HARMONY FOR GUITARISTS by MINK'A PRESS

HARMONY

FOR

GUITARISTS LUNA FLORES

HARMONY FOR

GUITARISTS

LUNA FLORES

HARMONY FOR GUITARISTS Copyright © 2017 by Luna Flores. All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission. Mink’a Press Greenville, SC Art and design by Ofélia Hass. For information, visit: wolfnotecollective.com

CONTENTS

Preface . .

. .

Intervals

. .

Scales . .

. .

Chords . .

. .

Chord progressions

. .

Glossary

. .

About the author . .

. .

Preface THIS IS AN ATTEMPT to teach the fundamentals of harmony to practicing guitarists. While the pedagogical perspective is towards guitar players, it is not a guitar method, nor does it give exercises to increase speed and dexterity when performing arpeggios, scales, licks, runs, or fingering patterns. Its aim is not to cause guitarists to rethink the instrument or its technique, or indeed to apply creative thinking in any way, but to provide a brief survey of Western harmonic practices, especially in American music, which are foundational to the spectrum of practice over the last century. Standard musical notation is foregone in favor of chord charts, tablature, and visual learning, so that a basic understanding of some of the complexities of tonal relationships are made available to the hoards of musically illiterate musicians.

I nter vals WESTERN MUSIC is constructed from the twelve tones of the chromatic scale. Out of these twelve are built all of the common scales that guitarists endlessly rehash: major and minor scales, their modes, pentatonic and blues scales, and so on. We further build major and minor chords, seventh chords, and altered jazz chords, as well as dense clusters of dissonance from this handful of notes. But to begin to understand scales, chords, and their construction, we must first begin with the interval, or the precise distance between any two tones. Each interval has both a number (2nd, 3rd, 4th, &ct.,) and a quality (perfect, major, minor, augmented, diminished). The number and quality of the interval tell the guitarist precisely where two notes lie on the fretboard in relation to one another. The chromatic scale moves in half-steps, or semitones, which are one fret apart from each other on the guitar. Beginning with this shortest distance between notes on the guitar (the notes between the frets will be dealt with elsewhere), we can start naming intervals. The semitone/half-step, for instance, we may call the minor second. Raising this interval a further half-step yields the major second, or whole-step, which is two frets apart. Continuing to widen the interval by half steps up through the octave yields the rest of the intervals (Fig. 1). 9

Fig. 1 Interval

Semitones/Frets

Minor 2nd/m2/half-step

Major 2nd/M2/whole-step

Minor 3rd/m3

Major 3rd/M3

Perfect 4th/P4

Augmented 4th/A4/Diminished 5th/d5 6 Perfect 5th/P5

Minor 6th/m6

Major 6th/M6

Minor 7th/m7

Major 7th/M7

Octave/8

At the octave, all of the tones and intervals begin again. An open E string, for instance, has an octave E located at the 12th fret on the same string. The intervals between the open strings and the fretted notes are mapped out in Fig. 2. Fig. 2

M3 P4 A4/d5 P5 m6 M6 m7 M7 8

Tones are named with letters from the alphabet, A-G, with some lying a half-step apart and others a whole step apart. Tones which lie one whole-step apart have sharp (#) or flat ( ) tones (also known as accidentals) between them, while those that are one half-step apart may be called naturally occurring half-steps, and have no intervening sharps or flats (Fig. 3). B-C and E-F are the only naturally occurring half-steps in the chromatic scale.

Fig. 3

G F#/Gb

A B G#/Ab A#/Bb

C D E C#/Db D#/Eb

Depending on the context in the overall harmonic scheme of a piece of music, a sharp or flat tone may be referred to by either name. The tone between A and B, for example, may be called A# or B . These dually-named tones are termed enharmonic.

