I’d like to have a good understanding of all the guitar neck and the relation between the different strings, and to be able to construct different types of songs in different keys and progressions.
I believe that ties in with my BHAG, my goal is to write songs and and include solos here and there.
The previous times I tried theory found it quite hard and preferred to use the time in practicing exclusively with the guitar in my hands (chord changes, strumming, etc).
I feel like now I finally understood the importance of a balance practice to become a better well round musician and I find theory more interesting, not boring like before.
The main reason I want to learn music theory is that I felt stuck which led to a lack of motivation. The fact that your website is so incredibly well structured makes the whole learning process very easy as well as enjoyable. I attempted to learn music theory in the past but the lack of a good structured system, in my case, allowed for very limited progress. I can’t thank you enough for teaching all of us this incredibly valuable information! I am very excited to get started!
To answer - I started my learning curve not so long ago, in my 40’s so pacing slow but still I love it and music theory for me is like alphabet, helps me to understand what’s going on and why it all happenning
Hi, for the why, I want to understand what I am doing improvising to be able to bring different feeling with the chords playing. My big goal would be to be able to write instrumental music, to understand the chords and scale to make it sound nice
I am in my retirement and this is all new to me. So far I am keeping up practice and playing songs thank you Justin. But I want to understand how and why through theory because I know it will expand what I can do. So teach me in simple terms please? How scales, chords etc relate to each other. It is like learning a language to me.
Big thank you for what you have taught me so far. I am loving it.
The reason I’m studying music theory for guitar, and the what I’m hoping to get out of this course, is more freedom on the guitar. I’m hoping that by having a better understanding of what I’m playing and how it’s put together, I’ll know which chord or note to go to next and be better able to express on the guitar the sounds that are in my head.
I want to learn theory mainly so I can feel confident writing my own chord progressions, melodies, etc. from scratch! I also want to feel more confident in a guitar jam session, being able to play interesting chord progressions on the spot or coming up with my own riffs. I want to be able to express myself on the guitar as best I possibly can.
My main motivation to learning music theory is just understanding the songs I love, and in the future being able to write some. Currently even though I can see what notes and chords they are made of the organization and structure behind them totally escapes me.
If the question is, “how can I know what notes could sound good in this context?” music theory holds the answer.
When you want to learn a song, knowing some music theory is like having X-ray vision.
I can’t imagine studying an instrument without some exposure to theory.
(Wait, that is a lie, I can imagine it… I lived it, in school band. Imagine playing an instrument for 7 years and not learning what a key or a chord was. I’m correcting that now later in life!)
I want to study music theory because althought there are a lot of tutorials on the Web - and it’s very fun to learn a lot new songs quickly - at the end, I realized that I don’t understand what I do. That’s frustrating because I’m not able to play what I like. I only can play what I learned by heart…
So I’d like to understand why I like so much some songs, and it’s about their compositions.
Finally, I’d like to learn improvisation, more particularly in the blues, and for that I have to understand the theory of the blues. This is the first step…
I learned music theory when I studied piano as a kid. I understood why I was doing what I was doing. Now that I’m learning guitar I know it will feel incomplete, & not make as much sense to me, unless I know the theory behind what I’m doing. Without theory I’m just rote memorizing what I’m doing. With theory, I’m learning why I’m doing what I’m doing which will make it more repeatable, & transferable. At my age, 72, My goals are modest. My biggest joy is playing along with songs in the new playbook app & with my favorite Rock & Americana artists via Chordify. I am a huge Chordify fan - a very straight forward app for my less plastic brain.
I would want to be able to understand what notes work well together, and how to create my own original, unique melodies. Also I would like to be able to make guitar arrangements, and memorize the fretboard to feel more free.
If you have tried learning music theory before, why did it go wrong? How will you avoid that same problem?
Make some songs with my friends, maybe start a band, or just keep learning and getting better because I really love guitar. Possibly release a few little songs like verzache style.
A couple of reasons - I was a violinist when I was younger (around Grade 7 standard) and remember finding theory so difficult, and I had to pass Grade 5 to continue with my practical exams (which I never actually did!), so to some extent it’s unfinished business.
Secondly, I’ve loved playing guitar (in no small part due to the exceptional quality of Justin’s teaching), I’m on Beginner Level 3 and really enjoy the sessions where Justin covers adapting chord shapes and chord progressions, composing music on the fly. I think if I can understand the theory behind the music and the relationships between notes and chords, it will make me a better player and, who knows, I may even have a go at writing my own songs!
I’m studying music theory because I want to make my own music–playing other people’s music just isn’t that interesting to me. I don’t really enjoy the process of trying to figure out somebody else’s groove and then trying to copy it. Knowing theory means I can be a creator, not a copier!
Or, in the beginning at least, I can learn other people’s songs but at least have my own interpretation. Good example is that just today I learned how to form suspended chords (remove the 3rd and replace with something else) (Grade 2). Then I played All Along the Watchtower CGDA (2 bars each) and then E (8 Bars!). On the 4th bar of E, I started adding in E sus 2 to break up the 8 bars. While this is quite a simple change, it was very exciting and motivating to feel like I was at least making my own version of the song! I’m quite excited at the thought of making music that is 100% created by me!
I’m really impressed with both this theory course and beginners songbook course. My motivations for learning theory are guitar are that I’ve been a hard Science and engineering my whole life. Now it’s time to go do all those soft things: music guitar writing or painting… This is definitely a new chapter in my life! Justin’s course is really helping with the music and I’m really liking learning to play guitar. I want to jam I want to improvise I want to write music and am hoping this course will get me firmly on that road!
I want to be able to just sit in the sunshine and improvise on the guitar. To be able to put together chords and notes that sound well together without necessarily playing a song from rote.
I know I learn better when I at least have a basic understanding of how the mechanics work. Learn Ming theory seems like the most efficient way to understand why I’m doing something, not just what. My ultimate goal is gaining the ability to express myself on the guitar, compose on the fly.
I hate that you guys are making me introspect so soon in the course smh… kidding
I want to learn theory and be better at guitar because i make pretty frenetic and ambitious electronic music that i want to include guitar in a lot more (i’ve played it for years and years) but theory and practical skill at anything other than being a reliable rhythm player when jamming with friends holds me back from doing really cool stuff; and i think knowing more theory will only make the music i like composing better and more nuanced
To answer…I want to be able to keep up with my 18 year old daughter. She has perfect pitch and can play pretty much any instrument she picks up. I need to learn theory so I can converse at her level!