Best chord progressions book?

[thared33]

What's the best book on progressions out there? It would be cool to have a book that not only lists tons of quick progressions to try out, but one that goes into the theory of how and why those progressions work. On top of it, it would be even more excellent if the book didn't give you just standard typical progressions but goes into chord substitution, and especially modulation and borrowed chords.

I've got a few books on harmony but none of them are exactly what I'm looking for. What would you say is the best book for this?

[merritt stone]

Ted Greene's Modern Chord Progressions maybe?

[nomelite]

also
Warren Nunes The Jazz Chord Bible.

[thared33]

The Jazz Chord bible looks great! I'm specifically after books that show modulation and borrowed chords. I've actually got Ted Greene's book, I need to look at it more than I have.

[nomelite]

If you want to dig in the theory and learn chord progressions as well check out:
Sal Salvador: Chordal Enrichment & Chord Substitution
or : Eddie Arkin: Creative Chord Substitution

[thared33]

I just picked up the jazz chord bible, and also Bert Ligon's Volume 1 book. There's supposedly some modulation stuff in there so that's why I bought it.

Something has always caught me as 'iffy' with the other books I've been through. They usually just show you how a chord is constructed and only show you how it 'works'. I've wanted something more practical that'll list tons and tons of roman numeral chord progressions (I-iii-IV-V) for example and then show you which chords (and its optional substitutions) that you can fill into those spots.

[JonnyPac]

Bert's book will she a lot of light on that. It's my recommendation. Get vol 2 as well.

[odranborg]

Chord Progressions maybe

[Drumbler]

6-2-5-1 and The Real Book.

And chord substitution.

That's all there is to it.

Want to understand chord substitution the easy way? Here it is: Chords that share two or more notes can generally be subbed for one another.

C-Dm-Em-F-G7-Am-Bdim (Key of C)

R--T---R---T--T---R---T

R = Resolution
T = Tension

Sub R's for R's and T's for T's

[Fast Bebop]

I didn't read much books about chords, but I have Ted Greene's Chord Chemistry and Modern Chord Progressions.

All I can tell you is this : no one is this world has gone as far as him concerning chords and harmony on guitar.
You should anyway have these two as a dictionary, and as a guideline to exploration.
I think it's a book you open regulary, for a precise purpose. Work all the book is impossible, when you see these thousands of diagrams for the first time, it's quite scary... But, the explanations are very clear, and go very deep in understanding the concepts.

Go on his website www.tedgreene.com there's dozens of handwritten lessons to download freely, and 4 videos of him teaching and improvising counterpoint, man, it's amazing. Pure magic. It will blow your a** off..

Go listen to this guy !

Cheers,

FB

[monk]

Originally Posted by Drumbler

........The Real Book

+1

Or Frank Mantooth's The Best Chord Changes for Standards series from Hal Leonard.

If you want to learn about chord progressions, cut to the chase and LEARN SONGS.

[oldane]

This one?:

Amazon.com: Hearin' the Changes: Dealing with Unknown Tunes by Ear: Jerry Coker, Bob Knapp, Larry Vincent: Books

or:

The New Guide to Harmony with Lego Bricks: Amazon.co.uk: Conrad Cork: Books

and:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Insights-Jaz...ref=pd_sim_b_1

The two latter uses Conrad Corks "Lego Brick" concept. I don't know how keen I am on replacing well known musical terms with ideosyncratic terms that are only understood by users of the Lego Brick system. But the basic idea of learning often repeated progression "building blocks" to help memorize tunes and recognize progressions by ear is good and sound. The first book avoid the Lego Brick ideosyncracy.

[Reg]

The reason there are no simple books on the subject... it's not that simple. Learning chord progression and tunes is one thing. Understanding how and why they work... takes a little more knowledge than a book or two.
What most do is memorize chord progressions... commonly called "Chord Patterns". Almost all music fits into a form, (a structural outline with principles and schemes that govern the over-all structure of composition... the general frame for our creative imagination...) Most progressions are either a "Chord Pattern", or a collection of "Chord Patterns" connected or tied together and fit into a "FORM".
The next level of harmonic development... Substitution or re-harmonization, re-working or changing chords... becomes even more complicated.... but what most do is, again memorize... a somewhat trial and error method of what works or has been used and sounds "good".
So for most... the best method of learning Chord Progressions... is to learn the tunes... which also have melodies, which will help teach your ears... to memorize what has been used.
Using different chord studies and examples along with learning tunes is great... Your getting someone's version of what's going on... One of the difficulties of learning theory, especially harmony.... Most concepts have a starting or base point, a reference... many times we learn a technique or method of applying a concept of theory or harmony and don't know or understand the... how, why, when and where... There's the concept or theory.... and then we have application of theory... It begins to get complicated ... Unless you want to commit quite a bit of time... Just learn the tunes and become aware of chord patterns.
I guess building blocks or lego bricks etc... will work... But I've noticed over the years... almost anyone involved in music has very little difficulty understanding what is implied by Chord Patterns.
I had started a thread about playing jazz tunes in a jazz style... a while ago. I'll try and get back to making videos of playing through jazz tunes and verbally explaining what are the chord patterns of different tunes. And try and show how jazz players use different chord patterns from all the tunes to basically fill in on what ever tune we're playing... How we comp through tunes.... we don't simply read or play the notated changes.
There are many approaches to how we use those chord patterns, but there are very standard applications that most jazz players hear, use and have been used... we may explain differently... but when we play... most are references to standard tunes and their chord patterns...Reg

[Jzzr]

I notice that Ralph Pratt has a great Tonal Centers page which lists progressions......awesome page relating to this topic.

[Philco]

Originally Posted by Fast Bebop

I didn't read much books about chords, but I have Ted Greene's Chord Chemistry and Modern Chord Progressions.

All I can tell you is this : no one is this world has gone as far as him concerning chords and harmony on guitar.
You should anyway have these two as a dictionary, and as a guideline to exploration.
I think it's a book you open regulary, for a precise purpose. Work all the book is impossible, when you see these thousands of diagrams for the first time, it's quite scary... But, the explanations are very clear, and go very deep in understanding the concepts.

Go on his website www.tedgreene.com there's dozens of handwritten lessons to download freely, and 4 videos of him teaching and improvising counterpoint, man, it's amazing. Pure magic. It will blow your a** off..

Go listen to this guy !

Cheers,

FB

Only guitarist chord player who can hold my attention is Ted Greene.
He actually can give you the chills with some of those changes.
I think it's because Ted was a musician who played guitar.
Not a guitar player trying to be a better guitar player.

Just finished reading Barb's book on Ted. Couldn't put it down.
If you ever watch any of Ted's class videos watch carefully for the way he ends a tune. Spectacular.
There's one example where he starts playing a version of "Groovin" (Young Rascals) listen to the progression at the end. You hear the crowd let out a collective little gasp. And then Ted smiles.

I would also suggest Ted's books to the OP.
Hard work but just take it slow. The rewards are there.

[Philco]

Originally Posted by Chadiataism

The best Minecraft in the web.

This is a sign. I must play more Play Station and less guitar.
I will obey, oh friendly robot and bringer of vital information.