Using chord tones helps your improvised lines connect more clearly to the harmony underneath them. Instead of only thinking about one scale over an entire progression, you can aim for specific notes as the chords change. Chord tones are the notes that make up a chord, such as the root, 3rd, 5th, and 7th. In … Read more
A Dominant 7 arpeggio takes the notes of a Dominant 7 chord and plays them one at a time. The shape is closely related to the Major 7 arpeggio from the previous lesson, but the 7th is lowered by one fret. That b7 gives the Dominant 7 chord its distinct sound. In this lesson, you’ll … Read more
A Major 7 arpeggio takes the notes of a Major 7 chord and plays them one at a time instead of all together. Because these notes come directly from the chord, arpeggios can help you create melodic ideas that clearly follow the harmony underneath. In this lesson, you’ll learn the Major 7 arpeggio formula, several … Read more
The Lydian scale is a Major-type mode with a raised 4th, giving it a different sound from the regular Major scale. In this lesson, you’ll learn the Lydian formula, compare it with Major, play it across the fretboard, and use its characteristic #4 in musical examples. Mastery Roadmap Focus · View Roadmap → Start with … Read more
The Mixolydian scale is a Major-type mode with a b7, giving it a different sound from the regular Major scale. In this lesson, you’ll learn the Mixolydian formula, compare it with Major, play it across the fretboard, and use its characteristic b7 in musical examples. Mastery Roadmap Focus · View Roadmap → Start with one … Read more
The Phrygian scale is a minor-type mode with a b2, giving it a more tense sound than the natural minor scale. In this lesson, you’ll learn the Phrygian formula, compare it with natural minor, play it across the fretboard, and use its characteristic b2 in musical examples. Mastery Roadmap Focus · View Roadmap → Start … Read more
The altered scale gives you several tension notes to use over an altered dominant 7 chord before resolving into the next chord. In this lesson, you’ll learn how the altered scale is built, play it across the fretboard, and use it to create tension and resolution in a minor-key progression. Mastery Roadmap Focus · View … Read more
The Dorian scale is a minor-type mode with a natural 6th, giving it a different sound from the natural minor scale. In this lesson, you’ll learn the Dorian formula, compare it with natural minor, play it across the fretboard, and use its characteristic 6th in musical examples. Mastery Roadmap Focus · View Roadmap → Start … Read more
The diminished scale is a repeating eight-note scale that can create tension over diminished and dominant 7 chords. There are two versions to learn: whole-half diminished and half-whole diminished. In this lesson, you’ll learn how each one is built, play them on the fretboard, and hear where each sound can be used. Mastery Roadmap Focus … Read more
Scales help you understand how notes are organized across the fretboard, play melodies with more confidence, and choose notes when you begin improvising. In this lesson, we’ll compare six essential scale types: the Major and natural minor scales, Major and minor pentatonic scales, and Major and minor blues scales. You’ll see how their formulas relate … Read more