One of the most popular musical instruments created is the guitar. Many individuals want to learn to play this instrument but most of them fail because they soon grow impatient especially in learning the guitar chords and notes. Other methods of learning to play the guitar will give you long nights of practice but with little progress, sore fingers, and numerous teachers. This is why many individuals who want to learn to play guitar easily and fast turn to the freeware found online.

There are a lot of freeware found online especially about playing the guitar. You can choose freeware that is suited for beginners, for advanced players, and intermediate. It is very important to choose the right freeware so that you can learn the right stuff.

As the word suggests freeware is for free. Now, you must know that most guitar software packages will cost you some money but it is already considered much cheaper than other methods of learning to play guitar. By conducting a thorough search online, you can find many freeware that will suit your learning needs.

Once you’ve chosen a few freeware, you can now choose the best one. Just make sure that the freeware you’ve chosen is of good quality. This way, you will not be wasting any time on poor quality freeware.

You can save a lot of money and time by using freeware. You can learn at your own pace without any pressures from a guitar teacher. You will learn about the guitar basics, technical stuff about playing guitar, the chords, the notes, and many others. You can learn different levels of playing the guitar. Thanks to the freeware found online, you can become one of the pros.

One should not go through all the pain of learning to play guitar. With the new technology enjoyed by many people at present, the learning process is shortened and you get to spend only a little amount of money. And when you’re using freeware, you only need to spend money on the guitar and other accessories and most especially your precious time.

Guitar lessons online are the true solutions to the growing demand for guitar teachers, instructions books, and other learning programs. Aside from it being cost effective, you can log on to the internet at your most convenient time and in even your own homes.

Don’t waste your time in guitar software packages that cost you huge money. Find the appropriate freeware online and learn to play the guitar fast. Shop around for the right guitar and some guitar accessories like guitar amps and guitar pick. By having the right attitude towards learning to play such musical instrument, you will have little problems in the future.

Learn to play guitar through freeware. Find one now and see if it really works. You can either learn to play alone or have some friends around who are also guitar enthusiasts. Have fun because that’s one of the secrets of playing the guitar. If you’re not enjoying it, then you will never learn; so you’d better enjoy and learn.

The Basics

Ironically, the most absolute and basic element of being able to study music theory is actually not considered music theory. It’s called note reading. You will need to develop, at minimum, a basic to intermediate understanding of standard music notation in order to learn music theory on the internet. There are many options for studying basic note reading, and you can access software that will provide exercises on the internet, or just pick up a basic note reading book at a music shop. The best thing about using a computer to learn is that your mistakes will be identified right away, and the computer can show you how to fix them. Note reading will be the foundation upon which you build your music theory skills.

The Intermediate

Once you have gained an understanding of basic to intermediate note reading, then you’ll find that your quest to learn music theory on the internet will progress more smoothly. There are dozens of websites and program designed to help intermediate level learners understand music theory on the internet. Some are tailored to players of specific instruments or specific genres, and you’ll have to choose what you’d like to focus on.

After note reading, the next thing you’ll want to study is keys and key signatures. If you play an instrument, it might help you to learn some scales to help you understand and memorize the major and minor keys. Once you can understand keys and key signatures, you can move onto learning about chords, including their structure and what roles they play in music. You’ll want to learn how to build all types of chords including majors, minors, diminished, and seventh chords.

Believe it or not, there are some patterns in music that repeat themselves over and over again. Regardless of the genre, you will find certain chord patterns that appear across the board in every style of music. After you have mastered chord construction, then you will begin to study the order in which chords are commonly found. You can put this idea to practice by writing some songs of your own!

The Advanced

Depending on your instrument, there will be dozens of options for learning advanced theory. Guitar players will find that more advanced chord structures exist, and then study those structures and practice by using and finding these complex chords in music. All players will want to study modes as well, which is basically another way of forming scales outside of major and minor keys. If you are interested in writing music, you will also want to study more advanced uses of chords within music.

Music theory is a broad and dynamic concept to study. Some people spend their entire lives studying it, as there are PhD programs for music theory! You don’t have to dedicate all of your time and energy to music theory in order to understand it. The course offerings and materials that are found online make it possible to learn music theory on the internet.

In today’s musical environment, guitar tabs have become a great source for learning songs, guitar solos, and guitar chords quickly. It’s very important however, not to rely on guitar tabs as a substitute for an authentic music education. Guitarists who intend on progressing to the national and international stage should constantly strive to become more educated.

