F Major Diatonic without Capo

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

Thursday's awesomeness, tabbed in (low to high) E A D G B E standard tuning:

    F
e |-13------------------|--------------------|---------------------|
B |-10------------------|--------------------|---------------------|
G |-10------------------|--------------------|-----------------10--|
D |-10------------------|------10-----10-12--|-10-12-14--12-14-----|
A |-12-10-12--10-12-13--|-12-13----13--------|---------------------|
E |-13------------------|--------------------|---------------------|

                                                
e |---------------------|--------------------|-------10-----10-12--|
B |-----------------10--|---10-11--10-11-13--|-11-13-----13--------|
G |----10-12--10-12-----|-12-----------------|---------------------|
D |-14------------------|--------------------|---------------------|
A |---------------------|--------------------|---------------------|
E |---------------------|--------------------|---------------------|

              F           Bb       F
e |-10-12-13--13--------|-13-------13--------|
B |----------(13)-------|-15-------13--------|
G |-----------10--------|-15-------14--------|
D |-----------10--------|-15-------15--------|
A |-----------12--------|-13-------15--------|
E |-----------13--------|(13)------13--------|

F Major Pentatonic without Capo

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

Wednesday's ascending awesomeness, tabbed in (low to high) E A D G B E standard tuning:

    F
e |-8-------------------|---------------------|---------------------|
B |-10------------------|---------------------|-----------------10--|
G |-10------------------|-----------------10--|----10-12--10-12-----|
D |-10--------------10--|----10-12--10-12-----|-12------------------|
A |-8--10-12--10-12-----|-12------------------|---------------------|
E |(8)------------------|---------------------|---------------------|

e |-----------------10--|----10-13--13--------|
B |----10-13--10-13-----|-13--------10--------|
G |-12------------------|-----------10--------|
D |---------------------|-----------10--------|
A |---------------------|-----------12--------|
E |---------------------|-----------13--------|

G Major in F with Capo or Full-Step Down Tuning

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Yesterday's last chord, capo'd at the eighth fret:

     F
c |--5--|
G |--2--|
Eb|--2--|
Bb|--2--|
F |--4--|
C |--5--|

Today, we'll play something valid either while capo'd at the 10th fret or with no capo but tuned down to (from low to high) D G C F A D:

    F
d |-3-------------|---------------|---------------|---------------|
A |-0-------------|---------------|---------------|------------0--|
F |-0-------------|---------------|------------0--|---0-2--0-2----|
C |-0-------------|-----0----0-2--|-0-2-4--2-4----|-4-------------|
G |-2-0-2--0-2-3--|-2-3----3------|---------------|---------------|
D |-3-------------|---------------|---------------|---------------|

                                           F        Bb     F
d |---------------|-----0----0-2--|-0-2-3--3------|-3------3------|
A |---0-1--0-1-3--|-1-3----3------|--------3------|-5------3------|
F |-2-------------|---------------|--------0------|-5------4------|
C |---------------|---------------|--------0------|-5------5------|
G |---------------|---------------|--------2------|-3------5------|
D |---------------|---------------|--------3------|(3)-----3------|

A Major in F with Capo

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

Yesterday's last chord, capo'd at the fifth fret:

     F
a |--3--|
E |--5--|
C |--5--|
G |--5--|
D |--3--|
A |-(3)-|

Let's capo the eighth fret, play the F major chord, go through a neat-sounding ascending F major pentatonic scale, and preview tomorrow's F chord (sans capo):

    F
c |-0-------------|---------------|---------------|------------2--|
G |-2-------------|---------------|------------2--|---2-5--2-5----|
Eb|-2-------------|------------2--|---2-4--2-4----|-4-------------|
Bb|-2----------2--|---2-4--2-4----|-4-------------|---------------|
F |-0-2-4--2-4----|-4-------------|---------------|---------------|
C |(0)------------|---------------|---------------|---------------|

c |---2-5--5------|
G |-5------2------|
Eb|--------2------|
Bb|--------2------|
F |--------4------|
C |--------5------|

