Books that Introduce Theory via Standards

[Subsystem3257]

Are there any books/courses/resources that introduce jazz guitar focusing on playing standards, but introduce the theory concepts via learning the songs themselves?

I'm the archetypal self-taught guitarist, read tabs most of the time, took no lessons, learned to play the major scale on one string, know my intervals and can read sheet music if you give me 10 minutes to find them on the fretboard, etc. so I'm essentially a luddite and would like to learn more about theory in the context of jazz, but not memorize A,B,C in order to play D. I want to play D then as an aside, this is A,B,C that's happening in it.... if that makes sense....

[Christian Miller]

Are there any books/courses/resources that introduce jazz guitar focusing on playing standards, but introduce the theory concepts via learning the songs themselves?

I'm the archetypal self-taught guitarist, read tabs most of the time, took no lessons, learned to play the major scale on one string, know my intervals and can read sheet music if you give me 10 minutes to find them on the fretboard, etc. so I'm essentially a luddite and would like to learn more about theory in the context of jazz, but not memorize A,B,C in order to play D. I want to play D then as an aside, this is A,B,C that's happening in it.... if that makes sense....

Well that’s a jolly good idea for a book. Anyone?


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[pamosmusic]

Well that’s a jolly good idea for a book. Anyone?


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Maybe Lego Bricks?

[Christian Miller]

Maybe Lego Bricks?

Maybe. Also Coker’s hearing the changes.

But I feel the OP meant more like a book that teaches theory as you go through the repertoire maybe?


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[digger]

Kind of like this (huge) (and very good) book, but for the Great American Songbook?

The Songwriting Secrets of the Beatles by Dominic Pedler on Apple Books

I reckon it's a great idea for someone, if copyright issues weren't an issue.

Derek

[Monica.N]

I believe that the jazz standards playbook will match the description.

You learn jazz harmony via 10 standards :

Autumn Leaves
Blue Bossa
All of Me
It Could Happen to You
Sweet Georgia Brown
So What
On Green Dolphin Street
Have You Met Miss Jones
All The Things You Are
Stella By Starlight

[Tal_175]

This is a well intended but ultimately an ill-formed question. Is your goal to learn to play jazz or is it to learn theory through jazz?
A lot of self-taught musicians have desire to learn theory out of fear that they might be missing out of something. Like there is this whole world of theory that they don't understand which makes the feel like hacks. Is that what you're trying to fix or do you have musical goals that you want to accomplish?

If you have musical goals that you think my involve more theory, then I would start with first being more specific about what these goals are.

Do you want to improve your sight reading? Do you want to be able to analyze your favorite tunes so that you can extract ideas that you can use elsewhere? Do you want to be able to make solo guitar arrangements? Do you want to learn how to outline chords in improvisation? etc. etc.

[garybaldy]

Not quite the same but these piano vids are interesting and very good (136) jazz2511 - YouTube

[pamosmusic]

I believe that the jazz standards playbook will match the description.

You learn jazz harmony via 10 standards :

Autumn Leaves
Blue Bossa
All of Me
It Could Happen to You
Sweet Georgia Brown
So What
On Green Dolphin Street
Have You Met Miss Jones
All The Things You Are
Stella By Starlight

that’s a good find.

[GuyBoden]

I believe that the jazz standards playbook will match the description.

You learn jazz harmony via 10 standards :

Autumn Leaves
Blue Bossa
All of Me
It Could Happen to You
Sweet Georgia Brown
So What
On Green Dolphin Street
Have You Met Miss Jones
All The Things You Are
Stella By Starlight

that’s a good find.

I've had his 'Autumn Leaves' pdf for a few years, it's free when you signup to his website. (Lots of arps over chords. Good basic tools over Standards.)

[ragman1]

Seems to me too that Monica.N has nailed it. Hopefully.

[Subsystem3257]

Thank you for the replies, everybody!

I believe that the jazz standards playbook will match the description.

You learn jazz harmony via 10 standards :

Autumn Leaves
Blue Bossa
All of Me
It Could Happen to You
Sweet Georgia Brown
So What
On Green Dolphin Street
Have You Met Miss Jones
All The Things You Are
Stella By Starlight

This looks great, and what I had in my mind, thank you, I'll give it a shot!

This is a well intended but ultimately an ill-formed question. Is your goal to learn to play jazz or is it to learn theory through jazz?
A lot of self-taught musicians have desire to learn theory out of fear that they might be missing out of something. Like there is this whole world of theory that they don't understand which makes the feel like hacks. Is that what you're trying to fix or do you have musical goals that you want to accomplish?

If you have musical goals that you think my involve more theory, then I would start with first being more specific about what these goals are.

Do you want to improve your sight reading? Do you want to be able to analyze your favorite tunes so that you can extract ideas that you can use elsewhere? Do you want to be able to make solo guitar arrangements? Do you want to learn how to outline chords in improvisation? etc. etc.

Good questions, and I'm not sure I can answer them in a focused/clear way.
My long winded answer:
I recently moved to Tokyo a few months ago and there's a ton of live jazz bars here, so I've started frequenting them, and have been completely smitten by jazz lol.
For the longest time I've heard the parallels of how music is a language, and how one can speak English just by being exposed and using it, without necessarily studying it formally, like music. However, by studying language (or music theory), you can be a better communicator or express yourself in more ways.
I feel like that analogy really makes sense now seeing it live. A lot of the way jazz is played that I've seen, there's a melody and a few chord changes, everyone has this agreed upon framework, but when it comes to solos they kind of just do whatever. Then when a player isn't even familiar with a song, I've seen them be told just a few chord names, and they're off to the races.


