Yup, it’s been that long since I’ve written in my blog… but for good reason…

You’ll probably remember I promised I’d go on vacation after the launch of my latest 12-disc “Musician Transformation” & Gospel Music Training Center resources in December 2009 (which sold out, btw).

But that’s not the only reason I’ve been gone…

On December 15, 2009 at 3:41 a.m. (just a lil over 3 hours after my wife’s birthday ended on the 14th), God blessed us with another little angel, Layla Ann Griggs… 8lbs, 11oz, 20 inches.

Here’s a pic of her and my wife:

If you remember the birth of my first daughter, Jadyn Olivia Griggs, on June 8, 2006, you’ll know they practically look like twins!

I never thought I’d be one of those types that forget the names of my kids… “Now take this bottle Jadyn… I mean LAYLA!!!” (And I’m only 26…!!!)

I’m also so proud of my beautiful wife Sarah because just some weeks after giving birth to Layla, she was back up and glamorous! Here’s a pic I snapped of her just before our “date night” to a nearby comedy show.

And since I’m revealing pics, I guess I’m next…

NOT!

You’ll have to wait to see my transformation! I’ll reveal myself in June (maybe on my birthday????)…

Let’s just say JP (from GospelKeys Urban Pro 600) and I have been working out every morning at 6am… yup 6am! (If you got a goal or dream, GO GET IT! And go STRONG! Will Smith says it best here)

With that said, I want to reintroduce you to over 2 hours of free video content and over 50 pages of written material I created early in 2009. I realize that a lot of people have joined the hear & play family since then and have never seen these free resources.

Others have been on board a while and still missed these.

And the rest clicked the links when I originally posted them but FAILED to do anything with the information. So here’s another opportunity!

(If you did make good with this information, congrats… you’re in the top 10% of action-takers! Take this time to review…)

This is a series. They all go together.

VIDEO LESSON #1 - “Finding the key to any song”

If you ask any ear-musician, this skill will be at the center (or maybe the “center” of the “center” like in hit movie, Slumdog Millionaire).

If you can’t determine what key a song is being performed in just by listening, you’ll have many problems down the road (at least when it comes to playing by EAR in situations where you need to “think on your feet.”)

This is the most “intuitive” of all the skills and knowledge you’ll attain. It’s not like reading sheet music where you look at the grand staff and determine what key the piece is in by the number of flats or sharps that appear at the beginning of the music.

YOU DON’T HAVE MUSIC IN FRONT OF YOU.

No reference.

Just your ear.

This video will make it plain…

Note: If you really like what I talked about, I have an 80-minute course that covers finding the key to any song. You can find it here.

VIDEO LESSON #2 - “The KEY to getting to the next level in your piano”

This next lesson reveals a very important STRATEGY you MUST have as an ear-musician.

Again, if you’re reading sheet music, this probably isn’t emphasized as much… but when it comes to playing by ear, “NUMBERS” rule.

And your ability to know your numbers “inside” and “out” will determine how far you get… and how fast you get there.

If you have no idea what I’m talking about, check out the next lesson below. There is also a 28-pg report that goes along with it.

(You may also find my “core fundamentals” courses helpful)

RESOURCE: Click here to download the free 29-pg report that goes along with this video lesson.

VIDEO LESSON #3 - “The SECRET to playing ANY and EVERY chord you want in SECONDS”

This next lesson will take you even further…

It borrows a very familiar concept from the car industry (popularized by Henry Ford in the early 1900’s) and adapts it to music!

It’s the very next logical step in the process and you’ll get it laid out for you plainly in this video…

(there is a 14 page report included at the bottom of the video)

If this topic interests you, then you may like my “hear & play chords” series.

RESOURCE: Click here to download the free 14-pg report that goes along with this video lesson.

VIDEO LESSON #4 - “The MISSING PIECE OF THE PUZZLE to playing almost any song out there”

This last video could arguably be the MOST IMPORTANT part when it comes to learning real songs and understanding just how closely related songs are (yes… all songs follow the same general patterns and principles — this video will reveal all of this to you…)

There’s also a 12-pg report that goes along with it…

RESOURCE: Click here to download the free 12-pg report that goes along with this video lesson.

(If you’re into gospel music, GospelKeys 202 really breaks down the idea of “patterns.” 70 to 80% of songs have the same common movements in them. This course is revolutionary in that it breaks down all these patterns and covers the “how,” “what,” and “why.” Click here for more information)

————

Wow, so there you have it! A good way to start off the year!

I look forward to your comments about our new addition and/or the videos above. I read each and every one of them.

(My last blog post got over 750 comments when I was giving away my FREE 12-disc “Musician Transformation” course … which will be back in a couple of months, don’t worry!)

Take care,

Jermaine Griggs
Founder

http://www.hearandplay.com/products

Wow, what can I say…

I think I’ve started something here…

The last few weeks, I’ve been trying out a new format by taking really good questions from students and not only answering them personally, but sending them to our entire mailing list.

This has resulted in a lot of love — and even MORE questions from dedicated students all around the world. I’ve received at least a good couple hundred questions that could easily keep me busy sending responses like this for years…

But here’s one that made the top of the list. I think you’ll really be helped by my reply to Tyler. It’s long but packed with details. About 5 lessons in one.

PRINT THIS OUT because it really is *that* important.

——————–

***Comment From Tyler N***

Hi Jermaine,

Dude, you are incredible. Your knowledge of theory is on another planet. Thanks for what you do man, for real.

I’m trying to learn all 12 keys and I happen to be a member of the Gospel Music Training Center where you talked about using the circle of fifths to learn every key.

I do know the circle of fifths but I don’t think I totally understand how to use it to learn every key. Do you mind shedding some light on this in the next Q&A teleclass?

Again, thanks man. Tell JP and all the staff they are doing an awesome job.

Tyler

——————–

>>> My Comments and explanations to Tyler (Lots of good info… read carefully)

Yo Tyler!

Thanks for the e-mail! Glad to hear you’re enjoying the material!

I believe you’re referring to our last Gospel Music Training Call that just past, where Jon and I talked about the circle of fifths and how it can help you to learn any song in all 12 keys…

I can definitely help you with that.

But before we delve in, let’s back up a bit and talk about the ‘circle of fifths’ concept itself.

The circle of fifths is a very powerful discovery in music because it pretty much describes HOW MUSIC WORKS in one simple chart.

If you want to see an example of the circle, here’s an example: http://www.musiccirclechart.com

You see, music moves in fifths and fourths. And if you really think about it, there’s a fine line between “fifths” and “fourths.” (that’s why you hear some people calling it the “circle of fifths” and other folks calling it the “circle of fourths.” Let me demystify this first.

Both names are correct. Here’s why:

If I ask you to go up a fourth interval, that essentially means to move up 5 half steps from whatever note you’re on. (There are many ways to think about it but this is the most straightforward…)

And for folks that don’t know what half steps are, remember this poem:

“Half steps are from key to key with no keys in between, Whole steps always skip a key with one key in between.”

So basically, if you’re going from one key directly up or down to the key directly next door, that’s a half step. Doesn’t matter if it’s a white key, a black key, a purple key, a broken key (some of you haven’t fixed your piano in years)… if it goes from one key right next door, it’s a half step. [C to C#], [E to F], [G to Ab], [Bb to B]… all of these pairs are half steps. [C to D], [E to F#], [Ab to Bb]… these are whole steps because they are skipping one key. Easy.

Back to fourths. So if I start on C and want to go up a fourth, I simply count 5 half steps up…

C to Db is 1 half step… Db to D is another… D to Eb is the 3rd half step, Eb to E is 4, and finally E to F. So “C” to “F” is a fourth.

Now, on the other hand, a fifth uses 7 half steps. So if you do the same thing starting at C — except, this time using 7 half steps — you’ll arrive at G.

So “C” to “G” is a fifth.

“C” UP to “F” is a fourth. “C” UP to “G” is a fifth.

Here’s the tricky part. Notice I used the word “UP” because if you count the same number of half steps down, you’ll get different answers.

If you count 5 half steps DOWN from C, you’ll get G. And if you count 7 half steps DOWN from the same C, you’ll get F.

In other words, C up to F is a fourth. C down to F is a fifth.

And in the same way, C up to G is a fifth but C down to G is a fourth.

Basically, they are ‘inverses’ of each other. Opposites. One does one thing going up and another going down. The other does the exact opposite.

Any time you take a fourth interval and “flip” it, you’ll get a fifth. If you do the same to a fifth, you’ll get a fourth.

Try it. Hold down C and the higher G together. That’s a fifth. C is the lowest note and there are 7 half steps between C and G. But if you take the C off the bottom and put it on the top (and now “G” on the bottom), now you’ve got yourself a fourth interval. Just that easy.

Oh and I should add… these are called “PERFECT 4ths” and “PERFECT 5ths.” Sometimes, for short, folks leave off the “perfect” part but if you want to be very specific, add that.

Why did I choose to tell you all this?

Because, there are two ways to look at the circle of fifths chart. Go to http://www.circlemusicchart.com and print it out…

If you thought of this circle as a clock, “C” would be at 12 o’ clock.

G is at 1 o’ clock. D is at 2 o’ clock.

Get it?

That means on the other side, F is at 11 o’ clock, Bb is at 10 o’ clock, Eb is at 9 o’ clock and so forth…

And like I said, there are 2 ways to look at this circle. You can look at it going clockwise from C to G to D to A… and so forth.

Or you can look at this chart going counter-clockwise, from C to F to Bb to Eb… and so forth.

Some people say when you go counter-clockwise from C to F to Bb to Eb… that you’re going in “fourths.” But, of course, now you know better. You’re going in fourths only if you’re looking at this as going UP from C to F. And UP from F to Bb… and UP from Bb to Eb.

But as you just learned, going from C down to F is a fifth too! That’s why some people still choose to look at this WHOLE circle as a relationship of fifths because if you go clockwise, C up to G is a fifth. And if you go counter-clockwise, C down to F is also a fifth.

Put another way, “G” is the fifth of C. And “C” is the fifth of “F” — and so on.

But either way, here’s the golden nugget.

Go counter-clockwise! This is the flow of music. This is how 80% of songs move.

What do I mean?

THAT’S WHAT I MEAN!

If you analyze the chord patterns of songs, you’ll find them moving like this:

Some kinda “C” chord to some kinda “F” chord to some kinda “Bb” chord to some kinda “Eb” chord, depending on the key you’re in.

If you’re in a key like “G” major, you’ll find the same counter-clockwise movement at work — just at the other end of the circle with chords moving from some kind of “A” chord to some kind of “D” chord to some kind of “G” chord to some kind of “C” chord (just to give an example).

I say “some kind of chord” because depending on your key, some chords will be major, some minor, some dominant, some diminished, etc… and we really don’t have time to talk about that right here. Easily another 5 pages if I go there.

So the circle really explains the flow of music.

Ever heard of a “2-5-1″ progression? Guess what? Highlight any 3 notes on the circle that are neighbors and there are the keynotes of your “2-5-1″ progression! BAM!

Don’t believe me? What’s a 2-5-1 progression in the key of C? Well, the 2 is “D”… the 5 is “G” and the 1 is “C.” Where do those notes just “happen” to appear on the circle of fifths chart?

D is at 2 o clock. G is at 1 o clock. C is at 12 o clock. Counter-clockwise! Neighbors too!

Like pulling back time (ever wish you could pull back time, counter-clockwise???) Lol, get out of the past!!!!!!!!!!!! Except in music, that is! Cuz moving against the clock, when it comes to the circle, is how you will find most of your songs arranged. Counter-clockwise…

EXERCISE: Take songs you already know and compare them to the circle of fifths. For example, if the song you know goes from C major to A minor to D minor to G major to C major, then compare where those notes C, A, D, G, C appear on the circle and the type of movement you notice.

So, here’s the entire circle but in a counter-clockwise arrangement:

C > F > Bb > Eb > Ab > Db > Gb > B > E > A > D > G (repeat)

WHATEVER YOU HAVE TO DO TO LEARN THIS, DO IT!

Memorize it, chunk it, tape it to your dashboard. If you can say this in one breath really fast, you won’t believe how helpful it can be to you.

Why? Because all songs move in this direction. You can literally highlight any 3 or 4 notes straight off this circle and find many chord progressions that use those same exact notes in the same exact order. You can find entire songs using this order of notes… and just repeating over and over. Wash, rinse, repeat.

