7/6/2018 Lesson 1

Lesson 1
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Lesson-1 Tef's

Notes to Lesson 1
Lesson 1 is a chord familiarization lesson. Mickey lists the first 26 chord forms and asks us to try to finger each one as written and to get
accustomed to his way of diagramming and naming chords. I've written a discussion of each of Mickey's 33 forms (7 are given in later lessons),
plus some closely related chords that I think will not burden the student too much by including. Additionally, in the 2nd MIDI module, I've shown
some variations that are reasonably common, including some infamous Merle Travis chords that fit in with this course. If the chords in Lesson 1
are totally new, get comfortable finding them on the keyboard. After one is comfortable with all of Mickey's forms, say at around Lesson 20,
come back and read the discussion and play with the additional chords. If you've used many of these chords, then you might enjoy reading the
discussion now.

The fingerings I show are Mickey's. Some folks are extremely proud of their ways of making chords, and far be it for me to criticize what works
for them. I'd suggest that you at least try Mickey's fingerings once before discarding them for a custom fingering. For the most part they are
logical and represent the easiest way to get to the next chord. The one chord form I suggest you don't try to alter is Chord 29 (which won't be
introduced until Lesson 14.) It is a "handful" and rivals any chord Merle Travis is notorious for using! I've gotten pretty comfortable with
Mickey's fingering and 99% of the time this form resolves into a Maj6 form. If you use Mickey's fingering, it's a simple one finger string jump. If
anyone comes up with an alternate fingering for this chord, please let me know so I can try it out.

But if you want to do something REALLY worthwhile....

If we were studying Piano, we would know where all the notes are on the piano keyboard after the first lesson. But we guitarists are notorious for
not knowing the notes beyond the first or open position. I have a simple little exercise that will teach all the notes in two weeks or less. Just do
this exercise once a day for two weeks and sometime about the end of the 1st week, you're know every note on every fret of your guitar for the rest
of your life. Hard to beat a deal like that, wouldn't you say?

The premise is simple: starting on the 6th string, we find all the E's, including open and 12th fret. We go through all the strings and then in
reverse. Next we find all the F's. We continue with this until we get to D#/Eb, then we go back. The first time we do this, it'll take maybe 15
minutes. After a week, maybe 3! Please use Notes of the fretboard.tef as a guide.

If you already know (or think you know) where all the notes are, try the exercise Find The Notes.tef by trying to play in time with it once as a fun
test.

Discussion of Mickey's Chord Forms

I believe that it is easiest to break the chords into groups. The groups I've chosen are:

Group A: Where the root of the tonic chord is on the 6th string.

Group B: Where the root of the tonic chord is on the 5th string.

Group C: Melody chord forms

Group D: Additional "bonus chords" I've chosen as related and useful additions to Mickey's original selection.

Just in case the term "tonic chord" is new to the reader, it's the main chord of any key. For example, a C Major chord is the tonic chord in the key
of C. An A minor chord is the tonic chord of the key of A minor.

Chord Form Group A (1 through 14): Chords in Group A will have the tonic or root of the key on the 6th string plus their associated
chords near that position.

Chord Form 1: This is a common 6-string Major triad. Typically Major triads omit the word or abbreviation, but when it is included it is most
commonly capitalized. This particular chord form can also be fingered by using the left thumb on the bass string. If one is comfortable using the
barre by the 1st finger, one is encouraged to use that fingering. The given example is a G Major Chord, and the chord root is found on either the
1st, 4th, or 6th strings. In the key of G, a G Maj is a "I" chord with the Roman numeral upper case, signifying a Major or Augmented chord.

Chord Form 2: This chord form is a Major 7. The chord root is found on the 6th string, 7th on the 4th string, 3rd on the 3rd string, and 5th on the
2nd string. Although out of the scope of Mickey Baker's original book, the VARIATION staff of Lesson 1.tef gives some common voicings of the
same chord in the same position. Note that by using open strings, still additional forms are possible. I have only included movable chord forms.
The examples shown are G Maj7 chords. Note that the root is on the 6th string. Major 7th chords have a number of commonly used designations.
Maj7 is probably the most common; however, Ma7 (Mickey Baker's favorite designation), triangle 7, and a 7 with a - through it are also found.

