Where to start with theory / best place to learn theory?

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I've been playing guitar for about 4 months now, completely self taught, but know absolutely nothing about any theory. Where would be the best place to get a basic understanding of it. Had a look at a few things online, and being honest still didn't completely understand all of it. Thanks in advance, would appreciate any pointers
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  • Justinguitar. His website and his Youtube vids. Also recommend buying his beginner and intermediate books. Not a lot of theory in these, just what you need to know early on. Pick your way through these and enjoy them.

    I'd recommend his books in any case, would have saved me a lot of hassle when starting out. 
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  • wis @camoflamingo Justin is good.

    Having said that,
    scale theory, chord construction etc is what it is regardless of your instrument and while you do need practical advice for your instrument, sometimes a more abstract approach can help. You might find books aimed at piano players or sax players to be good with the concepts, even though they won't tell you where to put your fingers.
    "Working" software has only unobserved bugs. (Parroty Error: Pieces of Nine! Pieces of Nine!)
    Seriously: If you value it, take/fetch it yourself
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  • www.musictheory.net is a good site with practical tests to apply your knowledge. Also make sure you apply it to the guitar too e.g intervals and chord formulas.
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  • Theres a brilliant podcast called guitarmusictheory,com by Desi Serna its brilliant!!! he explains stuff really clearly, i found it great because i could listen to it in the car on the way home from work then go and try the stuff out

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  • Theres a brilliant podcast called guitarmusictheory,com by Desi Serna its brilliant!!! he explains stuff really clearly, i found it great because i could listen to it in the car on the way home from work then go and try the stuff out

    He wrote a number of guitar books within the For Dummies series. Which reminds me, one of them is called Guitar Theory for Dummies.
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  • Probably not what you want to hear if you've only just started learning one instrument, but I'd recommend getting yourself a cheap little keyboard. It's so much easier to "see" where notes/intervals/chords/keys/scales are in relation to each other, and to get a grip of how it all works on a keyboard than on a fretboard IMO. 

    Even a cheapy kid's one from Toys R US or Argos would probably do the trick.
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  • GuyBodenGuyBoden Frets: 733
    I'd caution, "don't let theory get ahead of your ears". Music comes from being able to hear sounds.

    If you can't hear it, you don't really know it, even if you know the mechanics behind the theory.

    Beware of theory. A little is good, but don't take too much and OD on it.
    "Music makes the rules, music is not made from the rules."
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  • ClarkyClarky Frets: 3261
    GuyBoden said:
    I'd caution, "don't let theory get ahead of your ears". Music comes from being able to hear sounds.

    If you can't hear it, you don't really know it, even if you know the mechanics behind the theory.

    Beware of theory. A little is good, but don't take too much and OD on it.
    +1

    the other pitfall with learning theory, especially from books / mags / written online is that you can read about the subject, but you're not exactly sure of what you're listening for..

    it's great to have it written down for reference, but there's no substitute for having someone take you through this stuff so you can see and hear it with context..
    play every note as if it were your first
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  • Probably not what you want to hear if you've only just started learning one instrument, but I'd recommend getting yourself a cheap little keyboard. It's so much easier to "see" where notes/intervals/chords/keys/scales are in relation to each other, and to get a grip of how it all works on a keyboard than on a fretboard IMO. 

    Even a cheapy kid's one from Toys R US or Argos would probably do the trick.
    This is a good suggestion. My answer to the OP was going to be to take a few piano lessons and practise listening to and singing different intervals like they make you do in the aural tests for piano exams.
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  • close2uclose2u Frets: 997
    ... and practise listening to and singing different intervals ...
    Listening to & singing intervals ?





















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  • JAYJOJAYJO Frets: 1526
    great link thanks
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