Practice sessions
InstrumentE A D G B E
01Anchor
Memorise the natural notes on the two lowest strings. Fourteen facts, and the only ones you ever have to learn by rote.
Lowest string, naturalsString 6Frets 0–12. Seven facts. The anchor the octave shape hangs off.→Second-lowest string, naturalsString 5Frets 0–12. Seven more. Learn these and the neck opens up.→Two lowest strings, naturalsStrings 6·5Frets 0–12. All fourteen facts, mixed. This is the whole anchor.→Lowest three strings, every noteStrings 6·5·4Frets 0–12, sharps and flats included. Only after the naturals.→
02Derive
Learn the octave shape and those fourteen facts cover the whole neck.
Lowest three stringsStrings 6·5·4Frets 0–12. Uniform shapes, no string-crossing exception.→Across the middle stringsStrings 4·3·2Frets 0–12. Where a shape changes as you cross from one string to the next.→Highest three stringsStrings 3·2·1Frets 0–12. The crossing, plus the top of the neck.→Every stringStrings 6–1Frets 0–12. Everything at once — only once the rest feels easy.→
03Generalise
Chords and scales are the same interval shapes moved to different roots.
Major, root position — middle setStrings 4·3·2All twelve keys. The shape to learn first, on the most useful set.→Major, root position — lowest setStrings 6·5·4All twelve keys. No string-crossing exception, and the one shape a bass can run.→Major, 1st inversion — middle setStrings 4·3·2All twelve keys. The third in the bass; the root moves to the top.→Major, 2nd inversion — middle setStrings 4·3·2All twelve keys. The fifth in the bass — one fret, three strings.→Minor, root position — middle setStrings 4·3·2All twelve keys. One semitone from the major shape you already know.→Major, root position — top setStrings 3·2·1All twelve keys. The same shape moved up a set, reshaped by the B string.→E shape, major barreStrings 6–1All twelve keys. The barre chord everything else is measured against.→A shape, major barreStrings 5–1All twelve keys. The same intervals as the E shape, rooted a string up.→E shape, minor barreStrings 6–1All twelve keys. One finger off the major shape you already know.→