Guitar Theory - Lee Nichols

Music theory can be an extremely complicated subject. The fact is, we don't need to know half of it; so why over-complicate things? This book is about the building blocks of music theory and how it applies to the guitar. It will teach you the things that matter; the stuff that's really worth knowing if you want to take your guitar skills to the next level.

There's nothing wrong with learning advanced music theory. Most of us, however, don't care too much about it, or have much need for it. It's all very well knowing everything about counterpoint, parallel movement, submediants, doppio movimento etc., but for the typical guitarist, unless you are serious about composing by formula, reading music, or just like sounding clever; it's not going to suddenly make you a better musician.

Guitar Theory will show you how to make sense of the fundamentals; the stuff that matters. Things that will help you figure out chords and scales without needing to resort to diagrams; understanding how and why chords belong to a particular key and how to recognise when they do; scale numbering and making scale choices for guitar soloing; why scales and chords go together? ... all of the things that will help you understand music better and be able to make sense of the lingo when reading, or watching, other guitar tutorials and videos.

This book makes no attempt at teaching advanced music theory which can take many years to master. It does however give you a head start by spending more time breaking down the basics instead of trying to stuff three years of serious study into less than a few hundred pages. Once you understand the basics, the rest will make much more sense.

• What the major scale is and why it is important.
• How scales are constructed and numbered.
• Intervals: Minor thirds, flat sevenths, augmented fifths etc. What it all means.
• How chords are constructed from scales.
• Chords and key. Why certain chords belong to a particular key.
• The Roman numeral system and why it's so useful.
• Minor scale types and their differences explained.
• The Circle of fifths: Is it really that useful?
• Modes explained. How can seven scales contain all the same notes, yet be different?
• Scales and soloing: How to choose scales to play over different chord progressions.

Scales and soloing is more of a bonus section. This subject alone can be huge so I've broke it down and condensed it. This is your crash course on one of the most common questions I get asked: "What scale do I use for my guitar solo?" This section will give you an understanding of how to look at various chord progressions and choose the right scale or other soloing ideas.

This book does not teach you how to read music and no music notation is included or explained. It's just the building blocks of music theory and how everything pieces together. Some Tab is included so you should know how to read basic guitar tablature. The content moves from beginner to advanced intermediate. Although much of the content is suitable for beginners, as the book progresses it leads more towards advanced ideas and some playing and listening experience is expected. The more you play, the more it will make sense.

Audio examples and jam tracks for the book content are available for download and can be played on your computer or uploaded to any MP3 compatible device. Just go to the link included in the book and grab the MP3s. No email address or signup required.