And since chords and patterns move like this, it makes sense to learn and practice chords in this same order. When you learn chords in this order, you further reinforce the circle.

Plus, when it comes time to play real songs that move in fourths anyway, you’ve already done it so much in your own practicing so it’s not that hard to apply it when needed.

(Oh, by the way, I’ve been saying ‘circle of fifths’ AND ‘circle of fourths’ up until this point. But now, I’m going to choose to call this “fourths” since most people consider C to F a fourth, unless you tell them C “DOWN” to F. But from now on, to keep things consistent, I will mainly say FOURTHS to represent the counter-clockwise direction of the circle.)

I realize this could still be over some folks’ head so let me break it down. (My fingers are getting tired but I’ll keep going, as long as you’ll keep reading)…

You can either learn chords by fourths like I’m advocating, or you can learn them chromatically in half steps.

Let’s talk about the latter method first.

To learn chords chromatically means to master chords one half-step at a time. In other words, you learn a “C” major chord first, then you take every note up a half step to learn the “C#” or “Db” major chord. Then once you learn that chord, you take every note of your chord up another half step to learn the “D” major chord. And so on…

In real life, this looks like this:

CHORD = G + B + C + E (which is a C major 7 chord in 2nd inversion by the way).

Say I wanted to learn this chord chromatically. All I gotta do is take every finger up a half step and that will give me the SAME chord in the next key up.

A half step up from C is Db so by taking EVERY tone of the chord up a half step, I’m essentially learning that SAME chord in the key a half step up. Looks like a duck, quacks like a duck… it’s a duck.

So let’s do it…

G + B + C + E.

Move G up a half step to Ab.

Move B up a half step to C.

Move C up a half step up to Db.

Move E a half step up to F.

The new chord is Ab + C + Db + F. And since the old chord was a “major 7″ chord in 2nd inversion, that means THIS IS ALSO A MAJOR 7 CHORD IN 2ND INVERSION.

Nothing changes about the quality or quantity of the chord. If it’s major, the quality will be the same. If it’s a seventh, the quantity will also be the same. So, if the first chord was a C major 7, this new chord up a half step is simply a Db major 7. Got it?

So you could essentially learn every chord this way. It’s the easiest because it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to move every finger up one note. But it’s limiting because music doesn’t move chromatically like that. I mean it CAN, but it isn’t commonplace like fourths and fifths.

FOURTHS and FIFTHS are everywhere. They are the most common movement.

So remember the circle of fifths order I told you to memorize?

C > F > Bb > Eb > Ab > Db > Gb > B > E > A > D > G (repeat)

If you want to really get the “flow of music,” learn chords in fourths and also practice them in fourths.

Let’s take this same example:

G + B + C + E.

This is a C major 7 chord in 2nd inversion. If I were taking my own advice and learning this same chord in fourths, I would seek to learn an “F major 7″ chord next…

Why? Because it’s a fourth up from C when using the circle order above.

So it’s simple… let’s take each of these notes and determine what’s a fourth up from each one.

G + B + C + E.

This is easy because a fourth up is whatever note is “NEXT” in the circle. Just do this with EACH note.

A fourth up from “G” is “C” A fourth up from “B” is “E” A fourth up from “C” is “F” A fourth up from “E” is “A”

We’ve just learned the F major 7 chord by taking each note up a fourth.

So essentially, the same circle we use to play chord patterns is the same circle we use to learn CHORDS. That’s why I said to do whatever it takes to memorize the circle. These shortcuts are everywhere.

C + E + F + A is an F major 7 chord in 2nd inversion.

(for my beginners, yes, I know C is on the bottom but when you invert a chord, you basically change the order of notes.)

This same chord is F + A + C + E in the normal “root” inversion. If you take the “F” off the bottom and put it on the top, you get “A + C + E + F,” which is 1st inversion. If you then take the “A” off the bottom and put it on the top, you get “C + E + F + A,” which is 2nd inversion — the one we just learned.

So here’s your homework.

Take these chords below and learn them in fourths using the same steps I took above. You can also start all over and learn them chromatically too but the real “connection” comes in learning them in fourths.

C major = C + E + G

C major 7 = C + E + G + B

C minor = C + Eb + G

C minor 7 = C + Eb + G + Bb

EXTRA CREDIT: Invert the chords by taking the current note off the bottom and putting it on the top. Do this again to get the next inversion. If the chord has 4 notes, do this AGAIN to get the final inversion.

Post your answers below as a comment.

Again, you’re taking all 4 chords above and learning each one in all 12 keys USING the circle I talked about above. If you can’t do this, you need to print out this lesson and re-read it. This will result in you knowing 48 chords by the end of this exercise. If you’re serious, you’ll do it. If you get this one concept, you’ll skip at least 6-8 months worth of lessons… and that’s only if your teacher knows how important the circle is to playing BY EAR. Sight readers use this to figure out key signatures and ’sharps & flats’ but all that stuff is NOTHING compared to the real value of the circle. The real value of the circle involves patterns, song movement, and stuff like that, if you’re an “ear” player.

If you want to get a real good introduction to all this, my $17 course is a steal. If you’re a reader, you have everything here. I sure didn’t hold back. If I wanted to hold back, I would have stopped 4 pages ago. The $17 starter course just takes it further by giving you 2 hours of instruction in my own voice with live demonstrations and examples.

So if my written words are cool for you, then I can promise you my voice is easily 3 times better. And at $17, you have nothing to lose. Check it out at:

http://www.hearandplay.com/17dollarcourse

If you were a bit helped by the words I’ve written here, then this audio course will REALLY be helpful because you’ll hear me talking about all this stuff for 2 whole hours, reinforcing every little concept over and over. You’ll like it.

Go to:

http://www.hearandplay.com/17dollarcourse

(You can even get the downloadable digital version and start learning right away).

Talk soon,

Jermaine

P.S. - Got questions? Comment below and I’ll answer right away:

P.P.S - If your budget allows, my 300pg course is your next best bet. It has 20 chapters, tons of exercises, and covers everything, step by step:

http://www.hearandplay.com/core

http://www.hearandplay.com/products

After last week’s e-mail, I received a host of replies. Here’s one that I think will really help you (VERY IMPORTANT STRATEGIES).

***Comment From Kelly W.***

Hi Jermaine,

Thanks for sending such an informative e-mail. I feel like you give so much through your website, blog, and e-mails (maybe too much). Do you ever sleep?

Well, here’s another e-mail to add to your insomnia. :-)

You mentioned the number system and how it is key when it comes to playing music by ear. I totally get that now. But towards the end, you started talking about numbers and patterns but you quickly ended. Kinda left me hanging as I was hanging on your every word up until that point and didn’t want the e-mail to end.

Do you mind expounding on how the number system works with patterns?

A passionate fan, Kelly W.

>>> My Comments (and explanations):

Kelly, first off, thanks so much for your kind words. Yes, I DO sleep (but not nearly as much as I should). My wife says I should be getting in as much sleep as possible RIGHT NOW before our 2nd daughter is born in December. But I’m hard-headed. So enjoy these personal replies while they last :-)!

To recap, YES, the number system is absolutely pivitol in playing music by ear without sheet music. There’s just so much you can do with it. (And it’s so easy to grasp — you just take every major scale you know and NUMBER each of them from 1 to 7… BAMMM! There’s the number system).

But let’s talk about chord patterns for a second…

In playing by ear, you’ll notice that a lot of songs use the same chord patterns over and over again. One popular chord pattern is the 1-4-5 chord progression. (Let me stop — for my beginners, “chord patterns,” “chord progressions,” “chord changes,” “chord ___whatever___” pretty much all mean the same thing).

When I say “1-4-5″ in this sense, I’m literally talking about a chord built off the first tone of the scale “moving” (or progressing) to a chord off the fourth tone of the scale… and finally to a chord off the fifth tone of the scale. There are countless possibilities.

In the key of C (ahhhh, amazing how the number system stands on its own two feet… but now let’s move into a specific key)…

In the key of C, a 1-4-5 chord pattern would be some kind of chord on C moving to some kind of chord on F, and finally ending on some type of chord on G. Those notes - C, F, & G - are the 1st, 4th, and 5th degrees of the scale, respectively. In other words, the “root” or “bass” of the chord will determine the number that gets attached to it.

C major. Root (or bass) is C. And C is the first tone of the scale. Therefore, C major is on “the 1.”

Now the reason NUMBERS are important is that I can express tons of patterns like this without being in any particular key. That is why I made the statement above about “coming” into a specific key. See, numbers are like a universal language. I can sit here and chat with a fellow musician all day long and if he or she knows about numbers, our conversation could actually make sense just saying stuff like “1-4-5″ or “6-2-5-1″ or “2-5-1″ or “b5-7-3″ (b5 = “flatted 5″ and you get it by literally taking the 5th tone of the scale and flatting it a half step).

So that’s why I mentioned how important numbers are when it comes to chord patterns.

Here’s my advice to any musician who wants to get the most out of NUMBERS…

First, master your scales as numbers and be able to call out any number fast. Like if I asked you, “what is the 2nd tone of F,” you should answer within seconds, “G.” If I say “the 7th tone of B,” you should answer “A#” within seconds. I’ve created a free 28-pg report about this very strategy and you can download at: http://www.hearandplay.com/numbers (Enjoy!)

Second, once you’ve mastered numbers and they are second nature to you, start “THINKING” about them as you play songs. For example, if someone taught you these chords in the key of C:

C major > F major > G7 > G/F > E minor > A7 > D minor > G7 > C major

(Believe it or not, this is a very common string of chords). Oh yeah, since I hate for people to be lost, the “G7″ is the quick way to write “G dominant 7.” The “G/F” is what we call a slash chord. It means play a G major chord over F bass. Whenever you see a letter without “major” or “minor” or something like that, assume “major.” And if you see a slash, the note on the right of the slash is to be played on your left hand as the bass.

I get carried away, excuse me! :-)

So back to this chord pattern. Once you’ve mastered numbers, you need to be thinking “NUMBERS.” See, if you’re just playing this progression and thinking these are random chords, you’re cheating yourself. But if you think of this string of chords as numbers progressing from one to the other, then you’ll be opened up to a whole new world. Let me explain…

Because there are 12 distinct keys that you can possibly be playing a song in, most people don’t know they are playing the SAME exact thing in other keys. I mean, how can you? Everything feels different. The notes are different, the letters are different, the titles are different. The chords feel different to your hands. etc…

Numbers standardize everything. There can only be a single number per chord. So it doesn’t matter what key you’re in, if you’re thinking in terms of numbers, you have just brought that key into a neutral world.

Example:

F major: ———–

F major > Bb major > C7 > C/Bb > A minor > D7 > G minor > C7 > F major

Did you realize right off the bat that this was the same exact pattern I displayed above in C? Most WOULDN’T because the notes are different. It throws most people off so they continue playing these two separate chord progressions in different keys NOT KNOWING they are playing the same thing!

Let’s analyze:

C major ———–

C major > F major > G7 > G/F > E minor > A7 > D minor > G7 > C major

1 > 4 > 5 > 4 > 3 > 6 > 2 > 5 > 1

(I just took the keynotes of each chord and figured out their “numbers.”)

For example, in the C major chord, C is the keynote (the title). It is the first tone of C major (duhh!). F major is the next chord. It’s the 4th tone of C major. G7 is the next chord. It’s the 5th tone of C major. (You just keep doing this until you’ve analyzed each chord). At the end, you have this chord pattern in numbers:

1 > 4 > 5 > 4 > 3 > 6 > 2 > 5 > 1

Now, if you do the same thing to the “F major” chord progression I posted above, you’ll get these numbers:

F major: ———–

F major > Bb major > C7 > C/Bb > A minor > D7 > G minor > C7 > F major

1 > 4 > 5 > 4 > 3 > 6 > 2 > 5 > 1

Lightbulb yet?

It’s the SAME pattern but you probably didn’t know that if you don’t already think in terms of numbers. Most musicians would have treated these progressions as two separate “things” because they look different.

But at the core, when you strip all the letters away, they are the same. Hmmm, “MESSAGE!” Everyone comes in different shapes, colors, and sizes. But when you strip all that away, we are all the same! :-)

The third thing to do is to just get fast at being able to figure this out WHILE you’re playing. That’s all. After you do it so much, you’ll just ‘think’ that way. It’s a paradigm shift from the standard way of playing. You’ll be there soon.

So, we’re full circle. Back to numbers and their importance.

You may be thinking, “Jermaine! How do I ‘think’ in terms of numbers?”

