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Where do I start?

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(@scelestus)
New Member
Joined: 20 years ago
Posts: 1
Topic starter  

Hi everyone... I've  been playing guitar for close to a year now; I've been teaching myself, since it's something I've wanted to learn for a long time. I'm not new to music, I've been playing piano for about 8 years or so. I realize this site has an abundance of good lessons and stuff, but I don't know where to start. My goal is to be able to write songs and my own stuff and be able to perform. Yes, I realize that it doesn't happen over night, and I am willing to put in the long hours of practice. But as far as theory goes, I just don't know where to start. I don't want to be the stereotypical beginner who learns a few songs from tab, then eventually lets his guitar collect dust in the corner. I know what a scale is, chords, modes, and all of that stuff, but I still don't understand how it all fits together. I was just hoping that someone could point me in the right direction. Thanks

~Scott


   
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(@paul-donnelly)
Noble Member
Joined: 21 years ago
Posts: 1066
 

I'd say you need to concentrate on melody.  Without that, your song becomes more of a pleasant (or not so much, depending on the mood of the piece) background sound.  A melody, however, is alive, draws you in, and is exciting.

Composing on a wind instrument (a six hole thing like a tin whistle is quickest to pick up, the recorder second quickest), or a bowed string is a good way to get started.  The reason is because the guitar can't sustain and control a note the way a flute, or recorder, or violin, or the human voice can.  That's important in making a melody sing.  The guitar can play a melody just as effectively as any of those, but the player must be especially good at "making it sing".  On the guitar or piano, a song can to easily fall flat, since the dynamic control some instruments have just isn't there.

Keeping it simple is important.  I'm put in mind of one of the quotes on the wall of Phil Sudo's Zen guitar dojo, reading, "Delete needless notes."  Also, "Simplicity and Repetition. Repeat. Simplicity and Repetition.  A repeated theme is a good way to add structure to a song, because a listener needs landmarks.  One good format is a question and answer type thing.  Something like: Section A (is short) raises a question, then Section B (also short) answers it.

Of course, that's all instrumentals.  I don't know much about lyrics.

I've lost my focus (as if I had any), so I'll step down from my soap box until I come up with more advice to throw at you.  I'm afraid that if I hold it in my head will explode.


   
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(@hbriem)
Honorable Member
Joined: 22 years ago
Posts: 646
 

The place to start is definitely the major scale.

The major scale is the basis for naming everything, in music, notes, intervals, chords and so on.  

In fact, the major scale ancapsulates most of what you need to know about music theory.  All other scales are, or can be seen as, variations on the major scale.

It can be seen as a series of whole and half steps:

WWHWWWH

... as a scale of note degrees:

1_2_34_5_6_78

... in the key of C, as a series of notes with no sharps or flats:

C_D_EF_G_A_BC

On the fretboard, you can see it as an arrangement of note degrees:

5th string root:

--|--4--|-----|--5--|-----|--6--|--  
--|--1--|-----|--2--|-----|--3--|--
--|-----|--6--|-----|--7--|--1--|--
--|-----|--3--|--4--|-----|--5--|--
--|-----|--7--|--1--|-----|--2--|--
--|--4--|-----|--5--|-----|--6--|--

6th string root:
--|-----|--7--|--1--|-----|--2--|--
--|--4--|-----|--5--|-----|--6--|--
--|-----|--2--|-----|--3--|--4--|--
--|-----|--6--|-----|--7--|--1--|--
--|-----|--3--|--4--|-----|--5--|--
--|-----|--7--|--1--|-----|--2--|--

Harmonising the major scale is done by picking every other note, forming a triad containing a root, a 3rd (major or minor) and a 5th (perfect, diminished or augmented):


Note_deg      Note_name(C) Chord  Chord_name(C)
1   3   5     C   E   G    I      C major
2   4   6     D   F   A    ii     D minor
3   5   7     E   G   B    iii    E minor
4   6   8     F   A   C    IV     F major
5   7   9     G   B   D    V      G major
6   8   10    A   C   E    vi     A minor
7   9   11    B   D   F    vii°   B diminished

Even though the examples I have, used are in the key of C for simplicity, there are of course other keys with the same arrangement of notes, but different starting points:

Key        Minor     Signature      1   2   3   4   5   6   7
C  major   A  minor                 C   D   E   F   G   A   B
G  major   E  minor  #              G   A   B   C   D   E   F#
D  major   B  minor  ##             D   E   F#  G   A   B   C#
A  major   F# minor  ###            A   B   C#  D   E   F#  G#
E  major   C# minor  ####           E   F#  G#  A   B   C#  D#
B  major   G# minor  #####          B   C#  D#  E   F#  G#  A#
F# major   D# minor  ######         F#  G#  A#  B   C#  D#  E#  
F  major   D  minor  b              F   G   A   Bb  C   D   E
Bb major   G  minor  bb             Bb  C   D   Eb  F   G   A
Eb major   C  minor  bbb            Eb  F   G   Ab  Bb  C   D
Ab major   F  minor  bbbb           Ab  Bb  C   Db  Eb  F   G
Db major   Bb minor  bbbbb          Db  Eb  F   Gb  Ab  Bb  C
Gb major   Eb minor  bbbbbb         Gb  Ab  Bb  Cb  Db  Eb  F

I hope this helps.

--
Helgi Briem
hbriem AT gmail DOT com


   
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(@paul-donnelly)
Noble Member
Joined: 21 years ago
Posts: 1066
 

What kind of music are you looking to write?  Songs with words, or instrumentals?  Just guitar, or things like bass too?


   
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