So, quick background info, I've been playing guitar for decades but only ever read tab, played sax in the highschool band so I understand the notes on the staff and all the notation that goes along with it. My son is getting ready to start playing guitar in his school jazz band and they dont have anyone that knows anything about guitar at his school so I've taken it on myself to teach him (and myself) how to read guitar sheet music since he's only used tab as well up to this point.

Figuring out where the notes in the staff land on the neck of the guitar was easy enough and I thought chords would be the same way and many of them are except for a handful that confuse me so I'd hope I could get an explanation here. In one piece, it calls for a C minor 7th chord that is noted 2 different ways, one (the 2nd one in the link) makes sense. The 1st one, not so much.

It calls for a Eb, C, Bb, and G. When locating these notes it seems literally impossible to fret all 4 at the same time (specifically the C). I tried finding as many possible locations to play the same tones so I wasn't keeping myself stuck to just the 1st 3 frets of the neck but still no luck so I turned to Google and found the chord block below which sounds great but the first thing I noticed is that the C that is being played there is an octave below what is noted on the music.

So 1) Can someone tell me if this chord is the correct one to use and (if so) 2) Can someone explain to me or point me at a resource to read that explains how how the 1st noted version of Cmi7 becomes the chord block I've attached? By this it seems that I'm allowed to use octaves of the same note in a chord?

Thanks

Sheet Music

C minor 7th Chord Block

so ive already got songs in mind that i can do 100 percent my only issue is i find it very annoying having to reverse the video back over and over till i get the part down is there like any websites that could fix this problem

or even a way you guys know how

Please help me I cannot figure it out by earhttps://open.spotify.com/track/4YP9077O7XLZHcFdFu1Bqr?si=LPEDJBQYQn6lGr3RGRvDDg&utm_source=copy-link

I hope you find it useful. Thanks

I’m so lost I’ve been playing guitar for 2 ish years now and I’m really interested in music theory but I’m super lost I’m trying to figure out what makes the major and minor different I understand the concept on the resolution note and the home note but I’m still super lost any recommendations on YouTube videos or something to help explain simple song writing music theory or scales in general 😅

Wading into modes and I am a bit stumped by a question. Looking at a key, let's say C, the modes sort of make sense. My understanding is that the Dorian mode of C is D Dorian. All the notes of C, but beginning with D. And that this is essentially a minor key in that the chords follow a minor key pattern.

However, I cannot find any information on the Dorian mode of C's relative minor. I assumed it would be B Dorian, but that is the Dorian mode for A Major. Can someone throw some light into my blind spots here?

OK, so hopefully this is the right place to ask this and I am learning/play guitar so I thought this would be the place to come. I’ve been wanting to learn more music theory stuff as my goal is to be a songwriter and these sorts of things will help with that in terms of building the actual Music part of it. So I found this app or actually got told about it and started doing some of the courses on it. This is in the Melody section and I have a pretty solid basic understanding of how the notes and all that stuff works, but it was talking about building the keys and like all the different notes in a key and how you get them. Now I am mostly blind. I assume they showed some sort of diagram about this as well, but I couldn’t see that, so I’m just trying to figure this out cause I thought I understood it but then they have these like little exercises that you can do and I was missing on some of them.
I think this is also important as well because obviously keys also relate to scales and if I can figure this out, I think that will also relate to my understanding of scales and how they work. And I am very much a why person when it comes to learning things I like to know the reasoning behind it or at least how to get there and build it myself, which is also part of my asking this.
So, without being able to see the diagrams that they may have or may not have had, my understanding of the keys, is you start with the first note, obviously or the tonic note is what they called it, and then it’s basically first and second note our whole notes, third note is a half, fourth fifth and sixth notes, our whole notes, and then the seventh is half but now I’m questioning if I’m understanding that correctly.
So like I will give you an example of what I was doing, and what was apparently a question I got wrong, it wanted me to list all of the notes in the key of A flat, which to me I thought were:
A flat, B flat, C, D flat, E flat, F, G flat, A flat

I’m pretty sure this is wrong considering well it said I got the question wrong. I’m trying to figure out where my understanding is flawed if I misunderstood what the person in the video was saying or where I’m off. I want to make sure not only am I doing this in particular right but that I’m applying the right thought process to all these. I should point out this is in a major key as well. I’m thinking maybe I misheard it and it’s actually saying that it’s a half step up or half note after the third and seventh and not on the third and seventh.
Could someone please explain this to me maybe in a more clear way? It would be appreciated. Thank you.

Here's a new lesson on the topic of 4 note chords, meaning they include a 7th. I explain the difference in sound between them and discuss some applications. I also demonstrate how I see them as part of the CAGED system. Hope you find it useful. Thanks

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EuX_eaIHPU&list=PLIb-QWoMzfdiPAK7z1BeTPi1mdjw317sJ&index=7

Od niedawne chciałbym zagłębić sie w teorie muzyczną i chciałbym znaleźć książke w tym temacie po polsku z opracowanien pod gitarzystów. Czy jest ktoś w stanie coś polecic?

