[saxyfisch]

Which Music Theroy books do people reccomend? I've searched here at SOTW and have not come up with a thread to review.

My history is that I played Tenor in high school and didn't pick up my horn for about 27 years. Started playing again 4 years ago - it all came back to me pretty quickly. I'm playing in a community band and working on improv with Aebersold play-alongs.

 

[Isle of Jazz]

Mark Levine's Jazz Theory book is quite comprehensive and well regarded on this board.

 

[Al Stevens]

Here's the one I recommend you begin with.

http://www.amazon.com/New-Perspecti...409712?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1190820346&sr=1-30

It cuts to the basics, uses language people understand, and does not assume you already know a lot. Read the reviews at amazon.

 

[Rowka]

Here's the one I recommend you begin with.

http://www.amazon.com/New-Perspecti...409712?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1190820346&sr=1-30

It cuts to the basics, uses language people understand, and does not assume you already know a lot.

Awesome!!!!!

Chuck is a great musician and this is a fantastic book. I've got a signed copy

We used to hang and jam and party when I was living in Melbourne.

 

[Rowka]

You're not a past Puzzler, are you?

 

[fadedsignal]

+1 for the Mark Levine Jazz Theory book. It serves me well to this day.

 

[Al Stevens]

You're not a past Puzzler, are you?

No, but I know all those guys. Did you hear that Chuck's twin brother Billy died a while back? That was a sad time in this town.

 

[Rowka]

Yes, I did hear about that.
I drank a lot of beer with the Other Brothers.

I imagine you are familiar with the story of their childhoods and reunion...

 

[Agent27]

It depends on if you're talking jazz or classical. For jazz, the Levine book is great.

For standard classical theory, Tonal Harmony by Stefan Kostka and Dorthy Payne is the standard college text.

 

[mcudahy]

I like the Levine book, too. There are tons of great examples and clear explanations, and he even knows enough to acknowledge the mystery that lurks in the music, like when he says this about how blues isn't explained well by traditional music theory (p. 234): "So why does the same blues scale--with so many "wrong" notes--sound so "right" when played by a jazz or blues musician over a three-chord blues? Your guess is as good as mine. It's not explainable in terms of Western music theory." Then he moves on.

 

[saxyfisch]

Thanks everyone!! I'm more into jazz so I'll be checking those ones out.

 

[playitfunky]

http://www.ejazzlines.com/c869/c880...-p49212.html?EJAZZ=0imchvlhao9bhmk91bgtv0jle0

This is a good book for putting scales to chords that you see all the time in jazz

 

[jazzpianoonline]

The Mark Levine book is good. Also check out these:

the Chord Scale Theory and Jazz Harmony by Barrie Nettles and Richard Braf. This is the Berklee harmony program in a book. Highly recommended. Get it only from Advance Music.

Jazz Theory and Practice by Richard Lawn and Jeffrey Hellmer
Very thorough treatment of jazz.

You can also find a growing library of lessons (many on jazz theory) on my site.

 

[mcudahy]

What about "Bebop Scales" by Scott Black? Anyone looked at that? I just read about it online in the "Tucson Citizen":
http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/ss/entertainment/64160.php

It sounds pretty good. (But I always think that when I read an advertisement for a jazz instruction book.)
http://www.azjazzartists.com/bebopscales.html