Intervals: guitar's secret decoder ring

[@fretscience]

If you're new to the channel, I'd like to offer a warm welcome! To see how this video fits into the big picture of fretboard understanding, check out this overview video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qqGmYmRrr89-n9k or download a FREE 12-page overview e-book: fretscience.myshopify.com/products/building-fretboard-fluency-the-big-picture-pdf-ebook Individual cheat sheets and a heavily discounted bundle are available for purchase at: fretscience.myshopify.com 🎸🧪🤘

[@lucky_one2]

I learned guitar as a teenager (pre-engineer days) now after a 40 year break (and a retired engineer) I have picked it up again. This time starting with theory. It is a new instrument to me. Love your videos

[@fretscience]

Awesome, glad you're here! 🎸🧪🤘

[@timesurfingalien]

The guitar didn't make sense until I started studying music theory. This really allows me to expand on the mathematics of the fret board. Invaluable information. Thank you

[@fretscience]

Thanks! I used to worry that learning how the music work would kill the “magic” for me, but I’ve found it to be quite the opposite. It has heightened my understanding and enjoyment, and just made me realize the “magic” is much more in the expression than in the mechanics of it all. Cheers! 🎸🧪🤘

[@gomzomz]

Babe wake up new Fret Science video dropped

[@fretscience]

Maybe I should stick to an exponentially-expanding release schedule to build up that sense of satisfaction when they drop 🤣

[@Olyxes]

​@@fretscienceNO please dont lol

[@TheDreWayBaby]

I've been playing guitar for 6 months now and this video just propelled me forward years of learning..... wow

[@fretscience]

Glad it was helpful! 🎸🧪🤘

[@edoliveira9858]

All I can say I'm simply amazed. For the first time in my entire life (and I'm over 50) I have seen such a wonderfull explanation about intervals. you simply systematized something that I intuitively understood, but until then no one had been able to explain to me and that, like an engineer, my brain refused to accept if there was no mathematical basis, precisely as you presented using Cartesian coordinates. Now I know I'm going to have gaps on the neck of my guitar. Just very, very much, thank you very much!

[@fretscience]

Glad it was helpful! 🎸🧪🤘

[@garethjordaan5675]

These Fret Science videos are pure gold! Far and away the most valuable content I have ever come across. Well done and thank you so much for your effort.

[@fretscience]

Your kind words are much appreciated! 🎸🧪🤘

[@carloshenriquemorais250]

I see some people criticizing the video for the complexity but its seriously very resourseful. just remember that this is not a topic that can be picked up from one video alone. you would be very naive to expect to learn and master stuff like this in less than a month. I advise you to take notes from this video and use it as ground work or to build upon the knowledge you already have.

[@LoraxChannel]

I think you are missing the point of the criticism. The title is "decoder ring" implies a shortcut to getting where you need to go. But the video is the opposite in terms of content. For example, there is really no need to calculate semi tones on a guitar. Instead, you just memorize the shape, which is where the video finally goes anyway. Said another way, rather than go a b c d, you can just go a d. Adding steps you don't need, overcomplicates the ideas. However, I agree that a discussion of where intervals comes from is important to understand what is happening, but the video does not distinguish between what you should understand (and not do), and what you should just do to get where you need to be. I like the depth of the video, and I think it's a great video. However, as a "decoder" it isn't very functional as a way to really play guitar. The title should be, "intervals, what's really happening when you play the patterns you already know."

[@antoniohillario9770]

Your algebraic expression is the perfect way to count semitones. From there it's easy to convert them to intervals in your head. Thank you soooooo much for your painstaking effort to produce such an outstanding video!

[@fretscience]

Glad you found it helpful! 🎸🧪🤘

[@GinoYambao]

This is basically THE answer im looking for when the circle of fifths is explained! Thank you so much for answering years of inquiry!

[@fretscience]

Glad it helped! 🎸🧪🤘

[@DanAllenTX]

So good. So clear. Well animated. Thorough. Accessible. This is just fantastic. Thank you so much.

[@fretscience]

Much appreciated, cheers! 🎸🧪🤘

[@craigdros5427]

Incredible. I feel like a fog has been lifted off my guitar brain. So much more convenient to be able to play and think about what you're doing than having to remember what you've learned. What an awesome video! Thank you Fret Science!

[@fretscience]

Thanks for your kind words! As a science nerd, I’m a big fan of being able to “derive from first principles” even if you won’t do that live while you’re playing. Whenever I am uncertain about a fingering, I like to be able to take a moment and figure it out on the fretboard rather than look up a diagram somewhere.

[@fredhughes4115]

"So much more convenient to be able to play and think about what you're doing than having to remember what you've learned." I just wanna say that I love this statement. I think that it concisely states the reason behind learning any music theory - and provides a perfect response to the "why learn theory anyway" question that is debated so constantly on the Internet. Well said.

[@kwimms]

@@fredhughes4115It also delineates the difference between a creative artist living in God's grace and a blind atheist riff-copying robot living in Hell's kitchen.