Well, it’s not something you overdo. It’s just something you’re “aware” of. As you’re playing, you force yourself to think: “Ok, I’m on the ____ tone of the scale.” That’s it! It’s simple! Over time, it will become second nature.

Then, you’ll see just how EVERYTHING YOU PLAY (or 80% of it) boils down to the same exact patterns. You can’t see it now because you’re thinking in terms of letters. “Letters” are sort of the enemy of playing in all 12 keys. Just two hard to memorize all the letters. But if you get good at memorizing the universal numbers for all the patterns and chords you play, you won’t go wrong.

To learn other unique techniques and strategies you can use to master the number system and take your playing to the next level, go to the link below. I recommend either my 300-pg course or my Starter 702 audio course (or BOTH). The Starter 702 course is cheap… a steal… $17 bucks and covers much of what I’ve talked about here… but with my VOICE and piano explaining everything. If you’re serious, check it out:

http://www.hearandplay.com/products

(It’s in the CORE ESSENTIALS section).

Talk soon,

Jermaine

P.S. - This old video I did several months ago will really help you with numbers as well…

http://www.hearandplay.com/products

In reading through some of my recent e-mails, I found a message from someone who REALLY gets it.

***Comment From A Reader Who GETS IT***

Jermaine, doc, where have you been all my life? Since I purchased your GospelKeys 202 and have been reading through your online blog lessons and resources, they have really opened my mind up to the whole world of “numbers.”

I was one of those folks who thought music was about letters. I thought chords used letters. UNTIL God led me to your website. And now everything I thought I knew about music has been challenged and I’ve gotten to the next level because now I know how to think in terms of numbers.

I don’t think about a C major 7 chord going to an F major 7 chord anymore (well I still do but it’s not the dominant thought like it used to be). Now I think about the 1st tone of the scale going to the 4th tone of the scale if I’m in the key of C or the 5th tone of the scale going to the 1st tone of the scale if I’m in the key of F major.

And when I do this, I find that I can take the same patterns to basically any major key because I’m not stuck thinking about C going to F liked I used to be. Now I’m thinking a totally different way and with the numbers I can just fill in the blank as the cliche goes and be free to play anywhere I want. It’s really changed the way I do “thangs” and I gotta give you the credit for it.

Keep it up man. I’ll see you at the top.

Terrell S.

>>> My Comments (and explanations):

Well Terrell, it looks like you TRULY get it.

You’ve stumbled on to one of the greatest secrets of “playing by ear.” It’s numbers.

When most people think about music, they think about “creative” stuff like notes and letters and sharp “(#)” signs and flat “(b)” signs. But music is highly mathematical too.

NUMBERS rule in music and when a musician truly “GETS” this, their playing explodes.

I remember one of my earlier students - Royzell - and how fast it took him to start learning real songs on his own. I mean this guy was up and playing in like 6 weeks. He was hungry for it, YES, but one thing I made sure he understood out the gate was the number system (i.e. - taking every major scale and learning each tone as numbers… “C” is 1, “D” is 2, “E” is 3… and so on).

Then I taught him how to play chords using the same numbers (i.e. - “combine tones ‘7′ + ‘3′ + ‘5′ to play a nice-sounding major 7 chord in ANY key”). No, that isn’t the “regular” default way to play a major 7 chord. We were killing two birds with one stone by learning nicer voicings of the chords using the numbers so that we could literally take the same voicing to all 12 keys in minutes.

Then we naturally did patterns and chord progressions next (i.e. - “6-2-5-1 chord pattern” … very common pattern). It’s the same numbers at work but this time entire chords are moving from one to the other using the numbers. Songs came easy after that.

Fast forward several years and let’s just say he’s passed me up! And I don’t mind. He realized just how IMPORTANT numbers were in the beginning and now there’s virtually nothing he can’t pick up in minutes (and take to a new key without practicing). He’s even played for celebrities and filled in at West Angeles, the mega church where the hit producers and musicians, Jason White and Michael Bereal, play. And to think, it all started with NUMBERS (I don’t want to discount him either because he had a lot of drive and passion and was serious about his craft).

>REMEMBER - You can do almost anything by understanding the number system. And most importantly, it’ll allow you to play in any key because you’re essentially not memorizing any of the specific chords of a song… you’re not really memorizing ANYTHING. You simply understand that a pattern, for example, is a chord off the 1st tone of the scale moving to a chord off the 3rd tone of the scale… then to the 6th tone, then 2nd tone, then 5th tone, then back home to the 1st tone again.

AND GET THIS — once you realize that about 1 in 3 songs have that same pattern occuring in some way, shape, or form, then it really gets easy to learn and play songs off the top of your head because they all use the same patterns. Numbers allow you to do all this… and “then some” as mom would say.

To learn other unique techniques and strategies you can use to take your playing to the next level, go here:

http://www.hearandplay.com/products

Talk soon,

Jermaine

Flat 9, flat 5, flat 7th… this stuff is confusing — and for that matter the ADD 9, ADD 5, ADD 6, and the #9, #5 as well.  I guess I should also throw in the half-diminished chords, whatever those are.  I’m still trying to figure it out.  It all sounds beautiful but it seems that a #9 would be a minor note and a flat 7th is still just a regular 7th.  It’s hard to understand why the notation has to be so complicated.  Maybe things will become more apparent as I go along and learn more.

Anyway, I hope to understand more of this as I go along and I appreciate what you have done.  God bless,

—————–

Hi Chris,

Thanks for your question.

It is understandable why you would be confused as some of the upper level courses just tell you what they are rather than covering their construction from the beginning (that’s for the 300pg course and the starter stuff to cover, which do a fine job btw).

But just to answer some of your questions.

Flat 7th just let’s you know to take the natural 7th (which is B in the key of C) and flat it one half step. If I just said “7,” you should automatically think B, not B flat. But the minute we say “flat 7th” then that means take the 7 and flat it (lower it) a half step… aka, “dominant 7th” or “minor 7th.”

Knowing numbers is crucial. It’s probably the best thing you can learn. Knowing your scales as numbers.

9 is basically the 2nd tone of the scale
11 is basically the 4th tone of the scale
13 is basically the 6th tone of the scale

How are they determined?

Just number your scale up two octaves

C = 1
D = 2
E = 3
F = 4
G = 5
A = 6
B = 7
C = 8
D = 9
E = 10
F = 11
G = 12
A = 13
B = 14

But if you think about it, D is 9 (sure enough when playing extended chords) but the shortcut is to just immediately think “2″ (but up an octave usually). Same with the 11th, which is the 4th, and the 13th which is essentially the 6th.

When you’re instructed to “add 9,” that’s basically what you’re doing. You’re taking the original chord and adding whatever the 9th tone of the scale is. That’s it. Same with 13 or 6 or 2.

As for the “alterations,” (b9, #5, etc)… just like you flat the 7th tone (per the instructions above), you do the same with the 9th and other extended tones. Very simple. So if I’m in the key of C and instructed to play a b9 (aka - “flat 9″), I would first determine my 9th tone (D), and then lower it one-half step to Db. NEVER CHANGE THE ALPHABET LETTER when you’re doing this. For example, if I used C#, I would no longer be flatting the “9th tone” — instead I’d be raising the 8th tone (C) to C#, and that’s not what the instructions call for. So keep that in mind.

Also, yes, sharping the 9th tone is like playing a minor chord. But the big difference is that you cannot call it a minor chord because it still may be a major or dominant chord. In other words, a C7 #9#5 may still have an “E” in there (which makes this chord either major or dominant). What we are doing is essentially adding the 9 and then sharping it. So it’s giving you a chord with both a major third “E” and a “D#” (which isn’t quite a minor third because if you understand theory, that would be called an augmented second if it were played in the lower octave). So that’s why you need the alterations. Sometimes, though, you can just say “augmented” instead of #5… this is a case where sometimes they are pretty much synonyms. But be careful.

Let’s move on to your question about the “half diminished seventh” chord. But first, let’s back up and cover a more common chord first. This will help us to lead to the construction of the half-diminished seventh chord.

A diminished seventh chord is basically constructed of 3 minor third intervals.

It is important to note that:

Major third intervals have 4 half steps (like from C to E)
Minor third intervals, on the other hand, have 3 half steps (like from C to Eb)

You basically construct a diminished 7th chord by taking 3 minor thirds and piling them on top of each other…

C# to E is a minor third.
E to G is another minor third.
G to Bb is another minor third.

C# E G Bb would be a C# diminished 7 chord, for example.

For a lesson on why I used the notes above to name this chord, visit this link (you will use a mixture of sharps and flats for chord like this… see details at the link above).

Now, this leads me to the half diminished 7th chord.

The only difference is that you are taking the last “minor third” in the equation and making it a major third (which means you need to make it bigger by one half step since major thirds have 4 half steps in them). So instead of playing Bb, you’ll be playing “B.” Thus - C# E G B.

A half-diminished 7 chord is basically the same as a minor 7th chords with a flat 5 (aka - “min7 b5″). This is another way to look at half diminished 7th chords — just take a regular minor 7th chord, locate the 5th tone of the scale and lower that tone a half step.

Whewww! My fingers are tired.

I hope this answers all your questions!

(By the way, thanks for all your support. You have been tremendously supportive on our radio show, the new gospel music training center, our various product launches, etc. I appreciate you).

Well, since I’ve been helping out with e-mails lately (to make sure we keep response times under 1 day), I’ve had an epiphany. Why not take a question a day from the REAL e-mails that come in and elaborate on them? It makes it easier on me because I’m answering that e-mail anyway — now I can simply format it, expand it a little further, and post it on the blog for all to see. Works for you?

(Granny calls that “killing two birds with one stone.)

And I won’t always limit it to one question per day either. If another good question comes in, I’ll post it too. You might end up with a bunch of smaller posts rather than one big long post, like in the past. I’ll see how this works.

Submit your questions at: blogquestion@hearandplay.com (you may not get a personalized reply but they will queue up for future posts).

So here’s today’s question submitted by Judy:

***********
Question
***********
“Hey, I don’t know what you mean by things with a “b” in FRONT of a scale number, such as “b3″ Whattup?”

***********
Answer
***********

Great question!

So we all know that I’m a big advocate for numbering your scale.

In other words, just don’t think of the C major scale as:

C D E F G A B C

Think of it as:

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

So if I ask you, “what is the 7th tone of C?” you should know it right away. These “numbered” degrees are what we call scale tones (or you can call them “scale degrees,” whatever you want frankly).

Now, let’s cover our little friends called “sharps” and “flats.”

A sharp is not a black key.
A flat is not a black key.

Rather, to “sharp” something means to raise it.
To “flat” something means to lower it.

(I guess I should define another term… a “half step” is from key to key with absolutely NO keys in between. A “whole step” ALWAYS skips a key with one key always in between).

Plain and simple.

When you see a “flat” sign (b) in front of a scale tone, that means to lower that tone one half step.

So if I say “the 3rd tone of C,” I’m referring to E because E is, indeed, the third tone of C.

C D (E) F G A B C = C major scale

If I say the b3 (”flat third” or “flatted third”) of C, then it would be E flat (Eb).

I simply take the same third tone and lower it a half step.

C D (Eb) F G A B C (believe it or not, this is actually the C melodic minor scale.)

I hope this helps!

***********************
Judy’s Follow Up Question
***********************

“Thank you for your help. Curious why it wouldn’t be written 3b for i.e. ‘Eb’
instead of b3?”

***********************
My Follow Up Answer
***********************

Well, because we say “flat 3″ or the “sharp 5,” instead of “3 flat” or “5 sharp,” it transposes the sign in FRONT of the note rather than after. That’s just how the terminology works.

Like the chord “C7 #9#5″

Pronounced: “C Seventh Sharp 9, Sharp 5″ or “C Seventh Sharped 9, Sharped 5″

I wish I knew more of the history but it’s like they say: “That’s just how it is…” :-)

I hope this helps.

——————

Until next time.

If you haven’t seen my past ones, click here to check them out.

Ok… here we go:

What minor key am I in if I have these chords:

F major
Bb major
C major

.
..
…
….
…..
……
…….
……..
………
……….
………..
…………
………….
…………..
……………
…………….
……………..
………………
……………….
………………..
…………………
………………….
…………………..
……………………
…………………….
……………………..
………………………
……………………….
………………………..
…………………………
………………………….
………………………….. Got it???
………………………….
…………………………
………………………..
……………………….
………………………
……………………..
…………………….
……………………
…………………..
………………….
…………………
………………..
……………….
………………
……………..
…………….
……………
…………..
………….
…………
………..
……….
………
……..
…….
……
…..
….
…
..
.

