with the 1st finger. Check out the first diagram below—the one on the left—for a good visual� If you move the root notes from the 6th note of the major scale to the root of the major scale, you end up with the 5th string root note major pentatonic scale shape, 4th finger starting. This is the same method employed for teaching you the previous major pentatonic scale shape, only this time you’re using the 5th string shape instead.

Both 5th string root note major pentatonic scale shapes share the same lowest root note� The only difference between the two is that one starts with the 2nd finger and the other with the 4th. The diagram for the one that starts with the 2nd finger is on the next page for you. Just like the 6th string major pentatonic scale shapes, the 5th string major pentatonic scale shapes kind of overlap one another� Check out the second diagram on the next page to see both shapes together� After taking a look at the diagrams, you have a few exercises that’ll help you get used to the new 5th string root note major pentatonic scale shape, 4th finger starting. They’re also great for having you work on the ability to switch between the two 5th string root note major pentatonic scale shapes� Try to visualize the shapes as you play through the exercises�

111

3

4

2

44

1

3

7


1st Finger Starting

1

4

111

3 3

44

2

47


4th Finger Starting

1 1

4



115

Exercise #1

Exercise #2

11

2

4

2

4

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4 44

2

4

7


2nd Finger Starting

7

1/1

1

74 6

4 65 7

4 7 47 5

6 46 4

7 4 7

1/1

1

74 6

4 65 7

4 7

7 96 9

6 97 9

7 9



116

1/1

1

74 6 4 6

46

4 65 7

45

Exercise #3

Practical Application - LicksThese next few licks use the 5th string root note major pentatonic scale shape that starts with the 4th finger. Once you can play them, try coming up with your own� Feel free to pull up either the Contemporary Strumming or Advanced Strumming Play-Alongs to experiment with this scale� Both songs are in the key of E major�

Lick #1

Lick #2

1/1

1

74 6

44 6

4 66

4 65

4 65 7

65 7

45 7

4 75

1/1

13

33

4 74 6

7 96 9

6 9



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1/1

1

74 6 4 6

46

4 65 7

45

1/1

13

33

4 74 6

7 96 9

6 9

1

12 2 2

4

3444

1

7


4th Finger Starting

4

1

112 2

344

2

4

14


2nd Finger Starting

4 4

fourth StrIng root note mAjor PentAtonIc ScALe ShAPe, 2nd fInger StArtIng

The fifth and final major pentatonic scale shape has its lowest root note on the 4th string. The minor pentatonic scale associated with this new major pentatonic shape is the 5th string shape that starts with the 4th finger. Play through that minor pentatonic scale shape right now� If you move the root notes, just like you did with the previous two shapes, you end up with a 4th string root note major pentatonic scale, 2nd finger starting. Play through this shape, and try to be aware of where the root notes are located� Rely on your ears instead of on the scale diagram�

The neighbor to the 4th string major pentatonic scale shape is the 6th string major pentatonic scale shape that starts with the 2nd finger. You’ll find a diagram for this shape on the next page so you can quickly review it. Right beside it you’ll find a diagram that combines the 6th string root note major pentatonic scale, 2nd finger starting, and the 4th string root note major pentatonic scale� Notice how the root note on the 4th string is the main connection point between the two scales. Ascend through a scale and then descend through the other. You’ll probably have to put in a slide or shift, to pull this off properly�



118

111

2

3

4 444

22

4

12


2nd Finger Starting

14

Here are a few exercises that’ll help you get used to the 4th string root note major pentatonic scale.

Exercise #1

Exercise #2

1/1

1

14 1613 16

14 1714 16 14

17 1416 13

16 1416 14

16 14 1614 16

14

1/1

1

2 41 4

2 52 4 2

5 24 1

4 2



119

Exercise #3

Practical Application Part 1 - LicksNow that you can play the 4th string root note major pentatonic scale, it’s time to use it in some licks. Go through the following two before working on some of your own�

Lick #1

Lick #2

WoodShed

You made it! You learned all five major pentatonic scale shapes. It takes most players quite a while to actually use these shapes in their playing. Let me remind you that it’s better to know one or two of these shapes really well, than to know them all but not be able to use them� Having said that, in this Woodshed section I want you to go over the five shapes. Apply legato technique and a few scale sequences to them. It could literally take you years to get through all of this information thoroughly� You should look at this section as a reference for major pentatonic scale shapes� Come back and revisit this information on a regular basis� Don’t feel like you have to perfect everything in this section before moving on to new sections in The Guitar System�

1/1

1

14 1614 16

14 1614 16

14 1613 16

14 1613 16

14 1713 16

14 1714 16

17

1/1

1

16 1417 14

16 13

14 1214 12

13 1114

1/1

1

16 14 1613

1613 16 13 16

1416

14 17 14 1714

1714 16 14 12



120

Practical Application Part 2 - Improvising Over The Advanced Strumming Play-AlongNow it’s time to have some fun with these major pentatonic scales! Pull up the Advanced Strumming Play-Along, and get ready to solo using everything you’ve learned about the major pentatonic scale. This song is in the key of E major so you’ll be using every E major pentatonic scale shape. Start off by practicing the scale shapes slowly. Once you get comfortable doing that, make up your own melodies and solos� Have fun experimenting�

SWeeP PIcKIngSweep picking is a very technical tool that you can use to play unique and fiery-sounding passages. In it’s simplest form, it enables you to play two or more notes on two or more adjacent strings with all upstrokes or all downstrokes� For example, using downstrokes to play a note on the G string followed by a note on the B string is sweep picking. This is an oversimplified definition but works well for our purposes. Up until this point we’ve been focusing on alternate picking. Sweep picking is kind of the other side of the picking coin� Sweep picking through two notes is sometimes referred to as economy picking. In this section we’ll focus on sweep picking more than two strings. We’ll start by talking about some basic sweep picking technique that you’ll then use to play through several major and minor arpeggio shapes.

BASIc SWeeP PIcKIng technIque

Since sweep picking is hard to describe, we’ll jump right into an example that’ll help you understand it a little better� Start by playing the open B string with a downstroke� Continue the downward motion of the pick and play the open E string� When you sweep through these two notes you should do it with one smooth motion, as if you were pushing the pick through both strings� It helps to relax and angle the tip of the pick upward when sweeping downward�

At this point, sweep picking might seem a bit like crosspicking or strumming. I can assure you it’s not either. If you were to crosspick the two notes in the example, you’d have two distinct downstrokes. As for strumming, let’s just say that I like to think of sweep picking as a controlled or pushed strum�

Once you’re comfortable with sweeping down, you need to practice sweeping up. Try sweeping through the open E and B strings using an upward sweeping motion� Relax and angle the tip of the pick slightly downward when sweeping up� Sweep picking can be very challenging at first, so be sure to practice this basic technique very slowly. The exercises on the following page will help you develop the basic technique you’ll need to sweep pick through larger arpeggio shapes�

Track #12



121

Exercise #1 (2 Strings)This first exercise has you sweeping repeatedly on the 3rd fret of the B and E strings with downstrokes and upstrokes� The trick here is to have only one note ringing at any given time� Start by holding down the 3rd fret of the B string with the 1st finger so you can begin sweeping—bar the B and E strings with that finger if you like. Once you’ve played the B string, alleviate the pressure you’re making with the 1st finger so you can mute the string. Next, roll that finger over to the E string and continue the downward sweep. This rolling motion with the 1st finger ensures that only one note is ringing out at any given time. Once you finish playing the B and E strings with a downward sweep, you need to play them with an upward sweep. Again, you have to roll the finger from the E to the B strings to make sure that only one note is ringing out at any given time� You should also make sure that the palm of your picking hand is muting the lower strings� This exercise can be very difficult at first, so start out slowly.

Exercise #2 (3 Strings)This exercise extends the sweep picking technique to three strings� Use a downward sweeping motion to play the 4th fret of the G string with the 2nd finger and the 3rd fret of the B and E strings with the 1st finger. Then, use an upward sweeping motion to come back up through those notes� Make sure that only one note is ringing out at any given time�

1/1

1

33 3

3 33 3

3 33 3

3 33 3

3

1/1

1

3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

43

3 33

4 43

3 33

4 43

3 33

4 43

3 33

4



122

c mAjor ArPeggIo ShAPe

Now that you have some basic sweep picking technique down, you can learn to apply it to full arpeggio shapes� The first major arpeggio shape we’ll go over is based on the open C major chord. Check the first diagram below to review this chord� Take a look at the following D major arpeggio that uses the open C major chord shape� The shape has been moved to where the lowest root note is placed on the 5th fret of the 5th string: the D note� Try visualizing the open C major chord within this arpeggio shape. Be sure to take note of the finger numbers.

Exercise #1In this exercise you’ll be walking up this new arpeggio shape. You can refer back to the previous arpeggio diagram for the finger numbers on the fretting hand if you need to. Play the first five ascending notes with one downward sweeping motion� The last note is played with an upstroke� Repeat this exercise as many times as you need to, in order to get used to sweeping through this new shape�

1/1

1

54

23

2 5

54

23

2 5

C Major

2

1

3

X

1 1

44

2

5

D Major ArpeggioC Shape

3



123

Exercise #2There are usually several different picking patterns you can use to sweep through any arpeggio� In this exercise you’re descending through the new arpeggio shape you just learned. This particular picking pattern starts with an upstroke on the first note, that’s followed by a pull off to the second note. The final four notes of the arpeggio are played with one upward sweeping motion. This isn’t the only picking pattern you can use to play through this descending arpeggio, but it’s a great place to start.

Exercise #3This exercise ascends and descends through a D major arpeggio using the C arpeggio shape� Take this very slowly, and pay attention to the picking indicators�

WoodShed

I want to make sure you completely understand what sweep picking is and how to use it. If there’s anything unclear to you, go through this section again and see if you can fill in the holes. Once you’re confident that you understand sweep picking, grab your metronome and do some very slow practice�

Start your metronome at about 60 or 70 beats per minute� That should be slow enough for you to really focus on making your sweeping as smooth as possible. Once it’s smooth at that speed, you can raise the tempo a bit� Good luck!

1/1

1

5 23

24

5

5 23

24

5

1/1

1

54

23

2 5 23

24

54

23

2 5 23

24

5



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Practical Application - Loop 20 (I-IV)In this Practical Application I provide you with a loop that’ll help you practice sweeping through the C major arpeggio shape� Loop 20 alternates between four measures of D major and four measures of G major� You can practice sweeping the D major arpeggio using the open C shape� The lowest root note is on the 5th fret of the 5th string� When the loop changes to the G chord, move the shape to where the lowest root note is on the 10th fret of the 5th string. That’ll give you a G major arpeggio. The idea here is to get you used to moving the arpeggio shape around and sweep picking it in different locations�

1/1

1D Major Arpeggio C Shape

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23

2 5 23

24

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3

G Major Arpeggio C Shape

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Track #13



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E Major

1

2 3 2

3 4

3

G Major1

2

3

44

3

1 13

G Major ArpeggioE Shape

Exercise #1

SWeeP PIcKIng more ArPeggIoS

Now that you have some basic sweep picking technique down, it’s time to work on sweeping more major and minor arpeggio shapes� The following lessons introduce you to the E, A and D major and minor arpeggio shapes� There are several ways to pick through these arpeggios. I’ll give you a few different picking patterns and let you decide which ones you like best�

e mAjor ArPeggIo ShAPe

The next arpeggio shape is based on the open E major chord shape; more specifically, the E major bar chord shape. Below you’ll find a couple of diagrams of that shape for a quick review. Take a look at the E-major-shaped arpeggio below. Notice how it’s exactly like the E major bar chord shape except for the extra note added to each E string� Try playing through the arpeggio� The following exercises will have you playing through the E-major-shaped arpeggio with some sweep picking� Be sure to keep an eye on the picking indicators, hammer-ons and pull-offs�

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1

3 75

54

33 7 7



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Exercise #2

Exercise #3

A mAjor ArPeggIo ShAPe

The next major arpeggio shape you’re going to be sweeping through is based on the open A major chord shape. Check out the following diagrams, and compare the open A and A bar chord shapes to the new major arpeggio shape� Notice how only two notes have been added to the arpeggio shape� Try playing through this new shape� When you get to the high E string, you’ll have to do a really big stretch—watch out for that. If the stretch is just too big, move the arpeggio shape, up the fretboard where the frets are closer together�

A Major

1 2

X

3

2 4 3

3

C Major X

1

3 3

4

3

4

13

C Major ArpeggioA Shape

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45

57 3 (3)

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Next, I’d like you to go through some exercises that’ll help you sweep through the A major arpeggio shape. The first exercise has you working on ascending through the arpeggio, while the second one makes you descend. The last exercise combines the first two to have you moving up and down the shape.

Exercise #1

Exercise #2

Exercise #3

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3 8

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57 3 (3)



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Practical Application - Loop 21 (I-IV-V)I’ve made a loop for this Practical Application that goes through a G major-C major-D major-G major progression. Each chord was given two measures to allow you enough time to play through the arpeggios written out below� Start by playing a G major arpeggio using the E shape over a G major chord for two measure� For the following two measures, play a C major arpeggio using the A shape over a C chord� The last four measures of the progression have you playing over a D major chord and another G major chord. See if you can figure out what arpeggio shapes are used over these chords�

1/1

1G Major Arpeggio E Shape

3 75

54

33 7 3

34

55

7 3

3

C Major Arpeggio A Shape

3 75

55

3 8 35

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7 3

5D Major Arpeggio C Shape

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2 5 23

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7G Major Arpeggio E Shape

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Track #14



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e mInor ArPeggIo ShAPe

Next you’ll shift gears a bit by learning some minor arpeggio shapes that you can use with sweep picking. You’ve already learned arpeggio shapes based on the E major and A major chord shapes. Now it’s time to learn arpeggio shapes based on the E minor and A minor shapes� The next two diagrams show how to use the E minor bar chord shape to play an E-minor-shaped A minor arpeggio� This is very similar to the E major shape� The only difference is the extra note added to each E string� See if you can play through it on your own before moving on to the following exercises�

The next exercises show you how to sweep pick the E minor arpeggio shape� Although it is the E minor arpeggio shape you’ll actually play an A minor arpeggio. That’s because the shape was moved to where all root notes are A notes� Be sure to follow the hammer-on, pull-off and picking indicators�

3 4

5

A Minor 1 1

3

4 4

1 1

3

5

A Minor ArpeggioE Minor Shape

Exercise #1

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Exercise #2

Exercise #3

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5 87

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55 8 5

55

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8 5

A mInor ArPeggIo ShAPe

This next arpeggio shape is taken directly from the open A minor and A minor bar chord shapes� The two following diagrams use the A minor chord shape to make an E minor bar chord and an E minor arpeggio� Try visualizing the A minor bar chord shape as you play through this new arpeggio�

2

3 4

7

E MinorX

1

2

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4

4

1

3

7

E Minor ArpeggioA Minor Shape

1/1

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8 55

57

78 5 (5)



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The next three exercises will help you get used to sweep picking through the minor arpeggio that’s based on the A minor bar chord shape�

Exercise #1

Exercise #2

Exercise #3

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98

7 12

7 109

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7 12

1/1

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12 78

99

10 7

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7 12 78

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10 7

WoodShed

Before moving on to the next Practical Application, you need to make sure you have the E and A major and minor arpeggio shapes memorized� Set aside a few days, weeks or months to make these shapes second nature to your fingers. Once you’re confident in your ability to play all four shapes, you can move on to the following etude�



132

Practical Application - Loop 22 (i-iv-v)Loop 22 is a simple A minor-D minor-E minor-A minor chord progression� Each chord is played for two measures and has a corresponding arpeggio that should be played during those measures. I’ve labeled each measure in the exercise to help you see what arpeggio shapes you should use� Give it a try! Once you can play the specified arpeggios over the chord progression, you can try to mix it up and use different minor arpeggio shapes in different spots�

1/1

1

A Minor Arpeggio E Minor Shape

5 87

75

55 8 5

55

77

8 5

3

D Minor Arpeggio A Minor Shape

5 87

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5 10 56

77

8 5

5

E Minor Arpeggio A Minor Shape

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7 12 78

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10 7

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A Minor Arpeggio E Minor Shape

5 87

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55 8 5

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Track #15



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d mAjor ArPeggIo ShAPe

The last two arpeggio shapes we’re going to look at are based on the open D major and D minor chords. Let’s start with the D major shape. Check out the following diagrams. The first is of an open D major chord, and the second is of a G major arpeggio that uses the D major shape�

D Major

1

3

XX

2

1 1

4

4

1

2

5

G Major ArpeggioD Major Shape

The next three exercises will help you learn to play through this new arpeggio shape� By now you should be getting a pretty good feel for the sweep picking patterns you like to use� You can follow the picking indicators in these exercises or modify them a bit—it’s really up to you.

