Thanks so much for this one. Having someone explain these basics so clearly in a step by step basis is so helpful. Just learning licks and seeing if they work, for me, didn’t explain why I was doing it. This does. Working on those triads now.
I second learning triads/arpeggios and targetting chord notes. It's that next step that so many players don't take. It took me 3 decades to get around to it, but better late than never. Thanks for your time and wisdom, Chris! 🍒
@@curiousguitarist Keep on keeping on !!!! I've been shying away from learning more for too many years. I seem to start on some new material and after not too long, I'm like ahhh screw it and back to the same old stuff.
Hey I’m currently in my 40’s and finally getting around to learning my triads and arpeggios and my playing has exponentially improved over a few short months. Why did it take me so long to learn this stuff? Great video.
@@noodlemansexact same experience. Tried learn scale and mode after scale and mode, then learnt target tones while playing blues. Changed my world completely. Opened the fretboard up and got me focusing on intervals.
3 months ago I struggled to follow these sorts of lessons because I didn't understand where you'd pull some chord shapes from. Then I took the time to learn triads and memorize the major notes on the fretboard - now when you play a G triad I can see it and follow along! Everything you teach here is easier AFTER you learn the fretboard, triads and pentatonic scales. Thanks for your lessons!
Triad pairs are an incredible ‘hack’ to sound musical and also helps you gain so much focus on the fret board. Great use in blues I find combined with enclosures .👍 It opens up the guitar so much and gets your mind out of scale type thinking and more on intervals.
This is definitely a valuable guitar lesson. More so than probably 80% of what’s out there in RUclips world specifically the way you talk about visualizing the triads in their corresponding, CAGE system shapes.
I’ll quit bombarding you with comments, but damn. A lot of RUclipsrs show you what works, but they don’t explain why it works, which would help connect so many other dots. You also almost trick the user into learning multiple things at once. It’s brilliant! I’m like a little kid now, I can’t wait to get home every day and practice these things. It’s refreshing. Thanks again, man! I’ll leave you alone, for now.
Hey Chris! I just started guitar a little over a year ago and wasn’t really getting anywhere. I just started watching your videos as well as Marty’s and you guys really put all the pieces together in a way that I understood it. I wouldn’t be anywhere without you guys, so thanks for all the work you do.
I took lessons when I was around 18 years old from a teacher who was maybe in his late sixties and a remarkable musician. I remember asking him how long it would take to learn to play..... He said the rest of my life! I'm now in my sixties and can honestly say he was right.
@Chris Sherland okay Chris , I'm confused with this post "I got a new job" and the other message too !! Is that an American slang or something?? Your videos have finally taken my playing to a better place ! You do explain PERFECT to people who can't understand the art of guitar !! Why others can't teach the way you easily explain theory ?? I cant thank you enough !! I had much of the theory but could not get it on my own!
@@dnantis I am so glad you are here! Sorry about the "job" comment, I misunderstood your question. My next video on playing through changes will outline how to see what has "changed" in the tonality instead of what is "common" as the chords change. It is the next skill to develop. Thank you for being here!
This was a helpful lesson. I have a habit of targeting the tonic first when playing the changes. Using common notes as you suggested is a good way to bring more variety and expression to my soloing. Thank you.
You bet! Starting to track common notes also puts you on a collision course with voice leading…as you’ll see in more complete chord changes sometimes the 3rd of one chord might be a half step away from the 7th of another for example. It’s a big beautiful world :)
I just realize during this lesson that I actually already know all those triads, but I just wasnt using them for lead lines. Thanks for helping remove that mental block. I do need to get better about know note locations on the fret board by heart. Awesome lesson!
I've been studying David Gilmour for 4 years and since I work 50hrs a week it's been slow. Thankfully that's how he plays. I've progressed but slowly. This lesson will help alot. Thanks.
You can tell how much time you have spent honing your craft of playing guitar and also how much you love teaching and sharing your passion. Your lessons are always motivating and informative!
Thank you for this lesson. I have been working on both the major and minor triads for the past three months. I found your video and as a result I had an aha moment. Using triads to play melodically and finding the common note in each chord change and using that note to introduce the new chord when making the change.
Aha. As an adult beginner, that was probably one of the most meaningful 15 minutes I have experienced with a guitar in my hands. Excellent lesson, mate. Thank you.
Awesome Chris. So find the common notes that link the chords to switch over smoothly and musically. Triads are amazing, they really open up the fretboard and aren't so difficult to learn
I have been playing since 1982... I can imitate all the greats,, Randy Rhoads is my all time favorite. But not limited to by any means... One thing I always had trouble with it improvising my own leads... I know a ton of scales and licks,, I alsoknow how important it is to target chord tones, but I think this video explained more to me than anything I have ever been taught.. Have you ever gotten to that spot where you just dont enjoy playing what you know and you cant figure out how to get out of that rut??? Well you just lifted me out with this video.... Thank you for that.... I would love to see a more in depth video on this with more complex chord progressions.. But this will get me started.. I have a whole new way of looking at my scales... I was/am definitely bullying through the scales over the key and landing on a fancy lick to make it sound like I know what Im doing... This is going to change the way I play...
I can't tell you how happy this comment made me OMP! I'll definitely do another one. Have you seen this one yet: ruclips.net/video/CIKj-FCyyaE/видео.html
Thanks Chris for this very valuable lesson. I admit that I am one of those players that need to start actually learning the notes to the scales rather than just knowing them as shapes. Just been playing for a little over a year but I’ll start learning those notes. Thanks again for the lesson!
05:20 - yep, that's what I'm working on, changing things up to sound less like a scale drill! My favourite part was playing with the triads (so grateful for the Triad course you ran), but that technique with the G Maj pentatonic sounded really good, too!
