# Out of these Music theory books, which is best?



## DMONSTER (Jun 16, 2010)

Okay at a Hastings i live by they have some music theory books and the only ones that look decent are these two: "Music Theory for Dummies" and "Everything Music Theory". Anybody have any experience with these? Been plating guitar for about 6 or 7 odd years now and I don't know a thing when it comes to music theory so I want a book that a beginner to music theory can pick up and understand, but be able to get somewhat advanced as well. I understand a teacher is the better and easier way to do it, but money is tight so i would like to get a book to just kinda get me started in it. Also recommendations for any other theory books are welcome as well, thanks. I just want to know what scales work with what chords and what not, simply put: i want to write better music


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## jymellis (Jun 16, 2010)

The guitar grimoire: a compendium of formulas for guitar scales and modes [Book]#


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## DMONSTER (Jun 16, 2010)

jymellis said:


> The guitar grimoire: a compendium of formulas for guitar scales and modes [Book]#



Is this one pretty friendly for someone with no experience like myself?


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## Psychobuddy (Jun 16, 2010)

If you have no theory experience I really would try to find Guthrie Govan's Creative Guitar books. The first one deals with theory, granted most of it is fairly basic but he breaks it down to a level so that someone with no theory experience would understand, plus there is a whole section on scales and chords.

I have never actually had much time to sit down and really look at the Guitar Grimoire but I think it is pretty comprehensive when it comes to the relationship between scales and chords.

Best of luck.


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## Mr. Big Noodles (Jun 16, 2010)

jymellis said:


> The guitar grimoire: a compendium of formulas for guitar scales and modes [Book]#





Psychobuddy_101 said:


> I have never actually had much time to sit down and really look at the Guitar Grimoire but I think it is pretty comprehensive when it comes to the relationship between scales and chords.



I wouldn't recommend Kadmon's book on scales, personally. True, it shows you every position for every scale you can think of, and there is a list of some of the chords that can be constructed from each scale degree on the scale's first page, but it provides no examples or explanations and doesn't get beyond "these are the scales and the chords you can make from the scales". There's no history, not a word on how to use the scales (or the chords within them), no real exploration in the construction of scale, just little charts that make up a lot of filler. There's no theory to speak of. I complained once that it completely overlooks the fact that the bebop scales were used to embellish certain chords. And while it does have a section on how to build chords, it's very dense and I could not read it when I first got the book. Honestly, I think you're better off saving your money and using this, instead:
GUITAR SCALES

As for my recommendations, I hear that the Music Theory for Dummies book is decent, though I haven't had the chance to check it out. I typically recommend textbooks, but I don't know how effective that would be if you don't have somebody helping you along. If you'd like, I can send you the first few pages of a couple books I own. PM me.


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## DMONSTER (Jun 16, 2010)

SchecterWhore said:


> I wouldn't recommend Kadmon's book on scales, personally. True, it shows you every position for every scale you can think of, and there is a list of some of the chords that can be constructed from each scale degree on the scale's first page, but it provides no examples or explanations and doesn't get beyond "these are the scales and the chords you can make from the scales". There's no history, not a word on how to use the scales (or the chords within them), no real exploration in the construction of scale, just little charts that make up a lot of filler. There's no theory to speak of. I complained once that it completely overlooks the fact that the bebop scales were used to embellish certain chords. And while it does have a section on how to build chords, it's very dense and I could not read it when I first got the book. Honestly, I think you're better off saving your money and using this, instead:
> GUITAR SCALES
> 
> As for my recommendations, I hear that the Music Theory for Dummies book is decent, though I haven't had the chance to check it out. I typically recommend textbooks, but I don't know how effective that would be if you don't have somebody helping you along. If you'd like, I can send you the first few pages of a couple books I own. PM me.



Thanks man, i will definitely do that, i appreciate it


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## DMONSTER (Jun 16, 2010)

Well, I picked up the "Everything Music Theory Book", mainly because i had a gift card at Hastings and all I can say is, this book has gotten me so excited. Learning theory is just exciting to me, i feel like im re-discovering the guitar. I feel that this will really help me with my composition skills, which is what i really want to improve because at the moment all the riffs I write, seem really lame to me. Like for example Ill have this riff and i think it sounds cool at first, but i dont know where to go with it, so it kind of just gets thrown away, and if thats not the scenario, then its a riff that doesnt appeal to me at all. So im really thinking putting my time into some theory will do wonders for me


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## etiam (Jun 16, 2010)

Great to hear. Theory is an underappreciated element of music-making with an alarming number of guitarists. 

Have you considered an actual theory text, as used in a college course?


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## DMONSTER (Jun 16, 2010)

etiam said:


> Great to hear. Theory is an underappreciated element of music-making with an alarming number of guitarists.
> 
> Have you considered an actual theory text, as used in a college course?



Perhaps, after i am more aquatinted with the basics, and at a more intermediate level, yes i could see myself doing that. But i would also like to get my actual playing skills/technique better as well. Being self taught, I don't really know if i am doing somethings right. I still have loads of trouble with soloing, horrible at it, but i mean, i can do some riffs/licks that are decently fast and im suprised myself that i can actually play them, but this is a guy who literally doesn't know scales  (well, besides the pentatonic in one position). I am a decent rhythm player, and more at an intermediate level when it comes to rhythm and stuff at that. But now im just babbling....


