Lesson 9
Picking Single Notes
Music has three components: rhythm, harmony, and melody. We encountered rhythm in Lesson 5, and harmony in the chords we already know. Melody — or the tune — is created by playing single notes.
Key Signatures
We’ve talked about keys, but what do they really mean? In effect, the key tells you the principal notes used in a composition. If a song is in the key of C major, you know that it revolves around the notes of the major scale (although that’s not to say that notes from outside the scale won’t be used).
What Is a Scale?
TIP
This lesson makes use of track 37 on the CD that comes with the book as a backing track for you to play over. Be sure to locate the track on the CD so it will be ready when you need it.
You’ve already encountered the concept of music being in a certain key. In this chapter, we’ll tell you exactly what that means and why it’s so important.
A scale is a series of related notes that follow a set pattern of intervals that are played in sequence from a specified note to the octave of that note. That clear? Well that’s the kind of definition you’ll find in music theory books.
Let’s try to make it a bit easier. Just about everyone in the western world knows a scale, even if they don’t know that they know it. Think of that song from The Sound of Music — you know, the one that starts off, “Doe, a deer, a female deer . . . ” (come on all you Slipknot fans — you know it).
As corny as this song may be, it very neatly teaches the essence of the most important scale used in nearly every form of music. When Maria and the Von Trapps sing “Do-Re-Me-Fa-So-La-Ti-Do,” they are singing the notes of the major scale. It’s such a familiar sound, isn’t it? You get exactly the same tune by playing the white notes of a piano keyboard from C to C.
There are many different scales, but the most common is the major scale. Later in this lesson, we’ll cover the minor scale series. As you will hear, each type of scale has its own unique character when played. The first note of the scale (the root note) signifies the key of the scale.
Scale Degrees
Each note of a scale is given its own Roman numeral, from I to VII. Each of these notes is referred to as a degree. Each degree can also be named. They are:
I — Tonic or root
II — Supertonic
III — Mediant
IV — Subdominant
V — Dominant
VI — Submediant
VII — Leading note
The Major Scale
Every type of scale follows a strict sequence of intervals from root to octave. The smallest interval used in guitar music is a half-step (or semitone, if you’ve been taught the European way). A half-step is an interval of one fret on the fingerboard. An interval of two frets is called a step (or tone in Europe).
In the case of the major scale, the intervals always follow this pattern:
Step; Step; Half-Step; Step; Step; Step; Half-Step
This means that in the key of C, the notes are C, D, E, F, G, A, B, and C.
In the key of C, the eight notes of the scale are C, D, E, F, G, A, B, and C.
Let’s put these ideas into practice now. Try playing the C major scale using the fingering shown below. It can be played from a number of positions on the fret-board, but this open-string version uses only the first, second, and third fingers. The following is an open-string version of the C major scale using only the first, second, and third fingers.
C
Third fret, fifth string
D
Open D (fourth) string
E
Second fret, fourth string
F
Third fret, fourth string
G
Open G (third) string
A
Second fret, third string
B
Open B (second) string
C
First fret, second string
However, using open strings to play scales isn’t always the best idea. Here is another way to play the same scale, this time using only fretted notes. (This will also mean that you have to get the fourth finger of your fretting hand working — not an easy task at first!) By using correct fingering, you should be able to play all of the notes of a scale without having to move your left hand position.
This introduces the all-important “one-finger-per-fret” rule. This simply means that every finger on the fretting hand is used to play JUST ONE of the frets across all six strings. To see how this works, look at the two examples below. You can play the C major scale starting from the third fret of the fifth string. In this case, the first finger only frets the notes on the second fret, the second finger on the third fret, the third finger on the fourth fret, and the fourth finger on the fifth fret.
C major scale starting on the third fret of the sixth string (illustration courtesy of Dorling Kindersley Picture Library).
You can also play a C major scale starting on the sixth string. In this case, the first finger only frets the notes on the seventh fret, the second finger on the eighth fret, the third finger on the ninth fret, and the fourth finger on the 10th fret.
Two C major scales. The first scale starts on the eighth fret of the sixth string. The second scale starts on the 10th fret of the fourth string (illustration courtesy of Dorling Kindersley Picture Library).
Ascending and Descending
Practice playing your scales in both ascending and descending sequence. In the example on this page, that means starting the descending D major scale on the fifth fret of the third string and working backwards.
