banjola1 - Posted - 04/29/2023:  15:29:06

A Way To Learn Chords

The goal:

To play and learn a G major scale along the length of the first three open banjo strings in order to form three-note chords.

The G major scale steps (frets) along the length of the open 3rd string:

G - 2 - 2 - 1 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 1

G - A - B - C - D - E - F# - G

Play the G major scale up and down the length of the open 3rd string.

Play the same G major scale notes starting with the open 2nd string (B note) and 1st string (D note).

Form G major chord triads by using the G major scale on the first three strings:

G - Am - Bm - C - D - Em - F#ø - G

The first chord form G major is the open "bar" at the nut or the first three strings.

To play the second chord form Am, fret the 3rd string at the 2nd fret, the 2nd string at the 1st, and 1st string at the 2nd fret.

Am = A - C - E  (triangle form)

Proceed further up each string with the G major scale to:

Bm = B - D - F#  (triangle)

C at the fifth fret = C - E - G  (bar)

D at the seventh fret = D - F# - A  (bar)

E minor  = E - G - B  (triangle form used by Earl)

And a partial D7 form which is F#ø or the notes:  F# - A - C

Finally, the 12th fret bar octave.

Two of the three G Diatonic chord forms repeat three times. (three bars and three triangles)

There are six more unique chord forms by repeating this process on the 2nd and 3rd strings making a total 9 different triad chord forms.

An more graphic version with mp3 files available at: 

patcloud.com/harmonized-g-major-scale/

The web site is totally free.

patcloud.com

pat3@patcloud.com

Edited by - banjola1 on 04/29/2023 15:34:22

Kstevensmd - Posted - 04/29/2023:  19:01:25

Hi Pat, I'd be interested in you opinion of my Key of G chord scale exercise tab I posted last fall.
banjohangout.org/tab/browse.as...l&v=25823

banjola1 - Posted - 04/29/2023:  21:52:01

Hello Ken,

I do not have the software needed to read your tablature examples, but it sounds like we are on the same page theoretically. As you stated, if you transfer over and form triads on the 4th, 3rd and 2nd strings, you come up with 9 more triad inversions for a total of 18 different and distinct triad forms which can be used for melodic chord solos. Everything seems to come in three's.

If you add to the diatonic triad combinations diminished and augmented passing chord inversions, you can stitch together nice voice-leading sequences for jazz-style chord solos. There are also triad forms for variations utilizing quartal chord harmonies built on 4ths and triad variations using the 4th, 3rd and 1st strings.

I discovered a lot of my theory from books written for instruments other than banjo. In particular is a book written by Count Basie jazz guitarist Freddie Greene who also mentions 18 different guitar forms. I also used the Joe Pass Guitar book and jazz horn practice books by David Baker.

Thanks for your comments - very glad to hear from you!

Pat-

patcloud.com

Edited by - banjola1 on 04/29/2023 21:59:21

Kstevensmd - Posted - 04/30/2023:  02:31:02

Thanks for your reply Pat. I’ve attached the tab in PDF format for you.

Key of G Chord Scale Exercise

 

Andy B - Posted - 04/30/2023:  05:49:10

And once you have learned the pattern on strings 1-2-3, you already know the pattern on strings 2-3-4 because open string 4 is a D note an octave lower than the D note on open string 1. For each triad in the 2-3-4 pattern, simply play string 4 at the same fret that you played string 1 in the 1-2-3 pattern for that triad. And this pattern works for all keys: for keys other than G start with a straight bar on strings 1-2-3 or 2-3-4 at the key fret (fret 2 for A, 4 for B, etc.) for the first triad and play the rest of the pattern going up from there. This will help you learn where the chords and notes are for every key. And as Pat said, that will help you play more melodically. It certainly helped me.

stanleytone - Posted - 04/30/2023:  05:56:29

I just added your website to my homescreen . While im no jazz player(playing caravan is as close as i get) i have learned more about theory from you than from any other source.

mikebanjo - Posted - 04/30/2023:  06:55:28

With the scale for the key of G shown as . . .
G - 2 - 2 - 1 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 1 or G - A - B - C - D - E - F# - G
. . . I like to think of the scale as the following in any key, with R for root of scale note . . . .

2 - 2 - 1-G - 2 - 2 - 1 or D - E - F# - G - A - B - C
2 - 2 - 1-R - 2 - 2 - 1 or D - E - F# - R - A - B - C
V I IV V I IV chord symbols
2 - 2 - 1-R - 2 - 2 - 1 or G - A - B - C- D - E - F
2 - 2 - 1-R - 2 - 2 - 1 or C- D - E - F G - A - Bb . . .etc. for all major chords . . . .

This configeration of any scale has 2-2-1 as, in my opinion, the most important lick in music, since in the feel of the V chord leads to the I chord and that I chord leads to the IV chord and takes one around the Circle of Fourths . . .
G-C-F-Bb-Eb-Ab-Db (C#)-Gb/F#-B (Cb)-E-A-D-G-F etc. . . . which, again in my opinion, the motion of music .. . .

mikebanjo - Posted - 04/30/2023:  07:01:16

Unfortunately the spacing didn't work for me; let's try it again . . .

