©Copyright 2019 by Bob Beecher

I welcome your feedback.

I was lucky to play in a rock band in high school. Lucky because my parents
owned an electronics store and I was able to buy a PA system. I knew nothing
about music, but I owned a PA system, so my buddies invited me into the band.

I played bass, simple bass, like A for an A chord

and C for C chord, but when the keyboard, the
drums and the other guitars kicked in, and we all
hit that A chord together, it felt like NASA's
Apollo 13 launch.

In fact, the most fun you'll have with your guitar

is playing with other instruments and creating
music. But that rarely happens in the first year of
guitar lessons. Instead you'll spend hundreds of
hours learning chords, notation, strum patterns,
scales and music theory. Nothing wrong with that except it's not much fun.

Not surprising, ninety percent of first time guitar players quit in the first year,
many in the first ninety days. That's according to a survey by Fender Musical
Instruments Corporation.

My own survey of Craigslist ads suggest that many quit in the first 24 hours.

"This guitar has only been played twice."

"Bought new. Used once."
"Guitar in mint condition. Barely touched."
"Like new, played once and sat in closet since."
"Gave up almost immediately lol."

"You're never too old to become the person [or guitar player] you might
have been."— John Lennon

The Solution
Start playing along your favorite songs using Freedom Blocks, two small shapes
that link together like Lego® pieces. They give you the freedom to solo and
create your own music anywhere on the fretboard, with notes that blend
perfectly with the chords, or whatever key the song or backing track is using.

The first time you mix your sounds with your favorite song, your eyes will light
up, you'll smile and you won't quit. You'll feel like you're on stage playing lead
guitar. In fact yo you'll be using the same shapes and techniques that all lead
guitar players use.

"Someone told me the smile on my face gets bigger when I play the
guitar."— Niall. Horan

How It Works
The song or backing track will take care of the chords, melody, lyrics and
rhythm. Freedom Blocks will take care of the scale and the music theory. All
you have to do is hold down one note at a time and learn how to move from one
Freedom Block to another.

Not only is this a blast, it's a great foundation for everything you'll learn after
you finish this book. Chords will be easier because you'll already know how to
hold down strings and move between frets. You'll also have a basic
understanding of intervals and scales.

Best of all, each time you learn something new, you can add it to your soloing.
Chords turn into double-stops, triads, and arpeggios, scale exercises become
scale sequencing and modes add another dimension to your improvisation.

So crank up your favorite song and have fun while you're learning to play the
guitar— with the band.

"I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music… I get

most joy in life out of music."— Albert Einstein

How Do They Do It?

You've probably seen lead guitar and bass players moving effortlessly up and
down the fretboard. How do they do it?

First, they'll tell you they use a five note pentatonic scale. They play those five
notes in about 50 different places on the fretboard and they embellish them
with slides, hammer-ons, vibrato, tremolo, and string bends. It sounds like
hundreds of different notes, but it's only five.

Second, they'll tell you they see shapes all over the fretboard. But when you
look at the fretboard below, you won't see any shapes. It looks like gibberish. (I
admit this is the worst example of a fretboard diagram I could find.)

Freedom Blocks turn this gibberish into music and by the time you're done
with this book, you'll see those shapes all over the fretboard.

"The guitar has a kind of grit and excitement possessed by nothing

else." — Brian May
Freedom Blocks
Freedom Blocks let you improvise your own sequence of notes that blend into
an accompaniment, be that a backing track, a Youtube video or your garage
band. You can move in any direction at any time over the entire fretboard.
That's why they're called Freedom Blocks.

Freedom Blocks work with five-note pentatonic scales as well as seven-note

major, minor and all but one mode of the major scale. We'll start with the most
popular scale, the minor pentatonic.

Red Notes are Special

The red root notes are the root note of the scale or key of a song.
Scales are like roller coasters, you go up and down, fast and slow,
but there's always that point of relief when you reach a flat spot,
even if two seconds later you're hanging upside down in a barrel
roll. The point of relief or resolution in music is when you land
on the root of the scale.

"As a music teacher, I am constantly amazing people who previously

had no musical experience, by showing them they can play music, if
they use the magic pentatonic scale.”— Willy Minnix

Minor Pentatonic Scale

The five-note minor pentatonic scale is a scaled down version of the seven-note
natural minor scale. Below is an F minor pentatonic scale laid out on the low E
string. The 2nd and 6th notes of the minor scale are removed and two of the
remaining notes are moved down one fret .

(Notation for F major scale: E1-3-5-6-8-10-12-13)

Notation for F minor pentatonic scale: E1-4-6-8-11-13)

(NOTE: the notation before each illustration is for visually impaired students
or anyone having trouble following an illustration. The letters are the open
strings, the numbers are the fret positions, and the root notes are in bold.)

Lead guitar players love the minor pentatonic scale, because they don't have to
worry about playing unpleasant or dissonant notes. If their band is playing an
A minor chord or key, they can play any of the five notes in the A minor
pentatonic scale, anywhere on their guitar and it will sound good.

But you won't find Freedom Blocks if you Google "minor pentatonic scale."
What you'll see is a diagram like this one:

To see the Freedom Blocks you have to step back and take a wider view of the
scale. As soon as you add an upper and lower scale extension, you can see the
Freedom Blocks.

Below are the notes that make up the minor pentatonic Freedom Blocks. Notice
the red and orange notes. The red notes are the root of the scale. If a red note is
C then you are playing a C minor pentatonic scale. The orange notes overlap
other squares, allowing you to move up and down the fretboard.

