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I have looked all over to find the best information for playing guitar and improving. I don’t think anyone out there ever stops practicing and improving in some way, even if you have been playing for years. What is important is to make the best of your time when you do practice. From my own experience, there was a two year span of time where I made more progress than the entire fourteen years of playing. It is sad, but if you have played for a long time you may of found your growth became stagnant, and you got easily unmotivated, and never learned anything new. I have learned a great deal of guitar playing from learning a lot of my favorite songs. It is great to do this, but if that is all you focus on you may have trouble improvising and playing from the heart. You have to ultimately get to the heart of learning how to play guitar yourself, whether you take lessons, learn on your own, or spend a great deal of time practicing. The best advice I can offer someone new to playing guitar is, if it’s hard to do, then keep doing it over and over until it is easy. Hand strength and finger control come to those that exploit their own weaknesses. A good example is using your pinky finger more if you find that you avoid using it. Torture that bugger until your liability becomes your asset.

I also post through Facebook links, various tips and other cool guitar related things I stumble across, or learn from experience. The following is my Crash Course on Music Theory as It relates to the guitar, and music theory in general for that matter. These excerpts were from my contribution to a volunteer guitar lesson blog. The names were changed to protect the innocent. Toward the bottom of this page are samples of the lessons available from my affiliates.

Music Theory:

In every piece of music there is a predictable flow of rules associated to it. Before getting to this it is also important to understand what the deal is with notes at the foundation level. When looking at a group of notes objectively, the information used later will make more sense. Take the series of notes:

Chromatic Scale

C C# D D# E F F# G G# A A# B C

You can start on any one of these notes and continue through until you reach the same note you started with, that is how individual notes move up the fret board with reference to what the open string note is. This pattern represents the Chromatic Scale of C. Every single fret counts as a half-step, and Every two frets is a whole-step. If you apply the half-step / whole-step pattern to this, you will get the C major Diatonic Scale. The name diatonic literally means "through tonic" When looking at music terminology it is important to know that the tonic means the same thing as the key, root, and scale. This is the Diatonic C major.

Diatonic Scale

C D E F G A B C

This pattern of Step, Step, Half, Step, Step, Step, Half is the foundation for all other scales. If you look at the Chromatic Scale and make the jumps you will see how these notes are found. There is also a terminology dilemma when it comes to derivative scales. Lets say you take the root of C major as indicated above, but you use the 6th note A as a minor. The scale is now A minor, the key is also A minor, but also points to it's root / tonic C major. In the scale of A minor you use all the same notes as C major, but the only difference is you treat A as the first note and move to the rest accordingly. Try this on your own, if you will, and hear the stark difference in tonality given the same notes. You just learned a mode. The next scale type you will encounter other than the Chromatic, and the Diatonic, is the Pentatonic. Pentatonic means five notes of the tonic's scale. In the Pentatonic the Half Steps are removed, so you get a more "shorthand" way of playing that is quicker, and has strong musical tonality in which ever key it is in. It is also a very forgiving way of soloing, since all the notes in the scale are strong harmonizes with the chords played in the scale.

Pentatonic Scale

C D E G A

When looking at all these possible scales, realize that they all have an optimum place of use. Chromatic scales are less useful, but you will find many alternate scales like blues scales that have a combination of a Chromatic run mixed within a Pentatonic scale. I often see this when there are two half steps, or three notes in a row within a pentatonic run. Pentatonic's are often used for rock and blues, but perhaps a Diatonic scale is more fitting for cases when you want the melody to contain all notes for the melody to shine through. A Diatonic scale also has all of the mode pull, while a Pentatonic's mode pull is mostly sterilized by the removal of the half-steps. Runs involving partial Pentatonic's with Diatonic's are also good, and I use them often. The Graph below represents the chords and notes associated with the root of a diatonic. This graph also represents 84 different scales (7 x 12). The modes are what makes so many scales possible. For example you could take the root of C again, and pick the D, which will be D Dorian (ii). Modes will be explained in further depth later on. The roman numerals are used throughout music theory to symbolizes two different things, the interval and the major/minor relationship. The uppercase are the majors, and the lowercase are the minors. When observing the pattern I, ii, iii, IV, V, vi, vii, take note that this never changes within the context of the graph, so when taking a key a song is in you can quickly determine which chords are to be major, and which are to be minor. Your vi is always the relative minor of the scale, which means that it is the official "minor" that accentuates the Major root chord. The other minor chords in the scale are only minor due to the place each interval has in the scale tonality wise. If you see the term "Degrees" of a scale, that is the same meaning as the "Intervals" of a scale.

