Learn Harmony and how to Sight Read on the Guitar

Adam Levine is a top cat who used to teach a fantastic class at the Grove School of Music called Fretboard Harmony.  How top was Adam?  Well there was Tommy, John Pisano, and Adam Levine.  This is basically his method.  Nothing special needed to adapt it for CG.

Sight reading takes practice.  My view on sight reading is that it's not about sight reading a lot, it's about recognizing patterns and learning a more powerful language so you can understand the music a bit better.  In otherwords, instead of reading C-E-G as in the example to the left, you think "oh, C Major triad."  I don't have a method book, but maybe I can outline a possible method for you.  You will need a sheet of manuscript paper and a pencil.  Here we go.

Step 1 


Find your triads.  If you start with one note, play every other note in the scale, and stop when you've played three notes then that's a triad.   In the key of C, find the I chord (C-E-G) and notate it.  Obviously that's C Major.  Play it on the first three strings on your guitar.  Next find the ii chord.  Start on the second note of the C Major scale and play every other note.  That'll be D-F-A, or D minor.  Write that down again on your manuscript.  Play it on the first three strings of your guitar.   Continue doing the same until you get to B-D-F.  That's a diminished chord.  So in order the chords are:


1 Major
ii minor
iii minor
IV Major
V Major
vi minor
vii dim


Step 2  


Once you've done the above on the first three strings of the guitar, start playing triad combinations.  Common ones are ii-V-I and vi-ii-V-I.  Sound familiar?

 Step 3

Now here is the important part.  This will get you understanding the fretboard like no other.  There are three positions in which a triad can be played on the first three strings of the guitar.  Find all these positions using all the triads you've figured out and write them down.  It is important that you write these down because it will give you a visual of what these triads look like.  Now notice your left hand pattern for each one of these positions and create a mental image.  For example, say to yourself "Ah, a iii minor triad looks like THIS, and a V Major triad looks like THIS."

Step 4


Start playing triad combinations using all of your newfound positions.  For example, play a ii-V-I in the key of C in 5th, 3rd, and 8th position.  After awhile, given that you've put in the time, you should be able look at a piece of music and at least provide a rough analysis of its harmonic structure and know where you should be putting your fingers without too much trouble.

Steps 5 and beyond

You can expand on the above learning exercises.  If you do just a little bit everyday, very soon you'll be able to read stuff like Chopin's Fantasie Impromptu on your guitar!  (yeah right)

* Find your triads using strings 2-3-4, 3-4-5-, and 4-5-6 on your guitar.  It is still important that you write them down and give them names.

* Do it in every key.
*  Add 7th's.  Start with strings 1-2-3-4 and go from there.
*  Learn the Harmonic, Natural, and Melodic minor scales.  Repeat steps 1-4.

That's all there is to it.  This provides you a structured way of learning harmony and sight reading all at the same time.  I hope it helps and makes some sense to you.