Hi all, I’m in the beginning steps of learning guitar. hands are very broken in, chords sound good, I know a few from 1st to 5th but I wanted a better understand of the progressions.
if it better to follow c, d , e, e# etc… or c, g, a? or would it depend on the music? I’m focusing heavy on bluegrass. Doc Watson is a big focus for my end style, or Billy strings.
i currently practice/play about 4 hours a day 7 days a week. (a lot I know) my focus is flat picking and finger style mostly rather then traditional strumming.
does any.one have and good guides or books I should read up on for how to do good proper cord progressions? even a simple info graphic that is easily understandable for a beginner?
I’m focusing mostly right now on chord runs. C is memorized and working on getting some others that can meld with the c run.
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if it better to follow c, d , e, e# etc… or c, g, a?
Think of music theory like learning a new language; there is no objectively “better” pattern of words to create a sentence. It depends what you want to say. Of course you need to learn basic rules to start, like IV>V>I or ii>V>I chord progressions, but that won’t take you very far. After that there’s a near infinite musical vocabulary you can use to make interesting music.
Primarily, keep listening to, learning, and analyzing music you love. That is the most natural and fun way learn, but it also requires a baseline of music theory. For that you may want to supplement with some academic reading such as these:
more guitar oriented:
https://www.amazon.com/GT15-Guitar-Grimoire-Progressions-Improvisation/dp/0825831970
more general which will require some musical notation reading:
https://www.amazon.com/Chord-Progressions-Theory-Practice-Everything/dp/0739070568
Primarily, keep listening to, learning, and analyzing music you love.
Can do. I’ve noticed as I learn, the videos of the guitar players look and sound different to me. I’m picking up on the sounds of techniques, and visually understanding what the left hand is mostly doing whilst associating the sound to the hand shape.
my right hand sucks something fierce but I think that’s because I’m going from finger style only, to flat picking and skipping the strumming step?
I have lessons on the 4th, so hoping they can push some theory. we’ll see. I’ll take a look at those books though esp the 1st one, I haven’t read any music in like 20 years so it’s a good refresher for sure
thank you
You might find Circle of Fourths or Circle of Fifths (they’re really the same, just one has the fifths going clockwise and the other has the fourths going clockwise) helpful.
Start by learning the C major scale and how you build chords from that scale. Its not that complicated, do not go into too much details for now, just learn the scale and their related chords. Also knowing basic intervals helps a lot in building chords. Have fun!
This may be great or terrible, I’ll let others chime in.
I always understood theory as the fretboard being a matrix of “a.bc.d.ef.g.” where the “.” is disallowed by that key. If you learn modes and chords as shapes, you realize every key is just that matrix moved around a bit.
Where it messed me up is I don’t think in numbered chords, I think of what the “c chord” looks like given the ionion is now centered on E string fifth fret.
The advantage is you’ll know very naturally where all your major and minor thirds are, as well as weird stuff like diminished. If you ever do jazz, it’ll be easier for you to flat something or add a 13th.
What I’d suggest to nail the “feel” of different chord progressions is just laying some runs over the progression. You’ll figure out pretty quickly what number they’re treating it as because if you’re playing ionian when it should be mixolydian, the notes will be off. That implies your matrix is in the wrong spot and needs to be shifted.
Instead of thinking of everything in terms of C, it’s common for musicians to use “scale degrees” for individual notes or Roman Numerals for chords. That helps to generlize music theory without confusing the different key notes.
for example A natural minor scale degrees:
a = 1
b = 2
c = (flat) 3
d = 4
e = 5
f = (flat) 6
g = (flat) 7
A natural minor chord roman numerals:
Am = i
B dim = ii (dim)
C = III
Dm = iv
Em = v
F = VI
G = VII
Oh I get that, but my brain just won’t do it. I can translate it, but it goes “oh that’s the E so it’s the V”. It’s ok, I’m not a pro. I’m just happy something clicked.
I found this general theory series really helpful. Doesn’t matter that he uses piano, it’s universal, just a bit easier to visual on a keyboard
amazing, subscribed. yeah piano doesn’t matter, it’s the theory I’m after not the specific instrument aspect.
thank you!
It’s really not complicated: in the US, AC cords are either two or three wires, which you can tell by the number of prongs sticking out of the plug…
Sorry, couldn’t resist teasing about the chord/cord mix-up. 😜
ugh, Ty for this. I always mess the spelling of chords up for some reason. brain doesn’t always work very well :)
I read online that you can incorporate shifts like V-I at the end of a bar, and usage of I-vi and II-V are common in your genre. For C major, this means:
G-C C-Gm D-G
And here is a simple guide on why the Roman numerals and what they mean. You have to apply the number in the sequence to the correct note and then correspond it to a chord. Lowercase for minor chords.
Good luck!
thank you, I’ll read up on it. the Roman numerals threw me for a loop which is when I make this post.
My advice is just to play some songs you like in order to get an intimate baseline of what they have going on. It will ground your foundation so the theory sticks.
Personally, getting a setup where you are able to dial in a song and listen to it while hearing yourself play is the most critical long term skill.
Sorry it is not what you asked for here. Speaking from experience, I went down this path over 25 years ago and have little to show from the efforts. It is likely you’ll be far better than me. Twenty five years ago, as a preteen with limited means, in a much smaller digital world, I never had this setup for listening and looping a recording. I learned tabs and chords. I had an old poster with a bunch of chords and scales. In terms of theory, relatively little stuck long term. I still gravitate towards playing those first dozen or so songs and rifts I learned even today. Looking back, the audio looping setup would have made me a much better guitarist if I had simply stuck to playing the songs perfectly and built my skills from there. Theory is like trying to grow a giant from a seed. Songs are like standing on the shoulders of giants.
good to know, I’m currently not even trying to play songs specifically, but more just have good sounding chord progressions to get familiar with the guitar itself.
example: https://youtu.be/GMiMhYLsxB4 starts at 0:25
I am also learning like Billy did, and obviously doc Watson… eyes closed. I want to feel the guitar and music, not rely on my visual senses.
it’s going to be a long road of learning. already at the addiction phase. perhaps I will try to get some songs under my belt that encompass a few chords that I already know to help me with my rhythm game
