(Part 2) Best music books according to redditors

Jump to the top 20

We found 14,504 Reddit comments discussing the best music books. We ranked the 5,352 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the products ranked 21-40. You can also go back to the previous section.

Next page

Subcategories:

Books about musical instruments
Music reference books
Songbooks
Music business books
Music history & criticism books
Musical genres books
Books about music recording & sound
Music theory & composition books

Top Reddit comments about Music:

u/Sleutelbos · 88 pointsr/WeAreTheMusicMakers

A counter-melody is a 'less important' melody played against the primary melody. Historically there was a period when playing multiple melodies against each other was the absolute essence of music, and folks like Bach dominated (called 'counterpoint' music). A very famous example, that is 'simple' so easy to follow is Bach's Invention #1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzU7xQmmXGE

His 'inventions' were for two melodies. He also wrote 'sinfonias' which were for three voices, and are a bit more complex, for example his Sinfonia No.2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UoZwnXDjbV0

Listening to this with headphones while trying to consciously follow all melodies is quite a peculiar experience. :)

And if you want to feel depressed and talentless, check from 10:54: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XCUcZ5KK7Q. Here he starts with the primary melody and then has the second melody join. This is exhausting to *really* listen to and my peanut brain is too small to ever hope to play something like this. Shredding? Sure, I can start slow, practice a ton and end up fast. But having both hands play *this* independently? Awe-inspiring. Sitting down and composing this on a piece of paper almost 400 years ago? Madness. :D

In baroque counterpoint the goal is to make every melody interesting in and of themselves, and make it sound 'effortless harmoniously together'. It should sound like these melodies were born together. In practice this aint easy at all and you'll be tempted to see one as the 'primary melody' and the others as 'subservient' where you can take shortcuts to make them fit the main melody. At that point it is no longer true counterpoint but you can still call it a counter-melody. Taken further you'll have things like arpeggios; parts that obviously fit the primary melody but are themselves so bland they are clearly accompaniment instead of a melody in their own right.

If you're interested, a very well-regarded (though rather pedantic) book that starts at the basic and offers exercises is the many century old https://www.amazon.com/Study-Counterpoint-Johann-Joseph-Parnassum/dp/0393002772. If you want to go *really* old-school you can go as close to the original here: http://hz.imslp.info/files/imglnks/usimg/3/31/IMSLP370587-PMLP187246-practicalrulesfo00fuxj.pdf

I think it'll help most songwriters/composers to know the basics, even if you dont care about classical counterpoint at all. :)

u/Earhacker · 45 pointsr/edmproduction

First of all, you have to decide what you want the focus of the track to be on. You talk about bass a lot, so I guess that's your focus. So start by lowering all faders to the bottom (start with silence).

>When mixing, what are my goals to get my levels at?

Skip to the main part of your song, a part where everything is playing. Raise the fader on your bass channel so that it peaks at about -12dB on your Master channel meter. Now, without looking at any meters, raise the fader of your next most important channel (in EDM, usually the kick) until it sounds good alongside the bass. Then do the same with the next most important channel until all three sound good together and repeat until you've raised all faders by whatever amount.

By the time you're done, you will probably be peaking at -6dB. Don't worry if you aren't, so long as you're not clipping.

Not every part of your song will fit into this mix, but it's a pretty good place to start. Now you get busy with automation in parts like your intro/outro and breakdowns.

>To make my track professional sounding, I'm using a spectrum analyzer, so what do I want the shape of all the levels to be?

Forget about the spectrum analyser. They have their uses, but real men mix with their ears. Professionals mix with their ears. Stop worrying about the numbers (so long as you're not clipping!)

>Is bass supposed to be higher than the rest because it's perceived as lower?

Not necessarily. You might find that your bass fader is higher than the rest, but that's because you made it your focus. It would be different if you were making a rock track, where the guitar or vocals would be the focus of the mix.

>How do I get things like my lead to stand out without squashing hats and other sounds?

We call this "separation," and you do it with EQ. If your leads are interfering with your hats, chances are that they are sharing some of the same frequencies. What you have to do with EQ is separate the frequencies of each channel so that they don't clash. This is where you would use that spectrum analyser, at least until you develop a good sense of frequency with your ears alone. Solo the hats and look at where they peak on the spectrum. Now cut that frequency from your lead with EQ. Don't go nuts, a cut of 5-6dB is more than enough. Now do the same in reverse - look at where the lead peaks and cut that from the hats. The two tracks should now play nicely together without clashing.

By the way, I'm of the opinion that with EDM, where the producer is in full control of the sound design of all the elements of a track, if you need to drastically EQ any track, then it's better to just rethink the sound selection. Why bother trying to force a lead to fit a hi-hat when you have many GB of other hi-hats on your hard drive, or when you have a synth with total control of the frequencies in your lead? It's true, you can't polish a turd, and you can't make two polished turds look good together either.

>Often I test it in my car with a subwoofer and my levels for bass are low but I'm already almost clipping.

It's probably just that other channels have bass information that doesn't need to be there, leaving no room for your actual bass. Since you're now mixing to focus on your bass, this should be less of a problem. To go along with what I was saying about frequency separation it's common to just high-pass filter every channel to about 120Hz except the bass and kick, so that they are the only thing heard in that whole frequency band (which is what your subs are playing).