Find some simple arpeggios played at a slow tempo in YTube. Turn off all effects and play along with those. It's a great way to hear the changes. Be sure to be very much in tune. When you make a mistake, instead of stopping or slowing down- lean into it. Pretend like it was intentional. Like with interior design- "If you can't hide it, highlight it." I think that is how improvisational jazz started- plenty of musical mistakes that, when repeated and embraced created their own genre. I don't fully subscribe to keys/scales. It is just a concept. I can play the Pentatonic scale (major and minor) backwards and forward, the Major Scale and several modes. I get that they are sometimes a very helpful concept. That said, it is critical to understand that every note is unique and it's own planet. In blues the scale idea works very well however in many, more sophisticated progressions the notes in a scale will not all fit the progression. This is especially true in jazz. This is where having an ability to chase chords is particularly helpful. FUN FACT: If you like Jazz, you can play most of it even if you only know the Pentatonic scale. Most Jazz uses the Major scale. If you simply move 3 notes down the fretboard from the root (on the top "thicker" 6th string), you can start playing position I of your penta(5)tonic scale. It usually works great. You will have done it right if your pinky is on the root of the major scale. So if e.g., you are jamming to a backing track in A "MAJ." your first finger will be on F#/Gb and your pinky will now be on A (5th fret.) Try it out! TIP- It helps a lot to print out a huge piece of legal paper a diagram of the fret board. Then highlight each chord (change) in the progression. Practice finding those notes. Trust me, after 20 minutes, you will know where they are. As Chris said, your playing will sound so much better. Eventually you will definitely want to memorize every note on the guitar. I am not there yet either but it's a fun journey. Funny story, on the first or 2nd lesson he Joe Satriani gave to Steve Vai way back in the day, Joe instructed Steve to memorize every single note on the neck. When Steve returned, and failed to do so, Joe said DO NOT COME BACK until you have done what I told you. Steve did and the rest is guitar history. ruclips.net/video/qlbTDUNAzMc/видео.html
Great video, I’ve been playing for over twenty years and am only teaching myself triads all over the fretboard now. If I could go back in time I would tell my younger self to learn triads after my open and basic barre chords. It would have been much more useful than learning to play other peoples songs note for note while not always understanding why they did certain things and why it sounded right.
My my Chris this is 1 of the best you have put out. I found this direction to be exactly what I needed to see. An angle that I ve never seen taught. Just fantically useful an understood every idea you taught. You are amazing when it comes to fully being explained. Great job my friend.
Ahhh great news Chad. I've got a follow up to this one which will publish in a couple weeks. Same subject, next level of difficulty. You're going to love it.
Great guy, great teacher. Love how you always strip away the noise (cognitive overload) and home in on the essential elements (digestible cognition... er, bite sized chunks). It can strain the brain but not drain it. You continue to help my playing and make my guitar journey a more enjoyable one. Thank you!
Wow, thank you for this note FF! I really appreciate it, and m so glad my style is helpful. Glad you’re here! And if you are who I think you are, thanks for all your support!
Excellent ideas...very simple but usefull aproach! Great progress in playing thanks to lessons like this! Knowing how and why is crucial in making progress in playing. Greetings from 40 year old family guy from Croatia!
NICE!!! As always, clear concise and super helpful…especially given I was just working on this very thing before watching this! So much for that chore I was about to accomplish….back to my guitar!!!!
Oh yeah, I need this in my library of knowledge for sure!! I started playing guitar by using tabs. Learned a few songs but I realized I still didn't know how to play guitar. Had no idea about what I was playing. Lessons like these help tremendously due to the way you break it down and explain in detail and along with the examples. I'm so excited to finally be understanding what I'm playing and it's a blast!!! Thanks.
Hey Ray! This is a great moment, really seeing the workings of it all. It’s a great part of the journey. Thanks for the comment, and I’m glad you found the channel.
Similar story, man! 'ken tabs. I decide to devote today to guitar and stumbled upon this gracious, wise man. We're both lucky, I think. Cheers, Ray! (sound of glasses clinking) To the future!! :-)
Yup, we see the world through guitar-colored glasses. Anchoring information to the ways in which we look at the fretboard helps get the info in and sticky. Thanks, Dan.
Excellent lesson! Simple techniques, agreed. Yet it's also extremely effective and powerful. Gets my creative juices flowing. Great method into matching solos with chord progressions. A real eye opener for me.
Hey there Chris…..This is Benjamin Callan….. your very first guitar student in the College of Santa Fe Music Program! I am still doing music, some rock, but my career was mostly in musical theatre. I teach now & have my own channel, but I refer student to both you & Marty (MartyMusic) all the time for guitar…. Love both of your channels!!! I have a great recording of you, KZ, Pete, & John Shepler + Melissa Vanderscafe singing on one track….. I’ll tag you when I’ve got a basic mix up! Great channel! Thank you!!!!
Just thinking of this today. Sometimes I'm able to anticipate and think of chord tones ahead of time, others I just revert to playing within the scale of the key. Looking forward to more but will be practicing this!
Brilliant lessons, explained in a way that’s understandable, thanks Chris, wish I lived in your town I’d go 1 to 1, thanks Chris, great teacher 🏴
Thank you Chris, this is something It took me years of noodling through the same old scale to realize,you got to outline the chords/play through changes! Love your teaching style!
Chris, thanks for your explanation of “Gonna take a lifetime” comment. It’s wise to realize the anxiety comments like this can create therefore possibly discouraging students. I myself am 71 years old and the word “lifetime” has a different meaning than it might to others. (Although in my head and spirit I’m still 17 LOL) Thanks for your intelligence and the generous style of teaching.
Hey Walt. Yeah, it’s that old “journey” metaphor again…We are where we are now, we are further than we were before, and we’ll be further along still tomorrow.
