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Sorry for reviving an old thread but I recently saw this, which makes it so very simple.

I'm surprised that digital amps didn't come up, especially for someone with such back problems. If you want the sound, look, feel and features of the original Fender amps, then the Tone Master series do exactly that with a fraction of the weight.

Great topic and great video but I have NO idea why you are hung up on tube amps. I use two widely-available Fender amps, the Mustang LT-25 and the Mustang GTX 50 for practice at home. The LT-25 is extremely small, single 8" and has full modeling capabilities that will give you any tube amp sound you want. The GTX 50 is even more versatile and has about twice the capabilities and a 12" speaker. Both have full Fender Tone (cloud app available from Fender) capabilities, both include great built-in tuners, USB, editable effects and the larger unit includes a looper if you get the footswitch.

Mr Nelson sure asks tough but VERY good questions. My pencil erasers have become very worn just going through the "Ultimate How Music Works Quest" Quiz and worksheets. As usual some(lots) of it is over my head but thanks for the all the info Diane, it really helps. I think you are always spot on and timely with explanations that compliment my understanding of these concepts. I'm still trying to get around in Theory-Land and "Learn all I can"

@William Nelson You’re welcome, William. I confess that this was as esoteric to me as imaginary numbers until I needed it in my theory class. Our homework was to write some progressions in major and minor keys to practice the various cadences. I would draft them out first in pencil, then enter them in Finale, and hit playback. Eewww, what’s wrong, I thought, it sounds flat in places. An hour later, lightbulb: pigeonhead, you forgot to use harmonic minor. So I’d go back and sharpen all the sevenths — can’t do it in the key signature -- that’s how it works. After that, I’d write “HM: #7” in the

Thanks @DianeB. I figured I could count on you to set me straight. Seems everything I was finding online was close - but no cigar! Life was sure simpler when I was just playing C, D and G!😉

When composing in a minor key, the natural minor creates both harmonic and melodic problems. In the Common Practice Period, composers solved these by altering the scale. The natural minor of C is Am, and this leads to a whole step interval between the seventh and tonic (namely, G to A), which means no tension in the leading tone. They addressed this by raising the seventh by a half step (now G# to A), creating the harmonic minor scale and a dominant V. Thus A harmonic minor is A B C D E F G# A, and the chords built upon this are i ii(o) III+ iv V VI vii(o) i. But this created a new proble

Hey guys - Hopefully a quick confirmation about the chords you would play in a relative minor key. I went back through the How Music Works materials we got from Steve last year and didn't really see this concept spelled out. And naturally, I am finding conflicting information on different internet sites. As we know, the chords in a major key follow a certain pattern. Using C Major as an easy example we would play C, Dm ,Em, F, G, Am, Bdim. But when playing chords in A minor, am I correct that you would play the same chords - just in a different sequence - Am, Bdim,

I don't think the minor scale intervals are in the course. It's nice to know info, but it's really much easier to work off of the major scale all the time. Glad to be of help.

Awesome. Wim! Nostalgia captured so well .Great Listen Greg

Thanks, Randy!

Very nice Wim.

Thanks Mike, explains a lot! I figured the minor scale didn't use the w w h w w w h building pattern, so your answer clears up a lot! I'm not sure if I missed this somewhere or if this is irrelevant in this part of the course, in any case it had me confused since I thought the minor scale used the same steps. You've also taught me that the two notes at the beginning and the end of the scale are each other's octaves, hadn't figured that one out yet. Thanks again!

Don't have anything this month maybe for May

Thanks Bryan, I didn't know "The Body Acoustic" album and I am listening to it right now. Sounds great. Wim

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Great job. My wife loves this song and her The Body Acoustic album had a great acoustic version. Thanks for posting. I might have to queue it up on this weekend's playlist. 😎 Bryan

I was a teenager in the Eighties, when Cyndi Lauper scored a hit with this pop song which is pure nostalgia to me. It was originally played on keyboards. Eva Cassidy recorded a great guitar version. This is my short rendition. Chords and melody were played fingerstyle and recorded on separate tracks. Wim.

Hi Kenneth, Relative major and minor scales have the same notes, and the relative minor of each major scale begins on the sixth degree of the major scale. As an example, the C major scale has the notes: C - D - E - F- G - A - B, then up to the octave C The sixth degree of C major is A, so the relative minor scale of C is Am, and the notes are: A - B - C - D - E - F - G, then up to the octave A If you were trying to determine a minor scale's notes and didn't know the notes of its relative major scale, you could build a minor scale using intervals. This is done the same

Hey, In session 8 there is a section dedicated to relative major and minor scales, it says you should build a relative minor 8 note scale starting from the note that is either 6 steps up or 2 steps down from the beginning/end of the major scale. unfortunately it doesn't say HOW to build a relative minor scale. Is this the same as a major scale, apart from some flats? Anyone care to elaborate or does this question recur later in the course? Thanks in any case.

Shull makes good videos. however I'd point out that several of the amps he recommends are ' boutique 'x amps, (some I've not heard of before) that you may have trouble finding at your local music store (certainly in Canada anyway). The one I do agree with is the Fender Blues Jr. and of course I'd add the Princeton Reverb, which are both widely available.

Thank you. That approach does seem much easier. Once you do that I think the song really is pretty easy to play.