Lesson 2: Rhythm (my lack of it) in C

Wiki defines Rhythm as "any measured flow or movement, symmetry" and mine SUX.

So the Geezer was getting me to sit in 3 cords that can be used to play under a lead in the Cmaj scale from the 'notes' shown in lesson one.

The cord progression was: Amin7, Dmin7, Emin7

Amin7 & Dmin7 played from the bar cord at the 5th fret and the Emin7 played from the the bar cord at the 7th fret.

(To make it easier then the bar cords below you could just play Amin, Dmin, Emin, with or without the 7ths, at the zero fret).

7ths were used for 'colour' and we were also changing, without losing the Rhythm I was told!, to the non barred versions at the zero fret.

 

For additional variation dropping into something that looked like this:

 Yes that IS supposed to be your index finger on the 8th fret! So it was like and Emin at the 7th fret with a root C added?

Looks weird sounds good!

That cord shape was played at the 7th, 0 and 12th frets.

 

At the end of the lesson we were playing the Amin based cords above and doing some really rough Cmaj soloing over those. Well he wasn't rough but I really was...

Guessing Amin based cords sound 'good' against Cmaj scale notes as Amin is the relative min to that scale.
Remember that putting your little finger on on the 'C' on the 8th fret of the top 'E' string is the note 'C' and since it is your little finger that sets you up for Cmaj and automatically your index finger will be on the relative minor - which in this case is A(min). That sets you up for the 'lead' in Cmaj.

Next lesson was some tango!