Music Theory for GUITAR #1: Major Scales 

very usefull lessons, bravo

Hands down best channel for theory beginners.

You are on a different level with your lessons. For some reason, no one else can make music theory this comprehensive; but I'm glad I've finally found you.

I want this guy to get big, but i kinda want him as my little secret to getting good at guitar.. Ps: He is absolutely killing it. Highest quality content - A proud subscriber since 30k

Can i just say: what a fantastic teacher. I have ZERO experience with this and im leaving after a single viewing with a pretty decent understanding of what i just learned. That’s talent as a teacher right there. Thank you for doing what you do, its tremendous help.

My brother, you need some name recognition. I wish I knew more about how to make these scales on guitar when I started. Very clean, easy to understand.

You're extremely good at teaching concepts that had me baffled for quite a while. Thank you.

Imagine going on RU-vid for scales for about 6 months and hating theory and then finding this guy and finally making scales fun hmmmm

Dude, I started learning how to play in 2002 when I was 13-14. I used to have a poster for the major/minor scales on my wall but never understood how it works. It looked so confusing so I stuck with just playing chords and learning tabs. I finally wanted to get past that and you broke this down so well. I wish I had a teacher like you when I was 14. Lol Thanks man!

Scott, I’ve been playing now for 6 years self taught. It’s taken 6 yrs and probably over a 1000 RU-vid videos watched to finally find someone who can explain the theory like you can. I look forward to much much more from you, all I can recommend at present is to create videos in order to teach. In other words please don’t jump right into modes. Incredible work. I wish you were my next door neighbour. Much love from the UK 😍✌🏻.

In this video Scott Paul Johnson explained music theory for guitar into a more understandable concept than many other lessons out there.

Your videos are simply enlightening like no others. Absolutely outstanding job. Please, carry on this way. Many, many thanks!!

I am 73 and for the FIRST time, I understand the glory and symmetry of scales. How wonderful and easy you make it to learn these important but beautiful fundamentals. I tip my hat to you. You have changed a life.

Dude I hope that you are a teacher in your day job, because this is the best guitar lesson video I've ever seen. Keep it up!

This channel is one of the best ways of learning useful guitar stuff

Scott, I scrolled down and saw every comment going for 2+ years. I could not find 1 “even close to negative comment”. I completely agree with everyone.. you have a gift for teaching, and you have figured out a PERFECT method of illustrating your thoughts in real time! Kudos to

You explain things, complicated or not, in the most easy to understand way I've ever heard. Every goal seems attainable. Every idea seems very basic. Even the tone of your voice seems to help. You're probably helping more people than you know...I , for instance, can now explain what I'm trying to teach in a way that seems elementary, and won't frustrate or confuse and discourage. So you're not just helping me. Thanks

Young man! I'm 66 years old and I have played guitar since I was a kid but I never understood the guitar the way I should. Thanks to you I'm beginning to see some light on how this is supposed to work. I'm looking forward to using your invaluable video lessons to help me improve my playing. I have looked at tons of YT lessons that left me scratching my head. So very glad I found your videos! Thank you very much for your time that you have invested in these lessons to share with the music world!

Love the way you teach, keep the lessons coming, in order....

The world needs YOUR EXPLANATION on the circle of 5th

So I´m a guitar beginner (1 1/2 Month in). Yesterday I visited my friend, who plays the piano and I asked him if he could teach me some basic music theory, as I am just starting getting into it. I had a lot of difficulties transforming the knowledge I gained to my electric guitar. Spend all of my morning looking up videos, and ended up with nothing but dudes who show their scale shredding skills, not learning anything. But u Sir just nailed it. Im so happy I found this ! Finally understood. First Person who actually bothers explaining something for beginners in a reasonable speed. Thank you so much !

I’ve been playing guitar off and on for close to 17 years. I’m nowhere near as good as I could have been with a quality teacher. It wasn’t until just recently that I found these videos. This channel has changed my life. I play/practice guitar for 3-6 hours per day now. Not just out of determination to learn, but mostly because it’s fun again. I was in a rut, didn’t know where to go; this channel has really helped pull me out of that, and made guitar fun and addicting again. I really enjoy the content, so I signed up for the PDFs. Got those. Soon will be hitting up that Patreon. Keep em coming!

Please keep more instructional videos coming. I'm no stranger to RU-vid instructional videos so can say with certainty that these are the class of the field. Thank you.

You are the best guitar teacher on youtube!