Intervals are the frets between two notes. I'll refer to the two-fret intervals in
squares as narrow intervals and the three-fret intervals in rectangles as wide
intervals. I will occasionally refer to these intervals as rows 1, 2, and 3.
Here are few more definitions before we get started.

“People haven't always been there for me but music always has.”
— Taylor Swift

Freedom Block Squares

Learning to move between frets is like learning to dribble in basketball. You
have to learn it or you can't play. It's a skill that requires mental and motor
coordination. You can't look at it, like a math problem, and say, "I get it."

Practice this first exercise on the 5th fret of the A string. Play in both
directions. Use your first and third fingers to play the notes. If that's difficult
try using only your first finger to play all the notes. (My grandson found that
helpful in his first lesson.)

(Notation: A5-7, D5-7, G5-7, reverse and play G7-5, D7-5, A7-5)
Here's a similar exercise. Use your first, second and third fingers. The white
notes are called passing tones. You'll learn about them later. Right now use
them to build up your finger dexterity.

(Notation: A5-6-7, D5-6-7, G5-6-7,

reverse, G7-6-5, D7-6-5, A7-6-5)

Practice these exercises until your fingers hurt. JUST KIDDING. What you
need is repetitive practice spread out over a week. A good time to practice is
right before bedtime. Your brain won't remember the split pea soup you ate for
lunch, but it will remember these finger gymnastics. When you wake up in the
morning, you'll be surprised how much practicing your brain did while you
were asleep.
 Finger Pressure
Go easy on your fingers. Position your finger just behind the fret.
Place your finger on the string but don't press down. Now strum
that string. The sound is muted. The string can't vibrate because
your finger is applying just enough pressure to stop the
vibrations. Strum and gradually add more pressure. Stop adding
pressure when you hear a note. That's the right amount of
pressure.

“The most exciting rhythms seem unexpected and complex, the most
beautiful melodies simple and inevitable.” — W.H. Auden

Stepping Squares
Squares are cool because they overlap other squares and that makes it easy to
move between squares. Can you see why I call them stepping squares?

Notice a feature of squares: There's always narrow interval (2 frets) on either

side of the orange corner notes.
Those intervals are part of additional stepping squares.

Here's an example that starts on the 5th fret of the low E string. Ignore the high
B and E strings for now. Try playing this sequence.

(Notation: E5, A3-5-7, D5-7, G5-7-9)

Try it in reverse, starting on the 9th fret of the G string.

(Notation: G9-7-5, D7-5, A7-5-3, E5-3)

Be sure to use your first and third fingers. It's OK to use your thumb to strum,
but also spend some time using a pick.

Playing with a Pick

Starting out, it's easier to strum with your thumb. You can feel
the thickness and texture of the strings and your brain knows
where the end of your thumb is. It doesn't know where the end of
your pick is. Try moving your picking hand up the neck of your
 guitar until about five frets below your other hand. Your
peripheral vision will let you know what string you're on.

Notice how you're always moving from row 3 to row 1 of the next square.

Adding the B and E Strings

Here's the previous sequence extended to the B and E strings. Notice how rows
two and three of the square shift up one fret when they land on the B and E
strings. This is called the B string shift.

(Notation: E5, A3-5-7, D5-7, G5-7-9, B string shift, B8-10, E8-10-12)

Now play these stepping squares in reverse.

Here's how square rows react as they crossover to the B string.

Here is another example of a square crossing over the B string. This example is
in D minor. While you're playing this sequence say out loud what row you are
on. When you get to the B string, say out loud, "I need to shift up one fret." This
will help your brain assimilate this information.

(Notation: E5, A3-5-7, G5-7, B string shift, B6-8-10, E8-10)

Think of the B string shift like a curb on a street. You have to step up a half step
to reach the sidewalk, and step down a half step to reach the street. Once you're
on the sidewalk or in the street everything is level and you can move about like
normal.

“A guitar is just theoretically built wrong. Each string is an interval of

fourths, and then the B string is off. Theoretically, that's not right, all
the strings should be off. — Eddie Van Halen

Time to Solo with Stepping Squares

It's time to solo. I know this sounds crazy, but you can do it. You'll need an A
minor or A minor 7th backing track. Google: Backing Track A minor. You can
also find backing tracks on iTunes, Spotify, Amazon Prime and Pandora.

Most amps have an MP3 or auxiliary input that uses a 3.5mm plug. Use this to
connect your smart phone or iPad to the amp. The amp will control the volume
of your guitar and your phone or iPad will control the backing track volume.
(Apple did away with the headphone jack starting with iPhone 7, but you can
purchase an Apple Lightning to 3.5mm
headphone jack adapter like the one shown
here.)

Start your Am or Am7 backing track and play the

following stepping squares. I've included an
initial sequence of notes to get you started, but
feel free to play the notes in any order, skipping
some, or repeating others.

If you loose your place, just start over. The sequence ends on the 12t fret. If you
end on the 11th fret, you probably forgot to do the B string shift. Start on the
5th fret of the low E string. This note is an A, so you're playing an A minor
pentatonic scale.

(Notation: E5, A3-5-7, D5-7, G5-7-9, B string shift, B8-10, E8-10-12)

Now try the same sequence in reverse order starting on the 12th fret.

(Notation: E12-10-8, B10-8, B string shift, G9-7-5, D7-5, A7-5-3, E5)

"The guitar is a miniature orchestra in itself."
— Ludwig van Beethoven

Embellishments
Embellishments are techniques guitar players use to make the five pentatonic
notes sound like hundreds of different notes. Here are a few you can try.

First we'll throw in a few slides. After playing a note, keep your finger on the
string and slide it up to the next note. I've added solid arrows in a few places
where you can do a slide using your first finger. Start on the 3rd fret of the low
E string.

