"Eye Test" - Improve Your Guitar Playing Now!


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How good are you really? Or how bad? Want to find out? Take the extraordinary 4-part, 15-point Vision Music "Eye Test" to examine your present status as a player, and to "see" what areas you need to improve on, and how to go about it. We'll provide the solutions. All set? Let's go!

Part One: Chords & Progressions

QUESTION #1:

Can you play most open (first position) & bar chords "on demand?"

Yes No

Comments:

If you answered yes? Good! All players, regardless of style, need a working, practical chord vocabulary for playing even the simplest of songs.

If you answered no bookmark:

-> Primary Chords

-> Bar Chords

QUESTION #2:

Can you play common seventh & ninth chords?

Yes No

Comments:

If you answered yes? Terrific! Seventh chords and ninth chords are associated with rhythm & blues, jazz, popular, and latin music. You can't consider yourself a complete player without a basic knowledge of these voicings.

If you answered no bookmark:

-> Blues Chords

-> Jazz Chords

QUESTION #3:

Can you play a simple "twelve-bar" blues progression from memory?

Yes No

Comments:

If you answered yes? Solid! Blues forms the basis for most successful western music, regardless of the style. If there ever was a good "starting" progression to learn (and never forget), it would be a basic blues.

If you answered no bookmark:

-> Slow Blues

-> Rock Blues

-> Shuffle Blues

Part Two: Scale Vocabulary

QUESTION #4:

Can you play a major scale in every playing position?

Yes No

Comments:

If you answered yes? Congratulations! Scales are often over-rated by both teachers and players, but a basic knowledge of the most important scale in contemporary music is a must for any decent guitarist or bassist.

If you answered no bookmark:

-> Major Scales for Guitar

-> Major Scales for Bass

QUESTION #5:

Can you play a blues scale in at least the basic "bar" position? (8th fret in C))

Yes No

Comments:

If you answered yes? Good! The basic blues scale (and minor pentatonic) is essential for blues, rock, and jazz improvising and songwriting.

If you answered no bookmark:

-> Blues Scales & Tips

QUESTION #6:

Can you play any scales beyond the major and blues forms?

Yes No

Comments:

If you answered yes? Okay! The basic scales are good for starters, but the truly ambitious player will want to investigate other types, perhaps beginning with the "modes" generated from the major scale.

If you answered no bookmark:

-> The Modes for Guitar

-> The Modes for Bass

Part Three: Sight-Reading & Theory

QUESTION #7:

Can you immediately name any note on the fingerboard?

Yes No

Comments:

If you answered yes? Very good! Knowledge of the notes on the fingerboard continues to elude many players, even those with several years of lessons and experience.

If you answered no bookmark:

-> Guitar Fingerboard Chart

-> Bass Fingerboard Chart

QUESTION #8:

Can you instantly name any note on the staff? (e.g. Every Good Boy Does Fine)

Yes No

Comments:

If you answered yes? Excellent! Guitarists and bassists tend to be very weak in the area of reading standard notation, a weakness completely unacceptable with just about any other musical instrument.

If you answered no bookmark:

-> Sight-Reading Tools for Guitar

-> Sight-Reading Tools for Bass

QUESTION #9:

Can you "count" whole notes, half notes, quarters, eighths, sixteenths, & rests?

Yes No

Comments:

If you answered yes? Superb! Very few guitarists and bassists are skilled in the area of understanding phrasing, timing, and syncopation, though mastery of this skill will succeed in opening many doors for the aspiring player and songwriter.

If you answered no bookmark:

-> Notes & Rests

QUESTION #10:

Can you identify key signatures, and recite the "cycle of fifths?"

Yes No

Comments:

If you answered yes? Great! Whle you don't need to be a "rocket scientist" to write or arrange contemporary music, recognizing key signatures (i.e. sharps & flats) and understanding the cycle of fifths are critical pieces of the "big" picture.

If you answered no bookmark:

-> Key Signatures/Cycle of Fifths

QUESTION #11:

Can you identify/recite the notes in common chords? (e.g. Cmaj7 = C, E, G, B)

Yes No

Comments:

If you answered yes? Excellent! Most guitarists only view chords as visual shapes, with very little understanding of how they are built, and which tones are in each.

If you answered no bookmark:

-> Chord Construction

QUESTION #12:

Can you name the chords generated by a basic major scale? (C, Dm, Em, F, etc)

Yes No

Comments:

If you answered yes? Very good! Understanding the "primary colors" of a given key is a significant step in acquiring the type of theoretical knowledge important to arrangers and composers.

If you answered no bookmark:

-> Diatonic Chord Scales

Part Four: Songs, Rhythm, & Soloing

QUESTION #13:

Can you play an instrumental song arranged for solo guitar?

Yes No

Comments:

If you answered yes? Fabulous! Very few guitarists ever acquire the skill to be able to arrange or play a song arranged for solo guitar, yet almost every player would love to do so.

If you answered no bookmark:

-> Solo Guitar Arranging

QUESTION #14:

Can you handle different styles of rhythm? (i.e. blues, fingerstyle, bass lines)

Yes No

Comments:

If you answered yes? Good! There are many, many ways of approaching rhythm section work on both guitar and bass, depending on the style and the situation at hand.

If you answered no bookmark:

-> Basic Blues

-> Latin Guitar

-> Walking Bass

-> Shuffle Bass

QUESTION #15:

Can you improvise well over most progressions? (i.e. blues, jazz, rock, latin)

Yes No

Comments:

If you answered yes? Great! Improvisation is a craft that often takes many years to become proficient in, much like speaking a language well or writing an interesting book. Time and experience count for a lot when soloing!

If you answered no bookmark:

-> Jam Central Station

Your Evaluation

Well, how did you fare in the Vision Music "Eye Test?" Let us be your guide:

If you answered 'yes' to 12 to 15 questions?

- Excellent -

Great job! The foundation's built. Ready for the next level?

If you answered 'yes' to 8 to 11 questions?

- Good -

You have 'gap' areas, but are closing in. Study & repeat the test.

If you answered 'yes' to 4 to 9 questions?

- Fair -

Not bad, but you've got some work to do. Study & repeat the test.

If you answered 'yes' to 0 to 3 questions?

- Poor -

If you're not a beginner, you're in trouble! Study & repeat the test.

Remember: No matter how well you did in the above test, there's no reason to get unduly elated or discouraged. The great thing about music pursuit is that it's a timeless affair. In spite of how good or bad we "think" we are, we can always get better!