If you're ready to leave the comfort of songwriting in one key center, then this lesson will be awesome! The sound of smoothly flowing through one key into a completely different / new key can be both challenging and extremely rewarding musically. This lesson breaks down one of the smoothest ways of drifting between keys - the "Pivot Chord" modulation...
Whether you’re listening to chord changes and trying to transcribe what’s going on, or, if you’re composing your own original chord progressions, there’s a really cool technique that instantly helps any group of chords really stand out from the crowd. The best thing is that this technique is so subtle - your listeners generally won’t even realize there’s something more complex happening. The idea I’m talking about here is referred to as “Modulation.” And, it’s good for ear training practice, or for creating your own original compositions. In this lesson, we’re going to listen to a group of chords and then analyze what’s happening so that you can learn how to have this technique occur within your own songwriting as well. WATCH THE VIDEO:
GETTING STARTED: Alright, let’s break-down the first thing that you’re going to need to learn in order to have some success drifting through keys (like you just heard me do there in that example). The first thing is to make sure that you understand the basic harmony for the chords that exist within a key center. Our chord progression has two separate keys that drift between one another across the 8-bars of the chord progression.
KEY CENTER /ANALYSIS: Those keys consist of, “A Major” and “G Major.” So, let’s learn about the chord harmonies involved with building triads out of each of those keys.
DRIFTING BETWEEN KEYS: Next, you’ll need to understand how to apply a blend between the two keys. This step involves taking advantage of any chord(s) that are shared between the two keys that you will be involving in your key modulation. For this example, we've chosen the keys of "A" and "G" Major to modulate. A shared chord between these two keys is the "D Major" chord. If we zero in on the “D” chord, we can begin to understand how it could get used to drift between keys. Since "D Major" is shared between both keys, it can function as a "Pivot" chord. With the "D" we have established a musical link across both keys. Key Drift Example Progression:
DISCOVER YOUR PROCESS: Any chord progression that you compose can drift between key signatures. But, prior to composing your piece from scratch, you may want to study how some other songwriters have done work just like this. Studying other music will help you to start applying this musical effect with some learned experience. Classical pieces use this technique a lot; like Mozart’s Sonata #12. But, pop music by Whitney Houston and rock songs by Bon-Jovi also contain this technique as well. Have a listen to songs that drift between keys and learn some of the techniques, then try out composing some music like this on your own as well.
VISIT THE WEB-SITE: If you’d like to learn more about topics like this one and many others, join my web-site as a free member and start by taking a look at my “Intermediate and Advanced” Guitar Programs. Those courses, run through topics like this one in great detail, - with the Advanced guitar program spending a lot of time teaching the; keys, scales, harmony along with exercises and drills to help you understand all of this information directly to the guitar neck – all done with instructional videos and handouts that are not only detailed but also easy to follow - so that you can use the information to compose and perform your music. As always, thanks for joining me, if you liked this video, please give it a thumbs up on YouTube and subscribe for more, (remember to hit that bell when you subscribe so that you’ll never miss any of my uploads to YouTube). Until next time, take care and we'll catch up again on the next video. Bye for now…
Every guitarist loves a harmony that applies the sound of rich, full chords. When this effect is combined with the use of thick, lush intervals the results are just fantastic. The harmonic results that open "E" tuning provides for guitarists has a wonderful impact when they come together musically. Open "E" creates a gorgeous harmony that sustains in a way that's simply stunning...
In this episode we have another alternate tuning video. This time we're working through the stunning sounds of “Open E Tuning.”
When establishing open “E” we have to raise three of our six guitar strings, (the 5th, 4th and 3rd all tuned up higher in pitch). DISCLAIMER: I know that tightening guitar strings can be a little dangerous. This is due to the fact that when we tune strings higher in pitch there’s always a chance that they could break. However, if your guitar has a newer set of strings on it, those new strings should be perfectly fine for raising into the whole and ½-steps required for "Open E" tuning.
NOTE: If you're concerned about stress on your guitar's neck and bridge, then correct the tuning out of "Open E" (back into standard tuning), once you're finished playing /practicing within this Open Tuning.
THE LESSON PLAN: In the lesson, I cover the guitar’s tuning set-up as needed to establish open “E.” I'll also introduce some of the chord patterns that you can start using to make music as quickly as possible within this tuning. In order to help you learn how to integrate this sound, I will include a couple of chord progressions. They should help you with getting a chance to hear the wonderful soundscape of “Open E Tuning.” WATCH THE VIDEO:
Tuning the guitar to “Open E” is fairly easy to do. All you need - to establish this tuning - is to raise up three strings.