Exercise #1

1/1

1

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87 10

5 97

87 10



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Exercise #2

Exercise #3

1/1

1

10 78

79 5

10 78

79 5

d mInor ArPeggIo ShAPe

The final sweep picking arpeggio shape is the one based on the open D minor chord. Study the following diagrams, and try to visualize the D minor chord shape inside of the A minor arpeggio. You’re probably getting pretty good at visualizing things like this by now�

D Minor

1

3

XX

2

3

1

4

4

17

A Minor ArpeggioD Minor Shape

4

1/1

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9 5



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Exercise #1

Exercise #2

Exercise #3

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7 109

108 12

7 109

108 12

1/1

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12 810

910 7

12 810

910 7

WoodShed

Before moving on to the etude in the upcoming Practical Application section, you should really take some time to make sure you have all the sweep picking arpeggio shapes down cold� The etude is pretty lengthy, and you’ll need to be able to switch pretty quickly between all the arpeggio shapes you’ve learned. It may take you a while to get all these shapes down but that’s okay.

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7 109

108 12 8

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10 7

GuiTar SyStem - Advanced - Advanced Scale Sequencing And Sweep Picking


136GuitarSystem.com Copyright © 2013 Railroad Media, Inc

Practical Application - Loop 23It’s test time, but don’t worry, because it’s quite a fun one. Pull up Loop 23 and take a look at the following etude� The idea behind it is having you sweep pick arpeggios over their corresponding chords again, but this time the progression is much longer: each chord is played for two measures. I’ve specified the arpeggio shape you should use, above each group of two measures�

There are lots of arpeggios here, so I recommend learning the chord progression before even trying to play the arpeggios� Once you have the progression down, you can start to memorize the exact arpeggios you should play over each chord� When you can play through this etude with the loop, I’d say you have the sweep picking arpeggio shapes down pretty good�

1/3

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G Major Arpeggio E Shape

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33 7 3

34

55

7 3

3


3 75

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D Major Arpeggio C Shape

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2 5 23

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7


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C Major Arpeggio E Shape

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Track #16

GuiTar SyStem - Advanced - Advanced Scale Sequencing And Sweep Picking


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3 75

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C Major Arpeggio E Shape

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D Major Arpeggio E Shape

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E Minor Arpeggio E Minor Shape

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1212

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15 12

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C Major Arpeggio D Shape

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14 10

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concLuSIonCongratulations on completing another major section of The Guitar System! We covered some new scale sequences, all the major pentatonic scale shapes and even tackled sweep picking. In the next section you’re going to learn about the CAGED system� This is a system that allows for an easier navigating of the entire guitar fretboard, which will in turn help you solo in ways you’ve only dreamed of until now.

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10

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D Major Arpeggio E Shape

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E Minor Arpeggio E Minor Shape

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1412

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1212

1414

15 12

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C Major Arpeggio D Shape

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1312 15 12

1312

14 10

21


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The GuiTar SyStem - Advanced - Knowing Your Fretboard (The Big Picture)



139

KnOwinG yOur freTbOard (The biG piCTure)KnOwinG yOur freTbOard (The biG piCTure)IntroductIon

You’ve learned a staggering number of chords, scales and arpeggios. While it’s great to know all of these things, you might be wondering how they all fit together. So far, it might seem like you just know pieces of the fretboard and not the entire thing. In this section of lessons we’re going to look at an incredible way to navigate through the fretboard: the CAGED system� This system will help you take all the individual chords, scales and arpeggios you’ve learned and use them as one continuous unit up and down the guitar neck. We’ll start out by looking at the CAGED chord sequence and how it turns the fretboard into one big picture� Once you understand what the CAGED chord sequence is and how it works, you’ll apply it to scales. This will open you up to a whole new world of possibilities when you play solos�

the cAged chord SequenceThe CAGED (pronounced caged) chord sequence is a series of specific chord shapes that span the entire fretboard� These chords always occur in the same sequence, but the chord you start on is determined by the root note of the chord you’re trying to play. The CAGED chord sequence acts as a kind of road map or compass that helps you see exactly where you are on the fretboard and where you want to go� Knowing exactly where you are, where you want to go and how to get there will help you immensely when you’re changing scale shapes and planning out your solos.

IntroductIon (WhAt IS cAged)At its most basic level, the CAGED sequence is a simple series of chords that connect to one another on the fretboard. The sequence is made up of the C, A, G, E and D chords. That’s where the term CAGED comes from� These chords are laid out one after the other moving up the fretboard�



140

octAve centerS

Before you actually jump into the CAGED chord sequence, we should review the concept of octave centers� The idea behind this concept is that no matter which note you’re on, there’s always an octave of that note in a predictable place� Look at the diagram on this page for an example� If you play any note on the 5th string, you can always bet there’ll be two of its octaves close by. Look at the C note on the 3rd fret of the 5th string. There’s a C note that’s two frets up and two strings over and another one that’s two frets down and three strings over� You’re probably pretty familiar with some octave locations just from the things you’ve played in the Guitar System. Study this diagram, and try to memorize the relative locations of the octaves of any note on the fretboard� For example, there’s always an octave that’s two frets up and two strings over for pretty much every note on the 6th string�

12

C NoteOctave Centers



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12

CAGED SequenceWith C Major Chords

G Major

2

3 4

C Major

2

1

3

X

E Major

1

2 3

D Major

1

3

XX

2

A Major

1 2

X

3

cAged Sequence of chordS

Let’s actually get into the CAGED chord sequence by taking a look at the following diagram. Don’t worry. We’ll go through the chords in the sequence one at a time�



142

C MajorC Shape

2

1

3

X

2 43

3

C MajorA Shape

X

C MajorG Shape

2

3 48

2

3 4

8

C MajorE Shape

We’ll be using all C chords in this first example so we can start on the C chord of the CAGED sequence. Look at the diagram for the open C chord shape. That’s the C shape in the CAGED sequence. The root note of that shape that’s farthest up the fretboard is the C on the 3rd fret of the 5th string� That is the lowest root note of the next chord in the CAGED sequence�

The next chord in the CAGED sequence is A� That means you need to play a C chord using an A shape� Simply play a C bar chord using an A bar chord shape� The highest root note of this shape is on the 5th fret of the 3rd string� That note is the lowest root note of the next chord in the CAGED sequence�

G is the next chord in the CAGED sequence� See if you can visualize the G-shaped chord in the diagram� The highest root notes are on the 8th fret of both E strings� Those notes are the lowest root notes for the next chord in the CAGED sequence�

The next chord in the CAGED sequence is an E� Use an E-shaped bar chord to play a C major chord� The bar should be on the 8th fret� Notice that the highest root note in this chord shape is on the 10th fret of the 4th string� This is the lowest root note, or starting point, for the next chord in the CAGED sequence�



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C MajorD Shape

2

4

1

XX

3

10

The final chord in the CAGED sequence is a D. Play a C chord using a movable D shape with the lowest root on the 10th fret of the 4th string� That does it for the CAGED sequence� Once you reach this point, start over from the beginning of the sequence. In this case you’d start from C again.



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12

CAGED SequenceWith C Major Chords

2

3 4

8

C MajorE Shape

C MajorC Shape

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1

3

X

2 43

3

C MajorA Shape

X

C MajorG Shape

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3 48

C MajorD Shape

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4

1

XX

3

10

cAged WIth mAjor chordS

Hopefully you can see that the CAGED sequence is nothing more than a series of chords laid out one after the other on the fretboard� The real key to understanding the CAGED sequence is realizing that the root note of the chord you’re on and that’s the farthest up the neck is the lowest root note of the next chord in the sequence.

The CAGED sequence works for major and minor chords, but you should take some time to study this CAGED diagram for major chords before getting into minor chords� It’s very important you understand how this works before proceeding�



145

cAged WIth mInor chordS

The idea behind the CAGED sequence with minor chords is exactly the same as the one with major chords, but using minor chord shapes instead� Below is the master diagram for the CAGED sequence with C minor chords�

12

CAGED SequenceWith C Minor Chords

G Minor

1

3

C Minor

1

3

X X

X X X

X

D Minor

1

3

XX

2

A Minor

1

2 3

X

E Minor

2 3



146

The first note in the CAGED sequence is a C. For this chord you’re playing a C minor triad with its lowest root note on the 3rd fret of the 5th string� That root note is the lowest of the next minor chord in the CAGED sequence�

A is the next note in the CAGED sequence� Play a C minor chord using an A minor bar chord shape� The bar should be across the 3rd fret� The highest root note is on the 5th fret of the 3rd string and is used as the root note that’s farther down the fretboard in the next shape�

The next note in the CAGED sequence is a G� This chord is a bit of an oddball, so you’ll have to be a bit creative. You’re basically playing a 6th string root position G minor triad� If you look at the master diagram for the CAGED minor sequence on the previous page, you’ll kind of see a G major bar chord with the thirds lowered. Not a very practical chord to play but it’s great for learning about the CAGED sequence.

The next chord in the sequence is an E. You’re simply playing a C minor chord using the E minor bar chord shape here� Take notice of all the root notes in this shape�

C MinorC Shape

2

3

X X X

2

3 4

3

C MinorA Shape

X

C MinorG Shape

2

48

X

3 4

8

C MinorE Shape



147

C MinorD Shape

2

4

1

XX

3

10

The final chord in the sequence is a D. Use the movable D minor shape to play a C minor chord� The lowest root note is on the 10th fret of the 4th string�



148

12

CAGED SequenceWith C Minor Chords

C MinorC Shape

2

3

X X X

2

3 4

3

C MinorA Shape

X

C MinorG Shape

2

48

X

3 4

8

C MinorE Shape

C MinorD Shape

2

4

1

XX

3

10

Here’s the full CAGED sequence using C minor chords. Study it until you can visualize each shape along the fretboard. In the following lessons you’ll apply the CAGED sequence to chords other than C. This will really help you see how to use the CAGED sequence to play chords all over the fretboard�



149

cAged chordS for e mAjor

Now that you’ve been exposed to the CAGED sequence, you need to learn how to use it with any chord, not just the C chord. Let’s try to go through the CAGED sequence for E major chords. We’ll start off with the E of the CAGED sequence. Do this by playing an open E chord� Once you have that as a starting point, you can move to the next chord in the sequence: D� Study the master diagram for the CAGED sequence with the E major chords that’s included here. See if you can go all the way through the sequence� Do you see how the CAGED sequence gives you five different ways to play any 1 chord? If you need help with this, the exercise on the top of this page walks you through playing all the E major chords using the CAGED sequence�

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E Major E Shape E Major D Shape E Major C Shape E Major A Shape E Major G Shape

02

01

0

2 2454

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79

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99

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12

CAGED Sequencefor E Major Chords



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cAged for e mInor

The diagram and the exercise on this page will help you play through all the E minor chords using the CAGED sequence. If you’re not clear on the chords or sequence of chords you’re using, go back and review the “CAGED With Minor Chords” section (page 145)�

1/1

1E Minor E Shape E Minor D Shape E Minor C Shape E Minor A Shape E Minor G Shape

0220

00

2453

754

7

99

78

121099

CAGED Sequencefor E Minor Chords

12



151

cAged for A mAjor

Try going through the CAGED sequence for A major chords� You can start on the C of the CAGED sequence if you like. On this page you’ll find the C-shaped A major chord diagram, the master CAGED sequence diagram and an exercise that walks you through the sequence�

A MajorC Shape

X

3

4

2

12 12

CAGED Sequencefor A Major Chords

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A Major A Shape A Major G Shape A Major E Shape A Major D Shape A Major C Shape

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12119109



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cAged for A mInor

Let’s apply the CAGED sequence to one more minor chord: A minor. See if you can work through this sequence by yourself� As always, I provide the master CAGED diagram and an exercise for you to work on this�

12

CAGED Sequencefor A Minor Chords

1/1

1

A Minor A Shape A Minor G Shape A Minor E Shape A Minor D Shape A Minor C Shape

02210

5322

577555

79108

12109

WoodShed

In this Woodshed section I want to make sure you understand the entire concept behind the CAGED sequence. If you don’t, now would be a great time to go back and review the previous sections� If you do understand it, make sure you can play through the CAGED sequence for the E major and E minor chords. You’ll be playing those, over some loops in the next Practical Application�



153

Practical Application - Loops 24-27Practicing through the CAGED sequence with major and minor chords can get a little boring after a while� To make this more fun, I’ve created some loops for you. Loops 24, 25, 26 and 27 are simple musical ideas in the keys of E, A, D and G major, respectively� You can play the appropriate CAGED major chord sequences over these loops� This section comes bundled with the TAB for the keys of E, A and D� The key of G is left up to you� Have fun!

CAGED For E Major

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E Major E Shape E Major D Shape E Major C Shape E Major A Shape E Major G Shape

02

01

0

2 2454

76454

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A Major A Shape A Major G Shape A Major E Shape A Major D Shape A Major C Shape

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D Major D Shape D Major C Shape D Major A Shape D Major G Shape D Major E Shape

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Tracks #17, #18, #19 & #20

CAGED For A Major

CAGED For D Major



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the cAged Sequence WIth PentAtonIc ScALeSSo far you’ve only used the CAGED sequence for chords. The really great thing about the CAGED sequence is that it can be applied to pentatonic scales too! This makes navigating along the fretboard with the five pentatonic scale shapes much easier. In the following lessons we’ll look at how the CAGED sequence can help you visualize all five major and minor pentatonic scales throughout the fretboard in any given key. This is a lot of information to take in, so feel free to break it up and study it over time�

mAjor PentAtonIc ScALe ShAPeS WIth cAged - Key of g mAjor

You’ve already learned how the CAGED sequence works for major chords. Now you’re going to learn how the CAGED sequence can be applied to all five major pentatonic scale shapes� Each chord in the CAGED sequence has a major pentatonic scale that can be associated with it� Before getting into that, let’s quickly review the CAGED sequence for G major chords. Here’s the master diagram� Study it before moving on to the following section�

12

CAGED Sequencefor G Major Chords

GThe lowest chord in the CAGED sequence for G major chords is the open G major shape� The G major chord shape is associated with the 6th string root note major pentatonic scale shape starting with the 4th finger. Below is a graphic to help you understand this�

G Major ChordG Major Shape

2

3 4 3

2 2 2

3 3

G Major Pentatonic6th String Root



155

EThe E chord shape is associated with the 6th string root note major pentatonic scale shape starting with the 2nd finger. Try to visualize the major chord shape within the major pentatonic scale shape.

DThe 4th string root note major pentatonic scale shape that starts with the 2nd finger goes with the D major chord shape� Again, try to visualize the major chord shape within the major pentatonic scale shape�

G Major ChordE Major Shape


2nd Finger Starting

111

2

3

4 444

22

4

32

3 4

3

G Major ChordD Major Shape


2nd Finger Starting

55

2

4

1

XX 1

112 2

33 44

2

4

4 4



156

G Major ChordC Major Shape


4th Finger Starting

111

3 3

44

2

410

1 1

4

3

4

2

10

G Major ChordA Major Shape


2nd Finger Starting

1010

2 43

11

2

4

2

4

2

4 44

2

4

CThe C chord shape goes along with the 5th string root note major pentatonic scale shape that starts with the 4th finger.

