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Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Sep 5 2020, 12:32 AM

Hello friends!! I'm experimenting with a new idea. 'Gab's Quick Tips' are mini lessons in which I'll share different concepts that you can apply to your daily practice.

As you can see, these are very short vids, so even if you don't have too much practice time, you can dedicate 5/10 minutes to these concepts and keep evolving as a guitarist.

In this first one, we'll get into Little Wing's first 4 chords and I'll show you how to follow them while improvising. I've cover only one part of the neck but you can expand these exercises and work all over the fret board.



Backing Track:  backing_track.mp3 ( 3.22MB ) : 161


Chords & Scale:

Posted by: Phil66 Sep 5 2020, 08:20 PM

Gab this is brilliant, the CAGED system has always daunted me, I guess I don't have enough chord knowledge but this is a great breakdown of the system. I'm going to just play the chord notes in sequence over the backing, trying to follow the chords until they are instilled in my fingers and then go for melody.

Improv is much harder than people realise, it sounds easy being able to "play what you want" but it needs a creative mind that works on the fly.

Cheers

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Sep 5 2020, 11:00 PM

Thanks for your feedback Phil! Yeah, CAGED is very powerful, and it's also very simple.

Please let me know what happens when you try this, and share a vid here!

Posted by: MonkeyDAthos Sep 8 2020, 12:08 AM

dunno if its just me, but I really dislike the sound of C over A minor even though it is a chord tone.
At least in this particular scenario

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Sep 8 2020, 12:45 AM

Really? Thirds are usually the best choice. Do you prefer root or fifth in this case?

Posted by: MonkeyDAthos Sep 8 2020, 01:10 AM

I really tried to sit on C over the A minor. But I am not feeling it.
I really like the sound of the 9 against the A minor here or 6th F#. I would probably mess around with 1-2-5-6-b7 and just use minor 3 as a quick passing note.
But It is probably just personal taste.

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Sep 8 2020, 02:13 PM

That's interesting. I think that it's the second step. This exercise (the one that I share in the video) is to be able to visualize the notes from the chords, which are the most stable ones, but then, once you are able to stay "in" all over the neck, you can decide when you play chord tones and when you prefer to go for extensions to add colors.

I like using this concept: https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/ls/thirdstackshapes/

Have you ever tried it? For example, you can try playing Em7 arpeggio over Am in Little Wing and get that 9th color.

Posted by: MonkeyDAthos Sep 8 2020, 03:30 PM

Yes! I am using similar concept but in smaller scale. I am only focusing on E-B-G strings atm!
Learning all the triads, their basic 1-3-5 arpeggios, going into the 7ths shapes then try and voice lead it, (Which it takes a few minutes go get a somehow decent sound )

(Extra credits if I am able to sing the arpeggios and intervals before playing them )

Its easier for me to just work on a small zone of the neck and get to know it rather than being a bit overwhelmed by the whole thing.
Guess it's somehow the same as you demonstrated in the lesson.


I've been thinking on that idea of superimposing certain "shapes" over certain chords to imply colors.
I often view it as just playing fragments of Am rather than playing others arpeggios over it. But thats how i taught myself so it would make sense up in my brain


But at the end of the day, I really dig this kind of focus lessons!

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Sep 9 2020, 02:26 PM

Excellent! Good thinking and method to work on improvisation. I'll also work on more advanced concepts in these quick tips series, so this talk with you gives me some ideas.

One of the things that helped me to learn triads everywhere in the neck was a method that my best guitar/music teacher (Lapo Gessaghi) ever taught me and that is also shared here at GMC by a friend of mine who studied with the same teacher.

https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/solo-guitar/ionian-mode-harmonized-with-triads/
https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/ls/dorian-mode-harmonized-with-triads/
https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/ls/aeolian-mode-harmonized-with-triads/
https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/ls/myxolydian-b9b13-harmonized-with-triads/

Visualizing triads and modes in this way, related to the CAGED, changed my life.

Posted by: Phil66 Sep 9 2020, 07:30 PM

I think a very small step course based on these two topics would be incredible.

Starting with C shape, and explaining how, once you know where the root is you can transpose to anywhere on the neck, then moving on slowly through the AGED shapes, all individually, then gradually bringing it together over chord progression so that you don't have to jump around the neck finding the root on the low E string.

Maybe, and I know it's not what the CAGED system is about but, maybe we could start with the C shape exclusively but still follow a chord progression, as I said, I know this goes against the reason for the CAGED system but it would help to hammer the shape into our fingers all along the neck. Then we could do the same with A G E and D and then learn (gradually) about combining them in the proper way

It would be great if these could be in a sequential box set but initially an instructor could work the first batch of students through it as a workshop, asking us to video something and to build on what the instructor gives us.

I hope this all makes sense

I know these two topics cover it all but it doesn't sink in, for me anyway, just reading.

https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_forum/index.php?showtopic=2944

https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_forum/index.php?showtopic=2984

Cheers

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Sep 10 2020, 02:05 PM

This is a nice idea! I could do it. I can also guide you in this process if you want/need it.






I don't get why you think that this idea goes against the system's reason...

Posted by: MonkeyDAthos Sep 10 2020, 02:24 PM

So the caged is like relating chords and scales out of the open chords shapes?

Posted by: Phil66 Sep 10 2020, 02:28 PM

I just meant that if you have a chord progression and concentrate on the C shape, then you will be moving around the neck to match the root of the chord being played, maybe I'm wrong but I thought that the idea of CAGED is to be able to stay in approximately the same place on the neck by using the different CAGED shapes.



Thanks It would be great to offer it to all, maybe put a question out to the students. I kind of understand the concept but I still think it would be great as a box set series to refer people to so they can dip into it as and when they feel the need/desire

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Sep 10 2020, 02:40 PM

The CAGED is a method to visualize chords all over the neck. I use this chords as reference to visualize everything around them: Pentatonic Scales, Triads, Scales, Intervals.





Ah! Now I get it. Yes, that can be one idea for it but the system is mostly to learn and understand the fret board and to be able to play the same chord in different positions. Then, you can do whatever you want with this information.




Yeah! I'll work on it.

Posted by: Phil66 Sep 10 2020, 02:54 PM

Great news, this is just the kind of thing I would like to work on as a break from the norm, maybe at my holiday home where the whole vibe is different.

Nice one buddy, thank you

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Sep 13 2020, 04:54 PM

Thanks for the suggestion!