Guides
Theory and technique breakdowns, linked to the interactive chord and scale pages.
Getting started
The CAGED System: Connecting Chords, Arpeggios, and Scales Across the Fretboard
A step-by-step CAGED guide that begins with the three notes of a triad and expands into a full fretboard map. Learn to locate 1, 3, and 5 in five connected areas and use the same framework for chords, arpeggios, and melodic lines.
How to Read Chord Symbols: From Cm7b5 to C7#9
A chord symbol is a compact set of instructions. It identifies the root, the underlying triad, the seventh, any added tones and any alterations. Read those layers from left to right and names such as Cm7b5, C9sus4 and C7#9 become precise descriptions rather than strings of unexplained characters.
Theory & technique
Drop 2 vs Drop 3: What Actually Changes
Drop 2 and Drop 3 are not new chord qualities and they are not simply alternative names for inversions. They are ways of redistributing the same chord tones across different octaves. That redistribution changes the spacing, the bass, the top note and the way the chord fits the guitar.
Scale-Degree Harmony and the Circle of Fifths: Finding Chords for a Scale
Any seven-note scale can be turned into a family of related chords. Harmonisation tells you what can be built on each scale degree, while the circle of fifths shows relationships between keys and strong patterns of root motion. Used together, they replace blind trial and error with a repeatable method.
Chord Progressions: ii–V–I and Other Moves Worth Knowing Cold
A single chord tells you what is sounding now. A progression tells you where the music is going: what feels settled, what moves away, where tension accumulates and how it resolves. The relationships between chords are what turn a collection of grips into harmony.
Ninth Chords: The Difference Between 9 and add9, and How to Voice Them on Guitar
The ninth is the second scale degree used as part of an extended chord structure. It can make a major chord broader, add a bright upper colour to minor harmony or intensify a dominant. On guitar, the goal is not to force every theoretical pitch into one grip, but to preserve the voices that make the chord identifiable.