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Star Practice - Learn from Guitar Legends
John Mayer - "Fast Car" Style Techniques
Key Techniques: Staircase neck climbing, high note bends, double stops
Song Reference: "Fast Car" (Tracy Chapman cover)
Key: G Major
Chord Progression for Backing Track:
Technique 1: Staircase Climbing
John Mayer often climbs the neck in a staircase pattern using the pentatonic scale
🎯 Playing Tips:
- Pattern: Start at 3rd fret low E, then 5th fret A, 7th fret D, 9th fret G, 12th fret B, 15th fret high E
- Box Visualization: Think of this as connecting multiple pentatonic boxes - you're "stepping up" through positions
- Fingering: Use your index finger for each starting position, then stretch to reach the higher notes
- Key Notes: Focus on the red root notes (G) and blue fifth notes (D)
Technique 2: High Note Bends
Signature bends on the high E string, typically bending the 15th fret up a whole step
🎯 Playing Tips:
- Main Bend: 15th fret high E string (G note) - bend up a whole step to A
- Box Pattern: Use the 5th position G major pentatonic box (12th-15th frets)
- Technique: Use 3 fingers behind the bend (ring, middle, index) for strength
- Target Notes: Red G notes are your bend starting points
- Practice: Bend slowly and listen for the target pitch before releasing
Technique 3: Double Stops
Playing two notes simultaneously for a fuller sound
🎯 Playing Tips:
- Classic Combo: 15th fret high E (G) with 12th fret B string (D)
- Alternative: 12th fret high E (E) with 10th fret B string (B)
- Box Pattern: Stay within the 5th position pentatonic box (10th-15th frets)
- Fingering: Use ring and index fingers, or pinky and middle
- Sound: Play both notes together cleanly - avoid muting adjacent strings
- Key Intervals: Root + Fifth creates powerful harmonic intervals
📺 My YouTube References
📝 My Practice Notes
⭐ My Favorite Fretboards
Carlos Santana - "Black Magic Woman" Style
Key Techniques: Adding 2nd interval to pentatonic for flavor
Song Reference: "Black Magic Woman"
Key: Dm
Chord Progression for Backing Track:
Technique: Enhanced Pentatonic Scale
Santana adds the 2nd interval (E in D minor) to the pentatonic scale for more melodic options
🎯 Playing Tips:
- Base Scale: D minor pentatonic (D-F-G-A-C)
- Added Flavor: Include E notes (2nd interval) for Santana's signature sound
- Box Pattern: Use 5th position (10th-13th frets) as your home base
- Key Notes: Red D (root), Orange F (minor 3rd), Blue A (5th)
- Santana Secret: Purple E notes add the "crying" quality to his solos
- Practice: Play the regular pentatonic, then add E notes sparingly for flavor
Signature Riff
The main riff from "Black Magic Woman" demonstrating the enhanced pentatonic
🎯 Playing Tips:
- Riff Sequence: 10th fret G string (Bb) → 12th fret G string (C) → 12th fret D string (A) → 10th fret D string (F) → 13th fret A string (C)
- Box Visualization: All notes within the 5th position D minor pentatonic box
- Technique: Use slight bends on the 12th fret G string (C note) for Santana's crying sound
- Fingering: Index (10th), ring (12th), middle (12th), index (10th), pinky (13th)
- Rhythm: Play with a slight Latin swing, not straight eighths
- Emphasis: The gold highlighted notes show the main riff pattern
📺 My YouTube References
📝 My Practice Notes
⭐ My Favorite Fretboards
Mark Knopfler - "Sultans of Swing" Style
Key Techniques: Fingerpicking, main riffs and fills
Song Reference: "Sultans of Swing"
Key: Dm
Chord Progression for Backing Track:
Main Riff
The iconic opening riff using fingerpicking technique
🎯 Playing Tips:
- Fingerpicking Pattern: Thumb plays bass notes (D and G strings), fingers play melody
- Main Sequence: Open D → 2nd fret G → 3rd fret B → 1st fret high E → 1st fret B → Open G
