Music Theory Workbook for Guitar Volume One [Paperback]

Bruce Arnold (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2001 | Series: Music Theory Workbook for Guitar (Book 1)

We all know that a little music theory will help our playing. Not only does it clarify important relationships in music, but it makes us more well rounded musicians, able to express ourselves creatively, and communicate with other musicians more effectively. This book is unique in that it applies music theory directly to the guitar, so not only do you learn music theory but your understanding of the guitar itself deepens. This is a win win situation. If you have 10 to 15 minutes a day to do a little music theory, then this book is the ticket. The Theory section of this book uses extremely simple language to explain the basics of music theory. You are then asked to write out the exercise using both staff notation and a guitar fretboard diagram. From simple intervals to highly complex chords your grasp of music theory will be greatly enhanced. And because the theory is made to apply directly to the guitar fretboard, you will ingrain the information in both you head and hands. Answers are supplied in the back of the book enabling you to work without a teacher. 208 Page book

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

We are very excited about Mr. Arnold's Workbook series. The feedback we have received has validated our instincts that the books are a long-needed breakthrough in music education. Mr. Arnold has culled from his many years of teaching both privately and on the university level, and has provided information and teaching approaches which have never been presented in quite this way. The serious student will find the books to be a real "Rosetta Stone" for music theory and its application, while the professional musician will find them to be bountiful compendiums of information and lifelong companions in the voyage of musical discovery. --This text refers to the Spiral-bound edition.

From the Inside Flap

Many of my students have asked me how they can improve their music theory and fretboard knowledge. This book is an attempt to fill those needs.

Learning the language of music is imperative to becoming a professional musician or communicating intelligently with other musicians, but more importantly, applying this knowledge to your instrument will give you the ability to create music with greater flexibility , coherence, and confidence.

Future volumes of this Music Theory Workbook series will cover scales and diatonic chords of a key both of which are very important to playing and understanding music. See the final pages of this book for a complete listing and description of current music related publications.

A very special thank you goes to Tina Sobin for her patient and meticulous work in editing this book. --This text refers to the Spiral-bound edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 216 pages
• Publisher: Muse Eek Publishing Company (April 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1890944521
• ISBN-13: 978-1890944520
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #662,354 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Guitarist Bruce Arnold has developed an extensive reputation as a composer educator and guitar virtuoso. He has created a unique signature sound that stems from his combination of jazz techniques and 20th Century compositional methods. He has played with such diverse musicians as Stuart Hamm, Peter Erskine, Joe Pass, Joe Lovano, Randy Brecker, Stanley Clarke, the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Arnold is also deeply devoted to music education and had written more than 60 music instruction. He heads the guitar departments at NYU and Princeton University and is the director of the New York University Summer Guitar Intensive He has taught at some of the most prestigious music schools in America, including the New England Conservatory of Music, Dartmouth College, Berklee College of Music, New School University, and City College of New York.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars serious minded guitarist, January 10, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Music Theory Workbook for Guitar Volume One (Spiral-bound)

I was a little shocked when I opened this book. There are a couple of 100 pages of exercises. I can see why this book is a textbook used at hot shot schools like Princeton and NYU. If you make it through this book you really will know your guitar from a different perspective. There is no "hot licks" found here...There is just page after page of exercises to ingrain where the notes for every chord on the guitar are and what notes make up each chord. The author has some very useful websites too. for tons of free exercise materials and muse-eek if I have any questions. I did have a question and found Mr. Arnold very forthcoming in answering. I don't think this book would be for everyone though. I'd say if your serious about really learning the guitar. ya know like knowing the notes and how to build chords etc. this is an essential book to work through. By the way I also just purchased the Music Theory Workbook Volume Two (call me crazy) Anyway, I'd have to say the second volume is way cool. You get the same crazy amount of exercises but thank god you get free midifiles from the muse-eek site to play along with. I highly recommend both these books for the serious minded guitarist

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not easy, but definitely worth it, June 22, 2004

By 

Jon Norlag (NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Music Theory Workbook for Guitar Volume One (Spiral-bound)

I think one would be fooling themselves if they thought this book is fun. Some things, like Music Theory on your instrument isn't easy. It's a challenge that many of us take on because we know that if we can understand our instrument through music theory we will be better able to express ourselves.