C Major in F with Capo

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Yesterday's last chord, capo'd at the third fret:

     F
g |--2-----------------------|
D |--3-----------------------|
Bb|--2-----------------------|
F |--4-----------------------|
C |--5-----------------------|
G |--------------------------|

Let's capo the fifth fret:

     F  Gm Am Bb C  Dm Edim     F
a |--0--1--0--1--3--0--------|--3--|
E |--1--3--0--1--3--1--3-----|--5--|
C |--0--2--0--2--0--2--4-----|--5--|
G |--2--0--2--3--0--2--3-----|--5--|
D |--3-(0)-2--3--2--0--2-----|--3--|
A |-(3)----0--1--3-(0)-------|-(3)-|

D Major in F with Capo

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

Do you remember the last chord shape from yesterday's lesson (in bold), with the capo on the first fret?

     F
f |--0-----------------------|--0--------------------4--|
C |--0-----------------------|-----4--2--0-----------5--|
Ab|--1-----------------------|--------------2--1-----4--|
Eb|--2-----------------1--2--|--------------------4--2--|
Bb|--2--------0--2--4--------|--------------------------|
F |--0--2--4-----------------|--------------------------|

If we remove the capo, it would be tabbed like this:

     F
e |--5--|
B |--6--|
G |--5--|
D |--3--|
A |-----|
E |-----|

And if we capo the third fret:

     F
g |--2--2--2-----------2--2--|--2-----------------------|
D |--3--3--3--3--3--3--2--3--|--3-----------------------|
Bb|--2--X--2--0--2--4--------|--2-----------------------|
F |--0--2--4-----------------|--4-----------------------|
C |--------------------------|--5-----------------------|
G |--------------------------|--------------------------|

E Major in F with Capo

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

We'll use a capo on the first fret with typical Key of E open chords, letting us play in F. Notice that compared to standard E A D G B E tuning, our capo'd tuning sounds a bit "brighter," just as tuning the guitar down to Eb Ab Db Gb Bb Eb sort of makes open chords sound "darker":

     F
f |--0-----------------------|--0--------------------4--|
C |--0-----------------------|-----4--2--0-----------5--|
Ab|--1-----------------------|--------------2--1-----4--|
Eb|--2-----------------1--2--|--------------------4--2--|
Bb|--2--------0--2--4--------|--------------------------|
F |--0--2--4-----------------|--------------------------|

Quick Topic: B-flat Instruments

Wikipedia has a list of instruments that play (sound) in Bb for music written in C notation (no sharps or flats). Something like that. Click through the links for more information, and if you find that interesting, go to a library or take a course to gain solid, non-Wikified info regarding Bb instruments.

B Baritone horn Bass clarinet C Contrabass clarinet

C cont. Cornet F Flugelhorn S Soprano clarinet Subcontrabass clarinet

S cont. Subcontrabass saxophone T Trombone Trumpet

Bb Groove in Standard Tuning, 6/8

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

We're going to play a similar progression like yesterday's lesson, but in standard tuning (from low to high: E A D G B E), no capo. This one is more or less in 6/8 time:

     Bbsus4
e|---------------------|---------------6--6--|
B|---------------------|---------------6--6--|
G|------------8--------|------------8--8--8--|
D|-6/8--8--8--8--8--8--|-6/8--8--8--8--8--8--|
A|-6/8--8--8--8--8--8--|-6/8--8--8--8--8--8--|
E|-4/6--6--6--6--6--6--|-4/6--6--6--6--6--6--|

     F     Fsus4 F         Eb   Ebsus2 Eb
e|------------8--8--8--|------------6--6--6--|
B|------10-10-11-10-10-|------8--8--6--8--8--|
G|-8/10-10-10-10-10-10-|--(8)-8--8--8--8--8--|
D|-8/10-10-10-10-10-10-|-8(8)-8--8--8--8--8--|
A|-6/8--8--8--8--8--8--|-5/6--6--6--6--6--6--|
E|---------------------|---------------------|

