# Beginner tips into music theory ?



## cult-leader-of-djent (Jan 15, 2012)

I wanna start learning music theory. But every time I get into reading about all 
the modes and everything else I get so confused. Tips ? If so please keep it to beginners level. I have been playing for around three years now for basic knowledge. Pic related my setup.


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## Dayn (Jan 15, 2012)

Ricci Adams' Musictheory.net This website helped me quite a bit.

I also bought 'The Idiot's Guide to Music Theory' which also helped me to understand the basics. From there, well, I've just read this forum among others, and have absorbed Wikipedia articles. Find something on Wikipedia, try to understand it. Can't? Look for simpler concepts that it references and backtrack. Keep going until you understand the basics then keep building back up to what you wanted to understand.


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## Mr. Big Noodles (Jan 16, 2012)

I second that site. Also, just try to find and use this stuff wherever you can. Analyze the music that you listen to and play. Can you play all of your chords without any problems? Get those triads down - major, minor, diminished and augmented. After that, learn the seventh chords - major 7, dominant 7, minor 7, half-diminished 7, fully-diminished 7. I strongly recommend tackling some easy music that you can find sheet music for. I remember going to get pizza with a bunch of classmates one day, and joking with my guitarist friend that we were wasting our time studying music and that we should be learning songs that would get us some pussy.

America - Ventura Highway

Eagles - Desperado


Schmaltzy shit like that. 

The good thing about songs like these are that they're easy as hell to learn, you can find many editions that have have those cute fretboard things for the chords to give you ideas for voicings (and some editions are better than others), and they're also good for quick analysis. When you're learning harmony, it's good exercise to look at how other people use chords and chord progressions. Pop songs are nice in that they are usually simple (that America song I posted is only two chords), but it is not out of the realm of possibility to see some more sophisticated harmonies. The Eagles song up there, for example, has a few secondary functions in it, as well as a borrowed chord. These terms likely don't mean anything to you yet, but as you learn to analyze chord progressions, you'll find that not everything is always kosher and that you can learn to use some of these devices as a pleasant surprise.


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## wespaul (Jan 16, 2012)

Dayn said:


> Ricci Adams' Musictheory.net This website helped me quite a bit.



I'd like to +1 this. When I took music theory in college, I used this site _heavily_ in conjunction with the actual course. I found myself studying off of the site, rather than the actual book most times, too. There's no bigger convenience than being able to load the site up on your phone any time you're unclear on something, or just want a bit of a refresher - especially since the interface is so nice.

However, you will want something that will apply music theory to your guitar, as most places (musictheory.net included) use the piano as a reference. It doesn't hurt to start learning your circle of fifths regardless.


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## Solodini (Jan 17, 2012)

I definitely agree that using what you learn to create music, analyse what you already know and then using that analysis to write more music is very important in becoming familiar with music theory. If you don't use it then there's no point in knowing it, really.

Have a go at the sample chapters of my book (link in my sig) and see how you manage with that. PM me if you face any difficulties or have any questions.


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## Grimbold (Jan 21, 2012)

Solodini said:


> I definitely agree that using what you learn to create music, analyse what you already know and then using that analysis to write more music is very important in becoming familiar with music theory. If you don't use it then there's no point in knowing it, really.
> 
> Have a go at the sample chapters of my book (link in my sig) and see how you manage with that. PM me if you face any difficulties or have any questions.


 i would second solodinis book

also govan's creative guitar is a great resource as well as the forementionend site


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## XIII (Jan 21, 2012)

Dude, music theory used to scare the crap out of me too. I recently found this site Zentao it really helped me understand the basics. This will defo give you a solid foundation and it comes across in a really straightforward way, as the guy knows his stuff. 

Hope this helps you out man 

\m/,


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## texshred777 (Jan 21, 2012)

If you're not really familiar with theory(namely intervals/chord and scale construction) as it relates to your guitar, pick up the Guitar Fretboard Workbook. It's not an all inclusive theory book, but when you start learning theory it will help you apply it to your guitar.


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