I am completely musically illiterate.

[kayd_mon]

I haven't read this whole thread, but here's my opinion:

 

You don't need to be a theory wizard to play guitar in bands and do well. You should, however, know chord names, keys, and some basics (like where notes are on the fretboard, the fact that there are no sharps to B and E, etc). People who brush off knowing any theory like it will kill their creativity are often annoying. If you're playing anything slightly technical, they can't follow along. If you can spare the time to practice, you can spare the time to learn basic theory. There are plenty of books and online resources to help you.

[billybilly]

 

I taught all 3 of my kids the basic chords to guitar. 2 got it. One didnt. Play what you hear in your mind. Dont copy anyone.

 

 

I don't agree with this. If you are not exposed to the music of others, it's difficult to hear music in your head. It's like giving someone a book who can't read and asking them to read it.

[prolog]

 

Prolog: I've learned/learning from my Learn & Master Guitar course on DVD and a previous guitar teacher. Would you be able to supply me some links where I can find this on the internet? It would be most helpful. Thank you, Steadfastly

 

 

I started with the guitar section of about.com - learned how to play various open and barred major and minor chords. Then I learned about other chords, modes, and so on, basically by typing "suspended chords", "diminished chords", "blues structure", etc., into Google. Wikipedia works, too.

 

I wasn't learning from scratch - I had to learn chord progressions, inversions, cadences, major/minor scales, and a couple hundred Italian musical terms in high school band. But any time I came across something I didn't know, search engines were able to solve my problem.

[thop]

What's a good way to learn the notes up and down the fretboard? I can't believe I don't know that yet. I've been practicing scales and boxes but I can only memorize the shapes, I never seem to put it all together. I guess just practice. I've only been at it about 2 months. It's enjoyable but I have much more fun just noodling around in my own old style.

[prolog]

 

What's a good way to learn the notes up and down the fretboard? I can't believe I don't know that yet. I've been practicing scales and boxes but I can only memorize the shapes, I never seem to put it all together. I guess just practice. I've only been at it about 2 months. It's enjoyable but I have much more fun just noodling around in my own old style.

 

 

Start with the open strings:

 

E, B, G, D, A, E

 

Then move up one fret. That corresponds to a semi-tone increase (read up on the chromatic scale).

 

Fret 1:

 

F, C, G#(Ab), D#(Eb), A#(Bb), F

 

And so on. One thing you could is create a set of flashcards. Each flashcard would represent a fret, and would have six notes on it, one for each string using that fret.

 

Memorize each flashcard. Be able to name the note for each string for each flashcard. While you're practicing this, fret each note. This will help reinforce where each note is.

 

This is tedious at first, but if you practice it every day, you will learn the notes!

[K3Fallout]

I'm in the process of learning the fretboard.I learned songs in C Major, learned the octave system and memorized the E and A strings. Now I'm using major triad arpeggios to make a more exciting way to memorize this.

[Rad Skronker]

Practice playing any scale you learn on one string.

 

For instance, play an E major scale on the low E string starting with the open E then go to the 2nd fret and play the F#, 4th fret G#, 5th fret A and so on...

 

Once you learn the scale on each string then learn the scale on each set of two strings

E/A

A/D

D/G

G/B

B/E

 

Pick a time frame to learn a scale within and stick to it. It could be one scale a week, one a month, whatever works best for the player.

 

Remember that once you learn a scale in the F/1st fret position all you have to do is move the same fingering one fret up and you have a new key using the same fingering, for example the fingering for an A major scale at the 5th fret on the low E string is the same fingering for a Bb major scale that starts at the 6th fret on the low E string.

 

From the open string note to the octave 12th note at the 12th fret There are 12 keys and in terms of scales each fret is a new key.

 

Learn the Circle Of Fifths.

The link below is a good start.

 

http://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/circle.html

[K3Fallout]

And I don't know if it's just me, but it is harder for me to think about the notes vertically across the fretboard compared to going on and down the neck.

 

And for the hell of it, I don't know why this has me stumped but I'll ask anyways:

I'm currently going over the CAGED method. My question is, say your root note is at the 5th fret E string, A. If I were to play the different CAGED scale patterns (C form, A form, G form,etc) starting at that note, would you still call all of them an A minor scale? Because in the Fretboard Logic book, they would call a C form scale on the 5th fret an F scale..probably because it is using the root note of the chord shape as the scale root?

[Rad Skronker]

 

My question is, say your root note is at the 5th fret E string, A. If I were to play the different CAGED scale patterns (C form, A form, G form,etc) starting at that note, would you still call all of them an A minor scale? Because in the Fretboard Logic book, they would call a C form scale on the 5th fret an F scale..probably because it is using the root note of the chord shape as the scale root?

 

 

It depends on how the A note is functioning in terms of scale degree.

