Well, this review has been long over due since I purchased Tom's (Noteboat's) book Music Theory for Guitarists about 7 months ago. I realized that at the time I wasn't ready to devote the time to music theory and I just wanted to learn songs. I still feel like that SOMEWHAT but I also think I am ready to begin learning theory. However, I am NOT ready to start sight reading (sheet music) YET! I feel I need to clarify this because Tom incorporates both into his book which is only natural to do. My goal with learning music theory at he momment was to learn how chords are constructed, be able to play a scale by looking at the fretboard and not having to look at it's pattern in print, and the ability to transpose into different keys without looking it up. Eventually I will learn how to read sheet music but I am just not ready for that yet. In the way I like to learn songs, I tend to break them down into parts and then learn each part seperately and then assemble them as I am able to. It may not be the BEST way but it works for me. Also to clarify, I am NOT finished with the book yet! I plan to do this review in stages (as long as Tom doesn't mind!). This way I can devote more time to a thorough review.
Now I know Tom is probably reading this and cringing, thinking "People aren't going to buy my book! Thanks a lot MIKE!" Actually this is the VERY reason to purchase Tom's book. I began reading this book from the beginning and I got to page 27 and began getting lost since it gets into sight reading. So I decided to cheat and skip ahead (like looking at the end of a story to see how it ends! :lol: ) and I was able to continue on page 47 and still able to understand what I am reading. (Page 47 talkes about Scales and modes which I have read a little about on the internet). This is probably not the way Tom intended his book to be used but again...It works for me!.
The book starts from the beginning (DUH!) with how sound is created. Now I think most of us know that sound is a vibration but Tom includes much more information including various sound waves, pitch, frequency, and intensity. Even though it's not needed to learn how to play the guitar, it IS very interesting to read! Next, is where Tom begins his discussion with sheet music talking about Notes & Rests. It is very easy to understand and clearly written. I DID read this part!!!
This is where I skipped ahead to the Scales & Modes chapter. I had already began to learn the fretboard on my own and reading this chapter gave me a very clear understanding on the hows and whys of the workings of music. Tom goes into more detail regarding the Major and Minor scales. Next is Time Signatures and since the only signature I really understand is the 4/4 I had to re-read this part (it's a short read so I decided to read it a second time).
I left off with Key Signatures. This is the meat & potatoes of what I wanted to learn. Right off the bat Tom talks about the Circle of Fifths which I believe the SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT aspect to music theory. If you know this circle you can figure out the fretboard of a guitar (or any instrument!). I only just begun this chaper so I decided to leave it for the next part of my review.
We all know that Tom (Noteboat) helps EVERYONE on GN and he always goes into great detail with his explanations. If you don't understand something Tom is always ready to RE-EXPLAIN it in a way you can understand. Tom is a GREAT resource for us to have on the forum. I know reviewing Tom's book may not pay him back for all that he has done for the members (including myself!) of GN, I do know Tom appreciates any and ALL feedback about his book!
Thanks Tom for all your hard work!
Until next time..................................................................!!!!!!
Hey, thanks Mike!
Actually, I expected readers would fall into two groups - one that would read straight through, and one that would skip around as you're doing.
Music theory is a field where some things are sequential - you need to know major scales before you can tackle intervals - and some things aren't. You can easily understand chord structure without understanding odd meters... but I couldn't come up with a one-size-fits-all progression.
So I ended up breaking the concepts down into parts: chapter 1 talks about sound, chapters 2-5 are rhythm, 6-13 deal with pitch, and 14 on deals with harmony (intervals, chords, cadences, etc.)
The use of standard notation is deliberate, and unavoidable... becuase music theory isn't exactly about music - it's about music notation. If you take a look at p.76, you'll see two intervals - an augmented fourth and a diminished fifth - and each has exactly the same fingering diagram. The only way to tell these intervals apart is with standard notation... fingering, tab, and your ear will all find them identical.
But they're not identical in theory terms, and there are plenty of times the difference matters. I don't get into harmony and voice leading in the book, but the two are written differently because they act differently... they'll end up moving to different places. So when I eventually get to a book on harmony, I'll get into the differences in context.
