Understanding Modes Modes are scales derived from the major scale by starting on different scale degrees. The major scale has seven notes (C-D-E-F-G-A-B), and if you start on each note and go up an...
Category: Lessons
What Is a Key? A key is a group of notes that sound good together, based around a central note called the tonic or root. When a song is "in the key of C," it means all the chords and melodies are...
What Are Intervals? An interval is simply the distance between two notes. When you play any two notes on your guitar, you're playing an interval. Intervals are the building blocks of everything:...
Introduction to Chord Construction Every chord you've ever played is built from a simple formula. Once you understand how chords are constructed, you'll stop memorizing random finger positions and...
Introduction to CAGED The CAGED system is one of the most powerful tools for mastering the guitar fretboard. It's a simple but elegant method that uses five open chord shapes—C, A, G, E, and D—to...
Introduction to Sweep Picking Sweep picking is a technique where you play multiple notes on different strings using a single, continuous picking motion—a "sweep" across the strings. This creates...