Learn the Neck

Part Four Position Six

by Ed Shaw

Fret Board Mastery through Analysis

of Six Fretboard Positions

Guitar for Geeks

Fourth in a Series of discussions of the guitar fret board. This
original material was produced by Ed Shaw and has been placed into
Creative Commons Fair Use License status.

Position Six covers frets 12 through 16. (C Major Shown Above)

What do we first notice first about this position?

If we count the notes that can be gained by shifting the
hand down to the 8th and 10th frets, string six and pick up the C
and D notes, there are almost three octaves of the C scale
represented on this one position, the sixth. If we count the notes
that can be gained by sliding the hand up to the 20th fret to play
the high C, there are three full octaves in this powerful position.
The fifth and sixth positions, played as a unit, produce a
fablulous range of tonality.
I am going to press a topic introduced earlier; namely, that
as mastery proceeds, the six four-fret positions will merge into
three eight-fret positions. That is a big picture item for readers
to bear in mind.
Look at the railroad tracks on frets 7th, 10th, 12th, and
15th. Hardly a sharp or flat among them.
The sixth gives the player the high range. At the same time,
playing the sixth presents certain challenges. As we know, " no
pain, no gain. " Mastery of the sixth cames at a cost and sacrifice,
but the rewards are great in terms of audience satisfation.
The higher notes of the sixth position must be struck with
great accuracy and finesse. Those notes are less forgiving than the
notes lower down the neck. Technically, it is a matter of what audio
engineers call attack and decay. Attack is the amount of time it
takes for the ears and mind, let' s j ust say the central nervous
system, to process the sound and assign it recognition. Decay is
the amount of time it takes for the sound to be lost to recognition.
In common terms, the higher notes come on faster and leave quicker
than the lower notes. With lower notes, we are all familar with
what is called sustain, are we not? Sustain and decay are related.
Also, common sense tells us that thicker bass strings take longer to
get their vibrations up to speed. That is the measure of " attack. "
(1)

At the same time, notes past the 12th fret are a little more awkward
to reach, especially those notes on the 4th, 5th, and 6th strings,
where the hand has to make an arching reach. Fortunately, for
extended solo on those top strings, the same notes are found a little
lower on the neck. The same tone of the top 6th string E note may be
found on the 5th string, five frets down. Can you see it on that
chart below, the one labeled " fifth and sixth combined?" The E string
on the 6th string is the same tone as the E string on the 5th string,
7th fret.

Fifth and Sixth Positions Combined

Sixth Position (12th 16th)

While we are on that topic, make a note of that interval

between a note on the 6th string and the same note on the 5th string. It
is, " next string, five frets, two and one half steps. Playing melodies,
that is an interval you might never use. Changing positions, though, it
is an interval you might find very useful. Making position changes like
that can open up more possiblilities and give the fretting hand a little
breathing room it didn' t have pinned down there at the bottom of the
range.
Notice the interval between the B note and the C note, which
is a half step, and the interval between the E note and the F note,
which is a half step. Let the red stars (C note) guide your eyes to see
those half step intervals. All scales follow the same pattern. Spend
some time picking out these intervals on the charts, the B - C and the E
- F. Look at the four arrays of the E and F over B and C note packs.
If you don' t know what I am talking about, look at the four note pack on
the 12th and 13th frets, first (E) and second (B) strings. That is the
pattern I am referring to. See there are four of them on that chart.
The can act as milestone markers, quite relevant to the challenge of
learning the neck.
Be on the alert for little repeating patterns like that
one. Again, visualizing the roots until they become automatic can be a
great help.
The half step between the three and the four, the half
step between the seven and the eight -- two other milestones. When I
was learning the scales, I had an awful time remembering that the
interval between the three and the four was a half step. In the Key of C
maj or, that is the interval between the E note and the F note. I have
no idea why that took so long for me to sink in.
(2)

Three Choices of F Major, Simplified

A short essay on triads and inversions

1 3 5 at Fifth

3 5 1 at Sixth

5 1 3 at Third

The first thing to notice is that the 3 - 5 - 1 inversion seen at

frets 13th through 17th, the F Maj or chord, is a repeat of the same F
maj or pattern found on frets 1st through 5th. Many guitar players will
recognize that chord pattern as the familiar " F maj or Barre, " a
moveable chord pattern in which finger one barres the first fret of the
chord. I did not include it on this chart for no other reason than for
the sake of simplicity.
From the left, the first set of second inversion triads starts with
our very familiar C note on the 8th fret. The 8th fret F Maj or, on the
D string, is blackened because it is the root.
There is an A note at the 7th fret. The difference between the F
note and the A note is the 1 - 3 interval. The The fifth degree C note
is on the D string, three frets up from the A note on the 10th fret.
So, there is your 1 - 3 - 5 chord, a common bass line.
What we are seeing here are three positions of the F maj or chord,
minus the one that is probably used the most, the second inversion at
the position one. What we are really seeing are four F Maj or chord
options. Plainly, the chords ring higher (more treble) as we move up the
neck up the neck, but also because they are inversions, there is a
certain change in the tonality, or the sound of the chord. Each
registers as an F note on the guitar tuner. Don' t ask me why they sound
different. I have no idea why, but they do.
(3)

