Acoustic Guitar Lesson – Learning the Notes of the Guitar
Instead of just popping up a chart with all of the notes on it, I am going to explain how you can find all of the notes on your own. It is more interesting this way and will actually help you burn the notes into your memory better.
The Basics
First let us talk about the basics. There are 12 notes and they are represented by the first seven letters of the alphabet with the addition of certain symbols that denote a flat or sharp note:
As you can see from the image above, the notes start to repeat themselves after the G#/Ab, back to the A again. The distance between the first A and the last A is called an octave. The notes A B C D E F G are called natural notes. The rest of the notes that have the # or b symbol are called flats and sharps or accidentals.
On the guitar, the notes are played by either striking a string or pressing down on a fret. The diagram below illustrates the notes of the strings of your guitar:
The distance between any two notes is called an Interval. There are various kinds of intervals in music, but lets keep things simple and talk about the most widely discussed intervals for beginner guitarists called Half Steps and Whole Steps.
Let’s take a look at the notes again:
If we start at A and want to find the note that is a half step away, it would be A#/Bb. To find the note that is a whole step away from A, we would jump two spots up to the B.
Let’s take this same concept and apply it to the frets of the guitar. Grab your guitar and hold it like you are getting ready to play. Let’s start at the Low E String. That is the thickest string on your guitar. When you play that string without pressing down on any frets, you are playing an E note.
Now to go a half step up on your guitar to the F note, we would press down on the first fret of the low E string. Now press down on the second fret of the low E string (a half step from F) and you are playing an F#/Gb. To go a whole step from F to G on your guitar, you would go up two frets and press down on the third fret of the Low E String. So, a half step on your guitar is one fret, while a whole step on your guitar is two frets.
Let’s do another example on the A string and then I am leaving the rest for you to do.
The next string down from the Low E String is the A string. This means when you strum this string without pressing down on any frets, you are playing an A note. Now to go a half step up on your guitar to the A#/Bb note, we would press down on the first fret of the A string. Now press down on the second fret of the A string ( a half step up from A#/Bb) and you are playing a B note.
Is this making sense yet? Hopefully I have explained this well enough. You should now be able to name every note on your guitar using the exact same process for all of the strings. Do this at least once a day during your practice session and you will memorize every note on the guitar before you know it.
Enjoy and Happy Guitar Playing!
Basic Guitar Theory – Guitar Scales, Chords and Arpeggios
guitar music theory. You could break down guitar theory down to the study of three elements: chords, scales and arpeggios.
Scales come easily to some people but others find them difficult to learn and difficult to understand. You can, in fact, relate scales to chord shapes. Understanding chords and scales is a matter of exploring the relationships between the notes on the guitar fretboard, but it is not necessary to learn to read music, just find the patterns on the guitar neck.
When you look at scales you will see a symbol like: # or b. The # is the sharp symbol which indicates when a note is played one fret above where it would normally be played. The b symbol is called a flat which is when the note is played a fret lower. One fret on the guitar is called a half step as opposed to a whole step or whole note. In the musical scale there is only a half step between the notes B and C and the notes E and F. The notes that don’t have a sharp or flat symbol are called “naturals”.
The complete set of notes in the octave are, in alphabetical order, A A# B C C# D D# E F F# G G#. So these notes as they are played in the C scale are C C# D D# E F F# G G# A A# B. The notes on the guitar begin with the open sixth string which sounds the note E, then going up the frets, F G A B C finishing the first octave on the open fourth string D. The octaves continue for twenty-one frets on most electric guitars and nineteen frets for acoustic guitars that don’t have a cutaway body.
Chords contain three or more notes. These notes form part of a scale that has the same name as the chord. The E major chord, for example, has three notes from the E major scale. Not all notes are created equal. The most important notes in a chord are the third and the seventh. They tell us whether the chord is major, minor or dominant.
When you play chords in a particulat order it is called a progression. Most chord progressions in popular music are based on the first, fourth and fifth notes of a scale. The twelve bar blues progression is one of the most popular chord progressions. Here is a how it works out in the key of C: you are using the first note – C, the fourth, F and the fifth, G. You play four bars using the C chord, two using F, the next two bars you play C again and the next two are G and F, finishing with two bars of the C chord. The most obvious example of this progression put into practice is the instrumental piece called Guitar Boogie.