Answer:

D minor

Explanation:

D is the relative minor of F major, so had you used these clues to figure out the “major” side of things (which would have been “F” had I asked for the major key), then the minor key would be a piece of cake.

Why? Because relative major and minor keys share the same key signature, scale tones, and chords.

So if you take the chords associated with the F major scale and simply “shift” them over so that “D” starts and ends the series of chords, you’re good to go! It’s that simple.

1st tone - F major (F A C)
2nd tone - G minor (G Bb D)
3rd tone - A minor (A C E)
4th tone - Bb major (Bb D F)
5th tone - C major (C E G)
6th tone - D minor (D F A)
7th tone - E diminished (E G Bb)
1st tone - F major (F A C)
2nd tone - G minor (G Bb D)
3rd tone - A minor (A C E)
4th tone - Bb major (Bb D F)
5th tone - C major (C E G)
6th tone - D minor (D F A)
7th tone - E diminished (E G Bb)

See the chords I’ve bold? Those are the same exact chords but instead of thinking of them in terms of “F major” (that is, with “F” as the starting and ending tone), I’ve emphasized them so that you can see how it works when you’re looking at the relative minor of the key. Same notes, same chords — DIFFERENT reference points… starting and ending notes. That’s it.

So when someone asks you to play in a minor key, if you know how to play in the relative major key, you should be fine!

(Oh, and just in case… you find the relative minor of any major key by going to the 6th tone. “D” is the 6th tone of “F major.” If you’re in a minor key and want to find the relative major, just go to the third tone of the minor scale. “F” is the 3rd tone of “D minor.” So that’s how all this works).

Here are all the relative major/minor relationships:

Relative Major / Relative Minor

C major / A minor
Db major / Bb minor
D major / B minor
Eb major / C minor
E major / C# minor
F major / D minor
F# major / D# minor
G major / E minor
Ab major / F minor
A major / F# minor
Bb major / G minor
B major / G# minor

I hope this helps.

Until next time —

If you haven’t seen my past ones, click here to check them out.

Ok… here we go:

What major key am I in if I have these chords:

A# minor
D# minor
G# minor

.
..
…
….
…..
……
…….
……..
………
……….
………..
…………
………….
…………..
……………
…………….
……………..
………………
……………….
………………..
…………………
………………….
…………………..
……………………
…………………….
……………………..
………………………
……………………….
………………………..
…………………………
………………………….
………………………….. Got it???
………………………….
…………………………
………………………..
……………………….
………………………
……………………..
…………………….
……………………
…………………..
………………….
…………………
………………..
……………….
………………
……………..
…………….
……………
…………..
………….
…………
………..
……….
………
……..
…….
……
…..
….
…
..
.

Answer:

F# major

Explanation:

Remember this chart from other posts?

There’s only one key that has a G#, A# and D# as minor chords… and that key is F# major!

Let’s take a look at the F# major scale:

F# G# A# B C# D# E# F#

Now, if we apply the rules from above, we’ll be able to figure out which tones are minor:

F# - major chord
G# - minor chord
A# - minor chord
B - major chord
C# - major chord
D# - minor chord
E# - diminished chord

So if you got this one right, way 2 go! :-)

Until next time —

Every key has what we call “primary” chords and “secondary” chords.

You may already know the primary chords…

They’re simply the 1, 4, and 5 tones of any scale.

For example, in the key of C major:

• The first tone of the scale is C
• The fourth tone of the scale is F
• The fifth tone of the scale is G

We simply play major chords on each of these tones. Bam! There’s your primary chords.

The secondary chords are all the other ones.

That leaves the 2nd, 3rd, 6th, and 7th tones of the scale.

(This post can technically be over but I want to go a little further in explaining secondary chords).

Every major key has a relative minor key. I talk about relative minors in this past post.

Like in C major, the relative minor is “A.” It’s basically the 6th tone of the scale (or you can count backwards two scale tones… “C > B > A”).

I said all that to say this…

3 of the 4 secondary chords are basically relative minors of the primary chords. Let me break it down…

We already know that “A” is the relative minor (6th tone) of C major so that takes care of the C major primary chord.

What is the relative minor of F major? It’s D!

And the relative minor of G major? It’s E!

C > A
F > D
G > E

Like I said above, you can think of this as basically 2 scale tones down from any primary chord.

Take C major for example…

1. Go down two scale tones — B is one, A is two.
2. “A” is the relative minor.

F major…

1. Go down two scale tones — E is one, D is two.
2. “D” is the relative minor.

G major…

1. Go down two scale tones (and I’m still referring to the C major scale since we’re talking about primary chords from the C major scale but even if you used the G major scale, you’d arrive at the same tone).
2. “E” is the relative minor.

Why is this important?

Relative minors and majors have a very strong connection. They share the same key signature. They have the same notes in their scales. Heck, their chords are pretty much the same.

Want me to prove it to you?

So what does all this mean?

Simply put, whenever you want to make things more interesting, throw in the right secondary chords!

Yes, most songs can be played with just primary chords (the “1,” “4,” and “5″). That’s true!

But if you want to get more interesting, you start throwing in these secondary chords.

And now that you know how the secondary chords relate to the primary chords, you can start substituting certain chords for others (***hint hint***).

Until next time —

The famous circle!

Some people call it the “circle of fifths.”

Others call it the “circle of fourths.”

Who’s right… who’s wrong?

Everyone’s right! You can use “fourths,” “fifths,” “circle,” “cycle” — it’s all the same thing!

Why?

Hint: Inversions

Tell me, what’s a fourth up from C?

(The easiest way to answer this is to go four notes up in the C major scale.)

The answer is “F.”

Now, tell me, what’s a fifth down from C?

(The easiest way to answer this is to start at the first tone of the C major scale, “C,” and go down 5 scale notes).

The answer is “F.”

So F is both a fourth and a fifth away from C… it just depends on what direction you’re looking at.

If you take “F+C” (which is a fifth in that order, F is lowest note) and invert it to “C+F,” now you’ve got yourself a fourth. The same thing happens if you take a fourth “G+C” and invert it. “C+G” is a fifth when played in this order. So fourths and fifths are inverses of each other. It’s a fine line!

So if you think of the circle as “fifths,” then going clockwise (from C to G to D and so forth) is like going up 5 notes in the major scale to get to the next note on the circle. Likewise, going counter-clockwise (from C to F to Bb and so on) is like going down 5 notes in the major scale.

If you think of the circle as “fourths,” it’s the opposite. Going clockwise (from C to G to D) is like going down 4 notes in the major scale to get to the next note on the circle. And going counter-clockwise (from C to F to Bb) is like going up 4 notes in the major scale.

Or you can do like most people and look at the circle in a “hybrid” type of way… that is, combining the concepts.

That is to say, “going clockwise is fifths and going counter clockwise is fourths.”

Either way, it all works!

Here’s the important part to remember…

Understanding the circle in the counter clockwise direction will be way more beneficial when it comes to understanding how music flows. Music uses fourths and fifths more commonly than any other interval… yup I said it! Fourths and fifths dominate, hands down!

I say fourths and fifths because, again, “C to F” could be looked at as a fourth… or a fifth (depending on the what? —- yup, the direction you’re going in!)

For your reference, the same thing happens for:

• 3rds and 6ths (going down from C to A is a third but going up from C to A is a sixth).
• 2nds and 7ths (going down from C to B is a second but going up from C to B is a seventh).

These are all inverses of each other.

I hope this post clears the whole “circle” thing up for ya… and then some! :-)

Until next time —

If you haven’t seen my past ones, click here to check them out.

Ok… here we go:

What major key am I in if I have these chords:

A minor
B minor
E minor

.
..
…
….
…..
……
…….
……..
………
……….
………..
…………
………….
…………..
……………
…………….
……………..
………………
……………….
………………..
…………………
………………….
…………………..
……………………
…………………….
……………………..
………………………
……………………….
………………………..
…………………………
………………………….
………………………….. Got it???
………………………….
…………………………
………………………..
……………………….
………………………
……………………..
…………………….
……………………
…………………..
………………….
…………………
………………..
……………….
………………
……………..
…………….
……………
…………..
………….
…………
………..
……….
………
……..
…….
……
…..
….
…
..
.

Answer:

G major

Explanation:

Remember this chart from other posts?

There’s only one key that has A, B and E as minor chords… and that key is G major!

Let’s take a look at the G major scale:

G A B C D E F# G

Now, if we apply the rules from above, we’ll be able to figure out which tones are minor:

G - major chord
A - minor chord
B - minor chord
C - major chord
D - major chord
E - minor chord
F# - diminished chord

So if you got this one right, good job! :-)

Until next time —

Today’s lesson (in audio!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) gives you a nice little recap and method to apply this altered scale to real chord progressions and songs! Check it out…

Until next time —

Now I want to teach you a trick that will have you playing ANY altered scale you want in 3 seconds… that is, if you know your major scales!

Here’s the ONE and only rule you need to know:

1) Take any major scale and sharp the first and last note. Bam! That’s it!

Yup! I taught you all that other stuff so that you’d understand it… but this is the shortcut I use to play the altered scale!

Of course, it can still be thought of as the ascending melodic minor scale, starting and ending on its seventh note. It can still be thought of as the super locrian mode. All that stuff remains the same.

But what I’m saying is when it’s time to play and you need to think of an altered scale really fast (…because you’re playing some type of dominant chord with a b9 or #9 or b5 or #5… or combination thereof) — this trick will do the job!

But let me make it even plainer for you…

1) If you want to play a particular altered scale, go down a half step. That will be the major scale you’ll need to know…

2) Then basically raise the FIRST and LAST notes of that major scale to get your altered scale. The first and last note will be the same note.

So if I want to play a C altered scale, what do I do?

1) I go down a half step to “B” and determine its major scale.

2) Now I change the “Bs” to “Cs” and I’m ready to go! I’m basically playing a B major scale but replacing the B with C. “B major” just got carjacked! :-)

Here’s the correct way to spell the C altered scale (the notes will essentially sound the same as the ones above… just spelled to take into account the “Db melodic minor” scale, ascending). Remember, that’s the other way you can think of the C altered scale — as the Db melodic scale from “C” to “C.” But to me, this “major scale” shortcut is a lot easier…

C Db Eb Fb Gb Ab Bb C

(I would use my piano graphic here but it doesn’t do Fb yet, darn).

This altered scale will work perfectly over any chord that has the following alterations:

C7 #9#5
C7 b9 #5
C7 b9
C7 #9
C7 #5

These chords are commonly found on 2nd, 3rd and 6th degrees of a scale. They substitute perfectly for minor chords when you need to pull strongly to another minor chord of the scale. I guess you can say they operate as secondary dominant chords… just altered.

I know, I know! Another big one to digest!

Take it slowly and let me know what you think.

Until next time —

Things have been so hectic. From the launch of GMTC to server problems and Thanksgiving, I’ve had enough to keep me busy indeed.

But now, my head is clear and I’m ready to go full force!

Recall, the other day, I taught you the altered scale (a.k.a. - the ‘super locrian‘ mode)

You’ll really want to check out this past post if you haven’t already. You’ll be lost if you don’t.

You learned, step-by-step, how to play the altered scale.

It’s basically any melodic minor scale played from the 7th tone to the 7th tone (… in other words, instead of starting and ending on the first tone of the scale like you’d normally do, you start and end on the 7th tone of the SAME scale. It gives it a totally different feel). So in essence, we’re mixing together two past ideas you’ve already learned: 1) the melodic minor scale and, 2) modes.

So here’s the “B Super Locrian” scale you learned from my previous post:

Now, let’s take it a step further and show you how to multiply your usage of scales, modes, and “runs.”

In my last lesson, I explained that you can play this scale pretty much over any of these types of chords:

B7 #9#5
B7 b9 #5
B7 b9
B7 #9
B7 #5

…Basically, any chord with a sharp or flat 9 or a sharp or flat 5… essentially, some of the most commonly used “altered” chords (thus the name, “altered scale”).

Why? Because those are the tones represented in the scale (if you write the scale degree numbers out)…

Altered / Super Locrian scale = 1, b9, #9, 3, b5, #5, b7

But these aren’t the only chords you can use this scale with…

Remember the concept of “tritones?” I taught this a few months back.