Moving the Majors
The advantage to using only fretted notes (not the open strings) in a scale is that your fingers quickly become used to playing a pattern. By moving this pattern along the fingerboard, it becomes possible to play these scales in any key.
For example, if you shift all of the notes of the C major scale up by one fret, you have a major scale in the key of C sharp (or D flat). You’ve played the same pattern of notes, but your hand has merely shifted an inch or so along the fingerboard. So if you learn the two patterns shown above, you can easily play major scales in any key.
To show you how easy it is, let’s bring in the new backing. This is a simple repeating sequence that plays the chords C major, D major, F major, and G major each in two-bar blocks. Your task is to play a major scale over each chord (in the correct key, of course).
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C Major
Use the second scale from the previous lesson — the one that starts on the fifth string and uses only fretted notes.
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D major
To play a D major scale, play the same pattern as C major, only shift the whole pattern up by two frets. You’ll find the scale diagram on page 216 of your textbook.
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F Major
Although you could use the same pattern played from the eighth fret of the sixth string, for a bit of variety, lets use some open strings. When you do this, make sure that the notes played on the first fret are fretted by the second finger — although the first finger does not fret the open strings, it is in place for when the pattern is moved up to play a G major scale. The fingering diagram for the F major scale is on the bottom of page 216.
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G major
Move the previous pattern up by two frets so that it begins on G, the third fret if the sixth string. The diagram is at the top of page 217.
No Escape
There’s no denying it: learning scales can be DULL. Still, it is important to have at least a rudimentary knowledge of how they work. Understanding scales and the way that notes relate to one another will help you understand how harmony and melody work. From there, you can learn how certain combinations of notes work well together. All of this is invaluable for songwriters, composers, and the soloing guitarist. For more on scales, see Chapter 15 of the K.I.S.S. Guide to Playing Guitar.
Minor Matters
The minor series is the other significant scale system used in most musical genres. The principle difference between a major scale and a minor scale is the interval between the first and third notes. On a major scale, the interval is a major third (four frets on the fingerboard); on a minor scale, it is a minor third (three frets on the fingerboard).
To make things more complex, there are three different kinds of minor scales.
Natural Minor
The most common minor scale is called a natural minor scale. It has the following intervals from the root:
- Step; Half-Step; Step; Step; Half-Step; Step; Step
In the key of C, the notes are C, D, E flat, F, G, A flat, B flat, and C. The fingering pattern for the C natural minor scale is on page 219 of the course textbook.
Harmonic Minor
The harmonic minor scale differs from the natural minor in that the sixth note is sharpened (raised by a half-step). This change creates an alteration to the flavor and flow of the sound. The notes on the harmonic minor scale have the following intervals from the root to the octave:
- Step; Half-Step; Step; Step; Half-Step; Step+Half-Step; Half-Step
In the key of C, the notes used are C, D, E flat, F, G, A flat, B, and C. The fingering pattern for this scale is on page 220 of the course textbook.
Melodic Minor
The final member of the minor scale series is the melodic minor. It differs from the natural minor in that the sixth and seventh notes are raised by a half-step. The melodic minor scale is created using the following set of intervals:
- Step; Half-Step; Step; Step; Half-Step; Step; Step; Half-Step
In the key of C, this uses the notes C, D, E flat, F, G, A, B, and C. To play this scale, the one-finger-per-fret rule has to be compromised: you have to use the first finger to cover the notes on the fifth and sixth frets. The fingering pattern for this scale is on page 221 of the course textbook.
Additionally, when you are playing a descending melodic minor scale, the intervals revert to those used by the natural scales. If you descended with the same notes of the melodic minor as you used in the ascending scale, the minor “flavor” of the sequence would be lost.
Contrasting the Four Scales
To hear the differences between the major scale and the three minor scales (the natural minor, the harmonic minor, and the melodic minor), listen to track 41 of the KISS Guide CD, or click the button and listen to the track right here.
Guitar sound bite
example: 4 scales
Moving Forward
Now you’re familiar with the necessary evil of scales. In the next and last lesson, we’ll cover the bar chord. As long as you learn a few basics, bar chords can make guitar playing easy, fun, and quick. Be sure to do your homework!
Assignment : Scales
You guessed it. Try your new picking abilities out on the scales. Practice, practice, practice. The lesson describes major and minor scales, so try them both. Chapter 15 in your textbook, “Getting to Know Chords and Scales,” has all the fingering diagrams for the scales you need to learn.