(Notation: E3-5, A3-5 slide to 7, D5-7, G5-7 slide to 9)

As you move from square to square, say or keep track of the row number you
are on and the one you are going to.

Here is the same sequence, but this time you can do the slides with your third
finger. (Extra Credit: try playing the sequence backwards using reverse slides.)

(Notation:E5, A3-5-7, D5-7, G5-7-9, B string shift, B8-10, E8-10-12)

Adding the Blues Note

I'm skipping ahead a bit to let you include the blues note. I'll cover the blues
scale later in the book, but let it be an example of how everything you learn,
even one note, can enhance your improvisation.

Turn your Am7 or Am backing track on and play a little of the blues.

(Notation: E5, A3-5-6-7, D5-7, G5-7-8, B8-10, E8-10-11-12, extra notes not in
the illustration: E15-17)
"Blues is easy to play, but hard to feel” — Jimi Hendrix

Finding the Key of a Song

Backing tracks will usually give you the key. You can also look up
the chords for a song. Typically the first or last chord of the song
will be the key. If a song starts and ends with the same chord,
that's a stronger indication. If a song uses one chord more than
any other, that's often the key of the song. You can also Google
the key of a song.

Double Stops
For a bluesy sound, you can throw in a few double stops. Double stops are two
notes played at the same time. The notes are usually on adjacent strings and
you play them both with the flat side of one finger. Strum both strings at the
same time.
(Notation: E5, A3-5-6-7, D5-7, G5-7-8-9, [B8+E8], [B10+E10], E11-12)

Passing Tones
With the exception of the blues note, every note you've played so far is a scale
tone. The gray circle notes below are called passing tones. You can play them as
long as you don't hang around to long. You can, for example, do a quick slide
from a passing tone to a scale tone.

You can also use passing tones in a chromatic walk up or walk down. You do
this by playing every note (half step) between two scale tones. Instead of
rushing over the passing tones, you give them the same duration and emphasis
as the scales tones. That's why they call it a "walk." You can walk at what ever
speed sounds good.
Here's an example of a two chromatic walks. It starts on the 5th fret of the high
E string. If you have trouble following the illustration, refer to the notation.

(Notation: E5, B8-5, G7-6-5, D7-5-6-7)

It's almost as if the listener's brain is temporarily distracted from the solid feel
of the song key to a brain-pleasing sequence of ascending or descending notes.
Of course, you eventually have to land on a scale tone. Chromatic walks work
best in Freedom Block squares.

Freedom to Move
All of the Freedom Block combinations are moveable. Here are the same
stepping squares in the key of B minor.

(Notation: A7, A5-7-9, D7-9, G7-9-11, B shift, B10-12, E10-12-14)

You can even move this pattern to a different string. Here I've started on the
7th fret of the A string in the key of E minor. Be sure to make the B string shift.

(Notation: A7, D5-7-9, G7-9, B shift, B8-10-12, E10-12)

(Reverse: E12-10, B12-10-8, B shift, G9-7, D9-7-5, A7)

"It’s easy to play any musical instrument: all you have to do is touch the
right [note] at the right time and the instrument will play
itself."— Johann Sebastian Bach

Maybe Johann Sebastian was using Freedom "Bachs."

Side-Stepping
Even with the B and E strings, you'll eventually "step" your way out of strings.
That's when you need to do a little side-stepping.

Side-steps let you continue moving left or right by jumping from one group of
stepping squares to the next. It's not as foolproof as the overlapping corners,
but close enough as you can see in the illustration below.

I've circled a side-step in this next sequence. Practice this sequence in both
directions.

(Notation: E5, A3-5-7, D5-7, G5-7-9, side-step, D10-12-14, G12-14)

If we take a different route back from the 14th fret of the G string it looks like a
dead end at the orange note.

(Notation: G14-12, D14-12-19, A10-12, E12-10 Dead End?)

You can't side step from an orange corner note, but you can move over a
narrow interval and side-step from that gray corner note.

Let's see how that works in the next sequence starting on the 14th fret of the G
string.

(Notation: G14-12, D14-12-10, A12-10, E12-10-8, side step,

A7-5-3, E5)

Notice that you're always side-stepping to the opposite row in the next square.
“My best songs come from making a lot of mistakes and playing a lot of
garbage.”— Eric Johnson

Side Stepping to or from the B String

Side-stepping to the B string is easy because the gray corner note on the B
string shifts up one fret, putting it in line with the note on the G string.

This next sequence starts on the 3rd fret of the low E, in the key of D minor.

(Notation: E3-5, A3-5, D3-5-7, G5-7, B string shift, B6-8-10,

side step [vertically] to G10-12, D10-12, A10-12)

This next illustration starts on the 5th fret of the low E string, in the key of A
minor. Experiment with different routes using the various side-steps.

(Notation: E5, A3-5-7, D5-7, G5-7-9, side-step, D10-12-14, G12-14,

B string shift, B13, E12-10-8 and continue however you like.)
You might expect the circled side-step above to be vertical rather than
diagonal. But remember, once you're on the B string (sidewalk analogy)
everything returns to normal.

Slow Grove is a Good Grove

In 1981 John Moschitta Jr., also known as "Motormouth" did a
famous commercial for FedEx. John can speak 586 words per
minute. Some people play lead guitar like John talks: They never
change their speed or pause to catch their breath. Go listen to
B.B King. He was famous for his slow grove. As a beginner you
have one advantage: you already know how to play slow and, like
B.B King, you're "horrible" with chords.

"I'm no good with chords. I'm horrible with chords."

