Chord Theory Guitar Lesson
Chord Theory
Steve begins a discussion of chord theory and how theory concepts are used to spell chords. Understanding how chords function will boost your musical ability. Been wondering what minor, major, dominant 7th and sus chords are? Steve explains these chord types in this quality episode. Steve also introduces you to scales. You will learn how to play the D major scale. Don't worry if you don't immediately understand music theory concepts. It may take several months to fully understand the importance of scale theory. As usual, you will learn some new chords. Most of these chords are from the D family.
Taught by Steve Eulberg in Basic Guitar with Steve Eulberg seriesLength: 40:12Difficulty: 2.0 of 5
- 1: D Note – “D” string, open.
- 2: E Note– “D” string, 2nd fret.
- 3: F# Note – “D” string, 4th fret.
- 4: G Note – “G” string, open.
- 5: A Note – “G” string, 2nd fret.
- 6: B Note – “B” string, open.
- 7: C# Note – “B” string, 2nd fret.
- 8: D Note – “B” string, 3rd fret.
- ”E” (high) String: 2nd finger, 2nd fret – Playing “F#” note.
- ”B” String: 3rd finger, 3rd fret – Playing “D” note.
- ”G” String: 1st finger, 2nd fret - Playing “A” note.
- ”D” String: Open – Playing “D” note.
To explore where the “D” (major) chord comes from, let’s look back at the “D” scale (extended a bit) that we learned previously. I have also included the string & fret to play each note for the octave we are using in this lesson. Remember, these notes can be played in different locations on the guitar, you’ll just be changing octaves.
- 1st Degree: D - “D” string, open.
- 2nd Degree: E – “D” string, 2nd fret.
- 3rd Degree: F# - “D” string, 4th fret.
- 4th Degree: G – “G” string, open.
- 5th Degree: A – “G” string, 2nd fret.
- 6th Degree: B – “B” string, open.
- 7th Degree: C# - “B” string, 2nd fret.
- 1st Degree: D – “B” string, 3rd fret. (back to 1st since we are starting the scale over).
- 2nd Degree: E – “E” string, open.
- 3rd Degree: “F#” – “E” (high) string, 2nd fret.
You might be wondering why there are sharps (represented by pound (#) signs). Without going into advanced theory, just trust us – that’s how it is for the “D” scale. The “C” scale, for instance, will not have any sharp or flat notes.
The notes played in the “D” scale can also be expressed in degrees; that is, distance from the root note (starting point). In the list above, you will see that we have listed the degrees of each note in the scale. The “F#” is the 3rd note in the scale so it’s the “3rd degree” or “third”. The “A” in the scale is the 5th note played so it’s called the “5th degree” or “fifth”.
Now that you have this basic understanding, let’s look at the “D” chord again & label the notes in degrees. You are playing the “D” note (“D” string, open) which is the 1st degree. You are then playing the “F#” note which is the 3rd degree. Next is the “A” which is the 5th degree. Lastly we have our “D” again, the 1st (or 8th) degree. Every chord you play will consist of a variation of the 1st degree, 3rd degree, and 5th degree notes of the scale. In the case of the major chords, the notes played will be exactly these degrees..
"D" Minor
To play a minor chord, you will be flattening the 3rd degree note. In the case of the “D” chord, you will be flattening the “F#. To flatten a note, you simply move down the neck of the guitar (towards the nut) one fret (also called a semi-tone or half step). Our regular “F#” is played on the “E” (high) string, 2nd fret. To flatten it, we simply play it on the “E” (high) string, 1st fret.
"D" Major 7th
For “Major 7th” chords, you will be playing the 7th degree note on top of the 1st (“D” – “D” string open”), 3rd (“F#” – “E” (high) string, 2nd fret), and 5th (“A” – “G” string, 2nd fret) degree notes. The 1st, 3rd, and 5th degree notes are the exact notes played in the “D” (major) chord. So for the “D Major 7th” we are simply adding in the 7th degree note. In this case, it is the “C#” played on the “B” string, 2nd fret. This chord becomes very simple to play. You some barre your fingers across the first three strings on the 2nd fret. Pick these three as well as the open “D” string and you have yourself a “D Major 7th” chord!
You might be wondering what happened to the original 3rd degree note (“B” string, 3rd fret – a “D” note). Well since our new note (7th degree note) is played on the “B” string, it basically overrides any other note played on that string. In this case, the 3rd degree note (“D”) bit the dust.
"D" 7th
To change to a “7th” chord (also called dominant 7th), we are going to flatten the 7th degree note. For the “D” scale, the 7th degree note is a C# played on the “B” string, 2nd fret. To flatten it, we just drop down a half step (one fret) and play it on the 1st fret of the “B” string. This is now a “C” note. The rest of your notes will remain the same. Congratulations, you now have a “D 7th” chord.
"D" 6th
To play a “6th chord”, you simply flatten the “Dominant Chord” 7th degree note once again. For the “D” scale, the dominant chord 7th degree note is the “C”. When we flatten a “C”, we have a “B” note (there is no such thing as a “B” sharp; it just doesn’t exist on the diatonic scale). Instead of looking at this as flattening the 7th note twice (once to get the dominant chord, and again for the 6th chord), you can see that we are not playing the 7th degree note at all. We’ve now moved to the 6th degree note (because we’ve dropped two half steps). This is why it is called a “6th” chord.
That’s all for this chapter. I know that this is a lot to take in. The theory covered in this chapter typically takes a few classes at music theory educational institutes. Take your time & review this as many times as you need to make sure you understand it. Chapter 5: (1:20) D Major 7th & D7th Chord Progression Now that we got the theory out of the way, let’s work on practicing the physical playing of these chords. Transition back & forth between the D Major 7th and D7 chords.
D Major 7th - Barred finger across the 2nd fret on the “E” (high), “B”, and “G” strings. Be sure to pick the open “D” string as well.
D7th - First finger on the “B” string, 1st fret. Second finger on the “G” string, 2nd fret. Third finger on the high “E”, 2nd fret.
Transition back & forth between these chords until you are comfortable. If you’re feeling confident, mix up your picking rhythm and throw in some palm mutes & string mutes. Chapter 6: (2:50) D and D6 Transitions Time for a little break. Let's try a progression between the D7 and D6 chords. It's easy. First play the D7th chord:
- Finger 1: "B" string, 1st fret.
- Finger 2: "G" string, 2nd fret.
- Finger 3: "E" (high) string", 2nd fret.
Now let's try to transition between "D" and "D6" chords. Fret the "D" chord:
- Finger 1: "G" string, 2nd fret.
- Finger 2: "e" string, 2nd fret.
- Finger 3: "B" string, 3rd fret.
Now let's put everything together. First Try the chords in this order: D6, D7, D Major 7, and D. In fact, feel free to make up you own order! Practice transitioning betwene the "D" family of chords and have some fun with it. You don't necessarily have to pick each chord once. You can hit one chord twice then the next chord once. Throw in some palm & string mutes and create your own unique riff from the "D" family chords. Chapter 7: (7:58) "D" Minor Chords By now you should be able to play a handful of the "D" major chords and also understand the theory behind the formation of each. Now let's check out the "D" minor chords.
As you already know, the "D" minor is played by flattening the 3rd degree note. In this case, you will be flattening the "F#" into an "F". Instead of playing the "e" string, 2nd fret, we'll play that note on the "e" string, 1st fret.
The same variations we played on the major chord can be applied to the minor chord as well. For instance, with the "D" Major 7th, we played the 1st, 3rd, and 5th degree notes and added the 7th degree note. With the "D" Minor Major 7th, we will be playing the same thing except with a flattened 3rd degree note (dropping this note this is what makes it a "minor chord").
As another example, we can play the "D Minor 7th" chord by playing the "D 7th" chord with a flattened 3rd degree note. Pretty simple, eh?
Despite the minor change (flattening the 3rd degree note) from a major chord to a minor, the sound is completely different. If a song calls for you to play a "D7th" chord, you can sneak in the "D" chord instead and there won't be much of a difference. In fact, the entire "D Major" family is interchangable. The same can be said for the minor family of chords. You can sneak in a "D Minor 7th" instead of a "D Minor" and there won't be much of a difference. However, you cannot replace a major chord with a minor chord of vise versa because of the major differences in the sound. Compare them side by side & you will see for yourself. Chapter 8: (6:33) sus2 and sus4 Chords Now we'll check out the "sus" chord variations. The term "sus" is short for suspended. With this technique, you are going to "suspend" the 3rd degree note one way or the other.
Dsus2
Let's take a look at the "Dsus2" chord. As you know, with the traditional "D" chord you are going to be fretting the 1st, 3rd, and 5th degree notes. The "sus2" alteration means that you drop the 3rd degree note & add in the 2nd degree note. Here are the four notes of a traditional "D":
- 1st Degree: "D" - "D" string open.
- 3rd Degree: "F#" - "e" string, 2nd fret.
- 5th Degree: "A" - "G" string, 2nd fret.
- 1st Degree: "D" - "B" string, 3rd fret.
- 1st Degree: "D" - "D" string open
- 2nd Degree (replaced 3rd): "E" - "e" string open
- 5th Degree: "A" - "G" string, 2nd fret.
- 1st Degree: "D" - "B" string, 3rd fret.