To begin, raise the tuning of the 5th guitar string from its standard “A” tone and take it up a whole-step higher to a “B.” Then, raise up the pitch of your 4th guitar string a whole step by taking it from the standard “D” tone up to an “E.” Finally, take your 3rd guitar string up a 1/2 step higher in pitch from the standard “G” natural tone, up to a “G#.” That’s it, you’ve now tuned your guitar to an “Open E major” chord across all 6 guitar strings.
CHORD PATTERNS: Next, let’s run through a collection of chord patterns for “Open E” tuning that you can learn to help you begin your journey into a collection of really nice sounds within the Open “E” tuning…
NOTE: By strumming all of the guitar strings 'open,' you automatically achieve the sound of an "E Major" chord type when within the established set-up of "Open E," style tuning. The "Open E" Tuning "A" Major Chord:
The "Open E" Tuning "B" Major Chord:
The "Open E" Tuning "C#" Minor Chord:
The "Open E" Tuning "G#" Minor Chord:
CHORD PROGRESSIONS: Now that you understand the tuning and you’ve developed a group of chord patterns that work well for the sounds of “Open E”, let’s learn a couple of chord progressions that start to highlight the elegant sounds available to us in this style of open tuning. The 1st chord progression establishes the color of the “E” Major key center…
Progression 1). “E Major”
Just like we had discussed in other “Open Tuning's” (that we have studied in the past), the sound of the relative tonality is also another great option. “Open E” tuning relative Minor is “C#” Minor. Below is an example of a key of “C# Minor” progression, using the “Open E” tuning.
Progression 2). “C# Minor”
CONCLUSION: So, there you have it, “Open E” tuning brings a fantastic sound to the guitar that is rich with a number of really cool interval options. With a few turns of your guitar's tuner knobs you can bring "Open E" tuning to life for composing your next "Open E" tuned guitar piece.
VISIT THE WEBSITE: If you’d like to learn more about topics like this one and many others, join my members site as a free member and start looking through my “Guitar Courses.” I’ve spent years creating hundreds of detailed step-by-step guitar lessons for my website members that show all kinds of beginner to advanced ideas to help improve your playing. LIMITED TIME OFFER: If you join my site as a Premium member, you’ll receive a FREE copy of my popular Guitar Technique eBook.
It’s 28 pages of jam-packed studies for mastering all of your technical skills at playing Guitar.
NEW Learn advanced music reading skills and abilities in this Creative Guitar Studio sheet music reading course designed to help guitar players further develop their traditional music reading skills across all fretting positions...
Lesson 002 of Music Reading consists of four reading drills across four keys in the lower register, "1st" position up to the "4th" position reading areas of the guitar neck.
DISCLAIMER: This guitar music reading course is not designed to be used as a "beginners" reading curriculum.
If you have no prior music reading experience on the guitar, it is strongly advised to first study the Creative Guitar - Introductory Guitar Program, as well as, the Intermediate Guitar Program.
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(1). Part one, of lesson two Music Reading, covers the study of music reading notes from the 1st and 2nd position in the key of "A Major." Scale tone range is established from the low 6th-string "F#", up to the high 1st-string "A" at the fifth fret.
(2). Part two, introduces music reading in the key of "D Major" across the 2nd position area. Scale tone range is established from the low "F#" on the 6th-string second fret, up to the high 1st-string "A" at the fifth fret.
(3). Part three, introduces reading in the key of "Eb Major" with notes located entirely within the 3rd position. Scale tone range is established from the low "G" 6th-string third fret, up to the high 1st-string "Bb" up at the sixth fret.
(4). Part four, introduces reading in the key of "Ab Major" with notes once again located entirely within 3rd position. Scale tone range is established from the low "G" 6th-string third fret, to the high 1st-string "Bb" at the sixth fret.
(5). Reading Exercise: The low register summary practice piece for lesson two is a 16-bar melody line that shifts though the 1st through to the 3rd positions covering the keys of "A, D, Eb and Ab."
Paying members of the Creative Guitar website can watch both video lessons and download the PDF handout...
Join the member's area to download the PDF handout and start study of these exercises. Study all of the examples with full access to both video lessons...
Are you bored with your current state of scale application? Want to discover more range? Well, you're going to love this lesson... get ready for more fingerboard range, and the ability to create dual register melodic concepts! This scale idea allows all that and the ability for guitar players to have greater control over longer scale layouts on the neck. This post is all about "Two-Octave" scales...
