In this lesson we’re going to do a deep dive into the E major scale on guitar. We’ll cover everything from the notes and intervals to scale patterns and modes. We’ll harmonize the scale to build the chords of E major and take a look at some example songs that are based in the key of E. Let’s get started. Notes of E Major The E major is a diatonic scale consisting of 7 notes. It contains 4 sharps and 3 natural notes. E – F# – G# – A – B – C# – D# Intervals All major scales contain same interval structure and qualities. The intervals for E major are as follows: Root Major 2nd Major 3rd Perfect ..read more

In this lesson we’re going to break down the iconic riff of The House of the Rising Sun by The Animals. It’s pretty straightforward as far as the progression, but does offer some nuanced picking patterns over arpeggiated chords that can be a little tricky to play. The House of the Rising Sun Chords The chords for The House of the Rising Sun are based out of the key of A minor, but uses a major IV chord (D) in place of the Dm and a major V chord (E) in place of the Em. Both of these chords are borrowed from the parallel major key of A major. Am – C – D – F – E Key of A Minor i ii III IV ..read more

In this lesson we’re going to learn about triad chord scales. While it’s a pretty basic concept, it’s really useful for applying triads to the fretboard in a way that also provides some musical benefit. What is a chord scale? A chord scale is when you take the notes of a scale and use each note to build its own chord. It’s also known as harmonizing a scale. This is done by stacking thirds to create the triads that form the chords. See the Major Scale Chords lesson for a full rundown of the process. Once you have the chords for a scale, you can play them in a scalar fashion up and down the neck ..read more

The pentatonic scale may be the most versatile scale in music. If there’s one scale guitar players must master, this is the one. In this lesson we’re going to look at some pentatonic scale exercises to help you thoroughly learn the scale patterns and play through them fluidly with flawless technique. Pentatonic Shapes The exercises in this lesson aren’t specific to the major or minor pentatonic scale. We’re only concerned with getting the shapes under our fingers. Since both the major and minor pentatonics are relative, the five scale shapes are the same for each, it’s just the interval qualit ..read more

There are many ways to go about soloing over chord changes, but it essentially comes down to outlining the chords in the progression to highlight the changes. In this lesson we’ll take a look at some simple options for playing over chord changes that work in a writing setting as well as for improvisation. Understanding the Chord Progression Before getting into what to play over a chord progression, you first need to understand the progression itself. To start, list out all the chords in the progression and determine the key. Are all the chords in the progression diatonic? Are there any key cha ..read more

To me, there’s no guitar technique that’s more satisfying to the ear than bends, which explains why I gravitate to guitar players like David Gilmour, Slash, and Warren Haynes. The subtle nuances of a player’s bending technique capture more emotion and feeling than any other technique by far. In this lesson, we’re going to take a look at some bending exercises for guitar that will help you get your technique up to par. Types of Bends on Guitar Before we start looking at the exercises, it’s important to understand that all bends are not created equal. There are many different types of bends, but ..read more

Guitar tabs are the main way in which music is transcribed for guitar players. But if you’ve never seen tablature before it can be a little confusing to figure out. So in this lesson we’re going to look at how to read guitar tabs. We’ll cover the basics to get you up to speed quickly and dive into the tab symbols to make sense of what they mean as well. What Is Guitar Tablature? Guitar tablature is a way to notate music in a way that maps logically to the guitar. While the traditional music staff is appropriate for instruments such as the piano, it doesn’t convey very well to the guitar. The g ..read more

When first learning guitar scale patterns, it’s important to get the shapes under your fingers so muscle memory takes over and you can play through the patterns without thinking. In this lesson we’re going to take a look at some guitar scale exercises that will not only help you get the patterns under your fingers, but also improve both picking and fretting hand technique. Scale Exercises For the exercises in this lesson we’re going to be using the first position of the major scale. A Major Scale – Position 1 While the exercises in this lesson work out of a single position of the major scale ..read more

Spread triads, or open voice triads, are a variation of the more commonly used standard triads, or closed voice triads. The intervalic relationship between the notes of open voiced triads creates a more melodic structure that’s a bit less linear. They’re also quite versatile, being used by guitarists from Eric Johnson to David Gilmour, so they can fit many different styles of music. In this lesson we’ll take a look at what spread triads are, how to build them, and some exercises you can use to practice them. How to Build Spread Triads The most common way to build spread triads is to take the 2 ..read more

In this lesson we’re going to take a look at how to tune a guitar. It seems so basic, but it’s a fundamental skill every guitar player needs to have and it’s one you should develop from the start. So let’s jump in and see why it’s important to keep your guitar in tune and different ways we can go about keeping it in tune. Why Keep a Guitar In Tune? Aside from the obvious reason of the instrument potentially sounding terrible when it’s played out of tune, there’s another important reason to always keep your guitar in tune. Whenever you’re playing the guitar, you’re training your ear how to hear ..read more