F Major Chord, First Inversion, Position One

Naturally, we want to assume the following question answers
itself. I' ll ask it, anyway. The question is, now that we know four
fret patterns of the F maj or chord and its inversions, how do we use
that knowledge to play the same things as G Maj or chords?
The answer to that is to move the entire pattern up two frets,
or one step. That is because the interval between the F note and the G
note on the F maj or scale is one whole step. By the same token, the E
maj or chord can be played by moving the entire pattern down one half
step, or one fret. That even goes for the first position, where the E
maj or scale is played as the familiar pattern, below. The B and the E
strings are played open.

The Ubiquitous E Major chord at the First Position

(The Notes are E Ab B)
(4)

A Natural Minor at the Third and Fourth Positions

We find these Natural Minor

and Pentatonic Minor scales
much easier to learn and play
when we know the names of the
notes and where they are
located on the neck. The
musical language can only fit
together when we know how to
relate the note' s name, degree
or position on the scale,
relative position to other
notes on the fret board, and
the harmonic context of the
chords of the key.

A Natural Minor at the Sixth

For example, let' s say we were playing a melody in the key

of C maj or. We found ourselves at the end of a phrase, and rather than
stick to the way the song was written, we decided to improvise on a
different melodic track. It would be a great help to know, first,
whether or not there was a chord change coming up on the very measure
we were goiing into, and second, what the note already written in the
music was.
Let' s say, for example, the chord change to F Maj or was
comiing up at the spot we wanted our improv to start. In addtion, the
final note of the phrase we were getting out of was a C note. Can you
see that our likely choices of notes to kick off the improvisation
would likely be F note, A note, oe C note? Those are the 1 - 3 - 5 of
the F maj or scale. One reason I point this out is because
improvisation is not rocket science. It j ust seems that way,
sometimes.
(5)

I am by no means knowledgable or expert in minor scales, and

do not want to give the impression I think I am. I have my hands full
with the 1 - 4 - 5 combinations and progressions of a handful of maj or
scales -- C, D, F, G. A. That' s about as far as I will probably take
it in this life time. Still, I have noticed a few things about minor
keys and chords and can definitely state that time spent on minor chord
and scale work returns benefits exponentially.
We know the relative minor is designated by the scale' s 6th
degree.
In C Maj or, that means A Minor. I have found that in many
cases, an outright chord substitution of A Minor for C Maj or yields a
pleasant change and a pleasant sound. I have also found that progressing
in walk downs from a D Minor chord to a G Maj or chord creates a pleasing
sequence. I am j ust throwing these little ideas out in hopes that the
readers will follow through with competent teachers and self-study.

A Natural Minor Scale

Left, A Natural Minor Scale at the

third and fourth positions. It is often
said that the notes of the A Minor
scale are the same notes as the C Maj or
scale; the difference is the A Minor
scale starts with A note and the C
Maj or scale starts with the C note.
Otherwise, the notes, A, B, C, D, E,
F, G, A are the same notes, in the same
order.

Let' s have a look at the notes on that scale. The red stars signify
the Root note, which is the A note. It is an eight note scale with a
flatted third. Instead of starting out like the maj or scale with Root
- Whole Step - Whole Step - Half Step - Whole Step - Whole Step - Half
Step, pattern, which would be the typical A Maj or scale step pattern,
[ A - B - C# - D - E, F# - G# - A ]
The minor scale step pattern is Root - Whole Step - Half Step - Whole
Step - Whole Step - Half Step - Whole Step. The result is:
[ A - B - C - D - E - F - G - A ]
Pretty amazing, don' t you think, that all the accidentals become
naturals.
Another way of looking at it is to take the maj or scale,
this case, and flat the three, six, and seven.
(6)

Amaj or in

A B C# D E F# G# A

ABCDEFGA

CDEFGABC

(7)

Above: The A Natural Minor pattern at Position Six

Below: The A Natural Minor Notes at Position Six

Here is a little change up. It is the pattern with the notes

inscribed. You won't see much of this because the experience of
hundreds of students and teachers is that a much preferable way is
to show the pattern and allow the learner to tough out the letter
designations on their own. That way, it sticks.
(8)

