Week 1: Theory Foundations

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DAY 1

The Major Scale

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Day 01

The Major Scale

The formula that builds every key

Theory Whole Steps & Half Steps

The major scale is built from a specific sequence of whole steps (W) and half steps (H):

W – W – H – W – W – W – H

A whole step = 2 frets. A half step = 1 fret (the smallest distance on guitar).

The half steps at positions 3–4 and 7–8 are what give the major scale its characteristic bright, resolved sound.

Why the Formula Matters More Than the Pattern

If you memorize a scale shape, you know one key. If you memorize the formula, you know all twelve keys. The formula is transferable – the shape is just a consequence of applying the formula to a particular root note on a particular string.

Guitar Guitar Application: Essential Scales

Two essential scales to know from day one:

C Major Scale formula: W – W – H – W – W – W – H

C Minor Pentatonic formula: 1 – ♭3 – 4 – 5 – ♭7 (5 notes)

🎵 In the Wild

"No Surprises"

Radiohead

The glockenspiel melody in "No Surprises" traces the F major scale almost step by step, and every phrase lands back on the root. It's a clear example of the leading tone doing its job – the note just below the root creates a moment of gentle tension before settling home. Listen for how the melody always finds its way back to F.

Chorus	Gm	—	C	—	F
	ii		V		I

Ear Training Exercise 1 Hearing "Home"

Play the G major scale slowly up and down. On the last G, stop. Notice how the final note feels resolved – like arriving home. Now stop on F# and let it hang. Feel the tension, the sense of incompleteness. That pull from the 7th degree back to the root is the leading tone – the strongest single-note tension in Western music.

Day 1 Recap

The major scale formula W–W–H–W–W–W–H works from any root – memorize the formula, not just one shape
The minor pentatonic (1 ♭3 4 5 ♭7) is five notes with no clashing intervals – the most forgiving scale on guitar
Every major pentatonic shape is also a minor pentatonic – same notes, different root, 3 frets lower
Landing on chord tones (root, 3rd, 5th) makes phrases sound intentional – that's the difference between running a scale and playing music

🎯 Exercise – G Major Scale: Full Neck Map

Every G major note (G A B C D E F#) across the entire neck, frets 0–12. Fret markers (●) at positions 3, 5, 7, 9, 12 match the dots on your guitar. Colours: root (1), 3rd, 5th.

G Major Scale · full neck · frets 0–12


e	E6	·	F#7	G1	·	A2	·	B3	C4	·	D5	·	E6
B	B3	C4	·	D5	·	E6	·	F#7	G1	·	A2	·	B3
G	G1	·	A2	·	B3	C4	·	D5	·	E6	·	F#7	G1
D	D5	·	E6	·	F#7	G1	·	A2	·	B3	C4	·	D5
A	A2	·	B3	C4	·	D5	·	E6	·	F#7	G1	·	A2
E	E6	·	F#7	G1	·	A2	·	B3	C4	·	D5	·	E6
	0□	1	2	3●	4	5●	6	7●	8	9●	10	11	12●

1Find every G on the neck: look at the map and locate all the amber G notes across all 6 strings. There are 8 of them between frets 0–12. These are your home bases — the notes where any phrase can safely land and resolve.

2Play the open position (frets 0–3): starting on the low E string open (that's E, not G — so you're starting on the 6th degree). Ascend every highlighted note string by string up to the high e string. Don't skip any strings. Listen for where G appears and how it feels more settled than the surrounding notes.

3Find the leading tone: on the map, find every F# (the 7th degree, in purple). Play F# then resolve up to G on the same string. That half-step pull — F# wanting to become G — is the leading tone. You can hear it on any string, anywhere on the neck.

4Sing the degrees: play slowly up one string at a time and say the degree out loud as you play each note (1, 2, 3, 4…). When you hit 7, pause. Feel the tension. Resolve to 1. This is the ear-training payoff of the full map exercise.

TIPDon't try to memorize every note position yet — just look for patterns. Every string has the same sequence of whole and half steps, just starting from a different open note.

🎯 Exercise 1b – Sequences in 3s: Two Forward, One Back

Instead of running straight up the scale, move in overlapping groups of three: play the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd note – then step back to the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th – then the 3rd, 4th, and 5th, and so on. In G major open position that looks like: G A B · A B C · B C D · C D E · D E F# · E F# G. Then descend the same way.

Why sequences beat straight runs Running up and down the scale builds shape memory. Sequences build note memory – you have to know what comes next because the pattern keeps resetting. They also sound far more musical. Most licks and melodies you recognise are built from sequence logic rather than straight scalar motion.

1Play open position G major straight up and down once to warm up.

2Ascending in 3s: G A B – A B C – B C D – C D E – D E F# – E F# G. Say the note names out loud as you play. Go slowly – the goal is accuracy, not speed.

3Descending in 3s: G F# E – F# E D – E D C – D C B – C B A – B A G. Same idea in reverse.

4Set a metronome to 60 bpm. Assign one note per beat. When every note rings cleanly, bump it to 65 bpm.

5Apply to the 5th position box (frets 3–8): same sequence logic, different region of the neck. The pattern is identical – only the frets change.

TIPIf you stumble at a particular group (say, D E F#), isolate that trio and repeat it ten times before continuing. The sequence reveals exactly which note transitions your fingers don't yet trust.

🎯 Exercise 1c – Name the Note, Then Play It

Pick a note name – say "D". Before touching the guitar, look at the full neck map above and say out loud where D lives on each string in open position. Then verify every one by playing it. Repeat with a different note.

Shape memory vs. note memory Most players learn the scale as a shape – their fingers know where to go but their brain doesn't know what note is playing. That's fine for running the scale, but it makes intentional improvisation nearly impossible. This exercise directly closes that gap. When you can name a note before you play it, you're playing music. When you can't, you're navigating a pattern.

1Say "G" out loud. Scan the neck map mentally – without looking at your guitar – and name every string and fret where G appears in open position. Then check yourself on the map.

2Play every G in open position, saying "G" each time you pick the note. Don't rush.

3Repeat with A, then B, then C – working through each note in the scale one at a time. Four notes is enough for one session.

4Spot quiz: close your eyes, land your finger on any fret in the open position zone, open your eyes and name the note before you play it. Check with the map. Do this ten times.

TIPDon't try to name all seven notes in one sitting. G, D, and B – the chord tones – are the most useful to internalise first since they're the notes that sound strongest over a G chord.

🎯 Exercise 1d – Two-Bar Phrase, Then Answer

Play a short 2–3 note idea anywhere in open position – just a tiny musical fragment, no plan needed. Then pause for a beat. Then "answer" it with a different 2–3 note idea that ends on G. That's it. Call, silence, response.

Why this is the bridge to real music Every melody, solo, and hook you've ever heard is built from phrases and responses – musical questions and answers. The pause between them is as important as the notes. Starting with just 2–3 notes keeps the bar low enough that you stop overthinking and start listening. Landing on G at the end trains your ear to hear resolution, which is the single most important instinct in improvisation.

1Strum a G major chord once to set the tonal centre. Let it ring.

2Call: play 2–3 notes from open position, freely. No rules on which ones. Stop and let silence sit for a full beat.

3Answer: play a different 2–3 note idea that ends on any G on the neck. The ending on G is the only rule.

4Repeat 8–10 times. Each call/answer pair is its own tiny conversation. Don't try to connect them – let each one be fresh.

