A combination of standalone guitar lessons and backup to the one on one lessons I give to my students at the Leeds Guitar Studio. You'll find lots of useful information for guitarists of all types.
Whether you are trying to improvise a soulful solo, transcribe a favorite song by ear, or sight-read a piece of music, every guitar breakthrough relies on one fundamental skill:ear training.
Without a direct connection between your inner ear and your fingers on the fretboard, playing guitar becomes an exercise in guesswork—randomly searching for notes and hoping for the best. As the saying goes: "If you can't hear it, you can't play it".
Here is a simple, highly effective daily ear training routine to bridge the gap between your mind and your guitar.
1. The Core Golden Rule: Sing First, Play Second
The single biggest mistake guitarists make when attempting ear training is fretting a note, playing it, and then singing along with the sound. Singing along after the note has sounded provides virtually zero training value because your ear isn't actively predicting the sound.
To build real pitch recognition, you must invert the process:
Visualize/Internalize: Hear the target pitch in your head.
Sing the Predicted Pitch: Vocalize or hum the pitch before touching the fretboard.
Play to Verify: Play the note on your guitar to test whether your vocalized prediction was correct.
Note on Vocal Tone: Don't worry about sounding like a professional singer. Whether you sing, hum, or whistle, tone quality is irrelevant as long as the pitch is accurate.
2. Step 1: Single-String Random Increments
Start on a single string with a comfortable pitch within your singing range (for example, the D note on the 7th fret of the G string).
Randomize Your Movement: Decide randomly whether your next note will move up or down. You can even use tools like ChatGPT to generate random direction prompts.
Start Small: Begin by moving in small increments—either 1 fret (a semitone) or 2 frets (a whole tone).
Break Away from Scales: Avoid following familiar scale patterns or box shapes. The goal is pure interval recognition, so keep your movements as unpredictable as possible.
3. Step 2: Widening the Interval Jumps
Once small step predictions feel natural, challenge your ear with wider interval jumps along the same string:
3 Frets (Minor 3rd): Predict and vocalize jumps of three semitones (or an augmented second).
4 Frets (Major 3rd): Practice jumping four semitones up or down.
Mixing whole tones, semitones, minor thirds, and major thirds in random order builds mental flexibility and sharpens your pitch prediction speed.
4. Step 3: String-to-String Geography
Guitar strings (with the exception of the G to B string shift) are tuned in perfect fourths—which equals 5 semitones. To navigate the fretboard intuitively, you must connect pitch hearing with string-to-string geometry.
Practice predicting notes across adjacent strings using standard fretboard interval distances:
5 Semitones: Perfect 4th (direct jump to the adjacent higher string at the same fret).
4 Semitones: Major 3rd.
3 Semitones: Minor 3rd.
2 Semitones: Whole Tone.
1 Semitone: Semitone.
Applying the "sing first, play second" rule across strings trains your mind to map visual and physical fretboard positions directly to pitch.
5. What Comes Next?
This daily interval prediction routine establishes the baseline for total fretboard freedom. Once this foundation is solid, you can expand your ear training practice into:
Interval Identification: Recognizing all diatonic and chromatic intervals instantly.
Chord Qualities: Dissecting major, minor, diminished, and augmented chords by ear.
Arpeggio & Harmony Parsing: Picking apart individual notes within complex chords and arpeggios.
Ear training isn't just a beginner exercise—it is a lifelong practice that pays immediate dividends every time you pick up the guitar.
Daily Practice Checklist
[ ] Choose a starting pitch on a comfortable string.
[ ] Practice 5 minutes of random semitone and whole tone predictions (Sing $\rightarrow$ Play $\rightarrow$ Verify).
[ ] Practice 5 minutes of wider jumps (Minor & Major 3rds).
[ ] Practice 5 minutes of string-to-string interval predictions.
1. Introduction: The Problem with Traditional Modal Learning
For most guitarists, the introduction to modes is a sequential slog. You are typically told to learn C Ionian, then D Dorian, then E Phrygian, and so on, all within the same key. While this is an effective way to map out the physical geography of the fretboard, it is a fundamentally flawed way to actually hear the modes.
When you play through these shapes sequentially in a single key, your ear remains tethered to the original harmonic context. If you are playing over a C Major progression, every "mode" you play will simply sound like C Major. You aren't hearing the unique "color" of Dorian or Phrygian; you are just hearing different starting points for the same scale. The modes only truly become distinct when you shift the perceived root—the harmonic center. To truly master the "vibe" of a mode, we must move away from sequential learning and toward a parallel approach where every mode is played from the same common root.
