I've put together a quickie course on the free site Memrise titled Riptide Guitar™ Fast Fretboard Mastery. The course teaches and tests your recall of where you find tones on the fretboard.
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| Testing Phase |
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| Learning Phase |
Tuesday, March 8, 2016
Become a Fretboard Master with Riptide™ on Memrise
I've put together a quickie course on the free site Memrise titled Riptide Guitar™ Fast Fretboard Mastery. The course teaches and tests your recall of where you find tones on the fretboard.
Music Scales and the Secret of What Diatonic Means
Scales Defined
- A scale is a division of an octave by intervals.
- A scale is succession of tones with exact relationships among the tones.
- A scale is succession of tones that divides exactly one octave.
Typical Scale Divisions
- A 5-tone scale is a pentatonic scale (e.g., pentatonic minor, pentatonic major).
- A 6-tone scale is a hexatonic scale (e.g., blues scale).
- A 7-tone scale is a heptatonic scale (e.g., natural major scale, natural minor scale).
Diatonic Scale
- The prefix dia means through.
- A diatonic gets played from tonic through its octave.
- A diatonic scale is merely a scale that includes a Perfect 8 interval.
- Said another way, diatonic scale is any scale played through all of the tones of the scale with a second tonic played at its next pitch, which is the first higher multiple of frequency of the tone.
- Any scale can be a diatonic scale if the octave tone of the tonic gets played.
Scale Degrees
- A scale degree is the place occupied by a tone of a scale.
- For pentatonic scales, there are five degrees:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5 - For hexatonic scales, there are six degrees:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
For heptatonic scales, there are seven degrees:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Monday, March 7, 2016
Tetrachords
A tetrachord (TC) is four successive tones separated by three intervals.
The Names of Tetrachords
Tetrachords get described by the intervals between the tones.
Major: M2, M2, m2 → 221
Minor: M2, m2, M2 → 212
Upper Minor: m2, M2, M2 → 122
Whole Tone: M2, M2, M2 → 222
Harmonic: m2, m3, m2 → 131
Locrian: m2, M2, m2 → 121
Guitarists Worthy of Your Listening
These are guitarist you mind find interesting and inspirational. You might know of some and a few of you might know many of these players.
Keep in mind that popularity contests lack basis for what decides a top guitarist. Influence is what counts. Do you hear licks and phrasings lifted by others for their recordings?
[Note. The links open up to YouTube top tracks playlists for each guitarist. The same goes for the bands in which a guitarist might have played].
FAVE ROCK AND ROLL GUITARISTS
- Johnny Thunders (New York Dolls, The Heartbreakers)
- Jimi Hendrix
- Joe Walsh (James Gang, solo)
- Eddie Van Halen (Van Halen)
FAVE ROCKING E-BLUES GUITARISTS
- Lefty Dizz
- Charley Booker
- Frankie Lee Sims
- Luther "Guitar Junior" Johnson
- Goree Carter
- Pat Hare
EARLY E-BLUES
- Eddie Jones (Guitar Slim)
- Hubert Sumlin
- Jimmy Dawkins
- Jimmy Nolen [Jimmy later became a noted funk guitarist]
- Joe Hill Louis
- John Lee Hooker
- Johnny Guitar Watson
- Larry Dale
- Otis Rush
- Pee Wee Crayton
- T-Bone Walker
JUMP BLUES
- Carl Hogan (Louis Jordan band)
- Tiny Grimes
OLD BLUES
- Arthur “Blind” Blake
- Big Bill Broonzy
- Blind Boy Fuller
- Blind Lemon Jefferson
- Bobby Grant
- Bo Weavil
- Bukka White
- Charley Patton
- David Honeyboy Edwards
- Frank Stokes
- Huddie Ledbetter (Lead Belly)
- Ishmon Bracy
- Jimmy Reed
- Louisiana Red
- Lightin’ Hopkins
- Robert Johnson
- Son House
- Skip James
- Tampa Red
EARLY ROCK AND ROLL
- Bo Diddley
- Carl Perkins
- Eddie Cochran
- James Burton
- Lonnie Mack
- Roland Janes (Billy Lee Riley band, studio work)
COUNTRY
- Arthur Smith
- Chet Atkins
- Joe Maphis
- Junior Barnard
- Larry Collins (The Collins Kids)
- Les Paul
- Merle Travis
- Phil Baugh
- Roy Clark
- Slim Rhodes
FUNK
- Freddie Stone (Sly & The Family Stone)
JAZZ
- Wes Montgomery
- Charlie Byrd
- Charlie Christian
- Barney Kessel
- Tal Farlow
LATER BIG BAND BLUES
- Joe “Guitar” Hughes
- W.C. Clark
- Little Milton
- Linsey Alexander
- Michael Burks
- Fenton Robinson
LATER E-BLUES
- Baby Boy Warren
- Bobo Jenkins
- Eddie Kirkland
- Eddy Clearwater
- U.P. Wilson
- Willie Lee Johnson
- Smokey Hogg
SESSION MEN
- Glen Campbell
- Larry Carlton
- Lee Ritenour
- Steve Lukathur (Toto)
- Tommy Tedesco
OTHER INFLUENTIAL GUITARISTS
Countless guitarists who went on to become famous learned by playing to records by these guys. And while many might be loathe to acknowledge these players, many other players were influenced by them.