[@Linxthisisaurl1]

These videos are incredible and routinly give me huge revelations about playing guitar. This is a service man, thank you.

[@fretscience]

Thanks for the kind words! 🎸🧪🤘

[@FrancisGrant1]

I've been playing the guitar for over two decades.... my KZbin channel is dedicated to it... and I have never come across this before!! This is genius!! Thank you

[@fretscience]

Thanks, Francis…it makes my day when my ideas connect with experienced teachers! 🎸🧪🤘

[@hansenmarc]

I’ve gotta hand it to you. You explain how music theory maps to the fretboard more thoroughly and clearly than just about any other KZbinr out there. 👏 👏 👏

[@fretscience]

Thanks, that’s practically my mission statement 🤣🎸🧪🤘

[@jasonfye1442]

Fret Science- where have you been all my guitar playing life? You just opened doors that have been closed for years! Many thanks for your ELI5 instructions.

[@fretscience]

A lot of this, I only recently figured out for myself 😅

[@robzbobz]

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for providing such great free material on your channel.

[@fretscience]

Much appreciated! 🎸🧪🤘

[@lawrencetaylor4101]

I was never a musician and joked that I was born with two left ears. Last year I bought a digital keyboard for my retirement, and have geeked out on music theory. My daughter loaned me her ukulele, I bought a low G, and just received my baritone uke. I can't play a full size guitar cuz of a shoulder injury. But this was AWESOME. You're right, it went by too fast, but the principles are so well explained...Merci beaucoup.

[@fretscience]

Glad you found it helpful! 🎸🧪🤘

[@aboomer420]

Learning all the music theory i scoffed at when starting my guitar journey 15 years ago has been tough, but i feel blessed to have such good content to help me catch up. Thank you for explaining the music jargon instead of just using it!

[@fretscience]

Glad you’re finding it helpful! 🎸🧪🤘

[@FlaschDJ]

The famous teacher Roger Edison said this: “It’s unfortunately all too easy to learn to play things on the guitar in a mechanical manner without really understanding what you’re doing.” And, if you ask me (which you didn’t), it’s much more rewarding to know what’s going on.

[@fretscience]

You also learn a lot faster when you understand what (and why) you’re learning

[@micr0ps2]

This visualization and the way you teach really clicks for me and I feel enlightened by your videos.

[@fretscience]

That’s great to hear! 🎸🧪🤘

[@romanmgelman]

I find I need to rewatch your videos multiple times to really get it, but when I get it, it’s glorious. Thanks for everything. Please never stop. I’d be a lot less far along on my guitar journey without you.

[@fretscience]

Glad they’re clicking for you! 🎸🧪🤘

[@kianr2200]

Why did no one explain it like this before lol I feel like I understood more in 20 minutes than ever before. Thanks for this video, the visuals, examples and explanations are amazing

[@fretscience]

To be fair, I only just figured out the counting trick a couple of months ago 🤣 Thanks for your kind words! 🎸🧪🤘

[@georgemorgan4233]

Great presentation! No time wasted. Knowledge conveyed. Jon Finn would approve of your use of the warp. Brilliant!

[@fretscience]

I’ve followed Jon’s guitar playing since the early 90s and even hosted his first unofficial webpage back circa ‘94. His advanced improvisation book was a revelation for me. I hope he’s recovering well from his recent bout with COVID.

[@KrishnaVinod]

The best instruction on intervals for guitar I've ever seen. Love your entire series of videos. Thank you!

[@fretscience]

Thanks for your kind words! 🎸🧪🤘

[@_arman_]

For viewers: I want to offer a counter to the 'this is too complicated' -- for those who are 'ready' for this video. I can totally understand why some may be confused, but personally I spent about 10 minutes memorising the list of semitone intervals (Ie, 7 = perfect 5th) and then after watching the video a few times, I can now identify any interval on the guitar in under about 1-2 seconds. And that's still while consciously running through the numbers, so I anticipate it will become essentially instant soon enough - which is the real goal. Previously I'd count out frets and frequently get lost of confused - it would take me forever. I'm not a special case, that's how it's supposed to work. Don't feel disheartened if you don't get the same results immediately - but you should know without a doubt that the ability is definitely quickly attainable once you're ready for it. If you're feeling frustrated or confused, watch some other Fret Science videos and maybe some youtube videos on intervals from other teachers so you can get a more comfortable holistic grasp of it. Then when you're feeling relaxed and open, come back to this video. If you know your 5x multiplication table and you're ok with very basic arithmetic, you're going to have this in your pocket. If not today, then very soon.

[@TheAde2]

Cherish this content and study this video as much as u can because I think this guy must have spent quite some time figuring a way to explain everything in the video and there's not alot of people with this amount of knowledge who are willing to take the time to share it. Learning the chromatic scale is what will allow someone to push to endless creative possibilities

[@PerryShops]

Hands down - these are some of the best "music theory for guitarists" videos on The Tubes. Cheers man - thank you so much for making them!

