Wanna learn Music Theory?

I guess I am just excited to finally learn something.. haha

Originally Posted by: light487I guess I am just excited to finally learn something.. haha

As well you should be. Congrats on your discoveries and hard work. :)

Originally Posted by: light487
I was studying the Major pentatonic scale and listening to how wrong it sounds if I use 1-3-4-5-7 instead of 1-3-4-5-6.. When I play the minor pentatonic it's 1-b3-4-5-b7..

Light, The difference between the Major Pentatonic and minor pentatonic intervals listed above, is where the the Major pentatonic (1-3-4-5-6) has a semitone (3-4) listed. Pentatonic formulas have no semitones in them.
Major Pentatonic = 1-2-3-5-6
minor pentatonic = 1-b3-4-5-b7

Major pentatonic scales contain no 4th or 7th interval
minor pentatonic scales contain no 2nd or 6th interval
Hope that helps........

Even though music is called math, the theory of it seems to me to be more a language.
Is theory, like the famed computer generated Pictures of the Star Ship Enterprise embedded into some Monet of cubes squares and color splots? Where ones needs to shift their awareness to see or in the case of music feel it? Because all i want ot do is play from ear. Transpose a simple piece from piano to guitar and be able to "feel" the harmony without a calculator. I need a metaphor that makes me feel/see the. Any tips out there?

dominic

can somebody tell me where to start first? i wanna learn the theory so i can play
music properly.

thanks!

Originally Posted by: metal.totocan somebody tell me where to start first?

I did a tutorial that is a brief overview of music theory:
http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=495

Also, both of our beginner courses offer a good intro to guitar layout, major and minor scales, major and minor chords and the relationships between all of them that form the basis of music theory:
http://www.guitartricks.com/course.php?input=1
http://www.guitartricks.com/course.php?input=2

Hope this helps. Let us know how it goes for you!

hmm, do i have to upgrade my account to fully access them?

Yes, a Full Access Subscription will allow you to view and use all of those lessons.

I have found the information here about theory very helpful, but unfortunately I do not have regular access to the internet as the computers I used are usually on loan from my school or in the library (which apparently is not a good place to learn about guitar and how to play). With that said I have been trying to find a DVD of some sort that would teach me about theory (I know there are books available but being a college student I don't really want to read anymore than I have to). Does anyone have any recommendations? I've looked into one by a company called Metal Method but didn't know if anyone has heard of it or used it or if anyone has any other suggestions.

Metal Method's great. Stage Six a straightforward, simple explanation of modal theory. You can't go wrong with that one.

If you want to become a great guitar player, you need to focus on the three most important things to guitar playing: knowledge, skills, and love. Having one or two out of three is not an option. It is all or nothing and those are what it takes to become a great guitar player.Learn how to read different style of guitar notes. To take advantage of various instructional guitar pieces, you should familiarize yourself with the many ways guitar playing is thought. For instance, you could come across with lessons made up of numbers and letters instead of letters and musical notes. In this case, numbers are used for finger reference while certain letters do not represent chords but positioning. O is for Open, X is for not playing strings, and T stands for your thumb.Have you always wanted to play guitar, but never got around to actually getting started? Here is reason to begin... the online guitar lesson. You'll learn how to hold a guitar and pick, the names of parts of the guitar, a scale, a few chords, and a couple songs.

For more details:
totallyguitars.com

i feel there is a slight possibility that i should get through (at least) fundamentals 1 & 2 before reading on to music theory...
at first glance my jaw dropped, its like taking pre-calc all over again for fun

Hey guys,

I think I have developed a unique and unorthodox approach to music theory using pictures such as a fighter plane, batteries and a piece of paper. I know it sounds crazy but it works. I don't want to step on the toes of the guys here, I am just looking for some people to try this out on. Drop me a line if you are interested.

[email]jason.vearing@yahoo.com.au[/email]

Recently I bought a scale poster/book thing from a music store. It has the diagrams of the scales and the TAB for it as well, but not the fingering. What should I do?

I reckon that if you start with your index finger on the 4th fret low E string (G-sharp) and then play the next 3 frets with middle, index, pinky then drop down and repeat the same pattern on the remaining strings you have played a chromatic scale. So basically 4 notes on each string in exactly the same position using the same fingers. Now if you learn the intervals of a major scale you will miss out some of those notes and hence some of you fingers, so, for example, to play the A major scale you would start on 5th fret bottom E, middle finger miss a fret as it is a whole step to B which would be your pinky. Drop down to the next string, you now need another whole step which is C-sharp. That would be 4th fret on the A string played with the index finger. Half a step now so middle finger on the 5th fret and so on. The fingering is logical. You need to learn the intervals and notes on the neck.

The thing you left out was this, and just to make it a little easier to understand we'll do it from the G note in the 3rd fret, on the 6th string. You're right about the 4 frets, start there and go up to the A# note in the 6th fret.

When you go to the 5th string, you start in the 2nd fret. If you start in the 3rd fret, like you did on the 6th string you'll miss the B note in the 2nd fret. Go up to the D note in the 5th fret on the 5th string.

When you go to the 4th string, you start in the 1st fret. If you start in the 2nd fret, like you did on the 5th string you'll miss the D# note in the 1st fret. Go up the the F# note in the 4th fret on the 4th string.

Since that's an F# note, the next one coming up is a G. So you play the 3rd string open, and go up to the A# note in the 3rd fret.

Play the B string open, and go up to the D# note in the 4th fret.

Play the 1st string open, and go up to the G note in the 3rd fret.

This will vary as you go up the neck, but most of the time when you move to another string, you will start one fret before where you started on the previous string. Chromatic is playing every note, by moving up in half steps. If you know your musical alphabet, then it's fairly easy to figure these out.

Mick J was right about the fingering, and this is a great way to learn notes on the fret board, and a good finger exercise too. You can also practice like Mick J said, but it won't be a chromatic scale, just a good workout for the fingers.

Mick J was also right about the A major scale, and the same fingering is used for the other major scales as you go up the neck. Going down the F# major scale, which starts in the 2nd fret on the 6th string, would be the last time you could play this scale pattern. From here all the way up the neck, to the C major scale that starts in the 20th fret. You can only go that high up, if your guitar has 22 frets though.

Yes I can see now that I have missed some of the chromatic notes there.

I suppose I was concentrating more on the logical positioning of fingers.

As promised, I have my modes lessons updated to HD now:

http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=370

I have another much longer in depth series on how to further visualize and practice the modes filmed. Just need to find the time to organize and assemble it. Stay tuned. :)

Please forgive my ignorance, but what exactly is 'music theory'?

Originally Posted by: Count de MonetPlease forgive my ignorance, but what exactly is 'music theory'?

Music Theory is the set of concepts that describes the nature of musical events. It is the process of mentally identifying the sounds that occur in music. We do this in order to build a consistent set of ideas to describe what happens in music.

This tutorial is a brief overview of the most important, fundamental concepts in music theory:

http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=495