Query about 'Street Theory for Guitarists' from Truefire

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hotpickupshotpickups Frets: 1813
edited May 2020 in Theory
https://truefire.com/guitar-lessons/street-theory-for-guitarists/c1163

I'm going to start another online course to do in this lockdown period. I've seen this one which seems ideal i.e. theory lessons mixed with actual playing too etc. However, my concern is after subscribing to another Truefire course yesterday I realised the tutor only explains one position of each mode etc. Which I thought was crazy and would need to cover the whole fretboard etc.

Has anyone used this course and can confirm that he does illustrate all mode, scale positions etc? I'd rather not have to go back to Truefire again to ask for another credit if not :(

Link to my trading feedback:  http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/59452/
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Comments

  • hotpickupshotpickups Frets: 1813
    I'm sure someone on here recently mentioned they were buying it?
    Link to my trading feedback:  http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/59452/
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  • mrkbmrkb Frets: 6637
    I’ve got an All Access account so can look. But I’m not sure what you asking, there are 7 scale patterns and 7 modes, so each scale pattern will be one of the positions of every mode.
    Karma......
    Ebay mark7777_1
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  • hotpickupshotpickups Frets: 1813
    mrkb said:
    I’ve got an All Access account so can look. But I’m not sure what you asking, there are 7 scale patterns and 7 modes, so each scale pattern will be one of the positions of every mode.
    Great thanks. Maybe I should look into an All Access account too. Is it expensive @mrkb ?

    I guess what I'm trying to find out is if the demoes/performances show a Mode played in different positions in the fretboard when soloing etc. Like they'll be 7 major scale positions / boxes and there are pdf downloads to notate them on the fretboard etc. I guess once you know the intervals of each mode one can work them out but I'm just lazy LOL
    Link to my trading feedback:  http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/59452/
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  • OnparOnpar Frets: 415

    I just finished the ‘street theory’ course last night and I highly recommend it.

    There is a downloadable diagram showing the 7 modal scale shapes in 7 positions Starting on G major, However it is shown as the 3 note per string shapes but I prefer the standard shapes as I can see the CAGED chords easier. You could probably find what you are looking for on google. Hope this helps if I have interpreted your question correctly.

    Before I go off on a long ramble I want to preface my opinion by saying that I am not an expert on guitar theory (far from it!) and that I probably have some of the terminologies and/or concepts wrong. This is purely my view as I interpreted guitar theory and my view on learning.

    For this particular TrueFire course I just followed the video and didn’t use the diagrams. I am finding that it is much better to follow the videos by seeing how the instructor plays it and using my ear to follow. Or by using the intervals of any given scale. Although a diagram might initially seem ‘easier’, I think it’s actually harder to learn this way rather than really learning what the scale is and what it sounds like. In a recent video, Tomo Fujita said that he always gets his student to learn things the harder way as it sinks in and that they really understand the concept.

    It turns out that I already know all the modes anyway. It’s just the major scale across the fretboard in different positions. So in the key of G, if you want to play over a modal chord progression where the Am chord is the tonal centre then I just play the G major scale but concentrate on the A notes and the chord tones of Am. This is how you can play A Dorian. Another way of looking at it is that you start the G major scale on the second note or use the second position of the G major scale – both is the same as playing A Dorian.

     You can also look at things using intervals. For example, if you want to play a G mixolydian scale then just play the G major scale but flatten (move down a half step) the seventh note. This flat seventh can also be viewed as the unique/special note for that mode.

     It’s actually taken me a long time to understand this stuff, so if you don’t get it at first revisit it and try again. Eventually it will click.

     I should have learnt this stuff 30 years ago and feel annoyed with myself for leaving it so long. I have been playing with my head in the sand for so long and it feels great to understand what I am playing. There are a few reasons why some of us don’t understand basic guitar theory. For me personally, I didn’t know it existed. I had lessons from 11-16 years of age and my tutors (who were great players and good people) never mentioned any of this, or maybe they did and I didn’t listen. I spent my teenage years with my head in TAB books. I just didn’t know any better. But we are all masters of our own destiny and it’s never too late.

    I decided to try and learn the basics of music theory about a year ago and started with ‘a dummies guide to guitar theory’, which is a good book but didn’t quite digest the information how I should have. Then I visited an old friend in Florida earlier this year. We used to play guitar together as 15 year olds and I was the better player. I played the Steve Vai Crossroads piece for my GCSE music practical exam and nailed it, so I could play but didn’t understand what I was playing (if that makes sense). Anyway, when I saw my fiend again after many years his playing was on a whole other level. While I was playing blues riffs and pentatonic licks, he was playing such wonderful melodic and harmonically rich solos over a country backing track. It was a whole other world. I promised myself that I would learn guitar theory and try to become a better player.

