All My Tears

Hello everyone, long time no see! Hopefully I'll have a few more of these up here in a little bit. This is a cover of Selah's All My Tears be Washed Away. Nothing glamorous, just an acoustic version. Enjoy!

What is a Chord?

A chord is a combination of three or more notes. They are built off a single note, called the root. A chord composed of three notes is called a triad, and it consists of the root, the third, and the fifth notes of its scale. Chords with four or more notes are called extended chords. The common chords, C, G, D, A, and E, are all major triads. (not major in the significant sense, major in the music theory sense)

A major triad is composed of the root, a major third and a perfect fifth.

To find the major third, count up four half steps from the root. The root can be any of the notes on the musical scale. To find the perfect fifth, count up seven half steps from the root. For example, if your root note is a B, then your major third will be Eb. Your perfect fifth will be Gb. When you add these three together, you get your major triad.

There is also such a thing as a minor triad. It is created with the root, a minor third and a perfect fifth. To find the minor third, count up three half steps from the root. To find the perfect fifth, count up seven half steps from the root, just like you did for the major triad. If your root is the note E, your minor triad will have G for its minor third and B for its perfect fifth. 

The augmented triad and the diminished triad are also used. They are not super common, because you can work your way around them, but they are useful to know nevertheless since you may run into them sometime. The augmented triad is created with a major third and an augmented fifth. The difference between an augmented fifth and a perfect fifth is that the former is raised one half step. To find the augmented fifth, simply find the perfect fifth of your root and add a half step.

To find a major third, count up four half steps from the root, as shown in the section on major triads. 

The diminished triad is created with a minor third and a diminished fifth. A diminished fifth has one less half step than a perfect fifth. To find the diminished fifth, find the perfect fifth and subtract a half step.

To find a minor third, count up three half-steps from the root as shown in the section on minor triads. 

So here is your group of triads with the three notes that make them up:

MAJOR-Root, Major 3^rd, Perfect 5^th

MINOR-Root, Minor 3^rd, Perfect 5^th

AUGMENTED-Root, Major 3^rd, Augmented 5^th

DIMINISHED-Root, Minor 3^rd, Diminished 5th

In our next post, I will discuss how you can use this information to find what chords make up a key and how to find what key you're playing in. This is not useless information, it has several practical applications. 

Quiz: What is the Perfect 5th of a minor triad where Gb is the root note?

What is a Scale?

Some people dispense with learning the scales, often because they already know so much music theory they don’t have to follow a set pattern. They work around the chords they are using. For someone just beginning to learn music theory, however (like I am), I needed a fixed formula, not only for playing purposes, but so that I could understand the way that the notes work on the neck of my guitar. Being familiar with the different types of scales and understanding where and how to play them also helped me to understand how music theory worked.

Scales are formed from one of the 12 notes, C C# D D# E F F# G G# A A# or B and they come in several different forms. There are major scales, melodic minor scales, blues scales, harmonic scales and pentatonic scales. There are seven types of major scales: Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian and Locrian. The two ‘major’ major scales are the Ionian and Aeolian scales. I still don’t know enough about the other scales to write about them yet. I am just going to focus on the few that I know in this post. So I will discuss the Aeolian and Ionian scales, better known as the natural minor and major scales. I will also discuss the harmonic minor scale.

The formula for the major scale is W W h W W W h, which stands for whole step, whole step, half step, whole step, whole step, whole step, half step. This means that if you’re trying to find what notes are in the C major scale, then you will count up WWhWWWh up from the C note, which is your root note. (also called a tonic) So the C major scale will have the notes C, D, E, F, G, A, B and C in it.

From C to D is a whole step, D to E is a whole step, E to F is a half step because there are no sharps in between, F to G is a whole step, G to A is a whole step, A to B is a whole step and B to C is a half step. Again, that is because there are no sharps in between.  