Do you want to learn to play the guitar? Learn How To Play A Guitar For Free is a constantly updated blog which contains all the resources you need for: learning to play solo guitar, how to learn guitar chords, how to learn to read and play easy acoustic guitar tabs, finding a free online guitar tuner, looking for free guitar lessons online, and how to learn guitar scales.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ricky_Sharples
http://EzineArticles.com/?Basic-Guitar-Theory—Guitar-Scales,-Chords-and-Arpeggios&id=2145632
Learning Guitar Theory – First 5 Steps
By Mike Beatham
Learning guitar can be split into two main categories – the physical and the theoretical. The physical aspects of learning guitar are the finger exercises and techniques you use to manifest your theoretical knowledge on the fretboard. As you can probably see, one cannot exist without the other. Once you’ve learned those first few chords, basic strumming/picking patterns and scale fingerings, and you begin to focus more closely on things like harmony and tonality, there is often an overwhelming feeling that there is much more to learning guitar than just “where to put your fingers”.
The first thing to note is that 
music theory can get very deep and complex. It takes years to fully grasp many theoretical elements. Therefore, right from day 1, you need patience! You also need to be prepared to get your head down to read and study diagrams with the same rigor as you would if studying at college/university. This is what puts off a lot of guitarists with a “quick-fix” mentality. Devote practise time to both physical and theoretical elements every day and the two will marry naturally over time. You’ll see!
So, where to begin?
1) Know what intervals are and how they work on guitar
You may have already learned a few scale fingerings, but do you know how specific intervals make up the unique tonal structure of that scale? Scale intervals, the spaces between each of the scale’s tones, are measured in “half steps/semitones” and “whole steps/whole tones”, and a sequence of whole steps and half steps in different combinations creates different scales. Intervals are, quite literally then, the building blocks of scales. For example, the major scale’s intervals are (where W = whole step and H = half step):
1 W 2 W 3 H 4 W 5 W 6 W 7 H 1… (repeat from 1 again)
So, first you need to learn how whole step and half step intervals work on the fretboard, both on a single string and in the relationship between two strings. For example, a major 3rd interval is made up of two notes, two whole steps apart. You could either map this interval out across one string (half step = 1 fret space, whole step = 2 fret space) or across two strings. Mastering intervals prepares you for knowing your way around scales like the back of your hand.
2) Know the major scale right across the guitar fretboard
The major scale is seen as the elementary scale western music is referenced against. Even minor scales are notated against the major scale’s note positions. For example, a minor third is symbolised as “b3 (flat 3rd)” because the 3rd has been flattened/lowered a half step from its original, major scale position. If you come across the symbol “#5 (sharp 5th)” that refers to the tone being sharpened/raised a half step from its original major scale position.
When learning the major scale, it’s important to get used to seeing the 1st tone – 1 – as the “root note”. The note of this root note defines the key center of the scale. To change key, simply move the root note and the interval structure with it. This is why scale patterns can simply be shifted up and down the fretboard to change key without changing their form/fingering. You can apply this root note/key concept to all other scales you learn.
Once you’re comfortable with how intervals work, using the major scale as your foundation, you have a few choices for that next logical step – you can either use your major scale knowledge to build chords or start looking at modal theory, which itself expands into several areas. Let’s look at chords first…
3) Chord theory and scale equivalents
The major scale is the foundation scale from which we build and notate/symbolise chords. Starting with that all important root note, we can stack up tones from, and modified from, the major scale. This creates a chord shape on the fretboard – where several tones of the scale are fingered/played at once, across several strings. So, if you know the major scale right across the guitar’s fretboard, you can identify a root note in several positions and build the chord from each, depending on the type of voicing you want (e.g. high or low?)
Chords can be built in the following core forms:
Major triad – root, 3rd, 5th
Minor triad – root, flat 3rd, 5th
Diminished triad – root, flat 3rd, flat 5th
Augmented triad – root, 3rd, sharp 5th
Suspended triad – where the 3rd of the major or minor triad is replaced with another tone, usually the 2nd or 4th.
