Top 50 Guitar & Music Books

[donf214]

Originally Posted by dirkji

In the same style as we did the Top 100 jazz guitar albums and Top 100 Jazz albums, I thought it would be intersting to do a Top 50 of guitar and music books.

Let's make 3 categories:

1. Jazz Guitar Books
2. Guitar Books in General
3. Music Books

In case of music books, I'm not talking about biographies and such, but about music theory books, musical concepts, ...

Here's my list. I'm obviously a little biased since I am selling them (for a good cause though, namely the website), but I'm a fan of Sher Music books:

Jazz Guitar Books:

• Jazz Guitar Voicings Vol 1 - The Drop 2 Book (Randy Vincent)
• The Advancing Guitarist (Mick Goodrick)
• The Pat Metheny Songbook
• All Intros and Endings for Jazz Guitar (Jim Ferguson)

Guitar Books:

• The Brazilian Guitar Book (Nelson Faria)
• Chord Progressions for Guitar (Tom Kolb)
• The Guitar Player Book - The Ultimate Resource for Guitarists

Music Books:

• The Jazz Theory Book (Mark Levine)
• The Serious Jazz Practice Book (Barry Finnerty)
• The New Real Book 1
• Melody in Songwriting (Jack Perricone)
• Effortless Mastery - Liberating The Master Musician Within (Kenny Werner)
• How to Improvise (Hal Crook)
• Charlie Parker Omnibook

What are your favorite books?

For Jazz Theory it's the Jazzmaster Cookbook by Jim Grantham. Tough to find, but written for a player with practical tips and hints.

[donf214]

The Jazzmaster Cookbook by Jim Grantham. Great theory book for the jazz player with practical advice and written in very organized and logical steps. Tough to find.

[gersdal]

I recently ordered a set of books from Amazon:
Barry Galbraith # 2 - Exercises In Melodic & Harmonic Minor Modes
Barry Galbraith # 5 - Guitar Improvisation
Barry Galbraith # 1 - The Fingerboard Workbook
Linear Expressions - Pat Martino
Chord Scale Theory And Jazz Harmony
David Baker "How to Play Bebop - Volume 1"
David Baker "Jazz Improvisation, Revised"
David Baker "How to Play Bebop - Volume 3"
Bert Ligon "Jazz Theory Resources: Volume 2 (Jazz Book)"
Hal Galper "Forward Motion"
Morgen, Howard "Howard Morgen -- Through Chord Melody and Beyond (Book & Enhanced CD)"
Vic Juris "Mel Bay presents Modern Chords: Advanced Harmony for Guitar"
Bert Ligon "Jazz Theory Resources: Volume 1 (Jazz Book)"
Sid Jacobs "Mel Bay's The Changes Guide Tones for Jazz Chords, Line & Comping for Guitar"

Should keep me busy for a while. I especially liked the Bert Ligon books so far.

[Morgan]

Jazz Guitar Books

- Guitar Compendium (Vol I-III) - Howard Roberts & Garry Hagberg
- Creative Chord Substitution for Jazz Guitar - Eddie Arkin
- Jazz Guitar Single Note Soloing (Vol I-II) - Ted Greene
- Modern Chord Progressions - Ted Greene
- Almanac of Guitar Voice-Leading (vol I-II) - Mick Goodrick
- The Advancing Guitarist - Mick Goodrick
- Contemporary Chord Khancepts - Steve Khan
- Jazz Guitar Structures - Andrew Green

Music Books

- The Jazz Theory book - Mark Levine
- Jazz Improvisation 1 (Jazz Rhythm and the Improvised Line) - John Mehegan
- Jazz Improvisation 2 (Tonal and Rhythmic Principles) - John Mehegan
- The Jazz Piano Book - Mark Levine
- Modern Reading Text in 4/4 - Louis Belson & Gil Breines

That should be good for a lifetime or two

[Gambrosius1984]

Here are 2 Jazz Guitar books that I love to read to get ideas flowing through my brain:

The Jazz Style of Tal Farlow- The Elements of Bebop Guitar by Steve Rochinski

The Roots of Jazz Guitar- The Songs and Licks That Made it Happen by Fred Sokolow

[jazzer121]

Jazz Guitar Books
Barry Galbraith books (The Fingerboard Workout, Guitar Comping, and Guitar Improv)
Voice Leading for Guitar (Thomas)
Mel Bay's Complete Book of Harmony, Theory, and Voicing (Wilmott)
Master's of the Plectrum Guitar (Bay)