— B.B. King

Time to Solo with Side-Steps

Start your A minor backing track and give this next sequence a try. I've
included the blues notes to help you keep track which row you're on.

(Notation: E5, A3-4-5-7, D5-7, G5-8-7-9, side step, D10,

A12-10, E12-11-10-8-5)
Look closer and you'll see an odd thing I did in the previous sequence. I'm
sitting on a gray note (8th fret low E string). I know there's gray notes on either
side of an orange note and I could side step, but instead I go straight back to
my root (red dashed arrow).

Pretty handy, but it's not a narrow interval. It's a wide interval. It's part of a
rectangle. As you can see below, rectangles (3 fret intervals) are everywhere.
More about rectangles in the next section.

"I'm sure if Shakespeare were alive today, he'd be doing classic guitar
solos on YouTube."— Peter Capaldi

Summary of Square Properties

Here is everything you've learned so far about Freedom Block squares. Give
yourself a high five.

Famous Rows
Row 1 of a square is famous for it's blues note. It also has an
orange note for stepping squares and a gray note for side
stepping. Row 2 is famous for its' root note and flat 7th. Row 3 is
famous for it's flat 3rd, giving you the "sad" tone of a minor
scale. It's orange note on the right side is great for bending a half
step up to another blues note or a full bend up to the next scale
tone. Two chances to get a good sounding bend.

Where Are the Rectangles?

With all this talk about Freedom Block squares, you might wonder where the
rectangles are. Take a look below and you'll see that they overlap the squares.
They share the same notes, so you're already playing those notes. What's
missing are the wide intervals.
If we left out the wide intervals it would dramatically change how our brains
interpret the music. Plus the "missing notes," the notes we removed from the
seven-note major and minor scales to arrive at the five-note pentatonic scales,
those notes are in the rectangles. Later, we'll sprinkle those notes back into our
playing.

"The only thing that makes one scale different from another is not the
starting note, it's the separation of intervals." — Allan Holdsworth

Here Come the Rectangle

Rectangles connect squares. They overlap and share the same notes. These
wide (3 fret) intervals allow you to move horizontally and add more variety to
your sound. (To simplify the illustrations, I've removed the B and E strings.)
You can remember that rectangles never overlap orange notes and remember
IN on the TOP & OUT on the BOTTOM.

In the next exercise stay within these three shapes. Turn on a G minor backing
track and see what you can create. I've provided a sample sequence, but create
you own. You can a lot in just three blocks.

(Notation: E8, A10-8-5, D8-5, G5-3, D5-3, A5-3, D5)

Wide 3 fret intervals are a stretch for beginners. Try sliding instead. You can
slide all three frets or slide from one fret above the target note. You can't go
wrong with slides.
This next sequence starts on 8th fret and takes a different route that includes
the D and G open strings. You're in the key of G minor.

(Notation: E8, A10-8-5-3, D5-3, G5-3-0, D3-0)

Try a similar sequence in reverse.

(Notation: A3-5, D3-5-8-10, A8-10, E8-10-13, A13-10)

In this next example, you start with overlapping squares and continue up the
fretboard using an overlapping rectangle. Notice how you are moving from the
bottom of a square to a rectangle that overlaps the top two rows of the next
square.

(Notation: E3-5, A3-5, D3-5-7, G5-7-10, D7-10-12)

Starting where you left off in the previous sequence, take a different route back
to the open D string.

(Notation: D12-10, A12-10-8, E10-8-5, A8-5-3, D5-3-0)

In the next example, start on the 2nd fret of the G string. This is an A note, so
you will be playing in the key of A minor. Keep alternating between rectangles
and squares, until you run out of strings or frets.

(Notation: G2-5-7, D5-7, A5-7-10, D7-10-12, A10-12,

E10-12-15, A12)
It's important that you see the abstract pattern of the previous sequence.

You always enter squares on the top left and exit them on the lower right. It
helps to remember that rectangles never overlap the orange notes.

Don't forget the narrow intervals on either side of orange corner notes. Those
are your stepping squares.

“When the band plays fast, you play slow; when the band plays slow,
you play fast.”— Miles Davis explaining soloing
 Instant Feedback
As you move up and down the fretboard, you may not be able to
tell when you've played an off key note. You can get instant
feedback using a clip on tuner and playing in the key of A minor.
This scale has no sharps or flats, so if you see one on your tuner,
you're either off the scale or your guitar is out of tune. The one
exception is the blues note.

Time to Solo with Rectangles

You'll need an A minor or A minor 7th backing track. Google: One Chord Am7
Backing Track or One Chord A Minor Jam. The magic happens when you
combine your block patterns with the backing track. Turn on your A minor
backing track, and play the following block patterns up and down the
fretboard. Start on the 2nd fret of the high G string.

(Notation: G2-5-7-5, D7-5, A7-5-7-10, D7-10-12-10,

A12-10, E12-10)

Here's another group of blocks that also start on A, only this time it's on the 5th
fret of the low E string.

(Notation: E5, A3-5-7, D5-7, G5-7-9)

Notice in this next sequence the A note on the far left is an open string.

(Notation: G9-7, D10-7, A10-7-5-3-0, E3-5)

"To play without passion is inexcusable!"— Ludwig van Beethoven

Here are some variations you can use to add more variety to your soloing:

Slide from one note to another

Pause or change the duration of notes
Emphasize the root which is the red note
Bend the string when playing a note
Play soft and loud
Add the blues note (always next to an orange note)
Play a note multiple times before continuing
 Repeat a two or three note sequence multiple times

“Repetition tends to draw us into a participatory stance so that we’re

imagining the next note before it happens.” — Elizabeth Hellmuth
Margulis, author of On Repeat: How Music Plays the Mind

Rectangles Crossing the B string

As a rectangle crosses over the B string row 2 shifts up one fret. If the rows land
on the B and E strings, then both rows shift up one fret.

