My #1 Music Theory Trick for Guitarists (and 99% won't do it...) | Adam Rafferty Guitar Lesson 

Hey Gang! What do YOU think? LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW and let me know! :-)

This makes perfect sense, Adam. I'm a piano player as well. It's much easier for me to visualise certain things on the piano keyboard than on the guitar fretboard. When I learn something on piano, I try to replicate it on the guitar and vice versa. That's helped me a lot!

This is very true Adam, I get on the piano in the morning, and also in the evening before I go to sleep. I'm glad you shared this. In planting the seed of encouragement to help fellow guitarist explore another perspective of music through the piano/keyboards.

a very good lesson to see how the sharps and flats are so easy to see on the keyboard thanks man!

I started learning piano 8 months ago just because I felt that it can expand and complete the music study. Your video is a welcomed confirmation that I made the right choice :-)

Yessir, what you're saying is true! The "flatting the 3rd" to make a minor was early stuff, but proved that some things are way more "obvious" on a keyboard!

Hi Adam. Your's is an extremely powerful suggestion for guitarist who want to break away from habit by understanding "why" things work. Harmony is based on intervals. A fact of life with the guitar (as well as all string instruments) is that you can't play two notes on the same string at the same time. Due to how the strings are tuned, players understand harmony based on shapes. The piano is a completely linear instrument which means the intervals are linear. I started taking piano lessons last year not to become a piano player, but to become a better guitar player. It has helped me "see" intervals on the guitar and has help me break out of relying on a few shapes to find chords all over the fretboard I hope this gives me entry to your 1% group. Thank You for all you do Adam.

Thank you for this video Adam. I remember back in 2018 or 2019 when on SWA you specifically told me to jump on the piano and start learning voice leading. I finally got a keyboard at the start of this year as I had to for my course and passed my first jazz piano semester! I've carried that knowledge over to the guitar and boy has it been a game changer! Thank you for your advice and help Adam, keeping music education alive!

This is great advice and it works I started with playing guitar back in the 60's . And keyboard many years later and it has helped in my music journey . Thanks for this post Adam.

I´m self taught and I started with guitar and piano simultaneously. Guitar was always more fun but I´m always playing the piano. I got so many more possibilities for recording and for writing and arranging. Ear training is always better with an instrument that isn't your main one I think!

the world will be a different place if every school get at least one teacher like you

Great advice, Adam! I have been doing this for 40 years. I'm a jazz/smooth jazz player and I wirte a lot of my music on the piano. Appreciate the wisdom!

Good Idea, I took music theory in college and it was always on keyboard so I do this but I need to do it more often. It really helps.

100%. It all makes sense on piano as is so easy to visualize. 🙌🍻👍

You’re my hero. I discovered your ,hack’ a long time ago but just didn’t have the focus to stay on it. Guess I needed your little kick in the rear end! Keep up the good work!

100% True!!! 10-15 minutes, but every day. This is great advice and it real works!

Great advice and a reminder Adam. Thanks man

Excellent video, Adam. You are an inspiring teacher!

I realize I’m among professionals here. I Love guitar. Always have. Started teaching my grandkids, and I also take them to the piano for basic understanding of theory. I love your exercise and will encourage my young ones to figure out by ear those scales! Thanks!

That's so right ! It's really much more understand music / chord / theory on a piano ! I should have started it before ! :)

Thumbs Up, Shared, and Saved ! This Hack will help me ! As soon as you showed the piano keyboard I could see the Whole Steps and the Half Steps ! And More ! Thanks !

Right ON! I've been using this 'secret-sauce' hack as my number one as well for I don't know how many years... Any guitar player not doing it, all's I can say is take this advice and get on it! Another thing - I fricking can't believe I just heard Adam Rafferty say "... I have no idea what the hell 'CAGED' system is..." Lol... I've listened to and enjoyed A.R.'s performances for years here on YT, and maybe he doesn't consciously know it - but yes he does know it! I see and hear CAGED all the time in his top notch guitar interpretations of some of my favorite songs. So... just goes to show what a Master Adam is, he just knows it instinctively without ever studying it rote... FANTASTIC!

Great advice. I’m a weird one though: I started life as a trumpet player and didn’t start exploring harmony and theory until I started guitar, so I learned how all of that stuff sat on the fingerboard - and with very little tablature. Even though the trumpet is only a melody instrument having that background really helped me learn the guitar. The only thing that really makes the guitar harder than piano or any other instrument is that there are so many options for playing the same material In different area of the neck.

