In an effort to improve the flow of the information presented here on the Guitar Matrix site we’re keeping the menu system super simple and adding links at the end of lesson that return to the module master page or continue on to the next lesson.
Let us know what you think. We’d love to hear from you.
The Guitar Matrix™ Team.
It’s been a while since the site has had some attention. Huge amounts of work in other areas have kept things on the back burner here at the guitar Matrix but that is about to change.
We’re not quite finished with the upgrade, but we wanted to get the info back online ASAP. Because we’re not quite done there are a few things you should be aware of:
- First, the main menu system and structure are going to be reworked, so for now the best way to get around is using the Site Map, which you can access from the Hot Links section or the link on the menu bar.
- Second, some of the images from the previous layout are TOO BIG! You my have to control/right click and select view image to see the whole thing.
These deficiencies will be rectified ASAP. Please let us know what you think and stay tuned for lots more change!
The Guitar Matrix™ Team.
I’ve posted the first Flash game on the site under the um, Games menu. Seemed appropriate…
You can see it here.
The game is simple: match the pitches!
Future versions will have harder levels that remove the visual cues (the letter names) and harder still, require you to match the silent letter name to the unlabelled pitch.
We’d love to get your feedback because we have other ear training games in the works.
Happy picking,
The Guitar Matrix™ team
The 1st installment of the Fretboard Melodics: Pentatonic Scales is now online.
There are several methods available to ‘create’ these incredibly useful scales. The easiest is to leave out a couple of notes of the diatonic scales you can learn about in the Fretboard Melodics: Diatonic Scales section.
Omitting the 4th and 7th dgree of the diatonic major scale creates an open and decidedly oriental sound. Although you can get a major amount of Chinese flavor from the major pentatonic you can also use them to serenade the hired hands as they round up your cattle or practice for the chuck wagon races at the stampede.
Chinese Country and Western anyone?
Happy picking!
The Guitar Matrix™ team
Ready to roll again. Next up? We’ll carry on with Fretboard Melodics and delve into the pentatonic scale, short on notes but long on possibilities!
Work will continue implementing the Reality Check quizzes throughout the site as well.
Happy picking!
The Guitar Matrix™ team
By popular demand…
The new Download section has a link to a high resolution PDF file of blank guitar tab paper.
You can also get it right here.
Enjoy!
The Guitar Matrix™ team
After viewing the site on a couple of laptops and desktops belonging to friends I can only say – YIKES!
It’s amazing to me that many friends still use very low resolution settings on their computers, but there it is.
This site will appear ‘normal’ to users that have their resolutions set to 1680×1050. It will still be pretty presentable above 1280×800 but below that BAD things start to occur, especially with the menus.
So, the question is what resolution are YOU using? Your feedback will help make the site better so please take a second and leave us a reply to let us know.
Thanks!
The Guitar Matrix™ team
The first signs of life have been breathed into the Reality Check quiz engine. The first of the Fretboard Basics units, Open Strings, now features a real live quiz. It only has two questions but it is an interactive quiz.
We can now move forward with adding quiz content and that’s just what we’re going to do. Each quiz will help you to be confident that you learned the important points of a lesson.
We tried to program it so that candies would pour from your DVD drive when you got a full pull but apparently that feature won’t be available until… never.
You can check it out here.
Happy quizzing!
The Guitar Matrix™ team
The last of the major 7th arpeggio shapes are now online for your viewing pleasure.
In a more advanced arpeggio overview we’ll get in to some ‘horizontal’ connector shapes that leverage the geometric nature of the fretboard even more. You really need these puppies under your belt first though.
Arpeggios spell out chord tones and allow you to hone in one the juicy bits when your improvising or even writing melodies. That doesn’t mean that they should be used to play only the ‘right’ notes though. Often, being the twisted musical manglers we are, we use these shapes in perverse ways that are clearly not condoned by the Mall Music Store Organists Society of America. Of course if you try this at home you do so at our own risk!
Happy picking!
The Guitar Matrix™ team
The first two major 7th arpeggio shapes are now posted. The others will follow tomorrow. Probably.
The addition of the fouth scale tone to the humble triad shapes we’ve just learned will add a whole new bevy of tonal shadings – both subtle and in-your-face!!! - to your sonic arsenal of doom. Or your tinkling basket of bliss. Or whatever.
The recipes for the 7th chord arpeggios are identical to the chord constructions we’ll check out in the Fretboard Harmony modules that are coming down the pike (Google “1904 World’s Fair” for the origin of that expression – if you want).
Until then…
Happy plectrum manipulation!
The Guitar Matrix™ team