Dsus4
Now let's review the theory behind the "Dsus4" chord. With the "Dsus2" we removed the 3rd degree note and added in the 2nd degree note. Now, we will be removing the 3rd degree note and adding in the 4th degree note. That's it! Instead of playing the 3rd degree "F#" note ("e" string, 2nd fret), we will be playing the 4th degree "G" note ("e" string, 3rd fret). There is again a 4th degree note earlier in the scale but it is played on the "G" string which is utilized by the 5th degree note in this chord. Since that string is taken, we find the next available 4th degree note which is the "G" on the "e" string, 3rd fret. Here's how the "Dsus4" will be played:
- 1st Degree: "D" - "D" string open
- 4th Degree (replaced 3rd): "G" - "e" string 4th fret
- 5th Degree: "A" - "G" string, 2nd fret.
- 1st Degree: "D" - "B" string, 3rd fret.
Supplemental Learning Material
Basic Guitar with Steve Eulberg
Found in our Beginner Lesson SetsPhase 1 Acoustic Lessons with Steve Eulberg is a great place to begin your journey as a guitarist. With over 30 years of playing experience, Steve appreciates the importance of beginning your guitar training the correct way - no bad habits! These lessons are not just for acoustic players. Electric guitarists will receive the same benefits from this lesson series.
Lesson 1
The Absolute Basics
You will learn the parts of the guitar and how they function. Steve also discusses the importance of technique.
Length: 45:09 Difficulty: 0.5 Members Only
Your First Chords
Three simple chords will literally enable you to play millions of songs. In this lesson, you will learn the primary chords for the key of G.
Length: 40:00 Difficulty: 1.0 Members Only
Strumming Technique
Now that Steve has taught some chords, he will go over the proper methods of strumming and right hand technique.
Length: 42:00 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
All About Chords
This lesson is all about the various aspects of chords.
Length: 39:00 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Chord Theory
Steve explains how basic triads are formed in this lesson. He also explains the relationship between scales and chords.
Length: 40:12 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Intro to Fingerpicking
Steve Eulberg introduces you to the wonderful world of fingerpicking.
Length: 51:00 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Bringing it Together
Steve starts to weave the strings of the past lessons together.
Length: 47:00 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Chords, Keys and Relationships
This episode delves further in the realm of chords, scales, keys and the relationships between them. You will also learn some new chords.
Length: 34:25 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Barre Chords
This lesson covers power chords and barre chords. You will learn how these chords are formed and how to apply them.
Length: 38:24 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Tools for Guitar
Steve explains how basic tools such as the metronome, capo, and picks aid your guitar playing. Enjoy!
Length: 27:12 Difficulty: 1.0 Members Only
Playing Lead and Scales
This lesson gets you into the basics of playing melodies on the guitar. Playing melodies and solos is often referred to as "lead guitar."
Length: 45:00 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Hand Stretches
Steve demonstrates some great stretches for the hands, wrists and upper arms.
Length: 8:12 Difficulty: 0.5 Members Only
Different Guitars
Steve discusses the difference between the steel string acoustic, classical, and 12 string guitars.
Length: 12:00 Difficulty: 0.5 Members Only
Changing Guitar Strings
This lesson is all about changing guitar strings. This process can be very frustrating, but it doesn't have to be. Learn some great tips from Steve.
Length: 37:00 Difficulty: 0.5 Members Only
Timing and Tempo
Steve Eulberg delves into the wonderful world of rhythm and time signatures.
Length: 29:00 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Circle of Fifths
Steve Eulberg introduces the Circle of Fifths. He demonstrates a song that features a Circle of Fifths progression.
Length: 15:30 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Clearing Up Confusion
In this lesson Steve attempts to clear up some confusion with previous lessons. He will talk about reading tablature, note names, chord names and more.
Length: 15:52 Difficulty: 2.0 Members OnlyLesson 18
Review and Moving On
Steve Eulberg does a quick review of this lesson series and talks about moving on.
Length: 12:44 Difficulty: 2.0 FREE
Completing Lessons
Steve answers the popular question, "When should I move on to the next lesson?" by sharing his personal goals and some important advice.
Length: 6:19 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
About Steve Eulberg
View Full Biography
An Award-winning multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter, Steve Eulberg weaves mountain and hammered dulcimers with a variety of unusual instruments to create thought-provoking, smile-inducing, toe-tapping acoustic experiences.
He has sung and composed for religious communities, union halls, picket lines, inter-faith retreats, mountain-top youth camps, as well as the more familiar venues: clubs, coffeehouses, bookstores, festivals, charity benefits and showcase concerts.
Born and raised in the German-heritage town of Pemberville, Ohio, Steve was exposed to a variety of music in his home. Early piano lessons were followed by trumpet in school band, and he became self-taught on ukelele and guitar and harmonica. Mandolin was added at Capital University where, while majoring in History, he studied Ear Training, Voice and took Arranging lessons from the Conservatory of Music.
While at college, he first heard hammered and mountain dulcimers, building his first mountain dulcimer just before his final year. Seminary training took him the west side of Denver where he built his first hammered dulcimer. With these instruments, he was able to give voice to the Scottish, English and Irish traditions to which he is also heir.
Following marriage in 1985 to Connie Winter-Eulberg he settled in Kansas City, Missouri. There he worked cross-culturally in a church of African-Americans, Latinos and European Americans, with music being a primary organizing tool. He moved with his family in 1997 to be nestled beside the Rocky Mountains in Fort Coillins, Colorado.
Founder of Owl Mountain Music, Inc. he teaches and performs extensively in Colorado and Wyoming with tours across the US and the UK. He delights in introducing the “sweet music†of dulcimers to people in diverse settings and in addition to his own recordings, has included dulcimers in a variety of session work for other musicians.
In 2000 he was commissioned to create a choral composition featuring dulcimers for the Rainbow Chorus in Fort Collins. It was recorded in the same year (BEGINNINGS). He is currently at work on a commissioned symphony that will feature hammered dulcimer and Australian didjeridu.
Eulberg passionately believes that music crosses cultural and language barriers because music builds community. Influenced by a variety of ethnic styles, his music weaves vital lyric with rap, rock, folk, gospel and blues. Audiences of all ages respond well to his presentation and to his warm sense of humor.
Steve is a member of Local 1000 (AFM), The Folk Alliance, BMI and BWAAG (Better World Artists and Activist's Guild).
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Member Comments about this Lesson
Discussions with our instructors are just one of the many benefits of becoming a member of JamPlay.Hi Steve, It's really a gr8 lesson , now am able to figure it out how the chord are constructed ,it's really a nice feeling. I've just one question Steve, I've just observed that for any key like D,G or A etc the difference between 3rd and 4th note is one semitone is it due to any specific reason for that ...? Thanks
Steve, I have been playing everything for at least 30-45 minutes and things are finally coming together.. Mind you I cannot feel the tips of my fingers anymore which makes difficult for picking things up and typing but I will get over it.. Overall great lessons.. Dave
Man, there are a lot of players on Jamplay who are like me returning to the guitar after years of letting other things take priority. I've been practicing every night since I picked up my guitar again after 25+ years. I am learning tons of things I wish I had known way back then.
thats 30 - 45 minutes per night...
Hi Steve, Having trouble with the Dm7. I can bridge the first tow strings fine but when I try to place the second finger on the third string I loose the bridge. Is it okay to use the first two fingers to make the bridge part and the third finger on the third string?
unfortunately you have to learn to bridge with one finger, it will help in future for bare chords(ALOT) a tip that i used until i got enough practice and strength in my finger was to place my 2nd finger over the first (helps pushing it over) it and use 3rd finger for the A note on G string.
I got a question maybe i m confused but in chapter 4 where you say When we flatten a “C”, we have a “B” note ' Isn't it the other way around: when we flatten a B we have a C?
Nvm that, ahaaaaaaaaaa!!!!
My head is going to blow up, ugh, just goes to show how rookie I am. Great info just seems there is some stuff I need to learn to learn this well but I am guessing that is what this is about, introduce get you thinking, come back to it. I watched this 5 times and while I get it, it seems I can only hold it in my brain for like 5 minutes then I lose it again. Hard stuff, hopefully I get some Ah Ha moments and things start clicking.
cool Ah-Ha's... I have to admit the theory part is still got me boggled, I will keep watching, BUT I love the new sounds.... Printing out lesson. the top of the page is ( Chord diagrams are all covered over w/ the less materials title) but i can see the tab later in the lesson. sure you have heard about the overlap, but I thought I would through that in. Lovin' what you are doing, and it is helping. For years now I have not been able to get past the beginner stage still dont know any songs. and when I learn them, i cant remember them. I have issues ;-) maybe not enough repetition, but then again, i have issues w/ metronomes, and rhythm. I need to get out and play with other people....Sorry for rambling. anyway, loving the lessons, is just this one got full fast!!!! Great info; i will try to absorb. thanks
Lesson 5 got WAY too fast and complicated. The first 4 lessons were easy to follow and play along, and then got slammed with all the different variations of the D chord. Got overwhelmed, and I've wached it several several times while stopping and repeating over and over. I got the theory, no problem, just slow down on the finger placements.
I'm just a newbie here. I found that this lesson went at a faster pace than the previous ones in the series. I've watched a few sessions from other teachers and seeing the finger placements has always been a challenge. I've taken to opening the chord diagrams in the supplemental content in a separate window while the video is running. That way, I can stop at any point and refer to the diagrams to get the fingering right. It's also nice to get some theory. I've picked up quite a bit from music theory books but it's nice to have someone explain it as well.
Can't see the fingering from the front angle, should be over the shoulder looking down. Love you Steve but it got so frustrating!
This was certainly an AH-HAA moment for me. after over ten years of strumming and learning chords I now realize why they are named as they are. I was beginning to catch onto it not long ago but thanks to this Steve and his explanation here I now understand it. THANK YOU!
Ah ha moment! Been playing for 5 years....I knew a little about chord theory but never really understood it. Your demonstration using the D chord really hit home! Thanks Steve!!!!