    You hear good guitarists talk about things such as ‘harmony’, ‘melody’, ‘intervals’, ‘chord tones’, ‘tonal centre’ etc. If you watched the Lee Anderton lesson with Pete and Ariel you will see they are trying to teach Lee the stuff he needs to know but he (subconsciously) refuses to listen. He just wants a ‘trick’ or a ‘shortcut’. Pete and Ariel tell Lee there is no substitute for learning things properly. I tend to revisit these videos again now that I have a better (but limited) understanding of theory. A year ago I was shouting at the screen saying ‘just show Lee a shortcut instead of confusing him with numbers and letters!’, but now I shout ‘you should be ashamed of yourself Lee, it’s the very basics of music guitar theory, you are a grown man!’. FYI this is a tongue in cheek comment, I think Lee is great. It’s not difficult either but I think it can be difficult when you have been stuck in a certain mindset for many years – that’s my excuse for being a bit slow anyway.

     In summary, this course doesn’t go into huge amount of depth on each subject, but it does teach you basic music theory for guitar – street theory. I have a 1 month full access trial so have explored a couple of courses but this seems to be the best so far.

    The most important thing is to actually listen and learn from the lessons. It’s all too easy to press play on the the video and then just widdle away with SRV licks!  

     

     

     

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  • WazmeisterWazmeister Frets: 9448
    @Onpar thanks for that superb review and insight mate !
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  • hotpickupshotpickups Frets: 1813
    edited May 2020
    Wow thanks @Onpar for your full review. I have to say that I have had a very similar learning path as you. Especially concerning my first teacher. I feel in those days it wasn’t the thing to teach modes etc until very much later on. I really don’t agree with this now and feel it should be taught if the student wants it. It’s painful and I probably would’ve tantrumed at that age too but I would’ve thanked the teacher now looking back  

    Thinking about it for $29 a month I may as well subscribe to that and take advantage of all the courses and in this enforced lockdown. I’ve learnt so much in the past few weeks doing courses than I’ve learnt in the 35 years of playing. At least in this enforced lockdown I’ll come out of it as a better guitarist hopefully  
    Link to my trading feedback:  http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/59452/
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  • OnparOnpar Frets: 415
    No problem @Wazmeister @hotpickups . Let me know if you recommend any specific Truefire courses. I just started 'Essentials: Chord Tone Soloing' this morning. So far, so very interesting. 
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  • hotpickupshotpickups Frets: 1813
    Onpar said:
    No problem @Wazmeister @hotpickups . Let me know if you recommend any specific Truefire courses. I just started 'Essentials: Chord Tone Soloing' this morning. So far, so very interesting. 
    I just dipped into Josh smiths truefire course. Blimey that was a bit scary what he does. Playing ability is beyond me at the moment. I’ll come back to that one at a later date lol 
    Link to my trading feedback:  http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/59452/
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  • duotoneduotone Frets: 972
    I'm sure someone on here recently mentioned they were buying it?
    Yes it was me!

    I'm only about 45mins into it (its a 286 minute course!) but I do like it & I find Jeff Scheetz is a good teacher.  I think I will get more out of it the later I go into the course, but I didn't want to skip any parts of it in case I miss something.
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  • hotpickupshotpickups Frets: 1813
    duotone said:
    I'm sure someone on here recently mentioned they were buying it?
    Yes it was me!

    I'm only about 45mins into it (its a 286 minute course!) but I do like it & I find Jeff Scheetz is a good teacher.  I think I will get more out of it the later I go into the course, but I didn't want to skip any parts of it in case I miss something.
    Yes I’ve done the same @duotone . Most of the earlier sections I know but doing then too to not miss anything. I’m used to doing the major scale differently from his fingering but I can get my head around that 
    Link to my trading feedback:  http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/59452/
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  • hotpickupshotpickups Frets: 1813
    This on his brilliant for CAGED system too. Really like David Walliman's teaching style too as I'm doing his theory course elsewhere. Don't know why I've never done any of these Truefire courses before, they're brilliant 

    Link to my trading feedback:  http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/59452/
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  • nectarnectar Frets: 8
    edited May 2020
    Onpar said:
    No problem @Wazmeister @hotpickups . Let me know if you recommend any specific Truefire courses. I just started 'Essentials: Chord Tone Soloing' this morning. So far, so very interesting. 
    I hope you don't mind me butting in, but there's a really nice one called 'Songwriting on Guitar' by Matthieu Brandt that covers a lot of stuff and I've really been enjoying one called 'Chord Studies: Inversions' by Brad Carlton. There are some great Brad Carlton ones!

    edit: Actually I just started the '40 day rhythm guitar SWAT camp' one which looks really great too: lots of different styles, 1 per day!
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  • OnparOnpar Frets: 415
    nectar said:
    Onpar said:
    No problem @Wazmeister @hotpickups . Let me know if you recommend any specific Truefire courses. I just started 'Essentials: Chord Tone Soloing' this morning. So far, so very interesting. 
    I hope you don't mind me butting in, but there's a really nice one called 'Songwriting on Guitar' by Matthieu Brandt that covers a lot of stuff and I've really been enjoying one called 'Chord Studies: Inversions' by Brad Carlton. There are some great Brad Carlton ones!

    edit: Actually I just started the '40 day rhythm guitar SWAT camp' one which looks really great too: lots of different styles, 1 per day!
    Thanks for the tips. I will look at them. So may to choose from so I think focusing on a specific course is going to be the biggest challenge. My free trial ends in 10 days but think I will go ahead with full access. 

    Song writing on guitar will be the next course I try. Cheers. 
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