- Bob Bogle and Nokie Edwards (The Ventures)
- Bob Spickard and Brian Carman (Chantays)
- Danny Cedrone (The Comets)
- Dick Dale (Dick Dale and the Del-Tones)
- Duane Eddy
- George Tomsco, lead and Dan Trammmell, rhythm (The Fireballs)
- Jim Fuller (Surfaris)
- Jim Masoner and Ed Chiaverini (The Lively Ones)
- Link Wray
- Rich Fifield (the Astronauts)
- Richard Dangel and John Greek (The Wailers)
- Skip Mercier (The Pyramids)
- Tony Andreason (Trashmen)
What About Chuck Berry?
Chuck Berry is an interesting player. Yet, most don’t know that Chuck lifted his signature riffs from Carl Hogan, Pee Wee Crayton and Goree Carter. Why not learn from the originals?
OTHER LESSER KNOWN OR UNSUNG GUITARISTS
- Tony Andreason (Trashmen)
- Adrien Belew (David Bowie, Talking Heads, King Crimson)
- Brad Gillis (Night Ranger)
- Carlos Alomar (David Bowie)
- Dave Gregory (XTC, Peter Gabriel)
- Dave Mustaine (Megadeth)
- Earl Slick (David Bowie)
- Elvin Bishop
- Gary Moore (Thin Lizzy)
- Harvey Mandel (Canned Heat)
- Henry Vestine (Canned Heat)
- Jim McCarty (The Detroit Wheels, Cactus)
- John Cipollina (Quicksilver Messenger Service)
- Johnny Winter
- Jorma Kaukonen (Jefferson Airplane, Hot Tuna)
- Kenny Wayne Shepherd
- Larry Lelond (Primus)
- Lowell George (Little Feat)
- Mike Bloomfield (Electric Flag, Paul Butterfield Blues Band)
- Peter Green (Fleetwood Mac)
- Paul Barrére (Little Feat)
- Robert Fripp (King Crimson)
- Ronnie Montrose (Montrose)
- Ross “Boss” Friedman (The Dictators, Manowar)
- Roy Buchanan
- Steve Cropper (Booker T and the MGs)
- Stephen Stills (Buffalo Springfield, Nash & Stills, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young)
Instrumentalist / Shredder Types
A few of these guys play with feel. Many of them play flurries of flash, but some are tasty.
- Al Di Meola
- Alex Skolnick
- Allan Holdsworth
- Blues Saraceno
- Buckethead
- Dave Martone
- Dimebag Darrel (Pantera)
- Eric Johnson
- Fredrik Thordendal
- George Lynch
- Guthrie Govan
- Jason Becker
- Jeff Loomis
- Joe Bonamassa
- Joe Satriani
- Joe Stump
- John McLaughlin
- John Petrucci (Dream Theater, Liquid Tension Experiment)
- Kiko Loureiro
- Marty Friedman (Megadeth)
- Mattias Eklundh
- Michael Angelo Batio
- Michael Keneally
- Nuno Bettencourt
- Paco de Lucía
- Pat Metheny
- Paul Gilbert
- Ron Thal
- Rusty Cooley
- Shawn Lane
- Steve Morse (Dixie Dregs)
- Tony MacAlpine
- Vinnie Moore
- Yngwie Malmsteen
- Zakk Wylde (Ozzy Osbourne, Black Label Society)
Riptide Guitar’s Guitar Circle of Fourths
Many try to teach from the Circle of Fifths. The Circle of Fifths is useful for general music theory.
The Circle of Fifths diagrams the relationship of the 12 tones of Western music. Specifically, the Circle of Fifths arranges the 12 tones of music so the next tone is a P5. On the guitar, a P5 is seven frets higher than the last tone.
