Any recommends? Looking for a wed post work slot. I’m intermediate level and really just looking to learn how to play better – primarily chord progressions with a dash of scales.

https://www.reddit.com/r/musictheory/

Great site that, theory wise I’ve learned loads off it.

Anything in particularly you’re looking to learn regards scales and chords?

Try musicteachers.co.uk

Obviously I am not arguing against live lessons and supporting teachers but ..

Have you seen Justin Guitar ? Chord progressions and practice drills

Sclaes (note I am rubbish) you just need to see the fingering and then practice ?

jambalaya – Member

Sclaes (note I am rubbish) you just need to see the fingering and then practice ?Not really, you need to understand the fundamental relationship between chords and scales and arpeggios. They are all the same thing.

Scales, chords and arpeggios. That’s the ticket. Get the cage system nailed too. The key to playing guitar is the word. “playing”. Do it slow get it right, you’ll get better this way. Find someone to jam with too. Enjoy.

Scales, chords and arpeggios. That’s the ticket. Get the cage system nailed too. The key to playing guitar is the word. “playing”. Do it slow get it right, you’ll get better this way. Find someone to jam with too. Enjoy.

Cheers people (goes to google cage system and arpeggios).

Take your time too. Set realistic expectations, every time you pick up the guitar and practice what you know, you are building you skill base. When you try something new, like a new scale or lick or an arpeggio, then you are progressing also. Mix it up, practice what you know for 15 minutes, the try something new for 30 mins. Doing it slowly and getting it right. Pentatonic scales are fun and achievable quickly, there are lots of backing tracks on YouTube.
Try learning the A minor pentatonic and then jam along to a slow blues backing track in A minor. The more you play the more you’ll be able to translate what you hear in your head into what you play.

It’s very important to know your fretboard too. Need to know the what the notes are, once you understand that theory starts to make sense. It won’t until you do.

Start by finding out where every A is on the fret board, where every B etc etc, you’ll eventually start to see the pattern.

As I say it’s crucial to understand theory.

Few other things to google once you know your notes.

intervals, major and minor scale, triads, arpeggios, pentatonics, chord extentions, modes.

Also understand that everything in theory is built off the major scale, it’s really the only scale you need to know, pretty much everything else is derivative(in western music anyway.)

btw, when you do eventually get to modes, don’t understand them as scales, understand them as chords progressions, youtube is terrible at explaining them, so take what you read in relation to them with a large pinch of salt. (Particularly when guitarists are explaining them)

Also understand that there’s a bit of double think involved with them. Music theory isn’t a complete science(It’s more psuedo science tbh.)

and it’s not a set of unbreakable rules either, it’s just guide lines. theory comes after the fact.

There is really only one scale in western music

Unfortunately for most guitars it repeats over 7 strings

Learn that pattern and everything else can easily be derived from it – chords, modes etc

plumber – Member
Unfortunately for most guitars it repeats over 7 strings

Fortunatley for guitarists, once you know the shapes (and how they all join and how they overly over chords) it actually makes it easier to play in any key on the guitar.

I’m transferring my theory over to piano just now, and it’s a bit of a head ****. Actually need to remember all the sharps and flats now, and then beyond that I need to remember all the b3, b7 dorian, #4 lydian, for modes etc etc etc.

uncalled for tbh! 😆 My patterns don’t work anymore!

Meant to say one pattern 🙂

I find keys easier in some respects because your fingers eventually learn the spacings of chord tones

Fretboard knowledge is definitely essential, as is chromatic scale, chord progressions and tones. Just for fun, retune to DADF#BD instead of EADGBE. Have a play around with that and see what happens. Some great nuggets being shared on this thread. Play play play. That’s the main thing.

Words not mentioned so far:

Palm mute, finger mute, bend, hammer on, bend-release, pre-bend release, hybrid picking, pull-offs, slides, strumming patterns, vibrato, pinch harmonics.

A video says more than text so here’s my warm up for playing in the park with a mate later – if ever we get a crowd of more than ten we’ll book Olympia.

If you sing practice with with a mic and practice loud enough that you’re not shocked by the racket your guitar makes the first time you go live.

Play to a beat or a metronome.

[video]https://youtu.be/qWqT3wSLhPs[/video]

Videos are a good idea educator! 🙂

Here’s another you tube channel to be watching. it’s probably a bit advanced for a beginner, but there’s a ridiculous amount of info in here. The guys a gold mine, but he only really starts with modes(If if you view his channel chronologically) so a lot of learning to be done before hand. (And he bases alot of his thinking on chord scale theory, which is a controversial subject with some.)

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HJ5mBb9Pgo[/video]

For the more fundmental learning before you get to the channel above.

12 tone is a great channel. Lots and lots to learn here.

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ll193c-mXEw[/video]

Howard goodalls videos are good too

How music works

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZpLo69gxPU[/video]

The story of music.

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0Y6NPahlDE&t=1654s[/video]

My son used Gavin Brealy (stays near Holyrood) and he was really good.

Just listen to Santana and copy him if you want to play dorian without worrying what it is or how it works. 😉