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Plan · Week 3 of 8

Target the 3rds

The drill

A7, D7, E7 arpeggios in box 1. Land on each chord's 3rd in bars 1, 5 and 9. The C to C# bend. E shape with box 1 on top.

You pass when

You hit each change by ear, without looking at the chart

Ex. 8

A7, D7 and E7 arpeggios inside box 1

Box 1 · A7 E shape
eBGDAERb35b7b334b7R45Rb3456789
  • Root
  • 3rd
  • 5th
  • b7
  • Scale
Box 1 · D7 A shape
eBGDAE5b7234b7R45R25b7456789
  • Root
  • 3rd
  • 5th
  • b7
  • Scale
Box 1 · E7 C shape
eBGDAE34b6Rb3b6b7b334b7R4b6456789
  • Root
  • 3rd
  • 5th
  • b7
  • Scale

Play each one up and down, slowly, saying the interval (R, 3, 5, b7) as you go.

A7 (A C# E G)
e|-----------------5-|
B|-------------5-8---|
G|-----------6-------|
D|-------5-7---------|
A|---4-7-------------|
E|-5-----------------|
   A C# E G A C# E G A
D7 (D F# A C)
e|-------------5-8-|
B|-----------7-----|
G|-------5-7-------|
D|---4-7-----------|
A|-5---------------|
E|-----------------|
   D F# A C D F# A C
E7 (E G# B D)
e|-------------|
B|---------5-9-|
G|-----4-7-----|
D|---6---------|
A|-7-----------|
E|-------------|
   E G# B D E G#

The B string fret 9 in E7 is a stretch. Bend B string fret 8 up a half step instead if it is easier.

Ex. 9 · 80 bpm shuffle

3rds only, over the whole 12 bars

Box 1 · A7 inside the scale E shape
eBGDAERb35b7b334b7R45Rb3456789
  • Root
  • 3rd
  • 5th
  • b7
  • Scale

One note per bar, held for four beats. Only the 3rd of each chord. This trains your ear to hear the changes before your fingers need to find them. Written as the three four-bar lines.

Line 1 · bars 1 to 4
     A7      A7      A7      A7
e|---------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------|
G|---6-------6-------6-------6-----|
D|---------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------|
     3       3       3       3
Line 2 · bars 5 to 8
     D7      D7      A7      A7
e|---------------------------------|
B|---7-------7---------------------|
G|-------------------6-------6-----|
D|---------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------|
     3       3       3       3
Line 3 · bars 9 to 12
     E7      D7      A7      E7
e|---------------------------------|
B|-----------7---------------------|
G|-------------------6-------------|
D|---6-----------------------6-----|
A|---------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------|
     3       3       3       3

Step 2: on every A7 bar, replace the C# with the bend G|-5b6-| (C up to C#). On the D7 bars play C (G string fret 5) with no bend and hold it. Now you can hear why minor pentatonic fits the IV chord.

Step 3: play freely from box 1 for beats 1 to 3 of each bar, and land on the 3rd on beat 4.

Ex. 10

The three bends

Play the target fret first, then bend up to match it. Hold each bend for two beats.

Tab
e|-------------------------------|
B|-----------8b10----------------|
G|-7b9---------------5b6---------|
D|-------------------------------|
A|-------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------|
   D to E     G to A     C to C#
   (whole)    (whole)    (half)
Ex. 14

E shape with box 1 on top (frets 5 to 8)

E shape · box 1 on top
eBGDAERb35b7b334b7R45Rb3456789
  • Root
  • 3rd
  • 5th
  • b7
  • Scale

Filled dots are the chord tones of A7 (R, 3, 5, b7). Hollow dots are scale notes that are not chord tones (the b3 or the 4).

Look at the G string. The 3rd (C#, fret 6) is not in the minor pentatonic box. It sits between two box notes. That is why you bend fret 5 up to it.

Listen this week