Guitar Theory: From First Chords to Total Mastery
Like Duolingo, but for Guitar Theory: From First Chords to Total Mastery. Tomo turns the whole topic into a game you play five minutes a day, until it actually sticks.
For the part of you with thirty open tabs that never became anything.
Free during early access · No credit card · iPhone & Android
Key ideas in Guitar Theory: From First Chords to Total Mastery
- These chords provide a complete cycle of tension and resolution
- The I chord feels like a point of rest or finality
- They are the primary chords built from the major scale
- Other chords create a sense of 'being away' from home
- Why the I, IV, and V chords are the foundation of popular music
- Identifying the 'home' chord (the I) by its feeling of rest
- Standard open chord finger placements
- The V chord creates the highest tension
- The difference between G, C, and D shapes
- The I chord provides the final resolution
- Mapping chord names to their specific finger shapes
- The emotional cycle of tension and resolution in a V-I progression
- A capo raises the pitch of the strings
- Major chords generally sound bright or happy
- Using a capo allows you to use the same finger shapes in a new key
- Minor chords generally sound dark or sad
You've tried the other tabs
Thirty open tabs. Four facts you actually kept.
You watched. You nodded. By Sunday it was gone.
One answer, then back to scrolling.
Eight weeks. You meant to finish. You didn't.
Tomo gives Guitar Theory: From First Chords to Total Mastery the Duolingo treatment: levels, streaks, and quick quizzes that test what you just learned. That game loop is what the tabs above never had, so it's the one you actually finish.
Here's what playing it feels like
A real question from this course. Take your best guess.
When a song reaches a point of total finality and 'rest,' which chord is it likely playing?
Get it right to open this lesson and 194 more in the app.
Where Guitar Theory: From First Chords to Total Mastery takes you
Stop memorizing shapes and start understanding the fretboard. Learn to play any song by ear, write your own riffs, and unlock the secrets of music theory directly on your guitar.
- 1
Play Your First Songs Right Now
- The Three Chords That Rule the Radio
- How to Read Guitar Tabs Instantly
- Finding Your Rhythm with Basic Strumming
- Changing Chords Without Pausing
- 2
Make Your Chords Sound Professional
- The Secret to Clean, Buzz-Free Notes
- Using Power Chords for a Rock Sound
- Adding Flavor with Suspended Chords
- How to Use a Capo to Change Keys
- Palm Muting for Texture and Groove
- 3
Navigate the Fretboard Like a Pro
- Finding Any Note Without Guessing
- The Magic of the Octave Pattern
- Visualizing the Fretboard as a Map
- 4
Unlock the Secrets of Scales
- The Pentatonic Scale: The Guitarist's Best Friend
- Playing Your First Blues Solo
- Connecting Scale Shapes Across the Neck
- Adding 'Blue' Notes for Extra Soul
- How to Practice Scales Without Getting Bored
- Speed Drills for Nimble Fingers
- 5
Understand How Music is Built
- The Major Scale: The DNA of All Music
- Building Chords from Scratch Using Intervals
- Why Some Chords Sound Happy and Others Sad
- The Number System for Predicting Next Chords
- 6
Master the Art of Key Changes
- How to Transpose a Song on the Fly
- Using the Circle of Fifths as a Cheat Sheet
- Relative Majors and Minors Explained
- Borrowing Chords from Other Keys
- Writing Smooth Chord Transitions
- 7
Advanced Textures and Movable Shapes
- Conquering the Dreaded Barre Chord
- The CAGED System: One Chord, Five Places
- Triads: Small Chords for Big Sounds
- 8
Soloing with Emotion and Intent
- Bending Strings to Hit the Right Pitch
- Hammer-ons and Pull-offs for Fluidity
- Using Vibrato to Make Your Guitar Sing
- Targeting Chord Tones in Your Solos
- 9
The Deep Science of Sound
- The Physics of Vibrating Strings
- How Overtones Create Tone Color
- The History of Western Tuning Systems
- Why the Guitar is Tuned in Fourths
- Understanding Modes: The Moods of Music
9 sections · 39 units · 195 levels. Built to play, not to enroll.
You pick the voice
Guitar Theory: From First Chords to Total Mastery is taught in the The Professor style: clear, structured, thorough. Want a different feel? In the app you can spin up the same topic in any of Tomo's teaching styles. Same facts, totally different vibe.
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