[@fretscience]

Thanks for your kind words! 🎸🧪🤘

[@tomnguyen6839]

Subbed. Watched all of your videos. Made my purchase of your bundle to support your channel. As a 60-yr old Mechanical Engineer, I love your systematic approach to teaching music. Thank you.

[@iamhapidays8766]

As always, FS methodology of incorporating both visual animation and verbal explanation despite some complexity, makes understanding conducive and engaging! This is truly a GEM. This viewer is so appreciative of your effort and dedication making guitar learning much more fun and meaningful.

[@fretscience]

That’s fantastic to hear…thanks for your kind words! 🎸🧪🤘

[@ivanalex1141]

I wish someone had taught me this when I was 12yo... this material is cleverly thought through and well put out. congratulations and thanks.

[@fretscience]

Thanks for your kind words 🎸🧪🤘

[@Ibdaa-b8s]

Thank you for your effort. Your video are so professionally made, and your explanation is an "experienced music teacher " level. Thanks.

[@fretscience]

Thanks for your kind words! 🎸🧪🤘

[@memkeskin14]

Great video . Hard to cater to everyone’s learning style but love your logical approach… keep them coming 3rds .. 6ths ….

[@fretscience]

Much appreciated, thanks! 🎸🧪🤘

[@geeman7415]

Massive information and brain reconfiguring content towards complete understanding. Totally brilliant, deep dive, that will be the go to source for generations to come. Thank you.

[@fretscience]

Thanks for your kind words! 🎸🧪🤘

[@thadstuart8544]

I really like all the lessons youve put together. As a thank you, i just ordered the PDF bundle from you. Thanks again for all you do

[@fretscience]

Much appreciated…cheers! 🎸🧪🤘

[@trinidiana]

This is way better than so many other videos on intervals that confuse the hell out of me

[@fretscience]

I’m glad it worked for you! 🎸🧪🤘

[@leplaze3409]

Fantastic video - so much info! Will definitely be coming back to this one many times 😆 really appreciate how freely you're sharing your discoveries!

[@fretscience]

Much appreciated, thanks! 🎸🧪🤘

[@shalomshalom735]

What a great video !!! Great channel. Looking forward to your next video that you had mentioned about harmonizing.

[@fretscience]

Much appreciated, thanks! 🎸🧪🤘

[@glynnp42]

This is perfect! Exactly what I thought I was looking for! I only recently realized, now studying jazz guitar, that if I can visualize all the intervals that I can figure out how to finger all of the advanced chords and extensions, especially if I forget the correct fingerings! Thank you!!!!

[@fretscience]

For practicing intervals in jazz chord progressions, I also highly recommend checking out Tom Quayle’s “Solo” app 🎸🧪🤘

[@zakbraverman]

This is genius. I wish I'd seen this video when I started. I can see how some people wouldn't like it, but I think it's great!

[@fretscience]

Thanks! It’s not something I use every day, but I think it’s a worthwhile mental model to have in your bag of tricks. 🎸🧪🤘

[@ll14m4n]

🔥Best mnemonics and infographics on the topic I've ever seen! Thank you! 🙏

[@Lee-zn3qy]

thank you so much! Your step-by-step guidance with diverse examples is amazing. It was easy to learn confusing theory thanks to your motion pictures. Lotta bless to you!

[@fretscience]

I’m glad you found it helpful! 🎸🧪🤘

[@Lee-zn3qy]

@@fretscience 🎸🧪🤘

[@paulmuller3203]

Amazing detail, content, and clarity all in a nice tight bundle of information. Great job!!!

[@fretscience]

Thanks, Paul! 🎸🧪🤘

[@everlastingsaturnalia]

I feel this is definitely very heavy to digest if you're not already familiar with some of these concepts, but I personally appreciate the work you've put into this! I know all this stuff already by memorizing the intervals and their compliments over many years. This presentation is a really cool, highly logical and scientific way to organize it. I started writing down chord formulas as I uncovered them, mostly inspired by piano studies. So like, a major triad is a major third with a minor third stacked above it. 1st inversion is a minor third plus a fourth. 2nd inversion is a fourth plus a major third. That stuff is vital for me in understanding playing chords on piano, but bringing that sort of approach back to guitar can be difficult if you aren't able to visualize intervals. Something like what you've laid out here is pretty much what you need to know in order to start applying chord formulas and stacking intervals to create novel chords. Not only that, but it helps immensely in reading sheet music because if you can quickly identify intervals and interval complements/inversions on the staff, you must know how those intervals map to the fretboard to actually play them. It's much easier in my opinion on piano, to visualize stacking intervals from the staff in this way, but it's doable on guitar if you memorize the shapes of the intervals. I'm much more comfortable on guitar so this sort of thing is huge for me in my journey to be able to effectively read and compose sheet music using guitar.