2. The Practical Setup: Creating the "Wash of Sound"
To hear these modal colors clearly, you need a consistent harmonic canvas. By setting up a drone, you provide a fixed point of reference that allows your ears to detect the subtle intervallic shifts of each mode.
Step-by-Step Setup:
Drop D Tuning: Lower your low E string by one whole tone to D. This creates a powerful "Root-5th-Octave" drone using the bottom three strings (D-A-D). This power-chord-like foundation is "harmonically ambiguous" enough to support almost all modes.
The Drone: Use your thumb or a pick to keep the D, A, and high D strings ringing out continuously.
The Laboratory (G String): Use the G string as your primary melody string. By playing the melody against the low D drone on a single horizontal plane, the intervallic structure becomes visually and aurally undeniable.
Gear and Tone Settings | Setting | Recommendation | Purpose | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | Delay | Moderate feedback/mix | To sustain the notes and create a "wash of sound." | | Reverb | Deep Hall or Plate | To add space for contemplation. | | Tone | Clean or Slightly Overdriven | Ensures the intervals remain clear and distinct. |
This drone provides the perfect canvas to paint different modal colors, allowing you to "sit and vibe" on each unique sound.
3. The Mechanics of the "Formula Shift"
The secret to understanding modes is the internal "spelling" of the Major Scale. Every mode is simply a reorganization of the standard Major Scale formula. By shifting the starting point of this formula clockwise, you create a new intervallic structure, which is the primary driver of a mode’s personality.
The Major Scale (Ionian) Formula | Scale Degree | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | (8) | | :--- | :---: | :---: | :---: | :---: | :---: | :---: | :---: | :---: | | Step Interval | | T | T | S | T | T | T | S |
When we practice Modal Interchange, we play these different formulas from the same root (e.g., D). For example, shifting one step clockwise to Dorian means starting the formula from the second interval (T-S-T-T-T-S-T). This juxtaposition makes the differences between a "major" feel and a "tension-filled" feel immediate and obvious.
4. The Modal Catalog: Sounds, Formulas, and Feelings
As you explore these sounds over your D drone, you will find that each mode engenders a specific color. Eventually, they will become as recognizable to your ears as the color red.
Ionian (Major) The baseline formula: Tone-Tone-Semitone-Tone-Tone-Tone-Semitone.
Quick Reference: Bright, stable, and familiar. The standard "happy" sound.
Dorian Shift the formula to start with a Tone followed by a Semitone.
Quick Reference: Sophisticated and soulful; a minor-leaning feel but with a brighter edge than natural minor.
Phrygian This mode begins immediately with a Semitone (the "Flat 2").
Quick Reference: High Tension. The immediate semitone shift creates a dark, exotic, and uneasy vibe.
Lydian Like the Major scale, but with a "Raised 4th" (a tritone from the root). It features three whole tones on the trot.
Quick Reference: Ethereal, "spacey," and "lifted." The signature sound of Joe Satriani. (think of the iconic Simpsons melody). Devin Townsend
Mixolydian Similar to the Major scale but features a "Flat 7." This is the dominant seventh sound.
Quick Reference: The "blues/rock" sound. It has a rocking, dominant character
Aeolian (Natural Minor) The defining characteristic is the Flat 6 interval.
Quick Reference: Sad, reflective, and somber. A significant mood shift from the brightness of Ionian or Dorian.
Locrian The "odd one out." It features a Flat 5 which clashes harshly with the perfect 5th (A) in your D-A-D drone.
Quick Reference: Highly unstable. It functions like an incomplete major scale; the ear desperately wants to hear it resolve up to the root.
5. Compositional Applications and Modal Contrast
These sounds are powerful compositional tools. Professional songwriters use modal interchange to create instant narrative shifts within a piece of music.
Case Study: Joe Satriani In the track "Flying in a Blue Dream," Satriani utilizes this exact concept, shifting through different modal colors over a consistent root to create a sense of journey and exploration.
Practical Exercise: Randomized Pairings To sharpen your ears and hear the maximum contrast, try switching between these modes over your drone in non-sequential order:
Phrygian to Lydian: Experience the jump from dark tension to ethereal brightness.
Mixolydian to Aeolian: Feel the shift from a bluesy strut to a somber reflection.
Locrian to Ionian: Hear the ultimate instability resolve into ultimate stability.
This sensory-first approach changes your relationship with the fretboard, moving you from mathematical shapes to emotional colors.