Guitar Books
Classical Studies for Pick Style Guitar (Leavitt)
Melodic Rhythms for Guitar (Leavitt)
Reading/Advanced Reading Studies for Guitar (Leavitt)

Music Books
The Real Book
Any of the Jamey Abersold Play-A-Long series
The Norton Scores (Forney and Hickman)
Harmony (Piston)
Jazz Bible Fake Book Series (Dubuff)
32 Etudes for Clarinet (These may be written for clarinet, but they transfer well to the guitar, and make excellent studies in technique, phrasing, and articulation) (Rose)

[nomelite]

Guitar books
The Chord Factory Jon Damian
Chord Chemistry Ted Greene
Guitar Cookbook Jesse Gress
A Modern Method for Guitar William Leavitt

Jazz Books
Jazz Improvisation for Guitar Les Wise
Mastering the Dominant Chord Don Mock
Introduction to Jazz Guitar Soloing Joe Elliott
Chord Melody Guitar Bruce Buckinham

Muisc Books
Comprehensive Technique for Jazz Musicians Bert Ligon

[RememberClifford1]

forgot one.

Clifford Brown. Complete Transcribed Solos.


Best Bebop textbook you'll ever find.

[muchi]

General Guitar - Frederick Noad's Solo Guitar Playing

This book really changed my life. From not being able to read a single note of music, I am now playing some of the most beautiful classical music ever written - all thanks to Mr. Noad. His course is definitive and complete.

I'm only now beginning my journey into jazz - hopefully (thanks to this thread) - I'll find the right method to get me there!

[Hiko Mune]

Hi Dirk,
At first,thanks for your recommendation via sending e-mail.I have read and I think those books are very useful.Regretfully,I have no way to buy because I don't recognize anyone who lives in U.S
Anyway thanks for your kind help!

Cheers,Hiko

[doruondun]

I've tried to find the ones that offers less reading and also written according to the workflow of our brain for easy understanding and memorizing. Here is my list:

General Study:

Mickey Baker's Complete Course in Jazz Guitar
Jody Fisher - Complete Jazz Guitar Method
Joe Pass - Guitar Style
The Real Book, Vol. 1, 2 & 3

Theory Study:

Mark Levine - The Jazz Theory Book

Chord Study:

jazzguitar.be - The Jazz Guitar Chord Book
Joe Pass - Guitar Chords
Ted Greene - Chord Chemistry
Ted Greene - Modern Chord Progressions

Scale Study:

The Guitar Grimiore, Vol. 1 - Scales and Modes

Arpeggio Study:

Mimi Fox - Arpeggio Studies on Jazz Standards

Video Tutorials:

Lick Library - Ultimate Guitar - Fretboard Navigator 1 & 2
Jimmy Bruno - No Nonsense Jazz Guitar
Frank Gambale - Modes No More Mystery
John Petrucci - Rock Discipline
The Guitar Grimiore, Vol. 1, 2, 3
Mimi Fox - Graduated Solos
Mimi Fox - Jazz Anatomy
Joe Pass - Solo Jazz Guitar
Joe Pass - The Blue Side of Jazz
Emily Remler - Bebop and Swing Guitar
Emily Remler - Advanced Jazz & Latin Improvisation

There are more, but these are the most important ones for me...

[guitarintensity]

Hello,

Heres my List

Jazz Guitar Books

The Guitar Compendium by Howard Roberts
The Advancing Guitarist By Mick Goodrick
Arnie Berle Chords for Popular and Jazz Guitar
All Joe Pass guitar books
Pat Metheny Songbook
Linear Expressions and Creative Force both books by Pat Martino
All Blues Soloing for Jazz Guitar Jim Ferguson
Arpeggio Studies on Jazz Standards
Melodic Rhythms for Guitar William Leavitt
The Brazilian Guitar Book
Chord Chemistry Ted Greene
Popular Songs for Jazz Guitar by John Duarte
Jazz Chords by Mickey Baker
Charlie Parker Essential Lines for Guitar
John Coltrane Essential Lines for Guitar
Larry Carlton Book
Larry Coryells Power Jazz Guitar
Melodic and Harmonic Minor Revealed both books by Don Mock