5Raise the bar: try ending some answers on B or D instead of G. Chord tones all resolve – notice how each one has a slightly different flavour of "home".

TIPIf you freeze up trying to think of a "call", just play three neighbouring notes in any direction – E F# G, or D E F#, anything. The point isn't originality yet. The point is getting comfortable with the pause and the landing.

🎯 Exercise 1e – Pedal Point on the Root

Pick any note in the scale, then immediately return to G before moving to the next one. G → A → G → B → G → C → G → D and so on. The root becomes a rhythmic anchor that everything else orbits around.

Why this sounds musical immediately A pedal point is one of the oldest tricks in melody writing – a repeated or sustained note that anchors everything around it. Using the root as the pedal means every other note you play is heard in relation to home. It sounds intentional from the very first attempt, even if you're a complete beginner, because the ear always knows where it is.

1Ascending with pedal: G A G B G C G D G E G F# G. Use open G string (string 3) or fret 3 on the low E – whichever is closest each time.

2Descending with pedal: G F# G E G D G C G B G A G. Same idea in reverse.

3Strum a G chord, let it ring, then play the pedal pattern over it. Notice how each "away" note creates a tiny moment of tension before the G resolves it.

4Free version: keep returning to G but choose the "away" notes freely, in any order. Don't ascend stepwise – jump around. G then D, G then B, G then F#. Let your ear guide which note comes next.

5Try a different pedal: swap G for D (the 5th). D → E → D → F# → D → G → D. The 5th makes a stable pedal too – slightly less resolved than the root, which creates a different kind of tension.

TIPOnce the pattern feels easy, add rhythm – don't play every note on the beat. Let some pedal notes land on the offbeat, or hold the "away" note for two beats before returning. Rhythm is what turns an exercise into a lick.

🎯 Exercise 2 – Pentatonic Scales: One Shape, Two Sounds

The minor pentatonic you've been hearing about (G Bb C D F) is one flavour. But there's a brighter five-note scale too – and here's the shortcut: you only need to learn one set of shapes to get both.

The relative major/minor shortcut Every major pentatonic scale shares its 5 notes with a minor pentatonic scale – just a different root. G major pentatonic and E minor pentatonic are the same shape on the neck.

Play from G (root, amber) → sounds bright, major
Play from E (6th, mint) → sounds dark, minor

One shape. Two tonal centres. The map below shows both – same notes, your choice of root.

G Major Pentatonic = E Minor Pentatonic · same 5 notes · frets 0–12


e	E6	·	·	G1	·	A2	·	B3	·	·	D5	·	E6
B	B3	·	·	D5	·	E6	·	·	G1	·	A2	·	B3
G	G1	·	A2	·	B3	·	·	D5	·	E6	·	·	G1
D	D5	·	E6	·	·	G1	·	A2	·	B3	·	·	D5
A	A2	·	B3	·	·	D5	·	E6	·	·	G1	·	A2
E	E6	·	·	G1	·	A2	·	B3	·	·	D5	·	E6
	0□	1	2	3●	4	5●	6	7●	8	9●	10	11	12●

1Play the open position (frets 0–5): start on low E open (E) and ascend. It sounds minor – because E is the root of E minor pentatonic.

2Same position, new root: now start from G on E string fret 3 (amber). Same notes, ascending from G. Brighter, more resolved – that's G major pentatonic.

3Try the upper box (frets 7–12): root G is on E string fret 7 (major feel) or E on e string fret 12 (minor feel). One shape, two moods.

4Over a G major chord: strum G, then improvise using only the amber and green notes. Notice how landing on G always resolves.

5Over an Em chord: strum Em, improvise the same shape. Now E is home. Same notes, completely different emotional pull.

TIPThis relative relationship – every major pentatonic has a minor pentatonic built-in, rooted a minor 3rd lower – applies to every key. Learn G major pentatonic positions and you've simultaneously learned E minor pentatonic. That's the shortcut.

🎯 Exercise 2b – Chord-Tone Targeting

The chord underneath you tells you which notes feel like home. Strum G major, improvise freely using the open box shape, and try to land on G, B, or D at the end of each phrase. Then swap to Em – same shape, same notes – but now try to land on E, G, or B instead. The chord changes which notes feel resolved.

Why landing matters more than moving Most beginners focus on which notes to play. Experienced players focus on where to land. A phrase that ends on a chord tone always sounds intentional – even if the notes leading up to it were random. G, B, and D are the chord tones of G major. E, G, and B are the chord tones of Em. Both chords share G and B, which is why the same pentatonic shape works over both – but the one note that differs (D vs E) is exactly what shifts the emotional colour.

1Strum G major once and let it ring. Improvise 3–4 notes from the open box, then land on G (E string fret 3, or open G string). Repeat five times, always ending on G.

2Same thing, but now target B as your landing note (A string fret 2, G string open, or B string open). Notice it feels slightly less final than G – resolved, but lighter.

3Strum Em. Improvise and land on E (low E open, D string fret 2, or high e open). Same shape, but now E is the note that sounds most at rest.

4Alternate chords: strum G, play a phrase landing on G or B. Strum Em, play a phrase landing on E or G. Do this 6–8 times, switching chords each phrase. You're improvising over a chord change using one shape.

5Drop the rules: play freely over alternating G and Em without thinking about targets. Just notice after each phrase whether it sounded resolved or not. Your ear is starting to learn this on its own.

TIPYou don't need to land on a chord tone every time – tension and release is what makes music interesting. But knowing which notes are the landing pads means you can choose when to resolve and when to keep the listener hanging.

🎯 Exercise 2c – Two-Notes-Per-String Fluency Drill

The pentatonic box has exactly two notes per string – no more, no less. That symmetry makes it the ideal vehicle for building clean picking and legato technique. Run through the open box three ways: alternate picking, all-downstrokes, then hammer-ons up and pull-offs down.

Why two-per-string is special Most scales have uneven note counts per string, which makes picking patterns unpredictable. The pentatonic's two-per-string layout means every string crossing happens on the same picking stroke direction – a clean, repeatable pattern your right hand can lock into. Hammer-ons and pull-offs on a two-note group also sound natural and fluid, which is why most classic rock pentatonic licks are legato-heavy.

1Alternate picking: ascend the open box with strict down-up per note (down on E string fret 3, up on fret 6, down on A string fret 3, up on fret 5…). Descend with up-down. Start at 60 bpm, one note per beat.

2All downstrokes: same path, every note a downstroke. Slower and heavier feeling – notice how the tone changes. This is how a lot of blues rhythm-lead hybrids are played.

3Legato ascending: pick only the first note on each string – hammer-on the second. So: pick E str fret 3, hammer fret 6 · pick A str fret 3, hammer fret 5 · and so on. Let the notes ring smoothly into each other.

4Legato descending: pick only the first (higher) note on each string – pull-off to the second. So: pick e str fret 6, pull-off to fret 3 · pick B str fret 6, pull-off to fret 3 · and so on.

5Combine: ascend legato, descend with alternate picking. Then reverse. These combinations are the building blocks of most classic pentatonic licks.

TIPFor hammer-ons to ring cleanly, the hammering finger needs to come down with enough force and land right behind the fret, not on top of it. If the note sounds muted or buzzy, it's usually a finger placement issue rather than a strength issue.

🎯 Exercise 2d – Find the Relative Pair in a New Key

The relative minor root is always 3 frets lower than the major root on the same string. That's the whole rule. From G major (E string fret 3) slide down 3 frets and you land on E (open) – E minor pentatonic. One formula, every key on the neck.