TERMS: chromatic scale interval half-step semitone whole-step octave sharp flat accidentals naturally occurring half-step enharmonic

Scales

SCALES ARE merely series of tones, whose character are determined by the intervals contained therein, and their endless repetition is a much beloved practice amongst less imaginative guitarists of all stripes. As mentioned previously, the chromatic scale contains all 12 tones commonly found in Western music. But the most commonly used and abused arrangement of tones belongs to the diatonic scales: the major and minor scales and modes derived from them. THE MAJOR SCALE THE DIATONIC MAJOR SCALE consists of seven tones with an easily memorized intervallic series of whole and half-steps: whole-whole-halfwhole-whole-whole-half. In the key of C major, this is spelled C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C, with no accidentals (Fig. 4). Fig. 4

In a diatonic major scale, each of the seven tones or degrees is assigned a roman numeral and a name according to its function in the harmonic scheme. Fig. 5 illustrates these designations in the key of C major. Fig. 5 Letter

Roman Numeral

Function

Tonic

Super-Tonic

III

Mediant

Sub-Dominant

Dominant

Sub-Mediant

VII

Leading Tone

The tonic (C/I) is the tone with the strongest pull, and serves as the tonal center or key of a piece of music, followed by the dominant (G/V) and the sub-dominant (F/IV). The other four tones are of less importance, structurally. Shifting the tonic function to another degree yields a mode of the scale (Fig. 6). Each degree of the major scale yields a separate mode, which provides an alternate musical atmosphere or mood, and is given a Greek name corresponding to medieval church modes. Modal guitar playing has applications in several genres, including jazz, metal, and various fusion styles. 14

Fig. 6 Degree

Mode

Ionian (major scale)

Dorian

III

Phrygian

Lydian

Mixolydian

Aeolian (natural minor scale)

VII

Locrian

The mode on the 6th degree (submediant), the Aeolian mode, is also commonly referred to as the natural minor scale. Raising the 7th degree of the natural minor scale (in A minor: G-G#) produces the harmonic minor scale, useful mainly because it adds a leading tone to the scale and alters the dominant from a minor to a major chord (Em-E), both of which result in stronger resolutions back to the tonic (Am). However, the sharping of the 7th degree produces an awkward leap between the 6th and 7th favored by surf and some metal guitarists. By also raising the 6th degree of the scale (when in ascending melodic motion), the melodic minor scale is produced, which remedies the angular sounding skip in the harmonic minor. Besides the major and minor scales and the other five modes of the major scale, a number of other scales have proven themselves vulnerable to overuse by guitarists, including major and minor pentatonic scales and blues scales. As indicated by the name, pentatonic 15

scales are built from five tones rather than seven. By removing the 4th and 7th degrees of the major scale, we arrive at the pentatonic major scale, which is spelled C-D-E-G-A in C major. Similar in modal derivation to the natural minor scale, the A Pentatonic minor scale consists of the same notes as the pentatonic major, but treats the 5th degree of this 5-note scale (A) as the tonic. So the pentatonic minor scale, in A minor, is spelled A-C-D-E-G. If we begin with the minor pentatonic scale and add a D# (enharmonically E ), we have the blues scale. Countless other scales are possible. The whole tone scale consists of six tones, each a major second apart, as the name indicates. Starting on C, it is spelled: C-D-E-F#-G#-A#. Owing to its completely symmetrical intervallic structure, it is an atonal scale, having no definitive tonal center. Each tone has equal pull. Music written this way produces an effect quite different from tonal music, to say the least. In most Western music, notes from the chromatic scale are added to diatonic and other scales to enrich the melodic and harmonic material.

TERMS: scale diatonic scale major scale tonal center key tonic super-tonic mediant sub-dominant dominant sub-mediant leading tone mode degree dominant natural minor scale pentatonic scale blues scale whole tone scale atonal

Chords CONSONANCE AND DISSONANCE BEFORE chord construction can take place, a cursory understanding of the concepts of consonance and dissonance is required. Simpy put, a consonant combination of tones is generally considered pleasing to the ear, while dissonance is not. But strict adherence to such polarization leads to rather drab sounding music. What is acceptable and what is unacceptable in art is a matter of taste and the historical context in which one creates. The composers and theorists who have blazed trails in music history and kept its continual evolution in motion are those who have explored the wilderness of dissonance ahead of others. But for the sake of establishing musical tension and setting up its desired resolution, an understanding of the general trend in consonance and dissonance in western music is quite useful. Major and minor thirds and sixths and perfect fourths and fifths are generally considered consonant, while major and minor seconds and sevenths and all augmented and diminished intervals are treated as dissonances. CHORD CONSTRUCTION ANY number of notes may be performed simultaneously with others to produce a desired musical effect. Any degree of the scale may be combined with any other degree or degrees, with 18

one tone functioning as a root. Two tones played together are called double-stops or dyads, with the most commonly used example on the guitar being the two-note power chord, which consists of a root and its perfect fifth.

