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Page 1: Free guitar lessons - Learn the basics of how to play chords and arpeggios for beginners

Free Guitar Lessons - Session 1 Building Blocks - The Basics

Free Private Guitar Lessons...Free Private Guitar Lessons...without the teacher (kinda)...

© GuitarBasics.com

Free Guitar Lessons - Session 1 - Building Blocks

Page 2: Free guitar lessons - Learn the basics of how to play chords and arpeggios for beginners

...

The Basics...The Basics...Even though I can't be there to help you in person, I do offer

some of my own personal comments using these thought bubbles. I am also available to answer questions via Social networks and email, as seen at the end

of this lesson session.

Even though I can't be there to help you in person, I do offer

some of my own personal comments using these thought bubbles. I am also available to answer questions via Social networks and email, as seen at the end

of this lesson session.

Hi, I'm Kirk...In an attempt to create a set of online lessonsbased on the lessons I

give my students in the studio, I have

created this:Private Lessons

without a Teacher...

Hi, I'm Kirk...In an attempt to create a set of online lessonsbased on the lessons I

give my students in the studio, I have

created this:Private Lessons

without a Teacher...

Introduction

Free Guitar Lessons - Session 1 - Building Blocks

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Page 3: Free guitar lessons - Learn the basics of how to play chords and arpeggios for beginners

1 … Musical Alphabet 2 … String Names3 … Notes on fretboard

The Basics...The Basics......

4 … The Steps 5 … The Degrees 6 … Scales

7 … Church Modes 8 … Arpeggios9 … Chords

Session 2 will cover the Building Blocks of Song Writing

Session 1 Lessons

Free Guitar Lessons - Session 1 - Building Blocks

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Page 4: Free guitar lessons - Learn the basics of how to play chords and arpeggios for beginners

The Musical Alphabet

Consist of 7 repeating letters (also know as notes)

... A, B, C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C, D, E, F, etc...

The musical alphabet goes from A to G and then repeats over and over again... All the white keys on the

piano are either A, B, C, D, E, F or G.

The musical alphabet goes from A to G and then repeats over and over again... All the white keys on the

piano are either A, B, C, D, E, F or G.

The Basics...The Basics...1

Free Guitar Lessons - Session 1 - Building Blocks

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Page 5: Free guitar lessons - Learn the basics of how to play chords and arpeggios for beginners

The Musical Alphabet - Part 2

There are also half notes between some of the letter notes.

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

Notice that there are no half notes between B & C and between E & F

The # symbols are called "Sharps". All the black keys on the piano are sharps. Either an

A#, C#, D#, F# or G#.

The # symbols are called "Sharps". All the black keys on the piano are sharps. Either an

A#, C#, D#, F# or G#.

The Basics...The Basics...1

Free Guitar Lessons - Session 1 - Building Blocks

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Page 6: Free guitar lessons - Learn the basics of how to play chords and arpeggios for beginners

The Musical Alphabet - Part 3

In some cases music utilizes "Flats(♭)" instead of "Sharps(#)"

... A♭ A B♭ B C D♭ D E♭ E F G♭ G A♭ A B♭ B C D♭ etc...

Notice that there are no ♭ notes between B & C and between E & F.

The "♭" represents a half step lower and the "#" represents a half step higher. All the half step notes (like the black piano keys) have

two names: A#/B♭ - C#/D♭ - D#/E♭ - F#/G♭ - G#/A♭.

The "♭" represents a half step lower and the "#" represents a half step higher. All the half step notes (like the black piano keys) have

two names: A#/B♭ - C#/D♭ - D#/E♭ - F#/G♭ - G#/A♭.

The Basics...The Basics...1

Free Guitar Lessons - Session 1 - Building Blocks

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Page 7: Free guitar lessons - Learn the basics of how to play chords and arpeggios for beginners

The String Names

There are 6 strings on the typical guitar.

Each string has a note name. The biggest fat string is call the "Low E String"

The image shown, is a representation of the guitar fretboard held upright, facing

you.

The image shown, is a representation of the guitar fretboard held upright, facing

you.

The Basics...The Basics...2

Free Guitar Lessons - Session 1 - Building Blocks

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Page 8: Free guitar lessons - Learn the basics of how to play chords and arpeggios for beginners

The String Names - Part 2

The other five strings (from biggest to smallest) are A, D, G, B and High E string. The high "e" string (as shown) is the thinnest. Again biggest string is call the "Low E String"

To remember the string names use the following acronym...

Enjoy All Daily GuitarBasics.com Exercises

The image shown, is a representation of the

guitar fretboard as you would see it in your hands while playing.

The image shown, is a representation of the

guitar fretboard as you would see it in your hands while playing.

