RULES OF CHORD HARMONY

The chords formed by harmonizing the diatonic scale in thirds are organized into two groups: primary chords, and secondary chords. Chords built on the Tonic (1), the Sub Dominant (4) and the Dominant (5), create a natural progression on major sounds and are called Primay Chords. Chords built on the second, third, sixth, and the seventh degree are minor chords called Secondary Chords.

TONIC (1) Chord may resolve to any chord.

SUPER TONIC (2) Chord may resolve to any chord except the Tonic

MEDIANT (3) chord may resolve to any chord except the Tonic or Dominant chord.

SUB-DOMINANT (4) chord may resolve to any chord

DOMINANT (5) chord may resolve to any chord except the super tonic or Leading tone.

SUB-MEDIANT (6) chord may resolve to any chord except the Tonic or the Leading tone

LEADING TONE (7) chord may resolve to any chord except the Super Tonic or the Sub-Dominant.

RELATIONSHIP OF CHORDS

The scale harmonized in thirds establishes the type of chord created at each degree of a Major scale.  Chords built on the first, fourth, and fifth degrees are Major type chords.  Chords built on the second, third, and sixth degrees are Minor chords.  The chord built on the Seventh degree is called a Minor flat five chord.

The chord sequence is:

1. Major 2. Minor 3. Minor 4. Major 5. Major 6. Minor 7. Minor flat five.

HARMONIZING THE MAJOR SCALE

The secret to improvisation can be very simple. If you have AC#E, or FAC, GBD, EG#B. The ability to successfully play lead lines over chord progressions is knowing diatonic triads.

Composers and arrangers have simple rules to aid them in writing harmony and to understand these rules will enable you to easily determine which chords belong to each key.

The Major Scale is harmonized by creating three note chords over each degree of the scale.

I explained earlier that the chord triad is created by stacking notes in intervals of a third. The triad produces major and minor chords. If we continue stacking thirds to extend each chords tonality, it is possible to harmonize the scale with four note chords. A four note chord, stacking four third intervals, creates seventh chords. Each chord contains only notes of the parent scale and is said to be diatonic to the key of which the scale is written. This sequence of chords is known as diatonic seventh chords.

CHORD HARMONY STUDY

Improvisational solos follow a few well-defined rules of chord harmony. A trained ear, knowledge of chord triads, and a developed sense of rhythmic structure constitutes the bedrock of creative music. Just playing chords will not be enough if you want to create lead lines. To solo, you must come to understand the infrastructure of chords, triads, tonality, and how progressions resolve. One of the greatest assets you can acquire in your study of improvisation is how the scale is harmonized and what chords belong to each key.

MOVEABLE PATTERNS

It is important to develop the ability to improvise from within each pattern, for as you will come to understand the individual finger characteristics of each pattern spurs originality.  Often, licks played comfortable in one pattern become awkward when played in another.  Remember that each pattern overlaps its respective chord.  It is always simpler to  identify a chord position than the appropriate scale position.   By developing the abilities to improvise effectively in all five patterns, you will never be caught wondering where the next phrase or solo should be played.

Learn the individual sound of each scale pattern.  Train yourself to sing with the guitart.  Move around within the scale, skip intervals, learn to predict tones before they are played.  Develop a trained ear, and the skill to play correctly any note you can sing.

C SCALE PATTERN - FORM ONE

There are five basic barr chord forms in common usage, and since most guitarists have a working knowledge of barr chords and how each ascends and descends chromatically, it becomes quite easy to know scales in all 12 keys.  Each scale pattern overlays its respective chord form, therefore chord harmony and arpeggio playing is locked in with the scale.  Remember, since each scale pattern moves through the entire range of the fingerboard, mastering one finger pattern actually provides you with the skill to play in all twelve keys.  A lick of solo played in one key may be played in any key without changing the fingering that produced the notes.

At the fifth fret we can play an A Major barr chord.  The scale form that produces the A chord will be an A diatonic scale.  Play the same chord form at the eighth fret, we have a C Major chord.  The scale will now be  a C diatonic scale.

Each scale pattern is a fixed position on the fingerboard.  Develop the stretch required to properly finger each scale.  This requires a one-finger-per-fret approach.  The correct fingering is indicated on the TAB charts by small encircled numbers.  Insome of the patterns you need to reach one fret above or below the basic postion, a five fret reach.  We begin each pattern with the lowest note available within the range of the pattern.  The Tonic note is marked with a black triangle.

