3. Find the note on the fret board.
How? Go fish! Yup, just play a note on the fret board, preferably in a place on the neck you think is logical. You probably won’t be WAY up on the neck unless it’s a high melody. If you don’t luck out and get the note right off the bat, determine if the note that you are humming is higher or lower than the note being played. ATTENTION: This is the most important part of the puzzle with the exception of hearing the note correctly in step 1. You MUST determine the “highness” or “lowness” of the two pitches. This is where most people bail out, and try going back a step or going forward a step. Don’t do it! It will only slow you down. This is the normal process for everyone in some capacity or another. Once you have determined that the played note is higher or lower than the hummed note, move your played note in the direction of your hummed note BY HALF STEPS (1 fret at a time). For example, if your hummed note is higher than your played note on the guitar, then you would move your played note UP by half steps slowly until the note is in unison (the same). For beginners, try moving up in half steps on 1 string. If you are not trained, changing strings will only confuse you.
If you don’t find that first benchmark note, the other notes will be much harder to find, so don’t skip any steps in this process. It seems tedious, but the more you do this the quicker you’ll get. Whether you are really slow at this in the beginning or get REALLY quick over time, the process is the same. Like a speed-typist, the speed comes from methodically doing the correct steps EVERY time, not randomly doing some steps and hoping for a good outcome. That’s called “dum” and that’s not you. Yeah, I know I spelled it without the “b.” Just making sure you are paying attention! And without the “b” it's EXTRA stupid. Gotcha again!
4. Find more notes on the fret board.
So once you get that first note, half the battle is done. Use the same method above to find the other notes. Another great practice is to take small “chunks” of music at a time. Like eating a meal, you don’t take more than you can chew or swallow, so don’t do that with musical passages, okay?
5. Determine the key.
The combination of whole steps and half steps will determine where your tonic or “1” is. Now, assuming you have a few notes that you have successfully “found” on the fret board due to your stellar humming skills, what do you do with them? Well, we are looking for a pattern, specifically the major scale. If you remember, the major scale pattern is WWHWWWH (whole-step, whole-step, half-step, whole-step, whole-step, whole-step, half-step) or (1 W 2 W 3 H 4 W 5 W 6 W 7 H 1) - where the numbers are the scale steps. A half-step remember, is the distance between one fret and the next. A whole-step is two half-steps.
SO, let’s say the 3 notes that you have found show a pattern of WWH. DEAR WATSON, a clue…or three to be exact!! Here is where that WWH falls into our little major scale pattern from above: 1 W 2 W 3 H 4 W 5 W 6 W 7 H
Get it? So, in our example, there are two places that that pattern falls, so we are closer, but no cigar just yet. You are the detective and are looking for clues as to what key we are in. The song has the “fingerprints and DNA” of the key we are looking for, ALL OVER IT, but we have to look carefully, and jumping to conclusions could give us wrong answers. We need to get more notes from the song to determine where the “1” from the scale is. Let’s say after further listening, humming and translating our hummed notes to the guitar, we find that the pattern now has a W before the initial WWH to create WWWH. Voila!! NOW, we are getting somewhere! Now we have WWWH and notice how there is only one of those in the following pattern: 1 W 2 W 3 H 4 W 5 W 6 W 7 H 1. That means that the note at the end of the WWWH would be the 1, tonic or key of the song. That is HUGE to know and I will show you why.
Once we have determined the key, we have a matrix of very possible chords and notes that will coincide with that particular key (the Nashville Number System chord matrix and major scale are examples of this). So for example, let’s say after using the above method and determining that our song is in the key of C. Our chord “subset” or family of chords would MOST LIKELY be: C, D-, E-, F, G, A- and B dim (diminished). I say most likely, because it’s not always the case, BUT it’s a great place to start. Your ear will most likely tell you if a chord is different from that “rule of thumb” set of chords. So now that we know that these are the most probable chords that we should expect to see in our example song, we are not just grabbing chords randomly. Often times, that 7 chord WON’T be diminished, but will be a “flat 7” chord. So in the key of C, the B diminished would be a Bb Major. See what we did there? We flattened the B by one half-step, making it a Bb. Then we built a major chord off that Bb. Remember the “flat 7” chord. You will see it A LOT in pop, rock and country music.
As a side thought, when I am teaching my one-on-one students a song, I almost always pull up the video online. Often times, videos will show the artist as they are playing their guitars. Since the guitar is so versatile, the same melody or chord progression might have 3 or 4 possible solutions (ways to play it) on the neck. So it’s helpful to notice where or if a capo is used, or where on the neck the guitarist is playing. This will all make more sense to you as you gradually learn this process.
