In today's lesson we're using thirds to create a tasty run we can use all the way up the fretboard! This is perfect for transitioning between scale patterns, or moving from one place to another on the fretboard, and can be made as long or as short as you please. As with the previous lesson, take your time with this - don't try to play it too fast right at the beginning! Slow sounds good too.​
Give it a shot, and let me know how it goes in the comments below!
Great teaching, hauntingly beautiful (just lost my husband) want to learn this for him
Hi Sue, my condolences for your loss… I’m happy to hear though, that playing guitar is able to help in some small way.
I like this very much!
Jonathan, nice little run and I will definitely apply it. If we were doing a G major key of say G, C, D, where would that run start? I’m thinking at the G chord, and then minor, minor, major, major, up the neck. Am I right?
Hey Dick, it depends what G chord you’re starting with I guess, but an easy way to figure it out would be to take your bar chords – say starting with G on the 3rd fret – and then go up with the other chords in the key, just like you mentioned. If you’re using root 6 bar chords, then stay consistent, and you’ll see the pattern you want to use on the strings you’re focusing on. Does that make sense?
On the example you played using Aminor, Fmaj, Dminor, Eminor, What third(s) goes over each of the chords?
Hi John, you might like to checkout the previous lesson here:
https://courses.playguitar.com/improvising-with-thirds/
As it moves more in the direction of your question. Take Am for instance, there are two thirds that comprise that chord, A-C and C-E. So either of those would sound great, and keep in mind you can reverse the order of the notes too. Same holds true for the other chords:
F major is F-A, and A-C
D minor is D-F and F-A
E minor is E-G and G-B
Jonathan, thanks for the response. Really enjoy reading your emails and looking forward to more of your lessons.
Thanks again,
Dick
Would this be considered a 1- 4- 5- 6 pattern? Could use A
minor pentatonic or C Major
Aeolian with it?
Hi Ken, I assume you’re referring to the jam track? If so, it’s in Am, so Am is the I.
Am = I
F – VI
Dm – IV
Em – V
So the progression is a I – VI – IV – V (1 6 4 5).
That said, you can use any scale pattern from A minor or C major to solo over this…
Sounds really good with Dm7 and Em7, as well.
Nice ! Thank you
I have been playing for fifty years, in working bands across the map. this is the first time I can really say im going farther than the MAJ, MIN, pentatonic scales. thank you.
Wow this run adds to my other scales and connects them, love it nice to understand how the fret board works to solo. Very exciting!