As you should recall from the lesson on intervals, intervals have inverse relationships, which depend on the direction you’re going. So the inverse of P5 is a P4.
In the above, the sequence for the major keys follows the Circle of Fifths. Each successive tone is a P5 above the preceding tone. Circling in the opposite heading, the Circle of Fifths becomes a Circle of Fourths.
You should know already that from Low pitch E, the intervals (successive tones) of the strings are perfect fourths (P4) from head to toes, except between G and B, which is a Major 3rd (M3). So instead of a Circle of Fifths, guitarists should want a Circle of Fourths.
But guitarists shouldn’t want any old Circle of Fourths. Guitarists should want the Riptide Guitar’s Guitar Circle of Fourths™. It’s a Circle of Fourths made for guitarists!
The Guitar Circle of Fourths starts with E the same as the guitar does. And this Guitar Circle of Fourths is so powerful that you will learn guitar so much faster with it.
Let’s see how you can put to work the Guitar Circle of Fourths straight away. Let’s use the Guitar Circle of Fourths to learn the Circle of Fourths on the guitar once and forever.
As an added bonus, you can work on your fret-board mastery.
The E at the 12 o’clock matches the low E on your guitar, that is the E closest to your chin.
- Pluck the first four strings as open to sound E-A-D-G.
- The next string is B. Fret the 1st fret on B, which is C.
- Now remember, the E strings are the same, so skip the high E and circle back to low E.
- Fret the 1st fret on low E, which is F.
- Fret the 1st fret on A, which is B♭.
- Fret the 1st fret on D, which is E♭.
- Fret the 1st fret on G, which is A♭.
- Fret the 2nd fret on B, which is a D♭.
- Fret the 2nd fret on E, which is a G♭.
- Now remember, the E strings are the same, so circle back to low E.
- The next string is A. Fret the 2nd fret on A, which is a B.
So once you get this into your mind, permanently, you will have the Guitar Circle of Fourths always at your finger tips. And with this, not only can you learn the fret board with ease, but you can master it.
It’s really this simple. If you know the name of a tone on one fret, you can figure out the names of the tones above or below using the Guitar Circle of Fourths.
How awesome is that?
What is a Key?
Keys on a Piano
- There are 88 keys — 52 white and 36 black.
- The black keys get divided into groups of twos and threes.
- There is no division of the white keys.
- There are 12 keys, one for each tone of Western music.
- The 76 other keys are pitches of the 12 tones.
What is a Key?
- A key is a family of tones having fixed relation of one to another.
- There are seven tones to a key.
- The tone of a key from which all other tones resolve is the key tone.
- Another name for the key tone is the tonic.
Key Names
- In Lesson 1, you learned the tone names:
C, C♯ or D♭ , D, D♯ or E♭, E, F, F♯ or G♭, G, G♯ or A♭, A, A♯ or B♭, B - There are 17 tone names for 12 tones as ten tone names name the same tones.
Major Keys and Minor Keys
- There are 24 keys: 12 major keys and 12 minor keys.
- Each major key and each minor key has a collection of chords that sound right when played in whatever successive order because tonal relationships exist among these chords.
- The names of the keys use the same names as the 12 tones with the words major or minor said after the tone name.C, G, D, A, E, B, G♭, D♭, A♭, E♭, B♭, F
Intervals, the Fretboard and the Strings
You should know how intervals relate to the fretboard. Why? Because knowing how intervals relate to the fretboard is the secret to guitar mastery. And knowing intervals leads to music mastery.
Intervals
Going from one tone to the next is called an interval. An interval expresses a relationship between successive tones.
Interval Names
There are only a few kinds of intervals: perfect, major, minor, augmented or diminshed.
The Perfect Intervals
Perfect 4th = 4thPerfect 5th = 5th
Perfect 8th = 8th = Octave
The Major Intervals
Major 2nd = 2ndMajor 3rd = 3rd
Major 6th = 6th
Major 7th = 7th
The Minor Intervals
minor 2nd = flatted 2nd = ♭2 = half 2minor 3rd = flatted 3rd = ♭3 = half 3
minor 6th = flatted 6th = ♭6 = half 6
minor 7th = flatted 7th = ♭7 = half 7
The Tritone, aka the Devil's Interval
Tritone = flatted fifth = ♭5 = augmented fourth = ♯4 = half 5Be aware that some call the Tritone an Augmented 4th. Some call the Tritone a Diminished 5th.