6. Hum the bass notes to find your chord progression.
Using the above methods, once I have determined the key and have the subset of probable chords and notes, I listen to the bass notes. When I refer to the bass notes, I mean those notes that are played by the bass player or are in the lowest register of the composition. Basically, I am listening to the lowest notes (in pitch). 9 times out of 10, the bass notes will tell you what the letter name of the chord is. Now mind you, there are many different methods people use to transcribe music by ear. The way that I’m showing you is one way, and for me is the easiest and most logical way. As you sharpen your own aural-awareness, you will most likely develop your own techniques and habits that are unique to you. Let’s say for our example, that we hear the bass line play a C for 4 beats, a G for 4 beats, an A for 4 beats and an F for 4 beats. Remember our melody determined that we were in the key of C and that the associated chords for that key are C, D-, E-, F, G, A- and B dim (diminished). Remember that the bass note is only one note of the chord and does not determine the “flavor” of the chord like major, minor, diminished, 7th etc. So the four bass notes that we found, C, G, A and F would most likely represent chords C major, G major, A minor and F major. Could it be that the chords that are actually played in the song are different than that? Sure, but most likely not. They usually fit the matrix of the key that we are in.
The method that I just showed you was how I taught myself how to transcribe songs. For those of you just starting out, I would suggest going through each step. If you are finding success skipping some of these steps, then more power to you! However, if you are having difficulty, do them all. This is an incredible skill to develop and will SERIOUSLY revolutionize your playing. All of my students are different. Each comes with a unique skill set and way of learning. Now, when I sit down to transcribe a song for a student, I will usually jump straight to step 6 where I am humming the bass notes. From doing this process so much, I can usually determine what the tonic of the song is right away. Finding my bass notes tells me my chord progression and also tells me where I might put my capo to simplify the song.
Again, let me remind you that this is a learned skill. I hate even saying that one person might be naturally better at this than another because I don’t want to give you an excuse to not learn this skill. It can be frustrating at first but if you are persistent, the rewards are great and every time you find a new note and new chord it’s like finding a piece of gold. It’s always helpful to start with a song that you are very familiar with and that you love. It will make this whole process a lot easier and more enjoyable.
Also, remember, regarding guitar and anything associated with art in general, there is no perfect way. It’s all subjective and open to interpretation. I’m not saying that there are not definite n
otes or chords represented in the song, but that your method for determining those may be different than someone else’s. Always be open to learning. In this way, you will always be increasing in skill and not grow stagnant.
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Introduction to Chord Construction
As defined in the Diatonic Harmony chapter, a chord is 3 or more notes played at the same time. Let me add a bit more detail for the real world. The most basic type of chord is a 3 note chord, called a triad. Usually, those three notes are different notes. Don’t make the mistake of assuming this means how many fingers are holding down notes for your chord. For example, an E minor chord only utilizes 2 fingers while still sounding 3 or more notes. I happen to run into this a lot with new students, which is why I mention it.
With every chord there is a root. The root is the letter name of the chord (i.e.-A, B, C#), and the one note on which the rest of the chord is built upon. For instance, C major and A major have the same formula – which categorizes both as major chords - but since that formula is calculated from 2 different roots (A and C), then 2 different chords are produced.
In this section, we will discuss the 4 basic triad types (major, minor, diminished, and augmented). All chords are analyzed and named according to the notes (or better yet, the intervals) that they contain. An interval is the distance between 2 notes. These notes, or interval distances, are all derived from the major scale. In order to build or embellish chords from scratch, one must have a good working knowledge of the major scale, it’s formula of whole-step, whole-step, half-step, whole-step, whole-step, whole-step, half-step (WWHWWWH) and the scale step names (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 or one). Also, remember that when we sharpen (#) a note, we raise it one 1/2 step, and when we flatten (b) a note, we lower it one 1/2 step.
Please note the following formulas, as you will need them as we continue.
Major chord (1, 3, 5): a major chord consists of the 1st, 3rd and 5th scale steps of the major scale. The distance between the 1st and 3rd notes is 2 whole-steps. The distance between the 3rd and 5th notes is 1 and 1/2 steps.
Minor chord (1, b3, 5): a minor chord consists of the 1st, flat 3rd and 5th scale steps of the major scale. The distance between the 1st and 3rd notes is 1 and 1/2 steps. The distance between the 3rd and 5th notes is 2 whole-steps. This means that any major chord you know can easily be converted to a minor chord by flatting the 3rd, or lowering it by a half-step (1 fret). If you already know your E major and E minor chords, notice that the only thing that changes between the 2 chords is the 1st finger. When that 1st finger is pressed down (on the 1st fret of the 3rd string), it’s sounding the 3rd of the scale. When the finger is released the string is played open and the flatted 3rd is sounded.
Another example is the A major and A minor chord. Notice the difference between the 2 chords. There is only 1 note that changes between the 2 and that takes place on the 2nd string when the C# is flattened by a half-step making the note a C which changes the chord from major to minor. Since there is only 1 note that changes from both chord examples that we just used (E minor and A minor), we can assume that all the other notes are ones and fives.
Let’s try another example. Play a D major and then play a D minor. Notice that the only note that changes is on the first string, where the F# is flattened to an F to make the chord minor. Again we can assume that all the other notes in this chord are ones and fives because the only thing that changes between the major and minor chord is the third.