[@fretscience]

Thanks…I tend to get excited about these topics and try to jam in a ton of information into every video. They’re aimed at intermediate players who already know some basics, and I’m trying to help those players see things in a new-and more powerful-way. So it definitely can end up being too much for some viewers. I’m glad you found some value in it! 🎸🧪🤘

[@chandlerarmstrong7003]

Thank you!! I’ve studied music theory for awhile and didn’t know about this formula.

[@fretscience]

I’ve never seen it anywhere else…I just hope you find it useful! 🎸🧪🤘

[@danr2081]

Freaking awesome video! Very useful and simple way to visualize and identify every internal and make any chord shape. Thank you!

[@fretscience]

Glad you liked it! 🎸🧪🤘

[@888paparoach]

Your videos are the best out there to understand the fretboard. Some people may still not fully get the intervals because it's a complicated subject. I think it would have been helpful to have like an arrow or ruler between the two interval points (root note and which ever interval) that lengthens and shortens as you speak about different intervals. This way people will understand better that all these are relating back to the distance from the root note. Another thing might be helpful is to have the sound of the interval play but I'm not sure if that would be useful at the beginning. THE Concept of a perfect 4th upwards and a perfect 5th back is difficult to explain and I don't fully get it either yet. But I'm willing to watch the video multiple times till I do. Thanks for all the hard work! Just a bit of feedback to help future videos!

[@fretscience]

Thanks…I’m always looking for ways to make the explanations more clear. 🎸🧪🤘

[@danielmiller2886]

This gave a lightbulb moment! Now I understand 9ths and 11ths. Thank you!

[@fretscience]

Glad it helped! 🎸🧪🤘

[@sluggworth2154]

This was very helpful for me. For many reasons. It filled in some questions from music theory class that relates to guitar. Now i can stay in a key and find the interval instead of getting lost in the letter of the alphabet and trying to figure out which key signature and which note it is on the fretboard and then trying to translate it back to my original thought. Now it's all numbers so i can just say this is this for this. Instead of getting lost. So valuable but i can see how people with no music theory background would find it confusing. For me this was gold. Thank you!

[@fretscience]

Glad you found it helpful! 🎸🧪🤘

[@khiemle1306]

wow this is such a concise presentation AND the knowledge is immediately actionable

[@fretscience]

Thanks! 🎸🧪🤘

[@elijahBES]

Wowwww Whenever i watch fret science videos i learn something new Thanks♥️

[@fretscience]

Most welcome 😊🎸🧪🤘

[@BrunoUnna]

Where were you when I started learning guitar three years ago? 😅 This is one of the best presented didactic material I've seen about the fretboard. Thank you very much for what is obviously a big undertaking. Very much appreciated.

[@fretscience]

Thanks for your kind words! 🎸🧪🤘

[@JR-pr8jb]

I like the term "warp," i.e., the effect of the reduced interval between the 3rd and 2nd strings.

[@fretscience]

I shortened it from Jon Finn’s “warp refraction threshold” 🎸🧪🤘

[@leohummel6545]

i have never subscribed to a channel more quickly. Thank you for making this content

[@fretscience]

Glad you found it…hope it helps! 🎸🧪🤘

[@iggykarpov]

Keith, what an amazing lesson in every respect - the explanation and the visuals amplify and expedite the absorption of the material by orders of magnitude, at least for me - possibly because, like you, I have a degree in Electrical/Computer Engineering and Computer Science (though a Master's, not PhD). I am your very dedicated fan. I have been playing classical guitar for over 40 years, but has never been taught improvisation, which I love, and your lessons are a goldmine. I will purchase your PDF bundle and can't wait for your book - when is it coming? All the best and thanks a lot!!!

[@fretscience]

Thanks for your kind words and your support! The book is on the back burner until I finish a handful of videos that I’m really excited about, but hopefully by the end of 2024.

[@iggykarpov]

​​@@fretscienceThanks again, Keith! I just bought your wonderful PDF bundle and am looking forward to diligently digesting it and your videos, including the upcoming ones. All the best!!!

[@fretscience]

@@iggykarpov Much appreciated, thanks!

[@iggykarpov]

@@fretscience I am thrilled I have found your great work. Thank you!!!

[@janperosa-si]

the video about intervals ..-very in detail explain some parts ... keep up the good work. i never see no video with this math equas. to find the intervals, fourth, perfct5, roo... ,....andso on

[@charlesli5521]

man now i just buy before watching the video. you never disappoint. looking forward to this!

[@fretscience]

Thanks, Charles! 🎸🧪🤘

[@labsal6042]

Too bad I can give only one thumb up. Perfect explanation. Thank you!

[@HomePerformance]

Piano player learning guitar here- this vid is so helpful. Thanks very much, took a big chunk of time I bet.

[@fretscience]

Glad it helped…makes the production time worth it 😉🎸🧪🤘

[@CoversIncorporated]

This is absolutely brilliant, thank you for these resources!

