|
|
 Theory Basics to get you started It's fun and exhilerating to start playing great songs by great bands and artists, but playing without any knowledge of theory is a little like painting by numbers. You know what to do to make the sounds, but you don't know what is happening. This page is designed to help you understand a little more about the "mechanics" of what is happening when you play. It is your choice if you want to extend your knowledge of theory further, lots of hobby guitarists are happy playing and developing without the "grind" of learning theory. This page is not designed to teach you music, it is designed to help you understand the basic basic points of what is going on. This will in turn help in developing your playing. Notes There are 12 notes A A# B C C# D D# E F F# G G# # = sharp (sharp is a half step above a note) b = flat (flat is a half step below a note) Thinking logically therefore C# is also Db Note There are no sharps on B & E Each string plays a single note In standard tuning; 6 5 4 3 2 1 Played open, the strings play E A D G B e With your finger at a fret position, each fret = half a step 2 frets = a full step Illustrated on the fretboard as follows (right hand) Note: The illustration is vertically in the opposite direction to how you look at your guitar (upsidedown). Looking at your fret board when you play, your strings run from 6th string (nearest your head) down to 1st string (nearest your toe). All fretboard illustrations are in the above format to illustrate base strings at the bottom. Scales A scale is a series of notes in a sequence. The notes within each scale are related and as such work well with each other. Generally a song or musical work is constructed from an individual scale. Example Major Scale In major scales the notes within each scale are in a sequence of steps Step whole whole half whole whole whole half Examples D major scale D E F# G A B C# D G major scale G A B C D E F# G Note: You will see that this relates to the fretboard illustration Key In simplest terms, songs are played in keys. You will have heard the question "what key is it played in". The key relates to the scale. For example a song played in the key of D major will (in the main with some exceptions) contain notes and chords from the D major scale. Note: We will be producing a video lesson on writing your own songs, you will then be able to see how easy it is for you to write songs - with some basic rules which we will explain. Chord A chord is a group of notes played together. Each note in the chord has a relationship with the other notes in the chord. Example A Major chord E Major chord = Root note A B + note 4 half steps above C# E + note 7 half seps above E G# Example A major chord is notes A, C# and E played together Chord Groups Chords fit into three group based on the notes forming the chords Major Chords - Sound "Happy, cheery" Minor Chords - Sound "Sad, sombre" Seventh chords - Sound "Jazzy" Try this out yourself play a some major chords together, hear how they ring out with a happy, energetic feel. Then play some minor chords, hear how they sound more sombre. Try A major then A minor. Try E major then E minor Chord notation Where the chord just show the letter, it is the Major variation. Where the chord is minor it will be noted as (m) a minor chord Example; A major you will see as just A A minor you will see as Am E major you will see as just E E minor you will see as Em Bar and Measures A bar or measure is is a segment of time defined as a given number of beats of a given duration. The most common form of timing is 4:4 (4 beats to a bar). If you look at musical notation, you will see each bar is defined by a vertical line in the notation Think of the line as a bar. Beats & notes Think of beats as a pulse. A bar being a time length of 1 full note. The most common form of Bar timing is 4:4 ie; 4 x 1/4 notes in each bar. 1/4 notes Think of these in a count 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 etc Each number counted is a 1/4 note. In this example think of each number as a down strum. Think of each down strum as a beat. 1/8 notes In 4:4 timing, this is fitting 8 part notes into a bar ie; 1/8 of a note 1/16th notes In 4:4 timing this is fitting 16 part notes into a bar ie; 1/16 of a note Example - Think of the beats count as; 1/4 notes 1 2 3 4 1/8th notes 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and double up 1/8's 1 and a 2 and a 3 and a 4 and a As an example in playing; Think of 1 2 3 4 as down strums and's as up strums in the middle of 2 x 1/4 notes and a as a quick down up in the middle of 2 x 1/4 notes Syncopation Syncopating is adding in part notes or taking out part notes within the bar timing. Strumming patterns Strumming patterns are simply the syncopation used working within bar timing. If you have read and understand all of this well done ! Now go and play something Keep learning FUN |
|