Definitive book for learning guitar?

[TeleMan1985]

So, let me tell you a little bit about where I am with my playing right now. I've been playing guitar for around 10 years. For the first couple of years I really got the bug and learnt to play a lot of songs from Tab. To give you an idea of my level, I can pretty much nail rock standards like Back In Black, Purple Haze, Brown Sugar, Black Dog, Stairway to Heaven, Won't get Fooled Again, Highway to Hell etc from end to end, solos included and I think my technique is pretty good. However, my grasp of theory is minimal to non-existant. I have the basic chords, barre chords and similar variations, a few positions on the minor pentatonic and that's about it. Everything I've learnt has been pretty much painstakingly from tab which of course is doubly hard if you don't really know what the hell you're playing. For the last few years I kinda got frustrated and stuck in a rut, scratching around and messing with my kit and tones and buying and selling to distract myself from the fact that I really wasn't up to much as a player and as a result I've played less and less to the point where I almost completely gave up and would spend most of my spare time on the golf course! Of late however, I've got the enthusiasm back and I really want to give my full attention to becoming a proper player!

 

I realise now that I need to learn some theory to become a better player. I don't know if I'm interested in going all out and learning to read music and the like, but I would definitely like to start with the basics and then gradually build on it, taking one thing at a time, learning things properly before moving on, actually having a grasp on what it is i'm learning and playing, how it all applies to the kind of music I love and seeing some results. I never want to see another tab even know I have a very poor ear for really learning music, but I would like to get to the stage where I can listen to songs and start to get them down and from that experience, maybe learn to write a bit myself. As for the sorts of music I like, it's mainly classic rock and blues, but I'm definitely open to learning some other styles and expanding my reportoire. Can only help right?

 

All of the above however presents another problem in itself. The internet is a great place and I understand there are thousands of great YouTube videos out there and thousands of sites with realms of information and thousands of great people on forums like this that are very knowledgeble and willing to help. The difficulty I find in this however is that there is so much different information coming from all corners, people's opinions of what's important to learn and how to learn vary greatly and at times there is some mis-information to and all of this just leaves me more jumbled and confused than when I started. So I was thinking, wouldn't it be great to find a simple, definitive, step by step book that will take me through everything I need at a reasonable pace, will keep things clear and not over complicate the issue for a musical idiot like myself and will bring me out the other side with a stronger, unclouded grasp on the guitar. Again however, there are a million books out there and knowing which way to go is impossible. So, basically, two questions:

 

1) Which book?

2) Why and how did it work for you? Tell me your story.

 

Any advice greatly appreciated.

[mcmurray]

I'd start with some ear training mate.

 

This might help (whole thread not just the first post);

 

http://www.jsguitarforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=56336

 

I've taught people to play by ear solidly using that method. Put simply - solfege works.

 

Here's a book on the subject (highly recommended);

 

http://www.amazon.com/Ear-Training-One-Note-Complete/dp/1594899363/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1291376993&sr=8-3

[mosiddiqi]

Teleman, at the risk of not really answering your specific questions, I very strongly feel that that the single MOST important thing you can do to learn guitar is to develop your ear. You've said that it's very poor, but I suspect you haven't spent as much time on it as you have learning Tab. YOU CAN DO IT!. Get hold of "Transcribe" and start with simple songs, anything by Sabbath will do. If you spend a little time every day learning songs by ear this way, I GUARANTEE that you will become a better player. Now, along with learning by ear, it's a good idea to analyse whats going on, what scale over which chord and why for example..so a little theory knowledge will help here. There are a ton of resources on this for sure, I think gennations series of lessons on theory is pretty good:

 

http://lessons.mikedodge.com/lessons/MusicTheory/Intervals/IntervalsTOC.htm

 

I'm sure others will chip in with other suggestions for a book/theory lessons. But, I just wanted to emphasise that I believe you really need to build your ears to fingers connection and the best way to do this is to address the very area you feel you are weak at, i.e your ear.

[mcmurray]

^ I couldn't disagree more with learning intervals by ear, at least to start with. They will harm a beginners ear more than anything. On the other hand, functional pitch recognition actually works, and it works quickly.

[JonR]

I've learned from countless books over the years, and it would be hard to pick one that stands out.

 

The Dummies books are good, and this one looks like amazing value, as it includes all the main styles of guitar, along with theory and songwriting techniques:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0470481331/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_2?pf_rd_p=103612307&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=076455106X&pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_r=1YZWGEMPKGWTNM63WQCK#_

Years of learning in there! Even so, I'd always recommend 2 or 3 different books, just to get different perspectives.

