... Lesson: B‑Phrygian-Minor and Two Ways to Play B‑Minor
... In previous lessons, you walked through the study very precisely — slowly and deliberately.
... We’re not taking that approach today. We’re jumping right in, because I want to introduce a new concept and give you an example or two to study.
... Setting Up the Controls
... Go to the controls and set:
- Tonic‑G
- Degree‑3 (Phrygian)
... The chord that corresponds to Phrygian is a minor chord, because Phrygian’s third is a minor third — unlike the G‑Major-Chord we studied in the G‑Ionian-Major lesson.
... If you need a refresher, review the Ionian mode.
... There’s also a lesson about A‑Dorian-Minor that’s worth revisiting.
... If you don’t want to review everything, at least confirm you remember how to play A‑minor, which corresponds to A‑Dorian-Minor, the second degree of the major scale when the tonic is G.
... Finding Degree Three
... Today we’re working with the third degree of the scale.
- If G is one,
- and A is two,
- then degree three is B.
... Remember: since G is the highest letter we count to, we loop back to A when going upward.
... Going downward from G would give you F‑sharp in the key of G.
... Switching to Chord View
... Go back to the controls and select, from left to right:
- Type?
- select Chord, and watch the fretboard as you make that selection.
- Chord?
- Triad
- Display?
- Show‑Scale
- Tonic?
- G
- Degree?
- Three (Phrygian)
... Note that this is actually the first time we’ve used a type other than “Mode” in the trainer.
... Here, we selected "chord" because we're going to look more closely at chords than modes in today's lesson.
... If you noticed when you made the selection, many of the guide-dots on the fretboard disappeared.
... They disappear in Chord view because those extra tones from the mode aren't found in the corresponding-degree chord itself.
... The only visible guideline dots now represent only the tones which belong to the chord.
... In this case, since we're on degree three in the key of G-Major, that chord will be a B‑minor.
... Building the B‑Minor Triad (Sixth‑String Root)
... Look at the theory panel where it reads Phrygian, and where the color coding for First, Third, and Fifth is shown.
... 1. Click the B on the sixth string — that’s the 7th fret.
... 2. Look at the chord diagram below the fretboard.
... 3. Click the 9th fret of the fifth string.
... Remember:
- The tonic is always yellow.
- ... If you prefer to keep things consistent, and use numbers for all tones, instead of saying "tonic", you can think of that tone as the "one".
... It's substandard terminology, but it might help you to think of the degrees in the key.
... That said, then the "one" is always yellow.
- ... If you prefer to keep things consistent, and use numbers for all tones, instead of saying "tonic", you can think of that tone as the "one".
- The three, which has the unique ability to be either Major, or minor, is always colored purple.
... Keep an eye out for those purple tones! - The fifth is always green.
- ... Ever hear someone say, "play a power chord!"?
... A power chord is just whatever is the degree root (most likely your index finger is fretting it), and the corresponding fifth degree of its mode.
... So, if the root tone of the chord is G, and we count: G (1). A (2). B (the third). C (4). and D (5).
... It is correct then to say that the fifth of G is D.
... Now. Go make a tongue twister about it, and tease your friends.
... No. Don't do that.
- ... Ever hear someone say, "play a power chord!"?
... With tones limited to Chord View, it's easier to see where the chords are and where your hands will be positioned.
... As you click the tones on the fretboard, note how the chord is magically spelled-out for you in the diagram below.
... Working with Barre chords
... Do you remember how to form a barre for a barre‑chord?
... Remember that A‑minor and G‑major use slightly different fingerings.
... Since this chord is a minor chord, like A‑minor, it uses the same fingers — your hand is simply in a different position on the neck.
... You’re slowly creeping “up the neck,” but some finger placements stay the same.
... There’s something cool about B‑minor that we’ll discover in a moment.
... You can play it in a different place on the neck and get the same sound as the barred B‑minor at the seventh fret of the sixth string, with the root on B.
... When playing a minor barre chord, make sure the first, second, and especially the third string ring clear and true, without buzzing.
... If you hear buzzing when you fret and strum, one of the strings probably isn’t fretted cleanly.
... Minor barre chords with the root on the sixth string — like B‑minor at the 7th fret, and A‑minor corresponding to A‑Dorian-Minor at the 5th fret — can be touchy on the third string.
... You’re asking a lot from that finger!
... You’ll get it after a week or so of practice.
... Your hand stretches to accommodate the unusual shape eventually.
... Keep that knowledge close at hand as your hands grow tired and sore.
... The buzzy chords and sore hands go away by week three if you keep at it.
... A Second Way to Play B‑Minor (Fifth‑String Root)
... Now let’s learn a different way to play the same chord.
... Go down to the 3rd fret, sixth string, and play:
- G
- A
- B
... Stop on the B.
... With Type‑Chord still selected, you should now see where the rest of your fingers need to go if the B is on the 2nd fret of the 5th string.
... Finger Placement
... - Place your index finger on the 2nd fret of the 5th string, forming a small barre that also frets the 1st string at the 2nd fret.
... - If you want to fret the 2nd and 3rd strings there too, that’s fine — your other fingers will land in front of them anyway.
... Most people fret this shape similarly to the full barre on the 6th string (like G‑major or A‑minor), but this is a fifth‑string‑root chord, not a sixth‑string‑root chord.
... Play the first three tones of Ionian again:
- 3rd fret, 6th string
- 5th fret, 6th string
- 2nd fret, 5th string (that B)
... That B is the root of the chord.
... Finish the B‑Minor Shape
... - Ring finger: 4th fret, 4th string
... - Pinky: 4th fret, 3rd string
... - Middle finger: 3rd fret, 2nd string
... - Index finger: already barring the 2nd fret of the 1st string
... Now you know two different ways to play a B‑minor chord.
... Homework
... Switch the view back to Mode, and practice the B‑Phrygian-Minor mode.
... Earn bonus‑point rock‑star status if you can figure out how to play A‑minor with its root on the fifth string, based solely on what you learned from building the B‑minor chord on the fifth string.
... Wrap‑Up
... That’s all for today, folks.
... I do hope you’re enjoying this series.
... Please buy me a coffee.
... Tell you what — spot me half‑a‑coffee.
... Coffee is far too expensive these days!
... Whatever half of that is would be super cool of you.
... You rock.
... But you already knew that.