If you’re not familiar with chord notation, I’ve provided a diagram that illustrates how the chords are named.

Major:

Minor:

In diatonic harmony, Roman numerals are used to describe the number and quality of a given chord. Upper case numerals are used for Major chords, while lower case are used for minor. A minor chord with a small circle is used for diminished chords, while upper case with a plus sign is used for augmented. For our purposes here, you won’t need to know these inside and out, This is more of just a way to understand where ii-V-I comes from and what the actual notation means. in a ii-V-I, the lower case ii denotes a minor chord starting on the second degree of a major scale, the upper case V denotes a major chord starting on the 5th degree of a major scale and the upper case I denotes a major chord starting on the 1st degree of a major scale.

If you’ve spent any time learning about chord progressions, it’s a good bet you’ve seen IV-V-I at some point. For example, Fmaj – Gmaj – Cmaj represents IV-V-I.  Without knowing it, you’ve actually played something very similar to a ii-V-I. ii-V-I and IV-V-I are actually functionally the same progression. They both represent a sub-dominant, dominant, tonic functionality that is the backbone of diatonic harmony. In fact, Dm7 is actually just Fmaj with D in the bass. Think of tonic as the resting place, where things feel settled (I chord). Dominant (V) is where the tension happens and promotes the feeling of a need for resolution. Sub-dominant is a little more nebulous, but for all intensive purposes, it’s the chord that leads us to the dominant.

In jazz, we usually use 7th chords and extensions so a more accurate notation would be ii7-V7-I7. Let’s checkout some basic versions of a ii7-V7-I7 progression. I’ve provided 3 different versions in 3 different keys.

Bb

G

Eb

If you look at the first diagram I provided above, you’ll see that in a minor key the ii chord is diminished and the I chord becomes minor. With extensions this becomes ii7b5-V7-i7

Here are the same examples above played in Minor.

Bb

G

Eb

Note: In minor, We change the minor v to V7 to follow the sub-dominant, dominant, tonic functionality of the progression. This way we form the tension and release that’s needed to create “movement” and resolution in the progression. In a natural minor key there is no major 7 or “leading tone” so it’s added to create the tension needed to resolve to the tonic. Hence, in Cmin the V chord is Gmin. In order to have a leading tone (in this case B natural) we change Gmin to Gmaj. G-Bb-D becomes G-B-D.

Now let’s look at the same chords with some added colors:

Major:

Bb

X 3 3 3 4 X

1 X 1 2 3 X

X 1 0 2 1 X

G

5 X 5 5 5 7

X 5 4 5 4 6

3 X 4 4 3 5

Eb

X X 3 5 4 4

6 X 6 7 7 6

X X 1 3 3 3

Minor:

Bb

X 3 4 3 4 X

1 0 1 1 X X

X 1 3 0 2 X

G

5 X 5 5 4 X

X 6 6 5 3 X

3 X 2 3 3 X

Eb

X X 3 4 4 4

6 X 6 7 7 9

X X 1 3 3 2

You’ll notice here that the V chord is where most of the chord alteration happens. This is the bread and butter of jazz. The V chord, as I described before, has a dominant function. It characterizes the key as well as creating the tension that ultimately resolves to the tonic chord. Jazz players love the dominant chord because they can use alterations like b9 #11 and b13 and then resolve it nicely to the home or tonic chord. The more you play these chords and familiarize yourself with the sound, the more you’ll recognize the progressions in your favorite jazz records. There is a discernible cadence to the progression, and heard enough times, ii-V-I becomes very apparent. Try to adapt these chords to other keys and see if you can play the same voicings in different places on the guitar neck. Happy playing!

Interested in learning more about how chords and harmony works? Then all you’ve got to do is spend some more time here on Uberchord’s blog. We’ve got a wide assortment of articles you can learn from including what key harmonica jack johnson better together, why does srv go down during exercise, and rickenbacker guitar weight. 

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The most common patterns for learning scales on the guitar either use of the 3-note per scale patterns or the CAGED system.

Here are some examples of scales in G using these patterns:

CAGED “E” shape:

and the same scale using the 3 note pattern

They are relatively similar and in the end boil down to a matter of preference. Regardless, they both keep your fingers in a 4 to 6 fret range. To play further up the neck, many individuals jump to another shape and feel stuck within the new shape until they are able to reposition to yet another shape. As was stated before, these shapes should be used to the player’s advantage, but it’s necessary to learn how to connect the shapes and in turn create new patterns and shapes to pull from.

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The first way to do this is playing scales on one string. Not only does this help with technique, it also gives a much clearer and coherent view of the fretboard. The hardest part of learning a stringed instrument is that it can sometimes seem counter-intuitive. If you start on the note G playing the 3-note per string scale pattern, when you get to the note B on the 7th fret, 6th string, you have to reach backwards to go to the note C which is on the 3rd fret 5th string. The same can be said for the other way around. We’re often reaching forwards to a string below and going down in tone. Instruments like piano area little easier to conceptualize because going up the keyboard means the tone will go up and going down the keyboard means the tone will go down. To help with this try playing a G scale on one string.

