Shared post - 203 | The 4 MOST IMPORTANT Chords

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203 | The 4 MOST IMPORTANT Chords

the trick to learning chords

April 08, 2023

You CAN learn a bunch of chords ... but really, there are only 4 chords you should start with. And once you learn these, it's easy to build from there.

This video shows you exactly which chords -- and why.

And here are the diagrams that I explainin this video. For you to explore at your own pace:

THE 4 ESSENTIAL TRIADS (key of C)

TWO SETS OF WHOLE-STEPS

TERTIAN INTERVALS

GUITAR CHORDS IN ALL 12 KEYS

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Mike George@MikeGeorge

October 19, 2024

Tips for Breaking in your ColorMusic ChordMap

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Mike George@MikeGeorge

February 11, 2024

269 | Lesson 19 - Quick Update

Hey there. I worked on Lesson 19 (Circle of Fifths) all day yesterday. Here's a short update that we filmed last night. Enjoy!

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Mike George@MikeGeorge

January 20, 2024

264 | Lesson 18 Update

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disgusting@disgusting

January 18, 2025

Hi everyone,

I have been studying the CAGED system lately, and working off paper diagrams of the scale intervals. The whole thing was very frustrating using static diagrams so I pulled an all-nighter last night to build this tool to assist in my understanding, and I think it would resonate with the community here.

Upon landing you are greeted with a typical fretboard diagram and all of the colours/shapes of the notes are lifted directly from the ColorMusic system

Then the CAGED system part: For each of the keys (CAGED), play the major scale, the pentatonic major scale, arpeggiated triad for the tonic note, and arpeggiated triads for each of the chords in the key (I, ii, iii, IV, V, vi, vii°)

https://caged-practice-tool.vercel.app/

I think this is a really nice intersection of some more conventional tools and the awesome ColorMusic system. If it gains any traction I’ll get a permanent domain name for it, but it’ll always be free if anyone wants to use it. Also, if I got any of ...

Adrian Olivas@AdrianOlivas

January 09, 2025

I'm still here thinking about the standard tuning of the guitar. Something that stood out to me about EADGBE tuning is that while standard tuning IS the Phrygian Mode Axis point, it also has an inherent hidden chromaticism in it's ordering.

I listed below all the notes of the standard tuning with asterisks and all the non-standard tuning (chromatic) notes in bracketed parenthesis that shows that the Phrygian mode itself as standard tuning is derived from the Chromatic Scale.

I know this is probably obvious but I'm totally having a nerd moment here because I never really saw this in this way. As basic as this is, it's still really cool.

Also, as I understand it the I chord in the Phrygian Mode in all 12 keys is always MINOR and interestingly follows the Circle of Fifths pattern which to me is straight up mind blowing. I can't quite articulate why right now but I should be able to show why this is the case.

I haven't explored how this relates to the Aeolian mode which IS the minor mode but I bet there is ...

Adrian Olivas@AdrianOlivas

December 26, 2024

I was watching Mike's Standard Tuning video and there's another really cool way to understand the fretboard using the EADGBE method of tuning.

The standard tuning begins with the note E which is the 3rd step in the key of C. If you think about that in the context of modes, that would make the standard tuning of the guitar what you might call a PHRYGIAN AXIS position.

This axis positon has it's octave appearing again at the 12th fret with the same notes which can be thought of as the same place.

If you move back 2 frets from there to the 10th fret, you find the note D on the 6th string and the 1st string which is the 2nd step in key of C making the 10th fret a DORIAN AXIS position.

It's kind of like using modes as landmarks on the fretboard. On the 5th fret, you find A, and it's the 7th step in key of C and your AEOLIAN AXIS position.

So the 2nd, 3rd, and 7th steps in a modal context is another fretboard roadmap. Seems like yet another cool way to look at the fretboard in a modal context that...

Mike George@MikeGeorge

July 27, 2023

227 | Why Use Colors AND Shapes

a better look at music theory

Music theory is NOT confusing ... but the SYMBOLS people typically use to understand it are.

In this video, we look at how to quickly understand the patterns of music using COLORS and SHAPES.

https://youtube.com/live/mSWUhD0wDiQ

In other posts here, I explain the benefit of color to see music theory. But people often ask, “… but what’s up with the shapes? Why also use these alternating squares and circles?”

So here’s a synopsis of why the shapes are so helpful, which summarizes key points in the video.

Traditionally, musicians try to picture the invisible patterns of sound using uniform black dots … along with letter and number symbols:

The result is a visually complex system of blotches and squiggles that’s confusing and even counterintuitive.

But when you get down to it, the two most fundamental labels used to communicate musical ideas is those letters and numbers.

LETTERS that represent the 12 individual notes in music, and
NUMBERS that indicate the different intervals between the notes

And together, these two symbol sets — letters and numbers — are meant to illustrate the musical relationships or patterns, which is what music is all about.

But while the letters do at least a decent job of distinguishing each note from the next — like C versus C# versus D, etc. — the colors visually clarify which notes are which more vividly and immediately.

And the color-note assignments here are based on applying the color wheel to the circle of fifths — where both patterns follow the exact same structure and sequence.

For example, in the center image below, the major scales of each key overlap in music to form the circle of fifths. And just as all the keys in music form this daisy-chain pattern, all the colors in the color wheel also bleed seamlessly into one another....

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Mike George@MikeGeorge

February 14, 2025

323 | Playing with the ChordMap (sevenths version)

We're hanging out via live stream Saturday, February 15 at 9:00 a.m. (UTC-7) -- to play with the ChordMap (sevenths version). Chat Live or post questions on Locals in advance.

This stream is for supporters. THANK YOU!

And here's the link to join:

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Mike George@MikeGeorge

January 03, 2025

319 | Lesson 1 + Q&A

To understand music, you must start at the beginning -- by asking the basic question, "what exactly is music theory?"

The answer may surprise you, as this lesson explains.

In this live stream, we walk through the main points of Lesson 1 from the Guitar Theory course, followed by a Q&A.

Join us Saturday, January 4 @ 9:00 a.m. (UTC-7). Here's the link:

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