- Box Pattern: Uses open position combined with 1st-3rd fret patterns
- Right Hand: Thumb (T), Index (I), Middle (M), Ring (R) - T-I-M-R-M-T pattern
- Key Notes: Red D notes are anchor points, orange F notes add minor color
- Dynamics: Play with a light touch - let notes ring together
Verse Fill
The fill played during verses
🎯 Playing Tips:
- Fill Sequence: 3rd fret high E (G) → pull-off to 1st fret (F) → 3rd fret B (D) → 2nd fret G (A) → Open D
- Box Pattern: Upper register of the open position D minor pentatonic
- Pull-off Technique: Place both fingers down, pick the 3rd fret, then pull off to sound the 1st fret
- Fingering: Ring finger (3rd), index (1st), middle (3rd), index (2nd), thumb (open)
- Timing: This fill typically comes at the end of vocal phrases
- Connection: Gold notes show the melodic line - practice slowly to hear each note clearly
📺 My YouTube References
📝 My Practice Notes
⭐ My Favorite Fretboards
🎵 Ear Practice - Train Your Musical Hearing
Note Trainer - Learn Guitar Note Ranges
Hover over any note button to hear its sound. Click to select a range.
Select Octave Range:
Single Note Challenge
Listen to the note and guess which one it is. Hover over the buttons to make your guess!
Chord Progression Challenge
How to play:
- Listen to the chord progression (example: C - Am - F - G)
- Click the chord buttons in the correct order
- Use your ear to identify each chord as it plays
- Perfect for learning common progressions like I-V-vi-IV!
Tip: Listen for the bass note and chord quality (major/minor) to identify chords.
Pentatonic Pattern Game - "Simon Says" for Guitar
Listen to note patterns and repeat them on the pentatonic box/stack patterns!
🎸 Guitar Tab Practice - Box Pattern Practice
Choose a Pattern to Practice
Pattern 1 - C Major/A Minor
Box Shape: C Shape
Key: C Major/A Minor
Root Position: 3rd fret
Fretboard Visualization
Tab Notation
🎯 Practice Tips
- Focus on Box Shape: Notice how the notes cluster in a specific fretboard area
- Root Notes: Pay attention to the red root notes - these define the key center
- Finger Position: Keep your hand in the box position to build muscle memory
- Practice Slowly: Start slow and focus on clean note transitions
- Listen: Play along with the audio to develop your ear
📊 Pattern Analysis
How to Use This CAGED Guitar Training App
🎵 1. Choose Your Practice Mode
Song Practice: Select a song from the dropdown to practice pentatonic scales over real chord progressions
Freestyle Mode: Build your own chord progressions and practice scales in any key
Star Practice: Learn techniques from guitar legends like John Mayer, Carlos Santana, and Mark Knopfler
Ear Practice: Train your ear with note recognition, chord games, and pentatonic pattern challenges
Guitar Tab Practice: Practice specific pentatonic box patterns with visual fretboard and tab notation
🎸 2. Understanding CAGED Shapes
The CAGED system uses 5 chord shapes (C-A-G-E-D) as templates for pentatonic scales:
- C Shape: Open C chord form moved up the neck
- A Shape: Open A chord form - great for blues and rock
- G Shape: Open G chord form - wide stretch but powerful sound
- E Shape: Open E chord form - most common barre chord shape
- D Shape: Open D chord form - compact and efficient
🎯 3. Practice Tips
- Start with one shape: Master the A or E shape first - they're the most versatile
- Use the fretboard display: Watch the red root notes and blue fifth notes while you play
- Practice with backing tracks: Play along with the chord progressions to develop timing
- Save your favorites: Use the favorites system to remember keys and shapes you like
- Mix major and minor: Practice both pentatonic scales to expand your musical vocabulary
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