The formula is movable This isn't a G-specific trick – it works in every key because the interval between a major root and its relative minor is always a minor 3rd (3 frets). Learn this relationship once and you've unlocked the relative pair for every key you'll ever play in.

1You already know G major pentatonic (root: E string fret 3). Apply the rule: 3 frets lower = E (open string). Play the open box shape rooted on E. That's E minor pentatonic – the same notes you've been playing.

2Try A major pentatonic: root is A string open (fret 0). 3 frets lower on the same string would be below the nut – so instead, go to the equivalent position: F# minor pentatonic roots at A string fret 9 (or E string fret 2). Play the box shape from there.

3Try D major pentatonic: root at A string fret 5. Subtract 3 frets → A string fret 2 = B. So D major pentatonic and B minor pentatonic are the same shape. Play both roots and hear the difference.

4Pick any fret on the low E string as a major root. Name it, subtract 3, name the relative minor. Play the box from both roots. Repeat with 3 different starting frets.

TIPThe quickest way to name the relative minor in any key: take the major key name and count down to the 6th degree of its scale. G major's 6th degree is E – so E minor is the relative. It's the same 3-fret rule, just expressed in theory terms.

🎯 Exercise 2e – Motif and Variation

Invent a 3-note idea from anywhere in the open box. Play it. Then play the same rhythmic and melodic shape starting one scale step higher. Then one step higher again. You've just sequenced a motif – the technique behind most recognisable guitar solos.

One idea is enough The most common mistake in improvisation is trying to play as many different ideas as possible. Professional soloists do the opposite – they find one small idea and develop it through repetition, variation, and sequence. A 3-note motif repeated and shifted sounds like a composed solo. Random notes from the same scale sound like an exercise.

1Create a motif: play any 3 notes from the open box in sequence – e.g. G → Bb → C (E str fret 3, fret 6, A str fret 3). That's your motif. Remember the rhythm you used.

2Shift it up one step: start on the next note of the scale (Bb) and play the same shape – Bb → C → D. Same rhythm, new starting note.

3Shift again: C → D → F. Keep going until you've moved the motif through 3–4 starting positions. Then descend back to the original.

4Vary the rhythm: keep the same 3 notes but change how long you hold each one. A short-short-long rhythm sounds completely different from long-short-short. One motif, multiple feels.

5End with resolution: after a sequence of shifted motifs, land finally on G. The sequence creates tension; the G landing releases it. That arc – tension then resolution – is the skeleton of every solo ever written.

TIPIf you can't think of a motif, borrow one: the three notes G → Bb → C played with a slight rhythmic lilt is one of the most common blues-pentatonic cells in existence. Start there, sequence it, and you'll immediately sound like you know what you're doing.

🎯 Exercise 2f – Sing It, Then Play It

Hum or sing a short 3–4 note melody – anything that comes to mind, no musical knowledge required. Then find those notes in the open box on the guitar. The pentatonic has no half-steps, so there's almost no chance of singing something that isn't in there.

The most important skill on this page Every other exercise here trains your fingers or your theory knowledge. This one trains the connection between your ear and your hands – the skill that separates players who sound musical from those who sound like they're running patterns. The earlier you start building this connection, the faster everything else develops.

1Hum any short melody – 3 or 4 notes. Don't overthink it. Even humming a fragment of a song you know is fine.

2Find the first note on the guitar. Search the open box until a note matches what you were humming. Take your time – this is the hard part, and it gets easier every session.

3Find the remaining notes one at a time. Play the full melody back. Hum along as you play it to confirm it matches.

4Repeat 5 times with a fresh melody each time. They can be tiny – 3 notes is enough. The goal is the searching process, not the complexity of what you find.

5Reverse it: play a random note, then sing the next note you'd like to hear, then find it on the guitar. You're beginning to think melodically rather than spatially.

TIPIf you can't find a note, try the string above or below – the same pitch often appears on an adjacent string in the pentatonic box. And if your hummed melody genuinely isn't in the box, you may have wandered outside the scale – which is actually useful ear training in itself.

DAY 2

Intervals, The Distance Between Any Two Notes

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Day 02

Intervals, The Distance Between Notes

Why every chord and melody sounds the way it does

An interval is the distance between any two notes. Every emotional quality in music – the brightness of a major chord, the sadness of a minor one, the tension of a dominant 7th – comes down to intervals. Learn to hear them and you stop guessing why music sounds the way it does.

Theory The 13 Intervals

Every interval has a name, a number of half steps, and an emotional character:

Interval	Half Steps	Sound / Feel	Example in G
Minor 2nd	1	Tense, dissonant	G → G#
Major 2nd	2	Stepwise, neutral	G → A
Minor 3rd	3	Sad, inward	G → Bb
Major 3rd	4	Bright, open	G → B
Perfect 4th	5	Open, stable	G → C
Tritone	6	Maximum tension	G → Db
Perfect 5th	7	Powerful, hollow	G → D
Minor 6th	8	Melancholic	G → Eb
Major 6th	9	Warm, nostalgic	G → E
Minor 7th	10	Bluesy, unresolved	G → F
Major 7th	11	Dreamy, yearning	G → F#
Octave	12	Full resolution	G → G

The Two You Need First

The major 3rd (4 half steps) and minor 3rd (3 half steps) are the most important intervals in harmony – they're what makes a chord major or minor. One fret is the difference between happy and sad.

Guitar Guitar Application: Intervals on the Fretboard

The same interval always looks the same on the fretboard, regardless of where you start. Learn the shape, not the note names.

Major 3rd — 4 frets

G B

Bright, open, happy

Minor 3rd — 3 frets

G B♭

Sad, inward, serious

Tip

Play the major 3rd and minor 3rd back to back slowly. The difference is a single fret – but the emotional shift is enormous. Train your ear to hear this difference before moving on; it underlies every chord quality decision you'll make.

🎵 In the Wild

"Reptilia"

The Strokes

"Reptilia" opens with one of the cleanest natural minor descents in rock: i – ♭VII – ♭VI – V, every note inside D natural minor. The V chord (A major) is borrowed – the raised 7th creates tension that pulls hard back to Dm. That one borrowed chord is why the riff sounds so inevitable.

Dm	—	C	—	B♭	—	A
i		♭VII		♭VI		V

Ear Training Exercise 2 Recognising Intervals

Play a major 3rd and a minor 3rd alternately, 10 times each. Without looking at the fretboard, can you tell which is which by sound alone? The major 3rd should feel bright and open; the minor 3rd should feel slightly inward and serious. This distinction is the foundation of hearing major vs minor chords.

Day 2 Recap

An interval is the distance between two notes, measured in half steps
Major 3rd = 4 half steps (bright); Minor 3rd = 3 half steps (sad) – one fret difference
The tritone (6 half steps) is maximum tension – it appears in dominant 7th chords
Perfect 5th = open and powerful; Major 7th = dreamy and yearning
Training interval recognition by ear is learning the grammar of music

🎯 Practice Exercise – Name It Before You Look

Play two notes anywhere on the neck. Before you count the frets, try to name the interval by ear. Then check. This is slow at first – the goal is to start building the connection between sound and theory.

1Play G (E string fret 3) then B (A string fret 2). Name it. Count it. Is it a major 3rd (4 half steps)?

2Play G then Bb (A string fret 1). Name it. Minor 3rd – 3 half steps. Feel the difference from the step above.

