If you want to be a master of the fretboard, a jukebox hero, a guitar maven, you owe it to yourself to check out the Geek App from Fretboard Geek – a source that knows guitar..and other fretted instruments!
We have the easy resources that help you to make the fretboard your new home, and churn out ear-inspiring guitar riffs on your rig.
What’s involved? Read about these essential elements of guitar mastery to get started…
Notes
You’ll start there – with individual notes on the chromatic scale. You’ll learn where A, B, C, D, E, F and G notes are, as well as sharps and flats.
Even though many self-taught guitarists today learn the instrument only by memorizing shapes and positions it’s essential to know where the notes are. When you jump from beginner to Intermediate and advanced it becomes necessary to understand keys, scales, chords etc. Without first knowing where all A notes are in the fretboard you will only be stuck with the same cowboy chord and bar chord shape without exploring the other possibilities.
Also, learning where notes are and how they sound saves you the trouble of memorizing everything.
Intervals
After that, you’ll start to put together a basic knowledge of music theory where intervals connect the individual notes.
This intermediate step can be confusing to some beginners, so alternately, you can proceed straight from notes to chords. The understanding of intervals will come in time.
What recognizing intervals will do for you is take you to the level of learning everything by ear and choosing the right notes when soloing. Many musicians, especially US-based ones, use primarily intervals to communicate with each other. Phrases like “play a minor 3rd” are very common the more advanced you get and start playing with other musicians.
Chords
This is the exciting part: when you start to use the guitar to make sounds that remind you of your favorite rock heroes, whether they’re from the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, etc.
Chords are short collections of notes that you finger on the fretboard to make a full-bodied harmonic sound. The key is to switch them quickly, whether you’re using power chords or open string chords. Soon you’ll be rockin’ like you never knew you could!
For more advanced players out there our app goes through all the possible chord extensions needed to play jazz!
Scales
After you’ve started to master chords, you can move on to scales.
American music uses mainly two scales – the Aeolian or Ionian. You know them better as the major and minor scales. Mastering these scales along with intervals open unlimited possibilities that will make you a better musician.
International music, on the other hand, is apt to use the Dorian, Lydian or Phrygian scales, or some other more esoteric music theory constructs. Here, we’ll show you how all of these fit together – no problem!
Play by Ear or by Music Notation
After all of this, you’re ready to move forward into developing your own guitar style.
With the above foundation, you should be able to play a lot by ear, but you can also learn to master either tablature or sheet music. Re-create the solos of your idols with an online music theory curriculum that works. You will save yourself the time and struggle of jumping from method to method with one single app that has it all.
Check out our sheet sheets and CAGED shapes and more! At Fretboard Geek, we have what you need for REAL guitar learning. It doesn’t have to be hard! Put in a few hours, and you’ll see the results.