The Basics...The Basics...2

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Page 9: Free guitar lessons - Learn the basics of how to play chords and arpeggios for beginners

Notes on the Fretboard

Remember the musical alphabet notes A A# B C C# D D# E F...? Those letters all have a place on the guitar fretboard, with the string names being the starting point of the letters.

Each of those vertical lines are called "frets". The spaces between the frets are where you place fingers to play a note. If you

plucked a string without placing a

finger on the fretboard, the note name would be the same as the string name you plucked.

Each of those vertical lines are called "frets". The spaces between the frets are where you place fingers to play a note. If you

plucked a string without placing a

finger on the fretboard, the note name would be the same as the string name you plucked.

For example, the notes of the D string are D D# E F F# G... etc...Likewise, the notes of the B string are B C C# D D# E F... etc...

The Basics...The Basics...3

Free Guitar Lessons - Session 1 - Building Blocks

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Page 10: Free guitar lessons - Learn the basics of how to play chords and arpeggios for beginners

Notes on the Fretboard - Part 2

All the frets have note names, here is an example of part of the fretboard showing notes (with sharps) on all the strings.

If you pushed your finger down on a note and plucked that same string, then did it again with the next note in order,

and kept playing each note in order from string to string, you would then be

playing a "scale".

If you pushed your finger down on a note and plucked that same string, then did it again with the next note in order,

and kept playing each note in order from string to string, you would then be

playing a "scale".

Notice that the notes not only go in order along one string but can also go across in order from string to string. Starting from the "Low E" string there is an: E F F# G and G#, then to the "A" string it continues with A A# B C C#, then to the "D" string... and it continues again in order from string to string.

The Basics...The Basics...3

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Page 11: Free guitar lessons - Learn the basics of how to play chords and arpeggios for beginners

The Steps

All the notes of the musical alphabet have a distance between them. The distance is called "Steps". One "half step" is the distance from one fret or note to another. A whole step is two half steps or two frets. The distant between each note (A A# B C C# D D# E F F# G G# etc...) is a helf step or one fret. The same is true if using flats (A B♭ B C D♭D E♭E F G♭ G A♭ etc...).

Examples: A to B is a whole step (2 frets) because there is an A# or B♭ note between them. B to C is a half step (1 fret) because there is no sharp or flat note between them. C to C# is a half step (1 fret) because there is no note between them. D♭ to E is a whole step because there is a D note between them. E♭ to G♭ is a whole & half step (3 frets) because there is an E and F note between them.

The distance between every letter name note (A, B, C, D, etc...) is a whole step except between B&C

and E&F which have just a ½ step of separation.

The distance between every letter name note (A, B, C, D, etc...) is a whole step except between B&C

and E&F which have just a ½ step of separation.

The Basics...The Basics...4

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Page 12: Free guitar lessons - Learn the basics of how to play chords and arpeggios for beginners

The Degrees

Just as music has an alphabet (notes), it also has numbers known as "Degrees".

The degree numbers are simply 1 through 7. Like the notes, they repeat: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 1, 2, etc...

The degrees are the building blocks of all the three fundamentals of music (scales, chords and arpeggios). All these elements are built with simple

formula arrangements using the numbers of the degrees.

The degrees are the building blocks of all the three fundamentals of music (scales, chords and arpeggios). All these elements are built with simple

formula arrangements using the numbers of the degrees.

The Basics...The Basics...5

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Page 13: Free guitar lessons - Learn the basics of how to play chords and arpeggios for beginners

The Degrees - Part 2

Just as notes are sometimes separated by a half or whole step, so are some of the degrees.

So, with the degrees, its all whole steps of separation,

except between the 3&4 and between the 7&1, which are

just half steps.

So, with the degrees, its all whole steps of separation,

except between the 3&4 and between the 7&1, which are

just half steps.

The distant between... 1 and 2 is a whole step2 and 3 is a whole step3 and 4 is a half step4 and 5 is a whole step5 and 6 is a whole step6 and 7 is a whole step7 and 1 is a half step

In other words... from 1 (which is also called the "Root") it's... whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half.or... 1 w 2 w 3 h 4 w 5 w 6 w 7 h 1...Note: On the guitar, each of the frets are considered a half step apart.

The Basics...The Basics...5

Free Guitar Lessons - Session 1 - Building Blocks

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Page 14: Free guitar lessons - Learn the basics of how to play chords and arpeggios for beginners

The Scales

The first and most important building block of music is "Scales".

The most important scale is the "Major Scale". All other elements are built upon or can relate to, the major scale. We've already touched on the major scale but in the form of degrees. In fact, the "steps" of separation between the degrees (w,w,h,w,w,w,h) is the exact formula of the major scale. This is where the alphabet notes now come into play.

