Members Kat73 Posted June 30, 2008 Members Share Posted June 30, 2008 I'm going to buy a music theory for guitar book to compliment Fretboard Logic and need help choosing amongst my final three. I'm looking for feedback on the 3 since I don't need another guitar book that just gathers dust. I have it limited down to: Any feedback on the 3 books? Any one that you recommend? Any ones to avoid? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Jed Posted June 30, 2008 Moderators Share Posted June 30, 2008 What does your guitar teacher recommend ? What? You don't have a guitar teacher ?? Get one quick, it's much easier to learn this stuff in a structured learning environment rather than trying to learn on your own. . . . . . just my 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Kat73 Posted June 30, 2008 Author Members Share Posted June 30, 2008 I've taken guitar lessons in the past, including a fingerboard theory course recently. Now that the class is over, I'd like to get a book to reinforce the lessons so that I don't forget them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Fu Schnikety Posted June 30, 2008 Members Share Posted June 30, 2008 What looks like the best and the most thorough to you? or are you just looking at them on amazon.com or something like that? I have all the Mel Bay's in one book and it is thorough, but I have other books that are just as thorough in other directions...like have you ever seen this series called the guitar grimoire? Crazy insane amounts of material that if it were to soak in...damn, i'd know something...still you have to make use of it. I'm proof positive that all the good books in the world don't mean squat if you don't diligently use them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Kat73 Posted June 30, 2008 Author Members Share Posted June 30, 2008 I'm looking at them on Amazon. I've looked at the Grimoire series. Great content, but its too much overload for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bdemon Posted June 30, 2008 Members Share Posted June 30, 2008 Can't say I've reviewed these books, but I've studied lots of Kolb's lessons over the years in Guitar One magazine. I think he writes for Guitar World now. Definitely the go-to guy for advanced stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Kat73 Posted June 30, 2008 Author Members Share Posted June 30, 2008 Can't say I've reviewed these books, but I've studied lots of Kolb's lessons over the years in Guitar One magazine. I think he writes for Guitar World now. Definitely the go-to guy for advanced stuff. Hmm, I was leaning towards Guitar Fretboard Workout or the Mel Bay book, but now I might have to give the Kolb book a shot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Machine Gun Posted July 1, 2008 Members Share Posted July 1, 2008 I have the Fretboard logic series and haven't opened them since I got Fretboard Workout. Easy to understand and logical presentation of theory, but with a little repetition/reinforcement from the Logic series. I also got his Chord Tone Soloing book and it's really good as well. That's from a review of his Music Theory book, and it gives a really good summary of how his books work. Barrett's practical and accessible books show how good he is as an instructor. I own his books on Music Theory and Guitar Fretboard and these are THE BEST that I have seen on music instruction... period. Difficult concepts are broken down into small steps and driven down using the workbook approach (i.e. written practice) with the answer key included. When I look for new stuff I check first to see if Barrett has written about it. I've also found books by Mark John Sternal to be very good. My Fretboard Workbook is no longer whole. I unbound it, put it in a binder and make copies of the lessons to do them over and over again. Mark Wein who posts a lot of great lessons here uses Fretboard Workout for his students as well. So to me that says a lot because he's a good teacher. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mhoward Posted July 1, 2008 Members Share Posted July 1, 2008 I started with Fretboard Logic (on VCR tapes) about 10 years ago and really worked it until it went off into modes in volume II and I kind of glazed over. I discovered Tagliarino's book about a year ago and it's really great, and filled in a lot of gaps. FL is very good at showing you the CAGED patterns, but doesn't go into intervals as much. I xerox'd the whole thing and worked through it. It's ideal for targeting music theory at guitar players. The best thing for me was in the first chapter or so where it showed the pattern of root notes, which is the framework that everything else hangs on. I also like Scales Over Chords. Those 3 have been my main fretboard / scales books. A lot of people on here like Jed always advise people to get a teacher. I've tried at least 6 teachers over the years, and stuck with each for 6 months or so. But I haven't been fortunate to find one who was helpful on music theory. The teachers who teach out of music stores seem to be very good musicians who are trying to make a living to supplement their earnings from gigs. Not one of them had a teaching plan or really figured out what I needed. They just want to know what song I want to work on next. I've asked each of them to guide me in what I needed to know to be a better player and to be able to improvise, but I've done much better on my own. This forum is one of the best resources I've found, and made me realize things I needed to know. I'd love to find the kind of teacher these guys talk about, but I don't have a clue how to find one, short of going to Berklee or some other place with a systematic method. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bdemon Posted July 2, 2008 Members Share Posted July 2, 2008 A lot of people on here like Jed always advise people to get a teacher. I've tried at least 6 teachers over the years, and stuck with each for 6 months or so. But I haven't been fortunate to find one who was helpful on music theory. The teachers who teach out of music stores seem to be very good musicians who are trying to make a living to supplement their earnings from gigs. Not one of them had a teaching plan or really figured out what I needed. They just want to know what song I want to work on next. I've asked each of them to guide me in what I needed to know to be a better player and to be able to improvise, but I've done much better on my own. This forum is one of the best resources I've found, and made me realize things I needed to know. I'd love to find the kind of teacher these guys talk about, but I don't have a clue how to find one, short of going to Berklee or some other place with a systematic method. They're out there--I'm one of them! I spend a lot of time "fighting" with kids who want to learn songs while I try to teach them theory. (I mean, it's a give & take thing...) But I know what you mean. My first teacher was throwing songs at me despite my requests to teach theory. You might want to ask about their musical backgrounds if you ever go searching again. Even though self-taught theory experts exist, you'll probably have better luck if the teacher has a music degree or at least taken a bunch of classes. When I wasn't in my film classes, chasing my film degree, all my electives were in theory and ear training. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.