Wow. In half an hour, you have clarified so much that I have never been able to understand. You are truly appreciated! Please continue to do what you are doing in these videos by simplifying the theories. If only my advanced math teachers had been so detailed and patient in their explanations.... I may have actually made it to college! Thank you sir!

I really appreciate the detail in the videos you make. It really really helps.

Your teaching makes it really easy to comprehend, especially if your a real beginner. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

Yes. A follow up would be great! I love your teaching style. I've been playing for 53 years and I am learning so much from you. AMAZING STUFF!

Awesome video again! Thank you so much for this stuff. Watched so many videos on the caged system, etc. and never understood it until I saw yours on reddit. You are an amazing teacher that it just actually clicks & sticks for me. Do the chords/prog in major next & do some on the circle of fifths like you said :). Thanks again.

Great job on a tough subject for beginners like myself. I am currently on my third week of learning guitar with zero musical background. You made it very clear. Thank you.👍👍

Thank you so much! Your teaching provides the missing puzzle pieces!

Seriously, by far the best guitar foundation tutorials I've seen. Great teacher!

This guy is amazing. No ego no crap easy to listen to. Thank you very much sir you are a legend

This is exactly what I was looking for as Lesson 1! Not starting off with chords and some easy song to play. Everything has finally clicked!! Heaven

Been playing guitar for 9 years and still have to watch this lmao. To all beginners out there, learn your dam theory unlike me!

The details you put into this video are amazing. Even to the sound of the notes you pointed. Great work!

Another really great lesson Scott. I have been playing guitar off and on since the early 1970's. Yikes I know! Even though I have had music theory with guitar teachers in the past...the way you explain it makes it so much clearer, and more useful. I think many guitar players start out playing guitar without a lot of theory. We learn visually by memorizing shapes. While it helps in the beginning, it really holds us back in the long run. Teaching music theory on the piano with all your graphics...and then applying that information to the way the guitar is laid out...is really helpful. Now all those shapes start to take on meaning. Love your channel! You are a great teacher! You are going to help a lot of frustrated guitar players!

I started playing at 14 and taught myself never learned aby of this stuff. It' makes me wonder how good I could have been if I had RU-vidrs like this guy around to help

Wow dude I wish your videos were around ten years ago! Your teaching style is right up my alley... Please make more videos 🙏 If anything I'd like to see ways to actually apply this knowledge, like practical theory. Thanks again

This is by far the greatest guitar lesson I have ever seen on RU-vid!!! 👏👏👏 thank you so much for this!! Can’t wait to check out the other lessons 😁😁😁 LOVE THIS!!!!

Completely blown away by all your lessons thus far! The cool detailed animated graphics along with the clear and concise explanations are exceptional and second to none! This is coming from an intermediate player who follows several top instructional guitar channels. From what I've seen so far, I have no doubt that this will become one of the of the most popular instructional guitar channels around! I really do hope you continue adding more lessons. Absolutely love your unique and creative approach that makes everything so easy to understand! Looking forward to more future lessons! All the best!

Enjoying your videos Scott. Came across them accidentally but very impressed. Keep them coming, many thanks.

Another super lesson Scott! Your graphics are extremely helpful. You are the only person I have found who puts the concepts across. Learning scales and chords within a fun and playable context would be perfect, the basis for all development. Thanks for posting.

I just found your channel yesterday and you're easily the best at making so many concepts simple and accessible for everyone!! I'm excited for your next vids!

Scott, your patient way of explaining these concepts is the most inviting thing. For such heady concepts you make them feel not-so overwhelming. These are the concepts that have scared me from continuing to learn on my own -- because i don't know where to start. I would absolutely love if you would continue this series. Perhaps expand it into how it can be used easily figure out what notes are available to you when playing improv sections, or maybe how to use it to form chord progressions in songs. thank you so much for these videos they are truly inspiring me to pick up my guitar and teach myself to get better so that i can enjoy playing and not be afraid to suck.

You’re a brilliant teacher.

The best tutorial on the Major Scales and CAGED system I have seen out of hundreds, you make it very easy to understand how to apply on my. progression.

Really loving all of your videos, man. Very clear instruction and very relaxed vibe. Many music channels feel way over the top. This feels like we're just chillin talking music. Keep em coming!

