3 Note Per String Forms

The 3 Note Per String Forms are extremely useful - for multiple reasons!

We're going to use these to extend our Major and Minor Scales, just like we did with the Pentatonic Forms.

They're also going to be used to help us understand Modes. Let's check it out!

Okay, we made it! If you know your Pentatonic Forms then you probably see where this is going. Below we have all 7 Forms laid out in order, being treated as extensions of the Major Scale.

You can start each Form from their respective number below, which are also the intervals of the Major Scale!

Try playing each Form for yourself with this in mind, and see how we've extended the 7 notes of the Major Scale out over the entire length of the fretboard. Of course, Form 7 leads back into Form 1, so we can move up or down along the fretboard with these shapes.

Interestingly, we just connected our Major Scale to our Minor Scale! If you're struggling to understand how that works, Click here to learn about Relative Keys.

The great news is that, since both the Major and Minor Scales fit into this arrangement, we only need to learn one set of Forms for both! Just like with the Pentatonic Forms, we simply need to move our root notes to the appropriate spot.

No question, this is a lot to remember, but it's hard to overstate how useful this will be. If you're struggling to incorporate all of this, I recommend you start by adding one Form into your playing. For example, practice improvising in Form 1 (Ionian), with dips into the notes of Form 7 (Locrian) below it.

I like starting with Learning Form 7, because it connects both to the Major Scale in Form 1, and the Minor Scale in Form 6.

Once you have a basic understanding of these Forms (no need to wait until it's all perfectly memorized), you're ready to look at these in terms of Modes. This concept will blow the door open for what's possible musically.