[@fretscience]

Glad you found it helpful! 🎸🧪🤘

[@reboooot]

As a single cell organism, I appreciate this video. Thank you, sir.

[@fretscience]

Us amoebas (amoebi?) gotta stick together

[@tomv.5297]

Very, very clear! Perfect lesson! Thanks.

[@fretscience]

Much appreciated, thanks! 🎸🧪🤘

[@MOAB-UT]

This is GREAT, thank you. I am learning all the notes on the guitar now, starting with C. I am learning the 3 notes that make up the C major chord so C, E, and G. Then I will move to the C minor chord in kind. Then next up C# until I cover ALL the notes. By really learning ALL the notes and playing and hearing the intervals on the fretboard, I am not just memorizing- but actually learning and hearing so at a glance I know where I am. Then when I combine with all the interval gold from this video, I will be well on my way to improving my guitar game. I am also learning some Jazz which stretches me as well. Learning all the notes is a fundamental that ALL players should know- but few actually do. Many can play "Songs" but not "Guitar" and there is a big difference. I can play ~100 songs. Some I can play very fast, in the dark without a mistake however I still do not consider myself a guitar player. I've been playing a long time, and studied under some Berklee cats but I still have much to learn. The more I learn, the more I realize how very little I know. Funny thing- when I had my first lesson many moons ago, I thought I knew it all! I played something fast to show off. Teacher was unimpressed. Put the metronome on and said, great...now play it exactly the same way, and in time.

[@fretscience]

I played for over 30 years before I learned the notes on the upper strings, and doing it even after all those years has made a massive positive difference in my understanding and approach to the guitar 🎸🧪🤘

[@MOAB-UT]

@@fretscience That's great to hear FS. By upper, I assume you mean the top 3 thicker strings. I am doing online lessons with Brian from Zombie Guitar. He is also excellent. This is a 12-week program shere he has us learning the triads staring with C Major, then C Minor (all the way up to B- so every note.) It's a brilliant system and it will lend itself well to playing arpeggios and not memorizing, but knowing immediately where we are on the guitar. You learn one Major and the Minor chord per week. In 12 weeks you own them all- and the triads. Honestly, after really digging into the C Major chord, I am already starting to see, feel and hear the intervals. As both you and he says, you start to recognize the intervals and patterns. Even now, if I land on an off, almost blue note, it's fine. I can hear if I am sharp or flat and slide up or down to get where I need to be. With all the free videos available, most people do a very shallow dive on basic guitar concepts but rarely dig in. They jump into playing songs way to fast. When I first played drums, I thought my instructor was going to sit me down at a huge drum set. He did not. I was faced with an old, dirty Remo drum pad. We drilled the basics for months. For me, theory and really understanding what I am doing is the way to go. Anyone can memorize roughly how songs go- mechanically where to put your fingers, but playing guitar takes a much deeper level of understanding. You can design your own unique sounds. It's the difference between being a construction worker or mechanic vs. being an Engineer. Both are fine, and I enjoy swinging a hammer and turning wrenches however I also enjoy designing and building my own unique things. Thanks again for the brilliant lesson! Subscribed! I look forward to learning more.

[@tomcardiff976]

Many thanks - very clear and concise. Recognition of intervals (sound colours?) In arpeggiayed chords Is a long-held goal - it's the 'relative to the root' bit that (at playing speed) poses the most difficult challenge to understanding. Best regards for your tutorial.

[@fretscience]

Thanks for your kind words! 🎸🧪🤘

[@_MetaL]

fantastic video about a complicated subject thank you!

[@fretscience]

Thanks, glad you found it helpful! 🎸🧪🤘

[@Mrhennayo]

Oh fret master, bless us with your grace !

[@fretscience]

🤣🎸🧪🤘

[@Yarik1001]

Monumental work! Thank you.

[@fretscience]

Glad you liked it! 🎸🧪🤘

[@LearnThaiRapidMethod]

A lot of information packed into a very short explanation. One probably needs to watch it a view times. What might be useful would be an even shorter version without the extra examples. As a pianist, I always play in intervals. I don’t memorize all 12 scales in all their different variations. I’ve memorized one scale with different intervals: major, minor, melodic minor, etc. So instead of A-E-D-F#, I simply think of I-V-IV-VI. Even when reading music, I don’t always rely on my knowledge of the position of a note on the stave: it’s mostly a matter of how far the note is from the previous note. (Before I used this approach, I could barely sight-read anything.) I’m still figuring out how to apply similar principles for the guitar because there are several choices for playing a particular note. In the piano, there’s only one key for each note. On the guitar, there are four or five equal notes at different positions (and for those with nuanced ears, with slightly different harmonics)!

[@stevenmonte7397]

Nice! Been waiting on a new video.

[@fretscience]

Not quite as painful as waiting for a new Extreme album, but ... oh, hey! 🎸🧪🤘

[@stevenmonte7397]

@@fretscience hahaha!

[@Blah9763]

Incredible, thank you for the work your doing.