R 5 R

5 R 5 R

A chord is a combination of three or more notes. Any interval may be stacked on top of itself, but the type of chord found most often in western music is the triad, a three-note chord built from stacked 3rds. Triads may be heard in major, minor, augmented, and diminished qualities. A triad may be constructed from each of the degrees of the major scale by choosing a degree and adding two more tones, a third and a fifth above. The quality of the chord is determined by the intervals in the scale. In the key of C major, the triad built on the tonic, C, is spelt C-E-G. We may call this chord a major triad, for it includes the major 3rd and perfect fifth above the root. Also in C major, the triad build on the second degree is spelt D-F-A, and is called a minor triad, as it contains a minor third and perfect fifth above the root. A diminished triad is found on the 7th degree, and features a minor 3rd and diminished 5th above the root. Triads may appear in inversion, meaning that the third or fifth, rather than the root, may be in the bass. Chords with the third in the bass 19

are called 1st inversion chords, while those with the fifth in the bass may be called 2nd inversion. Fig. 7 illustrates the spelling and quality of each of the rootposition triads built on the degrees of the C major scale. Triads may be constructed on any repeating interval, and those built in thirds such as these form a system sometimes called tertian or tertiary harmony, as opposed to the less common secundal, quartal or quintal systems, which are built on 2nds, 4ths, and 5ths respectively. Chord quality is indicated in roman numeral analysis, with major triads assigned majescule letters (I, IV, V), minor triads assigned miniscules (ii, iii, vi), and the diminished chord on the seventh degree (vii) shown in miniscule letters with an added degree symbol. Fig. 7 Degree Triad

Intervals

Quality Name

C-E-G M3, P5

Major

D-F-A m3,P5

Minor

iii

E-G-B m3, P5

Minor

F-A-C M3, P5

Major

G-B-D M3, P5

Major

A-C-E m3, P5

Minor

vii

B-D-F m3, d5

Dimin

B dim

SEVENTH CHORDS BY ADDING the seventh above the root of any triad, we obtain a seventh chord. Like other chords, seventh chords also are found in various qualities, depending on the degree of the root note. Seventh chords built on the tonic (I) and sub-dominant (IV), for example, are called major seventh chords, and feature the root, major third, perfect fifth, and major seventh. The major seventh chord on the tonic in C major, then, would be spelt C-E-G-B. Likewise, seventh chords built on the minor triads ii, iii, and vi, form minor seventh chords, as they contain the root and its minor third, perfect fifth, and minor seventh. The seventh chord built on the dominant (V) of a diatonic scale is referred to as a dominant seventh chord, and consists of a major triad with a minor seventh. This chord sets up a strong tension and pull back to the tonic, reinforcing the primacy of the key center. By adding the seventh to the diminished triad built on a keyâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC;s seventh degree (vii) or leading tone, we obtain a half-diminished seventh or simply halfdiminished chord. Only by chromatically altering the seventh tone down a half-step do we arrive at the diminished seventh chord, a flavor unavailable within the bounds of a diatonic key signature.

Fig. 8 Degree

Seventh Chord Name

C-E-G-B

Cmaj7

D-F-A-C

Dm7

iii

E-G-B-D

Em7

F-A-C-E

Fmaj7

G-B-D-F

A-C-E-G

Am7

vii

B-D-F-A

B half diminished

C H R O M AT I C A L LY A LT E R E D, EXTENDED, AND OTHER CHORDS AN AUGMENTED TRIAD is like a major triad, but with a sharp 5th. (C-E-G#). All qualities of seventh chords may also be altered by raising or lowering the fifth. G7, for instance may be altered in this way to produce G7#5 or G7 5. Major and minor 7th chords may similarly be altered, such as Fmaj7#5 or Dm7 5 (another way of writing D halfdim). Intervals above the octave may be added to dominant chords to produced extensions, yielding 9th chords, 11th chords, and 13th chords. When these extended tones are chromatically altered, still more variety is possible.