3Play G (E string fret 3) then D (D string open). That wide, open sound – perfect 5th, 7 half steps.

4Play G then F# (e string fret 2). That restless, yearning quality – major 7th, 11 half steps.

5Now play any two random notes. Try to name the interval before counting. Repeat 5 times.

TIPYou won't recognise intervals instantly – that takes months. The goal today is just to notice that each interval has a distinct emotional colour. Major 3rd = bright. Minor 3rd = inward. Tritone = uneasy. Perfect 5th = open. Start hearing the mood before the name.

🎯 Practice Exercise – Interval Stack

Build every interval from G in sequence — hearing them in order reveals the ladder of tension and colour that makes up the scale.

1Play G (E string fret 3) and A (fret 5). That one-step gap is a major 2nd — the sound of a melody moving by step. No tension, just motion. Repeat it 5 times.

2Play G then B (A string fret 2). Major 3rd — 4 half steps. Bright and open. This is the interval that makes a chord feel major. Repeat 5 times, then hum the distance between the two notes.

3Play G then D (D string open). Perfect 5th — 7 half steps. Wide, powerful, stable. This is the interval in power chords. Repeat 5 times.

4Play G then F# (e string fret 2). Major 7th — 11 half steps. Dreamy, yearning, unstable in a beautiful way. One half step below the octave. Repeat 5 times.

5Now play them all in sequence from G without stopping. G–A (M2), G–B (M3), G–D (P5), G–F# (M7). Say the interval name as each one rings. Then close your eyes and play each one from memory, naming it before you pick. Notice that each has a distinct emotional character — not just a different pitch.

TIPInterval recognition is not about counting frets every time — it’s about recognising the sound. The shortcut: every interval feels like something. Major 3rd = bright. Minor 3rd = slightly inward. Perfect 5th = open and powerful. Major 7th = yearning. Start associating the sound with the feeling before you worry about the name or the formula.

🎯 Practice Exercise – Melodic vs Harmonic

The same interval sounds different depending on whether you play the notes in sequence or together. Training both versions doubles your recognition speed.

1Major 3rd — melodic first. Play G (E string fret 3), then B (A string fret 2), one after the other. Hear the gap: bright, upward. Now play both together — strum them simultaneously. The harmonic version sounds like the bottom two notes of a major chord. Do 5 times each.

2Minor 3rd — melodic vs harmonic. Play G then Bb (A string fret 1) — melodic. Then together. The minor 3rd is just one fret smaller than the major 3rd, but the emotional shift is significant: inward, slightly darker. Do 5 times each.

3Perfect 5th — melodic vs harmonic. G then D (D string open) in sequence, then together. The harmonic P5 is the power chord sound — open and strong. Melodic it feels like a leap outward. Do 5 times each.

4Tritone — melodic vs harmonic. G then C# (A string fret 4). This is 6 half steps — exactly halfway through the octave. Melodic: uneasy, ambiguous. Harmonic: dissonant and tense. This is the interval that defines the V7 chord’s tension. Do 5 times each.

5Test yourself: close your eyes. Play any two-note combination and before opening your eyes, decide: does it sound like a third (close, warm), a fifth (open, wide), or a tritone (uneasy)? Check. Repeat 10 times. The goal is associating the feeling with the interval category — not naming it precisely every time.

TIPHarmonic intervals (both notes at once) are what you hear in chords. Melodic intervals (notes in sequence) are what you hear in melodies. Training both versions matters because your ear needs to recognise the same distance in two completely different musical contexts. Eventually they’ll feel like the same thing — but the two-version training gets you there faster.

🎯 Practice Exercise – Song Interval References

The fastest way to memorise intervals is to associate each one with a familiar song. Your ear already knows the song — now it learns the interval name attached to that sound.

1Perfect 4th (5 half steps): the opening two notes of "Here Comes the Bride" (or "Amazing Grace"). Play G then C. That upward leap is a P4. Play it 5 times and hum the melody. The sound is strong but slightly incomplete — like a question.

2Perfect 5th (7 half steps): the opening two notes of "Twinkle Twinkle." Play G then D. Wide, open, stable. Play it 5 times. This is the most important interval in music — it defines the relationship between I and V in every key.

3Major 6th (9 half steps): the opening of "My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean" or "NBC chime." Play G then E (D string fret 2). Warm and expansive. Play it 5 times.

4Minor 7th (10 half steps): the opening two notes of "Somewhere" (from West Side Story) going down, or the first two notes of a dominant 7th chord played widely. Play G then F (D string fret 3). That slightly unresolved stretch is the minor 7th. Play it 5 times.

5Self-test: pick any two of the four intervals above and play them without looking. Before opening your eyes, name the interval. Then check. The song reference should be the trigger — hear the sound, recall the song, name the interval. Do 10 rounds. Accuracy now matters less than building the reflex of connecting sound to name.

TIPSong references work because your brain already has emotional memories attached to those melodies. When you associate "that P5 feeling" with "Twinkle Twinkle," you’re hijacking an existing neural pathway rather than building a new one from scratch. This is the shortcut used by every musician who can identify intervals quickly — not theory, just borrowed familiarity.

🎯 Practice Exercise – Half Step Hunt

The G major scale has exactly two half steps: B–C and F#–G. These are the defining intervals of the key — the moments of maximum tension. Finding them physically on the neck connects the theory to the instrument.

1Find B–C on the A string. B is at fret 2, C is at fret 3. Play them back and forth: B–C–B–C. One fret apart — that’s a half step. Hear how close they are. This is the major scale stepping from the 3rd to the 4th degree.

2Find F#–G on the E string. F# is at fret 2, G is at fret 3. Same physical distance as B–C — one fret. Play back and forth. This is the scale stepping from the 7th (leading tone) to the root. The pull of F# toward G is the strongest resolution in the key.

3Find both half steps across the full scale. Ascend the G major scale in open position. Every time you hit a B or an F#, slow down: you’re approaching a half step. Feel the "tightest" moments in the scale. Those tight moments are what give the major scale its characteristic sound.

4Compare the half step to the whole step. Play G–A (whole step, 2 frets). Then B–C (half step, 1 fret). Alternate. The whole step feels spacious; the half step feels close and slightly tense. This difference is the reason major and minor scales have their distinct characters.

5Play the G major scale ascending and say "half step" out loud every time you hit B or F#. Do this five times. The verbal label forces you to be conscious of the structural moments in the scale rather than just running your fingers through a shape.

TIPThe two half steps in a major scale are not just theoretical trivia — they’re what makes the scale sound "major." The pentatonic scale has no half steps, which is why it sounds open and universal. The full major scale adds the 4th and 7th specifically because those notes create the half-step tensions that give the scale its characteristic brightness and resolution quality. Every musician should know where those half steps are in whatever key they’re playing.

DAY 3

The Harmonized Scale, How Chords Are Generated

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Day 03

The Harmonized Scale

How chords are generated from the major scale

The seven chords of the key don't come from a list to memorize – they're generated automatically by stacking thirds on each note of the scale. Understanding this process means you always know which chords belong together and why.

Theory Stacking Thirds

A third means skipping one note in the scale. From any note, count up three scale steps and you land on a third. Stack two thirds on top of each other and you have a triad — a three-note chord.

But here's the key: not all thirds are the same size. The G major scale has both whole steps and half steps in it, so depending on where you start, the gap between notes changes. A major third spans 4 frets. A minor third spans 3. The combination of those two intervals is what makes a chord major or minor — not a label you assign, but a result of the math.