The formula for finding the Natural Minor is W h WW h WW. See if you can find what the notes are in the B natural minor scale. Post your answer in the comment section to see if you are right! No Google-ing. If you forget the order of the notes, it is , C C# D D# E F F# G G# A A# B and back to C.

The harmonic minor is simply the natural minor with the seventh note raised half a step. This gives it a slightly different sound which may fit your solo or riff better than if it didn’t have it. If the natural minor scale for the root note D is D, E, F, G, A, A#, C and D, then the harmonica minor is D, E, F, G, A, A#, C and D#, because you raise that last note by a half step.

The melodic minor is simply the natural minor with the seventh and sixth notes raised half a step. So the melodic d minor scale would be D, E, F, G, A, A#, C# and D#, because we raised the C and D notes to C# and D#. Again, these are very slight changes to the general pattern, but sometimes a slight change is necessary to make that scale fit better with your solo.

While I was looking at some scales, I also ran across the technical terms uses to describe the seven notes of a scale. The first note (the root) is called the tonic. The last note is also called a tonic. The second note is called the supertonic. The third is called the mediant, fourth is the subdominant, fifth note is the dominant, sixth is the submediant, the seventh note is often called a leading tone, if it is located a half step below the last note, which is the eighth note. It is called this because it tends to ‘want’ to transition into that eighth note. Your fourth note is also referred to as the generic fifth, which you will come across later in my posts.

Quiz: What is the subdominant (generic fifth) on the C melodic minor scale? Answer via comment.

More posts coming soon! If you have a question, let me know and I’ll do my best to answer it.

The Movable Chords

The following diagram shows the 6 major movable chord shapes. Not every chord functions like a movable chord, which makes these unique and very handy. The practical implications of this method are really incredible. Once you learn how to play these positions, you will be able to hit these chord shapes anywhere on the neck of the guitar without having to learn a bunch of individual shapes. This way you will be able to play fuller chords in several different places on the neck depending on which of the movable chord shapes you use. As you can see, the frets aren't marked, because these are not chords, they are positions. The fret they are played at determines what chord they will be. 

In this diagram, you will probably recognize the top four shapes as your regular Em, E, A and Am chords. For demonstration purposes, they are labeled as A, E etc. but it is important for you to realize that they are different chords now that they've been barred. What chords do they become?

If you remember the music scale, you will know that the 12 notes on that scale are C C# D D# E F F# G G# A A# and B. So each of these chords are going to change in relation to that scale. When you bar the E at the first fret, it will become an F chord, F# at the second fret, G at the third fret and so on. 

Same with the A position. When barred at the first fret, it will become an A#. When barred at the second fret it will become a B, a C at the third fret, C# at the fourth fret and so on.

The A minor chord will become an A#m at the first fret, a Bm at the second fret, a Cm at the third fret, etc. 

The Em position will become an Fm when barred at the first fret, an F#m at the second fret, a Gm at the third fret, G#m at the fourth etc. etc.

You can always refer back to the music scale if you forget what the chord becomes, because as you move the chord, it moves with the music scale.

10,000 Reasons (Matt Redman)

Intro: F C G Am F G C
                F                C

Bless the Lord, O my soul,

G     Am

O my soul,

F                     C     G

Worship His holy name.

                  F        Am

Sing like never before,

F G  Am

0 my soul.

        F                    G        C

I'll worship Your holy name.

Verse 1:

         F               C           G              Am

The sun comes up, it's a new day dawning;

F                 C               G     Am

It's time to sing Your song again.

F                        C                     G           Am

Whatever may pass, and whatever lies before me,

F                 C                          G            C   [to Chorus]

Let me be singing when the even- ing comes.

Verse 2:

              F       C                           G        Am

You're rich in love, and You're slow to anger.

            F          C                       G         Am

Your name is great, and Your heart is kind.

       F              C                       G         Am

For all Your goodness, I will keep on singing;

F2                    C                      G          C    [to Chorus]

Ten thousand reasons for my heart to find.

