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Remember Flats/Sharps For Every Key Signature

Here's a little memory trick for remembering the flats or sharps in every key signature. This is something that'll work for anyone, even little kids.

Let's start with C Major, which we know has no sharps or flats. Say the following aloud, clapping an 8th note right as you say each letter:
C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C.

Repeat this several times, clapping and saying the letters faster to challenge yourself. Only clap/speak as fast as you can without messing up.

Once you've got that down, let's try doing this with G Major, except when we say F# we're going to do that in 16th notes, so that it still fits into the 4/4 bar.
G, A, B, C, D, E, F#, G.

Now G Major has a distinct rhythm in our heads:
Clap, Clap, Clap, Clap, Clap, Clap, Clap-Clap, Clap

The goal is to associate that rhythm with G Major, to drill the location of the sharp note with the scale into our brains. After spending some time with that, continue on to F Major, which would be:

F, G, A, Bb, C, D, E, F
(Clap, Clap, Clap, Clap-Clap, Clap, Clap, Clap, Clap)

Spend time every day just clapping through each Major scale in this chart. Any sharp or flat note gets a 16th note clap. Spend time on each before moving on to the next one.

C Major: C D E F G A B C
G Major: G A B C D E F# G
F Major: F G A Bb C D E F
D Major: D E F# G A B C# D
Bb Major: Bb C D Eb F G A Bb
A Major: A B C# D E F# G# A
Eb Major: Eb F G A Bb Cb D Eb
E Major: E F# G# A B C# D# E
Ab Major: Ab Bb C Db Eb F G Ab
B Major: B C# D# E F# G# A# B
Db Major: Db Eb F Gb Ab Bb C Db
F# Major: F# G# A# B C# D# E# F#
Gb Major: Gb Ab Bb Cb Db Eb F Gb
C# Major: C# D# E# F# G# A# B# C#
Cb Major: Cb Db Eb Fb Gb Ab Bb Cb

Easy Major Scale Visualization: Part 2

Now that we're familiar with the 'small box', let's get to know what I call the 'big box':

E A D G B e
| | | | | |
X X | | | |
| | | | | |
X X | | | |


Like the small box, we've gotta make an adjustment if we're starting it on the G string:

E A D G B e
| | | | | |
| | | X | |
| | | | X |
| | | X | |
| | | | X |


We're going to be seeing a lot more of the big box in our fretboard endeavors, so let's get to using it in random places on the neck:


e--------------------------------------------
B-------------------------8----10------------
G-----------------------8---10---------------
D----------------9-7-------------------------
A-----2-4----7-9-------------------------1-3-
E-2-4--------------------------------3-3-----


Try it wherever you feel like, but pay special attention to trying it starting on every string except the high e, of course. After a few minutes of this...

CONGRATS! You've learned something new!

As far the Major scale (Ionian) and all the modes based off of it (Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian and Locrian) you will only ever encounter these two boxes.

What? Did I say that? Yes, I did. Because it's true. Seems weird, but yeah. That's all there really is.

Anyway, let's get to know the big box, cause it's very important. Whereas the small box will only ever mean the following:

7 3
1 4


The big box can mean the following things:

1 4
| |
2 5

or

2 5
| |
3 6

or

5 1
| |
6 2

or

6 2
| |
7 3


There are two others that don't fit the small/big box rule, but they technically do, since they're what happens when said boxes are next to each other. Let's just call those half boxes for now:

3 6
4 |
| 7

or

4 |
| 7
5 1


Until the next lesson, spend time every day memorizing all the big boxes and the half boxes by playing them on the fretboard and saying the corresponding numbers aloud. Try linking boxes together after you've committed a few to memory. For instance:

3 6 2 5
4 | | |
| 7 3 6


This might look a little complicated, but it shouldn't if you know your boxes. It's really three boxes smashed together, the 3-4 6-7 one, the 6-2 7-3 one, and the 2-5 3-6 one. Once we realize this, it makes a lot more sense how the fretboard links together horizontally and vertically. Next lesson we'll explore this more in-depth.

Easy Major Scale Visualization: Part 1

Even if I understand a concept on the guitar fully-- for example, the complete layout of a major scale up and down the fretboard-- sometimes I like breaking it down to it's most minimalist components, just to see it in a way I hadn't seen it before. Here's something I stumbled on tonight that blew my mind. Had I realized this a long time ago, I probably would have been able to memorize guitar patterns a lot easier.

