| Many beginner guitar players wonder whether | | | | major, the next D major and so on. |
| learning music theory is a good idea. After all, it | | | | So, if you start a scale from the fifth note of the |
| seems like a lot of trouble to go to and when you | | | | C major, you will end up with the G major which |
| are starting out, all you want to do is play. Guitar | | | | is G A B C D E F#. If you build another scale |
| theory has its place in any style of music. The | | | | from the fifth note of the G major, you'll get the |
| theoretical base of music is a database of ideas | | | | D major which has two sharps. The next is A |
| you can use to explore areas of music you | | | | major which has three sharps and E major has |
| haven't tried before. You can try improvising in a | | | | four. This is the idea behind the circle of fifths. |
| new key or mode, you can take a passage | | | | Now you can tell what key a piece of written |
| you've been playing as whole notes and break it | | | | music is in by looking at the number of sharps or |
| up into a series of triads. | | | | flats at the start of the music. |
| Once you have a few songs under your belt and | | | | Until you actually start writing songs the circle of |
| you can improvise a little, you can begin to grow | | | | fifths is more of a tool for the understanding |
| as a guitar player. But not indefinitely. Expanding | | | | music rather than something you can put into |
| your physical control of the guitar - increasing the | | | | practice. The circle of fifths is used a lot in chord |
| number of techniques you can use is one way to | | | | progressions and the more you explore chord |
| grow, another is by learning some guitar theory. | | | | progressions the more you'll see how the circle of |
| Guitar players who have learned theory often | | | | fifths works. |
| refer to their study of theory as a shortcut to | | | | With the circle of fifths you can organize each of |
| being a complete musician. You can become | | | | the twelve possible major scales into a key |
| accomplished on your instrument by spending | | | | signature. The "key" is the note that starts the |
| your time learning many songs, riffs and licks but | | | | scale, otherwise known as the root. The term |
| having the music theory in your head will save | | | | "key signature" is a reference to how many |
| you some unnecessary time spent. | | | | sharps or flats are in each key. You can easily |
| An important element of guitar music theory is | | | | organize scales by the key signature because no |
| the circle of fifths so let's use it as an example of | | | | two major scales have the same amount of |
| how learning a little music theory will expand your | | | | sharps or flats. |
| capabilities as a guitar player. The way the circle | | | | Do not forget that learning music theory not only |
| of fifths works is if you start a scale from the | | | | helps you with your guitar playing but enables you |
| fifth note of another one, then start a new scale | | | | to understand other musical instruments as well. |
| from the fifth note of the previous one, and keep | | | | One practical advantage that springs to mind is |
| going like that, you will end up with the scale you | | | | that if you have studied music theory you can |
| started with. There are no sharps or flats in the C | | | | translate a piece written for the piano onto the |
| major scale. All the other keys contain some | | | | guitar. Many musicians who have not studied their |
| sharps or flats. Here is a formula that might help | | | | theory need fake books to play unfamiliar songs |
| you learn some of the characteristics of the | | | | but players who have studied theory have the |
| major scales: if you start a scale from the fifth | | | | know-how to work out the chords for new |
| note of any other major, your new scale has one | | | | songs. The possibilities are endless, and remember |
| more sharp than the first one. So, if you begin | | | | nobody has ever wished they had not studied |
| with the C major scale, your next will be the G | | | | music theory. |