Guitar Music Theory You can Use.

Guitar music theory is simply the study of the relationship between notes as it applies to the guitar. That's it. There's nothing else to it.

There are some lucky people who play guitar well that don't know jack about music theory. I envy them. They have a unique ear and memory for music. However, my brain is wired differently but I still love playing music.

Fortunately, there is a definite pattern to music. It's a simple repeating pattern that every note, chord, and scale follows. When I discovered that pattern, I began playing, improvising, and composing like I never had. I mean, I started sounding like a real musician.

What is Guitar Chord Theory?

Guitar music theory isn't an endless list of rules and conventions that you memorize nor will it stifle your creativity. Rather, it is a way of understanding the harmonic foundations that all music is based on. When you know music theory you can answer questions like, "What chords harmonize with the Dorian mode?", "What would be a good chord to substitute for G7?", or "What note is a third above Eb?" Why is this important?

Whether you're into jazz, blues, pop, country, or the classics, a solid musical foundation will allow you to perform at a higher level than you would otherwise.

Know and Speak the Language.
No matter how well you play now, if you want play in a band or play professionally, you need to know what's going on musically in a song. If you don't, you will become frustrated and likely to throw something and hurt somebody. Not cool! You may have noticed that many of those "natural" players often have a hard time communicating their musical ideas to other musicians. That's because they don't have the language. Music theory is the language musicians use to communicate to each other easily and effectively.

There's Nothing to Gain by Ignoring Music Theory
No one ever regretted learning guitar music theory. It's not rocket science. It's not nerdy. (Besides, who has to know you're learning it.) And, contrary to what you have been told, it is not hard. If you ever learned to count to twelve, you can learn it. If you'd like to more info, I can recommend Music Hero. There you will find some fine books and tools for the serious student of the guitar.

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