Chord Progressions

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Fingering patterns for roman numeral root notes:

6th string:                         5th string:

7                                    4 |
1 4                                  | 7
| |                                  5 1
2 5                                  | |
| |                                  6 2
3 6                                  | |
                                       | 3

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12      0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
E F F# G G# A Bb B C C# D Eb E       A Bb B C C# D Eb E F F# G G# A

(# = up 1 fret b = down 1 fret)

       major    minor    7th            major    minor    7th
Bar: OOOOOO   OOOOOO   OOOOOO         OOOOOO   OOOOOO   OOOOOO
      |||O||   ||||||   |||O||         ||||||   ||||O|   ||||||
      |OO|||   |OO|||   |O||||         ||OOO|   ||OO||   ||O|O|
                        |||(O)

I    IV   V             (most common chords, blues use same root notes w/ 7th chords)
vi   ii   iii III7     (minor chords)
bVII bIII bVI bII      (rock and metal)
IV->iv    viim7(b5)     (other common chords)
I7   II7 VI7 VII7     (secondary dominants)
                        (II7->V III7->vi III7->IV VI7->ii VII7->iii IV->iv)

Practice Progressions:

I I I I IV IV I I V IV I V (Twelve Bar Blues)
I I I V V V V7 V7 V7 I I I I7 I7 I7 IV IV iv I I V I (Happy Birthday)
I7 I7 I7 I7 IV7 IV7 I7 I7 V7 IV7 I7 V7
vi IV I V
I bVI bVII I
I V IV I ii iii IV V
I iii IV V I ii IV I
vi V IV III7
vi ii V I IV bVII III7 III7
I bVII IV I
I III7 vi IV I I7 IV iv
I VII7 iii IV iv

COMBINING ROMAN NUMERALS AND PENTATONIC SCALES:

If you play 1 pentatonic scale over the entire progression:
- For I IV V, play EITHER major or minor pentatonic (pinky or pointer finger on root note of the key)
- For bVII, bVI, bIII, play MINOR pentatonic (pointer finger on root note of the key)
- For ii, iii, vi, play MAJOR pentatonic (pinky finger on root note of the key)
- For "Secondary Dominants" and others, play major pentatonic on the root note of the CHORD.

If you move and play a different pentatonic scale over EACH CHORD:
- For MAJOR CHORDS, play MAJOR PENTATONIC on the chord root note
- For MINOR CHORDS, play MINOR PENTATONIC on the chord root note
- For 7th chords, play MAJOR PENTATONIC on the chord root note