I bought a ukulele for my wife last Christmas because she has expressed interest in playing one for some time (she's been mostly noodling around on it, but starts formal lessons next week). One theory breakthrough for me came when she started asking about chords and what they are and I found myself talking at length about the 1-4-5 progression, how major chords are made up of the 1, 3, and 5 tones, and how you can easily change keys and use the same chord progression in each key. I did not realize up until then how much theory I had taken in and how much it actually informed my playing. My answer frustrated my wife though because it was so "theoretical."

Linda(my better half) and I were playing last night, and at one point we went through some of the class songs-I played the melody and chord changes for her and a few recorded versions here and there. She picked them up immediately (a couple of them, like I'll Fly Away, she grew up playing in her musical/religious family and knew them well)and proceeded to improvise and play variations with chord embellishments (she plays piano) instantly. She played a beautiful gospel-like version of Amazing Grace, just like it was nothing, made up on the spot. Oh, and she can play in any key.

How the heck does she do that? This drives me crazy. It really does. You feel so completely inadequate around people with that musical ability.

I am finding that having lots of different approaches and explanations of music theory tend to converge and in time you pick up more and more. I keep rereading Bill Keiths theory book, The Natural Way to Music." I pick up something everytime I read it, again.

The great thing about purchasing a book on music theory is that you can read it over and over again for years. Very good value. I just finished learning about the 3 minor keys, natural (that's the one we seem to use), harmonic (modern) and melodic (ancient). Just when I thought I had it figured out. Enjoy the journey.

I am still on the caged method, I don't have a problem learning the numbers, but I do have a problem remembering them when I go on to the next key. Fretmentor wants me to do them 10 minutes, a key aday, but I will do 15 minutes a key aday, hopefully it will someday sink in.

I have a question for fretmentor or the group, when using the major (pattern I think it is called) on guitar for the 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8, is it also used for a easy way to locate the (relative minorI think it is called). Such as in th e key of A to locate the minor which is B-C#-F#. I does not come out using the minor pattern, it comes out B-C-F ( without the sharps. But using the major pattern it comes out in the major pattern using the 2-3-6, it comes out to B-C#-F#. So I assume you must use the major pattern to locate the 2-3-6 and not the minor pattern, is this correct?

Sparks

Let me clarify the secondary chords for you.

First, each scale, whether minor or major will have 2, 3 and 6 but the use of those notes as chords differ (in other words, there are different uses in a minor key than a major key). If you want to play a song in a major key, then you would use the secondary chords (2,3 and 6) as either major or minor chords. Usually they are major.

In the Key of A = B, C# and F# would be the secondary chords and the song would use those chords as either minor or major forms.

Conversely, you would use the minor key should you want to play a song in minor. However, the 2, 3 and 6 are not used in the same way (that is a topic for another day)

Hope this helps.

Dave