This was an old favourite of mine from years back - in the days when there were very few comprehensive books of this type:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Guitar-Handbook-Ralph-Denyer/dp/033032750X

For theory specifically (with a guitar angle), I like this one:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Music-Theory-Guitarists-Everything-Wanted/dp/063406651X/ref=pd_sim_b_5

 

Naturally, a teacher is the ultimate recommendation for fast and efficient learning. But - speaking as a self-taught player who is now a teacher - I can see both sides. Books are great for various reasons: more systematically organised and more comprehensive (and usually more authoritative) then websites; much cheaper than a teacher (usually less than the cost of ONE lesson); you can take them at your own pace, treating them as seriously (or not) as you like.

Of course, a book won't tell you where (or when) you're going wrong... and you can't ask it questions...

 

(For theory, btw, really make sure you start right from the beginning and work through. If you don't get something, go back. And always make sure you know how a particular concept sounds. Try to play everything you read about. It won't make real sense otherwise. And if it still doesn't make sense after you've played it - maybe you don't need it!)

 

Even better is to learn all you can from listening and learning by ear. Like you, my ear was bad when I began. But unlike today, there was very little in writing (no tab, and precious little notation) for the music I wanted to learn - I was forced to use my ear, and it was 2-speed tape recorders in those days. Today there is software, and I use this program all the time:

http://www.seventhstring.com/

[JonR]

BTW, on the issue of intervals vs functional pitch recognition - these are both ways of isolating elements of music to aid identification. IMO, both are useful. Interval language is important for theoretical understanding, the origins (and names) of chords, etc. But the way notes and intervals work in context is obviously crucial, and more musically meaningful.

 

Essentially, every pitch has a 3-way relationship:

1. with the key (scale degree or chromatic alteration);

2. with the current chord (chord tone, extension or alteration), or other simultaneous harmony;

3. with melody notes either side.

 

#3 is a mostly "horizontal" (time-based) relationship. #2 is "vertical". #1 is a mix of both, as one retains a memory of previously established tonality within which a chord (and its notes) is heard.

 

All three are defined in terms of intervals, which is why that jargon is important. (Vertical relationships are "harmonic intervals" - horizontal ones are "melodic intervals". But the names are the same.)

In real music (as opposed to various ear training exercises), we hear all 3 relationships, in a kind of fluid interaction - different ones dominating at different times (even from moment to moment). The question is, what best helps us make sense of it? What makes a useful analytical system for a musician? How much do we need to (or should we) isolate individual elements to name them, or hear them better?

 

IMO, it may vary from person to person - anything is worth trying.

[mosiddiqi]

I should add that I didn't actualy learn any theory from gennations site..I just thought it was a good introduction. Actually most of the theory I learned was from the Ralph Denyer "Guitar handbook" that JonR referenced and also an old "Music Theory Grades 1-III" school text book.

[JonR]

 

I should add that I didn't actualy learn any theory from gennations site..I just thought it was a good introduction. Actually most of the theory I learned was from the Ralph Denyer "Guitar handbook" that JonR referenced and also an old "Music Theory Grades 1-III" school text book.

I should also add that I don't remember learning any theory from Denyer's book (although there's plenty in it).

I learned my theory mostly from transcribing songs. (I learned notation in school, before taking up guitar.)

This was probably the first theory book I read, back in the early 70s -

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rudiments-Theory-Music-syllabus-examinations/dp/B0000CJVXV/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1291387750&sr=8-1

- but I didn't get too far as it's classically based: the deeper you get, the less relevant the concepts are to popular music (rock, blues, folk, jazz), which was of course my main interest. (I've always had a theoretical curiosity beyond that, but it's mostly an idle curiosity; if I don't understand something, I don't worry about it, just forget it.)

 

If it's classical basics you want, the above book has been superceded by two volumes and their concepts summarised in this beautifully concise little book:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/First-Steps-Music-Theory-Grades/dp/1860960901/ref=pd_sim_b_2

 

But I think I'd still go by the books I mentioned earlier if it's rock and/or guitar you're interested in.

[gennation]

Thanks Mo,

 

The thing to do it start building a foundation of fundamentals. The only way to really learn theory "as you go" is to learn it from the ground up. IOW, you don't want to start somewhere in the middle, you want to start at the beginning and keep moving forward. You want grasp some smaller, basic, ideas then build on them so you see them granularity as well as "the big picture".

 

To do this you might read one book more than once or you might read several books that cover much of the same material just to keep your head in the game, so to speak.

 

I would definitely recommend my Beginners to Advanced Series at my lesson site: http://lessons.mikedodge.com

 

Read the links in this order:

 

Interval, then

Chord Construction, then

Diatonic Theory

 

Read AT LEAST those three links as they will give a pretty comprehensive look at what you are probably already playing but have no idea of the basic structures let alone how these basic pieces are in everything you do and how they relate to the way to see them today.

 

Each of those links at the site contain many links within them walking you right though an organized, ground up approach you are going to need. Each lesson picks up where the last less left off.

