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What to Learn on Guitar in Order (Complete Roadmap)
Kevin Nickens
Overview
This video provides a comprehensive 10-level roadmap for learning guitar, designed to bring structure and direction to self-taught players. It outlines a progression from fundamental mechanics and basic theory to advanced concepts like chord voicings, scales, modes, and harmonic analysis. The roadmap emphasizes a structured approach to skill acquisition, moving from open chords and basic strumming to complex chord structures, improvisation, and genre-specific specialization, ultimately aiming to build a well-rounded guitarist.
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Chapters
- Understand the basic parts of the guitar and how to hold it and a pick.
- Learn fundamental playing mechanics: strumming (down/up strokes) and single-note picking.
- Grasp basic music theory: what a note is, the number of notes, and the concept of half/whole steps.
- Learn how to tune the guitar accurately.
This foundational level establishes the essential physical and theoretical building blocks necessary for all subsequent guitar learning.
Learning to hold the guitar and pick correctly, and executing basic down and up strums.
- Understand the definition of a chord.
- Learn the seven essential open chords: E, E minor, A, A minor, G, C, and D major.
- Develop basic rhythm skills, including counting music and understanding note values.
- Apply chords and rhythm to strumming patterns and learn simple songs using these chords or single-string melodies.
Mastering open chords and basic rhythm allows you to play a wide variety of popular songs and forms the basis for more complex chordal playing.
Learning to play 'For What It's Worth' by Buffalo Springfield or 'Smoke on the Water' by Deep Purple.
- Understand what a scale is and how it relates to musical keys.
- Learn the minor pentatonic scale, a foundational scale for many genres.
- Develop alternate picking technique for cleaner and faster note execution.
- Begin learning all notes on the fretboard, starting with the low E string.
Introducing scales and fretboard knowledge opens the door to improvisation and understanding melodic structure beyond basic chords.
Learning the minor pentatonic scale pattern and applying it to songs like 'Hurt' by Johnny Cash.
- Learn major and minor bar chords using both the 5th and 6th string roots.
- Understand Triads, the basic three-note chord structures.
- Continue fretboard memorization by learning all notes on the A string.
- Develop ear training by identifying song keys and begin improvising solos over backing tracks.
Bar chords significantly expand your chord vocabulary, while improvisation skills allow for creative musical expression.
Practicing improvising a solo over 'Sultans of Swing' by Dire Straits using a backing track.
- Master all five positions of the pentatonic scale across the entire fretboard.
- Learn the major and minor diatonic scales, which provide a framework for melody and harmony.
- Understand music theory concepts like parallel vs. relative keys and the construction of the major scale.
- Develop stylistic techniques such as hammer-ons, pull-offs, bends, vibrato, and harmonics.
This level integrates scale knowledge across the neck and introduces essential techniques that define a guitarist's unique sound and expressiveness.
Learning to execute a string bend followed by a natural harmonic.
- Learn how to harmonize the major scale to understand all available chords within a key.
- Understand the Nashville Number System for chord analysis and communication.
- Grasp functional harmony, recognizing the role and relationship of chords within a progression.
- Become familiar with common chord progressions and understand compound time signatures.
Understanding functional harmony and chord relationships is crucial for analyzing songs, writing music, and communicating effectively with other musicians.
Identifying the I-IV-V chord progression in a song using the Nashville Number System.
- Expand chord knowledge by adding the seventh note to triads, creating seventh chords.
- Focus on learning major seventh, minor seventh, and dominant seventh chords.
- Understand the relationship between dominant seventh chords and the harmonization of the major scale.
- Practice these seventh chords with roots on the E and A strings.
Seventh chords add color, depth, and sophistication to your playing, essential for genres like jazz, blues, and R&B.
Playing a G major seventh chord (G-B-D-F#) and a C dominant seventh chord (C-E-G-Bb).
- Learn all seven diatonic modes, which are variations of scales that create different melodic flavors.
- Understand all scale intervals to enhance your ability to analyze and construct melodies.
- Develop your ear to transcribe solos and melodies by listening.
- Recognize that mastery in these creative areas is ongoing and subjective.
Modes and advanced ear training unlock deeper melodic possibilities and the ability to play music more intuitively and by ear.
Using the Dorian mode to improvise over a minor chord progression.
- Learn the CAGED system for visualizing chord shapes and scale patterns across the fretboard.
- Understand and practice arpeggios related to CAGED shapes.
- Apply chord tones within solos and melodies to emphasize the underlying harmony.
- Develop advanced ear training to identify independent instrumental parts within a song's overall harmony.
The CAGED system and arpeggio work provide a powerful framework for understanding the fretboard and integrating melody with harmony.
Using the notes of a C major arpeggio to outline a C major chord in a solo.
- Learn chord extensions beyond the seventh, including 9ths, 11ths, and 13ths.
- Study the harmonic minor scale and its modes, and the melodic minor scale and its modes.
- Understand the relationship and distinct purposes of natural, harmonic, and melodic minor scales.
- Begin specializing in genre-specific techniques and scales as there are no longer obvious natural progressions.
This level introduces advanced harmonic concepts and scales, preparing guitarists for specialized genres like jazz and enabling unique compositional approaches.
Understanding how a C major 9 chord (C-E-G-B-D) differs from a C major 7 chord.
Key takeaways
- A structured roadmap is essential for effective guitar learning, preventing overwhelm from abundant online resources.
- Progressing through levels builds a solid foundation from basic mechanics to complex harmonic concepts.
- Understanding chords, scales, and rhythm are interconnected pillars of guitar proficiency.
- Developing fretboard knowledge systematically (e.g., string by string) aids in navigation and recall.
- Ear training and improvisation skills grow alongside theoretical knowledge and technical ability.
- Stylistic techniques and advanced harmonic concepts are crucial for developing a personal playing style.
- The learning journey is continuous, encouraging specialization in preferred genres after mastering fundamentals.
- Applying learned concepts to songs is vital for reinforcing knowledge and building practical skills.
Key terms
Open ChordsMinor Pentatonic ScaleAlternate PickingBar ChordsTriadsDiatonic ScalesFunctional HarmonySeventh ChordsDiatonic ModesCAGED SystemArpeggiosChord Extensions
Test your understanding
- What are the seven essential open chords every beginner guitarist should learn?
- How does learning scales, like the minor pentatonic, contribute to improvisational ability?
- Why is understanding functional harmony important for a guitarist?
- What is the purpose of learning the CAGED system in guitar playing?
- How do seventh chords differ from basic triads, and what effect do they have on music?