6. Conclusion: The Sensory Guitarist
Mastering modes is not about memorizing math or complex shapes; it is a sensory experience. By using the common-root drone approach, you stop thinking about "where to put your fingers" and start thinking about "what color you want to paint."
Sit and vibe on these sounds until you can recognize the tension of a Phrygian flat-second or the lift of a Lydian raised-fourth intuitively. When you can feel the mode without thinking about the formula, you have internalised their sound.
1. Introduction: The Strategic Role of Chromatic Intervals
In modern guitar improvisation, moving beyond basic scalar shapes requires a bridge between rigid tonality and fluid chromaticism. Chromatic 3rds and 6ths provide this bridge by maintaining "harmonic integrity." Unlike single-note chromatic runs which can feel unmoored, moving in intervals ensures the listener perceives a clear harmonic relationship even as the line travels through heavily dissonant territory.
The framework for navigating this fretboard complexity is found in "symmetrical patterns." These are logical, predictable structures that repeat across the neck, providing a visual and mechanical "safety net" when the ear is challenged by chromatic movement. However, this conceptual freedom is only possible when supported by technical mastery. To improvise effectively, the hand must execute these patterns with "physical logic," moving from abstract theory into a catalog of reliable movements.
2. The Fretboard Catalog: Mechanics of 3rds and 6ths
Mastering these intervals requires organizing the fretboard into predictable "cells." By categorizing movement into these manageable units, you shift the cognitive load from "where do my fingers go?" to "what do I want to say?"
Chromatic Minor Thirds
Minor thirds provide a tight, focused chromatic sound. Mastery requires alternating between fingerings to maintain the sequence across string crosses.
Movement
Direction
Fingering Logic
Key Challenge
Descending
High-Low
3-1, 4-2 or 4-1, 3-2
Managing the shift during string crosses.
Descending
Low-High
1-3, 4-2 or 3-1, 2-4
Maintaining interval consistency.
Ascending
High-Low
3-1, 4-2
Moving back a fret each time you cross a string.
Ascending
Low-High
1-4, 2-4, 3-1
More awkward; benefits greatly from hybrid picking.
Chromatic Major Thirds and the "Fourth Interval Problem"
Major thirds are problematic due to the guitar’s standard tuning. Because strings are tuned in fourths, a major third sequence often results in the next note landing on the same fret as the previous note on an adjacent string.
The Rolling Technique: To solve the "fourth interval problem," you must use a "roll" with the same finger to move across strings cleanly without notes bleeding into each other.
Descending Major 3rds: Use 4-1 on the same string, then cross over to 3-4 one fret lower.
Ascending Major 3rds (High-Low): 4-1, then roll the finger across to catch the next note in the sequence on the adjacent string.
Chromatic Sixths
Sixths introduce "jumping string" techniques, which require precision and string skipping.
Minor 6ths: Typically use 4-2 or 3-1 across skipped strings. When moving high-to-low or low-to-high, the little finger must shift precisely as the pattern repeats.
Major 6ths: These are notoriously difficult. Descending high-to-low shapes (4-1, 3-4, 2-3) require long-distance travel. You often get only two pairs of notes before a position shift is mandatory.
Technical Execution: Hybrid Picking
To maintain clean lines, especially with distortion, hybrid picking is essential.
Triplets: For "Low-High-Low" cells, use a pick-hammer-pull sequence.
String Jumps: Use a pick-finger-finger or pick-finger sequence to avoid the mechanical drag of a pick moving across non-adjacent strings.
While these exercises build the "catalog," they must be anchored to a harmonic structure to become music.
3. Harmonic Anchoring: Navigating Major 7th Structures
Chromatic runs risk sounding chaotic if they are not tethered to the underlying chord. Major 7th chords require a "hooking point"—a chordal interval that serves as the entry for a chromatic line. By starting on an interval already present in the chord, you establish a sense of purpose.
Case Study: C Major 7th (C-E-G-B)
Major 3rd Patterns: You can "thread" through the chord using the C-E (Root-3rd) or G-B (5th-7th) intervals. Using the G to B run provides a different, more elevated harmonic quality than the root-based run.
Minor 3rd Presence: Although it is a Major 7th chord, a minor third exists between the 3rd (E) and the 5th (G). Use this as a hooking point for a minor third chromatic pattern to add melodic variety.
The "Out Point": Your resolution doesn't have to be the note you started on; it simply needs to be any chord tone. This flexibility allows you to exit the "chromatic train" at any opportune moment back into the safe tonality of the chord.
