Dr. Quentin Angus
PRESENTS

Music Theory Learning Pathway

Decode the music you love.

Trailer
Sample
share
Free trial – cancel anytime
Unlimited access for $14.99/mo
WHo it's for

All levels

Whether you're a seasoned pro who learned by ear or complete beginner, this Learning Pathway is a game changer.

Time

3 Months

Quentin will guide you through 6 grades of step-by-step instruction with daily practice plans and assessments.

Outcome

Understand music

Transform the way you hear, play, and write music by mastering core theory principles through the lens of guitar.

JUST THE START

Take the next step

Once you've mastered theory, keep progressing with advanced Master Classes and guided learning paths.

What you'll learn

Who said theory had to be confusing and boring? This Learning Pathway will transform how you play and write music.

  • No prior music theory knowledge needed.
  • Keep the focus on music – apply everything you learn to your guitar with daily guided practice exercises.
  • Analyze real songs from a diverse selection of artists like the Beatles, Post Malone, and many more.
How it works

Your guided learning pathway

In this 3-month Learning Pathway, Dr. Quentin Angus will teach you how to decode the science behind the sound of music.

The Fundamental Elements of Music

Get an overview of the core principles of music, how we define sound, and basic scale construction.

These first 14 days are where you'll learn the basics of music theory and build a solid foundation for advanced concepts in later grades.

Introduction to Harmony and Rhythm

Grades 2 is where the real work begins!

Over 13 days, you'll explore a sampler platter of fundamental theory concepts including how to build chords, analyze chord progressions, and get comfortable with fundamental rhythms.

Unlocking Major Key Harmony

In Grade 3, you’ll focus solely on harmony (AKA chords).

Across 13 days of instruction, you'll learn to create chord progressions in any key and identify the theory behind songs with only your ears. These lessons will have massive implications for how you perceive music with only your ears.

Grade 4. Why is Rhythm So Important?

Hone your sense of rhythm, demystify advanced polyrhythms, and learn some metronome tricks.

Grade 5. Chord Progressions Explained

Explore advanced harmonic concepts and learn how to write beautiful chord progressions while using iconic songs as case studies.

Grade 6. Become a songwriter

Study a series of iconic songs as you work toward composing your own masterpiece!

Curriculum

Stay focused with this step-by-step learning program designed by our expert team of music educators.

3-Month Plan

Grade 1. The Fundamental Elements of Music

Get a gentle introduction to music theory by zooming way in and way out on the core principles of music.

Overview

Join your mentor Quentin as he guides you through the basic tenets of music. This is Music Theory 101.

Day 1. What is music and pitch?

Define music and break it down into four core elements.

Day 2. Timbre

Learn about the uniqueness of sound.

Day 3. Duration and Rhythm

Learn about the fundamentals of pulse and meter.

Day 4. Intensity/Dynamics

Learn how changing intensity helps us tell a captivating musical story.

Day 5. Texture and instrumentation

Learn how various musical elements combine to create texture.

Day 6. Form

Learn how a song is organized and analyze your favorite tunes.

Day 7. Genre

Learn the characteristics of various genres.

Day 8. 12 TET

Learn about the tuning system we use in Western music.

Day 9. Finding notes on the Piano

Learn about the tuning system we use in Western music.

Day 10. Finding notes on the Guitar

Apply your piano note-name knowledge to guitar.

Day 11. Tonality

Learn about the aural difference between major and minor keys.

Day 12. Introduction to the Major Scale

Learn the ins and outs of the most important scale in Western music.

Day 13. The natural Minor Scale

Learn how to derive the natural minor scale as a major scale mode.

Day 14. Recap

Review what you learned and pass a series of tests to make sure you're ready for Grade 2!

Grade 2. Introduction to Harmony and Rhythm

Grade 2 is where the work really begins! You’ll leave this level with a rock-solid foundation for rhythm and chord progressions.

Overview

This level of the Learning Pathway is all about chords and rhythm. Over the next 13 days, you’ll gain a thorough understanding of these fundamental concepts, learn how they’re used in popular music, and apply them to your own playing.

Day 1. What are Chords?

Gain a deeper understanding of the construction and function of chords.

Day 2. Intro to the Numbers System

Get acquainted with the numbers system – an essential tool you’ll use to identify and play chord progressions.

Day 3. The Numbers System (Continued)

Continue to learn the ins and outs of the numbers system – an essential tool for musical communication and analysis.

Day 4. Applying Triads to the Guitar

Learn how to add spice and color to basic triads.

