Books that inspired/helped you

[gingerjazz]

Hi everyone,just thought it might be great for everyone on here to point out or recommend any books they felt really helped or inspired them.It might also be nice if they could also give a brief explanation as to what they thought was good about it and how they felt it helped them.I will start us off with the book that helped me the most when i felt i knew most of my scales ,chords and arpeggios,but was having trouble making them sound like jazz.The book is called an introduction to jazz guitar soloing by Joe Elliot,and is a musicians institute book.This book focuses mainly on using chord tones and how to move from one arpeggio to the next.It then moves on to how to embelish these tones ,with some demonstrations of enclosures and the like.The book is not expensive and i would recommend it to anyone who is having trouble moving on to the next stage after learning all those arpeggios and scales but cant seem to make music with them.I have loads of other books to recommend but will give someone else a chance first.Bye for now and peace.

[whatswisdom]

Originally Posted by gingerjazz

I have loads of other books to recommend...

Great! Looking forward to hearing about more of them. For me, "The Advancing Guitarist" is a constant source of inspiration. I've been thinking more and more in terms of parallel since I've had the book. From C, playing all the modes: C ionian, C dorian, C phrygian, etc... Same with MM modes. Single string soloing. Lots more that I haven't covered yet. Best thing, though, is the way he doesn't water it down; he talks to you like you're a musician. Not knocking TAB, but if you want it, look elsewhere. This is a book for guitar improv and the sky's the limit...

[gingerjazz]

Hi Whatwisdom,funny you should mention the advancing guitarist,i have just recieved a copy,i am currently looking deep into the twelve position system it talks about after seeing Jake Hanlons video about it.I have to admit its a pretty deep book but i must not complain as i am the first to moan when books dont go deep enough for me(no problems in that department here).How long have you had the book,i would love to stay in touch with you and discuss this book further as i get more into it.

[hot ford coupe]

The Advancing Guitarist. Is that the one that was put together by Mick Goodrich? If it was, it was definitely one of the books that helped me on the road to getting out of the one or two "chord lock" guitar thinking. Chord lock is a term I came up with to describe the situation where you only know one or two places on the neck where you can play a specific chord. An example would be the Cmaj7 played in third position with the root on the 5th string, 3rd fret and the one played in 8th position with the root on the 6th string, 8th fret. By using the concept of stacking notes and chord substitutions, I found Cmaj7 voicings all over the place. The book really unlocked the fretboard for me from the typical guitar thinking to a more pianistic concept.

[whatswisdom]

Mick Goodrick. There's another thread going at the moment that has a study group on his "Mr. Goodchord" series of books, which are sadly out of print. Those 3 books are a more comprehensive look at his concepts.

[gingerjazz]

Hey Hotford ,you took the words more pianistic right out of my mouth.After watching Jake Hanlons recent video of twelve keys in one position i became intrigued by this approach.I have spent a lot of time writing out charts and arpeggios using this method,i get excited every time i think about it.It is so easy and visually very pleasing to switch between keys and scales and the like without radical hand position shifts.As i think Jake mentioned the whole musical universe is under your fingers anywhere on the fretboard.This is still very much a work in progress for me and is going to take me a while to master,so i will get back to you in a couple of lifetimes.Peace.

[JonR]

I make a distinction between books I've found inspiring - that have made me look at things differently, or taught me something new - and ones that have actually influenced my technique or playing. They're not always the same.

Eg, I found Mark Levine's "Jazz Theory Book" hugely inspiring when I first read it, about 10 years ago. (And I still haven't worked my way right through it.) But it didn't affect how I played, in any noticeable way. (It was too late in my development for it to have done that - in any case, I'm rather glad those chord-scale ideas didn't rub off on me: I discovered how to improvise effectively - to my satisfaction anyhow - decades before that, and it didn't involve chord-scales...)

A Jerry Coker book I read a while back had more impact on how I thought about playing - I can't remember which one it was: "Patterns for Jazz", I think, but maybe "Improvising Jazz". These are much more "hands on" books than Levine's. Real good practical advice (as I remember).

Another inspiring one - with minimal effect on how I played, but quite a lot on how I thought, was this one:
Thinking in Jazz: The Infinite Art of Improvisation Chicago Studies in Ethnomusicology: Amazon.co.uk: Berliner: Books
Much more philosophical than technical.

The books that really had the most impact on me as a beginner - taught me most of what I know - were songbooks: collections of folk or blues songs, fake books, Beatles or Dylan albums, etc etc, even classical guitar collections, right up to the Real Books I first read when I started taking jazz seriously.

I think I can honestly there is NO book that's had any real effect on my guitar technique. Well, apart from the one I learned the basics from at first - Bert Weedon's "Play In A Day" - which I wouldn't recommend to anyone. ("- in a day?" I've been doing it for over 45 years now, and I've still got some way to go; I'm gonna sue that bastard...)

