Understand how to visualize chord shapes all over the neck and learn how five simple arpeggio shapes can unlock 12 keys.
Chops: Intermediate
Theory: Intermediate
Lesson Overview:
⢠Learn how to visualize all 12 keys in one area of the fretboard.
⢠Use basic arpeggios to develop lines that flow between chords and keys.
⢠Create righteous VāI phrases for blues progressions.
Click here to download MP3s and a printable PDF of this lesson's notation.
One of the main purposes of my Premier Guitar lessons is to help improve your chord skills, fretboard knowledge, and phrasing. The goal is to get you playing better blues by understanding what youāre playing over, so in this installment Iām going to take you through some exercises that will allow you to become more fluent in all 12 keys.
That concept can sound a little jazzy, but actually what weāre going to look at is a simple method to maximize your practice routine and improve your ability to move between dominant chords wherever you are on the neck. Weāll also get to look at a bit of music theory just to make sure we have all our bases covered.
Back in my rock heyday I could blaze all over the neck without any real thoughtāassuming I was in the key of A minor or E minor. It was likely a byproduct of being self-taught and the fact that certain styles of music favor certain keys.
When I went to music school I met some serious players, and a few of the bassists went on about how they practiced all of their scales and arpeggios round the ācycle.ā While I had learned all of my theory prior to that point, this one piece of theory did seem a little ātheory classā or āBeatles appreciation.ā But very quickly I realized that with this method integrated into my practice routine I would gain a mastery of soloing without bias to any key or place on the neckāand thatās something most of us could benefit from.
If we take a noteāC, for exampleāand then another note a fifth higher (G), then another a fifth higher (D), and so on, after 12 steps youāll end up back where you started having touched on every key center. If you want to go and do a little more reading youāll also see that this cycle dictates the number of accidentals when writing keys and is a good starting point for setting modulations to the dominant or subdominant key.
Take a look at the diagram provided below and follow the cycle around. Move clockwise and youāll be playing ascending fifths, whereas counterclockwise youāll be descending in fifths. This is the direction weāll take for the duration of the lesson.
Now if we play around the clock starting on C7āmaking all the chords dominant 7sāweāll get something like the first three measures of Fig. 1. But to really use this system in a way that will benefit your fretboard visualization skills, youāre going to want to stay in one area of the neck (more or less) using all five chord shapes from the CAGED system. I show you an example of this in the second three measures.
For your reference, the notes in parentheses could be played. To make your life easy weāll omit them, though itās important to know theyāre there for when we move onto the later stages of this exercise.
Now I should point out, the first way is definitely how Iād play a chordal part, but the second way is the āroadmapā Iād follow for creating smooth melodies. When you think about it, thatās perfect, right? Your rhythm section stays solid, moving around the neck playing strong voicings while you weave a melody throughout the chords focusing on smooth voice-leading.
Before we play the next exercise, let me just give you the five dominant 7 arpeggio shapes (Fig. 2). For those of you that missed my previous lesson on the CAGED system [āUnderstanding CAGED and the V Chordā], you may want to go give that a spin just to brush up on terminology because from this point on Iāll refer to each shape using numbers.
Itās worth pointing out that your long-term goal should be to have a firm understanding of where each interval lives in each shape. This may seem arbitrary at the moment, but when you need to play over an Eb9#5, its really useful to know which notes in the arpeggio are going to sound strongest so you can build your lines around those. (Though thatās a whole different subject!)
Now to the first real exercise: Iāve got a backing track that moves round the cycle of fifths starting on C7 with two measures on each chord. So every two measures weāll be modulating (changing key). As shown in Fig. 3, the first exercise moves from the root of the arpeggio up to the highest note in that position, then rests for a whole bar to allow you time to visualize the root of the next arpeggio.
After 24 measures you can just go back to the start and repeat, or you could play C7 in the next position (as in the tab) and just continue on.
The next exercise in Fig. 4 is an āendlessā loop, which will virtually never be played the same way twice. This is much harder than the previous exercise because weāll just be playing a constant stream of eighth-notes. When it comes time to move to a new key/chord, weāll just move to the nearest available note and continue on our new pattern. The skill here is being able to āseeā the chord youāre going to while forgetting about the one youāre on (though still being able to play on it). This is possibly an even harder mental exercise than a physical one.
