Theory For Beginners

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Code001
Code001
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Here's a very useful link for those who are just getting into theory or want to brush up on what they might have forgotten. It also contains ear trainers and other useful tools:

http://www.musictheory.net/

For those wanting a list of all the chords and scales for guitar, go here:

http://www.looknohands.com/chordhouse/archives/guitar_advanced/ns4_ie5/index_rb.html
 
wow man...thanks for the links! this is where i need to start at...i'll be lurkin' tho. :bandit:
 
Code001":1f316 said:
For those wanting a list of all the chords and scales for guitar, go here:

http://www.looknohands.com/chordhouse/archives/guitar_advanced/ns4_ie5/index_rb.html
Click to expand...

Cool. Thanks to this site, I know that I seem to like playing in Dorian mode. Now, what does that mean? :lol:
 
Thanks for the links.. Will come in handy!

Also, does anyone have any books that are good starting points for beginners? I have a fair amount of downtime before practices
 
Dorian mode is just a type of scale. The one everyone knows is D Dorian:

D E F G A B C D

There are a few ways you can think about it. First, you can take a major scale and then lower the third and seventh by one half step (C major, for example):

C D E F G A B C

becomes

C D Eb F G A Bb C

Or, you can think of it as taking a minor scale and raising the sixth one half step (A minor, for example):

A B C D E F G A

becomes

A B C D E F# G A
 
jasonpiano25":f2347 said:
Dorian mode is just a type of scale. The one everyone knows is D Dorian:

D E F G A B C D

There are a few ways you can think about it. First, you can take a major scale and then lower the third and seventh by one half step (C major, for example):

C D E F G A B C

becomes

C D Eb F G A Bb C

Or, you can think of it as taking a minor scale and raising the sixth one half step (A minor, for example):

A B C D E F G A

becomes

A B C D E F# G A
Click to expand...
ets add another approach to it...Dorian is a whole step above the major scale. As in over Am7, when you's use Dorian, play the G major scale but target the notes of Am. In other words don't ride the b and g and d like crazy.
 
degenaro":c3770 said:
ets add another approach to it...Dorian is a whole step above the major scale. As in over Am7, when you's use Dorian, play the G major scale but target the notes of Am. In other words don't ride the b and g and d like crazy.
Click to expand...

So, I would want to just hit B, G and D, but concentrate on the other notes in the G major scale and use these three sparingly, yes?
 
orangekick":19e1f said:
So, I would want to just hit B, G and D, but concentrate on the other notes in the G major scale and use these three sparingly, yes?
Click to expand...
I look at it the other way around...your option are z,b,c,d,e,f#,g
I'd concentrate on the a,c,e, and the f# and g over the Am on strong beats, and intersperse the rest.
 
degenaro":78bd4 said:
I look at it the other way around...your option are z,b,c,d,e,f#,g
I'd concentrate on the a,c,e, and the f# and g over the Am on strong beats, and intersperse the rest.
Click to expand...

Ah, I see. I just need to figure out how to apply everything that's being talked about here. That's where I keep getting lost. I see the words on the screen, but they don't translate to my fingers. I need to plug the guitar into the computer and try to jam along with some of this stuff.
 
here's another good site i think might be usefull for chords, scales, etc.

http://www.guitarknowledgenet.com/
 
jasonpiano25":17155 said:
Dorian mode is just a type of scale. The one everyone knows is D Dorian:

D E F G A B C D

There are a few ways you can think about it. First, you can take a major scale and then lower the third and seventh by one half step (C major, for example):

C D E F G A B C

becomes

C D Eb F G A Bb C

Or, you can think of it as taking a minor scale and raising the sixth one half step (A minor, for example):

A B C D E F G A

becomes

A B C D E F# G A
Click to expand...



or, the obvious thing you didnt mention was to think of a dorian as the 2nd degree of a major scale.

C Ionian(major) = CDEFGABC
D Dorian = DEFGABCD

so if your playing a c major scale from the 2nd degree (D) you are playing dorian. also, even if you dont play from the 2nd degree, and you play C major, if your playing that over a Dm7 chord its gonna sound like D Dorian. The chord harmony dictates what you hear, as Ed D as mentioned before. i hope i didnt confuse anyone, i just wanted to point out the obvious to anyone unfamiliar.
 
Stratboy151":b1757 said:
or, the obvious thing you didnt mention was to think of a dorian as the 2nd degree of a major scale.

C Ionian(major) = CDEFGABC
D Dorian = DEFGABCD

so if your playing a c major scale from the 2nd degree (D) you are playing dorian. also, even if you dont play from the 2nd degree, and you play C major, if your playing that over a Dm7 chord its gonna sound like D Dorian. The chord harmony dictates what you hear, as Ed D as mentioned before. i hope i didnt confuse anyone, i just wanted to point out the obvious to anyone unfamiliar.
Click to expand...
The second thing you say needs to be repeated...
nd you play C major, if your playing that over a Dm7 chord its gonna sound like D Dorian. The chord harmony dictates what you hear

One does not play dorian by playing the C major scale starting on the seconds degree but rather by playing it against a DORIAN progression/harmony.
We need a freakin' modal wrong turn sign tthat pops up when folks think they have a grasp on modes...and that might be just it.
 
degenaro":63b8d said:
The second thing you say needs to be repeated...
nd you play C major, if your playing that over a Dm7 chord its gonna sound like D Dorian. The chord harmony dictates what you hear

One does not play dorian by playing the C major scale starting on the seconds degree but rather by playing it against a DORIAN progression/harmony.
We need a freakin' modal wrong turn sign tthat pops up when folks think they have a grasp on modes...and that might be just it.
Click to expand...


"THE HARMONY DICTATE's WHAT YOU HEAR"

that can be our slogan, we can make t-shirts and hats with it !
 
Stratboy151":d4faf said:
"THE HARMONY DICTATE's WHAT YOU HEAR"

that can be our slogan, we can make t-shirts and hats with it !
Click to expand...
YEAH BABEE!
 
Wow. That just totally lost me. So that means that the chords behind a dorian scale need to be...?
 
orangekick":f4427 said:
Wow. That just totally lost me. So that means that the chords behind a dorian scale need to be...?
Click to expand...
In order for anything to be dorian you need something that defines it as such.
Play a Dm7 and play the notes of the C major scale over it...bam Dorian by choice. Why becuase over Dm7 there are more available options
Have the bass pedal away on D with the chords on top being a F and G major triad...that's a Dorian progression, you'll have to play Dorian over it.
 
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