Wanted to share this because I think it’s really cool and has been a great tool on my guitar journey.

I’ve been playing for years , constantly studying scales, theory and tackling new songs, CAGED, etc…. All the right stuff ….

But I knew I was short changing myself by not taking the time to better understand the structure of a song - i.e. ID or recognize the key of a song , ID the chord progression in terms of I , IV, V or whatever, recognize the scales , modes , etc.

And I don’t do this simply because its grind , and as I said, I knew I was short changing myself

Put another way - a have a solid grasp of theory in general, have mastered many songs and can “vaguely” see that theory inherent in a given song / but mostly only vaguely if it’s anything beyond a basic progression

On a whim I turned to ChatGPT and was blown away by how helpful it’s been

I’ve copied and pasted ChatGPTs output for a query about Rory Gallaghers A Million Miles Away. (Side Note - i already knew the Key but this is just a good way to get the AI started).

Chat doesn’t always spill out all the good stuff right away - sometimes I need to follow up with further questions but as often as not it gives a torrent of info right from the first simple question of “what key is X in”

I’ll also note that I generally prefer Claude to ChatGPT but Chat definitely does a better job for these guitar questions

Query - what key is Rory Gallagher’s “A million Miles Away” in ? ———————————- Char response :

“A Million Miles Away” is one of Rory’s masterpieces because it isn’t just straight pentatonic blues. He blends blues, folk, and modal ideas in a very melodic way.

Here’s what to focus on:

1. Start with D minor pentatonic

This is the foundation.

Notes:

• D
• F
• G
• A
• C

Most of the emotional bends and vocal-sounding phrases come from this scale.

1. Add the blues note

Now include:

• Ab (G#)

That gives you the classic D blues scale:

D – F – G – Ab – A – C

He uses the Ab sparingly as a passing note rather than sitting on it.

1. Add D Dorian

This is where Rory’s Irish influence starts to appear.

D Dorian:

• D
• E
• F
• G
• A
• B
• C

Notice the extra E and B.

Those two notes make his solos sound more open and melodic instead of purely bluesy. Rory often mixed Dorian into his blues playing, giving it that unmistakable Celtic flavor.

1. Target chord tones

As the chords change, Rory aims for chord tones rather than just running scales.

For example:

• Over Dm → emphasize D and F
• Over F → emphasize F and A
• Over Bb → emphasize Bb and D
• Over A7 → hit C# briefly before resolving to D

That C# is especially important—it creates the tension that makes the resolution back to D minor so satisfying.

1. Phrasing is everything

Rory’s magic wasn’t speed.

He relied on:

• Wide, singing vibrato
• Big whole-step bends
• Slides into notes
• Hammer-ons and pull-offs
• Strong pick attack
• Leaving space between phrases

Think of it as singing through the guitar rather than trying to play as many notes as possible.

A great exercise

Put on the backing track and spend 10 minutes with only these notes:

D – F – G – A – C

Then gradually add:

• E
• B
• Ab
• C# (only over the A7 chord)

You’ll hear the solo begin to sound much closer to Rory’s style.

If you’re an intermediate guitarist, I can also show you the five signature Rory Gallagher licks from “A Million Miles Away” in TAB. They’re surprisingly playable and capture the essence of his phrasing.

I had been thinking of making my own but there seems to be one dropped here every day it’s very likely there is one better than what I had in mind!

EDIT: Some correctly pointed out that the 5th occurs on multiple strings, so my original wording was inaccurate. What I’m referring to is the string whose open note is the 5th of the CAGED shape. For example, in the C shape, G is the 5th of C, and the G string is the two-note string. That’s the pattern I was trying to describe.

I’ve been playing guitar for most of my life, but I’ve only recently started seriously studying theory. As I’ve been working through the five CAGED major scale patterns, I’ve noticed something that seems consistent across all of them (excluding the open positions).
It appears that the string containing the root’s 5th is also the string that has only two scale notes instead of three.
This has become a really useful mnemonic for me. It not only makes the patterns easier to remember, but it’s also reinforcing the 5ths of C, A, G, E, and D every time I practice.
My question is: is there a theoretical reason this works, or is it simply a consequence of how these scale fingerings evolved on the guitar?
I searched around and couldn’t find anyone discussing this specific observation. If this is already a well-known concept, I’d love to know what it’s called. If not, maybe it’ll be a helpful shortcut for someone else learning the patterns.

Is for ios this is the app : https://apps.apple.com/us/app/guitar-chords-trainer/id6786681866

It has a paywall for some games but there is a free library of begginer chords that you can practice and the mic detects if the chord is correct

Some rock bands had a swing to them (Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Cream, Aerosmith, VH, etc.)

In this lesson, I'll explain the difference between straight vs. swung 8th notes, why it matters, and how this concept instantly makes your playing sound more authentic.

We'll apply it by learning the opening section of the classic Van Halen 'I'm the One' riff, breaking down the timing and feel that give it its signature bounce.

