Music Theory Guitar Insights: Enhance or Stifle Your Creativity?

Learning guitar theory is crucial for beginners, intermediates and even advanced guitarists.

Knowing the 'why' behind playing a note, chord, or scale can boost the speed and quality of your guitar learning experience dramatically.

Before I became a guitar theory expert, I didn’t realize how important it was.

I used to struggle to figure out which scales worked with certain chords – writing music was a frustrating process.

As soon as I spent a little time learning about music theory, my whole world opened up.

So in this article I want to show you some essential theory components that’ll help you make sense of the music you play.

Why you should learn the basics of guitar theory.
The importance of theory behind notes, chords, modes, and more.
What theory topics will help you master guitar faster.

I’ll also share some guitar music theory lessons in two videos to help it all ‘click’ for you.

Let’s get into it…

What is guitar theory?

Guitar theory is the practice of applying scales, chords, and general music theory principles to the instrument.

Because there are no obvious scale or note markings on the fretboard, learning to play and understand the guitar is unlike learning other instruments.

For many beginner guitarists, learning guitar theory starts with pattern recognition to help break down the fretboard into manageable chunks.
Most start with the pentatonic boxes and cowboy chords as they both require a pattern-based approach for learning where everything is.
We can use these principles from music theory to boost our understanding of how the guitar works.

This includes concepts like notes, chords, scales, modes, and rhythm—all crucial for building your knowledge as a guitarist.

Music theory for guitarists

A working knowledge of music theory is less common among guitar players, but investing some time into this skill will teach you:

Guitar-specific benefits of music theory include:

Notes on the fretboard connect to form chords and scales.
Chords progress through specific sequences to create harmony.
Different scales fit various genres or evoke certain emotions.
Modes can be used to add complexity to your playing.

It’s a way to analyze a piece of music and discover all of its fascinating musical secrets – like a painter collecting new colors for their palette!

Once you understand these core principles, you'll be able to compose, improvise, and analyze music more effectively, no matter what style you’re into.

What does music theory offer?

Music theory is an incredibly wide and varied topic.

Put simply, it’s a set of rules that can help us understand music, and streamline the songwriting process.

Theory is a way to understand and express the fundamental elements of music, such as:

Harmony
Melody
Rhythm

Think of it as an advanced labeling system that helps you categorize all the cool sounds and ideas with an explanation for how they are created.

If you want to know the theory of guitar chords and what makes them sound happy or sad, this is how to do it.

Does music theory make you less creative?

There are many guitarists who glance at the vast world of music theory and get a sense of impending doom 😱

All the rules and complex terminology can seem restrictive at first, but remember this:

Music theory is just a map to help you navigate your way around – it’s not a fixed route telling you where to go.

With theory

Even a basic understanding of music theory can take you a long way when composing, practicing, or improvising.

Sometimes, starting with a theory-based, tried and tested chord progression is a great way to get the creativity flowing.

When you write a melody, you’ll know which scales elicit certain emotions.
Practical theory like the CAGED system can show you how to experiment with your ideas by moving them around the fretboard.
Music theory can be a priceless tool for unlocking a new idea on the fly.

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Without theory

Some like to use their ears to guide creative decision making and find new ideas.

Following your ears and other non-music theory methods can help you explore avenues that conventional music theory would not typically offer you an explanation for.

A theoretical approach can give answers to musical problems, but sometimes those answers may not be what you’re looking for.
Imagine a specific dissonance or note clash that music theory would typically tell you to avoid – this is where your ears can be a better judge than the theory.
Working with your eyes and ears can feel more intuitive than the mathematical approach of theory.

It’s true you can sometimes discover less generic musical ideas with trial and error, but theory doesn’t hinder that process.

Where music theory falls short

European music theory is a system that helps to organize sounds and melodies into categories.

These categories often reflect the compositions and songs heard in Western music, but it’s not the most useful system for describing music from other cultures.

Western music theory does a poor job of expressing the unique and nuanced sounds within Indian classical music, West African drumming traditions, and Indonesian gamelan, just to name a few.

Not all music can be described, learned, or composed using Western music theory.
Some styles of music are easier to learn through feel.
Music from other cultures can explore methods, practices, and cultural expressions that are often lost when translated to Western music theory.

Lots of popular songs are not written from a music theory standpoint, but rather from the place of ‘what sounds good’ to the composer.

The theory of guitar chord progressions

This aspect of music theory focuses on the way chords move from one to another within a song.

Chord progressions are the foundation of most popular music. You’ll be able to write better songs if you can understand how they work.

Why should you learn about chord progressions:

Progressions can control mood, such as tension or resolution.
Understanding chord qualities (e.g., major, minor, diminished) helps you predict the next chord in a progression.
By mastering chord progression theory, you'll be able to craft smoother transitions between chords and develop more sophisticated compositions.

The number system (I, IV, V, etc.) helps you understand progressions in any key, allowing you to transpose easily.

If you spend a couple of days studying this concept, a world of chord progressions opens up to you.

The theory of guitar scales

Learning scales will boost your improvisation skills and expand your ability to write melodies that fit specific chord progressions.

