Does any of this sound familiar?
Playing the same things over and over
Every time you grab your guitar you play the same chord progressions and licks that you’ve had on loop for the last 6 months (or more!)
Losing your motivation
You’re a self-taught guitarist without the help of a teacher to guide you in the right direction
Getting lost at the first mention of a minor 3rd (what?!)
Flinching at the first sign of any technical terminology, thinking "it’s not for me”.
Paralysis at the prospect of jamming with friends
Unable to come up with an interesting chord progression or anything resembling a guitar solo.
Frustrated by all the conflicting information
Wasting time in a YouTube black hole watching lesson after lesson, thinking you’re progressing but not actually applying any of it in your own playing.
Sound like you? Yes? Then you've come to the right place!
Imagine if you could do the following:
- Master the fretboard and have the notes down cold
- Break free of the same old box patterns and licks
- Create melodies that sound awesome because you know exactly which notes will work over any chord or progression
- Know instinctively which chords work well together (and why) to begin creating your own progressions and songs
- Learn songs by ear with a solid understanding of what chords and notes you can expect to find in any given piece of music
- Feel confident in your playing and jam sessions and be able to communicate your ideas to other musicians
-
Recognize why a piece of music makes you feel a certain way
But do you need music theory?
Simply put, yes you do!
Music theory is not about learning rules or restricting yourself creatively.
Music theory is about figuring out what makes music work.
You need to know the "rules" before you can break them!
What’s included in the course?
- Immediate, lifetime access to over 3 hours of in-depth video lessons with accompanying tab and on-screen fretboard diagrams
- 123-page PDF workbook covering all the content found in the course
-
BONUS 30-page 'Scale Book' PDF with fretboard charts for all the lead guitar content in the course
Course Contents
Check out the preview lessons for a look inside the course
- Welcome! (Download your PDF manual)
- BONUS: Get your Scale Book
- Introduction (0:11)
- The Guitar Pitch Axes (2:37)
- Defining 'Pitch' and 'Notes' (1:00)
- The Language of Music - Learning its Alphabet (2:32)
- Insight Into The Tuning of the Guitar Strings (1:21)
- Mapping out the Musical Alphabet Across The Fretboard (2:32)
- Defining The Distances 1 - The Whole Step (or Tone) (1:28)
- Defining The Distances 2 - The Half Step (or Semitone) (0:57)
- EXERCISE - Visualizing the Musical Alphabet all over the fretboard (1:45)
- QUIZ - Test your new knowledge
- Introduction (0:08)
- Overlapping Strings and Moving Notes (3:05)
- Finding Notes Using Octave Shapes 1 (2:23)
- Finding Notes Using Octave Shapes 2 (1:34)
- Linking the Octave Shapes For Fretboard Domination (2:47)
- EXERCISE - Visualizing the Octave Shapes (0:13)
- Horizontal Note Finding for Fretboard Memorization (2:00)
- The ULTIMATE Exercise For Fretboard Memorization (2:40)
- Introduction (0:41)
- The Major Third (1:19)
- The Minor Third (2:42)
- Harmonizing The Major Scale in Thirds (2:31)
- Harmonizing on Different String Pairs (2:16)
- EXERCISE: Learning your Thirds (1:13)
- Harmonizing The Major Scale in Fifths (2:33)
- Creating Chords - Major Triad (1:53)
- Creating Chords - Minor Triad (0:47)
- Chords in the Key of D Major (3:05)
- What are the Chords in Other Keys? (2:50)
- QUIZ: Do you know your Chords?
- Introduction (0:10)
- Your First Progression - I-IV (1:55)
- Adding the V Chord (and the Perfect Cadence) (2:08)
- Adding the Minor Chords (1:41)
- The Infamous Four-Chord Song Progression (1:41)
- Rooting The Chords Anywhere on the Fretboard (1:36)
- The I Chord (E-Shape Major Barre) (2:37)
- The ii and iii Chords (E-Shape Minor Barre) (1:30)
- The IV and V Chords (A-Shape Major Barre) (2:53)
- The vi Chord (A-Shape Minor Barre) (0:55)
- Playing ANY Progression in ANY Key (2:09)
- Capo Transposition - New Ways to Play the Same Chords (5:32)
- Introduction (0:41)
- How to play the Minor Scale (2:48)
- Everything is Relative (1:21)
- The Derivative Approach to Minor Scales (4:02)
- But what about the Scale Degrees? (2:32)
- The Parallel Approach to Minor Scales (2:11)
- EXERCISE: Playing and Creating with the Minor Scale (1:13)
- What Chords are found in a Minor Key? (2:34)
- V Chord in a Minor Key? (1:04)
- Flat symbols with Roman Numerals?! (1:23)
- Common Minor Key Progressions
- More Circle of Fifths Awesomeness (4:17)
- Introduction (0:39)
- How to Play the Major Pentatonic Scale (4:09)
- Learning the Major Pentatonic (0:44)
- How to Play the Minor Pentatonic Scale (2:33)
- Learning the Minor Pentatonic (0:21)
- The Vertical Pentatonic Scale (3:09)
- Getting More from the Pentatonic Box Pt. 1 (2:30)
- Getting More from the Pentatonic Box Pt. 2 (1:51)
- Introduction (1:33)
- Playing a Major Arpeggio (5:20)
- Playing a Minor Arpeggio (2:53)
- Crossing Strings by Shifting the 5th (Major) (2:24)
- Crossing Strings by Shifting the 5th (Minor) (1:09)
- Shifting the 3rd (Major) (1:11)
- Shifting the 3rd (Minor) (0:48)
- EXERCISE: Mastering the Arpeggio Patterns (2:29)
Who is Essential Theory for?
- Late beginner/early intermediate players with limited understanding of music theory
- Players who are keen to get under the hood and figure out the inner workings of music
- Players who want to grow as musicians
Who is Essential Theory NOT for?
- Intermediate to advanced players who have their fretboard memorized and can reel off the intervals of the Phrygian dominant
- Hobbying guitarists that aren’t interested in taking their playing to the next level
FAQ
How long do I have access to the course?
Forever! Sign up for Essential Theory once and you'll have lifetime access to the course materials, which will be continuously reviewed and updated.
How will I access the course?
You get instant access to the ENTIRE course (videos and pdf manual) once you sign up.
What format is the course content delivered in?
The course is predominantly video, with an accompanying pdf manual that reviews and further develops the lesson content.
Can I download the videos?
The course videos can be streamed in web browsers or using the Teachable iOS app. The teaching content (pdfs) are downloadable, but not the videos (to protect them from being posted anywhere else).
Could I just find this information for free online?
You could, but it would take you a long time to get it in any sort of order that makes sense. Cherry picking content from YouTube and other sites doesn’t really get you on a clear path. With my teaching experience, I know exactly what you need to learn and in what order you need to learn it.
Is it really worth it?
Absolutely! There is SO much to learn in this course that would take weeks to cover with a private teacher. You’re getting it all for the price of a couple of lessons. You can be learning at your own pace from the comfort of your own home. You will have permanent access to me as well to ask any questions via email.
Do you offer any refunds or guarantees?
If you are in any way unsatisfied with your purchase, let me know in the first 30 days and I will give you a full refund. 30 days?! Yep. I’m that confident that you’re going to love what I have to share with you!