Once you’ve mastered building those 3-note chords, you can move onto “7th chords” (4 note chords) and then “extended chords” (more than 4 notes), both of which simply add to those existing core triads.
What’s great about learning how to build chords from scratch is how that same knowledge can then be applied to building scales. When harmonising over a chord as a lead guitarist, it’s helpful to know which tones make up the chord you’re playing over so you can then draw those same tones for use in your lead harmony/solo. Chords and scales are drawn from the same source – intervals.
When you begin to see chords and scales as essentially the same thing, that’s when the big picture begins to reveal itself and you start to see how music works much more clearly.
4) Modal theory
Modes are often misunderstood and are actually, I believe, made to sound more complex than they actually are. After following steps 1-3, you should be ready to explore modal “systems”.
Modes are referred to as “modes of the …. scale”, for example “modes of the major scale”. This immediately tells us that we need to first know that core scale from which its modes are derived.
Let’s briefly introduce the modes of the major scale. Each note of the major scale – 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 – represents the root of a new mode. You can find out why they have weird names later, but it’s more cultural/geographic/historical than musical:
1 – Ionian
2 – Dorian
3 – Phrygian
4 – Lydian
5 – Mixolydian
6 – Aeolian
7 – Locrian
So, to play any of the modes from 2 – 7 (since 1 is the same root as the major scale) it’s like starting the major scale from a note other than its root, meaning you’re still essentially playing the notes of the major scale, but because the root has been moved up the scale to a new position, it adopts a new key center and it takes on a new sound and form/pattern on the fretboard.
Each of those modes, like scales, is built from a sequence of intervals that give them unique flavours and moods. However, they have another function which classifies them as modes. They work over particular chord sequences within that same scale (the major scale in this case). So, once you’ve learned the modes individually, as scales, it’s time to see how certain chord movements naturally complement them.
5) Modal chord progressions
Again, working with the major scale, we learned that each note represents the root of a new mode. Well, since each mode is essentially its own scale with its own sequence of intervals, we can also build chords around those same intervals, using the tones of the mode. For example, Mixolydian is a major mode/scale and uses a flat 7th (b7), so its chord equivalent would be major (see major triad from earlier) with a flat 7th. Think of it like superimposing the chord shape over the scale shape.
So there’s a task right there – learn the chord equivalents of each mode.
Ionian – major
Dorian – minor
Phrygian – minor
Lydian – major
Mixolydian – major
Aeolian – minor
Locrian – diminished
As we have 7 modes, we also have 7 equivalent chords, creating a chord scale, which will therefore use the same major scale intervals as its modes! It’s all connected. From this chord scale we can pull different chord sequences to create modal chord progressions.
For example, one chord progression could be: I ii V, or 1 2 5, which means we are using the equivalent chords of Ionian, Dorian and Mixolydian.
The big picture…
This is a lot to take in at once, I know, and this is why it’s essential to progress logically, using the 5 steps in this article. I hope you will continue to reference this “check list” as you progress.
Once you’ve accomplished “stage 5″, you’ll be ready to explore more freely, relying more on your musical intuition, that will have developed through those early stages. It’s all about building stable foundation knowledge which you can continue to build upon as your playing develops.
I hope this article has at least left you feeling more confident about the path you can take to mastering guitar/music theory. Then, finger placement will be less of a guessing game and more of an informed creative process, which is especially what the art of improvisation requires, when you come to it.
Enjoy the journey!
Mike Beatham runs a free, easy to follow guitar lessons site with backing tracks, tools and exercises to help you develop your own unique playing style. To learn more about the techniques discussed in this article, visit http://www.fretjam.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_Beatham
http://EzineArticles.com/?Learning-Guitar-Theory—First-5-Steps&id=2340362
Guitar Music Theory Numbers & Intervals On the Fretboard
By Desi Serna
Guitarists play and use intervals for melody, harmony, riffs, lead guitar solos, and bass lines. Understanding how intervals are played on the fretboard is an important part of learning about 
guitar theory, understanding music and popular songs. This free guitar lesson will explain what intervals are, how they’re numbered, which intervals are commonly used, and what songs make good examples of using intervals such as thirds, fourths, fifths, sixths and sevenths. This music theory instruction is based on the book Fretboard Theory Chapter 9 Intervals by Desi Serna.