4. Creative Fluidity: Minor 7th Applications and Lick Construction
In Minor 7th contexts, we shift from "straight-ahead patterns" to "lick ideas." Because Major and Minor 7th chords share similar internal interval structures (alternating major and minor thirds), patterns are often reusable if you start from a different chord tone.
Case Study: C Minor 7th (C-Eb-G-Bb)
The Low-High-Low Cell: Start on the 5th (G) and move to the 7th (Bb) using a pick-hammer-pull triplet-style cell. This creates a modern, articulate phrasing.
Conformant Shifting: To remain "conformant" to the chord, shift from minor thirds to major thirds mid-run. For example, moving from the C-Eb interval into a major third pattern starting on the Eb.
Whole Tone Implication: Playing specific major third patterns over a minor structure naturally implies the Whole Tone scale. From a music theory perspective, this creates a sophisticated, "out" flavor that creates tension before resolving to a stable chord tone like the root.
5. High-Tension Improvisation: Dominant 7th and the Tritone
The Dominant 7th chord (Root, Major 3rd, 5th, Minor 7th) is the key to chromatic latitude. The tritone (the interval between the 3rd and 7th) is your "way off the reservation" into dissonant territory. Because the tritone is inherently unstable, it acts as a "free throw" for chromatic movement.
Harmonic Implications
The Whole Tone Scale: Using high-low-high major third patterns implies the whole tone scale. Since three notes of that scale are chord tones and three are "out," these patterns provide a perfect "in-out-in" feel.
The Diminished Scale: Minor third patterns relate directly to the half-whole diminished scale. Use the "tone-in-between" logic: play two minor thirds separated by a whole tone to perfectly dovetail into the dominant structure.
Lydian Dominant Sound: Use a 6th interval, such as F# to D. The F# acts as the #11, instantly implying the sophisticated Lydian Dominant sound.
6. Practical Implementation: Drones, Transitions, and Resolutions
To develop an ear for chromatic resolution, you must use a Drone or Looper. Hearing the notes sit against a persistent chord is the only way to internalize how dissonance resolves into "harmonic integrity."
The Transition Rule
Chromatic patterns are most effective during chord transitions. For example, when moving from G minor to B minor, use a chromatic line to bridge the gap. The critical requirement is that the line must "land" exactly as the chord change occurs. If you don't hit a chord tone on the downbeat of the new chord, the sense of intentionality is lost.
Rules for Resolution
The Hook: Always start within a chordal interval.
The Limit: Maintain the symmetrical "chromatic train" for no more than 1–2 bars to avoid sounding mechanical.
The Jump Off: Pre-emptively visualize your resolution point before you even start the line.
Mastering these intervals allows you to mix 3rds and 6ths, effectively disguising symmetrical patterns so they sound like fluid, modern melodies. There are many ways to "skin the cat" of improvisation; once you have the catalog in your fingers, go nuts and start getting creative with the combinations.
Mastering the Fretboard: The I-IV-I-V Voice Leading and the Thirds Chord Cycle
1. Introduction to Primary Triads
In the architecture of western music, the primary triads—the I, IV, and V chords—are the bedrock of songwriting and composition. However, many guitarists remain trapped in "block" chord thinking, jumping between disconnected shapes and losing the melodic thread. To achieve true fretboard mastery, we must transition from static shapes to fluid, musical voice leading. Using my methodology developed for Leeds Guitar Studio, this guide will provide a systematic framework for visualizing these essential harmonies across the entire neck, focusing on economy of motion and sophisticated harmonic movement.
2. Establishing the Key: The D Major Foundation
We begin with a specific tonal center to ground our physical and theoretical practice. We will use the key of D Major.
A major scale is defined by its interval structure and the rule that it must contain one of each letter name. In D Major, the notes are:
D, E, F#, G, A, B, and C#
Note the essential semitone intervals between the 3rd and 4th degrees (F# to G) and the 7th and 8th degrees (C# to D). As a clinician's "pro-tip" for setting the physical context, play this scale starting from the A string. This establishes the hand's position and prepares the ears for the triads we are about to build.
3. The Third Chord Cycle: Connecting the Fretboard
The "Third Chord Cycle" is a rigorous exercise designed to map triads across the neck using an alternating voice movement. The fundamental harmonic rule here is that the fifth of the current chord becomes the root of the next chord.
