# Favorite guitar/music theory books



## the5chord (Oct 7, 2011)

Looking for something to read on the road when I am away from my guitar.


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## bw66 (Dec 17, 2009)

A couple of books that really deepened my understanding of music were "Music, the Brain, and Ecstasy: How Music Captures Our Imagination", by Robert Jourdain, and "The Music Lesson: A Spiritual Search For Growth Through Music", by Victor Wooten. The latter was a bit New-Agey for my tastes, but his discussion of musical principles was pure gold. The title of the Jourdain book is self explanatory. Neither book explains theory in the traditional sense, but both had a profound effect on my understanding and performance of music.

The Jourdain book has been out of print for years, but I was able to get it though an online used book website.


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## Lord-Humongous (Jun 5, 2014)

Of any of the theory books I've read, this one was the most insightful:

Fretboard Logic by Bill Edwards (Author) 
Fretboard Logic SE: Volumes I & II Combined: Bill Edwards: 9780962477065: Books - Amazon.ca

That aside, Randy Bachman's Randy Bachman's Vinyl Tap Stories is a great read. He talks about guitars and he tells stories about some of the people he's met and worked with.


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## 1SweetRide (Oct 25, 2016)

For something really different, try Dan Erlewine's book on electric guitar repair. Learned a lot about my instruments.

How to Make Your Electric Guitar Play Great!: Second Edition: Dan Erlewine: 9780879309985: Books - Amazon.ca


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## SaucyJack (Mar 8, 2017)

What's a book?


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## fretzel (Aug 8, 2014)

I picked up on of the Logic books at Dollarama several year back. Maybe I should take a look at it.


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

I enjoyed this book...
Inside Out: A Personal History Of Pink Floyd - New Edition, Book by Nick Mason (Paperback) | chapters.indigo.ca


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## 1SweetRide (Oct 25, 2016)

SaucyJack said:


> What's a book?


Stuff made with the dead, pulverized cells of a once living creature.


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## Dorian2 (Jun 9, 2015)

I picked up a copy of Zen Guitar by Philip Toshio Sudo after watching an episode of My Favorite Riff with Nikki Sixx in which he briefly discussed it. It's a good read.


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## Distortion (Sep 16, 2015)

"the guitar handbook" By Ralph Denyer. Not cheap but worth every penny.


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## Hammerhands (Dec 19, 2016)

fretzel said:


> I picked up on of the Logic books at Dollarama several year back. Maybe I should take a look at it.


Are they still at Dollarama? Are there often books there?


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## fretzel (Aug 8, 2014)

Hammerhands said:


> Are they still at Dollarama? Are there often books there?


No. This was quite a while ago. I still take a peak every now and then just in case though.


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## tomee2 (Feb 27, 2017)

The Denyer guitar handbook mentioned above is excellent. 

I recently found a used copy of Progressive Guitar Chords. It's from the early 90s but still available. I have many books on chords, but this book organizes them nicely in a way that I can understand. Major focus on movable chords and such, without a mention of "caged" anywhere. Good theory section at the back. 
Btw the book has nothing to do with Prog Rock .


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## Rozz (Aug 1, 2018)

If you are a Les Paul fan or even interested in their history I recommend 'Beauty of the Burst'.


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## tomee2 (Feb 27, 2017)

Rozz said:


> If you are a Les Paul fan or even interested in their history I recommend 'Beauty of the Burst'.


Yes, what a great book! I hope they reissue it one day, but updated with more guitars and maybe pictures of some of the ones in the original book but now 20 years later.


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## Rozz (Aug 1, 2018)

tomee2 said:


> I hope they reissue it one day, but updated with more guitars and maybe pictures of some of the ones in the original book but now 20 years later.


Good call.


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## tomee2 (Feb 27, 2017)

tomee2 said:


> . ...
> I recently found a used copy of Progressive Guitar Chords. It's from the early 90s but still available..


I’m going to reply to my own post here. That progressive chords book explains where the major chord progressions (I ii iii IV V ) comes from in a way I can understand! And has the chords with tabs for the progression in all the keys! Maybe no big deal to some but I’ve not seen this explained before, it always just ‘was’.


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## Guest (Oct 1, 2018)




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## Dorian2 (Jun 9, 2015)

tomee2 said:


> I’m going to reply to my own post here. That progressive chords book explains where the major chord progressions (I ii iii IV V ) comes from in a way I can understand! And has the chords with tabs for the progression in all the keys! Maybe no big deal to some but I’ve not seen this explained before, it always just ‘was’.


Although I fully understand most music theory, I still do remember how friggin difficult is was, and still is for certain things, to wrap my head around the concepts involved. The mass sharing of information these days makes it both so much easier to get, as well as hard as F*** to get the RIGHT information. Good thing with books is that the errors are kept to a very fair minimum typically.


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## Geert van der Veen (Oct 20, 2018)

Dorian2 said:


> I picked up a copy of Zen Guitar by Philip Toshio Sudo after watching an episode of My Favorite Riff with Nikki Sixx in which he briefly discussed it. It's a good read.


That fellow on YouTube (based here in Toronto, I think) SamuraiGuitarist also recommended this book.


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## Geert van der Veen (Oct 20, 2018)

laristotle said:


>


Good old Ralph M. - 'Streets of London' (derived from Pachelbel's Canon in G, I think).

Didn't think anyone here was aware of him, and I only know about him because of 16 years living in Britain between the early 70s and late 80s.


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## tomee2 (Feb 27, 2017)

laristotle said:


>


That’s a hilarious video! Can’t believe all the big names they got to play on it, even if for 5 seconds. Good old days of TV....


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## Dorian2 (Jun 9, 2015)

Great video @laristotle. Talk about a cool take on perspective.


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

Geert van der Veen said:


> Good old Ralph M. - 'Streets of London' (derived from Pachelbel's Canon in G, I think).
> 
> Didn't think anyone here was aware of him, and I only know about him because of 16 years living in Britain between the early 70s and late 80s.


Canon in D, you mean? That progression has spawned a lot of songs, many of them pretty good.


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## Geert van der Veen (Oct 20, 2018)

Mooh said:


> Canon in D, you mean? That progression has spawned a lot of songs, many of them pretty good.


Sorry, mooh, yes - Canon in D.


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## snacker (Jun 26, 2008)

The Jazz Piano Book by Mark Levine.
I know, I know, it's a piano book, but it's a great read for all instrumentalists.


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## John Fisher (Aug 6, 2017)

That vid was great. I would have given an arm to see Gary Moore and Gilmour play together


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