As soon as you played that A note over the change for the first time, I immediately laughed. Something about that was profound enough that it could have lit a hundred light bulbs. Thank. You.
Another great lesson! Somehow you manage to make these seemingly intricate and tough chunks of theory into something not only manageable, but actually easy to understand. Thank you, Chris!
And you can take this idea as far as you want to. Even the most challenging chord progressions can be reduced to a few things that make sense. And once you start asking questions like this, there's no limit to how much you can learn. Glad you enjoyed this one.
Thank you Chris. This video was a real lightbulb moment for me. I know my scales and I'm progressing on the triads, but this just showed me so clearly how you actually implement and integrate them. Thanks again so much. I would press the thumbs up multiple times if I could!
Glad it was helpful. Stuart. Breaking it down small enough to get the core concept revealed always helps when you're looking at something so complex. I'm glad you're here.
Great thanks Chris. I just started doing this the other day, but what I do in a 1-4-5 starting with A7 is play a bit of the major scale and change the scale each time the chord changes. It's pretty easy to find the roots in a a 1-4-5.
@@QBRX Do you trust me? D7 is the V in the key of G. A dorian is the second mode of that scale (thus outlines the sound of that D7 PERFECTLY. I'm suggesting A dorian because your example is "in A" so-to-speak. Projecting a different mode using that tonic, that outlines the IV chord is pretty magical. Try it and report back...see what you think. I'll just grab some popcorn 🍿
@@curiousguitarist I'm not sure what D7 being the V in the key of G has to do with it, but you're right...A Dorian seems to outline the chord perfectly as you say. Thanks again!
Nice lesson. Thanks. G mixolydian scale approach works well over both chords too. You get a cool #4 with the B on the F chord. Also the flat 7 on the G if you want to get bluesy
I'm sorry I've been out for a bit. It has been non stop packing then moving then still unpacking. While cleaning and mowing. Lol ah the joys of moving. This was an awesome lesson Chris. I really need to work on triads next. Thanks to the wonderful barr chords you helped me with. I think the triads will open up a heck of a lot more things I need.
What’s kinda wild is. I got a degree in music- jazz performance, in fact- and believe it or not, I never memorized the fret board. I relied on chord shapes, substitutions, and extensions to grab all my notes. It’s really cool because seeing your approach through the note names is super nice! I definitely went about it the hard way. Like…memorize a dozen chord shapes and brute force it OR learn the location of the notes and have a very accessible map regardless
Chris, thank you for the lessons you put on RUclips. I’m a 25 year guitar player but I wouldn’t call myself a musician. Came across your channel randomly and your take on theory and thinking about the instrument has been a catalyst for reigniting my curiosity. I’m digging deep now and really trying to master the fretboard. I plan to join your patreon community as soon as I can.
This was really Excellent. You explained-it . . . in a clear, concise and easily digestible manner. Enjoyed & Appreciated your lesson. Phenomenal job my friend. oNe LovE from NYC
Thank you for this, its amazing how many of these techniques I already know and have forgoten about them.. its like learning all over again ! but its what we do and its a life long journey
Regardless of whether or not I am already familiar with the concepts under revue, I alway take some fresh insight away from Chris’ uploads. Many thanks, good sir.
You are so welcome! I’m glad you enjoyed it. These principles stay the same for the rest of your journey…you just build on the from here. Thanks for the comment.
This was great. I think the biggest question we have when playing through progressions is: - What notes should we leave out of the key’s scale? - What notes do we replace it with?
@@curiousguitarist btw I saw that youre in Denver, do u still do private lessons? I've been searching high and low as my current teacher is moving out of state.
Amazing Chris! Thank you for this. I have been wanting to learn how to “interact” with another guitarist instead of just playing notes in the same key, but did not know how to get started. This video has given me a jumping off point and I can’t wait to dive in.
Amazingly helpful lesson. There should be more videos on this important topic but you covered it well. Many people never learn this skill. I agree, the basics are not hard to grasp but doing it well, across many tunes is challenging- at least for me. Something like blues is easy because it is often very slow, simple and repeatable. One point is that I think many people get thrown off because they don't really know how to count so if a chord changes on an uneven measure, or it's not simple and easy to count the beats for the chord, it can get very confusing quickly. I was a drummer so I am able to count but it can still get tricky. I think the key is to just not stop- have fun. Go with it. Let the music play and just try to compliment it. In most cases, outside of solo's, the guitar does not have to always be the star. A good guitar player can chill- let others shine and is simply compliment the music. Beginners tend to try to show off, annoy others and generally sound bad (like they are playing scales at speed w/zero feel.) I have been struggling with this for a time. I need a good way to memorize all the notes on the fretboard. A big sheet of paper that I color with the relevant notes for each progression I am working on really helps. I am very visual this way as I image others are as well. I never thought of playing a note (e.g., A) that is a 3rd or 5th of a chord (as chords are made up of a Root, 3rd and 5th (triad.) I have been focused on hunting down the root note during the change as it always sounds good. In this example using a related note seems to work nicely too. I can share that even if a mostly beginner player focuses on 1 or 2 of the main changes and certainly the root of the progression, you will sound far more advanced vs. playing your pentatonic fast but all over the place. It's like someone who rambles and talks fast vs. a polished communicator. I am currently a rambling communicator! 😎 I don't like to always be in sync with the changes. I like to meander on some musical journeys, then come back home so to speak. In blues, I try to always be aware of the turn-around and land back on your root note. Da-Da-Da...ROOT. For me, turning the lights out, finding a slow, simple progression and turning off all effects is a lot of fun. You really need to be able to hear the changes. Even a nice, in tune acoustic can work. It is also great ear training.
