The contents of the book Sensible Guitar are listed below. This provides viewers with specific details regarding the material presented in each chapter.

Click here for a printable version.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter 1 pages 1-14
Intro to chord diagrams; basic open-position chords: A, D, E, G, C, Ami, Dmi, Emi, A7, D7, E7
Use of whole, half, quarter, & eighth notes in strumming; tied rhythms, eighth-note triplets; 28 rhythm exercises
38 sensible chord progressions, including an intro to blues forms

Chapter 2 pages 15-35
Intro to whole & half steps, sharps, flats, note names on 6th & 5th strings
The major scale and power chords (2 forms of each)
Rhythms including the “pick & strum”, use of anticipation, dotted quarters, swing eighths, and sixteenth notes
Suspended chords; chords with bass notes other than the root; G7, C7, B7; boogie-style blues (in all keys); use of Roman numerals to identify chords (I, IV, V)

Chapter 3 pages 36-51
The F chord; open-position major 7’s & minor 7’s; barre chords (2 forms of each: major, minor, dominant7, minor7); moveable triads on top 3 strings
5 forms of the minor & major pentatonic scales; the blues scale; tips on the use of bending notes in improvisation
Pick & strum rhythms using sixteenth notes and hammer-ons

Chapter 4 pages 52-73
Diatonic notes & chords in all keys; chord spelling; use of the ii V progression, and the minor ii V, the cycle of 5ths
Presentation of 5 forms of the major scale and natural, harmonic, and melodic minor scales
Dominant 9th & 13 chords; moveable forms of major & minor 7’s and major & minor 6’s; diminished & augmented triads & 7th chords; half-diminished chords
Rhythms including dotted eighths and funk-style sixteenths
Chord progressions, including “rhythm changes”