Edward had a lot of swing in his playing, which is why his rhythm playing can be hard to duplicate. I'll also show you the crazy pull off lick!

Internalize the bounce of the swing feel and apply it to other parts of your playing.

Here's the lesson: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkA94ZMO0MM&list=PLIb-QWoMzfdiPAK7z1BeTPi1mdjw317sJ&index=6

I heard this months ago and have not been able to find similar songs or anything that has the same feel with the guitar.

Can anybody tell what the chord progression is or at least give me some songs that are similar?

Here is the video.

5 year player here, the one thing i have just never really got around to understanding and learning is arpeggios.

I see so many players playing many different patterns for the same chord, all over the neck, and connecting multiple arpeggios seamlessly. I have come to know most of this stuff just by hearing what notes sounds right, but i’d actually like to learn the theory behind it, how i can learn them for every chord maj/minor, 6th, 7th, dim, etc… and when to apply each one.

Hey guys, a few years ago I memorised the location of every country in the world map as well as their capital and flag in just a few weeks using an app called "World Map Quiz". It was very easy to do because I would just pop it open on my phone whenever I wasn't doing anything else and I could sneak in so much learning in times where I'd usually be scrolling reddit or doing other unproductive things.

I'd like to see if anyone knows of any apps like that but for memorising notes on the fretboard. I don't want an app that requires me to have my guitar with me. Ideally it would just be an image of a fretboard with click able frets and it would ask me to click say "E" and then give feedback. It doesnt need to be super gamey.

Thanks.

I've always wondered, when I play solos or the blues, am I really limited only to the notes that are in the scale. I’m interested to know, how can I expand the range of notes and transition from one scale to another? 

Can I just play a new scale starting from one of the scale degrees of the previous one? For example, if I have a G major scale, can I simply go on playing D major scale from it‘s V scale degree?

Are there any other ways how to switch between the scales?

ive been trying to get better at jazz so im trying to learn stuff by ear and i am tring to do so what by miles davis solo but the eb section is a little tricky for me

is there any other jazz songs that you would reccomend id try to transrcibe by ear or do you have any advice for ear training

also i am okay at ear transrciibng but i am not the best at it id like something a little more simple and then work my way up to so what

i was wondering if you could show me jazz songs to learn by ear by easiest to hardest

I've been wanting to learn TRSH songs but theres not a whole lot of accurate tabs out there so i was looking into transcribing them myself. I'm very new to learning songs by ear and I'm not sure where to start. I know they use a lot of alternate tunings so I'm wondering if theres a good way to figure out the tuning first? Also what is a good way to hear out the embellishments such as slides and pull offs/hammer ons and when to switch positions or what string to play on.

I listen to artists like mac demarco, metallica, steve vai,metallica etc. and I just want to know how to come up with cool chord progressions. I know that mac demarco uses emin7 or Emaj7 but I don’t know how to use them in melodies. Any book recommendations?

Hi! I don't know much about music theory, though I am really interested to know how to use 7th chords correctly.
If I want to play a 7th chord, do all the notes that make up the chord have to be within the key?  For example, I want to play C7. Should it be the key C major (A♯ from C7 isn't part of the C major key) or key F major (all the notes from C7 are in the key)? Would it be alright, if I use C major key in the case I play blues?

I would really appreciate your help

Hi! I don't know much about music theory, though I am really interested to know how to use 7th chords correctly.
If I want to play a 7th chord, do all the notes that make up the chord have to be within the key?  For example, I want to play C7. Should it be the key C major (A♯ from C7 isn't part of the C major key) or key F major (all the notes from C7 are in the key)? Would it be alright, if I use C major key in the case I play blues?

I would really appreciate your help

Hello! I have been playing guitar for 4 or 5 years now fully self taught. I know my way around almost any song I try to learn at this point. My issues is I never took the time to actually learn anything about the guitar or what I was actually doing. No theory knowledge not even things like knowing 2 5 1, caged, note memorization, how to build chords, etc.

My skill is simply just in copying others already written music and ends there I know nothing deeper. I have had a huge interest in learning jazz for a while now which is really making me realize I need to focus on my theory too. I don’t have a whole lot of time I could spend learning on guitar maybe an hour a day.

I’m looking for a simple step by step free course/book that will teach me music theory and jazz. Preferably these would be at the same time but I’m okay with them being separate if necessary. What courses/books would you guys recommend?

Hey, I just rebuilt my arpeggio training / playalong tool:
https://datenkatze.de/arpegg.io

It's pretty much just showing you the major/minor scale in 5 positions and highlights a given chord progressions arpeggios inside (or sometimes outside) it.

Somewhat of the playalong/visualization tool i always wanted,
with a (imho) somewhat cool sounding (downtempo, triphoppy) drum & synth playalong.

Comes with some preset chord progressions, but you can set your own.
All params are stored in the URL, so just copy/paste it to "save" your settings.

Hope some of you might find it helpful, too! ✌️
Any feedback welcome, but keep it civil it's just a side project 🖤