So you have the concept understood as a whole & you know what you gotta do. Let's use a simple arpeggiated chord for an example. You make a C-F-G backing track, simple folk or blues. Rather than trying to eat the apple in one bite, strum aling with C and F. When you get to the G part, arpeggiate it -- four, eight, or whatever beats. The next time around, shift position. Instead of rooting the G chord on the e string, root it on the fifth fret d string. So it goes. See what I am doing? Once the G chord, really a three note scale, has been mastered, same thing with the C or F. Capischi?
A 1-3-5 could be considered a simple scale. It has an interval pattern. Agreeing on that, we could make a simple backing track, strum two chords and pick the third, changing different neck positions with the rounds. That way, we learn speed and accuracy one arpeggiated chord at a time. Once a chord (mini scale) has been mastered, repeat the process with another one. Wish I was better at explaining.
I read somewhere that John McLaughlin used a combination of 3 pentatonic scales rooted on 1, 4, and 5 to play guitar in a given key. So if the key was E minor (E F# G A B C D) he'd noodle around in a mixture of the following:
E pentatonic minor – E G A B D A pentatonic minor – A C D E G B pentatonic minor – B D E F# A
If I hear an E minor jam going down at Tubby's Bar and Grill and I want to noodle, I get to pick from E F# G A B C and D.
But only if the local noodling mandate has allowed an FDA-approved version of the Major Minor Sharp Everything Flat Everything Pentatonic Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian, Faucian and Locrian relative minor enharmonic scales????
Why can't I just play a single G note the entire time???
David Snyder Songwriter/Renaissance Man Studio + Fingers
I see. But Ed, make sure you pick the 4th chord too so you can do your Pre Chorus man. You promised me you were going in.
At the time, I knew I should have kept quiet. David, if the progression is G-C-D, what is that 4th chord I am finding so elusive? Is it the relative minor Emin ? I do want to know before the launch.
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Band-in-a-Box 2026 Video: The Newly Designed Piano Roll Window
In this video, we explore the updated Piano Roll, complete with a modernized look and exciting new features. You’ll see new filtering options that make it easy to focus on specific note groups, smoother and more intuitive note entry and editing, and enhanced options for zooming, looping, and more.
Band-in-a-Box 2026 Video: AI Stems & Notes - split polyphonic audio into instruments and transcribe
This video demonstrates how to use the new AI-Notes feature together with the AI-Stems splitter, allowing you to select an audio file and have it separated into individual stems while transcribing each one to its own MIDI track. AI-Notes converts polyphonic audio—either full mixes or individual instruments—into MIDI that you can view in notation or play back instantly.
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MIDI Styles Set 92: Look Ma! More MIDI 15: Latin Jazz
MIDI SuperTracks Set 46: Piano & Organ
Instrumental Studies Set 24: Groovin' Blues Soloing
Artist Performance Set 19: Songs with Vocals 9
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RealDrums Stems Set 10: Groovin' Sticks
SynthMaster Sounds & Styles Set 2 (sounds & styles with audio demos)
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