Forum Replies Created

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  • N-lightMike

    Member
    September 27, 2022 at 1:31 pm in reply to: Quiz Answers on Fretboard Wizard

    Hello @Zephyrpn ;

    I’m sorry for the frustration that you are having. But actually, it’s a good thing. When you were in class and the teacher explained what the correct answer was, you still didn’t get it, you just thought you did. But it was the teacher’s knowledge, not yours.

    So, when you get an answer incorrect, don’t worry about what the right answer is, that’s not the point. The point is to go through that section again and try to understand the material well enough that you have your ah-ha moment and you can see for yourself why that’s obviously the wrong answer.

    And as @Bill_Brown said, you can ask the specific question here on the forum, and we can try to help you see what you must be missing. Sometimes we can help, but other times the only solution is to go through the material enough that it comes to you and becomes your knowledge, not Tony’s or mine or anyone else’s.

    I hope this helps.

    MG 😀

  • N-lightMike

    Member
    September 26, 2022 at 12:25 pm in reply to: fretboard wizard

    Hey @Hank ;

    Go to https://tonypolecastro.com/courses/fretboard-wizard/ . That should be the portal to be able to pay for it. If you already own it then it will appear in the blue side bar on the left toward the top.

    If this link doesn’t work for you, then go to support (bottom of blue bar on the left) and message @VictoriaTACTeam and she will be able to help you.

    MG 😀

  • N-lightMike

    Member
    September 26, 2022 at 12:21 pm in reply to: Fretboard Wizard

    Hey @stevieblues ;

    You might try https://tonypolecastro.com/courses/fretboard-wizard/

    I hope that helps and gives you the correct link. If not, simply go to support (bottom of the blue side bar on the left) and ask @VictoriaTACTeam and she will help you. Typically, you’ll have your answer very quickly.

    MG 😀

  • N-lightMike

    Member
    September 26, 2022 at 12:16 pm in reply to: Fretboard Wizard

    Simple answer @Kevball , yes. But it goes farther. The question implies the idea that maybe the 2 courses would be information overload. But the truth is they support one another. You will find the daily lessons easier because of FW and you will find FW easier because of the Daily lessons.

    Now, I could explain both. You see, the FW course gives you the practical understanding of what you are doing in the Dailies and therefore you are more “sold” and have more motivation. The Dailies, in turn, give you an opportunity so apply the material from FW in a real musical situation.

    In short, the 2 are synergistic. My advice: Go For It! 😎

    MG 😀

  • N-lightMike

    Member
    September 20, 2022 at 1:33 pm in reply to: Mellowing (Original)

    Very cool sounding chord progression, @Marty69 .

    MG 😀

  • N-lightMike

    Member
    September 20, 2022 at 12:59 pm in reply to: In front of the crowd

    That’s a great experience @albert_d . I’m so happy for you and I thank you for sharing. I have played in front of others, but never that many. And it has been quite a while. I don’t expect, at this time, to have the opportunity again. It sure is fulfilling. I hope you get to do it some more. Where I live, they haven’t even gone back to live open mics.

    MG 😀

  • N-lightMike

    Member
    September 20, 2022 at 12:15 pm in reply to: Whats this?…..GFEDCBA

    Hey @Mrfredsporty

    My suggestion is if you are going to memorize the letters for music, memorize them in the proper order. F, C, G, D, A, E, B. Then if you go backwards, B, E, A, D, G, C, F. The first one is the order of notes or chords by 5ths. The second one is the order of notes or chords by 4ths. If you can memorize this sequence, you will never need the circle of 5ths or any other chart.

    To understand this, go to N-Light Music Theory on YouTube.

    MG 😀

  • N-lightMike

    Member
    September 28, 2022 at 10:15 am in reply to: 3 Year TACiversary – 3 Months Late

    Thank you @jumpinjeff for your kind words. And thank you for all the support you have given me to find my way on this wonderful journey. And I live this last one, “if you’re not having fun, slow down”. That’s perfect. It’s right in line with what I’ve learned. Music is relaxing, not all “keyed” up. 😂

    MG 😀

  • N-lightMike

    Member
    September 27, 2022 at 2:24 am in reply to: Fretboard Wizard

    👍😊

  • N-lightMike

    Member
    September 24, 2022 at 11:38 am in reply to: Whats this?…..GFEDCBA

    Hey @Carol-3M-Stillhand Carol;

    These are great exercises. It’s really good to be able to work with these letters intuitively, automatically. It really helps in our playing.

    However, GFEDCBAGFEDCBA isn’t 2 octaves. It’s missing the 2nd octave. So it’s 1 octave + 7th. It’s really important in music to recognize that the whole musical system is based on G to G, or whatever note you are playing using as your root. The 1st and 2nd overtones of your root are the 1st and 2nd octave. That’s the basis of everything else. The notes in between are just that, they were derived based on their relationship within the octave.