The last exercise (Fig. 5) is a little longer. Instead of playing a stream of notes, Iāll break it up and try to play something more reminiscent of a solo, and then transcribe what I played. Obviously thatās hard on such a cold progression, but the idea is that Iām still using the arpeggios weāve looked at as a framework, then creating a melody around that.
If you really look at the solo above, youāll find a wealth of dominant-sounding phrases that outline a V7-I7 movement, and any one of these could be used when moving from the I to the IV chord in a standard blues. Use the backing track for Fig. 6 to work out all your new ideas.
So thatās it for this installment. Thereās a serious amount of work here, as itās not your goal to be able to play what I played, but instead be able to fluidly improvise your own ideas over this progression. Mastering this can take a lot of time, so focus on memorizing your dominant arpeggio shapes and try to use this method as a way of practicing them. You donāt have to devote two measures to each chord; it could be four or eight measures, one measure, or even just two beats!
Levi Clay is a London-based guitar player, teacher, and transcriber. His unique approach to learning keeps him in constant demand from students the world over, and his expertise as a transcriber has introduced his work to a whole new audience. For more information, check out leviclay.com.
MayFly Le Habanero Review
Great versatility in combined EQ controls. Tasty low-gain boost voice. Muscular Fuzz Face-like fuzz voice.
Can be noisy without a lot of treble attenuation. Boost and fuzz order can only be reversed with the internal DIP switch.
$171
May Fly Le Habanero
A fuzz/boost combo thatās as hot as the name suggests, but which offers plenty of smoky, subdued gain shades, too.
Generally speaking, I avoid combo effects. If I fall out of love with one thing, I donāt want to have to ditch another thatās working fine. But recent fixations with spatial economy find me rethinking that relationship. MayFlyās Le Habanero (yes, the Franco/Spanish article/noun mash-up is deliberate) consolidates boost and fuzz in a single pedal. Thatās far from an original concept. But the characteristics of both effects make it a particularly effective one here, and the relative flexibility and utility of each gives this combination a lot more potential staying power for the fickle.
āLe Habaneroās fuzz circuit has a deep switch that adds a little extra desert-rock woof.ā
The fuzz section has a familiar Fuzz Face-like tone profileāa little bit boomy and very present in that buzzy mid-ā60s, midrangey kind of way. But Le Habaneroās fuzz circuit has a deep switch that adds a little extra desert-rock woof (especially with humbuckers) and an effective filter switch that enhances the fuzzās flexibilityāespecially when used with the boost. The boost is a fairly low-gain affair. Even at maximum settings, it really seems to excite desirable high-mid harmonics more than it churns out dirt. Thatās a good thing, particularly when you introduce hotter settings from the boostās treble and bass controls, which extend the boostās voice from thick and smoky to lacerating. Together, the boost and fuzz can be pushed to screaming extremes. But the interactivity between the tone and filter controls means you can cook up many nuanced fuzz shades spanning Jimi scorch and Sabbath chug with tons of cool overtone and feedback colors.
IK Multimedia is pleased to announce the release of new premium content for all TONEX users, available today through the IK Product Manager.
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Must-have Stompboxes
TONEX Pedals are ideal for adding classic effects to any pedalboard. The next 5 banks focus on stompbox captures, showcasing 15 legendary overdrive, distortion, and fuzz pedals. This collection includes iconic models based on the Fulltone Full-Drive 2, Marshall DriveMaster, Maxon OD808, Klon Centaur, ProCo RAT, and more.
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The last 5 banks are reserved for bass players, including a selection of amp & cab Tone Models alongside a few iconic pedals. Specifically, there are Tone Models based on the Ampeg SVT-2 PRO, Gallien-Krueger 800RB, and Aguilar DB750, alongside essential bass pedals based on the Tech21 SansAmp, Darkglass B7K and EHX Big Muff. Whether it's warm vintage thump, modern punch, or extreme grit, these presets ensure that bassists have the depth, clarity and power they need for any playing style.For more information and instructions on how to get the new Factory
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Darkglass Electronics unveils ANAGRAM, a flagship bass platform designed to redefine tone, flexibility, and performance. The pedalās extraordinarily deep feature set includes multiple effects and modeling, an on-board looper and tuner.
