Music theory is often perceived as the academic side of music education, filled with abstract concepts and complex terminology. For most followers of popular music, and those learning instruments while doing so, music theory isn’t a consideration but rather something beyond their scope of understanding. It’s thought of as unimportant, or even worse – obsolete.

We live in a society today where knowledge once considered practical, necessary, or even essential is now considered archaic. From essential survival skills and cooking to starting a fire, real life skills and real knowledge have been largely forgotten. Knowledge of music theory is one of these skills long revered that has seemingly now been tossed by the wayside.

I understand why, of course, because I thought the same thing – and suffered for it.

My Story of Musical Frustration and Fluency

As a Nashville native and a self-taught guitarist who grew up in the 90s, my focus in understanding guitar was to emulate those I studied in videos and tried to decode by ear. I fell in love with 60s music, blues, and rock, of course including the famous grunge bands of the day such as Nirvana, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, and more. Believe it or not, I even found some success with this strategy and played for years in bands around Nashville, as well as became a regular sit-in at blues and jazz clubs across the city between the late 90s and mid 2000s.

I never took a formal guitar lesson, never understood the theory behind music, or received any formal training. I, like many, just loved music and wanted to play just like my heroes.

People that knew me, knew me as a kid that was really talented at guitar. I could rip-off licks from Hendrix, Clapton, and Stevie Ray Vaughan. I could play hard covers by bands with great guitarists like Led Zeppelin, Soundgarden, and Tool. I could play fast. I could play chords. When I jammed with blues bands, I know that if my root note was on the 5th fret of the low E-string, I know where to go find the IV, where to find the V, and outside of knowing where to play solos, that felt like all I really needed to know outside of how to play faster, and how to accumulate more licks.

But, I didn’t know what any of it meant, or even really how I was doing what I was doing. It was like speaking a language based off memorized sentences, not from understanding the structure of the language.

Hard Reality

Music was my great passion. I attended college near Nashville, and after obtaining a degree in Music Business in 2006, even enjoyed a career for a time with working with Sony Music on Nashville’s famous “Music Row”. I was still playing in bands, trying to write music, but by this time frustration was beginning to settle in. You see, when I first started learning guitar, I learned quickly. I was obsessed with playing. Learning the instrument, for me, was digesting as many licks and riffs I could understand, and over time made these a part of my vernacular. Around my college, around my high school even before that, and certainly in my neighborhood, my skills appeared special. Of course, since I got all this great feedback I believed my own hype, and just assumed I was on my way.

The problem is, the idea of understanding the instrument felt incredibly intimidating to me. Understanding music felt like something I shouldn’t even attempt, because that was reserved for other people. That felt like something that real musicians, people with degrees in theory, and those who conducted orchestras did.

However, in my early 20s I started hanging out with real musicians. My college had an excellent music program, along with several programs centered around the recording industry, and with it came musicians from all over the country that could really play. By this, I mean people who could improvise beyond just copied and digested riffs, or people who had a speed, dexterity, and mastery of their instrument I simply didn’t have of mine. If they couldn’t play fast, they could play well. They could write songs in any key. They could create interesting song ideas and riffs on purpose, on command, that I would simply have to “get lucky” or “get inspired” to write.

They would give me a command (“try that same riff with the minor 2nd in the 3rd measure…”), and when I didn’t understand it, just looked at me with this look of, “oh, you don’t know what you’re doing…” The regular blues jams of which I frequently took part, which always seemed to move around the famous I-IV-V pattern, seemed like child’s play to these musicians.

Suddenly, I wasn’t impressing anyone. Suddenly, I realized I was mediocre at best.

The first casualty of this reality was my confidence. Spending years thinking I had some special “talent” hadn’t prepared me to suddenly be surrounded by people who understood their instruments, understood music, and could play circles around me. I realized I was playing guitar, but I didn’t understand music and that was very limiting. Whether I was jamming with blues guys, jazz cats, or trying to write songs with rock bands, I always felt lost compared to those with whom I was playing and writing. I still had “chops”, and could sing pretty well, but my playing always seemed off. It was either wrongly placed, wrongly phrased, wrongly pitched, or just all-together unrelated to what else was going on around me.

Soon enough the second casualty of these events, my musical dreams, died.

Not that there’s anything wrong with a day job, trust me. I’ve now worked in the professional world (outside of music) for more than 15 years, and am incredibly happy with how things turned out. However, at the time I felt like I had to turn away from a dream because I simply wasn’t good enough – and that was crushing. The worst part? I didn’t really understand why. All I knew is that I stopped being the most talented person in the room, and actually started feeling like I was the least.

Reclamation

By 2008, I had stopped playing publicly. By 2010, I had sold most of my gear and was maybe picking up a cheap acoustic guitar once every few months. By 2015, other than a stretch around 2011-2012 where my wife (who is a fantastic vocalist) and I wrote a few songs together, I had stopped playing at all. As the next half-decade passed, my career progressed and thrived, but there was always this gnawing from the loss of what was once a great passion. I always wondered why I started off so strongly learning the guitar, then couldn’t get any better. Why did I plateau? What did all those other musicians know that I didn’t?

