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 TitlePage
1. G Major Intervals27
2. G Mixolydian Intervals28
3. G Minor Pentatonic Scale28
4. G Major Pentatonic Scale28
5. G Slide Lick #128
6. G Slide Lick #228
7. G Slide Lick #328
8. G Slide Lick #428
9. Slack-Key Tuned Down a Whole Step
29
10. Electric Slide
30
11. Blues Shuffle31
12. Acoustic Slide32
13. C Harmonic Minor, Fifth Mode
33
14. D Mixolydian Sitar Cross Guitar
34
15. E Major Intervals38
16. E Mixolydian Intervals38
17. E Minor Pentatonic Scale39
18. E Major Pentatonic Scale39
19. E Slide Lick #139
20. E Slide Lick #239
21. E Slide Lick #339
22. E Slide Lick #439
23. E Minor Pentatonic Slide40
24. C Major Intervals43
25. C Mixolydian Intervals43
26. C Minor Pentatonic Scale44
27. C Major Pentatonic Scale44
28. C Slide Lick #144
29. C Slide Lick #244
30. C Slide Lick #344
31. C Slide Lick #444
32. Fingerpicking with Slide45
33. 12-String Fingerpicking
46
34. Flatpicking in D-A-D-G-A-D49
35. Celtic Fingerpicking
51
36. C Minor 12-String
56
37. G Suspended Song60
38. C Suspended 12-String65
39. G Sharp-Four Song
68
40. E Minor 11 Song
70
41. C Wahine Song
72
42. E Tuning Three-String Grouping74
43. G Tuning Three-String Grouping74
44. C Tuning Three-String Grouping74
45. E Tuning Three-String Song75
46. G Tuning Three-String Song76
47. C Tuning Three-String Song77
48. Double Dropped D Song81
49. D-A-D-D-A-D Minor Slide82
50. G-G-D-G-G-D84
51. G Minor Drone85
52. G Lydian Song90

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.