What is a Third?

G B

Skip one scale note (A). That two-step distance is a third.

Two Thirds = a Chord

G B D

G + B + D — skip C, land on D. That's G major.

Why Some Chords Come Out Minor

Start on A instead of G. Stack the same way — skip B, land on C. Then skip D, land on E. You get A + C + E. But notice: A→C is only 3 frets (a minor third), and C→E is 4 frets (a major third). Minor third on the bottom means a minor chord. The scale's own intervals force the quality — you don't choose it.

G major — maj 3rd first

G B D

4 frets + 3 frets = Major

Am — min 3rd first

A C E

3 frets + 4 frets = Minor

Why the 7th Degree Comes Out Diminished

Start on F# — the 7th degree of G major. Stack thirds the same way: skip G, land on A. Then skip B, land on C. You get F# + A + C. Now measure the gaps: F#→A is 3 frets (minor third), and A→C is also 3 frets (another minor third). Two minor thirds stacked = a diminished chord. It's the only chord in the scale built this way.

F#° — two min 3rds

F# A C

3 frets + 3 frets = Diminished

The diminished triad is uniquely unstable — both intervals are minor thirds, which creates maximum tension. In G major, F#° almost always resolves to G (I). Think of it as a compressed dominant: it wants home just as urgently as the V chord, but with a sharper edge.

G major — stacking thirds from each degree

Transpose to a different root

The Pattern is the Same in Every Key

Major – Minor – Minor – Major – Major – Minor – Diminished. The chord qualities always follow this order in any major key. You don't need to memorize the chords for every key separately — just know the pattern and where the root is.

🎵 In the Wild

"Archie, Marry Me"

Alvvays

The verse and chorus of "Archie, Marry Me" stay entirely in D major — D (I), A (V), Bm (vi), G (IV). Every chord is generated directly from the D major scale. Alvvays never reach outside the key once, which is exactly why it feels so clean and inevitable. Diatonic chords work because they share notes — each change is a small pivot, not a leap into the unknown.

D	—	A	—	Bm	—	G
I		V		vi		IV

I=Home, IV=Lift, V=Tension, vi=Emotional

The four most used chords in all of Western popular music. The I chord feels like home base. The IV chord lifts away from home without leaving the key. The V chord creates maximum tension and wants desperately to return to I. The vi chord (relative minor) adds emotional weight and complexity.

Guitar Guitar Application: Playing the Harmonized Scale

Play through the G major harmonized scale: G – Am – Bm – C – D – Em – F#° – G. Listen to how each chord quality changes the emotional colour while all seven chords remain in the same key.

G Major Harmonized Scale all seven chords built by stacking 3rds on each scale degree

Each chord — name · diagram · Roman numeral · NNS · quality

G

I · Major

Am

ii · minor

Bm

iii · minor

C

IV · Major

D

V · Major

Em

vi · minor

F#°

vii° · dim

Transpose to a different key

Chord functions

I IV V – Major chords (home, lift, tension) ii iii vi – minor chords (emotional, introspective) vii° – diminished (unstable, always resolves to I)

This pattern of qualities – Major minor minor Major Major minor dim – is identical in every major key. Learn the pattern once and it applies everywhere. The I, IV, and V are always major; the ii, iii, and vi are always minor; the vii is always diminished.

Ear Training Exercise 3 The I–IV–V–vi Backbone

Play this progression: G – C – D – Em (I–IV–V–vi). This four-chord sequence underlies thousands of songs. Play it slowly and feel each chord's function: G=settled, C=lifting, D=tense, Em=emotional weight. Then try: Em – C – G – D (vi–IV–I–V). Same chords, different starting point, completely different emotional character.

🎵 In the Wild

"Disco"

Geese

In "Disco," Geese plant a major chord where the key's minor tonality would generate a minor one — the same raised-third logic as Creep's III major, but weaponised for velocity rather than vulnerability. Roman numerals make the outlier immediately visible: i → ♭III → ♭VII → V. One non-diatonic move is all it takes to define a track.

Em	—	G	—	D	—	B
i		♭III		♭VII		V

Day 3 Recap

Stack thirds on every scale note to generate all seven chords of the key
Pattern of qualities: Major–Minor–Minor–Major–Major–Minor–Diminished (same in every key)
I = home, IV = lift, V = tension wanting to resolve, vi = emotional depth
All seven chords belong together because they share the same seven scale notes

🎯 Practice Exercise – Play It and Say It

Strum through the G major harmonized scale and say the NNS number and quality out loud as you play each chord. This locks in the connection between your hand, your ear, and the theory simultaneously.

1Strum G and say "one – major". Let it ring.

2Continue: Am "two-minor", Bm "three-minor", C "four-major", D "five-major", Em "six-minor", F#° "seven-dim".

3Play it back in reverse: F#°, Em, D, C, Bm, Am, G. Still saying the number and quality.

4Now try it without the chord names – just numbers and qualities from memory. G first.

5Finally: play just I, IV, V, vi (G, C, D, Em) and feel how those four chords cover most of popular music.

TIPSaying it out loud is not optional – it's the exercise. The verbal labelling is what makes the theory stick. If you feel self-conscious, you're doing it right.

🎯 Practice Exercise – Function Focus

The four most important chords in the key — I, IV, V, vi — each have a distinct emotional function. This exercise locks in the feeling of each function through naming and playing simultaneously.

1Play G major (I) and say "home" out loud. Let it ring for 4 beats. Home is where the music resolves — the most settled, grounded feeling in the key. Repeat 3 times.

2Play C major (IV) and say "lift." IV moves away from home in a bright, open direction. It doesn’t create tension — it creates space and momentum. Move between I and IV slowly: home, lift, home, lift. Say the function each time.

3Play D major (V) and say "tension." V is the most charged chord in the key — it actively wants to resolve back to I. Move between V and I: tension, home, tension, home. Feel the pull. That pull is what makes the V–I movement the fundamental resolution in Western music.

4Play Em (vi) and say "emotion." vi is the relative minor — it shares the same key but has a completely different emotional character. Dark, introspective, the "sad" chord in a major key. Move through I–vi–IV–V–I and say each function as you play.

5Free strumming: name the function before each chord. Play any sequence of I, IV, V, vi in random order, but say "home," "lift," "tension," or "emotion" a full beat before you play the chord. The pre-declaration forces you to know the function before your hand moves. Do this for 3 minutes.

TIPFunction is more portable than chord names. "Play the lift chord" works in any key. "Play C major" only works in G. Once you hear chords by function — home, lift, tension, emotion — you can navigate any major key by feel rather than memorisation. That’s what experienced musicians mean when they say a progression "feels" like a certain thing: they’re hearing function, not names.

🎯 Practice Exercise – Major vs Minor Pairs

Hearing major and minor back-to-back on the same root or adjacent degree is the fastest way to internalise the quality difference by sound rather than formula.

1G major then G minor. Play G major (G–B–D), then immediately play G minor (G–B♭–D — fret the B string one fret lower, or barre it). The only difference is one note — B vs B♭. Hear the shift from bright to darker. Play 5 times, switching each bar.

2A minor (ii) then A major. Am (A–C–E) is the ii chord — naturally minor in G major. Now play A major (add C# — capo or partial barre). Same root, completely different quality. The major version doesn’t belong in G major, which makes it sound slightly surprising. 5 times each.

3C major (IV) then Cm. C major is the "lift" chord. C minor has a completely different emotional weight — darker, more dramatic. Notice how a single half-step change in one note (E to E♭) transforms the feeling. 5 comparisons.

4D major (V) then Dm. D major is the tension chord pulling toward G. D minor loses that directed tension — it sounds more ambiguous, less urgent. The major 3rd (F#) in the V chord is what creates the dominant pull. Remove it (D minor has F not F#) and the pull weakens. 5 comparisons.

5Play the harmonized scale in order: G, Am, Bm, C, D, Em, F#° Say "major" or "minor" or "diminished" for each before you play it. Then listen and confirm. The pattern — Major Minor Minor Major Major Minor Diminished — is the same in every major key. Say it five times until it’s automatic.

TIPThe major/minor quality difference comes from a single interval — one note changes by a half step. Hearing that change on the same root (G major vs G minor) isolates the effect more clearly than any number of theory diagrams. Once you’ve heard the difference that one note makes, the formula major/minor = 4+3 vs 3+4 half steps becomes something you hear rather than something you calculate.

🎯 Practice Exercise – Spell the Chord

Saying the three notes of each chord while playing connects the visual chord shape to its harmonic content. You stop seeing a fingering and start seeing the notes.

1G major. Play it and say "G – B – D." Root, major 3rd, perfect 5th. These three notes appear in multiple chord voicings across the neck. Saying them forces you to know what’s in the chord, not just where to put your fingers. Say it five times.

2Am. Play it and say "A – C – E." Root, minor 3rd, perfect 5th. Notice: C to E is a major 3rd (4 half steps), but A to C is only a minor 3rd (3 half steps). The minor 3rd on the bottom is what makes it minor. Say it five times.

3Bm, C, D. Bm = B–D–F#. C = C–E–G. D = D–F#–A. Play each chord, say the notes out loud. Do each one five times. The shared notes between chords will become audible: G appears in both G and C. D appears in both G and D. These shared notes are why adjacent chords sound related.

4Em and F#°. Em = E–G–B. F#° = F#–A–C. Play each and say the notes. The diminished chord (F#°) has two minor thirds stacked — F# to A (3 half steps), A to C (3 half steps). It has no perfect 5th, which is why it sounds unstable.

5Spell the whole harmonized scale from memory. G (G–B–D), Am (A–C–E), Bm (B–D–F#), C (C–E–G), D (D–F#–A), Em (E–G–B), F#° (F#–A–C). Play each and say the notes without checking. This is the week 1 chord vocabulary at the deepest level.

TIPSpelling chords by note name is the bridge between playing chords and understanding harmony. When you know G major is G–B–D, you start to hear the G in every chord that contains it. You hear that G and C share the note G. That D and G share D and B. These connections are invisible when you think of chords as fingering shapes — they become audible when you think of them as note collections.

🎯 Practice Exercise – The IV–V–I Loop

The IV–V–I resolution is the most fundamental harmonic movement in Western music. Isolating it and drilling it by ear builds the most important piece of harmonic intuition there is.

1Play C (IV) then D (V) then G (I). Slowly. Say "lift – tension – home" as you play each chord. Feel the arc: moving away from home (IV), building charge (V), releasing back to home (I). Do this 10 times.

2Reverse it: I–IV–V–I. G–C–D–G. Say "home – lift – tension – home." The full arc in one cycle. This is the fundamental harmonic sentence of Western music. Play it 10 times slowly.

3Try the V–I resolution in isolation. Play D, hold it, then resolve to G. Just those two chords, repeatedly. Listen to the pull of D toward G. That pull is created by F# (in D major) wanting to resolve up a half step to G. The more you focus on it, the more you’ll hear the leading tone’s gravity.

4Play the 1–5–6m–4 variation. G–D–Em–C. This version delays the IV–V–I resolution by inserting the vi chord. Notice how Em (6m) adds emotional weight before the C (IV). The same resolution at the end (IV–back to I) now feels more earned.

5Play IV–V–I in three different keys. G key: C–D–G. D key: G–A–D. C key: F–G–C. Same function, three different sets of chord names. Each sounds identical in structure even though the pitches are completely different. That structural sameness across keys is what the Nashville Number System is built on.

TIPIV–V–I is not just a harmonic exercise — it’s the gravitational field that makes tonal music work. Every resolution in a major key is ultimately a V–I movement in some form. Even when you don’t explicitly play IV–V–I, the listener is subconsciously anticipating it. Understanding this progression at the feeling level — not just knowing the theory — is what allows you to create and manipulate harmonic expectation.

DAY 4

Nashville Number System

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Day 04

Nashville Numbers

The universal language for chord progressions

The NNS is the professional shorthand for chord relationships – it describes progressions by scale degree rather than chord name, making them instantly transposable to any key. Once you think in numbers, you start hearing patterns across all the music you know.

Theory NNS Notation

Instead of naming chords by letter, the NNS names them by their position in the key. The number tells you the scale degree; a suffix tells you the quality. The result: one set of numbers describes the same progression in any key.

Major

Plain number
1 4 5

Minor

Number + m
2m 3m 6m

Diminished

Number + °
7°

Why Nashville Uses Numbers

Session musicians in Nashville can learn and record a song in minutes using NNS charts. No music reading required — just numbers on a page. When the producer says "take it up a step," everyone shifts their numbers by one key without rewriting anything. That's the power of thinking in relationships, not names.

Guitar The 4 Essential Progressions

These four progressions cover the majority of popular music. Learn them in G, then use the transpose concept to move them to any key.

1 – 5 – 6m – 4

G	—	D	—	Em	—	C
1		5		6m		4

The most common progression in pop. Thousands of songs.

1 – 4 – 1 – 5

G	—	C	—	G	—	D
1		4		1		5

Classic folk and country backbone. Home, lift, home, tension.

6m – 4 – 1 – 5

Em	—	C	—	G	—	D
6m		4		1		5

Same chords as 1–5–6m–4, starting on the minor. Darker feel.

2m – 5 – 1

Am	—	D	—	G
2m		5		1

The jazz ii–V–I. Maximum tension into resolution. Everywhere in jazz and soul.

TIPPlay each progression 4 times through. 4 beats per chord. As you play, say the number out loud — "one… five… six minor… four." You're training your ear to hear function, not just chord names.

🎵 In the Wild

"Let Her Go"

Passenger

A near-perfect NNS teaching song. The entire track sits on one repeating progression and never leaves it — verse, chorus, bridge, all the same four chords. That emotional arc from longing to resolution comes entirely from the function of each number, not from harmonic complexity.

C	—	G	—	Am	—	F
4		1		6m		4

Ear Training Exercise 4 Recognising Progressions

Play the 1–5–6m–4 progression in G. Now play it in D (D–A–Bm–G). Same numbers, different key. Can you hear that the emotional character is identical even though the actual pitches are different? That recognition – that 1–5–6m–4 always sounds like 1–5–6m–4 – is what the NNS gives you.

Day 4 Recap

NNS describes chords by scale degree – works in any key
Major = plain number, Minor = number + m, the numbers always describe the same relationship
1–5–6m–4 is the most common progression in popular music across all genres
Transposing is trivial in NNS: the numbers stay the same, only the root note changes
Thinking in numbers means hearing the function of every chord, not just its name

🎯 Practice Exercise – Map a Song You Know

Pick any song you can already play. Write down the chords. Then figure out the NNS numbers in the original key. Finally, mentally transpose it to G.

