Top 50 Guitar & Music Books

[mike walker]

A bizarre amount of low post fly byes on this thread.

What's all thaddabout?

[nomelite]

I guess i'm saying that Nunes' offers an exploration into creative sounds while Rector provides a toolbox of chords and where to use them professionally. Owning both books covers a lot of styles and makes good sense. I hope I don't appear biased. If you ever buy it, let me know how things turn out... Cheers!

Thanks for the detailed review CrackerJackLee !! I will give a try to the Rector's book!!

cheers

[fluffypants]

How about ebooks for people who want to explore the realms of jazz fusion? Plus, on an added note, what about a book for easy -> really complex guitar riffs, licks, chords and music theory? I hope you give me some suggestions on those.

The only books I've read were Guthrie Govan's Creative Guitar (1 and 2) and both are very VERY nifty books. I recommend you guys get it, especially for those who've had some slumps lately.

[bob32069]

Three-Note Voicings and Beyond by Randy Vincent

[MarkRhodes]

I'm going to give that Johnny Rector book a go. Thanks to all who mentioned it.

[erwinvd]

A really good series, it helped me a lot, is Mel Bay presents Essential jazz lines in the style of Wes Montgomery (by Corey Christiansen). It not only contains the famous octave-chords, but also an overview of arpeggios, which you can transpose, bebop scales, major ideas, minor ii-V ideas, turnarounds. A cd is enclosed.
Other titles are e.g. All blues soloing for jazz guitar; Complete book of harmony, theory & voicing for guitar, Fingerstyle jazz guitar, Joe Pass guitar style.
Very clear written, practical exercises. Check Mel Bay.com: Products for guitar, mandolin, banjo, dulcimer, fiddle, ukulele

[whatswisdom]

Hi from a new member. My first post. Love the site and eager to learn lots. I'm interested in the Randy Vincent books and haven't seen many recommendations. Anyone want to describe his/her experience with them? Thanks so much!

1. Mick Goodrick - The Advancing Guitarist
2. William Leavitt - Sight Reading for Guitar 1 + 2
3. William Leavitt - Melodic Rhythms
4. Carlos Barbosa Lima - Scott Joplin transcriptions (great exercises that help with chord melody).
5. Carlos Barbosa Lima - Scales and Arps (Mel Bay)


Best wishes
whatswisdom

[trader]

Eddie Lang's Fingerboard Harmony is helping me with music theory.
Just working my way through Guitar Fretboard Workbook by Barrett Tagliarino, worth a look for £7.

[Subfeeder]

Three-Note Voicings and Beyond by Randy Vincent

Glowing endorsements by Jim Hall, Pat Metheny, Mike Stern. Anybody seen or used this and have any comments on it?

[gcb]

My point of departure was Mickey Baker (1 and 2) These books introduced me to jazz guitar. Then:

Jazz

The Basic Elements of Jazz. Jim Progris

Guitar

Contemporary chord Kahncepts. Steve Kahn
Playing the Changes. Guitar. Mitch Seidman and Paul de Nero
Voice Leading for Guitar. John Thomas

Jazz guitar

Joe Pass Guitar Style
The Complete Jazz Guitar. Fred Sokolow
Jazz Imporvisation for Guitar. Garrison Fewell
Jazz Guitar Structures. Andrew Green
The Jazz Guitar Stylings of Howard Roberts. Mitch Holder.
Jazz Guitar artistry of Barney Kessel 3. Windsor Music co.
The Jazz Style of Tal Farlow. elements of bop guitar. Steve Rochinski
Wes Montgomery. Best of Boss Guitar. Henry Johnson.
Wes Montgomery. The Early Years. Dan Bowden
Wes Montgomery Jazz Guitar Artistry Zafar Saood
Wes Montgomery Artist Transcription
Joe Pass virutoso standards. Roland Leone
All the Sahpes you are. Herb Ellis
Barney Kessel stules and techniques. Wolf Marshall
The Best of Joe Pass. Wolf Marshall.
The best of Django Reinhardt. Wolf Marshall
Best of Grant Green. wolf Marshall
Warren Nunes method.