In this next sequence, it's clear that rows 2 and 3 of the square are shifted up
one fret. The rectangle, on the other hand, looks normal. It's shape is not split
like the first square. That's because the rectangle fits on those two strings. Both
rows of the rectangle are shifted the same one fret. Play the following sequence
starting on the 7th fret of the G string.

(Notation: G7-9, B8-10, B8-5-3, B5-8-10)

In the next example, only one row of the rectangle is on the B string.

It's looks a bit messy, but all you have to do is focus on the following:

1. The block you're in, a square or rectangle

2. The row you're on, 1, 2, or 3
3. The direction you want to go next
4. And do you need to make a B string shift

Start by staying in the rectangle. Get a feel for the shifted rows. Then venture
out to one of the square intervals. Notice that wide intervals always have
narrow intervals on either side. Here's a sample sequence.
(Notation: D9-8-7, G9-7, B10-8-5, B7-4-3-2, B5, E3-5)

Initially the B string shift is a irritant, but you'll discover later that some of the
most iconic licks are centered around shape combinations like the one above.

"Life is a lot like jazz. It's best when you improvise."

— George Gershwin

Stacking Freedom Block

Here is the familiar stepping square sequence with rectangles above and below
the square.
The rectangle on the B and E strings is shifted up one fret causing all three
Freedom Blocks to line up on the left side. This alignment might explain why
this is the most famous guitar shape. If you hear a Youtube presenter say,
"we're going to use shape one or box one," this is the one.

Give it a try using this sequence of notes. Play in both directions. Try using
your "pinky" or little finger to reach these wide intervals.

(Notation: E5-8, A5-7, D5-7, G5-7, B5-8, E5-8)

Let's add some rectangle notes to our stepping square pattern. Start on the low
E string. You can play the wide interval in the rectangle with your first and
third finger, first and pinky finger, or you can slide from one note to the next
using your first finger.

(Notation: E5, A3-5-7, D5-7, G5-7, B5-8-10, E8-10-12)

Let's reverse our sequence using a different route back to our starting root
note. Start on the 12th fret of the high E string. Notice that the rectangle shares
its right-side notes with the square.

(Notation: E12-10-8-5, B8-5, G7-5, D7-5, A7-5-3, E5)

Here is the same pattern with blues notes. Turn on your A minor backing track.
Play up and down while adding the blues and rectangle notes. Notice the flat
3rd. It's the same note in either direction.

(Scale pattern per string: E5-8, A3-5-6-7, D5-7, G5-7-8-9,

B5-8-9, E5-8-10-11-12)

All of our examples so far have used the A minor pentatonic scale. Here I've
moved the Freedom Blocks up two fret for an B minor scale. Find a B minor
backing track and give it a try.

Freedom Blocks let you start on any string. In this next example we're in the
key of C minor starting on the 3rd fret of the A string. You can also play row
one of the rectangle on the low E string.

(Notation: E3-6, A3-6, D3-4-5, G3-5, B string shift, B4-6, E3-6)

When you move vertically, you alternate between squares and rectangles. The
blocks align on the side closest to the orange note. The blocks do not overlap
each other.

Alternatively you can use my Flag and Chair analogy. When you move to a
higher string, fly high and when you move to a lower string, sit down.
The only time the orange note rule and the my flag analogy don't work is when
the first row of a square or a rectangle lands on the B string. In those two cases,
the entire Freedom Block moves up one fret.

(Notation rectangle: E2-5, A2-4, D2-4, G2-4, shift, B2-5, E2-5)

(Notation square: E9-11, A9-11, D8-11, G8-11, shift, B9-11, E9-11)

"You'll never learn everything on that guitar neck."—David Edwards

Time to Solo Vertically

We'll take each interval of the G minor pentatonic scale starting on the low E
string and stack Freedom Blocks until we reach the high E string.

Here is the G minor pentatonic scale, starting on the 3rd fret (G) of the low E
string. The minor pentatonic scale has two wide intervals (rectangle) and three
narrow intervals (square). Try playing this scale on the low E string.

(Notation: E3-6-8-10-13-15)

Next I've overlaid the Freedom Blocks on the scale intervals. Notice that first
two intervals are the top row of a rectangle and a square. The next two intervals
start on row one of a square and a rectangle. The last interval start in the
middle or row two of a square.

Next, we'll take each interval and move vertically to the high E string using
Freedom Blocks. Turn on a G minor backing track and be sure to practice in
both directions.

Interval #1
Interval #1 starts on row two of a rectangle. You'll immediately rotate to a
square, followed by a rectangle. Both rows of the rectangle shift up one fret.
This is the most famous shape among lead guitar players.

(Notation: E3-6, A3-5, D3-5, G3-5, B string shift, B3-6, E3-6)

Interval #2
Interval #2 is row three of a square. Play those notes, then rotate to a rectangle
on the A and D strings. After the rectangle, rotate to a square and make the B
string shift.

(Notation: E6-8, A5-8, D5-8, G5-7, B string shift, B6-8, E6-8)

Interval #3
Interval #3 start on row one of a square. After completing the square you
switch to a rectangle. Row two of the rectangle and row one of a square get
shifted up one fret on the B and E strings.

(Notation: E8-10, A8-10, D8-10, G7-10, B string shift, B8-11, E8-10)

Interval #4
Interval #4 is row one of a rectangle. Complete the rectangle on the A string,
then rotate to a square. Row three of the square shifts up one fret on the B
string. Row 1 of the next rectangle maintains its relative, aligning on the right
side, the side closest to the orange note.