Here are the sixth position C Maj or scales. It doesn' t look as if

there is much to choose from on strings four, five, and six. I
say that because even at the 15th fret G note on the 6th string,
the same tone can be played on the fifth string, 10th fret, with
a lot more control.
Many accoustic guitars don' t even have room for the hand to play
above the 12th fret. Nevertheless, as redundant as the sixth
position, bottom three strings, may sometimes appear to be, the
asset that does get our attention is the great melodic potential
of the bottom three strings, frets 9 through 15. That is how we
should be thinking about those high notes above the 12th fret.
Especially useful is the 15th fret on the first string. It is a G
note. The G chord is the dominant, or fifth, chord of the Key of
C Maj or. That is the musical tension producing chord of the 1 - 4
-5 progression. The high G note is very useful, especially when
played in the form of the first inversion, B - D - G with the
root on that 14th fret.
By the same token, the C chord played as the 5 - 1 -3 second
inversion, with the root at the 13th fret, is also very useful,
especially as a triad or even a four note chord.
You would never want to be denied access to the sixth position.
Plainly, the most commonly played G maj or triad is up there on
the 12th fret, the 5 - 1 - 3, where the D - G - B are barred.
(9)

Review

I am trying to think if there is anything more I can write

about the fifth and sixth positions before going on to the last part of
this series, Learn the Neck, (Guitar for Geeks) Part Five, Positions
One (Open) and Two, Frets three through six.
I hope I made it clear that the notes of the sixth position
that should concern us are the notes on strings 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. Not
only are the sixth positions on strings 4th, 5th, and 6th, somewhat
redundant, they are also hard to reach.
In the high solos that people seem to like so much, the action
is in the bottom three strings, starting with the G note on the 12th
fret, ending on the G note 15th fret. I could write an entire post on
that sequence of notes. My next proj ect will involve rhythm mastery,
though, so I will have to leave that analysis of that octave starting
at the 12th fret G note and ending on the 14th fret G note for those to
come after me.
I think this wraps up the sixth position discussion. It has
occurred to me my experience is that discussions like this one, Learn
the Neck, extensive as they may be, should be taken and read as j ust
another piece in the puzzle, a little motivation, no " end all" solution,
but rather, would be better taken as with an attitude of casual
reading. Musicians, download this series and leave it in the
bathroom! No, I am serious. I have had it with material that pretends
to deliver spectacular results. Maybe they do. My experience in
learning the neck and learning to solo is that it is attained one little
fret at a time, one chord and one scale at a time, and that by far the
best results come when a small number of Keys are tackled at a time.
That is why I amn concentrating on the C maj or scale. I have been
there, done that.
Now it is time for me to give you your lead sheet and backing track. For
this part, I have selected the classic hymn " Washed in the Blood, by the
Rev. E. A. Huffman. The hymn is in the public domain (PD. ) I have
arranged it from the 1922 reprint of Worldwide Revival Songs, Federation
(Arkansas 1921) My arrangement has been posted to Wiki Commons. I
assigned it Creative Commns, Fair Use. My backing track, also free to use
under Creative Common assignment, may be found at
www. youlisten. com/ed_shaw
https: //commons. wikimedia. org/wiki/File: (1) _Are_You_Washed_in_the_Blood_C
_Maj or_(Lead_Sheet) _(1) . png
https: //commons. wikimedia. org/wiki/File: (2) _Are_You_Washed_in_the_Blood_C
_Maj or_(Lead_Sheet) _(2) . png
https: //commons. wikimedia. org/wiki/File: Washed_lyrics_PNG. png
http: //yourlisten. com/ed_shaw/are-you-washed-in-the-blood-of-the-lamb
(10)

Verse
Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing power,
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Are you fully trusting in His grace this hour,
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Are you walking daily by the Saviour' s side
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Do you rest each moment in the Crucified?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
When the Bridegroom cometh, will your robes be white?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Will your soul be ready for the mansions bright?
And be washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Lay aside the garments that are stained with sin,
And be washed in the blood of the Lamb?
There' s a fountain flowing for the soul unclean,
O, be washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Chorus
Are you washed, in the blood,
In the sould cleansing blood of the Lamb?
Are your garments spotless, are they white as snow?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
(12)

This ends Part Five of Learn The Neck (Guitar for Geeks) by Ed
Shaw. As with Parts One, Two, and Three, this Part Five is assigned to
Creative Commons, Fair use. All material is either original by myself or
arranged or transcribed from material in the Public Domain, such as
' ' Washed in the Blood"
Applying scale knowledge, the students must learn to play the
melody of all enclosed songs in each position of the neck. It is
recommended to stay with the key of C maj or in learning the neck in this
way.
The final part of this series, Learn the Neck, Part Five -Positions One and Two, will be posted soon.
Best wishes and good luck. Hope this is of some help.
Sincerely,
Ed Shaw