Very nice lesson . Very well taught . :)
Very nice lesson . Very well taught . :)
This is way to fast and much for a beginning lesson
Don't get discouraged and remember you can pause at anytime to focus on what you need to work on. Let me know if you have a specific question that I can help you with, Cheers, Steve
Lesson 5 scene 4 absolutely would not download, scene 5 will however. I need to see what your doing in scene 4!! Also I am grateful that you are here!! I have been playing about a month, and am wishing I would have done this 35 years ago. Thanks Steve.
hmmm, have you reported the scene-loading problem as a bug (top right of the page)? Steve
Iam getting the cords, but theoraticly i do not see it yet. I get the building on notes and triads. But fixing a sharp and making it a minor i do not get. Playing the cord however is not the problem, guess iam waiting for my oooh moment.
Is there a way to fast forward and go directly to the lessons? I have tried the back and forward buttons below the screen but that doesn't get me directly into the lesson. The music is nice but there is so much down time waiting to get to the actual lesson. I really like seeing the summary at the end of the lesson because it is difficult to see your finger placement due to the angle the camera is shooting. I am a beginner so every detail is important.I just discovered the supplemental lessons and that is really helpful! Thanks
Hang in there, TFix, keep plugging and I'm confident that your "aha" moment will come. (Question--did your finger get stuck on the "add Comment" button by any chance? I see it showed up multiple times.) Cheers, Steve
Iam getting the cords, but theoraticly i do not see it yet. I get the building on notes and triads. But fixing a sharp and making it a minor i do not get. Playing the cord however is not the problem, guess iam waiting for my oooh moment.....Iam getting the cords, but theoraticly i do not see it yet. I get the building on notes and triads. But fixing a sharp and making it a minor i do not get. Playing the cord however is not the problem, guess iam waiting for my oooh moment.....Iam getting the cords, but theoraticly i do not see it yet. I get the building on notes and triads. But fixing a sharp and making it a minor i do not get. Playing the cord however is not the problem, guess iam waiting for my oooh moment.....
Iam getting the cords, but theoraticly i do not see it yet. I get the building on notes and triads. But fixing a sharp and making it a minor i do not get. Playing the cord however is not the problem, guess iam waiting for my oooh moment.....Iam getting the cords, but theoraticly i do not see it yet. I get the building on notes and triads. But fixing a sharp and making it a minor i do not get. Playing the cord however is not the problem, guess iam waiting for my oooh moment.....Iam getting the cords, but theoraticly i do not see it yet. I get the building on notes and triads. But fixing a sharp and making it a minor i do not get. Playing the cord however is not the problem, guess iam waiting for my oooh moment.....
Iam getting the cords, but theoraticly i do not see it yet. I get the building on notes and triads. But fixing a sharp and making it a minor i do not get. Playing the cord however is not the problem, guess iam waiting for my oooh moment.....
Iam getting the cords, but theoraticly i do not see it yet. I get the building on notes and triads. But fixing a sharp and making it a minor i do not get. Playing the cord however is not the problem, guess iam waiting for my oooh moment.....
Iam getting the cords, but theoraticly i do not see it yet. I get the building on notes and triads. But fixing a sharp and making it a minor i do not get. Playing the cord however is not the problem, guess iam waiting for my oooh moment.....
Iam getting the cords, but theoraticly i do not see it yet. I get the building on notes and triads. But fixing a sharp and making it a minor i do not get. Playing the cord however is not the problem, guess iam waiting for my oooh moment.....
This is way to fast and much for a beginning lesson
Lesson 5 scene 4 absolutely would not download, scene 5 will however. I need to see what your doing in scene 4!! Also I am grateful that you are here!! I have been playing about a month, and am wishing I would have done this 35 years ago. Thanks Steve.
Lesson 5 was a real A-ha! Finally understanding music theory thank you so much. You ought to publish a book and sell on Amazon. I think you explain theory very well.
My aha moment: the 3rd is the 'color' note which determines whether the chord is major or minor, so 'suspending' the resolution by playing the 2nd or 4th INSTEAD of the 3rd finally makes sense to me - Thanks, Steve!! I've been playing for awhile, so wasn't expecting to pick up that much in this basic series, but in fact I find I'm learning quite a bit!
Hi Steve, great lesson. Is there some way to fix the PDF for Lesson 5, because the Title is overlaying the tablature, so it's a bit tough to see the fingering of the D chords. Thanks.
Thanks Steve for helping me get started however VERY FRUSTRATED that your lesson keeps cutting out on me? I don,t know why?
Hi Steve. Good lesson here. In Scene 1 what is the chord progression you are playing? I can't quite make it out. Thanks, Don
Thanks for the info on the chord progression during your live QA, Steve. The progression is D Dmaj7 D7 and D6. I appreciate it.
very nice lesson... thx for that one... now i got very much more into learning guitar !
I'm having an awful hard time determining where your fingers are being placed Steve....
I think I got it now.....
Is there any way to add the tab diagrams for each of the D family chords? I think it would make thing easier for me to learn from??? I think, I think?? Additionally, is there a recommended book I could get to read this to get some additional understanding of each key? One more thing, when I view these lessons, they skip every other scene. Scene 1 to scene 3 to scene 5, etc. Do you know of any way to stop this from happening? Sorry for the segmented comment......
the diagrams are in the supplemental content, they cannot be added to the videos. I'm not experienced the jumping between scenes that you are...have you reported that using the "report a bug" link on the home page?
Hello Steve, I was with you and excited for first four lessions then Session 5 hit. Way over my head. Its like you went from beginner to intermediate is this session. I am just barley able to place fingers on the srtings and switch cords let alone understand all that theory. Seems like too big of a jump for sure for a newbe. Wooooahh
don't give up penny!
Take your time and practice as much as you can. The 'D' chord looks simple but the problem lies in the movement of hand and quick placement of fingers. Practice hard, use a pen and paper to write down the scale and when you play, try to construct the chords from the scale or identify the notes of scale of your own. Just remember, for Chords in a scale, Rule 1-4-5 and for notes in a chord rule 1-3-5. A major to minor scale shifts at 3rd note to a step below. Trust me, you will soon be playing it well and find these are just are not that complex as they appeared to be. Best wishes.
THis, "Just remember, for Chords in a scale, Rule 1-4-5 and for notes in a chord rule 1-3-5" I do not understand. Why the change? Why is the G 1, 4, 5 and the D 1, 3, 5? There must be a simple explanation. Also, I understand the concepts in the theory he presented, but how important is it to memorize the theory- like going from minor, major 7, etc??? I am sooo anxious to go on and I'm tired of D's!!
The problem here is that Roman Numerals (used for Chords from the scale: I ii iii IV V vi vii°) sound the same out loud as Arabic Numerals (used for the steps of the scale inside each chord: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7) The key of G will usually have I IV and V chords (G, C and D) Each chord will be composed of the 1-3-5 steps of its scale, e.g. G: 1-3-5 = G B D C: 1-3-5 = C E G D: 1-3-5 = D F# A Hope this helps!
I knew there was an easy explantation. Thanks for clearing that up for me!
Hey Pennycasanona. Sorry for my bad English. I'm a beginner as well, and lesson 5 is hard,but keep on repaet the lesson and make a sketch by yourself, and you will have the ahaa-moment. D'ont give up.
hard to see, and understand
I'm unclear about how to respond, coolcat...can you go into more detail?
HI Steve, Great lessons! Having some trouble with that D Minor 7 chord trying to span the E and D string with one finger and cleanly playing the A on the G string. Any hints?
try sliding your thumb around the back of the neck and be certain that the middle (2nd) finger is coming down on the string with the tip of your finger.
hard to see, and understand
hi Steve- what's the strum pattern you're using in lesson 5?
Hi Steve ! Just wanted to say thank you for your lessons. It's a real pleasure to listen to you and I didn't know I could actually enjoy learning music theory ! ;)
Hi, I have a question about the Sus chords..say if i wanted to improvise to those sus chords what would i need to do to make a scale that would sound good with those chords? thanks :)
I'd play a scale that omits the 3rds with sus chords.
"Kiss Me"
AAAHA!!! This stuff is FANTASIC! I am picking up guitar again after about 20 years and having fun with your lessons. I knew how to play all these chords, but now learning the theory behind them makes all the sense. Love the music theory part Steve, thank you. Keep them coming.
You're welcome, thanks for the feedback!
Hi Steve. I'm confused about why there's a difference between D7 and D maj 7. I thought when you wrote D7 without specifying min or Dm, it would be based on the major scale. Am I wrong? Maybe the D7 is its own triad with the 1st, 3rd and 7th intervals? Any assistance would be appreciated!
Let's see if I can clarify: D7 (actually Dominant 7 has D F# A and Cnatural (the flatted 7th step of that scale: numerically: 1-3-5-b7) Dmaj7 (actually Major 7 has D F# A and C#, the expected 7th step of that scale or 1-3-5-7) That's why they are not the same chord.
what would really help for this kind of lesson would be the chords with the diagram above to show the changes
Look under the Supplemental Content Tab, you will see all the chords for the lesson....
I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who got a bit lost in this lesson. Luckily I take alot of notes and review them while re-watching the lesson. No ah-ha moment yet, but Iam positive there will be! I am also having trouble barring chords. My previous live instructor could do it, Steve can do it, why can't I? When I practice barre chords my arm, wrist and fingers ache and they still sound crappy.