Diminished chord (1, b3, b5): a diminished chord consists of the 1st, flatted 3rd and flatted 5th scale steps of the major scale. The distance between the 1st and 3rd steps is 1 and ½ steps. The distance between the 3rd and 5th steps is 1 and 1/2 steps. Since the only difference between the minor chord and the diminished chord is the 5th scale step, it’s simple to convert any minor chord into a diminished chord by simply flatting any “fifths” that occur in the chord. For example, play a D minor chord. Your 2nd finger should be playing the 2ns fret of the 3rd string. That note is the only 5th in a D minor chord, so lowering it by half-step or one fret will change that chord to a D diminished chord. In order to play this chord properly you will most likely need to bar the 1st three strings with your 1st finger on the 1st fret while your 3rd finger plays the 3rd fret of the 2nd string.
Augmented chord (1, 3, #5): an augmented chord consists of the 1st, 3rd and sharpened 5th scale steps of the major scale. The distance between the 1st and 3rd steps is 2 whole-steps. The distance between the 3rd and 5th steps is 2 and 1/2 steps. Since the only difference between the major chord and the augmented chord is the 5th scale step, it’s simple to convert any major chord to an augmented chord by simply sharpening any “fifths” that occur in the chord. For example, play a D major chord. Do you remember where the 5th is from our last example? That’s right, the 2nd fret of the 3rd string.
So the only thing we need to do to change this major chord to an augmented chord is raise the 5th by a half step or 1 fret. I’m not going to help you out on the fingering of this one. You are growing in your skills and sometimes you won’t have instruction to rely on. So use your intuition and common sense to discover a fingering for this new chord that is logical and playable for you. There is no right answer per se. There may be more logical answers for this type of thing however.
Being equipped with these 4 formulas and a movable major scale will allow you to create literally hundreds of chord forms across the guitar neck. For the intermediate and advanced guitar player this is where we start upping our game. I use these formulas all the time when formulating guitar parts for studio or live performance.
Now for the exercise portion of the program!
Strum an open G major chord. Now use any of the major scale formulas that I have provided to determine which scale step each of the notes of the G major chord represents. Basically, we are looking for the scale degree number, not the letter name of the notes. For instance, slowly strum or Arpeggiate the G major chord from the 6th string to the 1st string. Now play a G major scale. The 1st or lowest note of the G major chord is obviously the 1st note of the G major scale, so this note would be a “one”, or the “one” of the chord. Play the next note which should be a “B” on the 5th string. Now play through your G major scale saying out loud each number of the scale as you play it and stop at that B note. The number that you are saying when you land on the “B” should be “3”, making that note the “3” of the chord. Get it? Now continue on with this same technique to determine the scale step of every note in the G chord. You will need to use your ear to compare and contrast notes as the scale form may not always exactly match where the notes of your chord fall. For instance, the 5th scale step of the G major (form 1) scale is a “D”, which will be played by the pinky on the 5th fret of the 5th string. However, we are looking to identify the open 4th string (D string). If your guitar is tuned correctly, the D on the 5th fret of the A string should sound identical to the open 4th string. If you have not used this technique before, you really need to get familiar with it as it is used very frequently in the discovery of notes on your fret board.
At first this can be tricky, but don’t give up! The payoff is huge in regards to mastering your fret board. Once you have all the scale steps identified in the G chord, start moving on to your other open chords. Remember that you must use the associated major scale with the chord that you are analyzing. For instance, if you are analyzing a C major chord, you must use a C major scale. If you are analyzing an A minor chord, you must use an A major scale. Don’t forget that the major scale is our cornerstone for all analysis when it comes to music. We refer to it frequently, so it’s extremely important that you know it inside and out. Once you master this technique you are going to start looking at chords in a totally different way and it will truly empower your playing abilities.
Now go rock some new chords!
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Building Seventh Chords
There is an expression that says, “Give a man a fish and he eats for a day, teach a man to fish and he eats for a lifetime.” That is to say, if I show you a chord and show you where to put your fingers on what frets, you could memorize the chord easily. But if I show you how to assemble chords from scratch, then I enable you for years to come. There are literally thousands of chords. So it’s your choice: memorize each chord or learn a method of assembling them and save yourself hundreds of hours. How cool would it be if I could show you how to make a seventh chord out of every chord that you already know instead of having to memorize hundreds of chords, effectively doubling or tripling your chord vocabulary in one night? If your answer was anything close to “Super-uber-mega-cool!!!,” then HANG ON, because we are getting ready to rock!
As a rule, shortcuts typically “cut” some stuff out and often times “short” you of the full picture. But you know that already, and that’s why you are studying so diligently. So digesting this information, understanding the concept and putting it into practice may take extra time up front (the long way), but I promise you it won’t take you nearly the amount of time it would take you to memorize a few hundred new chords (the “shortcut”).
Guitar Mastery Simplified: How Anyone Can Quickly Become a Strumming, Chords, and Lead Guitar Ninja Page 8