Every note has another note that’s a “tritone” away in distance. I told you to memorize these “pairs” as if your music career depended on it — because they’re used EVERYWHERE!

I don’t have enough space to talk about tritones in depth but check out this past lesson and similar ones in my archives.

So in order to find out where else you can use this “B super locrian” (a.k.a - “B altered scale”), among many places, ask yourself this question…

“What is a tritone away from B?”

Hint: A tritone is either 3 whole steps up or 3 whole steps down… you’ll arrive at the same place!

The answer is: F

F is a tritone away from B and they collectively create a tritone if you play them together (”B + F”).

So that means you can play the same scale over an F dominant chord (or even altered chord but you may have to omit some “avoid notes.”). I personally prefer a dominant 13 chord or some type of extended dominant chord (9th, 11th, 13th, etc).

Example:

F9 (add 13)
(F not shown but play it on your bass)

And you can use the same “B altered / super locrian” scale from above to solo over it:

Why does this work so well?

Because if you simply keep the chord the same and only change your bass from “F” to “B,” you’ll be back to a “B7 #9#5″ altered chord and as you know from the list of chords above, it’s one of the ones the work really well with the altered scale.

B7 (#9#5)
(B not shown but play it on your bass)

Note: This is actually how all dominant chords work. If you just keep your right-hand chord the same and switch your bass to a "tritone" away, you'll have two chords that can be substituted for each other! Works most of the time... like a charm! We call this idea... "tritone substitutions.”

See… I told you this post would be detailed! Just making up for a few MIA days!

Take it slowly. Repeat it if you have to.

Until next time —

Today, I want to talk about another mode you can use to solo or improvise over certain chords.

That mode is called “mixolydian.” (If you didn’t see my last post, it’ll really catch you up).

Basically, it’s when you play a major scale starting and ending on it’s fifth tone.

For example, take the C major scale:

C major scale

The fifth degree of the scale is G.

So if you wanted to play the mixolydian mode, just play these SAME exact notes starting and ending on G. Don’t change any notes. I repeat, keep the notes the same. Just change the starting and ending points.

G mixolydian

Notice that the mixolydian mode is just like a regular major scale with ONE change.

Compare it to the regular G major scale:

It’s the 7th tone. Yup, you guessed it.

Basically, the 7th tone is lowered a half step in the mixolydian mode. So instead of F#, you play F.

This works very well over dominant chords because if you think about the notes of the G dominant 7 chord (which falls on the fifth degree of the C major scale), its notes are:

See the lowered “F?”

That’s why the mixolydian mode works so well over dominant chords. In fact, not just dominant 7 chords either… you can use this same scale over 9th chords… 11th chords… 13th chords… even sus chords.

G9

So the next time you want to find something to do while you’re on the 5th degree of the scale, consider the mixolydian mode. You don’t have to learn anything “new” to employ it. Just think of it as your C major scale from “G” to “G” and you’ll be good to go! Skip notes, rearrange notes — just play around with those notes of the mode and see what you can come up with!

Until next time —

In today’s lesson, we’ll actually combine the two concepts.

But let’s review first…

Recall my easy way of remembering the melodic minor scale. There’s tons of ways to think about the melodic minor scale but the easiest way is to simply look at it as a major scale with a lowered 3rd tone.

C major scale

C melodic minor scale

The only difference is the 3rd tone. In the melodic minor scale, it is lowered by a half step. Simple!

Now that you’re caught up on playing melodic minor scales, let’s recap on the concept of “modes.”

Modes are a system of scales that began in Ancient Greece. Basically, if you start and end on a different degree of the major scale, you’ll get a different mode.

Let me explain…

If you play the C major scale starting and ending on C, that’s called the Ionian mode. Now most of us would think of this as the regular C major scale and we’re correct… it is! The Ionian mode is the regular major scale. But this isn’t the case for the other modes of the scale.

For example, if you play the same C major scale starting and ending on D, this is what we call the “Dorian” mode.

And when you look at what’s really going on when you play a “C major” scale from “D” to “D,” you’d realize that it’s basically a regular minor scale with the 6th tone raised a half step.

Think about it…

The regular D minor scale is…

And the “D Dorian” mode is…

The only difference is the 6th tone.

So basically, every mode gives you these unique changes and therefore provides great soloing tools over certain chords.

Here are all 7 modes…

If you play a major scale from the first tone of the scale to the first tone of the scale (e.g. - “C major scale from ‘C’ to ‘C’), this is called the IONIAN mode.

If you play a major scale from the second tone of the scale to the second tone of the scale, this is called the DORIAN mode.

If you play a major scale from the third tone of the scale to the third tone of the scale, this is called the PHRYGIAN mode.

If you play a major scale from the fourth tone of the scale to the fourth tone of the scale, this is called the LYDIAN mode.

If you play a major scale from the fifth tone of the scale to the fifth tone of the scale, this is called the MIXOLYDIAN mode.

If you play a major scale from the sixth tone of the scale to the sixth tone of the scale, this is called the AEOLIAN mode (you should know this as the “natural minor scale”).

If you play a major scale from the seventh tone of the scale to the seventh tone of the scale, this is called the LOCRIAN mode.

So now that you’re refreshed on the modes, let me combine the two concepts.

See that last mode… the Locrian mode?

Well, what if you applied that same thinking to the melodic minor scale?

What if you played the melodic minor scale from the 7th tone of the scale to the 7th tone? This is what we call the “altered” or “super locrian” mode.

Here’s the scale you’d get…

B Super Locrian

In terms of the scale itself, here’s what you end up with…

Altered / Super Locrian scale = 1, b9, #9, 3, b5, #5, b7

If you think about it, this is the basis for a lot of altered chords.

For example, if you’ve watch our GospelKeys 202 or GospelKeys Urban Pro 600 courses, you’ve undoubtedly seen these chords:

C7 #9#5
C7 b9 #5
C7 b9
C7 #9
C7 #5

All these chords come from the altered scale. That means if you just find out what the C altered scale is, you could play that scale over any of these chords and it would sound awesome!

So let’s recap…

How do you play an altered scale?

1) You’ll need to know your melodic minor scales

2) That’s easy! Just play a major scale with lowered 3rd note

3) And then play THAT scale from the 7th tone to the 7th tone. So if you know your locrian mode, just change your mindset a bit to think of the 7th tone of the melodic minor scale and you’re good to go!

In other words, if you play this chord on your left hand:

B7 #9#5 (B on bass not shown)

…and solo with the B super locrian mode…

…you’ll sound great and people will think you’ve been playing for years!

Well, I know this is a lot to digest so take your time!

Until next time —

The premise was basically to look at chord progressions as small little “couples.”

(When I say “couple,” I’m specifically talking about a pair of chords… just two.)

When you think in terms of “couples,” you focus on two things:

1) What chord does this current one strongly pull to?

2) What chord pulls strongly to this current one?

This understanding is based on the circle of fifths.

Every chord has a chord that leads strongly to it (a fourth down) —or— a chord that it strongly leads to (a fourth up).

In other words, either something is coming at it or it’s going somewhere! I hope you get that…

If you look at the circle above, focus on going counter-clockwise — that is, from C to F to Bb and so on. If this were a clock, you’d focus on going the direction of “12 o clock” to “11 o clock” to “10 o clock” and so on.

This is the direction music commonly flows in! Understand this and you understand music!

So if you look at “C,” ask yourself two questions:

1) What does C pull strongly to?

and…

2) What pulls strongly to C?

That is the idea of “coupling.” It’s my “micro” way of understanding bigger chord progression. (I actually introduced this little concept several years ago in my GospelKeys 202 course. I just thought I’d revisit it.)

Now the answer to the above questions are found right on the circle…

If you’re going counter-clockwise, then the answer to the question, “what does C lead to” is simple… “F” because that’s the next key on the circle. In fact, if you compare the major scales of C and F, you’ll notice only a single note difference. That’s right, they share all the same notes except for one. So the first answer is “F.” That is the key most C chords will lead to.

To answer the second question, just look on the other side of “C.” That is the key that most likely leads to C. So the answer is G.

Just like C has a huge tendency to lead to F — G has a strong tendency to lead to C (and if you compare their major scales, they also share all but one note).

So here’s what I’ve done. I’ve created this little exercise below. It quizzes you on all the different keys and helps you to become quicker at answering these two “magic” questions. I’ve done the first one for you. Just put your cursor in each box and type in what you think the answer is. Once you’re done, scroll down and compare your answers with mine.

(It’s much easier to press the “tab” button in between questions. This will make your cursor automatically go to the next box).

Also, try using this stopwatch tool to see how long it takes you. Post your time in the comments area!

————–

I will post the answers in the comment section.

Hope this exercise helps!

Time for some rest! I’ve only had 4 hours of sleep today due to our latest launch…

Until next time —

This introduced us to names like “tetrads,” “pentads,” “hexads,” “heptads,” and of course, the “triad.” These are names for collection of notes played at the same time (i.e. - “chords”).

Today, I want to talk about the other side of things — the names of collection of notes played one after the other (i.e. - “scales”). And specifically, I want to focus on the tetrachord.

A tetrachord is a series of four notes, usually played one after the other. A major tetrachord is a series of four notes, in ascending order, separated by the following sequence: whole step - whole step - half step.

In other words, if I start at “C” and add a whole step, that gives me “D.”

So far, I have “C - D.”

In following the “tetrachordal” formula, I add another whole step from “D.” That gives me “E.”

So far, I have “C - D - E.”

And lastly, I add a half step since my formula is “whole step - whole step - half step.”

That gives me “F” at the end.

Altogether, “C - D - E - F.”

This may look familiar to many of you. It is the same pattern that starts your major scales!

Recall my little acronym I made up several years ago to help people remember the major scale…

Why Won’t He Wear White When Hot?

W W H W W W H

(This is my way of getting you to memorize the “whole step / half step” relationships that make up the major scale. You won’t find it taught anywhere else like this, I promise…)

If you’re really paying close attention, you may notice not ONE major tetrachord, but TWO!

W W H W W W H

In other words, a major scale is just two major tetrachords separated by a whole step.

[C major tetrachord] - whole step - [G major tetrachord]

So if you know all 12 major tetrachords, this can be another way to remember scales quickly:

C major tetrachord: C D E F
G major tetrachord: G A B C
D major tetrachord: D E F# G
A major tetrachord: A B C# D
E major tetrachord: E F# G# A
B major tetrachord: B C# D# E
F# major tetrachord: F# G# A# B

(switch to flats)

Gb major tetrachord: Gb Ab Bb Cb
Db major tetrachord: Db Eb F Gb
Ab major tetrachord: Ab Bb C Db
Eb major tetrachord: Eb F G Ab
Bb major tetrachord: Bb C D Eb
F major tetrachord: F G A Bb
C major tetrachord: C D E F

Do you see what I see?

Gosh! Where do I start? There’s so many patterns and observations to make.

First off, I was moving in “FIFTHS,” just like the circle of fifths chart below:

Secondly, notice that the next “tetrachord” in line finishes the previous one. So if you actually read the “C major tetrachord” out loud and then the “G major tetrachord,” that’s the entire C major scale.

Same goes for the G and D tetrachords… and the D and A tetrachords — on and on.

Another thing worth pointing out is the first note of one tetrachord is always the last note of the next tetrachord (when moving in fifths like I did above). So two tetrachords joined by a whole step always equal an octave.

Fourthly, it further proves how related major keys are on the circle of fifths chart. Now you know that they also share tetrachords!

Fifthly, it points out how ANYTHING can be broken down to smaller parts. Maybe you’ve mastered major scales already but if you look at other unfamiliar scales this way, it should be much easier.

For example, I haven’t talked about trichords yet but as the name implies, it’s a series of 3 notes just like a tetrachord is a series of 4 notes.

2 trichords separated by a whole step create a minor pentatonic scale. Check it out…

A trichord:
A - C - D

E trichord:
E - G - A

Together, “A - C - D - E - G - A.”

And, since minor and major are related, you can easily start this scale from C to get a regular pentatonic scale (i.e. - “major pentatonic”).

A - C - D - E - G - A - C - D - E - G - A

(Just like we can take a C major pentatonic scale and play the same notes from “A” to “A,” we can take the minor pentatonic scale and play the same notes from “C” to “C” to get a C major pentatonic scale.)

And it doesn’t stop there…

There are pentachords, hexachords, and others. I’ll talk about those in other posts.

For now, I hope this helps to give you another perspective.

