Getting Ready

Let's continue to expand our minds, alongside our new skills on the guitar! You may be wondering... We know a major chord theory, but what is a minor chord? Of course, once again, you may have also not been wondering this at all! 😂 😂 Either way, here is how we build a minor chord.

Let's create an E minor chord to start with...

First up, we need to create the E major scale, using our "tone tone semitone tone tone tone semitone" formula from before.

Next up we need to take the first, third and fifth notes from this scale to create the major chord.

Our final step, is to take the 3rd note (G#) and flatten it. This instruction to take the 1st, b3rd and 5th is how we define a minor chord. So just remember that formula: Root, b3rd, 5th and voila!

If you put these notes anywhere on the neck, you will create a E minor chord. How cool is that? Let's see how they show up on our chord box diagram.

Today we will be adding two new chords that will help us complete our collection for now. These chords are the A minor chord and the C major chord. The C major is by far the most challenging chord yet, so strap in!

Add these chords to your guitar gym workouts every day from now on, until they are well and truly moving! Also, be sure to watch the full video so that you follow Dan walk you through the best ways to fret these chords.

If you were paying very close attention, you may have noticed that the first and second song had a very different "feel". The first track is much straighter than the second, which has a full blown country folk swing to it! We need to understand how to deal with this swing, and how to change between straight and swung. The bulk of this work will be done in the video, using your ears, but we can get an indication via tab.

A straight beat sounds very much like an army marching, whilst a swung beat has a more bouncy feel, like a horse galloping slowly. However, you think of it, being able to switch between the two is a great skill to have. So, let's put together a chord progression to practise this with.

So, your task is: Use the below strumming and chord chart alongside the audio track provided to switch between swung and straight drum beats. Notice how the sound differs and notice how your playing feels different as well. Have fun, and good luck!

Ok guys, it's test time! In this lesson, you'll find a list of questions, and you'll find all of the chord boxes and fretboard diagrams in the materials sections, so make sure you don't cheat! Let's see how much you've remembered. The great news is that, even if half of this you can't remember, it will shine a light on what you need to practice in your practice routine, which we'll talk about in the next lesson. Good luck!

Question 1

Can you play all of these open chords: Em, Cmaj7, A, D, E, B7, C & G. Are they all committed to memory at this point?

Question 2

Can you play a B major scale on the guitar? Second to that, can you play a B minor pentatonic scale?

Question 3

Can you play the following strumming pattern without hearing it (PS. To hear this you'll need to check out the video to hear the answer!)

Question 4

Can you write out the A major scale? Once you've done that, also try to write out the G major scale.

Question 5

Can you write out the notes in an A major chord and the A minor chord? Can you write out the G major and G minor chord?

If you want to double-check any of your answers, simply get in touch!

Here we are guys! At the end of our first 30-day journey together, and this is just the start. One phrase that has always helped our students is...

"it's all about the journey, not the destination"

This is important to bear in mind as you show up every day to practice! Also, be sure to acknowledge your wins! When you can play along to these 2 songs, that's a pretty epic win! So, our last task is to get together your up to date practice plan to go away with before you move onto the next course on our site. Here's how it looked on the video:

As we've spoken about all the way through the course, we divide the practice into 3 sections: "GYM", "MUSICAL" & "FUN". Let's draw that out using the format we've been working with below.

And there we have it!

Massive congrats on getting through the entire course. Get down to some serious practice over the next few weeks, and when you are ready (when both songs are learnt) you can move on to the next course. If you need any help or advice, get in touch via the contact page... We're very happy to help guide you to your next steps! 🎸 😃