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Guitar Scales and Chord Progressions

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Guitar Scales and Chord Progressions

This course is part of How to Play Guitar Specialization

52,231 already enrolled

Included with

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
4.7

392 reviews

Intermediate level

Recommended experience

Flexible schedule
1 week at 10 hours a week
Learn at your own pace

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
4.7

392 reviews

Intermediate level

Recommended experience

Flexible schedule
1 week at 10 hours a week
Learn at your own pace

What you'll learn

  • Play scales in a moveable open position

  • Identify and play major, minor, diminished, and augmented arpeggios

  • Add rhythmic timing to arpeggios and strumming to enhance your playing

Details to know

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Assessments

12 assignments¹

AI Graded see disclaimer
Taught in English
97%
Most learners liked this course

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This course is part of the How to Play Guitar Specialization
When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Specialization.
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  • Earn a shareable career certificate

There are 4 modules in this course

You’ve got the guitar basics down: You can strum your guitar and play a few of your favorite songs, but you’re ready to take the tunes to the next level. In Guitar Scales and Chord Progressions you’ll expand your knowledge of scales, chord fingerings, and common chord progressions. You’ll also learn important skills for soloing, creating melodies, and adding depth and dimension to your guitar playing.

This course is not only for the aspiring guitarist who has taken Berklee’s Guitar for Beginners, but also for guitarists who have let their six-string gather dust for too long, and want to brush up on techniques. Each lesson covers the four basic aspects you’ll need to sharpen your guitar chops: scales, arpeggios, chord progressions, and rhythm. Amanda’s practical approach to learning these important elements is fun and helps you to use what you’re learning and practicing in a real musical setting. You’ll improve your playing and creativity, whether it be as a singer-songwriter, a guitarist accompanying a singer, or a player in the band. By the end of this course, you’ll be more comfortable playing throughout the neck, and you’ll gain a better understanding of chord structure and how each chord relates to tonal centers or keys. You’ll also be able to solo and improvise by playing simple lead guitar lines based on the minor pentatonic scale. Whether your preference is for acoustic or electric, the curriculum is designed to turn you into a real guitarist.

Welcome to Guitar Scales and Chord Progressions! Here we will cover all the details about the course and what you'll need to know to get the most out of your experience. Then, we'll start by learning and practicing the pentatonic scale. First we'll learn the b3 pentatonic scale, then the b7 pentatonic scale, and then we'll learn how to play the scale on one string. We'll also work on improvising using a single string. Finally, we'll practice playing scales in a moveable open position.

What's included

8 videos6 readings3 assignments2 discussion prompts

8 videosTotal 26 minutes
  • What You Can Expect to Learn In This Course2 minutes
  • What You'll Learn in this Lesson0 minutes
  • The b3 Pentatonic Scale4 minutes
  • The b7 Pentatonic Scale4 minutes
  • The Major Scale and Improvising On One String4 minutes
  • The Pentatonic Scale on One String3 minutes
  • Playing a Scale in a Moveable Open Position6 minutes
  • Putting It All Together4 minutes
6 readingsTotal 105 minutes
  • Course Resources10 minutes
  • Earn A Certificate10 minutes
  • Connect with Your Classmates5 minutes
  • Practicing the b3 and the b7 Pentatonic Scales30 minutes
  • Practicing On One String20 minutes
  • Practice Exercise #1: Practicing Scales30 minutes
3 assignmentsTotal 50 minutes
  • Review: Pentatonic Scales10 minutes
  • Module 1 Quiz30 minutes
  • Self-Assessment: Practice Exercise #110 minutes
2 discussion promptsTotal 15 minutes
  • Meet and Greet5 minutes
  • Reflection: Practicing Scales10 minutes

In this module, we'll be working with arpeggios, which means playing the notes in a chord one at a time. We'll be learning and practicing major, minor, diminished, and augmented arpeggiated chords.