Day 5. Intro to Seventh Chords

Get started with seventh chords – a colorful and versatile chord shape.

Day 6. Changing Keys and Finding Tonalities

Learn how to transpose music to a new key and distinguish between major and minor keys.

Day 7. Common Chord Progressions

Gain a deeper understanding of songwriting theory by examining case studies of common chord progressions in popular music.

Day 8. Original Progressions

Fuel your songwriting by developing the skills needed to compose original chord progressions.

Day 9. What is Rhythm?

Get acquainted with the fundamental music theory of rhythm – the most important element of music.

Day 10. Whole, Half, and Quarter Notes

Learn the basic theory of fundamental rhythmic subdivisions.

Day 11. Eighth and Sixteenth Notes

Explore more rhythmic subdivisions by learning the theory of eighth and sixteenth notes.

Day 12. Triplets

Learn the theory of the most complex subdivision yet – triplets.

Day 13. Case Studies

Fuel your songwriting skills by analyzing the harmonic structure of iconic songs.

Grade 3. Unlocking Major Key Harmony

In this grade, you'll take a deep dive into major-key chordal concepts to fuel your rhythm playing and songwriting.

Overview

Over the next 13 days of instruction, you’ll learn to create chord progressions in any key and identify the theory behind songs with only your ears.

Day 1. Review of the Numbers System

Get a refresher on every songwriter's best friend – the numbers system.

Day 2. Scale-Tone 7ths

Learn how to color in your major-key scale-tone chords with 7th-chord voicings.

Day 3. Lead Sheets and Roman Numeral Analysis

Get acquainted with the basic architecture of a lead sheet and start analyzing songs using the numbers system.

Day 4. Chord Nomenclature and Slash Chords

Develop an understanding of how to name chords and learn how to incorporate colorful bass notes in your chords with slash chords.

Day 5. Circle of 5ths

Study the circle of 5ths to better analyze and understand the movement of chord progressions.

Day 6. Formula for All 12 Keys

Learn how to determine the sharp and flat notes for all 12 keys.

Day 7. Numbers to Chords Practice

Start honing your ability to translate numbers system progressions to chord names.

Day 8. Chords to Numbers Practice

Reverse yesterday's process to adapt a chord progression into the language of the numbers system.

Day 9. Roman Numeral Analysis

Learn how to understand and recognize patterns in numbers system chord progressions.

Day 10. Case Studies

Analyze iconic songs through the lens of the numbers system.

Day 11. Case Studies (Part II.)

Continue analyzing the chord progressions of iconic songs.

Day 12. Aurally Recognizing Chords

Learn how to identify the basic chordal movements in a song using nothing but your ears.

Day 13. Aurally Recognizing Chords (Part II.)

Continue training your ears to recognize chordal movements.

Grade 4-6 – Advanced Rhythmic and Harmonic Concepts

Take your theory skills to the next grade with complex rhythms, industry-standard songwriting techniques and be able to write your own song.

Grade 4. Why is Rhythm So Important?

This grade puts the spotlight back on rhythm – the most important (and often-overlooked) aspect of music. Over the next 14 days, you'll hone your theoretical understanding of and ability to play rhythm on guitar.

Day 1. Whole and Half Notes/Rests

Kick off the grade by further developing your understanding of fundamental subdivisions.

Day 2. Quarter and Eighth Notes / Rests

Continue developing your understanding of fundamental subdivisions by studying quarter and eight notes/rests.

Day 3. Sixteenth Notes/Rests

Speed things up and work on sixteenth-note subdivisions.

Day 4. Triplet Notes/Rests

Tackle the trickiest fundamental subdivision: triplets.

Day 5. Combinations and Practice I (Clapping)

Work on internalizing rhythmic subdivisions through clapping practice.

Day 6. Combinations and Practice I (Guitar)

Work on applying rhythmic subdivisions to your guitar playing.

Day 7. Combinations and Practice II (Clapping)

Continue internalizing rhythmic subdivisions through clapping practice.

Day 8. Combinations and Practice II (Guitar)

Continue applying rhythmic subdivisions on the guitar.

Day 9. Syncopation

Learn the fundamentals of how to dance around the beat.

Day 10. Hemiola

Learn how to apply this specific polyrhythm to your guitar.

Day 11. Time Feel

Gain a deeper understanding of what it takes to play with great rhythm.

Day 12. Metronome Tricks

Hone your rhythm skills with these fun exercises.

Assessments

Wrap up with a few assessments to benchmark your progress.