1Choose a song with 3–4 chords you know well. Write the chord names across a page.

2Identify the key – which chord feels like home?

3Assign NNS numbers: the home chord is 1. Work out where each other chord sits in the scale.

4Write the NNS numbers below the chord names. Does the pattern match a common progression you've seen?

5Transpose it: if the song is in the key of C, what would those same NNS numbers be in G? Play them.

TIPIf this feels hard, start with a 1–5–6m–4 song – nearly every pop song uses it. In G that's G–D–Em–C. In C it's C–G–Am–F. The numbers are identical. That's the entire point of NNS.

🎯 Practice Exercise – Transpose Chain

Playing the same progression in three keys back-to-back proves the NNS insight in real time: the numbers stay the same, the pitches change, the emotional character is identical.

1Play 1–4–5 in G: G–C–D. Say the numbers out loud as you play: "one – four – five." Do this four times.

2Without stopping, shift to the key of D: D–G–A. Same numbers: "one – four – five." Different chord names, identical function. Do four times.

3Shift to the key of A: A–D–E. Same numbers again. Play four times. By now the pattern should feel obvious: I–IV–V always sounds like I–IV–V.

4Now try 1–6m–4–5 in G: G–Em–C–D. Say the numbers. Then in D: D–Bm–G–A. Then in A: A–F#m–D–E. Three keys, same numbers, same emotional arc. Do two cycles per key.

5The NNS test: someone calls out "play the 4 chord in D." Without calculating, play G immediately — because D is 1, G is 4. If you hesitate, work through the key: 1=D, 2=E, 3=F#, 4=G. Then try it faster. The goal is to get to a point where the number tells you the chord immediately, without running through the scale.

TIPTransposing fluency takes weeks to build but only minutes per day to develop. The key is doing it physically — playing the same progression in multiple keys — rather than just thinking about it. Each key adds another data point connecting the number to the sound. Eventually your ear recognises "4 chord" as a sound rather than a calculation, the same way you recognise your own name without spelling it out.

🎯 Practice Exercise – Function Improv

Improvising through chord functions — calling the number before playing the chord — builds the connection between thinking in numbers and playing in sound.

1Start on I (G) and strum for 4 bars. Say "one" as each bar begins. Feel home. Then move to IV (C) for 2 bars — say "four" as you change. Feel the lift. Return to I for 2 bars.

2Add V (D) for 2 bars. Say "five" as you play D. Feel the tension building. Resolve back to I (G). Say "one – home." The V–I resolution should feel like a sigh of relief.

3Now add vi (Em) for 2 bars between I and IV. I–vi–IV–V. G–Em–C–D. Say the numbers: "one – six-minor – four – five." Em adds a darker, more emotional quality before the lift. Notice how it recontextualises the return to I at the end.

4Call the function before each chord, one full bar early. Decide on beat 1 of bar 3 that bar 4 will be V. Say "five" on beat 1 of bar 3. Play D on bar 4. The pre-declaration makes the function intentional rather than accidental.

5Play for 3 minutes with one rule: you must say the function number before every chord change. No silent playing. If you go to IV without saying "four," go back and say it. The speaking is the exercise — it forces the numerical awareness that makes the NNS useful.

TIPThe NNS is only useful if it becomes instinctive. The point is not to think "one equals G in this key" — it’s to hear "that’s a 4 chord" the same way you hear "that’s a major chord." The function improv exercise builds that instinct by forcing you to name the function in real time, while playing, under mild time pressure. Do it daily for a week and the NNS starts to become a second language.

🎯 Practice Exercise – Common Progressions

Knowing the four essential NNS progressions as sound patterns — not just formulas — is what lets you recognise them instantly in any song you hear.

11–5–6m–4 in G: G–D–Em–C. This is the most common progression in popular music. Play it 10 times slowly. Say the numbers. Write them down: 1–5–6m–4. Then play it in C (C–G–Am–F) and D (D–A–Bm–G). Same numbers, different keys.

21–4–5 in G: G–C–D. The 12-bar blues backbone. Play 8 times. Then in A (A–D–E). Then in E (E–A–B). Same structure everywhere.

31–4–6m–5 in G: G–C–Em–D. A slight rearrangement of the first progression. Hear how the order changes the emotional arc — IV before vi feels more resolved than vi before IV.

42m–5–1 in G: Am–D–G. The most important jazz progression. The 2m chord (Am) substitutes for IV as the setup chord before V. It has more harmonic richness — two common tones with both IV and V. Play it 8 times. This progression is in thousands of jazz standards.

5Listen to any song for 30 seconds and try to identify which of the four progressions it uses. Hum along, find the key on guitar, then map the chords to numbers. Even if you’re only partially right, the exercise trains your ear to hear harmonic patterns rather than individual chords.

TIPThe four progressions above cover the vast majority of Western popular music. Not because songwriters are lazy — because these progressions work. They have the right balance of tension, resolution, and emotional colour to support almost any melody. Once you can hear them by number rather than by chord name, every new song you learn adds another data point to the pattern rather than appearing as a new set of things to memorize.

🎯 Practice Exercise – Spot the Pattern

Training your ear to identify progressions in real music is the payoff of the NNS. This exercise applies the numbers to songs you already know.

1Choose 3 songs you know how to play. Songs with 3–4 chords in a major key work best. Write the chord names across a page for each one.

2For each song: identify the key. Which chord feels like home? That’s the I. Confirm by checking whether the other chords fit the key’s harmonized scale.

3Map the NNS numbers. Write the number below each chord name. Which degree is each chord? Does the pattern match 1–5–6m–4, or 1–4–5, or something else?

4Check whether the three songs share a progression. Even if they’re in different genres, you may find two of them use 1–5–6m–4. That discovery is the NNS working as intended: different songs, same structure.

5Transpose one song to a different key using the NNS numbers. If you mapped a C-key song as 1–5–6m–4 (C–G–Am–F), play those same numbers in G (G–D–Em–C). The song should sound recognisably similar despite being in a completely different key. That transposability is the whole point.

TIPThe NNS makes every song you learn more valuable — not just as a thing you can play, but as a data point about how songs work in general. Every time you map a song’s chords to numbers, you’re adding to a mental library of "songs that use this progression." After 20 songs, the patterns become so obvious that you can often guess a new song’s progression after hearing the first four bars. That recognition is musical fluency, not theory.

DAY 5

Integration, Song Analysis & Self-Assessment

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Day 05

Integration, Putting It Together

Song analysis and self-assessment

Today we apply everything from the week to real music – analysing a song structure, identifying chord functions, and assessing what's solid and what needs more time.

Theory Song Analysis Framework

When analysing any song through the Week 1 lens:

1. Identify the key – find the root note that feels like home

2. Map the chords to NNS numbers – what are the scale degrees?

3. Label the functions – which chord is home, which creates tension, which adds emotion?

4. Find the intervals – what interval does the melody open with? What interval characterises the chorus?

5. Locate the leading tone – where does the F# (7th) appear, and how does it resolve?

Guitar Guitar Application: Analysis Practice

Choose any song you know well. Work through the five analysis steps above. Write the chord progression in NNS notation. Play through it and name each chord's function as you play. This is now a habit – do it with every new song you learn.

