As you know, there is only one different note in G Major:  F sharp (or F#).  “E”, being the sixth scale degree in G Major, is the relative minor key.  Notice the key signature has a sharp symbol over the F note.  This implies that ALL F’s are now F sharps. Below are the two scales with this key signature:  G Major and E minor.  There are two different fingerings presented for the major scale.  The second will be more difficult but try to practice it.  Mastering this pattern will make two octave scales easier to play. Chords in the key of G Major With one note sharpened, F#, and since F# appears three times in chords in G Major (after all, there are 3 [...]

Cadence – a system, through chords, to bring resolution to a musical phrase.  OK, that’s my definition and I think that’s pretty close.  In other words, a cadence is a natural feeling of release or resolution that you hear throughout music, especially at the end of a phrase or verse, and especially at the end of a song.  Cadences can be expressed as a succession of two chords, with the first chord culminating in tension and the last chord resolving or releasing the tension. Here are some classic cadences: Authentic Cadence:  V to I, or dominant to tonic Plagal Cadence:  IV to I, or subdominant to tonic Deceptive Cadence:  V to anything other than I, but usually V to vi Half Cadence:  A cadence consisting [...]

Recall the familiar C Major scale (right).  Also recall the C Major triad consisting of three tones:  C, E, and G.  Now, let’s extend our knowledge of triads out to every note of the C Major scale.  In other words, we’ll create a triad based on each note of the C Major scale. This yields the chart below.  Notice how each triad is correctly built upon a note of each tone in the scale and each consists of two thirds stacked on top of each other.  For reference, the guitar chords are listed above each chords (except for vii, which we’ll leave alone for now; while it’s a legitimate chord, it’s best to save it for later).  Also, be sure to realize that the guitar [...]

Why Learn Basic Theory? We don’t want to fool anyone:  Learning to shred requires a lot of effort, certainly more than learning a few chords to strum.  There’s also no such thing as a free lunch and guitar courses that promise you that you can cut your practicing in half and double your technique are basically trying to fool you. Guitar is a lot of work.  But, we suspect that you love it; that’s why you’re reading this. Good!  You’ve just made practicing a blast! However, this course wants to take you beyond just the technical portions of shredding.  Why not start to learn music as well? Why not learn how to solve the puzzle? Because once you have the key and can unlock just [...]

You probably already know how to read guitar tablature.  If you don’t know how, don’t worry; it will be covered later in this chapter.  The good news is that 95% of guitar music uses tablature and it’s much easier than reading standard notation. But, we’re going to suggest that you learn the basics of standard notation. Don’t get scared away!  Just think of the edge that you’ll have on other guitarists! There is a high value in learning the basics of standard notation.  Standard notation is superior to tablature in two ways: Standard Notation can show you musical relationships.  You can much more clearly see keys, scales, and, most importantly, chord progressions.   This is huge. Standard Notation is better at showing rhythm. Let’s start with [...]