Guitar Music Theory

In this free guitar lesson, I give you an overview of the song "Thunderstruck" by AC/DC. You get to know the key and chords. You see the scales and modes used to play the main riff and lead guitar solo. You may be surprised to find out that Angus Young and his brother Malcolm managed to use a bit of harmonic minor and mixolydian mode, proving that AC/DC's music is more than just your typical three...

"Please Come Home for Christmas" by The Eagles includes some interesting twists and turns that leave your average guitarist wondering how the seemingly unrelated chords sound so good together. In this free guitar lesson, I explain how the song makes use of composition techniques such as chromatic voice leading and secondary dominants to create a soulful, rhythm and blues, Christmas classic. I expl...

Let It Be is known as The Beatles' breakup record: the one where squabbles among John, Paul, George, and Ringo began to overtake the music, resulting in their darkest, most divisive set of songs. In our season 2 premiere, Paul and Ringo join best-selling author and Rolling Stone writer Rob Sheffield to take us step-by-step through the making of the album, from the failed back-to-basics concept to...

In episode 111 of the Guitar Music Theory podcast, I answer questions about major 7 chords, upgrading inexpensive guitars, structuring practice time, and more. ********************* 🎸 What do you SPECIFICALLY need to do in order to play guitar better? Visit https://GuitarMusicTheory.com - answer the questions about your playing and get FREE custom video instruction calibrated to your current leve...

In my latest podcast episode, I talk about the *2nd edition* release of my book, Guitar Theory For Dummies . This book covers scales, chords, progressions, modes, and more for guitar and has been a good-enough seller to warrant a second printing. Yay! This episode is supported in part by Hosa Cables. Visit hosatech.com and use code THEORY30 to get 30% off your next order. 🎸 What do you SPECIFICAL...

In my latest podcast episode, I examine the song "Wonderwall" by Oasis. This popular guitar song features a challenging syncopated strumming pattern plus makes use of pedal tones and a capo. This episode is supported in part by Hosa Cables. Visit hosatech.com and use code THEORY30 to get 30% off your next order. 🎸 What do you SPECIFICALLY need to do in order to play guitar better? Visit GuitarMus...

In this podcast episode I answer listener questions about finding keys, the construction of the pentatonic scale, how to practice major scale patterns, guidelines for teaching, Family Tradition by Hank Williams Jr., Jingle Bell Rock by Bobby Helms, playing and singing at the same time, and more. 🎸 What do you SPECIFICALLY need to do in order to play guitar better? Visit https://GuitarMusicTheory....

VIEW BEGINNER GUITAR PRIMER HERE: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0941VSZYZ Today, I want to talk about my latest book, Beginner Guitar Primer: Everything You Should Know BEFORE You Begin to Play Guitar . There are a lot of guitar books available to teach you the basics of playing guitar, but there aren't many to explain what the process is like and how you should get prepared to take your first steps....

In episode 106 of the Guitar Music Theory podcast, Fretboard Theory student, Stephen Brutscher, talks about how he used what he learned about music composition to record his own instrumental guitar tracks using GarageBand for Mac. Check out his album, Doomed Paradise by Ghost Knives, here: https://ghostknives.hearnow.com/ 🎸 What do you SPECIFICALLY need to do in order to play guitar better? Visit...

🎸 What do you SPECIFICALLY need to do in order to play guitar better? Visit https://GuitarMusicTheory.com - answer the questions about your playing and get FREE custom video instruction calibrated to your current level. ************************** "Under the Bridge" by Red Hot Chili Peppers features chords that don't seem to fit together in any one key. In this lesson, I show you how guitarist Joh...

🎸 What do you SPECIFICALLY need to do in order to play guitar better? Visit https://GuitarMusicTheory.com - answer the questions about your playing and get FREE custom video instruction calibrated to your current level. Have a question or comment to submit? Go here: https://www.guitarmusictheory.com/contact/ Want to connect for a private online lesson? Book here: https://desiserna.as.me/schedule....

Can you hear the difference between a single-coil guitar pickup and a humbucker? Test your ear by listening to my blind samples played in the style of familiar songs. You should notice that the lower output single-coil pickups sound thinner, brighter, and with less depth but more clarity. The higher output humbuckers sound thicker with more midrange, depth, and sustain. The twangy, snappy sound of...

