43 Music Theory Concepts That EVERY Modern Composer Should Master [The Music Theory Map]

This is a tour of music theory for the modern composer. I think these concepts are very important to learn, and in this order specifically! This doesn't encapsulate all of music, but it is a very solid foundation. Knowing these topics will enable a songwriter to easily approach new advanced music theory topics with ease.

Sorry it's been so long since I've posted - I was working all day shifts to finish this course. I started it last year actually but gave up since it was so much work. Fortunately I found the motivation after my last video to wrap it up - I honestly think it's the greatest course available on the internet, and I think the price is great for the amount of content you get compared to actual guitar lessons.

Now that my course is done, I can start working on YT again. Expect the Locrian video soon, along with some surprises....

THANK YOU TO MY PATREON SUPPORTERS. Without them, there would be no YT channel or course!

Table of Contents:
00:00 - Intro
01:58 - Begin the Tour
25:33 - "Composers"

[morefluid_thanwater]

Little more specific timestamps (because I might come back to this video later):

1. Musical Alphabet 02:19 - 02:42
2. Musical Staff 02:43 - 02:58
3. Knowing the Fretboard 02:59 - 03:14
4. Scale Shapes and the Major Scale 03:15 - 03:49
5. Rhythm Basics 03:50 - 04:11
6. Triplets, Swing, and Advanced Tuplets 04:12 - 04:38
7. Meter and Time Signature 04:40 - 05:15
8. Audiation and Melody 05:16 - 05:54
9. Key Signatures and Enharmonics 05:55 - 06:47
10. Scale Degrees 06:48 - 07:26
11. Triads 07:27 - 07:51
12. Movable Chords 07:52 - 08:09
13. Diatonic Major Chords + Roman Numerals 08:10 - 08:47
14. Writing Chord Progressions in Major 08:48 - 09:06
15. Solo-ing with the Pentatonic Major Scale 09:07 - 09:51
16. Suspended Chords 09:52 - 10:22
17. The Minor Scale + Diatonic Chords 10:23 - 10:43
18. Writing progressions in Minor 10:44 - 10:50
19. Soloing with the Pentatonic Minor Scale 10:51 - 11:34
20. Ear Training Intervals and Chords 11:35 - 12:22
21. Power Chords 12:23 - 12:52
22. Relative Scales and Tonul Center 12:53 - 13:25
23. Combining Pentatonic Shapes 13:26 - 13:52
24. Arpeggios and Chord Tone Soloing 13:53 - 14:21
25. Inversions and Slash Chords 14:22 - 14:48
26. Popular 7th Chords 14:49 - 15:28
27. Diatonic 7th Chords 15:29 - 15:38
28. Blues 15:39 - 16:16
29. Secondary Dominant Chords 16:17 - 16:40
30. Diminished Chords 16:41 - 17:08
31. Augmented Chords. 17:09 - 17:39
32. Harmonic Minor 17:40 - 18:11
33. Writing Melodies 18:12 - 18:47
34. Passing Tones and Chromaticism 18:48 - 19:25
35. Introducing Modes 19:26 - 20:35
36. Transpositions and Modulations 20:36 - 21:06
37. Modal Interchange 21:07 - 21:32
38. Song Sections 21:33 - 22:08
39. Song Structures 22:09 - 22:34
40. Writing Drum Parts 22:35 - 23:29
41. Writing Bass Lines 23:30 - 23:46
42. Creating a Full Song 23:47 - 24:17
43. Advanced Theory Concepts: Timbre, Harmony, Tunings, and World Music 24:18 - 25:30

[SignalsMusicStudio]

Soooo.... sorry it's been so long since my last video but I literally was working non stop to finish my course. I honestly think its the best educational resource available for guitarists. Now that it's done I'll be back to making YT videos again and more free courses like my blues and interval course. thanks for being patient!

[guppybill]

I am an old dog, self-taught for 54 years. Covid killed some friends and all my gigs. I quit playing for a few months out of depression and being stuck musically. Putting things back together correctly though. I have begun the process of actually learning the instrument. I'm charged and excited and bored out of my freaking skull. I dig the map. I liked, sub'ed. I'll be back.

[DipankaraBuddhist]

You might not have 2 million or 3 million subs, yet you are the no.1 YouTube guitar instructor. Power to you 🔥

[martynspooner]

I did not have a clue about music theory and thought it was just too beyond me. Then I found your channel and have completely surprised myself and it has vastly improved my guitar playing and I am just a bedroom guitar player. Cannot thank you enough.

[areyoujelton]

This showed me how much I’ve truly learned as a musician and how much I still have to learn. Thank you for such a great video! I also will show this to my guitar students!

[kenhall]

Wow! I'm THAT guy!! At 62, from a family of professional musicians who've played with the likes of Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong and Fats Domino, I have been playing music and 5 different instruments most of my life but this organizes things extremely well for me and now I understand why I didn't understand some things early on or HOW composers came up with some writings and concepts that I knew HAD to make sense. Also a roadmap to what I may be missing in my own knowledge. Where were you 40 years ago!!!?? Will recommend your vids/courses and can't wait to delve into them more!