AThe 5th string root note major pentatonic scale shape starting with the 2nd finger goes right along with the A major bar chord shape� Now imagine that chord sitting right on top of the major pentatonic scale shape�



157

the BIg mAjor PentAtonIc PIcture

Here’s a master diagram for the G major pentatonic scales laid out using the CAGED sequence. Study it, and try to visualize the chords within the scale shapes. It’ll take some time to get really good at this. The main focus here is to simply understand that each chord in the CAGED sequence has a major pentatonic scale associated with it�

12

CAGED Sequencefor G Major

Pentatonic Scale

11

2

4

2

4

2

4 44

2

4

111

3 3

44

2

4

1 1

4

1

112 2

344

2

4

4 4

111

2

3

4 444

22

4

3

2 2 2

3 3



158

ExerciseThis exercise goes through all five G major pentatonic scale shapes. Try to visualize the CAGED sequence of G major chords all the way up the fretboard� Start on the G major chord shape and the 6th string root note major pentatonic scale shape that begins with the 4th finger. Continue up the CAGED sequence from there. Do you see how the CAGED sequence is a kind of road map for major pentatonic scale shapes? If you work on this in every key, you’ll really know how to get around the fretboard with major pentatonic scales!

1/1

1

0 30 2

0 20 2

0 30 3

3 52 5

2 52 4

3 53 5

5 75 7

5 74 7

3

5 85 7

7 107 10

7 97 9

8 107 10

10 1210 12

9 129 12

10 1210 12

12 1512 14

5

12 1412 14

12 1512 15 15



159

mInor PentAtonIc ScALe ShAPeS WIth cAged - Key of e mInor

Just like with the major pentatonic scales, you can use the CAGED sequence to navigate the fretboard with minor pentatonic scales� Before moving on to applying the CAGED sequence to minor pentatonic scales—E minor pentatonic scales in this case—let’s review the CAGED minor chord sequence. Here’s a master CAGED sequence for E minor chords� Study it before moving on�

CAGED Sequencefor E Minor Chords

EThe first chord is an E minor using the open E minor shape. The minor pentatonic scale that goes with this chord shape is a 6th string root note starting with the 1st finger: the first minor pentatonic scale you learned!

E Minor ChordE Minor Shape


3 33

2 223 4



160

DThe next chord in the CAGED sequence is a D� The D minor chord is associated with the 4th string root note minor pentatonic scale shape that starts with the 1st finger. Try to visualize the D minor chord shape within the minor pentatonic scale shape�

CThe 5th string root note minor pentatonic scale shape that starts with the 4th finger goes right along with the C minor chord shape in the CAGED sequence�

E Minor ChordD Minor Shape


1st Finger Starting

222

4

1

3

11

3 2 2

3

44 4 4

1

4

E Minor ChordC Minor Shape


4th Finger Starting

77

1

12 2 2

4

3444

1

4

2

1

3



161

AThe A minor chord shape goes with the 5th string root note minor pentatonic scale shape that starts with the 1st finger.

GThe last chord in the CAGED sequence for E minor chords is the G minor shape� The minor pentatonic scale associated with this chord is the one where the lowest root note is played on the 6th string starting with the 4th finger.

E Minor ChordA Minor Shape


1st Finger Starting

111

3

4

2

44

1

3

7 1

4

2

3 4

7

E Minor ChordG Minor Shape


4th Finger Starting

1212

1

3 333

44 4 4

1

4 4

2

4



162

the BIg mInor PentAtonIc PIcture

Here’s a master diagram for all five E minor pentatonic scale shapes using the CAGED sequence. If you look closely, you might notice that this is the exact same sequence of pentatonic scale shapes we ended up with when we did the G major pentatonic CAGED sequence� This is because G major is the relative major-key for E minor� The only thing that really changes is the location of the root notes�

111

3

4

2

44

1

3

1

4

1

12 2 2

4

3444

1

4

1

3 333

44 4 4

1

4 4

11

3 2 2

3

44 4 4

1

4

3 33

2 22

CAGED Sequencefor E Minor

Pentatonic Scale

12

Hopefully you’re starting to really see the chord shapes within the minor pentatonic scale shapes� Study this entire diagram closely before moving on to the following exercise� Take your time with this, and make sure to really think about the chord and scale shapes as one unit�



163

ExerciseThis exercise walks you through all five E minor pentatonic scales using the CAGED sequence as a guide. Think about the chord shapes as you play through their corresponding minor pentatonic scale shapes� When you can do this for the key of E minor, try moving it to another minor key� G minor will work nicely�

1/1

1

0 30 2

0 20 2

0 30 3

3 52 5

2 52 4

3 53 5

5 75 7

5 74 7

3

5 85 7

7 107 10

7 97 9

8 107 10

10 1210 12

9 129 12

10 1210 12

12 1512 14

5

12 1412 14

12 1512 15 12



164

Lick #1

Lick #2

Lick #3

1/1

13

3

3

3 3

52 4

3 53

5 74 7

5 85 7

8 8

1/1

1

5 35 3

4 25 2 5 5 7

4 75 8

5 78

Practical Application Part 1 - CAGED Major Pentatonic LicksThe past few sections have been pretty conceptual and not very musical. In this section you’re going to learn some actual licks that’ll show you just how valuable the CAGED sequence can be to your pentatonic lead-guitar playing� The next three licks focus on using major pentatonic scales that are right next to each other in the CAGED sequence. Try to figure out which pentatonic scales each lick uses and how they connect through the CAGED sequence� All these licks are in the key of G major�

1/1

13

3

3

33

33

107 9

7 98

10 129 12

9 1210 12

10 12 15 1215 12

14 12



165

Lick #1

Lick #2

Lick #3

Practical Application Part 2 - CAGED Minor Pentatonic LicksHere are some minor pentatonic scale licks that make good use of the CAGED sequence� Try to visualize the chord and minor pentatonic scale you’re using in the CAGED sequence. All these licks are in the key of E minor.

1/1

1

33 3

33

3

full

1512 15 12

15 1214 12

12 1012 10

12 9

10 710 8

9 7 9

1/1

1

full

89 7

9 710 7 10 12

9 129 12

10 1212 14

12 1512 15 12

1/1

1

3 3

3 3 3

33

03 0 3 0

20

2 0 2 02 2 5

2 43 5

3 5 35



166

Practical Application Part 3 - Loops 28 And 29I want to cut you loose to experiment with major and minor pentatonic scales over Loops 28 and 29� These loops are in the keys of G major and E minor, respectively� Improvise with the pentatonic scales, and try to stay aware of exactly where you are in the CAGED sequence� Getting really good at this takes a while. Take it, in bite-size pieces at first. For example, you can work on switching between only two major pentatonic scale shapes that are close together� Once you get good at that, you can add a third one�

WoodShed

The assignment in this Woodshed section is pretty hefty, and it may take you quite a long time to accomplish� What I want you to do is memorize the arrangement of minor and major pentatonic scales throughout the CAGED sequence. You don’t have to have this down perfectly before moving on to other sections but it’s a great thing to add to your practice routine�

Tracks #21 & #22



167

the cAged Sequence WIth modAL ScALeSAs you’ve seen from the past few lessons, the CAGED sequence is an incredible tool to help you navigate the fretboard with chords and pentatonic scales� You can also use the CAGED sequence to help you learn the layout of major and minor scales� This is incredibly valuable if you want to use the entire fretboard when soloing with major and minor scales�

mAjor ScALe ShAPeS WIth cAged - Key of g mAjor

Think back to when we went over the CAGED sequence with major pentatonic scales� We associated one major pentatonic scale shape with each chord in the CAGED sequence� Well, you can do the exact same thing with major scale shapes� The following diagrams will show you which major scale shapes are associated with each chord in the CAGED sequence� The diagram on the right is every note in the key of G major on the fretboard� I know this can look very overwhelming but we’ll take it one shape at a time. Once we go through all five major scale shapes in the CAGED sequence, you’ll start to see how this huge diagram can be broken down into smaller pieces�

12

CAGED Sequencefor G Major Scale

EStart with the E in the CAGED sequence� Play a G major bar chord using the E bar chord shape� The major scale shape that goes with this chord is the 6th string root note, 2nd finger starting. Try to visualize the chord shape within the scale and the root note locations�

G Major ChordE Major Shape


2nd Finger Starting

32

3 4

3

1111

22

33

44 444

22

4



168

DThe D-shaped G major chord is associated with the 6th string root note G major scale that starts with the 1st finger. Again, visualize the chord shape within the scale shape, and try to memorize where the root notes are located�

CPlay a G major chord that uses the C shape� The major scale shape that goes with this chord in the CAGED sequence is the 5th string root note, 4th finger starting.

G Major ChordD Major Shape


1st Finger Starting

55

2

4

1

XX

3

1

1

1

1 122

33

4

4

2

1

2

4 4 4

4

G Major ChordC Major Shape


4th Finger Starting

10

3

4

2

10

1111

3 3 3

4

1

2

4

1

2

4 4

2

4



169

AA is the next chord in the CAGED sequence� Play a G major chord using the A bar chord shape� The bar should be on the 10th fret. The major scale shape that’s associated with the A chord shape is the 5th string root note, 2nd finger starting.

GThe last chord in the CAGED sequence is a G chord. You could’ve started on this chord by playing an open G chord but I wanted to save it until we got a little higher on the fretboard� The major scale shape associated with the G chord shape is the 6th string root note, 4th finger starting. Play through this scale while visualizing the G major chord shape�

G Major ChordA Major Shape


2nd Finger Starting

1010

2 43

1

111

22

3

3

4

2

4

4

44

2

4

G Major ChordG Major Shape

2

3 4


4th Finger Starting

1

1

11

3

1

3 3 3 4

1

2

44

2

4 41515



170

Here’s that same huge major scale diagram that you saw at the beginning of this section. The only difference is that I pulled out each individual major scale shape for you� Hopefully this will help you see how this giant diagram is just a combination of all the major scale shapes we just went over using the CAGED sequence� Study the diagram, and see if you can visualize the chords within each scale shape�

12

CAGED Sequencefor G Major Scale

1

1

11

3

1

3 3 3 4

1

2

44

2

4 4

1111

22

33

44 444

22

4

1

1

1

1 122

33

4

4

2

1

2

4 4 4

4

1111

3 3 3

4

1

2

4

1

2

4 4

2

4

1

111

22

3

3

4

2

4

4

44

2

4



171

ExerciseThis exercise takes you through each G major scale in the CAGED sequence� Start on the E shape of the CAGED sequence, and work your way up to the G shape� Try to visualize the next chord and scale shape right before you actually move to it. This takes some practice, but if you work on if for a while, you’ll start to see an entire fretboard of major scales opened up to you�

1/1

1

G Major Scale Based On E Chord Shape G Major Scale Based On D Chord Shape

3 52 3 5

2 4 52 4 5

3 52 3 5

5 74 5 7

5 7 85 7 8

3

G Major Scale Based On C Chord Shape G Major Scale Based On A Chord Shape

107 9 10

7 97 8 10

7 8 10

10 129 10 12

9 11 1210 12 13

10 12

5

G Major Scale Based On G Chord Shape

1512 14 15

12 1411 12 14

12 13 1512 14 15



172

mInor ScALe ShAPeS WIth cAged - Key of e mInor

So you’ve learned to use the CAGED sequence with major scales! Now it’s time to go through the exact same process with minor scales� By now you should have a pretty good understanding of how the CAGED sequence works� Look at the following master diagram of E minor scales� Try to visualize the CAGED minor chord sequence within all of those notes�

EStart on the E of the CAGED sequence by playing an open E minor chord� The minor scale that goes along with this chord shape is the 6th string root note, 1st finger starting.

CAGED Sequencefor E Minor Scale

12

E Minor ChordE Minor Shape

E Minor Scale6th String Root

3 3 33

22 2223 4

1

4



173

DPlay an E minor chord using a D minor shape. The minor scale shape that’s associated with this chord shape is the 4th string root note, 1st finger starting.

CThe next chord in the CAGED sequence is a C minor� Play an E minor using a C minor shape� The minor scale shape you should think about here is the 5th string root note, 4th finger starting.

E Minor ChordD Minor Shape


1st Finger Starting

222

4

1

3

1 111

3 3 2 2

33

44 4 4 4

1

4



4th Finger Starting

77

2

1

3

1

1

3 3

4

4

1

4

1 1

4 4 4

222

1

2



174

AMake an E minor using an A minor bar chord shape. The minor scale shape you’ll want to associate with this chord shape is the 5th string root note, 1st finger starting.

GThe minor scale shape that goes with the G-minor-shaped E minor chord is the 6th string root note, 4th finger starting� Play through this minor scale shape, and try to visualize the G minor chord shape and root note locations�

E Minor ChordA Minor Shape


1st Finger Starting

72

3 4

7 111

3

4 4

3

4

1

2

22

4 4

11

2

E Minor ChordG Minor Shape


4th Finger Starting

1212

2

4

1 1

1

3

344

1

3

4

4 4

22

1

2



175

Here’s the master E minor scale diagram again. Notice that I’ve pulled out the individual shapes. Study the diagram until you can see the minor chord shapes within the minor scale shapes�

CAGED Sequencefor E Minor Scale

121 1

1

3

344

1

3

4

4 4

22

1

2

111

3

4 4

3

4

1

2

22

4 4

11

2

1 111

3 3 2 2

33

44 4 4 4

1

4

1

1

3 3

4

4

1

4

1 1

4 4 4

222

1

2

3 3 33

22 222

1

4

1

11

33

44

3

4

11

3

2

4

1

2

4



176

ExerciseThis exercise goes through each E minor scale shape in the CAGED sequence� Start on the open E minor shape, and move all the way up to the G minor shape� Make sure to think about the individual chord and scale shapes the entire time� Remember, even though the shapes are based on the C, A, G, E, and D minor chords, you’re playing all E minor scales.