I created this chart out of necessity quite a while ago while I was trying to get to the heart of figuring out the connection between scales and chords. There is also a good reference online called the Interactive Circle of 5th's that gave me a little more understanding on how things work in music. The chart above displays all of the same information, but you can also access all chords visually at the same time. This is a good tool you may use from this point on to figure out the key a song is in, or to search for the key you really want when writing a song. I encourage you to take any song that you are currently working on and compare the chords that are used to what you see on the graph. You will find almost all of the time music carefully follows these rules. Continued use of this graph will further reinforce the information. You can learn quite a lot from how other songs are written, how and if they bend the rules.

I had a discussion with someone, and I didn't believe there was such a thing as a B#. Well judging from my graph I was wrong because there is a E# in the Key of F#, which is basically strange for the same reason. BC and EF are always grouped together without sharps or flats when you are just observing notes, but when looking at a scale like F# you can't call the E# as it truly is an F. In written music there are only so many lines dedicated to each note and if you say a scale has an F and an F#, you have to distinguish that for every note written, which makes it confusing and hard to read. From what I have gathered from music theory is that the scale and harmony relationships will always flow alphabetically for simplicity's sake. A sharp or a flat is determined by which ever of the two preserves this relationship, and at the heart of a scale it will have sharps or flats, no mixture of the two. For example:

Key of Db

Db Eb F Gb Ab Bb C

Key of C#

C# D# E# F# G# A# B#

Both of the scales above represent the same key, but are written in two different ways. Out of the need to call the E# an F and the B# a C, the Db version is more widely accepted way to look at the scale. Certain things such as this are not to be obsessed over, and it is best to understand them and move on. The understanding of the interchangeability of sharps and flats cuts down on the intimidation and the confusion when dealing with notes that are not natural. Natural notes are those that are not sharp or flat.

Every bit of information that I have is a piece of the same information I used to teach myself guitar, even the order I give the information is a guideline of how I could of learned it more efficiently, but that is to your advantage. The chart pretty much sums up music theory, but next comes the mechanics of where everything is at on the guitar, and how the pieces that fit together to give you the big picture. You have just survived a crash course in music theory. If you have any questions, you know where to find me. -Carey R.

In the next class I will review this information, then move on to other aspects of learning guitar. Every starting guitarist should learn the basic C A G E D F B chords, and some of the minor chords such as Em and Am. I personally only identify chords by their corresponding letter, but when it comes to the notes, I feel them out, given a point of reference for which key I am in. It would be wise to be able to identify the notes by name quickly, especially when communicating with other musicians. The name of a note is the absolute identification of the sound that goes with it. A bassist needs to treat the memorization of the fret board notes as their primary goal for a very simple reason. When playing with other musicians, the bassists role is to follow the chord structure of the song, and the rhythm of the drums. Bass players do have chords, but need to identify and play the notes by name just as a guitarist is playing the chords by name in a given song. I have had problems in the past with improvising a musical instrument because I was so dead set with the notes, and reading music. When it came to the guitar, I vowed that learning the notes would be my last priority, but memorization of notes for the low two strings (E and A) is important, as they are your reference strings. Ultimately to become a pro, you should, and will start to remember which notes are where, by constant use in practice, so that you may find notes when dealing with other musicians. In the meantime, I feel it is wiser to feel out the mechanics of playing first.

