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9781662923982

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"""A soup-to-nuts guide for guitarists looking for a comprehensive way to name and notate chords. Music theory and practicality are sometimes at odds. For example, theory dictates that a chord must have three or more notes, but as debut author Davis explains in his introduction, guitarists play two-note formations frequently, which they must then label as chords when transcribing. As one gets deeper into theory, the conflicts can get more complicated in terms of where a ""root"" note might lay in a chord sequence, or how a chord might fit in a particular scale. Davis seeks to solve that quandary with a practical standard for working guitarists. It's a complicated task, and this book provides a lot of context for readers to consider, explaining pitch, tuning, scales, and intervals, and even providing information on copyrighting musical works. Along the way, he takes a lot of advanced ideas into account, such as unaltered nonextended chords, unaltered extended chords, suspended nonextended chords, and the like. Chances are that any guitarist who's attracted by the title of this book already knows enough to follow these theoretical aspects. The author offers a process to make these concepts clearer, [to Gatekeeper: my rewrite attends to the rest of the sentence & the next one] but it's not a basic, numbered list of steps. Readers with no education in theory may have to read passages several times to put the level of detail into proper perspective [to Gatekeeper: this ends the portion of the Review I ""fixed.""]. A weekend warrior who's happy banging out basic G-C-D or E-A-D progressions, for instance, won't find much use for the theory, but those looking to move forward will find value in the first, basic chapters and the massive appendices, which feature definitions of everything from Travis picking to truss rods. For guitarists who write, the most useful aspect of this book may be the chord guide, which includes voicings for both standard and alternate tunings. A complex manual for guitar players who want to keep learning new things."" -- Kirkus Indie Reviews"

A soup-to-nuts guide for guitarists looking for a comprehensive way to name and notate chords. Music theory and practicality are sometimes at odds. For example, theory dictates that a chord must have three or more notes, but as debut author Davis explains in his introduction, guitarists play two-note formations frequently, which they must then label as chords when transcribing. As one gets deeper into theory, the conflicts can get more complicated in terms of where a root note might lay in a chord sequence, or how a chord might fit in a particular scale. Davis seeks to solve that quandary with a practical standard for working guitarists. It's a complicated task, and this book provides a lot of context for readers to consider, explaining pitch, tuning, scales, and intervals, and even providing information on copyrighting musical works. Along the way, he takes a lot of advanced ideas into account, such as unaltered nonextended chords, unaltered extended chords, suspended nonextended chords, and the like. Chances are that any guitarist who's attracted by the title of this book already knows enough to follow these theoretical aspects. The author offers a process to make these concepts clearer, [to Gatekeeper: my rewrite attends to the rest of the sentence & the next one] but it's not a basic, numbered list of steps. Readers with no education in theory may have to read passages several times to put the level of detail into proper perspective [to Gatekeeper: this ends the portion of the Review I fixed. ]. A weekend warrior who's happy banging out basic G-C-D or E-A-D progressions, for instance, won't find much use for the theory, but those looking to move forward will find value in the first, basic chapters and the massive appendices, which feature definitions of everything from Travis picking to truss rods. For guitarists who write, the most useful aspect of this book may be the chord guide, which includes voicings for both standard and alternate tunings. A complex manual for guitar players who want to keep learning new things. -- Kirkus Indie Reviews

Author Information

Joseph Davis is a guitar hobbyist whose passion for music emerged in the summer of 1966 after a couple of informal guitar lessons at Camp Echo in New York's Catskill Mountains. Over the next few years he also studied piano while continuing to develop as a serious guitarist. In the late 1960s and early 1970s Joe played electric guitar and occasionally organ in local bands in Miami, Florida, and later in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Inspired by the musicianship of a high school friend, in late 1971 Joe switched his focus to acoustic guitar. With his enlistment in the United States Navy in the autumn of 1975, Joe's initial plans of becoming a professional guitarist gave way to a career in the military. While serving in the armed forces, in May 1985 Joe earned an Associate of Science (AS) degree in Electronics Technology from San Diego City College. Three years later he received a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in Atmospheric Science from the University Of Kansas in Lawrence, leading to a commission as an unrestricted line officer. During his twilight naval tour, Joe owned and operated what was then San Diego's only franchised ATA (American Taekwondo Association) Black Belt Academy. Joe also holds six information technology certifications, including Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE). Joe continued playing guitar throughout his years in the navy, which included teaming up with shipmates for gigs at local nightclubs in southeast San Diego and occasional impromptu engagements, such as an overseas performance in the Philippines. Throughout his naval adventure, Joe wrote and eventually registered ten songs with the U.S. Copyright Office. Joe's musical background further includes informal teaching experience in music theory, piano, and guitar. He resides in Port Orchard, Washington, with his wife-Savitree, daughter-Amy, and son-Angel.

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