CHORD SHAPES OPEN-STRING cowboy chords and many common barre chord shapes are triads. Laying the index finger across all 6 strings is known as barring them, and by barring behind open chords, we may create moveable chord shapes that are applicable in all keys. (Fig. 9) C

GUITAR TUNINGS THE STANDARD TUNING for guitar is (low to high) E-A-D-G-B-E, and the chord shapes used throughout this book are basic ones that most guitarists know. However, the guitar can accommodate many alternative tunings, which enable other sounds and fingerings to be employed which are unavailable in standard tuning. Tuning the strings to the notes of a triad yields an open tuning. Such a tuning strategy can simplify rhythm guitar playing significantly, as barred major chords may be performed with one finger layed across the strings. This approach is widely used in folk and blues music, as well as rock, with open E, A, G, and D tunings being particularly worn out. Additionally, the instrument can be tuned to any series of intervals. When experimenting with alternative tunings, many guitarists also alter the string guages used, to accomodate drastic changes in string tension. A few of the more clichéd examples of alternate tunings are below. Fig. 10

Name

Tuning

Drop D

DADGBE

Open D

DADF#AD

Modal

DADGAD

“The Ostrich”

EEEEEE

Staircase

EFF#GG#A

TERMS: consonance dissonance tension resolution root double-stop dyad chord tertian or tertiary harmony quartal harmony quintal harmony triad major triad minor triad diminished triad augmented triad major seventh chord minor seventh chord dominant seventh chord leading tone half-diminished seventh chord diminished seventh chord augmented triad extension 9th chord 11th chord 13th chord cowboy chord barre chord

Chord Prog ressions HARMONIC APPROACHES FOR COMPOSITION & SONGWRITING HARMONY may follow rhythm or melody as a formal element, or it may be composed with either or both elements simultaneously. All of these approaches have been extensively used in musical composition and songwriting. The chorale harmonizations of J.S. Bach (in which the composer created complex harmonic progressions for existing melodies) and the twelve bar blues form (see Fig. 11) illustrate two opposing approaches. In contrast to the Bach chorales, in a standard, pre-conceived progression such as the 12 bar blues, a vocalist or an instrumentalist may perform melodic lines which conform, more or less, to the repeating chord pattern beneath. This particular progression, along with its innumerable variants, represents one of the most overused in American music. It may often be found in blues, jazz, R&B, folk, country, bluegrass, and rock â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;nâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; roll. Fig. 11 12 Bar Blues in E: E7 | E7 (or A7) | E7 | E7 | A7 | A7 | E7 | E7 | I (IV) (I) IV I B7 | A7 | E7 | B7 :|| V IV I V 26

Notice that the cadence, or close of the progression is on the dominant (V, referred to as a half cadence), which, rather than providing a sense of closure, serves as a turnaround, directing melodic and harmonic motion back to the tonic as the form is repeated. Progressions which end on the tonic, (known as the authentic cadence, V-I), on the other hand, provide the resolution that half cadences do not. Both authentic and half cadences are found in great variety, dependent upon inversion of the involved chords. Also worth noting is the so-called deceptive cadence (III-vi), which ends on the submediant when the tonic is expected, and serves to delay final resolution. Another progression employed ad-infinitum in 20th century American music of various genres is the so-called â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;50s progression, spelled I-vi-IV-V, which is found in many popular songs. Like the 12 bar blues, the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;50s progression also ends with a half cadence. Unlike the blues form the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;50s progression has no set number of measures or prescribed harmonic rhythm, no precise, rhythmic measure of chord changes. This, along with the introduction of the minor chord on vi, permits somehwat greater melodic flexibility. Modern songwriting occasionally calls for the construction of original harmonic schemes rather than the parroting of stock progressions. In using a more creative approach, some basic harmonic properties prove themselves quite useful. When connecting one chord to another, tones shared between chords, called common tones, may be exploited to make changes smoother. For example, the tonic (I, C-E-G in C major) and submediant

(vi, A-C-E in C major) chords share two common tones. All chords within a diatonic key contain common tones with other chords in the same key. Cycling progressions feature root movement that follows a pattern of repeated intervals. The progression vi-ii-V-I (in C Major: Am-Dm-G-C) illustrates the concept with root motion in 4ths. Cycling progressions are useful in establishing a key and providing resolution, as repeated use of an interval creates a sense of inevitability, satisfied upon by the cadence, as seen in many showtunes and standards. MODUL ATION EUROPEAN CLASSICAL MUSIC provides much more complex harmonic progressions than the 12 bar blues, the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;50s progression, or anything found on the popular charts today. Within the tradition of American music, jazz also offers harmonic richness, albeit with a very different sound. Many procedures exist for modulation, or changing the tonal center in a piece of music, and the most thorough key changes are achieved through harmonic, melodic, rhythmic, and formal means. Modulation to more closely related tonal centers utilizes simpler procedures than modulation to remote keys, and is therefore more common. Typical examples include modulation to the dominant (V) and subdominant (IV) regions, as well as to the relative minor (vi).

