Guitar Zen: Playing the Changes

Before we begin, let's quickly review some key terms that I'll be mentioning frequently. Firstly, we have "caged," "pentatonics," and "double stops." In a nutshell, each chord can be played in five different positions on the fretboard.By the way, I've created courses on these topics in collaboration with the great team at TrueFire. That's where you can find comprehensive lessons on them. So, let's talk about the G chord. There are various ways to play it, but ultimately, they all stem from the same fundamental G chord. Anything else you come across is just a variation of that. This concept applies to every triad, lick, and arpeggio—everything, in fact.In some way or another, they're all connected. Now, when it comes to embellishing these chords, I always take the simplest approach. This involves using the major forms. That's where the major pentatonic scale comes into play. And yes, I have a dedicated course on this subject.In fact, I have an entire class solely focused on the relationship between chords and the corresponding pentatonic scales. It's a crucial connection that I use extensively in my playing. Now, another term you'll hear me mention is "double stops." Essentially, it refers to playing two notes simultaneously—a technique that adds depth to your sound.So, these are the elements we'll be exploring throughout the examples of chord progressions. Now, let's dive right in.

First, let's take a look at the G major scale.Always remember to practice scales in both ascending and descending order.I cannot stress enough how crucial this is for understanding everything. The formula for a major scale is all you need to know for now; no need to worry about intervals or extensive music theory. So, these are the notes that form a major scale. And here's the catch: the same set of notes also gives us the chords of the key. I have a handy PDF that provides the chord information, though I'm not sure where it will be located.You can hear how those chords correspond to the respective notes. It starts with G major, followed by A minor, B minor, C major, D major, E minor. Now, watch out for this one: F sharp minor seven flat five. Don't be intimidated by chords with long names; they are still chords.

First, let's take a look at the G major scale.Always remember to practice scales in both ascending and descending order.I cannot stress enough how crucial this is for understanding everything. The formula for a major scale is all you need to know for now; no need to worry about intervals or extensive music theory. So, these are the notes that form a major scale. And here's the catch: the same set of notes also gives us the chords of the key. I have a handy PDF that provides the chord information, though I'm not sure where it will be located.You can hear how those chords correspond to the respective notes. It starts with G major, followed by A minor, B minor, C major, D major, E minor. Now, watch out for this one: F sharp minor seven flat five. Don't be intimidated by chords with long names; they are still chords.

Alright, let's dive in. I won't be playing in the open position because I want to incorporate some of my favorite CAGED tricks and voicings. What I do falls somewhere between lead and rhythm guitar, which is what I love the most.

Now, let's shift our focus to the A minor scale.Here's the thing: when it comes to scales, we have the major and minor aspects. Everything else falls into that hazy middle ground of blues and modes, but those are the two extremes. That's why I thought it would be great to explore a G major concept earlier, and now let's delve into an A minor concept. And again, my advice to you is to simply memorize this scale.

Now, let's shift our focus to the A minor scale.Here's the thing: when it comes to scales, we have the major and minor aspects. Everything else falls into that hazy middle ground of blues and modes, but those are the two extremes. That's why I thought it would be great to explore a G major concept earlier, and now let's delve into an A minor concept. And again, my advice to you is to simply memorize this scale.