(Notation: E10-13, A10-13, D10-12, G10-12, B11-13, E10-13)

Interval #5
The fifth interval is row two of a square. Complete the square on the A string,
then rotate to a rectangle. Finish with rows one and two of a square shift up
one fret.

(Notation: E13-15, A13-15, D12-15, G12-15, B13-15, E13-15)

Can you figure out why we have two interval 5's in this next illustration? The
answer is, scales repeat to the right and to the left. The two interval 5's are an
octave apart.
That completes all five intervals of the G minor scale. You have just played
every note in the G minor pentatonic scale between the 3rd and 15th fret.
Congratulations.

The CAGED System

The previous five shapes are famous. They're the five shapes of the CAGED
system. It was designed in the 70's to help people play scale tones on the
fretboard.

As you can see, it relies on vertical stacking. The main criticism of the CAGED
system is it's "boxy" sound, as players spend too much time in one shape or
they're unable to move smoothly between shapes.

With Freedom Blocks you can move in any direction at any time. That's what
freedom is.

"Some solos are just sequences in different positions, and they never
seem to break out into freedom."— Micheal Lee Firkins

Shapeless But Not Clueless

Once you understand Freedom Blocks, all you need is a root note and you can
create your own shapes.

Here is what we know.

1. We're in the key of E minor pentatonic

2. Our root note lies in the 2nd row of a square
3. It also lies in the 2nd row of a rectangle because the rectangle overlaps the
square
4. The square is on the left and the rectangle is on the right

We also know about stepping squares, side-steps, overlapping rectangles and

how Freedom Blocks stack. All we have to do is pick a direction and keep an
eye out for the B string.

As Confucius says, "Each step you take reveals another

Freedom Block."
He didn't say that, but you get the idea.

Minor Pentatonic Blues Scale

The second most popular pentatonic scale is the minor pentatonic blues scale.
Everything you have learned about the minor pentatonic scale, works with the
minor pentatonic blues scale. All you have to do is add one extra note.

You can play extra blues notes by reaching just outside the Freedom Block
you're in. Also notice that there is always a blues not on the right side of an
orange note.

Here is an example of how you might use an extra blues notes, while playing
one of the vertical shapes for the minor pentatonic blues scale.

(Notation: E3-6, A 3-4-5, D 3-5, G 3-5-6, G 3-6, E 3-6)

Below is notation for a more complex variation using the same group of notes.
The symbol 3X tells you to repeat the notes in brackets 3 times. The h character
indicates a hammer-on, lower case e is high E string and the tilde ~ indicates
vibrato.

(Notation: E3-6, A3-4-5, D3-5, 3X[G3-5h6], B5-6,

e3-6-3, B6-3, G6-5-3, D5-3, A5-4-3, e6-3~)

"Every bad situation is a blues song waiting to happen."

— Amy Winehouse

Major Pentatonic Scale

The major pentatonic scale removes the 4th and 7th notes of the major scale.

(Notation of Major Scale: E1-3-5-6-8-10-12-13)

(Notation of Major Pentatonic Scale: E1-3-5-8-10-13)
Even though the notes and the intervals are different, everything you have
learned about the minor pentatonic scale works the same for the major
pentatonic scale.

For instance the Freedom Blocks look the same. The root notes are in different
positions and some of the scale tones are different, but the blocks are the same
shape and they "snap" together the same way.

Here's a comparison of the major and minor pentatonic Freedom Blocks.

The major pentatonic blocks overlap and alternate just like the minor
pentatonic blocks.
Vertically the blocks alternate but do not overlap. Again, just like the minor
pentatonic scale.

Stepping and side stepping blocks work the same in both scales.
You can side-step with the major pentatonic. Since the root note is one of your
corner notes, you can side-step from it. Just not from orange notes.

Once again you don't have to memorize a bunch of shapes. All you need is a
major root note.

Here is what we know.

1. We're in the key of E major pentatonic

2. Our root note lies in the 3nd row of a square
3. It also lies in the 2nd row of a rectangle because the rectangle overlaps the
square
4. The rectangle is on the left and the square is on the right

We also know about stepping squares, side-steps, overlapping rectangles and

how Freedom Blocks stack. All we have to do is pick a direction and keep an
eye out for the B string.
Surprisingly you can take any of the previous minor pentatonic examples, and
play them as major pentatonic scales. How is that possible? How can the same
blocks, squares and rectangles be minor and major at the same time?

Answer: relatively easily.

Relative Minor
Every major scale has a relative minor scale, and the two scales share the same
notes. For example, the relative minor of C is A minor.

The easiest way to find the relative minor is to move down three frets from the
major note. Three frets down from C is A, so A minor is the relative minor of C.

Compare the Freedom Blocks and notes of the A minor and C major pentatonic
scales. They're the same notes.
Your brain determines what scale you're playing by how it sounds. It listens for
the root by noticing which note you emphasize, for example the note you start
on.

It also listens to the intervals between the root and other notes. If the 3rd note
of the scale is flat, one fret closer to the root, your brain interrupts that as a
minor key. Below you can see that the third interval in the minor pentatonic
scale is one fret closer to the root.

Both scales have three narrow intervals and two wide intervals. Their notes are
the same, so the only difference is the order of the intervals. The wide A to C
interval is at the end of the C major pentatonic scale. It's at the beginning of the
minor pentatonic scale.
You can see the similarity of the two scales better when I shift one of the scales.
Most of the intervals line up except for one of the wide intervals. Your ear is
able to detect that slight difference, making one scale a "happier" major scale
and the other a minor "sad" sounding scale.

