Goodies
I have been providing online lessons since 2011. I have produced an enormous amount of digital material (pdf files, web pages, and videos) that I provide for my students instruction. I also use traditional books that have stood the test of time. There are many options for connecting online for free. Some of those options are Zoom, Skype, Messenger (Facebook), and FaceTime. The main difference between online and in person lessons is the preparation. But, most of the preparation is on the teachers end. I would be glad to guide you through the process. Please contact me if you have any questions.
Thank you,
Brian Turner
Phone: 281.386.6982 Email: brian@guitarlessonsbybrian.com
Learning to play a musical instrument is like taking a very long trip. When taking a trip we make plans. We spread out a map and chart out a path that helps us reach our destination. Learning a musical instrument is also like any craft. To do a job well, the craftsman needs the correct tools. This website gives you a map and the tools to reach your destination and hone your craft as a musician.
With this website, you’ll learn the essentials such as scales, chords, and arpeggios. But more than that, you’ll learn how they relate to one another and how they are used to make music. The worksheets on this site are a culmination of Brian Turner’s studies that have resulted from over 30 years of teaching thousands of private guitar students. You’ll learn not only how to play scales, chords, and arpeggios but you’ll learn the theory behind constructing them. For example, after studying the lessons, you’ll understand what the m7b5 in Cm7b5 means. You’ll be able to construct the arpeggio and chord because you’ll understand music theory. What you won’t find is thousands of chords such as you see in chord encyclopedias. Music is a language. To think we can learn a language by simply looking through an encyclopedia in a foreign language is absurd. Scales, chords, and arpeggios like words in any language must be understood in proper context. Also, you won’t find countless scales that you will not use. Instead, you will find the essential scales that you need to be the musician you desire to be.
How To Play Guitar: The book in PDFs and videos
Guitar Chords Level 1: Three basic chords in seven keys
The seven guitar friendly keys and how to use a capo:
Guitar Chords Level 2: Enrich the 7 guitar friendly keys creating add 9, sus4, 6, and Maj7 chords:
Chord enrichment in the key of G
Chord enrichment in the key of C
Chord enrichment in the key of D
Chord enrichment in the key of A
Chord enrichment in the key of E
Chord enrichment in the key of Em
Chord enrichment in the key of Am
Guitar Chords Level 3:
The seven chords in the key of C also know as the Nashville System.
Guitar Chords Level 4:
Barre chords: roots on the 6 string E shape from the caged system.
Movable chords using strings 1-4
After becoming acquainted with basic open chords, we are ready to learn movable chords. Movable chords contain no open notes. Therefore, you can play them anywhere on the neck. Every movable chord can be any chord in the family. For example, If you learn F Major on the fist fret, the same fingering on the second fret is F# Major, the 3rd fret is G Major and so on.
Major chords using the first set of four strings: the fifth and sixth strings are not used in this study.
Minor chords using the first set of four strings.
Dominant seventh chords using the first set of four strings.
Minor seventh chords using the first set of four strings.
Major seventh chords using the first set of four strings:
A methodical system for learning movable barre chords in every key
Major barre chords
Minor barre chords
Dominant 7 barre chords
Minor 7 barre chords
Major 7 Barre chords
Barre chords in the key of C
Guitar Lesson 1: Barre chords in the key of C with the root note on the 6th string
Guitar Lesson 2: Barre chords in the key of C with the root note on the 5th string
Guitar Lesson 3: Barre chords in the key of C with the root note on the 4th string
Guitar Lesson 4: The I, IV, V chord progression using barre chords in the key of C
Guitar Lesson 5: The I, ii, V chord progression using barre chords in the key of C
Triads
Guitar Lesson 1: Introduction to triads
Guitar Lesson 2: Triads using the 1st set of strings in the key of C
Guitar Lesson 3: Chord progressions using the 1st set of triads in the key of C
