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GMC Forum _ Theory (Muris) _ Targetting Chord Notes

Posted by: Philippe Dec 25 2007, 09:30 AM

Hey Muris,

I've been playing for some time, but I started learning theory quite recently. The good thing is that I was not improving much with my playing, and that all this music theory opened up a lot of new possibilities and things to learn.

However, it seems endless. Intervals, scales, arpeggios, ear training, shapes... I've been spending countless hours learning this but it's still very difficult to use in practice... For instance, i can play modes and some arpeggios in different positions, but I'm still unable to target chords notes (besides the root maybe...) in "real time". What would be the right approach to achieve that?

In your opinion, what should be a reasonable goal as far as theory and fretboard knowledge is concerned?

Thanks,
Philippe

Posted by: Muris Dec 25 2007, 04:17 PM

Hi Philippe.

Glad you're having fun with Theory tho.
Do you think of targeting chord notes by ear or with finger?
If it's by ear then you need to "memorize" certain degrees/intervals.
Nice way do to that is surely singing.
Hope that you sing here and there.
Per example,you want to "hear" 5th degree.
Play any note and take it as your root.
Then try to sing start of Beethoven's V Symphony-ta,ta,ta,taaaa
First note you're gonna sing should be perfect 5th and second note
should be minor 3rd,all related to root note you've played before.

And to target it with your finger,well,practice I guess.
While playing through boxes/shapes you should stop on some note and ask yourself
-is this root or 3rd,5th etc?
I believe you'll be able to target it by memorizing fretboard
but also try to use ear as much as possible,and to sing,singing is way too underrated
as a tool for learning many things.

Hope this helps,let me know if you need anything else.

Posted by: Philippe Dec 25 2007, 05:42 PM

Hi Muris,

Thanks for answering. These were good tips.

Actually, I can recognize and sing most intervals. The thing is that when I'm playing a scale, I lose track of the root note. Let's say I'm playing C - D - E - F - G ...., when i'm playing the G note, I somehow "forgot" that the root is C, which makes hard to identify the "C-G" interval. Maybe i should practice with simple backing track with a drone note to keep the root note in mind.

As for using the fingers, what is the right way to do it. Do I have to think in terms of notes, or intervals. For instance, let's say I'm playing C Major again and I want to stop on perfect fifths. Shall I think of G notes? or should i rather know the position of all perfect fifths in the shape i'm using?

Philippe

Posted by: Muris Dec 26 2007, 12:12 AM

I guess you should be able to hear root note AND key/tonality all the time.
And for the fingering,try to play all boxes,all around the neck.
As the time goes by you'll memorize not only where note G is as a perfect 5th
but every note,there'll be no mystery for you.
Practicing,playing,practicing,hours...