The A in the F chord is the third intervall, a strong note that tells us the F chord beneath is a major chord. I think that is what's make it work so good.
Thanks so much Chris. I luv all your lessons. You explain everything so well. You are a great guitar teacher. I am so grateful for your you tube contributions
Hey Chris, new to the channel, Im 43, and been learning guitar for a year and a half now, I found you through Marty Music. This is the second time I've watched this vid, it's awesome, I went and bought a loop pedal so I can start practising this triad exercise. Think I'm gonna have to join your patreon page, the way you explain things I find to be really easy to understand and digest, thank you for the uploads. 🤘
Thanks so much you young whipper snapper! :) I'm glad you're here, and very appreciative for the pledge of support! I hope to see more of you over on Patreon!
Thanks so much for this one. Having someone explain these basics so clearly in a step by step basis is so helpful. Just learning licks and seeing if they work, for me, didn’t explain why I was doing it. This does. Working on those triads now.
Great to hear, Chris. Keep me posted on how it goes!
"If you don't know the triads, you really should." Yes. I love it. Many instructors are reluctant to tell people to just do the work.
Right? It doesn’t come through sorcery :) I just took a lesson and my teacher drilled me like mad. It just works. Thanks for being here!
I second learning triads/arpeggios and targetting chord notes. It's that next step that so many players don't take. It took me 3 decades to get around to it, but better late than never. Thanks for your time and wisdom, Chris! 🍒
Any time Timmy, thanks for chiming in here on triads and target notes...I'm just gonna keep on preaching!
@@curiousguitarist Keep on keeping on !!!!
I've been shying away from learning more for too many years. I seem to start on some new material and after not too long, I'm like ahhh screw it and back to the same old stuff.
Hey I’m currently in my 40’s and finally getting around to learning my triads and arpeggios and my playing has exponentially improved over a few short months. Why did it take me so long to learn this stuff? Great video.
Spot on.
@@noodlemansexact same experience. Tried learn scale and mode after scale and mode, then learnt target tones while playing blues. Changed my world completely. Opened the fretboard up and got me focusing on intervals.
3 months ago I struggled to follow these sorts of lessons because I didn't understand where you'd pull some chord shapes from.
Then I took the time to learn triads and memorize the major notes on the fretboard - now when you play a G triad I can see it and follow along!
Everything you teach here is easier AFTER you learn the fretboard, triads and pentatonic scales.
Thanks for your lessons!
You are so welcome! I’m glad you took that step, now adding new information will be much easier!
This is probably going to be one of the most significant lessons that I've come across.
Wait till you see the next one!
Triad pairs are an incredible ‘hack’ to sound musical and also helps you gain so much focus on the fret board. Great use in blues I find combined with enclosures .👍 It opens up the guitar so much and gets your mind out of scale type thinking and more on intervals.
This is definitely a valuable guitar lesson. More so than probably 80% of what’s out there in RUclips world specifically the way you talk about visualizing the triads in their corresponding, CAGE system shapes.
Thanks Mark, I'm glad you enjoyed it, and thanks for the kudos!
“Scaffolding to which to attach new information” Brilliant!
Thanks Dan. Glad you enjoyed this one!
I’ll quit bombarding you with comments, but damn. A lot of RUclipsrs show you what works, but they don’t explain why it works, which would help connect so many other dots. You also almost trick the user into learning multiple things at once. It’s brilliant! I’m like a little kid now, I can’t wait to get home every day and practice these things. It’s refreshing. Thanks again, man! I’ll leave you alone, for now.
Sing it, Shaun! No need to curb your enthusiasm here, I am so glad this stuff has you energized.
Comment when you feel it.
You explain things better than anyone I know. So grateful. Another gold nugget from the man in the red room with a voice made for radio. 🙌
"the man in the red room with a voice made for radio."
Doesn't get much better than that :) Thank YOU Mark!
Hey Chris! I just started guitar a little over a year ago and wasn’t really getting anywhere. I just started watching your videos as well as Marty’s and you guys really put all the pieces together in a way that I understood it. I wouldn’t be anywhere without you guys, so thanks for all the work you do.
Man that's good to hear Phoenix! Glad you're here!
You hit a gold mine with this channel! I also recommend Corey Congilio! 2 of the best guys to watch!
I took lessons when I was around 18 years old from a teacher who was maybe in his late sixties and a remarkable musician. I remember asking him how long it would take to learn to play..... He said the rest of my life! I'm now in my sixties and can honestly say he was right.
Hahaha! I know, I feel the same way!
Wisest words ever spoken, regarding learning.
It's about the journey, not the destination.
Thanks, Chris. Please do more lessons on playing through the changes.
Yes, I need to expand on this for sure, but I wanted to make sure I covered the basics first.
@@curiousguitarist yeah like how about a follow up one on playing through different changes like life changes
@@pl9529 like Dorian over “I got a new job”, and Lydian dominant over “relocation due to family illness”?
@Chris Sherland okay Chris , I'm confused with this post "I got a new job" and the other
message too !!
Is that an American slang or something??
Your videos have finally taken my playing to a better place !
You do explain PERFECT to people who can't understand the art of guitar !!
Why others can't teach the way you easily explain theory ??
I cant thank you enough !!
I had much of the theory but could not get it on my own!
@@dnantis I am so glad you are here! Sorry about the "job" comment, I misunderstood your question.
My next video on playing through changes will outline how to see what has "changed" in the tonality instead of what is "common" as the chords change. It is the next skill to develop.
Thank you for being here!
This was a helpful lesson. I have a habit of targeting the tonic first when playing the changes. Using common notes as you suggested is a good way to bring more variety and expression to my soloing. Thank you.
You bet! Starting to track common notes also puts you on a collision course with voice leading…as you’ll see in more complete chord changes sometimes the 3rd of one chord might be a half step away from the 7th of another for example.
