Direction of lessons... a switch

Instead of deleting the thread since I already had my lesson, just an update. It's a good plan. I told my teacher about the new direction and he nodded as if to say "yes, that's how we should go". He agreed I have enough of a stockpile of songs to work on and practice and perfect. So we're starting with the basics of chord formations and scales. I've got a homework assignment of listing out the triads that make up the chords in C maj. So I see us spending a good long time on this. There's a lot to memorize and a lot to work on.

:) Good luck, its not really that hard when you get into it, its fun you will see :D

Good luck, its not really that hard when you get into it, its fun you will see
+1 If I can figure this stuff out on my own, then you can figure it out with a teacher for sure. And once you start writing your own material (which is why I learned it) you'll find that it's alot of fun. Theory is a mixed bag of headach and ah-ha moments that balance out pretty well.

+1 to Joe's +1 :)

I have pretty much identical reasons to Joe for wanting to learn more about the art and craft of music.

For me, the study journey has been every bit as enjoyable and absorbing as the playing road, and I can't imagine one without the other.

Everything on the ‘theory' side that I've learned about the way music works has proved to be useful in a practical way when playing. It's made it not just richer, but in many respects easier as well.

The other thing that I found hugely beneficial was to stick at learning to read music. I now have a small pile of books that contain invaluable information about music theory, composition, arrangement, and even soloing and improvising - and they all assume that the reader knows standard musical notation. For a few minutes of effort per day over a few weeks you can acquire a skill that not only unlocks a wonderful treasury of scores, it gives you access to some great literature on the subject too. Certainly worth considering.

All the best with the studies. :note1: :note2: :note1:

Cheers,

Chris

:) Good luck, its not really that hard when you get into it, its fun you will see :D

Gracias. :) I think it's all the approach the teacher takes. He drilled me on something quick, I think it was a scale, and when I answered he said "are you suuuure?" with a smirk. I said "Oh wait, no I'm wrong. It's... " So, so far he made it fun and easy. And he admitted that there is a lot of memorization, no way around that.

I've got theory books, including Noteboat's, which is very good. But I need someone to bounce things off of. That's why it's sometimes hard to learn on your own. I won't retain what I read in a book if I don't use it or work on it with someone else, but I can use the books for reference and refreshing my memory.

I did my homework of constructing the triads. And yes I flubbed a couple, forgetting the #s. But when I checked them against a chart, I got them right.

Everything on the ‘theory' side that I've learned about the way music works has proved to be useful in a practical way when playing. It's made it not just richer, but in many respects easier as well.

Yes, that was my point and explanation to my teacher for now wanting to get into theory. I can form the chords, I can play them (well... :roll: ), but I don't know why I'm doing what I'm doing. It's just rote right now. I'm weak on the fretboard as far as the notes other than those within the first 5 frets. And as I said, I couldn't tell you all the notes that make up C maj other than it's root, 3rd and 5th.

I have created some "cheat sheets" in Word and Excel such as:

This one is the fretboard. It displays kind of small.

This is the major scale with the I IV V chords separated for easier reading.

The chords in C maj with their notes.
The other thing that I found hugely beneficial was to stick at learning to read music. I now have a small pile of books that contain invaluable information about music theory, composition, arrangement, and even soloing and improvising - and they all assume that the reader knows standard musical notation. For a few minutes of effort per day over a few weeks you can acquire a skill that not only unlocks a wonderful treasury of scores, it gives you access to some great literature on the subject too. Certainly worth considering.

All the best with the studies. :note1: :note2: :note1:

Cheers,

Chris

Thanks Chris. I want to become more proficient at reading standard notation. I can read the staff, but very slowly. Anything above high G or lower than middle C is alien to me. Forget the bass staff.

I want to become more proficient at reading standard notation. I can read the staff, but very slowly. Anything above high G or lower than middle C is alien to me. Forget the bass staff.

One thing that you may want to do is get a book of tab paper (about $3) and get a book that only has musical notation and transcribe it. It's been helping me alot in doing it. I'm nowhere near a sight reader, but I'm starting to recognize chords and patterns, and that's the key.

I want to become more proficient at reading standard notation. I can read the staff, but very slowly. Anything above high G or lower than middle C is alien to me. Forget the bass staff.

