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Posts: 299
Location: Netherlands | I'm looking for a good book on jazz theory.
Most guitar oriented books start from scratch and contain a lot of info i don't need (i do know how to play my instrument). They often are about playing, and not about comprehending the theoretical concepts behind harmonies, modes, substitutions etc.
Most non guitar oriented books start digging so deep into the theory that I get completely lost at page 5. Often their examples are derived from piano keyboards, which don't make much sense to me.
I don't have to have a book in tablature, since i can read transcriptions.
Does anyone know a good book which is easily understandable, digs into the theory (and could be used as a comprehensive guide afterwards) and is applicable to guitar?
I have bought several books so far, but most of them contain just some pages, and they are pretty expensive, so...
Any help would be appreciated.
Thnx,
Martin |
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Location: Scotland | How to sound like you're a schooled jazz-player. Just play blues really fast, but make lots of mistakes ;) |
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Location: out there | wear sunglasses at night, play on the front pickup and turn the tone control to 0. |
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Posts: 299
Location: Netherlands | Thnx, this really helps. I think i'll start smoking cigars as well as playing an old archtop named after my dead cat. And i'll paint my face black. :p
Any useful tips?
Martin
:rolleyes: |
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Location: NJ | If you don't smoke, start. |
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Location: Netherlands | I just did. See my last post.
Martin |
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Location: Yucaipa, California | Just play 9th chords instead of Majors and 7ths... :rolleyes:
tim |
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Location: So. Cal. | JazzMaster Workout
Check out the above link. I have the book. It comes with or without CD. It's a very complete and academic approach to Jazz improvisation and theories. It is NOT for beginners, you do need to have a good grasp of the basic theories and techniques. The book is not expensive. It costs more to make a photocopy. Let me know what you think. |
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Location: Salem, NH | I think the easiest way to find a book that suits your needs is to analyze exactly what and why you want to learn.
For instance, do you want to learn jazz because you want to be able to write great pop tunes like Steely Dan, or is it because you want to play like a Jazz giant like Wes Montgomery? By the way, Fagen is a Berklee grad, but Wes couldn't even read music.
Learning theory can only help no matter what, but realizing your own goals means you have to have a really great grasp on what they are. If you do know, then you probably can just go to a good music book store and peruse the books yourself to find one that teaches what you need to learn.
I did look at the Jazzmaster link from the other reply, and it looks pretty thorough to me. |
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Location: Las Cruces, NM | Obviously none of these idiots know the first thing about playing jazz. You have to develop a facial expression that mixes pain with ectasy and not hang out the tongue too far, best not to comb the hair either, you can flirt with all the theory you want and it means nothing if you haven't mastered these basics.
Anonymous (unless you are Jethro Burns) |
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Location: Netherlands | Amplayer, Playadamas,
thnx for the useful tips ;)
I think I'll order the Jazzmaster book. As for what I want to learn:
I am aiming to understand what the theoretical concepts behind music, esp. jazz are. I am not digging merely into one style, but want build up from the basics to apply more theory and 'unusual' harmonies into my music. I am mainly a rockplayer, but want to broaden my horizon.
Martin |
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Location: Netherlands | Bailey,
The ecstasy is usually to be read on my face, the pain on the publics'.
:)
Martin |
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Location: Salem, NH | Along with the jazz theory stuff, I'd suggest a heavy dose of analysis of songs written by great writers of tunes you really like.
I know a lot of theory, but I have personally learned even more about the application of it to my own personal musical goals by analyzing songs by the Beatles and other greats.
If you can stomach it, I'd also suggest getting the Bach Chorales and analyzing a few of them. Analyzing how he made lines work for vocals is pretty informative in my opinion. |
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Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | Anytime someone brings up "analysis" of music I think of the conversation I heard in an early interview with Slash. Appearently the lead in "Sweet Child.." is based on some obscure scale usage from old blues days. When asked how he came up with it his response was similar to "It was late in the session and I was pretty wasted, so I just layed down the first thing I thought sounded good." |
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Location: Netherlands | That's the way I play most of the time. But this is no excuse to not know or read or learn theory or analyse musicpieces.
I learnt the theory for my driving license, but it's so incorporated in my driving style that i'm not consciously applying rules while driving. However, when asked I think I know what I'm doing most of the time, and why it makes sense to do so.
I just don't want to be another guitarplayer that only knows pentatonics (no offense to anyone).
Martin |
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Location: NJ | ask some specific questions to matt smith on his section of this site. He is very helpful. |
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Location: Salem, NH | Actually, I mostly agree with Mr. Ovation. I still think it doesn't hurt to learn theory. But if you can play what you hear in your head, it will normally be better than laying down some slick scale or arpeggio. However, analyzing the greats helps you to see and hear things you may not have come up with on your own. Learning how to really play the tunes you love will help train your ear and your mind.
Wes Montgomery is to me the greatest jazz guitar player there ever was, and he didn't read at all. I've heard he knew the names of most of the stuff he did (chords, scales, etc.), but he just played what he heard in his head. However, Wes grew up the youngest brother in a family of accomplished musicians, so his ear was indoctrinated for his whole childhood. He also played ALL the time. Unfortunately, he pretty much played himself into his own grave. |
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Location: Netherlands | Yeah, I agree it would be fantastic if I could do it all just by hearing. 18 years of playing have taught me I can't, or at least it will take me another 18 years to learn it.
Theory is a means of getting to your goal IMO, whether it be for music, science or whatsoever. We invented the wheel once, didn't we? We don't start car designs all over from scratch everytime.
So, if learning theory helps me to get there faster because it makes me UNDERSTAND what i'm doing, i figure it will make me a better player.
It's not about playing slick arpeggio's or speed. Both are fine, my technique is OK, I can do sweep picking, alternate picking and hybrid picking, know a few scales and i'm not afraid to play outside them.
Everybodys mind works different, mine seems to work in a way that i want to understand what i'm doing. I have the same in my job, I have the same with car repairs and so on. I don't do things because they are done that way. It just doesn't work for me.
Martin |
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Location: Las Cruces, NM | Martin
Get CD's of what you really like, play them and get wasted as you play along and improvise and comp. It might take a while but when you find you can keep up and even improvise a lick or two you will understand how it is done. There is no practice that will help you outside of actually playing at professional speed, it is 10,000 times better than any metronone, you can't slack or cheat with a real band. (Every musician I have known who made it, used this tecnique as their final entry into the ranks of great player.) Our first good blugrass band had pickers who could blow you away with their version of "Amy" Amy, whatch you going to do, I say I'm in love with you.. And they had the guitar parts down perfect, they played bluegrass the same way, once they heard it they could play it faster and faster and higher and higher, giving us some noteriety in North San Diego County.
Bailey |
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Location: Netherlands | I know Bailey, that's why I lured my rockband into playing II-V-I's. They actually liked it. We may go on as a jazz trio when I master some licks. :)
Martin |
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Posts: 299
Location: Netherlands | For those who are interested:
I also bought Mick Goodrick's 'The Advancing Guitarist', which is a, as he calls it, DIY book. It hands out tips and poses questions which make you think different about your guitar.
It requires some knowledge to start, but i find it very useful.
Martin |
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Jazz Theory, any tips?