Two fingerings have been provided, make sure to follow them carefully:

you’ll see that the first fingering plays the G scale in 3 finger sets, while the second one plays the scale in 4 finger sets. After you’ve gotten comfortable with this, try moving on to the next string and playing the scale on one string from there. Here’s an example:

then repeat the same thing on the following string, etc. Playing scales on one string will really start to open up new patterns on the fretboard and allow you to recognize the patterns that repeat all over the fretboard. Learning to reposition your fingers on a single string will also help to connect the scale patterns you already know and expand them across the fretboard horizontally rather than vertically.

Another way to break out of vertical scale patterns is to play 4 note per string scales. These pull from the single string scales with 4 finger sets from the earlier examples, except the scales are played up the string sets as well.

Here’s an example of 4 note per string scales in G:

These may seem awkward at first, but they are really powerful for learning the fretboard in it’s entirety. They also allow you to stretch all the way from the very bottom of the guitar all the way to the top in one scale. Some times players feel stuck because they get to the top of a scale and have to reset their fingers to go any higher on the neck. Practicing your scales in this way can help give more access to the higher register of the fretboard.

Practice these exercises slowly and with precision and you’ll see results in just a few days of diligent repetition. Try to take these exercises through every key from the top of the fretboard to the bottom. Patterns will begin to emerge that you’ll realize repeat themselves all over the neck and you’ll be able to utilize these new patterns to your advantage. Patterns are not the end all of playing, but they can be used to help your understanding of the fretboard. The most proficient players are the ones who have discovered and internalized as many of the different combinations of the same sequence of notes as possible. Good luck and happy playing!

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These are referred to as time signatures. They come after the clef and key signature at the beginning of a score. Sometimes there may be mid-score time changes and those will be indicated by a time signature figure following a barline. Although they look a little perplexing, once you’ve picked them apart, time signatures are quite easy to understand.

The first and slightly easier number we’ll discuss is the one on the top of the time signature. This indicates how many beats will be in the measure. If the case of the common 4/4 time, the measure will receive 4 beats, in 3/4 time it’s 3 beats, in 12/8 the measure contains 12 beats. This invariably begs the question what type of beat? This is where things can become slightly more difficult to understand.

(video source: wikipedia)

Understanding Time Signatures

– The number on the bottom of the time signature denotes the type and duration that each beat receives in the measure.

– The number on the bottom indicates the type of note that fits into a whole note evenly.

For instance, the number 4 on the bottom indicates that a quarter note receives the beat because a whole note divided by 4 equals 4 quarter notes. When a time signature has an 8 on the bottom, in 6/8 for instance, the type of note on the bottom is an 8th note because a whole note divided by 8 gives you 8 eighth notes. In 3/2 time, each beat has a duration of a half note because because a whole note divided by 2 equals 2 half notes.

I’m sure you can see a pattern emerging here. Here are some examples of different time signatures. Try to count the beats in each measure and see how the correspond to the time signature.

Example of 3/4:

Example of 6/8:

Example of 5/4:

Example of 4/4:

In the last example which represents 4/4 you see 4 quarter notes in the first measure. Without even looking at the time signature you know this is 4/4 time because there are 4 notes and each of those notes has a quarter note value.

If you look at the second measure, it’s comprised of what looks like six notes. What’s important to recognize here is that the type and duration of each note differs. The first two notes are actually two eighth notes. Added together they represent a quarter note. The second note is a quarter note followed again by two eighth notes and another quarter note. Added together they still represent 4 quarter notes.

In the last measure of the example, the first beat is split up into 4 notes. A quarter note divided by 4 gives you four sixteenth notes. The the second beat is divided into two eighth notes and the last beat is a half note which has a duration of two quarter notes. Although there are what looks to be 7 notes in the last measure, their duration and value still add up to 4 quarter notes.

The same can be said of 3/4. 3/4 lends itself to a lulling feeling and is the time signature often heard in waltzes. If you look at the example above and examine each note duration you’ll find that the sum of each measure is still equal to 3 quarter notes. In 5/4 it’s five quarter notes. In 6/8 you’ll notice that the note duration sums up to 6 eighth notes.

You’ll always see a number on the bottom of a time signature that will fit evenly into a whole note. The number on top, however, will sometimes be an odd number and this is where more complex time signatures begin to emerge.

Simple, Compound & Complex Time Signatures

Simple time signatures refer to 2/2, 2/4, 3/4, and 4/4. These are often called duple, triple, and quadruple time. The numbers on top represent those which are even or are the smallest divisible number of itself (in the case of 3).