Any chord may be chromatically altered in a variety of ways, at any time, given that the effect rendered by the change serves the overall purpose of the piece

of music. The blues progression above features the I, IV, and V chords, all altered to dominant sevenths. By altering a major chord to a dominant seventh in this way, we may treat the chord as the dominant of another tonic, or a secondary dominant. Analysis of the progression C-Am-D-G in Fig. 11 illustrates the concept of tonicization, as each chord may be treated in relation to one or the other tonic, C or G. The ii chord (Dm) has been chromatically altered to major to achieve this effect. Fig. 12 C

(IV)

(ii)

The secondary dominant allows tonicization of any degree. The tonicized dominant (G) in Fig. 12 serves as a temporary digression from the true tonic (C), and not a full modulation. But in this way, it may act as a pivot chord, pointing the way to a new key. Once a new key is introduced, it may be further established and supported through the construction of cadences resolving to the new tonic. To illustrate, the progression is expanded to include a second, similar phrase in the new key in Fig. 13. Fig. 13 C

Am D

Em Am D

C: I

(iii)

(vi)

(II)

(V)

G: (IV)

(ii)

The only chromatic alteration to any chord in the above two examples is the change to the D chord. All of the chords may be analyzed as belonging to either key, as the roman numerals in parentheses illustrate. This ability that chords have to refer to multiple tonalities enriches the harmonic content of a piece of music considerably. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Modulationâ&#x20AC;? to the relative minor region (vi) may be achieved through similarly simple means. Chromatically altering the iii chord to its major quality (Em-E) allows it to serve as dominant to the vi. In the following example, the tonic C is firmly established, followed by the creation of a secondary dominant chord from the third degree (E), and a final phrase with a cadence on Am. Fig. 14

Dm G

(III) (vi)

Am: (III) (VI) (iv)

(VII) (III) V

Am Dm E i

(ii)

(III) (vi)

In addition to the relative minor or major of a given key, we may also modulate to the parallel key, be it major or minor. For example, C major may modulate to C minor, or vice versa. But in order to modulate to these and more remote tonal centers, more thorough procedures are employed.

Am i

TERMS: 12 bar blues cadence full cadence half cadence deceptive cadence â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;50s progression harmonic rhythm common tone cycling progression modulation relative minor secondary dominant tonicization pivot chord

Glossar y â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;50s progression: Progression found in Doo-Wop and other popular forms of American music from the 1950s onward, consisting of the chords I-vi-IV-V in a repeating pattern. 11th chord: Dominant 7th chord with added 9th and 11th. 12 bar blues: Song form found in most genres of 20th century American music, including blues, jazz, R&B, rock â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;nâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;roll, bluegrass, and country, consisting of 12 measures using the diatonic chords I, IV, and V. 13th chord: 11th chord with added 13th. 9th chord: Dominant 7th chord with an added 9th degree. accidentals: Chromatic alterations to scale tones. In musical notation: sharps, flats, or naturals. augmented triad: Major triad with a raised fifth. In C: C-E-G# barre chord: A moveable chord shape on the guitar built by laying one finger across two or more strings in place of open strings. blues scale: Minor pentatonic scale with a raised 4th/lowered 5th degree added. cadence: The close of a musical phrase. chord: Three or more tones performed simultaneously. 32