[@fretscience]

I’m glad you found it helpful! 🎸🧪🤘

[@JDPelayoPetit]

Hi, just discovered this channel, and it's exactly what I was looking for! Our brains seemed to work in very similar ways (maybe because of the engineering background? Trained Systems Engineer working as a Software Engineer here!). Can't wait for more insights!

[@fretscience]

Glad you’re here! 🎸🧪🤘

[@jb791505]

Thanks, great video. It was nice to see a mention of P4 tuning as that is what I am learning. A version of the cheat sheet in P4 would be great.

[@fretscience]

Thanks! The cheat sheet already covers P4 pretty well…you can just ignore the discussion of the warp and the diagrams where the shape straddles it. 2 for the price of 1! 🎸🧪🤘

[@dmitriramos7443]

I understand the critics, the first half of the video is loaded. The point is made, but the easiest step have already been done in a earlier video (and it's reissued after the math in the final part of this one). I think the easiest way to navigate is by learning octaves, P5s and M3s. Since P5 is P4 in the other way, and M3 is m6 the other way you already have most of the intervals covered. Then 7s and 2(9)s are just the intervals immediately down and up from the octave. So, as example: With octave + 3rd already memorised you can do the up octave down m3 to find a 6, for instance, if you are on the sixth string. When you get 7s memorised, just jump from it to find the 6. Same with 9, 11: go octave than third, 9 is just below, 11 is just above. To find 13, I guess the easiest jump would be fifth+octave than it is just above it. I think this incorporates more dinamically the vertical-horizontal-diagonal movement you showed before on another video.

[@fretscience]

I definitely agree about moving in octaves. The other intervals (and their complements) are more useful for finding chord and scale tones, but I totally agree that learning them as complementary pairs is a great approach 🎸🧪🤘

[@RocnVin]

This info is exactly what I needed. Yes I know intervals yes im new-ish. This is great ty.

[@fretscience]

Glad it helped! 🎸🧪🤘

[@SuperGarryGamer]

thanks for the video! learning 4 string bass at the moment, so there's no warp to worry about. I'll be checking out more for sure!

[@fretscience]

Glad to have you here! 🎸🧪🤘

[@trukapipa]

What an awesome video - subscribed! Loved the visuals! You suggested that the distinctions between enharmonic notes being only important to music theorists. People who read and write music, whether they are theorists or not, most definitely benefit from understanding these distinctions. I guess it depends on what you consider a “music theorist.” Anyway, can’t wait to explore the rest of your videos!

[@fretscience]

I would definitely agree that enharmonic naming distinctions matter to those who write music and share it in standard notation, and to fluent readers. But for the vast majority of guitar players, I think it’s a subtlety they can safely ignore. I’m “classically trained” (as an amateur woodwind player), enough to get it correct most of the time, so hopefully you won’t find too many mistakes in my videos.

[@taggart8]

I am new to Keith Martin's work with Fret Science but I am impressed how a subject like intervals can be succinctly explained leaving little misunderstanding. I have purchased the Fret Science PDF Cheat sheets which cover other key areas which are great for reading for reference.

[@fretscience]

Thanks for your support! 🎸🧪🤘

[@조관현-v8c]

best guitar channel in youtube ever!

[@fretscience]

Is there a “❤️❤️❤️” button for comments somewhere? 🎸🧪🤘

[@themeadowshadows]

9:11 briefly broke my brain but after many watches I was finally able to distinguish what you're saying... Imho the negative system of inverting and then finding what the hypothetical next high note by using the inversion/compliment would be is the most useful for discovering chord tones wherein the root note isn't in the bass in chords to discover what each interval is really doing and what you really have. I think the video is most useful for simply discovering how to find intervals quickly, and that anyone who watches this has hopefully done some ear training as well and can quickly and instantly recognize what these intervals mean/ their emotions so that they can identify everything in a way that's really helpful to them!

[@fretscience]

If you can think of a way to explain it more clearly than I did in the video, please let me know. I struggled to convey how to think about the “negative numbers” in this method, and there’s probably a better way to explain it. As Barbie used to say: “math is hard” 🤣

[@themeadowshadows]

