Music Theory Made Easy by Nick Jennison

“Music Theory Made Easy” by Nick Jennison is the ultimate deep dive into unlocking the fretboard through practical, usable music theory — designed especially for guitar players. At LickLibrary.com, we know that theory can often seem overwhelming, academic, and, frankly, a bit dry. But this course changes all that. Whether you’re a bedroom guitarist, gigging musician, or aspiring professional, this course transforms essential music theory into real, playable knowledge you can immediately use on your guitar.

Rather than learning theory in isolation, Nick Jennison connects each concept directly to the fretboard, helping you hear and feel what you’re learning — and use it to make better music. In addition to clear explanations and demonstrations, each topic includes hands-on guitar lessons that reinforce your understanding with licks, exercises, and fretboard navigation.

Root Notes & Intervals

The course begins with a foundational topic — root notes and intervals. You’ll learn how to locate any root note across the fretboard, and how intervals give shape and identity to scales, chords, and melodies. Nick breaks down major, minor, perfect, augmented, and diminished intervals in a way that’s easy to visualise on the guitar.

This section also teaches you to use your ear and your fingers together, making this the gateway to mastering both scales and chords.

Basic Chord Construction

Understanding chords begins with triads — the building blocks of harmony. You’ll explore how major, minor, augmented, and diminished chords are built from root, third, and fifth intervals. Nick shows you how these shapes form all over the neck, and how to build chords from scales using real-world fretboard examples.

Guitarists who struggle with creating chord progressions or want to break out of basic barre chords will find this section especially empowering.

The Formula of the Minor Pentatonic Scale

A guitar player’s best friend — the minor pentatonic scale — gets the theory treatment. You’ll learn the formula behind this scale (1, b3, 4, 5, b7), how it’s derived from the natural minor scale, and why it works so well over blues and rock progressions.

Nick provides musical examples and solos that demonstrate how understanding this formula can lead to more expressive phrasing and note choice.

Constructing 7th Chords

Move beyond triads and unlock the sound of 7th chords — major 7, minor 7, dominant 7, and diminished 7th chords. This lesson teaches you how to construct these chords from a scale, what emotional flavour each carries, and where to find them on the fretboard.

Nick also shows you how 7th chords enhance progressions, especially in jazz, funk, and soul.

The Formula of a Major Scale

The major scale is the mother of all western music theory. You’ll learn the 7-note formula (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7), how to construct it in any key, and how every other scale and chord type is derived from it.

This section will supercharge your understanding of melody and harmony — while helping you solo more melodically and build better licks.

The Harmonised Major Scale

Next, Nick explores how to harmonise the major scale to create chords for each degree of the scale. You’ll learn about diatonic chords, how to identify them, and how they form the basis of nearly every song in popular music.

This lesson is a goldmine for writing your own chord progressions and understanding what’s going on in your favourite songs.

The Major Modes

You’ll finally unlock the modes — Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian, and Locrian — by seeing how each one is a variation of the major scale with a unique personality. Nick demystifies each mode’s formula, tonal colour, and common usage in real music.

You’ll also explore how to improvise using modes, and apply them over modal backing tracks.

The Minor Modes

Expanding on modal theory, this section dives into minor-sounding modes such as Dorian, Phrygian, and Aeolian. You’ll compare each scale’s emotional quality, intervals, and best usage contexts. Nick shows you how modal thinking can radically change your lead playing — from blues to metal and fusion.

Decoding Extended Chords

Extended chords — 9ths, 11ths, and 13ths — can sound intimidating, but Nick breaks them down into understandable concepts. You’ll learn how these are simply 7th chords with added scale tones and how to play them on guitar.

This section is essential for players wanting to add richness and sophistication to their rhythm or jazz playing.

The Harmonic & Melodic Minor Scales

Finally, you’ll explore harmonic minor and melodic minor scales — crucial for classical, metal, jazz, and fusion styles. These exotic-sounding scales open the door to dramatic, expressive solos and advanced chord types.

Nick provides detailed breakdowns of their formulas, key tonal differences, and how to use them musically — including advanced applications in soloing and harmony.

If you’ve ever felt that music theory was beyond your grasp or irrelevant to guitar playing, Music Theory Made Easy will change your mind — and your playing. With Nick Jennison as your guide, you’ll not only understand the “why” behind the music, but you’ll play better, sound better, and feel more confident every time you pick up the guitar.