Basic TheoryAnd

Technique

Book 3

1

Basic Guitar Theory 1

Tones & Semitones

The diagram below shows the names of the notes, on the guitar fretboard. It will take time to become familiar with sharps and flats, but as a starting point remember that (1) There is no B sharp or E sharp and thus (2) There is no C flat or F flat. Remember that the notes repeat every twelfth fret (E.G the note on the 12th fret is E).

A semitone is the shortest interval between any two notes. It is the closest possible progression from one note to the next (at least in western music).A tone is the distance between two notes, for example the gap between F and G is a tone because you find F# in-between. F# is a semitone higher than F and a semitone lower than G.

Sharps & Flats

Many of the notes have two names – take A# for example. As A sharp is one fret up the neck from A natural it is referred to as being a sharp note (A sharp), but as it is also one fret down the neck from B natural it can also be referred to as Bb (B flat). Both of these names are correct. It may be confusing at first, but you will soon get used to them.

2

Frequency

When we described a note as being high or low it is the ‘pitch’ of the note we are referring to. Pitch is determined by the rate of vibration of the material making the sound (in this case the guitar string).

Take a look at these two different C notes as they appear on the guitar:

You can see that doubling the frequency produces the same note but in a higher register. It is easy to see this on the guitar.

If you play your open E string then play the note half way along the string (at fret 12) the note at fret 12 is another E. Halving the length of the string doubles the frequency:

In music, the distance between two sounds is called the interval. The interval between the two C’s or the two E’s is called an octave. In terms of frequency, doubling the frequency of any note increases the pitch by an octave.

3

Tones and semitones

As you are probably aware, western music uses the letter names A B C D E F G to describe notes. If you look at the guitar though, you can see that an octave (from open string to string fret 12 for example) is actually divided into 12 different notes – each fret producing a different pitch.

If you play the open E string and then play the note at fret 1, the pitch rises. The distance between one note and one the next fret up is called a semitone. If you continue this up the string, after 12 semitones you reach the octave E at fret 12.

A semitone is the minimum increase in pitch from one note to another (I.E one fret). The distance between two frets is called a tone. E.G the distance between the first fret and the third is a tone.

In order to name these 12 notes we need to add to the seven letter names A B C D E F G. This is done by using ‘sharps’ (#) and ‘flats’ (b). The 12 semitones along your E string are named like this:

A sharp raises the pitch of a note by a semitone. A flat lowers the pitch by a semitone. Clearly F sharp for example, is the same note as G flat. When a note has two names like this the notes are said to be enharmonic.

 

   

4

Fundamentals of the scale

The word ‘scale’ comes from the Italian word ‘scala’ which simply means ladder. In music, the scale is a way of climbing from one note to the same note an octave higher.

The most familiar sounding scale in western music is the major scale. Here’s how to build a major scale on your guitar.

Starting with open E string, play this series of tones and semitones:

Tone(1) Tone(1) Semitone(½) Tone(1) Tone(1) Tone(1) Semitone(½)

Whatever note you start on, playing this pattern of tones and semitones will produce a major scale.

Here are some major scales starting on different notes written in notation form:

Notice how when we start on C there are no sharps or flats. The notes of the scale are often referred to as root (or tonic) 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc. as shown in the diagram. This is very important for when you start figuring out chords.

 

   

5

C Major scale

All major scales are built using the same formula. Tone – Tone – Semitone – Tone – Tone – Tone – Semitone

This means if we follow this rule C major looks like this:

C (Tone) D (Tone) E (Semitone) F (Tone) G (Tone) A (Tone) B (Semitone)

C Major – position 1

C Major – Position 2

6

Getting started with key signatures

All keys are built up from seven notes starting upon a root note. The root note is the note the key is named after; I.E C major naturally starts upon the note C (its root). C major is the most logical key to look at first as it has no sharps or flats – As follows:

C – D – E – F - G – A – B – C

All major keys work to the same formula of tones and semitones. The scale of C is worked out with the standard major scale formula- as follows:

Tone – Tone – Semitone – Tone – Tone – Tone – Semitone

Given that the root note is C it happens that when starting upon this note you arrive at a scale with no sharps or flats, which can be worked out upon the guitar by following the formula on one string or across the neck.The scale when written in traditional sheet music form looks as follows:

Every key also has a relative minor key, which is made up from the same notes as its relative major only starting upon the sixth degree of the scale. In C major the sixth note is A, therefore A minor is C Majors relative minor key and has no sharps or flats. The key with just one sharp is G major, if we follow the major scale formula we arrive at the following set of seven notes.

G – A – B – C – D – E – F# - G

It differs from C major by only one note (the F is sharpened). We arrive at this because A is a tone up from G, B is a tone up from A, C is a semitone up from B and so on until we find an F# as the scale formula asks us to move a tone up from E.

7

Treble

Clef

No Sharps or

This may sound complicated, but the important thing is to remember what keys have what sharps or flats. Remember C has no sharps or flats and G major has one sharp. In traditional notation the scale looks like this.

As with every major key G major has its relative minor key. The relative minor is found upon the sixth note of the major scale so the relative minor to G major is E minor as this is its sixth note. This means that E minor also has one shape (F#).

Remember-

1. C major/A minor have no sharps or flats2. G major/ E minor have one sharp F#

8

Treble

Clef

One Shar

pF#

Rests

A rest is a pause or interval of silence between two tones; hence, the sign indicating such a pause.E.G a Croquet rest lasts for one beat (the same amount of time as a croquet note); therefore the beat is silent for that amount of time. I.E if there is a croquet rest in a song you stop playing for that amount of time (1 beat). This works for all rests, if it is a minim rest you stop playing for 2 beats (as long as a minim), if it is a semibreve you would stop playing for 4 beats (As long as a semibreve).Rests are also used so that you can notate complex beats, if for example you were writing down off beats you would need to insert rests to place the beat ‘off’.

Rest valuesExercises with rests

9

Crochet rest = 1 beatMinim rest = 2 beats

10