Category: Theory, Scales, Modes

Is the identity of the notes on your fretboard a mystery? Do you feel intimidated whenever someone uses music theory terms?

Why learn music theory? It makes your knowledge of the guitar transportable. Discover a cool sound in one place on the fretboard and quickly figure out how to play it in a different position or key. Instead of just memorizing where to put your fingers, see the underlying patterns. Understanding the logic behind the music you love will make you a better, more versatile guitar player.

close up photograph of scott nygaards hands demonstrating open strings on an acoustic guitar

How to Use Open Strings When Playing in Flat Keys

Because one of the things that makes something “easy” on the guitar is the presence of open strings, let’s see how many standard-tuning open-string notes can be found in flat keys.

Scott Nygaard
July 29, 2017

Improve Your Technique by Practicing Scales in Broken Thirds

This workout starts with a C-major scale played in broken thirds. This might be tricky at first, but take it slowly!

Sean McGowan
May 28, 2017

photograph of scott nygaard in a plaid shirt demonstrating a chord position on acoustic guitar

Learn How to Navigate Modulations in Circle-of-Fifths Progressions

Learn a few ways to understand the circle of fifths and how to play progressions with changing tonalities.

Scott Nygaard
April 30, 2017

Video Lesson: 4 Ways to Improve Your Sightreading

Playing by ear is a great skill to have, but being able to read music is an asset that will take you to the next level as a guitarist.

Ron Jackson
February 6, 2017

black and white photograph showing close up of hands playing blues guitar

Video Lesson: Get Your Fretting-Hand Fingers to Move in New Ways

Create short melodic patterns and repeat them on successive steps of the major scale.

Scott Nygaard
January 15, 2017

Video Lesson: Mixolydian Mode is an Essential Tool for Guitar Soloing in All Styles

Bored of soloing with the major scale or the minor pentatonic? Looking for something new to help expand your musical palette? The Mixolydian mode might just be the thing. This mode can be a great tool for improvising in blues, jazz, rock, or practically any other style.

Pete Madsen
December 21, 2016

Weekly Workout: How to Create Cool Licks from Familiar Chord Shapes

Have you ever improvised using a tried-and-true scale—only to hit a note that just doesn’t sound right once a chord change comes along? Here’s a remedy for this common problem: By targeting the notes of a given tune’s chord progression, you can create solos that sound more copacetic.

Pete Madsen
February 5, 2016

close up of guitarists hand on his acoustic guitar fingerboard demonstrating this octave scale exercise

Up-the-Neck Octave Exercises

Learn to connect the fingerboard positions you know so you can move up and down the neck more smoothly.

Scott Nygaard
July 26, 2013

Close up photograph of man playing an acoustic guitar, demonstrating a harmonized major from the lesson video

Build Your Chops with a Harmonized Major Scale Pentatonic Workout

You'll start with a familiar-sounding major-pentatonic phrase and then move it up each step of the G major scale.

Scott Nygaard
May 22, 2013

photograph of scott nygaard and dan gabel sitting side-by-side with their acoustic guitars ready to play

Weekly Workout: Chord Scales from the Jazz Standard ‘Autumn Leaves’

As you practice your scales, it’s good to remind yourself of the function of the individual notes of those scales. Here we start with open-position scales taken from the chord progression for "Autumn Leaves."

Scott Nygaard
May 10, 2013

Acoustic Guitar Notation Guide

The music in most guitar books and magazines is written in standard notation and tablature. Here's how to read standard guitar notation and guitar tabs.

Acoustic Guitar Editors
April 25, 2013