Reader level: Musician
Playable material: fretboard, scales, chords, fingerings, and practical connections. (22)
All theory articlesWhat Is a Musical Phrase?
A simple explanation of musical phrases: how a phrase differs from a motif, how it works in melody, and how to practise phrasing.
What Is a Musical Motif?
A simple explanation of a musical motif: how it differs from a phrase, how it works in melodies and riffs, how to develop a motif, and how to use it in a song.
What Is Musical Ear?
A simple explanation of musical ear: what this skill is, what parts it includes, how to develop it, and why ear training matters not only for singers.
Minor Triad: The 1–♭3–5 Formula
A simple explanation of the minor triad: what notes it contains, why it sounds different from a major triad, and how to see the formula on the fretboard.
Melodic and Harmonic Intervals
A simple explanation of melodic and harmonic intervals: how notes played one after another differ from notes played together, how to hear the difference, and why it matters for musicians.
Major Triad: The 1–3–5 Formula
A simple explanation of the major triad: what notes it contains, how it sounds, how to see it on the fretboard, and how it differs from a minor triad.
Major, Minor, and Perfect Intervals
A simple explanation of interval quality: how a major third differs from a minor third, why fourths and fifths are called perfect, and how to see this on the fretboard.
What Is Groove in Music
A simple explanation of groove: how it differs from rhythm, tempo, and swing, what creates the feeling of motion, and how to start practising it.
How to Train Intervals by Ear
A practical guide to interval ear training: how to hear melodic and harmonic intervals, avoid guessing, and connect your ear to the fretboard.
Chord vs Fingering: What's the Difference
A simple explanation of the difference between a chord and a fingering: why the same chord can be played in different places on the fretboard and why guitarists need to understand this.
What Is an Arpeggio in Music
A simple explanation of arpeggios: how they differ from chords, picking patterns, and scales, and how to hear and play them on guitar.
Major vs Minor: What Is the Difference
A simple comparison of major and minor: how the third and other scale degrees change, how to hear the difference in chords and keys, and how to see it on the guitar fretboard.
What Is Minor in Music
A simple explanation of minor in music: what minor chords, minor scales, and minor keys are, how to hear the minor third, and why minor does not always mean sad.
What Is Major in Music
A simple explanation of major in music: what major chords, major scales, and major keys are, how to hear the major third, and why major does not always mean happy.
How Triads Are Built
A simple explanation of triads: what a triad is, how it is built in thirds, how major, minor, diminished, and augmented triads differ, and how to see them on guitar.
What Is a Chord in Music
A simple explanation of chords: what a chord is, how it differs from a single note and a fingering, how chords are built from intervals, and why guitar players need them.
How to Build a Major Scale
A simple explanation of the major scale: how the whole-step and half-step formula works, how to build a major scale from any note, and how to see it on the guitar fretboard.
How to Build a Natural Minor Scale
A simple explanation of the natural minor scale: its whole-step and half-step formula, the example of A minor, how it differs from major, and how to see it on the guitar fretboard.
What Is a Scale Degree
A simple explanation of scale degrees: how to count notes inside a scale, why the tonic matters, how a scale degree differs from a note name, and how to see scale degrees on the guitar fretboard.
What Is a Scale in Music
A simple explanation of musical scales: what a scale is, how notes are ordered, why scale degrees matter, and how to see a scale on the guitar fretboard.
How to Memorize Fretboard Notes
A practical way to memorize notes on the guitar fretboard without rote learning: how to study notes in small groups, test yourself, and bring that knowledge into your playing.
Guitar Fretboard Basics
A simple explanation of the guitar fretboard: how strings, frets, notes, semitones, and octaves are connected, why notes repeat, and where to start learning the fretboard.