DIATONIC SCALE IN 5 HAND POSITIONS

Understanding scale theory is a mental process and easy to grasp, whereas playing a scale is a physical task and takes longer to master.  On the guitar, there are countless fingering pattern possibilities for any given scale, so it is desirable to reduce the options to a few more manageable forms.

There are three ways we can play scales: a Linear, lengthwise movement, a zig-zag movement and a position.  At this time we will concentrate on playing scales in fixed positions.  To begin, we must first focus on learning to play the Diatonic scale in five basic hand positions.

A position encompasses all notes of a given scale placed withith five frets.  There are open position scales played within the first four frets and utilizing notes produced by the open strings E A D G B E, and moveable closed positions, no open string notes which produce a new key at each fret.

The closed position ascends and descends chromatically moving through the entire twelve notes of music and will produce the notes of 12 keys.

There are several diatonic scale finger patterns in common usage - fingering systems developed by individual guitarists to facilitate their unique style of playing.  We are using fingering patterns made popular by the late Los Angeles studio pro Jack Marshall.  These five patterns relate to the five chords forms found in open postion - the open chords C A G E D.  This sytem of one scale findering pattern for each chord form is used by guitarists Howard Roberts, Barney Kessel, and Herb Ellis.

The five patterns divide the fingerboard into smaller more manageable areas of learning, but put them end to end, they cover the entire range of the fingerboard.  When we are able to visualize the entire fretboard as a whole, fingers becomes a personal preference.

GUITAR IMPROVISATION REVIEW

Chromatic scales provide a great connecting links between scales and licks, played at different positions on the fingerboard. They may also be used to connect arpeggios and large interval skips.

Learn to recognize octaves, A to A as an example. Remember, all scales are played between octaves.

The Diatonic Scale is the Mother Scale of improvisation. You must be able to create diatonic scales from scratch, to be able to locate the Key note, theTonic, and walk the step/half-step pattern of the diatonic scale either in a linear-straight-line movement, or by using a zig-zag movement across the neck, creating the proper step pattern of a diatonic scale in any given key.
With just a little practice, you will be able to instrinctively walk the fretboard, correctly playing all the notes of any given key. And as you will see, by memorizing the eight-step numbers you will be able to play all the scales used in the art of improvisation.

It is extremely important for you to develop the ability to look at key signatures, the placement and number of sharps or flats and we know what key in which you are to play.
The key signature sets the key, the scale. The scale determines the chords and generally provides all the tools required in order to play solos and riffs.

READING KEY SIGNATURES

A piece of music is written in a particular key which defines the pitch of the scale in which the music is written. We indicate the key by a key signature. The purpose of the key signature is to indicate the sharps or flats that belong in each individual scale. It eases the eye by avoiding the placing of sharps or flats against particular notes every time they occur in the arrangement. we write the key signature simply by placing the appropriate number of sharps or flats on the music staff after the clef sign and before the time signature. They effect all designated notes appearing in the arrangement.

As previously explained, key signatures are used to establish keys and to indicate what notes must be raised or lowered in order to maintain the step, half-step pattern that establishes the major diatonic scale.

The key of C Major is the simplest of our scales. Commencing on the note C, the diatonic step, half step pattern produces a scale without sharps or flats. The method by which the placement of accidentals occurs follows a very simplistic theme and is called the Circle of Fifths.

The Circle of Fifths is a visual device that shows the relationship between the Tonic, and the sub-dominant and dominant notes within the diatonic scale. It presents in logical order the addition of required accidentals as keys of different pitch are created. The Circle of Fifths is based upon two concepts.

Starting with the key of C, sharp keys are created by counting up an interval of a fifth (CDEFG) The key is G Major. The note G is the fifth note in the C scale. In order to maintain the proper step, half-step pattern, the seventh note of the new scale G, has been raised a half-step creating the sharp note in the G scale.

Starting with the key of C, flat keys are created by counting up an interval of a fourth (CDEF). The new key is F Major. The note F is the fourth note in the C scale. In order to maintain the proper step, half-step pattern, the seventh note has been lowered a half step, creating one flat in the F scale.