There are 12 major scales, just like there are 12 notes...A A# B C C# D D# E F F# G G# or A B♭ B C D♭ D E♭ E F G♭ G A♭

There are all kinds of scales with various different formulas. The formulas are however, are all based on the major scale.

There are all kinds of scales with various different formulas. The formulas are however, are all based on the major scale.

The Basics...The Basics...6

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Page 15: Free guitar lessons - Learn the basics of how to play chords and arpeggios for beginners

The Scales - Part 2

As with most scales, the name of the major scale is the same as the letter note you begin the scale with. This starting point is considered 1 and is called the "Root" or "Key" depending on how you are referring to it.

G Major scale for instance (as seen below) start with the 1st degree on the G note. Since the distance from 1 to 2 is a whole step, the 2nd degree is A. From 2 it is a whole step to 3, which would be B and so on...

Remember the "Solfège" as a child? Do Re Mi Fa Sol La Ti

Do? Well, that's the

major scale: 1 is Do, 2 is Re, 3 is Mi and so

on...

Remember the "Solfège" as a child? Do Re Mi Fa Sol La Ti

Do? Well, that's the

major scale: 1 is Do, 2 is Re, 3 is Mi and so

on...

The Basics...The Basics...6

Free Guitar Lessons - Session 1 - Building Blocks

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Page 16: Free guitar lessons - Learn the basics of how to play chords and arpeggios for beginners

The Scales - Part 3

As applied to the fretboard, here are some various major scales.

The key usually indicates what notes are to be

used in a song. If you want to play a song in the key of D, then place this pattern on

the fretboard with the 1's on the D notes. The notes of the pattern will generally be the only ones used in

the song.

The key usually indicates what notes are to be

used in a song. If you want to play a song in the key of D, then place this pattern on

the fretboard with the 1's on the D notes. The notes of the pattern will generally be the only ones used in

the song.

The Basics...The Basics...6

The number patterns on the fretboard above can shift from left to right as a whole and repeat every 12 frets. Every 1 is the same note name, every 2 is the same name and so on. If the whole pattern is placed with the 1's on C#, then the key and major scale name is C#. If the entire pattern is placed with the 1's on B♭, then the key and major scale name is B♭ and so on.

Free Guitar Lessons - Session 1 - Building Blocks

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Page 17: Free guitar lessons - Learn the basics of how to play chords and arpeggios for beginners

The Modes

The "Modes" (church modes) are simply the various inversions of the major scale. To create an inversion of a scale, take the first degree of the scale and move it to the end. So, the major scale: 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 inverted becomes 2,3,4,5,6,7,1 which is also the formula for the 2nd degree mode (the major scale is considered the 1st degree mode).

The 1st. degree mode is 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 which is known as the Pure Major Scale. The 2nd. degree mode is 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 1. The 3rd. degree mode is 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 1, 2. The 4th degree mode is 4, 5, 6, 7, 1, 2, 3. The 5th. degree mode is 5, 6, 7, 1, 2, 3, 4. The 6th. degree mode is 6, 7, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 which is known as the Pure Minor Scale. The 7th. degree mode is 7, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.

Each of the 7modes have

names.In order they

are:Ionian(1)Dorian(2)

Phrygian(3)Lydian(4)

Mixolydian(5)Aeolian(6)Locrian(7).

Each of the 7modes have

names.In order they

are:Ionian(1)Dorian(2)

Phrygian(3)Lydian(4)

Mixolydian(5)Aeolian(6)Locrian(7).

The Basics...The Basics...7

Free Guitar Lessons - Session 1 - Building Blocks

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Page 18: Free guitar lessons - Learn the basics of how to play chords and arpeggios for beginners

Arpeggios

Arpeggios are partial scales built using the notes of large scales (like the major scale). Just like scales and modes, arpeggios all have formulas. The most used arpeggio is the "Triad" arpeggio. To play a triad arpeggio, simply play the 1st, 3rd and 5th notes of a scale, in order and one note at a time. In the case of the 1st degree mode (Ionian or Pure Major Scale), if the 1st, 3rd and 5th notes are played in order, one note at a time, it would be called a "Major Triad Arpeggio". It's called a "major" arpeggio because of the distance between the notes or degrees. From 1 to 3 is two whole steps and from 3 to 5 is a half and a whole step. If there were a different amount of steps, it would be called something else. It's called a "triad" because it consists of 3 notes.

Notes are the building blocks of the scales, which are the building

blocks of the arpeggios, which are the building blocks of chords.

Notes are the building blocks of the scales, which are the building

blocks of the arpeggios, which are the building blocks of chords.

The Basics...The Basics...8

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Page 19: Free guitar lessons - Learn the basics of how to play chords and arpeggios for beginners

Arpeggios - Part 2

Here is an example of a major triad arpeggio in the key of E major.