>I just need like an in depth text resource

My recommendations are The Art of Mixing and Mastering Audio.

u/TheBishopsBane · 39 pointsr/Music

Everyone has perfect pitch. Our brains have receptors that match the frequency of what we're hearing. If you hear an A at 440Hz, your brain fires a receptor at 440Hz. There's a great book called This Is Your Brain On Music by Daniel J Levitin that explains it much better than I could.
Still cool, though.

u/Dirt_Dog_ · 31 pointsr/todayilearned

Not really. Hip Hop wouldn't spread globally until years later. And the people who accomplished that didn't get their DJ equipment in 1977.

What had a much bigger impact on hip hop was the 1971 south Bronx gang truce that allowed people to go to clubs and block parties without worrying about crossing rival gang territory.

The book Can't Stop Won't Stop covers it extremely well.

https://www.amazon.com/Cant-Stop-Wont-History-Generation/dp/0312425791

u/logo5 · 27 pointsr/LetsTalkMusic

I feel like this argument ^(apologies ^if ^I ^misinterpreted ^it!) is always brought up whenever new technology gets introduced. New technology threatens an old system of music production and while it frees up artistic creativity because of its availability, some people point to the perceived value of loss of musical integrity.

People will say something like "It's just not as good as it was before", that there are too many people diluting what x music should be.


A particular example I'm thinking about is the deejaying aspect of hip-hop in the 1970s; at first, it was just only people who had the resources to purchase turntables and speakers. Who had the double turntable/loudest was king. The rap aspect took the backseat to the dub/deejay aspect. In the early days, it was all about having a good time, getting people to come to your party, and keeping the music playing.

But then when radio discovered what was going on in New York, power dynamics changed. Rapper's Delight by The Sugarhill Gang was recorded and broadcasted in 1979 and the entire hip-hop landscape changed. Hip-hop was no longer viewed as a simple extracurricular activity, but the possibility of a potential profitable career. The live aspect of deejaying yielded to the much more profitable rapping aspect.

And this made some people upset. These rappers were diluting the already "good" deejaying scene. If you were big and didn't adapt to these new changes, you basically lost.

What do I think? I think over-saturation is great! I don't need to depend on filters to find good music; I can be in a small town in Kentucky and still find cool musicians who play in Austin, TX. While I do occasionally use BIRP and some indie youtube channels/tumblr pages, I am able to make value decisions. From my computer. I simply need a library account to access the computer and I have access to a world of music. It is super egalitarian in my mind.

Hipster moment here: I remember when I listened to Zoe Yin's Midnight back when it had a hundred something views. She's incredibly talented imho. I don't know her, probably wouldn't have seen her live even if she was in my town. But because she uploaded her stuff on the internet, I was able to find it in my free time. That's cool!

But I do acknowledge that there are some poorly mastered mixes out there. That's the nature of the beast. With ease of availability comes inexperience.

Another example (not music-related, but very relevant): film photography vs. digital photography. I learned how to take photos with b&w 35 mm film. It was expensive and it demanded a lot of time. Hours and days were put into developing/burning/dodging that I wanted my pictures to count. So, I worked and only took photos that passed a threshold of interest (due to the limitations of materials, expense, and time). Therefore, what I produced had a significant amount of thought and effort into them. And people liked it.

But now we have instagram, mobile phone cameras, and inexpensive point and shoots. More importantly, we have SD cards. Now instead of limited to 24 shots, you can take thousands! And it is reusable!

What does this mean? It means the effort behind the photo is reduced. Just a simple click with minimal thought. A lot of stuff I see on Facebook or Twitter... Well, it isn't that "good". But that doesn't mean it isn't art. And it doesn't mean we get to immediately write it off. We just need to look at it differently with the technical process in mind. Who is taking it? Who is their audience? What is their intention? How did they do it? Just like the internet scene, photography is going through the same debates.

And the best advice I can give is... just go with it! Find stuff. Hate it, love it, be indifferent. As long as you keep questioning the basis of your value system and don't hold on to a traditional viewpoint of what x should be every time/all the time... You'll be good!

^Jesus... ^this ^was ^long, ^thanks ^for ^reading ^if ^you ^made ^it ^this ^far

Citations:

Can't Stop Won't Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation by Jeff Chang

tl;dr: the perception of oversaturation is just a mindset; allow yourself to be open from whatever old nostalgic system of value you hold and you can find some really cool stuff out there

u/submarinefacemelt · 27 pointsr/AskHistorians

The Caribbean New York link is often cited as one of the key factors in the formation of hip hop. I strongly recommend you read Jeff Chang’s book Can’t Stop Won’t Stop to find a more detailed narrative on the link. It dedicates a chapter to the socio-economic conditions in NYC the late 60s and early 70s and another chapter to sound system culture in Jamaica which really set the scene what how and why hip hop emerged.

As a fan of early hip hop, I just want to stress that in 1970s in NYC the Caribbean influence was present in not only in rapping style, but in DJing style too, perhaps even more so. It was really the sound-system DJ culture of Jamaica that first made its way into the parks, streets and house parties in New York. It was the rapping that followed. This interview with DJ Kool Herc gives some indication of how one led to the other. The book “Last Night A DJ Saved My Life illuminates this further.