A Groove in Bb with Capo, 6/8

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

We're going to play a similar progression like yesterday's lesson, but in standard tuning (from low to high: E A D G B E, with a capo on the first fret (F Bb Eb Ab C F). The tab numbers are relative to the capo. This one is more or less in 6/8 time:

      Bbsus4
f |------------0--0--0--|------------0--0--0--|
C |------------3--3--3--|------------3--3--3--|
Ab|-0h2--2--2--2--2--2--|-0h2--2--2--2--2--2--|
Eb|---2--2--2--2--2--2--|---2--2--2--2--2--2--|
Bb|---0--0--0--0--0--0--|---0--0--0--0--0--0--|
F |---------------------|---------------------|

      Fsus4       F         Ebsus2    Eb
f |------------0--0--0--|---0--0--0-h2--2--2--|
C |------------0--0--0--|---3--3--3--3--3--3--|
Ab|------------2--1--1--|-1/2--2--2--2--2--2--|
Eb|-0h2--2--2--2--2--2--|---0--0--0--0--0--0--|
Bb|---2--2--2--2--2--2--|---------------------|
F |---0--0--0--0--0--0--|---------------------|

B Groove in Bb, Half-Step Down Tuning, 6/8

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

We're back to the same (from low to high) Eb Ab Db Gb Bb Eb from last week's set of lessons. We're just going to get you started with a B-flat groove, which is usually B in standard tuning. Then take this little thread and make it a song (or at least a freeform jam), if you so choose. Tomorrow, we're probably going to try something else. This one is more or less in 6/8 time:

     Bbsus4
eb|------------0-----0--|------------0-----0--|
Bb|------------0--0--0--|------------0--0--0--|
Gb|---4--------4--4--4--|---4--------4--4--4--|
Db|---4--4--4--4--4--4--|---4--4--4--4--4--4--|
Ab|-0h2--2--2--2--2--2--|-0h2--2--2--2--2--2--|
Eb|---------------------|---------------------|

    F7add4                Eb
eb|------------0-----0--|------------0-----0--|
Bb|------------0--0--0--|------------0--0--0--|
Gb|------------3--3--3--|------------1--1--1--|
Db|---4--4--4--4--4--4--|---2--2--2--2--2--2--|
Ab|---4--4--4--4--4--4--|-0h2--2--2--2--2--2--|
Eb|-0h2--2--2--2--2--2--|-0----0--0--0--0--0--|

Jam / Mix in Bb (Major) 2.0

A website called in Bb 2.o features YouTube videos of various musicians playing in Bb major, allowing you to mix the videos' audio and listen to them blend together. You are also encouraged to jam along with them, and possibly videotape a performance to contribute to the experiment.

If you are a guitar player, here's a tablature sample of the Bb major scale (Bb C D Eb F G A), for you to improvise notes and play along with the other B-flat musicians. This example is in standard (low to high) E A D G B E tuning:

e|------------------------------------------------6--8--10--|
B|--------------------------------------6--8--10------------|
G|--------------------------------7--8----------------------|
D|----------------------7--8--10----------------------------|
A|------------6--8--10--------------------------------------|
E|--6--8--10------------------------------------------------|

E Riff in Eb, Bass Variation

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

We'll embellish yesterday's bassline with slides. We'll even let the first guitar copy this modified bass line. We modified the second guitar to play Wednesday's bass guitar part (open Low Eb) while playing the octave lead. In any case, you can see that there are myriad possibilities even in the constraints of rather generic chord progressions:

     Eb5   Gb Db Eb5 Adim Ab5
eb|--------------------------|
Bb|--------------------------|
Gb|--------------------------|
Db|--------------------------|
Ab|-----------5-----------7--|
Eb|--0--0-/3-----0--0-/6-----|