​@@fretscience Haha I love it, thanks for the reply! Your videos are concise and pretty well thought out. I found the whole thing - other than this part - very easy. Last night I left more than several comments inquiring about it, but I deleted them all out of embarrassment once I felt I got a grasp of what you were saying. Granted, I can be verbose, so take what I say with a grain of salt. But... since you asked! At 9:19 you say, "We have to add twelve to get into the valid range of intervals..." First off, my brain was fairly broken here, because just looking at the shape, I could clearly see that this is a minor 6th having memorized guitar interval shapes on the fretboard... So when you say we "have to" add 12 to get into the valid range of intervals, I was already thrown off, because I even played the shape twice to hear it and confirm, "Wait, that's a minor 6th..." I checked more than a few times because of the comment, "and then we see that the second note is a major third above the first note." This really had me struggling too... I think using the words, "have to" was a big part of the confusion... Especially when you then go on to say, "and then we see that the second note is a major third above the first note..." This part just didn't make sense to me for a while. It's particularly confusing because there's two notes on the screen, and the note you're referring to here, a D which is an octave above the D in the video... isn't on the screen... That would have really helped a lot... I felt like I was going crazy... Counting back and forth on piano rolls and on my guitar... I think a different way of explaining that would have made more sense to me would be to say, "Now that we see -8, we can see that the interval is a minor sixth" -- especially because this guitar shape front and back all day long is a minor 6th! -- "But, hey, remember when talked about complimentary intervals before? Two different ways of getting to the same note? Now, what we can do if we want to is take the number of half steps here, which is -8, and add it to 12... This would give us 4, which gives us a major 3rd... Which is a complimentary, or inverted interval.... So now, we know that the distance between these two notes here is a minor sixth, but if we wanted to add another D and make sure it's complimentary in relation to the A#, or first note, we know how to invert it, and what interval is required to make that jump happen..." This is at the heart of why I don't necessarily see the value of the negative numbers in this example particularly... The rest was wildly useful, but this was so confusing for me! then when you go on to discuss the system in relation to root notes with negative numbers all of a sudden it made more sense to be able to tell quickly what the functional harmony is doing... So maybe this section could have gone later, or with some language referring to it as optional yaddah yaddah yaddah... Anyhow, as you can see, I can be really verbose, and I'm sure this could be cut down a lot... Even reading what I wrote out, I wonder if I'm missing something... Or if I simply didn't understand a concept, but I'm actually fairly confident I do at this point. Anyway, thanks again for the great video... Very informative and useful trick to see what's going on on the guitar better. I memorized/ trained my ear a fair amount last year, but after realizing I didn't have the amount of half-steps per interval memorized, and that I couldn't recognize them on the guitar, I realized that my ear training only got me so far... And that to be able to functionally compose better I'd need to re-study a few concepts that I hadn't quite glossed over but also hadn't quite drilled into memory enough to make them really useful... So yeah, that's really the only criticism of this video I find to be wildly helpful! (I also bought your worksheet for this to help clear up some of the confusion).... Would be to clarify/re-word or put this part later, and/or also put in a little filler at the beginning for people that might not have gone too deep into intervals to give them a heads up on some other things that they might want to do before/after this lesson to inform them on WHY we're doing this, "Knowing the intervals can be an integral part of composing, and making sure that you can get out what's in your head accurately. Identifying them quickly and easily on the guitar can be a great way of doing this. In this video we're going to cover a system to be able to help accommodate that, but, in case this is something you don't know much about, I'd recommend searching for some videos or tutorials on ear training before or after this video so that you can know what to do with them...." Yaddah yaddah yaddah re-word it... Haha anyway, thanks again for the great info.

[@fretscience]

I’m glad it was helpful overall, in spite of the confusion on this one point. I’m always looking for ways to explain things more clearly, and I definitely appreciate your feedback! 🎸🧪🤘

[@themeadowshadows]

@@fretscience Of course! My last and only inquiry is - by reading my comment - do you feel I'm missing anything? I think I get it pretty well, but I'm dying to know - still there's some weird part of me that feels like I'm missing something despite having fought for an understanding of it - and super appreciative of the response!

[@fretscience]

It’s hard to tell for sure without having a real-time conversation, but I think you get it. Those two notes played on their own as a chord in isolation definitely sound like an m6. In the context of a chord where the upper note is the root, the lower note is the M3. Those two intervals are complements, so one going up reaches the same note name as the other going down and vice versa. If that fits your understanding, you’re good!

[@moose1689]

That coordinate system analogy blew my mind.

[@fretscience]

🤯🎸🧪🤘

[@ianjamiesonmusic]

Great way of looking at the fret board. Thanks!

[@fretscience]

Glad it was helpful! 🎸🧪🤘

[@petersmithguitar]

Your videos are amazing!!! Very helpful.

[@fretscience]

Thanks for your kind words! 🎸🧪🤘

[@shayap5441]

I'm gonna start practising in a lab coat from now and here onwards ...

[@fretscience]

🤣🎸🧪🤘

[@jesusfreakster101]

Honestly though I play gigs weekly for decades now this will require multiple views. For any just beginning the journey this guy is money!!

[@fretscience]

I’m aiming to blow minds of intermediate players while being fairly accessible to beginners and occasionally giving a-ha moments to pros. The jury’s still out on how well I’m succeeding, but there’s more to come 🤣🎸🧪🤘

[@jdogwar]

Fantastic video, although I’ll say having a good understanding of music theory really helps here. Beginning was a refresher for me but I bet it can be a lot for new people

[@fretscience]

For what it’s worth, my videos are aimed at intermediate or advanced-beginner players. I try to include all of the information needed to understand the concept, but I do move quickly. 🤔

[@jdogwar]

@@fretscience The pace is acceptable since we can pause and rewind easily on KZbin. I feel like; naturally, many guitarists “feel” and somewhat understand intervals over time, and the explanations and diagrams in the video help put a map to what’s in people’s heads. I'm excited to see what you have in store for 2024.

