1. Music Theory the Fun Way: Through Soloing! Steve Danielsson steve@littlekidsrock.org

2. “So What” - Miles Davis D Dorian - Use Dm Pentatonic at the 10th fret

3. Now try to add these new cool notes! The Blues notes are added to the pentatonic scale! 3 3 3

4. Basics of music theory Pentatonic Review - Why it’s awesome Starting point - The Major Scale Advanced (more fun!) scales Building your knowledge further

5. Music theory is the formalized study of the rules of music that we hear It is studied to further our understanding of what we hear The formalized study is based on musical trends

6. Learning rules to music implies there is a “right” answer Many of us learn music theory in a regimented classroom setting There is no immediate success in the study of music theory Studying/practicing music theory with your instrument in hand increases your understanding and enjoyment

7. Learning to approximate your ear takes practice Building a low stress environment is easy! Simply take out your guitar and get ready!

8. In all three musical examples, we will work to find what key we are in We will find this simply by using the sixth string Play along with the song, until you find the note that the song seems to rest on

9. Most musicians ear are developed enough to find Do in popular music Occasionally, it will be difficult to find a key, feel free to use online hints! Every second you are playing and listening to your instrument, your musicianship is developing The most important thing to learn is The Confidence To Try!

10. According to most guitar players: “All music was written to have guitar solos played over it” Approximating with a familiar shape will develop your ear, your hand and increase your fluency using the scale Let’s start by Approximating on a famous progression

11. A Blues in A is built on the idea of tension An A7 Chord has a C# in it, while an A pentatonic has a C natural in it These differing notes create musical tension, that many of us today know as a “bluesy” sound

12. We will now play a Blues in a few new keys After each 12 bar phrase, we will switch to a new key Find the key by experimenting with the pentatonic shape

13. The tension in blues makes it feel safe to miss notes In Diatonic music (music built in one key), missed notes will sometimes sound more out of place Ignore your desire to be perfect, and try as many pentatonic shapes as you can The location of the scale will tell you what key we are in! “BAM!”

14. Alway! The best way to develop your ear and understanding of your guitar is to have your guitar out while your listening. Try everything you hear Every missed note should be thought of as an exercise Sitting on the couch watching TV? Take out the guitar! You’d be surprised how much there is to try and play along with!

15. Let’s take a look at the pentatonic scale Five different notes We use this shape for major and minor 333 11

16. Learning to hear the sound, for you and for your students Avoid “happy” and “sad” Make the terms Minor and Major part of your classroom vocabulary Most songs use major AND minor chords together

17. The difference is only one note. When the second fret moves to the first, we are lowering on note in the chord by a half step.

18. All modern Western music is built on the same pattern Even the most advanced music theory is based on the same simple information That information is so famous, most people already know it

19. The major scale is the foundation of music Let’s play five different major scales Here is the pattern we can use for a One String major scale 0 - 2 - 4 - 5 - 7 - 9 - 11 - 12 Do - Re - Mi - Fa - Sol - La - Ti - Do

20. The minor scale has three different notes than the major scale Here is the pattern we can use for a One String minor scale 0 - 2 - 3 - 5 - 7 - 8 - 10 - 12 Do - Re - Me - Fa - Sol - Le - Te - Do Notes different from major scale are underlined Notice how Lowered notes end with an “e” sound!

21. The Minor Pentatonic Scale is a simple five note scale 0 - 2 - 3 - 5 - 7 - 8 - 10 - 12 Do - Re - Me - Fa - Sol - Le - Te - Do

22. The black notes are Do The scale is shaped perfectly for the guitar Most guitarists master this scale without knowing its origin Now you know!

23. Knowledge of how a scale works will ALWAYS enhance your ability to use it Even just knowing where “Do” is Learning scales is a life long process, each time you play it, it builds itself stronger into your musical lexicon

24. The full minor scale can be played in the same position as the minor pentatonic Only one finger is slid out of position The new notes are marked in blue 1 33 2 4

25. 1 33 2 4 1 2 33 4

26. We add two important notes in the full scale These notes are the 4th and 7th of the major scale They add a lot of tension, which can be a great tool for soloing

27. Playing the world famous progression, you can use this scale to craft new melodies 1 33 2 4

28. A “Mode” is a unique scale pattern and shape These are all based on the original major and minor scales Just like minor/major have the same notes, so do modes Most guitarists learn these modes in new shapes

29. 1 33 1 3 The full Dorian Mode can be played in the same position as the minor pentatonic One finger is slid out of position The Dorian Mode will be two frets (one step) up from the key of the song If a song is in G (3rd fret), you can use the A Dorian Scale

30. 1 33 1 3 The dorian mode has a minor sound, but the one different note gives it a different feel It is used in jazz, rock and all kinds of music The two most prominent examples are “Kind of Blue” and Carlos Santana’s soloing style

31. 1 33 1 3 Jam on “Oye Como Va” using the A Dorian mode For fun, try switching it up to the E minor pentatonic, which will also work but have a different sound to it!

32. 1 33 1 3 Miles Davis’ “So What” off the album Kind of Blue is a great example of using the dorian mode in improvisation It also changes keys! We change keys by sliding up just one fret, using the same scale