The idea that I am getting at to help you, bassists and guitarists, is to show you the mechanical structure of a scale. To me, any ways, when looking at just the letters of notes you can't really determine what to do with them, unless the key is very familiar. So what would happen if you removed the letters from the scale, and just focused on the intervals: 1 2 34 5 6 78 ? The 34 and the 78 are the half-steps, and the 8 is the same note as 1, but it can be expressed as the next consecutive number to indicate the next octave up. In fact if you see some oddball chords like Cadd9, it literally is expressing to play a C major, but add the 9th note, which would be the 2 in the next higher octave. So what's the point in thinking in intervals? Thinking in intervals gives you the ability to play any scale you choose, by giving reference to the 1, or root note. If you play your guitar and count up as you are playing on one string 1...2...34...5...6...78, you have played a scale in the root of the 1st note. At some point in practicing this, you will be able to start anywhere in this pattern, instinctively moving around. When you know this and listen to what you are playing, you can make up runs and melody's off the top of your head. The problem comes in when you want to incorporate other strings, then the mystery of where the intervals go thickens...

Someone else asked me an interesting question in the last class about if you were to think in terms of just the notes by name, how would you know what note comes next? I have struggled with that in the past, and it is one of the primary reason I think more in terms of intervals than notes. When you understand how the intervals lay out, the true notes that represent those intervals in whatever key will start to make sense. In fact with my Major Scales and Chords chart I found the correct notes, of course, but I also double checked the notes by counting in steps and half steps. This is something that I can't even visualize without writing it down, so I don't think about it while playing. You could take any one of the scales on that chart, and write out the full chromatic spectrum of notes, or every half step. You would then count the from the first note step, step, half, step, step, step, half. Doing this correctly identifies the notes, but thinking about letters like they are numbers isn't too approachable, which is why if I really needed to know, I would write it down. Fortunately at this time I can skip the step of writing out the full chromatic scale because I have learned to count through the predictable flow of notes. I am sure every one at some point will be able to do that as this becomes clear. The best thing to do if you don't see how the pattern is really happening is to go over it and verify it for yourself. So the short answer to the question would be if you want to know what comes after E in some example, it would really depend on whether the E was the 1,2,3,4,5,6, or 7. If you were in the key of E, then E is 1, and you can guarantee that your next move up the scale would be a whole step to F# for 2. If E happened to be 3, then the next note up would be F, and you would be in the key of C for 1. You will always be able to think in these terms as long as you remember at the note level BC and EF are back to back as a half step with no sharp/flat between them, all others do. Remembering that the intervals 34 and 78 do the same exact thing regardless of the different notes that can be used is the next important to know how the step/half steps move.

I touched on modes again in last class, and I remember all of the times I first looked at modes seeing the same thing I understand today, and still didn't get it. I even bailed on learning modes for years because I thought it was more advanced than I really needed to deal with until the time was right later. Well it turned out that the modes were a midway pivot point to propel you into more advanced guitar playing, and complete reading of the fret board in a particular key. Like I had mentioned before the best way to approach the learning of the modes is to first take all seven of them write them down on a flash card, then write the corresponding letter on the opposite side. After a few minutes here and there you will remember what number represents the name, and vice versa. They do have some strange names, but if it didn't have a name to go with a particular interval's mode, You would just have a number, and I can't associate anything to a number by memorization. This memorization, and even the ability to count in this foreign language is key to how the patterns, that I will show you later, move. It becomes a cross reference map of where every thing is at. I had mentioned that modes will set you free, not remembering that people may not realize that I am talking about modes in two different ways. The modes are five predictable patterns that move up and down the fret board in big chunks. Two of them are just basically the half-steps, and reside in the same chunk as another mode. Modes are also a method of playing that takes any series of notes in a particular major root, and moves the emphasis to one of the seven intervals. I demonstrated a G Major run on one string, then used the Locrian mode 7, to show how the same notes will sound remarkably different. That was the official definition of a mode I approached as a beginner, but the mode patterns were something I wished I paid closer attention to. I will first list the modes, the step patterns, and the described tonality of them. All of that information pertains to how I described modes move runs, and the patterns not so much at this time. The patterns become a good reference point to play in a particular mode, but all notes of the root major are contained within them, so you could play any mode in any pattern. The pattern's primary role is to give you larger visual chunks that reveal where it is safe to play a note and not step on a bad note, which I endear the term "landmine". The patterns are also so carefully indexed together on the fretboard, that if someone asks you to play in some weird key like A Mixolydian, you will be able to do it with no more thought than any other key. The patterns will come later, but memorize the mode names first, and observe how the step/half steps move. Don't memorize the movement, I already tried in futility, and it turns out as this becomes clear that you are only moving within the same step step half step step step half pattern. If you can see that, then you are on your way. I will convey the moods associated with the mode, which is all the more reason to associate a name to the number.

