“How is it that music can, without words, evoke our laughter, our fears, our highest aspirations?” - Jane Swan
Almost everyone in the UK likes music. Music, just like sport, is an integral part of thousands of children’s lives. However, this isn't the only reason why people learn how to play music.
If you want to learn how to play the guitar, do you have to learn music theory?
Are you still looking for the answer to this question?
Maybe it's because music theory sounds really boring was putting you off the idea of learning how to play the guitar.
In this article, we're going to look at the relationship between music theory and playing the guitar and whether or not you should learn it.
Do You Have to Learn Music Theory if You Want to Play the Guitar?
Let's put an end to all the suspense. No, you don't have to learn music theory in order to learn how to play the guitar. However, guitar lessons, even one for a beginner, will probably draw upon music theory to help you improve your guitar playing.
There are plenty of famous guitarists, such as Jimi Hendrix, who never learnt music theory and still became amazing guitarists.
Reading Music and Learning Theory
However, when it comes to music theory, we tend to muddy the waters. A lot of people think music theory involves sitting at school desks in front of a draconian teacher who's making their students repeat after them.
This is enough to put anyone off the idea...
However, there are two main parts to music theory:
- Learning to read sheet music
- Concepts concerning music theory such as intervals, major skills, minor scales, arpeggios, etc.
If you're learning to play the guitar with guitar lessons near me in a prestigious music school, these types of lessons might be unavoidable. Most classical pieces are not available as tablature which means that you will probably have to be able to read sheet music. However, you won't necessarily need a profound understanding of music theory in order to read which notes you have to play.
Most guitarists, in fact, don't even have to know how to read sheet music. A lot of songs are available as tablature. You just have to know about the guitar tablature in order to play the music. This is far simpler than learning how to read sheet music.
Guitar tablature tells you what you have to do on your guitar rather than which musical notes you have to play. This is useful if you can't afford a guitar teacher, are just learning guitar for fun, and are just interested in strumming some basic guitar chords.
However, tablature doesn't tend to tell you the rhythm or the note value. This can make playing certain songs complicated. A good understanding of music theory will help you learn guitar more quickly and make you a real guitar player sooner.
Find out more on how to start playing guitar.
Learning Music Theory to Improve Your Improvisation and Composition Skills
As you have understood, most beginners won't need to learn how to read sheet music. Learning music theory isn't obligatory and you can always go back to it later once you've got better at playing the guitar.
To get started, you should familiarise yourself with two key aspects of playing the guitar: rhythm and chords.
This way, you can immediately start enjoying playing the guitar without getting bogged down in all the dry and boring music theory.
However, if you'd like to know exactly why you're playing what you're playing, you need to know more than just where to put your hands on the neck.
On the other hand, after a few months or years, you might want to learn how to compose your own musical improvise and at this point, music theory will become essential.
You're going to need to know how to put together scales, which chords go together with which scales, and which chord progressions make a good song, for example.
If you don't know anything about music theory, you're far more likely to play the wrong notes when you improvise.
Don't forget to gauge your level before you start your lessons.
Can Anyone Learn How to Play the Guitar without Music Theory?
Firstly, music theory is not obligatory. But…
While guitarists like Kurt Cobain composed by ear and Django Reinhardt didn't even know the names of notes or chords, these guitarists are the exceptions. They're musical geniuses.
They had an incredible ear for music, unlike the average person. There isn't one born every minute…
Find good online guitar lessons here.
We'll assume that you're just a mere mortal. You'll need to develop your ear and constantly work on your technique.
Music theory will help improve your ear, knowledge of notes, scales, chords, and different rhythms that will help speed up just how quickly you can learn how to play the guitar.
Without any knowledge of music theory, it will be very difficult to compose or improvise. You can use different scales, phrases, and your knowledge of melodic theory to put together interesting licks, riffs, and guitar music.
We're not just talking about composition. An understanding of harmonic and melodic structure is essential for anyone who wants to improve their creativity. Music theory doesn't limit your creativity. In fact, it's a way to get the most out of your musical instrument. A knowledge of music theory will open doors to your musical creativity.
The more scales and progressions you know, the more you'll be able to draw on to compose music and improvise without playing a single wrong note whether you're playing on your own or with your band.
Different Ways of Learning
While anyone can learn how to play guitar by ear, not everybody should. While some people are able to teach themselves how to play the guitar and are willing to put the time and effort into doing so, others will need the help of a guitar tutor or teacher and require a more structured learning approach in order to play given song.
Everybody's different. Some people have a great ear for music and can learn instruments almost effortlessly.