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## Mr. Big Noodles (Jun 17, 2010)

DMONSTER said:


> Perhaps, after i am more aquatinted with the basics, and at a more intermediate level, yes i could see myself doing that. But i would also like to get my actual playing skills/technique better as well. Being self taught, I don't really know if i am doing somethings right. I still have loads of trouble with soloing, horrible at it, but i mean, i can do some riffs/licks that are decently fast and im suprised myself that i can actually play them, but this is a guy who literally doesn't know scales  (well, besides the pentatonic in one position). I am a decent rhythm player, and more at an intermediate level when it comes to rhythm and stuff at that. But now im just babbling....



Learning the theory behind the notes does help your technique, I think. It makes it easier to see relationships, and thus increases your own confidence. PM me, dude, and I'll show you what a college level theory book looks like. I also scanned a few pages from the Guitar Grimoire.


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## DMONSTER (Jun 17, 2010)

SchecterWhore said:


> Learning the theory behind the notes does help your technique, I think. It makes it easier to see relationships, and thus increases your own confidence. PM me, dude, and I'll show you what a college level theory book looks like. I also scanned a few pages from the Guitar Grimoire.



Yeah man, I will definitely do that, but I wont do that just yet because i wanna get a little more comfortable with theory before i even glance at college level stuff, because it might scare the hell out of me  . I am just getting into intervals in this book and soon into scales so hopefully I can look at those soon and SOMEWHAT understand them


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## DMONSTER (Jun 17, 2010)

(Double post sorry)

And I hear the Guitar Grimoire is a great reference book with the scales and what not, so I would be very appreciative to get some pages from that, thanks


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## avenger (Jun 17, 2010)

I am working my way though Elementary Rudiments of Music as suggested by my teacher. Is really starting to give me a solid base understanding of music theory and engraving it in my skull with all the exercises it gets you to do.

I would definitly check it out, kindof a dry book but I get nerdly excited by it learning new things I never knew before.


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## chucknorrishred (Jun 17, 2010)

try youtubeing some sh.t but most of theory comes down to larening scales and how to make chords out of whatever scale u decide to use. whatever chord or power chord progression u come up with in whatever scale, ud use the same scale to solo over it.


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## DMONSTER (Jun 17, 2010)

Yeah, as im learning more and more of this stuff, im feeling less overwhelmed because now i feel there is actual thought put into stuff like that, its great


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## Mr. Big Noodles (Jun 17, 2010)

chucknorrishred said:


> try youtubeing some sh.t



Bingo.



> but most of theory comes down to larening scales and how to make chords out of whatever scale u decide to use. whatever chord or power chord progression u come up with in whatever scale, ud use the same scale to solo over it.



Eeeeeeh, be careful there.

Anyway, I checked out these videos, and they seem like good stuff. Keep in mind that each video here is successively denser than the last. Seeing as you're new to this, I say don't go further than the second video until you have a solid understanding. Here, have a circle of fifths: http://i619.photobucket.com/albums/tt274/Schecterwhore/CircleofFifthsSig.jpg


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## DMONSTER (Jun 18, 2010)

Alright, just getting past intervals and into scales and im seeing these symbols ive never seen before, if someone could explain them to me that would be great 








and


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## Mr. Big Noodles (Jun 18, 2010)

DMONSTER said:


> Alright, just getting past intervals and into scales and im seeing these symbols ive never seen before, if someone could explain them to me that would be great



That's a natural. It means the note is just the letter name of the note. In other words, B and B&#9838; are the same note. You'll often see these in chromatic scales (going from Bb to B&#9838;, for example), or when a note doesn't agree with the key signature. For example, you could be in the key of A major, three sharps (F#, C#, and G#), and you might see C&#9838; in the music.



>



This is a double-sharp. A normal sharp raises the note by a half-step, so a double sharp raises it by another half-step. So let's say you see Fx. Go to F#, and raise it a half-step, and you now have Fx. You'll probably notice that this is the exact same note as G&#9838;, but there is a reason for notating it as Fx. Let's say you're in the key of G# major, for instance (there's no key signature for this key, by the way, because we don't put double sharps and double flats in key signatures). The notes of G# major are G# A# B# C# D# E# Fx G#. If you wrote G# A# B# C# D# E# G&#9838; G#, then you have two kinds of G's in the key, and we can't have that, because it looks confusing. In practice, you might see G&#9838; going to G&#9839;, or something, but when writing major or minor scales (or any mode), you have to use every note name.

There are also triple sharps (notated #x), quadruple sharps (notated xx), and you can keep going. Here's a quintuple sharp: #xx. You will scarcely see this. It also works for flats, but there's no fancy symbol.

Here's a flat: b
Here's a double flat: bb
Guess what a triple flat is. Yep: bbb
Quadruple?: bbb

And so on. Every time you add another flat, it takes the note down a half-step.


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## DMONSTER (Jun 18, 2010)

Oh, alright that makes sense, thanks man


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