It’s a big beautiful world :)
I just realize during this lesson that I actually already know all those triads, but I just wasnt using them for lead lines. Thanks for helping remove that mental block. I do need to get better about know note locations on the fret board by heart. Awesome lesson!
You’re welcome! I love seeing the things we already know, suddenly get new life and value, simply by changing the context.
I've been studying David Gilmour for 4 years and since I work 50hrs a week it's been slow. Thankfully that's how he plays. I've progressed but slowly. This lesson will help alot. Thanks.
You bet!! Glad you’re here.
You can tell how much time you have spent honing your craft of playing guitar and also how much you love teaching and sharing your passion. Your lessons are always motivating and informative!
Thank you, Todd. That means a lot to me, and I'm so glad you're enjoying the channel.
Thankyou chris, after 23 years of playing guitar, but stuck
You changed my perspective 😃
That’s so great to hear!!
This must be one of the most understandable versions of the subject i have run across. Thank you Chris!
You are SO welcome!
Thank you for this lesson. I have been working on both the major and minor triads for the past three months. I found your video and as a result I had an aha moment. Using triads to play melodically and finding the common note in each chord change and using that note to introduce the new chord when making the change.
Oh yeah! This is a great moment! Thanks for the comment Harold
Aha.
As an adult beginner, that was probably one of the most meaningful 15 minutes I have experienced with a guitar in my hands.
Excellent lesson, mate. Thank you.
That’s great to hear! Welcome aboard!
Awesome Chris. So find the common notes that link the chords to switch over smoothly and musically. Triads are amazing, they really open up the fretboard and aren't so difficult to learn
Totally worth it, right?
Thanks for being here, Timothy
I have been playing since 1982... I can imitate all the greats,, Randy Rhoads is my all time favorite. But not limited to by any means... One thing I always had trouble with it improvising my own leads... I know a ton of scales and licks,, I alsoknow how important it is to target chord tones, but I think this video explained more to me than anything I have ever been taught..
Have you ever gotten to that spot where you just dont enjoy playing what you know and you cant figure out how to get out of that rut??? Well you just lifted me out with this video.... Thank you for that.... I would love to see a more in depth video on this with more complex chord progressions.. But this will get me started.. I have a whole new way of looking at my scales... I was/am definitely bullying through the scales over the key and landing on a fancy lick to make it sound like I know what Im doing... This is going to change the way I play...
I can't tell you how happy this comment made me OMP!
I'll definitely do another one. Have you seen this one yet: ruclips.net/video/CIKj-FCyyaE/видео.html
Those triads sound like the ending of a '70's surfing movie. Nice. Thank you !!
I know The Ventures used this progression on a few songs!
Thanks Chris for this very valuable lesson. I admit that I am one of those players that need to start actually learning the notes to the scales rather than just knowing them as shapes. Just been playing for a little over a year but I’ll start learning those notes. Thanks again for the lesson!
You bet, Richard. I'm glad you're here!
I’ve never come across such a simple explanation. Thank you!
You are welcome, Juan.
05:20 - yep, that's what I'm working on, changing things up to sound less like a scale drill!
My favourite part was playing with the triads (so grateful for the Triad course you ran), but that technique with the G Maj pentatonic sounded really good, too!
Thanks JG, for EVERYthing you do for The Studio!
@@curiousguitarist my pleasure! :)
Find some simple arpeggios played at a slow tempo in YTube. Turn off all effects and play along with those. It's a great way to hear the changes. Be sure to be very much in tune. When you make a mistake, instead of stopping or slowing down- lean into it. Pretend like it was intentional. Like with interior design- "If you can't hide it, highlight it." I think that is how improvisational jazz started- plenty of musical mistakes that, when repeated and embraced created their own genre.
I don't fully subscribe to keys/scales. It is just a concept. I can play the Pentatonic scale (major and minor) backwards and forward, the Major Scale and several modes. I get that they are sometimes a very helpful concept. That said, it is critical to understand that every note is unique and it's own planet. In blues the scale idea works very well however in many, more sophisticated progressions the notes in a scale will not all fit the progression. This is especially true in jazz. This is where having an ability to chase chords is particularly helpful.
FUN FACT: If you like Jazz, you can play most of it even if you only know the Pentatonic scale. Most Jazz uses the Major scale. If you simply move 3 notes down the fretboard from the root (on the top "thicker" 6th string), you can start playing position I of your penta(5)tonic scale. It usually works great. You will have done it right if your pinky is on the root of the major scale. So if e.g., you are jamming to a backing track in A "MAJ." your first finger will be on F#/Gb and your pinky will now be on A (5th fret.) Try it out!
TIP- It helps a lot to print out a huge piece of legal paper a diagram of the fret board. Then highlight each chord (change) in the progression. Practice finding those notes. Trust me, after 20 minutes, you will know where they are. As Chris said, your playing will sound so much better. Eventually you will definitely want to memorize every note on the guitar. I am not there yet either but it's a fun journey.
Funny story, on the first or 2nd lesson he Joe Satriani gave to Steve Vai way back in the day, Joe instructed Steve to memorize every single note on the neck. When Steve returned, and failed to do so, Joe said DO NOT COME BACK until you have done what I told you. Steve did and the rest is guitar history. ruclips.net/video/qlbTDUNAzMc/видео.html
I'm envious that you know scales !! :-) :-)!
@@grantperkins368 once you can see the formula for any scale, you can then easily comprehend and play ANY scale!
Great video, I’ve been playing for over twenty years and am only teaching myself triads all over the fretboard now.
If I could go back in time I would tell my younger self to learn triads after my open and basic barre chords. It would have been much more useful than learning to play other peoples songs note for note while not always understanding why they did certain things and why it sounded right.