However, learning music theory can fill in the gaps in their knowledge. Imagine how good Hendrix could've been if he'd studied music theory. We often tend to focus on objectives achieved and not the journey towards achieving said objectives.
Would he have been better had he learned music theory?
Or would it have been a waste of time?
The journey doesn't really matter if you arrive at the same result, right?
The amount of time taken is what really matters.
Do you still think the results are the only thing that matters?
Why not think about all the famous guitarists that studied music theory and are just as good as Hendrix?
Check out these great tips for guitarists, too!
Five Good Reasons for Learning Music Theory as a Guitarist
While music theory isn't obligatory, a knowledge of it could speed up just how quickly you can learn to play the guitar. It doesn't matter whether you play the acoustic guitar, electric guitar, blues, classical, or rock, everything you do on the guitar, even tuning it, is based on music theory.
Are you sure you still don't want to do it?
If you're still not convinced, here are five more good reasons to study music theory:
- Music theory is the language of musicians: if you know music theory it'll allow you to speak to any musician in terms that they'll understand. It's a universal tool that allows anyone to play music regardless of the instruments they're playing.
- Music theory can help improve your visual memory since you'll also be reading music and not just playing it. It's a way to learn to play a given note just by seeing it on a piece of sheet music. This will help save you time when it comes to learning new songs.
- By learning how to read sheet music, you'll better understand music theory and will know how chords and scales are put together. This will help you learn how to play guitar more quickly.
- You'll learn the most common form of musical notation. While a lot of guitarists use tabs, these can only be used by those who play string instruments.
- You'll be more credible as a musician: as a classically trained musician, you'll gain more credibility, especially in the eyes of other classically trained musicians. Knowing music theory is a huge advantage for guitarists or any other musician.
Find good guitar lessons here on Superprof.
While music theory often gets a lot of bad press, it can be really beneficial. It might seem hard to believe when you're sitting in front of a music textbook. It's a lot more enjoyable to just play your guitar than sit down and hit the books. A beginner guitar course won't cover as much theory as an advanced one but the more you advance, the more you'll need theory.
You don't have to sit down and read your entire music textbook in one go. You can study for a short period of time, then practice for a bit, then go back to studying, for example.
Guitar Lessons For Beginners - How to Get Started
Learning the guitar broadens your knowledge of music. Before you can do this, you need the right resources and guidelines to learn to play the guitar well. Thankfully, there are numerous resources you can explore, even as a newbie.
Additionally, you need to take some steps to achieve your goal. It’s safe to state that these steps will enable you to structure your learning in the best way.
For starters, you have to learn the basics before learning how to play the guitar. With this approach, you will learn without a hassle.
For most students, registering for guitar lessons for beginners is their first step to learning the instrument. Fortunately, there are numerous online and offline classes available. However, if you love in-person interactions, you would benefit immensely from a physical class.
To assist your learning goal, we compiled some ways to commence your learning journey.
Getting your guitar
The first step is to buy the best acoustic guitar for beginners. And if your child is learning to play the instrument, you should buy guitar kids appropriate for their age. If you buy the wrong guitar, it becomes challenging to learn the guitar when attending lessons. Maximize the organized classes by ensuring your child has a good guitar to learn with
Keep your guitar in the right condition
After getting your guitar, the next thing to do is ensure it's in the right condition. Before your lessons, you have to make sure your guitar is well-tuned, making it appropriate for learning the right way. When you learn with a well-tuned instrument, learning becomes straightforward.
Attend a guitar lesson
During this step, you need to decide if you want to take physical classes or attend lessons. After getting your guitar kids, you can hire an online tutor for your child, considering their experience and level of qualification. Ensure you get your child a good guitar specially created for kids to get them started.
Should You Learn How to Play the Guitar?
You might wonder if you should take lessons online. While many students who want to play the guitar shy away from online classes, you can benefit immensely from virtual classes with the right mindset.
Since the global pandemic, in-person classes have been considered dangerous, especially for vulnerable persons. Taking online lessons is an excellent way to commence your training. Before you know how to learn, you have to make necessary sacrifices, especially in terms of your time and money.
Luckily, you should find an instructor organizing a class due to the growing need for online classes. Online classes also have numerous benefits you will enjoy during your learning process. Here are the reasons you need to take lessons.
- Time-saving
Attending a physical masterclass can be time-wasting, especially if you need to drive over a notable distance. This makes it difficult for people working on learning the guitar. Thankfully, online lessons now give busy people the privilege to learn from the comfort of their homes. Save your time by finding a good institution ready to teach students.