Scale Steps, Intervals & Theory
The distance between notes can be expressed in terms of frets, steps, or intervals. Frets is an acceptable term to use when dealing with other guitarists. Steps is a general music theory term used and understood by all musicians. But thinking of the distance between notes as intervals is the most concise and universal way. This allows guitar players to think of the distance as an independent unit of measure rather than a series of frets or steps.
The Theory of Major Scale Intervals
The major scale is used to measure the distance between notes. For example, the distance between the first and second notes of the major scale is two frets, one whole-step or a “second” interval. The distance between the first and third notes of the major scale is four frets, two whole-steps or a “third” interval. There are seven notes in the major scale and thus seven intervals. An eighth term, octave, refers to a higher or lower occurrence of the same note.
Harmonizing the Major Scale in Thirds
Guitar players map out interval shapes on the fretboard, then use these note combinations to play musical parts. One way this is accomplished is by playing entirely through a major scale pattern and adding a third interval to each note. In other words, playing through the major scale two notes at a time with the second note always a third a head. In order to do this correctly notes must be confined to the major scale being used. As a result, some third intervals are major while others are minor. Playing in this manner is one way to harmonize the major scale (and is similar to how guitar players learn chord progressions and playing by numbers but that’s another topic).
The famous guitar intro to Brown Eyed Girl by Van Morrison is a great song example of playing a major scale melody harmonized in thirds. “Walk on the Wild Side” by Lou Reed is a song that uses this same technique on the bass guitar. Many other famous songs have prominent guitar intros, riffs or solos that use third intervals. Some good examples are listed below.
Third Interval Songs
“Blackbird” The Beatles
“Heaven” Los Lonely Boys
“Patience” Guns and Roses
“Your Body is a Wonderland” John Mayer
“Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?” Bryan Adams
“Scar Tissue” Red Hot Chili Peppers
“Rhiannon” Fleetwood Mac
“La Bamba” Los Lobos
“Peace Train” Cat Stevens
“Wanted Dead or Alive” Bon Jovi
“Two Step” Dave Matthews Band
“Tripping Billies” Dave Matthews Band
“Lover Lay Down” Dave Matthews Band
“Grey Street” Dave Matthews Band
“Brown Eyed Girl” Van Morrison
“Walk on the Wild Side” Lou Reed
Fifth Intervals & Guitar Power Chords
Playing in fifths is another way to harmonize the major scale using intervals. Fifth intervals are simply power chords and are usually written with a number 5. Full chords consist of a root, third and fifth interval, so power chords are theoretically not chords in the music world. They’re intervals. In fact, they are the most common type of interval played on the guitar. Any time power chords are used it may as well be called playing in fifths. The guitar riff in Iron Man by Black Sabbath is just one example of many that use power chords, or fifth intervals (songs can begin at any major scale degree or mode by the way). Intervals can also be inverted by putting the root above the interval. Inverted fifth intervals can be heard in the intro to Smoke On the Water by Deep Purple. (Some players mistake these shapes for fourths.)
Intervals: 3rds, 4ths, 5ths, 6ths and 7ths
Other intervals can be worked out on the guitar also. This is done by playing through a major scale two notes at a time with the second note a certain distance ahead. Only notes found in the scale should be used. Once guitarists get interval shapes mapped out on the fretboard, they should try moving them into different octaves and positions on the guitar neck or transposing them to new keys.
Studying Guitar Theory & Intervals
Understanding how intervals are played and used in popular songs is critical to developing a solid knowledge of guitar music theory. The harmony that intervals create are not just used in guitar riffs and solos but parts played on other instruments as well including voices. Singing in harmony is no different than playing in thirds or fifths, etc. In fact, many singers will work out a vocal harmony part on an instrument first in order to teach themselves how to sing the intervals correctly. Smart players use guitar theory and intervals to help them in all aspects of their musicianship.
Play Until Your Fingers Bleed!
Mr. Desi Serna (Google Me!)
