Guitar Music Theory

Make your guitar learning easier and your practice more productive by slowing down songs, changing the pitch of the music, and looping song sections.  Enroll in a FREE video course at GuitarMusicTheory.com.

In this podcast episode, you hear about the benefits of learning songs and how playing songs is the only way to get all aspects of your guitar playing in order so you sound like a real player.  Enroll in a FREE video course at GuitarMusicTheory.com.

How did the Guitar Music Theory podcast get started? Why did it stop? Get all the history about Desi Serna, Fretboard Theory and more plus hear what's new and get ready for more episodes.  Enroll in a FREE video course at GuitarMusicTheory.com.

Today’s podcast episode is based on the newly updated Chapter 2 from my Fretboard Theory video series and deals with playing pentatonic scale patterns. This chapter update is also sold separately as a stand-alone course called, Pentatonic Scale Patterns: How to Easily Master the Patterns Used to Play Music’s Most Iconic Guitar Riffs and Solos. The audio you hear in today’s podcast is a collection of excerpts pulled directly from the video. If you would like to view the actual video lesson along with its added resources including pentatonic song lists, backing tracks, and tabs, go to: http://www.guitar-music-theory.com/pentatonic/

In this free guitar lesson, you receive an overview of the book and video course, Guitar Picking Mechanics. This instruction features techniques and exercises for increasing your picking accuracy, speed, and comfort. Get equipped to play popular styles of music more proficiently so you can become a better and more confident guitarist. View the full course at: http://GuitarMusicTheory.com/pick

In this free guitar lesson you learn how play pedal points and pedal tones. Pedal points can add new chord tones to basic chord changes. This technique can help make a harmonically richer sound and musical texture. Taught by Desi Serna of http://GuitarMusicTheory.com.

In this free guitar lesson you learn how harmonic minor scale patterns are used in improvisation. This includes a review of building the harmonic minor scale, using pentatonic lead patterns in harmonic minor, and outlining V7 chords with arpeggios. Taught by Desi Serna of http://GuitarMusicTheory.com.

In this free guitar lesson you learn how to use chord tone soloing to connect scales more closely to their related chords, and outline particular chord progressions. Taught by Desi Serna of http://GuitarMusicTheory.com.

In this free guitar lesson you learn how to use pentatonic lead patterns for playing major scales and modes. You learn how the pentatonic scale relates to the major scale. Taught by Desi Serna of http://GuitarMusicTheory.com.

In this free guitar lesson you learn that when it comes to using the pentatonic scale, it's not necessary to utilize every position or every part of every pattern. Most guitar players, including some of the most famous ones, favor only a few particular sections of these different patterns that work well together. When viewed together, these sections are sometimes called “lead patterns”. Taught by Desi Serna of http://GuitarMusicTheory.com.

In this free guitar lesson you learn how the spaces between chords are filled with passing chords. This includes a discussion on chromatic passing chords, diminished chords and augmented chords. Taught by Desi Serna of http://GuitarMusicTheory.com.

In this free guitar lesson you look at several related topics including: modulation, key changes, modal interchange, borrowed chords, and the circle of fifths. Taught by Desi Serna of http://GuitarMusicTheory.com.

In this free guitar lesson you learn about dominant function and using dominant seventh chords. This includes instruction on secondary dominants, voice leading and harmonic minor chord progressions. Taught by Desi Serna of http://GuitarMusicTheory.com.

In this free guitar lesson you take a look at the interval structure of the different modes of the major scale and how musicians would number chord progressions that are modal. This involves naming the tonic pitch in a mode “1” and then numbering its other pitches from there with consideration given to any change in interval structure like sharp and flat degrees. Taught by Desi Serna of http://GuitarMusicTheory.com.

This free guitar lesson answers the question "What is the key of a song?" You learn about tonic pitches, relative major and minor, modes and key signatures. You see that the key of a song doesn't always reflect the true parent major scale and it's up to you to go beyond the basic details and sort out the other components at play. Taught by Desi Serna of http://GuitarMusicTheory.com.

Australian guitarist and singer/songwriter Joe Robinson discusses his musical background, style and perspectives on music theory and guitar playing. Includes samples of his songs and recorded albums plus live playing and improvisations. Taught by Desi Serna of http://GuitarMusicTheory.com.

In this free guitar lesson you learn about blues guitar theory including blues chords and blues progressions. You also hear examples of how blues guitarists mix major and minor pentatonic scale patterns and use Mixolydian mode. Taught by Desi Serna of http://GuitarMusicTheory.com.

In this free guitar lesson you learn how to add chord tones and extensions to chords including major and minor seventh chords. Taught by Desi Serna of http://GuitarMusicTheory.com.

In this free guitar lesson you learn how to play intervals such as thirds, fourths, fifths, sixths, and sevenths. You get to hear what it sounds like to play harmonized guitar parts based on these intervals. Taught by Desi Serna of http://GuitarMusicTheory.com.

Learn the music theory behind guitar modes and hear how they're used in popular music. Play modal scales including Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian and Locrian. Taught by Desi Serna of http://GuitarMusicTheory.com.