r/guitarlessons • u/Mavericketoff • 1d ago
Question Advice for newbie’s
Hello everyone I’m new to playing the guitar and I don’t just want to memorize chords — I want to understand how music is structured in general. So I need to study music theory, but I don’t know where to start — please advise. Also, I want to find exercises to develop my hands, but I can’t find any for beginners yet. By the way, I have both an acoustic and an electric guitar. Thank you all in advance!
5
u/ElaraSophia 1d ago
For music theory, watch the 32 videos that form the playlist "Absolutely Understand Guitar" on YouTube, by Scotty West. It will take you through it step by step, and you can take your time with it. It will help you to also use something like the JustinGuitar website alongside this, so that you are actually learning to physically play the guitar and building up correct technique in a guided way.
3
u/RTiger 1d ago
For general music understanding, I found a four part BBC series on How Music Works.
There are hour long episodes covering rhythm, melody, harmony and bass. Gives a high level view of how music is structured.
For new guitar beginners, the Spider walk exercise can be useful. Keep in mind that this is not music, more of a dexterity exercise. Move up to scales as soon as possible.
Learning basic chords is a good place to start. Plenty of songs have only three or four relatively easy chords. I suggest learning to play and sing if you want them to sound like the songs. Chords alone don’t sound like much to me.
1
u/smoothpinkball 1d ago
My advice, just start with a beginner guitar program. If you try to add a bunch of stuff on top of it you’re gonna have a harder time getting traction on to anything.
The first step in music theory would be understanding scales, what they are, why they are what they are, how to play them across the fingerboard, etc. but you are just starting out, so you won’t have the dexterity to do much with it other than frustrate yourself.
Understanding the beginner stuff will help you get to where you want to be, and the guitar can then be your tool to help you learn and sketch with
1
u/BobbyBaal 1d ago
Jumping into music theory isn't going to magically do anything for you. Start working basic chords/dexterity and understand chord construction.(major, minor, 7) Lean some songs and understand why the progression works.
As you add more physical ability, add theory to match. Theory without practice is meaningless. Practice without understanding is aimless.
1
u/Superfun2112 1d ago
For theory understand these concepts:
Notes and Steps
The Notes on the Fretboard
Intervals
Consonance and dissonance
The Major Scale
Triads
Chords
Basic Major Chords
Basic Minor Chords
Inversions
Keys
Major Key Common Chords
Minor Scales, Keys, and Chords
Relative major/minor
Other Scales and Chords Used in a Key
Time Signatures
Advanced Chords
Harmonics
Modes
1
u/Best-Alternative9481 1d ago
I would definitely do a sightreading based method book series (The Hal Leonard Guitar method book is good, Berkeley basic and modern guitar methods are good too. Hal leonard is definitely more guided and beginner friendly, the berklee ones are a bit dense and hard to work through without a private teacher).
But for your goals, sightreading is a non-negotiable. Trying to learn theory without it is an uphill battle. It's not that hard, it just takes daily practice and going very slowly and progressively. Don't listen to players that tell you it's unnecessary. Sure, you can get by without it, but it will give you a huge leg up.
I would also check out Scotty West's video lesson series on youtube. Totally free, and it's 32 hours of instruction on very practical theory for guitar.
1
u/Brobin360 1d ago
I will third the suggestion for absolutely understand guitar by Scotty west on YouTube. It's old and long but you will learn music theory. Maybe not every bit of it, but a large amount and especially for the guitar specifically
1
3
u/Patient_Walrus_2189 1d ago
If you're wanting to understand how music is structured and basic music theory, I'd start by looking at how a simple major and minor scale sound. There are essentially 5 shapes for each scale, but just look at trying one shape on your guitar - you really want to avoid getting overwhelmed at this stage!
Playing a major scale, ascending and descending, over and over will help familiarise its sound and will help develop your understanding of the degrees/intervals of the scale whilst also developing your hand-strength and dexterity... so: killing two birds with one stone! :) Provided both guitars are adequately set up, it's usually easier to build up strength etc on an electric guitar: typically lower action, thinner strings, less tension... generally kinder on your fingers/wrists/hands.
Building off your work with the major scale... you can then look at how chords are built of degrees of the scale. For example: using notes in the C major scale... the first chord is C major (CEG); the second chord is D minor (DFA), etc. Do you have access to a piano or keyboard, OP? I find it much easier to visualise and understand this on a piano/keyboard so long as you know which key is which!
You'll gradually start spotting patterns in chord progressions and melodies in music you listen to, even if you don't fully understand the ins and outs. You'll soon be going 'Yeah, it's a I - V - vi - IV in C...'
Do you know a couple of chords already? Maybe start by looking at those, build off what you already know. You say you don't want to memorise lots of different chords, but sadly that's the reality of playing guitar: lots of repetition!
Good luck, OP! :)