Good Method and Theory books?

[CerpinVolta]

So I have just about finished playing through Berklee's "A Modern Method For Guitar:Volume 1" and I was wondering what book I should go into next. I just got "Sheets of Sound" recently for working on my chops so i was wondering if anyone could recommend me:

1) a method book for improving my sight reading and that is leaning towards being more jazz influenced than classical

2) a book that focuses on theory and not method

I need another book that I can continue to improve my sight reading. Should I just get volume 2 of the Berklee books or maybe go with something different?

I really want to start learning actual theory while I'm still at a young age(17), but so far I have not found a single book that has dealed exclusively with theory that I have been happy with. Every book on theory for guitar that I have found has approached the subject like the reader was just a dumb guitar player who didn't know the difference between and arpeggio and a power chord. Needless to say this has left me very frustrated. A friend of mine recomended Joey Goldstein's method book for learning theory, but i didn't know if this was geared more for leaning theory of if it was more of a method book. Sorry for such a long post and thanks ahead of time. Any advice would be very much appreciated.

Thanks,
Dave

[jspax7]

Originally Posted by CerpinVolta

So I have just about finished playing through Berklee's "A Modern Method For Guitar:Volume 1" and I was wondering what book I should go into next. I just got "Sheets of Sound" recently for working on my chops so i was wondering if anyone could recommend me:

1) a method book for improving my sight reading and that is leaning towards being more jazz influenced than classical

2) a book that focuses on theory and not method

I need another book that I can continue to improve my sight reading. Should I just get volume 2 of the Berklee books or maybe go with something different?

I really want to start learning actual theory while I'm still at a young age(17), but so far I have not found a single book that has dealed exclusively with theory that I have been happy with. Every book on theory for guitar that I have found has approached the subject like the reader was just a dumb guitar player who didn't know the difference between and arpeggio and a power chord. Needless to say this has left me very frustrated. A friend of mine recomended Joey Goldstein's method book for learning theory, but i didn't know if this was geared more for leaning theory of if it was more of a method book. Sorry for such a long post and thanks ahead of time. Any advice would be very much appreciated.

Thanks,
Dave

For reading you might try Melodic Rhythms for Guitar (also by Leavitt)

Get a Fake Book and read the melodies. Good sight reading practice and you're learning tunes too!

Practice comping the chords for the tunes, and look for the ii V I progressions. (min7 Dom7 Maj7) Playing the scales and arpeggios for jazz tunes is a necessary and rewarding exercise.

I'm a big advocate of practicing with application in mind. (tunes) Theory will have more meaning to you if study it in context.

[jujube]

Originally Posted by jspax7

I'm a big advocate of practicing with application in mind. (tunes) Theory will have more meaning to you if study it in context.

Great advice. Since you are leaning towards jazz and consequently improvisation, you may also find Lee Konitz's approach to melodic improvisation quite useful. Here is a link:

http://www.melmartin.com/html_pages/...ws/konitz.html

Also Mick Goodrick's Advancing Guitarist while not a method book will open many insights over time into playing music on the guitar.

[jdiesel77]

I Just got the "Jazz Theory Book" by Mark Levine. I am only about 60 pages into it, but so far I am enjoying it

[dorfmeister]

Bruce Arnold

http://www.muse-eek.com/books/books.html

[Clifford-D]

Look at the thread 'What is your favorite guitar instruction book'

It's close to this thread and has All the great books, mostly jazz.

[CerpinVolta]

Thanks for all the input everyone. I'll take tonefingers advice and look on that thread. I have decided for sure to buy "Chord Chemisty" by Ted Greene. Not sure what i'll get other than that...

Thanks
Dave

[countandduke]

+1 on Mark Levine's!!! Also I HIGHLY recommend any book by Jerry Coker. His books and more can be found at www.jazzbooks.com

Chris

[Grun]

Originally Posted by jspax7

For reading you might try Melodic Rhythms for Guitar (also by Leavitt)

I second this recommendation. Helps with those all important rythm chops too. Be sure to use a metronome.

[brad347]

The Levine book is good and very viable, no BS.

[willyboy]

for harmony i like the berklee press books, although they can be a bit difficult to wade through without an instructor. +1 also for mark levines 'jazz theory' is great, lots of great musical examples. his jazz piano book is very good too, even for a guitar player.

+1 on melodic rhthms by william leavitt. awesome practice of syncopations of the eighth note and voiceleading chord progressions. i supplement this with the bach inventions for sixteenth note stuff (lots of great melodic ideas contained within too!) and other bach violin sonatas (upon Mike Stern's suggestion).