Scale tones and intervals repeat: A-G then A-G again. To create the relative
minor of C major, we keep the notes and intervals the same, but we start on A
instead of C.

To create the five-note pentatonic version of these scales, we remove the B and
F notes.
Below are the A minor and C major pentatonic scales. The only difference is the
order of the intervals and the starting note.

(A minor pentatonic: E5-8, A5-7, D5-7, G5-7, B5-8, E5)

(A major pentatonic: E7, A5-7, D5-7, G5-7, B5-8, E5-8)

Here's another viewpoint showing the relationship between the relative minor
of a major scale. It's amazing that our brains make this distinction.
"Have patience. All things are difficult before they become easy."
— Saadi

Time to Solo with the Major Pentatonic Scale

Next you'll take each interval of the major pentatonic scale and move vertically
from that interval, to the high E string using Freedom Blocks. If you get a sense
of deja vu, it's because these are the same Freedom Block combinations that
you used for the minor pentatonic intervals, just in a different order.
Here are the stacked Freedom Blocks for the first three intervals of the major
pentatonic scale. Notice the B string shift (green arrows) and the alignment of
the sides closest to the orange note.

Remember the rule: if the first row of a square or rectangle lands on the B
string, then the entire Freedom Block shifts up one fret. Consequently, the
orange note alignment rule and the flag and chair analogy don't apply.

Major Pentatonic Blues Scale

The major pentatonic blues scale adds a flat 3rd to the major pentatonic scale.
You play this scale just like the major pentatonic, adding one extra note. Don't
forget the extra blues notes just outside of each Freedom Blocks.
Turn on your A major pentatonic backing track, and replay some of the
previous interval shapes, while adding the blues notes.

"I like beautiful melodies telling me terrible things."— Tom Waits

Side Stepping Rectangles

Side stepping rectangle may be the Holy Grail of fretboard navigation or a sign
that I've finally gone off into deep space.
As you move horizontally, stepping rectangles move with you, stepping up or
down a string, giving you a common base, but with different Freedom Block
combinations on each step and in between each step.

The side stepping rectangles below start on the 3rd fret of the low E string.
You'll be playing in a C minor pentatonic blues scale. Try it in both directions.

(Notation: E3-6, A3-6-8-9-10-13, D10-13-15-16-17-20, G17)

The orange notes between the rectangles are from overlapping squares. You
can move from the top of a rectangle and a square to the bottom of a square
and rectangle. The blues notes are there to help you know when you're on the
bottom of a square.
As you move between rectangles, you can play the notes in the overlapping
squares. The green arrow is the B string shift.

(Notation: A2-5, D2-5-7-8-9, G7-9, B8-10) continued...

Continue from the 10th fret of the B string (red arrow).

(Notation: B10-8, G9-7, D9-8-7-5, A7-5-2, D5-2)

Try a different route.

(Notation: D2-5-7-8-9, G7-9-12, D9-12-14, G12-14-15-16) continued...

Continue playing from the 16th fret of the G string.

(Notation: G16-15-14-12, D -12, A14-12-10-7, E10-7-5,
A7-5-2, D5-2)

Using the flag and chair analogy, you can move vertically from both sides of
these rectangles. Be sure to allow for the B string shift and don't assume you
have to play all the notes before you jump back to a side stepping rectangle.

(Notation: E3-6, A3-6, D3-5, G3-5, shift, B4-6, E3-6)

See how the rectangles cut through the vertical shapes, allowing you to move
up and down the fretboard without getting trapped in one vertical corridor.

Between the side stepping rectangles are stepping squares.

(Notation:A3-6-8, E6-8, A8-10, D8-10, G8-10, D10-13, A13-15, E13-15,

A13-15, D13-15-17, G15-17, B string shift, B16-18)
Here's the same sequence with blues notes.

(Notation:A3-6-8, E6-8, A8-9-10, D8-10, G8-10, D10-13,

A13-15, E13-14-15, A13-15, D13-15-17, G15-17,
B string shift, B16-18-19)

If you think of the root note as gravity, an invisible force pulling you back then
the Freedom Blocks are your jet packs, allowing you to explore the space
around the side stepping rectangles, your space station.

"Composing is improvisation slowed down."— Wayne Shorter

Vertical Side Stepping

You can also side step vertically. One string above and below the orange note
are rectangles.
In this next sequence you'll use the orange corner note to do several vertical
side steps.

(Notation: E1-4, A1-4-6, D6, G6-3, D6, A6-7-8-11, D8-11-13, A13,

E13-16, A13-16-18, D18-15, G18-15)

Like the sun, orange corner notes are the center of your fretboard universe.

"I'd think learning to play the guitar would be very confusing for
sighted people."—Doc Watson
Side Stepping on the B String
Side stepping rectangle shift up one fret when they cross over to the B string.
Try playing the next two sequences to get comfortable with the B string shift.

(Notation: A2-5, D2-5-7-8-9-12, G9-12-14-15-16-19, B17-20)

In the next illustration see how once you're on the B and E string, the side
stepping rectangles return to their normal relative positions.

(Notation: D2-5-7-8-9-12, B10-13-15-16-17-20, E17-20)

Time to Solo with Side Stepping Rectangles

In the next sequence, start on the 3rd fret of the low E string. You are in the key
of C minor. In all three side steps you are relying on the relationship between
the orange notes and the rectangles.

(Notation: E3, A1-3, D1-3-5-8, G5-8-10, A10-13,

D10-13-15-17-20, G17-20-17)
In this next sequence the dashed red arrows indicate that you go out and come
back, then continue where you left off.