And with that said, my little daydream at the moment is to be able to go to an open jam session and play music with some people or just comp for someone while they go nuts haha.
I figured learning standards and picking up basic theory along the way might accomplish what I described.

[Tal_175]

Thank you for the replies, everybody!


This looks great, and what I had in my mind, thank you, I'll give it a shot!

Good questions, and I'm not sure I can answer them in a focused/clear way.
My long winded answer:
I recently moved to Tokyo a few months ago and there's a ton of live jazz bars here, so I've started frequenting them, and have been completely smitten by jazz lol.
For the longest time I've heard the parallels of how music is a language, and how one can speak English just by being exposed and using it, without necessarily studying it formally, like music. However, by studying language (or music theory), you can be a better communicator or express yourself in more ways.
I feel like that analogy really makes sense now seeing it live. A lot of the way jazz is played that I've seen, there's a melody and a few chord changes, everyone has this agreed upon framework, but when it comes to solos they kind of just do whatever. Then when a player isn't even familiar with a song, I've seen them be told just a few chord names, and they're off to the races.


And with that said, my little daydream at the moment is to be able to go to an open jam session and play music with some people or just comp for someone while they go nuts haha.
I figured learning standards and picking up basic theory along the way might accomplish what I described.

I think once you start the process you'll realize that it's not so much about theory. That's a very small part of the challenge.

If you are like most of us, in the early years of your studies you'll be struggling with things like:
- Remembering the tunes that you learned a couple of months ago.
- Recalling the changes of a tune while performing with others, even if you thought you had totally nailed the chords in your practice session a night ago.
- Navigating the fretboard chasing the chord tones and but not sounding like a cat walking on piano keys.
- Working on vocabulary and concepts and hope that one day you'll be able to converse using them.
- Not getting lost when comping or soloing.
- Playing in time.
etc.
etc.
etc.


These are things you get better by exposure and immersion. Everyone, regardless of their experience level has room to grow in these areas. None of these are theory problems. The theory problem gets solved when you read on the forum that you play melodic minor half a step above the dominant root.

[JazzPadd]

I believe that the jazz standards playbook will match the description.

You learn jazz harmony via 10 standards :

Autumn Leaves
Blue Bossa
All of Me
It Could Happen to You
Sweet Georgia Brown
So What
On Green Dolphin Street
Have You Met Miss Jones
All The Things You Are
Stella By Starlight

This looks very useful, thanks. And the selections are like a top ten list of tunes frequently called at open jam sessions around these parts, so lots of opportunities for situated learning!

[bediles]

Just be careful not to try to learn a language you've never heard from a book.

I don't mean this entirely literally bit you get the sentiment.

[MarkRhodes]

Maybe. Also Coker’s hearing the changes.

But I feel the OP meant more like a book that teaches theory as you go through the repertoire maybe?

That's how I read it too, Christian.
Offhand, I can't think of anything that works quite that way, and it seems like a very good way to do it.

This series, Approaching the Standards, is aimed at jazz bands in school (I assume). Editions for C instruments, Bb, and Eb as well. You hear a band play the head, then a solo. Then you hear a version of the band without the head and without the solo.
Sample lines are given for each tune. Volume 1 has Billie's Bounce, Satin Doll, On The Trail, I Got Rhythm, Cantaloupe Island, The Preacher, and Summertime. Nice mix.
Other volumes have a rhythm changes tune (Cottontail, Perdido), I think each one has at least one Ellington tone, and one bop blues head (Now's the Time and Tenor Madness.)

It's not designed to teach theory, though. That's not the point. But you do start learning the rep, hear pros play a solo (-which is written out in the book---no tab--) and there's space to write out a solo of your own.

Approaching the Standards, Volume 1: E-flat Instruments Book & Online Audio | Sheet Music

[Mick-7]

I believe that the jazz standards playbook will match the description.

I see there's also a volume II, pretty steep prices though, about $4 per song.

I think one would be better off with Jerry Coker's book -- Hearing the Changes by Jerry Coker - Amazon.com

P.S. - Actually, Jazz Standards Playbook, Vol. 2 can be found on Scribd.

[Blkat]

It sounds like you want to avoid something too pedantic. At least initially. And a lot of jazz books wander there fast.

I think getting a few easier standards under your fingers first, like what seems to be in The Jazz Standards Playbook or are in First 50 Jazz Standards You Should Play on Guitar (Hal Leonard) or even the lessons found right here on this website Autumn Leaves Melody & Solo Study , is a good place to start. Then, working backwards, start to tackle the whys and wherefores once you can play the tunes. It'll be a lot easier to understand that way.

There's nothing wrong with learning off tabs too and once you have that in your head, play along with the notation. It saves the hunt-and-peck approach but also puts the notes into context. They'll eventually start to stick.

It's great you're inspired to learn the engineering behind the architecture of music. But first and foremost, it's about the music itself. So if theory ever starts to make your head hurt, just pick up your guitar and play something you already know my heart.