It actually took me 6 months to learn F (Barre) Chord. I didn't had any guidance but kept practicing. Would recommend to practice hard. Few things, want to say, to start on barre chords, ensure your wrist is in a comfortable position, and not paining. I was always scared of playing F, but realized it was my mistake that I wasn't positioning fingers correctly. Also, you can try applying band aid on your fingers to practice barre chords. F Major is difficult at first, instead, start on A Major Barre (5th Fret positions, similar to F) and later move on F.
Steve im only 14 i could of sworn i knew everything about guitar then you brought up scales Oh my god i was overwhelmed and didnt know what to do but guess what my aha moment happend and ill keep practicing with your videos and one day ill be the next slash and ill thank you for teaching me
Well done! Hanging in there pulled you through. Good onya!
Great Lesson, One question- Why in a Dm 6th isn't the actual 6th flattened as in the D minor scale?
There are several kinds of minor scales and you are referring to the Natural or Pure Minor scale. But neither actually describe the Dm6 chord. The Dm refers to the flatted 3rd and the 6th is the same as always.
sorted it :)
would be so cool if there was a display on screen for the chords
is there a problem with printing off the chords i can only seem to get one cord printed off when ever i choose another chord i get the same one again anyone know how to print off different chords to desktop from the supplementary content section ?
I struggle a whole day with lessen 5,went to bed with a headache. But the morning afther i have a ahaa-moment. Thanks for your beautiful lessons Steve. You feel already like a friend to me.
Steve, my ah hah was with the numbers of the scale as they relate to chords. Been playing a long time but my theory is very weak. Your detailed breakdown is great.
I think I had that ah-ha moment. It came when I realized I was playing Do-Re-Me from the Sound of Music.:) This is my second attempt to learn how to play the guitar. I set a goal of learning to play in a year.
Still waiting on my aha moment. I stink at the moment. Great lesson though, it's not your fault!
I seem to be plucking the strings with my left hand by accident as I attempt to move from string to string. Any advice or tips for this?
great lesson...the Dmaj7 chord as shown by you is different than the Dmaj7 shown in the chord library. They show the notes played in the first fret.
oops! Dmaj7 is definitely in the 2nd fret.
I'm having a very difficult time bridging the B and E strings with my index finger to make the Dm7 chord without deadening the strings with my middle finger. It seems my index won't bend enough to allow this configuration. I can make the chord easily using 3 fingers, but I have a feeling it will burn me when it's time to make the F chord. Any Suggestions?
Be certain that your guitar is in good position, facing away from your body, trying playing with the neck at a 45 degree angle and try sliding your thumb behind the neck as your fingers need to form a right angle and see if those things help.
Steve, would it be advantageous to put little red stickers on our frets with the whole notes written on it, like right on the guitar? Or not?
Might be advantageous, except you might get a crick in your neck from craning around to try and look at the fretboard...or you'll be tempted to lay the guitar flat to try and see better and then you're hand will have a harder time reaching the fingerings. Matt Korsmo (who works for JamPlay now) created this wonderful resource online: http://www.guitarfu.com/tools/fretboard/index.html on which you can create visuals and turn the fretboard's note names on and off whenever you wish. Having said all that, here's what I suggest: if you put the stickers on, when they fall off don't replace them because that will be the sign that you don't need them anymore!
I just LOVE the sound of Dmaj7 and Em together - one after the other. I can't tell you why, I just do!!
that IS very satisfying to discover....see what else you can find that you like (AND dislike!)
Steve, Thank you for my AH HA moment as this sure was one for me. Great Lesson!
Excellent!
I love your lessons. I have learned so much in the past three days. I had known about chord construction but did not entirely understand it. This cleared it all up! I'll just have to memorize the fretboard to be able to make out the chords myself without having to look at a chart. One question though: How are scales constructed? Say I wanted to find out how to play a G minor 7 chord. I could find out how to play it if I knew the notes in the scale... But I don't.
You are right: When you know the notes needed in a chord, you can figure it out for yourself! The construction of scales is discussed more fully in the Music Theory 101 (Phase 2 skill levels), but here it is in a nutshell: In the western world, A scale is a pattern of notes. a Major chord is built on the 1st, 3rd & 5th steps of a scale. For your example: G major = G B D. a minor scale is built on the 1st and 5th with a flatted 3rd (b3) replacing the major 3rd: G minor = G Bb D. The seventh refers to an additional note that is added to the chord, in this case the flatted (or dominant) 7th = F, so Gm7 = G Bb D 7.
Thank you, thank you, thank you, Steve. I am learning so much from you. I bought a capo from my local music store and there was a free 7 day trial for JamPlay in the package. Since then I have subscribed, and, at least for the time being, given up my instructor as I am learning far more from you!
You're welcome, Rosemary! And thanks to Randall Williams for getting the JamPlay cards into the capos!
I find that I waist so much time lissening to how to place one's fingers on the fret & strings to be able to make a chord. I am constently using the markers to go back and watch you place your fingers & listen, to see if my fingers are postioned properly. It would be really nice if you could show a diagram on the screen (monitor)the Guitar key board and the postion of the fingers.That way your not constantly second guessing,checking, and thinking did I hear him correctly.
Did you take a look at the supplemental content? That may help. It's definitely hard to follow without it.
I agree...even tho its in the supplemental chart, having a see thru diagram overlay of the chord overlayed on the video of the instructor playing or teaching at that moment would do wonders for us visual learners! Yep, that would be awesome. I understand new lessons will show it from the players angle...both together would be EXACTLY what we need! Perfection is in the eye of the ...guitar players eyes! Great idea.
Hi, Steve. Thanks fo the lesson. I especially appreciated your take on the suspended chords. I agree with ellonysman about "us visual learners." Psychological studies have shown that 80% of us humans learn better through vision when compared to other senses. Having offered that, the ear is at least as important, in my opinion, when it comes to music. Nevertheless, I think chart overlays would help. Thanks again for the lesson.
That's a cool suggestion, thanks.
I love your lessons too Steve but I'm obviously not as smart as some of your other students. I feel completely overwhelmed and 100% lost. I'm not giving up though - will just have to repeat this lesson a couple of hundred times....:)
There is no substitute for repetition because what we're doing is muscle memory or re-wiring the brain, and that only happens with repetition. (In my particular dense-brain sense, the same principle and process is true for new understanding as well!)
Take a look at the Music Theory 101 lessons for more about this (Stage 2 Skill Lessons).
Steve, I enjoy the lessons, but we can't see where your fingertips are contacting the strings. A different camera angle would help immensly.
Thanks for the feedback!
Hey, I just found the supplemental tabs below the video. This should help a lot.
great lesson! The chords sound just like the chords used in kiss me by sixpence AWESOME!
Nice to hear!
Steve (or anyone knowledgeable): Are there any risks in "adjusting" the fingering for a chord this early on in the lessons? My middle finger is like the head of a hammer & butts up against neighbouring strings in Dm7 and Dm6. But if I substitute the third finger, it rings clean and true.
The most important thing is to get clear tone from each of the strings that are being touched. For example, I have some students who finger a D chord X X 0 2 3 1 rather than the X X 0 1 3 2 that I prefer. One could also use a petit or small barre : X X 0 1 2 1 or X X 0 1 3 1 and get the same result. The future question becomes: "How will I get from this fingering to the next chord" a question which will be there regardless of which fingering you use. Test it out and see what works best for you!
I am confused why there is only a 1/2 step between 2 notes on the D scale? I'd understand if they were on the B or E notes as they have no sharp keys....
Karl, in a major scale there are ALWAYS 2 intervals that are half-steps: e.g.: C | D | EF | G | A | BC | D etc. In the key of D these are shown by the F# and C#: D | E | F#G | A | B | C#D....there is more explanation of this in the Music Theory 101 Lessons in Phase 2 (Skill Levels)
Sorry, I didn't point out where I was refering to: F# to G, and C# to D
Steve, Thanks for the detailed explanation! What an eye-opener this lesson was. I beginning to realize what I'm actually looking at when I look at a chord such as Dsus4. I would of course always cheat and look it up with Google, but now I can figure it out for myself. Thanks so much!
Wow.......great lesson. Lots of content. Think it will be a while before I'm able to move on. Love the music theory.
The displayed Dminor 6 (at the end of Scene #6) is not the same as the Frets Finger Position under "supplemental content" DMinor 6 chord.
Hey there. The chord at the end of Scene 6 is actually a D6 chord and not a D minor 6 which is why you are seeing the difference in the chord fingerings.
The chords in "D" section are ever so different yet similiar...uhg!
study the material......great teacher
I am sailing along here, not having an AhHa moment because I have a little experience and suddenly I find in Chapter 4 @ 13:59 the D chord has more than 3 strings. All these years I've been playing it wrong. I'm calling that an OhNo moment.
On Lesson 5, Chapter 4: it explains how to change from a D chord to a D minor (flatten 3rd degree note) and to a Major 7 (add the 7th degree note). But then when it says how to change to a D7, it says to flatten the C#. But C# is not played on the D chord! So how can you flatten a note that isn't even being used? To get from a D chord to a D7, you have to flatten the D note twice. No?
I thought we started out playing D, then I realized it was D7 and yet there's still another D coming at me??? yikes...Im gonna get a "D" in this if Im not carefull! lol
I have ben sort of playing for the last year with a private instructor. Mind he was good. but this lesson was great I understand a little about the theory and I can see how chords are created. Thanks for the lesson. I look forward to putting this knowledge to the other scales and so forth.
Dont forget people, if youre having problems with this lesson, look it up with a different teacher...sometimes a different lesson from them will give a different perspective on it and might click! Remember Jamplay suggested this before...
I've been playing on my own for about six months but seemed to be stagnating. I can play some scales and all the open chords, and can fake a few barre chords (just can't get the top e string) These are good so far, I wish you had a different angle on the fretboard, I can't make any sense of what you're doing there. You could drop those intro's, a waste of a minute. I like the follow along script that says what you are saying in the video, it was how I learned the d scale.
