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Great Books For Certain Aspects of Guitar
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GuitarGod



Joined: 04 Oct 2008
Posts: 19

PostPosted: Sun Oct 11, 2009 7:30 pm    Post subject: Great Books For Certain Aspects of Guitar Reply with quote

I HATE bringing up this topic, but I'm in a bit of a rut. I have Guthrie Govan's books, but I'm looking for some insight on guitar that those don't exactly offer.

I'd like to have a book about comping. I love jazz and I especially love that Joe Pass playing where he's all over the place with those chords. I don't know if I need a jazz theory book or what, but I'm very interested in this playing and knowing what I'm doing while I'm playing it.

Also, do you think there's anything that would help me play "Albert Lee" country/bluegrass. I'm very into bluegrass and Albert Lee's playing is just awesome. The velocity he's going and the amount of chordal stuff in his playing amazes me.

I feel as though this one is pretty stupid, but are there any books that help a bit with sight reading or is that just up to me to read more? When I'm in jazz band, I feel like there's always a better, more efficient, way I could be playing the note. The same goes for classical songs. Is there a standard way of playing things on guitar for sightreading?
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GuitarGod



Joined: 04 Oct 2008
Posts: 19

PostPosted: Sun Oct 11, 2009 7:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Oh, also, I'm getting into Eric Johnson's playing at the moment. I like the whole chordal aspect of it all and his note choice and then I'm also digging Andy Timmons who has a bit more of a Hendrix vibe. I think just playing their songs would help with being to able to play like them.
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jordan



Joined: 28 Sep 2004
Posts: 161

PostPosted: Sun Oct 11, 2009 9:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've enjoyed the following.....

For general chord knowledge: Ted Greene's Chord Chemistry
For anything theory related: Mark Levine's The Jazz Theory Book
For a good intro to country guitar: Lee Hodgson's Hot Country (and lots of transcribing!!). This months Guitar Techniques magazine has a transcription of Jerry's Breakdown that will serve as a great hybrid-picking workout.
For sightreading: Anything from this site (a huge collection of classical scores): http://www.eythorsson.com/en/Authors.aspx - I'd start with Fernando Sor's Opus 31/35/60 - there's alot of simple yet tuneful pieces there. I've always found that when it comes to reading skills, there's no substitute for regular practise. Try and read through something new each day, and don't play the same piece more than 3-4 times in one sitting - after that many reads through you start to play from memory and you're not really practicing the reading any more. Berkley Press also have a good series of "Reading studies for the Guitarist" books, which are more aimed at single-note lines as opposed to classical pieces. Failing that, you could always practise playing through chords/melodies from a Real Book.

With regard to Eric Johnson, I'd try and grab a few transcriptions of his best works and learn as many licks from them as possible.....a few parts that spring to mind are the intro from Cliffs of Dover, the main part of Manhatten, or the solo from Desert Rose - any of those should keep you going for months Smile (and check out Carl Verheyen, if you dig EJ's playing)

Good luck
Jordan
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GuitarGod



Joined: 04 Oct 2008
Posts: 19

PostPosted: Mon Oct 12, 2009 1:37 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Haha, thank you, I have Chord Chemistry in my possession as of right now from a friend but I haven't had the time to look through it. Is Mark Levine's book really all that great? I've heard awesome things about it, but If I'm correct, it is not aimed directly at guitarists? It doesn't really bother me, but from that aspect, there seems to be a better book out there. I might just get it anyway, if just for the read. Wink

Sadly, I'm a United States dweller so no Guitar Techniques for me. I wish they would make a lot of those lessons available again. :/
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frankus



Joined: 13 Sep 2004
Posts: 1100
Location: Chelmsford/Arachnipus

PostPosted: Mon Oct 12, 2009 7:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I love Ted Greene's work and for that reason I say: try Modern Chord Progressions rather than Chord Chemistry - CC is for really digging into a chordal rut where Modern Chord Chemistry is for tickling your ears and getting you to ingest new chord shapes and combinations.

Scott Henderson's chord book is worth a read as it applies the same approach to chords as Wes Montgomery used: as Ted Greene is reputed to have said: "Wes knew about 80 chords but he knew every way of using them". Also he expounds his approach using the melodic minor which is well worth the rereading it requires - it's heavy stuff.

A book I find a really good jumping off point for comping stuff is Andrew Green's Jazz Comping Book. Joe Pass's chord book is rather slender and a bit confusing as the chords just say whether they're major or minor note what the root note is.

If you've not got it already get Mick Goodrick's Advancing Guitarist it is a must have - there's no maybe about that!
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sumis



Joined: 22 Feb 2005
Posts: 570
Location: gothenburg, sweden

PostPosted: Mon Oct 12, 2009 10:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

frankus wrote:
I love Ted Greene's work and for that reason I say: try Modern Chord Progressions rather than Chord Chemistry - CC is for really digging into a chordal rut where Modern Chord Chemistry is for tickling your ears and getting you to ingest new chord shapes and combinations.

Scott Henderson's chord book is worth a read as it applies the same approach to chords as Wes Montgomery used: as Ted Greene is reputed to have said: "Wes knew about 80 chords but he knew every way of using them". Also he expounds his approach using the melodic minor which is well worth the rereading it requires - it's heavy stuff.

A book I find a really good jumping off point for comping stuff is Andrew Green's Jazz Comping Book. Joe Pass's chord book is rather slender and a bit confusing as the chords just say whether they're major or minor note what the root note is.

