Learn music theory from scratch – from the absolute basics to the essential tools for blues and jazz improvisation. In this two-hour workshop you'll learn:
- how major scales, triads and chord progressions fit together
- How 7th, 9th and 13th chords work
- How to make sense of the modes
...And how to relate all of this directly to the guitar.
Register NowMusic Theory Demystified
Music theory is, for many people, the most abstract and confusing part of playing music. But it’s really just letters and numbers – just names and measurements for how the things you’re already playing fit together. It’s the explanation of how this stuff works. And you already know some of it. When you find a bar chord by figuring out where to put the root of the chord, that’s theory. When you figure out what the V chord is for a blues in D, you’re using theory. If you know that a G note is two frets above an F, but an F is only one fret above an E, that’s theory too.
This workshop will start from scratch, with the half steps and whole steps that make up the guitar fretboard. Instead of using the piano keyboard, we’ll take each step and make sure it makes sense on the guitar before moving on. We’ll cover the building block intervals of seconds, thirds and fifths, how to create a major scale in any key, how to build major and minor chords and why the chords in a key go together. And I’ll show you a simple way to understand, remember and build the different kinds of seventh chords – major 7th, minor 7th and dominant 7th.
Then, we’ll take on the modes. We’ll look at where they come from, but more importantly, I’ll show you how organizing them into just three basic groups can help you hear the differences between them, understand where to use them, and make it possible to play them wherever you want without memorizing a million scale fingerings.
How To Get Good
Beyond just the satisfaction of knowing how stuff works, which may or may not turn your crank in and of itself, theory is part of how to get good, particularly if you’re interested in doing so as efficiently as possible. Theory answers questions like “But how do you find chords further up the neck?” “How do you know what scale to play right there?” and “How do you know the names of the notes you’re playing?” If you’re interested in improvising, if you’re interested in knowing more chords and doing cool things with those chords, if you want to know why things like 9ths and 13ths do what they do, or if you just want a better understanding of what you’re already playing, music theory can unlock all those doors.
In this workshop, I’ll start at the very beginning, and take you in as clear and linear a fashion as possible from the basics of half steps and whole steps all the way through seventh chords and modes. Nearly everyone has encountered some theory along the way, so starting from the beginning is good for two big reasons: one, to get us all on the same page, with a common set of terms, and two, to make sure no one gets lost along the way.
The balance of the workshop will be dedicated to practical applications and Q&As. I’ll answer as many of your questions about the material as I can, while presenting hands-on applications from finding chord voicings to creating scale fingerings to simply naming notes on the fingerboard.
The Theory App In Your Brain
There’s a third reason for starting from scratch, and it’s specifically for anyone who’s already had a fair amount of theory but still feels like the pieces aren’t quite fitting together yet. If that’s you, I propose this software metaphor: Think of learning theory from the beginning as a fresh install of the theory app in your brain. Or better yet, like defragmenting the mental hard drive you use to hold all your theory knowledge. In an hour or two, you can rewrite your understanding from scratch, with one consistent, coherent set of terms covering everything from major scales and triads to dominant 13th chords and Mixolydian scales.
Register NowWhy a live workshop? How does it work?
I've been doing in depth live streams for over a year as part of my monthly membership, The Fingerstyle Five, and on my Youtube channel. In my past two workshops, I've had numerous requests to offer something specifically on theory. The live stream format combines a concentrated amount of material on a specific topic with an interactive, Q&A environment that lets you get your specific questions answered while the class is still going on. During the workshop, you'll have a PDF of the essential formulas and diagrams, so you can focus on watching and learning, knowing the specifics are already in your hands. The whole two hours will be archived for later replay, so you'll be able to watch anything you want again for the next three months. And I'll pause at regular intervals to take questions via chat, to clear up aspects of the material that are still unclear.
Join The Interactive Live Stream This Saturday
Music Theory From Zero To Sixty is a two-hour live-online workshop being streamed this Saturday, January 16th at 10:30AM CST. Registration is $47 and the workshop will include:
- Two hours of live-streamed online instruction
- A downloadable PDF of essential formulas and diagrams
- Live chat – ask David your questions as we work through the material
- Access to re-watch the archived live stream for the next three months
Can't attend live on January 16th? Yes, you can still register for the replay!
If you're not free this Saturday but still want access to the material, you can register just the same as you would to attend live, and watch the replay afterwards. You'll get the same PDFs, and the same three-month replay window. You can even submit a question ahead of time! Simply register below like you were going to attend, and watch at your own pace once you have the time.
Register Now