Until next time —

But today, I want to show you another world. Here’s how to think of chords by the number of notes they contain.

This will be short and to the point.

Triads

Music theorists still argue over whether a chord officially starts with 2 or 3 tones played at the same time. It seems like 3 is more accepted. But for the sake of knowing, I’ll give you the name of a two-note combination at the end of this post.

But, for now, let’s start with the popular “triad.”

Any time you have a collection of three notes played together, you’re playing a triad.

Most basic chords fall under this category.

• major triad (e.g. - C major: C + E + G)
• minor triad (e.g. - C minor: C + Eb + G)
• diminished triad (e.g. - C diminished: C + Eb + Gb)
• augmented triad (e.g. - C augmented: C + E + G#)

So any time you hear, “give me a _______ triad,” that’s only asking for a 3-toned chord. Don’t give the composer or music director more than that! After all, in some arrangements, less is better.

Tetrads

Then next, there is what we call “tetrads.”

These are chords using four notes. Seventh chords are essentially tetrads.

• major seventh (e.g. - C major 7: C + E + G + B)
• minor seventh (e.g. - C minor 7: C + Eb + G + Bb)
• diminished seventh (e.g. - C diminished 7: C + Eb + Gb + Bbb)
• augmented seventh (e.g. - C augmented 7: C + E + G# + Bb)

Pentads

Chords using five notes are called “pentads.” Yes, that sounds like the pentatonic scale from this lesson (5-tone scale).

(In fact, there’s such a thing as tritonic and tetratonic scales too! But let’s save that for another lesson.)

Ninths are a form of pentads.

For example, C major 9 is C + E + G + B + D. Five notes!

Again, it’s just a general term for a chord with 5 notes.

Hexads and Heptads

And lastly, “hexads” and “heptads” are the names given to 6 and 7-toned chords, respectively.

An example of a hexad is an eleventh chord and an example of a heptad is a thirteenth chord.

Other classifications

I also promised to give you the name of a 2-toned combination, even though its merit as a chord is questionable…

We call those “dyads.” Others choose to just reference them as “intervals.” Power chords and tritones fall under this category.

And for extra credit, a “monad” is a single note. The “chromatic scale” comes to mind, which is basically composed of twelve monads.

So there you have it! A really fact-filled, reference post for today!

So if you ever hear me referencing any of these, you should now know what they mean!

Until next time —

Today, I want to shift the focus to scales because I’ve seen many people incorrectly write their major scales.

For example, here are some common mistakes:

F# major (incorrect)
F# - G# - A# - B - C# - D# - F - F#

Gb major (incorrect)
Gb - Ab - Bb - B - Db - Eb - F - Gb

Or worse…

F# - Ab - Bb - B - C# - D# - F - F# (the popular incorrect “hybrid” way)

Now, to be fair… and I always say it —

There’s the “I just wanna play” method and there’s the “pass a music theory test” method.

Even when I’m talking and I don’t want to say Cb or E# (because then I’ll have to explain it to the recipient and that’ll slow me down), I’m guilty of using the “I just wanna play” method. It’s not going to alter the way you play. As long as you have the RIGHT notes, it’s all going to come out the same way when played. We all know that.

But why not spell it right? That’s always my underlying philosophy when I write about these sort of things. Why settle for bad musical grammar when you don’t have to? Especially when there are easy little rules to remember…

So here are 4 simple rules to making sure your major scales are labeled correctly:

1) Always use ALL alphabet letters (if even ONE letter is missing from your major scale, it’s WRONG)

2) Never skip any alphabet letters (this one is like rule #1 because if you’re skipping something, it’s missing and that’s WRONG)

3) Never duplicate any alphabet letters (only ONE unique alphabet letter per tone… if you’re duplicating, you’re most likely skipping another letter and that means it’s _________ … you know it! …WRONG!)

4) In major scales, sharps go with sharps… flats go with flats! Don’t mix and match and you’ll be fine! (Note: Not all scales operate this way. For example, melodic and harmonic minor scales may have mixed sharps and flats, among others… but that’s another lesson).

So let’s take our incorrect scales and figure out where they have broken the rules…

F# major (incorrect)
F# - G# - A# - B - C# - D# - F - F#

In this scale, the letter “E” wasn’t used at all. That breaks rule #1. Why? Because we totally skipped it by using two “F’s.” That pretty much breaks rules 2 and 3.

That “F” is the problem. We need to use some kind of E there. All letters are required or we fail the test. What can we do the E to make it sound like F?

Answer: Sharp it! So we turn our E into E# and this helps our scale to be complete. Now we’re using all letters, and thus, not skipping or duplicating any.

Correct way

F# major (correct)
F# - G# - A# - B - C# - D# - E# - F#

*Another “unwritten rule” (not shown in my list, that is) concerns the number of sharps or flats a major scale has. Notice now that the F# major scale has 6 unique sharps (don’t include the second F# at the end). When we spelled it incorrectly, it only had 5 sharps. If you look at any “circle of fifths” chart, you will see that F# is supposed to have 6 sharps. So we pass that test, too!

Gb major (incorrect)
Gb - Ab - Bb - B - Db - Eb - F - Gb

This scale has the same problem. We used the letter “B” twice and we skipped C altogether. Simply calling the “B” a “Cb” will solve this problem.

Correct way…

Gb major (correct)
Gb - Ab - Bb - Cb - Db - Eb - F - Gb

*And just like F#, Gb should have six unique flats. We weren’t getting that when we were spelling it incorrectly. Now we do. So spelling correctly has its benefits! :)

So remember…

There’s your “I just wanna play” method — and there’s your “pass a music theory test” method. Usually, I’m operating under the second but it depends on what my purpose is.

I know that many people read this blog… mainly people who “just want to play.” And sometimes, if I have to throw a “C flat” out there on a lesson that is focusing totally on something else — as a teacher who doesn’t want anyone to be super confused, I feel like I have to STOP and explain that “C flat” if I’m going to throw it out there… or the whole lesson is messed up from that point on because someone who has never heard of C flat will be thrown off.

So sometimes, I’m “innocently” guilty of just calling it “B” and moving on to the main meat of my lesson. But don’t worry, if I do it, I usually preface it by calling it the “informal” way.

Even I have two natures so that’s why I come from BOTH places when I’m teaching. I know some people could careless if it’s called “B,” “C flat” or “Z.” They just want to know if it’s in their major chord and if it’s going to make them sound good. And I totally understand that. After all, we teach how to play by ear and most people who fall under our category just wanna play.

So there you have it! A nice little lesson AND some insight into my teaching philosophy, too! :)

Until next time —

I took you through a foolproof method for naming chords correctly. And many of you were helped tremendously (per your comments and radio show feedback last night).

Today, I want to make it even plainer.

If you recall from yesterday, the whole idea was this — if your major, minor, dominant, diminished, augmented, and seventh chords skip one alphabet letter between each tone, then they pass the test. If they don’t skip one alphabet letter or skip more than one, then they fail. That’s why I call it “foolproof” because it’s too easy.

For example, if I write an F# minor chord as:

F# + A + Db

…it fails!

Why? Well, the first two letters pass because they skip an alphabet letter. In other words, between “F” and “A” is “G.” Get it? But the “Db” fails because it skips more than one alphabet letter. From “A,” I’ve not only skipped “B” but also “C” and that just can’t work.

Without getting too technical, erroneously using “Db” makes this interval a FOURTH. And major, minor, dominant, diminished and the rest of our friends aren’t made up of fourths… they’re made up of THIRDS.

(That’s review though because yesterday’s lesson covered all that.)

So what could we do with that Db to make it correct?

Answer:

Change it to C#… which is what it should be anyway!

F# minor
F# + A + C#

Passes the test! I’m happy. The F# is happy because I’m spelling her name right. Everyone’s happy!

But even with that said, some folks had a little trouble so I want to make it even more plain in this lesson.

Notice that I’ve limited this foolproof test to certain chords.

(The good news is that there aren’t that many “other” chords that don’t work with the foolproof test… most do).

What do these chords all have in common:

Major triad
Minor triad
Diminished triad
Augmented triad
Major seventh
Minor seventh
Dominant seventh
Augmented seventh
Major ninth
Minor ninth
Dominant ninth
Major eleventh
…
Major thirteenth (pretty much all the same variations as above: major, minor, dominant)

What do they have in common?

They are built on third intervals.

That’s most chords, too!

I mean, besides secundals, quartal and quintal chords (like tritones), and some others — all other POPULAR chords you’re used to playing and talking about are built on thirds.

For example:

• A major chord is a major third on bottom with a minor third on top (C to E is the major third… E to G is the minor third. Together they create C major).
• A minor chord is the opposite. A minor third on the bottom and a major third on top.
• A diminished chord is simply a minor third on bottom and a minor third on top.
• An augmented chord is a major third on bottom and a major third on top.

And all we do when we play seventh chords, ninths, elevenths, and thirteenths is add more THIRDS.

Yes! These chords get big but they can all be broken down into thirds.

And chords that are built with major and minor thirds are called TERTIAN CHORDS.

(Again, that’s most chords out there!)

So basically the foolproof test will work for almost anything because as long as it’s built with thirds, it MUST follow the rules.

It can’t extend more than 3 alphabet letters as a whole, which results in the “skipped” alphabet letter in the middle… ALWAYS!

Like C to E — that’s a third. It covers three alphabet letters: C, D, and E. The D is not played of course… just the C and E are. The “D” is the skipped alphabet letter I’ve been talking about.

Take F to A. It’s a third, too. Spans three alphabet letters in its interval: F, G, and A. Of course, G isn’t played but it’s contained in the interval. It’s the “skipped” letter.

So that’s how you can always check your naming. And that is always true on any part of the chord. Even if the chord has 6 notes, it should follow these rules (unless the notes start being altered, and, truth be told, even MOST altered chords will follow this rule… like a “flat 9″ alteration, for example, should still be flatting the same alphabet letter, not changing it).

But here’s another thing that can help you out…

You know the diatonic chords of the scale? You know, the ones I’ve covered in several past lessons…

Basically, the idea is if you take every other note (ummm, “foolproof method”) of the scale, you’ll naturally create certain chords on each tone of the scale.

Like if I take the C major scale and play every other note of the scale starting on C, I’ll get: C + E + G + B. If I scoot over to the right and do the same thing on D (using the same notes of the C major scale), I’ll get: D + F + A + C. As you keep doing that, you’ll get chords on every tone of the scale. Some will be major 7 chords. Others will end up being minor 7 chords. Another will be a dominant 7 and the last one will be a half-diminished 7 chord.

But that’s not what’s important here. You can find tons of lessons on that using the search box above.

What’s important is what I’m about to share with you.

Did you know that the chords created from this one C major example can help you PROPERLY name any tertian chord out there?

Take a look at this guide I made below…

What I’ve done is highlight the chords created off each tone of C major. They show up in red. Print this out. You will never misname a tertian chord again.

See the “C + E + G + B” row?

What this means is that any C chord (I don’t care if it’s major, minor, dominant, or diminished) should have some kind of C in it… some kind of E in it… some kind of G in it… and if it’s a 4-toned chord, some kind of B.

The only exceptions are various altered chords and non-tertian chords (ones that aren’t built off third intervals but that’s rare).

Let’s see if this holds true.

What’s a C major chord?

C + E + G

Does it pass? Yes!

What’s a C minor chord?

C + Eb + G

Does it pass? Yes!

(Remember, it doesn’t matter what kind of C, or what kind of E or what kind of G. All the foolproof test is concerned with is the alphabet letters that are being used. It’s your job to make sure you’re playing “Eb” versus “E” in a minor chord because the foolproof test doesn’t get that involved. It just makes sure you’re meeting the minimum naming requirements and not calling “Eb” a “D#”… believe me, it happens all too often.)

How about a C minor 7 chord?

C + Eb + G + Bb

It passes! Some kind of C, some kind of E, some kind of G, and some kind of B.

What about a tricky one… C diminished 7:

C + Eb + G + Bbb

(Yes, “B” double flat. We covered this yesterday).

Most people, and I’m guilty of this when I don’t want to say “B double flat,” will just say “A” there. Of course, it will still sound right when you play it. LoL, just cause’ you spell it wrong doesn’t mean you don’t know how to say it right. But in terms of musical grammar, a TERTIAN chord starting on C will always have some kind of C, some kind of E, some kind of G — and if it gets bigger than a triad, some kind of “B.”