[gcb]

My point of departure was Mickey Baker (1 and 2) These books introduced me to jazz guitar. Then:

Jazz

The Basic Elements of Jazz. Jim Progris

Guitar

Contemporary chord Kahncepts. Steve Kahn
Playing the Changes. Guitar. Mitch Seidman and Paul de Nero
Voice Leading for Guitar. John Thomas

Jazz guitar

Joe Pass Guitar Style
The Complete Jazz Guitar. Fred Sokolow
Jazz Imporvisation for Guitar. Garrison Fewell
Jazz Guitar Structures. Andrew Green
The Jazz Guitar Stylings of Howard Roberts. Mitch Holder.
Jazz Guitar artistry of Barney Kessel 3. Windsor Music co.
The Jazz Style of Tal Farlow. elements of bop guitar. Steve Rochinski
Wes Montgomery. Best of Boss Guitar. Henry Johnson.
Wes Montgomery. The Early Years. Dan Bowden
Wes Montgomery Jazz Guitar Artistry Zafar Saood
Wes Montgomery Artist Transcription
Joe Pass virutoso standards. Roland Leone
All the Sahpes you are. Herb Ellis
Barney Kessel stules and techniques. Wolf Marshall
The Best of Joe Pass. Wolf Marshall.
The best of Django Reinhardt. Wolf Marshall
Best of Grant Green. wolf Marshall
Warren Nunes method.

[Jazzbo82]

Does anyone have any of these books? I just learend about them today. Any thoughts or opinions.

[CrackerJackLee]

...I started with Mickey Baker nr. 1, later nr. 2, then Warren Nunes, Garrison Fewell, Eddie Arkin, Johnny Smith, Ted Greene, Tony di Caprio, Chris Standring... did not make me a better player... but I love picking up my Yamaha and improvise for a couple of hours...

Hans, i too have a whole library of books... often they work subliminally... my improvement is very slow, but i enjoy guitar / bass... these books are a lot of fun... they let me know where i'm lacking in technique or theory... and if i need to reference something, they're there for me... my favorite books are Johnny Rector's Deluxe Encylopedia of Guitar Chords... and Vincent Bredice's Deluxe Jazz and Rock Bass Method... for many of us, music is a pastime... a gift that keeps on giving... i can't wait for time to play, whether it's practicing from a book or improvising the ideas i read... also playing ensemble is very rewarding... i've lately received much benefit from writing out the etudes, pieces and exercises in my own hand on manuscript and keeping them in a folder... this process of writing and reading seems to accelerate improvement... but if 99% of musicians had to make a living from music, they'd starve to death... music could never support me in the way that my job does... most musicians are like you and i... enthusiasts who spend years practicing for the chance to play once or twice in public... for peanut money... Keep on riffing, Hans!

[604bourne123]

peanut money is all you really get from what I know all musicians usually work at parttime jobs thats why they have parttime jobs cause most artists are in between what their all about and what they are capable of doing so untill it happens.

[Jazz66]

I would add "Modern Chord progressions" by Ted Greene...

[cubistguitar]

I like this list of books thread, i am trying to buy all of the above books i can find now.

Thanks

[SLGuitar]

So many recommendations on self teaching, so little time. At 60, with a full time job, I want to teach myself some jazz guitar basics so I can keep up with weekend warrior type guys who like to play the American Songbook. I learned to play guitar circa the Beatles, can play chords on my steel string acoustic and cheapo Phantom rock electric, but when I visited a local jazz guitar teacher for a prelim interview, he said I was a beginner---"kinda"..... I still have to decide whether to go for the sound of an acoustic nylon (Bertoncini) or the artcore electric. I may end up playing alot of times all by myself, for my own enjoyment.

I had 2 self teaching thoughts which I don't see mentioned at all in any of the posts....For my profile, would anyone have a thought regarding subscribing for online lessons at the Martin Taylor Guitar Academy, ($60 for 3 months, there are online lessons, you can send him videos of your playing) or the newish Roni Ben-Hur's "Chordabiliity" DVD.

