Who do you recommend for teaching Music Theory on YouTube

[Mellow_D]

Originally Posted by Mtn Man

You just messed up the pattern. You should start with A, then go up a whole step to B, then a half step to C, and so on. That should give you the A minor scale without any sharps or flats.

I had a feeling I started wrong from the onset. Thanks.

"The minor scale pattern is whole -- half -- whole -- whole -- half -- whole -- whole."

So it's A B C D E F G A ... the notes of the A Minor Scale.

[Mellow_D]

Originally Posted by jackcooper

Thought I could help a little.

The key of A minor (natural minor) has no sharps or flats.

So the notes are : A, B, C, D, E, F, G

The chords are : Amin, B diminished (forget about this one just now), C major, D minor, E minor, F major, G major.

You can see that on the circle of 5ths. The chord Aminor is at the top just below C major. The chords directly on the left and right and above match the ones I listed above. Note the B diminished is not there (forget about diminished chords for the moment).

My next student has just arrived. Hope that helps a little for now.

Thanks

So just as the following is "standard chord sequence" for MAJOR keys:

I = Major
II = Minor
III = Minor
IV = Major
V = Major
VI = Minor
VII = Dim

So My Question: Based on the chords you provided for the key of A Minor being: "Amin, B diminished (forget about this one just now), C major, D minor, E minor, F major, G major" -- so is the following then "the standard chord sequence" for MINOR keys:

I = Minor
II = Dim
III = Major
IV = Minor
V = Minor
VI = Major
VII = Major

--

[ek_jeep0]

Hey Cheeckygeek

As a fellow late bloomer I tried looking for the best online resource's and there are a lot. But for me the google search button for AGF is my go to source once I can figure out how to ask the question I need an answer for.

For what it is worth once I realize I had neglected to truly understand how

T T S T T T S (major scale intervals)

As it relates to the fretboard regardless of the key or string. It was only then did I start to understand what I wanted from my study of music theory.

Hope that helps

[Hotspur]

Originally Posted by Mellow_D

Thanks

So just as the following is "standard chord sequence" for MAJOR keys:

I = Major
II = Minor
III = Minor
IV = Major
V = Major
VI = Minor
VII = Dim

So My Question: Based on the chords you provided for the key of A Minor being: "Amin, B diminished (forget about this one just now), C major, D minor, E minor, F major, G major" -- so is the following then "the standard chord sequence" for MINOR keys:

I = Minor
II = Dim
III = Major
IV = Minor
V = Minor
VI = Major
VII = Major

--

Yes. Except ...

(Don't worry - you got it right. You just didn't get the way we talk about it right. The following is not about the music, it's about notation.)

When we use roman numerals like that, we use them to refer to the degree of the appropriate major scale. So in Am, the VII is G#. To indicate that we're a half step lower than that, we put a flat sign ahead of it. So we would call that the bVII - and it's G major.

Because you'll notice that the 7th degree of the minor scale is a half-step lower than the 7th degree of the major scale. So we call it a flat 7.

Now, next, with roman numeral notation, there's one other thing. When the chord in question is a major chord, we use a capital roman numeral. When it's minor, we use a lower case one.

So this means that, relative to your tonic, it's pretty easy to refer to any major or minor chord. In Am, you can have a V or a v. In C major you might see a bIII in addition to a iii, and so on.

And finally, for reasons that I don't want you to worry about too much just yet, you often use a major chord on the fifth degree of the minor scale. This can help the sequence to feel minor. So Am you might often see an E major chord - particularly right before an Am chord, but at other times too. Just know that this is a pretty common device, and don't stress about it until this other stuff is all automatic.

[BBk]

Hi guys,

I just end wanted to throw in a recommendation for a DVD that has helped my greatly. http://www.guitarvideos.com/styles-1...-chord-voicing

It's a 2 DVD set and takes things from the very beginning (major scale). DVD 2 works on applying the concepts to well know songs.

[Mellow_D]

Originally Posted by Hotspur

Yes. Except ...

(Don't worry - you got it right. You just didn't get the way we talk about it right. The following is not about the music, it's about notation.)

When we use roman numerals like that, we use them to refer to the degree of the appropriate major scale. So in Am, the VII is G#. To indicate that we're a half step lower than that, we put a flat sign ahead of it. So we would call that the bVII - and it's G major.

Because you'll notice that the 7th degree of the minor scale is a half-step lower than the 7th degree of the major scale. So we call it a flat 7.

Now, next, with roman numeral notation, there's one other thing. When the chord in question is a major chord, we use a capital roman numeral. When it's minor, we use a lower case one.

So this means that, relative to your tonic, it's pretty easy to refer to any major or minor chord. In Am, you can have a V or a v. In C major you might see a bIII in addition to a iii, and so on.

And finally, for reasons that I don't want you to worry about too much just yet, you often use a major chord on the fifth degree of the minor scale. This can help the sequence to feel minor. So Am you might often see an E major chord - particularly right before an Am chord, but at other times too. Just know that this is a pretty common device, and don't stress about it until this other stuff is all automatic.