I've bought and read one or two guitar manuals since those days, but not to improve my playing, only to help me with my teaching, to give me ideas on how to organise material. Most of those have been OK in their own way: neither amazingly good, nor too bad. None worth really recommending specially.

When it comes to technique, I don't really consider books at all. I'd rather listen to a player (transcribe a recording), or watch them, or just struggle with my own instrument by trial and error. I've never wanted lessons either. I think it's called "arrogance"

[Jake Hanlon]

Advancing Guitarist (Mick's book is an eternal masterpiece of things to think about)
Voices in Jazz Guitar (a collection of interviews with some of the biggest jazz guitar. It's really great to read their thoughts, especially the people who are more of the lesser known heavy cats)
How My Heart Sings (bill evans bio)
Effortless Mastery (a good way to think about Music I think)

[Jake Hanlon]

Originally Posted by gingerjazz

Hey Hotford ,you took the words more pianistic right out of my mouth.After watching Jake Hanlons recent video of twelve keys in one position i became intrigued by this approach.I have spent a lot of time writing out charts and arpeggios using this method,i get excited every time i think about it.It is so easy and visually very pleasing to switch between keys and scales and the like without radical hand position shifts.As i think Jake mentioned the whole musical universe is under your fingers anywhere on the fretboard.This is still very much a work in progress for me and is going to take me a while to master,so i will get back to you in a couple of lifetimes.Peace.

That stuff is mentioned in the Advancing Guitarist but it's really not very indepth as compared to what you get out of it imo.

fyi i'm redoing the lesson with a better camera and easier to follow instrument (one with fret markers) sometime after the weekend (family reunion.... yikes!)

[gingerjazz]

Looking forward to that one Jake(not the family reunion oviously).Thanks once again for showing me this road.

[gingerjazz]

Just thought i would mention i have also just started to read The inner game of music,by Barry Geen,i have not got far enough into it to make a judgement yet though.The type could be a bit bigger for my ever decreasing eyesight.I have the same problem with my Miles Davis autobiography too

[jazzbow]

Jimmy Bruno, 'Six essential fingerings'.....;-) for single note stuff and Warren Nunes, 'Jazz Guitar Chord Bible' for chords. A special mention has to be said for 'The Jazz Guitar Chords eBook' that comes with Dirks main site. Any one looking over this thread wanting to get more from their guitar playing (not neccessarily jazz) and need a push in the right direction then download the eBook, you'll be doing yourself a favour.

[TruthHertz]

Mick Goodrick's Advancing Guitarist by a mile. For those that believe music is life, it's a manual on life.
A Stroke of Insight by Jill Bolte Taylor, a user's guide and insider manual to the brain. Changed me as a teacher and a learner
The Art Spirit by Robert Henri deep magic...
David

[Meggy]

I have to say the Ted Greene books - all of them:

Chord Chemistry
Modern chord progressions
Single note soloing vols. 1 & 2

All of these books sat on my shelf unused for quite a while, but these days I find I dip into them all the time - and they have influenced how I play, both in soloing and chordal stuff, and will continue to do so I think.

Another really nice book I got recently (haven't had a lot of chance do work with it yet, but take it from me, it's great) is "Creative Chord Substitution for Jazz Guitar" by Eddie Arkin.

[hot ford coupe]

Originally Posted by gingerjazz

Hey Hotford ,you took the words more pianistic right out of my mouth.After watching Jake Hanlons recent video of twelve keys in one position i became intrigued by this approach.I have spent a lot of time writing out charts and arpeggios using this method,i get excited every time i think about it.It is so easy and visually very pleasing to switch between keys and scales and the like without radical hand position shifts.As i think Jake mentioned the whole musical universe is under your fingers anywhere on the fretboard.This is still very much a work in progress for me and is going to take me a while to master,so i will get back to you in a couple of lifetimes.Peace.

The pianistic thing was a huge revelation like all of a sudden waking up in a strange place and quickly figuring out where you are. There are a great many beginning guitarists that see playing guitar as a collection of chords, a bunch of block formations. I used to hear them asking each other "how many chords do you know?" Another used to say "let's go to Billy's house. He learned how to play a G diminished chord". I remember watching a Star Trek show (o.k. yes I'm a Trekkie, go ahead and laugh) where Spock and another player were playing a 3 tier game of chess where you not only had to move in 2 dimensions but the 3rd also. That's how I saw the piano in the guitar. Then when they asked me how many chords I knew, I was able to say hundreds, maybe thousands of combinations up and down the neck. Just figure out how many types of chords there are, multiply that by 3, 4, 5 and 6 note combinatiions, how many places you can play each one (there's a lot) and then multiply by 12 for each key. That's how many you will wind up knowing. Now, where to use each one, that's another story all together. You need another book for that.

