*cough* theory...

[Bengal65]

There is a lot of info out there. I have a 4 yr. degree in Guitar Performance from Utah State University. Before that I studied the Berklee Method with my perfectionist teacher from Julliard.

A great "quickie" lesson, that gives you all the tools is Doug Marks' Metal Method. I have just about all his courses, starting out when they were only available on cassette tape in 1982 all the way to the newly revised 2007 DVD course. It's well worth the cost of his lessons. They also apply to many styles and not just metal. Doug covers a lot of the styles and how the Theory works in a straight forward explanation. If you have a pretty good understanding of how things go together you can just buy the advanced lessons covering Theory. My recommendation is to get them all. There are lots of neat tips in each lesson even if you have been playing for years.

[JetFixxxer]

I have this book http://www.amazon.com/Music-Theory-G...7817023&sr=1-1
which I like... and also another good place is Wikipedia..

[shredmonster]

I look at as two different things theory and reading music and technique. I also don't think you have to be able to read music to understand it or to create it.

What works for me first off was learning the major scale. Then the chord formulas that are associated with it. After that it was goin on to the modes based off the major scale and more importantly their feeling they bring out of me Once I had the understanding of that I could get into different scales...harmonic minor, melodic minor, diminished, gypsy etc etc.

I did learn to read music but really found out when reading I was really just using my ear ansd memorizing the notes...so basicaly after reading through a piece I was just memoriing it by ear and cheating I figuered why bother...I can figure out just about anything by my ear and understanding of the theory of music...not reading it. I do wish I could just pick up any piece of music and play it instantly on the spot regarless of the type of music it was.

The other side of the coin to me is technique...if you dont have it all of the above doesnt matter

What works for one doesnt work for all so I'm not saying this is how you should apporach it, just that it worked effectively for me. I don't think lack of reading per se hurts my ability to create music at all. My main weakness is arrangemnent...I just want to throw everything and the kitchen sink into the piece and have a hard time saying enough is enough...thats why I enjyed working with writing parnter who can say dude...it's fine the way it is

[horns666]

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[no-one]

Though I know a bit about music theory from formal piano lessons, I never really learned to apply it to guitar. I just picked up the "Guitar Fretboard Workbook" by Tagliarino and it's great. Starts with basic stuff like patterns & note finding, and then works up to more scales, modes, chords, arpeggios, triads, alterations, etc..... I'm digging it. Very practical and plenty of exercises to drill in the concepts. Check it out.

same here
I had piano lessons for years, but I really had troubles to "convert" my music-reading-ablities () and basic musical knowledge from the piano to the guitar.

Funny enough, I never thought about scales, modes and this shit when playing piano, it was never important there... at least to me; I learned this stuff at school and was bored, so I hardly remember it at all... now, playing guitar, it would really come in handy

[Chad]

What exactly is "cough theory"?

[Spivonious]

What exactly is "cough theory"?

-1

[DrDoug]

Well, if you really want to know...

*cough* theory is the basis that is used to explain why the doc tells us guys to turn our head and cough while he plays pokemon with our nads.



I learned to read music in elementary and junior high school. I taught myself how to play guitar first, along with gaining a basic understanding of reading sheet music. I wanted to learn more, so I learned to play the trumpet. That gave me a better grasp on reading music. I later learned the upright sousaphone (tuba) just for the heck of it. Yup, I was a band geek! Carrying that damn sousaphone in two spring parades convinced me to get back to guitar...lol! Trumpet/coronet was fun, but that sousaphone was a lot more fun for me. I have always been more of a rhythm guy, not a lead. Trumpet is more out front, while the sousaphone is more of a background instrument.

With guitar, I rarely dig up the sheet music for a song that interests me. I have a pretty good ear and can usually figure it out without a problem. More difficult passages force me to dig up the sheet music, but not that often.

I really don't care for tabs one bit. If I need to look up the specifics of a song, I want detailed info and the only way to get it is via sheet music.

Back from my brief hiatus while moving. I have way too much stuff, but I can't get myself to get rid of anything. I think I have terminal packratitis...