MGH Home - Modern Guitar Harmony

As a non-profit educational website Modern Guitar Harmony allows guitarists all over the world to explore new harmonic concepts in the form of voicings, cycles, substitutions, re-interpretations and so much more.

The presented harmonic material is derived mainly from Mick Goodrick’s excellent series of guitar voice leading almanacs which contain both standard and unusual voicings in the major, melodic minor and harmonic minor landscapes.

Other harmonic sources and references will also be used.

Application of this material can be applied to all genres and, very interestingly, the guitar player has to approach this material in a complete individual manner which will result not only in a paradigm shift on the instrument but also in a unique playing voice.

Any in-depth study of harmony is really a process of self discovery especially when you are only given set harmony and you have to make music with it.

The questions that arise are endless. Will I play chords, arpeggios, a mix of the two, or counterpoint? Which notes will I use to embellish these harmonies and what is the most effective way to use these embellishments? Even questions such as tone need to be addressed.

Ultimately once the material has been sufficiently digested you can leave all the questions behind and you can, at last, just play.

It is MGH’s intention to become the Mick Goodrick Foundation website so please support generously.

New: Mikko Hilden – MGH Guitarist of the Month, April 2024

For Lovers of Music Books Check Out Our New

Library Corner

Where You Can Find Modern Guitar Harmony

Modern Guitar Harmony can be found in the following places;

Interviews

Ben Monder Interviewed by Mick Wright (Youtube)

Randy Roos Interviewed by Mick Wright – Part 1 (Youtube)

Randy Roos Interviewed by Mick Wright – Part 2 (Youtube)

Short Stories for Modern Times

Short Stories are small compositions crafted from the cycles in the Goodrick Almanacs (Now available for FREE here).

These compositions don’t just follow the whole cycle as the pieces can change key, add melody and chromatic notes, involve counterpoint and much more.

Short Story #1 – Spread 3 Part Fourth Cycles (Marc Rum)

Short Story #2 – Closed 3 Part Fourth Modulating Cycles (Marc Rum ) – Favourite

Short Story #3 – Harmonic Minor Cycle 4 (Marc Rum)

Short Story #4 – Bass Line Movement in Harmonic Minor (Marc Rum)

Short Story #5 – Spread Quartal Harmony Cycles 2 & 6 (Marc Rum)

Short Story #6 – Harmonic Minor Cycle 6 (Marc Rum)

Short Story #7 – Major Scale Quartal Harmony Cycle 2 (Marc Rum)

Short Story #8 – Spread Triads in C Major Cycle 2 (Marc Rum)

Short Story #9 – Spread Triads in C Major Cycle 2 (Marco Giussani)

Short Story #10 – Melodic Minor Spread Triads Cycle 2 (Marco Giussani)

Short Story #11 – 3:2 Polyrhythm in C Melodic Minor Closed Triads (Marc Rum)

Short Story #12 – Harmonic Minor Closed Triads Cycle 2 (Marc Rum)