Uncle Bob's Attic

Musical Instructional Material:

We've tried a lot of different methods and materials for learning music. And while there's no substitute for a good teacher, these books and courses can go a long way toward helping anyone learn to understand and play music.

This material is primarily aimed at the guitarist as that's our area of expertise. But there are good general reference books included as well. We'd be glad to review for possible inclusion any material you'd like to submit. Just click on the Contacts link in the upper right-hand corner and let us know the title or ISBN.

New Harvard Dictionary of Music Every musician and student needs to understand the vernacular. This is the place to find answers to questions like, what exactly does 'cadence' mean?	Richard Cook's Jazz Encyclopedia Want to know how th eterm 'Bebop' is defined? How about the origins of 'Modal Jazz'. Wille Smith's birthday? This book has it all.	Mel Bay's Guitar Method #1 This is the starting point for any serious guitarist. After completing this book, you'll be able to move into any style that you choose.	F. Noad Solo Guitar Playing Covers traditional classical playing from the ground up. It's a must have book for any finger-style player.
Theory and Harmony for the Contemporary Musician Starts with the basics and builds a solid knowledge of theory for any instrumentalist.	Berklee Music Theory Book 1 Get the benefit of Paul Schmeling's 40+ years at Berklee. He is a master and this book is full of excellent musical knowledge.	Berklee Music Theory Book 2 Picks up where Book 1 left off. Concentrates on ear training, harmony and writing.	Solo and Improv I hate the title of this book, but the material is great. I've never seen a book that analyzes different ways to build a solo.
All Blues for Jazz Guitar Uses standard notation, chord symbols, guitar tab and instructional text. The emphasis is on chordal movement and rhythms.	Jim Kelly's Guitar Workshop Another Berklee instructor presents some wonderful material. This book concentrates more on the pieces than on instruction. 'Like Kenny' and 'Mr. Stern' are two of my favorites.	101 Must Know Jazz Licks Standard notation, guitar tab and in-depth analysis and instruction for 101 very cool guitar licks.	A Modern Method for Guitar Vols 1,2,3 This is a very complete learning system for the serious guitar player. If you can't attend Berklee, you can get a great deal of knowledge from this series.
Reading Studies for Guitar Great book for any guitarist who wants to leard his or her instrument. Covers all keys in positions 1 through 7.	Reading Studies for Guitar Advanced Follow up to the previous book. All keys in positions 8 through 12.	Jazz Guitar Technique Andrew Green covers basics of the neck and theory and quickly moves on to technique, chords, rythms and more. Standard notation only, which is a boon to anyone who really wants to learn to read.	Jazz Guitar Standards Lead sheets, chord solos, comping charts and single-line improv for 20 jazz standards. A great book for any jazz player - solo or band.
How to Play Jazz and Improvide This book is chock full of information from scales to building tension. It's great for any instrumentalist who wants to round out their knowledge and pick up some tools for their bag.	Beginning jazz Guitar In spite of the title, this book has plenty of material for the intermediate player as well as the beginner. Chord inversions and extended major scales, to name two. Very good book