[llwonder]

Jake is the only teacher that taught me to play with actual practical knowledge. He focuses on actually using theory to MAKE music. So many people and teachers on youtube just talk about music theory but don't actually show you what to do with it. Jake gives a ton of great advice. I also like that most of his content is geared towards intermediates rather than beginners.

[SameAsAnyOtherStranger]

The timestamps for the 43 music concepts (with space for fat fingers)

1. Musical Alphabet 02:19
2. Musical Staff
02:43
3. Knowing the Fretboard 02:59
4. Scale Shapes and the Major Scale
03:15
5. Rhythm Basics 03:50
6. Triplets, Swing, and Advanced Tuplets
04:12
7. Meter and Time Signature 04:40
8. Audiation and Melody
05:16
9. Key Sigs and Enharmonics 05:55
10. Scale Degrees 06:48
11. Triads 07:27
12. Movable Chords 07:52
13. Diatonic Major Chords + Roman Numerals 08:10
14. Writing Chord Progressions in Major 08:48
15. Solo-ing with the Pentatonic Major Scale 09:07
16. Suspended
17. The Minor Scale + Diatonic
Chords 10:23
18. Writing progressions in Minor 10:44
19. Soloing with the Pentatonic Minor
Scale 10:51
20. Ear Training Intervals & Chords 11:35
21. Power Chords 12:23
22. Relative Scales and Tonal Center
12:53
23. Combining Pentatonic Shapes 13:26
24. Arpeggios & Chord Tone Soloing
13:53
25. Inversions & Slash Chords 14:22
26. Popular 7th Chords
14:49
27. Diatonic 7th Chords 15:29
28. Blues 15:39
29. 2ndary Dominant Chords 16:17
30. Diminished Chords 16:41
31. Augmented Chords
17:09
32. Harmonic Minor 17:40
33. Writing
34. Passing Tones & Chromaticism
18:48
35. Introducing Modes 19:26
36. Transpositions and Modulations
20:36
37. Modal Interchange 21:07
38. Song
39. Song Structures 22:09
40. Writing Drum
41. Writing Bass Lines 23:30
42. Creating a Full
43. Advanced Theory Concepts: Timbre, Harmony, Tunings, and World Music 24:18

[fercampos]

What a talent to comunicate basic and complex concepts to an audience of widely varied understanding levels of the material, from novice to pro, you speak to everyone and put the knowledge or the roadmap to it at reach. I admire that Jake, anyone who has such a good handle of their field, and invests as much time and thought into it is alright by me. You should be very proud of your work. As a keyboard player who's watched more videos on guitar than I ever thought, I can say that you're as good at communicating music and it's concepts as any expert in their field i have ever layed eyes on.
It's not often you get to experience that, a mastery of their field and material. It's a joy to experience

[mattheww.]

It’s honestly so crazy how much i’ve learned from your channel. Out of the hundreds of music theory lesson channels i’ve tried out, something just clicked when i started watching these lessons, hopefully i’ll be able to purchase the entire course some time in the future, keep up the great work!

[jordy]

Long time without a video from you. Glad to have one more

[nick]

i will forever preach the word of signals music studio

[shawnramos]

This course is unquestionably the best course I've ever had the pleasure of using. In 10 lessons I learned more about theory and retained more about theory than I did with 4 months of piano lessons. Incredible work Jake, and I highly recommend everybody nab this course if you're serious about making music

[yearnpill]

You are CRIMINALLY underrated, sir. The fact that you are making this content available for FREE and the fact that you explain things so well is insane, you have no idea how much you have helped me. Thanks so much Jake!

[TheFernando]

This was the kind of video I’ve been looking for since I was 16 and full of inspiration. Learned a mixture of these concepts so out of order at the time and never really knew how to use them to compose music that I was proud of. Now I’m taking it all back to the basics. I’m 23 now and I’ve never been more excited to truly elevate my musical skills and knowledge. Thank you!

[qra]

Jake you are undoubtedly one of the most sincere Music learner and devotee from a systematic, analytical and scientific perspective I have ever seen.
You have a very long journey to cover.
Awesome dedication, superb explanatory and demonstrative approach.
You must have inspired thousands of your viewers around the globe.. and thats not something trivial.
Genuinely earned subscribers

[IshtheStomach]

I'm trained in writing (poetry and screenwriting focus) and acting, but professionally I'm focusing more on developing my musicality. This is a crash course I will be revisiting again and again. Thank you!

[nikoandreoli]

You started me out when I bought my first guitar a year ago, and now coming back a year smarter and going through this video, these topics are like a second nature to me thanks to you. Big praise and thank you for being an awesome teacher.

[BarCafe]

Terrific tour of music theory. Thanks and thanks for the PDF!