In your example of having the A note being called an "F" scale could be because the A note functions as the minor 3rd scale degree in the F major scale.

The corresponding mode for the 3rd scale degree for ANY major scale is the phrygian mode.

 

So starting on the A note and playing all the notes in the A phrygian scale will have you playing all the notes in the F major scale, but you'll be using the A minor tonality that the A minor phrygian scale produces.

[Christhee68]

I know almost nothing. One time our church band leader said "Can you play that chord but with a sus 4?" I said,"No, but I can put my pinky finger on this string and make it sound different.":facepalm:

 

Seriously, over the past month I have learned (without much effort) patterns for the minor pentatonic, blues scales, and major scale. I wish I had tried to learn that stuff 30 years ago!

 

Until now I had always been afraid of moving beyond the first three frets. My grandfather was a legendary blue grass guitarist, and he never went beyond the first three frets, why should I?

[paulskirocks]

I started playing in 1981, learned A minor scale on the whole fret board, learned A minor pentatonic, some open chords, some bar chords, and not much more... In 1985 I took a semester of music and learned of modes... Then I dropped out of college... So, my knowledge was almost zero, but I rocked out and had no desire to improve...

 

Then, about a year ago, I started hanging around other guitar websites, and discovered how much I sucked... So, in the last year, I have actually become a "student" of the guitar, and am progressing by leaps and bounds... It helps to have been playing for 30 years, and in my older age, I have more patience, as well...

[K3Fallout]

It depends on how the A note is functioning in terms of scale degree. In your example of having the A note being called an "F" scale could be because the A note functions as the minor 3rd scale degree in the F major scale. The corresponding mode for the 3rd scale degree for ANY major scale is the phrygian mode. So starting on the A note and playing all the notes in the A phrygian scale will have you playing all the notes in the F major scale, but you'll be using the A minor tonality that the A minor phrygian scale produces.

 

Uh oh. I had a hard time understanding what you were saying. I haven't studied modes yet (all I know is that Ionian is pretty much the major scale).

[Rad Skronker]

Uh oh. I had a hard time understanding what you were saying. I haven't studied modes yet (all I know is that Ionian is pretty much the major scale).

 

No worries mate.

 

Learn the 7 modes when you can. Next time you sit down to practice try to spend 10 minutes on learning the Dorian mode of the Ionian scale you already know.

 

SO if you know E major and you know the Ionian mode starting on the E note and going to the next octave E, all you have to do to play the Dorian mode is start on the 2nd scale degree F# and play the same E Ionian notes only you Start on F# and end on F#, this is the F# Dorian mode in the key of E Major.

 

In reality you are not learning an entirely new scale when you learn the Dorian mode.

You are starting and ending on the F# thereby you emphasize the second scale degree, the Dorian mode.The diatonic chord is F#minor 7th.

 

Plenty of good reference material available on the internet.

No real reason to not be able to learn this material over time.

If you don't work on it, you'll never get it.

[dcooper830]

Uh oh. I had a hard time understanding what you were saying. I haven't studied modes yet (all I know is that Ionian is pretty much the major scale).

 

If you play F Ionian...... but start on the the 3rd note (A), it will be an A Phrygian scale.

[mockchoi]

 

I know zero theory, and it hasn't had an impact on my playing at all.

 

 

How do you know?

[Festus]

 

If you play F Ionian...... but start on the the 3rd note (A), it will be an A Phrygian scale.

 

 

That is untrue; he'd just be playing the F major scale starting on A.

 

If you wanted 'A Phrygian', you'd need the HARMONY to be A minor, and the melody to still be in the key of F major; it makes no difference what note you start on. If the harmony is F major, then your melody is simply beginning on the 3rd of F, a strong chord tone, and not at all 'modal'.

 

Most guitarists refer to fingering patterns of the major scale as 'modes', when in reality they're just the major scale. In this era of homophonic music, 'modes' are determined by the harmony, not a scale fingering or the note upon which one starts. In polyphonic music, modes are quite a different animal.

[FoonkySteve]

 

That is untrue; he'd just be playing the F major scale starting on A. If you wanted 'A Phrygian', you'd need the HARMONY to be A minor, and the melody to still be in the key of F major; it makes no difference what note you start on. If the harmony is F major, then your melody is simply beginning on the 3rd of F, a strong chord tone, and not at all 'modal'. Most guitarists refer to fingering patterns of the major scale as 'modes', when in reality they're just the major scale. In this era of homophonic music, 'modes' are determined by the harmony, not a scale fingering or the note upon which one starts. In polyphonic music, modes are quite a different animal.

 

 

Too True......

 

A lot of guitarists seem to think if they memorise the 7 modes of the major scale 'diatonicaly' just by patterns, that they have nailed the modes.

 

Using the modes Diatonicaly from the major scale is really only the tip of the iceberg. (imo)