Tired of the same old pentatonic?

[mkg]

Below is a link to a site with excellent instruction, tabs, and sound sample to help one out of the "pentatonic rut" into which so many of us fall. It's been up several years, and was free for a long time. I think much of it is still free, but I noticed a small charge for one of the services (maybe a download of certain material).
Anyway, it's a great site, and much recommended. I have no affiliation with the author.

http://www.swingblues.com

[SteveB334]

MKG, loved that site thanks pal

[Algernon]

http://guitar-masters.com/

[mkg]

bg20, glad you dig it!

Nick, that's a great site, thanks for posting the link.

[lyles]

Neat ! Thanks. Got lots to do now!

[mkg]

lyles, glad you dig it, there's definitely a lot there to take in!
As an aside, has anyone come up with an efficient way to show tab? I always end up doing something like this, which is cumbersome:

|--4--
|-----
|-----
|-----
|-2---
|--3---

The above would be typical fingering for an open G chord, with the dashes representing frets and the numbers representing fingers.
But it's really too awkward...anybody got a better way?

[dotcom]

Here's my version:


C13sus
E) - - - - x - - - - - - - - - A = 13 (5th fret)
B) - - - - - x - - - - - - - - F = sus (6th fret)
G) - - x - - - - - - - - - - - Bb = 7 (3rd fret)
D) - - - - x - - - - - - - - - G = 5 (5th fret)
A) - - x - - - - - - - - - - - C = root/1 (3rd fret)
E) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - E =3 open string


I put spaces between the dashes to separate them more and don't use numbers for fingers, just x's and let the reader figure out a fingering that works for them. I always notate the string, name the chord, and often at the end of each string give useful info.

That C13sus is a six note chord and contains all the notes, 1-3-5-7-11-13 but voiced in the order 3-1-5-7-11-13

[mkg]

Excellent, especially the way you give info at the end of each line.
Yours is a much better way.

[ric480]

mkg: I "tab" chords like this (e.g G chord = 320003).
Frets from low E to high E, 0 = open string, x=not played/muted.

Simple, and doesn't show a lot of extra info (fingering etc.) but it works for me. And leaves the "search" for the correct fingering so it's not boring either (no reflection on any other way just IMO).

C13sus = 035365

Gets a little hairy above the 10th fret, so I separate with dashes.

[mkg]

Nice...very efficient!

[Annie D.]

3-2-0-0-0-3 for the G

[Annie D.]

X-0-0-2-3-2 for a D course this only works for chords

[Old Tele man]

HINT: when playing jazz chords, the G-shape chord (320003) can be turned into a "movable" chord by simply using the following fingering and only playing it as a 5-note chord (don't play the 1st string), for example a root-in-bass C chord:

C chord (G-shape)
e|- - - - x - - - [ not played ]
b|- - - - 1 - - - E(3) barred 1st finger (1)
G|- - - - 1 - - - C(R) barred 1st finger (1)
D|- - - - 1 - - - G(5) barred 1st finger (1)
A|- - - - - - 3 - E(3) using ring finger (3)
E|- - - - - - - 4 C(R) using little finger (4)

Why use this chord "shape"? well, it makes a very nice sounding and smoothly fingered transistion into an Am chord for C-Am-etc. progression...and, when approached from reverse (ie: Am-C-etc., as in "House of the Rising Sun") it also makes an excellent sounding "extension" over the initial Am chord.

It also allows you to play descending bass-line on the 6th string (ie: C, B, A) by simply swapping the 3 and 4 fingers on the 6th string notes and omitting the 5th string note during chord strum.

[mkg]

Very cool, OT man...I use that one a lot! Makes it easy to cover Sones stuff without using open tuning, and makes for some cool hammer-on figures. Nice!