Gtr. 2
eb|--------------------------|
Bb|--------------------------|
Gb|--9--9-/12\11-16-16/15\14-|
Db|--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--|
Ab|--7--7-/10\9--14-14/13\12-|
Eb|--0--0--------0--0--------|

Bass
Gb|--------------------------|
Db|--------------------------|
Ab|-----------5-----------7--|
Eb|--0--0-/3-----0--0-/6-----|

E Riff in Eb, Guitar 2 Variation

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

We'll have the Low Eb drone for the second guitar, and modify the last bit. We'll also have the bass play throughout the measure:

     Eb5   Gb Db Eb5 Adim Ab5
eb|--------------------------|
Bb|--------------------------|
Gb|--------------------------|
Db|--------------------------|
Ab|--------5--5--------7--7--|
Eb|--0--0--3--2--0--0--6--5--|

Gtr. 2
eb|--------------------------|
Bb|--------------------------|
Gb|--9--9-/12\11-16-16/15\14-|
Db|--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--X--|
Ab|--7--7-/10\9--14-14/13\12-|
Eb|--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--|

Bass
Gb|--------------------------|
Db|-----------------------2--|
Ab|-----------5--------1-----|
Eb|--0--0--3-----0--0--------|

E Riff in Eb, Guitar 1 Variation

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

The focus here is the variation in the rhythm guitar part. We've also (re-)added lower bass notes for the second guitar to fill as an interesting fill in the blank when the bass isn't playing:

     Eb5   Gb Db Eb5 Adim Ab5
eb|--------------------------|
Bb|--------------------------|
Gb|--------------------------|
Db|--------------------------|
Ab|--------5--5--------7--7--|
Eb|--0--0--3--2--0--0--6--5--|

Gtr. 2
eb|--------------------------|
Bb|--------------------------|
Gb|--9--9-/12\11-9--9-/15\14-|
Db|--X--X--X---X-X--X---X--X-|
Ab|--7--7-/10\-9-7--7-/13\12-|
Eb|--------0--10-------0--0--|

Bass
Gb|--------------------------|
Db|--------------------------|
Ab|--------------------------|
Eb|--0--0--------0--0--------|

E Riff in Eb, Bass

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

We're slightly modifying the second guitar part, to add more breathing room to the bass guitar part we've added. Notice that the bass only plays the open Eb (for now) notes at "1-and" as well as "3-and." We'll propose various modifications and variations to the parts in the near future:

     Eb5   Gb Db Eb5   A5 Ab5
eb|--------------------------|
Bb|--------------------------|
Gb|--------------------3--2--|
Db|--2--2--0--0--2--2--3--2--|
Ab|--2--2--2--X--2--2--1--0--|
Eb|--0--0--3--2--0--0--------|

Gtr. 2
eb|--------------------------|
Bb|--------------------------|
Gb|--9--9-/12\11-9--9-/15\14-|
Db|--X--X--X---X-X--X---X--X-|
Ab|--7--7-/10\-9-7--7-/13\12-|
Eb|--------------------------|

Bass
Gb|--------------------------|
Db|--------------------------|
Ab|--------------------------|
Eb|--0--0--------0--0--------|

E Riff in Eb, Second Guitar

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

We're adding a second guitar part to yesterday's heavy-sounding riff:

     Eb5   Gb Db Eb5   A5 Ab5
eb|--------------------------|
Bb|--------------------------|
Gb|--------------------3--2--|
Db|--2--2--0--0--2--2--3--2--|
Ab|--2--2--2--X--2--2--1--0--|
Eb|--0--0--3--2--0--0--------|

Just imagine a lot of fuzz and wah for the lead guitar:

     Eb5   Gb Db Ebm   A5 Ab5
eb|--------------------------|
Bb|--------------------------|
Gb|--9--9-/12\11-12-12/15\14-|
Db|--X--X--X---X--X--X--X--X-|
Ab|--7--7-/10\-9-10-10/13\12-|
Eb|--0--0-----10--0--0-----0-|

