There was a post a while back here on who you like for on-line theory content, but thought I’d try again since most of the answers were highly specific to an artist or a genre.
Rick Beato is excellent - especially, imo, because he’s a generalist, applying theory to a variety of musical styles.
That’s the kind of thing I’m looking for. Any more like him on the web that people are into?..
Michael New teaches from the piano, and hasn’t posted anything new in a few years, but he has a playlist of very good theory videos he created over several years:
Justin Sandercoe also has a music theory course over at justinguitar. Unlike his beginner course, it’s not 100% free, but the first few of modules are free:
Not structured lessons, but similar in tone to Beato (and I think they’ve done a few online collaborations), is Aimee Nolte:
Another Beato-ish figure (who also has collaborated with Beato) is Adam Neely:
Edit: Going down the rabbithole of related videos, found this pretty cool crash course from Andrew Huang. This is very accessible and unlike many online music education videos, it practically all meat, no filler. Plus the guy has over 2 million subscribers, so I’m guessing the quality of this video isn’t just an outier:
If you’re starting out, a good general book will take you a long way. I personally find the internet too distracting -too many sites and things competing for your eyeball time-.
If you want to further explore theory, there are a few youtube channels I watch from time to time.
Great channel, touching on plenty of theory. Some videos are more accessible than others for total beginners but the author does his best to remain approachable. Worth giving it a whirl.
A huge Beatles fan. Also down-to-earth and easy to digest. Always draws on pop music to cement his points. Very watchable.
Video-game music meets theory. Quite a strange cocktail but the guy knows his stuff. Various topics are discussed in different videos but I find them quite enlightening. Not basic or for beginners but once you get the grasp of the basics you can enjoy this channel.
Nice bloke. Has some theory playlists, although it’s not his focus. Very approachable.
Same as above. They have some theory lessons, beginner stuff, great to find your feet. All lessons are free of charge on youtube and have more stuff on their site, also free of charge.
THE OUTER REGIONS
Massive fan of Beato, but I find he lacks “practical applications”. If you compare his theory videos against any of the channels above you’ll see what I mean. Some of his videos are rubbish and others are a gem.
A wacko. Adam is on the fringe of theory, experimenting with avant-garde concepts that go beyond your usual jazz theory. Consume at your own risk.
Good luck on your journey!
I like this account, it’s done with some humor, but the information is very guitar-centric which helps.
thanks for all those suggestions; i’ll get to work checking them out…
I agree with jllopez; music theory is best learned from books. You can keep a book on the toilet, and then read it in bed every night to put you to sleep. You have to “live” with theory.
Rick Beato helped me clarify and confirm some things I already knew, and his harmonic demonstrations show how to use chords.
But you have to learn it first.
The most important part of theory s the aural component. Find a good app to practice ear training for intervals and harmony. Be able to tell if a song is major or minor, notice things like whole tone scales, pentatonics, etc.
When you play something you like ask yourself these questions.
Why do I like this? (Timbral, Textural, Harmonic, Rhythmic, Scalar, etc.)
How do I use what I like from this to create something new?
A big example from my own playing is that I love the sound of augmented seconds in sequence with semitones, think harmonic minor, and many of the “eastern” scales and modes that creep their way into neoclassical metal.
As for book recommendations
Vincent Persichetti - Twentieth-Century Harmony
Arnold Schoenberg - Theory of Harmony, Fundamentals of Music Composition, Structural Functions of Harmony
Johann Joseph Fux - The Study of Counterpoint
Persichetti is advanced 20th century stuff. The Schoenberg Harmonilehre is good. Structural Functions is about chord progression, with neo-Riemann ideas not everyone will agree with. Counterpoint is archaic, and I think unsuited for what most guitarists are after.
Like Steve Vai said, get the Gardner Read “Music Notation” book first. It’s what Zappa used. Then, perhaps a more modest book like Dave Stewart wrote, ans Dan Haerle’s “Jazz Theory.”
Yes, definitely study jazz theory.
Haha if you put it that way…
You have to live theory… BUT, just living it doesn’t cut it. The thing about harmony in general is that it requires a dual knowledge (theoretical and practical) to fully grasp.
I mean, this forum has been a pretty good source for theory questions, too.
This is pretty late, but by FAR, the best music theory (and composition) lessons I’ve come across are “Dr. B’s music theory”: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLw9t0oA3fHkxx1PgYpiXrMUPXaOiwh6KU