If you want to add a jazzy edge to your guitar playing, using 9th chords is a powerful tool that adds a smooth and sophisticated sound to your music. Before learning 9th chords, I recommend first checking out the guide on 7th chords if you don’t know them already. In this lesson, we’ll break down how the C 7 … Read more
A half-diminished arpeggio, also called a minor 7 b5 arpeggio, takes the notes of a minor 7 b5 chord and plays them one at a time. Compared with the minor 7 arpeggio from the previous lesson, the 5th is lowered by one fret. That b5 gives the chord its half-diminished sound. In this lesson, you’ll … Read more
Cello Suite No. 1 (also known as Prelude in G Major or BWV 1007) is one of the most popular pieces composed by Johann Sebastian Bach. It’s a highly recognizable piece that you’ve most likely heard in a movie or commercial. Although this piece was originally written for the cello, this lesson covers an arrangement … Read more
Modes give you different ways to organize familiar scale notes and create different sounds in melodies, improvisation, and chord progressions. In this lesson, you’ll learn the seven modes of the Major scale, compare their formulas and characteristic notes, and see how each mode can be used melodically and harmonically. Mastery Roadmap Focus · View Roadmap … Read more
Extended chords build on familiar chord structures by adding notes such as the 9th, 11th, or 13th. In this lesson, you’ll start with simple 7th-chord shapes, add extensions one note at a time, and hear how those added notes change the sound of a progression. Mastery Roadmap Focus · View Roadmap → Start with one … 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
An augmented chord starts with a Major triad and raises the 5th by one half step. That small change gives the chord a tense sound that can create smooth movement into the next chord. In this lesson, you’ll learn the augmented chord formula, common shapes on guitar, and several ways to use the sound inside … Read more
The locrian scale is the 7th mode of the Major scale and is one of the least common and often misunderstood scales in music because of its dark and tense sound. If you’ve ever wondered what to play over minor 7 b5 chords (a.k.a. half diminished chords), you need to unlock this scale in your playing! In this … Read more
This lesson covers how to play Nocturne Opus 9, No. 2 by Frederic Chopin including chord charts and sheet music with guitar tabs. This is a beautiful classical guitar piece ideal for intermediate to advanced level guitarists. Grab your guitar and let’s get started! How to read the chord charts For the charts below: You … Read more
A minor 7 arpeggio takes the notes of a minor 7 chord and plays them one at a time. Compared with the Dominant 7 arpeggio from the previous lesson, the 3rd is lowered by one fret. That b3 gives the arpeggio its minor sound. In this lesson, you’ll learn the minor 7 formula, movable arpeggio … Read more