Scale and Arpeggio Builder
To build a scale or chord arpeggio, click the checkboxes of the notes you wish to appear, and it will show you on the fret board where to find these notes in all octaves. (Octaves are the same note in higher or lower ranges). This is especially useful for learning the fret board and even generating original ideas for solos. Note that the sharp and flat notes are labelled here as their most commonly-used name. For example, the note “C♯” is the same pitch as “D♭”, and “C♯” is the more commonly-used name.
Musical Compass
The Musical Compass™ is like a ruler that allows you to measure the distance between notes. The notes on the note wheel are arranged in chromatic order. The numbers represent “intervals”, which get their names from the degrees of the major scale. So just as there is only a half step between the 3rd & 4th and 7th and 1st degrees of a major scale, there are no sharp or flat intervals between the intervals 3 and 4 or 7 and 1. Otherwise, they function just like the markings on a ruler, allowing you to quickly find the notes in any scale or chord, as long as you know which intervals to select.
For example, a Major Scale, the most-commonly used type of scale is formed by turning the dial to the desired root note (the 1st note of the key) and selecting the intervals 1,2,3,4,5,6,& 7. Because all major scales follow the same formula, this explains why they all have the same familiar “Do, Re, Mi, Fa, So, La, Ti, Do” melody that we’ve all come to know.
Here’s a list of a few scale and chord formulas you can experiment with;
Scales –
Major scales = intervals 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, & 7
Harmonic minor scales = intervals 1, 2, ♭3, 4, 5, ♯5, & 7
Melodic minor scales = intervals 1, 2, ♭3, 4, 5, 6, & 7
Blues Scales = intervals 1, ♭3, 4, ♭5, 5, & ♭7
Chords
Three-Part Harmony -
Major chords = intervals 1, 3, & 5
Minor chords = intervals 1, ♭3, & 5
m♭5 (“minor flat five”) chords = intervals 1, ♭3, & ♭5
+ (“augmented”) chords = intervals 1, 3, & ♯5
Sus (“Suspended”) chords = intervals 1, 4, & 5
Four-Part Harmony – Notice how these chords all have some sort of “seven” in them. This is because their harmonies include the “seventh” note up the scale from the root note of each chord.
Maj7 (“Major seventh”) chords = intervals 1, 3, 5, & 7
Maj7+5 (“Major seven plus five”) = intervals 1, 3, ♯5, & 7
7 (“Dominant seventh”) chords = intervals 1, 3, 5, & ♭7
min7 (“minor seventh”) chords = intervals 1, ♭3, 5, & ♭7
m7♭5 (“minor seven flat five”) chords = intervals 1, ♭3, 5, ♭7
diminished chords = intervals 1, ♭3, ♭5, & 6
mMaj7 (“minor Major seven”) chords = intervals 1, ♭3, 5, & 7
Although we have already discussed four types of keys and 12 types of basic chords, just remember that this is only the tip of the iceberg. Major, harmonic minor, and melodic minor keys can each be broken up into seven scale patterns, or “modes”, there are three types of blues scales (dorian, aeolian, and Phrygian), and there are over 55 types of chords in total.
Get the most out of your guitar-playing experience! There’s so much cool stuff about the guitar that I want to share with you that I couldn’t possibly fit it all onto one page, so make sure you’ve signed up for my newsletter and also be sure to check out the great products that are offered through the Hello Guitar Method™.