Ever heard a guitarist talk theory and felt... lost?

It could be that you're trying to follow along with a lesson, but the more they explain, the more confused you get.

Maybe you're watching a video, and the guy says "ok we're going to the four chord" or "this next one is a simple one four five in G" and you're thinking "....???"

Or maybe you're looking at a bunch of music theory and thinking, What does all this mean? It might even make you want to put the guitar down and just forget about it altogether.

Now, you could dive deeper into books, watch hours of videos, and try to wrap your head around every tiny detail of theory, hoping it will all magically click one day—without really knowing if you're making progress or just spinning your wheels.

Or you could keep avoiding theory altogether, playing by ear and feeling like you're getting somewhere, but never truly unlocking your full potential.

I did that for over 20 years, until I met Danny Carpenter, a full-time Nashville pro...

Even though Danny had only been playing guitar for eight years, he quickly became a sought-after sideman for major regional acts by prioritizing music theory early on.

He then made the leap from teaching high school to becoming a full-time guitarist in Nashville, playing all over town in a wide range of genres.

His experience as a self-taught player has shown him how overwhelming too much theory can be for guitarists.

But Danny’s approach was different: he taught me that theory doesn’t have to be complicated or frustrating.

What Danny showed me completely changed the way I think about learning guitar.

The trick is to learn just enough theory to become a better guitarist.

Danny explained that overloading on theory can actually slow down your progress.

Too often, guitarists get lost in details that aren't relevant to their playing right now, instead of focusing on the simple, practical concepts that can quickly boost their confidence and skill.

He showed me that theory is a tool to enhance your playing, not a barrier to overcome.

What Danny emphasized is that anyone can understand theory, as long as they focus on just the essentials—the concepts that will actually make you a better guitarist right away.

Just Enough Theory is an online course where you'll join full-time Nashville pro guitarist Danny Carpenter as he walks you through the essential theory every guitarist needs—without the overwhelm.

Whether you're just starting out or looking to level up, Danny shows you how to apply theory directly to your playing.

You'll learn how to build chords from the ground up, and how understanding intervals unlocks the secrets to arpeggios, scales, and more.

No more guesswork—just the theory you need to confidently construct your own chords and solos.

You'll discover how to break down any song by understanding the underlying structure, so you’ll know exactly why those progressions work and how to create your own.

And most importantly, you’ll learn how to take everything you’re learning and immediately apply it to your own playing, so you can make real progress, not just theory for theory’s sake.

You don’t need years of music school to make theory work

If you've struggled to make sense of music theory before, you're definitely not alone.

I remember the first time I tried to figure out intervals on my own—it was like getting lost in a sea of notes and scales, with no clear direction.

That’s why Danny takes his time to explain not just the how, but also the why, so that when you’re learning a new theory concept, you're not just blindly memorizing formulas. You’re understanding the relationships between the notes, and how to apply them to your guitar playing in a practical way.

Every step forward in theory—whether it's understanding intervals, chords, or scales—starts with knowing exactly what you're learning and why it matters for your playing. And then you’ll see how to apply it right away on your guitar.

No guesswork, no confusion—just following the process.

It's unlikely that you'll ever get lost in this course. But just in case you need any help, you can always ask questions under each video, and if the team doesn’t get back to you first, the community will!

What's covered in
Just Enough Theory?

The short answer is EVERYTHING.

Everything you need to know to apply music theory to your guitar playing is covered in this course.

Danny Carpenter has spent years mastering music theory and applying it to his playing. In that time, he’s learned how to use theory to elevate his guitar playing to a pro level, and now he’s teaching you how to do the same.

This course distills the core concepts of music theory into simple, actionable steps—designed specifically for guitarists—so you can immediately apply what you’re learning to your playing. You'll get the benefits of Danny's extensive knowledge without being bogged down by unnecessary complexities.

Throughout the course, Danny shares the practical applications of music theory, ensuring you get the most out of every concept and see how it fits into your guitar playing.

The course builds upon itself, module to module, so that you're immediately putting each new concept to use, and each new concept unlocks the next level of your journey.

We begin with a foundations module - because everyone starts from somewhere, so we get everyone caught up to the basics including the notes on the neck and how to find them, open chords, and the C major scale.

Next, we move on to the first major module - Intervals.

If you're completely new to intervals, they are the building block for the entire course - and you'll be surprised how easy they are to understand.