Grade 5. Chord Progressions Explained

In this grade, you'll explore advanced harmonic concepts and learn how to write beautiful chord progressions. Over the next two weeks, you’re going to learn a series of harmonic concepts that will seriously transform your compositional skills and chordal playing.

Day 1. Extensions

Learn how to add color to your chords through extensions.

Day 2. Perfect, Plagal, and Deceptive Cadences

Develop an understanding of how specific chordal movements can induce and resolve tensions within a chord progression.

Day 3. Relative and Parallel Minor

Learn how to transition from a major to a minor key within a song.

Day 4. Minor-Key Harmony

Further develop your harmonic foundation by exploring chords in a minor key.

Day 5. IV Minor

Get a quick songwriting technique under your belt by changing the tonality of the IV chord in a major-key progression.

Day 6. Harmonic Suspension

Explore how you can manipulate chords by “suspending” them for added tension and release.

Day 7. Diatonic Substitutions

Explore how to spice up your songwriting with reharmonization.

Grade 6. Become a songwriter

In this grade you can put everything into practice what you've learned so far. This grade starts by analyzing famous songs of various genres to prepare you to write your own song in the second part of the grade.

Day 1. "Wait for the Moment" - Vulfpeck

Together we will analyze "Wait for the Moment" by Vulfpeck.

Day 2. "The Man Who Sold the World" - David Bowie

Together we will analyze "The Man Who Sold the World" by David Bowie.

Day 3. "Fly As Me" - Silk Sonic

Together we will analyze "Fly As Me" by Silk Sonic.

Day 4. "Something" - George Harrison

Together we will analyze "Something" by George Harrison.

Day 5. Ideate your song

Creative mode on! Draft three ideas for your very own song.

Day 6. Refine your song

Listen to your ideas from Day 5, select one and keep working on it.

Day 7. Submit your song

Finish up your composition and submit it to get personalized feedback from the Pickup Music team.

Student stories

Learn how Music Theory Learning Pathway has helped real guitarists break through their playing plateau and realize their potential.

“My favorite part about Pickup Music is probably nerding out in the forum with everyone. Just knowing you have a creative community to reach out to if you have any questions or you're stuck in a rut.”

Vicki Huang

United States

"I would highly recommend Pickup Music to pretty much anyone who has been playing for a few years and doesn't feel like they are getting better any more."

James Harrod

United Kingdom

“One of the things that's been the most fun for me has been the SongSquad challenges... connecting with other people in the Pickup Music community on Instagram and just encouraging each other as we're learning songs and practicing.”

Vin Thomas

United States

"Pickup Music really helped me push my musical boundaries."

Wytse Hokwerda

Germany

Hear from REAL students

Find out why 20,000 members all over the world love Pickup Music

What’s in every Pickup Music membership?

Start learning – free trial

1,000+ Lessons

All skill levels

Interactive tabs

Track your progress

Daily practice plans

New lessons every week

Choose a plan that's right for you

Start your free 14-day trial today.
Cancel anytime.

Recommended

Annual Plan

All-inclusive access to every course.

$149.99

/yr billed annually

You save $30 per year.

1,426 people started a free trial in the last 30 days.

Annual plan includes:

See what a Pickup Music membership is all about.

14-day free trial

Guided learning

Know exactly what to practice at every step of your guitar journey.

Personalized feedback

Know exactly what to practice at every step of your guitar journey.

Progress tracking

Monitor your guitar gains.

New releases every week

Never run out of lessons to work on.

Interactive TAB

Follow along with every note.

Multiple HD angles

Get an up close and personal learning experience.

Supportive community

Get into the holiday spirit with step-by-step guitar lessons covering your favorite songs.

Members-only forum

Unlimited personalized learning support from our team of pro guitarists.

SAVE 17%

Unlimited access for less than 1/2 the price of one private guitar lesson per month.

Monthly Plan

All-access to online guitar lessons to level up your playing.

$14.99

/mo

1,426 people started a free trial in the last 30 days.

Monthly plan includes:

See what a Pickup Music membership is all about.

14-day free trial

Guided learning

Know exactly what to practice at every step of your guitar journey.

Personalized feedback

Know exactly what to practice at every step of your guitar journey.

Progress tracking

Monitor your guitar gains.

New releases every week

Never run out of lessons to work on.

Interactive TAB

Follow along with every note.

Multiple HD angles

Get an up close and personal learning experience.

Supportive community

Workshop your playing, get feedback, and perform live in our online practice groups.

