How To Fake Your Way Through V to I or I to IV Chord Changes With The Harmonized Scale...

by Gerald Jones

Chords are just made from the scale played in harmony. In the first example below I wrote a one octave G scale (do ra mi, etc.) from left to right starting with the third string open G note all the way up to the 12th fret. I then wrote the same scale starting with B and D strings. You can ignore the fourth string for now. GBD make a G chord. The other three note chords are automatically made from the scale. These are numbered with roman numerals I through VII. Don't confuse this with the chord tones which are numbered with Arabic numbers 1, 2, 3 , etc. More on that later. The chords in the key of G are: G, Am, Bm, C, D, Em, F#ø (F# half diminished or Minor 7^th b5 but since it shares three notes with D7 just think of it as D7) and back to G.

The harmonized scale can be done with any of the three major chord positions on the banjo. Just play G, Am, Bm, C, D, Em, F# half dim (just play a D7) the G and you have played a harmonized scale. To turn this into a D to G lick start with the D chord and run through this sequence backwards. D, C, Bm, Am, G. Use any version of these chords. The easy way to remember how to do it is:

1. Start on any D position.
2. Drop that position two frets.
3. Drop it one fret and make it a minor.
4. Drop that two frets keeping it a minor.
5. Drop two more frets and make it major.

To turn it into a lick you can simply use different rolls, etc. Here are a few examples using Barre, F, and D chord positions.

For G to C changes just start a on a G chord and use the same formula. Listen to the mp3 file to hear the examples and some variations.

The sound is very distinctive so now when you hear a lick based on this you will have some idea when to start to pick it out. They will work in almost any tune and are great to jam and improvise with.

Let's pick!
Gerald Jones
http://www.AcousticMusician.com