Thank you, Uncle Adam! This is one of those lectures, like "Almost ALL your heroes transcribed off recordings and you need to too", that will separate "guitar players" from "musicians who play guitar". Bless ya!

Hey Adam, I'm on board already. I understand the piano keyboard layout and it's so much better organised than the fretboard. I don't have a piano but I love watching Aimee Nolte's videos. Chords are so much easier to make on the piano plus you have ten fingers that you can use whereas with the guitar you have your fretting hand and your picking hand and so a full 13th chord is possible on the piano but impossible on he guitar. Maybe I should get a piano.

Thank you master for your amazing points of view, incredible hacks for guitar players

Thanks for the lesson! I have used a little keyboard for years to figure out notes for composition so this makes sense to me.

Great video Adam! Man we should talk about CAGED, no-one teaches it right - I realised early on that it is essentially an “imaginary guitar capo”

Great lesson!!!

I used to play piano as a kid, no theory, just repertoire and lots of major scale runs. Then I switched to guitar and forgot about the piano. Lately, I'm slowly getting drawn back. I was playing with the piano the other day noodling pentatonic scales, major scales, triads, inversions, modes....all the stuff I learned from guitar. Lots of aha moments. The piano surely provided me the visuals of all the music theory I learned on the guitar. Now I need to get it tuned and give it some love.

LOVE THIS! i am not a pianist..I explain to friends when learning guitar how much easier making music is on a piano..besides not to have to keep tuning the darn thing or changing strings😉 imagine six oianos in a row🤭 as a kid i made up up melodies on my grandads piano...didnt know what i was doing tho musically. But i could hear what was right and wrong!! I am going to be a one percenter from now on 👍🙏

yay, I belong to the 1%! ;-) I have been playing the piano for a couple of years now. It definitely helped me to become a better musician!

My God. My music teacher told me that years ago. But I never listened, until now. I will make that My new adventure. I know it helps. Thanks Adam.😁

What great advice! Awesome video. I'll have to subscribe now, and then I'm off to my wife's piano...

ok, here is the 1%! Let's get started! Thank you Adam.

Totally agree. I'm comfortable with theory on the guitar but it's taken decades. I have a tiny keyboard, but getting a larger one soon. One thing that you implied (not sure if you said it) is that this allows you to discover new sounds. A lot of those (e.g. chords with second intervals) are difficult on guitar but easy on keyboard. Since my goal is to be a cocktail jazz person, I've learned a ton from piano players.

Hay Adam Im a guitarist. I watched your video on patterns for Bach on the Piano. So helpful. I'm working on your exercise of 1 to 4 to 1 to 5 to 1. I'm learning my Triads as you say. And transferring that to the guitar. This is just soooo helpful so thanks a ton. I seemed to lost the link to that Video. Just wondering if you can provide again. Thanks again man. Topstuff.

I have a keyboard and will start doing this BTW, you've been posting videos like Michelle and others and they are excellent!!!!

Hey Adam, your piano playing is almost as funky as your guitar work!

You know it's funny, I learned piano long before guitar. The flip side is the guitar helped me visualize classic chord progressions because you most always nail the root bass note. With jazz piano, you rarely play the root note and the chord voicing are all inversions, chord substitutions and likely built on fourths. So, for me, guitar helped me visualize in a different way. But, oh yeah, definitely learn piano because it is totally linear on the visual level. Great message!

Love it Adam! Believe it or not, my first instrument was piano, because when I was 10 my mum took this decision. I studied piano for 2y, and even if I liked it, the interesting thing is that I forgot all the classic songs I learnt reading the music sheet, while I still remember almost every guitar lesson, I wonder if it was a lack of piano passion or a mnemomic approach not working with me? In general I tend to remember almost everything learnt exploring by ear. I love your approach and I related a lot with this video. Will practice more on the MIDI master keyboard :) Thank you for making the learning process of music always pure joy and never hard work! P.s. I'm enjoying a lot your "Diatonic Triads Workout", practicing it slowly every week on the guitar :) Thanks for being amazing!

Nice Adam! Very good lesson. I am nota piano player but the first instrument I learned formally when I was a kid was an accordeon. Close enough. The kind with a piano keyboard on the right and buttons for chords on the left. And I have one midi keyboard, one synth keyboard and a piano today. My problem was moving that knowledge to the guitar. I am new to the guitar. Started about 1 and a half years ago. So how does one do the B major scale on the guitar? My "hack" was to start from B and but count "C-D-E ..." in my head, visualizing the distances in the C major scale. The same with the minor scales, but counting the A minor scale and visualizing those distances in my head instead. But I still go back to the piano at times, for trying to understand other stuff. It is a linear instrument and helps "see" the relationships.

great video!