Chord Form 3: This is a "Major 6" chord, a major triad with the 6th note added. If one shuffles the notes, so that the lowest note is the 6th, this
chord is called a minor 7th. In fact, some musicologists say that there is no such thing as a "Maj6" chord, but is rather a 1st inversion minor 7th
chord. In most publications a Maj6 chord is written as just the letter and a 6, e.g., C6, A6, Eb6. Mickey uses "Ma6", which is seldom seen in other
publications. Throughout this course I've used the term "Maj6".

Chord Form 4: This is a minor 7 chord form. Mickey Baker's preferred form uses 5 strings. More common today are variations that use three or
four strings as shown as examples 3 and 4 in this form's VARIATION staff. The examples are all A minor 7th chords, with the root on either the
1st or 6th string. Note the use of the lower case m. Additional common designations are mi7 (Mickey Baker's favorite), and m7. In the key of G,
an A min of any flavor is a "ii" chord. The lower case Roman numeral indicates a minor (or diminished) chord.

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Chord Form 5: This chord is a minor 6 chord form. It can be used and thought of as a dominant 9 chord, missing the root. By moving the finger
from the 6th string to the same fret on the 5th string, it becomes a dominant 9 chord with a root, but the chord is a fourth higher. For example a G
min6 is also a C9. By playing with the order of the notes (mostly by making the 6th the root), a minor 6 is also a minor7b5. Example: A min6 (A,
C, E, F#) is also an F# min7b5 (F#, A, C, E). Minor 6 chords are most commonly written min6, but mi6 (Mickey Baker's favorite), and m6 are
also found.

Chord Form 6: This Chord form is a dominant 13 with a flattened 5th, and a flattened 9th added. Mickey has chosen this chord form for his most
colored dominant chord and his "work horse Group A dominant chord". Dominant chords are often called the "V" chord (upper case Roman
numeral.) Many variations of these color additions are found in musical scores, such as "-" signs meaning flat or "b". Mickey Baker uses "#" and
"b" and in multi-colored chords, he adds the lower color first. The chord shown is a D13b5b9 chord with the b5 on the 6th string, b9 on the 5th
string, 7th on the 3rd string, 3rd on the 2nd string, and 13th on the 1st string. The root is missing. This makes this chord particularly difficult to
remember its name. An inspection of the chord form tells us that the chord is very similar to a Dominant 7th chord and can actually be called a
dominant Ab7#9 chord with the root on the 6th string. The relationship of D to Ab is 6 frets or an augmented 4th/Diminished 5 interval. In modern
harmony, chords that are a diminished 5 away from the desired chord can be substituted, usually with few limitations. That is to say, any D
dominant form can be substituted for any Ab dominant form. A trick to remember that a D13b5b9 resolves to a G Maj something is that a Ab7
resolves to a G, one fret lower.

One additional comment is that Mickey Baker shows the 4th string as being either not played or deaden. It actually can be played by barring the
position that the 1st finger is located. That would give the chord an additional 3rd. Modern chord theory tells us that we should avoid doubling the
color notes (3rd, 7th, 9th, 11th, 13th) and if doubling is necessary, try only to double the 1st (root) or 5th (unless the 5th is #'ed or b'ed).
Fingerstyle guitarists have the ability to select what strings they want in block chords that pick players do not have with the same facility.

This chord is a double-first cousin, so to speak, of Mickey's Form 11. Actually, Form 11 can be considered as the melody chord variation of Form
6.

Chord Form 7: This chord form is a Major 7th form and a close relative to forms 1 and 2. Note that it appears to be similar in fingering to a
13b5b9 chord with the 4th finger anchored to the strings on the same fret, but the rest of the fingers move lower by one fret. Although Mickey
Baker uses a G Maj7 form, it probably should be practiced at about the 8th fret (a C Maj7) until the fingers become accustomed to the shape of the
chord form. A more common chord form variations is shown on the VARIATION staff of Lesson 1.tef. This form doubles the 5th instead of the
3rd.