E Riff in Eb

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

Using yesterday's Eb tuning, we'll use typically-E open chords and voicings to play in Eb. If you compare the same riff in E and in Eb, you'll notice that the lower tuning may seem "darker" and possibly easier to play, due to looser strings:

     Eb5   Gb Db Eb5   A5 Ab5
eb|--------------------------|
Bb|--------------------------|
Gb|--------------------3--2--|
Db|--2--2--0--0--2--2--3--2--|
Ab|--2--2--2--X--2--2--1--0--|
Eb|--0--0--3--2--0--0--------|

Half-Step Down Tuning in Eb

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

As mentioned yesterday, we're going to tune all the strings of a standard (low to high) E A D G B E tuned guitar down one half step to Eb Ab Db Gb Bb Eb. We'll start by loosening the Low E to go down to Low Eb, so that fretting the 6th fret on that string will play the same note as an open A string:

e |--------------------------
B |--------------------------
G |--------------------------
D |--------------------------
A |-----0--------------------
Eb|--6-----------------------

Then tune down the A string to Ab, so that the 6th fret plays the same note as the open D string:

e |--------------------------
B |--------------------------
G |--------------------------
D |-----0--------------------
Ab|--6-----------------------
Eb|--------------------------

Then tune down the D string to Db, so that the 6th fret plays the same note as the open G string:

e |--------------------------
B |--------------------------
G |-----0--------------------
Db|--6-----------------------
Ab|--------------------------
Eb|--------------------------

Then tune down the G string to Gb, so that the 5th fret plays the same note as the open B string:

e |--------------------------
B |-----0--------------------
Gb|--5-----------------------
Db|--------------------------
Ab|--------------------------
Eb|--------------------------

Then tune down the B string to Bb, so that the 6th fret plays the same note as the open High E string:

e |-----0--------------------
Bb|--6-----------------------
Gb|--------------------------
Db|--------------------------
Ab|--------------------------
Eb|--------------------------

Finally tune down the High E string to High Eb, so that fretting the 7th fret is one octave higher than the open Bb string:

eb|--7-----------------------
Bb|-----0--------------------
Gb|--------------------------
Db|--------------------------
Ab|--------------------------
Eb|--------------------------

Check the tuning with unison notes:

eb|--------------0-----------
Bb|-----------0--5-----------
Gb|--------0--4--------------
Db|-----0--5-----------------
Ab|--0--5--------------------
Eb|--5-----------------------

Check the tuning with octaves:

eb|--------------7-----------
Bb|-----------8--0-----------
Gb|--------7--0--------------
Db|-----7--0-----------------
Ab|--7--0--------------------
Eb|--0-----------------------

We'll use Eb tuning for the rest of this week's lessons.

Variation in Ab in Half-Step Down Tuning

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

This time, let's tune our guitars a half-step down, from low to high: Eb Ab Db Gb Bb Eb. We'll probably get into more detail about this tuning next week, when we are in E-flat. This time, we're playing the A, D, and E open chord voicings, since we're a half-step down, the key is Ab. Remember, like yesterday, keep it strum-happy and loose:

     Ab          Absus2   Ab                Absus2   Ab
eb|--------0-----------0--0--|--------0-----------0--0--|
Bb|--------2-----------0--2--|--------2-----------0--2--|
Gb|--------2-----------2--2--|--------2-----------2--2--|
Db|--------2-----------2--2--|--------2-----------2--2--|
Ab|--0--0--0-----0--0--0--0--|--0--0--0-----0--0--0--0--|
Eb|--------------------------|--------------------------|

     Db          Dbsus2   Db    Eb          Ebsus4   Eb
eb|--------2-----------0--2--|--------0-----------0--0--|
Bb|--------3-----------3--3--|--------0-----------0--0--|
Gb|--------2-----------2--2--|--------1-----------2--1--|
Db|--0--0--0-----0--0--0--0--|--------2-----------2--2--|
Ab|--------------------------|--------2-----------2--2--|
Eb|--------------------------|--0--0--0-----0--0--0--0--|