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jose250
Aug-09-2005, 6:36pm
I know this seems like a really dumb question and I've been hesitant to ask it, but I got to.

What is a chord progression and what are major scales? I've only been playing music for about 6 months and I'm picking up the playing aspect of it, but as I'm getting a tad better, it's not because I understand how it fits together. It's just the time I'm spending playing.

Will understanding these two concepts (or are these practicable techniques) help me as a mando player? Where do I learn about these (in terms that I can understand) at? I'm currently without teacher and am pretty much on my own for figuring a lot of this out.

Thanks, folks. Really appreciate any insight on this.

Kelly http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif

Mando4Life
Aug-09-2005, 6:57pm
Kelly,

You should check out a book called Fretboard Roadmaps for Mandolin. I just got it a week ago and it has enlightened me quite a bit. I'm slowly (emphasis on slowly) learning the theory I should have learned when I started.

You can search the internet for the basics (chords, scales, etc). The Cafe has a good instructional section as well as www.mandozine.com

For example: http://www.mandozine.com/index.php/techniques/techinfo/chord_progressions/

Hope this helps.

WBL

arbarnhart
Aug-09-2005, 8:52pm
Check out Mike Perry's excellent pages on chord progressions (http://www.mikeperryweb.com/chords/index2.html). Includes some scale theory and written from mando perspective.

levin4now
Aug-17-2005, 1:13pm
That isn't a stupid question or one that would/should be laughed at! At one point in our lives, we all didn't know the answer to it, and some of us here still might not. I appreciate all the questions (AND reponses!) that I see on this board. They have helped me become a better player.

San Rafael already answered your question, and any other information you need could easily be found on teh internet. I bet there are more than a handful of sites that explain some of this music theory in simple terms.

If you are playing a song in the key of C, then the chords in the progression are C,F,G. What's nice about knowing the chords that are found in a song of a given key, as well as the progression they are played in, is that if you need to play the song in "D" instead of "C", then every chord you were playing moves up a whole step, so now the chords in the key of D, are D,G,A.

angrymandolinist
Aug-17-2005, 3:57pm
I remember back when I first started noodling out little melodies on a keyboard program on my computer. I didn't know a durn thing about music theory, or even scales or chords, but when I started learning I found I was enjoying making music more and more.

I'll just add a little more to build on what's already been mentioned. Chord progressions are important because they can build a little (or a lot of) tension and then release it pleasantly to the ear.

Try playing the open G chord (0023, low to high), and then play the open D chord (2002). That second-fret note on the first string especially wants to go back up to the third fret; when you do go back to G, it sounds complete and satisfying.

And scales are typically five (pentatonic) or seven (diatonic) different notes. Try playing, on your fourth string, open, 2nd fret, 4th, 5th, and the same frets on your third string. You just played a G scale; and if you stop on the third string, fourth fret, the note really wants to move up that one fret.

You can practice both of these techniques with the scale and chord charts available all over the Internet and in books, and with lots of practice it'll be second nature to you.

joshro78
Aug-18-2005, 1:51pm
This is a completely free e-book.
free music theory book (http://www.questionsink.com/Books/FreeBMT.html)
Just scroll down a little on the page and you will see the contents of the book.
It's a complete Into to music theory book.
It's helped me!

psann
Aug-18-2005, 10:45pm
Thank you for the ebook link. A lot of info to study there.

Ronnie L
Aug-22-2005, 3:46am
The Fretboard Roadmaps for Mandolin book is good! I used it. Easy to understand and usable tunes to!

jose250
Aug-23-2005, 7:21pm
Thanks, folks. Yeah, this is making it a bit clearer to me. Just out of curiosity, when you first started playing did you focus a lot on the theory/chords/arpeggios vs. learning different songs? I've spent a lot of time learning songs, but maybe not the time invested in some of the foundation work of the music.

Kelly

Brian T
Aug-28-2005, 6:19pm
While they are not geared to the mandolin, there is a series of six books called "Guitar Grimoire". They cover theory from chords and voices to scales and modes aswell as a myriad of other things. They are a little pricey, but are a great addition to any music library.

jaydee
Aug-30-2005, 1:56pm
There's a great book that's still available(I think) from www.elderly.com. It's called MUSIC THEORY FOR MODERN MANDOLIN. From Flat Five Press in VA. It covers a ton of basic chord/scale theory and the basics of western music theory, which is, I gather, what you're after, and puts it all in context for mandolin players. It also has more chords than anyone should ever have worked out, and explains what each of those chords actually does. It is a little on the heavy side once you get started, but the book doesn't assume that you know anything (a great indicator of any good instruction). Be prepared to spend ALOT of time with this book.
Happy Woodshedding!!

mandoman4807
Sep-09-2005, 7:06am
Brad Laird has two great books out at the moment.

Mandolin Master Class
Mandolin Training Camp

Great books on training the hands and mind, and how to improvise. www.mandouniversity.com


Darrell