Lastly, while there is a strong Jamaican link to the origins of rapping, it is important to note that it was not only the source of influence. There were many other American artists from different backgrounds included raps and spoken word in their songs.

As a record collector, some of the more interesting examples that I have come across in my time include.

u/preezyfabreezy · 26 pointsr/edmproduction

Simon Reynolds' "Generation Ecstasy" is the big one about 90's dance music. It was like required raver reading back in the day. Big focus on UK hardcore/early jungle.
http://www.amazon.com/Generation-Ecstasy-World-Techno-Culture/dp/0415923735/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8


Co-sign "Last Night a DJ saved my life" also a really good one.
http://www.amazon.com/Last-Night-DJ-Saved-Life/dp/0802146104/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1421350101&sr=1-1&keywords=last+night+a+dj+saved+my+life


Dan Sicko's "Techno Rebels" is great one with a big focus on the early detroit techno scene
http://www.amazon.com/Techno-Rebels-Renegades-Electronic-Painted/dp/0814334385/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1421350046&sr=1-1&keywords=techno+rebels


Kai Fikentscher "You better work" is a great one about the early NYC dance scene. The loft, the paradise garage etc.
http://www.amazon.com/Better-Work-Underground-Dance-Music/dp/0819564044/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1421350247&sr=1-1&keywords=you+better+work


Mireille Silcott "Rave America" is an awesome one about the 90's US rave scene. Big focus on Midwest hardcore/hard techno. Also has a super early interview with Tommie Sunshine before he became a DJ.
http://www.amazon.com/Rave-America-New-School-Dancescapes/dp/1550223836/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1421350330&sr=1-1&keywords=rave+america


Brian Belle-Fortune "All Crews" is a good one about the UK 90's D&B
scene.
http://www.amazon.com/All-Crews-Journeys-Through-Culture-ebook/dp/B00HJ6SPPU/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1421350448&sr=1-1&keywords=all+crews

If you're into digging for old dance records. There's a series of books called "the rough guide" that was distributed by Penguin that are basically little mini-encyclopedias of 90's dance artists/releases. I found them REALLY helpful back in the day before the internet was a thing.


I've got the rough guides to house, techno & d&b. Here's a link to the house one. http://www.amazon.com/Rough-Guide-House-Music/dp/1858284325/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1421350616&sr=1-1&keywords=the+rough+guide+to+house

EDIT. Forgot to add. THE MANUAL by the KLF is fucking hilarious read & kind of an amazing historical artifact. It's like a $100 on amazon (Ugh, a friend borrowed my copy back in the day and never gave it back) but there's text/pdf versions floating around the web
http://www.amazon.com/Manual-How-Have-Number-Easy/dp/1899858652/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1421350795&sr=1-1&keywords=KLF+the+manual

u/SodiumThoride · 26 pointsr/Guitar

Maybe look at Guitar Aerobics.

Edit: added linky

u/TangoSierraFan · 22 pointsr/Bass

Do yourself a favour and start learning from a classical standpoint right now. Seriously, you will have an enormous leg up on 99% of other players if you do.

Hal Leonard's Bass Method is an amazing resource for beginners. It starts you off at the fundamentals and takes you through everything you need to get started.

You might also want to invest in a bass scale poster for your wall. Practicing scales and shapes is absolutely key to learning how to properly support your band because it teaches you the muscle memory you need to play in various keys.

In addition to this, my three golden rules for practice are:

  • Practice to a metronome. Develop good timing from day one. Tightness is not negotiable.

  • Start slow. If you are not able to play accurately, you are playing too fast for your current skill level. Playing fast sloppily damages progress by cementing bad habits into your muscle memory, which you will then have to undo.

  • Practice mindfully. Don't strum your bass while watching TV. Sit down in a private space away from distractions and focus on your practice. Make goals for yourself, visualize them, and keep your nose to the grinder.
u/meepwned · 21 pointsr/Guitar

My suggestion is to learn on your own, and if you choose to go to college, pursue a major that has more profitable career options. Minor in music theory and invest your free time in practicing your instrument. Here is a reading list I recommend to start getting into serious music study and guitar playing:

u/How_Does_One_Reddit · 21 pointsr/Guitar

Zen Guitar is a great guitar philosophy book that is an easy read.

u/adamnemecek · 20 pointsr/edmproduction

You are in luck because 2 weeks ago, the new edition of Dance Music Manual came out.

http://www.amazon.com/Dance-Music-Manual-Tools-Techniques/dp/0415825644/ref=dp_ob_title_bk

You can read the reviews for the previous edition here http://www.amazon.com/Dance-Music-Manual-Tools-Techniques/dp/0240521072/ref=pd_sim_b_7

It covers like all the bases to some extent. It does not teach you how to use a DAW though.

Also all the books (Music theory|Composition|Harmony) for computer musician by Michael Hewitt are pretty good if you have no music background.

u/iboughtshoes · 20 pointsr/Bass
u/spoonopoulos · 19 pointsr/musictheory

There are a lot of courses. Any specific topics you're interested in?

Edit: I'll just list a few anyway that I've used in classes (this may not reflect all professors' choices for the same subjects).