1 Ionian (Major) - Bright and full. This is the root major, which always feels warm and happy.

S S H S S S H

2 Dorian - Jazzy, bright and powerful, but still has it's own cool flavor.

                                                       S H S S S H S

3 Phrygian - Has a Spanish flavor to it, but also sounds dark and mysterious.

                                                         H S S S H S S

4 Locrian - Has a very airy surreal quality to it.

                                                         S S S H S S H

5 Mixolydian - Very blues oriented, and can also sound majestic in tone, but not as bright and happy as Ionian.

                                                         S S H S S H S

6 Aeolian (Minor) - Sad, mournful sound. This is the relative minor.

                                                         S H S S H S S

7 Locrian - Sounds dark and somewhat sinister.

                                                         H S S H S S S

Now looking over these modes you will see they all have a different feel and would be the right way to play in the context of a certain song. A beginning guitarist usually learns how to play in the major mode first, which is the major scale, then possibly moves on to a minor mode, or scale. The beauty of this is that you can play any of these modes right from the major pattern. If you notice in each mode that the next number shifts the pattern by one move, and the remainder of it loops back around until it meets the beginning again. It all goes back to the beginning when you learned how the intervals move. If you know what name goes with each number, then you will know exactly where to start in the interval pattern, and where to end it to get a desired range of notes, mood, while still being in key with the rest of the band.

That is about all I will reveal at this time, and after this information is absorbed, you will be ready to move on to the patterns. From personal experience I recommend learning the Pentatonic patterns first. They have less notes, and allow you to move around much faster than the Diatonic Patterns. I have probably mentioned this before here, but the Pentatonic scales only have five notes due to the removal of the 4 and the 7 notes. Because of this their mode feel gets stripped, and the Pentatonic's are left with the most dominate, harmonizing notes. If someone else is playing a chord progression in key, and you lock into a Pentatonic pattern in key while playing along, you will like what you hear. You literally can't play a wrong note in this way. These Pentatonic Patterns become the framework of your visualization of the fret board, and basically almost serve as exit signs on the freeway. The signs on the freeway are marked: Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian, and Locrian, then back to Ionian. The selection of the mode from what ever note you select as a reference on your low E string will determine your key, and where all the other mode patterns are. I will introduce the individual patterns in class, and also post the information here for reference. I will, however, give you a series of papers that lead you through the key of G major Pentatonic (they call it E minor), one mode at a time. After a while, you will get pretty comfortable in that key, and the modes will make sense. The best thing to do is burn this in your head first, then move the whole pattern into different keys.

In the last class I hammered home some points that were represented by the new printouts that I created. It was a little confusing at first due to the fact that it is a lot of information to take in at once, and it really depends how you look at that same information too. It may seem like a lot to take in, but truly focus in on certain reference points like the low E string, and see how everything else flows according to that. We are also starting to pull information from a song, and determining it's key. I handed out the E minor Pentatonic Pattern, and will hand out the G Major Pentatonic Pattern next. I really didn't want everyone to be propelled into the full scale Diatonic Pattern yet, but those printouts have become handy to represent various different things with the same notes in a particular key. Next week we are covering a much more difficult song to understand in theory, but I will show how it is as easy as any other song. Before I do that I will refer to my printout's again, so you can see why notes in the context of a scale have a Major or minor relationship. I will also explain the where's and why's of 7th chords used in the same context of notes. You will see that the 7th's do not pan out the same way through the scale, and this in turn explains part of theory that I have recognized in the 7th color codes. The normal chords can be I maj, ii min, iii min, IV maj, V maj, vi min, vii min b5. If you were to find equivalent 7ths chords to use instead they would be I maj7, ii min7, iii min7, IV maj7, V7, vi min7, vii min7 b5.