Missed ya brother! Glad to see you're looking well. I remember you mentioning that theory was easier on a keyboard since it was spread out in front of you. Makes complete sense finding it with your hands, but it's still a little bit like standing at the gate of the graveyard... Good to know you're still out there and doing good. Till next time!

Mission accomplished….count me in as one of the “1%”. Ironically, this is something I wanted to do for so long. I’m a guitarist that owns a keyboard and was raised by a Mom that is a classically trained pianist. Yet, my passion for the guitar trumped any inclination to explore piano….yet, I realize that familiarity with the keyboard will make me a better musician. Thanks Adam for the advice!

Great idea Adam! I use my piano to "cleanse my ear pallet" when my guitar playing is getting boring. BTW seriously, many of the best drummers (and percussionists) I have ever known where fantastic piano players. Be well my friend, John Lind Gig Harbor, WA

We have real piano and I have a keyboard in my office that I've never really touched. Looking forward to trying this out. I know you're right, I have been resisting this.

Great guitar 🎸 and music 🎶 learning idea 💡👍👏🙏

Billy Gibbons plays piano, EVH played piano, and something tells me SRV could probably make you think he played the piano if he sat down at the keyboard for a few minutes. Great lesson, Adam. Thanks.

Thanks Adam. Going to do this. But why not learn all the scales direct on the fretboard? (esp single string scales to learn the intervals specific to the fretboard?). I am going to find keyboard and give it a go though.

Studied some piano when I was younger, so when I picked up guitar the music theory made sense. When I think chords I'm still picturing the piano keys.

Yeah man. Im a 1%er. 2 years after start playing Guitar Ive bought an old casio Keyboard. So Ive done it right I think. I like to say thanks for these confirmation.

Two questions: I’m relatively new at 59 learning for fun but would like to get as good as I can. One is this a good approach for me? Two is a 61 key keyboard sufficient?

I’m a classical guitar player following guitar and music theory lessons at the Geneva conservatory in Switzerland. I sit (almost) every day at the piano because we have to sing and compose pieces. So Adam’s right! For one thing, it’s much easier to visualize the structure of a scale and a chord on a piano than on that darn fretboard! So the piano makes it easier to understand the « grammar » of the piece you are playing.

I started music on piano - I always thought using it as my reference for guitar was like I was running it through a "translator" and slowing me down. But perhaps that's not the case after all!

This video is awesome sir you could not have said words more true, the piano is an important key, rather er, 88, well ....you know what I mean. 🙂 Fantabulous great idea glad somebody said it, cheers!

Late arrival, love it so true.

Grazie!!!!!

Very interesting not sure it will help my guitar playing but I will be in the 1% as going to try it everyday as you suggest!

Since I have a piano I play it more than guitar. I’m getting worried. Triads, inversions and voice leading, sus chords, 7ths…it’s all so clear on piano. So you should add a disclaimer for that 1%: You might fall in love with it. My guitars are looking angry at me.

Thanks Adam. I have a keyboard, but it's packed in storage - not good. I dig it out and be the one percent.

Reverse psychology kicking in! Even if all beginner guitarists learned to spell major minor dim augmented triads and then 7th chords on piano they’d 🤯

Thanks Adam I just happen to have a white Yamaha baby grand sitting in my living room that never receives any attention….. all I needed was a little kick in the butt ! Lol

Think about the best musicians you know. Just because they don't play piano doesn't mean they've never learned anything in front of one. Thats what I take from this video, thanks Adam!

Best advice ever!

Dangerous clue. Some time ago I had a similar idea, bought a piano and now I disgracefully betray my guitars with it ... Seriously, that's the whole truth - the piano allows to understand a lot. I am glad that one of my authorities confirms this. By the way: thanks for all the valuable things you do - I appreciate it very much. God bless!

Why the hell didn't I think of that?! I've got a piano that no one plays. This is brilliant! Mark me down as a 1%er. I never really learned to read guitar music mostly learning chords and chord progressions from copying other guitarists. I ripped off your arrangement of Michele by the Beatles. I've gotten pretty good at counterfeiting even some intricate jazz songs but, there's something missing. When I watch you or Emil Ernebro or John Pizzarelli I realize there is a method to the madness. There is structure to it. I'm older than dirt but still want to progress. Since I played piano years ago I can still read piano music so can't believe I never thought of sitting down with the guitar. You're a hell of a teacher that's why I've dubbed you America's Fingerstyle Guitar Teacher and The 21st Century Woodie Guthrie for your world travels. Thanks for everything. I finally got the boom chick. Ha, ha.

