Your must have Music Theory books.....

[Bilbo]

I have this theory that, with a little care, you can pretty much get all of the information you need to give give yourself the best possible chance to get good at this music thing in a very small number of books instead of the 100s we all end up buying. I don't even think its a case of us getting 'that' book. Most basic theory books have the same information in them anyway. So. if you had to rationalise your entire library of music theory books, bass tuition books or play alongs, which 5 would you keep? I have dozens of things I can access for information but the ones I keep going back to and would have to replace if they got damaged are:

Mark Levine's Jazz Theory book

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Jazz-Theory-Book-Mark-Levine/dp/1883217040/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1329306951&sr=1-1

Bill Russo's Jazz Composition and Orchestration

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Jazz-Composition-Orchestration-William-Russo/dp/0226732088/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1329307157&sr=1-1

Bill Russo's Composing For Jazz Orchestra

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Composing-Jazz-Orchestra-William-Russo/dp/B0026C8H5K/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1329307260&sr=1-4

Samual Adler's The Study of Orchestration (with the accompanying cds)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Study-Orchestration-Book-only/dp/039397572X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1329307361&sr=1-1

Chuck Sher and Marc Johnson's Concepts for Bass Soloing

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Concepts-Bass-Soloing-Chuck-Sher/dp/1883217008/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1329307445&sr=1-1-fkmr1

There are others but these are the ones I would grab in a flood....

What about you guys?

[JakeBrownBass]

My harddrive/iPad full of ebooks

Edit:

In all seriousness though, Mark Levine's theory book is IMO the only theory book any one could possible need.

I'd also grab Jerry Cokers Patterns for Jazz & Chuck Shers Improvisers Bass Method. I think thats what they're called anyway.

Edited February 15, 2012 by JakeBrownBass

[OliverBlackman]

another +1 on the jazz theory book. Not quite theory but the latin bass book is a great way of exercising the methods gained from the jazz theory book to rhythms most aren't familiar with.

[Hector]

Forward Motion - Hal Galper
Connecting Chords with Linear Harmony - Bert Ligon
Inside Improv Vol.3: Jazz Line & Vol.1:Melodic Structures - Jerry Bergonzi (quite like all his books but those two are my faves)

I would actually say that the Levine book hindered my development more than helped it in the early stages, and would strongly recommend the above for beginning improvisers. That said, the Levine book is a monumental achievement, a fantastic reference book and an indispensible part of my theory library. Just his approach is not overly practical to those just starting out who need a clear and applicable approach to playing melodic lines that outline harmony - I find it a little too "modal" (imo of course, everyone learns differently).

I would also recommend a volume on ear training but don't know about specifics - I just have a hodgepodge of exercises gathered from over the years that I work on.

Edited February 15, 2012 by Hector

[ojplaysbass]

i don't know if it qualifies strictly as a theory book, but my favourite music/bass book is

'standing in the shadows of motown (the life and music of James Jamerson)'

i think its fairly cheap on Amazon at the moment, too. i always reach for it when i need to brush up on my sight reading.

[fatback]

Very helpful thread, thanks. There's just so much out there.

[lowdown]

I cut mine down to only Two. [Well three, Charlie Parker Omni book in Bass clef]
Mark Levine & Samual Adler.
The Samual Adler book is ongoing for me.
Mark Levine book i poke into every now and then.

I seem to get more out of transcribing these days.

Garry

[Hector]

Just as an addendum to my last post, here's the first 30 pages of the Bert Ligon book for your perusal.

[url="http://www.scribd.com/doc/51885034/7346612-Bert-Ligon-Connecting-Chords-With-Linear-Harmony-1"]http://www.scribd.com/doc/51885034/7346612-Bert-Ligon-Connecting-Chords-With-Linear-Harmony-1[/url]

[Wylie]

I'd add Chuck Sher's The Improvisor's Bass Method book: [url="http://www.shermusic.com/new/0961470100.shtml"]http://www.shermusic...961470100.shtml[/url] It is not all or only about improvising, as the title certainly suggests. Sher has a very interesting way of making ordinary exercises interesting. This book is designed for both electric and double-bass players, with appropriate diagrams (esp. showing different fingerings and positions).

tg

Edited February 18, 2012 by tedgilley

[paul_5]

another +1 for the Bass Improviser's Method by Chuck Sher - a great book with loads and loads of stuff to go back to time and time again. Looks like I'll be investing in the Levine book too, though I think we have it in the library at work.

The Samuel Adler is a brilliant book, my first port of call when arranging for larger ensembles - essential reading.

[lowdown]

[quote name='paul_5' timestamp='1329527663' post='1544001']
The Samuel Adler is a brilliant book[/quote]

This really is a classic, very detailed but so easy to follow.




Garry

[Bilbo]

I have downloaded the sample of the Galper book on Kindle and it looks interesting. Will probably upgrade with the actual book as notation is often hard to read on screen and you can't enlarge it on a Kindle like you can text.

[Bilbo]

Couldn't resist it and bought the Galper book as a Kindle book. So far so good! Have already learned some stuff that has effected the way I look at melody (I was composing today and was thinking differently from the off). Good call, Hector (very Worthy)

[Hector]

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1329595147' post='1544763']
Couldn't resist it and bought the Galper book as a Kindle book. So far so good! Have already learned some stuff that has effected the way I look at melody (I was composing today and was thinking differently from the off). Good call, Hector (very Worthy)
[/quote]

Yes, a convert! Nice one Rob, hope you enjoy it as much as I have (and still am). When I first picked it up a few months ago, it had a similarly immediate effect on how I was thinking about my melodic lines. I found that it's also the sort of thing that adds a slightly new context to other theory books you read.

[lowdown]

[quote name='Hector' timestamp='1329486452' post='1543215']
Just as an addendum to my last post, here's the first 30 pages of the Bert Ligon book for your perusal.

[url="http://www.scribd.com/doc/51885034/7346612-Bert-Ligon-Connecting-Chords-With-Linear-Harmony-1"]http://www.scribd.co...inear-Harmony-1[/url]
[/quote]

After viewing that.
I had to buy...
Looks very interesting, well its two o'clock in the morning anything looks interesting.

Thanks for the link

[foal30]

the Levine Tome

Standing in the Shadows - Jamerson - Slutsky

how to play Be-Bop - David Bakler

Improvise - Chuck Shear

honorable menrtions to Goldsby's Bass Book and indefatiguable Abersold playa long series

[Hector]

[quote name='lowdown' timestamp='1329703250' post='1546236']
After viewing that.
I had to buy...
Looks very interesting, well its two o'clock in the morning anything looks interesting.

Thanks for the link
[/quote]

Another convert! Things are going well.

I really hope you like it as much as I do - my current project is chapter 10 (where the real meaty stuff is) in 12 keys at different positions (trying to improve my dusty thumb position chops). Really like the three basic outline chapters and how they deconstruct/demystify so much bebop vocabulary, but feel they're more to dip in and out of. Let me know how you get on with it!