 

And again, anybody who has a good head fro understanding theory has read the same material multiple times, or has read different material that covers the same information. So, READ those lesson at least three times, you'll find you "fill-in the gaps" each time you read them.

 

Since you are not going to just know it by reading it, multiple reads will help you build the foundation you need.

 

How to use it? Take the weekend, read it all once through with no guitar, then read it through another time with your guitar. Then reread it all one more time! If you are seriously about learning, it's best to discipline yourself using good learning habits. You never know...this weekend could change everything for you, or at least put you much further ahead than you are today!

 

The site is absolutely free, no ads, etc...just info about music. Besides the Beginners to Advanced Series there are also lessons under the On Topic Tutorials which show give you a comprehensive look at a lot of different genres, techniques, scales, concepts, etc...that you'll definitely find useful. And there's even a Transcription section too if you want to learn certain styles and techniques.

 

Enjoy!

[gennation]

I learned my theory from two places initially, Arnie Berle articles in Guitar Player magazine and Ted Greene's Chord Chemisty. OK, I did take some theory in private instruction as a kid and did attend Interlochen School of Music, but that was all percussion stuff.

 

Beyond that I picked up Walter Piston's Harmony book when I was about 19, that schooled me pretty good. Decades later I've read countless books on theory, hang out and get to perform with with college level teachers, and have been teaching over 20 years now (that's probably where I'VE learn the most ).

 

I still pick stuff up and learn today. The Internet is great but can be SUPER OVERWHELMING...which is way I created my lesson site. I still get over a 100 hits a day and don't promote it nearly as much as I used to. (except for this thread )

[espec10001]

I would highly recommend the Guitar Grimoire Series:

 

http://guitargrimoire.com/products.htm

 

The way it is presented in building blocks is the best I have come across so far. It expands your knowledge of the guitar and other musical aspects in ways which I never thought possible. The Guitar Grimoire system is the clearest and most direct approach to getting the sounds you want out of the guitar.

[JonR]

I would highly recommend the Guitar Grimoire Series: http://guitargrimoire.com/products.htm The way it is presented in building blocks is the best I have come across so far. It expands your knowledge of the guitar and other musical aspects in ways which I never thought possible. The Guitar Grimoire system is the clearest and most direct approach to getting the sounds you want out of the guitar.

Wow. Well, I'm glad it works for you.

First time I saw that book - after I'd been playing guitar some 30 years - my jaw dropped in disbelief. It looked like the biggest waste of paper I'd ever seen.

 

Just offering another perspective here. Clearly it worked for you, so I guess it will work for others. YMMV, as they say.

[Jed]

There been a lot of good general advice. I have no books to recommend because I didn't find books worked for me. But if you can describe to us how you learn, we may be able to help steer you in the right direction.

 

In my case it was music school, where I was forced into an intensive academic "learn quickly or live- out my life having failed miserably" type of environment. I responded well to that kind of do-or-die pressure and learned a ton of theory in a short two years. But the theory didn't sink in enough to become a usable / practical advantage until later. After school I toured for some 5 years, got married and took a vacation from music for 20+ years. In the last 5 years or so, having caught the bug yet again, the basic (and not so basic) theory I learned in college has been priceless for me as I re-taught myself (for the first time?) how to really play the guitar and learn about how music works at the same time.

 

For me it was all about an iron-clad understanding and practical skills acquisition of the basics in all keys before I moved onto the next step. I still remembered the seven positional major scale forms from my younger days so I started with 2-octave triad arpeggios (derived from the major scale fingerings) in an effort to completely and finally learn to see the fretboard. I focused specifically on the note names and how they functioned as chord tones and as scale degrees. This drew my focus away from shapes so I never developed the kind of "stuck in the box" thinking that affects many others. Later that grew into learning all of the 4-note diatonic triad voicings (all keys) on adjacent sets of four strings X two string sets. Later I used that knowledge to learn all of the drop-2 & drop-3 voicings for the diatonic 7th chord voicings (all keys). Later I expanded my knowledge and skills relative to 2-octave triad arps and chord voicings into the pentatonic forms for each diatonic triad (all keys). I didn't concentrate on ear training or transcription specifically but I did push myself to try and sing (and hear) the arps, arpeggiated chord voicings as I worked on those aspects.

 

My path may seem torturous for some, but it worked for me because it worked with how I learn new things. I've always focused on the basics for anything I wanted to understand. An intuitive grasp of the fundamentals always leads me to a point where the so-called advanced stuff just isn't all that advanced looking. No doubt you learn in a different way that I do. My advice is to consider how it is you learn. And then use that knowledge to your advantage. Don't measure yourself by how someone else learned about this stuff because each of us takes a completely unique path through the confusion to find understanding.

 

cheers and happy journeys,