Music theory

[danny.guitar]

I've read a book on music theory before and have forgotten a lot of it since, but it didn't really do anything for me because I never understood how to apply it to guitar.

It would help when playing keyboard/piano because all the notes are laid out infront of you...but on a guitar it just seems pointless unless you memorize all the notes on the fretboard.

So how do you apply this theory stuff to guitar?

 

[seanr]

A general music theory book isn't going to help you much on guitar unless you already have a fair amount of knowledge. You need a book specific to guitar because it will teach you the scale patterns (the "shape" of a scale on the neck) and how different chords and things fit into those. Then you can just move these patterns up and down the neck for different keys.

 

[Sirnothingness]

It depends. Music theory is a pretty wide subject to just say that it's not important. There may be aspects of it that you'll never need or never use, but everyone is different. Do you need to learn how to read music? Probably not. But what about learning and applying scales? Modes? And I don't mean playing a major scale on a different note and calling it a mode either. Learn what makes up these scales. Learn about chord construction. Chord progressions. I can't possibly touch on all the different topics covered in the realm of 'music theory'.

 

[Light]

Get Mick Goodrick's book "The Advancing Guitarist." It is a great theory book, and in particular it is great at teaching you to apply theoretical ideas to the guitar. More importantly, it helps you to forget everything once you've learned it, which is of course a very important thing.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi

 

[ez_willis]

I've read a book on music theory before and have forgotten a lot of it since, but it didn't really do anything for me because I never understood how to apply it to guitar.

It would help when playing keyboard/piano because all the notes are laid out infront of you...but on a guitar it just seems pointless unless you memorize all the notes on the fretboard.

So how do you apply this theory stuff to guitar?

There's very little difference between a guitar and a piano. All instruments create notes. Knowing theory will allow you to know which notes work together, and why.

Guitar chords are made up of different notes from different scales. Know your scales, and it'll open up your chord vocabulary.

Theory also will help you with chord progressions and transitions, which will improve your songwriting skills.

 

[ez_willis]

There's very little difference between a guitar and a piano. All instruments create notes. Knowing theory will allow you to know which notes work together, and why.

Guitar chords are made up of different notes from different scales. Know your scales, and it'll open up your chord vocabulary.

Theory also will help you with chord progressions and transitions, which will improve your songwriting skills.

Someone negative repped me for this and signed it from telepaul, but it ain't from him. If you guys get the same thing, don't uncork on telepaul.

 

[ez_willis]

Someone negative repped me for this

Odd, too, because I earn the shit with most of my posts, but I don't antagonize or taunt somebody in 1 single post and that's the one they pick to hit me. Strange!

 

[danny.guitar]

So do you think I should just memorize the basic scales, in say, the key of C? And then just move up/down the neck depending on what key I'm playing in?

I'd also like to be able to come up with more interesting progressions that involve chords other than just the basic major/minor and 7th.

I've come up with a few just by messing around with chord shapes but it'd be nice to be able to just know which ones would sound good together.

Get Mick Goodrick's book "The Advancing Guitarist." It is a great theory book, and in particular it is great at teaching you to apply theoretical ideas to the guitar. More importantly, it helps you to forget everything once you've learned it, which is of course a very important thing.

Thanks I'll be sure to check that out.

 

[ez_willis]

So do you think I should just memorize the basic scales, in say, the key of C? And then just move up/down the neck depending on what key I'm playing in?

Learn the scales, but the modes, too.

 

[Sirnothingness]

Sure, learn the major & minor scale in a particular key. Then practice it in other keys. Learn the difference between the scales/modes. For instance, the difference between a major scale and the lydian mode is only one note. Satch & Vai love the lydian mode and make it sound somewhat exotic. Just by altering one note. Well, maybe their chord progressions have something to do with it too.

But start with the major & natural minor scales then use them to learn about chrod construction. It'll help you, trust me.

 

[Codmate]

but on a guitar it just seems pointless unless you memorize all the notes on the fretboard.

You should know the fretboard like your telephone number.

Get to it

 

[TelePaul]

Hey like EZ said, if anyone got neg rep from me in this post, 'it aint' me babe' as the great man once said.