Guitar Lesson 4: Triads using the 2nd set of strings in the key of C
Guitar Lesson 5: Chord progressions using the 2nd set of triads in the key of C
Guitar Lesson 6: Triads using the 3rd set of strings in the key of C
Guitar Lesson 7: Chord progressions using the 3rd set of strings in the key of C
Guitar Lesson 8: Triads using the 4th set of strings in the key of C
Guitar Lesson 9: Chord progressions using the 4th set of strings in the key of C
Guitar Lesson 10: Review of C triads
Guitar Lesson 11: Review of Dm triads
Guitar Lesson 12: Review of Em triads
Guitar Lesson 13: Review of F triads
Guitar Lesson 14: Review of G triads
Guitar Lesson 15: Review of Am triads
Guitar Lesson 16: Review of Bdim triads
Guitar Lesson 17: Augmented triads (raising the 5th interval a semi-tone to get the #5)
Guitar Lesson 18: Major 6 triads (raising the 5th interval a whole tone to get the 6)
Guitar Lesson 19: Dominant 7 triads (raising the 5th interval 1 1/2 tones to get the b7)
Guitar Lesson 20: Major 7 triads (raising the 5th interval 2 whole tones to get the 7)
Guitar Lesson 21: Major 7 triads (lowering the 1st interval a semi-tone to get a 7)
Guitar Lesson 22: Dominant 7 triads (lowering the 1st interval a whole tone to get a b7)
Guitar Lesson 23: Major 6 triads (lowering the 1st interval 1 1/2 tones to get the 6)
Guitar Lesson 24: Combining voicing of the C Major 7 triads
Guitar Lesson 25: Combining voicings of the Dominant 7 triads
Guitar Lesson 26: Combining voicings of the Major 6 triads
Harmonized scales
Harmonized scales are triads constructed by stacking the intervals of the scale in thirds. Below we have all 12 keys using set 1 (1,2, and 3 strings) and set 2 (2,3, and 4 strings).
1 Harmonized scales in the key of C
Triads and inversions: major, minor, diminished, augmented, and suspended 4
Guitar friendly keys:
E the guitar friendly key (chords)
Harmonize scales in the key of E (double stops in the key of E only, tab only)
Harmonized scales, triads, and extended chords in the key of C. (tab only)
Double stops: 3rds and 6ths in every key.
Inversions or voicings of triads
There are five voicings of triads: major, minor, augmented, diminished, and suspended 4.
Triads: 16 ways to make each major, minor, or dominant seventh chord.
The three pdfs below are 12 pages each.
Major triads:
Minor triads
Dominant seventh triads
Essential guitar chords for jazz
Guitar Lesson 1: Essential guitar chords for Jazz part 1
Guitar Lesson 2: Essential guitar chords for Jazz part 2
Guitar Lesson 3: Essential guitar chords for Jazz part 3
Guitar Lesson 4: Essential guitar chords for Jazz part 4
Guitar Lesson 5: Essential guitar chords for Jazz part 5 (You need the Sibelius Scorch plug in for this link. Use the pdf below if you do not have it.)
Guitar Lesson 5: Essential guitar chords for Jazz part 5 (pdf)
Diminished chords
Guitar Lesson 6: How to use the diminished 7 chord
Chord comping blues and jazz in the key of G
Guitar Lesson 7: Chords that function as G7
Guitar Lesson 8: Chords that function as C7
Guitar Lesson 9 Chords that function as D7
Guitar Lesson 10: 12 bar blues in G using essential dominant 7 and dominant 9 chords
The Nashville chord system
Fourteen fundamental chords in all twelve keys.
If you raise the 5th interval of a triad chromatically other chords are created. Bringing the 5 up one semitone creates a augmented chord. Bring it up another semitone and you have the 6 chord. Bring it up again, and you have Dominant 7. Once more and you have a Major 7 chord.
If you lower the root note of a triad chromatically other chords are created. Bringing the root down one semitone creates a Major 7 chord. Bring it down another semitone and you have the dominant 7 chord. Bring it down again, and you have the 6 chord. Check it out:
Coloring chords:
Coloring chords can be achieved by raising the 5 or lowering the root.
The I IV V and I vi IV V chord progression using barre chords
Rhythm changes:
The I vi ii V is used in jazz more than any other chord progression.
Voicings (chords) G7, C7, and D7 or the I, IV, V chord progression used for 12 bar blues in G
Scales
Blues and rock riffs in the key of Em
Blues and rock riffs in the key of Am
Blues and major pentatonic scales every key
Blues scale in the key of G, box 1 and fragments
Blues riffs from Dr. Briantine’s Method:
Excerpts from my first book Dr. Brianstine’s Guitar Method.