First time I've commented on a RU-vid video- watched the CAGED system, and subscribed because I feel like this series of vids will take me through the basics of music theory in a concise and easy to follow way. Please keep moving forward in logical steps like this, I've been spending ages flicking around different youtubers trying to get a handle on basic theory. Don't be afraid that it gets nerdy, I'm loving the process of getting a pen and paper out and actually understanding this thing I've been trying to play for years!

You sir should keep doing this! Your a good teacher! I understand you!

Iv been a drummer for over 20 years. I have played the guitar on and off for most of my life. But have been at a stand still with it. I have been searching around you tube for ways to improve. I like the way you teach. I will be using your videos for my next journey with the guitar. Keep up the great work! thanks!

The note sounds synchronized while explaining these scales is that extra step of editing that just shows the amount of detail put into these videos and it’s much appreciated 👌🏽

I think many people would appreciate a video explaining the minor scale (just an idea)

Dude, you are an absolute music guru. You made it very simple. May the force be with you. I have subscribed to your channel. Thank you Dude!

Scott, I LOVE your videos. They have helped me so much. I am a older guy , 62, just picking up guitar for the first time, about 6 months into lessons and I feel like a 13 year old with his first guitar, never wanting to put it down. Your lessons have taught me so much. Past the information my current teacher has shared , (yet) The Chord progressions video is absolutely fantastic. I know a fair number of chords and to be able to sit down and strum something that sounds like actual MUSIC instead of practicing pentatonic scales just blew me away. I sit on the couch sometimes playing through a few progressions and my wife looks at me an says "what was that , that was pretty" I say I don't know I just made it up. IT WAS SCOTT! I check RU-vid all the time for anything new you have put out. All I can say is keep feeding us information. from basics for beginners like me to more advanced for everyone else who actually did start at 13.

Another outstanding lesson - the way you teach/share the knowledge is hitting the sweet spot - the flairs and bells are the way.

I'm simply confirming what everybody else said, you are the best music teacher ever. Thank you scott

I've been trying to teach myself guitar for a while. I have minor dyslexia so learning notes and stuff has been a real struggle for me. The way you lay stuff out is really helping me comprehend things a lot better than I was before. Thanks for your videos.

Dude, seriously, I feel so GLAD I found your channel, this is just brilliant! Thank you, thank you very much.

You have a teaching gift Scott. What is really needed is a Guitar channel that teaches on a pathway to a particular destination in guitar. Guitar is hundreds of skills that build on each other. I am so damn tired of hunting for the the next thing I need to learn. I need a progressive path that is comprehendible and takes me to a particular destination. Maybe this is your goal for this channel.

You're an amazing teacher. I've been noodling on the guitar for 35 years, just doing covers and I finally decided it was time to stop memorizing and try to create my own voice. I'm doing a deep dive in theory, and yours are the best videos I've seen. If you get a chance, I would love videos about circle of fifths and modes. I'm still really hazy about those concepts. Still looking for a way to unlock the entire fretboard for me.

Best video on this theory. So grateful to you. Please keep making these kind of videos.

The fact that this guy take his time out to animate & edit in every single individual sound of the notes and how it sounds like the way the notes are played everytime he follows with his pen is phenominal Thank you for everything you do. Maybe you don't have as much videos publish as other creators, but yours is always super fun to watch & easy to understand. Quality > Quantity haha

The way you’re breaking all this down is all perfect. You’ve brought me a lot of clarity. I played for about 7 years when I was a kid but stopped at some point and didn’t start again until around 6 months ago... 15 years later. All your videos are great.

This lesson earned you a new Patreon subscriber. I'm impressed with each video I've sampled. Out of the hordes of guitar/music teachers with lessons online, yours are by far the most digestible and clear. I greatly appreciate the effort that goes into the video editing/animation/production prior to uploading as well. You're a multi-talented dude, Dude! :-D Cheers.

Great video again! My votes for continuing with major scale and looking at chords and progressions please

The way you teach is fantastic! The PDF’s are a gr8 help. Can’t wait for more!

Scott, This is AWESOME! Seriously, I have been struggling to learn ANYTHING beyond a few chords on guitar and I've had guitars for 50 years and I've never seen anything regarding music theory and how to apply it to guitar. Granted, I've not had any music lessons other than learning chord shapes from music books, friends, and my late father who knew a few basic chords. I've always felt there must be some way to make this make sense and you've unlocked some of the mystery for me on this Lesson 1. Thanks. Can't wait to follow this series!

You are a great teacher. Thank you!