With compound time signatures, the numbers on top are most often those that are divisible by 3. For instance 6/8, 9/8, 12/8. If you think about 6/8 it can actually be divided into 3/4. Of course the bottom notes durational representation of a beat is different, but without looking you could play two measures of 3/4 at twice the speed of a measure of 6/8 and not necessarily hear the difference. 9/8 and 12/8 represent measures that contain 9 eighth notes or 12 eight notes respectively. These too could be divided down into 3/4.

Complex time signatures are those that don’t fit into the simple or compound time signature format. That is, they don’t represent the more common double, triple, or quadruple time signatures. Examples of these would be 5/4, 5/8, 7/8, 11/8. These still follow the rules I’ve mentioned from the beginning, they just promote a more complex structure. 5/4 for instance represents a measure that contains 5 notes with each beat representing a quarter note. 5/8 represents measures the have 5 notes with each beat receiving a duration of an eighth note. If you’ve heard the Mission Impossible theme song, you’ve heard a representation of a 5/4 time signature.

Below is an example of 5/4 with different subdivisions or groupings for each beat. In the end the representation is still 5 quarter notes per measure.

If you’re ever having difficulty finding the time signature of a given song just remember to try to listen for the main pulse that you feel. Does it feel like it’s lulling, or a waltz? Chances are it’s 3/4 or 6/8. Does it feel a little extended or awkward? It could be some complex time signature like 5/8 or 7/8. Try to count the beats and fit the smallest representation into a measure. This will help you break down the possibilities. Often times I’ll start by counting 4. If that doesn’t feel right then I’ll count 3. If that still feels awkward try 5 or 7. I’ll often find that something is in 11/8 when I’ve counted what feels like a measure of 6 and a measure of 5 put together. These little details will help you decipher any time signature you come across.

Though time signatures may sometimes look a little intimidating, they really follow some simple rules. Just always remember that the number on top represents who many beats are in the measure and the bottom number represents the value or duration that each beat gets. Hopefully this bit of information will help you next time you’re trying to find out the time signature of a perplexing song. Happy playing!

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Learning to improvise over chord changes is a rewarding, yet long and arduous journey. There are many different schools of thought on the matter and often times it’s hard to find a constructive way to practice and get better. Beginner guitar players are often told to learn a slew of scales but find it difficult to apply them to music in a clear and constructive way. Though I find scales to be a powerful tool in the language of music, an even more powerful tool is the arpeggio.

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What is an Arpeggio?

An arpeggio is the technique of playing the notes of a chord in a sequence, rather than all at the same time. For instance, to arpeggiate an Ebmaj chord, you’d play the notes Eb-G-Bb in sequence. To play a Gmin7 arpeggio, you’d play the notes G-Bb-D-F in sequence.

The power of the arpeggio is that it outlines the chord and gives shape and direction to the notes being played.

The difficulty of using scales to improvise is that without a strong knowledge of chord movement and voice-leading, the melodies lack structure and direction. Beginner players are often told to play a pentatonic scale over blues, dorian over a min7 chord, mixolydian over a dominant chord and so on. Unfortunately, this leads to the proper notes being played, but without any real reference to the chords they’re being played over. When the chords are being played in the background this may sound ok, but as soon as there are no chords for context the playing can sometimes sound like a jumble of incoherent notes and scales. The power of the arpeggio is that it outlines the chord and gives shape and direction to the notes being played.

Try playing through the following example:

The above example outlines a IV-V-I progression in the key of G. Although this is quite simple, it clearly outlines the chords and you can hear the progression without actually playing the chords themselves.

This isn’t to say that you shouldn’t use scales. But learning to see that scales can be used to connect the chord tones (the notes that make up a chord. for example C-E-G are the chord tones of a C major chord) of a given chord helps to understand where the shape and context of melodies are ultimately formed.

Take this short snippet of Mary Had a Little Lamb for example:

This is another simple example, but notice how on the 1st and 3rd beat of each measure a chord tone is being played. The melody starts on E which is the 3rd of a C major chord and then walks down to the root C. In the 3rd bar, the note D is played 3 times. D is the 5th in a G major chord and hence serves to outline the G chord of the measure.

Beginning to think like this will help guide your melodies and outline the chords you’re playing over. The next step is learning how to practice these arpeggios. The first way is to simply arpeggiate through the scales shapes you already know. Using the second shape in the CAGED  method, you can arpeggiate the scale of C major like so:

This outlines every chord in the key of C major. C major, D minor, E minor, F major, G major, A minor,  and B diminished. After playing this exercise ascending, do the same thing descending. Then apply it to all of the CAGED shapes. Practicing this for a while will begin to reveal the chord shapes and patterns inherent in the guitar. After you’ve become comfortable with this, you can apply the same idea with 7th chords. As an extension of the previous exercise with would be played like this:

Do the same here as instructed with the previous exercise. Play the exercise descending and then ascending and descending through all the shapes of CAGED.