To execute this, we use the "Step Rule," where one voice moves up exactly one scale degree while the other two remain stationary. We define the voices based on the string set:
Top Voice: The note on the thinnest/highest-sounding string of the triad.
Middle Voice: The note on the middle string of the triad.
Bottom Voice: The note on the thickest/lowest-sounding string of the triad.
Follow this specific sequence through the D Major scale, alternating the moving voice:
D Major to B Minor: Top note moves (A to B).
B Minor to G Major: Middle note moves (F# to G).
G Major to E Minor: Bottom note moves (D to E).
E Minor to C# Diminished: Top note moves (B to C#).
C# Diminished to A Major: Middle note moves (G to A).
A Major to F# Minor: Bottom note moves (E to F#).
F# Minor to D Major: Top note moves (C# to D).
4. The Prototypical I-IV-I-V Voice Leading Rule
Professional voice leading is about minimizing tension and hand displacement. When moving between the I, IV, and V chords, we apply a consistent three-part mechanic: one note stays the same (the common tone), one note moves a whole tone, and one note moves a semitone.
Moving from I (D Major) to IV (G Major):
D note: Stays the same (Common Tone).
A note: Moves a whole tone up to B.
F# note: Moves a semitone up to G.
Moving from I (D Major) to V (A Major):
A note: Stays the same (Common Tone).
D note: Moves a semitone down to C#.
F# note: Moves a whole tone down to E.
By internalizing these movements, you ensure that in any given neck position, you have immediate access to the three primary shapes (Root, 1st Inversion, 2nd Inversion) without unnecessary jumping.
5. Adding Musicality: Suspensions and Delayed Movements
To move from "exercise" to "performance," you must introduce rhythmic independence to these voices. Instead of moving all three notes simultaneously, practice delayed voice movement.
This technique is a hallmark of the Hendrix style of triad playing. By staggering the resolution of a voice, you create:
Suspensions (Sus chords): Harmonic tension created when a note from the previous chord lingers.
Intervening Minor Sounds: Brief, passing sonorities that add depth and "air" to your chord transitions.
6. Navigating the Neck: The 5-Fret Rule
To expand these patterns vertically, we use the 5-Fret Rule. This is a systematic method for shifting the registration of your playing while maintaining harmonic consistency.
Once you have exhausted the I-IV-I-V sequence in one area:
Identify the shape used for the V chord (the 5 shape).
Shift that specific shape up five frets (or down seven).
Treat this new position as your new I shape.
This works because of the guitar’s tuning logic; moving five frets up results in the same pitch classes but in a different inversion or registration. This allows you to "leapfrog" up the neck, connecting various CAGED-style regions into one unified map.
7. Harmonizing Melodies with Inversions
The final step in your clinical training is Static Chord Inversion Training. Before trying to join everything together, practice playing the D Major triad in Root position, 1st inversion, and 2nd inversion within one area of the neck. Repeat this for the IV and V chords.
This training is vital for harmonizing melodies. When a specific melody note is on the high string, you must be able to instantly recall which of the three triad inversions places that specific note at the top of the chord. This allows you to "join them all up," making the harmony an extension of the melody.
8. Conclusion and Practice Routine
Mastery is born of repetition and systematic expansion. Begin with the D Major scale, internalize the Third Chord Cycle to understand the relationship between every diatonic triad, and then apply the I-IV-I-V voice leading rules to develop economy of motion. Once you have conquered D Major, take this entire process through the circle of fifths. By treating the fretboard as a series of interlocking voices rather than static boxes, you unlock the ability to play with true musical authority.
May the 4ths Be With You: Unlocking Quartal & Quintal Harmony on Guitar
If you’ve ever felt stuck in a rut playing the same old major and minor barre chords, it’s time to break free from the "tyranny of thirds." Most chord construction you learn as a guitarist is tertian harmony—chords built by stacking thirds (like C, E, G for a C major triad).
In this post, we’re going to break down the core concepts from Graham Young's excellent lesson at the Leeds Guitar Studio on how to build, invert, and play these chords on the guitar.
1. What is Quartal and Quintal Harmony?
At its simplest:\n* Quartal harmony is chord construction built on the interval of a fourth.
Quintal harmony is chord construction built on the interval of a fifth.
Though they sound like two separate concepts, they are actually two sides of the same coin due to the invertible nature of intervals.
