Guitar Theory Lessons
This category includes lessons that focus on theory based concepts. Music theory is the study of common practices and possibilities in music. It covers analysis of the main elements of music.
Making Common Chord Progressions Unique
In this lesson we are going to learn how to take a very common chord progression and make it more interesting. By using strumming, arpeggios, and articulations we can make a stock chord progression into a unique guitar part.
How To Find The Mode of A Song
Songs can be written in different modes other than the Major Scale. For example, Mixolydian is a common mode used to write and compose Rock N Roll tunes and Dorian is common in Latin music. In this lesson we will study and learn how to find the mode a song may have been written in. This can help us determine the chords used and how to improvise over those chords.
Building Blocks of Music
This lesson covers the Major scale and some basic musical terms
The Notes
This lesson covers some basic music theory and how to find the notes on the guitar.
Minor Scale
This lesson introduces the Minor scale and how it relates to the Major Scale.
Chord Theory and Charts
This lesson covers chord charts, chords written in tabliture, and the roman numeral system for chords and how it relates to the Major scale.
Your First Chord Progression
In this lesson you will learn a chord progression with the four chords you know thus far and how they relate to the key of G and the G Major scale.
More on Chord Progressions
This lesson covers common chord progressions including I, IV, V and I, ii, V progressions.
Connecting Major and Minor Scales
This lesson covers Major and Relative minor scales and how to connect them. The theory behind it and application are also discussed.
G7 and Use of the V Chord
In this lesson we will cover the G7 open chord and how V chords function in the harmonic structure of a musical piece.
Chord Study in Key of G and C
In this lesson we will examine the chords in the key of C and G and how they function in harmonic structure and how they relate to the Major scale.
Playing 3/4 Time
In this lesson we will cover playing in 3/4 time and some different strumming patterns.
Diminished Chords
In this lesson we will cover diminished chords and how they function in harmonic structure. A few applications are presented.
Transposing Licks
In this lesson we will practice and learn how to transpose licks to different keys.
Review of Relative Major and Minor Scales
In this lesson we will be reviewing the relationship between Major and Minor scales and how we can connect them to move around the neck.
Applying the Circle of Fifths
In this lesson we will explore some ways to use the Circle of Fifths with some chord progressions.
Triads
In this lesson we will learn and define a triad and review the four basic types of triads. The four basic types of triads are Major, Minor, Augmented, and Diminished.
Major Triad Inversions
In this lesson we will learn what an inversion is and study the inversions on the 2, 3, and 4 strings for a major triad.
Minor Triad Inversions
In this lesson we will learn and study the inversions on the 2, 3, and 4 strings for a minor triad.
Augmented Triad Inversions
In this lesson we will learn and study the inversions on the 2, 3, and 4 strings for an augmented triad.
Diminished Triad Inversions
In this lesson we will learn and study the inversions on the 2, 3, and 4 strings for a diminished triad.
More Major Triad Inversions
In this lesson we will learn and study Major triad inversions on 3, 4, and 5 strings.
More Minor Triad Inversions
In this lesson we will learn and study minor triad inversions on 3, 4, and 5 strings.
Relative Pentatonic Major and Minor
In this lesson we will discover how Pentatonic Major and Minor are related and how we can use this relation to move around the neck and expand our lead vocabulary.
Major Scale Harmony
In this lesson we will talk about Major scale harmony in triads and sevenths. Major scale Harmony dictates what chords can be made using the degrees of the Major scale.
Transposition of music
In this lesson we will learn about transposing music. Transposing is the shifting of a melody, a harmonic progression or an entire musical piece to another key, while maintaining the same tone structure.
Transposing Licks and melodies
In this lesson we will study some techniques for transposing licks and melodies.
Basic Songwriting Approach
In this lesson we will cover some basic songwriting techniques using Major scale harmony.
The CAGED System
In this lesson we will study the CAGED system, a method that organizes the fretboard into five zones using five familiar chord shapes. The patterns can be applied to chord shapes, scales, and arpeggios.
Related the CAGED system to Modes
In this lesson we will study how the CAGED system relates to the Mode fingerings.
Two Chord Progressions
In this lesson we will study the most basic chord progressions. The most basic chord progressions start with 2 chords.
Three Chord Progressions
In this lesson we will study the most common among chord progression in pop music, the 3 chord progression. These progressions are used in nearly every genre and remain a staple in western music.
Four Chord Progressions
In this lesson we will study some common four chord progressions including the 50’s progression.
Intro to Modal Harmony
In this lesson we will discuss modal harmony. Modal harmony is the construction of chords and chord progressions within the different modes.
Mixolydian Mode Progressions
In this lesson we will study a few Mixolydian Mode chord progressions, including Louie, Louie and Sweet Child O Mine.
Minor Progressions
In this lesson we will study some chord progressions based on Minor scale harmony. Some examples given are All Along the Watchtower and Thrill is Gone
Ragtime Changes
In this lesson we will study some common chord changes from the early jazz style of Ragtime.
Reading Lead Sheets
In this lesson we will be taking a look at how to read a lead sheet. We will use the song Desperado by the Eagles as an example.
Reading Leading Sheets 2
In this lesson we will learn how to read a different kind of lead sheet. We will use the song Take it Easy as an example
Reading Lead Sheets for Jazz
In this lesson we will take a look at 2 different types of lead sheets for the Jazz standard All Of Me.
Reading Tab Symbols Part 1
In this lesson we will cover the symbols used in tab to notate certain articulations such as bends and slides.
Modal Interchange
Learn the difference between a key change and a modal interchange in this theory lesson. We will take a look at 2 songs that use modal interchange.
Reading Tab Symbols Part 2
In this lesson we will study more tab symbols, what they mean, and how to play them.
Keys and Chords
In this lesson we will discuss keys and the meaning of the term. We will also demonstrate how keys can be used to determine chords that sound good together.