Diatonic modes (scales) in all every key
Diatonic scales (modes in the key of C and G)
Modes, scales, and chords:
It is essential to understand how these elements relate to each other.
Scales: The Johnny Smith Approach
Spanish or flamenco style lead
Associating chords with scales and arpeggios
Roots on the 6th string
Guitar Lesson 1: Introduction
Guitar Lesson 2: The major chord, scale, and arpeggio with the root on the 6th string
Guitar Lesson 3: The minor chord, scales, and arpeggio with the root on the 6th string
Guitar Lesson 4: The dominant 7 chord, scale, and arpeggio with the root on the 6th string
Guitar Lesson 5: The major 7 chord and arpeggio with the root on the 6th string
Guitar Lesson 6: The minor 7 chord and arpeggio with the root on the 6th string
Guitar Lesson 7: The major 6 chord and arpeggio with the root on the 6th string
Guitar Lesson 8: The minor 6 chord and arpeggio with the root on the 6th string
Guitar Lesson 9: The augmented chord and arpeggio with the root on the 6th string
Guitar Lesson 10: The diminished 7 chord and arpeggio with the root on the 6th string
Guitar Lesson 11: The half diminished chord and arpeggio with the root on the 6th string
Guitar Lesson 12: The dominant 9 chord and arpeggio with the root on the 6th string
Guitar Lesson 13: The dominant 7#9 chord and arpeggio with the root on the 6th string
Guitar Lesson 14: The dominant 7b9 chord and arpeggio with the root on the 6th string
Guitar Lesson 15: The dominant 13 chord and arpeggio with the root on the 6th string
Guitar Lesson 16: The sus 4, sus 2, and add 9 chords with the root on the 6th string
Roots on the 5th string
Guitar Lesson 17: The major chord, scale, and arpeggio with the root on the 5th string
Guitar Lesson 18: The minor chord, scale, and arpeggio with the root on the 5th string
Guitar Lesson 19: The dominant 7 chord, scale, and arpeggio with the root on the 5th string
Guitar Lesson 20: The major 7 chord and arpeggio with the root on the 5th string
Guitar Lesson 21: The minor 7chord and arpeggio with the root on the 5th string
Guitar Lesson 22: The major 6 chord and arpeggio with the root on the 5th string
Guitar Lesson 23: The minor 6 chord and arpeggio with the root on the 5th string
Guitar Lesson 24: The augmented chord and arpeggio with the root on the 5th string
Guitar Lesson 25: The diminished 7 chord and arpeggio with the root on the 5th string
Guitar Lesson 26: The half diminished chord and arpeggio with the root on the 5th string
Guitar Lesson 27: The dominant 9 chord and arpeggio with the root on the 5th string
Guitar Lesson 28: The dominant 7#9 chord and arpeggio with the root on the 5th string
Guitar Lesson 29: The dominant 7b9 chord and arpeggio with the root on the 5th string
Guitar Lesson 30: The dominant 13 chord and arpeggio with the root on the 5th string
Guitar Lesson 31: The sus 4, sus 2, and add 9 chords with the root on the 6th string
Two bar blues intros or kickoffs in the key of G and A
Blues chords key of E. essential voicings for E7, A7, and B7.
Blues chords key of G. essential voicings for G7, C7, and D7.
Improvisation
Understanding intervals is absolutely essential for mastering the guitar. This study will help you understand intervals and the art of improvisation.
Chords and interval maps in all twelve keys.
Open G Tuning For Guitar
What does Robert Johnson, Jimmy Page, Keith Richards, Leo Kottke, Michael Hedges, The Black Crowes, The Moody Blues, and most of the acoustic blues players from the Mississippi delta have in common? Open G Tuning
Songs That Sound Great On Guitar By Brian Turner
Visit Fridays Freebies to your right and I encourage you to leave comments and questions.
Resources
Becoming a Guitarist: Evolution of Resources Since the 1960s
Guitar Method Reviews
How To Play Guitar: A Method Book For Beginners By Brian Turner
Cycle of 5ths part 1
Cycle of 5ths part 2
NEW! Dobro and steel guitar lesson
NEW!
Contemporary Christian Style Chords In The Key Of E
Economy Style Jazz Chords used in Jazz
Tools in The Key Of G 1st Position
Ornaments: Pull offs, slides, hammers, etc.
SONGS
Phone 281.386.6982
Business hours are from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.