1/1

1E Minor Scale E Minor Chord Shape

0 2 30 2 3

0 2 40 2

0 1 30 2 3

3

E Minor Scale D Minor Chord Shape E Minor Scale C Minor Chord Shape

2 4 52 4 5

3 52 3 5

74 5 7

4 5 75 7 8

5 7 8

5

E Minor Scale A Minor Chord Shape E Minor Scale G Minor Chord Shape

7 9 107 9 10

7 97 8 10

7 8 10

129 10 12

9 10 129 11 12

10 12 1310 12

7

E Minor Scale E Minor Chord Shape

12 14 1512 14 15

12 1411 12 14

12 13 1512 14 15



177

Practical Application Part 1 - CAGED Major Scale LicksYou’ve put in a lot of work learning how to use the CAGED sequence with major and minor scales. Now you can actually take a look at how to apply all of this information to your playing� The following licks were written to help you see exactly how to apply the CAGED sequence to your solos� Go through each lick and think about the CAGED sequence� The major scale licks in this Practical Application are in the key of G major, and the minor scale licks in the next Practical Application are in the key of E minor�

Lick #1

Lick #2

Lick #3

1/1

1

3 5 73 5 7

5 7 85 7 9 5 7 9

5 7 95 7 9

7 8

1/1

1

10 129 10 12

12 1412 13 15

15 14 1215 13 12

14 12 1114 12

1515

1/1

13 3 3

3

33

3 52

52 3 2 3 5

2 4 5 74 5 7

5 7 8

5



178

Practical Application Part 2 - CAGED Minor Scale LicksLick #1

Lick #2

Lick #3

1/1

1

7 9 107

9 107 9

9 11 1210

11 1210 12

12

1/1

1

33

3 3

33 3

3 2 03 1 0

2 04 2

7 107 9

7 97 8 10

7 8 10 12

1/1

1

7 109

9

full

1512

15 13 1214 12 11

14 12 14



179

1/1

1

7 9 107

9 107 9

9 11 1210

11 1210 12

12

1/1

1

7 109

9

full

1512

15 13 1214 12 11

14 12 14

Practical Application Part 3 - Loops 28 And 29There’s no substitute for spending time with your instrument. Practicing and experimenting with new things will do you more good than you can probably imagine� With that in mind, I created two loops for you: one in the key of G major and another in the key of E minor� You can use these loops to practice going through the CAGED sequence with the G major and E minor scales. Once you have the basic flow of the scales down, you can start to improvise all over the fretboard�

WoodShed

Once you can play through the CAGED sequence using major and minor scales in the keys of G major and E minor, you should try to do the same thing in new keys� Start with C major and A minor and then choose any other keys you like. After getting a few keys down with the CAGED sequence, you’ll probably find that new keys are a bit easier to tackle�

Tracks #21 & #22



180

connectIng PentAtonIc PAtternSThe final application of the CAGED sequence in this section has to do with connecting pentatonic scale shapes throughout the fretboard. For you to be able to do this, you’ll learn some new mini pentatonic scale shapes and connect them to each other� Visualizing the CAGED sequence while connecting these mini scales is very important�

SymmetrIcAL mAjor PentAtonIc ScALeS

12

CAGED Sequencefor G Major

Pentatonic Scale

11

2

4

2

4

2

4 44

2

4

111

3 3

44

2

4

1 1

4

1

112 2

344

2

4

4 4

111

2

3

4 444

22

4

3

2 2 2

3 3

Here are the five G major pentatonic scales laid out on a master diagram� Take a minute to review each shape and think about which chord goes along with each shape�



181

Here’s the same master G major pentatonic diagram. The new mini major pentatonic scale shape has a box around it� Take a minute, study and notice how the notes in this shape use notes out of the 6th string and 4th string root note shapes� Below is an example of how you’d actually play this new mini major pentatonic scale shape. Play the first two notes with the 1st and 2nd fingers, and then slide to the third note with the 2nd finger. Play the fourth and fifth notes on the 5th string with the 1st and 2nd fingers, respectively. Practice this shape over and over again until it starts to feel natural� Make sure to practice the shape descending as well� When descending I like to slide from the 5th fret to the 3rd fret with the 1st finger.

12

1/1

1

3 5 75 7



182

The cool thing about this new mini major pentatonic scale shape is that it’s super easy to repeat, in order to work your way up the fretboard� Check out the following diagram to see how this exact shape is repeated three times� This takes you from the 3rd fret all the way up to the 12th fret—crazy!

Exercise #1Here’s an exercise that’ll show you exactly how to repeat and connect the mini major pentatonic scale shape all the way up the fretboard. Play the first mini major pentatonic scale shape starting on the G note on the 3rd fret of the 6th string, just like you did in the previous example� Move on the G note on the 5th fret of the 4th string and play the exact same five-note pattern—watch out for the slide� Because of the way the guitar is tuned, you have to jump up to the G note on the 8th fret of the 2nd string to play this same pattern one more time� Once you get used to this five-note shape, you’ll be able to move it around the fretboard with ease�

1/1

1

3 5 75 7

5 7 97 9

8 10 1210 12 15

1/1

1

12 1012 10 8

9 79 7 5

7 57 5 3

Exercise #2It’s important to be able to use the mini major pentatonic scale shape to descend to lower parts of the fretboard� This exercise starts on the highest note of the previous exercise and moves down to the lowest note� Watch out for the slide indicators, and make sure to visualize the CAGED sequence and root note locations to make descending easier�

12



183

1/1

1

10 12 1412 14

12 14 1615 17

15

Exercise #3You don’t have to start on the 6th string to use this mini major pentatonic scale shape� You can start on the 5th string or any string for that matter� Check out the diagram on the right with the five-note mini major pentatonic shape boxed. Try to play through it, and then move on to the following exercise� Be careful when you get to the 2nd string� You have to adjust the shape to compensate for the tuning on the B string�

12



184

111

3

4

2

44

1

3

1

4

1

12 2 2

4

3444

1

4

1

3 333

44 4 4

1

4 4

11

3 2 2

3

44 4 4

1

4

3 33

2 22

CAGED Sequencefor E Minor

Pentatonic Scale

12

SymmetrIcAL mInor PentAtonIc ScALeS

There’s a mini minor pentatonic scale shape you can use to get from the lower parts of the fretboard to the higher parts. Here’s a master diagram of all five E minor pentatonic scales. Study it for a refresher, and then move on to the following new mini shape�



185

As you can see on the diagram on the right, the new mini minor pentatonic scale shape kind of looks like a big plus sign. Let’s go through how to play this shape while ascending through it. Start off on the root note with the 3rd finger. Play the next two notes on the 5th string with the 1st and 3rd fingers. Slide up with the 3rd finger and play the final note on the 4th string with the 1st finger. Get this shape down by itself and then you can try to connect and repeat it up and down the fretboard�

1/1

1

1210 12 14

12

12



186

You can start this mini minor pentatonic scale shape on any string. Here’s a diagram that shows you the shape starting on the 5th string and the 3rd string� Notice how the shape had to be adjusted to compensate for the tuning on the B string�

Below are a couple of exercises that walk you through using the mini minor pentatonic scale shape, up and down the fretboard� Keep an eye out for the slides, and use the fingerings that work best for you.

Exercise #1

Exercise #2

Exercise #3

1/1

1

1210 12 14

12 1412 14 16

15 1715 17 19

17

1/1

1

75 7 9

7 98 10 12

10 12

1/1

1

12 1012 10 8

9 79 7 5

7

12



187

vISuALIzIng the cAged Sequence WIth SymmetrIcAL PentAtonIc ScALeS

Visualizing the CAGED sequence while playing these mini major and minor pentatonic scale shapes up and down the fretboard is a pretty important skill to develop. The following diagrams show all five pentatonic scale shapes on the fretboard� The mini pentatonic scale patterns are in black� Studying these diagrams will help you start to see the bigger CAGED picture when using these symmetrical mini pentatonic scale patterns�

12 12

SymmetrIcAL mAjor PentAtonIcScALeS In the cAged Sequence

SymmetrIcAL mInor PentAtonIcScALeS In the cAged Sequence



188

WoodShed

In this Woodshed section I want you to move the mini pentatonic scale shapes you’ve learned to a few new keys� Start off with the keys of D major and G minor� From there, you can pick any key you like and experiment with these new shapes�

Practical Application Part 1 - Symmetrical Major Pentatonic Scale Licks

To help you understand how to actually use these symmetrical pentatonic scale shapes, I’ve supplied you with some new licks� The following two are major pentatonic licks, while the ones from the next Practical Application are minor pentatonic licks� Work through them and try to visualize the mini-pentatonic scale shapes, CAGED sequence and root notes as one big system�

Lick #1

Lick #2

1/1

13

33

3

3 3

3 52 5

2 5

3 5 75 7

5 7 97 9

8

1/1

1

15 1215 12

14 12 14 1214 12

14 12 10



189

Practical Application Part 2 - Symmetrical Minor Pentatonic Scale Licks

Lick #1

Lick #2

Practical Application Part 3 - Improvising Over Major And Minor Play-Alongs

The CAGED system is a pretty critical concept for learning how to navigate the fretboard� You‘ve learned how to use CAGED with chords, major and minor pentatonic scales, and major and minor scales. Now it’s time for you to go off on your own, experiment and find your own voice with this incredible new tool. Pull up a major play-along and a minor play-along and see what you can do with all the information you’ve learned. I’d probably use the Contemporary Strumming Play-Along, which is in the key of E major, and the Minor Rock Play-Along, which is in the key of E minor. This is where you’ll really become the guitar player you want to be� No one can do this work for you� The good news is that this kind of practice is a ton of fun and very rewarding� Good luck!

1/1

1

75 7

4 75

75 7 9

7 98 10 12

10 12 12

1/1

1

12 10 12 1012 10 8

9 79 7 5

70

The GuiTar SyStem - Advanced - Advanced Lead Concepts


190

advanCed lead COnCepTsadvanCed lead COnCepTs

IntroductIon

The lessons from this section cover a wide variety of advanced lead-guitar concepts that’ll help you grow as a musician� Topics include: connecting major and minor scale patterns, more intervals, modes, pedal tones, and three-note-per-string pentatonic scales� There are two brand new play-alongs to make practicing all this new information fun. Since there’s a ton of new content here, feel free to break these lessons up and skip around to other areas of The Guitar System�

connectIng ScALe PAtternSAt the end of the previous section, you learned to connect pentatonic scales throughout the fretboard using the CAGED sequence and mini pentatonic patterns. Now you’re going to take a look at how to do the same thing with major and minor scales. You’ll start by learning a couple of new mini symmetrical shapes for major and minor scales. Once you know the shapes, you’ll go over how to repeat them all the way up and down the fretboard. This will give you some serious fretboard coverage�

SymmetrIcAL mAjor ScALeS

In order to learn a new symmetrical major scale shape, you’ll start with the three-note-per-string major scale 6th string root note, 1st finger starting. Play the first six notes of this scale as you normally would. Once you get to the sixth note on the 7th fret of the 5th string with the 4th finger, slide up to the 9th fret of the 5th string using that same finger. That’s the entire shape! Try playing through that a few times. Make sure to ascend and descend through this mini shape�

1

1

1

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Once you have this basic symmetrical major scale shape under your fingers, you can repeat it starting on the G note on the 5th fret of the 4th string� Try to connect these mini major scale shapes before adding a third one starting on the 8th fret of the 2nd string�

Exercise #1

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Next you’ll find a couple of exercises that’ll have you connecting the seven-note symmetrical major scale shape on the fretboard. You’ll ascend in the first exercise, and ascend and descend in the second exercise.



192

Exercise #2

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SymmetrIcAL mInor ScALeS

The minor scale has a seven-note symmetrical shape too� Play the first six notes of the 6th string root note A minor scale shape that starts with the 1st finger, as you normally would. When you get to the 8th fret of the 5th string with the 4th finger, slide from the 8th fret to the 10th fret� This is the entire seven-note symmetrical minor scale pattern. Work on getting this shape under your fingers. I’ve included the TAB for this basic shape just in case you need it�

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A Minor Scale

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193

Once you have this basic seven-note symmetrical minor scale shape down, work on repeating it throughout the guitar neck� Below is a diagram that shows this shape in three different locations� Try to connect all three shapes on your own before moving on to the following exercises�

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Symmetrical A Minor Scale

Exercise #1

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194

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Exercise #2

vISuALIzIng the cAged Sequence WIth SymmetrIcAL ScALe ShAPeS

By now you can probably play up and down the fretboard using the seven-note symmetrical major and minor scale shapes. That’s great! If you have this down, it’s important for you to visualize these symmetrical patterns within the CAGED sequence. On the following pages you’ll find master diagrams of the G major (page 195) and E minor (page 196) scales with the seven-note symmetrical shapes in boxes� Try to visualize the CAGED sequence throughout those patterns. This takes quite a bit of brainpower but I’m confident you’ll be able to do it. Visualizing the CAGED system when you play will really help you know exactly where you are on the fretboard when soloing�



195

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CAGED SequenceWith The Symmetrical

G Major Scale

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CAGED SequenceWith The Symmetrical

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WoodShed

In this Woodshed section I want you to apply everything you know about symmetrical major and minor scales to a couple of new keys. Try moving all the shapes you’ve learned to the keys of A major, D major, A minor and D minor. Once you can do that, you’ll have a solid understanding of how these shapes work and how to move them to any key you like�

Practical Application Part 1 - LicksIt’s time for you to put these symmetrical scale shapes to work by learning some new licks. The first two licks are in G major, and the second two licks are in E minor� See if you can work your way through these licks while staying aware of exactly which scale shape you’re using and where you are in the CAGED sequence.

SymmetrIcAL mAjor ScALe LIcKS

Lick #1

Lick #2

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198

SymmetrIcAL mInor ScALe LIcKS

Lick #1

Lick #2

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Practical Application Part 2 - Advanced Strumming Play-AlongYou’ve put in a lot of hard work on these symmetrical major and minor scale shapes. Now I want you to have some fun experimenting with them� Pull up the Advanced Strumming Play-Along and work on symmetrical E major scale shapes� You can also pull up the Minor Rock Play-Along and work on symmetrical E minor scale shapes� Enjoy working your way up and down the fretboard with these new tools!

Track #12



199

IntervALSSeveral intervals have already been covered in The Guitar System. In this section we’ll look at some new ones, what they sound like and how to find them on the fretboard. The intervals we’ll cover include perfect fourths, augmented fourths—also known as flat 5s, diminished fifths, and tritones—minor sixths, major sixths, minor sevenths and major sevenths� Learning to identify and play these intervals will enable you to figure out even more complex chord progressions and solos. This is a lot of information to absorb, but I’m confident you can do it. Take it one interval at a time, and have fun adding these new sounds to your musical memory�

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1G Root C P4

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G Major ScaleP4 Intervals Circled

P4

P4

P4

Perfect fourth (P4)The first interval we’re going to look at is the perfect fourth—sometimes called P4. A perfect fourth is made up of five half-steps and is the fourth note in the major scale� Play a G major scale� The fourth note is a C note� The distance from a G to a C is a perfect fourth�

Sound

It’s important that you associate the sound of a perfect fourth with a sound or song you already know� Play a G note on the 5th fret of the 4th string and a C note on the 5th fret of the 3rd string. That’s the sound of a perfect fourth. I think that a perfect fourth sounds like the first two notes of the song “Here Comes the Bride�” You can check what a perfect fourth might look like on a piece of sheet music by taking a look at the sheet music above�

LocAtIon

Let’s take a look at where to find a perfect fourth on a common major scale shape� Check out the scale diagram� The root notes are in black and the 4th scale degrees are labeled P4. Study this diagram, and notice how there’s a P4 one string over on the same fret as each root note� If you want the sound of a P4, you now know where to go get it. This isn’t the only position that allows you to play a P4 in relation to a root note, but it’s a good place to start.



200

Augmented fourth/dImInIShed fIfth

The next interval you’re going to learn about goes by several names: augmented fourth (+4), flat 5 (b5), diminished fifth (5o), and tritone� An augmented fourth is made up of six half-steps and doesn’t occur naturally in the major scale.

Sound

The sound of a tritone is pretty unique. It’s generally regarded as being quite dissonant-sounding. It’s for this reason that the world of classical music generally frowned upon the overall sound of this interval� I always think about metal when I hear a tritone, but most people would probably think of the first two notes of The Simpsons theme song� Play a G note on the 5th fret of the 4th string and a C# note on the 6th fret of the 3rd string. That’s the sound of a tritone� Try to memorize it�

LocAtIon

Let’s take a look at the G major scale with some tritone, or augmented fourth, notes added in� Study where the tritones occur in relation to the root notes in the scale—they’re labeled +4. Again, this isn’t the only position that allows you to play a tritone in relation to a root note, but it’s a good place to start.

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1G Root C# +4/b5

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G Major Scale+4/b5 IntervalsAdded & Circled

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201

mInor SIxth (m6)A minor sixth, or m6, is made of eight half-steps� If you start on a G note, a minor sixth from that note is an Eb. This minor sixth interval doesn’t occur naturally in a major scale but does occur naturally in a minor scale�

Sound

Play a G note on the 5th fret of the 4th string and an Eb note on the 8th fret of the 3rd string. That’s the sound of a minor sixth. When I hear an m6 I always think of the classic piano tune “Fur Elise�” Play a minor sixth over and over again and see if it reminds you of a specific song or melody.

LocAtIon

As I mentioned earlier, the minor sixth doesn’t occur naturally in the major scale but does occur naturally in the minor scale. Here’s a diagram of the same major scale we’ve been using, with two minor sixths added to it. If you want, picture the 6th string root note minor scale that starts with the 1st finger instead, seeing the m6 occurs naturally within that scale shape�

1/1

1G Root Eb m6

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G Major Scalem6 Intervals

Added & Circled

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m6



202

mAjor SIxth (m6)The major sixth, or M6, is made up of nine half-steps, and it occurs naturally in a major scale� In fact, a major sixth can be thought of as the sixth note of a major scale. This interval doesn’t occur naturally in a minor scale.