Author of Fretboard Theory
http://www.Guitar-Music-Theory.com
Pentatonic/CAGED/Progressions/Modes
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Desi_Serna
http://EzineArticles.com/?Guitar-Music-Theory-Numbers-and-Intervals-On-the-Fretboard&id=1022982
The Benefits Of Learning Music Theory
That’s music to my ear is a common phrase used to express a person’s emotional response to how a particular tune can make them feel. Some people listen to music all the time. Some study the art of playing an instrument. It’s therapeutic; it’s enriching; it’s a way of creating moods in any environmental setting. If you are interested in music for more than the pure enjoyment people get out of listening to it, then learning about music theory is an ideal mode for you.
Music theory can be an important attribute in a person’s life, for many reasons. People often ask, “Is music theory necessary?” “Why do we need it?”
First of all, even though you don’t have to understand how to read sheet music to perform as a musician, you will need an understanding of music theory. It opens so many other doors for you in the world of music. Music theory will not show you how to understand music, but with music theory you will be able to communicate musical ideas, explore music in whole new ways, and redefine the tremendous scope that entails the magical world of music.
Music theory allows you to voice your opinion with others in the field, expand your musical horizon. Give a little input to a fellow musician and you’ll get something in return.
Notations And Communicating With Other Musicians
Music lovers all develop a keen sense of awareness, musically speaking. Sometimes, musicians explain that if they study music theory, then it’ll stunt their creativity. Wrong! The world’s greatest composers were all masters of music theory: Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, J.S. Bach. These experts composed a keen understanding of the theoretical concepts. Years were spent studying the concept, down to some of the smallest details.
Music can be played by ear, picking out tunes without the aid of written music. Your ears can be your guide. The reason this is brought to light is that some musicians with strong theoretical training often disregard the art of playing by ear.
Think of playing music by ear this way: We’re all born as non-verbal creations. Communication begins with crying, making sounds, displaying body language. Parents quickly become experts on baby talk. It’s an innate sense. Over time, language develops by mimicking sounds. Toddlers don’t learn nouns and verbs; they learn to speak by example. Music can be the same way. Hence, the reason so many people pay top dollar for live performances. It’s invigorating, magical.
Understanding Harmony And Chord Progression
Chord progression and harmony, two features of music theory, help broaden any musician, regardless of their genre of study. Chord progression is a series of chords that are used to harmonize music. All compositions use chord progression. Those that improvise – which, as already mentioned, adds charm and magic to the environment of music – invent brand new melodies that blend in with an existing chord. It’s a musical transition, something that must be practiced, repeatedly. The great composers and musicians develop chord progressions and transitions until it becomes natural, a second-natured maneuver.
If a musician improvises in a more interconnected manner, these new melodies show the musician the progression as one whole unit, and not a series of bumpy transitions. The more practice that goes into this aspect of music learning theory, the more interesting substitutions they will develop along the way. Once the concept of chord progression and its structure is understood, it will be easier to remember. Jazz musicians, therefore, show a keen interest in the study and analysis of chord progression.
The study of music theory will show musicians and musical scholars that the objective, initially, is not to consider an entire composition in one sitting. Instead, musicians, students and teachers alike, view a chord progression in segments, or units. These units correspond to musical sections known as stanzas.
A stanza is the complete statement and development of a single musical idea. It’s a fairly simple act of dividing pieces into small manageable sections, with the melody itself forming, or suggesting the boundaries for sound.
Tonality, another element of chord progression, means different things to different people. Some would consider it to be this: any piece of music with a well-defined key center. Others envision any music that uses the conventional chords as tonal.
Music without the use of chords in a functional manner to reinforce a tonal center is not tonal. It is referred to as non-tonal music. The names of these styles are not always agreed upon between musical connoisseurs. But expressing difference is one key element that makes music such a beautiful art form, with countless possibilities.
So, if you are considering studying music, be it to play an instrument, teach music, or simply hone in on personal curiosity, learning music theory is a must for you.
Kevin Sinclair is the publisher and editor of MusicianHome.com, a site that provides information and articles for musicians at all stages of their development.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kevin_Sinclair
http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Benefits-Of-Learning-Music-Theory&id=677420
