PRESENCE - Volume 6
Inspiration For Guitarists
Welcome to my newsletter, Presence! My aim is simple: to share insights and techniques that have helped me grow as a musician, offering something valuable for players at every stage of their journey.
The 6 Chords in Every Key – Unlocking the Number System
Every guitarist struggles with understanding music—until they learn the Number System.
Knowing the six essential chords in every key is one of the most undervalued skills in guitar playing. I’ve worked with countless guitarists who could play incredibly well but didn’t have this knowledge, even after years of experience. Once they understood the Number System, it transformed their playing more than any other lesson.
Why Is This So Important?
The Number System isn’t just theory—it’s the foundation of how music works.
🎸 Want to understand modes? You can’t unless you know what chords are in the key of A.
🎸 Want to play jazz? You’ll struggle if you can’t name the 5-chord in B♭.
🎸 Want to transfer musical ideas you learn form a song into your overall vocabulary? You need to recognize these patterns across every key.
Without this knowledge, every new song you learn will feel like a unique mystery rather than part of a larger musical framework.
The Simple Formula
It all starts with the Major Scale:
W – W – ½ – W – W – W – ½
(Whole step, Whole step, Half step, Whole step, Whole step, Whole step, Half step)
A whole step = 2 frets.
A half step = 1 fret.
To build any Major Scale, start on the root note and move up using this pattern. For example, in C Major, you get:
C – D – E – F – G – A – B – C
From here, you can extract the six essential chords found in every major key:
✅ Major Chords (1, 4, 5): C, F, G
✅ Minor Chords (2, 3, 6): D minor, E minor, A minor(relative minor)
The Relative Minor – Your Hidden Shortcut
The 6th chord in every major scale is special. It’s called the Relative Minor, and it shares the same notes and chords as its major counterpart. That’s why the Key of C Major and A Minor feel connected—they are essentially the same, just with a different emotional character.
This pattern is universal - it applies to every key.
Applying This Knowledge to Real Music
Once you grasp this, you’ll start seeing it everywhere.
✅ Recognize common progressions in your favorite songs
✅ Learn songs by ear faster—chords won’t feel random anymore
✅ Transpose songs effortlessly to suit different keys or vocal ranges
✅ Use it as a framework for writing your own music
Take It a Step Further
If you want to go even deeper into how these chords connect, my eBook explores these concepts in more detail, with practical exercises and real-world applications.
Challenge Yourself
Try taking a chord progression you already know and ask:
✅ What key is this in?
✅ Do all the chords fit within this key’s framework?
✅ How would I express this in the Number System?
✅ Could I play it in another key?
Try Playing these common chord progressions in several different keys-
Once you start recognizing these patterns, you’ll never look at the guitar the same way again. Have fun exploring!
—Dustin