Here's the lesson:

1) Play this:

e---------
B---------
G---------
D---------
A-----2-3-
E-2-3-----

2) Notice the small box shape that encapsulates the lick on the fretboard:

E|A|D|G|B|E
-----------
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
X X | | | |
X X | | | |

3) Move that box wherever you want on the fretboard, playing that same lick again in each spot. Start it on different strings. Start it on the E, A, D, and B strings. However, if you're start it on the G string, change the box shape to this:

E|A|D|G|B|E
-----------
| | | | | |
| | | X | |
| | | X X |
| | | | X |

4) Play around with this for a while, wherever you want. Remember the shape changes at the G string. Switch the lick up a bit for fun, but always conform to the proper shape. Here's an example of what this step should be like, but all over the fretboard wherever you want.

e---------------2-1-----------
B-----------2-1-----------9-8-
G---------------------7-8-----
D-----------------------------
A-----3-2---------------------
E-2-3-------------------------

5) After 5-10 minutes fooling around with this, it should be ingrained that the box shape stays the same unless it starts on the G string.

CONGRATULATIONS! You just learned the locations of the 1,3,4 and 7 notes within any major scale on the fretboard!

How is this possible, you ask? Just look:

E|A|D|G|B|E
-----------
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
7 3 | | | |
1 4 | | | |

E|A|D|G|B|E
-----------
| | | | | |
| | | 7 | |
| | | 1 3 |
| | | | 4 |

You can now pick any fret on the fretboard (even if you don't immediately know the note) and know where the Root, Major 3rd, Perfect 4th and Major 7th are. Do what you did before, trying your tiny little box licks anywhere on the fretboard, but now say whether said note is a 1,3,4 or 7 so it hammers into your brain.

How does this help? Now when you're trying to memorize a major scale pattern like this:

E|A|D|G|B|E
-----------
X X X X X X
X | | | X X
| X X X | |
X X X | X X

Look for the tiny boxes:

E|A|D|G|B|E
-----------
X X X X O O
X | | | O O
| O O X | |
X O O | X X

And you know exactly what that box will ALWAYS contain:

E|A|D|G|B|E
-----------
X X X X 7 3
X | | | 1 4
| 7 3 X | |
X 1 4 | X X

In my next lesson, we'll work on more patterns within the major scale that'll help you visualize it easier.

Fretting Self-Exam

Here's a fun and short self-exam I came up with to help you figure out whether you're fretting too hard when you're playing. This is something most people do, and it's very detrimental to ones progress on the guitar.

Before the exam, here as some warning signs you might be fretting too hard:

- When playing something fast, the fingers of your fretting hand tense up and get stiffer, causing the motions of your left hand to be slow even though you FEEL like you're expending a lot of energy with them.
- A weird, unwanted twang to your playing, usually when playing a lead on the low E and A strings.
- Notes sound slightly out of tune even though your strings are tuned properly.
- You practice a lick over and over every day, but don't feel as though you're conquering it at all.
- Playing 'super fast' seems impossible for you, like it's not in your genes to be able to do that.
- Weird finger fatigue after playing. Doesn't feel like 'good fatigue' like after proper exercise, feels like bad fatigue like when you do push ups improperly.
- Peeling skin on the fingertips that never seems to smooth out or go away.
- On the tips of your fingers, indentations of the strings you were holding down that last a while after playing.

There are likely countless more symptoms, but if any of these in the list sound familiar to you, you're probably fretting too hard. Don't feel like an idiot. MANY guitar players do this, including friends you look up to, and some of your favorite musicians. But that doesn't make it right.

One reason why people fret too hard really comes down to people accidentally thinking treating the fretboard as though it were a percussive instrument. When playing a riff they want to sound loud and strong, both their hands lock up and start banging away, each with the same strength. But holding a guitar string down harder with your fretting hand does not make the note louder. Your picking strength and your volume knob (if you're on an electric) is in charge of that. If you EVER feel your fretting hand locked into that 'playing harder' mode you're using the hand incorrectly. It doesn't matter what your favorite band does. You will sound even better than them by not doing it.

And now, the short self exam:

1. Get into your guitar playing stance. Picking hand ready to pick, fretting hand ready to fret.
2. Without pressing down on it at all or moving the string closer to the fretboard, place the index finger of your fretting hand on the A string, 5th fret.
3. Still not pressing down at all on the string, start picking the string in 16th notes at a comfortable tempo. It should sound dead as all hell.
4. While playing the steady 16th notes, begin pressing down on the string with your index finger EVER. SO. SLIGHTLY. Slow. As. Molasses. Bringing. The. String. Ever. So. Closer. To. The. Fret. Wire.
5. It will sound dead for a while and then BAM! You will hear finally hear a note! When that happens don't press down any harder at all.
6. To make sure you didn't press down too hard accidentally, slowly lessen the pressure of your index finger ever so slightly. You want to make sure you are pressing as lightly as possible while still able to hear a note. That is your sweet spot.
7. I repeat: AS LIGHTLY AS POSSIBLE WHILE STILL BEING ABLE TO HEAR A NOTE. Make damn sure of it.