I think if your main goal is to play guitar things, you should tailor your practice towards the guitar. You can go slow and make sure you get the kinds of voicings and harmonies that you want. At the same time you're learning different ways of using your fingers efficiently in whatever tuning you please. Tommy Emmanuel is probably the best example of this I know. I would probably read chord chemistry over piano, and I have played it but find it difficult to translate anything to the guitar. It just doesn't make sense time-wise when my arrangement and playing by ear intuition is better. If I want to write, I'll have something in my head or I can write it on a computer and then arrange it for guitar. I could see benefits for how to play a given set of notes but the piano is gridlocked unlike the guitar, so something like the harpejji or maybe something like a roli seaboard would be more benefitial.

Lessons about how to compose classical music or music for guitar

Great advice Adam Guess what l have A piano 88 keys worth. Already started awesome

Man you better be right Rafferty!

Had to laugh at your comment about your confusion with the caged system. I felt I was the only one, ha!

Flamenco mainly player , the keyboard is out , challenge accepted

just when I was thinking of getting a violin 🙂

There's probably a piano app for your phone you can use for this purpose. I learned music theory in elementary school, on five-line scale, and clefs, keys, circle of fifths, chords, etc. made little sense to me. Not until I picked up a guitar was I able to finally make sense of them. A piano would have been a lot more helpful.

I heard about that first "hack" some years ago, but I live in a small place with room for only a guitar and music stand. I absolutely don't have any space for a piano. Plus, my wife won't allow me to get one 😊 Above all, I don't play keyboards, only guitars. At my tender age of 70, I will not start to learn piano from a teacher. So, you are correct and I'll remain in the 99% who won't do it.... 😢

Hey Adam, sorry but... can you condense what happened in the end? I didn't make it watching to the end ;)

Quest accepted, Rafferty. (I do this sometimes.) Not… everyday though.

Thanks for trying :)

Adam: "I'm not a great piano player but I explore ... " Goes to piano and plays like Herbie friggin Hancock (to my level of understanding). 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 Yeah, right. You blow us all away, Adam. 😉

I watched the video and I was wondering what was the trick... and then I realized than I've been in that 1% in the last five months :)

Actually, Tommy can play piano (not publicly) and originally he was a drummer.

Sorry, don’t need PIANO 🎹 to play guitar 🎸🤷‍♂️. 99% against 1% 🤪 Adam you are the one ☝️

aha yes I'm one of the 1 percenters.... not a bikie tho.....i have my keyboard. what you say is very logical. everything is clearer on the keyboard.

Get on with it. I predict 99% will get bored before you start. Is it a ploy to get us watching longer?

Three and a half minutes of bait, and the big revelation is "sit at the piano"

Here's what I have to say to the 4 99%ers that gave this video a 'thumbs down'. "You need nourishment in your gut"

