Music book suggestions
- Thread starter JamieJ
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Bricksnbeatles
Member known well
The Mickey Baker jazz guitar book (I think it might be two books— mine is really old) is great for upping your chord voicing game.
Reaching for the Uncommon Chord by Allan Holdsworth is great, but be prepared to cry… it gets heady and absurdly difficult at points
It’s a good book for revitalizing your approach to chord voicings and voice leading, rather than *just* examples, too.
I could recommend some theory books too, but first, what’s your level of familiarity with like the foundations of music theory, and what are you looking to focus on?
Reaching for the Uncommon Chord by Allan Holdsworth is great, but be prepared to cry… it gets heady and absurdly difficult at points
It’s a good book for revitalizing your approach to chord voicings and voice leading, rather than *just* examples, too.
I could recommend some theory books too, but first, what’s your level of familiarity with like the foundations of music theory, and what are you looking to focus on?
Mentaltossflycoon
Well-known member
Might be useful to know what books you've worked through most recently.
flemming
Well-known member
Not a book, but I found a few of this guy's lessons on YouTube and signed up for his Patreon for a bit. There's lots of theory stuff and the videos present it really well (though the lessons are not necessarily organized on the site in the best way). He adds new content pretty frequently. It could however be too basic depending upon your level of current knowledge.
www.scottpauljohnson.com
Scott Paul Johnson - Guitar Lessons in Seattle
Highly rated guitar lessons since 2001. Free YouTube guitar lessons. Guitar school hosted on Patreon with over 175 lessons and a weekly like Q&A featuring my camera guitar.
www.scottpauljohnson.com
BuddytheReow
Moderator
This. Are you trying to incorporate some Hendrix, Clapton, SRV, a metal shredmaster, chugga chuggas, or some light alternative? My advice is to start listening to different music, but listen with a musician's ear. Learn from the greats and buy some of their songbooks. Theory is nice but the application of it is where it's at. Like Yngwie Malmsteen once said, "Learn everything, then forget it"
Edit: Once you start listening to new music you'll realize there's a whole other world out there to inspire you to learn and play different stuff.
andare
Well-known member
Avoid Walter Piston's harmony textbook unless you enjoy a snoozefest about the Neapolitan sixth. It's as academic and dry as it gets.
I like Ted Greene's chord books. Book an appointment with a neurologist and an orthopedist because your hands will hurt.
I browsed the Beato Book and it's pretty dense but lots of good info in there. He has a lot of lectures on chords, just search for any whiteboard video for a quick smattering of theory.
I highly recommend Joe Gore's articles on premier Guitar. Very interesting guitar ideas.
My favorite learning resource nowadays is Tom Bukovac. So much guitar and music wisdom in his videos plus endless ideas to be inspired and steal from.
If you don't know him, the intro to this recent video is a great example of the man's abilities, though the meat of his teachings is in his early videos he posted during the corona lockdowns.
I mean the guy's touch is unbelievable:
This is one of his best lessons
I like Ted Greene's chord books. Book an appointment with a neurologist and an orthopedist because your hands will hurt.
I browsed the Beato Book and it's pretty dense but lots of good info in there. He has a lot of lectures on chords, just search for any whiteboard video for a quick smattering of theory.
I highly recommend Joe Gore's articles on premier Guitar. Very interesting guitar ideas.
My favorite learning resource nowadays is Tom Bukovac. So much guitar and music wisdom in his videos plus endless ideas to be inspired and steal from.
If you don't know him, the intro to this recent video is a great example of the man's abilities, though the meat of his teachings is in his early videos he posted during the corona lockdowns.
I mean the guy's touch is unbelievable:
This is one of his best lessons
RetiredUnit1
Well-known member
I learned theory in High School, never used it a bit. I can pick up the guitar and without even looking start playing with music and never even know or need to know what key I'm in.
*Be The Music*
*Be The Music*
JamieJ
Well-known member
Thanks everyone- lots of useful info here. I am looking to learn how to play some more sophisticated and interesting sounding chord sequences. I had a look at Tim Lerch’s book but I wasn’t sure if this was too jazz based for me.
Thanks @Bricksnbeatles - I’ll have a look at those two suggestions.
@Mentaltossflycoon - all the books I’ve worked through are either album transcriptions or blues based so wanting to get away from stereotypical blues playing.
@bean - this is awesome. I’ve just downloaded it. So I’ll start off here.
@andare - Tom Bukovac is a great example of someone who I’d love to sound more like (if only I could have 30+ years of session playing). I love his channel. I think I’m looking for a solid resource I can work through. I find YouTube to cover things too superficially. Any time I play at the moment I just noodle and need some structure to follow. I’ve never had lessons so my theory knowledge is pretty poor. I’ve been working through circle of 5th resources etc. to try and improve.
Thanks @Bricksnbeatles - I’ll have a look at those two suggestions.
@Mentaltossflycoon - all the books I’ve worked through are either album transcriptions or blues based so wanting to get away from stereotypical blues playing.
@bean - this is awesome. I’ve just downloaded it. So I’ll start off here.
@andare - Tom Bukovac is a great example of someone who I’d love to sound more like (if only I could have 30+ years of session playing). I love his channel. I think I’m looking for a solid resource I can work through. I find YouTube to cover things too superficially. Any time I play at the moment I just noodle and need some structure to follow. I’ve never had lessons so my theory knowledge is pretty poor. I’ve been working through circle of 5th resources etc. to try and improve.
Harry Klippton
Not Interested
I learned theory from the Berklee books and a couple others, just a few years ago. It completely changed my playing and continues to be useful
bean
Legume Liaison
It's pretty intense and detailed esp. for the time it was written. Funny story - way, way back in my Berklee days my roommate and I were walking near campus late one night and Mick walked out of a building right in front of us. My roommate recognized him and said "Hey it's MICK GOODRICK!", he looked at us and nodded and all I could say was "Who?" Pretty embarrassing.
finebyfine
Well-known member
Oh my god that intro is exactly how I want to be able to play when I’m playing non doom riffing (so the other 10%). I love when every note and chord change sounds like that’s the only place it could go even when that’s never really the truth. Thanks for turning me onto him.
spi
Well-known member
For the Tom Bukovac vids, there's a site 501chorusecho.com that catalogs all of them with a description of the content and notes.
Useful for newcomers like @finebyfine and oldtimers like @andare.
Useful for newcomers like @finebyfine and oldtimers like @andare.
finebyfine
Well-known member
Harry Klippton
Not Interested
I see him mentioned enough that I'd really like to "get" Tom Bukovac one day
andare
Well-known member
Start with the very first Corona lessons. They are short and packed full of info. He didn't anticipate the channel would take off so he gave away all his knowledge early on. Now he mostly plays wonderful stuff and interacts with his followers.
He made an album with Dean DeLeo of STP and they got Jon Anderson to sing on the one vocal track. The project is called Trip The Witch.
To celebrate the 100th video he played a gig in Nashville with most of his best tunes he came up with for the channel:
My favorite is the Firebird Lullaby at around 50:00 in the 2nd show.
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