Let's look at the math. If you take the interval of a fifth—think of the classic "Star Wars" interval going up from C to G—that's five diatonic steps:
C ---> D ---> E ---> F ---> G
1 2 3 4 5 (Perfect 5th)
Now, if you flip (invert) either of those notes—for instance, taking the C up an octave—the distance from G up to that high C is now only four steps:
G ---> A ---> B ---> C
1 2 3 4 (Perfect 4th)
Because of this invertible relationship, chords built on fourths will naturally invert into chords built on fifths, and vice versa. They are functionally interchangeable, so you can call them whatever you prefer!
2. Tuning & Physics: The 3-Note Stack
While you can stack four or five notes in fourths or fifths, doing so on a guitar gets physically demanding very quickly. Fifth-voicings (quintal) in particular require massive finger stretches.
For this reason, it is highly recommended to focus on three-note voicings.
The Core Quintal Voicing: C–G–D
Let’s start with a three-note quintal chord built off the root of C:
C (Root)
G (Perfect 5th above C)
D (Perfect 5th above G, which is the Major 9th of C)
You can think of this voicing simply as two power chords stacked on top of each other, or harmonically as the 1, 5, and 9 of a major scale.
Standard Tuning vs. All-Fourths (P4) Tuning
In P4 tuning (Perfect Fourths: E-A-D-G-C-F), quartal and quintal shapes are beautifully symmetrical across all strings. If you are in Standard Tuning (E-A-D-G-B-E), you have to compensate for the major third interval between the G and B strings.
Here is how to play the C–G–D stack in both systems:
Standard Tuning (A, D, and G strings): Because these three strings are tuned in perfect fourths, the shape remains symmetrical and highly playable. You can play C on the 3rd fret of the A string, G on the 5th fret of the D string, and D on the 7th fret of the G string.
Standard Tuning (Crossing onto the B string): When crossing onto the B string, you must shift the top note up by one fret to compensate for the major-third tuning gap. Try playing C on the 10th fret of the D string, G on the 12th fret of the G string, and D on the 15th fret of the B string.
The Magic of Inversion: Turning Fifths into Fourths
Something cool happens when we invert this C–G–D stack. If the root C steps up to D, and the top note D steps down to C, we get:
D (Bottom)
G (Middle)
C (Top)
Take a look at the intervals now: D to G is a fourth, and G to C is a fourth. By inverting our quintal stack, we have seamlessly transitioned into a pure quartal voicing!
In Standard Tuning (on the A, D, and G strings), this is as easy as performing a pure barre shape: simply barre your index finger across the 5th fret of those three strings to play D, G, and C respectively.
3. Running the Diatonic Scale & The "Tritone Hazard"
Now that we have our basic three-note shapes, we can slide them diatonically up the fretboard in the key of C Major. As you play through the scale, most of your chords will sound beautifully open, resonant, and stable.
That is, until you hit the Tritone Hazard.
When you build your fifth-stack starting on E, the notes of the diatonic scale dictate:
E (Root)
B (Perfect 5th)
F (Diminished 5th / Tritone above B)
This results in the voicing E–B–F, which contains a highly dissonant tritone at the very top. It is extremely "crunchy" and should be used with caution! On the A, D, and G strings, you would play E on the 7th fret, B on the 9th fret, and F on the 10th fret.
Taming the Tritone
But don't throw this shape away! If you invert E–B–F, it becomes much friendlier to the ear. The inversion gives you F–B–E (with the tritone now at the bottom).
If you play this F–B–E shape over a G root note in the bass, you get a gorgeous, sophisticated G13 chord:
G (Bass)
F (Flat 7th)
B (Major 3rd)
E (Major 13th)
You can play this on standard tuning by fretting G on the 10th fret of the low E string, F on the 10th fret of the D string, B on the 12th fret of the G string, and E on the 12th fret of the B string (while muting the A and high E strings).
Just like that, an unstable, crunchy stack of fifths transforms into a lush, professional jazz dominant voicing!
You'll encounter the tritone hazard again when you stack starting on B, which yields B–F–C (with the tritone at the bottom of the stack). Inverting this voicing will also resolve it into a highly usable, modern shape.
4. Funky Variations: Mixing Fourths and Steps
Once you are comfortable with pure stacks of fourths and fifths, you can start mixing intervals to create even more modern, funky textures.
Instead of stacking pure fourths, you can group a major second (step) and a fourth together.
Variation 1: Step at the Bottom, Fourth at the Top (C–D–G)
Take the root and the second (or nine) and play them together, then stack a fourth on top. On C, this gives you C to D (a major second step) and D to G (a perfect fourth). This has a tight, cluster-like rub at the bottom and a wide-open interval at the top.
