Learn Music (Beginner Friendly)

Music uses notes named A through G. After G comes A again, one octave higher. Between some letters there are sharps (♯) and flats (♭)—e.g. A, A♯/B♭, B, C. So the full chromatic set in one octave is: C, C♯, D, D♯, E, F, F♯, G, G♯, A, A♯, B (then C again).

On guitar, each fret is one half step. Moving up 12 frets takes you up one octave.

Tempo is how fast the beat goes (e.g. 80 BPM = 80 beats per minute). Music is grouped into bars (measures). The time signature tells you how many beats per bar and what note gets one beat.

• 4/4 – 4 beats per bar, quarter note = 1 beat. Most pop and rock.
• 3/4 – 3 beats per bar (waltz). “One two three, one two three.”
• 6/8 – 6 eighth notes per bar, often felt as two big beats. Common in ballads and folk.

An interval is the distance between two notes. A half step (H) is one fret; a whole step (W) is two frets. Intervals are the building blocks of scales and chords—different patterns of W and H give different sounds (major, minor, etc.).

A scale is a set of notes in order. Two you’ll use all the time:

• Major: formula W W H W W W H. Example in C: C D E F G A B C.
• Natural minor: formula W H W W H W W. Example in A: A B C D E F G A.

Pentatonic scales use five notes. Major pentatonic = major scale without the 4th and 7th; minor pentatonic = natural minor without the 2nd and 6th. They’re great for melody and improv.

Modes (Dorian, Mixolydian, etc.) are scales that use the same notes as major but start on a different degree. For now, focus on major and minor; modes can come later.

In C: C major = C D E F G A B C. In G: G major = G A B C D E F♯ G. Use the same W W H W W W H pattern from the root—that’s the transpose mindset: same pattern, different starting note. Our app’s transpose feature does this for chords so you can match your vocal range.

A triad is the 1st, 3rd, and 5th notes of a scale. Major = major 3rd + perfect 5th; minor = minor 3rd + perfect 5th. 7th chords add the 7th (e.g. Cmaj7, G7, Dm7) and are very common in jazz and pop.

Two progressions you’ll see everywhere:

• I–V–vi–IV – e.g. C–G–Am–F. Used in countless pop and Nepali songs.
• ii–V–I – e.g. Dm7–G7–C. The classic jazz cadence; also appears in ballads.

• Day 1: Learn note names on the 5th and 6th strings; tune your guitar with our tuner.
• Day 2: Play a major scale (e.g. G) on one string using W W H W W W H.
• Day 3: Learn G, C, and D; switch between them slowly (one chord per 4 beats).
• Day 4: Add Em and Am; practice G–C–D–Em.
• Day 5: Play I–V–vi–IV in G (G–D–Em–C); use a metronome or backing track.
• Day 6: Pick one song from our Songs list; play chords only, then add strumming.
• Day 7: Use transpose on a song to move chords up or down until they fit your voice; play and sing one verse.

Curated free resources: theory, scales, guitar chords, rhythm, and tips for practicing Nepali songs.