Learning the Notes Part1: The Piano

This is for all beginner musicians. Learning theory is amazing but not everyone wants to commit the time or they believe that it takes away from their creativity. This lesson is not about theory, just about learning the note names. From this you can discover things on your own. Exploration and discovery are so rewarding when you are learning an instrument so if you aren't into theory you definitely want to study this. If you are into theory this will kickstart your mind.

The most important thing you can learn on the guitar, aside from technique, are the names of the notes. This is not music theory, simply naming all the notes on all frets and strings. Why? Once you know the names of your notes you can figure out what you are playing and apply that to other positions on the guitar. Many guitarists learn "box" scales, scales that stay in one spot, and they want to move that scale around. Figuring out the notes in that scale allow you to play that scale on all stings and all available frets from your lowest note to the highest. If you only know a few chords you can figure out what notes make up that chord and then build your own chords, using those same notes, all over the guitar coming up with shapes that you don't often see in beginner chord books. If you want to solo over a series of chords, knowing the notes used in those chord will help you find the notes that will always sound great since they belong to the chord. Same goes with writing vocal lines, harmonies, bass lines....the list goes on. All without having to learn theory. @nathanfleet Enjoy. Learn. Share.