I can play the chords but having problems with the theory... may have to watch this one a few more times before my ahhhhaaa moments comes around from that stand point!.....
Tried many times to learn guitar and gave up but decided I will do it this tim no matter what.Still waiting for that A-Ha moment, or as I say to finally "get it". Now, I feel like its coming soon, and that keeps me coming back for more. Thanks Steve- you are really good as an instructor.
3rd or maybe it was the 4th time was the charm, but i do have a new understanding of chord structures and how to relate the scales to them. Aha!
I have a very tough time covering the high E and B with my first finger.
you start off by practicing just covering the high A&B strings then when it sounds good add the A string.
I'm sorry I meant to say barre the High F&C strings then add A when you get them to sound good.
You are a bad ass man... Have learned a lot... Video transitions suck though ;) Distracting...
gosh i picked your lessons first, just joined last week. you have helped me so much as well as a few of the other teachers i have told almost everyone that plays guitar about this site that i know. i thank you steve you are a wonderful teacher. Godspeed my friend.
I've been playing for years without knowing jack squat. The first several lessons have been absolutely painful and repetitive because I've known this stuff for years, but this lesson was the first "A HA". This lesson is why I'm starting from the beginning. Scales go in the order of the alphabet? Really? And how did I not know this? Because I never took the time to learn. I just learned what finger fell on what fret. Makes me wish I hadn't skipped everything that I skipped when I started learning 13 years ago. So to any actual beginners who think this is boring and you just want to learn your favorite Green Day song? Don't just skip the lesson and buy a tab book. Listen to what Steve says and practice until you're numb. Then practice more.
I started playing a lot back in my college days. This particular lesson taught me grass roots truths about chords that make perfect sense, and things I missed out on as a picked up things from buddies here and there. I've been making many of these chords for years, but didn't fully understand what I was doing. A light bulb just switched on in my brain. I appreciate the great lesson.
This is a great lesson with a lot of good information. Like others I had problems keeping up with the video until I printed out the "Info About This Lesson" and all the chords from the "Supplemental Information" section. With these in front of me while practicing at a slower pace things came together for me.
Steve, I did this lesson about a year ago and didn't understand it.; seemed too complex. Just returned to the lesson and "Aha, it makes sense!" Inspiring me to "do some more!" Great lessons, thanks!
Hi Steve, I'm really enjoying your lessons. I feel very fortunate that you are sharing your talents. This is a great website. Now back to practicing.
Steve, you are a great teacher and I am thoroughly enjoying your lessons. I used to play songs on my guitar but only by ear. then I stayed 30 years without playing. Now that I am retired and my kids are gone ( one of my son is a musician and plays guitar and bass) I have decided to play again, but this time learning from scratch, the right way. I just love your lessons and if my progresses are slow, I am still progressing!!
Great lesson!!! I'm new to this site and I got so much out of that!! You made it easy and fun. Thanks!
Unless ya know the fretboard really...really well, scene 4 makes no sense at all. Very confusing.
Really helps me when the chord played is dropped into the video while the instructor is fingering the chord. Usaually can't see thier finger placement. just a suggestion.
man, is it just me... I have found this lesson to be the most difficult on so many levels. First, I cannot make the Dmin7 at all. I try different angles and finger positions but if I'm to make this Chord it won't be by barreing the B and E on the first fret. Then switching between these chords is extremely difficult for me. How or when can I move on if I can't get my hands and fingers to do this? If anyone can give advice on this please help...
Hi Steve, i love the way you teach ! Untill lesson 4 you mentioned 1,4,5 now here you talk of pattern 1,3,5 , Did i miss something or is it just another pattern or typical to D ? Cheers Saviour
In the previous lessons I believe he is talking about a 1,4,5 chord progression, and in this lesson he is talking about how chords are built, which will be a different formula. If this isnt the issue you are having let me know and I will have Steve chime in.
The lessons have been simple so far, but this one completely lost me. Good thing I work the lessons out on my crappy Ibanez and save my Taylor for when I can actually play. I'd hate to smash my Taylor into pieces. Something tells me I'm going to be on this lesson indefinitely.
just tried this lesson for the first time. I too feel lost so I plan to go through it again. Love the sounds.
Second time around is better.
Okay. I feel like I'm having a conversation with myself... and I guess I am. I'm getting it now. Here's my Ah Ha moment: While practicing D, D Major 7, and D 7, and altering my strumming pattern, I realized I was playing, "Kiss Me." Although I suspect there may be a Capo used on the 2nd fret.
haha.. .I noticed that too.. But only after I was practicing it and my girl started singing that song while i was playing. hah
i have to say aha !!! after watching the video for the 2nd time.. Thks Saviour
AH HA !!! I had to watch this video over 3 times but i finally understand everything you are saying. Thanks Steve
im doing well steve then i get to lesson 5 and i loose the will to live.a great cloud appears over my beautilul county of lincolnshire .uk ive just finished lesson 5 and learnt not a thing.with respect steve could i suggest you show all the d chords at the begining of the lesson so that it would be easyer to follow you im back now to start 5 again
If had about a 100 ah-ha moments
Thanks steve I've really enjoyed your lessons.
your naming chords or strings that we havent gotten to yet like F3 and i cant see where your fingers are going..horrible camera qngle
Man, I have been playing for 7 years and I just figured out how to make sense of sus2 and sus4...thats what I get for never going through theory. Ah ha
ah- ha
This was an awesome lesson. I spent extra time on this to make sure I was understanding every step. I understand now the benefits to knowing the scale and the notes. I am looking forward to learning the rest of the notes and scales.
amazing how this went from fun to unfun in one lesson.
I take it back. I went through it again two times and it cleared up. Not sure how but it did.
It was rather confusing at first as I've already learnt this on piano. However, the second time, it makes really good sense. I've had my AHA moment as well. I'm growing to love the Ds'
OK Steve, you win....I had my AHA moment, had to view it 4 times though since the first 3 we're late at night, there should be a time for viewing this...like when you're awake....Great lesson, now I get it...still have to do the minors, thought i'd practice this in several sessions to make sure I know it by heart.
Okay Steve...here you go: AHAAA!....smile. Took me a third viewing but I got it now. Great lesson and cant wait for more...greetings from Germany
Scene 6 is where you lost me.
An exercise chart is in order to accompany this....with the tabs and the chords showing on it....very confusing to remember...and the way to pronounce them as well next to them in a list or something, majorminor...cause I can't figure out the order to play and which chords, just by listening and not seeing the fingering chart.
Too many names with D in it...i'm bad with names...D D7 D6 D dominant 7th.. etc...all at once I can't remember the names of them, so when you start listing more than 3 ....i'm lost...show them in writing in the right order with a simple note chart and I'll understand. And we can't see your fingers with the angle of the camera. The theory is great, it's just the names that are too long to remember...then to remember the order....forget it i'd have to right it down and write out how you called them. ....I didn't even get to the minor chords yet and I'm lost.
There's a few occasions where it's a little hard to see what Steve is playing but also note that the supplemental tab has a fantastic example for each chord showing the finger layout and Tab.
I am having a heck of a time fingering the D with the standard fingering. Would swapping the 1 & 2 fingers be a beginning of a bad habit or would that be "ok"in the long run? I cant seem to not deaden or mis -finger otherwise. With the modified it works perfect. Any input would be greatly appreciated!
cool. this lesson rocks. I just started joining JamPlay for 2nd day, and by searching around the video, i found this beginner course, esp this lesson really helpful. thanks. (even I've learn guitar for over a year)
AAAAAA HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!! I watched this lesson once and i didn't completely understand so i came back to it the next day. Now i understand how the minor Ds are all like the majors, but they just all play on the first fret of the e string. WOW, that was a serious AHA for me. I just had to come back and watch it twice.
Thanks Steve! Great lesson on modifying chords and understanding how they get their names. I had one of those AH-HA! moments and everything clicked when you started to exlplain the sus chords.
don't under stan what is the d and b and the other strings?
Hello Steve, Thanks for your time and the incredible lessons. One comment I want to make is, I am just starting and D, E, C and all the notes on each string are a bit confusing, and when you are demonstrating the chords it is hard to see your hands / fingers and then when I am not sure of what each note (each fret) is, I lose you totally. It would have been nice to have a picture of each chord on the screen (as some of the other lessons I have seen on this site). thanks. dan
You should start on lesson 1 Steve Eulberg will go through all of the strings and everything with you, just start fromt he beginning and you should better understand.
Hello Steve, thank you for the lessons. I`m getting along very fast, but my challenge is locating and figuring out on the fret board the notes that make any chord. I`ve only been learning the chords that you play and I need a better understanding of the theory of forming chords. I decided to draw the fret board on a paper and trying to write the noted on them.
Chapter 4 text says "let’s look at the “D” chord again & label the notes in degrees. You are playing the “D” note (“D” string, open) which is the 1st degree. You are then playing the “F#” note which is the 3rd degree. Next is the “A” which is the 5th degree. Lastly we have our “D” again, the 1st (or 8th) degree. Every chord you play will consist of a variation of the 1st degree, 3rd degree, and 5th degree notes of the scale. In the case of the major chords, the notes played will be exactly these degrees." But in an earlier lesson (lesson 4, chapter 4), you talked about the I, IV, and V notes being the major notes in a scale. You talked about the G scale: G A B C D E, and said it was the G C and D notes (first, fourth, and fifth) that would be major. What am I mixing up?
