Can you recommend a good book on music theory?

Christopher Eckert · Post by **Christopher Eckert** » 5 Jul 2011 5:42 am

I apologize if this has been dealt with in previous threads. I looked around but couldn't find a discussion that addressed this question head-on.

Can any of you recommend a good, relatively detailed book on music theory that covers the topics of most relevance to playing the steel guitar (pedal and nonpedal)? Not necessarily a steel guitar-specific book but a solid general theory reference.

I've checked out a few books and not found what i'm looking for. For instance, Arnie Berle's "Theory & Harmony for the Contemporary Musician" gives a nice concise overview of *what* theory is but not *why it is the way it is* or *why we should care*. Michael Perlowin's "Music Theory in the Real World" is very concise and clear and does manage to address more of the why we should care angle but I want more depth. Relatively little of the PSG instructional stuff i've used deals with theory in any semi-comprehensve way, although Winston & Keith's "Pedal Steel Guitar" does introduce basic theory quite nicely and relates it to the PSG.

If anyone has a good general theory reference that they keep on returning to, I'm interested in hearing about it.

Thanks

chris

Dickie Whitley · Post by **Dickie Whitley** » 5 Jul 2011 6:14 am

Christopher, I'm a little surprised you didn't get what you needed from Mike's book. His is the reason I can read sheet music and get the chords I need to play the songs, especially if you contact him for the free supplement he offers. Anyway, here are some other books I used off and on:

The Complete Idiots Guide to Music Theory-Michael Miller-Second Edition ISBN978-1-59257-437-7

Pocket Music Theory-Keith Wyatt & Carl Schroeder
ISBN 0-634-04771-X

Elementary Music Theory-Jeromy Bessler & Nobert Opgenoorth ISBN 3-8024-0416-5

Hope this helps and good luck on your journey.

William Johnson · Post by **William Johnson** » 15 Jul 2011 12:31 pm

Isn't Mike's book out of print? Where can I find or a copy of it?

thanks,
billy

J Hill · Post by **J Hill** » 26 Dec 2011 8:28 am

It looks like Mel Bay puts Mike's book out. Just Google the Title (Music Theory in the Real World) and it'll come up. You can also get it in ebook format.

Richard Damron · Post by **Richard Damron** » 27 Dec 2011 7:39 am

Christopher -

All ya gotta do is to "google" "music theory and harmony" on the net. There's a ton of info/courses and it's all FREE!

Richard

Bryan Daste · Post by **Bryan Daste** » 27 Dec 2011 11:54 am

Here's a good site:
http://www.musictheory.net/

I use it for reference now and again, but it has some very nice bite-sized lessons too. Haven't found an inaccuracy yet.

Bob Hoffnar · Post by **Bob Hoffnar** » 27 Dec 2011 12:04 pm

If you have an understanding of the material in Mike's book and you want apply that info to steel guitar in a deeper way try this exercise:

Take any lick or chord you play already and play it exactly the same on 3 different places on the neck.

Lloyd Green showed me that one years ago. I'm still working on it.

Joseph Barcus · Post by **Joseph Barcus** » 27 Dec 2011 1:26 pm

any music theory book will help you understand. it would not have to circle around steel guitar, go to your library and check out a few books about it. or if you have some spare time take a small college course about it all kinds of ways to go about it

Joseph Barcus · Post by **Joseph Barcus** » 27 Dec 2011 1:29 pm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gHEIF0rT2w

Post by **Joey Ace** » 29 Dec 2011 6:03 am

Most texts are useful but dry.

For a more fun experience I recommend

Edly's Music Theory For Practical People by Ed Roseman

A third edition has been released, you can still get the second edition at half price.

http://www.edly.com/mtfpp.html

I don't know the difference, but not much has changed in Music Theory since 2005, or if it did I didn't get the memo.

J Hill · Post by **J Hill** » 29 Dec 2011 7:50 am

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Joey, thanks for that link! Just ordered. And for folks that need some good basic piano instruction and advice, he's got some very nice pages for free.

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Post by **Joey Ace** » 29 Dec 2011 3:00 pm

Your welcome Leila!

I've been in touch with the author and he sez:

the 3rd edition is a big improvement, IMHO. Theory hasn't changed, of course, but the book did, and there are 40 pages of advanced material and lots of rewrites in the original stuff, as well as graphic upgrades.

That was enough for me to order one.

J Hill · Post by **J Hill** » 29 Dec 2011 6:24 pm

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The last thing I need is 40 more pages of advanced material.

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