Tonal Harmony: Kostka-Payne - Tonal Harmony

Counterpoint 1: A Berklee book by the late professor Rick Applin. Some also use this Fux translation/adaptation

Counterpoint 2: Bach Inventions & Sinfonias (any edition, really)

"Advanced" Counterpoint: The Well-Tempered Clavier (again, any edition)

Early Twentieth-Century Harmony: Persichetti - Twentieth-Century Harmony

Post-Tonal Theory/Analysis: Straus - Intro to Post-Tonal Theory

Instrumentation/Orchestration: Adler - The Study of Orchestration &
Casella/Mortari - The Technique of Contemporary Orchestration

Western Music History - Burkholder/Paiisca - A History of Western Music (8th or 9th edition)

Conducting 1 - Notion Conducting

Conducting 2 Notion + Stravinsky's Petrushka

Berklee's own (jazz-based) core harmony and ear-training curricula use Berklee textbooks written by professors which, as someone else mentioned, come unbound and shrink-wrapped at the bookstore. You can find older (PDF) versions of the Berklee harmony textbooks here. Of course this list only represents explicit book choices - there are a lot of excerpt-readings, and there's a lot of instruction that isn't found in these books even in the associated courses.

u/jetpacksforall · 17 pointsr/Bass

For a starting point, I'd recommend Building Walking Bass Lines by Ed Friedland. You might not be interested in playing the walking style at all, but all of the tools you need to understand and play any type of bass line is right there in that little book.

Other players may have other ways of thinking about it, but to me the whole art of playing bass can be summed up as "different ways to get back home," home being the root note of a song. A great bassline is both surprising (like wow, I didn't see that coming) and yet paradoxically it seems totally right, like it couldn't have been otherwise. You can go up the neck and come back down. You can go down and come up. You can use chords, scales, chromatics, or weird & cool combinations of those. You can use rhythm patterns and "feel". You can throw in dynamic effects like hammer-ons, trills, or even get really exotic and move "off the one" and start substituting chords, etc. etc. This book starts you off dead simple with "how to get back home," and then gradually gets more and more complex. By the end you've got a pretty solid grasp of song structure and you have a set of tools to work within a song structure and build a cool-sounding, effective bass line for it.

As far as gear goes, a good rule of thumb is always "the best, highest quality, coolest-sounding gear you can reasonably afford." Music is all about sounding good, and practice is all about finding ways to enjoy yourself while doing something that can wind up being a drag. Your gear choices should be designed to get you excited about playing and making music, and that's really the only important consideration.

P.S. Edit - Also like several people suggested, finding a good bass teacher can make a huge difference. There are so many little things a book can't teach you, and a video is never going to listen to your playing and point out things you can't hear yet.

u/nahtazu · 15 pointsr/popheads

I double majored in Physics and Music simply because those were my interests, they didn't really directly apply to my job pursuit. I think as far as getting a foot in the door internships are paramount. Look up some artists you like and see who manages them or who their record label is. If they have an internship application great: apply. If they don't, send an email to whoever you can get a hold of there asking about internships.

Your marketing degree definitely makes you more qualified! I'd advise doing some research on the fields that specifically interest you. For example, if you're looking to get into music, read Donald Passman's All You Need To Know About The Music Business.

u/xuol · 14 pointsr/musictheory

Octave equivalence is universal among humans, barring neural damage or problems. However, there are no universal preferences for any other intervals. For example, some scales in the folk music of places such as Java don't have a fifth in them... although they do have an interval that is (I believe) 17 cents sharper than a sharp. I'm not 100% sure if that's the exact value, but it's between a fifth and a quarter tone above a fifth.

The smallest interval that can be discriminated by the ear when the two pitches are not played at the same time is about 50 cents (a quarter tone). Because of this, the upward limit for number of scale tones per octave is 24.

If you want to read a good book that gives a lot more information than I can on the subject than I can, I highly recommend The Social Psychology of Music by Paul R. Farnsworth. Daniel Levitin's book This Is Your Brain on Music also discusses pitch, and I believe that's where I read that the limit is 24 tones.

And, more bonus information just because I feel like you might appreciate it. When we listen to two intervals at the same time, we can discern differences much smaller. Starting with two tones that are at the same pitch, if one of the tone rises, different things happen as the interval gets wider and wider.

While the tones are the same pitch, the sounds' amplitudes are added, which (in most situations) just makes it twice as loud. As the second tone rises to 15 Hz above the first tone, the average of the two tones is heard with a beating noise with a frequency of the difference in tone. Thus if one tone is at 440 and the other is at 450, the ear will hear 445 with a "beating" sound that happens 10 times per second. Above 15Hz, there is an unpleasant sound until the difference between the tones' pitches reaches a point called the Limit of Discrimination. This point is arbitrary and depends on things like the absolute values of the two pitches (for example, lower pitches are harder to discriminate between) and the listener theirself. Above the Limit of Discrimination, though, there is a sensation of hearing two pitches instead of just one. From there upwards, it reaches what's called the critical band, which is a continuum of decreasing dissonance. Above that point, most of the effects have more to do with culture than how the ear works.

Also, about scales. Traditionally, pentatonic scales come from Europe and West Asia, but heptatonic (7-note) scales were used primarily in the Middle East and India. You might also check out Temperament: How Music Became a Great Battlefield for the Great Minds of Western Civilization, because it points out how arbitrary our decisions of pitch in Western music are.

