# Applying music theory to guitar playing



## Weimat01 (May 5, 2012)

First of a bit of background on me. I am a drummer first and a guitarist second, so I learnt how to read drum notation and music theory before I started playing guitar. I understand the circle of 5ths, major and minor scales and their modes, how chords are derived from scales and thinking in scale degrees and intervals etc. 

When I play guitar, I mostly learn songs by reading the tab off guitar pro and using my ear (which is pretty good). I occasionally practice scales, but I don't apply them to my guitar playing very much as I just spend my time learning from tabs. I don't have the fretboard memorised either (which is something I want do),and I usually think in fret numbers.

Do you have any ideas that would help me apply music theory to my guitar playing?
I was thinking that some kind of backing tracks would be useful, so that I could play scales over chord progressions or something. Hit me up with some if you have them.
Other ideas: Sight reading standard notation, jazz real book, stop reading tab for a while.


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## Mr. Big Noodles (May 5, 2012)

Don't memorize the fretboard, dude. It's a lot of wasted effort. Think intervals, instead: know how to play a perfect fifth anywhere on the neck. A major sixth. A minor ninth. Since you have a bit of an ear, this will be good for you, as you know what the difference between a minor third and a major third is. When I read staff notation, I'm mostly reading intervals. Of course, you need some sort of reference pitch, so memorize the notes for a few strings and use that to help you. Mainly, you just have to do it.


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## Uncle Remus (May 5, 2012)

Schecterwhore.

Your idea really intrigues me. Could you please maybe expand a bit?

How do you personally practise this so you can solo or comp?


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## Stealthdjentstic (May 5, 2012)

What I find helps me learn the sound of certain intervals is finding a song that uses them a lot. For example, just about any song by monumental torment uses minor thirds.
Its just a more fun way of remembering things I guess.


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## Weimat01 (May 5, 2012)

SchecterWhore said:


> Don't memorize the fretboard, dude. It's a lot of wasted effort. Think intervals, instead: know how to play a perfect fifth anywhere on the neck. A major sixth. A minor ninth. Since you have a bit of an ear, this will be good for you, as you know what the difference between a minor third and a major third is. When I read staff notation, I'm mostly reading intervals. Of course, you need some sort of reference pitch, so memorize the notes for a few strings and use that to help you. Mainly, you just have to do it.



I do think in intervals when I am playing (well sometimes at least), but I would also like to know what the notes are too so that I know what key I am playing in (the scale) and what chords I am playing (instead of just power chord fret 7, bar chord here)


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## Weimat01 (May 5, 2012)

Stealthdjentstic said:


> What I find helps me learn the sound of certain intervals is finding a song that uses them a lot. For example, just about any song by monumental torment uses minor thirds.
> Its just a more fun way of remembering things I guess.



I'm not to bad with intervals (although what you're saying is definitely a good thing), I'm really after good ways to practice scales in a musical context/over chord changes.


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## CRaul87 (May 5, 2012)

memorizing the fretboard is not a waste of time. I don't care what any1 says...


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## Mr. Big Noodles (May 5, 2012)

If you're going to learn the fretboard, you're going to learn it. I navigate with intervals, and after a while, that led to me learning the locations of notes. In the end, it's easier to see "that's a minor seventh on Bb" rather than "that's a Bb and the other one is Ab". I don't think that there's some magic way to learn to sightread, you just have to do it and not be ignorant of key signatures and intervals.

Weimat, as far as improvisation goes, it's all about chord tones and melody. Learn a melody, then play it so it sounds similar but with a few new things thrown in, and you're well on your way.


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## Solodini (May 5, 2012)

Weimat01 said:


> I do think in intervals when I am playing (well sometimes at least), but I would also like to know what the notes are too so that I know what key I am playing in (the scale) and what chords I am playing (instead of just power chord fret 7, bar chord here)



If you know what tuning you're in then using intervals is a quick way to work out what now you're playing and be able to adjust better to other tunings than if you were trying to just remember fret positions and scale shapes. The intervals are the quickest way that i've come across and you can still know what key you're in based in which note sounds tonic and what the intervals around it are. Intervallic use will help you to see movement between chords, rather than just the chords you're playing based on its notes. You'll see similar diatonic intervals and possible chords out of them. 