Holy Moly... for years I did not understand until today. Super awesome training

You're honestly really helpful, and by far the most descriptive teacher I've seen on this site. I've tried many others, but some either over/underexplained it or made it more complicated. After not being able to afford a irl teacher anymore, I had to turnover to this. And I'm glad I found you. I hope we get to see more uploads in the future 😃. No pressure.

Cannot tell you how impressed I am with your powerpoint / no bullshit approach to teaching. Keep up the great work!!!

Really, really like these lessons, look forward to more.

If you work hard on this channel you could make it the "go to" guitar/songwriting channel on youtube. All the small touches really make a difference. Edited well. Functional graphics. I've been a professional musician for over 20 years and just stumbled on this channel. I know all this stuff inside out but I was still fascinated watching lol

Finally! A clear and straightforward explanation of how it works. I am a beginner and watches dozens of theory videos till now. This is without a doubt the lesson out there. I finally get it! 🥳

This helped me SO MUCH! I've been struggling to understand music theory for so long, I always felt like teachers went too fast or skipped steps or started from a more advanced place. You're a great teacher, and the worksheets helped a lot!! Thank you!!

This has helped me immensely. Thank you, truly.

You are a very generous person sahring such an intriguing lessons. Cudos to you sir.

I love this, been practice for 3 months trying to understand the theory, and this makes absolute total sense. thank you

I have never seen a video or channel that puts so much effort to give extremely easy and lucid explanations. GREAT WORK Scott ! Big Fan of your work !

Bro you are one of the best teachers out there... First of all, I have a short attention span and can't listen to 95% of teachers that keep talking and talking... My brain just shuts off. Even my guitar teacher couldn't fully explain this stuff to me because unfortunately his teaching style doesn't really fit me... Bu myou got me hooked to the vidoe for a good six minutes, until I had to write this comment lol

Thanks for sharing your knowledge!! I can follow and understand how you teach. I took private lessons for a year and in that time I didn't learn half of what I've learned from 2 of your videos. Thank you 😊

What a great delivery. Your personality is a big part of why your getting a great response from your videos. Sincere, friendly, and modest. I think this is your "thing." Keep it up Scott!!!

This entire channel is a game changer for me honestly. Especially the scratch paper print outs!!! I've always learned best from writing things down but I hate sitting for hours drawing entire guitar necks lol. The scratch paper is the perfect median of drawing and writing everything by hand and printing off scales pre mapped on a guitar neck. This way Im still learning and retaining information. I will definitely be subscribing to your Patreon because all of your videos have been so incredibly helpful in bridging the gaps between theory, the guitar, and creativity. Thank you so much!

I could watch your videos all day. I wish I had your videos years ago. Thank you so much for this!

Very very informative！Please keeping rocking like this.

Best and clearest explanation of theory, CAGED, and min & maj pentatonic scales. Your thinking -presentation and PDFs are spot on. Please do the Circle of 5ths.

This is the lesson that I have been looking for. I have watched many channels for beginners and nothing like this. Very details and easy to understand. Best lesson, best teacher! I will follow the series. Thank you very much.

You are honestly so amazing I cannot even put it into words! Thank you!!

I'm a beginner and finding you're videos really invaluable. Great teaching method man!

You are a valuable resource to all who ran away from theory long ago, but still like to play, and who are creeping back to discover it afresh. Thanks

Congratulations Scott!! best lesson ever! very clear and easy to understand! thank you so much for sharing your knowledge.

This is Guitar theory done right

Light went bright in this old headbone. Thanks.

Your lessons are the most technically involving and simply the best- I think. The best ones on YT. ...I think. Cause I've searched high and low for something that gets down to the granular level of things. You should have so much more recognition. I think A lot of people just get scared off because it looks technical. And a lot of people just want to learn tunes and riffs. ...I want to learn to PLAY, not mimic. Thank you. Serge in Chicago.

This was an awesome video. I've been struggling with major scale and the way you organized this and explained finally made perfect sense to me. Thank you. You've just gained another follower.

Bro best guitar teacher on RU-vid you sir are a legend the animations really helps alot

I took music classes for 3 years back in college (high school here in NZ) over a decade ago and I learned more in this video than I think I learned in all those years lol. To be fair I wasn't really there to learn like I am now so thank you for sharing your knowledge

wow, youre by far the best teacher I have come across in the last year of trying to play and learn guitar so thank you.

Iv gone to so many different youtubers and scott you are by far the best. Love your content and appreciate all of input! Thank you sir