Same goes for every other chord on my chart. Any D chord you write out should have some kind of D, some kind of F, some kind of A — and if it’s bigger, some kind of C.

You get it?

This chart is just not a list of diatonic chords in C major. It’s a list of what alphabet letters your chords SHOULD have in them to pass the foolproof test.

So print that chart out and any time we do an exercise, make sure your chords pass this test and contain the same alphabet letters as the guide above and you’ll be fine!

Until next time —

One exercise might be to figure out the introduced chord voicing in all 12 keys, with each reader taking a key of their own (I love those!)

Others are more complex.

And while these have been an overwhelming success, sometimes I’ve noticed some common mistakes when it comes to naming chords.

So in this post, I want to introduce a foolproof method (literally) that will ensure that you never misname a chord again. I’m serious! Read carefully as this may be one of the most important posts you read when it comes to “musical grammar.”

But let me say this first…

At the end of the day, even if you spell the chords wrong, they’ll probably sound totally right! So this may not revolutionize your sound. It’ll just make sure you’re calling something what it is.

For example, when you talk, you may say, “can you hand me that remote control over there please?” And no one knows if you’re really thinking of the word “there” as “their” or “they’re” or “dare” — because they all sound the same. No one knows because they can’t see inside your brain. When spoken, it’s a lot easier not to mess up. But on paper, one will know, definitively, if you write “there,” “their,” “they’re,” or even “dare.”

That’s what “enharmonic” pretty much means. Notes are said to be enharmonic when they make the same sound but are spelled differently. Isn’t that similar to the words “there”, “their,” and “they’re?” Spoken, you cannot tell which one I’m thinking of because they sound the same.

That’s exactly how it is for “ear musicians.” Many of us can get away with spelling it wrong because it supposedly doesn’t matter. All people hear is what comes out!

“So forget that I think the ‘F# major’ chord is F# + Gb + C#” (which is wrong WRONG WRONG). It doesn’t matter because people hear a nice major chord at the end of the day, right?

That’s one school of thought. And quite frankly, I don’t totally disagree with it either. That’s why I always say, “if you’re not studying for a music theory exam, you can call this what you want.” Because at the end of the day, most people just want to play.

Take someone from a remote island somewhere who doesn’t know English and assimilate them here in the States and they will be happy just to be able to communicate with others and ask for directions… the writing part can come later.

But…

There’s the side of me that believes that knowledge is power and why would I want to spell something wrong if I don’t have to? And that’s what premise this lesson takes :)

Here’s the big secret…

Most chords (major, minor, major 7, minor 7, diminished, diminished 7, augmented, etc) use thirds.

And here’s the secret about thirds (regardless of whether “they’re” major or minor thirds)…

They always encompass three alphabet letters in their intervals. There’s never a time when they don’t.

That is the key!

Which means these are thirds…

A C
A C#
C E
C Eb
C E#
B D
B D#

…I can go on and on.

And these aren’t thirds.

Gb A
Ab B
Db E
Bb C#
E F#

…and so on.

What’s my point?

Since the chords I mentioned above ONLY use thirds (in other words, they’re usually constructed with some type of third on the bottom and some type of third on the top — or if they’re bigger seventh chords, they have a third on the bottom, a third in the middle, and a third on top), that means you can never get around this “three alphabet letter” rule.

But let me make it super plain…

“Encompassing three alphabet letters” basically mean that you’re always skipping an alphabet letter. It’s that simple.

Take a look at the correct thirds again:

A C
A C#
C E
C Eb
C E#
B D
B D#

Notice between the “A” and “C” intervals, they skip “B.”

Look at the “C” and “E” intervals. They always skip “D.”

Even the “B” and “D” intervals. They skip “C.”

So when I say “encompass,” you can think of it two ways:

1) “A” to “C” includes three alphabet letters: A (B) C (the “B” isn’t played, of course, but it is “wrapped” inside the interval).

2) “A” to “C” successfully passes the test because it skips one alphabet letter, “B.”

The second option is what I call my “foolproof” method! Because it’s just too easy!

Make sure any time you write a major, minor, dominant, diminished, major seventh, minor seventh, diminished seventh, augmented, augmented seventh, etc — that the notes you use always skip an alphabet letter and you can’t go wrong.

Why is the “informal spelling” of C diminished 7 wrong (C + Eb + Gb + A)?

Well, the first three notes pass the foolproof test. That is, C to Eb skips the “D” alphabet letter. Eb to Gb passes the foolproof test, too. It skips the alphabet letter “F.” But the Gb to A. Hmmm, it fails. It doesn’t encompass three alphabet letters which means it’s impossible to skip one. G and A are right next to each other in the alphabet. That “A” needs to be some kind of “B.” It can’t be a real “B” because that’s not what the chord needs. It basically needs a “B” that sounds like “A” — and the only way you can get a “B” that sounds like “A” is to flat it TWICE: “B double flat.”

(I used to think music theory just made up its own rules when it needed them. Lol, “double flat?” But really, “flatting” or even “sharping” something for that matter doesn’t mean to make it a black key. That’s what people think since the black keys are called “sharps” and “flats.” Sharp means to raise and flat means to lower. It’s that simple. If you sharp “C,” yes, it will give you a black key, “C#.” But you can sharp or flat a black key, too, making it a white key. You can even sharp or flat some white keys and they will still be white keys (e.g. - “E#” is basically “F”). And in this case, you can flat something TWICE making a white key another white key. It’s crazy!!!! I know!!!)

This may still confuse people right now! But if you think about it, some still don’t know the difference between “there,” “their,” and “they’re” so it’s the same battle. No worries. It will click over time if that’s the case.

So, let me take one example from a student (which actually inspired this post)…

Gb minor chord

(First off, it’s very hard to write a Gb minor chord without using crazy spellings. That’s why when you run into these sorts of problems, you should try changing the chord to its “enharmonic” counterpoint. Regular terms: Change the flat version to its sharp version and see if that makes things easier. So, that’s what I would do here. I’d make that Gb an F# minor in a second! Helps out a lot).

But let’s take on that Gb minor anyway.

For that to work, we must make sure we follow the foolproof method. We MUST skip a letter between each note but it still needs to sound like a minor chord.

Gb minor
Gb + Bbb + Db

(Not Gb + A + Db!)

There you have it! But as you see, it got ugly again with a “B double flat.” But we had no choice. Gb to A would have failed the foolproof test.

So Gb to Bbb works because it skips a letter. And Bbb to Db works because it also skips a letter. Bingo! Passes the test!

Until next time —

As you learned in that post, this scale is called “pentatonic” because it has 5 notes. “Penta” is an ancient Greek prefix meaning “five.”

We unraveled the numerical names for other scales too…

In this lesson, I want to take it a step further and show you one easy shortcut you can implement to also learn all your minor pentatonic scales. Yes, minor!

The thing about minor stuff is that there’s always a relative major key you can piggy back on.

Let me explain…

Just like you learned in this prior lesson, every major key has a relative minor key. This relative minor key pretty much shares EVERYTHING with this major key. They share the same notes in their scales (except you just start and end on different notes). They even share the same chords.

The secret is the 6th tone (this is nothing new… all of those past lessons I’ve linked to above cover this). To find the relative minor of any major key, you just go to the 6th tone. If you play the SAME EXACT major scale starting and ending on the 6th tone, there’s your minor scale! So if I basically play the C major scale, starting and ending on “A” instead of “C,” I’ll be playing an “A minor” scale. It’s as simple as that.

Well, the pentatonic scale works the same exact way! No joke!

Recall from my past lesson how to play a pentatonic scale…

You just play a major scale without the 4th and 7th tones.

That leaves you with:

1 - 2 - 3 - 5 - 6

In the key of C major, that’s:

C D E G A
1 2 3 5 6

Repeated, it looks like this:

C D E G A C D E G A C D E G A C D E G A C D E G A

or

1 2 3 5 6 1 2 3 5 6 1 2 3 5 6 1 2 3 5 6 1 2 3 5 6

So, to play the minor pentatonic, you don’t change the notes you play (just like you don’t change the notes of the major scale when you play its relative minor scale). You just change your starting and ending points.

C D E G A C D E G [A C D E G] A C D E G A C D E G A C D E G A

1 2 3 5 6 1 2 3 5 [6 1 2 3 5] 6 1 2 3 5 6 1 2 3 5 6 1 2 3 5 6

So the “A minor pentatonic” scale is:

A C D E G

Repeated, it looks like this:

A C D E G A C D E G A…

So that you can see another one at work, here’s the “Eb major pentatonic” scale:

Eb F G Bb C

Here it is repeated:

Eb F G Bb C Eb F G Bb C Eb F G Bb C

Since “C” is the 6th tone and therefore the relative minor of “Eb,” let’s play the C minor pentatonic scale from the same notes above.

C minor pentatonic

C Eb F G Bb

C minor pentatonic (repeated)

C Eb F G Bb C Eb F G Bb C Eb F G Bb

Doesn’t that look like something to you?

YES YES YES!

The minor pentatonic scale is basically the blues scale with one missing note!

For example, the C blues scale is:

C Eb F Gb G Bb C

Versus the C minor pentatonic:

C Eb F G Bb C

*Note the flat 5th note in the blues scale example. That’s the only difference between a minor pentatonic scale and the blues scale.

So if you know your regular pentatonic scales, you know your minor pentatonic scales… and if you know your minor pentatonic scales, you know your blues scales!

Do you see these patterns? Once you start recognizing these systems and shortcuts, less and less of it will be memorization and more will be just understanding how to do something else from something that you already know… on the spot!

That’s the key! And that’s why the 300-pg home study course is so powerful. You learn the underlying systems, patterns, and shortcuts… not just memorization.

Hear and Play Jazz 201: Chords, Licks, and Soloing

Not knowing how to improvise and being stuck in a box playing the same old chords feels bad. It's boring. It feels redundant. And you're not the only one who notices it — others know that you're playing the same, dull stuff over and over too.

With Hear and Play Jazz 201, no longer do you have to guess. We're finally revealing a step-by-step method to soloing, improvising, and playing jazz licks over any chords. It's a whopping 5 hours and loaded with tons of signature moves, licks, tricks, progressions, and real-life application. This is truly what thousands of would-be jazz musicians have been waiting for! Click here to learn more  | Buy now

Until next time —

It was around the time we were talking heavily about minor concepts.

We studied:

• The natural minor scale, triads, and sevenths
• The harmonic minor scale, triads, and sevenths
• The melodic minor scale (but we never got to triads and sevenths).

So in this lesson, I want to introduce you to the chords that are naturally created by the melodic minor scale.

But first, let’s review…

The melodic minor scale is basically the regular natural minor scale with a raised 6th and 7th tone.

So if you already know how to play your regular C minor scale, simply raise the 6th and 7th notes of the scale and there’s your C melodic minor scale!

Easy!

C minor

C D Eb F G Ab Bb C

The 6th and 7th tones are “Ab” and “Bb.”

Raise em’!

So “Ab” becomes “A” and “Bb” becomes “B.”

C melodic minor

C D Eb F G A B C

By golly… want to know an even easier shortcut?

I think it’s just easier to think of a melodic minor scale as a MAJOR scale with a flatted third note.

In other words, you just find your third tone in the C major scale and lower it a half step.

C major

C D E F G A B C

Which gives you…

C D Eb F G A B C

So whichever way you like best is up to you. But either way, here’s your C melodic minor scale:

C D Eb F G A B C

But this is all review…

Let’s play the chords of this scale, shall we?

Just like any other scale, all we do is play block chords on each tone of the scale, skipping every other note.

So on C, we play “C + Eb + G” (again, all I did was take C and skip every other note of the scale until I had a 3-toned chord).

If you do that with the rest of the scale tones, you’ll get:

So basically, the chords that correspond to each tone of the melodic minor scale are as follows:

1st tone - minor
2nd tone - minor
3rd tone - augmented
4th tone - major
5th tone - major
6th tone - diminished
7th tone - diminished

Compared to the chords of the harmonic minor scale:

1st tone - minor
2nd tone - diminished
3rd tone - augmented
4th tone - minor
5th tone - major
6th tone - major
7th tone - diminished

… and major scale:

1st tone - major
2nd tone - minor
3rd tone - minor
4th tone - major
5th tone - major
6th tone - minor
7th tone - diminished

So there you have it!

The triads of the melodic minor scale (and believe me, they’re used a lot… we’ll talk about their application in future posts. But for now, play around with them and see what you come up with!)