My my Chris this is 1 of the best you have put out. I found this direction to be exactly what I needed to see. An angle that I ve never seen taught. Just fantically useful an understood every idea you taught. You are amazing when it comes to fully being explained. Great job my friend.
Ahhh great news Chad. I've got a follow up to this one which will publish in a couple weeks. Same subject, next level of difficulty. You're going to love it.
You’re a really excellent teacher man. Thank you!
That means a lot to me, thanks, and you’re welcome too!
Great video as always. And in my opinion, best instructional guitar RUclips channel on here.
Wow, thanks, Karthian, I very much appreciate that.
Great guy, great teacher. Love how you always strip away the noise (cognitive overload) and home in on the essential elements (digestible cognition... er, bite sized chunks). It can strain the brain but not drain it. You continue to help my playing and make my guitar journey a more enjoyable one. Thank you!
Wow, thank you for this note FF! I really appreciate it, and m so glad my style is helpful. Glad you’re here! And if you are who I think you are, thanks for all your support!
Excellent ideas...very simple but usefull aproach! Great progress in playing thanks to lessons like this! Knowing how and why is crucial in making progress in playing. Greetings from 40 year old family guy from Croatia!
Zdravo, Domagoj! Thanks for being here and I'm so glad you enjoyed this one.
Chris..! You make it looks so easy..! … But you do make it easier for me..👍🏼
Always a major help.. and I thank you.!❤️
Thanks Joe, I'm glad you got something out of this one, and I'm glad you're here! Thanks for all your support!
Great lesson. I've been learning triads for a few weeks and it has really helped.
Beautiful! Happy to have helped here~
NICE!!! As always, clear concise and super helpful…especially given I was just working on this very thing before watching this! So much for that chore I was about to accomplish….back to my guitar!!!!
Ha! Glad it helped, Dave. Thanks for sticking on the channel, it's good to have you on board!
Oh yeah, I need this in my library of knowledge for sure!! I started playing guitar by using tabs. Learned a few songs but I realized I still didn't know how to play guitar. Had no idea about what I was playing. Lessons like these help tremendously due to the way you break it down and explain in detail and along with the examples. I'm so excited to finally be understanding what I'm playing and it's a blast!!! Thanks.
Hey Ray! This is a great moment, really seeing the workings of it all. It’s a great part of the journey.
Thanks for the comment, and I’m glad you found the channel.
Similar story, man!
'ken tabs.
I decide to devote today to guitar and stumbled upon this gracious, wise man.
We're both lucky, I think.
Cheers, Ray! (sound of glasses clinking)
To the future!! :-)
@@grantperkins368 I agree 100%! This man is a great teacher and we can learn a lot from him. Cheers!
This is exactly where I am in my playing right now - 🙏
Happy to be on the path with you! Hope this one helps! What a huge wonderful world this leads to!!
What a great channel. This might be the first time I saw a theory channel that explains things the way a guitarist truly thinks
Yup, we see the world through guitar-colored glasses. Anchoring information to the ways in which we look at the fretboard helps get the info in and sticky.
Thanks, Dan.
Excellent lesson! Simple techniques, agreed. Yet it's also extremely effective and powerful. Gets my creative juices flowing. Great method into matching solos with chord progressions. A real eye opener for me.
So glad to hear! Thanks for being here Gary!
Hey there Chris…..This is Benjamin Callan….. your very first guitar student in the College of Santa Fe Music Program! I am still doing music, some rock, but my career was mostly in musical theatre. I teach now & have my own channel, but I refer student to both you & Marty (MartyMusic) all the time for guitar…. Love both of your channels!!!
I have a great recording of you, KZ, Pete, & John Shepler + Melissa Vanderscafe singing on one track….. I’ll tag you when I’ve got a basic mix up!
Great channel! Thank you!!!!
Yo Benjamin! I can't wait to hear it, man those were great times in SF. Glad to hear all is well!
Good shit Chris… simple concepts…. I always overthink things (the better to overwhelm myself with..)..
Thanks for posting…
You bet, BigL, thanks for being here!
Just thinking of this today. Sometimes I'm able to anticipate and think of chord tones ahead of time, others I just revert to playing within the scale of the key. Looking forward to more but will be practicing this!
I feel the same! This is a skill that takes time and repetition to build, sometimes I can't see the forest, then suddenly it all lights up!
Great lesson! this 2 chord progression example really helped me understand what I need to aim for. Thank you so much.
You bet, Ot, glad you enjoyed it. Once you get the basic concept and capability, it’s so much easier to tackle the more complex progressions.
Simple, understandable, usable. Great job.
Glad it was helpful!
And for the record, I watched Gumby as a kid...very good memories! How about those blockheads eh? What were THEY all about?
Thank you for making video, fun project to work on
Brilliant lessons, explained in a way that’s understandable, thanks Chris, wish I lived in your town I’d go 1 to 1, thanks Chris, great teacher 🏴
I do 1 on 1s over zoom if you’re interested. Email me at Chris at curiousguitarist dot com
I’m glad you enjoyed this one, Mike
Thank you Chris, this is something It took me years of noodling through the same old scale to realize,you got to outline the chords/play through changes! Love your teaching style!
Thanks SR!
Chris, thanks for your explanation of “Gonna take a lifetime” comment.
It’s wise to realize the anxiety comments like this can create therefore possibly discouraging students.
I myself am 71 years old and the word “lifetime” has a different meaning than it might to others. (Although in my head and spirit I’m still 17 LOL)
Thanks for your intelligence and the generous style of teaching.
Hey Walt. Yeah, it’s that old “journey” metaphor again…We are where we are now, we are further than we were before, and we’ll be further along still tomorrow.