Thanks for explaining, for trying to clarify.

I know the Major Scale and Pentatonic Scale (up and down the fretboard) using what I think is called the Caged System, the 5 Box Patterns. (Again, excuse my crude description of musical terms.)

But I really don't understand scales so far as intervals (and other terms like perfect, major, supertonic, mediant, super dominant, etc.) and how Major differs from Minor (and the different kinds of Minor, like relative, harmonic and melodic), and the modes (Phrygian, Lydian, etc.) and I definitely lack any grasp of how all these scales are used to improvise (which is the last thing on my mind right now, that is, how to improvise.) And all the notation, the jargon, all the fine points, for example where you point out under what circumstances to capitalize the Roman Numerals ... it just all seems confusing.

Does the book that others have recommended in this thread -- The Guitarist's Music Theory Book (Book & audio CD) by
Peter Vogl cover all these things I've discussed above? If not, can you recommend a book and audio (or better a DVD with a teacher explaining step by step) that does cover it all?

Right now, I feel like I'm back in trigonometry class ... it's all just one big muddle. I need something that will take me step by step through it all, where each new lesson incorporates the previous lesson, so that I'm connecting all the dots and so that my understanding is expanding.

I want in the end -- when it comes to learning major and minor scales and keys and the chords/chord sequences that fit in with these scales and keys -- I want it to be a gestalt, not the muddle that it is right now.

[Mellow_D]

HOTSPUR WROTE:

The relative minor of A major is F# minor. (The relative minor starts on the sixth scale degree of the major).

The major scale pattern is: whole whole half whole whole whole half, right? Can you use that, starting on A, and see how you get the A major scale?

The minor scale pattern is whole -- half -- whole -- whole -- half -- whole -- whole.

JACK COOPER WROTE:

The key of A minor (natural minor) has no sharps or flats.

So the notes are : A, B, C, D, E, F, G

The chords are : Amin, B diminished (forget about this one just now), C major, D minor, E minor, F major, G major.

OK, this question may sound crazy, but it comes from my severe lack of comprehension, from my utter ever-growing confusion. And my question relates to the information shared above in the quotes from Hotspur and Jack Cooper. Here goes, and please forgive me ... for the nutty question and any clumsy use of terminology in trying to pose the question ...

First, here's my understanding regarding the MAJOR:

The Major Scale "yields" chords, chords that are derived from the notes of the major scale.

So if, say, we take the Key Of A Major/The A Major Scale:

1. The major scale pattern/the notes are as follows:

whole - whole - half - whole - whole - whole - half

A - B - C# - D - E - F# - G#

2. And the chord sequence derived from that is as follows:

I = A Major
II = B Minor
III = C# Minor
IV = D Major
V = E Major
VI = F# Minor
VII = G# Dim

I then asked everyone, what if we're talking about NOT the Key Of A Major/the A Major Scale ... but rather the Key Of A MINOR/the A MINOR Scale. I asked what is the MINOR SCALE PATTERN and what is the CHORD SEQUENCE derived from that. Now after going back and reading Hotspur's and Jack Cooper's replies, my nutty question is:

WHICH KEY OF A MINOR? WHICH A MINOR SCALE?

That is, if there are THREE kinds of minor scales -- relative/natural, harmonic and melodic -- then isn't there a different scale pattern for each of these minor scales, and then mustn't there also be a different chord sequence as well, since the chord sequence derives from the scale?

In other words, to say a song is in the Key Of A Minor ... well, WHICH "A Minor," when there are 3 kinds of minor scales?

How's that for being utterly confused now?

[cheekygeek]

Just wanted to follow up and mention that I've decided to go with "Music Principles For The Skeptical Guitarist Vol.1" by Bruce Emery for my introduction to the fundamentals. Also have his "Guitar from Scratch" on the way.

I'll let you all know if it fit the bill for me once I have had a chance to try it on for size.

[dwalton]

Originally Posted by cheekygeek

Just wanted to follow up and mention that I've decided to go with "Music Principles For The Skeptical Guitarist Vol.1" by Bruce Emery for my introduction to the fundamentals. Also have his "Guitar from Scratch" on the way.

I'll let you all know if it fit the bill for me once I have had a chance to try it on for size.

Did you find an online seller who is selling these at reasonable prices? Thanks...

[cheekygeek]

Got both quite reasonably from eBay (buy it now)

[XYRN]

As a relative beginner (~2yrs) and one who is starting to learn about the major and minor scales as well as the Circle of Fifths, I'm basically posting so as to subscribe to this thread. So far I've read a LOT of great information in this thread!
Thanks!
(Also going to start getting together with a real live teacher, hopefully he can help me work some of my knowledge into actual playing.)

[XYRN]

Originally Posted by dwalton

Did you find an online seller who is selling these at reasonable prices? Thanks...

Buy them direct from Bruce's website.

Fast and FREE shipping! (That's what I did. I found Vol.II in a store but couldn't find Vol.I, I ordered from his site and had it in my hands 4 days later!)