In part one of this lesson series, we learned the minor CAGED chord shapes and anchored them to the fretboard using the root notes. Now we’re going to expand those chord shapes into minor arpeggios using those same root note landmarks.

So, you know your CAGED chords, arpeggios, and scale shapes, but when it comes to moving around the fretboard, you still feel lost. If this sounds familiar, there’s really just one small piece you’re missing that’s keeping you from seeing everything up and down the neck.

CAGED is a powerful way to navigate the fretboard. But if you only apply it to major chords, scales, and arpeggios, you’re missing part of the picture.

In the last lesson, we harmonized the G major scale in first position to understand the chords and intervals contained within the scale. This type of exercise is great because it reinforces four essential skills at once: scale position identity, interval recognition, root note awareness, and diatonic harmony. In this lesson, we’re going to do the same with the G minor scale.

I always enjoy exercises that are more encompassing than just learning a single skill. In this lesson, we’re going to harmonize the G major scale in first position to understand the chords and intervals of the key as a single system. This reinforces four essential skills at once: scale position identity, interval recognition, root note awareness, and diatonic harmony.

The minor 7 flat 5 arpeggio is one of those sounds that instantly adds tension to your playing—especially in blues and minor-key progressions. In this lesson, we’ll take a look at the five movable minor 7♭5 arpeggio shapes across the fretboard, complete with tabs, interval diagrams, and suggested fingerings to help you visualize how each shape is built.

Economy picking is one of the most efficient ways to move across the strings on the guitar, blending the precision of alternate picking with the fluid motion of sweep picking. By minimizing unnecessary hand movement, it allows for smoother and faster lines. Economy picking is one of those techniques that can happen naturally, but also […]

Once you have the basic major and minor arpeggios down, it’s good to expand your repertoire of arpeggios. After all, arpeggios are as plentiful as chords. In this lesson we’re going to take a look at major 6 arpeggios, which make for a flavorful and melodic addition to your vocabulary. Major 6 Arpeggio Formula The […]

String skipping is one of those necessary evils when it comes to playing guitar. It’s a technique that can be quite frustrating to play cleanly and mistake free at first, but it’s one you have to get down. Not to worry. In this lesson we’re going to go through some simple string skipping exercises that […]

If you’re familiar with the CAGED system, then you know it’s a way to use open chord shapes to map out guitar chords all over the fretboard. But the system goes far beyond just chords to incorporate arpeggios, pentatonic scales, and diatonic scales. In this lesson we’re going to look at an exercise that that […]