Sound

Play the G note on the 5th fret of the 4th string and the E note on the 5th fret of the 2nd string. That’s the sound of a major sixth. Whenever I hear a major sixth, I always think of the first two notes of the song “My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean�”

LocAtIon

Study the following scale diagram, and notice where the major sixths are, in relation to the root notes of the G major scale� If you were using this major scale shape and wanted to hear the sound of a major sixth, you’d now be able to go right to that interval�

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1G Root E M6

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G Major ScaleM6 Intervals Circled

M6

M6



203

mInor Seventh (m7)A minor seventh, or m7, is made up of 10 half-steps� This interval can be found in minor scales but not in major scales. See if you can find the note that’s 10 half-steps above the G note situated on the 3rd fret of the 6th string�

Sound

Play the G note on the 5th fret of the 4th string and the F note on the 6th fret of the 2nd string. That’s the sound of a minor seventh. I always think of the Star Trek theme song when I hear the sound of an m7� Play a minor seventh over and over again, and try to make your ears memorize that particular sound�

LocAtIon

Here’s the G major scale with some m7 notes added in. I like to think of a minor seventh as one whole-step below the root note. This isn’t the only place you’ll find a minor seventh at, in relation to the root note, but it’s the most common one�

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1G Root F m7

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G Major Scalem7 Intervals

Added & Circled

m7

m7



204

mAjor Seventh (m7)The final interval we’ll look at in this section is the major seventh, or M7. An M7 is made up of 11 half-steps� It can be thought of as the seventh note in the major scale�

Sound

Play the G note on the 5th fret of the 4th string followed by the F# on the 7th fret of the 2nd string. That’s the sound of a major seventh. The song I use as a reference for an M7 is “Take On Me” by the band A-ha, but you can use any song that works for you� Play this interval over and over again until you start to memorize the distinct sound of a major seventh�

LocAtIon

The following diagram has the root notes of the scale filled in and the major sevenths labeled M7� You can start by realizing that an M7 is one fret below the root note that’s one octave higher than the root note on which you start.

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1G Root F# M7

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G Major ScaleM7 Intervals Circled

M7

M7

eAr trAInIng PrActIce

Learning about all of these intervals is great, but if you don’t know how to apply what you’ve learned, they’re pretty worthless. This is a lead-guitar section, so all the ear training exercises from here on out will focus on using these intervals to help you play better leads and melodies� The first step to using these intervals is to memorize the sound of each one. The best way to do that is to play each interval and associate it with a song or melody you already know� You can also quiz yourself� Play two random notes on the guitar, or piano, and see if you can guess the interval� If you have a friend available, ask him to quiz you� Once you memorize the sound of all the intervals, you can use them to make up the melodies you hear in your head—true improvisation!

ImProvISIng tIPS

The goal behind all this ear training, from a lead-guitar perspective, is to enable you to play what you hear in your head. This will kind of liberate you from playing through scale shapes and pre-determined licks. That’s a huge step in learning to freely improvise on the guitar� I want you to try the following. Play any note and then think of an interval you’d like to hear. Use the first note that you played as the root note and then try to go directly to the interval you chose� Once you can do this, think of short little melodies and try to play them on the guitar�



205

Practical Application - Loops 30 And 31A couple of loops are included here to help you have some fun with your interval practice� Loop 30 is in the key of G major� You can use it to work on intervals that occur naturally in the G major scale: M2, M3, P4, P5, M6, M7 and the octave� Loop 31 is in the key of E minor� Use it to boost your improvisational skills with the intervals that occur naturally within the E minor scale: M2, m3, P4, P5, m6, m7, and the octave� Experiment with each interval, and see if you can play what you hear in your head� Think of any small melody—you can go as far as using only two notes if you like� Once you have those notes in your head, try to play them on the guitar� Once you get pretty good at this, you can try longer melodies� The key is to play what you hear in your head!

modeSModes can be a pretty cryptic topic for most guitar players. That’s probably because there’s really more than one way to think about modes. In this section we’ll talk about what modes are and how to use them in your guitar playing. We’ll also take a look at the Mixolydian mode and the specific sound you can conjure up with it. So you may be thinking, “What the heck are modes, and why do I need to learn about them?” Well, like everything else we’ve covered so far in The Guitar System, it all comes back to the major scale. Let’s start at the top with the G major scale�

There are seven notes in a major scale, and a G major scale is spelled G A B C D E F#. You’ve learned that each note in a major scale has a chord that goes along with it. The first, fourth and fifth notes have major chords associated with them, while the second, third and sixth notes have minor chords associated with them� The seventh note of any major scale has a diminished chord associated with it� Much like the chords, there’s also one mode for each note in the major scale. These seven modes, in order from one to seven, are Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian, and Locrian� Believe it or not you already know two of these modes: the Ionian and the Aeolian� The Ionian mode is just another name for the major scale� If you make the root note of any major scale your home base, or tonic note, you’ll be playing in the Ionian mode. Just like the major chord that goes with the 1st scale degree of any major scale, the Ionian mode is considered to be a major mode. That’s a bit redundant but worth mentioning� The Aeolian mode is basically the minor scale� Think back to when we went over the concept of relative minor-scales� I said that the sixth note of any major scale represents its relative minor-scale� For example, since the sixth note of a G major scale is an E, its relative minor-scale is an E� If you start a G major scale on an E note, you’ll be playing an E minor, or E Aeolian scale. The sixth note of any major scale has a minor chord associated with it. The same is true for the mode that’s associated with the 6th scale degree. Having said that, it makes sense for the Aeolian mode to be called natural minor scale� It really has a distinct “minor” sound�

Tracks #23 & #24



206

You can start on each note of the G major scale and be playing a different mode! That may sound confusing right now but will become clearer once we go through a few more examples� Each mode has a distinct color, or sound, that you can use in your playing� This is achieved by shifting the root note of the major scale to a different position. For example, when you play a relative minor-scale, you’re shifting the root from the first note to the sixth note of the major scale� There are really two ways to think about building and using modes� When you start on or emphasize a particular note of the major scale, you get a different mode. You can also look at each mode as a modification of a major scale. You’ve actually already done this. Do you remember when you learned to make a minor scale? You simply lowered the third, sixth and seventh notes of the major scale by one half-step�

You may not understand all of this right now but things will clear up as you learn to use other modes such as the Mixolydian, Dorian and Phrygian� For now, look at learning modes as adding new colors to your tonal pallet� If you like the sound of a particular mode, you can dig into it. If you don’t really like the sound of a particular mode, you can just pass on it�

the mIxoLydIAn mode

In this next group of lessons you’ll be introduced to the Mixolydian mode. There are two ways to think about how the Mixolydian scale is made. We’ll take a look at both, and you can choose to think about this mode in the way that makes the most sense to you� Typically, the Mixolydian mode is great for genres like blues and blues rock� This is because of the lowered 7th scale degree of the Mixolydian scale. We’ll get into that later, though. Once you learn how the Mixolydian scale is made and one of its common shapes, I’ll cut you loose to make up some screaming solos over the Mixolydian Play-Along�

1G 2A 3B 4C 5D 6E 7F# 8G

G Major Scale

1G 2A 3B 4C 5D 6E 7F 8G

G Mixolydian Scale

hoW the mIxoLydIAn ScALe IS mAde

Let’s take a look at the two ways in which you can make a Mixolydian scale� As usual, we will start with a major scale� Here are the notes in a G major scale� In order to turn any major scale into a Mixolydian scale, all you have to do is lower the seventh note by one half-step� In the case of the G major scale that we’re using as an example here, you have to lower the seventh note of the scale, or the F#, by one half-step to create a G Mixolydian scale� The lowered seventh note in a Mixolydian scale is similar-sounding to the lowered seventh note in a dominant 7th chord� Take a minute to write out any major scale� Lower the seventh note of that major scale by one half-step to turn it into a Mixolydian scale�

Let’s take a look at the second method for making a Mixolydian scale. Recall that the natural minor scale, or Aeolian mode, is based on the 6th scale degree of the major scale� The Mixolydian scale is based on the 5th scale degree of any major scale. In other words, if you start on the fifth note of any major scale, you’ll be playing a Mixolydian scale�



207

1C 2D 3E 4F 5G 6A 7B 8C

C Major Scale

1G 2A 3B 4C 5D 6E 7F 8G

G Mixolydian Scale

Examples always clear things up, so let’s look at one for this method of creating a Mixolydian scale� Start with a C major scale spelled 1C 2D 3E 4F 5G 6A 7B� If you started on its fifth note, you’d be playing a Mixolydian scale. Since the fifth note of the C major scale is a G, you’d be playing a G Mixolydian scale� Both methods give you the exact same results; they just go through a different thought process� Either way, you ended up with a G Mixolydian scale spelled G A B C D E F� Think about the second method for making a G Mixolydian scale, namely, taking the C major scale and turning its fifth note into the root, or focal point. When you did this, you were not only playing a G Mixolydian scale, but also playing in the key of G Mixolydian� This is a key that shares the same key signature of no sharps and no flats with the key of C major. By shifting the fifth note of the C major scale to the root position, you essentially turned the 5 chord into the 1 chord� Likewise, the 6 chord became the 2 chord, the 7 chord became the 3 chord and so on� So basically, by turning the 5 chord into the 1 chord, you created a new home base, or starting point�



208

Take a look at the diagram below. The first row features the chords in any major key. Any major key has major 1st, 4th and 5th chords and minor 2nd, 3rd and 6th chords� Nothing new there! Now look at the fifth row: the one labeled Mixolydian� The 1 chord is the same as the 5 chord of the major scale� The next chord over—the minor 2 chord—would normally be a minor 6 chord if you were in a regular major key� From there, all the other chords just fall into place� This little chart is great when you want to make up modal chord progressions� If you like the sound of the Mixolydian mode, you can use this chart to make up some pretty cool Mixolydian chord progressions� For example, a 1-4-5 progression in the key of G Mixolydian would be I-IV-v and not I-IV-V� In other words, a 1-4-5 progression in the key of G Mixolydian would be G major-C major-D minor� That’s a lot of information to absorb! Don’t worry if you didn’t quite grasp everything the first time through. You’ll pick up a little more every time you come back and review this information on modes� Things will get clearer as we go through other modes in The Guitar System�

Ionian(Major Scale)

I ii iii vi viioIV V

i ii III vi VIIoIV v

viii II v VIoIII iv

vi viiI iv VoII iii

v vi VIIiii IVoI ii

iv v VIii IIIo VIIi

iii iv Vi IIo VI vii

Dorian

Phrygian

1 Chord 2 Chord 3 Chord 4 Chord 5 Chord 6 Chord 7 Chord

Lydian

Mixolydian

Aeolian(Minor Scale)

Locrian



209

mIxoLydIAn ScALe ShAPe 6th StrIng root note

Enough theory for now! Let’s jump into actually playing a Mixolydian scale. Start with the 6th string root note three-note-per-string G major scale that begins with the 1st finger. Recall that all you have to do to make this G major scale into a G Mixolydian scale is lower the seventh note by one half-step� Compare the two diagrams on the right-hand side of this page to see how the 7th scale degree as been lowered by one fret� Play through both scales and listen to the difference in sound� You may be thinking, “Arrrggghh! More scale shapes to learn!” Well actually, you already know this Mixolydian scale shape� Do you remember how you started with a C major scale in order to make a G Mixolydian scale? Well, you can think about a C major scale shape when you want to play this G Mixolydian scale shape�

Below you’ll find the G Mixolydian scale you just learned, right next to the 5th string root note three-note-per-string C major scale, 1st finger starting. You already know this shape! All you have to do is shift the root notes from Cs to Gs� You can think about this G Mixolydian scale as a whole new shape or as a C major scale that emphasizes G notes instead of C notes� The exercises on the following page will help you get used to playing this new Mixolydian scale shape�

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G Mixolydian Scale

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G Mixolydian Scale

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C Major Scale5th String Root Note

1st Finger Starting



210

Exercise #2

Exercise #3This exercise introduces you to a new technique called string skipping. This technique can be a bit tough at first, so go through the exercise slowly and pay close attention to the TAB�

Exercise #1

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3 5 73 5 7

3 5 74 5 7

5 6 8 8 6 57 5 4

7 5 37 5 3

7 5 3

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3 5 73 5 7

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5 6 8 8 6 57 5 4

7 5 37 5 3

7 5 3

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3 5 73 5 7

4 5 73 5 7

5 6 84 5 7

5 7 88

When to uSe the mIxoLydIAn ScALe

The use of a Mixolydian scale depends on the chords over which you’re playing. One instance in which you can use the Mixolydian scale is when you’re playing over a simple one-chord major or dominant 7th chord groove. The Mixolydian scale will really bring out the lowered 7th in the dominant 7th chord and imply a dominant 7th chord if you’re playing over a simple major chord. Another way to tell when you can use a Mixolydian scale is to analyze the chord progression over which you’re playing� The key to doing this is the modal chord chart we looked at a while back� For example, if you had a G major-C major-D minor progression, you could pretty much bet that you were hearing a 1-4-5 progression in G Mixolydian. Studying the chart and analyzing the chords over which you’re playing is crucial when determining the right time to use a Mixolydian scale. The more you do this the better you’ll get at it.



211

Practical Application Part 1 - LicksThe following four licks will help you see exactly how to apply the Mixolydian scale to real music� These licks use bending, the Mixolydian scale and the major pentatonic scale to help you get a good handle on the Mixolydian scale sound�

Lick #1

Lick #2

Lick #3

Lick #4

1/1

1G Mixolydian G Major Pentatonic

3 5 73 5 7

3 5 73 5 7

5

3 52

52 5 2 5

2 52 4

5

1/1

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3 7 53

75 3 7 5

37

5 3 7 5

½

78 6 8

1/1

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full

5 5 38 6 5

7 5 4 7 5 45 3 5

1/1

1

3 52 5

2 5 3 5 5 7 95 7 9 5 7 9

6 8 8



212

WoodShed

Before moving on to the play-along in the next Practical Application, you need to make sure you’ve memorized the Mixolydian scale shape and where the root notes and lowered 7th degrees are located� The roots and lowered 7th degrees are the notes you need to emphasize to bring out the Mixolydian sound. That’s why they’re so important.

Practical Application Part 2 - Mixolydian Play-AlongThe Mixolydian Play-Along is one of my favorite tunes to solo over in The Guitar System� It has a great rock groove and it’s a ton of fun. The song is in G Mixolydian so you can use the G Mixolydian scale to create some really cool solos� If you want to learn more Mixolydian scale shapes before tackling this tune, you can skip ahead to the “Extra Credit” section (page 215)� Don’t be afraid to use pentatonic scales over the chords in this play-along too. For example, you can use a C major pentatonic scale over C major chords or an E minor pentatonic scale over E minor chords� Listen to the tune, study the chord progressions and get familiar with them before trying to play over the changes� You can also jump right into the song and see what the Mixolydian scale sounds like over some actual music� Have fun and experiment!

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extrA credIt - more mIxoLydIAn ScALe ShAPeS

If you really like the sound and color of the Mixolydian mode, you’ll probably want to learn more Mixolydian scale shapes. With that in mind, I included five new Mixolydian scale shapes that you can memorize at your leisure. Have fun with these!

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G Mixolydian Scale6th String Root

2nd Finger Starting

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PedAL toneSIn this section we’re going to take a look at the concept of pedal tones. Pedal tone licks and melodies have a very distinct sound that you might really enjoy using in your solos! A pedal tone is simply a note you keep coming back to between playing other notes. That’s a very basic definition, but it’ll make a lot of sense once you hear the first few exercises. Exercise #1The pedal tone for this exercise is the E note on the 5th fret of the 2nd string. You’re basically alternating between the pedal tone note and the 5th, 7th and 8th frets of the 1st string� Notice that every other note is the pedal tone� Follow the picking indicators, and try to play through this exercise� Pedal tone licks tend to have a very classical sound� It´s pretty cool!