Verse 3:

          F        C                        G            Am

And on that day when my strength is failing,

        F                C                    G         Am

The end draws near, and my time has come;

F               C                             G        Am

Still my soul will sing Your praise unending:

F                        C                 G               C  [to Chorus]

Ten thousand years and then fore - - vermore!

Say Something (A Great Big World)

(INTRO) Em C G D x2

Em                    C                       G        D

Say something, I'm giving up on you.

Em            C                          G        D

I'll be the one, if you want me to.

Em           C                              G         D

Anywhere, I would've followed you.

Em                    C                       G        D 

Say something, I'm giving up on you.

       G                      Bm           

And I am feeling so small.

           C

It was over my head

                            G     D

I know nothing at all.

       G                        Bm 

And I will stumble and fall.

             C

I'm still learning to love

                         G     D

Just starting to crawl.

Em                      C                      G        D

  Say something, I'm giving up on you.

Em                 C                         G        D

  I'm sorry that I couldn't get to you.

Em              C                             G         D

  Anywhere, I would've followed you.

Em                      C                      G        D

  Say something, I'm giving up on you.

      G                         Bm 

And I will swallow my pride.

                 C

You're the one that I love

                                 G        D

And I'm saying goodbye.

 Em                  C                        G        D   

Say something, I'm giving up on you.

Em                C                        G        D   

I'm sorry that I couldn't get to you.

Em            C                             G         D   

Anywhere, I would've followed you.

Em                    C                       G      

Say something, I'm giving up on you. 

Remember When

This is one of my favorite songs!

Remember When

                   G Em             C                         D

Remember when, I was young and so were you,

                         G Em       C                         D

And time stood still, An' love was all we knew.

                        G               Em                  C                           D

You were the first, So was I; We made love and then you cried:

                   G

Remember when.

                    [G] [Em]                    [C]                              [D]

Remember when, We vowed the vows and walked the walk.

                         G Em                C                      D

We gave our hearts, Made the start, an' it was hard.

                        G                            Em                        C                          D

We lived and learned, Life threw curves, There was joy an' there was hurt:

                     G

Remember when.

Remember when. Old ones died and new were born.

And life was changed, Disassembled, rearranged.

We came together, Fell apart, And broke each other's hearts:

Remember when.

Remember when, The sound of little feet...

was the music, We danced to, Week to week.

Brought back the love, We found trust, Vowed we'd never give it up:

Remember when.

Remember when, Thirty seemed so old.

Now, lookin' back, It's just a steppin' stone.

To where we are, Where we've been; Said we'd do it all again:

Remember when.

Remember when, We said when we turned gray,

When the children, Grow up and move away

We won't be sad, We'll be glad For all the life we've had:

And we'll remember when.

Mighty to Save

Verse 1:

  C                             G

Everyone needs compassion

                                   Em

A Love that’s never failing

        D                   C

Let mercy fall on me

                              G

Everyone needs forgiveness

                             Em7

The kindness of a savior

                      D         C      D

The hope of nations

Chorus:

G                                        D

Savior, he can move the mountains

                    C             G

My God is mighty to save

             C           D

He is mighty to save

    G                             D

Forever, author of salvation

                      C                     G

He rose and conquered the grave

            C                    D

Jesus conquered the grave

Verse 2:

G                  C

So take me as you find me

                      Em

All my fears abandoned

        D                C

And fill my life again

   G                      C

I give my life to follow

                        Em

Everything I believe in

        D                 C                D

Now I surrender (I surrender)

(repeat chorus)

Bridge:            

C                                G                              D        

Shine your light and let the whole world see singing,

C                  G                  D        

for the glory of the risen king, Jesus   x2

You and Your Heart

 Here are the chords to the song You and Your Heart, by Jack Johnson. 

A                                                   G

Watch you when you say, what you are

                                           D

And when you blame everyone, you broke again

   A                                                            G

Watch you change the frame or watch you when you

                                   D

Take your aim at the sum of everything

Chorus:

        G                     A

But you and your heart

                  D             G

Shouldn't feel so far apart

                  G                       A

You can choose what you take

                             D                                    G   

Why you gotta break and make it feel so hard?