Nothing can replace a thorough knowledge of music theory. Especially when it pertains to guitar. Perhaps you’ve heard the old saying, the guitar is the easiest instrument to learn, but the hardest to master. There’s a good reason for this saying. There are hundreds and hundreds of musical options that can be utilized on the guitar when approaching any playing situation. In other words, the more informed choices one has regarding an approach to a particular musical scenario, the better the outcome. Informed choices are a result of authentic education.

Imagine walking on to a stage with complete strangers. The musical director announces that the song structure is a ii, IV, vi, V, I chord progression in the key of five flats and to extend the IV chord to it’s furthest diatonic extension. The very next thing heard is the drummer clicking off the tempo. This scenario would be quite intimidating for many guitarists.

All of the guitar tabs in the world won’t help in that scenario. In other words, for those who had been relying only on guitar tabs for his/her musical background, the above referenced chord progression would, most likely, turn into a musical train wreck. Contrast that with an ability to walk on to any stage, with any artist group, and play through every chord progression, in any key signature. Once again, guitar tabs do not, generally, educate one in overall music theory. Most often, guitar tabs help one learn to play something that already exists.

Visit any music store in the world. There is bound to be someone sitting on an amplifier speed picking arpeggios or some other scale. At first glance, many might think that this individual is very, very, talented. In fact, he/she might very well be very talented. However, if this individual has been relying only on guitar tabs, he/she would, most likely fall short, if confronted with a difficult chord progression or key signature change.

Far too many guitar players are relying on speed and flash! However, when all is said and done, the individuals that have taken the time to learn their instrument and all related music theory will, most likely, be the most successful overall. It’s actually very complimentary to get a late night call from a producer who needs help with creating a well-constructed guitar solo or help with the overall flow and dynamics of a song. Once again, guitar tabs, in general, will not help in this situation. However, education will!

Confidence, as a guitarist, is a great feeling. Knowledge of chord construction, chord function, guitar scales, guitar scale formulas, key signatures, extended guitar chords, altered guitar chords, chord inversions, guitar chord and guitar scale substitution principles (and so much more) is the greatest confidence builder that a guitarist, or any musician, could hope for. Take the time to study and learn. Your hard work and dedication to the guitar will pay off.

There are so many very good music institutes, colleges, and guitar methods that can help in the quest for education. However, make sure that any program will deliver an authentic education and not just bits and pieces of music theory. Most importantly, do not procrastinate. If musical opportunity knocks, be prepared to open the door. The key here is preparation through education.

Guitar tabs are great tools. Use them for what they are. Education is your best bet for maintaining longevity in your chosen field, playing the guitar. Until next time, practice, practice, practice.

Music theory is the language of musical construction. Those who understand the language of music, those who can read and write music are called musicians. Just as people who share a common language communicate everyday, musicians communicate through a common musical language.

The language musicians communicate in is not by speaking but rather by the use of sheet music. Sheet music contains information that allows musicians to play the same piece of music on their instruments regardless of which language they speak. People all around the world communicate through the language of music and that is why music is called the universal language.

2) Do I need to know music theory in order to play a musical instrument?

This is a tricky question and the answer is yes and no. Allow me to explain. If some noise or sound has rhythm, a melody, and harmony, it can be called music. Without these components it is simply noise or organized noise.

A musician, someone who understands music theory and is able to communicate in the language of music, will compose a piece of music and know what they are doing and why they are doing it. A musician will know the name of the notes, chords, and scales they are using and more important, they will know why the musical composition works or sounds good.

A musician does not need to hear the musical composition to know wether or not certain notes and chords sound good when played together, because the theory has already determined what note and chord families will sound good together and why it is so.

On the other hand many people who play music, do play by ear. Many of those who play by ear do not know the name of the notes, chords, and scales they are playing, yet they are able to create a musical composition that is pleasing to the ear of the listener.

Players who learn and create music by ear have developed a good sense of pitch and as they continue to train their ear, their ability to identify notes, chords, and qualities of chords, will improve.

Typically, those who play by ear are limited to playing simple forms of music like blues, rock, pop, and country. It is very difficult to play classical and jazz music without some form of musical training and a decent grasp on music theory.

People who have the ability to learn complex forms of music by ear have an extraordinary musical gift and they might even be considered musical prodigies.

To help draw a distinction between musicians and those who play music by ear I offer this example. A person who uses a computer may not have a clue about how a computer works, yet they can type a letter, send an e-mail, or surf the net. The same is true with music.

So, if a person who plays music by ear creates a musical composition that pleases the ear then they are likely applying principles of music theory wether they realize it or not.