With some time and gained fluidity you can start to connect these arpeggios to outline the chord changes you’re playing over. In the context of a ii-V-I in the key of C major, you can play a Dmin7 arpeggio, a G7 arpeggio, and Cmaj7 arpeggio. Combining these in different ways can create some really nice melodies that have context even without the chords being payed behind them.

Try applying these concepts to your favorite songs and see if you can hear the chords through your melodies. Later you can try playing scales over these chord changes, but try landing on chord tones on the down beats. You’ll soon start to hear how your favorite musicians are able navigate beautifully through the chords they play over. Happy playing!

Arpeggios are a really cool concept you can use in lead guitar, rhythm guitar, and songwriting. All it takes to start using these arpeggios in more ways is to continue browsing our site. Some topics that’ll help you get started include james blake retrograde chords, how to properly hold down guitar strings, and easy solos to learn on electric guitar.

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7th chords may seem a bit more familiar, but this too is really just an extension of a triad. This article seeks to clear up some of these terms and show beginning guitarists how they can begin to play and incorporate “Jazz” chords into their repertoire.

In my previous article “7th Chords: What are they and how to play the, on the guitar” I discussed how we can extend many of the simple chord shapes we know and turn them into 7th chords. Extending these 7th chords even further is where we enter the realm of 9ths, 11ths, and 13ths.

First, let’s clear up where these numbers come from.

We’ll stick with the key of C as it’s a little easier to understand because it has a key signature without any sharps or flats.

In the key of C we have 7 notes, after the 7th note B, we arrive back at the octave C, which is the root. The first note C is 8 notes away from the next C above or below it, hence the word octave (octo means 8 in Latin). If we were to count up another note, we would arrive at 9 and so on.

This is where we derive the tones 9, 11, and 13 from.

Before we delve any further, a common question I hear is why we don’t refer to a chord with the tenth degree included (in this case E) as a Cmaj10 chord. This is because a tenth above a chord is the same as the 3rd degree of the associated scale of that chord. A tenth refers to an interval rather than a chord tone. When we play a tenth above a given chord, it does nothing to change the chord itself. The same goes for a 12th (same as the 5th) or 14th (same as the 7th), etc. When we refer to a 9th, 11th, or 13th in the context of a chord, we’re referring to the extensions above the common structure of a triad or 7th chord. We name these tones specifically because they change the sound and makeup of the chord itself.

There is the exception of a sus chord (suspended) or a 6th chord. A sus chord refers to a triad or 7th chord whose 3rd degree is raised to the 4th degree. So C-E-G would become C-F-G. You will usually see a sus chord functioning as the V chord in a given key because it gives a sense of delayed resolution. In the key of C the V chord is a G chord. Play this progression to get a sense of the suspended sound.

6th chords usually refer to chords that have the chord tone of a 7th replaced by a 6th.

In C this would be C-E-G-A. You’ll notice that a 6th is the same note as we would refer to as a 13th. 13th chords refer to V7 chords (dominant) that have a 6th degree and 7th degree. This may be a bit confusing, but just remember that if you’re playing a V7 chord and it has a 6th degree, it will most often be referred to as a 13th chord.

Let’s look at some chords and discuss their extensions and some standard shapes you can use to play them. We’ll be looking at a ii – V – I progression in the key of C.

Note: The 5th degree is often omitted from a chord because it has the least effect on the overall sound of the chord and can cause the chord to sound muddled. Also, as guitar players we only have so many fingers so naturally some notes simply cannot be included.

Let’s start with Dmin 9 and Dmin 11. Below are two different ways of playing these chord progressions

The Dmin 9 chord has the 9th degree from the root added (E) and Dmin 11 has the 11th degree added (G)

Next we’ll look at the V (Dominant) chord.

Dominant chords often have altered extensions because these create a greater sense of tension and release. When you play some of these, you’ll notice they sound quite harsh, but have a stronger sense of resolution when the I chord is played afterwards. There are many variations of dominant chords because of the number of altered notes involved. I’ve included some of the more common ones here and below are some different positions of the same chords on the guitar.

Please note:

Maj and Dominant chords have a #11 because the half step between the 3rd and 4th(11th) degrees clash and make for a very harsh sound.

A minor chord doesn’t need the 11th raised because the flat 3rd of a minor chord is a whole step away from the 4th degree.

Here are some examples of Major chords with extensions

CMaj9

Extending triads to include 9ths, 11ths and 13ths can make for some very exciting sounds and add a lot of “color” to your playing.

Hopefully this article has answered some of the questions you may have had about where these extensions come from and how they can be applied to the basic chords you already know. Try experimenting with adding some different notes to your favorite chords and see if you can identify what the tones you’ve added are.

