Guitar Lab: The I bVII IV Progression

Intensive Examination of Soloing Approaches For The I bVII IV Progression

Marty FriedmanTommy EmmanuelSteve VaiEric GalesEric Johnson

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Guitar Lab: The I bVII IV Progression

About this course

Welcome to Guitar Lab: The I bVII IV Progression, part of a series of Guitar Lab courses that deal with individual progressions. The I bVII IV progression is one of the most common harmonic sequences in modern music, and this course will give you many approaches for soloing over it. Topics presented will include modal options, the safety net approach, common tones, and pentatonic approaches. You'll also receive twenty melodic moves which will provide a vocabulary for developing longer lines.

What you'll learn

  • Understanding 1-2-1 melodic movement technique
  • Learn multiple melodic approaches
  • Developing ear for pitch and note relationships
  • Develop improvisation skills
  • Developing improvisational skills
Release date: 06/30/2016 • 1h 39m runtime
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Sample lessons
Chord Voicings
Chord Voicings
5th/6th String Root Forms
Harmonic Analysis
Harmonic Analysis
V IV I
Scale Options
Scale Options
Modal Approach
The Safety Net Approach
The Safety Net Approach
Chord Voicing Shapes

What's included

32 lessons • 31 charts • 1 Jam Tracks

The I bVII IV Progression
Hi, I'm Brad Carlton and welcome to Guitar Lab: The I bVII IV Progression, part of a series of Guitar Lab courses that deal with individual progressions. The I bVII IV progression is one of the most common harmonic sequences in modern music, and this course will give you many approaches for soloing over it. Topics presented will include modal options, the safety net approach, common tones, and pentatonic approaches. You'll also receive twenty melodic moves which will provide a vocabulary for developing longer lines.
Chord Voicings
It's wise to always think of the chords first, because that's what you're presented with when asked to solo over a tune. This lesson presents the general areas for visualizing the chord voicings for this progression.
Harmonic Analysis
This lesson will focus on the labeling and analysis of this chord sequence. The label "I bVII IV" is in reference to the street key. It's also wise to view this progression as a V IV I in the theoretical key.
Scale Options
When viewing this D C G progression as a V IV I in the key of G major, you'll actually be playing in the following modes as the chords change: D Mixolydian over the D chord, C Lydian over the C chord, and G Ionian over the G chord.
The Safety Net Approach
By seeing the chord shapes (voicings) on the fingerboard, you have a built-in safety net approach for soloing through the progression. Each voicing gives you one note per string which will always be melodically strong for the duration of that chord.
Using Common Tones
This lesson will examine the common tones which occur over each chord change. There are seven notes in the parent major scale (G major), with each note functioning as a particular scale degree as the modes change.
Pentatonic Approach #1
The simplest approach over this D C G progression would be to use D major pentatonic. In this lesson, I'll demonstrate how to effectively use this scale while still considering the chord changes.

+ 25 more lessons

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Reviews

5 results

blackrider99

Verified buyer

01/22/26

Helpful for understanding

I am starting to write my own music - and I wanted to revisit some basics of common chord progressions - Brad does a good job at this review for me.

Flandrian15

10/04/19

Guitar Lab isx amazing

The "guitar lab" series by guitar master Brad Carlton can already be considered enough reason to become an all access student, simply amazing. His courses are never easy but have a very clear goal and will push you to become the guitar player you always wanted to be.

A L.

10/15/18

Falling into Brad's Safety Net!

Bought this course cause the promo video had a real catchy bluesy sound to it. So glad I did, as I learned Brad's Safety Net Approach, which is a forehead-smacking "why didn't I think of that" approach which makes for productive practice and concept assimilation.

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