Members-only forum

Unlimited personalized learning support from our team of pro guitarists.

SAVE 17%

Save $30

Frequently Asked Questions

If your questions aren’t answered below, please chat with us.

Is Pickup Music right for me?

Do you feel like your guitar playing has hit a plateau? 

Are you stuck in a guitar rut where you're just playing the same old chords and licks?

Are you looking for fretboard freedom?

At Pickup Music, we specialize in:

  • taking beginner guitar players and turning them into intermediate players
  • taking intermediate guitar players and turning them into advanced players

How do we do it? 

  • First, we ask you a few questions to figure out exactly what skill level you’re at. 
  • Second, we ask you to commit to a series of Master Classes and Bootcamps that focus on specific techniques. These comprehensive week-by-week courses are the best way to get your playing to the next level. 
  • Third, we get you to track your progress on your personalized learning dashboard.

Finally, we give you support and feedback through an exclusive members community and live practice group sessions with other members. This focused approach to learning guitar will help you bust through the beginner basics, break out of the intermediate plateau, and level up your playing.

This guided learning approach is the fastest way to make real progress on the guitar.

What makes Pickup Music better than other guitar lesson sites?

We're glad you asked! So many things:

  • Pickup Music gives you week-by-week guided learning. This is so important for making progress and getting out of the beginner plateau. Instead of just making you watch a video of an instructor talking about how they play guitar, we break things down for you on a daily and weekly basis.
  • Each daily lesson is accompanied by practice exercises where the instructors play along with you - almost like they're sitting right beside you. This eliminates the guess work so you know exactly what you need to focus on to make real and lasting progress with guitar.
  • Our lessons take you beyond the basics. Most online guitar lessons are good at teaching new guitarists the easy stuff. Pickup Music goes beyond that to help advanced-beginners and intermediate guitarists break through to the next level.
  • Our teachers are the best new and modern guitarists in the world. You'll find touring musicians, professors of music, and virtuosos from every genre to guide you through your guitar journey.
  • We have an extensive library with over 1,000 lessons across most genres for every type of guitarist. This means we have the right learning pathway for your unique starting point and preferred style of playing.
  • Pickup Music lessons are jam-packed with features to enhance your learning experience. This includes interactive TAB, multiple HD camera angles, backing tracks, and extensive course notes. All of this is designed to speed up your learning so you can achieve real results in your playing.  
  • We keep it fresh - we drop new lessons every. single. week. Plus, we're always striving to make each new lesson better than the last.
  • Pickup Music is a supportive and welcoming community. This is the place to connect with fellow guitarists, get feedback, and grow together.

What's included in my Pickup Music membership?

Everything! You’ll have unlimited access to every lesson on Pickup Music from every instructor. That means every Bootcamp, Master Class, SongSquad, Licks Package, 5-Minute Lesson... we could go on, but you get the idea. It's an all-inclusive membership for one affordable price.

How long are the lessons? How long will it take me to complete them?

Pickup Music's lesson plans are designed to suit the amount of time you have available to practice.

Only got a few minutes? Try our 5-Minute Lessons to quickly add a new skill to your toolbox.

Got half an hour? Try one of our Essential Lick Packages or SongSquads to expand your vocabulary in different genres.

Got a couple of days? Try a Master Class with one of our world-renowned artists. Each class is broken up into short, digestible modules focused on one topic. We encourage you to complete the exercises for each lesson video before moving on to the next one because the lessons typically build on each other.

Ready to really commit to a multi-week program? Try one of our Bootcamps. Over 6 weeks, these detailed courses will take you on a day-by-day journey to master each level in the genre. Bootcamps include daily practice exercises so you know exactly what to focus on. These courses are the best way to make lasting progress.

Whichever approach you choose, we recommend building the exercises you learn into your daily practice schedule. The best way to improve as a guitarist is through a consistent practice routine rather than sporadic, longer  sessions. Learning guitar is a day-by-day, life-long journey!

I'm brand new to guitar. Is Pickup Music the right choice for me?

Absolutely! We make learning the guitar made fun & simple – the way it should be.

Too many people get frustrated with guitar because they develop bad habits and poor technique. Avoid these costly and time-consuming mistakes by taking Pickup Music's structured and step-by-step approach to learning guitar.

You'll start with Pickup Music's introductory program Guitar for Complete Beginners. Over three weeks, we break down everything from simple chords and melodies to rhythm and lead playing. By the end of the program, you'll be able to play any simple pop or rock song (and even write your own).