The diagram actually shows two arpeggios, played one right after the

other. In fact there are many 1 3 5 patterns on the

fretboard.

The diagram actually shows two arpeggios, played one right after the

other. In fact there are many 1 3 5 patterns on the

fretboard.

The Basics...The Basics...8

In this case, the major scale pattern is placed on the fretboard with the 1's on E and since only the 1st, 3rd and 5th degree are being played in order like a scale, and since the distance between the notes are that of a major arpeggio, this is called an "E Major Triad Arpeggio" or "E Major Arpeggio" or just an "E Arpeggio".

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Page 20: Free guitar lessons - Learn the basics of how to play chords and arpeggios for beginners

Arpeggios - Part 3

Moving on to the 2nd degree mode (Dorian). A triad is made in the same way, simply play the 1st, 3rd and 5th degrees of the Dorian mode or 2 4 6.

The distance between the 2nd and 4th degree is a whole and a half step and the distance between 4 and 6 is two whole steps (just opposite of the major arpeggio). With these distances separating the degrees, the arpeggio is considered "Minor".

A major type arpeggio or chord creates an upbeat

happier sound while a minor arpeggio or chord makes a

sad or softer sound.

A major type arpeggio or chord creates an upbeat

happier sound while a minor arpeggio or chord makes a

sad or softer sound.

The Basics...The Basics...8

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Page 21: Free guitar lessons - Learn the basics of how to play chords and arpeggios for beginners

Arpeggios - Part 4

The first triad arpeggio of the 3rd degree scale (Phrygian mode) is 3 5 7 which has the same separation between degrees as the 2nd degree, making it minor. The 4th degree (Lydian) arpeggio 4 6 1 and the 5th degree scales (Mixolydian) arpeggio 5 7 2 have the same distances between the degrees as the Ionian Mode which makes them both major.

The 6th degree (Aeolian) arpeggio spacing of 6 1 3 makes it a minor.

The 7th degree scale (Locrian mode) triad arpeggio (7 2 4) is unique with 1½ steps between 7 & 2 and 1½ steps between 2 & 4. These distances make the 7th degree triad, "Diminished".

Major songs usually contain just major chords and arpeggios using the 1st, 4th & 5th modes. Minor songs usually contain

elements from the 6th, 2nd & 4th degree modes. Most song don't use the 7th

degree mode or any diminished parts.

Major songs usually contain just major chords and arpeggios using the 1st, 4th & 5th modes. Minor songs usually contain

elements from the 6th, 2nd & 4th degree modes. Most song don't use the 7th

degree mode or any diminished parts.

The Basics...The Basics...8

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Page 22: Free guitar lessons - Learn the basics of how to play chords and arpeggios for beginners

Chords

Chord are the virtually the same as arpeggios, in that they both have the same formulas, and the distance between the degrees, identify them as major, minor, etc...

Chords are played fast with a quick strum or slowly, one

string at a time. While at the same time, letting all the

strings blend all the sounds together at once.

Chords are played fast with a quick strum or slowly, one

string at a time. While at the same time, letting all the

strings blend all the sounds together at once.

The Basics...The Basics...9

However, instead of playing them like scales (one note at a time), chords are played with all notes ringing out together and in no particular order, with the maximum of only one note per string.

Free Guitar Lessons - Session 1 - Building Blocks

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Page 23: Free guitar lessons - Learn the basics of how to play chords and arpeggios for beginners

End of Session 1

So far you have learned the basic building blocks of guitar theory (scales, arpeggios and chords) and a foundation for all the future guitar lessons.

In the next session we are going to take the next logical step and go back and study the three main elements in more depth and detail and explore how they are used in song writing...

Review these basics over and again and try to figure out on your own, how we might expand on them in the next set of guitar

lessons... Session 2 - Beyond the Basics - Song

Writing.

Review these basics over and again and try to figure out on your own, how we might expand on them in the next set of guitar

lessons... Session 2 - Beyond the Basics - Song

Writing.

The Basics...The Basics......

Free Guitar Lessons - Session 1 - Building Blocks

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Page 24: Free guitar lessons - Learn the basics of how to play chords and arpeggios for beginners

Extra stuff to study

Here are some helpful links... GuitarBasics.com • Crash Course in Guitar Theory • Daily Guitar Lessons • Arpeggio Samples • Chord Samples • Scales Studies • Social Networking

If you like what you see and would like me to post more lessons, please Follow, Like and Share. If you have any

questions, comments or requests, let me know.

If you like what you see and would like me to post more lessons, please Follow, Like and Share. If you have any

questions, comments or requests, let me know.

The Basics...The Basics......

Thanks for visiting! -Kirk Malay

Free Guitar Lessons - Session 1 - Building Blocks

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