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 Locrian

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

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

Mode Lesson/Jam Track - C Aeolian

Here's a lesson I did a while ago on the Aeolian Mode (minor)...

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

Mode Lesson/Jam Track - C Lydian

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

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

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...

Mode Lesson/Jam Track - C Phrygian

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

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

Mode Lesson/Jam Track - C Dorian

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

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

Mode Lesson/Jam Track - C Ionian

Here's a lesson I did a while ago on the Ionian (Major) Mode...

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

Book Recommend

Years ago on a recommend from a friend I ordered up Mick Goodrick's Advancing Guitarist.

When it arrived I was expecting another book of scales and licks. But was at first disappointed at the lack of, um, scales and licks. This book was not like any other guitar book I'd ever seen. It wasn't another glossary of lines to develop your left and right hand chops. It was a book written to open your mind and thus your hands with lessons designed to get you out of the boxes we tend to climb into as we learn.

How often do you pick up your guitar, play a song or a solo, and think "I hate my playing" or "I wish I had some new ideas"? I know I have. Normal books would give you a bunch of licks (ideas) to memorize. But The Advancing Guitarist gives you new ways to think about how you play the guitar. It takes a minute for the light to turn on sometimes. But often it it's easy to see application in the concepts.

A lot of the book is dedicated to harmony and voicings. Probably the main takeaway for me.

On a related note check out my video on combinatorics...

"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

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 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