Benefits of guitar scales theory:

Scales form the foundation of guitar solos and riffs.
Different scales (major, minor, pentatonic, etc.) create different moods or fit specific genres.
Learning scale patterns helps you navigate the fretboard more efficiently.

The theory behind scales will help you improvise confidently, write creative solos, and expand your musical vocabulary.

The theory of guitar modes

This is an extension on scales theory that adds more unique colors to your palette.

Modes are derived from the major scale but shift the tonal center, allowing you to create different sounds and textures within your music.

Key aspects of learning the theory behind modes:

Modes like Dorian, Phrygian, and Mixolydian each have their own unique flavor and mood.
Modes are often used to add complexity and sophistication to solos or chord progressions.
Understanding modes opens up new ways to explore harmony and melody beyond traditional scales.

By incorporating modes into your playing, you can add layers of complexity and depth to your music, making your sound more unique and expressive.

Let's get genre-specific

Music theory for guitar applies differently across various genres, giving you specific tools to master the sound and style of each.

Here's a quick look at how theory works in different genres:

Jazz guitar theory

This is probably the most theory-heavy genre.

Jazz guitar theory often emphasizes complex chord extensions, modes, improvisation, and odd time signatures.

Knowing your scales and altered chords will unlock advanced jazz techniques like chord melody and modal playing.

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Blues guitar theory

This genre is much less focused on theory and focuses more on feel and expression.

Of course there are some basic principles to learn like the I-IV-V progression and the use of the pentatonic and blues scales.

Understanding how to incorporate blue notes and techniques like slides and bends help create the relaxed vocal-like sound that blues guitar is famous for.

Fingerstyle and classical guitar theory

This style relies on the intricacies of counterpoint, harmony, and voice leading. A lot goes into these types of arrangements.

Often, fingerstyle and classical guitar are solo performances so you must cover the bass, harmony, and melody – this requires a deep understanding of theory.

Comprehending these concepts allows classical guitarists to perform complex compositions with multiple voices.

Guitar theory lessons

The CAGED system uses music theory to simplify the fretboard.

Through a series of shapes and patterns you can quickly navigate your way up and down the neck with ease.

Here’s a great example of how some simple theory ideas can make a huge impact on your guitar playing.

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Triads are the building blocks of harmony, and by applying them to a universal pattern, you can understand how the basic chord shapes connect.

FAQs

How do I learn beginner guitar theory?

Start by learning each of the 5 minor pentatonic boxes, basic open chord shapes, and the C major scale position to get started.

These are the top 3 things beginner guitar players need to have a basic understanding of music theory on the guitar.

Is there a difference between acoustic and electric guitar theory?

There’s not really a difference in the theory itself, but there is in the way it can be applied.

Different styles of guitar playing require a different approach and so you can tailor the type of theory you focus on to your specific guitar goals.

Guitar theory vs music theory

Guitar theory is essentially music theory applied to the guitar.

While music theory covers universal concepts like harmony, scales, and rhythm, guitar theory focuses on how these principles translate onto the fretboard, using guitar-specific techniques like chord shapes, fingerings, and scale patterns.

Is music theory important for guitar?

Yes, understanding music theory can be incredibly beneficial for guitarists.

It helps you make sense of scales, chords, and progressions, giving you the tools to write, improvise, and analyze music more effectively.

It also makes communication with other musicians much easier.

What's the best guitar music theory course?

I might be a little biased, but Pickup Music offers a dedicated Music Theory Pathway as well as Pathways for the CAGED system (as mentioned earlier).

The style of the Pickup’s Learning Pathways always includes the necessary theory, regardless of style.

So if you want to learn neo soul guitar for instance – you’ll still learn all the theory you need for that specific genre.

Do you need to know music theory to play guitar?

You don’t need it, but it is incredibly beneficial for guitarists.

It helps you make sense of scales, chords, and progressions, giving you the tools to write, improvise, and analyze music more effectively.

It also makes communication with other musicians much easier.

What are some of the best guitar music theory books?

Some of the best books on guitar music theory include:

The Guitar Fretboard Workbook by Barrett Tagliarino
Music Theory for Guitarists by Tom Kolb
Fretboard Logic series by Bill Edwards
The Practical Guide to Modern Music Theory for Guitarists by Joseph Alexander

Wrapping Up

Learning basic music theory for guitar can help you get out of a playing/writing rut, but equally, you might find it more helpful to follow your ears once in a while.

If you’d like to know more about how you can level up your music theory game, check out our Music Theory Learning Pathway led by fretboard wizard, and theory guru, Dr. Quentin Angus!

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Author: Jack Handyside

Jack Handyside is a professional jazz guitarist, composer, and teacher from the UK with extensive experience in performance and education. A long-time member of the Pickup Music team, Jack serves as a course writer and feedback instructor, providing 1:1 video feedback to Pickup members.

He's also a seasoned private guitar instructor with an international student base and a strong social media presence. Jack's dedication to both performance and education has made him a respected voice in the jazz guitar community.

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