[wizard3739]

Jerry Coker' "Patterns For Jazz"
Mick Goodrick "The Advancing Guitarist"
Mickey Baker books
Mark Levine "Jazz Theory Book"

wiz

[whatswisdom]

Originally Posted by Meggy

Another really nice book I got recently (haven't had a lot of chance do work with it yet, but take it from me, it's great) is "Creative Chord Substitution for Jazz Guitar" by Eddie Arkin.

Interesting. Will take a look...

[gingerjazz]

Originally Posted by hot ford coupe

The pianistic thing was a huge revelation like all of a sudden waking up in a strange place and quickly figuring out where you are. There are a great many beginning guitarists that see playing guitar as a collection of chords, a bunch of block formations. I used to hear them asking each other "how many chords do you know?" Another used to say "let's go to Billy's house. He learned how to play a G diminished chord". I remember watching a Star Trek show (o.k. yes I'm a Trekkie, go ahead and laugh) where Spock and another player were playing a 3 tier game of chess where you not only had to move in 2 dimensions but the 3rd also. That's how I saw the piano in the guitar. Then when they asked me how many chords I knew, I was able to say hundreds, maybe thousands of combinations up and down the neck. Just figure out how many types of chords there are, multiply that by 3, 4, 5 and 6 note combinatiions, how many places you can play each one (there's a lot) and then multiply by 12 for each key. That's how many you will wind up knowing. Now, where to use each one, that's another story all together. You need another book for that.

Wise words for a trekkie,it is all very logical captain.Oh yes and Patrick Stewart was brought up near my home town in Yorkshire,nah then ows about that then,tha knows.

[Gearhead]

To me

Mick Goodrick: The Advancing Guitarist (still a great source after 20 years!)

the two books by Jon Damian

"The Guitarist's Guide to Composing and Improvising"

"The Chord Factory"

and Steve Khan respectively:

"Contemporary Chord Khancepts"

"Pentatonic Khancepts"

[FatJeff]

I'm going to end up sounding like a Wayne Krantz fanboi (which I'm not, really), but I found his book "Improvisor's OS" quite inspiring.

Book : Wayne Krantz

[whatswisdom]

Originally Posted by FatJeff

I'm going to end up sounding like a Wayne Krantz fanboi (which I'm not, really), but I found his book "Improvisor's OS" quite inspiring.Book: Wayne Krantz

Yes. And very influenced by Goodrick's work. A great book!

[ScottM]

I really liked "Solo Improvisation Techniques for the Jazz Guitar" by Warren Nunes and Joel Hipps. It helped many years ago when I was really ready to change to a jazz approach by introducing me to sounds I had heard applied to the fretboard and included picking specifics that changed my approach.

David Baker's "How to Play Bebop" book 1 was a real eye opener for me. It made every note in the chromatic palette a viable choice in any situation. It has concepts that you have to pick up and run with rather than showing every lick in every key. Being in Professor Baker's classes at IU really took the concepts to the next level x100.

-Scott

[Frank Bechlarz]

Hi Guys,
I learn a lot from following books:
1.) Joe Pass Guitar Style
2.) Linear Expressions by Pat Martino
3.) Fusion Guitar by Joe Diorio
4.) Joe Pass Chord Solos

and for sure from the mentioned 5.) Advanced guitarists by Mick Goodrick.
Greetings Frank

[gingerjazz]

Just wanted to say a big thank you for all the responses to my request for book recommendations.I have added many of them to my wish list on amazon.Hope my wife see's it soon.

[edspyhill01]

An old book that is probably out of print: "Jazz Rhythm Guitar - A Systematic Approach to Chord Progressions", by Roger Edison. It was the book that taught me WHY chords have natural, sharped, or flatted extensions. Taught basic voicings for short chord progressions like I ii V, I vi ii V.

Ed S.

[Astronomer]

Originally Posted by edspyhill01

An old book that is probably out of print: "Jazz Rhythm Guitar - A Systematic Approach to Chord Progressions", by Roger Edison. It was the book that taught me WHY chords have natural, sharped, or flatted extensions. Taught basic voicings for short chord progressions like I ii V, I vi ii V.

Ed S.

Yeah, I liked this book too, especially how valuable it is as a practice tool.

This isn't a guitar book, but I loved Jazzology. It taught me a lot about jazz music theory as well as gave me some interesting concepts to think about and use. I'm probably going to read Mark Levine's book next, seeing as a lot of people here recommend it. I heard it has more practical examples than Jazzology.

[bako]

Complete Book of Harmony Theory and Voicing by Bret Willmott

[4thstuning]

Even though I have almost all the books listed above, the books that have helped me the most by far are the fakebooks in all their variations.

I didn't have a clue about jazz until I got my first fakebook. Instantly that world opened up to me and there was no going back.

[=DK=]

Originally Posted by bako

Complete Book of Harmony Theory and Voicing by Bret Willmott

Oh, it's so true.

[cubistguitar]

Trying to learn and absorb Introduction to Jazz Guitar Soloing by Joe Elliott