I have to say that I've watched many lessons from multiple teachers and this is by far my favorite lesson. this is the kind of info i've been waiting for. thanks Steve!
I watched this lesson with an additional picture of the fingerboard notes in front of me and you made everything crystal clear! I had plenty of Hahas! You're a legend! Thank you.
Oh ! get it! I just had an AH HA! moment and Steve did ask us to let him know.... When he was explaining the D scale and asking us to play through it with him (I usually tune out when I hear the names of the notes because I can never remember them - not even the string names - except for low E and high E but even then I forget which is which!) and somehow, while I was playing along with him, the names of the notes kind of filtered in and I realised that you only need to find the string (or position) of the name of the first note, and then if you know the notes in the scale, i.e. with sharps and flats, you know which notes you're playing on the guitar... don't know if that makes sense - but it does to me! Thanks Steve!
In the major scale D. You say the 4 notes to play are D E F# & G. Then you go on to play it but I beleive you are picking more than the 4 notes. Can you clear this up for me? Thank you
Excellent, that makes so much sense!
D lightful. Thanks again for more theory.
From a mature student lol. I've always longed to play guitar and finally got one about 3months ago. Tried various 'free' sites etc and was totally lost....found Jamplay by accident and what can I say - YOU ARE THE BEST for us NOOBIES !!!!!!!!!!!!!! You have a way of teaching that just makes it click. If I hadn't found your site, I would probably have given up.
I started playing guitar in 1965, never got good and gave it up until last year. My sister-in-law who teaches guitar in NYC could never explain 3rd and 5ths and 7ths to me over the phone (my fault, not hers). Your video did it for me is just two viewings. Thanks Steve!
Well what can I say that hasn't been said before. Makes learning easy and probably more important for those musically challenged among us fun. Great work Steve
Steve, great lesson, just signed up 10/13. Now I know why I'm drawn to a certain type of sound, I'm a "sus" junkie. Now I can really improve my style of play knowing this tiny bit of info. Yes the AH, Ha was quite profound. Thanks your the best.
I just wanted to note that the D maj - D maj 7th - D 7th - D 6 strumming that Steve does in this lesson set is the beginning to Jimmy Buffetts version of "Everybody's Talkin'" all you have to do is follow up with a measure of E minor and a measure of A Major. I just thought I would throw that out there incase people might have heard it before...
Steve thanks so much. I have been a "musician" for over 30 years. I have played drums, piano, guitar. I was in a drum and bugle corps, marching band. I took music theory in college. I have learned more from you and in a easier way than all of that combined. You have a easy way of explaining things that just make it click. Thanks
This was by far, so far, my most difficult lesson to understand. I had to go through some of it twice, but eventually I got it and really, I think it's brilliant. It really brings some things together for me. Steve, you have a real teaching ability. I took lessons for 9 months and still couldn't properly play a song through. I just gave it up for awhile until I happened upon this site.
BTW had more than one ah-ha moment.
Props... that's good stuff! Best lesson I've had so far! There were quite a few little nuggets in that one. AH HA!
Amazing....I just had an "AHA" moment!!!!! You are an amazing instructor Steve.
At about 2:10 into scene 8, you say, "..removing the fourth step of the scale, and replacing it with either a 2 or a 4..." I think you mean to say, "removing the third step..." Sorry if this sound picky, but I am really impressed with the quality of Jamplay thus far and want to help you be the best.
I think this type of feedback is very important. The challenge with online lessons is no (or very little) feedback. That is why everything that is said must be perfectly accurate - to prevent confusion.
steve i noticed you squeezing the cords. im guessing to make them shorter. dose this show up on tab or staff does it have a name.having a great time learning thanks frank
This was the lesson that started to make think that maybe this wasn't such a good idea. If ONLY I had scrolled down the page to see the d major scale laid out in a format even I could understand, I wouldn't have wasted 3 or 4 days thinking that I was the only person who couldn't grasp this or see where Steve's fingers were being placed. For sure, some more charts and specific finger placements in the videos would be most helpful. So far, I think Steve is an excellent instructor and beside this bump in the road, I have a very easy time following him along.
the best instructor
nice lesson Steve--very informative and well presented
Can you tell me if some of this lesson is typed in a secret code what the hell is that? Did I miss something where you start writing in some kind of short hand?
I quite confused about this lesson. In the intro you used alphabets for notes rather than fret numbers and there wasnt a lesson yet to cover notes. Any help?
You should find yourself a chart for this.I have one and it helps me out alot or make yourself one . 1st string= e(open string) f f# g g# a a# b c c# d d# e 2nd string= b(open string) c c# d d# e f f# g g# a a# b 3rd string= g(open string) g# a a# b c c# d d# e f f# g 4th string= d(open string) d# e f F3 g g# a a# b c c# d 5th string= a(open string) a# b c c# d d# e f f# g g# a 6th string= e(open string) f f# g g# a a# b c c# d d# e every time there is a b or an e there is NO #.After the 12 fret it starts over again.helps out when you want to find a note FAST
Hello there, try not to worry too much about the note names and where they appear on the guitar. The main purpose of this lesson is to start understand how a chord is formed. But if you would like the basics I would be happy to try and explain it for you. Basically western music uses a chromatic scale which contains 12 notes, which is A-G and the half step notes in between. So you have A, A#, B, C, C#, D, D#, E, F, F#, G, G#. (note you can also call the #'s flats or b, depending on which way you are going. An easy way to remember this is there is a # or b between every note besides B-C and E-F. Now that you have this knowledge you can apply it to the guitar very easily. Take the low E string (6th string) for instance. When you play the note open it is an E. That means when you play it on the first fret it is an F, because there is no sharp or flat between E and F. That would make the second fret an F# and the third fret a D, and so on. You can apply this same methodology to all the strings based on what note the string is played open. For instance, the D string played open is an open D which means the first fret would be a D#, second fret F, etc.
Ty alot =-) You've been very helpful, so am gonna study that now lol
is there any seceret to pushing all 3 high strings at once? i mean i cant get them all to ring right unless i smash all the blood out of my finger.
Use your thumb on the back of the neck to help you "pinch" down with your first finger. You'll use this for barre chords as well. You'll find that you can slide the thumb up and down parallel to the finger doing the "barring" and help out.
Wow! Finally realized how chords are made. Took me longer than the 40 minutes for the lesson - thank god for the pause button.
Steve- great lesson on the D chords - I never realized the versitility of them. While I have your attention, could you teach under the double eagle. I have dabbled with it for years but never mastered it because I have never heard it played professionally. Thanks in advance - jusromn
Steve, in scene 8 you say 'replace the 4th step of the scale' for sus 2&4. Was this a slip and did you mean remove the 3rd step and replace with 2 or 4th step
I think what he means is replacing the 3rd degree of the scale ;-) Great lesson nontheless.
If you think about it, it's amazing how lowering one note in a chord by a semitone completely changes the quality and the feel of that chord.
Help playing D minor 7 please! I have small hands and I am unable to bar the B and e strings and play the G string at the same time. I have been trying for a couple days now and its just not happening. Do you have any suggestions and/or alternate fingerings? Its driving me craaazzzyyyy...
u may have to just keep practicing. regardless of how small ur hands are, i dont think that would come into play with this chord, as there is little stretching of the fingers. it's probably that u dont have enough finger strength in ur index finger, or for some people when the middle finger moves the index sometimes moves as well, so u could be unconsciously lifting ur index finger.
Thanks. You are right about the finger strength. I felt like I had to push down fairly hard with my first finger to get both strings and when I did that I kept hitting the 2nd string with my second finger. I was trying out guitars at a music store to see if it was me or the guitar and noticed I had no problem playing it on a guitar with smaller strings. So - I put smaller strings on the guitar - they were old anyway - and I'm getting it now. I don't like the sound as much so I'll probably change back when I get better.
first let me say... AHA! and then thank you, this was exactly the lesson i was looking for today!
A-Hah I have been playing the guitar for years (mediocre at best) and these lessons are really helping me. I've always been able to play by just reading the chord names above the music, but now I'm starting to understand how the chords are built, and how to make them more interesting to both play and listen to. Steve you are a great teacher! I am impressed.
Steve, I got the A-HA also, Great lesson!
With the explanation on Scales i got the AHA!!! great great lesson, now i understand why a chord is a chord
Great, great lesson. I really liked the section on suspended chords.
It would be a great help to have the cord tabs so they could be printed for each lesson. I was doing OK until we got to all of the D variations and now am lost.
Have you looked into the supplemental content section? You might find it helpful as there are chord charts for all of the chords used in the lesson.
Ah-hah! Now I know what scales are for when making chords =-P Ty alot Steve!
Any idea why the text/symbols show up very strangely in the "Info about this lesson". Heres and example 1: D Note – “D†string, open. It makes the page hard to read. What is that supposed to mean? I thought it was Firefox and tried Internet Explorer but that was the same?
It's likely an issue with fonts. We will get this taken care of ASAP, thank you :)
Steve!!! did I tell you you are the best teacher ever..???!!! LOL...yeah i think i did!!! You really are!!! Have a nice weekend!
Up to this point I thought I was just going to do the same old. Steve you have done a great job showing the relation to D chords and it makes sense. This is such a great lesson.
