Perfect Inversion (I IV V)
Here’s a valuable theory lesson on perfect inversion!
Here’s a valuable theory lesson on perfect inversion!
Understanding your relative majors and minors and how they relate to each other, and to the scales, and to the chords, is really important. It’s part of the glue that holds it all together, and provides us some useful ways to approach our playing as well.
If you aspire to be a bass player at any level, knowing your tones and semitones – i.e. the spaces between the notes – is an absolute must. But don’t think you have to learn them everywhere along the fretboard – once you have worked them out on one string or in one position, you can then apply the same formula anywhere up or down the neck.
In the second of our two lessons on I IV V, we will be taking a closer look at how these notes fit into the scale and how all this theory can help you construct more interesting bass lines. You can find part 1 here.
Coming to grips with I IV V theory is essential for any serious musician – it has formed the cornerstone of many great bass lines and guitar solos, and also makes learning songs and jamming with other musicians so much easier. The information provided in this lesson will prove to be indispensable no matter what level you aspire to.
After you’ve gone through this lesson, please proceed to the second part of this lesson, where we break away from the theoretical and apply this stuff directly to the fretboard of your guitar or your bass.
What are thirds, and how can you use them on the guitar? Grab your guitar and get ready, because that’s what we’re talking about for the next 20 minutes.
Before going through this lesson though, you should have a basic understanding of the previous lesson that this one follows on from. Check it out here. In that lesson, Colin explains the theory behind thirds. In this one, he’s explaining how it applies to your guitar, and how you can use them.
Related Videos:
Using Inverted Thirds in Your Solos
Thirds are one of the most important intervals to understand in music theory. Major and minor thirds make incredible harmonies, they are the foundation of all chords, and they make for great bass lines too.
In short – learning all about thirds is a really important bit of music theory that will help you, regardless of the instrument you apply it to.