# Books on theory etc



## John Fisher (Aug 6, 2017)

I am looking for some help books. My theory is sadly lacking, and sometimes YouTube is an information overload, or maybe not quite what I am looking for at the time.
I have had the Mark Silver guitar improvisation suggested, and the Heavy Guitar Bible by Richard Daniels.
Any other ideas? Primarily,Rock, Blues/Hair Metal oriented.

Thanks


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## KapnKrunch (Jul 13, 2016)

Al Di Meola's _*Guide to Chords, Scales and Arpeggios* _if you can find it.

Al Di Meola - A Guide to Chords, Scales & Arpeggios: Al Di Meola: 9780793526772: Books - Amazon.ca


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

Just a few from my bookshelf. A search will likely find related ones of value.


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## John Fisher (Aug 6, 2017)

thanks guys that gives me a place to start googgling


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## luker0 (Apr 18, 2017)

Thanks folks, just ordered a few of those.

Sent from my SM-T813 using Tapatalk


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## mawmow (Nov 14, 2017)

The problem I faced is that every book has its own way to get musical theory in.

I will name two books amongst all those I have. 
I mean, I was not specifically interested in theory, but it comes along in methods on fingerstyles and diverses styles.
So, in the Alfred collection : "Fingerstyle" and "Blues Guitar".
Don't get the three individual books of each, get the complete editions.

"Piano for Dummies" added quite much about the bass side of things !

.


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## Lord-Humongous (Jun 5, 2014)

I have a heap of books. The only one that truly helped me make a breakthrough was 'Fretboard Logic by Bill Edwards'. In it, the way he relates the pentatonic scale shapes was like magic. I had no idea how to move through to different positions until I read and understood the way he presents it. It's the only book I'd specifically recommend.


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

Here are a few more.


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

Buy whatever the humber jazz program uses.


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## KapnKrunch (Jul 13, 2016)

This is definitely a "same-shit-different-pile" situation. They all contain the same content. 

Get one and get the info *IN YOUR HEAD*. 

Don't be like my buddy who showed me all his books and then said: "Hey, show me that scale." Its all in your book! Any book. You gotta read it, practise it, think about it. 

Start now because it takes time to "sink in".


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

That ignores the fact that people learn differently though.

It makes sense to ask so the OP can find a book that works with their learning style.


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## KapnKrunch (Jul 13, 2016)

Budda said:


> That ignores the fact that people learn differently though.
> 
> It makes sense to ask so the OP can find a book that works with their learning style.


Disagree. Does Humber customize its jazz course for each student? Seriously, do they? If so, I stand corrected. Thanks.

But searching for _custom_ learning of _stock_ knowledge is a waste of time.

If you can't figure it out from any old book, give up. It ain't that hard.

Cycle of fifths for sharps, cycle of fourths for flats. Selection of notes in those scales to make chords and arpeggios. Begin any scale on a different note for a mode.

If you can understand _do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti-do_ in four-part harmony, in any key, with the chromatic steps in between (diminished chords mostly) you've got enough theory for a lifetime. Its not that technical, although you may think so, if you don't know it already.

Master the *THEORY*. That's why we call it theory. Thats what the OP asked for.

Then with this theory -- practise scales in singles, broken thirds, triplets & quads, up and down two octaves, starting with each finger on left hand. Same for modes. Same for arpeggios after you learn all the chords in three-parts, four-parts and beyond in as many forms as possible. Practise, practise, experiment, experiment.

Now it's time for that _special_ book.

This is one of many books that will get you *started *on both theory and practice:

Al Di Meola - A Guide to Chords, Scales & Arpeggios: Al Di Meola: 9780793526772: Books - Amazon.ca

I have never moved on to another book in thirty years (of mediocre effort). Its only $18. C'mon...


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

A human tutor can be a huge help, at least by my experience. I started with my piano and voice teachers as a kid, and graduated to books on my own later. Part of what I do for a living is teach music theory. For the willing, it works. I suggest a tutor to get you started and maybe to check your understanding later. If you think you've got a grip on the basics, a tutor can help you apply them and get you over obstacles, but most of the work can be accomplished independently for most people.


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## mawmow (Nov 14, 2017)

Well, I learned C scale at school and never really bothered about it afterwards.

I began the guitar, playing simple chords without any question where they came from. But as I met more complex chords, and understanding some simple chords are in fact chord inversions, I went through scale study to understand chord construction instead of buying tons of books about chords... and modes.

It is true that most instructional books share the same musical roots (how couldn't they do so ?) but it is also true that some spoke clearer to me than others. I once in a while got back to some chapters I knew I did not understand well the first time. I even bought a learning aids or two, I may probably still find somewhere on my bookshelf.

What helped me much is to commit myself to explain what I learned : see one, do one, teach one ! I can now, with a pen and a simple sheet of paper, explain the scales (and mode principle), chord composition, cycles of forth and fifth applied to key (and notes) recognition on the staff and transpose it all on the guitar neck.

Yep ! It fitted in my head and probably on a (two sided !) paper. But, it did not get in after reading only one book. I had to see the thing from different points of view, as not all writers used to explain all (some would talk about diminished notes without saying we could also say "flattened".

