I left you with this nice ballad-style chord progression:

*Play the chord with your right hand and play the single bass with your left hand.

[Set 1]
1-chord = C major (C + E + G) *** Bass: C
5-chord = G major (B + D + G) *** Bass: B

[Set 2]
1-chord = C major (C + E + G) *** Bass: A
5-chord = G major (B + D + G) *** Bass: G

[Set 3]
1-chord = C major (C + E + G) *** Bass: F
5-chord = G major (B + D + G) *** Bass: E

[Set 4]
1-chord = C major (C + E + G) *** Bass: D
5-chord = G major (B + D + G) *** Bass: G

*This takes us perfectly to the beginning, where we start all over with our C major (1-chord).

And for a chord progression that only uses 2 chords, it sounds pretty darn good!

It’s used EVERYWHERE from Mariah Carey to Andre Crouch, as you saw on the videos I shared with you yesterday.

Today, I want to show you how to spice up this chord progression by employing one little trick. I’m not even going to cover more chords just yet. I’m just going to show you how to spice up the 2 chords you already know from this example.

Want to know the secret?

Some of you may already know it…

The secret is the “9.”

(And this works for any slow, ballad-style song — especially worship music).

Now, some people call it the “2,” depending on how and where you’re using it. I’m not too much concerned with explaining that part right now. You can find tons of prior lessons on the terminology by searching for “ninth chords” or “add 9″ in my search box above.

But what is important is determining what the “9th” (or “2nd”) tone of your chord is.

Here’s how you find the magic 9 and then I’ll show you what to do with it.

Let’s look at our first chord, which happens to be a “C major.”

It obviously comes from the C major scale:

C D E F G A B C
1 2 3 4 5 6 7

From yesterday’s post, you understand the importance of numbering your scale.

Notice, however, that the scale only goes up to 7. Let’s add another octave (basically repeat the scale a little higher).

C D E F G A B C D E_ F_ G_ A_ B_ C

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

(Don’t mind the little “_” underscores. I’m just using those to make my numbers line up with the letters. I can just see someone freakin’ out over that now! :-)… “Oh my gosh, what are those underscores!!!” Just joking…)

What is the 9th tone of the scale?

Answer: D

It’s also the 2nd tone of the scale so whichever way you want to look at it is fine. For the purposes of this lesson, the only important thing is that you know the NOTE to add. The 2 and 9 will always give you the same NOTE (although one is a high version and the other is a low version, technically).

So what do we do with this magic “9th” tone?

You guessed it.

We simply add it to our chord.

C major triad
C + E + G

C major with added 9
C + D + E + G

Some people even choose not to play the “C” because it will be taken care of with your left hand bass. If you prefer that sound, then only play “D + E + G” on your right hand with a “C” on your left hand bass. That will work too!

Ok, so let’s replace all our chords with our new chord and see what we get:

*Play the chord with your right hand and play the single bass with your left hand.

[Set 1]
1-chord = C major (C + D + E + G) *** Bass: C
5-chord = G major (B + D + G) *** Bass: B

[Set 2]
1-chord = C major (C + D + E + G) *** Bass: A
5-chord = G major (B + D + G) *** Bass: G

[Set 3]
1-chord = C major (C + D + E + G) *** Bass: F
5-chord = G major (B + D + G) *** Bass: E

[Set 4]
1-chord = C major (C + D + E + G) *** Bass: D
5-chord = G major (B + D + G) *** Bass: G

*This takes us perfectly to the beginning, where we start all over with our C major (1-chord).

Sounds good doesn’t it?

But we won’t stop there. Let’s add the secret “9″ to our 5-chord as well.

Simply go through the same process with the G major chord, determining it’s 9th tone (or 2nd tone).

The magic “9″ for G major should be “A.”

But if you recall from yesterday’s lesson, we intentionally inverted our “G major” chord so that “G” was on top. This provided a smoother transition between the two chords. We surely don’t want to mess this up by adding “A” on top so we’re actually going to add it on the bottom:

G major triad (inverted)
B + D + G

G major with added 9 (inverted)
A + B + D +G

*For some, it can be awkward playing the “A” and “B” with separate fingers so some people just play both the “A” and “B” with their thumb. That’s right! You can play two notes with one finger. Musicians do it all the time! So if that’s easier for you, just let your thumb handle both notes.

Let’s wrap it all up!

[Set 1]
1-chord = C major (C + D + E + G) *** Bass: C
5-chord = G major (A + B + D + G) *** Bass: B

[Set 2]
1-chord = C major (C + D + E + G) *** Bass: A
5-chord = G major (A + B + D + G) *** Bass: G

[Set 3]
1-chord = C major (C + D + E + G) *** Bass: F
5-chord = G major (A + B + D + G) *** Bass: E

[Set 4]
1-chord = C major (C + D + E + G) *** Bass: D
5-chord = G major (A + B + D + G) *** Bass: G

Curious to hear what you guys think about the “added” 9 trick! Let me know!

Until next time —

Check it out!

Since a minor chord plays such an important role in a variety of music, here are some fundamental tips that you can use to start playing them right away. A great example of the minor chord is the C minor chord. The reason I mention that one is because it’s generally the easiest to learn. You can actually play a C minor chord (Cm) from C major. All you need to do is lower the major third one-half step. This will automatically result in Cm.
3 Methods In Playing The C Minor

1. Simply place your index finger on the B string and first fret. This is the simplest way to start.

2. Next, you can try positioning your pinkie on the high E and the third fret. Then place your ring finger on the B string and third fret. Lastly, put your middle finger on the A string and third fret. Then place you index finger on the D string and second fret.