Remember, it can really be just as simple as counting upwards. Happy playing!

In case you need to brush up on theory, we wanted to remind you that our free blog is chock full of articles to help you understand difficult chords like 9s and 11s. There are many topics that’ll help you learn this framework, but a few of these include famous chord progressions guitar, dont worry you will chords, and “what’s the worst mode of the major scale?” You’ll figure out lots of new ways to play these chords after reading through our blog! 

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Triads

Triads are chords built from 3 notes, hence the prefix tri, meaning 3!

7th chords are really just an extension of a triad. If you don’t know already, a triad is the basis for most of the harmony we’re familiar with, whether it be western classical music, rock, pop or jazz. Triads are chords built from 3 notes, hence the prefix tri, meaning 3.

When you play an open C chord at the 3rd fret you’re playing a triad. There’s five notes ringing out, but that’s because some of the notes are doubled. At the core you’re really only playing the notes C-E-G. And, when you play a bar chord version of C major the notes are arranged a little differently, but still the only notes being played are C-E-G.

Triads are built in intervals of thirds and generally built from the 1st, 3rd and 5th degree of a given scale. Hence, in a C major scale, the 1st, 3rd, and 5th degrees are the notes C-E-G.

7th chords are formed by adding another note to a triad. You might have guessed that that note is the 7th degree of a given scale.

Building 7th chords

Given the C major scale, which contains the notes C-D-E-F-G-A-B, we can build a C major 7th chord (often denoted CM7) by playing the notes C-E-G-B.

As shared in the previous two chord diagrams, we’d only have to change one note in each of those shapes to create a Major 7th Chord.

C-dominant 7 (or C7 as it’s commonly seen), is built by taking a C major triad and adding a flat 7.
So C-E-G-B becomes C-E-G-Bb(flat).

We can also add a 7th to minor triads. Depending on the context, this can be either a natural 7 or flat 7.

With a C minor triad, which is composed of the notes C-Eb(flat)-G, we’d add a flat 7th to get a Cminor 7 (commonly written as Cmin7) chord which would be spelled C-Eb-G-Bb. In the context of the two shapes we’ve been working with, it’d look like this:

You’ll notice in the first diagram that the 5th (G) is omitted. This is because when we begin extending chords, the fifth degree is often the first note to be omitted because it has the least effect on the overall harmony of the chord. When you start playing chords with 9ths and 13ths (more about these in an upcoming post) you’ll often see the fifth omitted.

As guitar players we only really have 4 fingers so sometimes we have to omit a note to successfully play extended chords and often times the fifth muddles the overall colour and clarity of the chord as well. In this particular example, the 5th is omitted for purposes of easier fingering.

Though less common, you can also play a minor triad with a natural 7. this is usually denoted as a major-minor 7 chord. To play a Cmajor-minor7th we’d spell the notes C-Eb-G-B(natural). Here’s how they would look following the examples we have been using:

Lastly, you can play a minor 7th chord with a flatted 5th degree. This is referred to as a half diminished chord or minor 7 flat 5. In the context of a Cminor chord this would be spelled C-Eb-Gb-Bb. Because of issues of fingering, only the second version of the diagram has been included here:

Simple Shapes for Playing 7th chords

A nice exercise for working on some of these chords is to play a scale up the neck harmonised in 7th chords. You can take all of the previous shapes we’ve gone over and apply them to the C major scale.

Hopefully you’ll come away from this article with a better understanding of how 7th chords are formed. Inspect the chords you already know and figure out what note you can change to make it a 7th chord. Often times the root (first degree) of the chord is doubled so all you have to do is bring it down a whole step or half (depending on the chord) and you’ll be playing a 7th chord.

In my next article, I’ll be exploring ways in which we can extend chords even farther by adding 9ths, 11ths, and 13ths and begin the play some of the sounds often heard in the Jazz idiom.

7th chords are a fascinating world of musical harmony that doesn’t get explored much outside of Jazz, but it will yield great results if you do so! To do learn more about using these chords, we suggest you browse our blog for articles on music theory topics like intervals, scales, and key signatures as it’ll help you understand how 7th chords occur throughout music. A few articles to help you with this include “what is a distance between two notes in music?“, how to play like pete townshend, and things to know before picking up a guitar. 

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When you start out at a slow tempo, it gives you time to think about your movements and see what’s coming ahead.

Unfortunately, this leads to many guitarists being able to play quite well but feeling boxed in by their fundamental lack of knowledge of the fretboard. Blues in A? Great. Move to the 5th fret and ready to wail. But what if you want to move out of your stock pentatonic shape and play that high E at the 12th fret? You may know a shape up in that area as well, but still you feel boxed in because the rest of the fretboard remains uncharted waters, grey and fuzzed out by a lack of fretboard knowledge and fluidity.