3) Is music theory only beneficial to musicians?

No. Many studies have concluded that those who study music and the arts excel in school, career, and in life.

A degree in music is most always a liberal arts degree and therefore does not limit one to just being a musician. There are many career paths one can pursue with a music degree.

A person who understands music theory will typically pay close attention to the music they are listening to. Musicians will listen for rhythm, melody, harmony, note juxtaposition, point counterpoint, dynamics, etc… The better someone listens and can understand the nuances in the music they are listening to, the more they can enjoy it.

4) What is tablature and is it the same thing as reading music?

Tablature would not be considered reading music. Tablature is a system that shows guitar players exactly what notes and chords to play by showing where to place their fingers on the neck of the guitar. Tablature does not give enough information to play the music as it was written, with tablature you must know the song to be able to play it as it was written.

Tablature is a very effective tool for musicians and players alike and is widely used by both. Accurate tablature will allow a player to to copy a piece of music very close to the way it was written if they are familiar with the piece of music.

Tablature is not the same thing as reading music but it is a very useful tool for learning note for note transcriptions, and is a good learning tool as well.

5) What is the best way to learn music theory?

I believe the best way to learn music theory is through formal musical training. Music study can be acquired at a school that teaches music or by way of private instruction or tutoring. Learning music theory without the assistance of a teacher is possible but it would be a challenge.

My own experience is that the best time to learn music theory is when a person is young, between the ages of 8 and 12 or when a child is in elementary school. The chances of successfully learning music theory seems to be much better when the music training starts at an early age.

To read discussion on this topic visit my blog and remember, in music ignorance isn’t bliss, it just means more work!

]]> http://www.beethoven-stiftung.com/128-what-is-music-theory-faqs.html/feed 0 http://www.beethoven-stiftung.com/29-music-theory.html http://www.beethoven-stiftung.com/29-music-theory.html#comments Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:47:53 +0000 admin http://www.abetmusica.org/?p=29 Music Theory and Music References So how does Music Theory apply to reference products? These days, there are a lot of decent music theory books, tapes etc. on the market, and many of them feature good technical content. There are no real replacements for these guides. However, most of the information in them seems to lack specific details that, otherwise, never really get you to the point of playing your instrument.

For example, many music theory publications do a good job of explaining Key Signatures and the history of music, yet, these subjects might not interest you as much as getting your instrument out and actually getting down to the matter at hand… playing it!

How can music theory be both educational and fun and interesting at the same time?

The thought of having “all” references to music theory… like: chord structures, melodic notes, scales, all-in-one hand held device (dial) was born in the form of a reference dial (see reference below).

“Implied” music theory is a technique that while you play your instrument, you are consciously and sub-consciously learning insightful music theory information, naturally. And indeed, you’re having the enjoyment of playing your instrument at the same time.

All songs are played in a key. Most songs for most styles can be played using only 8 chords for accompaniment and 6 scales for melodies or solos in each key. Music Dials instantly show you the chords & scales you need in each key.

The 8 chords in each key you should know…

The 6 common chords come from the major scale notes in each key and are called scale tone chords (I = do, IIm = re, IIIm = mi, IV = fa, V = so, VIm = la). The 2 optional chords (bIII, bVII), commonly used for rock & blues, come from the flatted third and flatted seventh (notes of the major scale and can also be used to play songs in each key.)

Except for jazz, most songs use only major, minor and seventh chords and these are the basic chords you should learn in each key. Experiment with and have fun playing, creating or improvising great sounding chord progressions in each key.

There are four chord types: major, minor, augmented, diminished. There are many extensions of these chord types including: suspended, fifth, sixth, seventh, ninth, eleventh and thirteenth chords. Chord formulas define which major scale notes are contained in the chord (1 = do, 2 = re,3 = mi, 4 = fa, 5 = so, 6 = la, 7 = ti).

The specific scale you use to play solo in each key depends on the type of sound you want to create. Here are the 6 most commonly used scales including 2 for “melodic” sounding solos, 2 for “blues” sounding solos and 2 for various other sounding solos.

Scale formulas define which major scale notes are contained in the scale (1 = do, 2 = re, 3 = mi, 4 = fa, 5 = so, 6 = la, 7 = ti).

I hope this section has shed some light on music theory and how tools like the Music Dial and other music reference guides could assist with your resolve to play better, whether you are a guitar player, bass guitar player, keyboard player, mandolin or banjo player, or any instrument for that matter (like horns, etc.).