(Notation: E3-6, A3-6, D3-5-3, A6-8-9-10, E-13-11, A13, D10-13,

G10-12-10, D13-15-16-17-20, A18, E20)

"Music is the medicine of the breaking heart."— Leigh Hunt

Freedom Block Summary

"A painter paints pictures on canvas. But musicians paint their pictures
on silence."— Leopold Stokowski

Adding Licks to Your Solo

A lick is a short sequence of notes that sound musical. You can find hundreds
of licks online and incorporate them into your improvisation. Here's an
example of a lick.
(Notation: A3-6, D3-5, G3-5, B string shift, B4-6-4-6, E3-6)

Licks are usually presented in "tabs" or tablature format. The numbers are the
frets; the lines are the strings. A zero indicates an open string.

Neither format above is easy to remember. You need a way to get the lick into
your long term memory in a format that's instantly retrievable, like
remembering a face. This starts with your short term memory.

Here is a 13-digit number that's difficult to memorize.

8453230200699

If I make a small change to the number, it's easier to remember.

At 8:45 call 323-0200 and pay $6.99 for chocolate donuts.

Our brains love structures like time, phone numbers and prices. It's like your
brain has special places set aside for each of these structures.

By now your brain has a place for Freedom Block structures. If I tell you that
I'm on the third row of square and stepping up to the next square. Your brain
instantly has a picture of what I'm doing. You can literally juggle Freedom
Blocks in your head.
To remember a lick, you have to convert it to a Freedom Block structure. Start
by playing the lick and looking for consecutive narrow and wide intervals. The
narrow intervals are squares; the wide intervals are rectangles. Fortunately,
most licks use the major or minor pentatonic scales so you'll only be dealing
with those two types of intervals.

Once you get the outer shell of the Freedom Blocks in your mind, you can relax
and focus on what's happening inside those blocks. You're not looking for scale
movement. You know scale movement. Rather you're looking for a "gold
nugget." It could be a repeating pattern, a series of hammer-ons or bends, a
double stop or a series of pull offs. Whatever it is that makes the lick
interesting.

Play this next lick and see if your brain recognizes the structure.

(Notation: G7 slide 8-9, B8-10, E8-10-10)

It's a Freedom Block square with a blues note and a B string shift. Here is
Freedom Block structure for this lick.
Once you're brain connects the tabs to a Freedom Block, you can instantly play
it in any major or minor key or move it to another group of strings.

Try finding the Freedom Blocks in the next lick.

The first two notes don't give you a clue, but the next two notes are clearly a
wide interval on the B string. Moving along, you'll find another wide interval on
the E string. So you've got a rectangle sitting on the B and E strings. There's a
repeating pattern, 5-5, which is the left two notes of the rectangle. The 7th fret
note is part of a square because you know squares and rectangles alternate
when stack them.

That's a lot of words to describe this image in your brain.

Let's try another lick. You'll need to do a slide from the 7th fret to the 9th fret.
First, you're moving over two narrow intervals on one string. Can you
remember when you've done this move many times perhaps with slide? It's
when you're on row three of a square and you're moving to row one of the next
stepping square. The next interval, 8-10, is the second row of the that square.

The interval on the E string should be the third row, but instead of 8 to 10 we
have 8 to 11, a wide interval. The note on the 11th fret is a blues note from row
one of the next stepping square. Sounds complicated but loses it complexity
once you see the Freedom Blocks. Your brain likes it too.

Many times I've transcribed a lick from tabs to Freedom Blocks only to realize
that I already know the lick. In fact, the previous lick was part of one of your
first solo exercises.

Once you see the Freedom Block structure you're no longer confined to the tab
sequence. As airline pilots like to say, "you're free to move about."

"I don't labour over my lead guitar solos; they're better just caught in
the moment.— Bryce Dessner
Finding the Root of a Lick
Most of the licks you find online do not give you the key or root they're using.
People suggest writing out the notes, looking for sharps and flats and cross-
referencing that information with the circle of fifths. Sounds complicated.

On the other hand, if you're able to identify at least one Freedom Block in a
lick, you've narrowed the possible keys from 24 to 2. In the example below, the
key is either C major or A minor.

Which do you use? Well, it depends, but my first choice would the minor key.
You can't go too wrong no matter which one you choose, because A minor is the
relative minor of C so they share the same notes.

Most of the licks you'll find on the internet move vertically. You can blame this
on the CAGED system. Examine these licks for ideas, but start adding your own
variations by moving left and right as well as up and down.

"Sometimes the nicest thing to do with a guitar is just look at

it."— Thom Yoke

Chord Tones
It's easy to figure out the chord tones of any major or minor chord. Major
chords use the 1st, 3rd and 5th notes of the scale. Start on the root, in this case
C on the 3rd fret of the A string. On the string below are the 3rd and 5th notes
of the chord. If the chord is minor, it uses a flat 3rd instead of a major third.

This triangle shape works everywhere on the fretboard except when it crosses
over to the B string, in which case, the 3rd and 5th notes get shifted up one fret
(green).

The same pattern of chord tones shows up in minor pentatonic Freedom

Blocks. The green and red notes are chord tones. If the chord is a dominant 7th
chord (example: A7), then the flat 7th would also be a chord tone.
The triangle shape shows up again in major pentatonic Freedom Blocks.

As you gain experience improvising, you'll learn to match these tones to the
chord changes. It's called chord chasing, which describes how you feel the first
time you try doing it.

Your feedback is appreciated.

Bob Beecher
bobbeecher88@gmail.com

©Copyright 2019 by Bob Beecher