Demystifying Chord Symbols

Here I, hopefully not too feebly, explain how the chords got their names.

To create dominant chords I used a two octave C Mixolydian scale...

CDEFGABbCDEFGABbC

C - CEG
C7 - CEGBb
C9 - CEGBbD
C11 - CEGBbDF
C13 - CEGBbDFA

To create Major versions I used a two octave C Major scale...

CDEFGABCDEFGABC

C - CEG
Cmaj7 - CEGB
Cmaj9 - CEGBD
Cmaj11 - CEGBDF
Cmaj13 - CEGBDFA

To create Minor versions I used a two octave C Dorian scale...

CDEbFGABbCDEbFGABbC

Cm - CEbG
Cm7 - CEbGBb
Cm9 - CEbGBbD
Cm11 - CEbGBbDF
Cm13 - CEbGBbDFA

If you want to go insane get Chord Chemistry by Ted Greene.

Mode Lesson/Jam Track - C Mixolydian

Here's a lesson I did a while ago on the Mixolydian Mode...

And here's a Jam Track I did of the chord progression in the lesson...

"3pers" Lesson 7 - F# Locrian

Elixir Nanoweb Electric Light Strings 10-46

Dunlop Derlin Pick 1.5

"3pers" Lesson 6 - E Minor

Elixir Nanoweb Electric Light Strings 10-46

Dunlop Derlin Pick 1.5

"3pers" Lesson 5 - D Mixolydian

Elixir Nanoweb Electric Light Strings 10-46

Dunlop Derlin Pick 1.5

"3pers" Lesson 4 - C Lydian

Elixir Nanoweb Electric Light Strings 10-46

Dunlop Derlin Pick 1.5

"3pers" Lesson 3 - B Phrygian

Elixir Nanoweb Electric Light Strings 10-46

Dunlop Derlin Pick 1.5

"3pers" Lesson 2 - A Dorian

Elixir Nanoweb Electric Light Strings 10-46

Dunlop Derlin Pick 1.5

"3pers" Lesson 1 - G Major

The three "3per" shapes...

Elixir Nanoweb Electric Light Strings 10-46

Dunlop Derlin Pick 1.5

CAGED Method Review...

Here's just an overview of some of what I showed you about the CAGED method of playing. Playing over a simple progression, Cmaj7, Am7, Dm7 and G7, using the five shapes and their related scales.

The CAGED Method - Scales around the C Shape

C Major Pentatonic - C D E G A - 12 15 12 15 12 14 12 14 13 15 12 15

C Minor Pentatonic - C Eb F G Bb - 13 15 13 15 13 15 12 15 13 16 13 15

C Blues Scale - C Eb F Gb G Bb - 13 14 15 13 15 13 15 16 12 15 13 16 13 14 15

C Diatonic Scale - C D E F G A B C - 12 13 15 12 14 15 12 14 15 12 14 12 13 15 12 13 15

C Mixolydian Scale - C D E F G A Bb C - 12 13 15 12 13 15 12 14 15 12 14 15 13 15 12 13 15

The CAGED Method - Scales around the D Shape

C Major Pentatonic - C D E G A - 10 12 10 12 10 12 9 12 10 13 10 12

C Minor Pentatonic - C Eb F G Bb - 11 13 10 13 10 13 10 12 11 13 11 13

C Blues Scale - C Eb F Gb G Bb - 11 13 14 10 13 10 13 10 11 12 11 13 11 13 14

C Diatonic Scale - C D E F G A B C - 10 12 13 10 12  9 10 12 9 10 12 10 12 13 10 12 13

C Mixolydian Scale - C D E F G A Bb C - 10 12 13 10 12 13 10 12 9 10 12 10 11 13 10 12 13

Modes Review/Overview

Relative Modes in C

CDEFGABC - C Major (Ionian)
DEFGABCD - D Dorian
EFGABCDE - E Phrygian
FGABCDEF - F Lydian
GABCDEFG - G Mixolydian
ABCDEFGA - A Minor (Aeolian)
BCDEFGAB - B Locrian

Formulas of the Modes - the half-steps (one fret) and whole-steps (two frets) that make up the scales.

WWHWWWH - Major
WHWWWHW - Dorian
HWWWHWW - Phrygian
WWWHWWH - Lydian
WWHWWHW - Mixolydian
WHWWHWW - Minor
HWWHWWW - Locrian

Parallel Modes in C - the seven modes starting on C (using the formulas above)

CDEFGABC - Major
CDEbFGABbC - Dorian
CDbEbFGAbBbC - Phrygian
CDEF#GABC - Lydian
CDEFGABbC - Mixolydian
CDEbFGAbBbC - Minor
CDbEbFGbAbBbC - Locrian

Comparing/contrasting the modes to Major - R=root

R 2 3 4 5 6 7 R - Major
R 2 b3 4 5 6 b7 R - Dorian
R b2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 R - Phrygian
R 2 3 #4 5 6 7 R - Lydian
R 2 3 4 5 6 b7 R - Mixolydian
R 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 R - Minor
R b2 b3 4 b5 b6 b7 R - Locrian

Parallel Modes in C

Parallel Modes in C

CDEFGABC - C Major (Ionian)
CDEbFGABbC - C Dorian
CDbEbFGAbBbC - C Phrygian
CDEF#GABC - C Lydian
CDEFGABbC - C Mixolydian
CDEbFGAbBbC - C Minor (Aeolian)
CDbEbFGbAbBbC - C Locrian

The CAGED Method - Scales around the G Shape

C Major Pentatonic - C D E G A - 5 8 5 7 5 7 5 7 5 8 5 8

C Maj. Pent. w/ Blue Note - C D Eb E G A - 5 8 5 6 7 5 7 5 7 8 5 8 5 8

C Minor Pentatonic - C Eb F G Bb - 6 8 6 8 5 8 5 8 6 8 6 8

C Blues Scale - C Eb F Gb G Bb - 6 8 6 8 9 5 8 5 8 6 7 8 6 8

C Major Scale - C D E F G A B C - 8 5 7 8 5 7 9 5 7 5 6 8 5 7 8

C Mixolydian Scale- C D E F G A Bb C - 8 5 7 8 5 7 8 5 7 5 6 8 5 6 8

Gibson Les Paul Standard Electric Guitar, Ebony - Oh, come on, you know you want it!

The Mode's Formulas

Formulas (order of whole steps and half steps) for the 7 Modes

WWHWWWH - Major (Ionian)
WHWWWHW - Dorian
HWWWHWW - Phrygian
WWWHWWH - Lydian
WWHWWHW - Mixolydian
WHWWHWW - Minor (Aeolian)
HWWHWWW - Locrian

Introduction to Modes

The Modes of C (the modes relative to C Major)

CDEFGABC - C Ionian (aka Major)
DEFGABCD - D Dorian
EFGABCDE - E Phrygian
FGABCDEF - F Lydian
GABCDEFG - G Mixolydian
ABCDEFGA - A Aeolian (aka Minor)
BCDEFGAB - B Locrian