Teach Guitar Logo
 Teaching Skills

Music Skills

Business Skills Aspiring Teachers New Teachers Experienced Teachers
Music Skills Music Skills > Snippets of guitar music theory > Diminished and Augmented
Summary: Bite-sized articles cover a number of points about music theory.

Diminished and Augmented

[last snippet] [snippet listing] [next snippet]

The terms 'Diminished' and 'Augmented' often frighten guitarists.

I think this is because like everything else to do with chord formulas, they are ideas that are easier to understand on the keyboard rather than on the fretboard.

A good way to think of the term 'diminished' is as 'even more minor than minor' and augmented: 'even more major than major'

Example: Major chords use the 1st, 3rd and 5th notes of the major scale (1,3,5). To augment the chord you 'stretch it' by sharping the 5th (1,3,#5)

Similarly: Minor chords use the 1st, flatted 3rd and 5th notes of the major scale (1,b3,5). To diminish the chord you 'shrink it' by flatting the 5th (1,3,b5).

[last snippet] [snippet listing] [next snippet]

Related pages
 Look up music terms
Products from TeachGuitar.com

How to Make a Living Teaching Guitar
by Nick Minnion
 Read More
 Order Information

Fifty Flexible Lesson Plans for Teaching Guitar
by Nick Minnion
 Read More
 Order Information

How to Increase Your Income from Teaching Guitar
by Nick Minnion
 Read More
 Order Information

You Can Play GuitarYou Can Play Guitar
Instructional books and videos.
 Go to site

TeachGuitar Forums

-  Guitarists' Dictionary
- Resource Exchange Library
- Guitar Teacher's Forum
-Links

Information

 About Us
 Contact Us
 Nick Minnion