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Exercise #2This second pedal tone exercise has more of a major scale sound to it� The pedal tone is the D note on the 3rd fret of the 2nd string. The notes you’re alternating between are on the 3rd, 5th and 7th frets of the 1st string. The exercise starts with a downstroke, but you can also kick it off with an upstroke if you like�

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Practical Application - LicksNow that you’ve been exposed to the concept and sound of a pedal tone, it’s time to learn some real pedal tone licks. The first four are pretty straightforward, while the three on the following page make use of tapping. Licks #3 and #4 feel quite different from the first two licks because of the heavy use of hammer-ons, pull-offs and the open E string as the pedal tone� Have fun with these!

Lick #1

Lick #2

Lick #3

Lick #4

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Lick #1

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tAPPIng WIth PedAL toneS

It’s pretty common to hear pedal tones used in tapping licks. To help you get used to this idea, I came up with the three pedal tone tapping licks featured on this page� Take your time with these, and see if you can come up with your own pedal tone tapping licks after getting these down�

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three-note-Per-StrIng PentAtonIc ScALeSThree-note-per-string pentatonic scales are one of my favorite weapons for playing really fast “bluesy” rock licks� These scales are basically two regular pentatonic scale shapes attached to one another to make a larger one� The following lessons will help increase the stretching abilities of your fretting hand, teach you a couple of three-note-per-string pentatonic scale shapes and how to use them within licks. You’ll even learn a new solo over a wicked “bluesy” rock play-along�

StretchIng to comBIne PentAtonIc ShAPeS

Playing three-note-per-string pentatonic scale shapes requires a lot of big stretches from the fretting hand� With that in mind, the following exercise works on stretching out the fingers on the fretting hand. The exercise starts you off on a mild stretch before gradually increasing the number of frets between the notes you have to play� Be sure to take note of the finger number indicators next to the eighth notes. That’ll help you get the maximum stretch! It may take you a while to get through all the stretches in this exercise and that’s fine. It’ll definitely be worth the hard work once you get to the first three-note-per-string pentatonic scale shape.

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Three-Note-Per-StringE Minor Pentatonic Scale

6th String Root1st Finger Starting

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ShAPe #1This first three-note-per-string pentatonic scale shape combines two of the regular minor pentatonic scales� Take a look at the diagram� Notice that the 6th string root note E minor pentatonic scale, 1st finger starting and the 4th string root note E minor pentatonic scale, 1st finger starting are combined into one larger E minor pentatonic scale shape�

Exercise #1Try to play through this first three-note-per-string minor pentatonic scale shape. Pay attention to the finger numbers for the fretting hand. Quite a stretch right? You’ll probably notice that some notes are repeated throughout the scale. In fact, if you’re ascending through the scale, the highest note on each string is repeated on the lowest note of the next string, producing a really nice effect� You can pick each note or use hammer-ons and pull-offs�

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Practical Application - LicksHere are a couple of licks that use this new three-note-per-string minor pentatonic scale shape� Go through each one, and see if they spark any ideas for your own three-note-per-string minor pentatonic scale licks� Again, you can use any combination of picking, hammer-ons, and pull-offs that you like�

Lick #1

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Exercise #2

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ShAPe #2This next three-note-per-string pentatonic scale shape combines two major pentatonic scale shapes: the 6th string root note major pentatonic scale shape, 2nd finger starting and the 4th string root note major pentatonic scale shape, 2nd finger starting. See if you can play through this shape without looking at the TAB in the following exercise�

Exercise

15

Three-Note-Per-StringG Major Pentatonic Scale


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WoodShed

Before moving on to the solo in the following Practical Application section, you need to make sure you can do two things� First of all, you need to be able to stretch the fretting hand far enough to play the three-note-per-string scale patterns we just covered. Second, you should have the first three-note-per-string pentatonic scale shape completely memorized. Get those two things down and you’ll be ready for the following solo.

Practical Application Part 2 - Blues Fusion Play-Along It’s time to introduce you to a new track: the Blues Fusion Play-Along. This song was created to help you work on three-note-per-string scales and pedal tone licks. I’ve included the notation for the rhythm guitar parts on the following page but I won’t be teaching them. Feel free to learn them on your own. If you just want to work on your leads over this play-along, that’s fine too.

Practical Application Part 1 - LicksHere are a few licks that make use of this new three-note-per-string major pentatonic scale shape� Watch out for the string skipping, hammer-ons, pull-offs and bend� Feel free to make up your own licks using the new shape, after going through these�

Lick #1

Lick #2

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Track #26



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Blues Fusion Play-Along

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Practical Application Part 3 - Loop 32 SoloThe solo you’ll find next is for you to learn and play over the Blues Fusion Play-Along. It features lots of bends, minor pentatonic scales, three-note-per-string minor pentatonic scales, and pedal tones. It’s an absolutely blazing solo that was written out to challenge your lead-guitar skills� I want you to try figuring this solo out for yourself. If you need some help, you can always watch the video. Once you can play it, you’ll be the bearer of some awesome new ideas for your own solos. Dig into this one, and use everything you’ve learned about lead guitar!

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extrA credIt - more three-note-Per-StrIng PentAtonIc ScALe ShAPeS

If you really like the sound and feel of three-note-per-string pentatonic scales, you’ll probably want to learn a few more. I’ve included diagrams for the three remaining three-note-per-string pentatonic scale shapes. Study them whenever you like�

7

Three-Note-Per-StringE Minor Pentatonic Scale


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concLuSIonThe past few sections have given you a lot of new additions to your lead-guitar toolbox� In the next series of lessons we’ll take a look at one of my favorite lead-guitar tools for playing over chord changes: 7th arpeggios. We’ll also go deeper into the world of modes by learning about the Dorian and Phrygian modes.

The GuiTar SyStem - Advanced - 7th Arpeggios And More Modal Playing



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7Th arpeGGiOs and mOre mOdal playinG7Th arpeGGiOs and mOre mOdal playinG

IntroductIon

This is the final advanced lead-guitar section in The Guitar System. All the lessons from the sections that come after this one, focus on particular styles of music, music theory and reading music, chops, ear training and playing by ear. Once you finish these lessons, you’ll have an incredibly comprehensive and solid foundation for your guitar playing. It’s really up to you to decide which styles of music you’d like to pursue. This is very exciting because you’ll be armed with all the tools and knowledge you need to literally master any style of music you choose� In this final advanced lead-guitar section we’re going to cover one of my favorite tools for playing over chord changes: 7th arpeggios. We’ll also go a little further into the world of modes by exploring the Dorian and Phrygian modes� Each mode has a new play-along that goes with it, so get ready for some serious fun�

mAjor And mInor 7th ArPeggIoSWe’ve already covered some basic arpeggios back in the “Sweep Picking” section of The Guitar System. Now we’re going to take a look at some new major and minor 7th arpeggio shapes. These types of arpeggios are a bit more colorful and great for playing over chord changes� Still, they can be a bit more challenging to pick because they’re played with a kind of hybrid picking that combines sweep picking and alternate picking. The following lessons walk you through some of the more common major and minor 7th arpeggio shapes� These arpeggios are some of my favorites on the guitar. I think that’s because of the way they sound and feel. Once you learn these new shapes, we’ll look at some new licks that use major and minor 7th arpeggios.

mAjor 7th ArPeggIoS

These lessons feature some of the more common major 7th arpeggios available to you� Before we jump into some of the larger arpeggio shapes, let’s review how major 7th chords and arpeggios are made. If you circle the first, third, fifth and seventh notes of any major scale, you end up with the notes in a major 7th chord� If you play those notes one at a time, you have a major 7th arpeggio� As an example, check the diagram of the G major scale with the first, third, fifth and seventh notes circled. Those are the notes in a G major 7th arpeggio�

The first major 7th arpeggio shape we’ll look at is a smaller four-note shape. This small shape can be associated with the E chord shape in the CAGED sequence. On the following page there’s a diagram of this first shape along with a G major chord that uses the E bar chord shape�

1G 2A 3B 4C 5D 6E 7F# 8G

G Major 7 Arpeggio



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G Major 7 Arpeggio4th String Root

4th Finger StartingG Major Chord

E Shape

R

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5th

7th

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Exercise #1This simple exercise works on getting you used to playing through this new major 7th arpeggio shape� The notes in the arpeggio are G, B, D and F#. Take note of the picking pattern here: you’re sweeping up four notes and then sweeping down four notes. This is nothing new if you’ve gone through the sweep picking lessons.

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Exercise #2The next major 7th arpeggio shape is an expansion of the first shape you learned. Take a look at the G major 7th arpeggio diagram below� This is the full major 7th arpeggio shape that goes with the E in the major CAGED sequence� Try to play through this arpeggio on your own and then move on to the exercise�

Do you remember when I said that picking through major and minor arpeggios can kind of be like mixing sweep picking and alternate picking? This new major 7th arpeggio shape is a great example of what I was talking about� Make sure to follow the picking indicators in the exercise below� There are some parts that use alternate picking and some that use sweep picking. You don’t have to pick these arpeggios with these particular picking patterns, but I think they’re a good place to start.

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2nd Finger StartingG Major Chord

E Shape

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G Major 7th Arpeggio5th String Root

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Exercise #3The third major 7th arpeggio shape is based on the A bar chord shape� Take a look at the diagrams below� Can you see the A bar chord shape in the arpeggio? You can probably guess that this is the major 7th arpeggio shape that’s associated with the A in the major CAGED sequence. The exercise below uses the A-shaped major 7th arpeggio� Play through it, and make sure to stick to the picking indicators� Once you can play this exercise, experiment with the picking pattern and use what works best for you�



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Exercise #4The fourth and final major 7th arpeggio shape is based on the open C major chord shape. Having said that, you can probably guess that this major 7th arpeggio shape goes along with the C in the major CAGED sequence� Try to play through this C-major-shaped G major 7th arpeggio�

Below is an exercise for the C-major-shaped G major 7th arpeggio. I’ve included some suggested picking indicators for you� Give it a try�

1 1 1

3

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2

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4th Finger StartingG Major Chord

C Shape

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Lick #1

Lick #2

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Practical Application - LicksNow that you have some major 7th arpeggios under your fingers, it’s time to apply those shapes to new licks. Take your time with these licks� Once you can play them, try to come up with your own major 7th arpeggio licks� After you devise some licks of your own, pull up the Major-Pop Play-Along and try to improvise with these new major 7th arpeggio shapes� This play-along is in the key of G, and the two major 7th chords in that key are G major 7th and C major 7th� That means you can play G major 7th arpeggios over the G major chords in that song and C major 7th arpeggios over the C major chords� Remember to enjoy yourself!



235

mInor 7th ArPeggIoS

You’ve already learned four major 7th arpeggio shapes. Now it’s time to learn four minor 7th arpeggio shapes. Before you jump into the actual shapes, let’s review how minor 7th chords are made. If you take any minor scale and circle the 1st, 3rd, 5th and 7th scale degrees, you end up with a minor 7th chord� You can also lower the third and seventh notes of a major 7th chord by one half-step to achieve the same result�

Exercise #1This first minor 7th arpeggio is a smaller four-note shape that’s based on the E of the minor CAGED sequence. Play through the notes in this shape a few times, and listen to the minor 7th sound� If you need help playing through the shape, you can always look at the TAB below�

1

E Minor 7 Arpeggio4th String Root

4th Finger Starting

E Minor Bar Chord

14 4R

3rd 5th

7th

2 2

3 4

12

1/1

1

1412

1210 10

1212

14 1412

1210 10

1212

14



236

Exercise #2This first full minor 7th shape is a great example of why pentatonic scales sound so good over their corresponding chords. Look at the E minor 7th arpeggio that’s based on the E minor bar chord shape. It looks almost identical to an E minor pentatonic scale, missing only one note it two places� Try to play through this minor 7th arpeggio shape that goes along with the E in the minor CAGED sequence� Once you can do that, move on to the TAB to be given a specific picking pattern for this arpeggio.

111

3

444

11

3

12


1st Finger StartingE Minor Bar Chord

3 4

12

1/1

1

12 1514

12 1412

12 1512 15 12

15 1212

14 1214

15 12



237

Exercise #3The third minor 7th arpeggio is based on the A minor bar chord shape� Try playing through this shape using your intuition for coming up with the picking pattern� Notice how this shape feels like a cross between an arpeggio and a minor pentatonic scale� If you need help, you can always look at the TAB below�

11

3

34

1

3

7


1st Finger StartingE Minor ChordA Minor Shape

2

4

2

3 4

7

1/1

1

7 109

7 98

7 10 12 10 78

9 79

10 7



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Exercise #4The final minor 7th arpeggio is based on the C minor chord shape. Play through this shape ascending and descending� Refer to the TAB if you need help with the picking�

1

1

4 47


4th Finger Starting

2

4

2


7

2

1

3

1/1

1

75

4 75

3 7 35

7 45

7

Practical Application Part 1 - LicksThis Practical Application will have you playing minor 7th arpeggio shapes through some really cool licks� Take note of how each arpeggio is used, and then try to come up with your own licks� Once you can play these licks, I’d recommend pulling up the Minor Rock Play-Along and improvising with these minor 7th arpeggio shapes. That play-along is in the key of E minor� You can use minor 7th arpeggios over any minor chord that occurs in this song� For example, you can use an E minor 7th arpeggio when an E minor chord is being played�



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Lick #1

Lick #2

Lick #3

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3

12 1514

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full

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15 12 1512

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7 109

7 99

98

7 10 78

10 78

10 78

9

1/1

1

75

4 75

3 7 5 37 5 3

5 47 5

7

WoodShed

Before moving on to the following Practical Application, you need to make sure you can play through all the major and minor 7th arpeggios covered. It’s a good idea to get your metronome out and really woodshed these shapes so they sound clean and even�



240

Practical Application Part 2 - Loop 33 - Major And Minor 7th Arpeggio EtudeThis Practical Application is a great example of how you can start to use major and minor 7th arpeggios to play over chord changes� Loop 33 is an E minor-C major-D major-G major chord progression� If you look at the TAB, you’ll see that major or minor 7th arpeggios are matched with each chord. For example, in the first two measures there’s an E minor 7th arpeggio over an E minor chord. Each arpeggio shape is marked above the measures it’s used in. You’ll probably want to memorize the chord progression and the arpeggio shapes used, before even thinking about playing with the loop. You’ll need to think about the next arpeggio in the sequence before finishing the one you’re currently playing. Good luck!

