Guitar Lab: Diatonic Chord Progressions

This intensive Guitar Lab examination of Diatonic Chord Progressions from Brad Carlton is presented in three sections and applies the voicings from Open String Universe to a wide variety of commonly found diatonic chord progressions.

The first section covers a range of two-chord vamps derived from major scale diatonic harmony. These bichordal progressions form the building blocks of many tunes in a very wide variety of styles. By viewing each vamp utilizing the number system, you'll be able to catalog each progression by its sound thus increasing your skills in harmonic analysis. Since each vamp is diatonic, you'll easily be able to solo over the vamp by using the parent major scale. The modes will change automatically with each chord change.

The first section of the course covers the following two-chord progressions:


I ii ii iii
I IV ii V
I V IV V
I vi V vi

The second section of the course covers diatonic chord progressions which involve three different chords. We'll be using voicings rooted off the sixth string derived from the open position E major and E minor forms. The first and second strings will be played open in each voicing thus extending the basic major or minor tonality. Many different combinations of the I, ii, iii, IV, V, and vi chords will be presented thus enhancing your ability to hear and analyze diatonic progressions.

The second section of the course covers the following three-chord progressions:

I ii iii vi V IV
IV V vi vi IV V
I IV V V vi IV
I V IV V IV vi
V IV I IV V vi
V I IV IV vi V
IV V I vi I V
IV I V vi V I
The third section of the course continues applying open string voicings over three-chord diatonic progressions utilizing chord voicings for the first eight lessons. In lessons nine through sixteen, Brad will cover four-chord progressions as well.

The third section of the course covers the following three- and four-chord progressions:

ii IV I I vi IV V
ii IV V I vi ii V
ii V IV I V vi IV
iii IV I V iii IV I
iii V I I iii vi V
iii vi I I iii IV V
vi ii I iii IV vi V
ii vi V I IV vi V

Whether or not you decide to skim through the material or dig deep into the harmonic analysis and application of open string voicings over diatonic chord progressions, you will find this study program to be extremely ear- and eye-opening with enough solid instruction and insight to very favorably impact your overall theoretical understanding and sound shaping skills.