Music Theory Online Degree

For years I've been trying to learn proper music theory and have picked up a few things here and there. I understand basic theory and I've taken lessons with several prominent players/teachers to varying degrees of success. I do not play for a living and I'm admittedly a very decent player, however, I have never been comfortable with my level of understanding as it relates to the fretboard.

I feel that I need legitimate structure and actual accountability, which as a hobbyist with a professional career is hard to pull off on your own. Have any of you taken this route? If so, is there anything specific that you would recommend?
 
For years I've been trying to learn proper music theory and have picked up a few things here and there. I understand basic theory and I've taken lessons with several prominent players/teachers to varying degrees of success. I do not play for a living and I'm admittedly a very decent player, however, I have never been comfortable with my level of understanding as it relates to the fretboard.

I feel that I need legitimate structure and actual accountability, which as a hobbyist with a professional career is hard to pull off on your own. Have any of you taken this route? If so, is there anything specific that you would recommend?

Sounds like you understand that Music theory and fretboard awareness are really two different things. Theory
is universal and can be applied to ANY instrument. So, taking classes (or getting a degree in theory) may or may
not help with mapping your way around the fretboard more effectively. You could learn theory, but applying that
theory to the guitar is quite a different task and challenge.

That said, a better grasp of theory certainly won't hurt. :) And yes, making a commitment by plopping down
some $$$ can definitely keep us on track.

Good luck!
 
As @la szum said theory applies to all instruments, but the piano makes it the easiest to visualize what you learn because it’s all in front of you. A cheap electronic piano is sufficient if you don’t have one.

You can learn theory using the guitar but the guitar’s idiosyncrasies will be confusing. We can only play 6 notes at a time and reaching inversions and playing more complex chords can get weird.

I enjoyed theory and composition and, if nothing else it’ll increase your appreciation of all sorts of music.
 
I guess to be a little more specific, I would enroll in something that is specific to guitar. I'm aware that theory is universal. My needs are specifically for guitar and I know that the accredited curriculums exist.
 
For years I've been trying to learn proper music theory and have picked up a few things here and there. I understand basic theory and I've taken lessons with several prominent players/teachers to varying degrees of success. I do not play for a living and I'm admittedly a very decent player, however, I have never been comfortable with my level of understanding as it relates to the fretboard.

I feel that I need legitimate structure and actual accountability, which as a hobbyist with a professional career is hard to pull off on your own. Have any of you taken this route? If so, is there anything specific that you would recommend?
Shoot me a message if you want to master the fretboard and theory. It is not complicated - just takes some focus.
 
Music is theory. Simple and too often misunderstood. If you want to apply theory to playing guitar I'd suggest NOT learning it on piano. Guitar is a harmonic instrument. Perfect for understanding. But more to the point you want to be able to SEE the fretboard and understand it, not try and translate it to and back from a keyboard. I don't teach any more so I don't have a dog in this fight. I don't have time. But I taught privately for many years and also in community colleges and universities. Understanding the nuts and bolts of music is crucial for the way I play. Might not be so for everybody. Simple things are very commonly misunderstood and mistaught on guitar. But whatever. Good luck and have FUN!
 
Finding a good teacher who understands where you're at, along with your goals/where you want to go, is likely to go further than a standardized program in my opinion. I always get my students started with the CAGED system if they're not familiar, as it is the intervallic matrix of the whole guitar and makes learning everything from arpeggios to scales a bit more straight forward and in context. Tons of great stuff on youtube, if you know how to sort.
 
The best and most effective way to learn is to hire a competent teacher. You're not paying for the information (it's out there) you're paying for the organization. This is my motto when it comes to giving lessons. So many students of mine go down the youtube rabbit hole to learn theory and come out more confused than ever.

Hire a teacher to organize the information in a systematic way, especially as it relates to the guitar. It will save you time and money in the long run and is way less complicated than most people think. In my opinion, it's just never distributed and organized in a cogent way on youtube.
 
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