Learn Music Theory The Way I Wish I Did :)

In a practical and helpful way!

My first experience with music theory was just awful. I was a 15 years old punk rocker, and they showed me classical music that I couldn't connect with at all. Unfortunately, that's still the reality in the classroom.

Many music schools and private teachers will start students off with some music theory with no practical application! That can put people off from music altogether or create a tension between practical and theoretical knowledge.

So I decided to change that, and I created the JustinGuitar Practical Music Theory Course - a course wrote by a guitar player for guitar players.

I tend to take a practical approach, enabling you to make music faster and easier. Think of it as some sort of shortcut! By learning the theory behind music, you'll be able to make it yourself. :)

If you're following my Beginner Guitar Course, you may have noticed that music theory hasn’t been much of a thing so far in this course. I may have mentioned it here or there, but it hasn’t been the primary driver of learning how to play the guitar.

That's because I wanted to get you playing first of all. That's what guitar is all about, isn't it? But as you become a more intermediate-ish guitar player, music theory will be handy. Later on, it can be another superpower you add to your pocket.

Why Should You Start Learning Music Theory?

The short answer for that is: you'll be able to understand what you're doing. Only that should be enough reason for you to stick with music theory, but there's a world of awesome stuff that will come with it! In addition, music theory gives you skillsets that will quickly teach you how to make music, particularly when composing and improvising.

Learning music theory includes learning how to manipulate chords, for example. That means that you'll be able to learn just one chord and then change it into another one. :)

► By understanding the basic chord structure, we can apply the concept to your practice routine. Like that, you don't have to memorize thousands of chords, their names, and all of their possible variations!

Another fundamental concept is learning which chords belong in a particular key. By knowing that, you'll know which chords relate to each other, so you don’t have to guess which ones sound good together.

When you’re writing a song, you choose a key and work within it. That will save you tons of time and headaches. It’ll also keep you from throwing some wonky chord into your tune by accident – unless wonky is what you want!

But it's crucial that you always take the time - and put in the effort! - to ensure that you know how to apply your knowledge in the real world.

Music theory can be what separates you from an eternal advancing beginner to an intermediate guitar player. But to do that, you have to practice the concepts, and that's what I want to inspire you to do from day 1!

Check out the JustinGuitar Practical Music Theory Course and learn to make music!