Dictionary: A Blues Scale

When you add a diminished 5th note to the A minor pentatonic scale (the E-flat note, in this case), you now have the A blues scale.  Try it over A.  Any A.  You may like the results.

Dictionary: A Minor Pentatonic Scale

The A minor pentatonic scale is convenient to use for improvising solos and composing melodies over an A minor chord progression, especially if you are unsure whether to use the Aeolian, Dorian, or Phrygian mode at any given moment.

The A minor pentatonic scale sounds especially bluesy over an A major chord progression.  If you want an even bluesier scale, stay tuned ...

Modes in A

For larger mode maps:
A Lydian
A Ionian
A Mixolydian
A Dorian
A Aeolian
A Phrygian
A Locrian

See also:
A Major Scale
A Minor Scale

Modes with 0 Sharps, 0 Flats

For larger mode maps:
C Ionian
D Dorian
E Phrygian
F Lydian
G Mixolydian
A Aeolian
B Locrian

See also:
C Major Scale
A Minor Scale

Dictionary: Am Chord

If you're looking for a simpler guitar chord chart, check out this entry from June 2008.  Here is an alternate, non-A?-C?-E? spelling of the A minor chord, which might work in the context of certain scales:

Dictionary: A Minor Scale

This scale is the relative minor of C major.  In the table below, you'll enter A harmonic minor territory with the chords to the right:

Am	C	Bdim	Caug
Dm	F	Fm	Ddim
Em	G	E	G#dim

Seven #Modes with No Sharps, No Flats / Four #Chords for the #Keyboard

#Guitar #Chords in E Minor / #Harmonic Minor and #Phrygian Dominant #Scales for the #Fretboard

#Keyboard Chords in G / Keyboard #Chords in E Minor

#Guitar #Chords in A Minor / Seven #Modes on the #Fretboard

A Minor #Pentatonic and Harmonic Minor #Scales / Four #Chords for #Keyboard

Four #Chords for #Piano and #Guitar

#Keyboard Map / #Fretboard Map

Backtrack 104k in A

This week's giveaway is a re-recording of Jam Session 104k, without your Jam Session hosts talking over the music. Along with the piano and guitar, we've also added drums, bass, and Ebowed guitar to the mix. The full band comes in during the last minute of the backtrack.



Like Jam Session 104k, the chords of this Backtrack are Am F C E:  Tickle the ivories, strum along, groove accordingly, create melodies (and/or solo licks) over the chords, and learn more by playing more!

Tweet to us @DeRamosMusic!

Podcast subscribers: If these jam session notes look jumbled, please visit http://www.chorddujour.com and look up Backtrack 104k - Thanks!

Jam Session 104l with Am G D (Piano, Guitar)

Here are some show/lesson/jam session notes for Jam Session 104l:

• A lot of the (electric-)acoustic sounds from these jam sessions are from an electric guitar going through an acoustic simulator effect.  This is sort of effect can be found in standalone stompboxes, multi-effects pedals, and software plug-ins.
• The chord progression is Am G D.

  

Those chords work well underneath melodies, lead-lines, and other improvisations in the G major scale:

Read more »

Jam Session 104k with Am F C E (Piano, Guitar)

Here are some show/lesson/jam session notes for Jam Session 104k:

• We are playing in the key of A minor.
• We are using familiar chords in C because A minor is the relative minor of C major.
  
• C Major:  C D E F G A B C (the white keys on a piano).
• A Minor:  A B C D E F G A (same keys).
• At one point in the jam session, Jon plays with an EBow, instead of a guitar pick, to magnetically 'bow' the guitar string he's playing.  It's a nifty effect.
  
• The chord progression is Am F C E.  The E major (E G# B) technically comes from the use of the A harmonic minor scale (A B C D E F G# A), but it just sounds good, in any case.
  

   

Read more »

A Minor Voicings

If you don't know how to read guitar tab (as computer text), this section of a Wikipedia article may help. This is not an exhaustive tabbing of possible Am chords, but will give you an idea of the possibilities:

    Am
e|--0---------5----5-----8----12-----0----12-----0--------
B|--1---------5----5----10----10----10----13----13--------
G|--2----2----5----5-----9-----9-----9----14----14----14--
D|--2----2----7----7-----7----10----10----14----14----14--
A|--0----3----7----0-----------0----12----12-----0----15--
E|-------5----5---------------------------------------17--

Five Part Harmonies with the Open A String

If you don't know how to read guitar tab (as computer text), this section of a Wikipedia article may help.

Today, we're adding a note on the High E string to create exciting voicings up the fretboard.

   A7   D/A  G/A  E/A Aadd9 G/A   Am     A   Dm/A   A7
e|--3----2----3----0----0----7-----0----12----10----12--
B|--2----3----3----5----0----8----10----10----10----14--
G|--2----2----4----4----6----7-----9-----9----10----12--
D|--2----4----5----6----7----9----10----11----12----14--
A|--0----0----0----0----0----0-----0-----0-----0-----0--
E|------------------------------------------------------

Four Part Harmonies with the Open A String

If you don't know how to read guitar tab (as computer text), this section of a Wikipedia article may help.

Today, we're adding a note on the B string to create exciting voicings up the fretboard.

    A   D/A  G/A  E/A Aadd9 G/A   Am     A   Dm/A   A7
e|------------------------------------------------------
B|--2----3----3----5----0----8----10----10----10----14--
G|--2----2----4----4----6----7-----9-----9----10----12--
D|--2----4----5----6----7----9----10----11----12----14--
A|--0----0----0----0----0----0-----0-----0-----0-----0--
E|------------------------------------------------------

Three Part Harmonies with the Open A String

If you don't know how to read guitar tab (as computer text), this section of a Wikipedia article may help.

Yesterday, we listed a handful of two-note voicings with the open A string as the bass note. Now let's try three notes. The overall key might determine the specific name of the voicing, but we've just named these chords without much context (alternate names are possible):

   A5  F#m/A G/A G#m/A  A  Bm/A   Am     A   Dm/A   A7
e|------------------------------------------------------
B|------------------------------------------------------
G|--2----2----4----4----6----7-----9-----9----10----12--
D|--2----4----5----6----7----9----10----11----12----14--
A|--0----0----0----0----0----0-----0-----0-----0-----0--
E|------------------------------------------------------