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25 Music Theory Terms Beginner Guitarists Should Memorize

Music Theory for Guitar Leave a comment

Are you just starting out studying music theory but feel overwhelmed? Are you like I was and feel like music theory is a foreign language? This can be frustrating. Here are 25 simple (but important) music theory terms written in plain-English for you to learn and memorize so you can understand what the heck it all means.

These are terms and definitions you should understand before proceeding in your journey to understand music theory. Skim through them to learn what they mean, then proceed to the next article in my sequence on music theory.

Remember: This is not a bunch of fluff to learn for the sake of gaining academic knowledge that you won’t actually use. These terms have legitimate meaning that you need to know. They will apply to the way you play the guitar.

  1. Note – A sound of a certain frequency, or “pitch,” sustained for a duration of time. Notes are given names with letters A-G. Each note represents a certain frequency. Example: The A note is 440 Hz, although sometimes it is played at 432 Hz, depending on the tuning of the instrument.
  2. Pitch – The frequency of a note. Higher frequency= higher pitch. Lower frequency = lower pitch. On a guitar, a string played open will have a lower pitch that any fretted note played higher up on the neck of that same string. Notes played high on the neck will have a higher pitch than notes played lower on the neck.
  3. Interval – The distance in pitch between two notes. Intervals are given names like a 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, etc. The highest interval you’ll typically see or hear is 13th. One of the most important intervals to learn is the octave. Intervals will often be accompanied with a quality such as Minor or Major. Examples include a Major 3rd and a Minor 3rd.
  4. Octave – The interval represented by two notes of the same letter, played at a higher or lower pitch, 12 chromatic half-steps apart. There are 12 chromatic notes between octaves. It has the octave name because the Major Scale has 7 notes, with the 8th note making up the octave. An example of an octave interval on the guitar fretboard is an open string note and the 12th fret note on the same string.
  5. Chromatic note– An interval a half step (1 fret) away from the previous note played.
  6. Whole step – The distance of two chromatic notes away from each other. For example, two notes played on the 3rd and 5th frets of the same string.
  7. Half step – The distance of one chromatic note away from the other. For example, two notes played on the 3rd and 4th frets of the same string.
  8. Whole tone – Same as the Whole step definition above.
  9. Semitone – Same as the Half step definition above.
  10. Scale – A series of notes played between two octaves. Example: C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C is a scale of 7 notes, with two C notes played an octave apart. A scale can be played ascending or descending in pitch. This happens to be a C Major Scale, which we’ll talk about later. A scale can have more than 7 notes. For example, the ascending C Chromatic Scale, from C to C, looks like this: C-C#-D-D#-E-F-F#-G-G#-A-A#-B-C
  11. Tonic – The note a scale is named after and centered upon. In the Major Scale (Ionian mode) the tonic will sound like “home” when you hear it in a musical context. You’ll feel a sense of resolution or ease when you hear it compared to other notes in the scale which may have been used to build tension.
  12. Root – Same as the Tonic definition. The term, root, is also used frequently in naming chords as well.
  13. Resolution – The moment the tonic, or root, is played in a scale or chord progression after tension is built by other notes being played.
  14. Key – The scale name a song is centered upon. Example: a song played in the key of C Major uses notes or chords derived from the C Major scale.
  15. Sharp – A note played one half step or semitone higher in pitch than another note. I’ll indicate sharps with a # sign after the note. Example: “C sharp” is written C#.
  16. Flat – A note played one half step or semitone lower in pitch from another note. I’ll indicate flats with a “b” after the note. Example: “B flat” is written Bb.
  17. Accidental – A sharp or a flat note.
  18. Enharmonic Equivalent – A term given to two notes of the same pitch but different names. Example: C# is the same pitch as a Db. The naming depends on the direction the melody is going. If the notes are played ascending, it will usually be written C-C#-D-D#-E. The same notes, played descending in pitch, will usually be written E-Eb-D-Db-C. On the guitar, the 6th string-2nd fret can be named a F# or Gb.
  19. Melody – A series of multiple single notes, played over a period of time. A scale is an example of a melody.
  20. Harmony – Two or more notes played at the same time. A chord is an example of harmony.
  21. Chord – Two or more notes played at the same time. A chord will be given a name and a “quality” of Major, Minor, Dominant, etc. Example: C-Major chord.
  22. Major Scale – A series of notes of the following pattern of intervals in ascending order.
    1. Root
    2. Whole step (Major 2nd)
    3. Whole step (Major 3rd)
    4. Half step (Perfect 4th)
    5. Whole step (Perfect 5th)
    6. Whole step (Major 6th)
    7. Whole step (Major 7th)
    8. Half step (octave)
  23. Modes – Any scale that is a variation of a different scale by shifting the root to a different note. For example, the D Dorian scale uses the same notes as the C Major scale, but the scale starts and stops on a D, rather than a C. This creates a different mood and tonality. Here are the 7 modes of the Major scale.
    1. Ionian (Major Scale)
    2. Dorian
    3. Phrygian
    4. Lydian
    5. Mixolydian
    6. Aeolian
    7. Locrian
  24. Natural minor scale – The Aeolian mode of the Major scale consisting of the following interval pattern.
    • Root
    • Whole step (Major 2nd)
    • Half step (Minor 3rd)
    • Whole step (Perfect 4th)
    • Whole step (Perfect 5th)
    • Half step (Minor 6th)
    • Whole step (Minor 7th)
    • Whole step (Octave)
  25. Relative Major/Minor – Every Major Scale has a “relative” minor note, and every Natural Minor scale has a relative major note. The relative minor note of the major scale is the 6th note, representing the Aeolian mode. The relative major of the Aeolian scale is the 3rd note, representing thet Ionian mode.

That’s all I’ll hit you with for now. I intentionally left out a lot of other terms to not overwhelm you: mainly relating to time, time signatures, tempo, rhythym, etc. but we’ll get to that later! Those are separate categories of theory. Right now, just focus on learning these terms.

Study these terms and commit the concepts to memory as soon as possible. Not all in one day, but over the course of a couple weeks. Try to understand them and keep them on your radar. so you’ll be all set to learn more about music theory.

Again, these are important, practical concepts to grasp before you can become an advanced player. I will explain much more in further articles.

Let me know if you have any questions or comments. Thanks for reading!