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Lesson 1
A Bit of History
A look at the way in which the guitar has evolved from its pre-Christian origins to the present day.
Our Textbook for This Course
Our textbook is a book I wrote for Dorling Kindersley’s Keep It Simple Series, K.I.S.S. Guide to Playing Guitar. This 432-page book includes chord charts galore, tips for buying your first guitar and gear (acoustic or electric), the basics of scales and keys, style tips for jazz, classical, country, and rock — plus an included CD that you can play along with as you get started.
The Popular Guitar
For much of the past 50 years, the guitar has been a major influence on the sound of popular music, and it’s easy to see why. Although the serious-minded student could spend a lifetime mastering the instrument’s nuances, just about anybody can invest a couple of days and learn enough simple chords to play along with some of their favorite songs.
If playing music is new to you, you may be surprised by how few chords are needed to play a whole lot of pop, rock, country, and folk music:
- Think about Elvis swinging his hips and thrashing out “Hound Dog” on his acoustic guitar. There are only three chords to “Hound Dog,” and you’ll be able to play them all by the end of Lesson 5.
- Think about John Denver singing and playing “Annie’s Song” (OK, it may not be the most pleasant thought). “Annie’s Song” features some neat finger picking (you’ll do that in Lesson 6) and some extra major and minor chords (which we’ll cover in Lessons 8 and 9).
- Now turn your mind to the rock anthem of the 90s, Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” The bulk of this classic is based on four bar chords — you’ll come across those in Lesson 10.
We’re not pretending that within the space of four weeks you’ll be an Eric Clapton, a B.B. King, or even that guy with the funny rubber mask in Slipknot. But you will be armed with the basics to enable you to take your playing in any direction you choose thereafter.
This is a pretty basic course — we can only go so far in five weeks. But if you’ve already got a bit of guitar experience and are still not sure if this course sounds right for you, try telling yourself these three statements:
- I can play the chord G minor 9-5
- I am familiar with the Myxolydian mode
- I know that a compression pedal is not something I’d find under the hood of my Dad’s automobile
If you can’t say all of the above truthfully, then this course is for you. What are you waiting for? Let’s get this show on the road.
Tuning
The standard modern-day guitar has six strings tuned to the notes E, A, D, G, B, and E. During the 16th century, most guitars featured four courses of strings tuned to C, F, A, and D. Five-course instruments also existed, adding a lower G.
The Ud
The guitar’s most significant ancestor found its way into Europe via the south of Spain following conquests by the Moors around 800 A.D. This Arabic stringed instrument was called the ud. The ud evolved over the centuries, spreading throughout Central and Northern Europe, giving rise to instruments such as the lute and the gittern.
Ancient History
The origins of the guitar are shrouded in a mystery that has been further confused by disagreement among music historians. The oldest truly recognizable ancestors of the guitar can only be traced back as far as the 14th century. But how they evolved up until that point, we can only guess. We do know, based on archeological discoveries made over the centuries, that stringed instruments certainly existed before those times.
The earliest evidence of stringed instruments can be seen in Babylonian clay reliefs discovered in Asia Minor. Dating back around 4000 years, images depict groups of musicians playing instruments from which the guitar probably evolved. These instruments shared important features with their modern counterparts, such as a fingerboard, frets, the use of more than two strings, and a resonating body capable of projecting sound. It seems likely that the volatile cultural landscape of the region, as well as the movements of the early merchants and traders, are likely to have spread the use and popularity of these mysterious early guitars.
The First Real Guitars
The earliest true guitars appeared at the end of the 15th century, but these instruments were much closer in size to the smaller lute. The vihuela, an instrument about the same size as the modern guitar, was prevalent at this time. Even though most people today have never heard of the vihuela, during this period the guitar was viewed very much as its smaller, cruder relative.
Back in the 16th century, the 12-stringed vihuela was considered a superior instrument to the guitar (photo courtesy of the Dorling Kindersley Picture Library).
The early guitars looked something like their modern counterparts, but there were some striking differences. For instance, rather than featuring a series of individual strings tuned to different notes in the modern way, the strings on these early guitars were grouped together in pairs called courses (somewhat like modern-day 12-string guitars). Each pair was tuned to the same note.
More dramatically, however, the fingerboard did not have fixed metal frets permanently in place: they were made from pieces of animal gut, which the musician wrapped around the neck. The number and position of these frets depended on the nature of the music being played. This meant that before performing, the 16th-century guitarist would not only have had to ensure that each pair of strings were in tune, but that the frets were positioned for correct intonation. Thank goodness that all changed!