Hear and Play Chords 102: The Power of Seventh Chords

This audio course will start where chords 101 left off and show you step-by-step…

• How to form various types of seventh chords and why they are so important in playing by ear.
• Why seventh chords are the foundation of many more extended chords like ninths, elevenths, thirteenths, and altered voicings.
• The power of the "magic 3rd & 7th" and how manipulating them can help you to instantly play dozens of chords in all twelve keys… very easily!
• And much more! Click here to learn more | Buy now

Until next time —

But it’s something that can really make your progressions sound nice. I started talking about this concept in 2003 and included sections about it in my GospelKeys 202 worship course in 2004. In this post, I just thought I’d bring it back to the forefront.

The good news is that you already understand the basics of forming this type of chord — I’ll just point you in the right direction.

I’m talking about the quartal chord.

Unlike the major and minor chords you’re used to, this chord has no major or minor thirds in it.

For example, you already know (from past posts) that a major chord is formed like this:

major third + minor third

For example, C to E is a major third. E to G is a minor third. If you combine them, you’d get: C+E+G, the C major chord.

The opposite is true for the minor chord:

minor third + major third

For instance, C to Eb is a minor third. Eb to G is a major third. Combine them and you get: C+Eb+G, the C minor chord.

But the quartal chord is a different beast! (The good news is that you don’t have to worry about major and minor thirds… there’s just one type of interval in this chord).

Can you guess what interval I’m talking about?

Just think about it…

Quartal
Quarter
Quartile

You should have guessed FOURTH!

So basically, if you go counter-clockwise around this circle (in the direction of C to F to Bb to Eb and so on), these are fourth intervals.

Rather than thinking of them as separate major keys like we usually do when analyzing this circle, let’s actually start playing these notes together as chords.

Yes, as chords!

Let’s start by grouping every 3 neighbors as chords.

So that means you’ll take C, F, and Bb (in that order), and play them together.

C Quartal chord:
C+F+Bb

You can practically take any 3 tones on the circle (going counter-clockwise), play them together, and you’ll have yourself a quartal chord!

It’s that simple.

Can you figure out each of these quartal chords?

C + F + Bb
F + __ + __
Bb + __ + __
Eb + __ + __
Ab + __ + __
Db + __ + __
Gb + __ + __
B + __ + __
E + __ + __
A + __ + __
D + __ + __
G + __ + __

Here are the answers…

C + F + Bb
F + Bb + Eb
Bb + Eb + Ab
Eb + Ab + Db
Ab + Db + Gb
Db + Gb + Cb
(or C# + F# + B)
Gb + Cb + Fb
(or F# + B + E)
B + E + A
E + A + D
A + D + G
D + G + C
G + C + F

Here’s how to use them

Quartal chords have a real open sound. So much so that you can almost play a random quartal chord over any bass note, and it probably won’t sound bad. (How many major chords can you do that with?)

Why? Well, notice in the chords above that each quartal chord seems to be apart of the previous one. Each one is a part of the next.

In fact, quartal chords don’t have to stop at 3 notes. You can have a quartal chord with 4 and 5 notes:

C + F + Bb + Eb

Notice, this is like two chords in one… “C + F + Bb” and “F + Bb + Eb.”

So needless to say, quartal chords are real flexible.

I promise to follow-up with other posts about them but here are some ways to spice up your 1-chord with quartal chords…

Let’s say you have a song in the key of C major that starts with the 1-chord. Obviously, in this key, that would be some type of C chord… usually C major.

Depending on the melody, you can opt to play a quartal chord on your right hand.

And the method you can use is to simply try a chordal chord on every tone of the C major scale until you find good matches:

C + F + Bb
D + G + C
E + A + D
F + Bb + Eb
G + C + F
A + D + G
B + E + A

Now, I take out the chords that don’t fit well as substitutes for a major chord:

(Keep in mind, all of these chords will be played on a C bass… I’m just really substituting my right hand chord to add flavor. I’m not changing the key note. It will still be a 1-chord.)

C + F + Bb (hmm, doesn’t work to me, but it has use if I wanted a suspended sound)
D + G + C (I like, I like)
E + A + D (This one works too)
F + Bb + Eb (hmm, not for my 1-chord right now)
G + C + F (probably not this one either)
A + D + G (oh yeah, I like this)
B + E + A (this is good, too)

So you end up with these possibilities:

D + G + C /// C bass
E + A + D /// C bass
A + D + G /// C bass
B + E + A /// C bass

What’s great about these chords is that you’ve got one that puts your tonic (C) on top so you can probably get away with it if the melody uses “C.” You’ve got another chord with the 2nd tone of the scale on top. Another with the 5th on top and one with the 6th on top. This gives you some flexibility when it comes to finding a close match with your melody.

(I also recommend you go back and try those other chords we discarded. Just keep playing C in your bass and play any random quartal chord you want. Actually, as your fingers get used to playing fourths as chords, you’ll just hit the right notes without thinking of them. Quartal chords just feel good. You’ll see as you play them).

Heck, even try quartal chords that are not a part of the scale. You’ll find that playing quartal chords from the black keys (even though you’re in C) will work too. Just experiment and have fun!

Until next time!

If you haven’t seen my past ones, click here to check them out.

Ok… here we go:

What major key am I in if I have these chords:

A# minor
D# minor
E# minor

.
..
…
….
…..
……
…….
……..
………
……….
………..
…………
………….
…………..
……………
…………….
……………..
………………
……………….
………………..
…………………
………………….
…………………..
……………………
…………………….
……………………..
………………………
……………………….
………………………..
…………………………
………………………….
………………………….. Got it???
………………………….
…………………………
………………………..
……………………….
………………………
……………………..
…………………….
……………………
…………………..
………………….
…………………
………………..
……………….
………………
……………..
…………….
……………
…………..
………….
…………
………..
……….
………
……..
…….
……
…..
….
…
..
.

Answer:

C# major

Explanation:

Remember this chart from other posts?

There’s only one key that has A#, D# and E# as minor chords… and that key is C#!

Let’s take a look at the C# major scale:

C# D# E# F# G# A# B# C#

It’s the only scale with 7 sharps! Literally every tone of the scale is a sharp.

Now, if we apply the rules from above, we’ll be able to figure out which tones are minor:

C# - major chord
D# - minor chord
E# - minor chord
F# - major chord
G# - major chord
A# - minor chord
B# - diminished chord

So if you got this one right, pat yourself on the back! :)

(I have a confession to make. I was really trying to stump you on this one with the use of C#. Normally this scale would be Db, which only has 5 flats and doesn’t use any of these crazy E# or B# enharmonic notes. But my point is… even when you’re in C#, the rules stay the same. You just gotta think in terms of sharps and some notes you’re used to calling “F” and “C” will be called “E#” and “B#,” respectively. Congrats if this was a piece of cake. It’s means you’re getting it!)

Until next time —

Today, we’re going to keep exploring the number system and circle of fifths and see what else we can do to spice up the primary chords we already know.

Yesterday, we took it a step further and added the 2-chord.

C major

1-chord
(C major)

2-chord
(D minor)
(D major, when needed)

4-chord
(F major)

5-chord
(G major)

Now, let’s see what else we can add to spice up our progressions.

Let’s bring up my little friend…

You’re already familiar with the counter-clockwise motion of the circle and how chord progressions work. We covered that yesterday. In fact, that’s where we got the idea to introduce the “D” chord right before the G chord (because before that, we were only working with primary chords: C major, F major, and G major).

But it goes even further…

If you want to make things more interesting, you can actually lead to the chord that leads to your primary chord. Yes!

Let me repeat…

Like I said before, composers could easily write most songs with just primary chords, the 1, 4 and 5. But that would mean really basic songs.

In fact, songs like “Hallelujah,” “Lord I Lift Your Name on High,” and (I’ll go left field with this one), “Wild Thing” simply use primary chords. And in the regular 1-4-5 order at that!

But as we learned yesterday, you can use other tones of the scale to lead to your primary chords. So rather than having C major (1-chord) go straight to a G major (5-chord), you can slip a D minor or D major (2-chord) to make things more interesting.

But now, I’m going to show you how to take it a step further and determine what to play before the 2-chord, if you wanted to add even more variety:

Observe the circle.

Where’s D?

What does it lead to?

G, right?

But what leads to D?

Bingo!

That’s the chord you’re going to try to slip in… some type of “A” chord (usually it will be minor, but there are times when it’ll be major or dominant).

Let’s see if we can make this work for “Amazing Grace.”

Here’s how far we got yesterday…

“A-ma-zing grace* how”
C major (1st inversion) ~~~
(E + G + C)

*On “grace,” the melody changes to “E” so you can actually invert your chord from “E+G+C” to “G+C+E” (which is 2nd inversion).

“Sweet the”
F major (root inversion) ~~~
(F + A + C)

“Sound.”
C major (root inversion) ~~~
(C + E + G)

“That saved a”
C major (1st inversion) ~~~
(E + G + C)

“wretch like”
D major (add 9) ~~~
(F# + A + E / D bass)

-OR-

D9
(F# + A + C + E / D bass)

“Me”
G major (first inversion) ~~~
(B + D + G)

Now, if you had to add this “A chord” somewhere, where would you put it?

On what word of this song would you hit this chord? (Remember, it needs to come before the 2-chord on D).

Answer:

I’d put it on “saved.”

“Sound.”
C major (root inversion) ~~~
(C + E + G)

“That”
(I wouldn’t really play a chord here since this word is like a pickup. Just let the previous chord take care of it).

“saved a”
A minor (2nd inversion) ~~~
(E + A + C)

“wretch like”
D major (add 9) ~~~
(F# + A + E / D bass)

-OR-

D9
(F# + A + C + E / D bass)

“Me”
G major (first inversion) ~~~
(B + D + G)

Notice, I used “A minor” before the 2-chord. Using a major chord there doesn’t work (but always try it in other situations to make sure it’s not the better fit… but like I said, the minor chord is standard on the 6th degree).

There are two reasons the “A minor” works there.

1) “A” leads strongly to “D” as we know from the circle of fifths.

2) “A minor” is actually the relative minor of “C major.” They share the same key signature. They basically live in the same house. They are very close as well. In fact, their triads almost share the same notes:

A minor
A + C + E

C major
C + E + G

2 out of 3 notes are the same.

But something even better happens when you change “A minor” to an “A minor 7″ chord.

“A minor 7″
A + C + E + G

Wow! It’s basically a C major chord, except for “A” is on the bottom.

Yup yup! To form the relative minor seventh chord, you just play the same chord on your right but change your bass to “A” (or the 6-tone).

So any time you have a song that comes back to the 1-chord, try the 6-bass (that is, “A”) on your left hand with the same 1-chord on your right hand and not only do you totally change the feel to a minor seventh chord that easily, but it provides the variety you need!

(The technical term is called the “tonic substitution.” It’s when you substitute chords for the 1 that sound very similar. “A minor 7″ and “E minor 7,” for example, are common tonic substitutions. “A minor” has A + C + E + G (3 notes in common with C major 7) and “E minor” has E + G + B + D (also 3 notes in common with C major 7). So regardless of what key you’re in, try substituting the 6-chord or 3-chord in place of the 1-chord to see what you come up with.

So let’s try the addition of the A minor 7 (which is no change in the right hand, just a new bass note):

“A-ma-zing grace* how”
C major (1st inversion) ~~~
(E + G + C)

*On “grace,” the melody changes to “E” so you can actually invert your chord from “E+G+C” to “G+C+E” (which is 2nd inversion).

“Sweet the”
F major (root inversion) ~~~
(F + A + C)

“Sound.”
C major (root inversion) ~~~
(C + E + G)

“That”
(I wouldn’t really play either of these chords here since this word is like a pickup. Just let the previous chord linger. In a future post, I’ll introduce the “3-chord.” If anything, I’d put it here but we’ll talk about that later).

“saved a”
A minor 7 ~~~
(E + A + C / A bass)

“wretch like”
D major (add 9) ~~~
(F# + A + E / D bass)

-OR-

D9
(F# + A + C + E / D bass)

“Me”
G major (first inversion) ~~~
(B + D + G)

So there you have it!

You’ve just added one more scale tone to your arsenal!

You started with just primary chords:

C major
F major
G major

Yesterday, you added the 2-chord:

C major
D minor (substitute major)
F major
G major

And today, you added the 6-chord to the mix:

C major
D minor (substitute major)
F major
G major
A minor

Practice these and tell me how you like em!

Until next time