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Hello all. I'm in need of a good book, or couple of books that explain music theory. I don't want something that gives the reader the complete historyof music from the dawn of time. I'm looking for something more practical and user friendly, i.e. keys, chord pairings, chord progressions, where minors and majors fit in. Kind of the what, where, when, why, and how. Any suggestions.:)

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Do you need a book that explains it all from the begining or you already have some knoledge about some things?

 

I have this book that Ive owned for years, its a great book that has a little of everything (guitar related). "The Guitar Handbook" writen by Ralph Denyer. I dont know if there's a new edition, I got mine 10 years ago. I am sure there are other, newer, better books, but this one is good enough for me =D>

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Hello all. I'm in need of a good book' date=' or couple of books that explain music theory. I don't want something that gives the reader the complete historyof music from the dawn of time. I'm looking for something more practical and user friendly, i.e. keys, chord pairings, chord progressions, where minors and majors fit in. Kind of the what, where, when, why, and how. Any suggestions.=D> [/quote']

 

I just bought Blues Guitar for Dummies by Jon Chappell and How to Play Classic Jazz Guitar by Michael Lydon. Both these books come with a DVD and would be good for a beginner or advanced player. Very reader friendly.

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Hello all. I'm in need of a good book' date=' or couple of books that explain music theory.<....> [/quote']

 

Good for you!!! Personally, I think every musician should know at least basic music theory.

 

Here is a page full of them:

http://www.nortonmusic.com/mom_edu.html

Full disclosure: I get a few pennies for every book ordered through Amazon if you go here first.

 

I highly recommend the first on on the page "The Complete Idiot's Guide To Music Theory". I've used this with my beginning students and they understand it quite well. It's out of print but I checked availability on the above link and there are 4 new and 14 used ones available.

 

There are others on the page as well.

 

For the more advanced player, there are some theory books on the bottom of the same page.

 

Notes

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My favorite is Music Theory For Guitar by Tom Kolb. Currently available. I may have mangled the title a little. It comes with an audio CD. I think it's what you are looking for. Beyond that book, there are some good books by Wilbur Savage that you may want to check out. The Everything Blues book is one I use and like.

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AXE' date=' you think maybe this one might also help me find my up the stairway to heaven by the time I get to the last page. LOL. Thanks a bunch.=P~ [/quote']

 

Birds will sing and rainbows and unicorns will appear before your eyes.

 

Seek inside the circle of fifths my son... Seek and ye shall find...

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Once again the crew comes through!. I've said it before' date=' and I'll say it again; I have many questions but no answers. Thanks to all of you.

 

P.S.

Thundergod, were you referring to my 2nd post to you where I shortened your handle to "TG"?. [/quote']

 

 

Actually you called me AXE... and it felt good, you know I might ask the mods to have my nickname changed to AXE or at least to upgrade my status from advanced member to AXE hehehe

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Open the door to the circle of fifths.

For in there you will find the answers that you seek my son...

 

Don't do it, man! The circle of 5ths is pure evil. It lures you in with promises of rainbows and unicorns and then, before you know what hit you--you're getting screwed hard without lube and not even the courtesy of a reach-around!

 

(Of course, if you're into that kind of thing, feel free to explore the circle with AXE).

 

I was going to recommend one that I used to use with my piano students, but I can't find it. Now that I think about it, unless you read music, it might not be of much use anyway. If you just want some basic idea of chord progressions, Amazon has one that I may buy myself--"The Chord Wheel" by Jim Fleser. From the previews, it looks like it would be quite helpful in both writing and improvising. Couple that with a book like one Homz bought a few months ago with every scale imaginable under the sun and you've got it made. I think that one is called "The Ultimate Scale Book." Though, I will admit, I have yet to figure out why the scales don't start on the tonic like they do on the piano....

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Don't do it' date=' man! The circle of 5ths is pure evil. It lures you in with promises of rainbows and unicorns and then, before you know what hit you--you're getting screwed hard without lube and not even the courtesy of a reach-around!