Don't buy this book if you are looking for a quick fix, it's a course of study where you have to fill in 100 pages of exercises to make sure you have memorized how every frick'n chord is built on the guitar. It's one thing to understand music theory, it's another to have a working knowledge of it and be able to use it like you use the language that you speak. I bought this book many years ago. I kept the filled in book just so I can show people one of the steps I took to get to where I am today. If you are serious about learning then I would seriously check out Mr. Arnold's books - their not the typical U.S.A. guitar edu-tainment books, they're in a class by themselves. If your looking for something entertaining or a book that just gives you a general understanding of music theory then you won't like this book. I have many music books and guitar books on my shelves. Mr. Arnold's books are definitely written for someone who wants to study on their own but get the same sort of education you would receive at Berklee College of Music, NYU, Princeton, etc ...

I like others have had multiple correspondences with Mr. Arnold. I was very impressed by his teaching skills and dedication to seeing me improve. If you don't understand something about this book or any of his books he's an email away, how much easier could it get? There is a huge database of questions people have asked. All you have to do is read it and you will have many doubts and questions answered. My recommendation is to check out the muse-eek website first. See for yourself what is involved. Their books are directly linked to amazon so you can go back and buy them if you want. I've noticed recently that they've added 100's of videos for many of their books. These are free mates, you just have to buy one book and your into a resource that is amazing.

Sorry for the edu-commercial, I've just seen some of the reviews and thought I'd give you my two cents on this stuff.

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Method for the serious minded, February 28, 2004

By 

John J. Stern (Nashville TN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Music Theory Workbook for Guitar Volume One (Spiral-bound)

I own this book and 1st Steps for a Beginning Guitarist and I find them both to be well written and aimed toward the serious beginning guitarist. I would say if you just want to learn a few chords, know what a scale is and have vague knowledge of chord construction then this is definately not the book to get.

This book gives you a 100 pages or so of exercises where you have to fill in the answers to questions about how various chords are build. You have to fill in this information both on a staff and on a fretboard diagram. I've been working through this for a couple of weeks now and I'm on page 20 so you can see this isn't a quick study.

What I'm finding though is I'm starting to see interval relationships by just looking at the guitar which makes my ability to tell someone what the 5th of any key is or other such interval knowledge. So one of the bi-products of this book is it teaches you how see interval and chord relationships on the fretboard so you can use the visual information to find answers to any music theory related question that you might encounter. For instance I've been downloading some information on the internet about playing a blues riff and it talked about playing a 5th to a 6th on the low E and A string. I knew instantly what that was and could move it around to other strings and it made me understand and learn the blues quicker.

I think one of the best things about getting any of Mr. Arnold's books is it allows you to enter their member's area for free. This is an incredible resource filled with 100's of videos and MP3 files to help with various aspects of learning the guitar. Some of the resources are completed and some are still under construction. For instance The Music Theory Volume One book has videos on how to apply major triads to the guitar all over the neck. I've just started on this but it seems promising. I think it's going to help me directly apply the information I'm learning to the guitar fretboard in a musical way. Once again this is not easy, when I first watched the video I thought it was pretty overwhelming to learn the major triads all over the neck. I think the first video will probably take me a month to master. But I'm inspired to do this because Mr. Arnold shows in some of these videos how the major triad can be used as a music fill to sound like Jimi Hendrix. Since Hendrix is one of my idols this really made me want to learn the chords on the fretboard because I could see a direct application.

So I guess what I'd like to convey is this book is hard, not a whole lot of fun to do the exercises but I'm learning something that seems to be really helping and for me that's the trade off. I don't mind working hard if I get something back in return. If you are like that too then this is a good book to get.