I've made this website to share my understanding and insight about music theory and the guitar. I'm passionate about sharing my insight and helping other musicians to get the most out of their playing and understanding of music theory. I will be sharing some knowledge on music theory with chords, scales, arpeggios and how they are all linked with one another. Music is a language, we should learn the grammar, then we can understand how to form sentences and communicate with the notes.

 

I will share my own insight on different chords and my own understanding on the seven modes of music. I also want to say how important it is to make time for guitar practice and to get into a good routine of practicing, which is very important, you can only succeed the way you practice, so it's important to keep practicing each day if you can and to find what works best for you. Learning to play an instrument becomes a lot easier when you understand how the instrument actually works.

 

Music is the language of sound. Music theory is the study of the practices of music, it is the grammar that we use to communicate with notes. The words and sentences that we use in our languages are like notes, chords, scales and arpeggios in music, and when we arrange them together, we are having a musical conversation. The guitar is a very versatile instrument. It is one of the more basic instruments out there having just 6 strings, a fretboard and a body for the sound to be heard. Other instruments may be simpler but less versatile because of their size and their limited sound output. I think it comes down to the options presented by the format of the instrument.

 

The guitar is interesting and difficult to play, the left hand has to fret the string before the right hand strikes it and remains there until the note is no longer required, yet that format opens up the use of chord patterns allowing groupings in the left hand while the right hand strikes all the strings making it a rhythm instrument as well as a melodic one. The great thing about the guitar is its ability to translate different sounds and musical styles as you can almost play any style of music on it because of its unique versatility.

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When it comes to the hands, it's important to do a gentle warm up routine, some stretches and light exercises to loosen up the fingers and hands before playing the guitar, this can help to prime your hands for action and can prevent injuries. Creating a strong flexible left hand position and technique is very important. Good left hand position makes it easier for the fingers to move freely without obstruction or tension. Good left hand technique allows you to play accurately and smoothly each time you fret a note. When technique and positioning have the right coordination, it gives you confidence and allows you to enjoy playing the guitar much more. 

 

The primary thing you should try to do is keep your wrist as straight as possible. A straight wrist allows maximum movement of the fingers. The more you bend your wrist, the more difficult it is to move your fingers and you risk injuring your hand. Not only is it important to keep a straight wrist to avoid injury, it also makes it easier to move your fingers. You can experiment this by trying to wiggle your fingers with a straight wrist then a bent wrist. You should aim to find a position that allows your fingers to fret notes while maintaining a relatively straight wrist. 

The best point of contact for your left hand fingers is on the fingertip. This ensures there is less chance of the finger touching another string unintentionally while fretting a note. Playing on the fingertips leaves plenty of room on either side of the fretted string. Playing on the pad of the finger will make this angle more acute. Pressing too hard or too lightly on the strings can also cause a lot of technique problems. The feel in your hands is so crucial when it comes to left hand technique. 

The thumb position is adaptable, it never stays in one position for long. Depending on what strings you are playing, whether you are playing single notes or chords, and how high up you are playing on the guitar neck, the thumb moves and adapts its position to accommodate the playing. The thumb should stay in middle part of the back of the neck when playing the guitar. Extended techniques and large stretches may require it to move outside of this area, but it should return when possible. 

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It's important to get into the habit of practicing on the instrument, for our mind. Good habits stay with us even when we don’t have the inspiration. It's all about our decisions, intentions and what we do. Inspiration may get us started, but it's the habit that keeps us going. Good things take time and patience is required when you're learning the different shapes and patterns on the instrument. Always make the habit of trying to learn something new and put it into practice, because the more you do the practice and more time your put into it, you get better at it. What you put into it, you will get out of it. 

 

Practicing creativity is a wellness exercise, similar to having a healthy diet and workout routine. Even if we do not think of ourselves as artists or creative innovators, we all have a varying amount of energy, intelligence and discipline to expand on our ability to express ourselves and be creative. Being creative can increase positive emotions, reduce depressive symptoms and anxiety, and improve the function of our immune systems. Spending time on creative goals is associated with optimism and happiness. Expressing ourselves through creative and artistic activities can help to relieve stress and anxiety. 

 

Music is the sound of our emotions and I think it's important for anyone who has an instrument to get the most out of their instrument. That's why I love playing the guitar and being creative with it, everything about the guitar excites me, the whole process of being creative and trying new things, it's a deep connection you have with the instrument. I own an Ibanez AZ242PBG electric guitar and I also play a Native American Flute sometimes. It doesn't matter what kind of instrument you have, what's important is making the time to practice, learning theory, trying new things on it and trying to make music.