    That was my point above. Doing mental gymnastics with the musical letters is a wonderful thing to do, but do it musically, not grammatically.

    MG 😀

  • N-lightMike

    Member
    September 22, 2022 at 12:48 pm in reply to: Mellowing (Original)

    Ok, that changes everything, @Bill_Brown .

    So, in the key of C, you have Cmaj7, Fmaj7, Dminor7, and G major. So that would make sense. Only the 1 chord and the 4 chord in any key has a major 7th chord, which has a leading tone. So the 4th note is only one half step away from the root. All the other chords in the key, have a flat 7 chord (people mistakenly call it a dominant 7 chord all the time). The 2 minor, the 3 minor, the 6 minor, and the 7 minor flat 5 all have a minor 7, which means the 4th note is 2 half steps, or frets, away from the root note. Now, here’s the thing, only 1 major chord has a minor 7, and that’s the 5 chord. The 5th degree in a key is called… wait for it… the dominant. So a dominant 7 is any major chord with a flat 7 and it is an out of key chord unless is it the 5 chord of the key you are playing in. The minor 7 chords have a flatted 7 note, but they do NOT have a “dominant 7” note.

    So in the above example, if you added the fourth note to the G major chord, it would be an F natural, not an F#, and would therefore be 2 half steps below the root note G, or 10 half steps above the root note assuming G was the lowest note in your chord. A major 7th is 11 half steps above the root and the octave is 12 half steps. A minor 7th is 10 half steps above the root.

    So if you wanted to bend the ear, you could play the notes of the Fmaj7 over the C chord, but then play the C7 over the F, which would mean throwing some Bb’s in there just for fun. You ear would hear F major for that moment. But then make sure you emphasize the B note in the G chord and the Cmaj7 chord to pull the ear back into C major.

    And then there’s always the “blue” note. Notice the the blue note is “between the 4th and 5th”. But slow down, that’s not helpful at all unless you mention it’s the augmented 4th in the minor scale. It’s actually between the 2nd and 3rd in the major scale. Since I relate everything back to the major scale, that is how I remember it. So in the key of C, if you play the Eb it sounds very cool. But then, you can play literally any note if you put into the right context. The flatted notes will give is a bluesy feel. Why not sharped notes? Simple, you have sharps in most major scales. But F and C become sharped right away in the progression, G major and D major. So, C minor and F minor happen in the flat keys.

    All a matter of perspective. But that’s why those notes bend the ear without making is sound “wrong”, because they come from the flat keys.

    MG 😀

  • N-lightMike

    Member
    September 20, 2022 at 1:52 pm in reply to: Mellowing (Original)

    @Bill_Brown and @Marty69 and @Kitman ;

    Cmaj7 has a major 3rd and major 7th. Cm7 has a minor 3rd and minor 7th.

    The key of C uses a Dm and a G. C and F are major.

    The key of Bb uses a Cm and Dm. F is major and G is minor.

    The key of Eb uses a Cm and Fm. D is diminished, G is minor

    Cm7: C, Eb, G, Bb

    Dm7: D, F, A, C

    Fm7: F, Ab, C, Eb

    G: G, B, D

    Eb has a Bb, Eb and Ab that occur naturally. The G is your 3rd degree, and it is common to turn the minor chord into a major chord. The D, being the diminished, would work using a Dm7 instead.

    I would try using the key of Eb to solo over this.

    However, the sound will always win. Whatever sounds best to you is what is right.

    I thought you did a good job with your solo, @Kitman , but I do think there were a few notes that sounded out of place. The above should help you to see what notes to avoid over what chords. Over all, I think Eb would be the easiest.

    MG 😀

  • N-lightMike

    Member
    September 20, 2022 at 11:08 am in reply to: I Need Help Using A Metronome

    I started this music theory project, and it has turned into a gigantic monster that is consuming my time and energy. I think that has affected my moods some, but I’m still playing guitar. I do have my ups and downs. But I must remember that ultimately, the guitar isn’t for any other reason than for me. I can let the metronome take whatever time it needs and play some without it just for relaxation.

    MG 😀

  • N-lightMike

    Member
    September 20, 2022 at 11:01 am in reply to: I Need Help Using A Metronome

    Thank you @Val ;

    I, too, use a free app. I have one on my phone and another on my computer. I also have a drum machine for my audio setup. And now I am using them whenever I play or practice.

    MG 😀

  • N-lightMike

    Member
    September 19, 2022 at 11:57 am in reply to: I Need Help Using A Metronome

    Yeah it is, @jumpinjeff . So, maybe you’d like to be my guitar journey sponsor? 😅

    I guess that’s what’s been happening anyway. I’m usually the last to know what I’m doin’. 😂

    Yes, I will provide updates. 😎

    MG 😀

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