If you've not got it already get Mick Goodrick's Advancing Guitarist it is a must have - there's no maybe about that!


what he said. don't know the andrew green book though.

don't forget to leran stuff from records. that's probably the most important thing. mp3:s wont do. it has to be records.

.
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GuitarGod



Joined: 04 Oct 2008
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PostPosted: Tue Oct 13, 2009 8:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I don't know if I get your logic, Sumis! Laughing
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frankus



Joined: 13 Sep 2004
Posts: 1100
Location: Chelmsford/Arachnipus

PostPosted: Wed Oct 14, 2009 8:25 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

sumis wrote:
don't forget to leran stuff from records. that's probably the most important thing. mp3:s wont do. it has to be records.

.


I think I'd agree. I really miss records. I used to have a favourite at the start and a favourite in the middle and a favourite near the end and over time it'd be too much faff moving the needle so you ended up liking the whol album Smile

Grateful Dead - Aoxomoxoa, Hendrix Radio 1 to name but a few..

Now Flying with a Blue Dream: after ... 18 years or so I guess I like all all of them because there's that mood of "I guess I'll give this one another try" and I don't press next track on the remote.

Some times there's a lot to be said for the wrong kind of laziness.
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loiking



Joined: 23 Aug 2005
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PostPosted: Mon Oct 19, 2009 9:03 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Advancing (advanced? can't remember) Guitarist my Michael Goodrich.

You won't get through it. I promise.
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frankus



Joined: 13 Sep 2004
Posts: 1100
Location: Chelmsford/Arachnipus

PostPosted: Tue Oct 20, 2009 1:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

What do I get if I have got through Advancing Guitarist and washed it down with George Russell's Lydian Dominant? Very Happy

Here's the thing - do you mean "you won't get through it" or "I didn't get through it"?

There's a lot in there, but it's all good.
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musiculi



Joined: 27 Oct 2009
Posts: 4

PostPosted: Tue Oct 27, 2009 1:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I don't think many people really worked on every little suggestion on what should be practiced in Advancing Guitarist. Even Mick himself said he can't play it all. I'm not talking about just playing through the exercises but getting the concepts and applying to every possible musical situation. Oh i forgot I definitely didn't..

The Lydian Chromatic Concept is... I really have problems applying what is in this book to my playing. I know that its more of a concept of thinking as every scale being derived from Lydian rather than the major scale but.....
Can somebody help me with that Question
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GuitarGod



Joined: 04 Oct 2008
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PostPosted: Thu Nov 26, 2009 11:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've never understood how much I want to be great at playing jazz and playing jazz until now. There are some ideas in Guthrie's playing that I had no idea were from jazz. Like playing long lines of notes, like just straight 16th notes, not particularly going anywhere for awhile, and then bam! Climax of the solo with a melodic passage and then maybe end it with some favored licks.

I was listening to Miles Davis one day in my car and it hit me, they were both doing the same thing! I just had never connected it in my mind that this type of improv was extremely popular in jazz and that's where a lot of my favorite guitar players got it from. I saw somebody say something close to this on youtube, "Jazz players play metal the best". So so true.

Any recommendations for how I can get better at spontaneously making a 16th note (really any note value) go on for ages? Haha, hopefully this will be well understood, I feel like I'm speaking gibberish.
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GuitarGod



Joined: 04 Oct 2008
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PostPosted: Fri Nov 27, 2009 2:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

...and I guess another thing I wanna ask while I'm at it is what's the best book/dvd/whatever that'll show me the standard of how to play chords and theory? I mean, like a good jazz method, but one for guitar players that can give me the basics of where to put my fingers for a 9th chord and what not. I've never really learned a standard to chords, I would just spell out a chord and play it somewhere that seemed sensible on guitar, and I'd like to see how it's done in the eyes of a professional.
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frankus



Joined: 13 Sep 2004
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PostPosted: Wed Dec 09, 2009 8:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Mickey Baker's book describes about 20-30 chord shapes. Joe Pass's chord book about 100. Mickeys are for playing with big bands, Joe's are to provide context for his own melody.

I got a chord dictionary and played through it - the voicings that sounded nice to me stuck the weaker ones didn't - the ones that hurt my hand didn't (I should have stuck with some of those).. I should perhaps go and repeat the whole process to see if I get more this time around. That's a watered down version of how to use chord chemistry.

Check out Ronny Jordan and George Benson for some double-stop ideas and rhythmic feel.
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M@



Joined: 12 Mar 2005
Posts: 214
Location: Hong Kong

PostPosted: Wed Jan 06, 2010 6:44 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
Mickey Baker's book describes about 20-30 chord shapes. Joe Pass's chord book about 100. Mickeys are for playing with big bands, Joe's are to provide context for his own melody.


Robben Ford has mentioned on a few occasions the Mickey Baker books. I used to use them to show my students jazz chords and progressions (this was about 20 years ago when I use to teach guitar).

Also, if you'd like to learn how to read in all positions (single note and chords), you can go through the Berklee Modern Method for Guitar books 1, 2 and 3. Helped me when I was a young lad, especially if you have a teacher who can guide your along the way (which also helps keep the discipline up). The journey is long, but worth it...

Besides that, the books that every else have mentioned so far are all good.

One of my recent favourites for single note playing is the Sheets of Sound books. They have opened up new ways of playing for me and improved my speed and fluidity. Helped break me out of a "down-up" rut that I've been in for about 20 years! Laughing Laughing

http://www.sheetsofsound.net/index.html



Cheers
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