Audio Examples
The songs on the CD are improvisational pieces that demonstrate some of the possibilities that exist in each tuning.
Some of the pieces are based on songs I have written, but most are improvised in the studio. Some of the more discordant pieces were conceived while staring at one of the tuning maps and freeing myself up to explore.
I would also like to urge you to take the transcriptions with a grain of salt.
It may be nice to be able to play them exactly as written, but the real treasure lies in the advantages gained by the gathering of information, ideas, and concepts.
As you develop your understanding, don’t hesitate to incorporate your own ideas into the mix.
Exploration and experimentation is key!
| Track Title | Page |
| 1. G Major Intervals | 27 |
| 2. G Mixolydian Intervals | 28 |
| 3. G Minor Pentatonic Scale | 28 |
| 4. G Major Pentatonic Scale | 28 |
| 5. G Slide Lick #1 | 28 |
| 6. G Slide Lick #2 | 28 |
| 7. G Slide Lick #3 | 28 |
| 8. G Slide Lick #4 | 28 |
| 9. Slack-Key Tuned Down a Whole Step
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29 |
| 10. Electric Slide
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30 |
| 11. Blues Shuffle | 31 |
| 12. Acoustic Slide | 32 |
| 13. C Harmonic Minor, Fifth Mode
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33 |
| 14. D Mixolydian Sitar Cross Guitar
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34 |
| 15. E Major Intervals | 38 |
| 16. E Mixolydian Intervals | 38 |
| 17. E Minor Pentatonic Scale | 39 |
| 18. E Major Pentatonic Scale | 39 |
| 19. E Slide Lick #1 | 39 |
| 20. E Slide Lick #2 | 39 |
| 21. E Slide Lick #3 | 39 |
| 22. E Slide Lick #4 | 39 |
| 23. E Minor Pentatonic Slide | 40 |
| 24. C Major Intervals | 43 |
| 25. C Mixolydian Intervals | 43 |
| 26. C Minor Pentatonic Scale | 44 |
| 27. C Major Pentatonic Scale | 44 |
| 28. C Slide Lick #1 | 44 |
| 29. C Slide Lick #2 | 44 |
| 30. C Slide Lick #3 | 44 |
| 31. C Slide Lick #4 | 44 |
| 32. Fingerpicking with Slide | 45 |
| 33. 12-String Fingerpicking
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46 |
| 34. Flatpicking in D-A-D-G-A-D | 49 |
| 35. Celtic Fingerpicking
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51 |
| 36. C Minor 12-String
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56 |
| 37. G Suspended Song | 60 |
| 38. C Suspended 12-String | 65 |
| 39. G Sharp-Four Song
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68 |
| 40. E Minor 11 Song
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70 |
| 41. C Wahine Song
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72 |
| 42. E Tuning Three-String Grouping | 74 |
| 43. G Tuning Three-String Grouping | 74 |
| 44. C Tuning Three-String Grouping | 74 |
| 45. E Tuning Three-String Song | 75 |
| 46. G Tuning Three-String Song | 76 |
| 47. C Tuning Three-String Song | 77 |
| 48. Double Dropped D Song | 81 |
| 49. D-A-D-D-A-D Minor Slide | 82 |
| 50. G-G-D-G-G-D | 84 |
| 51. G Minor Drone | 85 |
| 52. G Lydian Song | 90 |
Author’s Note
The exercises on the book’s accompanying CD are designed to illustrate the best way to read the fretboard diagrams, or as I like to call them, “maps.”
To get the most out of each map, look for the shapes that exist in a linear fashion up and down the neck on adjacent and nonadjacent strings. This will help you get the most out of each tonality.
Also, look laterally (across the neck) for scale patterns and shapes that repeat from tuning to tuning. Often a combination of intervals will simply shift string groupings.