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Title Genre Difficulty

CHORD FAMILIES: Introduction

Lesson Intermediate

Once a guitar player has a working knowledge of chord families they are better equipped to be creative and more resourceful harmonically.


Lesson Intermediate

This time let’s continue with a few musical variations that serve as useful exercise patterns as well as tasty tidbits to build the ear.

Chord Scales on Strings 2346


Welcome back to Chord Chemistry. In our previous lessons we've studied four note inversions . We have played major 7ths, minor 7ths, dominant 7ths, diminished 7ths, and minor 7th b5 inversions. Now we will combine the chords we learned and make chordal scales with them.

Chordal Exercises

Jazz Intermediate

Hello and welcome back to Chord Chemistry. In previous lessons we have discussed the inversions of seventh chords, voice leading, and common tones. In this lesson we will begin to go more in depth on those subjects. This is part one in a series of chordal studies that will broaden your knowledge and scope of the fingerboard with all it's tricky shortcomings and advantages. Info

Common Tones

Jazz Intermediate

Hello and welcome to Chord Chemistry. In our previous lessons we have studied the inversions of seventh chords, voice leading, and common tones. In this lesson we will concentrate on voice leading. I've composed a simple diatonic chord progression that is designed to contain many common tones. If you are wondering what exactly what common tones are, they are notes that are contained in multiple chords. For instance, a simple G major chord will have the notes G, B,and, D. The C major chord contains the notes C, E, and G. There is a common tone, or a note that both chords contain. This note is G and most likely a guitar or piano player would hold the same note down while changing chords. In the following examples I have tried to keep as many common tones as possible. I many cases I have added tensions to the chords in order to keep a common tone. I've also used some chord substitutions to accommodate the common tones.

Cruisin’ Chitlins with Kenny

Jazz Intermediate

How do you prepare for an impromptu performance with one of your all-time greatest heroes? Log on and share the experience in my preparation session for jamming with Kenny Burrell.

Diminished 7th Inversions

Jazz Intermediate

Greetings and welcome back to part 5 of my chord study series. This time we enter the mysterious and ambiguous realm of the elusive and often pivotal, multi-functional, symmetrical, and often controversial diminished 7th chord.

Dominant 7th Chords Around the Circle of Fourths

Jazz Intermediate

Hello and welcome back to Chord Chemistry. In our last lesson we covered Major 7th inversions going around the circle of fourths. This time we will build on that concept and continue with all of our 7th chord qualities. It gets more difficult with each set of chords but soon you will have no problem identifying any chord that comes your way.

Dual Guitar Harmony Part I: Diatonic Thirds

Rock Intermediate

Harmonized guitar melodies are commonly used in many styles of music. Artists such as Boston, the Allman Brothers, Iron Maiden, Thin Lizzy, and Slayer have all used harmonized melodies to enhance their song writing. Check out the following lesson to learn the basics of constructing harmonized guitar melodies for use in your own guitar performance!

EG - Preternatural Pentatonics, Part Two: The Ins and Outs of Extraordinary Pentatonic Usage

Lesson Intermediate

Side slipping away… there’s a lot to learn about extraordinary pentatonic usage by tapping into the music of the world’s greatest modern pianists. Can we guitarists pick up more about insights from the likes of Chick Corea and McCoy Tyner? We can and here they are.

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