Guitar Theory Tips - Tips on Music Theory and Composition

Guitar Music Theory Tips

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On this page you will find guitar articles and tips that will help you understand how music theory really works, and how this applies to composing your own music.

better guitar tone

7 Simple Tips To Have A Better Guitar Tone And Spend Nothing

NEW! Most guitar players are on a quest to find a great guitar tone, and are on the hunt for the best guitar, amp, digital modeler... And yet, we all know guitarists that have the best rig in the world and still have a bad tone. The fact is that regarding tone, the player comes before the instrument. Click here to see how you can get a great guitar tone by spending nothing and only changing the way you play and approach the instrument.

music theory for guitar is different

Is Music Theory For Guitar Different Than Music Theory For Other Instruments?

Is music theory for guitar different than music theory for other instruments? Well, in theory it's the same... but in practice it's very different. The topics of study for a pianist or a violinist are different than what a guitarist should focus on... and the method is different too! Click here to understand how Music Theory for Guitarists is different from music theory for piano (or trombone), and how this affects you.

do yo need theory to write music

Do You Need Music Theory To Write A Song?

"Do you really need theory to write a song?" is one of the most common questions I receive. The answer is both "yes" and "no", and probably not for the reason you think it is. Click here to see if you really need theory to write music, how the musicians who adamantly refuse to study theory are in fact making their own life harder, and how you can make YOUR life easier! (5 minutes read)

too old to learn theory?

Are You Too Old To Learn Music Theory?

I noticed recently how many guitarists seem to think that they are 'too old' to learn music theory, or how they think that learning theory does not make sense for them, since they played 'all their life' by ear. I also noticed that the age of the guitarists who say they are 'too old to learn' spans from 25 to 90 years old. Click here to see how to see if you are too old to learn music theory. The answer is not as simple as it seems! (4 minutes read)

music theory or practice?

How Good Do I Need To Be To Get Started In Music Theory?

When is the right moment to start studying theory? Before you can play something or after you can play it? For instance, would you start studying the theory of scales after you can play a scale or two, or before you can even play them? And why? Try to guess the answer by yourself and then check it by clicking here: Are You Good Enough As A Guitar Player To Study Music Theory? (4 minutes read)

guitar stretching

Is Your Fretting Hand Too Small To Play Guitar?

Many guitar players, especially when starting out, think that their hands are too small to play guitar. I myself am not an exception: my hands are smaller than most of my students'! If you are among these players, you may think that it is impossible for you to play complex chords, or 3-notes-per-string scales. But is it true? Read this article, and watch the accompanying video, to see if your hands are too small to play guitar and how you can overcome that. (3 minutes read)

music theory vs notation

Music Notation Is Not Music Theory

Some people think that music theory and reading music are the same thing. This is not true: music theory explains you how music is made (and how you can make your own), while music notation is just one way to write music on paper. It's even better than that: you can learn a wide range of music theory music theory (enough to compose a song, or to learn how to improvise a lead on any chord progression) without knowing how to read a single note. Click here to see how music theory is not music notation and a brief rundown of the topics that you can learn without knowing how to read music, and the ones that instead require you to know how to read fluently. (4 minutes read)

creative music theory

How Music Theory Improves Your Creativity On Guitar

Does music theory help or hinder your musical creativity? Lots of guitarists are afraid that theory will put them in a cage and destroy their creativity. Actually the opposite is true: if you study music theory you will become MORE creative. In this article I will give you several practical examples that you can apply immediately to your playing Click here to see how to be creative with music theory and see how you too can learn to be a creative guitarist. (3 minutes read)

4 deadly mistakes in learning theory

4 Mistakes Guitarists Make When Learning Music Theory

Some guitar students think that music theory is useless or harmful... but today I'm not talking to them. Today I'm talking to the ones that want to study theory buy are not getting better. In the years I found that when someone is actually putting in the time and the practice to learn theory and they are not seeing results, is because they are making one of the 4 deadly mistakes. Click here learn how to avoid the 4 deadly mistakes guitarists make when learning theory. (4 minutes read)

music theory for beginners

Guitarists: Start Learning Music Theory With The Right Foot Forward

Are you a complete beginner in music theory? You have no idea where you should get started? You need everything explained to you step-by-step? Fear not, I have just the right thing for you! Click here to read how to start learning music theory with the right foot forward. (4 minutes read)

lies musicians say

3 Lies That (Some) Professional Musicians Routinely Tell, And How They Impact You

Are you reading all the interview of your guitar hero or your favorite singer hoping that this will give you some "tips" for your playing or your music career? Well, I won't mince words here: if you do that you are setting yourself up for failure. Click here to see why some professional musicians tell lies and what lies they tell more often. (5 minutes read)

results of learning music theory

This Is What Happens When You Learn Music Theory The Right Way

What happens when you learn music theory the right way? What exactly do you learn? Especially, what you can do that you could not do before? These are questions that I receive often: students want to know WHY they should study music theory before they invest the time (and rightly so!) Here's my answers to these questions: click here to see what are the results of learning music theory and how these help you make better music. (4 minutes read)

right tools intermediate guitarist

Getting Started With The Right Foot: What An Early Intermediate Guitarist Should Know

What are the right tools that an intermediate guitarist should know to move forward? There is a lot on the internet for the complete beginner player and for the advanced guitarist, but preciously little about the intermediate "no man's land" player. In this article I show you what you need to study and master to move to the next level. Click here to see what are the right tools for an intermediate guitar player to learn. (5 minutes read)

guitar natural talent

Do You Need To Be Talented To Play Guitar?

