Did you ever envy someone who could pick up a guitar and play just about any song request put to them? Have you ever been intimidated to join in a jam session for fear you couldn't hold your own? Have you tried to write songs on par with those of your guitar heroes but consistently come up short? Has memory ever failed you in the middle of a song and you weren't able to recover? Chances are good that what's holding you back from becoming the guitarist you want to be, and know you can be, is a simple lack of music theory.
Some people seem to have been blessed with an ear for music and intuitively get how all the pieces fit together, while others immerse themselves in the formal study of theory till they sound like a mathematician. Most of us, however, fall somewhere in the middle of this continuum. We have a talent and a passion for music, but we need a little help in figuring out how to connect the dots.
I'll admit to not being much of a theory whiz myself starting out. I didn't quite see the need for all that technical stuff. The little theory I managed when I picked up the guitar made me feel like I was being trained to repair an airplane engine, when all I wanted to do was to strap that baby on and hit the colored lights of the concert stage. Eventually, though, I discovered that I could only get so far without at least a rudimentary knowledge of theory. Knowing even a little about how music ticks will help you make sense of what you're playing and give you a broader tonal palette from which to create and play music.
Theory is an important part of the foundation for understanding how music works. Like a road map, it will tell you what musicians and composers have done in the past and why it works. It enables you to put notes into some sort of context, and lets you share in a common language with other musicians. Theory makes it possible for you to immediately understand the sounds you hear, which then gives you the ability to recreate those sounds. Performing and improvising become infinitely easier, not to mention composing your own music. With a little theory under your belt, you'll be able to summon any possible combination of notes and phrases to emote the exact feeling you're trying to convey.
Learning to read music and understanding how it all fits together is similar to the process we use when we first learn to read words. In the beginning, we have to sound out each individual letter before we can form the entire word: C – A – T. Cat. Over a period of time, we begin to recognize words at a glance and then a group of words in one single thought. This is what allows us to become fluent readers. In music, groups of notes form chords, and groups of chords form phrases. Music theory is what allows us to recognize these chords and phrases so that we can become more fluent players. Just like the educational leaps that come with learning to read and write, music theory can help musicians learn new techniques, perform unfamiliar styles of music, and develop the confidence to try new things—like a jam session, for instance.
That being said, there are plenty of intuitive, self-taught musicians out there who have never learned to read or write a note of music and who find the whole idea of learning theory tedious and unnecessary. Some players insist that studying theory hampers creativity. That it causes the music to come from the head instead of the soul. But don't assume that these guitarists are totally clueless about how music works, at least for what they're trying to play. Even a guitarist like Kurt Cobain, whose musicianship was a bit on the primitive side, at least understood how certain chords and notes he used would work together. Yes, there was a lot of experimentation and improvisation that went into creating Nirvana songs, but too often people are misinformed when they think all Kurt’s songs were written by complete accident. He had some level of musical understanding to be sure. And for the record, I've never heard a single person who knows any amount of music theory say that they think this skill is not important or somehow limiting to a musician, though I've heard plenty of those who are lacking in theory say it.
Music theory should be used as a tool to aid you in your playing, not as a bible to be adhered to. You can adapt theory, and the degree to which you study it, to fit your needs and desires. If your goal in playing guitar is simply to be able to strum a few songs around a campfire or as mere accompaniment to your voice, or if you're really just interested in playing the most elementary chords and looking great with that guitar slung across your chest while doing it, then studying music theory probably isn't high on your list of priorities. Not everyone wants to become a great player, and that's okay. But you should at least be somewhat familiar with the basics.
However, if you aspire to write your own songs, to improvise and create your own solos, become a professional musician, go to school for music or become a guitar teacher, if you want to actually understand what you are doing and why you are doing it, then you need to understand music theory. Not knowing will hold you back dramatically.
No matter where you are on your musical path, it's never to late to learn your craft from the inside out. What follows are five basic concepts to help get you started. Mastering them will propel you quickly into the more difficult and fun elements of music.
Notes - Knowing note names, values, pitch, and placement are key foundation basics that all the other elements of music are built upon. You should know about the staff and intervals and what sharps and flats mean. Learning to read music is almost exactly like learning a new language, to the point where a fluent person can "hear" a musical "conversation" when reading a piece of sheet music.
Rhythm - Rhythm is the basis of all music. Counting beats is an essential part of being able to read and play music. Understanding and applying time signatures and beat values is an absolute must for a musician. Playing out of time is the one thing that listeners will not forgive. And if you want to play with others in a band, rhythm is imperative to staying in sync.
Scales - Learning scales is fundamental to being able to play the guitar. The major scale is the basis of chords and other types of scales. It is also the basis of Western music as we know it. If you learn the major scale, you will be able to understand how chords are constructed, know why your favorite songs sound the way they do, play great arpeggios, and be able to write your own songs. It will allow you to understand the concept of intervals, develop dexterity and strength in your fingers, and to start to really hear musical relationships.
Chords - Knowing guitar chord theory allows you to play any chord anywhere on the fretboard quickly and efficiently. When you understand the science of chord construction, your playing will be more artful, expressive, and professional. Knowing chord construction and function is critical to the songwriter and improviser. Applying a few simple chord techniques gives a song harmonic movement and is the key to error-free soloing. Other benefits of knowing chord theory include being able to pick out melodies and to play songs by ear.
Key Signatures - A key signature refers to the collection of every accidental (sharps and flats) found in a scale that indicates the key of a composition. Key signatures are the flats or sharps you see after the clef and before the time signature. The purpose of the key signature, aside from telling you what key to play in, is to avoid writing too many accidentals. The sharps or flats placed on the line or space in the key signature indicate that notes on that line or space need to be sharped or flatted. It also indicates that all the other notes of the same letter, even if they are in other octaves, need to be sharped or flatted as well. For example, instead of writing Bb over and over again, the flat sign (b) is placed on the third line of the Treble Clef indicating that all B notes need to be flatted.
Music theory is a vast subject and can be overwhelming to grasp at times, not unlike learning math or science. It would be wise to study with a good teacher who will help guide you. For a host of tutorials on beginning music theory, plug "Music Theory Basics" in the GT search bar. There, instructors like Christopher Schlegel (Introduction to Music Theory) and Lisa McCormick (Basic Chord Theory) will help you sort it all out.
Lisa also has an article up on the forum called The Sexy Secret of "One, Four, Five" that explains how to play a song on the guitar by ear. Be sure to check it out.
Image: created 3. Aug. 2005 Source: self created (The Gimp) Author: Mst