RULE #1..DO NOT take GUITAR LESSONS from the KEYBOARD player. I hacked Music theory a long time ago.... KEYS are just PITCH of the MAJOR scale. All the circle of 5th dose is help SOME people keep track of the MAJOR scale in 12 different PITCH. IF you can PLAY in C MAJOR/Amin...you CAN PLAY in ANY KEYS SIMPLY use the FRETBOARD like a SLIDE RULER..or PRETEND to use a CAPO. BASIC CHORDS/TRIADS are just EVERY OTHER NOTE ( No matter the SCALE) There's MORE THAN just the MAJOR , NATURAL minor, Harmonic min, or melodic min. 90% keyboard players WONT Learn MODES withIN the MAJOR scale...Yet to learn MODES from OTHER SCALES....... MODE TERMS are simply INTERVALS IDENTIFICATION. The PATTERN or FORMULA is just this.....Mixolydian, maj7 = IONIAN Ionian, b7 = Lydian Ionian, #4 = Mixolydian GET the BASIC down PACK ( I HACKED it...so I know how to do it DIFFERENT ways) Aeo, maj7 = harmonic min dor, maj7 = melodic min phry maj7 = harmonic min b2 mix maj7 = IONIAN loc maj7 = ion #6 If you KNOW....aeolydian has b6..................dor has maj6 These are just MODES from DIFFERENT scales. aeo b2.........aeo b5.........aeo #4 dor b2.........dor b5..........dor #4 KEEP it SIMPLE STUPID.. HARMONIC MAJOR is just Ionian b6 The modes within it will simply be this. ion b6 dor b5 phry b4 lyd b3 mix b2 aeo b1 ion #5 dor #4 phry maj3 lyd #2 mix #1 AEOLYDIAN, maj7 You can call them WEIRD ARSS NAMES..it dosnt ALTER their INTERVALS. You can use this for the MELODIC min ( dor maj7 or ion b3) ion b3 dor b2 phy b1 lyd b7 mix b6 aeo b5 loc b4 it's JUST Loc b4...AYE !!!!! Anyways.......... Aeo................................................dor harmonic min melodic min harmonic min b2 melodic min b2 harmonic min b5 melodic min b5 harmonic min #4 melodic min #4 Some people call the Harmonic min #4....Double harmonic min or HUNGARIAN min Harmonic min b5 is a MODE from......................................HUNGARIAN MAJOR LETs KEEP it SIMPLE STUPID... A min D min E7 into A min A min B7 into E7 into A min.....I double harmonic min that biotch. A melodic min #4...could be A lyd b3 Some people term it...LydianDiminished or INVERTED Harmonic MAJOR A min B7 into E Maj7 ( E Harmonic MAJOR)... so it;s just G# phry b4.....not only G# loc b4 So you can do this.... A min G#7 into C# min/E MAJOR Use that as a GUIDE......it'll OVER LAP A min D dim E7 A min D7 E7 A min D dim E dim if...you NEVER learned C HARMONIC MAJOR scale.. You'd say I was WRONG...play the Ab note instead of the G# note.lmao it's G mix b2.....or Ab lyd aug #2 The CONS of using the circle of 5th ( it just a GUIDE...not RULES) when they try to apply it in the key of E harmonic MAJOR or C# Harmonic min is it...#B note...or flatted C# note. ????? It's RETARDED....That note can be played where most poeple call the C NOTE. It'll drive music notation READER....INSANE just to play that SIMPLE NOTE. Me...I'll make it C aug, dim, maj7...dominant or WHATEVER I damn PLEASE. Becuase I HACKED it...like this too.... b2......b3........b5........b6.......b7 CHORD DEGREE of a MAJOR scale are ALL POSSIBLE inserted lyd #6...lyd #2, #6...Lyd #5, #6...Ion #6. In a nutshell....MAKE WHATEVER CHORDS you damn PLEASE. but the BASIC of LEARNING how to USE them. Db maj7 G7 into C Eb maj7 G7 into C Gb maj7 G7 into C Ab maj7 G7 into C Bb maj7 G7 into C Those so call N6 chords or chord... the Bb lyd #6 of A harmonic min b2 You could make it WHATEVER...but most will play it as Bb maj7 or Bb7 Im going to kill 2 birds in ONE STONE the b2 CHORD after A min...and the b2 CHORD after Eb MAJOR..lmao A min Bb7 into Eb Maj E7 into A min or this.... A min Bb7 into Eb min Gb maj7 G7 into C MAJOR...lol or A min Bb7 C7 F min Ab maj Db Maj7 Bb dim G7 into C MAJOR it's the same as A min B7 into E MAJOR. ..........................F min G7 into C MAJOR KEEP it SIMPLE STUPID C Harmonic MAJOR = C Maj F min G7 into C Maj b6 harmonic MAJOR b3 melodic min b3, b6 harmonic min b3, b6, b7 NATURAL minor or b3, b6, b7 b3, b6 b3 b2, b3 b2, b3, b6....ect...ect..ect or this ( mixloian ish modes ) ( ion b7...just play maj7 to get ionish modes) As I stated....call it Lyd DOMINANT or mix #4...dosnt alter it's INTERVAL mix mix b2 mix b6 mix #2 mix #4 mix b2, b6 mix #2, #4......aka HUNGARIAN MAJOR mix b2 #4......a mode from Melodic min b5 2, 4, b6, 7 CHORD DEGREE are POSSIBLE FULL diminished. wheather you count from A Harmonic min or C Harmonic MAJOR or ...................................A Harmonic MAJ or F# harmonic min or....................................C Harmonic min or Eb harmonic MAJOR or...................................Gb Harmonic MAJ or Eb harmonic min They Overlap...I know this...beucase I HACKED it.lol Amin G#7 into C# min D7 E7 into A min A min G#7 into C# min D dim E dim F min Db maj7 G7 into C MAJOR... when I do that....is the C# min...b2 of C MAJOR??? or Db minor????? LMAO i told you...you can make it WHATEVER You damn please.... A min C dim C# min D maj7 B min E7 into A min.. B dor b2 is borrowed from A melodic min....right ?????? RIGHT

Way too much irrelevant talking. Sorry. I'm a 1% but it's too painful waiting for the essential pieces.