Interval Names Abbreviated
- m for minor, M for Major, P for Perfect, TT for Tritone
- P1 means the zero interval, also said as Perfect 1 or most often as Unison.
- Augmented gets abbreviated as A.
- Diminished gets abbreviated as D.
Intervals and the Guitar
Playing from one fret to the next, whether on the same string or on another string is how you play any interval.
So if you were to pluck an open low E (the E nearest your chin) and then pluck a depressed the third fret on open low E, the interval between those sounds would be a minor 3rd.
Intervals and Frets
The intervals between the open string tones and the frets are fixed. So, for example, a F on D will be a m3 from D, always. As well, a B♭ on G will be a m3 from G, always.
| Fret | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interval | m2 | M2 | m3 | M3 | P4 | TT | P5 | m6 | M6 | m7 | M7 | P8 |
1st fret = m2 = ♭2 = half 2
2nd fret = M2 = 2
3rd fret = m3 = ♭3 = half 3
4th fret = M3 = 3
5th fret = P4 = 4
6th fret = TT = ♭5 = half 5
7th fret = P5 = 5
8th fret = m6 = ♭6 = half 6
9th fret = M6 = 6
10th fret = m7 = ♭7 = half 7
11th fret = M7 = 7
12th fret = P8 = 8 = octave
Intervals and Chromatic Scales
For example, C is a m6 on E because in the E chromatic scale, the C is found on the 8th fret
E F G♭ G A♭ A B♭ B C D♭ D E♭ E
and the intervals of every chromatic scale as a diatonic scale:
m2 2 m3 3 4 TT 5 m6 6 m7 7 8
And so all of these are true:
C is a m6 on EC is a m3 on A
C is a m7 on D
C is a P4 on G
C is a m2 on B
In this picture, the minor tones have a bar above the number. The major tones are without a bar and the perfect tones have been circled.
If you know that C is a m3 on A, then you know you can find C on the 3rd fret on the A string. See?
With the Riptide Guitar method, the guitar strengthens your music theory knowledge and your music theory knowledge unlocks the secrets of the guitar for you.
Intervals and Inversion
On the fret board, the same count of frets, also known as distance, gets a different interval name depending on going up or going down.
m2 ↔ M7
M2 ↔ m7
m3 ↔ M6
M3 ↔ m6
P5 ↔ P4
TT ↔ TT
P4 ↔ P5Keep these pairs in mind: 2 & 7, 3 & 6, 4 & 5 and then swap the minor for major.
m6 ↔ M3
M6 ↔ m3
m7 ↔ M2
M7 ↔ m2
Intervals Between the Strings
Low pitch E (the E under your chin) to A = P4
A to D = P4
D to G = P4
G to B = M3.
B to high pitch E (the E closest to the floor) = P4.
Remember, intervals have inverse relationships. So playing the open strings from high pitch E to low E (from floor E to chin E):
E to B = P5In the Riptide Guitar method, we call the E, A, D, G strings the P4 strings. We call the B string the M3 string.
B to G = m6
G to D = P5
D to A = P5
A to E = P5
Traveling on the Fret Board and Strings
Going up the neck (→) is the same as going toward the bridge. The pitch gets higher going up.
Going down the neck (←) is the same as going toward the headstock. The pitch gets lower going down.
Going down a string (↓) is the same as going toward the floor. The pitch gets higher.
Going up a string (↑) is the same as going toward the ceiling. The pitch gets lower.
Intervals on the Same String
These are the interval relationships from one fret to another on the same string within the practical limit of the stretch of your hand.
up 1 fret → m2 (e.g., A → A♯)
up 2 frets → M2 (e.g., A → B)
up 3 frets → m3 (e.g., A → C)
up 4 frets → M3 (e.g., A → D♯)
down 1 fret ← M7 (e.g., A♭ ← A)
down 2 frets ← m7 (e.g., G ← A)
down 3 frets ← M6 (e.g., G♭ ← A)
down 4 frets ← m6 (e.g., F ← A)
Intervals and Frets
These are the interval relationships from one fret to another on an adjacent string within the practical limit of the stretch of your hand.
↓ 1 string, ← 1 fret = M3 = 3
↓ 1 string, ← 2 frets = m3 = half 3
↓ 1 string, ← 3 frets = M2 = 2
↓ 1 string, ← 4 frets = m2 = half 2
↓ 1 string, → 1 fret = TT = half 5
↓ 1 string, → 2 frets = P5 = 5
↓ 1 string, → 3 frets = m6 = half 6
↓ 1 string, → 4 frets = M6 = 6
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