In this free guitar lesson, I have another installment of How Does This Song Work featuring "All Right Now" by Free. I examine this song's music theory by taking a look at the key, chords, progression, mode, and the different types of scales used in the guitar solo. You see how this song fits into the A Mixolydian mode and makes use of both the major pentatonic scale and the minor pentatonic scale...

In this podcast episode, you hear Part 2 of my tech talk with sound man, Joel Hilsden. We continue our conversation about things guitar players should know in order to get great live sound, and we get to answering email questions. We talk about running your acoustic guitar direct using a DI box, miking your amplifier, using a digital device such as a Line 6 Helix or Kemper Profiling Amplifier, and...

In this podcast episode, I talk tech with my friend and sound man, Joel Hilsden. Joel has extensive experience running sound in various types of venues and over the course of our conversation, we talk about things guitar players should know in order to get great live sound. We talk about running your acoustic guitar direct using a DI box, miking your amplifier, using a digital device such as a Lin...

In this episode, I answer email questions about half-step movement, 251 chord progressions, sharps and flats, recording basics, playing bass with a pick, dominant 5 chords, altered harmony, and more.   🎸 What do you SPECIFICALLY need to do in order to play guitar better? Visit https://GuitarMusicTheory.com - answer the questions about your playing and get FREE custom video instruction calibrated...

Some people say the guitar CAGED system sucks and is harmful to your playing, but 99.99% of the guitar-playing community disagrees with this assertion and finds the CAGED system to be an important part of understanding the fretboard and playing music. Find out how the CAGED system is useful for navigating the neck, playing chords, and playing scale patterns in this free guitar lesson. ************...

In this free guitar lesson, I have another installment of How Does This Song Work? featuring "Moondance" by Van Morrison. This song is in the general key of A minor and mixes chords from parallel scales including Aeolian mode (natural minor), Dorian mode, and harmonic minor. It is also played using a swing feel, which is based on the triplet shuffle rhythm. Learn to play the basic chord changes an...

In this free guitar lesson, I explain how to use a guitar practice amp. Get to know how to set up a basic clean sound and properly adjust the Gain, Volume, and Master output knobs. Learn how to add overdrive and distortion by changing the Amp Type. Add effects such as reverb, delay, and chorus so you match the sounds of the songs you play. I use a Boss Katana Air in my example, but other types of...

In this free guitar lesson, I explain how sometimes you gotta simplify. In order to be a good guitarist, you want your playing to sound smooth and in control. This means, when you're faced with a part that causes you to stumble, it's better to play a simplified version of it than to make noticeable mistakes. To demonstrate how this is done, I give you an example taken from Gary Moore's guitar solo...

Answers to your questions including how to progress through Fretboard Theory, when to use alternate picking, how to jump into key instantly in any position, being a better blues rhythm guitarist, what to do after losing a finger, getting good sustain, minor CAGED chord forms, putting a pedalboard in front of a Kemper Profiling Amplifier, and more. 🎸 What do you SPECIFICALLY need to do in order to...

In this free guitar lesson, I explain what slash chords are in music, why composers use them, and when you might choose to skip them while reading a chart. Slash chords do not refer to the guitarist known as Slash of Guns N' Roses fame. The term slash refers to the use of a forward slash in a chord name such as G/B, C/G, or D/F#. Whenever a chord name includes a forward slash, the letter before th...

In this free guitar lesson, I show you how to make a groovy guitar loop based on Bob Marley's "Exodus." I show you how to record several layers using a looper effects pedal. The parts include a scratchy set of chord changes, a thumping bass line, some popcorn picking technique, and part of the vocal melody. 🎸 What do you SPECIFICALLY need to do in order to play guitar better? Visit https://Guitar...

In this free guitar lesson, I'm going to show you how the major scale contains six different pentatonic scales. Knowing this will help you understand the construction of scales, keys, and how you might want to change pentatonic scales over chords like Jimi Hendrix.   🎸 What do you SPECIFICALLY need to do in order to play guitar better? Visit https://GuitarMusicTheory.com - answer the questions ab...

Today, I answer more listener questions about memorizing notes, practicing with limited time, fingering the C form barre chord, strumming with your thumb, choosing your neck shape, using Fretboard Theory, and more.   🎸 What do you SPECIFICALLY need to do in order to play guitar better? Visit https://GuitarMusicTheory.com - answer the questions about your playing and get FREE custom video instruct...