1/1

1

E minor 7 Arpeggio 5th String Root 1st Finger Starting

7 109

7 98

7 10 12 10 78

9 79

10 7

4

C Major 7 Arpeggio 6th String Root 1st Finger Starting

8 1210

9 109

8 128 12 8

12 89

10 910

12 8

7

D Major Arpeggio 5th String Root Note 1st Finger Starting

5 97

77

5 10 57

77

9 5 (5)

10

G Major 7 Arpeggio 5th String Root 1st Finger Starting

10 1412

11 1212

10 14 15 14 1012

12 1112

14 10

Track #28



241

more modAL PLAyIngSo far we’ve covered the Ionian, Mixolydian, and Aeolian modes. In the following lessons we’ll take a step further in exploring the world of modes by looking at two new modes that are basically minor in nature: the Dorian and Phrygian� The Dorian mode is based on the 2nd scale degree of the major scale, and the Phrygian mode is based on the 3rd scale degree of the major scale. The major scale degrees they’re based on is what makes these modes minor in quality. “And why is that?” you may ask. Well, it’s because the 2nd and 3rd chords in any major key are minor chords� The following lessons go over how these modes work, some scale shapes for each mode and how you can use them to create two very distinct sounds in your playing� Each section includes a full play-along to help you learn to express the particular sound of each mode� Get ready for some hard but rewarding work!

the dorIAn modeThe Dorian mode is based on the 2nd scale degree of the major scale� Remember that the 2nd scale degree of any major scale has a minor chord associated with it� Since this is the case, it makes sense for the Dorian mode to be minor, or a minor-sounding mode. We’ll take a look at how the Dorian scale is made, some shapes for the Dorian scale, some Dorian licks and a very fun Dorian Play-Along� If you like the sound of the Dorian scale, you can learn the extra Dorian scale shapes at the end of this section�

hoW the dorIAn ScALe IS mAde

Just like all the other modal scales we’ve covered, there are two methods for making the Dorian scale� The first one is to start with a major scale and modify a few notes in it� This should be nothing new for you� As an example, let’s look at a G major scale and turn it into a regular natural minor scale� Start by lowering the 3rd, 6th and 7th scale degrees by one half-step to get a minor scale: a G minor scale� Next, raise the 6th scale degree back up by one half-step� These two steps might seem a little bit redundant seeing you can look at this as lowering only the 3rd and 7th scale degrees of the major scale. Still, it’s nice to be able to reference the Dorian mode back to the natural minor scale. That’s because the Dorian scale is a type of minor scale and is pretty similar to the natural minor, or Aeolian, scale� Having said that, you can also think about the Dorian scale as a minor scale with a raised 6th scale degree� This is important to remember because the raised 6th scale degree is what really gives the Dorian mode its distinct sound�

1G 2A 3B 4C 5D 6E 7F# 8G

G Major Scale

1G 2A 3Bb 4C 5D 6Eb 7F 8G

G Minor Scale

1G 2A 3Bb 4C 5D 6E 7F 8G

G Dorian Scale



242

Let’s move on to the second method for putting together the Dorian scale� Recall that the Dorian mode is based on the 2nd scale degree of any major scale� Because of that, if you go through a major scale starting on its second note, you’ll be playing a Dorian scale. Pretty cool! Let’s take a look at an example.

Play an F major scale� Now play that same scale starting on the 2nd scale degree: the G note� When you do this you’re playing a G Dorian scale. The keys of F major and G Dorian share the same key signature: one flat. Below you’ll find the master modal chord diagram again. Look at the Ionian, or major scale, row and then at the Dorian row� To be in the Dorian mode, you have to turn the 2nd scale degree of the Ionian mode into the root note, or focal point� When you do this the 2 chord becomes the 1 chord� Do you see how the 1 chord in the Dorian row is a minor chord? Go through the chords in the Dorian row� Those are the ones you can use to make Dorian chord progressions� In G Dorian for example, those chords would be G minor, A minor, Bb major, C major, D minor, E diminished and F major�

1F 2G 3A 4Bb 5C 6D 7E 8F

F Major Scale

1G 2A 3Bb 4C 5D 6E 7F 8G

G Dorian Scale

Ionian(Major Scale)



viii II v VIoIII iv

vi viiI iv VoII iii

v vi VIIiii IVoI ii

iv v VIii IIIo VIIi


Dorian

Phrygian


Lydian

Mixolydian


Locrian



243

SIxth StrIng root note dorIAn ScALe, 1St fInger StArtIng

Now that you know how the Dorian scale is made, it’s time to learn one of the more common Dorian scale shapes. Remember, a Dorian scale can be thought of as a minor scale with a raised 6th scale degree. The first diagram below is a G minor scale, which you should already know� The second diagram is a G Dorian scale� Look at the Dorian scale shape closely� The only thing different from the G minor scale is the sixth note, which is raised by one half-step� Give this shape a try�

You can also think of the G Dorian scale as an F major scale if you like� The lowest root note for that F major shape would be on the 3rd fret of the 4th string. Once you’re comfortable with this new scale shape, you can move on to the following Dorian scale exercise�

1

1

1

3

4

3

4

13

G Minor Scale

4

4

1

4

1

22

2

4

2

1

1

1

3

4

4

13

G Dorian Scale

4

4

1

4

1

22

22

4

2

Exercise

1/1

1

3 5 63 5 7

3 5 73 5 7

5 6 85 6 8 6 5

8 6 57 5 3

7 5 37 5 3

3

6 5 3



244

hoW to uSe the dorIAn ScALe

You may be thinking, “What value is there in learning the Dorian mode, and how can I really use it in my playing?” Well, the Dorian mode has a very unique sound that’s characterized by the minor quality of the Dorian scale and the raised 6th scale degree� When you emphasize those notes, you get a very distinct Dorian vibe� If you like this sound, you can use it to express yourself in new ways on the guitar� The root, minor third and raised sixth notes in the Dorian scale are very important in the overall sound of the Dorian mode� The following lessons focus on how to emphasize these three notes to express the Dorian tonality�

the root

Just like any other scale, the root of the Dorian scale is very important� Without it you’d have no home base, or focal point. Check out the Dorian scale diagram with the root notes circled� Memorize their location, and try playing through the scale a few times while emphasizing the root notes�

1

1

1

3

4

4

13

G Dorian ScaleRoot Notes

4

4

1

4

1

22

22

4

2

1

1

1

3

4

4

13

G Dorian ScaleMinor 3rds

4

4

1

4

1

22

22

4

2

the mInor thIrd

The minor third, or 3rd scale degree, of the Dorian scale is important because it gives the Dorian scale its minor quality. Here’s the Dorian scale diagram with the 3rd scale degrees circled� Play through this Dorian scale shape and emphasize these notes� This will really bring out the minor quality of the Dorian scale�



245

1

1

1

3

4

4

13

G Dorian ScaleRaised 6ths

4

4

1

4

1

22

22

4

2

the rAISed 6th

The raised 6th scale degree is the note that sets the Dorian scale apart from the natural minor scale� Play through a regular G minor scale and listen to the sound of the notes� Now play through a G Dorian scale� The difference you hear is the raised 6th scale degree� The following diagram shows you where the raised 6th scale degrees are located in the Dorian scale shape�

Practical Application - LicksThe next three licks will give you a good idea of how you can use this Dorian scale shape to solo over the upcoming Dorian Play-Along� Give each lick a try before moving on to the next Dorian scale shape�

Lick #1

Lick #2

Lick #3

1/1

1

53 7 5

5 (5)7

5 6 8

1/1

1

3 5 63 5 7 3 5 7

3 5 5 73 5 7

53 5 7

5 6 8 8

1/1

1

86

88 6

5 6 85 6 8 6 5

5 8



246

fIfth StrIng root note dorIAn ScALe, 1St fInger StArtIng

Before cutting you loose to solo over the Dorian Play-Along, I thought it’d be nice to give you one more Dorian scale shape� This shape is still a three-note-per-string shape, but the lowest root note is on the 5th string and starts with the 1st finger. Play through this shape. Once you have it memorized, move on to the following Practical Application�

Lick #1

Exercise

1

1

11

3

4

3

4

4

110

G Dorian Scale5th String Root

1st Finger Starting

4

1

4

22

2

4

2

1/1

1

1012

1014

10 1312

10 1211 13

12 15

1/1

1

10 12 1310 12 14

10 12 1411 13 15

12 13 15 13 1215 13 11

14 12 1014 12 10

13 12 10

Practical Application - LicksHere are a few licks that use the 5th string root note Dorian scale shape you just learned� Try to identify the roots, minor thirds and raised 6th scale degrees as you play through these licks� Remember, those are the notes that give the Dorian mode its signature sound�



247

Lick #2

1/1

1

full

1310 13 10

13 1110

13 1112 14 12 10

14 12 1013 12 10

Lick #3

1/1

1

10 1312

10 1211

10 12 13 12 1013 11

12 1012

10

WoodShed - LooP 34Loop 34 is a simple groove that uses a Dorian chord progression� This will make practicing Dorian scale shapes more fun� Make sure you have them down before moving on to the Dorian Play-Along in the following lesson�

Practical Application - Dorian Play-AlongWelcome to the Dorian Play-Along! This is where you can take everything you’ve learned about lead guitar and the Dorian mode and experiment as much as you want. I’ve included the sheet music for the rhythm guitar parts of the tune (page 248-250), but I won’t be teaching them. You’re more than welcome to learn them if you like, but I really want you to focus on experimenting with the Dorian scale� Notice that this tune is in the key of G Dorian� That means you can use the G Dorian scale to make up solos� You can also use the G minor pentatonic scale� The two basic parts of this song are the verse and the chorus� A melody is played over the chorus every time it comes around� The verse of the song stays on a G minor 7th chord most of the time, so it’s perfect for practicing the G Dorian scale. Have fun experimenting with the Dorian sound!

Track #29

Track #30



248

1/3

1

Intro

3

Gm B maj7/F

4x

C7 C7add13 C7

355

33

3

355

33

3

355

33

3

355

33

3

3

33

54x

35353

35353

35353

35353

35355

35356

3

Chorus

Gm B maj7/F C7 C7add13 C7

355

33

3

355

33

3

355

33

3

355

33

3

3

33

5

35353

35353

35353

35353

35355

35356

5


355

33

3

355

33

3

355

33

3

355

33

3

3

33

5

35353

35353

35353

35353

35355

35356

7

VerseGm7

353

33

3

(3)(5)(3)

(3)(3)

(3)

9

353

33

3

(3)(5)(3)

(3)(3)

(3)

Dorian Play-Along



249

1/3

1

Intro

3

Gm B maj7/F

4x

C7 C7add13 C7

355

33

3

355

33

3

355

33

3

355

33

3

3

33

54x

35353

35353

35353

35353

35355

35356

3

Chorus


355

33

3

355

33

3

355

33

3

355

33

3

3

33

5

35353

35353

35353

35353

35355

35356

5


355

33

3

355

33

3

355

33

3

355

33

3

3

33

5

35353

35353

35353

35353

35355

35356

7

VerseGm7

353

33

3

(3)(5)(3)

(3)(3)

(3)

9

353

33

3

(3)(5)(3)

(3)(3)

(3)

2/3

11

353

33

3

(3)(5)(3)

(3)(3)

(3)

13

353

33

3

(3)(5)(3)

(3)(3)

(3)

15C7 B

35353

13331

17Gm7 Dm

353

33

3

353

33

3

57765

19

OutroGm B maj7/F C7 C7add13 C7

355

33

3

355

33

3

355

33

3

355

33

3

3

33

5

35353

35353

35353

35353

35355

35356



250

3/3

21


355

33

3

355

33

3

355

33

3

355

33

3

3

33

5

35353

35353

35353

35353

35355

35356

23Gm

355

33

3

2/3

11

353

33

3

(3)(5)(3)

(3)(3)

(3)

13

353

33

3

(3)(5)(3)

(3)(3)

(3)

15C7 B

35353

13331

17Gm7 Dm

353

33

3

353

33

3

57765

19

OutroGm B maj7/F C7 C7add13 C7

355

33

3

355

33

3

355

33

3

355

33

3

3

33

5

35353

35353

35353

35353

35355

35356



251

extrA credIt - more dorIAn ScALe ShAPeS

If you really dig the sound of the Dorian mode, you should probably go ahead and learn some more Dorian scale shapes. I’ve included six more Dorian scale shapes that you can learn whenever you like. You don’t have to learn all of them right now. Just know they’re here for your reference whenever you need them.

1

1

1

3 3

4

44

1


2nd Finger Starting

4

1

4

2

1

22

4

2

1

1

1

3

4

4


2nd Finger Starting

4

1

4

2 1

2

2

1

4

2

4

2101

3 3

4

44

1

3

4

1


1st Finger Starting

1

4

2

1

22

4

1

111

3 3

4

3 3

4

110


1st Finger Starting

4

1

4

2

2

4

11 11

3 3

4

1


4th Finger Starting

4 4 4

222 2

4 415

1 1

1

1

3

3 34

1


4th Finger Starting

4

4

22

4

2

410



252

the PhrygIAn modeThe Phrygian mode is based on the 3rd scale degree of the major scale, and it’s known for it’s distinct Spanish sound. In the following lessons we’ll look at how the Phrygian scale is made, some Phrygian scale shapes, what notes give the Phrygian scale its distinct sound, and some new Phrygian licks. At the end of this section, you’ll apply this newfound knowledge to building some solos over the Phrygian Play-Along�

hoW the PhrygIAn ScALe IS mAde

1G 2A 3B 4C 5D 6E 7F# 8G

G Major Scale

1G 2A 3Bb 4C 5D 6Eb 7F 8G

G Minor Scale

1G 2Ab 3Bb 4C 5D 6Eb 7F 8G

G Phrygian Scale

1Eb 2F 3G 4Ab 5Bb 6C 7D 8Eb

Eb Major Scale

1G 2Ab 3Bb 4C 5D 6Eb 7F 8G

G Phrygian Scale

Just like all the other modal scales you’ve learned, the Phrygian scale can be approached in two different ways. With the first approach you can make a Phrygian scale by modifying a few notes of a major scale. You’ll be making a G Phrygian scale as an example, so let’s start with a G major scale. The Phrygian scale is based on the third note of the major scale� The 3rd chord in any major key is a minor chord� Having said that, it makes sense for the Phrygian scale to be a type of minor scale� Take the G major scale and turn it into a regular G minor scale by lowering the 3rd, 6th and 7th scale degrees by one half-step� The next step in creating a Phrygian scale is to lower the 2nd scale degree by one half-step� This lowered 2nd scale degree is the note responsible for giving the Phrygian scale its distinct sound and separating it from the natural minor scale� You can think of the Phrygian scale as a major scale with the 2nd, 3rd, 6th and 7th scale degrees lowered by one half-step� The second approach for building a Phrygian scale is to start on the 3rd scale degree of a major scale� For example, an Eb major scale is spelled 1Eb 2F 3G 4Ab 5Bb 6C 7D� If you start on its 3rd scale degree, you’ll be playing a G Phrygian scale. On the next page you’ll find the master modal chord chart once again� Take a look at the third row down� The chords in the Phrygian row are what you get when you make the 3rd of the major scale the root� By doing so, you’re essentially turning the minor 3 chord into the 1 chord, which give you a minor 1 chord� From there, all the other chords in the Phrygian mode fall in place�



253

Ionian(Major Scale)



viii II v VIoIII iv

vi viiI iv VoII iii

v vi VIIiii IVoI ii

iv v VIii IIIo VIIi


Dorian

Phrygian


Lydian

Mixolydian


Locrian

This chart comes in pretty handy when making up Phrygian chord progressions� For example, a 1-4-5 progression in G Phrygian is G minor-C minor-D diminished� Go through the chords in G Phrygian and see what kind of progressions you can create�

1 11

3

4 4

113

G Phrygian Scale

44

1

4

22

2

2

3

SIxth StrIng root note PhrygIAn ScALe, 1St fInger StArtIng

Here’s your first Phrygian scale shape: the 6th string root note, 1st finger starting. If you’d like to think of this Phrygian scale in terms of a major scale shape, you can do that too� If you were to play an Eb major scale 5th string root note starting with the 4th finger, you’d be playing the exact same shape. Either way you want to think about it is fine.



