Theory, where to begin?
- Thread starter Ahole
- Start date
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ShawnFjellstad
hates womanizers.
do you know all of the notes on the fretboard?
I'd take the major scale and apply it's structure: 1 2 34 5 6 71 both along single strings and across the strings in the seven 3-note-per-string patterns.
Then I'd learn how simple triad chords & arpeggios can be derived from it, then modes, and chord extensions.
Then I'd learn how simple triad chords & arpeggios can be derived from it, then modes, and chord extensions.
What Durero said. I'd also learn the natural minor scale (which is actually a mode of the major scale, which you'll see when you get to the modes) in the same way. I'd learn the major and minor pentatonics in all their positions as well. One thing I've noticed while teaching is that students tend to learn the major/minor scale shapes and their modes faster if they've already learnt their pentatonic positions.
Also, try and learn the name and sound (ascending and descending) of each interval, as that'll get you started on some eartraining and help you memorise the different scales.
Also, try and learn the name and sound (ascending and descending) of each interval, as that'll get you started on some eartraining and help you memorise the different scales.
This is something I've ran into myself, realizing that I really need to progress my musical knowledge and my technique further.
The Guitar Grimiore has a lot of nice info in it, but personally I feel I need a teacher.
How did you guys go about learning theory?
The Guitar Grimiore has a lot of nice info in it, but personally I feel I need a teacher.
How did you guys go about learning theory?
Many years in a university undergrad music program.
[action=Zepp88]hates the idea of going back to school for any reason[/action]
I need to find a knowledgeable friend who's willing to teach me or some old guru somewhere to ninja me some guitar learnin'
I highly recommend The AB Guide To Music Theory parts I & II. They're both amazingly well written books. They'll take you from the very beginnings of theory, covering basic rhythm theory and basic harmony theory and going way beyond. Fantastic place to start and will set you up for not taking such a guitar-centric view of things.
Drew
Forum MVP
Start with chord construction - teach yourself how to build major, minor, diminished, and augmented chords from scales. This will sort of backdoor you into harmonization, resolution, modulation, and all sorts of interesting stuff. 
ShawnFjellstad
hates womanizers.
^what everyone here said.
and +1 for The AB Guide To Music Theory parts I & II.
and +1 for The AB Guide To Music Theory parts I & II.
fatfinger
Member
as everyone else said and maybe try the free scales course offered at http://virtualguitar.net 
AB guide is good but get that AND Theory Workout Books grade 1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8
They are actually the best things I've ever got my hands on.
B Lopez
Vescere bracis meis.
So where would I start if this confuses me?
MetalSir
ESP Fanatic
mmmm.. my opinion.. when i teach guitar, the firsts lessons i focus my attention to 3 main different abspect:
the first is make sure that the student know some music theory: notes names, notes comsecuzio, theory of semitones and tones between notes.
the second is make sure that the student has a complete an clean idea of the structure of the fretboard: name of the strings, periodicity fo the fretboard (from zero to 11 fret, from 12 to 23 and the 24), positon of the notes on fretborad. he must be able to find, starting from a note, all the octaves in all the strings in all the position.
this thing is apparently easy.. but for people that have never touched a guitar is really complex, and they generally use a cuple of time to be really fast in finding notes above the whole fretboard.
the tird is the position of the body. wrong position can really compromise you health and limit your techinc.
after this generally i go on with picking techincs, legatos, bending and so on.. =)
the first is make sure that the student know some music theory: notes names, notes comsecuzio, theory of semitones and tones between notes.
the second is make sure that the student has a complete an clean idea of the structure of the fretboard: name of the strings, periodicity fo the fretboard (from zero to 11 fret, from 12 to 23 and the 24), positon of the notes on fretborad. he must be able to find, starting from a note, all the octaves in all the strings in all the position.
this thing is apparently easy.. but for people that have never touched a guitar is really complex, and they generally use a cuple of time to be really fast in finding notes above the whole fretboard.
the tird is the position of the body. wrong position can really compromise you health and limit your techinc.
after this generally i go on with picking techincs, legatos, bending and so on.. =)