- Convenient
Another essential fact about virtual classes is that they are convenient. If you want a guitar class, you can attend at any time you want; you would also love the class due to the unique structure. Additionally, the lessons also help you learn with tech-based tools. Convenience is vital for everyone. We all need to learn at our own pace and time. Take advantage of online classes to make this happen.
What Are the Benefits of Learning How to Play Guitar?
Playing guitar comes with lots of benefits, especially when you are a great instrumentalist. To improve your skill, ensure you register for a masterclass. Classes help you create better music as a beginner or professional.
Playing guitar helps you relax. When you need adequate rest from stress, engage in your hobbies, such as guitar playing. Similarly, you can also explore other benefits of guitar:
- Profitable as a side business
You can teach people guitar playing. This will serve as a side business for you, especially when you need another job to supplement your main work. Teaching is a fun job, helping you impart knowledge to eager learners. Organize lessons for beginners to attract more learners to your guitar tutorial.
- Improves concentration
Instrumentalists build their concentration by playing their favorite instruments. If you get easily distracted, playing guitar becomes challenging because you need to hire appropriate notes at specific times. When you mix up the note, the sound production would be flawed. Reports show that singers improve their concentration by learning guitar and other instruments.
- To improve your mood
Everyone loves good music, especially when they are sad or frustrated. If you want to improve your mood, you can learn to play the guitar. This way, anytime you are sad, you can pick up your best acoustic guitar for beginners to create beautiful music.
What Should You Expect When Taking Guitar Lessons for Beginners?
Guitar lessons online are increasingly becoming popular and loved by many people globally. Before registering for lessons, you might be curious about how organizers structure their guitar tutorials. Most organizers start from the basics before advancing to more crucial aspects of learning.
For example, most teachers will show you the kinds of parts in a guitar and the functions. During lessons, you will know how guitars produce sounds and pitch your instrument to assure better sound production. Below are some things you would be taught in guitar lessons online.
Types of guitars
During your masterclass, teachers will show you different kinds. An example of one is the acoustic guitar. Musicians widely use the acoustic guitar. The best guitars for beginners have good strings to help produce a louder sound. Another type is the electric guitar. You can only produce sound through amplification with this kind of guitar.
Tuning
You will also learn how to tune your guitar during your masterclass. Tuning is the process of putting your instrument at the right pitch. If your guitar's pitch is too low or high, it will not sound like it should, making it necessary to tune them regularly. Also, you may need to change things in your guitar to assure better sound. Worn out or bad strings negatively affect the quality of sound hour guitar will produce.
Is a Guitar Masterclass Worth it?
Today, there are numerous classes on the internet. While some people can learn how to play guitar through self-teaching, others find it challenging to do this. This makes it necessary to take good lessons. When you attend a class without qualified instructors or teachers, learning becomes difficult.
Most people will admit that taking a class is worth it. They were able to access some of the best lessons online that assured them success in their goals. It's safe to state that taking a guitar masterclass is worth it, and here are some reasons why.
You will learn faster
If you want to learn the guitar within a short period, you need to attend lessons. These classes are specially created for newbies who need foundational knowledge on the subject matter. Reports show that you learn faster when you have a teacher. Additionally, your teacher will motivate you towards achieving your goals.
Helps you stay inspired
When you have a teacher, you stay inspired to keep going. Your instructor may also show you some great tricks to become a better player during your guitar lessons for beginners. Learning the guitar takes years of practice, so you should not rush the process.
You have a deeper insight
Unlike people who self-teach, you get a deeper insight into this instrument. Since the guitar is a fun instrument for you, you should be able to understand necessary things. Your teacher will also teach you essential aspects, such as tuning, which significantly affects sound production.
Where Can I Find a Guitar Masterclass?
To acquire all knowledge necessary to know the instrument, you need to register for lessons for newbies. Most classes for newbies are easy to understand. If you are a beginner, you need to register for guitar lessons online.
Superprof is the best platform to become a better instrumentalist. With numerous tutors available, you will learn from the best. Besides the guitar, you can learn about other instruments. Tutors on Superprof are experienced and qualified for the job, making it necessary to register for lessons on Superprof.
Learning a new skill is not always easy, which is why you need the assistance of approachable and kind teachers. When your tutors are approachable, you will talk to them regarding all difficulties you might be facing.
Additionally, lessons on Superprof are affordable. You can access lots of classes at an affordable cost. This way, you can learn everything you need while sticking to a budget. Superprof is also a well-structured platform for both learning subjects and instruments.
You can take advantage of the growing availability of great tutors to register for an online class. This makes it easier to learn from the comfort of your home while saving time and cost.
So when will we see you in your first music theory lesson?
Did you like this article? Leave a rating!
Loading...