Basic Chords Represented

I maj, ii min, iii min, IV maj, V maj, vi min, vii minb5

Extended Color Chords Represented

I maj7, ii min7, iii min7, IV maj7, V7, vi min7, vii minb5 7

You notice that the V is a major chord, but does not specify maj 7 in the same way, why is that? The reason being that the V is the place for a dominate 7th chord, and if that chord is used anywhere else, you are falling out of key a little bit, which may or may not be desirable for you. The two other maj 7ths in a way are just as they were as major chords, but the 7th note is added to the chord. In theory I would just have to take someone's word on that, but when I show you the pattern, then you will see just how it is causing this phenomenon to happen. I think that some will get a better understanding of all the intervals and positions of notes in key, when they see the corresponding chords fall into place on the neck. You will see why I indicate intervals as small or upper case Roman numerals, and know why it is expressing two different things that are tied together. Every single one of those color coded printouts I made was an effort to display the same notes in different ways to verify the information, as I figured it out. You will even begin to see why the vii min flat five has be be so strange, in the context of the scale pattern, and unlike any other Major / minor pattern.

After just making this realization about seventh chords I also thought if I just figured this out, then how in the world would I expect to explain it to someone new and unfamiliar with all the little bits of information that I now take for granted. I have decided in class to explain this in a very superficial way, but much more focus will be placed on the Major / minor relationship in a given scale / key.

I remember giving little information during the first few weeks about how chords are made, and why they work, but not enough information for people to build on yet. At some point in time, probably after I go over Revelation Song, I will give a little more light into the chord relationship without making it confusing. As you get into music theory more and more you will realize that there are countless combinations and uses of notes / chords. What is important that I would like to show somebody is the understanding that I have to approach it. I don't get caught up in all the little triads that make up the various chords, sure it is important to have a rudimentary understanding of it, but it is not something you need to be aware of when using a chord pattern. Chord patterns are a pre-packaged way of dealing with chords that works, but when you compare the patterns to the full diatonic key you are in, you will see that not all chords can play the same role. The normal Major and minor chords do follow the diatonic patterns exactly, but the sevenths are unusual like I explained in the paragraphs above. This happens primarily because each chord can have a seventh interval contained within it with respect to the chords root note, but some of these chords require you to add the seventh note of the diatonic scale, which is much harder to track down when the sevens show up in different spots in each of the patterns.

If you get a chance to read this before class, then you might get a little more insight to what I am talking about. Lets say you take a basic Major chord that contains the 1, 3, and 5. Well you will find the same chord in more than one key, and that chord will fly as a major in the I IV V intervals, in a different key. In the I interval you will see the numbers of the scale intervals will be 1, 3, and 5, which is no surprise. When you look at other Major chords, like IV, you will see the 4 is the root and that note is the name of the chord, and with respect to the 4, you will see the 6, and the 1 again. The point to be made is that even though within the context of whatever key we are talking about here the chord pattern that makes up the Major IV could still be used in the I position instead, the pattern still works, the notes would be 1, 3, and 5 again, but you are sure to be in a different key. That is why I chose to simplify that triad relationship, and just understand that it is happening, and look to the roles of the intervals I ii iii IV V vi vii to tell me what can take place in the context of a key.

I recently looked up traditional music theory, as it relates to all musicians, and not to the guitar specifically, and let me tell you I am thankful to be a guitar player. Believe it or not, but the traditional music theory does cross some of the same points as guitarist deal with, but is a far more complicated way to think. Traditional musicians usually don't deal with modes, which I figure is only privy to some instruments. That particular way of looking at music theory is very inside out compared to the way I see guitar theory as being outside in, or in other words seeing a bigger picture I can then narrow down to a lead or a chord structure of a song. Traditional music theory just identifies the notes and in a very calculated way determines chords, and so on. In guitar theory you have an understanding of the intervals of the scale / chords, and you have a revolving set of five mode patterns that determines the major key no matter what. In the world of guitar when you get some of this information down, you will learn that you have a complete cross reference to what sounds good with what, and why, with no other complications as to what is really going on behind the curtain. You should understand some of those little things I do explain, and verify them in the given system like I did to be reassured that they work. You try to explain or indicate a mode to a non-guitar playing musician, and you will be sure to get a blank stare, so don't expect them to know, and by all means at least agree on the key. The mode system is a guitarist’s method of simplification in playing music.