TL;DR: The octave is the only interval that's universal

u/_Big_Baby_Jesus_ · 12 pointsr/Music

If you're interested in a great book about early hip hop, check this one out-

https://www.amazon.com/Cant-Stop-Wont-History-Generation/dp/0312425791

The author Jeff Chang was a founder of the Solesides collective/label in 1991, along with DJ Shadow, Lyrics Born, and Blackalicious.

u/mhgl · 12 pointsr/Guitar
u/stanley_bobanley · 11 pointsr/Guitar

I've been playing guitar professionally for 15 years. In that time, I've gotten a BMus in classical guitar performance, taught music, accompanied several accomplished musicians on stage and in the studio, and played in bands that have performed festivals / won grants / were written about in nationally distributed newspapers and magazines. I've edited three LPs and six EPs, mixed three records, and have production credits on them all. I've appeared on stage and in the studio ~ 1k times. All my income comes from teaching, playing, and writing.

Tips:

  1. Never stop being a student of your craft. Be humble and take every opportunity to learn.
  2. Play live frequently! I've met many talented musicians who want to reach a large group of people but don't play shows. There is no big secret to breaking through a scene: The more you appear on stage, the more people see you play.
  3. Professionalism goes a long way. If you're playing a gig for a single person or a thousand people: Respect your crowd. Don't treat a gig like a throwaway ever. Communicate and be engaging no matter the size and demographic. You'll be surprised what one fan can do for you. I once met a guy in a small crowd who had traveled to my city and happened to be there. He liked our set and happened to book shows where he lived; this person became a springboard for us to reach an entirely new market!
  4. It's important that you're well-rehearsed and sound great, but bar owners care about how you treat the business end of things as well. If you want to succeed: Don't get blackout loaded and forget to do things like man your merch table, give shoutouts to the serving staff, and treat the venue respectfully.
  5. Network with other bands. We need each other to help an entire scene grow. I've been having songwriting sessions with other bands in my hometown and it's really fun to crossover and rewarding too.
  6. Learn to sing. I've only ever sang backups but I can hold a tune. This is a very valuable skill, even if you're only singing "Ahhh" in the background. Backup vox can improve a song dramatically.
  7. Invest in your craft. Sound matters! What's the point in honing all that skill if it's not going to sound great. Be on top of changing trends and know when a deal is a steal. You can grow your backline and not break the bank if you're well-educated. All this takes is time and browsing the internet.
  8. Be conscious of your crowd. Looks and gear matter. When I get booked to play solo jazz at a corporate cocktail event, I'm not going to show up with a ratty jeans and a flying-V (rad as that would be). And, while those wallflower gigs are kind of boring, I can charge $500/hr or more and they don't blink an eye. That amount of money is nothing to them and pays my rent / expenses for a month.
  9. Teach! All the time. There is nothing more rewarding than watching a person learn to do something they love and know that you helped them get there. At any level, you can become a teacher. Find a person who needs what you know, and share it with them.
  10. Listen to music. Know what's out there. When you get stuck in a rut as a player, find an entirely new genre. The opportunity to do so, given what the internet is, has never been greater. You can invest in hours of listening at zero cost.
  11. Transcribe music by ear. Knowing theory and being able to read sheet music is great; but a strong ear is the most valuable thing a musician can have. Contrary to what you might think, this is a skill that can be taught and learned. You might be horrible at it to begin with, but if you frequent Ricci Adam's MusicTheory.net every day, you will improve. I used this to quiz myself during my degree; great tool.
  12. Know your value and don't be afraid to demand it. Music is a business and you will be your only agent for a long time.

    Books:

  13. The Advancing Guitarist by Mick Goodrick.



u/MusicandWrestling · 11 pointsr/hiphopheads

Can't Stop Won't Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation Really enjoyable and exhaustive history of hip-hop from its roots through 2005

u/ggPeStiLenCe · 10 pointsr/edmproduction

Whenever it seems that all my time I invested in making a track is on a verge of being thrown down the drain, I just stop and do one of the following:

  • Educate myself further music theory
  • Reread a book on mixing like this one.
  • Reread a book on mastering like this one.
  • Watch or read some sound design videos / articles
  • Watch a movie
  • Listen to other's music


    After that I come back and usually things go really well.
u/Do_not_dare_give_up · 10 pointsr/IWantToLearn

Hi there!

I've been producing Electronic Music as a hobby for almost 10 years.

Here's a quick guide to help you get started:

1.
you will need a DAW (Digita Audio Workstation), this is your tool and work environment in which you will create and mix your beats.

Depending on if you are on Windows or Mac you have a few different options.

FL Studio - This is the DAW I started producing in, back in version 8.something. It is widely considered one of the best starter DAW's because of the very intuitive user interface and HUGE library of native samples and plugins. FL Studio is sometimes looked down upon by some producers, who don't seem to take it seriously as a professional DAW. In my experience these producers often lack experience themselves, FL is a great DAW and in the end it is what you do with the tool that matters ;).

  • some famous producers that use FL: Avicii (rip), Martin Garrix, Camo and Krooked, Benga, Spor/Feed Me, ...