Do you have enough "natural talent" to play guitar? It seems to be a big deal. Lots of people write me emails to ask if they have enough talent to play. Others write me to know if they will eventually reach a plateau that they will never be able to overcome due to lack of talent. The truth of course is very different. Click here to see if you need talent to play guitar or if you can learn to be "naturally" talented. (5 minutes read)

music theory dirty truth

The Dirty Truth About Music Theory

Lots of guitar players are convinced that music theory is made of "rules". And these "rules" not only are are hard to understand, but also useless since there are a lots of famous musicians "who don't know music theory" (something I call "the Jimi Hendrix fallacy"). Click here if you are ready to let these myths go and finally hear the dirty truth about music theory (5 minutes read)

Harry Potter music theory

Harry Potter And The Musical Talent

Harry Potter was born a wizard. Were you born as a musician? In fact, are musicians born or made? Is there any hope for the ones among us who have no magical/musical talent? You can find the answers to these and more questions in the new chapter of the harrowing saga: "Harry Potter and the Musical Talent"

Click here to see how you can get the magical power of musical talent (4 minutes read)

music theory makes you stronger

Music Theory Makes You Stronger: How To Study Music Theory And Become A Better Musician

"I don't want to learn music theory because it's full of rules". How many times you heard one of your friend say that? And what if I told you that music theory has no rules (absolutely not a single one)? "But I don't want to think of notes scales and chords when I play!" Neither do I: the aim is not to think about all this stuff, but to make theory second nature so you don't need to think!

Click here to see how music theory can make you a stronger musician if you study it the right way. (5 minutes read)

real vs fake music theory

Real Vs Fake Music Theory: How To Tell If You Are Actually Learning Music Theory

You know all these people who tell you that music theory is not useful? In my experience it's because they learned 'fake' music theory. Many of the things that pass for music theory in online resources are not music theory at all! 'Real' music theory helps you become a better musician and guitar player... while other things that are commonly taught as music theory (but are not actual theory) will make you lose time and focus, and in fact may even hamper your progress!

Click here to learn the difference between real vs fake music theory (5 minutes read)

Guitar Harmonics

Guitar Harmonics: How to Make Your Guitar Squeal

Do you want to make your guitar squeal like Dimebag darrel, Joe Satriani, Van Halen and the other greats? Then you absolutely need to master guitar harmonics. They come in two main flavors (natural and artificial) and there are many ways to play them!

Click to learn how to play natural and artificial harmonics for guitar and get them consistently right! (5 minutes read)

Guitar theory Misconceptions

The Top 6 Things That Guitar Players Often Don't Understand About Music Theory & How This Hurts Them

Do you think Music Theory is harmful for your creativity? Everybody tells you to learn to play and that theory "can come later"? You think you don't need theory because you can "play by ear"? Read here what theory is, what it is for, and what it can do for you and your creativity.

Save yourself a world of pain and frustration by eliminating these six music theory misconceptions. (9 minutes read)

Blues Guitar Mistakes

5 Reasons Your Blues Solo Does Not Sound Great

It happens every time. You’re on stage and you are jamming the Blues. It’s your turn to take the solo and you do your best... but it’s not a great solo. And so you wonder: you did everything right, everything by-the-book, so why did your solo not sound exciting?

The answer is: you probably made one of these 5 Blues Guitar Mistakes. (7 minutes read)

Free beginning music theory eBook

Should I Learn How to Read Music?

Do you really need to be able to read music fluently in order to understand music theory (and be a good musician)? Or can you become a music theory expert without being able to read? Why do so many people insist on reading music when in real practice is very rare for a guitar player to actually use it? Are there other ways to write down your music?

Come and discover what kind of music notation is more suited for your goals! (4 minutes read)

Free beginning music theory eBook

Beginning Music Theory

What do you need to know when you are starting? If you are a complete beginner of music theory, what should be the first thing you learn? Why everywhere you read people expect you to already know half of music theory?

Fear not, we have a solution for you: Get this FREE eBook on beginning music theory and enjoy all the low-hanging fruits of music theory! - No previous knowledge necessary!! (3 minutes read)

Phrygian Dominant Scale

What Guitar Scales I Need To Know In Order to Play Metal

Are you tired of using the same old pentatonic box? Yes, the pentatonic is a great scale, but sometimes your solo needs a different kick! If you are playing in a metal band, chances are that you don't want another "bluesy" solo: you want a tasty "exotic" solo instead!

Learn here the exotic scales most used in metal. Don't get stuck on the usual "box pattern" blues licks! (5 minutes read)

Music Theory Map

Guitar Music Theory: What Do I Need To Learn?

There is A LOT of music theory to learn, but do you really need it all? (answer: probably not). And once you know what you need, in what order whould you learn it?

Get here a map that will tell you what music theory you need to learn and in what order, and save a lot or time in your music theory study (7 minutes read)

Free harmonization eBook

“I Can’t Find the Right Chords for My Song”

Ok, you wrote a great melody for your song. Now you want to put some chords behind that... how do you do that? Trial and error is a very slow method, but what else can you do?

Here you will find a simple FREE eBook on finding the right chords for any melody that will help you in no time!

FREE Music Theory Map
Map of Music Theory
Download the FREE Map of Music Theory that will tell you what is the next topic you need to study

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