I'm glad you're enjoying it! :)
Guitar teacher offering lessons in Plainfield IL
Ejoying is not exactly the word I'd use! :? :shock: Music Theory is one of those necessary evils needed if you truely want to play music. It's like when I was in college I had to take Anatomy & Physiology....BORING BORING BORING! However the instructor I had made it bearable! You book make theory bearable!
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :P :P :P :P :P :P 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8)
Tom's book is really a very good effort. It's usually, however, the second theory book I recommend to my guitar students who are interested in theory.
For the first book, I usually point them to, believe it or not, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Music Theory.
Aside from the fact that the Idiot's book comes with an ear-training CD that is of reasonable quality, there are some areas I think it provides a slightly better basis than Tom's book for someone just getting into music theory.
Largely these difference rest with choices, and one isn't objectively better or worse than the other. The Idiot's guide starts, like Tom's book, with the characteristics of sound and frequency, but then goes directly into discussions about pitch, intervals and scales. Tom jumps from sound characteristics to rhythm. To me, this presents a discontinuity.
It's not that Tom's rhythm discussion is bad, it's actually quite good, but simply the organizational choice of putting the discussion where he did strikes me as a bit jumbled.
Where I find Tom's book to be extremely useful is taking the concepts of intervals, scales, and chords and relating them to the fretboard. He is very careful, in the latter part of the book, to present everything in very clear diagrams that make it easy to grasp how what one does on the fretboard relates to the ideas being discussed.
However, the discussions on many topics are pretty limited. Tom's book is less than 100 pages of discursive text, and it is liberally interspersed with diagrams. This means that Tom has very little room to go into depth on any one topic. Again, that's a choice, and it's neither good nor bad. What Tom does cover he covers extremely well, but often quicker than a complete theory newb might need to really understand what is being said.
The Idiot's guide, for example, has about 12 pages on the basics of chord progressions, plus another 30 or so pages on cadences, turnarounds, and chord substitutions. Tom covers progressions in 2 pages and doesn't really touch on substitutions at all.
I use the Idiot's guide first because in my experience, Tom's book is so quick hitting that it's hard for someone just starting to look at theory to really get everything he's saying. However, it's great strength, and one that makes it invaluable to guitarists, is that it does relate everything back to the fretboard, whereas most other theory books, if they try to relate to an instrument, choose piano.
In any case, theory is really a complex subject and if you get into it in any depth, you'll find that you will need multiple references. Tom's book is a very good addition to any guitarist theory geek's library.
I would, however, recommend it more as complimentary to another more in-depth first theory book than as a stand alone work.
"The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side." -- HST
I have the Complete Idiot's Guide to Music Theory and unless the one you have is a different edition mine does not have a CD. I believe mine is the first edition. I found the book VERY confusing because the author expects you to translate everything from the piano to the guitat (like mosy other music theory book do. I also found it VERY overwelming to swallow all the information. Now in it's defense the last time I look at it was around the same time I picked up Tom's book so I wasn't ready for theory yet..from ANY author. When I decide to delve more into theory I'll try reading it again but for now Tom's book is working fine..
Thanks
The CD was added to a later edition.
"The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side." -- HST
Good review. I've been meaning to buy this book. I will get around to it soon. SOON. I promise tom. You've been very helpful to me on these boards!
jane
Wow, I can't believe how time flies.
I just wanted to give another shout out to noteboat and his fine book. I figure doing it this way would ive a little bump back up near the top of this forum section. I got it a few years back, read most if not all of it and subsequently lost much of what I read. It happens.
I had been delaying fixing a Guitar Pro file for quite some time. Over 200 bars of TAB/Music notation that had some issues with timing & rhythm. As a result, the GP output was messed up. I knew where to go. The first 1/2 of this book brought me back up to speed with the notation and I was able to cure the problem with ease and a few hours of time. (Lots of the file I was working on was off. I fixed a lot or bars.)
Thanks again, Tom!
Roy
"I wonder if a composer ever intentionally composed a piece that was physically impossible to play and stuck it away to be found years later after his death, knowing it would forever drive perfectionist musicians crazy." - George Carlin