In Standard Tuning, you can play this open-voiced by placing C on the 3rd fret of the A string, leaving the D string open, and playing G on the 5th fret of the G string. Alternatively, as a closed, moveable voicing on the high strings, you can play G on the 3rd fret of the high E string, D on the 3rd fret of the B string, and C on the 5th fret of the G string.
Variation 2: Fourth at the Bottom, Step at the Top (G–C–D)
Conversely, you can put the fourth at the bottom and the step at the top. On G, this looks like G to C (a perfect fourth) and C to D (a major second step). This shape has a beautiful, suspended-chord quality that sounds incredibly modern and ringing.
In Standard Tuning, try playing G on the 5th fret of the D string, C on the 5th fret of the G string, and D on the 3rd fret of the B string.
Variation 3: The Semitone Cluster (F–B–C)
You can also invert those tritone-hazard chords to create beautiful dissonance. For example, F to B (a tritone at the bottom) and B to C (a semitone step at the top). This shape is incredibly funky and tight, giving you a wonderful jazz-fusion flavor to throw into your rhythm playing.
In Standard Tuning, you can fret F on the 3rd fret of the D string, B on the 4th fret of the G string, and C on the 1st fret of the B string.
5. Tips for Applying Quartal Harmony in Your Playing
To start incorporating these lush, modern sounds into your everyday guitar playing:
Ditch the Root Note (Let the Bassist Do the Work): Because quartal chords don't contain standard thirds and fifths, they are harmonically ambiguous. This is a superpower! A single three-note quartal chord can imply three or four different chord qualities depending on what the bass player is doing.
Practice Sliding Diatonically: Take the 3-note quintal stack (1-5-9) and practice moving it up and down the major scale. Memorize where the tritone hazard falls (on E and B) and practice inverting them on the fly.
Use Them for Modal Comping: Quartal harmony is the definitive sound of modal jazz (think Miles Davis's Kind of Blue or McCoy Tyner's piano comping). Try playing these shapes over a one-chord Dorian vamp to instantly capture that cool, searching, modern jazz vibe.
Be on the lookout for Graham Young’s next video, which features a complete custom study utilizing all of these voicings, complete with tabs and practice tips!
6. Ready to Master Quartal Harmony? (Call to Action)
Ready to take these shapes off the page and get them under your fingers?
Get the Tab & Study Pack: Download the complete custom practice study written by Graham Young, complete with downloadable guitar tabs, detailed chord layout sheets, and backing tracks to practice over. Download the Companion Study Guide & Tab Pack.
Study at Leeds Guitar Studio: If you're looking for personalized online lessons, masterclasses, or high-quality guitar courses to take your playing to the next level, visit Leeds Guitar Studio.
Let’s face it: there are plenty of guitar hacks out there. You know the ones. They charge fifteen or twenty quid an hour, sit you down, hand you a generic chord chart, and tell you to "just practice it until it feels right." If you expect a magic wand to wave over your fingers and make you a virtuoso without doing the hard mechanical work, I suggest you contact Paul Daniels—he’s got a much better chance of making that a reality than I do.
If you want actual results, you have to stop wasting your time on random, unfocused repetition.
The Illusion of "Cheap" Instruction
I often have adult learners come to my studio in Leeds who have spent years stuck in a rut. When they tell me they’ve been taking lessons for five years at a "discount" rate, I do some quick math for them.
Let's look at the actual numbers:
The "Cheap" Route: 5 years of weekly £20 lessons = £5,200.
The Result: They still can't cross strings smoothly, their timing is wonky, and they are completely stuck.
Now compare that to studying with a professional, top-tier tutor. My rate is £40 per hour. Yes, it’s double the price of a bedroom amateur. But if you have a structured, diagnostic approach that addresses your specific physical bottlenecks immediately, you can iron out decades of bad habits in just a few months.
If you get a highly targeted lesson plan, practice little and often (around 30 to 40 minutes a day broken into focused 15-minute blocks), and use properly engineered materials, you will save years of frustration—and literally thousands of pounds in the long run. Paying for elite guidance isn't an expense; it’s a massive financial shortcut.
Why LGS Materials are Different: The Anatomy of a Designed Exercise
In my teaching, I am constantly striving for simplicity and clarity. I don't believe in rote learning—memorizing patterns blindly is useless. You need a "process" approach, where you are forced to think through an exercise to properly internalize it and learn to think musically.
