#16
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The only person I'd recommend that book to is someone who collects every available jazz theory book, for some comparative study. As a sole source of theoretical knowledge (even of jazz), it's biased and misleading. There's a lot of great stuff in it, to be sure, but it's skewed towards modal jazz and the misguided chord-scale concept.
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"There is a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in." - Leonard Cohen. |
#17
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https://www.thegearpage.net/board/in...x-toc.1371119/
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"There is a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in." - Leonard Cohen. |
#18
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Years ago I enrolled in an on-line College Music 101 class at a local Community College.
Simple and easy, and the professor was always available for email or face-to-face consultation if needed. Plus, I received 1.0 college credits. |
#19
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I have picked up theory as I've realised that I needed it, and found some aspects really useful, and other stuff , like notation really quite unnecessary for my music making. Because of the lockdown situation, I've been asked to do zeem meetings, and have been able to help various folks by sharing my understanding, gained over many years. If you would like to have a zoom meeting, I'd happily arrange it.
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Silly Moustache, Just an old Limey acoustic guitarist, Dobrolist, mandolier and singer. I'm here to try to help and advise and I offer one to one lessons/meetings/mentoring via Zoom! |
#20
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Books for Dummies. Look for the title "Guitar Theory".
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Joe Bonamassa knows things. "These riffs were built to last a life time". Keith Richards 25 year old $75 Fender DG7, spruce top, NATO back and side, NATO neck, Rosewood bridge and fingerboard, Graphtech Tusq nut and saddle, $2.50 MF Strings, .38 pick. |
#21
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I think this is the best advice on getting a ' Crash Course ' in Music Theory On defense of the Mark Levine book, the nice thing with that book is you have references for the different riffs and progressions, there is a lot of information, like i said, it shouldn't be a beginners guide but it's a good reference for folks that like to dig and search for other information. J |
#22
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I also liked the way he wrote - fairly informal, not like a school text book - and the book is well designed too. Not just the spiral binding, but the use of space on the page, so there is never too much information to look at at once. It's an easy and enjoyable book to read - unlike many music theory texts. It took me a few years - and some other reading from other jazz experts - to realise that many of those convincing-looking quotes from recordings were not evidence for his theories at all. Many of them could be explained in other ways. There is certainly a ton of useful information in the book (I think the chapter in reharmonization is especially good). But the best that can be said about it is it is "A" Jazz Theory Book. It is not "The" Jazz Theory Book. When it came out, it really was just about the only one, certainly the only really extensive one. Now there are others, and some of them are better - in that they deal with the whole of jazz, not just Levine's personal favourite styles and viewpoint. I don't think its a bad book, by any means. But for anyone thinking of buying it, I recommend two things. Firstly, read this critique: https://mtosmt.org/issues/mto.00.6.1...1.rawlins.html Secondly, listen to (at least) the first 30 seconds of this (remembering that Levine is promoting chord-scale theory): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NehOx1JsuT4 I don't totally agree with either of those, but they are valid alternative (and equally authoritative) viewpoints. (I think Galper is criticizing the Berklee school orthodoxy more than Levine specifically.)
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"There is a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in." - Leonard Cohen. |
#23
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OP, you and I are in a similar situation. I started playing the guitar last year, though I have been a woodwinds player for a very long time. I always regretted that I never learned theory, though I am a solid reader. As the lead tenor sax in a big band, I am called on to improvise a great deal. I compensated for my lack of theory training, over the years, by developing a very good ear. If I can hear the chord, I can improvise to it and typically can intuit what the progression will be. But there are surely times and charts that are unpredictable, and that can prove uncomfortable.
I started guitar last year with a teacher. To be honest, his direction is not what I anticipated. Much of what we have been doing for the past 6 months is theory based, and mostly chord structure, transposition, chord transitions (secondary dominants) etc. It has been a challenge, but I see the purpose in it. He integrates the theory with the fret board. The greatest limiter for me is that I do not know the notes on the fret board well enough. And I am working on that. So, for my purposes, to be able to read charts and construct music, both with my guitar and horns, the theory will be worth it. Though, as you know, it is a slog. You just have to decide if spending that time is worth it to you. Surely, there are amazing guitarists who don't know a lick of this stuff. But I imagine that most of the ones you admire do. You will be inundated with book suggestions, This is the one my teacher recommended. It is as basic as it gets. I learn by seeing, and this book will show you on the fret board how the theories work in practice. I have found it invaluable. Best $6 you will spend. Wish you well with your studies. David https://www.abebooks.com/Theory-Cont...0aAv4NEALw_wcB |