    A                                                      G

You lay there in the street like broken glass

                                        D

Reflecting pieces of the sun, but you're not the flame

                       A                                              G

You cut the people passing by because you know

                                            D

What you don't like it's just so easy, it's just so easy

    G                         A

But you and your heart

                  D             G

Shouldn't feel so far apart

               G                          A

You can choose what you take

                             D                                   G   

Why you gotta break and make it feel so hard?

(repeat chorus)

                        A                  D

You draw so many lines in the sand

                 A                   D

Lost the fingernails on your hands

                       A                         D

How you're gonna scratch any backs?

              A                        D                     E

Better hope the tide will take our lines away

E

Take all our lines and

A               D          A            D

Hope the tide will take our lines and

A              D           A            D      E

Hope the tide will take our lines away

                               A

Take all our lines away

All of Me by John Legend

[Verse 1]

Em                 C                                 G 

What would I do without your smart mouth

                   D                         Em

Drawing me in, and kicking me out

               C                  G                   D               Em

Got my head spinning, no kidding, I cant pin you down

                     C                          G

Whats going on in that beautiful mind

                     D                   Em

Im on your magical mystery ride

              C                    G                              D         Am

And I'm so dizzy, don't know what hit me, but I'll be alright

Pre-Chorus

Am                     G

My heads under water

      D               Am

But I'm breathing fine

                          G                   D

You're crazy and I'm out of my mind

[Chorus]

       G

Cause all of me

        Em

Loves all of you

                  Am

Love your curves and all your edges

                D

All your perfect imperfections

                 G

Give your all to me

            Em

Ill give my all to you

               Am

You're my end and my beginning

             D

Even when I lose I'm winning

                

                          Em  C       G

Cause I give you all, all of me

                         Em  C          G    D

And you give me all, all of you, oh

[Verse]

Em              C                              G

How many times do I have to tell you

                             D                             Em

Even when you're crying you’re beautiful too

                        C              G              D                          Em

The world is beating you down, I'm around through every move

                    C                         G

You're my downfall, you're my muse

                    D                                   Em

My worst distraction, my rhythm and blues

                    C               G          D               Am

I cant stop singing, its ringing, in my head for you

[Pre-chorus]

[Chorus]

[Bridge]

Am                G

Cards on the table

         D                   Am

Were both showing hearts

Am          G                  D

Risking it all, though its hard

[Chorus and then:]

                  Em   C      G

Cause I give you all, all of me

                 Em   C      G    D

And you give me all, all of you, oh

The World of Chords

Country:
On the Road Again-Johnny Cash 
Remember When-Alan Jackson


Christian:
Mighty to Save
10,000 Reasons

Pop/Rock:
You and Your Heart- Jack Johnson
All of Me-John Legend 


Classic Rock:
Stairway to Heaven
Sweet Home Alabama

Folk/Bluegrass
Red River Valley
Ghost Riders
Wagon Wheel
CC Rider


Other:
Say Something-A Great Big World

Rude by Magic (TABS)

For any of you interested in learning this new top hit by Magic, here is a link to tabs arranged by Hajun Lee, a great finger-style guitarist I stumbled across on YouTube while trying to learn the song. I was never crazy about the song, but it is so catchy and sounds great played finger-style! I picked it up fairly quickly. A big thank-you to Hajun Lee for making these tabs available for free; not everyone is that nice! I am sure Lee would appreciate a comment or like if you ever go to his YouTube page! If you have any questions of any kind concerning this song or anything else, just ask and I'll see if I can help. Tabs can be a bit confusing, especially in fingerstyle, but I have a few shortcuts and tips about this song that may (or may not) help. :)

https://www.dropbox.com/s/3tzsv9mkfu9me6p/Rude!.pdf


Note: I DO NOT own these tabs and I did not compose these tabs.