Guitar Theory

[soulman101]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvHjLDHd2zs
Starts of basic to advanced, those who play might get something out of the video

[Omegstrat6]

Looks interesting. I've been playing guitar a while but only very recently started to look in any depth at music theory since beginning to try and learn keyboard. Will have to spend a bit of time going through it when I get chance.Thanks for posting-how is the new guitar btw?

[westcountryvillain]

Thanks for adding this Soulman, I'll look up the acoustic one he has done as I haven't advanced enough in my playing to warrant buying an electric guitar yet but that's the plan. I can understand the theory of keys, scales, circle of 5ths but translating that into chords and in particular how these guys know the shapes further up the fretboard when they are different to the ones we all start with isn't going well....

[Omegstrat6]

Thanks for adding this Soulman, I'll look up the acoustic one he has done as I haven't advanced enough in my playing to warrant buying an electric guitar yet but that's the plan. I can understand the theory of keys, scales, circle of 5ths but translating that into chords and in particular how these guys know the shapes further up the fretboard when they are different to the ones we all start with isn't going well....

I'm the other way around WCV! I know quite a few "moveable" chord shapes up and down the fretboard and generally know which chords go well together (mostly from learning a range of songs) but am still learning the theory for why they go together. I learnt one scale early on-the blues pentatonic funnily enough😀- but never progressed beyond that and you can't just play that all the time! Trying to learn keyboard has been quite helpful as I am learning more about music theory now but must be getting old as I'm finding some of it hard to grasp at times!

As for acoustic v electric, it is probably true that you will be a better electric guitar player if you learn on an acoustic first as they can be more unforgiving and highlighting your mistakes or problems in technique sort of forces you to correct them and improve but you do need an electric to play certain styles of music. If you have the money I would get one sooner than later because having both will greatly increase the variety of styles of music you can play -and if you get an amp like a Line6 with built in effects you'll have fun playing around with different sounds like distortion/delay etc. too.

[westcountryvillain]

I'm the other way around WCV! I know quite a few "moveable" chord shapes up and down the fretboard and generally know which chords go well together (mostly from learning a range of songs) but am still learning the theory for why they go together. I learnt one scale early on-the blues pentatonic funnily enough��- but never progressed beyond that and you can't just play that all the time! Trying to learn keyboard has been quite helpful as I am learning more about music theory now but must be getting old as I'm finding some of it hard to grasp at times!

As for acoustic v electric, it is probably true that you will be a better electric guitar player if you learn on an acoustic first as they can be more unforgiving and highlighting your mistakes or problems in technique sort of forces you to correct them and improve but you do need an electric to play certain styles of music. If you have the money I would get one sooner than later because having both will greatly increase the variety of styles of music you can play -and if you get an amp like a Line6 with built in effects you'll have fun playing around with different sounds like distortion/delay etc. too.

Cheers Omega - how did you learn the moveable chord shapes?

[soulman101]

Chees Omega - how did you learn the moveable chord shapes?

HI, if you look on You Tube video' for the caged system this will explain it all.
I learned from a book called Fretboard Logic, you can get it on E bay, I gave mine away to someone who was going to learn the guitar.
But after a week he gave up and sold the book on E bay ,which didn't please me.
Wish I kept now and sent on to you.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7phLwr-7EY

[soulman101]

Thanks for adding this Soulman, I'll look up the acoustic one he has done as I haven't advanced enough in my playing to warrant buying an electric guitar yet but that's the plan. I can understand the theory of keys, scales, circle of 5ths but translating that into chords and in particular how these guys know the shapes further up the fretboard when they are different to the ones we all start with isn't going well....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFhfgsEifHk

[kettering_baggie]

I dabbled for years with a cheap acoustic guitar and it was only when I picked up an electric guitar did I realise how awful the acoustic was. Cheap acoustics often have high actions which make them more difficult to play and are harder on the ends of your fingers! A local guitar tutor recommends starting on an electric, as they usually have a lower action and therefore require much less finger pressure on the strings. We bought an Aria strat for my son to learn on and that was the instrument that I made great progress with. I subsequently bought a nice acoustic guitar when I knew what to look for!

The guitar tutor told me to throw away the teach yourself books and learn chord progressions, the quickest way to get to play some tunes. We then moved on to some music theory that expands one’s playing options. Learning to solo using the good old Minor Pentatonic scales was great and helped me to find my way around the fretboard. Picking up the bass guitar was even more helpful.

[westcountryvillain]

Which acoustic did you go for Ketts, I bought a cheap one obviously to start with and it does sound really nice but will upgrade at some point, I love the sound of them.

Like you I started with chord progressions then moved onto theory, I look forward to the day I can just improvise and play along.

[kettering_baggie]

Which acoustic did you go for Ketts, I bought a cheap one obviously to start with and it does sound really nice but will upgrade at some point, I love the sound of them.

Like you I started with chord progressions then moved onto theory, I look forward to the day I can just improvise and play along.

I found a second hand Crafter electro-acoustic in a local music shop, it’s a really nice instrument. Last Christmas I bought another second hand acoustic from a lovely music shop in Stamford, a Gretsch Parlour Guitar, came complete with a hard case. It’s a bit smaller than a standard guitar so a bit easier to take somewhere. Trouble is, I’m running out of space to keep them all….!

As for improvising, use the relative minor pentatonic scale for whatever key the song is in and go for it! Start with the root note on the G string, very enjoyable!