Best of all, ANAGRAM brings together these creative tools in a streamlined, rugged format thatās designed for ease of use. Onstage and in the studio, bassists can quickly access and fine-tune their sound via the ANAGRAM interface:
- 7-inch high-brightness touchscreen for clear and intuitive control.
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With ultra-low latency, extensive customization, and seamless integration into the Darkglass ecosystem, it supports both studio precision and stage performance. Combining 15 years of innovation with cutting-edge processing power, ANAGRAM offers a purpose-built solution for bassists seeking unparalleled sound-shaping capabilities.
Anagram
Powered by a state-of-the-art hexacore processor and 32-bit/48kHz audio processing,ANAGRAM delivers ultra-low latency, pristine clarity, and studio-grade sound. Its intuitive blocks-based architecture lets players create signal chains in series (12 blocks) or parallel (24blocks) using a high-resolution touch display. ANAGRAM features three control modesāPreset,Scene, and Stompāfor instant switching, parameter adjustments, and traditional pedalboard-style operation. With a curated collection of distinct preamps, 50+ customizable effects, a looper, tuner, and user-generated IR support, ANAGRAM delivers unmatched creative flexibility.Seamless integration with the Darkglass Suite allows for expanded control and functionality. Additionally, Neural Amp Modeler (NAM) integration provides access to thousands
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Street $1199.99 USD
Alongside Nicolas Jaarās electronics, Harrington creates epic sagas of sound with a team of fine-tuned pedalboards.
Guitarist Dave Harrington concedes that while there are a few mile markers in the music that he and musician Nicolas Jaar create as Darkside, improvisation has been the rule from day one. The experimental electronic trioās latest record, Nothing, which released in February on Matador, was the first to feature new percussionist Tlacael Esparza.
Taking the record on tour this year, Darkside stopped in at Nashvilleās Brooklyn Bowl, where Harrington broke down his complex signal chains for PGās Chris Kies.
Brought to you by DāAddario.
Express Yourself
Harrington bought this mid-2000s Gibson SG at 30th Street Guitars in New York, a shop he used to visit as a kid. The headstock had already been broken and repaired, and Harrington switched the neck pickup to a Seymour Duncan model used by Derek Trucks. Harrington runs it with DāAddario NYXL .010s, which he prefers for their stretch and stability.
The standout feature is a round knob installed by his tech behind the bridge, which operates like an expression pedal for the Line 6 DL4. Harrington has extras on hand in case one breaks.
Triple Threat
Harringtonās backline setup in Nashville included two Fender Twin Reverbs and one Fender Hot Rod DeVille. He likes the reissue Fender amps for their reliability and clean headroom. Each amp handles an individual signal, including loops that Harrington creates and plays over; with each amp handling just one signal rather than one handling all loops and live playing, thereās less loss of definition and competition for frequency space.
Dave Harringtonās Pedalboards
Harrington says he never gives up on a pedal, which could explain why heās got so many. Youāre going to have to tune in to the full Rundown to get the proper scoop on how Harrington conducts his three-section orchestra of stomps, but at his feet, he runs a board with a Chase Bliss Habit, Mu-Tron Micro-Tron IV, Eventide PitchFactor, Eventide H90, Hologram Microcosm, Hologram Chroma Console, Walrus Monument, Chase Bliss Thermae, Chase Bliss Brothers AM, JHS NOTAKLĆN, two HexeFX reVOLVERs, and an Amped Innovations JJJ Special Harmonics Extender. A Strymon Ojai provides power.
At hip-level sits a board with a ZVEX Mastotron, Electro-Harmonix Cathedral, EHX Pitch Fork, Xotic EP Booster, two EHX 45000 multi-track looping recorders, Walrus Slƶer, Expedition Electronics 60 Second Deluxe, and another Hologram Microcosm. A Live Wire Solutions ABY Box and MXR DC Brick are among the utility tools on deck.
Under that board rest Harringtonās beloved Line 6 DL4āhis desert-island, must-have pedalāalong with a controller for the EHX 45000, Boss FV-50H volume pedal, Dunlop expression pedal, Boss RT-20, a Radial ProD2, and another MXR DC Brick.