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.