"The Shocking Truth About Tones"
By Mike Overly
Author of the Guitar and Bass EncycloMedia Books
Grab your favorite guitar, if it's electric, plug it into
your favorite amp. Play your favorite chord and hold it...
listen... that's TONE.
Now, count to seven,
1-2-3-4-5-6-7, those are TONES.
While tone is important, tones
are essential!
The above 7 tone-numbers
represent the 7 pitches of the Major Scale. For example, the C
major scale contains the letters: CDEFGAB, and each of these
letters can be given tone-numbers as follows:
|
Letters: |
C |
D |
E |
F |
G |
A |
B |
|
Tones: |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
Tone 1, also known as the ROOT,
is always the letter name of the scale.
Let's illustrate the C major
scale on the holistic (whole) fretboard as letters and tones.
(Figures 1 and 2)
Last time we learned to see 5 vertical major chord shapes as
letters. Now, let's see them as tones 1-3-5, within 7 vertical
major scale FORMS. (Figures 3 through 9)
Forms are "moveable tone patterns" and
are labeled Circle five-four, Circle five-two, Circle five-one,
Circle six-four, Circle six-two, Circle six-one, and Circle
four-one. Circle five-four simply means; begin the scale on the
fifth string tone 1 (root) using the fourth finger of your
fretting hand. Circle five-two means; start on the fifth string
with your second finger, and so on.
Did you notice that Circle five-two and
Circle five-one share the same chord form, and that Circle
six-two and Circle six-one also share a form? That's why there
are only 5 major chord forms, even though there are 7 major
scale forms. There are also 7 major arpeggio forms - just play
the tones 1-3-5, but play them one tone at a time. Remember, the
tones 1-3-5 of the major chord are played at the same time.
And now the shocking truth.
These 7 major scale tone-patterns remain
the same no matter what fret you start on - but every
letter-pattern is different! The point being: tones are easy -
letters are much more of a challenge.
