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Guitar Lessons For Beginner Guitar Theory - The Mysterious Tri-Tone Interval

In guitar music theory it's important to learn a key theoretical concept known as intervals.
Intervals can be simply explained as playing two notes together or separately.
On a deeper level, however, Intervals are the very keys to advancing your scale and chord knowledge.
There are 11 kinds of intervals that can be played together or separately.
The 11 kinds of intervals names are: Unison, Minor 2nd, Major 3rd, Perfect Fourth, Tri-tone, Perfect Fifth, Minor 6th, Major 6th, Minor 7th, Major 7th, and the Octave.
The most unique and generally misunderstood of all of these intervals is the tri-tone interval.
The tri-tone interval, although not commonly found popular rock guitar, the tri-tone nevertheless is one of the most important intervals for understanding and playing jazz theory.
The tri-tone is located right in the middle of the Perfect Fourth and Perfect Fifth intervals.
As such, the tri-tone is also known in some music circles as the Augmented 4th (Augmented means to raise a note up a half step), or the Diminished 5th (Diminished means to lower a note down a half step).
This is important to remember when you begin to learn and discover augmented and diminished chords on the guitar.
The tri-tone becomes even more important to learn as you learn about diminished 7th chords and the ever popular jazz guitar chord known as the Minor 7b5 chord.
With advance chords like these, you will be ever so glad you took a serious look at the tri-tone.
When played separately the tri-tone can add a unique flavour to your guitar sound.
When played together on it's own the tri-tone has a unique dissonant sound that some like to hear and incorporate in there playing, whereas others prefer not to use at all.
To hear and play a tri-tone interval place your left 2nd finger on the 2nd string, 3rd fret, and your left 3rd finger on the 1st string 4th fret and play the two notes either separately or together on your guitar.


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