Guitar Learning Centre
Music Basics
Why Learn about Music?
I doubt that Willie Nelson has to worry about any of us becoming “musicians” there is no doubt that a basic understanding of music will help you to improve your guitar learning.
Here we shall try to learn some of the basic princilpes of music – notes, scales, chords and keys and how they interweave with our guitar playing.
We will start on the piano (for ease of visual understanding) and then transpose our learnings to the guitar.
Notes, tones and semitones
Music notes are represented by alphabetic letters A-B-C-D-E-F-G as represented on the piano diagram. When you include the 5 sharps/flats you have 12 notes that make up an octave. Each same-name notes in all octaves have a similar sound.
These then repeat themselves to form a higher or lower octave. The “gap” between the notes is called a semitone. Hence, the gap between C and D is and between 2 semitones aka – a tone.
Scales
A scale is a set of notes, from our 12 notes, arranged in a set pattern. That pattern is – tone, tone, semitone, tone, tone tone, semitone or T T S T T T S.
It can be best shown on the piano keyboard. If we take the C scale (ie starting on the C note), using this pattern, we end up with all major notes (no # or b). However, using the same pattern starting at D (D scale) we have an F# and C# in the scale.
Chords & Triads
A chord is a group of three or more notes (triad) from a scale. When played together, they have a musical harmony. These notes are chosen by a certain pattern depending whether they are major, minor or seventh.
The simplest triad is a major triad consisting of notes 1, 3 and 5 from the scale. In the scale of C they would be C, G and E (as per diagram)
Keys
For our purpose, keys are a set of chords (and notes) that go together in harmony. Just like chords are constructed from patterns of notes, keys are based on patterns of chords.
The most common pattern to make up a key is R, 5 and 7 Where R is the root or name of the key). The numbers are semitones in a scale. So the key of C would be made from the chords C,F & G
We can add a minor to the key by going the the 9th semitone being an A hence the key of C consists of C, F, G, Am
Apply to Guitar
Now that we have learnt some basic understanding of music lets see how to apply this to the guitar. This will help you understand why guitar chords are made up of specific notes and keys consist of specific keys.