There seems to be a couple of threads going on now about chords, transfering licks and positions.
I thought some of you might find this interesting. If you know all 12 positions you can quickly plan how to play the chord changes. It goes like this:
If the Root is 2nd position, the 4 chord is 1st position and the 5 chord is 3rd position.
The 4 chord is always the Root position minus one and the 5 chord is always the Root position plus 1.
If the Root is 3rd position, the 4 chord is 2nd position and the 5 chord is 4th position.
If the Root is 1st position, the 4 chord is 12th position and the 5 chord is 2nd position.
The rest of this works like this:
Root Position = 2nd ii Chord = root plus 2 – 4th position iii Chord = root plus 4 – 6th position IV Chord = root minus 1 – 1st position V Chord = root plus 1 – 3rd position iv Chord = root plus 3 – 5th position iiv Chord = root plus 5 – 7th position
Root Position = 3nd ii Chord = root plus 2 – 5th position iii Chord = root plus 4 – 7th position IV Chord = root minus 1 – 2st position V Chord = root plus 1 – 4th position iv Chord = root plus 3 – 6th position iiv Chord = root plus 5 – 8th position And so on…
Edited to correct third position V chord mistake. (Thanks SuperBee)
Last Edited by smwoerner on Apr 08, 2013 2:50 PM
This is exactly the stuff i`ve been working on and documenting on my YT practice diary. Glad to see some discussion on it from the pros. In this vid, i use the position approach in a standard 2nd pos jam. Later i do some primitive workouts in less common positions. Eventually, i'll do vids using the position approach in positions like 3rd (using 3rd, 2nd, and 4th), 1st (1st, 12th, 2nd), and even 4th (4th, 3rd, 5th) over a I-IV-V progression. The next goal is to learn how to overlay different positions (not the position of the chord) over the changes. For example, F minor pentatonic played over D7 gives an altered scale feel, so 12th (played minor) over the I chord in 3rd, or the V chord in 2nd provides interesting harmonic possibilities. Here's the start of this effort:
The pertinent rule is sound, but there is an error in your OP smwoerner, where you say if the I chord is 3rd, the IV is second and the V is 1st. It should say the V is 4th. ----------
I wouldn't call myself a pro, I've only been at this a little over a year. I've just been lucky to be around a bunch of really good players.
I've started playing with some country players and started running into the vi chord a lot. It used to throw me a bit thinking of the 6th but thinking 5th position just comes naturally.
It's also great for all of those I V iv IV songs :)
Can anyone direct me to a song by a well known artist that features a solo where he or she plays the changes so that 2nd position is used over the I chord, 1st position is used over the IV chord and 3rd position is used over the V chord?
I like to think in terms of moving in the cycle of 4ths/5ths
- In regards to Blues
i.e - Working with a I-IV-V chord progression - Youre always moving either a 5th (clockwise) or 4th (Counterclockwise) relative to the Tonic. I like to think of the notes I intend to use less the position I am moving into.
This (for me) removes any association to playing relative to the modes of the Major scale.
So if all the chords in the progression are dominant, I can think of either working Horizontally (Scale) or vertically (Arpeggio)
So depending on the chord value (In this case Dominant Chords) I can either choose to approach exercising the chord by means of Arpeggios or Working an appropriate scale - Myxolydian, Minor Pentatonic, Major Pentatonic or Diminished Blues
Ray, I'm sure that makes sense but I'm not sure I'm following you. I havent figured quite what you mean by 'The notes I intend to use less the position I am moving into' The rest of what you say seems familiar although I maybe don't think of it quite the same way. I think it is the same as I'm doing though. I'm arpeggiating 9 chords to follow the changes, I guess they're all dominant chords, so I practice mixolydian scales for I, IV, V as well, and minor pentatonic and blues scale based on the tonic. ----------