[@bruno.piperno]

than you for this videos! im triyng patiently to sink in all this concepts, and its already changing my way of seeing the fretboard. one thing about the modes i dont get yet is in which situations or harmonies each of them fits better. and another thing ive been wondering is if modal changes can be related to changing from scale to scale alongside the chords, like in jazz improvisations. greetings from uruguay. keep it up!

[@fretscience]

Thanks for your kind words! I’ll add those ideas to my list for future videos 👍🎸🧪🤘

[@tr762]

Ese comentario contiene la pregunta clave. Sobre que harmonia funcionan? Es el punto que falta en la mayoría de videos en YT.

[@ronfrey5327]

Mind blowing Eagle Eye perspective of the instrument . I am going to play this for a month straight going back to it trying to grasp the counting but its 5s string to string and 1s either TN towards nut or TB towards bridge. Need to go back again focus on warp rules.. the grey or fuzzy area....

[@fretscience]

My hope is that it’s all there in the videos, but feel free to ask questions about whatever you’re finding confusing 🎸🧪🤘

[@MBMB-sz1ye]

Great video! At 11:25, why is it decided E the root and not the G# on the 4th (D) string? Regards

[@fretscience]

The E is considered the root because it allows the other notes to be stacked as thirds above it. Generally, if there’s a configuration of notes that result in stacked thirds, the one that ends up on the bottom is considered the root. Another way of thinking about it is that E7 is the most compact name for that cluster of notes. This topic is outside the scope of the video itself, but it’s a great question!

[@cosmicapecustomsoundfonts7493]

Wow, im glad I discovered this channel!

[@fretscience]

Glad you’re here! 🎸🧪🤘

[@RookieGuitarist]

I've been training guitar for 1 month but i know to get good i have to understand how to play it aswell, this helps a lot thanks

[@fretscience]

Glad you found it helpful! 🎸🧪🤘

[@bhaveshvishwakarma6362]

This is helpful, thank you!✨

[@fretscience]

Glad to hear it! 🎸🧪🤘

[@HDproducer1]

Very clear explanation! Helpful as I am learning 7 string guitar after 25+ years playing bass but just dabbling on guitar. On bass you really only need to know root, 5th, octave, and then the maj/min 3rds. Anything else and you're just showing off 😂

[@fretscience]

It works for 8 string guitar too - why limit yourself? 🤣🎸🧪🤘

[@HDproducer1]

@@fretscience haha I was certainly considering an 8 string but I want to double my 5 string bass on recordings so the low B is all I need. Until the GAS kicks in I suppose!

[@randymx]

Very nice video thank you so much!! I suggest making a triad theme series! Like a deep explanation of the great late Mick Goodrick!

[@fretscience]

Thanks! If you haven’t already, take a look at my CAGED system video-it does a deep dive on triads 🎸🧪🤘

[@randymx]

@@fretscience wow that’s amazing, I’m going to make me a coffe to watch it right now, thanks for your reply!

[@ChainWasp]

Your amazing calculation with the line d = 5y + x could be complemented by number theory and the " modulo " chapters. Specifically modulo 12. You actually use it in your video at 9:36 Really interesting stuff, when I was a math undergrad i actually did some work on this topic !

[@fretscience]

I tried to keep the math to middle-school level, but yes, there are lots of opportunities to use mod 12 and mod 7 in music theory! 🤣🎸🧪🤘

[@MOAB-UT]

Thank you. This was a very clear explanation. Do you see any value in using the Mixo mode as a reference vs. the Major Scale? With extensions like 13, I think it works out better since it has to be perfect. If Major Scale, you have to step down 1/2 step.

[@fretscience]

I’m not a jazz musician, so I rarely need to think or talk about extensions beyond the 9. As a result, I’ve never given that any thought! 🎸🧪🤘

[@MOAB-UT]

@@fretscience Good to know, thanks.

[@discountmusician8951]

Ive been trying to learn intervals for years and the B and G string makes it harder for me.I will try this and see.Thanks

[@fretscience]

Understanding the “warp” is the secret. It’s a little tricky to use at first, but it becomes second nature fairly quickly. I hope it helps! 🎸🧪🤘

[@myproverb]

thank you very much for this great lesson 🙏

[@fretscience]

Glad you liked it! 🎸🧪🤘

[@turbo1234ist]

Great teaching!

[@fretscience]

Thank you! 🎸🧪🤘

[@NicoSmets]

Great stuff! Thank you for sharing.

[@fretscience]

Glad you enjoyed it! 🎸🧪🤘

[@Mizgrievoux]

I feel like my mind has been blown so hard that the information went superluminal and I’ll feel it’s impact and importance at some time later

[@Mizgrievoux]

Oh yeah but dig that so, subscribed.