Ear Training Exercise 5 Week 1 Self-Assessment

Test 1: Play the major scale formula from memory starting on A. Can you name each note? Test 2: Play a major 3rd and minor 3rd – can you identify each by sound alone? Test 3: Play a 1–5–6m–4 progression – can you name the NNS number of each chord while playing?

Day 5 Recap

Analysis framework: key → NNS numbers → functions → intervals → leading tone
Apply NNS analysis to every new song you learn – it becomes automatic quickly
Week 1 gave you: major scale formula, 13 intervals, harmonized scale, NNS notation
The four most important chords: I (home), IV (lift), V (tension), vi (emotion)
Everything in Weeks 2–8 builds on this foundation – revisit it whenever something feels unclear

🎯 Practice Exercise – Week 1 Self-Assessment

Three short tests. Be honest. If any of them expose a gap, that's useful information – not failure.

1Scale test: Play the G major scale open position from memory, ascending and descending, without pausing to think. If you hesitate on any note, spend 5 minutes on just that string.

2Chord test: Play the harmonized scale G through F#° without looking at any reference. Name each chord's NNS number as you play it. Did you get F#°? That one trips most people.

3Hearing test: Have someone play a two-chord loop (or use a loop pedal / phone). Without looking, identify: is the second chord the IV, V, or vi? Play until you can name it correctly three times in a row.

TIPThe chord and hearing tests are the ones that matter most for Week 2. If you can move through the harmonized scale and hear the difference between IV and V by ear, you're ready. The scale memorization will continue to solidify on its own.

🎯 Practice Exercise – Live Song Analysis

Applying the week’s framework to music you’re actually listening to is the highest-value exercise in Week 1. You’re not learning theory — you’re using it.

1Choose any song and play it from a speaker. Not a song you’re playing — a song you’re listening to. Let the first 30 seconds play without analysis.

2Try to find the key. Hum along and find a comfortable landing note on your guitar. That note is likely the root. Play a major chord from it — does it sound right over the song? That’s your I chord.

3Track the chord changes by function. When does the chord feel like home? Lift? Tension? Emotional? You don’t need to know the exact chord names — just the function. Say "home," "lift," "tension" out loud as you hear each change.

4Try to map the NNS numbers. If home is 1 and you think you hear lift (4) and tension (5), write 1–4–5. Does the second half of the progression add a vi (emotion)? Write 1–5–6m–4 if that’s what you hear.

5Confirm by playing your guess on guitar over the song. If the song is in G and you mapped 1–5–6m–4, play G–D–Em–C along with it. Does it fit? If not, adjust one number at a time until it does. Getting it slightly wrong and correcting is more valuable than getting it right by luck.

TIPLive analysis is the goal of all music theory education — not passing tests, but being able to understand and interact with music in real time. The first few attempts will feel halting and uncertain. After 10 songs, you’ll have a working intuition about major-key progressions that no amount of memorised formulas could give you. The uncertainty at the start is not confusion — it’s the analysis developing.

🎯 Practice Exercise – Build Your Own

Writing a chord progression from scratch using NNS numbers is the moment theory becomes creative. It’s the difference between reading a grammar book and writing a sentence.

1Choose 4 chords from I, IV, V, vi (G, C, D, Em in G major). You can repeat chords. Arrange them in any order that sounds good to you. There are no wrong answers — every combination of I, IV, V, vi produces something usable.

2Write the NNS numbers next to your sequence. If you chose G–Em–C–D, write 1–6m–4–5. That number sequence is now a portable piece of musical knowledge — it works in any key.

3Play your progression 10 times. Say the function of each chord as you strum it. After 10 repetitions, the sequence should feel familiar enough to be a "thing" rather than just four chords.

4Vary the rhythm. Strum each chord for 2 beats instead of 4. Then 1 beat. Then hold some chords for longer than others. The progression stays the same; the rhythm changes the character completely.

5Transpose it to D major. Your numbers stay the same. If you wrote 1–6m–4–5, play D–Bm–G–A. Play it 5 times. Then in C: C–Am–F–G. The progression you invented in G now exists in three keys.

TIPWriting progressions is not a skill that comes after you’ve learned enough theory — it’s the exercise that makes the theory stick. Every progression you write is a small creative act that forces you to hear the chords as sounds with functions, not just shapes to memorise. Start with I, IV, V, vi and gradually expand to ii and iii as your ear develops. The simplest progressions are not less musical — they’re the foundation everything else is built on.

🎯 Practice Exercise – Gap Finder

Knowing what you don’t know is more useful than reviewing what you do. This exercise identifies the weakest point from the week and focuses all practice time on it.

1Test 1 — Scale formula. Without looking: play the G major scale ascending from the E string. Name each note. Did you hesitate on any note? Mark it. Do this twice.

2Test 2 — Interval recognition. Play a major 3rd, then a minor 3rd, then a perfect 5th. Can you identify each by ear without counting frets? If you’re guessing, the interval recognition exercise needs more work.

3Test 3 — Chord qualities. Play the harmonized scale in order and say "major," "minor," or "diminished" for each without thinking. Any hesitation tells you which chord quality is less automatic.

4Test 4 — NNS transposition. Play 1–5–6m–4 in G. Now in D without calculating. Now in A. If you needed to think carefully, transposition fluency is the gap.

5Spend the remaining time exclusively on the gap you identified. Not reviewing what went well — only the gap. 5 focused minutes on the weakest point is worth more than 20 minutes reviewing the strong ones. The gap is where the practice belongs.

TIPSelf-testing is not the same as self-grading. The goal isn’t to feel good about what you know — it’s to find what you don’t. A gap you discover yourself and fix is permanent knowledge. A gap you discover later, in a musical situation, is a source of frustration. Run the four tests at the end of any week and you’ll always know exactly where to practice next.

🎯 Practice Exercise – Teach It

Explaining a concept out loud forces you to find the gaps in your understanding that passive review hides. If you can’t explain it simply, you haven’t learned it yet.

1Explain the major scale formula out loud. "A major scale is built from a specific pattern of whole steps and half steps: W–W–H–W–W–W–H. Starting from G, that gives us G–A–B–C–D–E–F#–G." Say it to yourself, to the room, to a plant. The audience doesn’t matter. The speaking does.

2Explain why some chords in the key are major and some are minor. "Stacking thirds on the first degree (G) gives a major third (G–B) then a minor third (B–D) = G major. Stacking on the second degree (A) gives a minor third (A–C) then a major third (C–E) = A minor. The scale’s own intervals decide the quality." Say it out loud.

3Explain the NNS. "Instead of naming chords by letter, we name them by their position in the key. The home chord is always 1, regardless of which note that is. 1–5–6m–4 is the same relationship in every key — only the chord names change." Say it. If you stumble, identify the concept that’s unclear.

4Explain what a tritone is and why it matters. "The tritone is 6 half steps — exactly halfway between the root and the octave. It’s the most dissonant interval in the scale. It appears between the 4th and 7th degrees of the major scale (C and F# in G major), which is why the V7 chord (D7 in G) is so tense — it contains both of those notes." Say it.

5Notice every hesitation. Any time you stumble, restart from the beginning of that concept rather than skipping ahead. The stumble is the learning. It means you’ve found the boundary between what you know and what you think you know. That boundary is exactly where practice should live.

TIPRichard Feynman’s learning technique: if you can’t explain a concept in simple terms, you don’t understand it yet. The version of understanding that comes from being able to explain something clearly is different from the version that comes from being able to play through it. Both matter. The explaining version makes the playing version more reliable under pressure.