Chord Form 8: This form can be thought of as a 1st inversion (the third of the chord as the lowest note) G Maj7 or a 2nd inversion E min9 (the
fifth in the bass and missing the root). This chord can be played along with Chord Form Bonus 8A as either G Maj7 to G Maj6 or E min9 to E
min7. The variation staff of Lesson 1.tef shows that if the 2nd finger is moved to the 5th fret then the chord is a root position E min9.

Chord Form 9: This form, an A13b9, looks very much like a common diminished 7th chord. The root of the chord is always one fret lower than
the note on the 6th string. By playing a 1/2 barre with the 1st finger, the chord can "move" to a 7b9 (in this particular example, an A7b9) just by
lifting the fourth finger (which, by the way, turns the form into Mickey's Chord Form 26.) If we move the note on the 6th string one fret lower, our
chord is a 13th. As you can see, this form is very useful. An interesting variation is by moving the note on the 6th string to the 1st string.

Chord Form 10: This chord is missing both the root and the fifth. The first variation shows the location of those two notes and also can be used
where a 6-string 13 chord is needed.

Chord Form 11: This is another form for a 13b9 chord. This form is used quite a bit in conjunction with Chord form 10 and Chord Form Bonus
10A, such as A min9 to D13 to D13b9 or A min9 to D13b9. As I mentioned in the discussion of Chord Form 6, this form is a double-first cousin
to that form.

Chord Form 12: This chord form, like all Maj6 forms is also a min7 form for its relative minor: G Maj6 is an E min7. This will be covered in a
later lesson. The example in the Variations shows a 6th string version of this chord. The bass note must be played by the thumb. When this chord
is used as a min7 chord, it frequently resolves or moves to a min6 form shown as Chord Form Bonus 12A

Chord Form 13: This chord form is interesting because it is an "ambiguous" chord when thought of as Mickey Baker uses it. It uses the 11th of
the chord (which is an octave and a fourth) and does not use a third. The third is a very important note because it is what determines if the chord is
a Major or a Minor chord. Because of this some arrangers and musicologists think of this chord as a "7th sus4", that is a 7th with the 4th
suspended. This form has the fourth or 11th actually on the 4th string. By moving the 4th down 1 fret we have a D7 chord. If we move the 4th
down 2 frets we have a D min7 chord. This chord can also be thought of as a minor11 form with the root on the 6th string, 3rd on the fourth
string, 7th on the 3rd string, and 11th on the 2nd string. In the example shown, it would be an A min11. A min resolves to a D dominant chord, so
it is really up to the user to give it the name he chooses. For ease of instruction, this form will be called a D11 in these studies as Mickey does.

Chord Form 14: This Chord Form is the "original ambiguous" chord form, because it can be thought of as either a D7b5 or an Ab7b5 and it has
the four notes of each: D-F#-Ab-C and Ab-C-Ebb (which is D)-Gb (which is F#). Note that D and Ab are a b5 apart. The 6th string will either be
the root or the b5. This phenomenon is very useful and opens the door for a whole new philosophy of chord substitutions. That is to say, a
dominant form can freely substitute for its b5 cousin.

Chord Form Group B (15 through 26): Chords in Group B will have the tonic or root of the key on the 5th string plus their associated
chords near that position.

Chord Form 15: This Chord form is a common barred Major triad. Mickey Baker doesn't give a note for the 1st string, but always remember that
if it can be played on the 6th string, can be played on the 1st string. The root is on the 5th string.

Chord Form 16: This chord form is related to Chord form 15 in the same manner that Chord form 2 is related to Chord form 1. It's a Major 7
form. Like 15, 16 can be played with a full barre.