You'll learn the intervals as numbers, moving them between keys, sharps and flats, expanded intervals, and we look at why shapes matter.

By the end of this module, you will:

• Navigate the entire fretboard confidently, knowing where every note is
• Play by ear faster, identifying intervals in songs and reproducing them quickly.
• Understand how notes connect, making it easier to create smooth, flowing lines.
• Shift between keys effortlessly, using intervals to find your way around any tonality.
• Pick up melodies instantly, recognizing interval patterns and replicating them right away.
• Make better musical decisions, knowing how intervals shape the sound and feel of your playing.
• Play with greater freedom, connecting notes across the neck without hesitation.

Now that you’ve unlocked the power of intervals and understand how notes connect, it's time to explore how these connections form the foundation of every song – Chord Construction.

Chord Construction is all about seeing how intervals come together to form the building blocks of music – chords.

You’ll learn how to stack thirds to build major, minor, and 7th chords, harmonize the major scale, and understand how chord progressions work in standard notation. We'll also dive into how out-of-key changes and harmonizing 7ths add color and movement to your playing.

By the end of this module, you will:

• Understand how chords are built, seeing how stacking thirds creates harmony and depth.
• Navigate chord progressions with ease, knowing how to identify and play them in any key.
• Recognize the role of 7th chords, giving you a richer, more sophisticated sound in your playing.
• Quickly harmonize the major scale, adding chords to any scale you encounter.
• Write and play your own progressions, creating the foundation for your songs and solos.
• Find the key of a song on the fly, instantly identifying the chords and their relationship within the key.
• Recognize out-of-key changes, understanding how they add excitement and tension to music.

Now that you've mastered how notes and chords work together, it's time to bring them to life with the essential backbone of music – Time & Rhythm.

Time & Rhythm is all about understanding how beats and timing shape the structure of a song, giving you the tools to play with precision and expression.

In this module, you'll learn how to read and write rhythmic notation, understand beats and bars, and master common time signatures and subdivisions. We’ll explore syncopation and how to play in real-world time, so you can finally play with the kind of timing and feel that makes a song come alive. You’ll also combine your chord progressions with rhythm exercises, learning to play along with strumming patterns that keep the music flowing.

By the end of this module, you will:

• Read and write rhythms effortlessly, mastering rhythmic notation so you never second-guess a strumming pattern or groove.
• Always know where you are in the music by understanding beats, bars, and song structure.
• Feel confident in any time signature by learning how to adapt your playing to different rhythmic feels and styles.
• Make your playing sound more dynamic by internalizing syncopation and using off-beat accents.
• Turn simple chord progressions into expressive, engaging parts by combining them with rhythmic techniques.
• Match the feel of any song with ease by recognizing and applying strumming patterns.
• Lock in with a band or backing track by developing solid timing and groove.

Now that you've mastered intervals, chord construction, and rhythm, it's time to put it all together and apply it practically in the first of our two hands on modules – Concepts for Rhythm Guitar.

Rhythm guitar is the backbone of any great song – it’s where the groove, feel, and energy come from.

In this module, you’ll take everything you've learned so far—intervals, chord construction, and rhythm—and apply it to your rhythm playing, while picking up powerful new concepts like three-note triads, suspensions, extensions, and more.

By mastering these techniques, you'll elevate your rhythm guitar to a level where you're not just keeping time, you're driving the music forward with creativity and style.

By the end of this module, you will:

• Play compact, dynamic chords that fit perfectly in a mix by mastering three-note triads.
• Add emotional depth to your playing by using suspensions to create tension and release in your progressions.
• Take your sound to the next level by enhancing chords with rich extensions and advanced voicings.
• Keep your progressions fresh and interesting by using chord substitutions that transform basic chords into compelling alternatives.
• Bring a unique twist to your rhythm playing by interpreting and incorporating new chord voicings creatively.

Once you're ready to take center stage, we move on to the final module - Concepts for Lead Guitar.

In this module, you’ll learn how to follow harmony and use it to craft solos that complement the chords underneath, giving your playing a deeper connection to the song.

We’ll dive into arpeggios, showing you how to break down chords into their individual notes for smooth, melodic lines. You’ll also discover how to use extensions and suspensions in your solos, adding richness and tension to your phrasing.