 

[tc4b]

Asking how to apply music theory to a guitar is like asking "Yeah, but how do apply traffic laws to my TOYOTA?" Learning about music theory helps in all aspects of your music, but maybe composition most of all. You want to write better songs? Start by using your knowledge of music theory to analyze the work of other composers you admire. It's too bad the book wasn't helpful to you, but don't give up. Take a class at a local college if you can, the more theory you learn the better musician you'll be.

 

[metalhead28]

...but on a guitar it just seems pointless unless you memorize all the notes on the fretboard.

Of course, actually doing that wouldn't hurt

Also, realize that theory on a guitar is all about intervals. Learning scales and chords is all about knowing intervals. On a piano it's somewhat different because specific intervals are not the same fingering in different keys, obviously, but on a guitar no matter what key you're in the intervals are the same and the fingerings are the same. Once you learn some scales you should be able to move them to different keys and construct new chords.
Eventually, you'll learn most of the notes on the fretboard.

 

[leddy]

Try getting a starter book on improvising Jazz (even if you don't like Jazz). It should help you understand how knowing music theory applies to playing an instrument. Ultimately, we don't aspire to have to think about theory while we play, but I think there is a time in the learning process where we need to understand some of the mechanics of how music works.

Quick example of the benefits of learning this stuff: When approaching a song, beginning players often see one chord after another with no understanding of why. A more experienced player may see some or all of the chords belonging to the same key and understand the function of each chord in the tune. The more experienced player could learn the tune much faster as a result (possibly just by hearing it once or twice), be able to make better choices on chord inversions, have a better understanding of how to arrange the tune, as well as play a more interesting solo.

 

[danny.guitar]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I've been looking around at a lot of books on Amazon.

I also have the "Complete Fretboard Logic" DVD/book set that I couldn't really understand the last time I tried reading it.

I'm gonna start with the basic major/minor scale and play around with it in each key.

Then I guess I'm going to try to memorize the fretboard string by string.

I figure if I can memorize 1 string a day, in about a week or two I'll know the fretboard! I hope...

 

[Big Kenny]

There's very little difference between a guitar and a piano. All instruments create notes. Knowing theory will allow you to know which notes work together, and why.

Guitar chords are made up of different notes from different scales. Know your scales, and it'll open up your chord vocabulary.

Theory also will help you with chord progressions and transitions, which will improve your songwriting skills.

EZ does it,again!
Musical theory doesn't change from instrument to instrument. Chords and scales are universal.

 

[Codmate]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I've been looking around at a lot of books on Amazon.

I also have the "Complete Fretboard Logic" DVD/book set that I couldn't really understand the last time I tried reading it.

I'm gonna start with the basic major/minor scale and play around with it in each key.

Then I guess I'm going to try to memorize the fretboard string by string.

I figure if I can memorize 1 string a day, in about a week or two I'll know the fretboard! I hope...

It's easy, will take 6 months maximum (probably more like 6 weeks) and will serve you well for the rest of your guitar playing life.

I did it by learning the C Major scale all over the guitar.
It was easier to learn position by position than string by string. This way I incidentally also learned all the fingerings for all the modes without knowing it!

This way you can easily play any key! Just learn the circle of fifths that lets you work out any key signature.
http://www.radix.net/~dglenn/chords/fifths.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circle_of_fifths

^^ There - those save me a long explanation!

Learning finger patterns and intervals is also essential - but on its own is very very limiting, as you only learn to play the patterns. By learning C Major all over the guitar first, you will soon be able to play in any key all over the guitar - rather than like many guitarists, just in certain favourite positions.

It also allows you to flick between modes and keys more easily and without changing position.

It's also very good to know what notes your playing - not just so that you can easily apply theory to your compositions, solos, etc., but also so that you can more effectively communicate with other musicians.

It's a very small amount of work for the vast rewards it gives you IMO.

 

[Moonrider]

Music Theory for Guitarists by Tom Serb is an excellent book for anyone from begionner to pro.

 

[dementedchord]

remember that theory is ALL about function... understanding whether the chord is basicly acting in a tonic role for instance not only helps you understand what to play against it but also helps to define the possiblities of where it can go to next as well... now please note that i didnt say where it has to go...that's the biggest misconception... and leads to the idea of stiflling creativity... it opens more possibilities... think of it as learning any language... what you can say and consequently your ability to communicats well is determined by studying your vocabulary.... do you want to pretend to sound french... or do you want to speak it...