Lesson 12

Lesson 12

In this lesson we will look at the key of E major and E minor plus learn E major and minor scale in 9th position.

We will also talk a bit about modes and E mixolydian in particular.

We will also look at the inversions of a G triad and the art of sweep picking.

If you need, review lesson 11 and be sure to have somewhat of an understanding of the material on this lesson before moving on to lesson 13.

Scales - E Major

Last lesson we looked at the A major scale in 2nd position, which was a review of the 5th position C scale form from lesson 8. If we wanted to use the same form to play an E major scale we would have to put our pinky on an E on our low E string which means the 12th fret. This would put our 1st finger on the 9th fret, therefore making it a 9th position E major scale.

Using your W W H W W W H formula you will learn that E major has 4 sharps and would be:

E F# G# A B C# D# E

E Major in 9th

9th Position

You may have noticed a pattern now. With each new key the new sharp is a half step lower than the root. Take a close look at the keys:

G major = F#

D major = F# and C#

A major = F#, C# and G#

E major = F#, C#, G# and D#

E Minor in 9th

So far in the lessons we have looked at minor scales in connection with relative minors. But now let us look at what are called parallel major and minor scales and a couple ways to think about them.

So let us use E major and its parallel minor, E minor.

If you think about a major scale as : 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 scale degrees, you find its parallel minor by lowering the 3rd, 6th and 7th degree. So we could think about it like: 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7

If you built E major:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7
E F# G# A B C# D#

E minor would be:

1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7
E F# G A B C D

Lowering the 3rd would make the G# become G, lowering the 6th would make the C# become C and lowering the 7th would make the D# become D.

We are left with a scale with one sharp (F#)

Trying it in the key of C sometimes makes more sense. If you built C major scale:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7
C D E F G A B

C minor would be:

1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7
C D Eb F G Ab Bb

Or try it using the A major scale you learned last lesson (Lesson 11):

1 2 3 4 5 6 7
A B C# D E F# G#

A minor would be:

1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7
A B C D E F G

Notice above that the A minor scale has the same notes as C major and if you remember from earlier lessons A minor is the relative minor to C major.

Modes

E Mixolydian in 9th

The two scales to the left and right are called modes.

Mixolydian is the 5th mode of a major scale and in the case of E Mixolydian to the left, it is really the key of A. E would be the 5th note of an A major scale. So E mixolydian is an A major scale being played E to E. We can also think of the Mixolydian mode as a major scale with a b7.

1 2 3 4 5 6 b7

Dorian is the 2nd mode of a major scale and E Dorian to the right would be the same as the key of D. E would be the 2nd note in D major scale. We could think of Dorian as a major scale with a b3 and b7.

1 2 b3 4 5 6 b7

E Dorian in 9th

Inversions

We learned that the 1st, 3rd and 5th degrees of a major scale give us a major triad or chord with the same name. In lesson 10 we looked at the inversions of an F major triad on strings 2 3 4, now let's move them up one whole step to G

The 1st, 3rd and 5th degrees of a G major scale are the notes G, B and D. These 3 notes played together sound a G chord. The order does not matter. As long as we hear a G, B and D, we hear a G chord.

Inversions of a G triad on the staff.

Learning your inversions of triads and chords is a great way to get to know the fretboard, strengthen your ears and give you more options when playing chords.

Inversions of the G triad on strings 2, 3 and 4 on the fretboard.

2nd Inv.
B - open
G - open
D - open

Root
D - 1st finger
B - 2nd finger
G - 3rd finger

1st Inv.
G - 2nd finger
D - 1st finger
B - 3rd finger

2nd Inv.
bar with 1st, 2nd or 3rd

The exercise below is a fun way to practice the inversions while working on your sweep picking. We will start with down picking our 3 open strings (2nd inversion) and then up pick your root position in 3rd position. Proceed to down pick the 3 open strings again and then to 7th position to up pick the 1st inversion triad.

Listen
Slow

Listen
Fast

A slight variation. I encourage you to make up your own exercises.

Listen
Slow

Listen
Medium

Listen
Fast

The video below is another variation on the above exercise. This one has us downpicking the fretted notes and then up picking the open strings.

Nirvana - Teen Spirit (main riff)

Octaves Because the guitar has the range it does and only one staff to notate on sometimes it is easier to use 8va and 8vb to show that a passage or note should be played one octave higher or one octave lower than written. 8va - to be played one octave higher than written.

This is quite high and hard to read but to the right is the same thing.		To be played one octave higher than written.
	=


8vb - to be played one octave lower than written. Nirvana - Come As You Are (main riff) Below is the same riff without the 8vb sign. It is important to understand and have the ability to read both. Did you try playing the exercise above? It is the main riff from Nirvana's Come As You Are. Breakdown

Improvising

Improvising over the Come As You Are riff.

We would have a few choices when soloing over the Nirvana riff however let us use the thinking we used last lesson and on lesson 6 with the Tom Petty riff. It starts on and E and sounds like it should end on an E.

E minor pent.
Try putting your index finger on an E on the low E string ( 12th fret ) , play your good ol 1-4, 1-3, 1-3 pattern. What do you think of that sound?

E major pent.
Try putting your little finger on that same 12th fret E and play the good ol 1-4, 1-3, 1-3 pattern. Any better? I prefer the major sound myself but both could be used.

Practice Routine

Scales - practice the pentatonic forms to go along with each scale below
C major - open, 2nd, open with shift to 5th (2 octaves) and 5th position (2 octaves)
G major - 1st position, 2 octaves
E minor - 1st position, 2 octaves
D major - 2nd position
A Blues scale - 5th position
A major - 2nd position
F major - 1st, 5th and 7th positions
E major - 9th position
E minor - 9th position
E dorian - 9th position
E mixolydian - 9th position

Chords

open chords
Em, A, C, Am, G, D, Dsus4, Asus4, GtypeII, Cadd9

bar chords
F in 1st - you should try playing this in other positions. You may find it easier to play closer to the body, away from the nut, less tension and frets are closer together.

triads and inversions
F major inversions on strings 2 3 4
D minor inversions on strings 1 2 3
F diatonic triads on strings 2 3 4
Sweep picking your G major inversions on strings 2 3 4

Arpeggios
D major in 2nd
G major moving through 3 positions
Sweep picking G inversions on strings 2,3,4

Improv
You should be using your scales, chords and arpeggios from above to improvise with. Pick a jam track from the members homepage and pick 1 scale or arpeggio and go to it.

Songs
At this point you should be playing whatever songs are fun to you :)

This lesson isn't finished. Soon.

I am going to add mp3's of the E major, minor, mixolydian and dorian scales.
A complete breakdown of the Nirvana tune Teen Spirit.
A much better improvising section.

Lesson 13