Chord Form 17: This chord is a Major 6 with the root, third, sixth, and a double of the third. It really is a 1st inversion minor triad. If one has the
finger stretching ability, the chord form shown on the variation module of Lesson 1.tef is a richer sounding chord having the root, fifth, sixth, and
third. This chord can also be thought of as a minor 7 chord. For the purposes of this course, Mickey's form works great.

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Chord Form 18: This chord form is a minor 7 chord. Note Mickey's fingering. He uses the 1st finger to deaden the fourth string so that his strum
doesn't sound that string. A full barre can also be used to finger this chord. I think that it's useful to practice both fingerings. See the full six-string
variation of this chord form. This chord's root is on the 5th string and is related to forms 15, 16, 17, and 19, and forms 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 are related
with a sixth string root.

Chord Form 19: This chord is a minor 6 form and is related to Chord forms 15, 16, 17, and 18. As we mentioned discussing Chord form 5, all
minor 6 forms can be called by three different names: Minor 6, minor 7b5, and dominant 9 (without a root). This particular example can be either
a D min6, a B min 7b5, or a G9. Additionally, a useful variation of this chord is shown. The note on the 3rd string can be doubled on the 1st string.
This is particularly useful when playing chord melodies. A close harmony 4-string version of this chord is also shown in the variation module.

Chord Form 20: This chord form is actually a variation of Chord Form 18. Note that now the 7th of the minor chord is on the first string. A close
harmony 4-string version of this chord is also shown in the variation module.

Chord Form 21: This chord form is the highly colored dominant chord of this group and it is Mickey's "work horse" Group B dominant chord
form. Another way of fingering it is with a full barre, and the 2, 3, and 4 fingers on the 3rd, 2nd, and 1st string. This finger facilitates certain chord
progression within this dominant harmony. Note the variation with the bass note on the 4th string. The chord now needs a new name as it is a
G7#5b9#11 (but it sounds like a C#9!!).

Chord Form 22: Mickey refers to this chord as a "Major 9" chord, but that is an error. It is a "6/9" chord with the 1st, 3rd, 6th, 9th, and 5th of the
chord. It makes a beautiful chord to end a tune on. This chord used with a true major 9 gives the same effect but with a little more color as a Major
7 going to a "Major 6" chord. Note that this chord has a lot of "fourths" in it. So that makes it very easy to play with the root on either the 5th
string or the 6 string. See the variation for the same C 6/9 chord, but the root is on the 6th string. Refer to Chord Form Bonus 22A for the true
Major 9 chord.

Chord Form 23: This chord form is a close relative to Chord form 21. In fact, a 23 to 21 chord progression is very common in Jazz. Using the
optional fingering I discussed in 21, makes that progression too easy. Both forms are frequently played without the 6th string note. Remember
these two as there are several others that are also related.

Chord Form 24: Chord form 24 only has the b5, 3rd, and 7th of the chord. If one has nimble fingers or plays this chord high on the fretboard, the
variation shown can be used and adds a root. The second variation gives a version that is easy to finger and has a root. I think of this variation to
remember the root (on the 4th string) when I'm using Mickey's form. By far my favorite variation is the third variation. One must use a P I M A
pinch by skipping the 2nd string between the M and A fingers. That may take a little practice, but it's a technique well worth the time. Note how
simple this chord becomes with this technique. Additionally, one can play notes on the 2nd string, particularly on the same fret as the 2nd and 3rd
fingers, or 1 higher. Then it becomes a 13b5 chord, a particular favorite by one of my heroes, Laurindo Almeida.

Chord Form 25: Here is another relative to Forms 21 and 23. This is the simple dominant 7. Note that the fingering is the same as what Mickey
wants for Form 18, only the form starts on the 6th string. There are lots of dominant 7 variations. More times than not I use a full 1st finger barre,
requiring just two fingers.

