Teaching Myself Theory

[Freezing Moon]

I've been playing guitar for about 2.5 years or so now, and I hardly know any theory.

I attribute this to my horrible teacher, but I can't do anything about that, so I've decided to take this into my own hands and learn it for myself.

So if you guys could please help me with these four things...

1. Where should I start
2. How should I go about this
3. Order to learn things in
4. Helpful sites / resources


I wasn't sure if this should go here or in the actual guitar forum, but it's fairly basic/beginner, so I thought this would be more suitable.

[CantBuyAThrill]

http://www.musictheory.net/

The music theory site. :thumb:

[Freezing Moon]

Thanks a lot, that looks very helpful, but where should I start?

I literally know next to nothing. I know the modes, but not how to apply them, and some other very very basic stuff.

[OneMetricTonneOfGouda]

I am more or less just coming out of that predicament, but up to where I am I think this is a decent order in which to learn stuff:
1) The notes of the musical alphabet
2) Their locations on the fretboard
3)Basics of Major Scales ( notes/ key signatures, and what is meant by I [Tonic], V [Dominant] etc. etc.)
3)B) Take a break from your stuff and do what you can to practice it i.e., create a musical staff from scratch, and convert some tabs you know into actual notes, then try to find the key( if it happens to simply be in a major scale) and try to do notation into tabs if you have any.
4)Thirds, Fourths, Fifths, and Octaves (what they are and how to use them)
5) The relative Minor scales/keys of Major scales/keys
5)B)Harmonic Minor Scales
5)C)Melodic minor scales (ascending/descending)
5)D) Take another break and Memorize what you can about Minor Scales, And write them out.
6)This is about where I am :P Learn the Basics of Blues and Pentatonic Scales
6)B) Learn some different scale modes



That's all I can really help with now... remember, I have really no formal training with this stuff, so don't be too angry if I left out some big stuff :P , oh, and learning chords and triads and w/e in there should help too, but I really am new at theory :chug: Cheers

[Freezing Moon]

Thanks for the help. :chug:

I'm starting on this tomorow night, I know a couple of the things you mentioned (musical alphabet, some locations on the fretboard, blues/pentatonic shapes) and the rest I'm not very good at.

Thanks for the suggestions. :)

[OneMetricTonneOfGouda]

no problem, thank you for taking the time to read it

[Bazarov]

http://www.theorylessons.com/chordchart.html

This site has some good lessons. A pretty good lesson on E Minor as well. Learn some chords, and how they're formed. Learn the notes on the fretboard.

[Freezing Moon]

http://www.theorylessons.com/chordchart.html

This site has some good lessons. A pretty good lesson on E Minor as well. Learn some chords, and how they're formed. Learn the notes on the fretboard.

Thanks a lot. That site is really helpful, I'm working through the lessons now.

[Krabsworth]

I really hate to be pessimistic, but...


You will need a teacher.

[Freezing Moon]

It would obviously make it easier, but a teacher is something I do not have.

I'm sure it can be done.

[Kirk's Puppet]

Definitely.

I'm self-taught :) and I suck :p

[Diatonic Dissonance™]

I really hate to be pessimistic, but...


You will need a teacher.
Wrong.

You can get all the help and all the knowledge that you need off of the internet.

How do I know this? Look where I am.

http://www.musicianforums.com/forums/showpost.php?p=8750151&postcount=13
http://www.musicianforums.com/forums/showpost.php?p=8570970&postcount=8
http://www.musicianforums.com/forums/showpost.php?p=8970517&postcount=4
http://www.musicianforums.com/forums/showpost.php?p=9035901&postcount=475
http://www.musicianforums.com/forums/showpost.php?p=9065618&postcount=13
http://www.musicianforums.com/forums/showpost.php?p=9082377&postcount=11
http://www.musicianforums.com/forums/showpost.php?p=9082537&postcount=5
http://www.musicianforums.com/forums/showpost.php?p=9190232&postcount=7
http://www.musicianforums.com/forums/showpost.php?p=9220858&postcount=32
http://www.musicianforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=387824
http://www.musicianforums.com/forums/showpost.php?p=9676725&postcount=9
http://www.musicianforums.com/forums/showpost.php?p=9695201&postcount=23
http://www.musicianforums.com/forums/showpost.php?p=10305627&postcount=2

I wrote all those from scratch, a long time ago. I got my knowledge from the internet and books. You will not need a teacher.

Here's what I recommend you do:

a) Go to musictheory.net (http://www.musictheory.net/).
b) Read through each lesson in the order that they are put in.
c) Every time you come across something you don't understand, simply make a thread on it in here and we will answer it for you.
d) Once you finish all that stuff, start buying theory books from your local music store. Flip through them first to make sure they cover things that you don't know.
e) Repeat step "c" with the books.

[Jasarn]

heh good ole gavz, always coming to the theory rescue

[Diatonic Dissonance™]

unoit

[Jasarn]

o do i eva

[Alive]

Wrong.

You can get all the help and all the knowledge that you need off of the internet.

How do I know this? Look where I am.

http://www.musicianforums.com/forums/showpost.php?p=8750151&postcount=13
http://www.musicianforums.com/forums/showpost.php?p=8570970&postcount=8
http://www.musicianforums.com/forums/showpost.php?p=8970517&postcount=4
http://www.musicianforums.com/forums/showpost.php?p=9035901&postcount=475
http://www.musicianforums.com/forums/showpost.php?p=9065618&postcount=13
http://www.musicianforums.com/forums/showpost.php?p=9082377&postcount=11
http://www.musicianforums.com/forums/showpost.php?p=9082537&postcount=5
http://www.musicianforums.com/forums/showpost.php?p=9190232&postcount=7
http://www.musicianforums.com/forums/showpost.php?p=9220858&postcount=32
http://www.musicianforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=387824
http://www.musicianforums.com/forums/showpost.php?p=9676725&postcount=9
http://www.musicianforums.com/forums/showpost.php?p=9695201&postcount=23
http://www.musicianforums.com/forums/showpost.php?p=10305627&postcount=2

I wrote all those from scratch, a long time ago. I got my knowledge from the internet and books. You will not need a teacher.

Here's what I recommend you do:

a) Go to musictheory.net (http://www.musictheory.net/).
b) Read through each lesson in the order that they are put in.
c) Every time you come across something you don't understand, simply make a thread on it in here and we will answer it for you.
d) Once you finish all that stuff, start buying theory books from your local music store. Flip through them first to make sure they cover things that you don't know.
e) Repeat step "c" with the books.


winnar!


Just a quick note: You always have to put your theory into practice. Just trying to write songs or look at how the music you like is made up is much more important than just knowing all of this.

[Trigger_003]

Hey that reminds me... how's your site going, Gav?
And no, you don't need a teacher. I haven't had one either.

Threadstarter: http://www.musicianforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=407990 might help you out as well; some really basic stuff to enable you to use musictheory.net and a few things on the side :thumb:.

[Freezing Moon]

Thanks a ton, everyone.

I was skeptical, but with all this stuff I am fairly sure I'll be able to do this. I'll be making threads periodically on things I don't get. Thanks again. :)

[Alive]

Why don't Gavin and Trea have a theory/guitar site together?

[Diatonic Dissonance™]

Why don't Gavin and Trea have a theory/guitar site together?
Good question, :eek:.

[Trigger_003]

:eek: indeed...
: ponders:

[Camel42]

learn intervals and then chord construction (triads)