I also wanted to explain that I didn't invent this system of thinking at all. I had little understanding of it myself in the past, but found a few tidbits of information that led me to finding other tidbits, and pulling everything together to see once and for all what the connection is. I have also expanded the system further as I go, and I find that it explains various things I didn't understand about music theory before, after all, the guitar fret board in standard tuning reflects music theory to the letter, but to simplify and organize the fret board itself is a different story, which is what I did. All rules of music theory can be safely attained this way, and that is why I think guitarists themselves have more access to what sounds good with what, being short of a genius. I think some of the legends are genius's in some way, but I guarantee that they look at music in this way, which would explain why they can improvise anything, and even doing so without even looking at the fret board. The art of improvisation has been my key interest as I study and play guitar, and it's no surprise that this is where the information led me. To learn this first, is to take every song you learn there after in a different light, and you will be more equipped to absorb the style of your favorite guitarist.

It is my goal to make each lesson as productive as possible, and sometimes as it relates to music theory, it is not very fun. The fun part is when you finally start to understand it, and put it to use. If you avoid music theory, and just want to do fun stuff with the guitar all of the time I am afraid that you will reach a point in your playing and just stop growing. Even worse, all of the bad habits of thinking that you have developed over the years will be challenged by this new information, and in some ways you will have to abandon the old way of thinking and start the new all over again, which every guitarist has to face at one time or another, but is not very fun to feel like you are starting all over again. Believe me, I know, and the instincts that I have developed in playing by ear over the years have been tore down and rebuilt, and now I am thinking about new instincts, and trying to integrate some of the old ways into the new ways. I feel it would be better as a beginner to cover theory first, and then be propelled forward like you will not believe, without limitations in style or technique.

Another class has gone by, and just as I expected, most are starting to understand as the light bulb gets a little brighter. I figured that the class would go that way because we have reached a point of critical mass in the music theory material, where everything has built up, and nothing new is introduced, except for new ways of looking at the same thing. Examining every new song you come across and determining it's key will continue to advance your understanding, as well. I have explained music theory in a basic to slightly advanced form, and every other piece of information I have is on how it relates to the guitar and will become as advanced as you want it, or you can examine the patterns and find new ways to play chords and leads. The bulk of this information is equally important to lead guitarists, and rhythm guitarists. It will show you how to put chords together, musically. It will show you what notes go with those chords, and how to stay in key within the context of the music. It will show you how to write your own songs just as much as it will give you a foot hold to remember how some piece of music is written, because other than pure memorization is understanding. Only understanding will really put the style of your favorite music into your repertoire that you can use for anything else. I thank every body for their patience with this material, as it has taken up a good chunk of the "fun" time of guitar class. Everybody in class should give themselves more credit for what they have learned. I show so many spin offs of information to the point it is confusing, but I do that so you will see just how far the information and understanding will take you. If you have formed the smallest bit of understanding towards music theory, just remember to keep using it, and the rest will come to you in time.

I will hand out the remainder of the pentatonic patterns in G major for the class. I will also flood you with the remainder of all the paperwork I have left, so you can refer to it long after the class is over. What I want to do for the last few weeks of class is to do the fun part of music theory, which will just be jamming together, and using the information we have learned. We can still check out songs if you want to continue to see how you can break down just the chords a song has into the key it's in, and to find a lead that works. We can also just do a song to learn it and play along with each other. We can practice putting the whole G major pentatonic together, and using it to play along to chord transitions in the key of G.

The guitar is a very systematic and logical instrument. The task of taking it all in for someone new is such a daunting task that most people get frustrated and give up before they even start to try. There is a bigger picture that simplifies much of the guitar, but you still have to pull together good information to get that understanding. The two biggest learning tools I have found are DVD sets with books, or a web lesson subscription. I feel if you are going to spend the money, you should be getting the best available product. It is a very small investment when compared to actual guitar lessons and you may get more out of it because you have unlimited access .I have found the best DVD book set is from Adam St. James, and the best web lesson subscription is from Jamplay.com. From research I have found they are both 5 out of 5, hands down, the best available. Down below are free lesson samples from both. I have also personally selected these You Tube videos from their popularity.

Outside of the lesson subscriptions available here, private lessons are now starting for the local central Michigan area. Unlike most lessons, I will show you how to use music theory in a practical manner, and can tailor make a plan for you in regard to your goals. Check back for more insights in guitar music theory in the future.