The stuff is hard to swallow and you have to be motivated to learn it. That is why I found rewarding to learn alternating theory with exercises. And since every author brought his own exercises, my learning was even more interesting. I tried some books devoted only to exercise : sorry, not for me ! I still open some once in a while, do some exercises, close them and put them back on the shelf. As I play for my own pleasure, I prefer to work a tune : more rewarding. My learning curve was slow, but, I was not in a hurry. So, it may be different for whom who wants to make some money out of it.

P.S. I do not not know the book of Al Di Meola, but maybe I could get it... ;-)


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## KapnKrunch (Jul 13, 2016)




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## KapnKrunch (Jul 13, 2016)

Not trying to make a point, Lotsa good books out there. Nuff said.

Just sharing good music here.


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## Dorian2 (Jun 9, 2015)

I come from the same place as you @John Fisher re: heavier rock, blues, Metal etc. All of these books have served me very well spanning over 30 years. I noticed that Mooh has listed a couple of these already.










I kinda cut off The Aaron Shearer Scale pattern studies for guitar.... it has a number of different scale patterns ascending and descending in all different keys. I found it very useful for lead playing. I see that Mooh has included a couple of these in his pics as well. The most basic ones here would be Scales and Modes: In the beginning, and The Heavy Guitar Bible volume 1. That Mick Goodrick one is a bit more intense than what you'd be looking for possibly, but it's a fantastic book. Probably the best one of them all for my limited collection. They're all great books though, as are most already recommended.


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## John Fisher (Aug 6, 2017)

Sorrry all been busy. Thanks for the ideas, I will use Google with these titles to see what to grab. Thanks


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## tomee2 (Feb 27, 2017)

If you're looking on Amazon please check out .ca vs .com vs Amazon in the UK Italy, etc.. With out of print books (and CDs) I find Amazon.ca is a real crap shoot - a book that is $11 in the UK or the US will be listed on .ca for $145.97 or some such ridiculous price. 

I've picked up about 20 guitar music books over a year or so of looking from thrift stores - Value Village is good because they sort them by category but their prices are not great - $5 to $6 for used music books. Best of luck.


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## mawmow (Nov 14, 2017)

Just a word to say I found a brand new Di Meola book on eBay for a total of 15$ CAD postage included from UK.

DiMeola method appears quite crude, his chords pattern appear jazz influenced (I like that). I am going to give it a try: It is never too late to add bone under flesh... ;-)
Special thanks to @KapnKrunch for the reference.

P.S. I am used to buy from UK sellers on eBay : I regularly find there lower prices for US-made goods, pay much less for shipping and it gets in faster than from US.


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## tomee2 (Feb 27, 2017)

That looks like a book I might like, from the preview on amazon.

the usual going on with Amazon.ca;
used $24
new$17

or $75!
https://www.amazon.ca/Meola-Arpeggi...r_1_14?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1519492030&sr=1-14

I see this with books, CDs, DVDs, PC parts, everything... same item with a slightly different title description and the price is inflated.


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## tomee2 (Feb 27, 2017)

I ordered that DiMeola book...it came in 1 day! It consists of several pages of chord charts (organized from easiest to do to hardest), and scales, and other exercises, and a series of lesson plans that refer to those charts and exercises. The lesson plans are very condensed, but well thought out. Lots of chord shapes I've never seen before, except in books that only have chord shapes. But here he organizes them so you learn which shapes to learn first.

Its a good book, and it really is one of those books that if you had to have only one book this could do it.


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## 4345567 (Jun 26, 2008)

__________


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## AlBDarned (Jun 29, 2017)

I thought this one was a pretty good overview of how to fit things together a bit. I have the older edition that came with a CD instead of online access - probably pretty similar still:

https://www.amazon.ca/Music-Theory-...=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=063406651X


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## KapnKrunch (Jul 13, 2016)

nkjanssen said:


> I think I own every book mentioned on this thread plus about 50 more. In 30 years of buying guitar books, I've essentially determined that it all boils down to:
> 
> Cmaj7
> Dmin7
> ...


Gotta have the chromatic stuff in between those chords too. Suggests a whole world of modified chords and chord substitutions. Heckuva good time!


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## Lord-Humongous (Jun 5, 2014)

Once I understood basic theory, it was ‘Fretboard Logic’ that helped me get to the next level. I can’t say enough about it. Every other video or written article, or section in a book that I’ve found describing the ‘caged’ system just talks about the chords and the movable chord shapes. The real magic for me was the next step, linking the scale shapes together. This enabled me to improvise within a key moving anywhere on the fretboard. I’ve since learned some other ‘logic tricks’ that have helped me build upon Bill Lawrence’s method, but it was his book that pointed me in that direction. I’m sure I’ve got 50 books about guitar, theory, etc, and his is the only one I recommend. 

I had an instructor that essentially showed me the same thing as Bill Lawrence’s method for CAGED scale shapes but seeing it on paper really made sense to me. It depends on how you learn to an extent. It sounds like a testimonial I’ve written, lol. 

PS. John Mayer has been posting tonnes of instructional videos on his Instagram and there are quite a few on a YouTube now. He shows some really cool tricks, the one I watched last night had him describing how he adds a walking bass line accompaniment to a chord progression.


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