Most importantly, we make sure you don't get stuck in the beginner's plateau - a common pitfall for guitarists who are just starting out. You'll keep making progress through Pickup Music's guided Bootcamps. These programs are designed to quickly take you from a beginner player to an intermediate one who feels comfortable across the whole fretboard.

What the difference between the annual and monthly plan?

The only difference is that the annual plan saves you $30 a year.

Both options come with a free 14-day trial. That means, we won't charge your card for the first 14 days - you can cancel anytime before then.

With an annual membership, we bill you once a year up-front, and you save 17% as a result. We'll send you reminders before we bill you each year so that you don't accidentally forget about it.

With the monthly membership, you pay month to month. It's a subscription, so we bill you each month until you cancel.

Cancelling your plan at any point is very easy to do online - no tricks, emails, or phone calls required. Just click a button on your account page.

Is a Pickup Music membership worth the money?

When you first start learning guitar, it's okay to bounce around with random free lessons on YouTube and searching for TABs online. 

That approach is going to make you an OKAY guitar player, but it's not going to help you take that leap to becoming a serious guitarist - a player who can:

  • Play naturally, without thinking about every move
  • Jam with friends and learn their favorite songs quickly.
  • Blast through that beginner level, break out of the intermediate plateau, and start playing like a pro!

To become a serious guitarist, you need a clear learning pathway to get to the next level. You need to free your mind and unlock your fret board - you can do this with Pickup Music's expert step-by-step instruction. Having this clear learning pathway is  key to making real progress on the guitar.

What about the price? Is it worth it?

Private lessons will cost you about $50 per lesson or $2,600 a year. Going to a music academy will cost you about $40,000 a year.

A Pickup Music membership costs just $150 for the whole year. That works out to 41 cents a day!

Signing up for a Pickup Music membership also means that you can stop wasting your time and effort trying to guess what you should practice next. Our guided programs eliminate the guess work so you know exactly what you need to focus on each day and week to make lasting progress with guitar. This will increase your efficiency and speed up your progress.

Is it easy to cancel?

Absolutely! You can cancel at any time (although we'd be sad to see you go). Cancelling is easy, no tricks. Just go to your account page and click a button.

You won't be charged anything if you cancel during your 14-day free trial.

If you cancel after your 14-day trial, you won't be billed again at your next billing cycle. Your membership will remain active until it expires on the day it was originally set to renew.

Once your membership expires, you will no longer have access to the classes you were enrolled in during your time as a member, but you can easily restart your membership at any time. Just log in to your account and renew a monthly or annual membership to pick up where you left off.

Can I buy lessons individually?

We don’t sell lessons individually. But the good news is you get access to every single lesson on Pickup Music through the one membership. If you’re only interested in one lesson, you could purchase a monthly membership and cancel when you’ve finished it – we have a hunch you’ll want to stick around though :)

Can I cancel my membership at any time?

Yes! All you have to do is click a button on your account page. No tricks, no emails, no calls. It's a straightforward process.

You won't be billed again at your next billing cycle. Your membership will remain active and you'll continue to have access to the site until your membership expires on the day it was originally set to renew.

You can easily restart your membership at any time. Just log in to your account and renew a monthly or annual membership to pick up where you left off.

Note: Once your membership expires, we'll save your progress on your Dashboard if you decide to rejoin at a later date.

How does the 14-day free trial work? What is your refund policy?

Your credit card won't be charged for the first 14 days
When you first sign up to a Pickup Music membership, your credit card will not be charged for 14 days. That means that if you decide to cancel within 14 days of signing up, you won't pay anything.

If you decide to cancel after that, you won't be charged at your next billing cycle
That means: if you’re a monthly member, you won’t be charged for the next month. If you’re an annual member, you won’t be charged for the next year.

We don’t offer refunds for payments that have already gone through. But if you choose to cancel, you will retain full access to the membership until it expires on the day it was originally set to renew.

Will I be automatically charged each month / year?

The membership is a subscription. After the 14-day free trial, you'll be automatically charged monthly or annually (depending on which plan you choose). We send you reminders before your annual subscription renews so you don't accidentally forget about it. You can easily cancel by turning off auto-renew at any time in your account page.

How do I restart my membership?

It’s easy to rejoin Pickup Music and we’d be thrilled to have you back! We even saved all of your lessons for you while you were gone on your Dashboard.

To restart your membership, simply head to this page, select the plan of your choice, and sign up with the email address you used to sign up the first time around.

Start your 14-day free trial. Cancel anytime.

Start learning