    Ableton Live - This is the DAW I currently use, I switched from FL to Ableton for the simple reason that it was easier to collaborate with a friend of mine who also used Ableton at the time. I feel that FL Studio's native plugins and instruments are a bit better than Ableton's, but I personally like Ableton's interface and workflow better than FL's.

    What is very specific about Ableton is the "Live Session mode", where you can arrange your sounds and loops in groups that you can trigger live with a midi controller, which is very handy for live performances (obviously) but also often used as a song writing tool, especially in hip-hop and futurebeat genres. - famous artists that use Ableton: Skrillex, Flume, Netsky, Dada Life, ...

    These are the two DAW's I have personal experience with, but there are other options as well: Steinberg Cubase, PreSonus Studio One, Apple Logic Pro, and many more. Best to do your own research and download a few trial versions to see which one you like best.

    2. After you decided on a DAW and "legally" obtained one, it's time to start making music. By that I mean "time to start making very shit music that you will look back on with huge cringe a few years from now" because that's exactly what it is like.

    I don't mean this in a discouraging way, on the contrary! It takes loads of time and effort before you'll start noticing you're improving. One of the most important things to keep in mind is to be self-critical and open to criticism. Don't assume you know better when you're just starting out, be an empty cup because it's impossible to fill one that's already full.

    Here's a very inspiring monologue on the subject by Ira Glass

    3. Tutorials and books. Here are some books and tutorials that helped me out a lot, and hopefully will help you too!

    books:
    Mastering Audio: The Art and Science - Bob Katz widely considered to be the producer's bible.

    The Mixing Engineers Handbook - Bobby Owsinski

    tutorials:

    Sadowick's ultimate Ableton Guide a full beginner to intermediate guide of Ableton Live, purely for this tutorial series alone I'd reccommend using Ableton. It's very comprehensive. Sadowick also has lots of other very useful tutorials on his channel, but is currently on hiatus because of his battle with cancer :(

    SeamlessR this entire channel is gold. Seamless uses FL Studio but what he teaches is applicable to most DAW's. Lots of great tutorials on synthesis, mostly Drum and Bass focused but very interesting.

    ADSR Tutorials very informative tutorials ranging from mixing to synthesis. Often about House and Techno, but most techniques are really applicable to every genre.

    ____

    -
    if you start with these you'll come a long way, if you have any questions; pm me.
    -

    EDIT here are some subreddits you might be interested in as well:

    /r/makinghiphop

    /r/WeAreTheMusicMakers

    /r/edmproduction



u/aherzer · 10 pointsr/OldSchoolCool

after reading Can't Stop Won't Stop by Jeff Chang, I can counter with the fact that in 1978 there were just as many antagonist cops looking to put black kids into jail for having stereos and being associated with 'gangs' and that decisions were made in the police administration to both (1) let the Bronx burn and (2) instigate violence between gangs in Harlem.

u/erebusman · 10 pointsr/Guitar

I was prepared not to like this guy .. for several reasons .. most of them with your interpretation/flavoring of your opinion about the guy and "if" I learn his stuff I'll be liberating myself. It felt a little pretentious and put me on-guard.

However having given it a listen - I do like it - and I thank you for pointing him out.

I will say that I don't think the only avenue to liberating yourself as a guitar player is to learn to play this guys stuff.

For me there were two keys to liberating myself on guitar .. the first was when I was a teen my mother would come home drunk/stoned at 3 AM with whomever she had picked up at the bar and blast her stereo .. on a school night.

I had a Peavey Bandit 65 and a low endTokai japanese $100 guitar but I would open it all the way up and just play whatever my rage spoke to me - and at the end I would yell "BIIIIIIITTTTCCCHHHHHHHH!" at the top of my lungs.

Usually after 2-3 verses of my rage inspired performance the music from the stereo downstairs would stop.

The other key came much later (perhaps 25 years or so later) which was getting a book called Zen Guitar. I had been in a bit of a rut, and I being older and self sufficient I was no longer "inspired" by my mother's antics I was looking to expand my skills and stumbled on that book and bought it on impulse. I personally think it did a lot more for me than any music theory book I could have purchased.

See to me - the music that impresses me the most .. is the music that has an incredibly unique voice.

The opposite of that of course is "pop music" - which, to me, often sounds formulaic and vapid.

So in Zen Guitar I finally forgot entirely about chords and progressions and what sounded right and started playing in a completely exploratory way .. and that's how I liberated myself the second time. Which has stuck with me as it doesn't depend on someone else to exist :-)

Anyhow .. thanks for the recommend - sorry for the long winded reply.

u/gorillab_99 · 10 pointsr/Guitar

That's the one on the cover of the Guitar Grimoire Scales and Modes.

If you ever want a theory book that's got way more information than you'll probably ever use or even digest but also looks impressive to guitar nerd guests that you have over I highly recommend it.

u/dday859 · 10 pointsr/Guitar

Anyone ever heard of the book "Chord Chemistry" by Ted Greene...

http://www.amazon.com/Chord-Chemistry-Ted-Greene/dp/0898986966

u/catdumpling · 9 pointsr/Luthier

Dan Erlewine's Guitar Player Repair Guide has been around for years and covers a lot of ground. I bought my copy when I was 16, over 20 years ago. The newest edition also comes with a DVD too. You can get it at StewMac here, although it's available from Amazon and most book sellers. No one book can cover every single little thing, but it's a good reference to keep around; I still check mine from time to time.