3. Put your ring finger on the A string and third fret. Then put your pointer finger on the B string and first fret. Follow by placing the middle finger on the D string and second fret.

*You can also play the E minor by placing your index finger on the A string and second fret. Then put your middle finger on the D string and second fret. Simply continue practicing these movements, and you’ll definitely see the results.

1. E : this is the thickest string, it is also the lowest sounding string and is the sixth string on the fret board.

2. A : this is the fifth string

3. D : this is the fourth string

4. G : this is the third string

5. B : this is the second string

6. E : this is the first string and it is
also the thinnest

Tuning a guitar ensures that the strings provide the right note and pitch each and every time. I know you’re probably asking, what do you use to do the actual tuning.

Well, the part of the guitar that you use to do the actual tuning are called the tuning pegs. And these “tuning pegs” have to be altered to provide the right note.

3 Types of Tuning:

a. Reference Tuning (tune the guitar’s strings to another source)

b. Relative Tuning (must have at least one of your strings in tune
with a reliable external source)

c. Electronic Tuning (have a more precise pitch than a pitch pipe)

There is a basic tuning standard that all guitarists need to follow; this can be used for all guitar tunings. But on the other hand, some guitarists use an alternative style and hence tune their guitars with that particular sound in mind. For example, blues guitarists and finger stylists use altered tunings. It can be used irrespective whether the guitarist is a novice or experienced.

The other source here can be any musical instrument, like a piano or even another guitar. The pitch of the reference instrument is played and then it is followed the guitar is tuned accordingly.

The hardest form of tuning is relative tuning. This is done without the help of any reference. Hence it becomes extremely difficult for a new guitar player to be able to tune his guitar.

Lastly, it is electronic tuning. This is the easiest and most simple way to tune your guitar. If you have an electronic guitar then you can use the electronic tuner. It is even better if you have a good or the best electronic guitar.

There actually a ton of name in which this incredible guitar accessory has been labeled. Examples its nicknames include the vibrato bar, twang bar, tremolo arm, and the tremolo bar. That’s quite a few, I know. No matter what you call it, the tremolo bar or whammy bar has one core function and that’s to create a vibrato kind of sound on the guitar.

With help of some creativity and imagination, the whammy bar can be used in a ton of situations. If you play around with it enough and just experiment, you’ll find and unlimited number of sounds this thing can generate.

Where can you find this thing called the “whammy bar?” Well, if you look right along the bridge of the guitar, you’ll have found it. To be able to use a whammy bar, there needs to be a hole at the bottom of the bridge where the strings tuck in. If the hole is not present on the guitar, then it might not be possible to use the whammy bar (…what a bummer).

But for those of you that do have a hole in your guitar, you’re in for something really special. You’ll be able to generate sounds that aren’t even imaginable on another guitar. You’ll be able to formulate sounds that are much deeper than normal, sounds full of dissonance.
The whammy bar gives the best sound when played on just one note instead of the whole chord.

It needs to be pressed down gently towards the guitar while pointing the bar in the direction of the head stock. Players use the whammy bar to make their compositions exclusive and more effective.

Though the whammy gels the best with a single note, it can also be used with the entire chord. By pressing the whammy bar down slowly, a player can generate a very soothing effect. But this needs to be done correctly to get the desired melodious effect for the listeners. Extra care should be rendered when using the whammy bar for chords. It can get chaotic if you don’t go slowly on it.

There are different variations that can be tried with the whammy bar. Positioning of the whammy bar plays a very important part in creating music. Like when you hold the whammy in the direction of the head stock. This makes the sound a softer and deeper. When you hold the whammy bar facing the bottom of the guitar and play it softly, it results in the pitch going up.

By doing this, the unwanted strings even if struck by mistake, get stifled. Using your fret hand to mute the string is also a major technique you’ll see if you watch a guitarist perform. It’s different from the palm muting technique but is equally important for effectively and efficiently playing the guitar.

This technique is most useful while using the power chords and when playing other chords as well. The reason behind using the technique of “fret hand muting” is to avoid the use of strings that are not being played in the chord (very important). You’ll tend to see the “fret hand muting” method used more often than the palm muting one. The reason for this is that even if you pick another string while using the fret hand muting, it’ll still produce a quality sound and give your music a new untamed dimension.

But ultimately which one you choose depends on the style of each individual guitar player. So the choice is yours! It’s time for you to decide what sound you’re looking for.

A new guitar player first and foremost needs to become familiar with all the parts of his instrument before she or he starts to learn to play. Now different types of guitars may have additional parts but the basic parts will remain the same for across the board.

The three main parts of a guitar are the body, the headstock and the neck.

The headstock is also known as the peghead and is located at the top of the guitar. The headstock can be attached at an angle or flat so that it forms a plane in sync with the neck of the guitar.

The straight long portion that is present between the headstock and the body is known as the neck.

And the entire lower portion of the guitar is known as the body. It is here that a major part of activity takes place when the guitar is in use.

The other parts that constitute the guitar are tuners, the nut, frets, the bridge and the guitar strings.

The tuners are also known by a variety of names. Out of the many, tuning pegs and tuning keys are the most popular. The tuners are placed along the headstock of the guitar in 1 out of the 3 typical configurations.

The small piece that is present between the neck of the guitar and the headstock is known as the nut. This may look like a small piece that is not important but it actually serves two critical functions.

The frets of the guitar are placed along the body of the guitar in equal spaces. The frets can be small, raised metal bars or even simple lines that are marked on the neck of the guitar.

The point where the strings attach to itself to the lower end of the guitar is known as the bridge. The bridge is located on the body of the guitar.

Lastly, but most important are the guitar strings. These are important because without the strings, the guitar would not be able to produce any music.