chromatic scale: Scale consisting of all 12 tones found in Western Music. common tone: Tone found in two chords, forming a harmonic link between them. consonance: Harmonic combinations which subjectively give a feeling of rest to Western ears, such as major and minor 3rds, perfect 5ths, unisons, octave. cowboy chord: An open-stringed beginnerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s guitar chord, such as C, E, G, D, and so on. cycling progression: Series of chords based on repetition of the same interval, but usually within the confines of a key. deceptive cadence: Phrase ending which avoids the expected resolution, often substituting vi in place of I. degree: A numbered tone belonging to a scale. diatonic scale: The most popular of western scales, a seven note pattern consisting of a series of whole and half steps: whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half. diminished seventh chord: Diminished chord with added diminished seventh degree. diminished triad: Three note chord consisting of root, minor third, and diminished fifth. dissonance: Unresolved harmonic tension. Certain intervals are considered dissonant: 2nds, 4ths, 7ths, and augmented and diminished intervals. 33

dominant: 5th degree of a major scale and the chord built from it. dominant seventh chord: Major triad with minor 7th. double-stop: Two notes performed simultaneously. See also dyad. dyad: Two notes performed together, implying a chordal relationship. See double-stop. enharmonic: Harmonically equal. extension: A 9th, 11th, or 13th degree, or chromatic alteration of any of them, added to a dominant 7th chord. flat: A lowered tone. Also refers to the process of lowering a tone. full cadence: A phrase which ends with the progression V-I. half cadence: Cadence ending on V. half-diminished seventh chord: Triad consisting of root, minor 3rd, diminished 5th, and minor 7th. Also called simply â&#x20AC;&#x153;halfdiminished chord.â&#x20AC;? half-step: Semitone, smallest conventionally notated interval in Western Music. One fret on the guitar. harmonic rhythm: How often chords change in a piece of music. interval: The numeric distance between two notes, indicated by a numeral and quality (major, minor, augmented, diminished, or perfect). key: Hierarchical harmonic arrangement of a piece of music, built around a central tonic note and chord. 34

leading tone: The seventh degree of a major scale, a major seventh above or one half-step below the tonic. major scale: See diatonic scale. major seventh chord: Major triad with added major 7th degree. major triad: Three note chord consisting of a root, major third, and perfect fifth. Found on the I, IV, and V degrees of a diatonic major key. mediant: The third degree of a major scale and/or the chord built from that degree as the root. minor seventh chord: Minor chord with an added minor 7th degree. minor triad: Triad consisting of root, minor 3rd, and perfect 5th. Found on ii, iii, and vi degrees of a major key. mode: Scale which treats any degree other than I as the tonic. modulation: Shift in key or tonal center. natural minor scale: 6th mode of the diatonic major scale, also known as Aeolian mode. naturally occurring half-step: In a major scale: the half-steps found between iii and IV and between vii and I. octave: Repetition of a tone twelve semitones above or below. pentatonic scale: 5 note scale. pivot chord: Chromatically altered chord which points away from 35

one tonal center towards another. quartal harmony: Harmonic system based on chords built from stacked 4ths, rather than thirds. quintal harmony: Harmonic system based on chords built from stacked 5ths, rather than thirds. relative minor: Treats the vi degree and chord as the tonic. See also natural minor scale. resolution: Harmonic relief from tension in which dissonance is replaced with consonance, typically found in cadences. root: Primary tone in a chord, from which the letter name is derived. scale: A series of tones arranged according to a repeating pattern of whole and half steps. secondary dominant: Chromatically altered chord which serves as dominant to any degree other than I. semitone: One half-step, equal to one fret on the guitar. sharp: A tone raised by one half-step. Also indicates the process of raising a tone. sub-dominant: The IV degree or the chord built from it. sub-mediant: The vi degree or chord built from it. super-tonic: The ii degree or chord. tension: Harmonic suspense, which naturally longs for resolution. 36

tertian or tertiary harmony: Harmonic scheme with chords built from stacked thirds. tonal center: Chord or tone with maximum gravity in the harmonic scheme. See also: key. tonic: The I degree or chord. tonicization: Treatment of any chord other than I as the tonic using secondary dominant chords. triad: A three note chord built from stacked thirds. whole-step: Two frets on the guitar, equal to one tone or two semi-tones.

About the Author

Luna Flores is a Mexican-American musician, sound designer, producer, songwriter, and composer. She was born in Houston, Texas.

The fundamental elements of musical harmony (interval, scale, chord, progression) are here made accessible to guitarists of any skill level. Chord diagrams, charts, and extensive terminology are packed into this brief text, making it an essential tool in every guitaristâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s gig-bag.

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