Learning how to most effectively line up one lower register section of a scale across the fingerboard into a second scale out-line into a new octave range offers a guitar player many advantages. I know it sounds a little complex, but he real trick to doing this is centered around the fingering that we use at the very point where we make the scale pattern shift. If you do that fingering correctly, you’ll have an excellent transition point as you begin playing into your second octave. WATCH THE VIDEO:
Two octave scale application is a great process to study because it makes you think a lot more about connecting scales, (than as if you were to only study scales in one position). Plus, two octave scale shapes establishes longer scale runs. When practiced with effective fingerings, you’ll not only start playing scales with more notes, but you’ll play scales faster.
THE SHAPES: The first 2-Octave scale pattern that I want to introduce will be based off of the 5th guitar string. We'll perform it from off of the root of a “C” Major Scale. (1). “C Major” 5th String Root – 2 Octave Scale:
The next 2 Octave scale pattern I want to run through will be another Major scale. This time we’ll be focused on playing the pattern from off of the 6th string. (2). “G Major” 6th String Root – 2 Octave Scale:
Now you’re starting to get a good idea for how these 2 octave scale patterns can function on the neck.
When they are played efficiently (using a good fingering approach for both ascending as well as descending with the patterns), they can be performed quickly and easily. Before we wrap things up, I also wanted to demonstrate how this two octave scale approach can be used with a Minor Tonality scale as well.
For our final pattern, we’ll run through a scale layout in the key of “D Minor” using a two octave 5th string root scale. (3). “D Minor” 5th String Root – 2 Octave Scale:
FURTHER STUDY: If you’d like to learn more about guitar topics like this one and many others, join my members site as a free member and have a look at my “Intermediate and Advanced” Guitar Programs. Those courses, not only break down the entire guitar fingerboard (with a step-by-step octave pattern process), but the Advanced spends a lot of time teaching the scale shapes.
The scales are applied along with melodic exercises and technique drills. The exercises work together in a manner that helps you understand the entire guitar neck.
And, it does it all in a very detailed and comprehensive way - so that you can use the information to move forward as a musician. You'll end up composing and performing music not only better, but you'll do it easier as well.
VISIT THE WEB-SITE: Be sure to head over to review all of the guitar courses that are found on my website at CreativeGuitarStudio.com I’ve got step-by-step; Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced courses that work alongside of in-depth elective programs to form the best guitar course available. The courses have been designed so as to help you learn to identify where you're at, and what's required to get you up to that next level of guitar playing, in a very organized step-by-step way, that simply makes sense. So, I look forward to helping you further at CreativeGuitarStudio.com
NEW Musicians learn the importance of being able to internalize rhythm early on. The same must also be done with the ability to accurately listen to and recognize musical, tone and pitch. The EAR TRAINING course offered at Creative Guitar will help guitar players drastically improve their sense of note identification, recognition and recall...
Lesson 001 of Ear Training consists of four examples targeting the development of gaining ability to accurately match tone (musical sound) and pitch (the highness or lowness of a sound).
EAR TRAINING 001 - DISCLAIMER: This guitarists ear training course is not designed to be used as a "beginners" note recognition program.
If you are a guitarist who has no background in basic music theory, key signatures, treble-clef staff /note recognition, or foundational rhythmic duration, then it is advised that prior to working on this course, you study the "Introductory" and "Intermediate" guitar player programs prior to working on this course.
Those preliminary courses, (for beginners and Intermediate players), will lay the foundation for understanding how the nuts and bolts of ear training relate musically and how the principles relate to guitar (as well as other instruments).
Those preliminary courses will also help guitar players better comprehend rhythm duration and key signatures.
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(1). Part one, of lesson one Ear Training, involves matching pitch (singing) across the tones of the key signature of "G Major."
The example scale (discussed and demonstrated in video one), is pitch matched from off of the guitars 6th-string "G" at third fret.
(2). Part two, continues with another example of sound from the Major key signature. A key of "C Major" pitch matching exercise is provided off of the guitars 5th-string, "C" located on the third fret.
(3). Part three, alters the focus of our tone /pitch matching studies toward the minor tonality. A key of "G Minor" pitch matching exercise is provided off of the 6th-string, third fret "G Minor" scale layout.
(4). Part four, works out another minor tonality tone /pitch matching exercise based off of an open 5th-string, key of "A Minor" scale layout.
(5). Solfege Tutorial: The last two pages of the PDF handout for lesson one Ear Training describes the history and the details involved with using the popular pitch matching system that is known world-wide as, "Solfeggio."
Paying members of the Creative Guitar website can watch both video lessons and download the PDF handout...
Join the member's area to download the PDF handout and start study of these exercises. Study all of the examples with full access to both video lessons...