Anymore, it's easy to find most of this information freely available online. Someone already mentioned frets.com, which is an awesome site. There are tons of great Youtube channels too (Freddys Frets, StewMac, Crimson Custom Guitars, Sully Guitars, Dave's World of Fun Stuff, Blues Creek Guitars, O'Brien Guitars, and dozens more I can't remember offhand.) I think it's easier to learn certain things by watching videos, so I'd suggest picking one book as a main source, then look up videos for anything that's not entirely clear to you. I didn't have the benefit of Youtube or the internet when I started working on them, so take advantage of it!

I'd also recommend getting at least one book on building guitars, because it can give you quite a bit of insight about how different instruments are constructed. I've had Melvyn Hiscock's Make Your Own Electric Guitar for years too and it's a great book, but it's currently out of print. Keep an eye out for a used copy, or look into the ones that are currently available. StewMac has a good selection of books, but again you can find most of them from any book seller.

Finally, don't get too overwhelmed. Guitars are not particularly complicated things and it's not rocket science, even if it looks like it sometimes. There really aren't that many repairs that I'd consider too difficult for the average person, as long as you're willing to put in a little time to learn how to do them. Even refretting isn't that hard (although it's tedious and takes all friggin' day.) Learn how different types of guitars are built, because all a repair is is repeating a particular part of the build process to fix a problem. Watching "factory tour" videos on Youtube of various manufacturers can give you a surprising amount of information on how a particular builder tackles certain aspects of the instrument. There's almost always multiple ways to achieve a repair, it's just a matter of figuring out what works best for a particular instrument or situation or just how you prefer to work.

u/JunkyGS · 9 pointsr/popheads

Going to sound harsh, but its because I respect your friend (and you) to tell him what he needs to do if he is serious about music. His vocals are the worst part of most of the songs I would strongly consider taking voice lessons, mixing is off on most of the songs, he over relies on samples to carry some of the songs, his flow is incredibly weak and needs a lot more practice performing. If he is serious he should be practice rapping for at least an hour a day to develop a distinct flow and study the greats. Thats the minimum for what it takes to get somebody to listen to you, let alone for him to make it.

I looked at your post history and saw you are Miles the producer. I think you have a lot more talent then your friend imo. Go try to get into a college for music production, grind at least 1-2 beats a day and use all your free time to study music production. I highly suggest interviews / walk throughs or online classes by experienced producers. Also educate yourself on the business side of music if you are serious, I recommend This Book as a starting point since it will be your bible for the music industry. Keep working hard and look forward to see you grow if you continue to pursue music production seriously.

u/red_and_blue_jeans · 8 pointsr/audioengineering

Sorry to be that guy, but you should be relying on your ears, not your eyes, to judge the loudness of a track.

If you need visual aids, you should get a loudness level meter, such as iZotope Insight, Waves Level Meter, or the free MLoudnessAnalyzer. For most music, a target of -16LUFS is standard, however, many pop albums hit -9LUFS.

If you want to read up more on it, the best book, IMO, is Bob Katz's "Mastering Audio: The Art and the Science".
https://www.amazon.com/Mastering-Audio-Science-Bob-Katz/dp/0240808371

u/breaks365 · 8 pointsr/askscience

If you want to learn more about this, I would recommend a book called This Is Your Brain On Music. It's an amazing breakdown of the brain's ability to process music by a neuro scientist who had been previously been employed as a sound engineer for many prominent bands during the 70's.

http://www.amazon.com/This-Your-Brain-Music-Obsession/dp/0525949690

u/schumart · 8 pointsr/musictheory

I'd recommend picking up a copy of the book "Building Walking Basslines" https://www.amazon.com/Building-Walking-Bass-Lines-Builders/dp/0793542049

​

This book focusses mostly on blues and rhythm changes but does a great job of demonstrating the main ways of moving from one chord to another. As for chords stretching more than a bar you essentially just want to lead to the root or other chord tones just as you would when changing to another chord.

u/dearoldavy · 8 pointsr/Guitar

Ted Greene - Chord Chemistry

The best chord theory resource out there in my opinion. There is a reason it's been around for over 30 years and people are still referencing it.

It's not free, but $12.49 isn't a lot for the knowledge you'll gain.

u/TroyLucas · 8 pointsr/WeAreTheMusicMakers

In the book "Writing Better Lyrics" (link below) it addresses how fundamental it is for a pleasant scheme. Overtly over-using "hard rhymes" is annoying to our ears and akin to listening to Dr. Seuss.

Soft rhymes (mouse/ground, note/hose, life/dice etc.) are much less obtrusive to the flow.

That said, a hard rhyme is sometimes necessary.

All goes back to preferences. I knew a drummer who felt that the end of every line should rhyme. And I know a bassist who (for a period) felt that any rhyme of any shape or form was detrimental, and that other literary devices like alliteration would be preferable. Ultimately, neither of them sang their words. The bassist has since begun singing, and thus rewriting on the spot.

http://www.amazon.ca/Writing-Better-Lyrics-Pat-Pattison/dp/1582975779

u/HuckFinn69 · 8 pointsr/todayilearned

I'd recommend All You Need to Know About the Music Business.

https://www.amazon.com/Need-Know-About-Music-Business/dp/1451682468

u/chickenempire · 8 pointsr/WeAreTheMusicMakers

http://www.amazon.com/Need-Know-About-Music-Business/dp/1451682468

Donald Passman's book is a great place to start. He details different types of producers. Also, it's a great read.

u/jseego · 8 pointsr/Songwriting
  1. Highly recommend this book.

