Jim Gleason’s GUITAR ENCYCLOPEDIA CHORD FINGERING Ve rsion 1.0 September, 2001 ©2001 Jim Gleason All Rights Reserved www.guitarpm.com page 2 © 2001 Jim Gleason. All Rights Reserved. Contents INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................... 7 Reading Fretboard Diagrams ............................................................................................................8 Reading Tablature ............................................................................................................................12 Fretboard Note Names and Staff Locations ....................................................................................14 SCALES DEFINED ...................................................................................................... 23 What Is An Octave?..........................................................................................................................24 1 What Is A Scale?...............................................................................................................................24 What Is A Chord?.............................................................................................................................25 OCTAVE SHAPES........................................................................................................ 27 The Full Fretboard Octave Pattern ..................................................................................................28 2 Breaking It Down To What You Can Reach.....................................................................................31 INTERVALS ...................................................................................................................... 37 What Is An Interval? ........................................................................................................................38 Fingering Whole Steps.....................................................................................................................38 3 Fingering Half Steps ........................................................................................................................39 Three Ways To Finger Whole And Half Steps..................................................................................40 Numbering The Major Scale Tones .................................................................................................40 Recognizing The Half Steps In the Major Scale ..............................................................................41 Play A Major Scale On One String...................................................................................................42 Memorize Seven Major Scale Fingerings.........................................................................................42 page 4 Contents CONSTRUCTING MAJOR SCALES............................................................... 45 Strict Ve rtical Position .....................................................................................................................46 4 Beginning A Major Scale From the Little Finger On the Sixth String.............................................47 Major Scale Fingering Numbers......................................................................................................50 Beginning A Major Scale From the Index Finger On the Sixth String............................................51 CHORD CONSTRUCTION PREP..................................................................... 55 The Intervals Necessary To Construct A Major Chord...................................................................56 5 Perfect Fifth Fingerings....................................................................................................................56 Major Third Fingerings ...................................................................................................................57 Perfect Fourth Fingerings................................................................................................................68 CHORD FORMULAS ................................................................................................ 59 What Are Chord Roots And Formulas?...........................................................................................60 6 Chord Formulas By Family..............................................................................................................60 CONSTRUCTING MAJOR CHORDS ............................................................ 63 Common Major Chords By Octave Shape ......................................................................................64 7 Reference Roots And Octaves..........................................................................................................65 Constructing Major Chords From The Root ..................................................................................66 THE ROOT ID SYSTEM........................................................................................... 69 What Is Strict Vertical Position? ......................................................................................................70 8 What Are Chord Roots, Tone Centers, Keys And Chord Progression? ..........................................70 What Is A Root ID?..........................................................................................................................74 Combining Root IDs .......................................................................................................................76 Why Can’t I Just Use The Octave Shapes Instead Of The Root ID? ................................................77 PRINCIPLES OF FINGERING............................................................................. 79 General Rules...................................................................................................................................80 9 Changing Position ...........................................................................................................................80 Out-Of Position Notes.....................................................................................................................81 © 2001 Jim Gleason. All Rights Reserved. Contents page 5 CONSTRUCTING ARPEGGIOS ........................................................................ 83 Overview..........................................................................................................................................84 10 Memorize Reference Arpeggios ......................................................................................................84 Choose A Fretboard Area ................................................................................................................88 Construct A Major Scale..................................................................................................................90 Access The Chord Formula .............................................................................................................91 Identify All Chord Tones .................................................................................................................91 Major Arpeggios In All Twelve Positions.........................................................................................94 Deriving All Arpeggios From Major ...............................................................................................97 Summary Chord Fingerings............................................................................................................99 “SPELLING” MAJOR SCALES......................................................................... 101 Spelling Major Scales Defined .......................................................................................................102 11 Preparing To Determine Chord Roots ..........................................................................................102 Key Signatures ...............................................................................................................................103 The Cycle Of Fifths ........................................................................................................................106 Q & A On Key Signatures ..............................................................................................................106 Using Key Signatures To Spell Major Scales ..................................................................................107 STRUCTURAL CHORD TYPES....................................................................... 109 Chords Are Usually Constructed In Thirds ..................................................................................110 12 Chord Types...................................................................................................................................114 IDENTIFYING THE CHORD ROOT.............................................................. 123 The Root Is Usually The Lowest Note In A Series Of Thirds ........................................................124 13 Incomplete Chords ........................................................................................................................126 Add-Tone And Suspended Chords................................................................................................130 Synonyms ......................................................................................................................................132