Hi guys, I know Alex went through some book recommendations in the q&a. Does anyone has any specific recommendation from what Alex discussed? Or any other books. I also wonder - are books still a good medium for learning guitar? I’ve never tried, and I feel I could get some help with structuring my learnings. Maybe a good book is what I need? Would love to hear your thoughts.
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Hi @Zohar_Bareket! I LOVE guitar books. I find it a really good medium to study with. You can write on them (preferably with pencil) to make notes. And I find spreading a book open on the kitchen table as I follow a chart is a way nicer experience then constantly having to scroll on a screen. Plus it’s good to be away from technology at least a little bit each day.
Here are some books I really find useful:
- Speed Mechanics for Lead Guitar by Troy Stetina (at first I was put off by the 80s hair metal vibes I got from the cover - but this is actually a really great resource for overall modern guitar technique, regardless of how fast you want to play)
- Guitar Intervals Unleashed by Nandi Mogar (I was curious about this because I took a course to improve my chord vocabulary and quickly realised that my interval knowledge sucked. I knew ascending intervals within a single octave that that was it. This book also helps with fretboard knowledge thanks to the focus on the instrument being tuned in 4ths)
- Creative Guitar 1& 2 by Guthrie Govan (just tonnes of great insight from a wonderful player)
- Complete Guitar Wiring by Gerry Hayes (ok not quite a ‘guitar book’ in terms of tuition but if you have ever been curious about guitar electronics, this book is a fantastic, easy-to-understand resource)
I’m curious to see if anyone else has any recommendations!
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I find books to be a tremendous resource for sight reading. I have accumulated quite a collection over the years, and really love them – but if I’m honest, I learn more from video instruction…
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I agree that I prefer videos at this point. You can see the player moving around the neck and hear the music in time. Plus so many videos (like our dear Alex Farran) have such great notation available it’s the best of both worlds between video and printed material. Truefire has a LOT of great videos…all that said, the Mickey Baker book is a classic. So many great ideas there.
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great thread guys and I totally get where you’re coming from… these days, videos seem to be the preferred way of learning for sure.
Books can be so useful to have around though… things you can dip in and out of at leisure. Of all the books I recommended in the Q&A, the “Chord connections” one is probably the most indispensable one I’d say.
I would now also have to include Adam Levy’s recently released book “String Theories”… very much a book that you can pick up and work from for 20 minutes or so at a time.
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Hi Alex , Hy all, about the Q&A you mentioned, where I can find that video?
If the video is not availbale anymore, can someone please share at least the list of the books Alex discussed.
Thank you very much
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Hi Davide, anything I’ve posted to the Patreon (including the Q&A) will be permanently available on the Patreon… nothing gets taken down. There’s a handy little search feature in the top right corner of the Patreon feed where you can find anything you’re after if you want to avoid scrolling through all the content to find what you’re looking for.
This link should take you directly to the Q&A post;
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I have no idea if these books are still around, but Steve Khan’s Chord Khancepts and Pentatonic Khancepts are worth their weight in gold. Steve Khan’s approach to substitution was years ahead of its time, focusing on easy grips how to use subs and voicings within the band concept, with lots of thought about what the bass player, singer, and other instruments are doing. Likewise, his book on pentatonic scales is a practical guide to using those scales across a myriad of applications far beyond their obvious uses and a lot of thought into what extended harmonies are being created.
Oh man, I’m fionally doing it. I’m starting Mickey Baker’s Complete Course in Jazz Guitar part 2. I’ve had the book for 20 years or so. It’s chord harmony stuff and starts out with some killer stretches that makes for sore hands. (He promises it will get better though).
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Like most. I never finished the first book but I’m revisiting both together. These are just absolute classics to follow because the instructions are at times vague and it takes a level of note reading (But not too bad).
Once again, I have to mention this week’s lesson on swing with Junior Watson and Little Charlie Baty. They both learned from these two books (and completed them). Little Charlie even carried them on the road for regular review.
Hi Tim, I bought these books when I worked in Germany in the mid-late 90s.
It was the early days of the internet and email and I sent Steve an email to say how much I enjoyed the books. he replied and mentioned that his band at the time The Caribbean Jazz Project was touring Germany that year. I went to the nearest venue where they were playing and got to meet and have a chat with Steve.
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That is cool. Those books - maybe the chord book more than the pentatonics book - really helped me see comping and rhythm guitar playing in a whole new light and I really latched on to three note chords and always thinking about guide tones, 3rds and 7ths. Total game changer. I held down a gig with a local blues guy and his wife, playing every other Wednesday night for three years at a very nice jazz/blues club because I could play behind singers without stepping on them. That book paid for itself hundreds of times over. I should write Steve K and thank him. Don’t know if you’ve ever listened to Steely Dan’s Gaucho recording, but Steve’s playing is all over it. Larry Carlton gets the solos and does great, but Steve uses those chord “khancepts” all over the place to great effect. Third World Man is a great example.