Many thanks for your response.

[cubistguitar]

Man, just devour the Chord and Progressions for Jazz and Popular GTR by Arnie Berle. You'll be playing some killer extended inverted chords in no time. That interview will be different if you put a year into the Berle Chord book.

[SLGuitar]

Man, just devour the Chord and Progressions for Jazz and Popular GTR by Arnie Berle. You'll be playing some killer extended inverted chords in no time. That interview will be different if you put a year into the Berle Chord book.

Don't know if your post quoted above was in response to mine, but I see Berle's book was favorably reviewed on Amazon....and Amazon prompts Berle's other book, Patterns, Scales and Modes for JGuitar....as well as Mickey Baker's book. I assume you are recommending Berle's Chord and Progressions book first above the others....yes?

[cubistguitar]

Don't know if your post quoted above was in response to mine, but I see Berle's book was favorably reviewed on Amazon....and Amazon prompts Berle's other book, Patterns, Scales and Modes for JGuitar....as well as Mickey Baker's book. I assume you are recommending Berle's Chord and Progressions book first above the others....yes?

Yes this was for you. Get the Chords and Progressions book. Berle starts out easy-peasy and takes it the Nth degree as far standard chord progressions go. If you take your time with this one and be patient with yourself you will be playing lots of new "related" chords (you will know what to do with them if you know how they relate). Very good book, deceptively simple and easy to read through but has the stuff.

[SLGuitar]

Yes this was for you. Get the Chords and Progressions book. Berle starts out easy-peasy and takes it the Nth degree as far standard chord progressions go. If you take your time with this one and be patient with yourself you will be playing lots of new "related" chords (you will know what to do with them if you know how they relate). Very good book, deceptively simple and easy to read through but has the stuff.

Thanks, I appreciate it, and I'll follow your recommendation. I figure get some technique going using my cheapo Phantom solid body electric, and if I'm getting places, look around on craigslist for a used value priced (350 or so) semi-acoustic archtop, If you have any recommendations on that corner of the guitar market, please advise, privately would be fine, since this forum is dedicated to instruction...

[cubistguitar]

I think the Epiphone 335 Dot is about that much new. If you actually go into the store you may find a keeper one of these, real players use these things for backup guitars and they sound just fine. Do try it before you buy it,make em set the intonation if necessary, just my 2 cents.

[TamataPicker]

Does anyone have "The 84 Jazz Guitar Equations" method books? Here's an interesting review. TF

Easy Jazz Guitar - 84 EQ Review by David Alzofon

[Stevebol]

I have plenty of books but very little seems to stick with me. If I can get just ONE thing that does from a book or DVD I'm happy. For example;

Jimmy Bruno say's to learn that C major scale in a few different position and really work on it. I knew that a longt time ago but he nails it and shows how he approachs the whole thing. Can't say enough about Jimmy as a teacher.

I got very little out of Jerry Hahn's book and found it a bit too basic- except for one thing- his students ask him what to play over a minor b5 chord. It's simple- the major scale a half step above works. Technically it's the locrian mode(if I recall correctly) of the flat 5th minor key a half step below but I try to avoid thinking in terms of modes. It's easier for me to think of the major scale starting on different notes of the scale.

For gypsy stuff Robin Nolan's books are great, if a bit pricy. It's all about the chords and melodies.

Mel Bay Jazz Guitar Standards Chord Melody Solos (Book & CD)
I found about 4-5 tunes here to be really useful. I like Chris Buzzelli's arrangements in particular. Excellent book for guitarists at or near an intermidiate level in regards to jazz.

I have a couple books on the way as I trying to improve my rhythm playing. I might check out Micky Baker's books. Can't beat the price.

Edit:
To clarify- if you have an Am7 b5 chord, just play as if you are playing over a Bb M7 chord- for the most part. Works for me.

[jazzuki]

Every jazz guitarist should have "Modern Chord Progressions" and "Chord Chemistry" by Ted Greene. The pro players bibles.