Unit 5: 7th Inversions
A couple of weeks ago I announced that the launch of Unit 5: 7th Inversions, of my guitar method, Vertical Truth: Chordal Mechanisms for the Guitar would occur on May 20th.
The announcement was first published in the Launch Blog on May 6th, wherein I explained that the product was a PDF download that contained:
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10 Lessons
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53 Pages
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237 Fretboard Diagrams
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60 Notation Examples
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51 Demonstration Video Links
I embedded this promo video that showed what the content of the PDF looked like. The promo video also showed a clip that demonstrated the dynamic fretboard diagrams that are contained in every video:
I answered the question, "What are Inversions?" with,
"An inversion is a chord with any other note of the chord but the root in the bass."
To illustrate that answer, I shared a short video clip of the inversions of Bb7:
I next gave 3 answers to the question, "How are 7th inversions used?"
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Create more variety when playing a single chord.
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Create texture when 2 guitars are playing together.
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Create smooth voice-leading from one chord to another.
In expounding on #3, I gave you an explanation of what smooth voice-leading is along with notation and fretboard diagrams.
All the above is merely a succinct synopsis of what's in the blog.
The blog was also intended as a forum for questions and comments about 7th inversions and the upcoming launch of Unit 5: 7th Inversions.
If you haven't read the launch blog and want more detailed answers to the 2 questions, "What are inversions and how are they used?" then just go here and read it!
If all you had to work with was what I gave you in the Launch Blog you could spend months with the content there.
But there's more!
Last week I sent you 3 videos.
In the first video, I reiterated the product info from the Launch Blog, plus I explained that this PDF download contains:
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All the inversions of the 5 types of 7th chords
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II - V - I's using inversions to create smooth voice-leading (Common-Tone II - V - I)
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Dominant Cycles using inversions to create smooth voice-leading
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Inverted Dominant and Minor Suspensions
All the above includes tons of videos demonstrating exactly how to drill this stuff so that you program it into your brain thereby making it second nature.
On top of all that, this PDF introduces the concept of Key Schemes and contains drills in 4 Common Key Schemes. A key scheme is a way that diatonic progressions (like II - V - I) are arranged to create the form of a tune. Understanding key schemes is the way to hear a tune and instantly know the form.
I also gave a demonstration of how you can use inversions to create more variety and movement on a single chord.
In the 2nd video, I talked about a common reaction; the feeling of being overwhelmed by the amount of material contained in this product. I encouraged you to not look at the big picture (you don't really know what the big picture is); the way I teach and present material is very linear - step-by-step-by-step - look at only one thing at a time, in order. Just work on the next step and let each step be its own reward - the big picture will take care of itself.
You could stop at any time and still have received massive value. For instance, you could take just the material I gave you in the Launch Blog - and do nothing else; not look at any more of the videos coming - never buy anything from me - and yet you have already received massive value; you could study that content and work on those chords for months and have vocabulary you didn't have before, which you can apply to whatever kind of music you want to play.
Of course, you might want to let me help you apply those chords to the music you love - I can get you there more efficiently than you can on your own!
I also demonstrated how inversions can be used to create texture when there are 2 guitars playing together. Each guitar can play a different voicing of the same chord rather than both guitarists playing exactly the same thing all the time. There is a wide variety of sounds and textures that can be achieved this way - but you have to know your inversions in order to know the possibilities.
In the 3rd video I demonstrated how using inversions in progressions like II - V - I achieves smooth voice leading and then explained what key schemes are and demonstrated II - V - I's in a Whole Tone key scheme.
I talked about how Unit 5: 7th Inversions is the next step in my agenda to rewrite my method book, Vertical Truth: Chordal Mechanisms for the Guitar, into a format designed for the online environment, i.e. as self-contained as possible.
I shared my misgivings about the concept of "self-teaching" and how to compensate for the disadvantages of the self-teaching approach.
In response to the question,
"I'm interested in this but I'm not sure I'm at a level where I can understand and utilize it. Would it still be worth it to me to purchase this and work through it?"
I said there would be an alternative offer to accommodate this issue.
OK - SO HERE'S THE DEAL!
The Unit 5: 7th Inversions download will retail at $119.00.
For the next 5 days site members can download it for $49.00!
That's $70.00 OFF!
Even at full price it's still a great deal. This lesson series has 10 lessons. If you were taking one-on-one lessons from me and got through each lesson in a week (very few could do that but let's assume 1 lesson = 1 week) you would spend $220.00 for lessons to get the same material - not counting the cost of the book!
This price is good for 5 days -
From Monday, May 20 until midnight CDST Friday, May 24.
At midnight CDST Friday, May 24 the launch closes and the download goes up on the website at retail price - $119.00
What if I'm a new member and don't have the previous lesson series?
Is it still worth it to purchase Unit 5: 7th Inversions?
You need to understand and be able to play 5 types of 7th chords - Major, Dominant, Minor, Half-Diminished and Full Diminished - in root position, voiced root-5-7-3 from low-to-high, in 3 positions in every key. Can you do that?
If yes, then by all means Unit 5: 7th Inversions would be waaay worth it!
If your answer is, "No, I don't know what you're talking about," I have an alternative for you:
There are 2 prerequisites you need to have under your belt in order to get the most out of Unit 5: 7th Inversions:
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The 5-Lesson Foundational Series. All site members are prompted in multiple ways when signing up to go through this 5-lesson series. Almost everything I teach is predicated on it. You can go through the webpage-based version for FREE here. For this launch only, I'm enabling a 100% discount for the PDF download. So you can download the 5-Lesson Foundational Series for FREE to your device of choice. Go here to download for free.
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Unit 4: 7th Chords. This download will take you through everything you need to know in order to get the optimum benefit from Unit 5: 7th Inversions. For this launch only, I'm offering Unit 4: 7th Chords for only $20.00 with the purchase of Unit 5: 7th Inversions!
The retail price of Unit 4: 7th Chords is $99.00. The Members-Only Discount price is $49.00. The price during its launch was $39.00. With the purchase of Unit 5: 7th Inversions you can get it for only $20.00!
So for $69.00 you get the Unit 4: 7th Chords / Unit 5: 7th Inversions Combo-Pack.
Here's a short promo for Unit 4. If you want to check out the pre-launch videos for Unit 4: 7th Chords here are the links: