Become a more musical guitar player! This book will help you learn and use chords, scales, and other building blocks of music from a guitarist's perspective. It applies concepts of music theory directly to your instrument, using the time-honored teaching approaches of the Berklee Guitar Department. These applications facilitate creative, expressive playing and writing in all styles and directly map to the Berklee Guitar Department proficiency evaluations. Players at all levels will find a clear, organized approach to the materials and musical examples in a variety of styles, provided by Berklee's guitar faculty.
You'll learn to: Master the fingerboard by understanding how strings and frets relate to scales, intervals, and chords; Understand and use the most important types of scales and modes; Construct chords and voicing possibilities based on the essential building blocks of harmony; Choose chord voicings that are ergonomic, intuitive, and expressive for every unique playing situation; and more.
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| List | $24.99 |
Named Guardians of Guitar 2019 NAMM top pick!
Experience must-know music knowledge and wisdom through the highly focused lens of legendary guitar virtuoso Steve Vai. This full-color instructional book written by Vai himself features in-depth discussions of the music theory fundamentals that every aspiring (and veteran) guitar player should know, packed with practical exercises, diagrams, tips, inspiring ideas and concepts, practice methods, and ways of looking at music that you may have never considered. Topics covered include: academic vs. experiential learning • reading and writing music • key signatures • chord scales • rhythm basics • guitar harmonics • modes • and much more. This beautiful book is full-color throughout and features artwork on every page by Vai!
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| List | $29.99 |
Many guitarists spend years, or entire lives, feeling their way around the guitar neck in the dark. But it doesn't have to be that way! Experiencing the freedom that comes with a little theoretical knowledge is not as difficult as it may seem. With Visual Guitar Theory, you'll quickly “connect the dots” by seeing and understanding the shapes and patterns that make music work, with over 500 full-color fretboard diagrams, detailed lessons, quizzes, and an organized, progressive teaching approach. Topics covered include: intervals; building triads; transposing chord shapes; inversions; building scales; and much more.
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| List | $15.99 |
This Little Black Book provides a pocket-sized collection of hundreds of guitar scales, presented in an easy-to-read format. Includes fingerings, full TABs for each scale, and helpful tips for all guitarists.
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| List | $12.99 |
Mastering the guitar neck has always been a challenge, even for very experienced players. The full-color diagrams in Guitar Fretboard Atlas will help you quickly memorize scales and chords that may have previously seemed impossible to grasp. You'll be able to easily see and understand how scale and chord shapes are laid out and how they connect and overlap across the neck. This is a collection of roadmaps for the most important scales and chords. The material is presented in all 12 keys, using complete 24-fret neck diagrams with color-coded displays of the most common fingerings.
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| List | $22.99 |
A Martin acoustic guitar is the beloved instrument of millions of fans and famous players worldwide. Starting with the early days in New York circa 1833, this fabled story comes to life in the long-awaited revision of the seminal Martin History book. Originally published in 1975, this new edition is completely updated and re-designed by well-known industry experts.
Part of a two-book set, The History: Book 1 covers the people, the places, and the stories of an American icon. Richly illustrated, this book covers the story right up to the fifth-generation president Chris Martin IV. Because the original and revision authors had complete access to authorized archives, this version is the most accurate and detailed reference on the topic. Leading up to the re-vitalization of the 1990s and the remarkable sustenance of its legacy, hundreds of photographs and documents effectively show the people and the guitars that made the company famous.
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| List | $32.00 |
The Little Black Book with all the guitar chords you'll ever need! This pocket-sized collection presents over 1100 chords in an easy-to-read format. Includes fingerings, note names and helpful tips for all guitarists. Also includes a really useful guide to some of the most common alternative tunings, advice on power chords and chord boxes to write your own chords and more.
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| List | $10.99 |
Finally, the long-awaited English edition of this historic Japanese book is here! The Beauty of the 'Burst pays tribute to Gibson's magnificent Sunburst Les Pauls made between 1958 and 1960, the most highly prized solidbody electric guitars ever. The magnitude of their value is directly related to their look (outrageous wood patterns, or “figured” timber), since non-players are paying top dollar for them. The book features lavish full-color photos of these beautiful instruments throughout; the guitars of famous players; a foreword by Ted McCarty; a bio of the author, world renowned collector Yasuhiko Iwanade; and the “Science of the Burst” section with over 30 pages of detailed reference facts on every facet of the guitar, including colors, wood figure, pick-ups, hardware and qualities of “voice.” This may be the closest guitarists will ever be able to get to these incredibly collectible beauties! 216 pages, 8-1/2″ x 11″ Softcover
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| List | $39.00 |
Introduced by Gibson in the 1930s, the ES (Electric Spanish) series would transform the role of the guitar in the world of the big bands and jazz groups. With amplification, the guitarist could solo along with the horn sections and mix with the percussion. Gibson featured many prominent guitarists naming them “Gibson Allstars.” An inspired marketing tool which helped Gibson become a world-leading manufacturer. The ES-5, Super 400s, artist models and hugely popular ES-175 were brand leaders. The 175 is the longest-running model still in production. It was the thin line series which caught the attention of the blues and rock world who appreciated the power and tone they produced. The classic “thin line” design was hugely popular as an alternative to the solid body type offering the ability to control feedback in a harmonic way. The ES series is an art form in its own right and are played and collected by guitar aficionados from all parts of the world.
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| List | $85.00 |
Foreword by Rich Robinson of The Black Crowes.
Doug Redler has been a guitar tech to the Black Crowes, k.d. lang, the Dixie Chicks, the B-52s, Paul Simon, Goo Goo Dolls, Counting Crows, Peter Gabriel, and many other stars. He's seen it all, and knows what to do when it comes to keeping guitars and amps healthy. In this book, he reveals his trade secrets so that anyone with some mechanical ability can maintain their own gear. Co-authored by Hal Leonard guitar historian Dave Rubin, this book covers: guitar tech toolbox, proper stringing techniques, evaluating the guitar neck, setting the action, adjusting the pickups, basic bass guitar set-up, tales from the road, humidity and acoustic guitars, amp care and maintenance, and more!
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| List | $15.99 |
This book is a condensed, made-for-guitar version of Nicolas Slonimsky's publication Thesaurus of Scales and Melodic Patterns – the book that musicians as diverse as John Coltrane and Frank Zappa used for ideas and inspiration. Musicians familiar with the original Thesaurus know that it contains a daunting amount of information crammed in its over 230 pages. But there is a definite symmetry and logic in these Slonimsky examples. What appear to be random patterns are actually mathematical combinations of some or all of the twelve notes in music. As the musician/student plays through the examples, the patterns will unfold and become more obvious.
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| List | $27.99 |
Here's your complete guide to getting your guitars to play and sound their best! In a convenient 6″x9″ size, this full-color edition features step-by-step instructions and photos that teach you how to adjust the action, truss rod, bridge saddles, nut, intonation and more on electric and acoustic guitars. Basic electronic repairs are covered as well. If you've been timid about “looking under the hood” of your guitar but don't want to keep spending money at the repair shop, this book will get you started on the road to becoming your own guitar repair person!
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| List | $16.99 |
This book is a complete compilation of scales, modes, exotic scales, and theory. It covers the most common and exotic scales, theory on how they're constructed and practical applications. No prior music theory is necessary since every section is broken down and explained very clearly.
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| List | $9.99 |
The term “burst” has been used to describe a specific Gibson Les Paul guitar manufactured from 1958 to 1960. The impact of this guitar has and continues to shake the music world. For dozens of guitar idols who've played it – and those fortunate enough to have owned one or more – the Gibson Les Paul Sunburst possesses a mystique and magic not found in any other electric guitar. With its unique sound, spectacular beauty and playability, the burst has shaped the landscape of the blues/rock genre as we know it today.
The Burst Believers in this book – Joe Bonamassa, Jimmy Page, Billy Gibbons, Kirk Hammett, Rick Nielsen, Waddy Wachtel, Slash, Steve Lukather, the Burst Brothers and many more – have been kind enough to share their experiences and stories that you will enjoy reading. These recollections, plus hundreds of fantastic color photographs and a serial number index, make this book a “must” for players and collectors everywhere.
“These guitars are the holy grail.” – Joe Bonamassa
“The burst has helped to create and establish the rock sound loved by generations.” – Jimmy Page
“A modern-day Stradivarius.” – Kirk Hammett
“I cannot imagine a guitar more perfectly suited to my eyes, ears, hands and musical inclinations.” – Billy Squier
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| List | $59.99 |
The world's most famous guitar had a golden anniversary in 2004, and this official, authorized book/CD package offers the best photos, quotes, facts and sounds to properly celebrate this achievement. From Buddy Holly to Jimi Hendrix to today's hottest players, the Fender Stratocaster defines rock'n'roll for generations of fans and players.
Special features include exclusive photos from the world's greatest guitar collection, as well as a CD with musical examples of famous Strat sounds and styles hilariously performed by Greg Koch – even spoken excerpts from the author's interviews with the Strat's beloved inventor, Leo Fender.
This book also recognizes that the Stratocaster's deeper significance lies in the music that guitarists have created with it. You'll hear what Strat players have to say about their instrument, their music and each other. The Fender Stratocaster both reflects and influences popular culture worldwide. The Stratocaster Chronicles focuses on the people who brought it into the world, the designers and builders who refined it, and the players who have taken it from there.
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| List | $50.00 |