I second everything else SW has said.


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## Weimat01 (May 5, 2012)

Solodini said:


> If you know what tuning you're in then using intervals is a quick way to work out what now you're playing and be able to adjust better to other tunings than if you were trying to just remember fret positions and scale shapes. The intervals are the quickest way that i've come across and you can still know what key you're in based in which note sounds tonic and what the intervals around it are. Intervallic use will help you to see movement between chords, rather than just the chords you're playing based on its notes. You'll see similar diatonic intervals and possible chords out of them.
> 
> I second everything else SW has said.



Yep I agree with what you and SW are saying. Intervals are a great way to think. I'm still wanting some backing tracks or something to practice scales and writing melodies over if anyone has some, otherwise I'll probably try to make my own.


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## Stealthdjentstic (May 5, 2012)

Use youtube man...there are literally thousands of hq backing tracks.


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## Konfyouzd (May 5, 2012)

I think I'm beginning to memorize the fretboard but only because of something similar to what SchecterWhore is saying. I learned the different modes postions with respect to one another then the intervals. From there I began to just figure out what notes were where based on knowing what note the mode begins with and counting intervals/steps.


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## Weimat01 (May 5, 2012)

Stealthdjentstic said:


> Use youtube man...there are literally thousands of hq backing tracks.



Awesome! Thanks for that. Probably should have looked there first haha


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## Augminished (May 5, 2012)

I have used schecterwhores method for learning guitar and piano notes. It works the best. I also think about it in terms of scales. 

Another way you could memorize it though is to use a tuner while you play. Just leave the tuner on and read the notes as you play. It works as a guess and check method.


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## noUser01 (May 5, 2012)

CRaul87 said:


> memorizing the fretboard is not a waste of time. I don't care what any1 says...



Agreed.


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## Stealthdjentstic (May 5, 2012)

Weimat01 said:


> Awesome! Thanks for that. Probably should have looked there first haha



Yeah! I remember making a retarded zoolander face when I found out about it too


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## Grimbold (May 7, 2012)

SchecterWhore said:


> Don't memorize the fretboard, dude. It's a lot of wasted effort. Think intervals, instead: know how to play a perfect fifth anywhere on the neck. A major sixth. A minor ninth. Since you have a bit of an ear, this will be good for you, as you know what the difference between a minor third and a major third is. When I read staff notation, I'm mostly reading intervals. Of course, you need some sort of reference pitch, so memorize the notes for a few strings and use that to help you. Mainly, you just have to do it.


but don't you memorize the fretboard over time?

i mean i never really set out to learn the fretboard, but through months of site reading i eventually got to know every note...


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## Mr. Big Noodles (May 7, 2012)

Read my follow-up post.


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## Eptaceros (May 7, 2012)

Augminished said:


> Another way you could memorize it though is to use a tuner while you play. Just leave the tuner on and read the notes as you play. It works as a guess and check method.



Holy shit! I never though about doing that, that's genius!


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## phrygian12 (May 7, 2012)

I memorized the fret board by learning all the natural notes on the E and A string. I used octaves to figure out what were the notes on the other strings. The more I used it this way the more familiar I got with them to the point where I don't need to imagine me playing octaves to figure out what note it is I'm on G string. 

So once you learn your natural notes on the E string, you'll know your notes on the D string, once you learn them on the A string you'll know them on your B and G string. 

as far as enharmonics and what not, once you know where the natural notes are and learn about the musical alphabet, it's not hard to find any G# or Ab, etc, on any string. If you can get to any E but need an Eb, simply go back a half step. If you know where your F is at and need a F# simply go up a half step etc.


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## Mr. Big Noodles (May 7, 2012)

^


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