The idea is to understand where you are when you are playing over strings
1,2, and 3 (and many times 4) when over a given fret. It's a fret map with
chord references for the C-E-G-A-C-E C6 tuning.

Here's the basic premise:

If you play straight bar over strings 1,2,3 on the 12th fret (notes A C E)
that spells the following chords:

C (or C6 actually, and you can play C dominant stuff here too)
Am (add the 4th string for Am7)
F Maj 7 (add the 4th string for F Maj 9)
D9

I've mapped this out for 12 frets (octave) below. Cut each fret's worth and apply with tape on the far end of each fret on your instrument for maximum effectiveness as a training aid in remembering some positions that work over a given chord.

I hope you find this useful.

-Bill

(12)
C
Am
F Maj 7
D9

(11)
B
Abm
E Maj 7
C#9

(10)
Bb
Gm
Eb Maj 7
C9

(9)
A
F#m
D Maj 7
B9

(8)
Ab
Fm
C# Maj 7
Bb9

(7)
G
Em
C Maj 7
A9

(6)
F#
Ebm
B Maj 7
G#9

(5)
F
Dm
Bb Maj 7
G9

(4)
E
C#m
A Maj 7
F#9

(3)
Eb
Cm
Ab Maj 7
F9

(2)
D
Bm
G Maj 7
E9

(1)
C#
Bbm
F# Maj 7
Eb9

Steinar

------------------
www.gregertsen.com

I'm printing this out and carrying it in my wallet.

The Non root 9th chord on the bottom of the list is a whole step up from the root chord host, easy to remember, but it lacks the major 3rd and I have a problem with that. There are jazz chords that are called 3/7 chords (Bill Evans) because they have the major 3rd and dom7th, they usually have one or two other upper partials in there too (the upper extensions, unaltered or altered). The 3rd is one of the most important intervals there is and I think a true utility chord would have it in it's voicing.

The minor chord is the relative minor of the root chord host, a major 6th above the root of the host chord.

From the root chord major triad or major 6th chord position on the first 3 or 4 strings =

1. Relative minor root, a major 6th above the major triad root.

2. Non root major 7th root, a perfect 4th above the major triad root.

3. Non root, non major 3rd, 9th chord root, a whole step up from the major triad root.

I think JB's 9th chord voicings are essential to playing a proper 9th chord voicing on a 6th tuning. So it comes down to learning all the Dom7 straight bar root chord positions as home base. Remembering the 3 other chord position root names, that lay on top of the basic root chord host by way of the interval distances. This is the easy way to remember this stuff without having to memorize 12 positions for 3 other chords. Knowing intervals allows you to do polytonal substitutions in your lines pretty fast on the fly.

The chart is cool for verifying the intervals. Being able to speel the 7 different chords found in the key of C major without thinking about it (either triad or 7th chords), is the key to the highway for all music thoery IMHO. Knowing how to turn a major into a minor etc.

When I worked at a paper mill years ago, I used to carry little cards around the plant trying to memorize abunch of music thoery stuff.

[This message was edited by Jesse Pearson on 16 January 2004 at 10:05 AM.]

------------------
Chris Kennison
Ft. Collins, Colorado
"There is no spoon"
www.book-em-danno.com

Thanks for the comments. This is just a more visual way to look at things than to compute them with intellectual aids ala "play the melodic minor a half step up from the dominant chord for the bebop scale" or whatever. Which is not to say that the intellectual approach doesn't work - it does, I use it all the time.

With regard to the 9th chord, just continue to the 4th string but 1 fret down and you have the 3rd you were looking for (you knew that anyway). I was trying to use the KISS methodology here (keep it simple, stupid!).
This is not intended to be comprehensive.

Another issue that I struggle with all the time playing steel in C6 is knowing just where the heck I am. No problem on standard guitar with that though. The visual guide helps cement in my mind where things are. Kind of like people that use the fretboard markers for reference.