These techniques will help you create solos that go beyond scales, turning your lead playing into an expressive voice of its own.

By the end of this module, you will:

• Create solos that flow seamlessly over chord changes by following harmony effortlessly.
• Turn complex chords into beautiful, expressive lines by playing fluid, melodic arpeggios.
• Add emotional depth and sophistication by incorporating extensions and suspensions into your solos.
• Craft solos with intention by knowing exactly how to target the right notes for the perfect melodic statement.

Learn at your own pace.
Whenever you want.
Anywhere in the world.

This course is delivered on demand, 100% online, so you can log in whenever you want, repeat, rewind - and generally take this new skill on at your own pace. You're in control!

From the people at

KillerGuitarRigs.com

But it doesn't stop there

Did we mention: Free Lifetime Updates

We regularly survey our students to get a feel for what's working and what's not. With that feedback in hand, we re-edit videos, add additional tabs, create new supplementary content to further explain or demonstrate concepts, and more.

 Once you sign up for Just Enough Theory, you're in for life - every update we do in the future is all yours, as long as the internet exists!

Get Instant Access To

Just Enough Theory

• Just Enough Theory For Guitarists

  Our complete guide to music theory for guitarists, cutting the fluff in favor of actionable insights
  - $197 Value

• How to Read Tab eBook

  Complete guide to reading tab online, from simple numbers to complex techniques
  - $14 Value

• Introduction to Ear Training eBook

  Full guide to training your ear, with exercises for recognizing intervals, chords and more
  - $14 Value

• Nashville Number System Guide eBook

  Full breakdown of this popular system that allows you to talk to other musicians
  - $14 Value

• Most Popular Chord Progressions in Every Key eBook

  Full reference manual so you never have to transpose on the fly
  - $14 Value

• Essential Strumming Patterns eBook

  Guide to the strumming patterns that you'll use the most
  - $14 Value

• Triads at a Glance eBook

  Keep this handy reference to hand so you can easily connect the fretboard with traids
  - $14 Value

• Trio of Guitar Setup eBooks

  Make your guitar play it's best with this handy package of setup books
  - $14 x 3 = $42 Value

• Music Theory Course Community

  Connect with other guitarists, ask questions, get inspiration, learn as part of a group
  - $240 Value

• Lifetime Updates

  Free whenever we update the course, be it adding extra lessons, extra concepts, or even reshooting the whole course
  - $394 Value

TOTAL VALUE: $957

30-day money-back guarantee

What people are saying

Meet Your Instructor

Try The Course 100% Risk Free With Our 30 Day Money Back Guarantee

We've all been victims of the bait and switch sales tactics - they talk a big talk, but once they take your money, they're really not teaching you all that much.

We work so hard on all of our courses to make them the absolute best that they can be, and so we're so confident in them that we provide a 30-day 100% money-back guarantee on all of our courses. 

So if for any reason you aren't 110% happy with this course after 30 days, email us at [email protected] and we'll immediately refund all your money, no questions asked.

Get Instant Access To

Just Enough Theory

• Just Enough Theory For Guitarists

  Our complete guide to music theory for guitarists, cutting the fluff in favor of actionable insights
  - $197 Value

• How to Read Tab eBook

  Complete guide to reading tab online, from simple numbers to complex techniques
  - $14 Value

• Introduction to Ear Training eBook

  Full guide to training your ear, with exercises for recognizing intervals, chords and more
  - $14 Value

• Nashville Number System Guide eBook

  Full breakdown of this popular system that allows you to talk to other musicians
  - $14 Value

• Most Popular Chord Progressions in Every Key eBook

  Full reference manual so you never have to transpose on the fly
  - $14 Value

• Essential Strumming Patterns eBook

  Guide to the strumming patterns that you'll use the most
  - $14 Value

• Triads at a Glance eBook

  Keep this handy reference to hand so you can easily connect the fretboard with traids
  - $14 Value

• Trio of Guitar Setup eBooks

  Make your guitar play it's best with this handy package of setup books
  - $14 x 3 = $42 Value

• Music Theory Course Community

  Connect with other guitarists, ask questions, get inspiration, learn as part of a group
  - $240 Value

• Lifetime Updates

  Free whenever we update the course, be it adding extra lessons, extra concepts, or even reshooting the whole course
  - $394 Value

TOTAL VALUE: $957

30-day money-back guarantee