Essential Guitar - Harmony & Theory Basics

Unlock the language of music and elevate your guitar playing with Essential Guitar - Harmony & Theory Basics, an online guitar course from Lick Library designed to build your foundational knowledge. Guided by world-renowned instructor Danny Gill, this course demystifies music theory, making it accessible and practical for every guitarist. If you’ve ever felt stuck in a rut, unable to understand how chords and scales connect, or simply want to write your own music, this is the course for you. You’ll gain the essential skills to navigate the fretboard with confidence, understand the building blocks of harmony, and start your journey toward becoming a more creative and knowledgeable musician. This is your chance to learn music theory for guitar in a clear, structured way and apply it to your playing immediately.
Easy
Looper function
Video speed controls
Danny Gill Tutor, Professional Guitarist
Image of tutor: Danny Gill

Lessons Included in this Course

1 Introduction
2 Notes On The Neck
3 The Major Scale
4 Intervals
5 Triads
6 Note Values
7 Harmonizing The Major Scale

Course Content Overview

This comprehensive course provides a step-by-step guide to understanding the core concepts of music theory and harmony on the guitar. Each lesson is designed to be practical and immediately applicable, helping you to build a solid understanding of how music works. You’ll learn to see the fretboard not as a series of random notes, but as a logical and interconnected map of musical possibilities.

Here’s a breakdown of the lesson contents:

  • Fretboard Mastery: Learn to identify every note on the guitar neck, an essential skill for any aspiring guitarist.
  • The Major Scale Decoded: Understand the structure of the major scale, the foundation of Western music.
  • Major and Minor Triads: Discover how to build and use the most common chords in music.
  • Intervals: Learn the building blocks of melody and harmony.
  • Note Values and Rhythm: Develop a strong sense of timing and rhythm.
  • Harmonising the Major Scale: Learn how to create your own chord progressions and melodies.

This Course is Ideal for Players Who...

This course is perfect for guitarists at the beginning of their music theory journey, or for more experienced players who want to fill in the gaps in their knowledge. It’s especially beneficial for those who want to:

  • Understand the fundamentals of music theory for guitar.
  • Learn to improvise with confidence.
  • Write their own songs and chord progressions.
  • Break free from relying solely on tabs.
  • Develop a deeper understanding of the music they love.

What will I achieve from completing this course?

Essential Guitar - Harmony & Theory Basics offers a clear and concise approach to learning music theory, taught by one of the most respected guitar instructors in the world, Danny Gill. This Lick Library course provides a structured learning path, with each lesson building on the last. The inclusion of high-quality video lessons, close-up shots, and practical exercises with backing tracks ensures that you’re not just learning theory, but applying it in a musical context. This course will empower you to become a more well-rounded and expressive guitarist, with the knowledge and skills to take your playing to the next level.

NEED SUPPORT WITH THIS COURSE OR LESSON?
WE CAN HELP...

1-ON-1 COACHING

Access to thousands of lessons is great, but without a plan you can feel like you’re practicing in circles. Book your FREE 1-on-1 video call with a Licklibrary pro to fix your technique, build a practice plan, get motivated, or overcome any challenge. It's all included in your membership!

Essential Guitar - Harmony & Theory Basics

Dive into the world of music theory with "Essential Guitar - Harmony & Theory Basics," a course designed to elevate your understanding and application of musical concepts on the guitar. Tailored for guitarists who wish to broaden their musical perspective, this course encompasses essential theories and techniques fundamental for every guitarist's development. From mastering the notes across the fretboard to the nuances of harmonizing scales, each lesson enriches your musical vocabulary and hones your playing skills. Whether you're a novice aiming for a robust theoretical base or an intermediate player on the path to refinement, this course is your beacon in the vast sea of music theory. This course is taught by Danny Gill.

Course Overview

Fretboard Mastery

The journey of a guitarist begins with the mastery of the fretboard. This course demystifies the fretboard, offering strategies for identifying notes with precision and speed. Mastering this skill is essential for seamless navigation across the neck, facilitating quicker learning of songs, scales, and chords. It lays the groundwork for improvisation and enriches your musical expression.

The Major Scale Decoded

The major scale, the backbone of Western music theory, is meticulously unpacked in this course. Understanding the major scale is crucial for melody creation, chord construction, and improvisation skills. This knowledge opens doors to exploring additional scales and modes, enhancing your versatility as a musician.

Triads: The Building Blocks of Harmony

This course delves deep into the realm of triads, the simplest yet profound chordal structures in music. Exploring both major and minor triads, it illuminates their formation and utility in creating harmonies and enriching rhythm playing. Mastery of triads is a step towards understanding complex harmonic and melodic structures.

Intervals: The Heartbeat of Music

Intervals, the heartbeat of music, are explored in depth in this course. Learning to identify and utilize intervals across the fretboard sharpens your musical ear, assists in songwriting, and is essential for deciphering chord progressions and melodies.

Rhythm and Note Values Uncovered

Understanding rhythm and note values is fundamental to mastering timing and rhythmic execution. This course introduces a range of note values and their application in music, essential for reading music, playing in sync, and adding nuance to your playing.

Harmonizing the Major Scale

The course takes you through the process of harmonizing the major scale, a key skill for composing music and improvising. This technique is crucial for songwriters and musicians, offering a systematic approach to creating chord progressions and melodic lines.

The Advantage of Using a Backing Track

Using a backing track during practice sessions significantly improves timing, rhythm, and improvisation. This course provides a backing track that simulates a live band environment, allowing you to apply theoretical knowledge in a practical setting. Practicing with a backing track is instrumental in developing ensemble playing skills and enhancing overall musicality.

Conclusion

"Essential Guitar - Harmony & Theory Basics" is designed to arm you with vital music theory knowledge and practical guitar techniques for your musical journey. Upon completion, you will possess a deep understanding of the guitar fretboard, the ability to construct and identify chords and scales, and the confidence to use this knowledge in a creative and expressive manner.


Guitar Techniques Employed in This Course

Here is a list of specific guitar techniques highlighted in this course, complete with resources for further learning:

Through this course, you embark on a path towards mastering the guitar, establishing a solid foundation for further musical exploration and skill development.

Danny Gill playing the guitar.

About The Tutor

Tutor Profile

Danny Gill

Danny Gill is, without a doubt, the most loved tutor by our community. With an incredible array of DVDs and web lessons for LickLibrary covering a wide variety of topics all of which he covers with incredible detail, it's no wonder he carries as much respect as he does. As...

View More