Technique / Exercise

This simple exercise can help you systematically break down where every note is on the fretboard and help you understand the scale patterns you already know at a much deeper and comprehensible level.

This exercise, aptly titled the Note Finder Exercise, should be attacked systematically and SLOWLY. As I’ve mentioned in other lessons and to all my students, doing exercises at a slow tempo is essential to successfully internalising the material at hand. Of course raising the tempo should happen over time, but when learning a new exercise one should always go slowly.

When you start out at a slow tempo, it gives you time to think about your movements and see what’s coming ahead. Once the process has been thought out and internalised at a slow tempo, speeding up is easy because the thought process and muscle memory are already in place.

The essential goal of this exercise is to be able to find any note on any string

Step 1: To find any note, we’ll want to map out where any single note resides on each of the six strings. To begin, we’ll first want to logically break down the fretboard and understand how it’s mapped in a standard guitar tuning.

Here is a picture of a fretboard with all the notes spanning from the 1st to the 12th fret. You’ll notice that some frets have two notes on them. This is due to the fact the some notes have different names depending on the key signature.

For example, you wouldn’t want to spell out an E Major scale:

E Gb Ab A B Db Eb E

That wouldn’t be readable. Hence using different note names depending on the key.

E F# G# A B C# D# E

Much more readable.

If you’re not familiar with this, don’t worry about it too much now. Just realise that A#(sharp) and Bb(flat) are indeed the same note, etc.

Step 2: In the above diagram, the note F is highlighted on the first, second and third string. If you play these three notes, you’ll notice they are actually the exact same note in the same octave. This is what makes stringed instruments unique, but also sometimes frustrating to learn.

If you do this exercise slowly and systematically, you’ll know the fretboard in and out in no time.

On most other instruments you can only play a note in one place, but on guitar you can play the same note in several different places. What’s important to recognise here, is that the guitar is a grid that OVERLAPS on itself. If you think about F on the first fret as a starting point and play a scale going up, it’s exactly the same as starting on F on the second string 6th fret. Recognising patterns like this will help you better internalise every note’s placement on the neck.

As we’ve been discussing F, it’s a good note to start the Note Finder Exercise with. The diagram below has all the F’s below the 12th fret highlighted.

When doing this exercise, it’s important to stay below the 12th fret. The grid of the fret board repeats itself above the 12th fret so limiting yourself to notes below the 12th fret will keep you from jumping to notes in places you already know.

Step 3 – Set your metronome to 40 BPM, you can use your Uberchord app for this.

Starting on the low E string play F on every string up to the high E string. When you get to the top, come back down the string set. It will take several times to feel fluid, but soon you’ll start seeing where each F is placed on the fretboard.

Use patterns to your advantage.

You probably already know the F on the low E string from playing an F major chord. This means you already know where F is on the high E string because they’re placement is identical, just two octaves apart.

Between every string except B and G, you can go down a string and up 5 frets to find the same note (eg. F on the first fret, high E string and F on the 6th fret, B string are the same note).

Between the B and G string you would go up 4 frets with the same pattern to find the same note. This is due to the B and G string being a Major 3rd apart rather than a fourth apart (annoying, I know). Recognising patterns like these shouldn’t be used as a crutch, but they’ll help you typify the fretboard more and make every note’s placement easier to internalise.

After you’ve gotten pretty comfortable with F choose a different note. Possibly Bb, or some other note that you’re really uncomfortable with.

After enough repetition you won’t wonder where that notes placement on the neck is. Eventually you’ll want to work up playing through every note on the fretboard. Picking something like the cycle of fourths is a good place to start.

Here’s a video of the exercise in a cycle of fourths.

After you’re comfortable with going through every key, speed up the metronome. Then pick another cycling pattern. Major thirds is quite nice.

Picking new cycles helps with thinking ahead. While you’re searching for every note on the fretboard, you’re also thinking about what note to move to next. If you do this exercise slowly and systematically, you’ll know the fretboard in and out in no time. Happy playing!

Are you hungry for more free guitar lessons to practice your newfound knowledge? Then you should check out our article covering how to play like James Hetfield guitar position. If you’re into country style guitar playing, then our free lesson on the correct way to fingerpick on guitar using some typical country song chord progressions could be a big help.

The post How To Find & Memorise The Notes On The Guitar Fretboard Like A Pro appeared first on Uberchord App.

The biggest problem I see with new players is that they struggle to use one finger as a guide to bring the other fingers into place when trying to grab a chord.

I strongly recommend beginner guitar players to use the Uberchord app (click for free download) for practicing chord progressions and chord changes, and use the real-time feedback to improve your playing skills. While, I’ll help you expedite the process of grabbing chords confidently on the neck and get you on your way to playing along expertly with your favourite band, or better yet, running a band of your own.

The biggest problem I see with new players is that they struggle to use one finger as a guide to bring the other fingers into place when trying to grab a chord. They eventually get the shape together on the fretboard, but by that time the chord has already passed and it’s time for the next one.

