Listen up: scales aren’t just torture devices invented by guitar teachers... When you use a scale, say, C major, you are playing ‘in the key of C’. The word ‘diatonic’ simply means ‘within a key’, so ...

A great way to get started writing a song is to use a well-known chord progression. Certain progressions have been used thousands of times throughout the history of recorded music, so there’s no ...

When it comes to guitar chords, it all begins with basic ... the popular ii–V–I chord progression in the key of C would be Dm7–G7–Cmaj7. Play Dm7 at the 5th fret, G7 at the 10th fret ...

However, one of the biggest ways of all is via the song’s chord progression(s ... Here’s the scale of C major, with each scale degree numbered. If you don’t know how this scale of notes ...

or a diminished 5th (C to Gb). As you can see, these are all different names for one specific sound. Once we get into chord progressions and ‘diatonic speak’ such as II-V-I, you may well come ...

Use the Circle of Fifths and some chord progressions above and try playing in different keys. Keys like G, C, A, and D are very easy on the guitar and excellent if you can sing in. If you are more ...

Taking a theoretically identical chord and juggling its notes can give a subtle or not so subtle change in timbre. Being able to arrange voicings to ‘sit’ nicely in a chord progression (both ...

In this case, the idea is to be able to create your own loops or chord progressions, although this knowledge is useful beyond this genre, too, of course. Apologies in advance for Example 1 ...

The Globe's Marc Hirsh describes this sonic commonality as the "sensitive female chord progression (SFCP ... and if you closely follow the background guitar playing on Em's verses, you'll ...