The Great Segovia
By the beginning of the 20th century, the guitar had become very popular, but was still looked down upon by the dowdy classical fraternity. It was largely through the efforts of one man — the self-taught Spanish virtuoso Andres Segovia — that the profile of the guitar escalated in concert halls throughout the world. Through his influence, some of the finest composers of the past century — Villa-Lobos, Ponce, Castelnuovo-Tedesco, and Rodrigo — have created seminal works for the guitar.
The Classical Guitar
By the 17th century, the guitar had become quite popular in the courts of Central Europe, replacing the vihuela as instrument of choice. Although Spain was home to the instrument’s major developments, Paris and Venice were by now the two most important centers of activity.
At the middle of the 18th century, the guitar began a period of transition. Four- and five-course guitars gradually gave way to six-course instruments. Over time the courses were replaced by single strings, and the now standard E-A-D-G-B-E tuning system was adopted. And, thankfully, the frets were finally fixed into the fingerboard.
In Spain during the following century, the work of Antonio de Torres Jurado (1817-92) turned the guitar into a serious and credible instrument. Torres experimented with construction and dimensions and created a template for the classical instrument that exists to this day. Torres became the maker of choice for the finest classical players of the second half of the 19th century. Among them was Francesco de Tárrega, who as a musician brought respectability to the guitar, and as a teacher created the foundations of the modern classical guitar technique. As far as the classical “Spanish” guitar goes, that’s pretty much the whole story in terms of the development of the instrument.
This 1876 Torres guitar was designed to carry 11 strings (including five bass strings). It has been restored to carry six strings (photo courtesy of the Dorling Kindersley Picture Library).
Who Was First?
There is considerable disagreement as to who actually invented the solid-body electric guitar, since there were clearly a number of like-minded individuals working along similar lines at the same time. One claimant is the well-known country-jazz guitarist Les Paul, who created his own guitar using a Gibson neck attached to a solid piece of pine on which the pickups and a bridge were mounted. For more on the history of the solid-body guitar, see pages 36-39 of the K.I.S.S. Guide to Playing Guitar.
Developments in America
Although the guitar is clearly a European instrument, its most significant developments over the past 120 years have taken place in America.
The first serious guitars to be made in the United States were produced by Christian Frederick Martin. The heir to a long and eminent line of instrument makers, Martin left his native Germany in 1833 to seek his fortune across the ocean. His flat-top instruments provided a template for the modern steel-string acoustic guitar. During the same period, a British migrant named Orville Gibson set up shop. His guitars had features more closely associated with violins, in that they had a curved arch top and acoustic f-holes. The companies formed by both men remained the most significant guitar makers until the beginning of the post-war period.
In spite of the growing popularity of the guitar throughout the jazz age, an acoustic guitar’s naturally low volume meant that in most bands it could only be used to provide rhythmic backing. This began to change with the development of the magnetic pickup. The earliest experiments in this area were conducted by Gibson engineer Lloyd Loar.
Fitting pickups to an acoustic guitar revolutionized music, but also resulted in one serious problem. If the sound coming out of the loudspeakers was too loud, the body of the guitar would vibrate, creating a howling noise known as feedback. The solution to this problem was to increase the body mass of the instrument so that it would not vibrate so readily. So it was that at the end of the 1940s, the first solid-body electric guitars were developed.
At this point we can bring in the single most important name in the history of the electric guitar: Leo Fender. In 1950, this Californian radio repair shop owner created the first mass-produced solid-body electric guitar — the Fender Broadcaster. A year later, Fender re-christened his groundbreaking instrument the Fender Telecaster. A year later Gibson replied with the famous Les Paul. And in 1952, Fender produced the Stratocaster — arguably the most famous instrument of them all.
Moving Forward
Now that we’ve taken in a brief history of the guitar, we’re ready to move on to the next lesson. In Lesson 2 we’ll cover some of the different types of guitar music and the great players from each genre. See you next time.
Assignment : Introduce Yourself
For your first assignment, visit the Message Board. Consider introducing yourself. Let the other students know where you’re from, how long you’ve been playing (or simply admiring) the guitar, and who some of your favorite players are. It’s guaranteed to get opinions flying.
If you’re interested in guitar history, flip through pages 28-39 in K.I.S.S. Guide to Playing Guitar for an illustrated history of the guitar through the ages.