The first key to playing chords with confidence and fluidity is to GO SLOW.

This is one of the hardest things to do as a new player. We want to play everything perfectly right away, but in doing so, we form bad habits and extraneous movements. Check out our earlier post on avoiding some very common beginner guitar mistakes.

The Exercises

We will be using a chord progression of C, D & G.

Step 1 – Let’s just take a simple C major chord to begin with.

Even if you’re new to guitar, you’re probably familiar with this shape as it’s one of the first chords any guitar player learns. Interestingly though, it’s one that I see many beginners struggle with over and over again.

Step 2 – Start by getting this shape on the fretboard, as you can see in the gif image on the right.

This may seem trivial, but getting the feel of a chord shape in your hand is the most important step to being able to come back to it confidently. Make sure you hold it there for at least 10 seconds. Feel the string indentations being formed on your fingertips.

Step 3 – After ten seconds, pull your hand away from the fretboard slowly and bring it down to rest on your left thigh (right thigh if you’re playing left handed).

Step 4 – Slowly bring your hand back up to the fretboard. Your fingers should already be forming the chord shape on the way up.

When you’re a few centimeters above the fretboard, your fingers should already have the shape of the chord in your hand. When you plant your fingers on the fretboard in the shape of the chord, every digit should touch the fretboard at the same time.

If they don’t, start again!

Repeat this action 5 times and strum the chord at the end of every cycle. The chord should come out clean with every note ringing true. By the fifth cycle, the movement should feel much less awkward and almost automatic. If not, continue with a few more cycles.

Remember, the key to internalising these chord shapes and building muscle memory is to GO SLOW.

This gives the brain time to analyse each movement. Soon enough the muscles are trained to grab these shapes and can be positioned on the fretboard at any moment with ease.

Exercise for the D major chord

Step 1 – Remember to hold the chord shape on the fretboard for ten seconds to really feel the shape in your fingers.

Step 2 – Bring your hand down slowly to your thigh. Bring it back up to the fretboard slowly with the shape of the D chord already formed with your fingers.

Step 3 – Repeat the cycle five times and strum the chord at the end of every cycle. Again, every note should ring clean and true. Because you’re going slow, make sure to be aware of your strumming hand.

An open D chord only contains 4 notes, starting with the open D string. Be sure that you’re not inadvertently hitting the A or E strings. Going slow like this gives you the ability to focus on your movements and play chords cleanly and precisely.

Exercise for the open G chord

Because of the wide stretch of fingers for the G chord, the low E and high E string, this chord is often difficult for beginners. If you’re struggling, take a little extra time to feel the shape in your hands.

Make sure that when you’re bringing your fingers back to the fretboard, that the shape is already formed in your fingers and no extra movements are made when placing your digits on the fretboard.

If you haven’t noticed already, these three chords, G D C, make up the ubiquitous I – IV – V – I chord progression.

You can find some variation of this progression in countless pop songs and classics like The Troggs – “Wild Thing”, Led Zeppelin – “Rock and Roll”, and most Blues songs.

Final Exercise: Playing all the chords together

Grab a metronome or use the Uberchord app’s free inbuilt metronome.

Set the metronome to 40.

Step 1 – Starting with G chord, play through the I – IV – V – I progression strumming a chord on every beat of the metronome.

This may feel painfully slow, but it will ensure you’re considering every movement. Make sure to pay attention to everything we’ve worked on. Your fingers should already be making the shape of the next chord as they leave the neck.

Step 2 – Every digit should touch down on the fretboard at the same time.

After you’re feeling more comfortable with the transitions, plug in this progression to your Uberchord. You should find that it’s much easier to play along with the progressions. Even with chords you aren’t yet comfortable with. The key to playing cleanly and precisely is training yourself to pay attention to the movement of your fingers. You’ll find that this heightened awareness translates into every new chord you learn.

As a jazz guitarist, I’ll often run into a difficult chord shape that really pushes the limits of my dexterity. This exercise really helps me to internalise the feeling of a chord and my ability to play it smoothly and seamlessly.

I’ll leave you with one slightly more difficult succession of chords based off the common ii – V – I progression. Utilise the exercise we just learned and see if you can navigate the chords with some fluidity and continuity.

Remember our goal is not to play a succession of difficult chords. The goal is to play music. I hope this exercise helps you take one more step in the direction of that goal.

Happy playing! We hope you’ll read more articles on our blog and continue your musical journey with us. A few of our most recent articles include amplitube app, everybody’s changing chords, and some the best guitar blogs. 

The post How To Change Guitar Chords Fast: Easy Tricks for Beginner Guitarists appeared first on Uberchord App.

Instead of using a pick to produce the note, you can “hammer-on” a finger, or with two fingers down, “pull-off” the leading one to create the sound of a desired note.

