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G Major Scale Pattern
Try playing a G scale. Start on the Green G located on the 3rd fret of the 6th string. Use the same pattern we showed you at the bottom of Online Guitar Lessons page one. Make sure you end on the Green G located on the 4th string, 5th fret. With a Don’t Fret Note Map™, you will have a clear easy to use guide to locate the notes on your fretboard. Now you know how to play a major scale in C and G!
Scales are the foundation of all music. Practice playing scales every day. Start with the Major Scale Patterns. This is an important skill builder for beginning guitarists. Playing beginner guitar scales will build finger strength and dexterity. Learn one scale pattern on your fret board at a time, and then commit it to memory. Play the scales both up and down the fretboard. This is the most efficient method to learn to play guitar scales. Guitar scale patterns can be played in many places on your guitar fretboard. With a Don’t Fret Note Map™ you can easily locate the root note in several different positions. Not only will you train your ear in the process, but you will learn the basics of improvisation while you practice. Try to pluck the scale patterns with a steady beat. You can easily learn this skill using our free online metronome during your guitar scale practice sessions.
There is a wealth of information available in books and on the internet on guitar scales and guitar scale patterns that will be an invaluable asset to any beginning guitarist or anyone who wants to improve their knowledge of guitar scales. You won’t regret any time you spend learning scales.
Hammer-on and pull-off.
A hammer-on is a note that is played by quickly snapping your finger down on a higher fret after the string has already been picked for a lower note. A pull-off is a note that is played by pulling a left hand finger away from a string (if you're a right handed player) at an angle, so your fingertip picks the string and allows a new note to sound. You can build up strength in your fingers by doing what is referred to as “trills.” A trill is playing two notes as quickly as you can repetitively. Hammer on and pull off each note, picking the first note only. It’s like body building, start with 1 or 2 minutes per day, and build up from there. Don’t over-do it in the beginning. Work up to 3 or 4 sets a day, gradually increasing the time you “trill” in each set. Develop all of your fingers, even your little finger. Try to make your movements smooth, not jerky.
Three Chord Theory.
It is interesting to note that almost all songs have three chords that can be used to play the song. Some examples would be C, F and G7 (key of C); or G, C, and D7 (key of G). This concept is known as the Three Chord Theory. One major component of the theory is to assign a Roman numeral to each note in a particular key/scale. If the key of the song you wanted to play is C, then the scale for that key would be C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C. No sharps, no flats. The first C in the scale gets the Roman numeral I (1) attached to it. The D gets to cozy up to II (2). E and III (3) get to become acquainted, and so on up to the last C which should have I (1) assigned to it because it's the way it is (a more detailed reason could be offered here, but it's really not necessary).
Here's the essence of the Three Chord Theory represented in Roman numerals I, IV, V. That's 1, 4, and 5 in that order. So in the key of C you use the first note/chord in the scale which is C (root note or chord), the fourth note/chord which is F and the fifth note/chord which is G. The V (5) chord is called the dominant chord and can be played as a 7th, (the 7th gives the chord progression that bluesy sound).
In a 4/4 song it's easy to add the C you started with onto the end of the progression. So that would be: C, F, G7 and back to C. It sounds great. Try strumming the pattern. Find the chords on the Fifteen Beginners Chords chart above. Use four beats for each chord. Something like this, C, two, three, four; F, two, three, four; G7, two, three, four; C, two, three, four. Repeat.
For something entertaining try emphasizing different beats. Start by sounding the "one" beat louder than beats 2,3 and 4. After you get that down, try making the "two" beat louder than the other beats. Then move the emphasis to the "three" beat and so on. You can do two beats per measure also. Like the one and three beats or the two and four beats or whatever sounds good to you. The important thing is to have fun with it.
An astounding number of songs are built on the I, IV, V chord progression in the key of C. The Three Chord Theory may very well be the back bone of music. If you know the notes in a particular key you can use the chart above to figure out the 1,4,5 chords for that key. Just replace the letters in the chart above with the letter note names for your new key. Always start the Root Note/Chord with the first Roman numeral.
The Blues and Blues Guitar
The Blues is the ultimate extension of the three chord theory. It has been said that all you have to do is flat the fifth and you can play the Blues. Although it is somewhat more involved than that, the Blues is a relatively easy genre of music to start playing. The following examples use the three chord theory from above and demonstrate the 12-bar concept. Twelve bar Blues is arguably the most common form of the Blues. It is important to go slow at first. Tap out the beats with your foot and use down strokes on the beats. Once you get the feel of it, try alternating down and up strokes. So each measure/bar would go down, up, down, up for a total of four beats (two down and two up) per bar.
The first example is in the key of E. The Chords used are E, A and B. The B chord can be substituted with B7 (see above). Tap out four beats per measure with your foot for twelve bars. Speed it up as you get more comfortable with it. Don't forget to try down and up strokes as you progress.
This next example in the key of E, uses sevenths and really introduces the sound that is the Blues. The Chords used are E, E7, A and B7. There are many, many sites on the web for learning to play the Blues. Find them. Explore them and have fun. The Blues is fun.