This may feel weird. Trust me, it's GOOD weird. Now that you've figured out exactly how hard to press down on a guitar string, practice alternating between your index on the 5th fret and your middle on the 7th fret, VERY SLOWLY, while still maintaining that sweet spot pressure-wise.

After you've gotten the hang of this, try the first 7 notes of a major scale. Take things VERY slowly. Make sure you're never pressing any harder than you should. Never look back. Never retreat to old habits. Be all that you can be.

When To Use Your CAGED Major Chord Shapes

After learning the CAGED major chord shapes all over the neck, a lot of students may use pieces of the C and G shapes in arpeggios from time to time, but for the most part they won't be played as chords unless in open position. However, each chord shape is useful and has its own unique strengths:

C shape
(x13513)
Because this ends on a M3, it's less resolved sounding than a G or E chord shape. We hear the R-M3-P5 followed by an R-M3 and expect a P5 to follow. This is part of why the C shape arpeggio ending on that P5 sounds so much more resolved than the chord.

A C shape chord is very strong as a I chord in a song because of it ending on that M3. You REALLY expect another chord after, and because of that a minor or diminished chord immediately after will sound pretty smooth. However, it's strongest as a IV and V in a I-IV-V progression, with I as a very resolved chord shape like G or E.

A shape
(x15135)
Because this ends on a R-M3-P5 it feels resolved, but slightly less resolve to it than a G or E chord. This makes it more of an all-purpose chord; resolved, but not too resolved. It's capable of starting a song as a I or being a IV or V if you want a more resolved feel to them than C shape.

G shape
(135131)
Contains a R-M3-P5 and ends on a R. Since the R-M3-P5 comes early on in the chord, its slightly less resolved sounding than an E shape chord. This makes it a good I chord to start a song with when you want that I chord to kick things off with a resolved sound. A resolved sound to a I kicking off a song makes a minor or diminished chord right after sound that much more unexpected and attention getting.

E shape
(151351)
The most resolved sounding major chord shape, because of the R-M3-P5 coming in later than in the G shape, and the R at the end. Great way to end a song to make it feel complete. Like the G shape, a minor or diminished chord right after is attention getting, but the E shape makes it EXTREMELY attention getting.

D shape
(xx1513) or (x51513)
The most unresolved sounding major chord shape. No R-M3-P5 and ends on a M3. Useful in the same applications as a C shape chord, but with the added flexibility of starting it with the P5 on the A string or not. Choosing to start it on the P5 gives it even more of an unresolved feel, whereas starting it with the R gives it a cuter feel since it's only 4 strings. Great little temporary-feeling chord. You don't expect it to last.

Note: The White Stripes use the D shape extremely well to start their song 'I'm Bound to Pack it Up'. The verse is only D shapes, giving the whole verse a consistently temporary and cute feel like fleeting happiness, which goes along with the subject matter of the song.

Come up with your own ideas of how the different chord shapes sound to you, and figure out your own applications you think they work great in. These are just suggestions to help you start thinking about their importance. Go try them out!

Spicing Up Your Pentatonic Licks

Here's a great way to really open your pentatonic scale playing and have it sound less 'pentatonic-y'.

A lot of exercises focus on two note per string patterns for pentatonic scales, and after you've practiced those over and over memorizing the 'boxes', when you start improvising and coming up with pentatonic lead licks, they tend to have a predictable two note per string sound to them. One way to get out of that is to arpeggiate spots of a given pentatonic box. For instance:

O O O O - O
- - - - O -
- - O O - -
O O - - O O

We all know that box. For this lesson, let's treat that as the minor pentatonic box for the Dm chord starting on the A string, 5th fret.

If we start too look at arpeggio possibilities within here, we can come up with some cool little licks that don't sound predictable:


e-----5-8-5---5-
B---6-------8---
G-7-------------


B-------6---------
G-----7---7---5-7-
D---7-------7-----
A-8---------------


Here's an mp3 of what the riffs sound like:
http://www.codyclarke.com/pentariff.mp3

Now we've got licks that start with an arpeggio and then end with a familiar 2 note per string pentatonic sound. You can sweep the arpeggios in these and then hammer-on the rest for a speedy lick, or just alternate pick them.

Find your own little arpeggios within each of the 5 pentatonic boxes. I suggest using minor pentatonics, as your riffs will have a more bluesy sound. After you've gotten used to this, try creating arpeggios that span two pentatonic boxes for more of a challenge!