When it comes to learning guitar, every beginner and intermediate guitar student (even advanced) always enjoys playing something 'easy' once in a while. This lesson addresses the easy process of moving a simple 2-note chord shape along the neck laterally with surrounding open-strings to quickly invent cool sounding guitar riffs...




The reason that guitar players enjoy sliding simple chord patterns along the neck is fairly obvious; those easy to play ideas are ones that we can learn fast, (and for beginners easy practice ideas get ya feelin’ like you’re making some quick progress so you don’t feel like you suck at Guitar).

But, the best part of it all is that once we understand an easy idea, we can quickly get those ideas up to an effective level of skill and start playing them for others. The whole process can happen quite rapidly, and that’s probably why we like learning these “easy to play” techniques on guitar.

In this lesson, I wanted to introduce an easy technique called linear chord-pattern movement. It’s one of those ideas on guitar that can be learned very quickly. It has a lot of melodic possibility and it’s also a lot of fun to practice.

And, if you practice this – even if you still think that you suck at guitar, maybe when you do this - you won’t actually FEEL like you suck at guitar.


WATCH THE VIDEO:



HOW THIS WORKS:
The study of linear chord-pattern movement simply involves taking a simple two-note fretted chord shape on the neck and moving it over to a few strategic positions. these positions are ones which allow for the effects of the intervals of the chord to end up sounding really nice against open guitar strings.

All in all, this probably one of the most simplistic ideas for learning to play riffs and song ideas on the instrument. With very little effort these small chord fingerings can move anywhere your ear thinks that they sound nice.




EXERCISE ONE:
Our first exercise will involve taking a simple chord (out of the open position) called the open position, “A suspended 2nd.”

"A" Suspended 2nd:
Commonly written as "A(sus2)."



This chord is closely related to an “A Minor,” chord in open position. But, it has an open 2nd-string. That open 2nd string produces a wider interval effect. 

While this chord may sound sophisticated, it has an easy fingering pattern that feels good to the hand, and the best part is that the shape can be easily moved absolutely anywhere along the guitar neck.

PRACTICE TIP:
The 5th and the 7th fingerboard positions can provide a fast way to perform nice sounding chord riffs using this shape. I’ve created an example riff to get you used to performing this pattern along the guitar fingerboard.


Example Riff (1).
Performing the "A(sus2)" pattern linear along the neck







EXERCISE TWO:
As you can tell from the example riff one, this approach is easy to understand, it is easy to play, easy to use, and the best part is that it’s easy to make a few cool sounding riffs with.

Next, I wanted to show you one more idea that you can try before we wrap things up. This one functions exactly the same as our first idea.

However, this time, we’re going to move up a couple of strings, and we’re going to raise our upper tone of the shape that we had from our, “A suspended 2nd” (it will move up one fret).

The "D Suspended 2nd" Chord:
If we place this new shape in the open position we get a chord called, “D suspended 2nd.” It looks and sounds like this.

"D" Suspended 2nd:
Commonly written as "D(sus2)."




To help get you started with using this new chord shape, I’ve got a riff for you to try out. Learn the "D(sus2)" riff shown below.

Example Riff (2).
Performing the "D(sus2)" pattern linear along the neck


 




CONCLUSION:
As you can tell this system I’ve gone over here is a really easy one that even beginners can use to take small chord shapes (that incorporate some open strings), and get them moving around the neck.

It can produce some great sounding riffs. You can even try inventing some shapes of your own and then use those shapes to make up original ideas jamming out on riffs - just like we did here...

There’s a ton of possibilities when it comes to applying this approach. And, if you want to take things even further, then try doing this with your guitar set-up into some alternate tunings. I’ll bet if you try that as well, you’ll come up with some really cool sounds by testing out other open guitar tunings!

For examples of this idea, have a listen to guitar players like;
Adrian Legg / Don Ross / Andy McKee / William Ackerman 





VISIT THE WEB-SITE:
I also want to let you know about the guitar courses I have over on my website at CreativeGuitarStudio.com.

On the site, I’ve got step-by-step; Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced courses that work alongside of in-depth elective programs to form the best guitar courses available.

My courses work fantastic to help you learn to identify what's required to get you up to that next level of guitar playing, in a very organized step-by-step way, that totally makes sense.

I look forward to helping you further at my website; CreativeGuitarStudio.com

As always, thanks for joining me, if you liked this lesson, please give it a thumbs up and subscribe for more on my YouTube channel, (and remember to hit that bell when you subscribe so that you’ll never miss any of my lesson uploads to YouTube)…

Until next time, take care and we'll catch up again on the next lesson. Bye for now!