Jimmy Brown

A few examples from the rock and pop catalog of how famous composers have successfully harnessed this enigmatic chord to great effect.

Some cool things you can do with the minor hexatonic scale.

Learn how to create eerie, twisted-sounding melodies with this lesson.

Look at a few examples of fairly well-known songs from the modern era that utilize the dim7 chord in interesting, effective ways.

The melody of Beethoven's “Moonlight Sonata”, re-imagined in the style of David Gilmour.

Look at a few examples of ways in which world-renowned songwriters have harnessed this harmonic beast and put it to good use.

Presenting a more musically sophisticated variation on the standard 12-bar blues.

Learn a jazz guitar comping technique that provides interesting chord movement and rhythmic “push.”

Tell an engaging story and make a powerful statement with second-inversion minor chords.

And now, something less serious than Beethoven.

Learn more about the first-inversion minor chord, an invaluable resource for the aspiring composer.

Look at a few brief examples of well-known songs that feature the use of a second-inversion chord.

An introduction to minor add2’s blissful, optimistic sibling, the major add-2 arpeggio.

Learn some compositionally effective ways in which first-inversion chords have been used in popular music.

Some musically appealing ways that great songwriters have used first-inversion chords to craft progressions behind their melodies.

Get a primer on this appealing and useful hexatonic scale.

In our previous lesson (March 2017), I offered an original jazz solo, a significant part of which features the use of what’s called a minor add2 (or minor add9) arpeggio.