Chord Progressions & Scales | Guitargate

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Lyle
Guthrie
Jack
Michael
Chord Progressions & Scales

In this masterclass, Lyle Brewer takes an in-depth look at musical scales and chord progressions, focusing on how to determine the appropriate scale to play based on given chords. He begins by addressing the initial panic of technical difficulties, quickly moving on to express his enthusiasm for sharing musical concepts with his audience. Lyle extends his gratitude to Guitar Gate for the opportunity to host the stream and encourages viewer participation through questions, aiming to make the session interactive and tailored to the viewers' learning needs.

Lyle dives into the specifics of scales and chord progressions, explaining the relationship between different scales and chord progressions and how to make educated decisions on which scale to use in various musical contexts. He emphasizes the importance of using one's ear to determine which scales and chords work well together, blending theoretical knowledge with intuitive musical understanding. Throughout the masterclass, Lyle provides examples of playing scales over certain chords, illustrating his points with practical demonstrations on the guitar. He highlights the differences between modes such as Ionian, Dorian, and Aeolian, explaining how these modes can influence the mood and feel of the music.

The video description outlines how Lyle methodically covers the topic of scales and chord progressions, providing viewers with a comprehensive understanding of how to navigate these aspects of music theory practically. He concludes the session by inviting questions and promising to delve deeper into other modes and pentatonics in future classes. Lyle's approachable teaching style and detailed explanations make the masterclass valuable for musicians looking to deepen their understanding of scales, chord progressions, and modal theory.

Transcript Summary

Introduction (0:00-0:05)

  • Michael thanks GuitarGate for hosting and encourages questions
  • Tonight's topic is scales and chord progressions
  • Goal is to determine the right scale for a given progression

Diatonic chords and key identification (0:05-0:15)

  • Learn the diatonic chords in a major key
  • Example progression in G major
  • Whole step relationships indicate the 4 and 5 chords
  • Helps identify the key center

Aeolian mode (natural minor) (0:15-0:30)

  • Relative minor of the major key
  • Example in A minor
  • Recognize with minor i and minor iv chords
  • "Crazy Train" sound versus Dorian mode

Dorian mode (0:30-0:45)

  • Difference from Aeolian is F natural versus F sharp
  • Example progression in A minor with D major chord
  • Characteristic note identifies the mode

Lyle has been one of my very favorite guitarists for the past few years, and I’m THRILLED to announce that he’s agreed to join the Guitargate teaching roster!

Lyle - if you didn’t know - is a big deal. He is a wildly respected member of the guitar community and is a monster player in what seems to be every genre. He is the lead guitarist of the band Neighbor, and also teaches at Berklee in Boston (so bring him the hard questions).

Subscribers get access to Lyle's and all our pro masterclasses.