The Only Music Theory You NEED to Know 

From a teacher perspective, I'm always looking for the easiest way to explain basic theory to others. I like your approach. Very to the point and easy to watch.

Every once in a while I'll see a music theory lesson and something will click in. This was one such lesson. Creating chords and their extensions became much clearer. And that whole piece with the dominant 7th and the major seventh I actually understood. Thank you.

Thank you for everything I would never have people following me or be doing gigs without you 💯🤟

I enjoy how you explain music theory. It has always been difficult for me to grasp the finer points. Also, I have been using Elixir Phosphor Bronze 11-52s on my guitars since they first came out. No other string brings out the full range of my Taylor Koa G20. I have tried several when in a pinch and end up taking them off and restringing with Elixir.

Yay, a video I already knew all. Problem is once you get this far you want to go further. What I did very early on was memorize the notes in each major natural chord,so just 7 chords, you can then adjust in your head. If you know A major is AC#E then the minor just flattens the 3rd C# to C and you have A minor. Not sure if a good approach but worked for me to start. You da man

First time in four years keeping up with your fast talking instruction from start to finish. Learning can be a beautiful thing when the miracle finally happens

Fantastic lesson and I love the graphics. It really does help some of us a lot to see it spelled out.

Thanks for sharing. I’ve been playing for over 30 yrs & I learned something from this lesion. Thanks again !

I've been gone for a year. Glad you're still at it! Missed ya bro. Still great stuff!

Stellar lesson: very clear, applicable, and extensible. Thank you!

Hi Sean, this is such a pivotal lesson, it is a mind opener

that guitar sounds like it was strung with Rubber bands good lesson though.thank you

Great explanation on the Bm7flat5!

Thank you for the only music theory lesson we need to know. Very helpful!!

Got to watch this at least a few time with a guitar in my hands. I like it though. It all makes sense. That is one heck of a truss rod cover.

I think the most misunderstood chord, for the beginner, is the 'dominant 7th'. To this point (key of C) we're going Cmajor triad, D minor triad, E minor triad, F major triad; then suddenly we have two inexplicable new concepts - the notion of a 'seventh chord', and the even more challenging notion of a 'dominant' chord. Unless you are prepared to explain 'tonic' 'supertonic' 'mediant' etc. , to begin with, there is NO CONTEXT for the word 'dominant'. In fact G7 is far more a 'C chord' (it uses the notes of the C scale) than it is a 'G chord'! Calling it G7 can therefore be confusing in terms of the overall 'system'. Why not just focus on the triads to begin with?; then when we are ready to discuss 7ths (i.e. four note chords vs. three) present them in the same sequence Maj 7 min 7 min7 maj 7 dom 7th (meaning only a four note chord built on the dominant note of the scale, just like all the other four-note chords we have just built on I II III etc.)? With respect ...

Thanks Sean this is great! Massive musical worlds opening up to me now!

Very clean and clear explanation. Sincerely think you struck a chord with this one👍

who doesn't love theory?? may all your soundholes overflow with theory! excellent vid!

Thank You, the graphics on the screen help a lot.

Solid lesson, back to your driving best 👍

Thanks, Sean! Great content!

I think it was Clive Davis, the legendary music guy said, and to your point, one of em, Music is seven notes. What makes a hit record is just messing with seven notes in a way that hasn’t been heard yet. Something like that. It’s like the lottery I guess. Just pick six numbers out of 40 or whatever and you’re set for life. Doesn’t sound so hard. But it is.

Exactly material I need desperately,,,thank U,,Sir..

Big help! Thank you so!

first time I've seen anyone playing a beautiful D'Angelico on you tube,,,great guitars,,

Good lesson. Thank you.

The problem I see is you start out claiming it's a simple lesson...then you make it difficult. Adding the arpeggios and different ways and places to play the 3 note chord makes it a LOT more difficult. This should have in MY opinion been spread out to 2 or even 3 videos. Just got too complicated and memory intensive. You had the right idea and then threw too much at it. People that do not know the 2-3-6 are minors and 145 are major...then throw in diminished is a lot to attack all at once. I've been playing for a long time and recently just got into theory. I THOUGHT I was a decent player and once I started to understand it I realize there is a ton more to it than making good music by rote. Just too much material covered here in this lesson if you ask me...I appreciate your videos and don't take this a a bashing....it jumps back and forth a lot....I think a lot more people would get it if you kept it more simple

LOL. The worst thing about lying about seeing a movie is that when the other person starts talking about the movie, all you can do is refer to scenes from the trailer "acting like you saw the movie" (10 year old me knows this from experience). Oh yeah, great video. I felt super smart when you got to G since I play banjo and it is tuned open G and I knew all about how that key works with F#

i like your lessons

So the notes of a Dm7 will always be D F A C, and the chord numbers will always be 1 3 5 7, but the scale degrees change depending on the key you are in. D is a 2 in C, but a 6 in F, and a 3 in Bb. Almost as much fun as enharmonic note names! Thanks for posting..

Thank you!

Awesome.

very importin lesson, thank you Sean

Could you please slow down with your finger placements, us beginner's needs this very much. Thank you.

Is this you atoning for that "7 - nobody knows" remark in the most recent video? Thanks for the video. I feel somewhat proud of myself when I see a video and can go "oh, I know that" - but given that I learned all that on the earlier versions of this video that you recorded 8-9 years or so ago - this is very useful.

I have 1 or 2 beer cans here 🤣🤣💪❤️ early night tonight feeling great !!xx

Love your videos. Always good stuff.

🔥

watch Paul Davids video on which the best strings are. They are Rotosound Yellows

And dont let anybody kid you yes Hendrix and the beatles knew a lot more music theory than most people think they knew.

Great video Sean I don’t like doing this but you won’t beat the new didarrio xs strings the nano web elixir sounded a little dead and thumpy when recorded!! Hi that’s just me to each there own !! Anyway man have a good day did you have a good time in Ireland at emerald guitars I know the dude who owns it from Donegal!! Did you get to Northern Ireland to the lowden factory that makes lowden acoustics I live close by thete some beautiful guitars 🎸!! Anyway hope you enjoyed our country take care Sean I’m digging your new studio in doing the same at the minute!! Cheers Brian Ireland 🇮🇪

It’s a different language - or nay as we’ll be 😳

I've gotten by on less! Cheers Sean!!

11:52 lol

Thanks SEAN ! Im Still getting (attempted) SCAMS following U however ! Ol West

only strings i use

Another lie I hear often is people claiming to be able to tune their guitar completely by ear. I always give them the benefit of the doubt and ask about perfect pitch or the 5th fret trick to tune with relative pitch. Almost everytime, they'll either claim to have perfect pitch (but obviously don't) or they'll be confused about the 5th fret thing. I have no respect for these people. It's like a guitarist's way of spotting pathological liars and egomaniacs. People that tell me this lie have all been talkative about themselves and clearly full of shit.

only use Elixirs

Long Train Running.

Bro, could you help this guy???

And yep elliot Smith too.

Why does a C7 have B flat?

Wrong the more music theory you know the better.

Why do I get a reminder to be respectful and adhere to community guidelines? Is it just me?

You can fas so me tho

You go man ... to fast ...

FIrsteeeeez

It would be good to know this but you teach way to fast. Oh well I'll keep searching. 🙄

14:15 - 3 on D, not 3 on A. Easy mistake.