2 - 2 - 1-R - 2 - 2 - 1 . . or D - E - F# - R - A - B - C
V . . . . . . . I . . . . . . . . IV V . . . . .. .I . . . . .. . . IV . . . . chord symbols

mikebanjo - Posted - 04/30/2023:  07:03:16

I'm giving up after this . . .

. .2 - 2 - 1-R - 2 - 2 - 1 . . or D - E - F# - R - A - B - C
V . . . . . . . I . . . . . . . . IV . . V . . . . .. . . .I . . . . .. . . IV . . . . chord symbols

banjola1 - Posted - 04/30/2023:  08:04:12

mikebanjo,

I get what you mean...

Your own personal theoretical approach is for your own use.  We alter our theoretical ideas and understanding as we keep learning. Be ready and keep an open-minded attitude to adopt theory that begins to make sense to you. It may be demonstrated in a song or a phrase. The defining factor concerning theory is how you apply it and use it actively for creating your own music. Music theory is validated in your own active playing.

That's why it's called theory. Never stop learning.

Pat-

patcloud.com

Edited by - banjola1 on 04/30/2023 08:06:35

mikebanjo - Posted - 05/01/2023:  08:10:19

Thanks, Pat, for your response. I find that there is for me at least two ways of learning to play the banjo: memorizing tunes from tab, jams, and other sources OR trying to understand how tunes are played and music in general works. I have never been one for memorIzation . . . still can't play Cripple Creek the way most do. So I have focused on music theory and figuring thing out. I have recently tried to work on practicing with numbers insead of alpha letters for notes. After all, it's a lot easier to learn to play all 15 major scales by numbers with the root starting point and the method you suggested to start this thread . . . .than all thoses letters with sharps and flats.

banjola1 - Posted - 05/01/2023:  12:04:06

If you sit down at a piano, it's obvious where the white keys are. Out of all the white keys, if you know where just one "C" note is on the keyboard, all you have to do is play 8 consecutive white keys in a row and you'll end up with a C major scale. There's no black keys - no sharps or flats.  A "C" major scale is just alphabet letters. (There's no "H" note)

C major scale:

C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C

If you take just one note out of a C major scale and move it up one fret or "sharp it" you'll have a completely different major scale.

Knowing which note to sharp starts a process.

That note is the 4th note of a major scale. In this case an "F" note.

So now you have:

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

But that's a rather strange C major scale? (Lydian actually)

*But*

If you restart this strange C scale on the next note after the F# or a "G" note you have:

G-A-B-C-D-E-F#-G      This is now a G Major scale.

So the process is: Going to the 4th note of a major scale and sharping it and then restarting the scale sequence on the next note. Here is a G major scale with the 4th note "C" sharped:

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

*and*

We will start it on the next note after the C note we just sharped, which is "D"

Viola!

We now have a D major scale:

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

See the pattern? You keep adding sharps to the 4th note of a major scale and restart the sequence on the next note.

You end up with a new major scale.

If you replicate this process 6 times, you'll have 6 major scales or 6 "Sharp Keys"

G  D  A  E  B and F#

G= 1 sharp   D= 2 sharps  A= 3 sharps   E= 4 sharps   B= 5 sharps and  F#= 6 sharps

This is all the sharps you see at the beginning of a piece of music. No sharps or flats is the key of C major.

The added sharps are:  F - C - G - D - A - E- B  (Fat - Cats - Go - Down - And - Eat - Birds)

If you go back to the basic C major scale again and you know which note to "flat" (b) and which note to "restart" on, you'll have the remaining 6 flat keys.

But I'm done now and I'm hungry.

The moral of the story?

The beginning of fret board wisdom is finding all the "white piano notes" on your banjo and naming them.

It really is too many dang alphabet letters and sharps and flats.

My best banjo buddy says, "Just forget all that stuff and mash the wires down on this here handle."

Pat-

patcloud.com

Edited by - banjola1 on 05/01/2023 12:22:03

Texasbanjo - Posted - 05/01/2023:  14:13:20

banjola1

Gee, Pat, I wish someone had explained that to me when I was a kid taking piano lessons. It would have been so much easier than trying to memorize each and every major scale and knowing where each and every flat and/or sharp was. It was bad enough having to practice those scales, but memorizing them was worse!

mmuussiiccaall - Posted - 05/01/2023:  15:40:40

My personal methodology, think 1 2 34 5 6 7(1) and know where I am in the sequence and I'm good for any key, any mode.

banjola1 - Posted - 05/03/2023:  19:07:30

quote:

---

Originally posted by Texasbanjo

banjola1



Gee, Pat, I wish someone had explained that to me when I was a kid taking piano lessons. It would have been so much easier than trying to memorize each and every major scale and knowing where each and every flat and/or sharp was. It was bad enough having to practice those scales, but memorizing them was worse!

---

Hi Texas -

I had one piano lesson when I was six, but I didn't care for it because what I wanted back then was to be a ham radio operator. Later when I turned 13, I heard my first Earl recording. I became so obsessed that all could think about was, "How the heck does he do that?" I thought the recordings were sped up!

I had Pete Seeger's "red book" but I couldn't read tab to save my life.

So it was a lot of nights at the turntable slowing records down and ruining them. The album was, "Foggy Mountain Banjo."

patcloud.com

Edited by - banjola1 on 05/03/2023 19:11:16