Then, sometime in late-Spring 2020, something happened that eventually led to the creation of this website. COVID-19. (Well, COVID-19 and boredom.)

As an adult now in my late 30s, the lockdowns led to working from home, as well as the inability to do much else. After a few weeks, I found myself picking up an acoustic guitar. After a few more weeks, the bug had bitten me again. Quickly, playing 15 minutes every couple of days became every day, became playing 10+ hours a week. It was like I was 16 again. I bought a new guitar. I was taking it everywhere with me, and couldn’t put it down again.

And then, I got frustrated again.

Still unable to really understand the instrument despite looking like a musician when I was free-styling a blues solo, I finally decided that, if I was going to continue on as a guitarist in my life either as a hobby, a passion or otherwise, I would learn what I didn’t learn in my teens and twenties. Maybe it’s the wisdom that comes a little with age, but I realized that, while I loved the instrument, I was never a true musician. In the summer of 2020, I began a process of researching and learning as much about music theory, songwriting, and understanding the guitar as I could.

The plateaus started to lift. The limitations started to disappear. My dexterity improved. I started writing better songs. I could jam again, but now really improvise. My knowledge of the neck, and of scales and knowing where to go at any moment improved, and suddenly, my love of the instrument was far beyond what it ever was.

Interestingly, I realized that the stigma around understanding music theory is ridiculous, and that it isn’t only accessible for anyone to learn, it’s actually enjoyable to know.

My Story is Your Story

My story, I believe, is many of your stories. Those who are without some of the privileges such as private music lessons or world-class gear when we are young think that understanding music is something meant for someone else, and the longer we go without understanding it, the longer of a limiting factor it becomes in our success. My goal in beginning this website is to help you, the independent musician, the independent music lover, understand music in a way that enables you to either enjoy it more fully, or enables you to succeed in learning an instrument (not just guitar) in a way you never thought you could before.

Whether you have experience playing in bands and writing music, or are simply interested in learning an instrument, I want to make this a place for you to come, feel supported, and grow.

Music theory provides the fundamental framework for understanding how music works, but its so much more. Its the chemistry, the science, of sound. Its practical benefits are immense, particularly for musicians who aim to deepen their understanding and enhance their expressive capabilities, but also for anyone who just wants to understand art more fully, more completely. This exploration of music theory does more than highlight its essential role in a musician’s development and how it can significantly reduce the potential for frustration that comes from a lack of progress; it serves as a beacon for those who care about learning a beautiful and ancient art.

It turns people who tinker into songwriters. It turns frustrated jammers into accomplished musicians.

For those who begin their musical journey learning through imitation—repeating what they hear without understanding the underlying principles—there can be significant gaps in musical education. These will be limiting factors as you continue with your musical education (trust me, I know). These gaps often become apparent when musicians attempt to compose their own music or when they play with others who communicate in the language of music theory. Without a firm grasp of music theory, musicians might struggle to understand why certain pieces work harmonically or how to adapt their playing to different styles or ensembles.

For those who are merely interested in learning an instrument, whether piano, guitar, or something else, having a solid foundation of musical understanding will enable you to learn proficiency at your instrument much more quickly.

Music is Central to Society

Frankly, more people should play music. I love recording with virtual instruments, and I love technology, but there should always be a love of music played on real instruments in our society. Art like this should always thrive, and without an understanding of the art, the art itself dies.

The reality, however, is that music theory isn’t rocket science. It can be understood with even a basic amount of effort, and even grasping the basic concepts of music can convert a frustrated musician into a prolific songwriter. I hope to be able to demystify it here, and show some of you that its an art worth knowing – and that you’re capable of knowing it.

Music is an art, however, which is important to remember in abstaining from the stigmas associated with music theory. It isn’t stuffy. It isn’t old. And, it most certainly isn’t boring. This is important to remember because once rules and laws start coming into effect, people stop thinking artistically and start feeling “boxed-in” if they don’t understand how to apply the knowledge.

Its important to remember that music theory is not just about conforming to traditional rules. It offers a platform for creativity and innovation. By understanding traditional patterns and structures, musicians can more effectively break these molds and explore new territory. In genres where innovation is particularly prized, such as jazz and contemporary classical music, knowledge of music theory is indispensable.

Music theory is much more than an academic requirement; it is a vital tool for any musician seeking to fully realize their artistic potential. It helps prevent the kind of frustration that can lead musicians to abandon their practice by providing a deeper insight into the mechanics of music and a richer, more informed approach to performance and composition. It can enable you to experience love of music, love of learning an instrument on a level you wouldn’t otherwise experience. Embracing music theory enhances a musician’s ability to express themselves, adapt their skills to various musical settings, and communicate with other musicians effectively, ensuring a rewarding and sustained musical engagement.

I hope this website further proves to provide you with the tools to appreciate music, understand it, and learn to accomplish whatever musical endeavor you wish to pursue.