[NoQuestion]

Okay...where do I start? I am teaching myself guitar notation and I am stuck on something. This is the fourth message board I've been to with this problem, so I am REALLY hoping someone here can help me. I take no guitar lessons and I never have. Now, on my guitar dvd that I bought a few months ago there is a song called "Etude." The dvd is now teaching me about moving thirds in that song. The song starts with open G and open B for the first chord. The next chord is A and C. The next chord is G and D. And the guy on the DVD says to play G with a B instead. And that is supposed to be a moving third. But how do I know when to play G with a B on any other song because there is no sign indicating that it is a moving third chord. Does that make sense? And further more, can you actually explain to me exactly WHAT a moving third IS and how I am supposed to play them with other songs? Because the dude on my dvd says absolutely nothing about them except that you change that one note on that one chord. Confused? I sure am! So please reply....and I'll wait.

[Kirk Lorange]

Hi NoQuestion.

I'm having a bit of trouble understanding the question, but let me see if I can help:

The word 'third' can mean a few different things in music. The most common use is to describe intervals -- the distances between any two notes. There is a 'major third', which is the distance between the first and third note of the major scale, which is two whole steps, or four frets; a 'minor third' is the distance between the first and third notes of a minor scale, which is smaller by one semitone.

Another meaning of the word 'third' is when referring to harmony. Harmony lines can be 'a third above' the original line, meaning that the new line uses notes three scale degrees above the notes in the original line. You can then add yet another line one third above that ... three part harmony, all lines a third apart.

Check this lesson for more.

In your example, when you say 'open G and B', do you mean the notes G and B, or the chords? If you mean notes, they are a third apart; if you mean chords, perhaps he means play a G chord with a B note as bass note? That can be described as a 'G chord over its third'.

I need more detail ... can you tab it out? Can you listen to the DVD again and let me know exactly what he says in what context?

We will get to the bottom of this

[NoQuestion]

When I say G and B I mean the notes that make up the chord, yes.

The DVD says....

"Play the first chord, open G and B. The next chord is A and C. And the next chord is G and D. But instead, you play G with a B, now. And that's a moving third."

Then he just practices those three chords for a while and moves on to the song. And that's all the information it gives on thirds. I just don't really understand what a third is and why I had to change the G to a B. And that's where I am lost.

[Neilsonite]

Hi NoQuestion, hope I understand you, and I hope this clarifies...

What Kirk said above about thirds is the basic definition:

- A 'major third' is the distance between the first and third notes of the major scale. It is a distance of two tones, or four frets along a single string. The third note along in the G major scale is B.

- A 'minor third' is the distance between the first and third notes of the minor scale. It is a distance of a tone and a half, or three frets along a single string. The third note along in the A minor scale is C.

To play in moving thirds means that you are moving around the neck, playing major and minor thirds. In the video, he wanted you to practice playing in thirds, so he changed the G-D chord because it is not a third. (This interval is a fifth, as D is the 5th note along in a G major scale.) So, he changed it to G-B, which is a major third starting on G...

You don't have to play songs in moving thirds, he just wanted you to for practice.

Hope that answers your question, but to me (and apologies if I'm wrong) it sounds like you've missed out on some basic theory knowledge that would help you out. IMHO, the first thing to do is to really learn the notes on the neck, then learn what each interval shape looks like all over the neck. Once you've done this, everything in theory will be really easy. (Again, sorry if I've misunderstood your post, I don't want to be condescending...)

I believe that once you're comfortable with the terminology, theory is about as hard as learning to count - it takes a while to learn what the numbers look like, but it's easy once you get it. I'm not being flippant, I really mean it that it's all about learning the basic language used (notes and intervals on the guitar itself), then after that point it is as conceptually easy as very basic arithmetic. But, without really learning the basic language used, it seems completely foreign.

James

[NoQuestion]

Hey...hmm...no you are probably right. My dvd isn't really very good. It usually doesn't fully explain things (like thirds for example), and this is the third time I've had to go on a guitar forum for help. So I really appreciate your help.

I'm going to go and take notes now though because I know if I don't I'm going to forget everything you said in your post when I wake up in the morning. lol Thanks!!