Lesson 7

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Lesson 7 TEF's

Notes to Lesson 7

Lesson 7 is taking our intro's from Lesson 6 in the Key of G and transposing them to neighboring keys of F, Ab, and Bb.  This exercise helps us to learn the melody chords from Group C of Lesson 1 that correspond to the rhythm chords of Group A.

Have you started to notice that sometimes rhythm chords can be used as melody chords?  A form such as 4 (minor7) or 5 (minor6) can be played using just the upper 4 notes.  If you're playing with a low register soloing instrument, like a tenor sax, you may want to use your melody chords as rhythm chords to build a contrast with the low notes of the soloist.  Let's look at some examples both of chords from Mickey's Group A, but also some common chords we may be familiar with from our previous experience.

Converting Rhythm Chords to Melody Chords

Measure 1 of our example shows two of our study's most used tonic forms, the Major 7 and Major 6.  Note that our new melody form for a G Maj7 can be further modified.  We can move the note on the 1st string, one fret lower, in this case a B minor triad.  If you play a B minor and your bass player plays a G note, your audience hears a G Maj7.  That B minor form has two F#'s.   Let's move the lower one on the 4th string up one fret to a G.  Now we have a classic G Maj7 chord with all the notes in order:  G - B - D - F#.  This is an extremely useful form as we'll be using it in our study of improvising single note solos in the 2nd part of this course. 

Additional G Maj7 Forms

Returning to the first illustration, the Major 6 forms both are very common and we used this melody form in Lesson 6's exercises.

Measure 2 shows the Minor 7 and Minor 6 forms.  As Mickey gave these forms as 5-note forms, I've included them.  But I'm sure that as fingerstyle guitarists, we have been playing them as 4-note forms as rhythm chords, often omitting the note on the 1st string.

Measure 3 first shows a diminished 7 chord as Mickey's Form 26 and the corresponding melody diminished chord from Lesson 6's exercise.  Actually the melody form of the diminished 7 form is probably more common in beginning and intermediate guitar courses than the rhythm version.  The 2nd set is based on Mickey's Forms 8 and 31.  These forms can also be used as a minor 9 chord (without the root.)

Measure 4 uses two old friends:  a dominant 7 form and a minor 6 form.  Perhaps the melody forms are equally well known.

What strikes me the most about analyzing these chord forms is that it's not so much learning something new, but expanding on what we already are comfortable with.

Since I've written the transpositions out and about the only work you have to do is play them in each key, take Mickey's suggestion of re-working the intro's.  Instead of strumming through the chord, play it as an arpeggio, or as a string bass.  String bass is Mickey's term for the infamous boom-chuck strum.  As fingerstyle guitarists, we have a vast number of arpeggios that we're familiar with, and are waiting to be called into service.  Try adapting your favorite intro's with your favorite arpeggio.  For example, look at Intro 2.  It's a natural for the "Merle Travis" gallop that he used on the tune "Walkin' The Strings".  And let's not forget Chet Atkins often played these progressions with a P I M I arpeggio for a slightly different feel.

One clear advantage we finger-stylists have is that we have the capability of playing a true "block chord" like a pianist, harpist, and an orchestra, if we think of an orchestra as complex musical instrument.  A flatpicker with his single pick must strum through the chord.  Although he can approach  playing a block chord, his strums are really fast arpeggios.  Take advantage of this gift and practice your exercises by using not only a P I M A pinch, but a P I M and a P I A ("skip a string, skip a finger") pinches.

In Lesson 6 I gave 6 bonus exercises also in the key of G.  If someone needs an additional project, feel free to transpose these exercises to F, Ab, and Bb, and all of the exercises to our old guitar friendly key of  A Major just as we did in Lesson 5.

When you've created something you'd like to share, send it to me, and I'll get it ready to send out in the next distribution.  Don't forget to let me know if you want public credit for your work.

Just keep it FUN!