I've been sampling this site for a week on trial membership from Acoustic Guitar Mag. and decided to buy in on the strength of this lesson. I play a couple of other instruments and have dabbled on guitar, and have been frustrated by the fact that guitar chords don't make "real-time" sense to me. I could pull them apart and tell you why they are what they are (at least, for the basic major, minor and seventh chords), but while playing, they were just a memorized hand shape. Not like on other instruments, where the scale and the chords had a logic that I could understand, hear and manipulate while I played. But this thing of going up and down with these chords, where you can hear the root crawling down to the the 6th and back up, etc - brilliant. At least for this family of chords, it's starting to make sense in real time. I can see using this in chord progressions to choose how to climb into the next chord in interesting ways. I hope there's a chance to explore this elsewhere on the fretboard (because I'm totally lost beyond the 4th fret)
great lesson.i will come back to this often
Firstly, the program to this point has been awesome. But this lesson lost me. You were doing so well teaching for true beginners: as in, never even picked up a guitar before. I was excited and motivated. However, in the first 4 lessons we learned chords by "first finger in first fret on third string", etc. And that is simple learning for us that know no other way. In this lesson you immediately started talking about making an A note with your second finger, C note, and so on. We've had no prior training as to what notes your fingers are making...just where to put them. I'm sooo confused. Did I miss something, or do I need to study the notes on my own?
Hey there. There's a really easy way to figure out which note you are playing. Basically you know that the musical scale has A B C D E F and G right? Well, i between all notes but the B and C and the E and F there is what is called an incidental (i believe) which is either a # or flat. So you have A, A#, B, C, C#, D, D#, E, F, F#, G, G#. Just remember that there are no sharps or flats between B and C and E and F and this is easy to remember. Now, say for instance you are playing your low e string / 6th string / biggest string. Since it is an E string we know that the string played open is an E. That means that if you go up to the first fret, since there is no # or flat between E and F, that it is a F note. The second fret is a F#, the third fret is a G, the fourth fret is a G# and so on. You just need to know the chromatic scale (the scale with the sharps and flats) and you can figure out any note on the fretboard. It's really helpful to learn the notes as it will really help you when you get into barre chords and scales. Hope this helps make it easier for you.
wow this made me have an aha moment. Thanks for the good work.
hi, steve im confused about one thing in Dmaj scale we dont have a C NOTE but when we play D7 the C notes kicks in why is it so since it is not present in the scale why we play it.
This is because 7th chords are actually made up of the major triad, plus the FLATTENED 7th note of the major scale. So, the 7th note in the D major scale is C#, and consequently the flattened 7th is C (one semitone lower).
Steve-I will go thru much of this lesson again (especially scene 4) as it was heavy, man. In a good way. If I was king of the world, I would require all guitar instructors to us Steve's method of getting wantabes on the path to enlightenment. I have been piddling with the guitar for 35 years. I an now 53, err 49. I have tried 4 or 5 instructors along the way and bought several books trying to figure it out. I attended a few local bluegrass pickins with some talented dudes. They'd say, we are going to play this in the key of E or whatever. I was lost and would strum along stinking. In all the lessons I took, instructors taught me songs, but they never explained the keys, as if you might never need to know them. Steve's explanation is the holy grail. And the aah-haah moment started when Steve did the hand sign for "I love you," explaining that I-IV-V thing I had heard about but never understood why. Then Steve expounds on that and I start to see all the possibilities of playing in a KEY. You can go with a typical instructor and learn a ton of songs and never understand why many are built on the same building blocks as others. Don't want you to raise your prices but I have gotten well over my first month's $19 fee in this first week. And did I mention the added S&M benefit of Steve's lesson---how I get the urge to reach over and cut off his braided pigtail...Yeah Baby!
I'm going to second that...I am deliberately going through these early lessons although I actually know more, because Steve keeps "throwing in those little tidbits of music theory" I missed when I first learned guitar the cheatin' way. Finally it is making sense.
steve i had an aha!
My favorite lesson so far. I'm new to JamPlay and Steve is the first instructor I've been a student to so far. I'm extremely impressed with not just the material but the quality of instructor. I have been a frustrated guitar strummer for 30 years... this is what I always needed... a little theory to help me understand music and my instrument. Thank you Steve!
Okay, so I go to bed last night discouraged and disheartened after getting my butt kicked in this lesson. I wake up this morning and drag my sorry self into the washroom to shave and as Im looking in the mirror.....the light comes on!!! So I took the lesson again tonight and I GET IT NOW!!!! Unbelievable! I guess I had an AH HA hey Steve. I think I will take it again tomorrow to fully memorize all the chords but what a difference a little time made for me - I guess it soaked in :)
Okay I was so excited and felt I was moving forward so well but this lesson knocked me on my butt. Im so lost!!! I guess I’ll have to go back and try to figure out what I missed so I can follow Steve. I’m not following him on the dry erase board at all. :( The camera angle on the fret board is also frustrating because you cant see his finger placement as his hand is in the way - I hope they figured this out in later lessons. Sorry to be so negative, I’ll go over the lesson again and try to figure it out.
Steve I have spent more time on studying this lesson than any previously. Theory never ceases to intrigue me. Somewhere, someone was asking the question as to what we as students (myself only in this case) expect to learn in JamPlay. Theory.
This was a great lesson in my opinion. I think it is very important to really understand chords, octaves, etc. in order to eventually be able to write your own music and to understand what you are playing. I have only been playing about two months now and this lesson cleared up some things that were fuzzy and made others fuzzy for me! But, I feel that I'm pretty close to getting the eureka light on now and being able to carry this over. The idea of taking the string (note) and how the fret changes that note...I'm almost there! Great stuff. :)
Steve, I am not understanding this theory on the D chord at all. Can I go on in the program or should I figure this out first?
You should be ok, this isn't always something people pick up right away.
Steve What is the Root of any chord? How is it defined? Could I be in way over my head at this begining stage?
The root of an A is an a chord, the root of a B is a b, the root of a C is a c, etc.
These lessons are awesome and i can remember what strings my fingers are hitting, but remembering the names of the D chords is giving me some blockage I'm sound out of the chords all except for the D Minor 7 chord. Getting clear sound out of that one is difficult for me.
I seem to have a real hard time getting a clear sound laying my index finger across the 3 strings. Maybe my fingers are too soft, but I always seem to mute at least one string unless I push like ridiculously hard, much harder than I have pressed any other string so far. Any tips?
Also, D Minor 7 completely eludes me. I cant seem to position my hand so that my index finger covers 2 strings, but still able to use finger 2 to hld down a string. Seems like an either/or.
I think Steve is a great teacher, but I can't see what he is doing with his left hand. He has strong fingers ... I'm missing a "window in the window" to see what's going on.
I agree with the last two comments... I got completely lost this lesson for both of those reasons. I'm going to press on and *hope* this info gets covered again later.
Check out the charts and information in the supplemental content section. They show you the fingerings for what Steve is doing.
Loved it!
Is it possible to have a 50% 'Ah-ha' moment?...maybe the Ah, but not yet the Ha?? If so, I think I may have just had a 50% Ah-ha moment. I just did this lesson for the second time & would say I'm starting to 'get it!' A little bit of the theory started to register with me, though I think it will be a long time before I get the full 100% 'Ah-ha!' I'll keep working on it though. I was able to play that great little fast tune with the D, Dmaj7, D7 & D6. I'm doing that quite successfully, whereas last time I watched the lesson I just got lost off. There's some great practice in this lesson for moving between all these D chords & listening to the different sounds they make. I was also really interested to learn about the suspension chords too. The song that sprung to my mind when listening to the sound & effect of the sus chords was 'Pinball Wizard' by The Who. I have absolutely no idea if this song does start with sus chords but it certainly came to my mind as having that kind of sound...a kind of 'thrilling, what's coming next' kind of sound. I must do a little research into that. Thanks Steve. Some great learning here!
This was a great lesson! I've learned a lot from this....but certainly not mastered it! Lol. I think I need to do this lesson a good few times. I must admit I'm struggling a little with the theory, but I know it is important to get a grasp of the basics of the theory, so I'll keep at it. Thanks Steve. P.S. Can't report an 'Ah ha' moment yet for this one, but hopefully it will happen when I least expect it.
hi Steve, The D Major scale... is it pattern 1,2,3,4 or 5? Can you explain this. your doing a great job but you already know that. Thanks! Spider
This major scale pattern isn't really numbered. It's just the D major scale in a position he chose. In later lessons he goes on to show a major scale pattern that can be moved up and down the neck (to change key) and play on either the 6th or 5th string root notes so you can have multiple positions for each key.
hi Steve, Just want to ask you a question about the D major scale. Why didn't you show the whole scale from the low E string to the high E string? Thanks again. Spider
I don't believe he did it for any particular purpose other then this was easy. In later lessons he goes on to show 2 octave major scale patterns :)
I guess I'm not going to get that answer... everytime I have a question on scales or what ever..... either nobody knows or they just don't answer at all. spider spider
Hey Spider. It's just really easy to miss comments, I appologize for that! If you need answers to a question quickly it's best to post them on the forum as the instructors see them much quicker and easier there.
Thanks Steve. I think that you did a really good job explaining the "sus" chords as I also was confused by it before. Thanks again.
wow what a good lesson.
Just in case nobody has told you latelty, You are pretty cool
Again, a great lesson but the theory side is way over my head... gonna have to watch this a few times to understand that I guess.
Aha moment!!! the notes in the D scale are in the song "the First Noel!" LOL Im such a nerd! lol Sylvia
I always found it difficult to learn and retain the variations of the D chord family. After Steve explained the underlying relationship between all of them, I can recall the chords easily without struggling to remember what type of D to play. I'm so excited because now I'm starting to see the overall picture!