254

Exercise

hoW to uSe the PhrygIAn ScALe

The notes responsible for the Phrygian scale’s distinct sound are the root, lowered 2nd and lowered 3rd. In the next few sections we’ll take a look at the location and function of each of these notes. Once we locate them in the Phrygian scale shape that you already know, you may want to go locate them in the additional Phrygian scale shapes in the “Extra Credit” section (page 261)�

1/1

1

3 4 63 5 6

3 5 63 5

3 4 63 4 6 4 3

6 4 35 3

6 5 36 5 3

6 4 3

1 11

3

4 4

113

G Phrygian ScaleRoot Notes

44

1

4

22

2

2

3

1 11

3

4 4

113

G Phrygian ScaleLowered 2nds

44

1

4

22

2

2

3

the root

Like every other scale you’ve learned, the root of the Phrygian scale is the tonal center, or home base� There are three root notes in this particular Phrygian scale shape� Take some time to memorize their location�

the LoWered 2nd

The lowered 2nd is the note that sets the Phrygian scale apart from the natural minor scale. It’s also the note that hails the Spanish flare I mentioned earlier. Take a few minutes to look at this Phrygian scale diagram with the lowered 2nd scale degrees circled�



255

1 11

3

4 4

113

G Phrygian ScaleMinor 3rds

44

1

4

22

2

2

3

the mInor thIrd

The lowered 3rd is the note that gives the Phrygian scale its minor quality� Play through this shape a few times, and try to emphasize the roots, lowered 2nds and lowered 3rds� You can even work on putting together some of your own licks before moving on to the licks in the following Practical Application�

Practical Application - LicksHere are a few licks that make use of the Phrygian scale shape� Work your way through them, and see if you can identify the roots, lowered 2nds and lowered 3rds� Once you can play these licks, experiment with this scale shape and see what kind of licks you can come up with on your own�

Lick #1

Lick #2

Lick #3

1/1

13

3 3

3 4 63 5 6 5 6 5 3

6 4 1 3

1/1

1

3

33

43

63

43

3 4 36 4 3

5 36 5

1/1

1

53

3 63 4 3 4 3 4 3 4 6 4 3

6

5 6 5



256

fIfth StrIng root note PhrygIAn ScALe, 1St fInger StArtIng

Before moving on to soloing over the Phrygian Play-Along, I thought it’d be good for you to learn one more Phrygian scale shape: the 5th string root note, 1st finger starting. Study this shape, and then work on it with the help of the exercise provided� Once you have this shape down, you can move on to the licks in the next Practical Application�

1 11

3

4 4

110

G Phrygian Scale5th String Root

1st Finger Starting

44 4

2

1

4

2 22

3

Exercise

Practical Application - LicksThe next three licks feature the 5th string root note Phrygian scale shape that you learned in the last lesson� These licks should help you understand how to use this new scale shape in a practical way� See if you can come up with your own licks using this shape too!

Lick #1

1/1

1

10 11 1310 12 13

10 12 1311 13

10 11 13 11 1013 11

13 12 1013 12 10

13 11 10

1/1

1

10 11 1312

1212

1211

13 11 1013 11

13 12 13 12



257

Lick #2

Lick #3

1/1

1

13 1013 11

12 13 1212 10

13 10 11 10

1/1

1

1211

10 11 10 11 1011

12 12 1012 10

13 11 10 11 10

WoodShed - LooP 35You really need to have the Phrygian scale shapes memorized before moving on to the Phrygian Play-Along� To help you do this I’ve included a loop you can use to woodshed the two Phrygian scale shapes. Pull up Loop 35, and work on making sure you have these two Phrygian scale shapes down� If you want to work on more Phrygian scale shapes, you can always skip ahead to the “Extra Credit” section (page 261)�

Practical Application - Phrygian Play-AlongWelcome to the Phrygian Play-Along� This is a great little tune for experimenting with the Phrygian mode� The chorus of the song is a 1-5 progression in G Phrygian whose chords are G minor and D minor 7 b5� The verse is a 1-2-3 chord progression, or a G minor-Ab major-Bb major chord progression� It’s important that you emphasize the root note of the chord over which you’re playing. You should also be thinking about the root, lowered 2nd and lowered 3rd of the Phrygian scale� Those notes give that minor, Spanish sound. I’ve included the sheet music for the rhythm parts of the song (page 258-260) even though they’re not taught� Feel free to look through the TAB and learn the parts if you like�

Track #31

Track #32



258

1/3

1

IntroGm 1.

355333

355333

XXXXXX

4 3 6 4 3 4 355333

355333

XXXXXX

4 3 6 4 3 4

3

2.Dm7( 5)

ChorusGm

355333

355333

XXXXXX

4 3

656

5656

5355333

355333

XXXXXX

XXXXXX

XXXXXX

XXXXXX

XXXXXX

4 3 6 4 3 4

5

Dm7( 5)Verse

Gm

355333

355333

XXXXXX

XXXXXX

XXXXXX

XXXXXX

XXXXXX

4 3

656

5656

5355333

355333

XXXXXX

XXXXXX

XXXXXX

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XXXXXX

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XXXXXX

XXXXXX

XXXXXX

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4x7

A BChorus

Gm

4x

6544

64

6544

64

XXXX

XX 6

88766

355333

355333

XXXXXX

XXXXXX

XXXXXX

XXXXXX

XXXXXX

4 3 6 4 3 4

4x9

Dm7( 5)Verse

Gm

4x

355333

355333

XXXXXX

XXXXXX

XXXXXX

XXXXXX

XXXXXX

4 3

656

5656

5355333

355333

XXXXXX

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Phrygian Play-Along



259

1/3

1

IntroGm 1.

355333

355333

XXXXXX

4 3 6 4 3 4 355333

355333

XXXXXX

4 3 6 4 3 4

3

2.Dm7( 5)

ChorusGm

355333

355333

XXXXXX

4 3

656

5656

5355333

355333

XXXXXX

XXXXXX

XXXXXX

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4 3 6 4 3 4

5

Dm7( 5)Verse

Gm

355333

355333

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4 3

656

5656

5355333

355333

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4x7

A BChorus

Gm

4x

6544

64

6544

64

XXXX

XX 6

88766

355333

355333

XXXXXX

XXXXXX

XXXXXX

XXXXXX

XXXXXX

4 3 6 4 3 4

4x9

Dm7( 5)Verse

Gm

4x

355333

355333

XXXXXX

XXXXXX

XXXXXX

XXXXXX

XXXXXX

4 3

656

5656

5355333

355333

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XXXXXX

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XXXXXX

XXXXXX

XXXXXX

XXXXXX

XXXXXX

XXXXXX

XXXXXX

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2/3

4x11

A BChorus

Gm

4x

6544

64

6544

64

XXXX

XX 6

88766

355333

355333

XXXXXX

XXXXXX

XXXXXX

XXXXXX

XXXXXX

4 3 6 4 3 4

4x13

Dm7( 5)BridgeGm

4x

355333

355333

XXXXXX

XXXXXX

XXXXXX

XXXXXX

XXXXXX

4 3

656

5656

5355333

355333

15

355333

355333

17

355333

355333

19

355333

355333

3 4 63 5 6

5



260

3/3

21

OutroGm

4x

Dm7( 5)

355333

355333

XXXXXX

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4 3 6 4 3 4

4x

355333

355333

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4 3

656

5656

5

23

Gm

355333

355333

2/3

4x11

A BChorus

Gm

4x

6544

64

6544

64

XXXX

XX 6

88766

355333

355333

XXXXXX

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4 3 6 4 3 4

4x13

Dm7( 5)BridgeGm

4x

355333

355333

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XXXXXX

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XXXXXX

4 3

656

5656

5355333

355333

15

355333

355333

17

355333

355333

19

355333

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3 4 63 5 6

5



261

extrA credIt - more PhrygIAn ScALe ShAPeS

Here are four more Phrygian scale shapes that you can learn whenever you feel inspired. You don’t have to learn them all right now� Just know that they are here for your reference�

1

1

1

3

4 4

4

13


1st Finger Starting

4

4

1

4

2

1

2

2

2

3

1

1

11

34 44

1

15


4th Finger Starting

4

1

4 4

2222

3

1

1

11

34 44

1

10


4th Finger Starting

4

4

222

1

4

2 2

1

1

11

3

4 4

4

110


1st Finger Starting

4

1

4

22

2

4

2

3



262

eLementS of SoLoIngThe past few lessons have been pretty jam-packed with theory and scale shapes� I want to shift gears a bit and talk about making your solos as musical as possible. It’s great to know all of these scales and the theory behind them, but if you sound like you’re playing a scale or an exercise, they’re pretty useless. In order to make your solos as musical as possible we’re going to cover two very important topics: melody and rhythm. Once we go over them, we’ll take a look at an exercise that kind of forces you to think about nothing but the melody and rhythm of your solos�

meLody

One of the biggest steps you can take as a lead guitarist is to play exactly what you hear in your head� This will do two things for you: get you out of the habit of playing through box-shaped scale patterns and make your leads sound thoughtful instead of like scale exercises� Think about some of your favorite songs and the vocal melodies they are sang with� Making up melodies like the ones you’re probably thinking of is really the entire goal of learning all these scale shapes in the first place. Try this for a week or two. Think of a melody and then try to play it on the guitar. Don’t worry about any licks, runs, scale patterns or scale sequences� Simply play what you hear in your head�

rhythm

A great rhythm can be just as captivating as a great melody� After learning all these scale shapes and exercises, it can be pretty easy to fall into the trap of playing straight eighth notes or sixteenth notes throughout an entire solo� That can get pretty repetitive and boring after a while� It’s important to remember that rhythm is a creative tool at your disposal. Don’t be afraid to use whole notes and half notes. Just because you can play sixteenth note triplets at 140 beats per minute doesn’t mean it’s always appropriate� You can even take it one step further and use some rests! Yes, a guitar player can lay out for a few beats or measures every now and then� The main idea that I want to get across to you is that rhythm is a tool you can use to make your playing more creative and dynamic� We guitar players tend to forget about this and cram as many notes into a measure as possible� Exercise - Loop 36

I have an exercise that’ll help you work on your melody and rhythm. The exercise is a lot more difficult than it seems because it takes away the scale shapes you’ve worked so hard to memorize. Here’s the exercise. Put on a simple loop or play-along and solo over it. Here’s the catch. You only get to use one guitar string and one finger from the fretting hand. This will force you to think about every single note you play. Since you can’t really play fast with one finger, you have to rely on melodies and rhythms to make your solos interesting� See if you can do this! If you’re like me, it probably won’t sound very inspiring the first time you try it. Pull up Loop 36, which is in the key of A major, and see what you come up with. The more you do this, the better you’ll get at making up interesting rhythms and captivating melodies!

Track #33



263

concLuSIonThat wraps it up for the advanced rhythm and lead-guitar lessons. Next you’re going to apply everything you’ve learned to several different styles of music� I realize that not everyone will want to learn each style of music, and that’s okay. You can skip around to the styles you’re more interested in. After that, we’ll cover topics such as theory, reading music and playing by ear� The next part of The Guitar System covers chops and metal. If you’re not into metal, I’d still recommend going through the “Chops” section� The information contained in that section is valuable, regardless of the styles of music you like�


264

The GuiTar SyStem - Advanced - CD Track Listing

Cd TraCK lisTinGCD 05

Track #1 - P20 - Advanced Strumming Play-AlongTrack #2 - P21 - Advanced Rock Riff Play-AlongTrack #3 - L18 - Loop 18 - Swing Drum Beat (M7 and m7 Chord Practice)Track #4 - P22 - Minor Rock Play-AlongTrack #5 - P23 - Drop D Play-AlongTrack #6 - P24 - DADGAD Play-AlongTrack #7 - L18 - Loop 18 - Swing Drum Beat (M7 and m7 Chord Practice)Track #8 - L19 - Loop 19 - 6-2-5-1 In G (First inversion Triad Etude)Track #9 - P11 - Major Pop Play-Along (With Rhythm Guitar)Track #10 - P22 - Minor Rock Play-Along (With Rhythm Guitar)Track #11 - P14 - Contemporary Strumming Play-Along (With Rhythm Guitar)

CD 06

Track #12 - P20 - Advanced Strumming Play-Along (With Rhythm Guitar)Track #13 - L20 - Loop 20 - I-IV Progression (Sweep Picking Practice)Track #14 - L21 - Loop 21 - I-IV-V Progression (Sweep Picking Practice)Track #15 - L22 - Loop 22 - i-iv-v Progression (Sweep Picking Practice)Track #16 - L23 - Loop 23 - Sweep Picking EtudeTrack #17 - L24 - Loop 24 - CAGED ETrack #18 - L25 - Loop 25 - CAGED ATrack #19 - L26 - Loop 26 - CAGED DTrack #20 - L27 - Loop 27 - CAGED G

CD 07

Track #21 - L28 - Loop 28 - CAGED Major PentatonicTrack #22 - L29 - Loop 29 - CAGED Minor PentatonicTrack #23 - L30 - Loop 30 - G Major (Interval Practice)Track #24 - L31 - Loop 31 - E Minor (Interval Practice)Track #25 - P25 - Mixolydian Play-Along (With Rhythm Guitar)Track #26 - P26 - Blues Fusion Play-Along (With Rhythm Guitar)Track #27 - L32 - Loop 32 (Loop From the Blues Fusion Play-Along)Track #28 - L33 - Loop 33 - Em-C-D-G Progression (Major and Minor 7th Arpeggio Etude)Track #29 - L34 - Loop 34 - Dorian Groove (Dorian Scale Practice)Track #30 - P27 - Dorian Play-AlongTrack #31 - L35 - Loop 35 - Phrygian Groove (Phrygian Scale Practice)Track #32 - P28 - Phrygian Play-AlongTrack #33 - L36 - Loop 36 - vi-IV-V-I Progression


265

The GuiTar SyStem - Advanced - Credits And Special Thanks

Credits And Special Thanks

Written by: Nate SavageProduced by: Victor Guidera, Jared Falk & Nate Savage

Director of Cinematography: Victor GuideraCameramen: Steve Jackson, Nick Metzger & Trent HarmsGraphic/Product Design: Dave Atkinson & Nate Savage

Book Layout: Dave Atkinson & Nate SavageBook Editor: Hugo Almeida

Proofing: Hugo Almeida, Shanna Falk, Gabriela Kettner & Nate SavageHead Post Editors: Jame Falk, Victor Guidera & Nate Savage

Assistant Editor: Kyle Trienke, Trent Harms, Steve Jackson, Nate Savage & Nick MetzgerChief Audio Engineer: Victor Guidera

Assistant Audio Engineer: Kyle TrienkeMastered by: Victor Guidera

Keyboards: Brett ZieglerGuitars: Nate Savage & Steve DavisDrums: Jared Falk & Dave AtkinsonBass: Steve Klassen & Nate Savage

Banjo & Mandolin: Paul Savage

All music written by Nate Savage except for the Advanced Strumming Play-Along (“Bird Song” – Written by Practical Shoes [Sam and Angie Wakefield])

Nate Would Like to Thank:

Christ, Mom, Dad, Kristi and Gretchen (the fun dog), Sam Wakefield and the Wakefield crew – Don, Melody, and Angie – Derek Parrott, Jared and Shanna Falk, Josh Allard, the crew at Railroad Media, Perry Springman

and the Springman Family, C�L� and Lois Brorsen, Natasha Nastiuk, Autumn Downing, Karly Warkentin, Dr� Randy Snyder, Joel Wetzstein, Steve and Courtney Klassen, Eric and April Brown, Brian Lacher, Ray Solis,

Steve Davis, Brett Ziegler, Joshua Mattia, Dave Atkinson, Rick and Gabby Kettner, Jeff Claassen, Jordan Dick, Kenton Hirowatari, Jenn and Elger Krahn, Kyle Trienke, Trent Harms, Jaime and Cassie Falk, Shane at Taylor

Guitars, D’Addario, Texas, coffee, and Monster!

All of my influences and inspirations over the years, specifically Ty Tabor, Tony Palacios, Brett Garsed, Eric Johnson, Monte Montgomery, Greg Howe, Richie Kotzen, Beppe Gambetta, Steve Lukather, John Petrucci,

Paul Gilbert, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Joe Satriani, Shawn Lane, Steve Morse, Steve Vai, Phil Keaggy, Ted Kirkpatrick and Pat Metheny�

Copyright © 2013 Railroad Media Inc. - All Rights Reserved WorldwideThe information contained on this disc is protected under the copyright laws of theUnited States and other countries. These discs are sold for home use only. Duplication,public exhibition, rental or other commercial use in whole or in part is strictly prohibited.

www.GuitarSystem.com

RailroadMedia.com | Toll Free: 1-800-439-8921 | 1-604-820-7606

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guitarsystem-com.s3.amazonaws.com · T. HE UIT AR. S. YSTEM - A - Advanced Strumming, Riffs, Chords And Minor Keys. gS c 213 r m, I. 20. The final thing I’d like to review is the