@@curiousguitarist Yup! And I’m hoping that I’ll still be there tomorrow 😀
@@PR-BEACHBOY yup! But actually all we’ve got is the gift of “right now,” and I’ve heard it said that’s why it’s called “the present.”
@@curiousguitarist excellent point sir!
Thanks so much Chris..Extremely helpful!
So glad you enjoyed it!
This was the holy grail of lessons for me, man. Well done and thank you!
Of course! Planning another one that focuses on what changes instead of what stays the same…it’ll be the logical next-step to this one.
Great lesson thank you. 😎
@@WarrenAndrews-w5x you bet!!
As soon as you played that A note over the change for the first time, I immediately laughed. Something about that was profound enough that it could have lit a hundred light bulbs.
Thank. You.
That’s great! Light em all up I say!
Even at a very simple level this idea really resonates ( get it? )
Glad you’re here GB!
A well done lesson. Your lesson on triads was a break thru for me. The playing through chords changes video is another insightful lesson. Thank you!
You are so welcome, Paul!
Another great lesson! Somehow you manage to make these seemingly intricate and tough chunks of theory into something not only manageable, but actually easy to understand. Thank you, Chris!
You're so welcome, Vaughn! Thank you for your support.
Triad arpeggios sound great, sound fabulous! Thanks
You’re welcome!
I’ve seen the triad idea before but this was a way better VISUAL and explanation. Thanks 😊
So glad this was helpful, Malic.
Very clear instruction! Thank you!
You’re welcome, KJ. Glad you enjoyed this one
Brilliant - simple, easy to follow and opens up new ways to take these ideas further
Thanks, Marcus. I’m glad you enjoyed this one
Really nice... two useful strategies for making things sound cool without a lot of difficulty.
And you can take this idea as far as you want to. Even the most challenging chord progressions can be reduced to a few things that make sense. And once you start asking questions like this, there's no limit to how much you can learn.
Glad you enjoyed this one.
Thank you Chris. This video was a real lightbulb moment for me. I know my scales and I'm progressing on the triads, but this just showed me so clearly how you actually implement and integrate them. Thanks again so much. I would press the thumbs up multiple times if I could!
Glad it was helpful. Stuart. Breaking it down small enough to get the core concept revealed always helps when you're looking at something so complex.
I'm glad you're here.
Loved this one single small powerful thing. Looking forward to 102, 103, 104......
Yes, I’m definitely going to expand on this here on the channel.
Another great lesson; I very much enjoy the way you present, demonstrate, and reinforce information. Thank you!
You bet, Kevin! Glad you’re here
Great thanks Chris. I just started doing this the other day, but what I do in a 1-4-5 starting with A7 is play a bit of the major scale and change the scale each time the chord changes. It's pretty easy to find the roots in a a 1-4-5.
Good stuff! If they are all Dom7 chords try this:
A Mixolydian over A7
A Dorian over D7
A Major over E7
:)
@@curiousguitarist Hmm, that's a bit surprising because Dorian is a minor scale. I mainly play a 4 note flat 7 arpeggio.
@@QBRX Do you trust me?
D7 is the V in the key of G. A dorian is the second mode of that scale (thus outlines the sound of that D7 PERFECTLY.
I'm suggesting A dorian because your example is "in A" so-to-speak. Projecting a different mode using that tonic, that outlines the IV chord is pretty magical.
Try it and report back...see what you think.
I'll just grab some popcorn 🍿
@@curiousguitarist Ha ha, of course I trust you. I'll give it a try and let you know what I think.
@@curiousguitarist I'm not sure what D7 being the V in the key of G has to do with it, but you're right...A Dorian seems to outline the chord perfectly as you say. Thanks again!
Excellent! Essential concepts, presented very simply. Thanks!
Awesome thank you I learnt about targeting the chord tones especially through the visualization of the chords / scales 👍
Excellent, glad you enjoyed this one!
Nice lesson. Thanks. G mixolydian scale approach works well over both chords too. You get a cool #4 with the B on the F chord. Also the flat 7 on the G if you want to get bluesy
Fantastic context, Bob! Thank you!
I'm sorry I've been out for a bit. It has been non stop packing then moving then still unpacking. While cleaning and mowing. Lol ah the joys of moving. This was an awesome lesson Chris. I really need to work on triads next. Thanks to the wonderful barr chords you helped me with. I think the triads will open up a heck of a lot more things I need.
Welcome back Christopher! Yup, triads will change the way you see the fretboard forever. It's worth the effort for sure!
Excellent video and very helpful. Thanks!
Great Stuff! And even Greater!! Ideas with all the choices you can pull from!! I love triads!!
Thanks Tone! Me too!
What’s kinda wild is. I got a degree in music- jazz performance, in fact- and believe it or not, I never memorized the fret board. I relied on chord shapes, substitutions, and extensions to grab all my notes.
It’s really cool because seeing your approach through the note names is super nice! I definitely went about it the hard way.
Like…memorize a dozen chord shapes and brute force it OR learn the location of the notes and have a very accessible map regardless
Great context, thanks Joshua!
Chris, thank you for the lessons you put on RUclips. I’m a 25 year guitar player but I wouldn’t call myself a musician. Came across your channel randomly and your take on theory and thinking about the instrument has been a catalyst for reigniting my curiosity. I’m digging deep now and really trying to master the fretboard. I plan to join your patreon community as soon as I can.
Wow Mike, thank you. I appreciate your trust in me and so glad my approach has fueled a new phase. That is exciting stuff!
Great lesson thanks!
Glad you liked it!
This was really Excellent. You explained-it . . . in a clear, concise and easily digestible manner. Enjoyed & Appreciated your lesson. Phenomenal job my friend. oNe LovE from NYC
Thanks, Michael. I appreciate that and I’m glad you enjoyed this one.
