Ever hear a solo that sounds sweet and almost vocal, and wonder what they’re doing that you’re not?
A lot of the time it comes down to one interval: the third. It’s the “tasty” sound your ear already loves, and once you know to look for it, you’ll find it everywhere. As you start working thirds into your riffs and solos, your playing turns more melodic, more tasteful, and more like it actually belongs in the song.
I put together this Quick Start Guide to bring you up to speed fast, so you can start putting thirds to work in your own playing right away. Page 10 has a cheat sheet with two simple approaches you can use straight off the page.
Download the Quick Start Guide to Thirds (PDF)
Here’s the jam track that goes with these free lessons. It’s in A minor. The progression is one bar of Am, one bar of F, then half a bar each of Dm and Em, and back to Am. Loop it and practice landing your thirds right on the chord changes.