 

(Of course, if you're into that kind of thing, feel free to explore the circle with AXE).

 

I was going to recommend one that I used to use with my piano students, but I can't find it. Now that I think about it, unless you read music, it might not be of much use anyway. If you just want some basic idea of chord progressions, Amazon has one that I may buy myself--"The Chord Wheel" by Jim Fleser. From the previews, it looks like it would be quite helpful in both writing and improvising. Couple that with a book like one Homz bought a few months ago with every scale imaginable under the sun and you've got it made. I think that one is called "The Ultimate Scale Book." Though, I will admit, I have yet to figure out why the scales don't start on the tonic like they do on the piano....[/quote']

 

 

Are we talking about normal unicorns here or about pink invisible unicorns? (some more enthusiastic criptozoologists have gone as far as saying they think there are pink invisible unicorns with rainbow tails out there).

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Don't do it' date=' man! The circle of 5ths is pure evil. It lures you in with promises of rainbows and unicorns and then, before you know what hit you--you're getting screwed hard without lube and not even the courtesy of a reach-around!

 

(Of course, if you're into that kind of thing, feel free to explore the circle with AXE).[/quote']

 

Dumb@ss

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circle_of_fifths

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Is it just me or does AXE's avitar have anyone else thinking "into the circle...into the circle...yes Master...into the circle"lol. I'll Google it my brother.

Thundergod!!! I'd apologize for referring to you as AXE, but for the life of me, I can't fathom what I'd be apologizing for.O:)

As usual, you all go above and beyond to help those of us bringing up the rear. I'm looking forward to being able to carry my share of the load at some point in the not-to-distant future.

Off thread a tad. I recently purchased an 07 Taylor T5 Ltd Edition (all maple construction). I'll post pics if requested. It's due to arrive next Tuesday. I was simply following my heart.

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Hello all. I'm in need of a good book' date=' or couple of books that explain music theory. I don't want something that gives the reader the complete historyof music from the dawn of time. I'm looking for something more practical and user friendly, i.e. keys, chord pairings, chord progressions, where minors and majors fit in. Kind of the what, where, when, why, and how. Any suggestions.=D> [/quote']

 

Any chance that you can track down somebody who teaches jazz guitar?

 

The kind of stuff you describe is very much at the heart of jazz.

 

RN

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Back issues of Guitar Player, Acoustic Guitar, and Guitar for the Parcticing Musician.

 

Guitar for the Practicing Musician (or just "Guitar" as it was known) was absolutely the best learning tool a guitarist could hope for. It had the most accurate tab I've ever encountered, including Bass line for most, Great Lessons for all levels, and really goo articles and interviews to boot.

 

Get a couple or all of the books mentioned in this thread, 'cause they'll explain the same things in different ways.

 

+1 for the Jazz teacher, all the guitar mags in the world wouldn't have helped me if I didn't get a few important and very basic instructions from my Guitar teacher, who was a Jazz Purist. But you have to see and hear it or it's just Goblety Guke (sp?)

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Good for you!!! Personally' date=' I think [u']every[/u] musician should know at least basic music theory.

 

Here is a page full of them:

http://www.nortonmusic.com/mom_edu.html

Full disclosure: I get a few pennies for every book ordered through Amazon if you go here first.

 

I highly recommend the first on on the page "The Complete Idiot's Guide To Music Theory". I've used this with my beginning students and they understand it quite well. It's out of print but I checked availability on the above link and there are 4 new and 14 used ones available.

 

There are others on the page as well.

 

For the more advanced player, there are some theory books on the bottom of the same page.

 

Sound advice Notes. Thanks a bunch

 

Notes

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Any chance that you can track down somebody who teaches jazz guitar?

 

The kind of stuff you describe is very much at the heart of jazz.

 

RN

 

 

I live just outside of Nashville. Smart money says there's a jazz in structor here. Nashville's nickname is, afterall "Music City".

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