Music Theory for Guitarists - Part 2

Music Theory for Guitarists - Part 2

This course is for guitarists who already have a basic understanding of music theory concepts and are curious to expand on the knowledge taught in Music Theory for Guitarists - Part 1.

You will learn about:

• Chord inversions (when the lowest note of the chord is not the root)

• Chord extensions such as 6 and 7 chords

• The minor scale and its variations

• How to construct the circle of fifths

• How to use the circle of fifths to build and visualize triads, find the notes in a given key, transpose chord progression to different keys

• How to transpose and use a capo to make songs easier to play and adapt to voice and other instruments

• More triads: augmented chords, sus2, and sus4 chords.

• Chord extensions beyond the octave and how to build three kinds of 9 chords.

• The major pentatonic scale, the minor pentatonic scale, and the blues scale.

• The concept of natural modes and one in particular that is useful to flamenco guitarists (the Phrygian mode)

Prior music theory knowledge needed:

This course builds on the lessons taught in Music Theory for Guitarists - Part 1, which starts from the very beginning of music theory and teaches students the musical alphabet, the natural scale, how to find the notes on the fretboard without a chart, how to form basic chords, how to construct the major scale, and how to combine the major scale in chords to think about keys. Guitarists who choose to enroll directly in Part 2, without completing Part 1 first, must be comfortable with the following concepts both on paper and on the guitar:

• The musical alphabet, the natural scale and the chromatic scale

• How to find and name notes on the fretboard

• The formula for the major scale

• Major, minor, and perfect intervals

• Major, minor, and diminished triads

• The major scale in triads

Course Format: We’ll focus on knowledge that applies to every guitarist, regardless of genre. Each section will present one building block of essential music theory via a video and outline.  We’ll explore the concept both with a guitar in hand and using our minds and musical logic alone. Then you'll complete assignments (some guitar-in-hand, some written) to reinforce and practice applying your new knowledge.

Materials Needed: You need a guitar (any kind), paper, and pencil for this course. You’ll probably want to print the lesson notes and written exercises for each class.

Recommended playing experience: One year of playing experience (any genre) is recommended. We will explore many concepts with the guitar in hand. The course won’t demand fancy techniques or speed, but you will want to use logical fingerings for scales and chords.

No music notation involved! We'll refer to the note names (A, B, C, etc.) constantly throughout the course. However, we won’t learn or use written music notation (that is, notes written on the staff). We’ll ignore it completely in the course, as most guitar styles don’t require it. That said, if you already know music notation, you can apply and use that knowledge in all written exercises. In addition to writing out the note names for all the written exercises, transcribe everything to staff paper. All you’ll need in addition is plenty of staff paper.