From Metal, to Jazz, to Blues, this technique is used everywhere to create a sound of long, smoothly connected notes. This is most commonly described as playing Legato. In Italian, legato literally means “tied-together”. Rock guitarists like Eddie Van Halen or Steve Vai employ this technique to create the lightning fast, smooth, cascading runs they’re so well known for. Buddy Guy and Jimi Hendrix produce their soulful, lyrically connected lines by using this technique as well. If you listen to Jazz, guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel’s virtuosic technique is the product of working on legato exercises based on hammer-ons and pull-offs.

First, what is a Hammer-On?

It refers to the sounding of a string, not by picking, but by pressing or indeed ‘hammering on’ an additional finger from your fretting hand.

Try this: put your first finger down on the 3rd string, 5th fret (the note C) and “hammer-on” your 3rd finger on the same string, 7th fret (the note D). Did you make a sound? If you did, you’ve successfully played the note D with a hammer-on! Now trying hammering on your 4th finger (pinky) on the same string, 8th fret (the note D#).

If you made a sound, congratulations on playing another hammer-on! You may have noticed that the last hammer-on was a little more difficult to play. That’s because the muscles between your middle, ring, and pinky fingers are much weaker than the ones between your first and middle finger. These muscles will get stronger the more you practice these hammer-ons, so don’t worry if it feels a little weak and uncomfortable at this point.

The idea of playing legato and using hammer-ons and pull-offs is quite simple, but learning to play clear distinct lines is a little more difficult. Practice very slowly to make the notes come out even and clearly without the use of a pick.

What is a Pull-Off?

Pull Off, which is effectively the same but in reverse – you pull hard off the string to create a sound. The art of crafting guitar lines using a combination of these techniques falls under another umbrella term which you may well have heard before: legato.

Following our previous example, plant your middle finger down on the 3rd string, 7th fret and your pinky on the same string, 8th fret. Now try to “pull-off” your pinky while your middle finger is still planted down to produce the note D (7th fret). With this technique, your leading finger (in this case your pinky) acts similarly to a pick by “pulling-off” on the string to play a given note. Now try pulling off your middle finger with your first finger planted on the first fret to produce the note C.

How to Improve Your Technique?

1 – One technique is to focus on finger placement. Though we’re told to do this at all times while playing, it is very important when learning to play with hammer-ons. Making sure that you land squarely and precisely on the tip of your fingers ensures your note will come out strongly and clearly.

2 – Pay attention to is where you actually hammer your finger down on the fret. If you think about how a fret actually functions, it shortens the length of the string when you press down and the string touches the fret itself. People often press in the middle of the fret leaving space between their finger and the metal of the actual fret. This leaves more room for error and a need to press harder to create the note.

3 – If you place your finger right up against the metal of the fret when you hammer down, it takes much less effort to create a clean, clear tone and in turn you’re able to play more lightly, quickly and freely.

Here is an example of a G major scale played with hammer-on’s and pull offs.

Notice: how the fingers are right up against the fret. Also, the only time the pick is being used is to create the sound of the first note on the string. The following tones are all created via the fretboard hand using either a hammer-on or pull-off.

Try playing through all your scales using this technique. Remember to go slowly and try to play as precisely as possible. If you go slowly and focus on planting your fingers on the fret board squarely and on the tips then you’ll have a much easier time playing precisely when you try to speed up.

Another great exercise is what is sometimes called reverse hammer-ons. This is much more of a practice to strengthen your fingers and help with clarity going down than something that is used while actually playing. As you’re practicing hammer-ons and pull-offs, you’ll realize that pull-offs are much more difficult to play loudly and clearly than hammer-ons. One way to work on and remedy this is to play your scales going backwards with hammer-ons. I use this simple exercise and focus on making a sound with hammer-ons in reverse.

Here is a Reverse Hammer-On example:

These exercises take a long time to get a clear even sound. I still often struggle with getting the sound to be even if I haven’t kept up with the exercises. With daily practice though, you’ll see that your picked notes actually become clearer because the sound not only comes from your pick, but your fretboard hand too. You’ll also be able to play a lot more smoothly and lyrically.

Guitarists often pick every note and play more Staccato, or short notes, that sound choppy. Playing legato promotes a much more fluid lyrical quality. I’ll leave you with an example of some more legato playing employing hammer-ons and pull-offs. Happy practicing and happy playing!

Here is a video of a Legato excerpt:

Here is a full video instructional on Hammer-On & Pull-Offs: watch & learn!

If you have any ideas, tricks or techniques, please do share with us in the comments section below.

Are you still hungry for more guitar knowledge? This article is just one of hundreds of free ones we’ve got here at UberChord. We suggest that you take a look at how to write guitar music, “what kind of guitar should i buy?” and this theory article about chords in the key of f sharp minor.

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