music theory for guitar

Beginner’s guide to guitar notes, intervals, scales, and chords

One thing that used to confuse me when I started learning guitar was the relationship between the notes on the neck. Looking at guitar notes on the neck, they seemed like a bunch of notes thrown there together with no relationship with each other. I used to think, that good guitar players could pick notes …

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how much music theory

Why “How Much Music Theory Should I Learn” is not the Right Question to Ask (and what to ask instead)

In 7 myths about music theory, I explain what music theory is not, what it is, and have hopefully convinced you that you need it if you’re learning a musical instrument. But how much music theory do you need? In this lesson, I will show you that this question isn’t the most ideal question to …

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4 Scales you can use if you’re improvising in minor keys

4 Minor scales you can use if you’re improvising on guitar (and how to use them)

What guitar scale should you improvise on if you’re playing in the key of C major? The C major scale, right? Or else the C major pentatonic scale, which doesn’t have any different notes, only less. What guitar scale should you improvise on if the music is in the key of A minor? A minor …

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Should Rock Guitar Players Learn Music Theory?

James Hetfield, Metallica’s singer, songwriter, and guitarist, has made reference to his lack of formal knowledge of music theory many times in interviews and elsewhere. He does mention being taught basic music theory by the late Cliff Burton, but it’s unlikely he spent time in a class spelling out the relative minor of F major. …

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