Guitar Music Theory Lessons - Desi Serna

A pedal point in music is a sustained or repeated note sounded against chord progressions and melodies. Pedal points are also called pedal tones and simply, pedals. The term originates from organ music where the player sustains a low tonic or dominant pitch with the foot pedals allowing them to easily play chords and melodies above this note on the keyboards. Pedal points can add new chord tones to basic chord changes. This technique can help make a harmonically richer sound and musical texture. It can also create harmonic tension that increases a chord progression's push back to the tonic, lending a sense of excitement to the music. Sometimes the pedalled notes are added to a chord's shape; sometimes the pedals are played by other instruments. Bass players will often pedal the tonic or dominant pitch, or play a melodic figuration that supports a set of chord changes. The pedal point technique is a signature feature of both U2 and Blink 182. Learn about some of their songs plus others in my guitar theory podcast episode 21. This information comes from the book Fretboard Theory Volume II Chapter 10. Sign up for a free preview at: http://guitar-music-theory.com/fretboard-theory/fretboard-theory-volume-ii/

I introduced the harmonic minor scale to you in a previous podcast episode where we looked at dominant function and minor chord progressions with a V7 chord. In this, the 20th episode of my guitar theory podcast, you work with harmonic minor scale patterns used in improvisation. This includes a review of building the harmonic minor scale, plus using pentatonic lead patterns in harmonic minor and outlining V7 chords with arpeggios. This information comes from the book Fretboard Theory Volume II Chapter 9. Sign up for a free preview at: http://guitar-music-theory.com/fretboard-theory/fretboard-theory-volume-ii/

In this free guitar lesson you learn how to use CAGED arpeggio patterns to target chord tones while using pentatonic lead patterns. Specifically, you will target the root, third and fifth of each chord as you work through a progression. Targeting chord tones helps you to connect scales more closely to their related chords, as well as outline a particular chord progression. You will intentionally be emphasizing each note of the chord, creating a lead line that relates to the music. This approach is sometimes better than just randomly playing scales through a set of changes. You can apply this outlining technique to improvising, as well as to composing guitar solos, riffs, melodies and bass lines. This information comes from the book Fretboard Theory Volume II Chapter 8. Sign up for a free preview at: http://guitar-music-theory.com/fretboard-theory/fretboard-theory-volume-ii/

In the last podcast episode I explained how you may narrow your focus down from pentatonic scales that cover the complete neck to smaller sections like the lead patterns and riff boxes that many players commonly use. In this, the 18th episode of my guitar theory podcast, I demonstrate how to use these same lead patterns for major scales and modes. I also cover a little theory on how the pentatonic scale relates to the major scale. This information comes from the book Fretboard Theory Volume II Chapter 7. Sign up for a free preview at: http://guitar-music-theory.com/fretboard-theory/fretboard-theory-volume-ii/

When it comes to using the pentatonic scale to play melodies, riffs, lead guitar solos, and bass lines, it's not necessary to utilize every position or every part of every pattern. Most guitar players, including some of the most famous ones, favor only a few particular sections of these different patterns that work well together. When viewed together, these sections are sometimes called â??lead patterns.â?? Lead patterns make it easier for you to keep track of the root note of a chord, shift from position to position, duplicate licks in different registers, and use the first three, and strongest fingers of your fretting hand. You will also be able to find your way around the neck better, becoming more proficient at what you play as you narrow your focus to a few essential patterns. In the 17th episode of Desi Sernaâ??s Guitar Theory podcast, you get to know two lead patterns, each one having a major and a minor form. This information comes from the book Fretboard Theory Volume II Chapter 6. Sign up for a free preview at: http://guitar-music-theory.com/fretboard-theory/fretboard-theory-volume-ii/

In the 16th episode of Desi Sernaâ??s guitar theory podcast you learn how the spaces between chords are filled with passing chords. This includes a discussion on chromatic passing chords, diminished chords and augmented chords. This will help you understand chords that seem to neither belong to the parent key nor to be borrowed from another one. You will learn how to compose chord changes with chromatic half step movement and voice leading. This information comes from the book Fretboard Theory Volume II Chapter 5. Download a free book preview at: http://guitar-music-theory.com/fretboard-theory/fretboard-theory-volume-ii/

In an earlier guitar theory podcast episode you learned about chord progressions and how to play by numbers. Although a great approach to many songs, you may have realized that not all of them fit into this system of numbered barre chord patterns. In this free guitar lesson you are going to learn why. Here you will look at several related topics including: modulation, key changes, modal interchange, borrowed chords, and the circle of fifths, also known as the circle of fourths. This information comes from the book Fretboard Theory Volume II Chapter 4. Download a free book preview at: http://guitar-music-theory.com/fretboard-theory/fretboard-theory-volume-ii/

In episode 14 of Desi Sernaâ??s guitar theory podcast you learn about dominant function and using dominant seventh chords. This includes instruction on secondary dominants, voice leading and harmonic minor chord progressions. This music theory information is helpful for playing popular rock music plus jazz and country guitar styles. This free guitar lesson is based on the book Fretboard Theory Volume II that can be previewed for free at: http://guitar-music-theory.com/fretboard-theory/fretboard-theory-volume-ii/

In episode 14 of Desi Sernaâ??s guitar theory podcast you take a look at the interval structure of the different modes of the major scale and how musicians would number chord progressions that are modal. This involves naming the tonic pitch in a mode â??1â?? and then numbering its other pitches from there with consideration given to any change in interval structure (for example, sharp and flat degrees). Musicians will usually call the tonic chord in a progression â??1â?? and then number the other chords by their interval relationship to the tonic. This information is needed in order to study advanced concepts like modal interchange and borrowed chords because you must identify chords that are out of key by how they relate to the tonic chord on hand and not by their position in their own parent keys. You also hear comparisons and analyze the difference between the plain major scale and other major modes and the natural minor (a.k.a. relative minor) scale and other minor modes. This free guitar lesson on music theory is based on the book Fretboard Theory Volume II that can be previewed for free at: http://guitar-music-theory.com/fretboard-theory/fretboard-theory-volume-ii/

This free guitar lesson answers the question "What is the key of a song?" You learn about tonic pitches, relative major and minor, modes and key signatures. You see that the key of a song doesn't always reflect the true parent major scale and it's up to you to go beyond the basic details and sort out the other components at play. Several popular songs are used as examples. Taught by Desi Serna author of Fretboard Theory Volume II. Sign up for a free preview at: http://guitar-music-theory.com/fretboard-theory/fretboard-theory-volume-ii/