One thing that you may want to do is get a book of tab paper (about $3) and get a book that only has musical notation and transcribe it. It's been helping me alot in doing it. I'm nowhere near a sight reader, but I'm starting to recognize chords and patterns, and that's the key.

Aw heck, tab and staff paper can be had off the internet for free. Just make double sided copies. Though it's never a bad thing to buy any kind of music book. :D I'm definitely going for sight reading of standard notation to the lesson plan. Or rather, I know he will.

See, here's a little doo-dad I want to play just for fun (and when certain people called in-laws show up)... :lol:

http://www.sheetmusicdirect.us/search/productDetail.do?itemId=1000034338

It's the creepy original, and written for keyboard, so it's easy enough to play adjacent discordant notes. I've been trying to work it out for guitar, but I can't quite get it. Yet my teacher teased me with it by playing it. It's my self-assigned mission to figure it out. :wink:

I've been trying to work it out for guitar, but I can't quite get it. Yet my teacher teased me with it by playing it. It's my self-assigned mission to figure it out. :wink:

:lol: :lol: Good luck! I hope you can show him up!

The chords in C maj with their notes.

Hey Minotaur,
I really want to put together charts on my computer like you've done here with the C Maj chords. I want to use them to practice i.d.ing notes in chords and scales and things like that.

HOW"D YOU DO THAT?!?! Please tell me there's an accessible program or download that I can get. I can do it on paper, but I've been looking for a way to do it on computer and your's look great.

Thanks,
Dave "Who" Else

The chords in C maj with their notes.

Hey Minotaur,
I really want to put together charts on my computer like you've done here with the C Maj chords. I want to use them to practice i.d.ing notes in chords and scales and things like that.

HOW"D YOU DO THAT?!?! Please tell me there's an accessible program or download that I can get. I can do it on paper, but I've been looking for a way to do it on computer and your's look great.

Thanks,
Dave "Who" Else

I neglected to give credit where credit is due. I hope there's no violation. The site is http://jguitar.com/chordsearch You put in whatever chord you are looking for and charts like that in every voicing come up. You can have the notes, numbers or blank in the circles. I forgot to put the note names in the 5, E shape and A shape charts. No matter, the idea is to learn the notes on the fretboard without labels.

I simply do a right click copy and a paste into a Word doc. You may want to shrink the images slightly in Word. They are pictures, so you just click on it and make it smaller. I assume you know what I mean.

I've created a chart for all the "5 chords" on the 6th & 5th strings, that I use, up the fretboard. I did the same thing for all the movable shapes... E shape & A shape major & minor. I'm sure it's not complete, but the are what I am using. I even make up others for a song which has some chords I am not familiar with. I keep the sheets as references along with the song.

The tiny text to the right of a chord chart tells you the fret. I didn't put the #/b chords. I think they're easy enough to guess. :wink:

Here's the 5 chords. I've since updated this one to go all the way up to the octave at fret 12...

Here's the E shape major & minor...

Here's the A shape major & minor...

Great charts!!

Thanks. :)

They're helping me learn different voicings for the same chord of their type, with minimal movement around the fretboard. For example, I finally got a copy of Magic Mirror by Leon Russell...
MAGIC MIRROR - Leon Russell

Em Bm7 Em Bm7 Em Bm7 Em Bm7

There are three sets of chords I can use. I am guessing they will all work to a degree with a slightly different sound. The point being that I would have gone nuts going back and forth if I didn't make an organized chart. I haven't played this yet, so I don't really know how it will shake out. But a lot of all this is trial and error, isn't it?

Well Frank if it works for you that's great. I know the method I am using is not anywhere near what I probably should be doing but I'm really caught up in learning a new song or two every week. I have a fairly narrow focus on what I want to accomplish at the moment and I know long tem (whatever that means) it may not be the best for me.

But I have a hard time paying my instructor for some of that stuff that I can just read from a book.

I could use the same argument for paying for the songs he tabs out which is in a way very expensive since we only get through one song a lesson at best, but the difference is that I find what ever he tabs out is almost always 95% accurate maybe better, were as internet tab is like 10% accurate maybe. with the chords and scale stuff that's standard so you don't really have to worry about finding incorrect chord charts although I'm sure they are out there.