Guitar Books

All Guitar books by Guitar Player Magazine Circa when they were still under Miller Freeman and later on with Backbeat Books
Soloing Strategies by Tom Kolb
Lesson Lab by Tom Kolb
Wolf Marshall Guitar Series
The Guitarist Guide to Composing and Improvising by Jon Damian
Reading Studies for Guitar 1 and 2 William Leavitt
Modern Method for Guitar Vol 1 2 and 3
Blues for Guitar Series by National Guitar Workshop
Troy Stetina books
Arlen Roth Books especially Hot Guitar
Modern Improvising Leigh Powers books 1 and 2 cpp belwin mills
Modern Improvising Leon White vol 3 cpp belwin mills
Chord Systems Leon White
The Guitar Book by Ralph Denyer
Pumping Nylon
Improvisational Performance for Classical and Acoustic Guitar Ralph Towner
Solo Guitar Playing 1 and 2 Frederick Noad
Guitar Player Repair Guide Dan Erlewine
Latin Guitar


Music Books

The Jazz Theory Books Mark Levine
John Mehegan Jazz Series Books Volumes 1 2 3 and 4
The Jazz Idiom Jerry Coker
The Lydian Chromatic Concept of Tonal Rhythmic organization
The Contemporary Keyboardist by John Novello ( a ton of stuff not just for the pianist but guitarist can use it as well.)
The Lead Sheet Bible by Robin Randall
Encyclopedia of Reading Rhythms by Gary Hess
Modern Jazz Voicings by Ted Peose and Ken Pullig
The Thesaurus of Scales by Slonimsky
Creative Chord Substitutions by Ed Arkin
Metamorphosis of a Jazz Solo Sam Most
The Contemporary Arranger Don Sebesky
Harmony Walter Piston
All Real And Fake Books from Sher Music

Cheers!

[Jazzguitarfan]

Method books:
Mel Bay's Complete Jazz Guitar Method - Mike Christiansen
Mel Bay's Complete Guitar Improvisation Book - Vincent Bredice
Patterns, Scales & Modes for Jazz Guitar - Arnie Berle
The Guitar Grimoire - Metatron, Inc.

Jazz Guitar:
Best of Wes Montgomery - Wolf Marshall
Best of Pat Martino - Wolf Marshall
John McLaughlin and the Mahavishnu Orchestra - Warner Tamerlane Publishing
The Music of Acoustic Alchemy

General Guitar:
Bach Lute Suites for Guitar - Jerry Willard (greatest music for guitar ever)
Mel Bay Presents the Complete Sor Studies - David Grimes

Also,

If anyone knows of a good comprehesive jazz guitar method for Chords, Comping and Single line playing that goes from the simple to the complex that is easily understandable and really puts it altogether, please let me know. (I haven't really come across one.)

Thanks

[markerhodes]

I didn't notice (and forgive me if it was there and I missed it) mention of Herb Ellis's three books: Swing Blues, Rhythm Shapes, and All The Shapes You Are. These three short books take the opposite approach to improvisation of most contemporary methods: a) precious little theory, b) a few simple guitar shapes, and c) lots of lines and solos solos by a master to master as a springboard to creating your own lines and solos. Even if Ellis's brand of swing is not your main meat, this is valuable stuff.

[nomelite]

I noticed some posted video recommendations. Here are my favorites:
Jimmy Bruno No Nonsense Guitar.
Joe Pass. Solo Jazz Guitar
Don Mock Jazz Guitar Rhythm Chops
and my new favorite:
Howard Morgen. Fingerboard Breakthrough. A beautiful brand new course from Truefire.(If you're into voice leading this is a must!!)

[erwinvd]

1. Jazz guitar by Jeff Schroedl (Hal Leonard Guitar Method, incl. cd) was very helpful for me to get started. Contains several types of jazz (blues, latin).
2. The art of solo guitar book 1 & book 2 by Jody Fisher (incl. cd). Helps you to build melodies, jazz theory, chord-playing techniques with notation and tabs. Very useful for the beginner.
3. For the advanced: Mastering jazz guitar: improvisation (book and cd)
4. Jazz standards for solo guitar (Hal Leonard, with cd)

[bntville]

I really like anything by Don Latarski, and there are many to choose from. Very good at cutting right to practical applications and dissecting chords, scales, and arpeggios. Great for novices and old hands alike.

For the beginner, I like the Fretboard Logic series by Bill Edwards, as well as the BEAD Method by Robert Dietz.

And then there’s Mike Overly’s invaluable chord bible, Guitar Encyclomedia.