What's included

6 videos7 readings3 assignments1 discussion prompt

6 videosTotal 19 minutes
  • What You'll Learn in this Lesson1 minute
  • Major Arpeggios4 minutes
  • Minor Arpeggios4 minutes
  • Diminished Arpeggios3 minutes
  • Augmented Arpeggios4 minutes
  • Putting It All Together4 minutes
7 readingsTotal 165 minutes
  • Practicing Major Arpeggios30 minutes
  • Practicing Minor Arpeggios30 minutes
  • Practicing Diminished Arpeggios30 minutes
  • Practicing Augmented Arpeggios10 minutes
  • Putting It All Together30 minutes
  • Sign up for the full experience!5 minutes
  • Practice Exercise #2: Practicing Arpeggios30 minutes
3 assignmentsTotal 55 minutes
  • Review: Major and Minor Arpeggios15 minutes
  • Module 2 Quiz30 minutes
  • Self-Assessment: Practice Exercise #210 minutes
1 discussion promptTotal 10 minutes
  • Reflection: Practicing Arpeggios10 minutes

In this module, we'll begin practicing chords and popular chord progressions. We'll also begin practicing these progressions with both open and barre chords.

What's included

6 videos5 readings3 assignments1 discussion prompt

6 videosTotal 28 minutes
  • What You'll Learn in this Lesson1 minute
  • I IV V and I V IV4 minutes
  • I VI II V and I VI IV V4 minutes
  • I V VI IV4 minutes
  • The 12 Bar Blues7 minutes
  • Putting It All Together9 minutes
5 readingsTotal 150 minutes
  • Practicing the I IV V and I V IV Progressions30 minutes
  • Practicing the I VI II V and I VI IV V Progressions30 minutes
  • Practicing the I V VI IV Progression30 minutes
  • Practicing the 12 Bar Blues30 minutes
  • Practice Exercise #3: Practicing Chords and Progressions30 minutes
3 assignmentsTotal 50 minutes
  • Review: Chords and Progressions10 minutes
  • Module 3 Quiz30 minutes
  • Self Assessment: Practice Exercise #310 minutes
1 discussion promptTotal 10 minutes
  • Reflection: Practicing Chords and Progressions10 minutes

In this final module, we will focus on arpeggiated chords and playing them in different rhythms. We will also practice blues scales and finally, put all of these aspects together.

What's included

7 videos1 reading3 assignments1 peer review

7 videosTotal 24 minutes
  • What You'll Learn in this Lesson1 minute
  • Rhythm and (Blues) Scales5 minutes
  • Arpeggios with Rhythm4 minutes
  • Strumming Patterns with Chords7 minutes
  • Arpeggios and Chords4 minutes
  • Putting It All Together3 minutes
  • Review0 minutes
1 readingTotal 7 minutes
  • Are you looking for more?7 minutes
3 assignmentsTotal 50 minutes
  • Review: Rhythm and Scales10 minutes
  • Module 4 Quiz30 minutes
  • Self-Assessment: Practice Exercise #410 minutes
1 peer reviewTotal 60 minutes
  • Practice Exercise #4: Practicing in Rhythm60 minutes

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Instructor

Instructor ratings
4.9 (93 ratings)
Berklee
1 Course52,231 learners

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Showing 3 of 392

MR
·

Reviewed on Aug 16, 2020

Excellent, very helpful, the instructor was fantastic, I learned a lot. Would appreciate more examples of putting it all together. I enjoyed the process, even with my busy schedule.

NF
·

Reviewed on Mar 18, 2023

Loved this course. I've been a long-time guitar player looking for a way to improve my skills. This course was well-paced, and the lectures were very easy to follow.

MM
·

Reviewed on Aug 7, 2020

Pretty good for novice guitar players, as well as some good practice tips and techniques for more advanced players. Really liked the instructor.

Frequently asked questions

To access the course materials, assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience when you enroll in a course. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid. The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.

When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile.

Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.

Financial aid available,

¹ Some assignments in this course are AI-graded. For these assignments, your data will be used in accordance with Coursera's Privacy Notice.