Chord Form 26: Mickey refers to this form as a "diminished", but it is really a diminished 7 or what musicologists call a "doubly diminished
chord." It receives that name because it comprises two diminished 5th intervals in it. Additionally, it also comprises three minor third intervals and
it divides a chromatic scale into 4 parts. Therefore, in this chord, any note can be the root and it has 4 names. As this chord shown is marked as a
G# dim7, it can also be called a B dim7, a D dim7, and an F dim7. It is also a "double first cousin to Chord Form 9.

Group C: Melody Chords: These chords are very useful when harmonizing a melody as a chord solo.
Chord Form 27: This form is a four note dominant 7 and is a very useful melody chord for harmonizing melodies. The root is on the fourth string.

Chord Form 28: This is another Major 6 chord with the root on either the 2nd string or the 5th string. Merle Travis played this form as a 6-string
chord (see the variation module), and oddly enough did not use his well known thumb to help. Refer to the chord diagram for Merle's fingering.

Chord Form 29: This is probably Mickey's most unusual chord form and I have to admit I've never seen it used by any other guitarist before
Mickey. The root is found on the 2nd string. Note that this chord easily resolves into a Chord Form 3 Maj6, in this case a G13 to a C6, by moving
the 2nd finger from the 5th string to the 6th string. It's not nearly as difficult to learn to use as the intimidating diagram might suggest.

Chord Form 30: Mickey refers to this form as an "11" chord when most folks refer to it as a suspended 4 chord (sus 4). Note that a suspended
chord is neither Major nor minor and can process to either. Frequently this chord resolves or progresses to a Chord Form 27. And from time to
time (Such as in the Bossa Nova Standard "One Note Samba") it progresses from 27 to 29 but one fret lower. No matter what the terminology one
uses, this is a very useful melody chord. The root is on the 4th string. Refer to our discussion of Chord Form 13 for additional information.

Chord Form 31: This is a melody Chord Form and the root is also on the 4th string.

Chord Form 32: Here is another close relative to Chord Forms 21, 23, and 26. It is a melody chord and the root is on the 1st string.

Chord Form 33: Still another close relative to Chord Forms 21, 23, 26, and 32. It is a melody chord and the root is on the 1st string. It's a lot
closer to 21 than the others and can be thought of as a little less colorful.

Group D: Bonus Chords I've added that are close relatives to Mickey's original forms, and very useful:
Chord Form Bonus 8A: If one fingers Chord form 8 with the 1st finger as a 2/3 barre, then by lifting the 4th finger they get this Maj6/min7 form.
It has just a little less color and can be used either as a substitute for Form 8, or a progression from 8 to this 8A. The root can be on the 4th string if
the chord is used as a Maj6, or the 2nd string if it is used as a min7 form.

Chord Form Bonus 10A: This Chord form is a natural progression to Chord Form 10 and is used in all jazz forms, especially in melody chord
progressions. The root is on the 1st string where the 1st finger is making the barre. Of course, the root doesn't sound.

Chord Form Bonus 12A: This chord form is a very useful melody chord form, and often more as a direct substitute for a dominant 7 chord, as a
dominant 9. If used as a min6, the root is on the 4th string. As a dominant 9, the root is the blocked noted on the 3rd string formed by the barre.

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Chord Form Bonus 22A: Here is a true Major 9 chord form. The variation shows a six-string version. Note that if you just use the highest four
strings the chord looks like Chord form 12.

Chord Form Bonus 28A: This is a fuller form of Chord Form 31, but on "the other side of the barre". Very common and very useful, the root is
found on the 5th string. Often chords will progress from 28A to 28. Refer to the variation.

Chord Form Bonus 28B: This is the Major triad foundation from where 28 and 28A are built. It is a common chord, but many folks consider it to
be very difficult to learn to finger. I'm sure that's why Mickey didn't include it in his chord base. The root is also found on the 5th string. Refer to
the variation.

Chord Form Bonus 31A: This chord form is actually a variation of the Bonus Chord form 12A, and everything that can be said about 12A, applies
here. This is an extremely common melody chord form and often is seen progressing from Chord form 31.

Don't you think that's enough for one lesson? Good luck and remember to have fun!

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