Music Theory for Guitarists: Comprehensive Guitar Chord and Scales Guitar Book | 94 Online Audio Tracks for Guitar Learning |Beginner to Advanced Guitar Method Learn Guitar with Tablature by Tom Kolb

What a fantastic book! If you are a guitarist looking to learn music theory to develop as a musician, if you want to understand how scales and chords work and are put together, then this book is for you. Very simple and clear explanations covering most areas. This book - as the title suggests - is really for novices in music theory. Of course, you can play guitar for years and years (as i did) without any music theory at all, simply a knowledge of chords in a key and a few scales. However, when you want to more fully appreciate the depth and complexity of the musical world, this marvellous book makes for a very good first stepping stone on your path!

This book arrived speedy to my door. I have been looking at theory with my guitar instructor and was looking for a book to supplement my lessons. This book is brilliant it is easy to follow and with lots of useful exercises. I took the book to my instructor who gave it a thumbs up and we now align my lessons with the book. I put the cd on and practice along to it. It is really helping me.

This is a really good book and I have learnt a lot from it. It is exactly what is was looking for as it covers all the basics you will need to understand music theory and all though it does explain musical notation and incorporates it into quite a few of the exercises, it doesn't concentrate too much on this, which is good because quite frankly it's not really needed to play the guitar (there's a difference between understanding music theory and being able to sight-read musical notation). The only complaint I have is that it is just full of small and annoying sloppy litle errors which could have easily been picked up if it had been properly proof-read. I'll list a few of the errors I've encountered (so far, that is, as I'm only half way through it): Page 35, Fig. 1B = It states that the major scale harmonised in 3rds is Major-Minor-Minor-Major--MINOR--Minor-Minor-Major, when in fact it should be Major-Minor-Minor-Major--MAJOR--Minor-Minor-Major (don't worry you will learn what I am talking about from the book). Page 51, just above Fig. 7 it explains that the formula for the minor scale harmonised in sevenths is i7-iim7b5-etc. when in fact it should be i7-ii7b5-etc. It may seem like I'm splitting hairs somewhat but it becomes confusing especially if you are learning and especially since in the section on harmonising the major scale the formula includes ii7b5 and you could fail to see that the major and minor scales harmonised in sevenths both contain ii7b5 as opposed to ii7b5 and iim7b5 as it actually states. Page 59, Fig. 14 it states that Am7 is the iv7 chord of C major, which is wrong, it should have been vi7. Like I said it may seem as though I'm splitting hairs a bit but when you're learning you need all the information contained in the study material to be 100% correct as you obviously aren't in a position (knowledge-wise) to judge whether or not it is. Discovering inconsistencies also undermines your belief that what you are reading is true. However, it is still a good book. The publishers just need to get their act together, stop being so lazy and get someone to proof read it! Maybe for the next edition.

My guitar teacher recommended this book - it is brilliant for the beginner guitar leaner with no prior knowledge of music theory.

Received from my daughter for father's day. Brilliantly simple. Anybody looking for that simple introduction to understanding music theory then looks no further. Perfect for beginner guitarists,intermediate or advanced and experienced players. If you want to learn theory at what ever your level of playing this book is perfect. Well written and well structured and easy to follow. All typos mentioned in other reviews seems to have been corrected in later editions so you can be assured that there will be no confusion.

This book is a really useful, comprehensive and easy way of learning music theory. It is based around guitar with all the theory and exercises specifically guitar based, so for a guitar player such as myself, it is a lot more useful than a standard theory guide. All basic and more complex aspects of theory are explained, including reading music, chord formations and scale theory. There are also useful quizzes at the end of each section to test your knowledge. The book is ideal for anyone who wants to learn a bit of theory. Unlike some books, it doesn't assume you already know anything or use terms without explaining them. It can also be used by more experienced guitarists as it covers most common aspects of theory, so you can either learn from scratch or just improve your knowledge. It also comes with a CD which means you can check that you are playing the exercises (scales etc) correctly. My only one complaint is the diagrams that are supposed to "explain" major scales, as I really didn't understand them, although the explanation of how they are formed is useful. I would recommend this to most guitarists, although if you are a beginner you may want to learn the basics of playing first.