And, naturally, anything by Arnie Berle or Tom Kolb.

[erwinvd]

Besides the sometimes very useful book-titles (Mark Levine's Jazz theory is useless for those who do not master music notes, like me), I am still looking for useful DVD or video tutorials.

The Hot Licks serie is nice, but very short in duration sometimes.

Any ideas ?

[bntville]

I like the Blues and Jazz series by Larry Coryell

anything by Fred Sokolow... especially the stuff on Hoagy Carmichael and Gershwin... very nice pieces on chord substitution

I have dozens of these instr videos, but always seem to go back to a select few...

[AG94]

Harmonic mechanisms by GVE

[Smartdiamond]

"The complete Jazz Method" by Jody Fisher

The book has mp3's with each example.

Fantastic learning

[nomelite]

Originally Posted by Jazzguitarfan

If anyone knows of a good comprehesive jazz guitar method for Chords, Comping and Single line playing that goes from the simple to the complex that is easily understandable and really puts it altogether, please let me know. (I haven't really come across one.)

Arnie Berle's Chord Progressions
Mickey Baker
Jody Fisher
Jon Damian's Chord Factory

check out Don Mock's excellent video Jazz Guitar Rhythm Chops .

Now if you want an excellent program: Jimmy Bruno's institute.

[notablemusician]

I'd like to say hello as a newly joined member, to thank you for this site and to add my suggestion, to the list:
Creative Force I and II by Pat Martino is the best ear opener I have come across for guitarists who have already reached a certain level. The theory of minor conversion confirmed and ratified what I had been feeling and doing intuitively for 50 odd years and gave me a new energy burst.
Also if I may add; listening to other players is such a great way to learn and that spiritual awareness and love are essential components in the true life message we can carry to others through playing. Therefore all books dealing with these subjects help me with my jazz creation.

[jpeghiny]

Hi Folks,
This is one of my favorite "Guitar" books. I've learned a ton from this book and keep going back. When I first got it, the material seemed way over my head. Now, I look through the book and think "yeah, I know that" and it seems much easier. That's progress...
Here it is:

Chords & Progressions for Jazz & Popular Guitar
By Arnie Berle
USA ISBN No 0.8256.1056.7

Enjoy!
Jamie

[jazzbow]

How about this
L'Esprit Manouche: A Comprehensive Study of Gypsy Jazz Guitar by Romane.
Six essential fingerings (Ooer!!) by Jimmy Bruno

Keep up the good werk.....

[jazzbow]

I am still looking for useful DVD or video tutorials.

The Hot Licks serie is nice, but very short in duration sometimes.

Any ideas ?

Try this one out, Jimmy Bruno, No Nonsense Jazz Guitar. simple to follow though as with all video/DVD's they tend to hypnotise you into a stupor. Books are best as you just concentrate on the chapter/paragraph you need to study-

[markerhodes]

Hey, Radisson, could you say more about Steve Crowell's material? I Googled him and found out how to order his stuff but I couldnt' find a good description of what he teaches. Thanks!

[bangsong]

Fretboard Logic Special Edition Volumes 1 and 2 Combined. By Bill Edwards. "The reasoning behind the guitar's unique tuning plus chord scales and arpeggios complete." Me being self taught by ear, this book immediately made sense to me for its approach to guitar was what I had stumbled onto myself but this would have saved me years of trial and error. Plus it added much to what I had begun myself. Volume II is about modes and jazz. What it shows is useful for any style of music but is specific to the fretboard of the guitar rather than the piano or music theory in general.

[howdjado]

I'm new to the forum, which looks to be terrific. However, I've been on the e-mail list for a while, and it's most interesting to follow what's been done here.

I object to the book list idea, not because it's bad, but because it will cause me to search for more guitar/music books, buy them, and then have to buy more bookcases to store them. It is an endless quest.

I'll think of more, but I would recommend The Skeptical Guitarist, a series of 3 well-written, non-technical, funny (??) theory books written and self-published by Bruce Emery. (www.skepticalguitarist.com) I know teachers who recommend nothing else for their students. The books are best for players who are trying to make sense of theory and build on the bits that they comprehend, not for the very advanced theory-oriented persons.

Good luck with this project. I really do like it.

Don
Minneapolis, Minnesota USA
www.folkblues.com

[Pequod]

Here's a book that's hard to find but worth its weight in gold:
Anon., Read less play more - never out of print