Hi Steve, I really enjoy your lessons and i had a lot of aha moments. Could you please give me the strumming pattern for the title music for this lesson and for the one which you used to explain suspended progressions. Srinath
Maybe I'm missing something but I don't understand why the D-D7-D6 transition has to involve moving the entire hand. The way I do it is keep my index finger on the first fret of the b string, 2nd and 3rd fingers on the 2nd fret of the g and high e strings respectively, and the pinky on the 3rd fret of the b string. Then all I have to do is strum and I get D, lift the pinky and I get D7, lift the index finger and get D6. Of course this doesn't sound like a plausible transition. The D-DMaj7-D6 transition sounds good but I think I do that differently too. What I do is finger D regularly, then switch to a bar over the 3 highest string using the index finger for DMaj7, and then switch to index and middle finger on g and high e for D6. This also works using the the last 3 fingers instead of first 3. Maybe I'm setting myself up for hardship down the line... Is there anything wrong with these fingerings?
Hi Steve, I lost you towards the middle of scene seven and its mainly for two reasons. The first I find it sometimes difficult to see your finger placement on the frets because of the camera anlge. The other reason which is the most important is that many years ago I used to play the trumpet and the guitar but I learned to read music in French and I find myself in a beginners course listening to what you are saying and constantly trying to translate your A's B's D's F's and what not into Do Re Mi Fa Sol etc etc and I think I need to take a break and reprogram myself and forget the french solfege and come back tomorrow with a fresh mind.
Hi Steve, a question about alternate fingering for working in the D family of chords. I find it really hard to use the barre technique for the Dmaj7 chord then to come back to the D7. So I have been fingering D with my pinky playing the D on the B string, so that my first finger can be used for Dmaj7, and D7. I figure this is similar to using all 3 fingers on the 2nd fret for the A chord, and I am way faster doing that. Could you comment on your view of alternate fingerings for all chords..not just my example. I am really enjoying your teaching style.
Help me out. In reviewing the theory of the Dsus4 chord the notes say remove the 3rd degree note and add in the 4th degree note. However. in the D Major scale the 4th degree note is G not G#...what gives?
I'm not entirely sure, as I'm kinda starting off on theory myself, but I think G really is the 4th on the D major scale. If you play the notes on the guitar it follows the "do re mi fa so la ti do" sound. But if you use G# on there, it sounds a little off. That's why you add that pinky on the G for the sus4. Or I could be completely wrong. ;)
Hi Steve - well I had a whooaa!!! moment like you described. I've been playing for nearly a year and learnt lots of chords but had no idea how they were made up and what changed a major to a minor etc why a 7th was like that etc. Your lesson just turmed a big light on in my head and it all makes a lot more sense than before. Thanks
Hi, Steve about this 5th lesson I have noticed that only E and B notes we do not have as E# and B# and about scales I have tried D major scale but also E major, A major, G major If you can call it like that, so I have few questions. First not related with scales, if we start on the high E string we have open E,F,F#,G,G#,A,A#,B,C,C#,D,D#, and the last one E, if we play on the B string we have open B,C,C#,D,D#,E,F,F#,G,G#,A,A# the last one is B and basically everything goes in circle wright, we start with open G 3dh sting and we finish with G on the 12th finger board and so on, is this wright? Second question is about scales. I have tried D major and that is OK but I also tried low E major 6th sting which is: open E,F# second finger board, G 3dh, open A, B second f.b. 5tf string, C# 4th f.b. 5th string, open D 4th string and E 4th string 2nd f.b.; A major scale : open A,B 5th string 2nd f.b., C# 5th string 4th f.b., open D 4th string, E 4th string 2nd f.b.,F# 4th string 4th f.b., open G on the 3dh sting, A 3dh sting 2nd f.b.. Is this correct? But than again you can play scale on the single string wright? For example low E major on the 6th string : open E,F# 2nd f.b.,G 3dh f.b.,A 5th f.b.,B 7tn f.b., C# 9th f.b.,D 10th f.b., and the last one E on the 12th f.b., and than A major you can play on the 5th string, G major on the 3dh string and so on . Is this correct? Do I have it wright on not? If I got it than it is god but if not than I am in trouble because than I do not understand this, and thank you I really like the way you teach.
Hi Kirwin, thanks for your questions and your in-depth study of your guitar! You have correctly labeled the notes on the strings and you are correct to notice that there is no separate sharp or flat note between E-F and B-C. And your descriptions of the major scales are ALMOST correct! In the A, example the only note that is incorrect for the Major scale is the 7th step, called "ti" in the singer's solfege system (remember "Sound of Music"? "ti" with jam and bread?) That note is only a half-step away from the repeating do that follows it. In the A Major Scale example: A, B, C#, D, E, F#, G#, A: G# is only a half-step away from A and acts as the "leading tone" that takes you to finish the scale. In the example of E Major you need to be certain that the third step of the scale is also a regular "3", so the correct E Major Scale is: E, F#, G#, A, B, C#, D# and E. Does this help? Steve
Hi again, I guess I went to far. At least I understood something, I guess that those scales are coming from piano. I can play this D-mole scale. Is that OK, should I do something else, more? I can play D cord progression good, it can be better and I'll work on it more. What do you think should I go to the next lesson? These D cord progressions sound very nice.
Steve i have been playing serious for about 2 years. So i have skipped up until scene 4 of lesson 5 i might have missed this so please bear with the question. On your board in scene 4 you hav c#,d,a,g,f#,e,d and you have explained that 1,3,and 5 are played. what is the c#,d,a...? is that the scale you had us play in the previous scene? if it is can you explain also what you mean by flating the notes
Steve, I am enjoying your lessons very much. I played a little guitar back in the 60's! Now I am starting from the beginning again. Your approach is PERFECT!!! Thank you!
Hi cdk2442, I'm glad the lessons are helping you continue on your musical path! Steve
Thanks Steve - great lesson - I tried it two weeks ago and my notes say I enjoyed it and it was a real challenge but I returned to it again as a top up having practiced and wow I understand it all, feel comfortable and can play along with you!!! Great progress - I am delighted.Thanks again Jackie
Your progress and advancement is a double reward--for you AND for me! Cheers, Steve
Hi Steve, after learning the G Major scale I am noticing that my pinky is having real problems where it wants to "Snap" to go down on that D string. I have been playing for years (actually fiddling around) and I feel that I am progressing very well, except for this pinky issue. Will this just work itself out with practice or is there another "special" exercise I can do do help this condition?
mozza1, you've got it--when the clickin' is happenin' I always get that same hunger for more learning. Feed the hunger! Steve
Goodonya, aussiejono! Glad to hear it...and I expect it will lead to more aha moments. Ain't this adventure grand?
Yee--ha! mav 67--glad to share the aha moment with you. Steve
Ditto what the others have said. It's a great feeling when something clicks, and it certainly makes me want to learn even more. Thanks Steve!
Hey Steve, I didn't think I'd ever have an a-ha moment but I just did and it was thanks to your lesson! Cheers mate
Hi Steve, what on earth have you done. I had absolutely no knowledge of theory before this. Not only have I learned my first major scale which has been firmly included into my practice sessions, but the light is starting to lift on the subject of what is a chord. You said you wanted to tell of A-ha moments, well for me the A-ha started at the beginning and is still going on within my practice sessions. Even people I know locally that I always considered to be good players, I am starting to teach them a thing or two. I am glad that I came here, I thought all I wanted to do was learn some cool songs. That opinion has been put on the back burner until I can get all this, 'What is happening behind the music' firmly into my head. Props to you man, if you can teach this fool anything you are doing well, but to get me wanting more puts you on a whole new level. Gotta go and make sure that this sinks into my brain matter, can't wait to get to the next lesson.
Hi lksifton, I'm glad to hear that the transfer of knowledge from one instrument to the other is happening. Some wise person once told me all we learn is never lost. We keep building on what we have learned, even when we think it didn't sink in. That's why I have hope: I sometimes have to learn things 4 and 5 times before it comes clear! I'm glad it doesn't take that long for you. Cheers, Steve
Well this is great. I learned how to play the piano when I was younger (even so far as to have studied Grade 2 theory) but do you think I could remember any of it or translate it to the guitar?? This lesson really helped me to do that. Thanks!
You are most welcome, Trey21! Inspector, I think he answered your question well. Do you? Steve
Hey inspector, there are little tabs below the video in each lesson. Click the supplemental content tab and it will show you the fingering of each chord...lol iwas having same problem until i noticed the tab ha...Steve awesome lesson man, you explain it perfectly. I've had like bits and pieces of music theory jammed in my head and its very confusing to me, but this lesson kinda glued em all together and im starting to learn it. Big thanks man...again awesome lesson.
Steve Is there any way to see where the fingers are fretted before the end of the lesson? I think it would help me anyway.
Glad to hear it, trueshot. Theory is helpful as it informs and helps us in our practice of the art. Understanding what is going on inside or "behind" the music isn't necessary for everyone at every moment, but I've come through the "backdoor" and I love how it helps me. Glad to hear of the ah-ha moment. Those are the reason I love to teach! Steve
just checking in--still confused? Steve
Nice! I took a music theory course in high school and participated in the band program for four years and that lesson just surpassed everything that I learned during those years. The sus chords were definently an ah-ha moment. (Im a fan of the alternative genre) Thanks.
I am not getting further what to due i am so confused!:(
props to you I never thought I could ever learn after many faild lessons in the real work thank you so much and also I am a lefty any different tips for me? I think it is easyer me watching you cause a lef:jamfest: :cool: ty if faceing you!
Hey Kevin, Glad to see that interest get sparked. Now, let's hear what you play! Steve
This lesson blew my mind. I didn't know much about theory going into it...but I learned an incredible amount about how chord relate to each other, about the "degrees" in a scale, etc. I didn't really care much about theory (just wanted to play stuff) until I read this. It definitely sparked my interest. I had to watch the damn lesson a few times & re-read the lesson write up to finally understand it. Now that I do, WOW! :p