Exactly what I was looking for - music theory for guitarists, clearly explained, great examples on CD and in the book.Made huge steps in my understanding of music in relation to guitar. Great book and great value.

I own numerous guitar and music books, and it has come very apparent to me that music cannot be explained in chapter and verse - you need short explanations, and importantly, EXAMPLES. Many other guitar theory books dedicate so much writing to scales, chords etc, then display the scale as is, but they don't give you practical exercises where you really figure out what it all means. Thankfully this book is the exact opposite, and is chock full of exercises and short, concise explanations. I don't think there's a better book for us guitarists out there currently. The only slight caveat, as the previous reviewer made mention to, is there are a few errors here and there. However, the book explains everything so well (with worked examples), that you'll probably spot the errors anyway. Maybe the author put the errors in on purpose to help us learn? :)

I love this book by Tom Kolb. It is 104 pages jam-packed with the most important elements of music theory for guitar, including chord construction, chord progressions, and scale patterns for any key. I would recommend that EVERY guitar player study this book after completing six to twelve months of beginner guitar lessons. Knowing what is in this book can help you become a real musician. This is not an instruction book for the absolute beginner. The beginning student will (I think) require considerably more explanation. However, for any level of guitar player, this would be a great reference to use when taking lessons with a music teacher. If you already play another musical instrument, then go ahead and jump into Tom Kolb's book immediately - - - it will probably be the quickest method to transfer your existing knowledge to guitar. If you are trying to teach yourself, then you will benefit by studying the basics of music theory before you use this book. I recommend The Complete Idiot's Guide to Music Theory, 2nd Edition . After you finish a basic music theory book, then you should have not have any problems following the Tom Kolb Music Theory book. The book is very well organized and the content is presented effectively. While a music staff is consistently used throughout the book, neck diagrams or tab representations are also used to represent notes and chords. Therefore, even if you cannot read sheet music, you can use this book. Features I particularly appreciate include: - Pattern training neck diagrams for the following: (1) major scales; (2) minor scales; (3) minor pentatonic scale; (4) major pentatonic scale; (5) modes (Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian, Locrian); and (6) arpeggios. - Single-page tables for the following: (1) formulas (notes) for 39 chords types; (2) chords for each of the twelve major keys; (3) chords for each of the twelve minor keys; (4) minor seventh chords for each of the twelve minor keys. - Quizzes with answers in the back of the book. Believe me, this book is worth the price just to have a concise reference with the neck diagrams and the tables listed above. The book includes the Circle of Fifths (which is great); but it should do a better job explaining to the new guitarist how to APPLY the Circle of Fifths to one's guitar playing. Table of Contents: The Fretboard; Theory Basics; Scales and Key Signatures; Intervals; Triads; Harmonizing the Major Scale; Chord Construction; Harmonizing the Minor Scale; Determining Key Centers; Blues Harmony and Pentatonic Scales; Modes and Modal Harmony; Other Scales and Modes, Chord/Scale Relationships, Arpeggios; Chord Substitution and Reharmonization. I wish they would sell this book without the CD (with ear training and demonstration tracks). According the back jacket of the book, the book by itself is only 40 percent of the cost of the package. There is one great feature of the audio CD: the guitar part is balanced hard-right, so if you adjust the balance entirely to the left the guitar part is eliminated, allowing you to play the guitar part yourself.

Un vero e proprio giudizio potro' darlo quando avro' terminato di studiare su questo libro, per ora posso dire che sembra ben fatto. Gli argomenti sono trattati in maniera semplice ed esaustiva. Anni luce rispetto ai vecchi metodi oscuri e incomprensibili :-)

Please note this products does not include the access code to the accompanying digital media as advertised. By contacting my library support at Halleonard they gave me a code. I find the content very good, concise and to the point. It's very nicely filling the gaps in my understanding of music theory.

Sehr gut

This is a great book for all guitarists who are serious about music.