Take my economy picking framework (what I often call the mother of all technical exercises). It’s condensed down into pure, pathy goodness to save you time and effort. Most players try to build speed by just picking faster and faster. They don’t realize that speed isn’t about the notes you can hear; it's about the pick resets—the silent, mechanical micro-movements you must perform to get the pick from one string to another smoothly.
If you take a simple six-note fragment of a major scale and move it across two strings, you immediately hit three distinct permutations:
Permutation 1: Starting on a downstroke on the first string (down-up-down), then crossing to the second string with an straight-through downstroke (down-up-down), returning with an upstroke (up-down-up) and a double-up across the string crossing [1, 2].
Permutation 2: Starting on the middle note of the scale (up-down-down across three strings) and returning with an upstroke [2].
Permutation 3: Starting on the end note of the string, which forces a double-down to begin, then returning with a down-up-up stroke [2, 3].
These aren't just random scale shapes. They are diagnostic tools. When you play these with a metronome, any slight mechanical weakness, any awkwardness in your string crossings, or any issues with your squeeze-and-release note length control will be instantly exposed [4, 5]. If your note length is clipped, your timing will sound wonky even if it’s rhythmically even [4].
By engineered design, exercises like this—along with our technique building series like Digital Hell—find your weak spots and systematically iron them out [5].
There Is No End Goal, Only the Journey
When you come to Leeds Guitar Studio, I will always be completely honest with you about your abilities and your goals. I take my reputation as a teacher seriously. I won’t let people pass themselves off as my students if they've only had half a dozen lessons and haven't put in the practice.
But if you are willing to enjoy the process, embrace structured practice, and use materials designed to solve mechanical problems rather than just feed you tabs, your playing will transform.
Are you ready to stop messing around and actually master your mechanics? Get your metronome out, get it smooth, and let's get to work.
When you think of standard guitar practice, what comes to mind? Running scale patterns, practicing speed drills, or memorizing chord shapes?
While these physical skills are important, there is one critical area of musicianship that is all too often neglected by both guitar students and teachers alike: ear training.
Without training your ear, you are essentially flying blind—relying solely on visual muscle memory (finger patterns and shapes) rather than musical intuition. If you want to break free from standard fretboard patterns and truly express yourself, you must build a strong bridge between your mind and your instrument.
“If you can't hear it, you can't play it.”
The Ultimate Goal: Connecting Your Inner Ear to Your Fingers
The ultimate goal for any guitarist is simple yet profound: to hear what you are going to play, and play what you hear.
This is known as the connection between the inner ear and the fingers. When this connection is strong, you no longer have to guess which fret will produce the sound you hear in your head. Your fingers instinctively move to the correct note.
Developing this level of relative pitch—the ability to identify and reproduce a note in relation to a reference tone—is what separates mechanical players from expressive, improvisational musicians.
A Simple 3-Step Relative Pitch Exercise to Start Today
You don't need hours of dry music theory to start training your ear. You can practice this simple relative pitch exercise, designed by guitar instructor Graham Young, using just a single string:
Play a Reference Tone: Start on any string (the G string is an excellent starting point) and play a single note. Let it ring out and focus on its pitch.
Make a Random Choice: From that starting note, randomly decide two things:
Direction: Are you going up or down in pitch?
Distance: Are you going up or down by a tone (two frets) or a semitone (one fret)?
Sing It Before You Play It: This is the most crucial step. Try to vocalize (sing or hum) the target note before your finger touches the fretboard. Once you've sung your guess, play the note to see if you got the pitch right.
Why This Exercise Works So Well
It Uses Basic Scale Steps: Tones and semitones are the fundamental building blocks of all scales. By mastering these small interval jumps, you lay the groundwork for hearing entire solos and melodies.
Randomness Prevents Predictability: If you simply practice major scales up and down, your brain relies on predictability. By choosing your intervals randomly, you force your inner ear to actively work out the pitch relationship without relying on a familiar scale pattern.
It Scales with Your Skill: As you become proficient at identifying tones and semitones, you can increase the difficulty by adding other intervals, such as the scale steps of the harmonic minor scale.
The Gold Standard: "Sing Everything You Play"
If there is one rule to take away from this ear training framework, it is this: sing everything you are going to play as you play it.
Developing a habit of vocalizing your notes forces your brain to internalize the pitch. Over time, this cements the "inner ear link," transforming your guitar from an external tool of wood and steel into a direct extension of your voice.
Stop neglecting your ears. Grab your guitar, pick a string, and start connecting your fingers to your inner musical voice today!
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