Thank you for this, its amazing how many of these techniques I already know and have forgoten about them.. its like learning all over again ! but its what we do and its a life long journey
So true! Great Strat in your avatar!
Finally Pandoras box open for me. Brilliant bruh. I thank you from my eart.
You are welcome! Glad you’re here, Austin!
Regardless of whether or not I am already familiar with the concepts under revue, I alway take some fresh insight away from Chris’ uploads. Many thanks, good sir.
Wow, thanks, Mike. I appreciate that, and so glad I can provide some insight along the way.
Excellent video
This was really informative. I don't think I full grasp all of it but it was extremely helpful.
You will get it all, it just takes a bit of time and focus!
Such a helpful video thank you so much!
You are so welcome! I’m glad you enjoyed it. These principles stay the same for the rest of your journey…you just build on the from here.
Thanks for the comment.
Hey Chris, welcome back. Hope you had a great break
Haaa! I didn't think anyone would notice I'd been gone!!!
Thanks, Ed
@@curiousguitarist of course you were missed. Looking forward to getting together again.
@@curiousguitarist We all noticed!
Been waiting to learn from you Chris. Very inspiring, Thanks
Cool. Helpful lesson for someone like me.
Glad to hear it, Geoff!
Fantastic lesson. Thank you.
Glad you liked it, glad you're here
This was great. I think the biggest question we have when playing through progressions is:
- What notes should we leave out of the key’s scale?
- What notes do we replace it with?
Yup, exactly! Then the big question…”why?”
This is the lesson I've been waiting for! Multiple teachers, videos and books and this just hit it on the money
Thank u so much!
You are so welcome, Derek!
@@curiousguitarist btw I saw that youre in Denver, do u still do private lessons? I've been searching high and low as my current teacher is moving out of state.
@@derekng9766 yes I do, e-mail me at Chris at curiousguitarist dot com.
Amazing Chris! Thank you for this. I have been wanting to learn how to “interact” with another guitarist instead of just playing notes in the same key, but did not know how to get started. This video has given me a jumping off point and I can’t wait to dive in.
That's great to hear, Jared. Keep me posted on how it goes!
Thank you so much. As soon as you hit the triads it reminded me of Jerry Garcia
Oh yeah baby!
Amazingly helpful lesson. There should be more videos on this important topic but you covered it well. Many people never learn this skill. I agree, the basics are not hard to grasp but doing it well, across many tunes is challenging- at least for me. Something like blues is easy because it is often very slow, simple and repeatable. One point is that I think many people get thrown off because they don't really know how to count so if a chord changes on an uneven measure, or it's not simple and easy to count the beats for the chord, it can get very confusing quickly. I was a drummer so I am able to count but it can still get tricky. I think the key is to just not stop- have fun. Go with it. Let the music play and just try to compliment it. In most cases, outside of solo's, the guitar does not have to always be the star. A good guitar player can chill- let others shine and is simply compliment the music. Beginners tend to try to show off, annoy others and generally sound bad (like they are playing scales at speed w/zero feel.)
I have been struggling with this for a time. I need a good way to memorize all the notes on the fretboard. A big sheet of paper that I color with the relevant notes for each progression I am working on really helps. I am very visual this way as I image others are as well.
I never thought of playing a note (e.g., A) that is a 3rd or 5th of a chord (as chords are made up of a Root, 3rd and 5th (triad.) I have been focused on hunting down the root note during the change as it always sounds good. In this example using a related note seems to work nicely too.
I can share that even if a mostly beginner player focuses on 1 or 2 of the main changes and certainly the root of the progression, you will sound far more advanced vs. playing your pentatonic fast but all over the place. It's like someone who rambles and talks fast vs. a polished communicator. I am currently a rambling communicator! 😎 I don't like to always be in sync with the changes. I like to meander on some musical journeys, then come back home so to speak. In blues, I try to always be aware of the turn-around and land back on your root note. Da-Da-Da...ROOT. For me, turning the lights out, finding a slow, simple progression and turning off all effects is a lot of fun. You really need to be able to hear the changes. Even a nice, in tune acoustic can work. It is also great ear training.
Such a great comment, thanks so much DG!
@@curiousguitarist Thanks for the lesson. Subscribed!
The A in the F chord is the third intervall, a strong note that tells us the F chord beneath is a major chord. I think that is what's make it work so good.
That's it exactly, tian! Great context!
Brilliant Chris! I'm finally getting back into learning mode, so I will be visiting the channel much more. Will probably get back on Patreon, as well.
Hey Steve, glad to hear you’re refocusing! Thanks for your support as well, it really helps me out.
Great, practical examples that are easy to follow
It's a amazing lesson as always. Thanks Chris!
Your bet, Jay!
Really helpful
Incredibly useful, thank you.
That’s awesome, nice job. 🎸
This is a fantastic lesson-thank you!
@@mikericciuti5996 of course, Mike!
Another lesson for my walks God Bless!
Thanks so much Chris. I luv all your lessons. You explain everything so well. You are a great guitar teacher. I am so grateful for your you tube contributions
Thank you Curtis, and of course, you are welcome!
Hey Chris, new to the channel, Im 43, and been learning guitar for a year and a half now, I found you through Marty Music. This is the second time I've watched this vid, it's awesome, I went and bought a loop pedal so I can start practising this triad exercise. Think I'm gonna have to join your patreon page, the way you explain things I find to be really easy to understand and digest, thank you for the uploads. 🤘
Thanks so much you young whipper snapper! :)
I'm glad you're here, and very appreciative for the pledge of support! I hope to see more of you over on Patreon!
That one hit the spot Chris, thanks for the lightbulb moment 🤘
Any time, Tony! Thanks for hanging here, I appreciate it.