Guitar Lesson 5

Lesson 5

In this lesson we will look at 2 new scales and how to find a major keys relative minor. At the end of the lesson you can use your new scales to play over a jam track.

Plus we will learn our open Em and G chord and a new strum pattern using quarter notes and eighths notes.

Reading Lesson 5

Scales - G Major

Let's build a G major scale. We will use the major scale formula we learned from lesson 2

W W H W W W H

1. Start on open G and go up a Whole step to A (2nd fret)
2. Whole step to B (4th fret)
3. Half step to C (5th fret) remember Bert, land on B and C is the next fret
4. Whole step to D (7th fret)
5. Whole step to E (9th fret)
6. Whole step to F# (11th fret) remember Ernie, land on E and F is the next fret, but because we had one more Whole step to go we had to go to F#
7. Half step to G (12th fret)

So the G major scale has one sharp (F#). This also means the key of G major has one sharp (F#).

F#'s enharmonic equivalent would be Gb however in the key of G we will call it F# . Every major scale must use every alphabet letter. If we called it Gb we would have skipped the letter F.

For some suggested fingerings and a video of the G major scale on the G string Click Here

1st Position G major scale one octave (also known as open G major scale)

1st finger looks after 1st fret
2nd finger looks after 2nd fret
3rd finger looks after 3rd fret
4th finger would look after 4th fret
but in this case the 4th finger is not needed

G major scale in 1st position on guitar fretboard. 1 octave.

You may want to down pick every note until you get the notes under your fingers than try and alternate pick the scale.

Be sure and try to say the notes as you play the scale. You want to be able to play the scale but you also want to know those notes.

1st Position G major scale 2 octaves

We can also build the G major scale starting on a low G. This will allow us to play the scale 2 octaves.

G major scale in 1st position on guitar fretboard. 2 octaves.

With this scale you will use your 4th finger to play the F#.

Like the one octave scale, once you feel you have the scale under your finger tips, you should try alternate picking the scales.

Again, don't forget to say the note names.

Midi File - G major scale for slower internet connections (right click to open in new window)

Theory - Relative Keys

Every major key and major scale has something called a relative minor. We find the relative minor by going down 3 half steps or by starting on the 6th degree of the major scale.

For example: If we go down 3 half steps from G we would get an E. If we went to the 6th degree of the G major scale we would find it is an E. Therefore E minor is G majors relative minor. Play a G scale from E to E and you are playing an E minor scale.

1st Position E minor scale 2 octaves

E minor scale in 1st position. 2 octaves.

Notice the E minor scale shares all of the same notes from the G scales. You just have to start on an E. So we will start with our low open E and move a whole step to F# on your 2nd fret. After that everything should look like the G major scale from above.

Midi File - E minor scale for slower internet connections (right click to open in new window)

Diatonic Triads in G

In lesson 3 we built all of the triads belonging to the key of C. We will follow the same rules of space, space, space, line, line, line to build the chords belonging to the key of G.

Diatonic triads in the key of G major.

These are also the chords belonging to E minor. E minor would become the i chord, F# diminished would become the iidim chord, G major would be the III chord and so on. So in regards to relative major and minor keys, they share the same notes, same chords and the same key signature. We will get into this more and more with each lesson.

Chords - Open G

If we take the 1st, 3rd and 5th degree from the major scale and play them together we would end up with a G chord or triad consisting of the notes G B and D. We could play this root position G triad in 3rd position.

G major triad on the fretboard. Strings 2, 3 and 4. Root position triad.

Note if you wanted to use your open G and B strings to play the above triad, you wouldn't have anywhere to play the D. However, you could play this triad in 3rd position (strings 2 3 4) or 7th position (strings 3 4 5) or 12th position (strings 4 5 6). More on that later.

A more common way to play the G chord is to play more than one of each chord tone.

G chord on the staff ment to be played as an open G chord.

G chord on the fretboard. Known as open position G chord.

G chord on a chord chart. Known as open position G chord.

E Minor

There are two ways to build an Eminor chord. We can either take the 1st, 3rd and 5th degree from the E minor scale and play them together or we can go to the 6th degree of the G major scale and stack the notes. Either way we end up with the same 3 notes. E , G and B

E minor chord on the fretboard in open position.

Once again we will play more than one of each chord tone to allow us to play more than just 3 strings. In this case we can strum all 6 strings.

E minor chord on the chord graph in open position.

Strumming

Keep your 1st (index) finger down when making the switch from G to Em. Then from Em to C you want to try and keep your 2nd (middle) finger down through the switch. Lastly, from C to Am you want to keep both your 1st and 2nd finger down and only move your 3rd (ring) finger. Review C to Am switch.

To expand on our strumming we will play quarter, two eighths, quarter, two eighths for each measure. You can think about is as long, short short, long, short short and strum down, down up, down, down up.

You may want to start practicing the C to G switch as it is a tough one and will be used in an upcoming lesson.

Improvising

Lets try improvising over the chord progression above. If we analyze the progression we could solo in either the key of G or the key of C. Because it starts on a G chord, most would probably solo in the key of G.

But we could solo in C. Try it and listen to the difference that one note makes (F vs. F#)

	G	Em	C	Am
Key of G	I	vi	IV	ii
Key of C	V	iii	I	vi

Try playing your C scale from lesson 2 or 4 and try your G scale from above.

Daily Practice Routine
2-3 min - finger gymnastics
3-5 min - C major scale in open and 2nd position, 2 octave G major and E minor scale from this lesson
5 min - switching chords C, Am, G, Em
3-5 min - reading (at this point you should be reading through all 5 reading exercises daily)
5 min - improvising with the jam tracks using your scales you have learned so far

Lesson 6