• RT4d • Harmonized GBE

Demonstration

Procedure

This proficiency test should be played with half notes at 60 BPM.

Start with the key of «C Major» so that you will only be playing natural notes.

1. Play the 2nd inversion CMaj triad with the root at the first fret of the B string.

• Then move the root note up two frets to D and form the corresponding triad (Dm).
• Move up two more frets and play Em.
• Then one fret to FMaj.
• Two to GMaj.
• Two to Am.
• Two more to the Bdim shape.
• And finally back to the CMaj triad at the 13th fret.

2. Now descend backwards through the same shapes: Bdim, Am, GMaj, FMaj, Em, Dm, CMaj.

3. Next, start with the root inversion CMaj with the C on the 5th fret of the G string.

• Continue playing each diatonic chord next in order, moving up the neck.
• Whenever you move too far up the neck to play comfortably, shift the shape to the lower octave on the the first 12 frets.
• Be sure to descend with these chord inversions as well as ascending.

4. Last, complete the series with the final inversion CMaj with the C at the 8th fret of the E string. Again, ascending as well as descending, and shifting lower whenever you are too high on the neck.

5. Once you have harmonized the scale with all three inversions, play I-IV and IV-I cadences with all three inversions.

• First play them with the same triad inversion by shifting up and down the neck.
• Then play the same CMaj shape, but this time try to find a different inversion of FMaj nearby, without having to move your hand along the neck.
• Repeat for the remaining two CMaj inversions.

6. Repeat step 5 but with I-V and V-I cadences. Millions of songs use I-IV-V chord progressions (C-F-G in the key of C). Knowing how to find nearby IV and V chords will prove incredibly helpful the more you play.

After you become comfortable with the key of C, pick another key and play that harmonized scale using all three inversions. You can just pick a key at random or proceed through the cycle of fourths/fifths (it isn’t necessary to practice all keys on every string-set, but it won’t hurt!).

Pass criteria

You can harmonize the C Major scale on GBE following the steps above with half notes at 60 BPM.

Extra credit

Complete the exercise in other keys and with faster tempos.

Try to make some real music with the I-IV and I-V cadences: use slides, bends, and other articulations as well as introducing other intervening diatonic chords and notes.