• The Most Practical Way To Master All 12 Keys

    I’m often asked the best way to learn all 12 keys and while I’ve advocated many methods in the past, the most practical way is to adapt my “3 x 12” rule.

    Simply put: Take 3 songs you know and learn them in all 12 keys.

    It helps if they are songs that utilize a variety of different chords. That’s why picking 3 is important because between them, you should get a good mix of chords off every tone of the scale…

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    Ask Jermaine: “When To Use Sharps or Flats?”

    Thumbnail image for Ask Jermaine: “When To Use Sharps or Flats?”

    This week’s question comes from Bob Myers in Alabama.

    “Jermaine, I’m loving your lessons but I have one question that’s been on my mind for a while. When are you supposed to use sharps or flats? Sometimes I see flats, other times I see sharps. Thank you in advance for your answer.” My answer…

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    Another Approach To Modes & Improvisation (Advanced)

    Yesterday, we briefly introduced modes.

    We learned that although they have fancy greek names and sound all intricate, they are no more than individual scales that simply start and end on a different tone of the major scale.

    So you literally play ONE scale but you start and end on different notes of that scale, depending on the mode you want to play. It’s that simple.

    What I’ll show you now isn’t quite as simple…

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    The Secret To Modes

    In your playing, there comes a time when you start getting into soloing and improvisation… and one place to start is “modes.”

    Every major scale comes with 7 modes. At first glance, they can appear intimidating: Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian, Locrian.

    These are greek names to describe each mode of the scale. They sound harder than they are to play, trust me! Let’s get started…

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    The Key To Learning New Songs… QUICKLY!

    Let’s not kid ourselves.

    The whole point of learning all these theories, principles, and shortcuts isn’t because we’re in love with this stuff (well, some of us are). But for most, learning this stuff is a means to an end.

    And without a doubt, the ultimate “end” (at our website at least) is to hear a song and in a matter of minutes, be able to play it.

    There’s a lot that goes into it, don’t get me wrong. But here, I want to give you a really concise blueprint…

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    The Easiest Way To Learn All 12 Keys

    When it comes to learning all 12 keys, there’s a few ways to do it. You can use the number system and chord approach. In this approach, you simply ask yourself two questions:

    1) What number of the scale am I on (aka “scale degree”)? 2) What kind of chord am I playing?

    If you were in C major…

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    My Favorite Chord Inversion Revealed

    When it comes to chord voicings and inversions, you have many options to explore. And as your chords gets bigger, the possibilities only expand!

    Remember my simple definition of an inversion: It’s simply a different way to order the notes in a chord. More specifically, every note gets its turn on the…

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