  2. Go for specific imagery and storytelling. "Still looking at this gift you gave me" is better than "Girl I'm sad you left me".

  3. Find a theme for the song that is not just the emotion you're trying to work with. For example, "sad because of a breakup" is a subject matter, not a theme. A theme would be "life is strange" or "you can never keep something for long". Then, don't necessarily make the theme a lyric in your song, but try to draw out images and ideas from the theme. If you do that and the song still really needs you to actually state the theme, you'll know. Sometimes it works, sometimes it's a cliche.

  4. Don't rhyme emotional words. Don't rhyme "mad" with "bad" or "sad" or "glad", for example.

  5. One effective technique that's used a LOT is to make the verses specific and the choruses general, or vice versa.

  6. Use the rhythm of the lyrics to emphasize emotional parts

  7. Try to have some emotional development within the song. Not just a reflection of emotion, but some kind of journey or realization. I mean, a song about depression might work well as just a static droning sadness, but for most songs, this can be really powerful.

    Example, from an 80s hair metal ballad that was a big hit:


    VERSE

    We both lie silently still in the dead of the night (specific situation)

    Although we both lie close together

    We feel miles apart, inside (storytelling, relatable situation, specific scene)

    Was it somethin' I said or something I did

    Did my words not come out right (storytelling - you know exactly the emotion but all he's said so far is "feel miles apart inside")

    Tho' I tried not to hurt you

    Tho' I tried (storytelling)

    But I guess that's why they say (note how he interrupts the verse cadence leading into the chorus - adds emotional weight)

    CHORUS

    Every rose has its thorn (specific metaphorical imagery, asserts a theme (good things are always difficult))

    Just like every night has its dawn (familiar metaphor, also turns around the metaphor from the previous line)

    Just like every cowboy sings his sad, sad song (wtf? do they? I dunno. This line is just weird but for some reason it works for a hair metal ballad. but notice they don't go with "I feel like a sad cowboy" - they just show you the image)

    Every rose has its thorn

    Yea it does

    VERSE

    I listen to our favorite song playin' on the radio (storytelling, specificity)

    Hear the dj say love's a game of

    Easy come and easy go (listen to the song and notice how they use the rhythm to reinforce the emotional weight of this line, which also relates to the theme)

    But I wonder does he know (reinforces and relates to the story and a theme of distance - in the first verse, he's lying next to someone close to him and feeling far away - in this verse, he's listening to someone far away and wondering how they're feeling)

    Has he ever felt like this

    And I know that you'd be here right now

    If I could have let you know somehow I guess (notice how at the end of the first verse, they are wondering if they are at fault, and at the end of the second verse, they are admitting it)

    CHORUS

    etc

    In the rest of the song, they start leaning on more direct stuff "I feel so much pain" and "cuts life a knife...but the scar remains" and it gets kind of cliche. The last verse returns to the story, so the bridge being more direct kinda works in that way, but for me the success of this song is the first two verses and choruses. Seems like they got a little lazy about the middle of the song. Still a very successful song about a breakup, full of relatable storytelling, specific imagery, decent rhymes, good emotional use of lyrical rhythm, and a catchy chorus that sets off against the verses really well.

    EDIT: Also, check out the work that "Just like" is doing in the chorus. "Every rose has its thorn" is pretty much the opposite idea of "every night has its dawn" - but, by relating them with "just like", the song is creating this kind of philosophical malaise - all good things are kind of bad, all bad things are kind of good, the good is like the bad and the bad is like the good, and it's hard to even tell what's bad or good, just like people feel when they suffer a painful breakup. Checkout how much weaker it would be if it was: "Every rose has its thorn / But every night has its dawn". Totally different meaning, totally different song. That would be a song about how everything is going to be alright in the end. Relating contrasting ideas like that to get at an underlying feeling can work really well.


u/okwolf · 7 pointsr/WeAreTheMusicMakers

Without a doubt I'd recommend Mastering Audio if you want to learn the very basics, although be aware it's not easy and will take lots of practice. PM me if you have any questions.

u/JangleAllTheWay · 7 pointsr/AskLiteraryStudies

That's the Joint is a good academic anthology: https://www.amazon.com/Thats-Joint-Hip-Hop-Studies-Reader/dp/0415873266

Can't Stop, Won't Stop is a very good popular history:
https://www.amazon.com/Cant-Stop-Wont-History-Generation/dp/0312425791/

u/WorkedInTheory · 7 pointsr/drumcorps

Without question, the best way to learn how to arrange is to put in the work transcribing some of your favorite arrangers and dissecting the way they approach things.

Study the chord progressions they use and analyze their voicing. Break down how they use counterpoint vs. countermelody. Pay attention to how they use every single voice, common articulations, and where in the range do they have each part "live" (1st vs. 2nd vs 3rd).

Write down what you observe about how they do things, try to put it into words. Compare/contrast between arrangers. This will help you better internalize what they are doing and help you to find your own style.

But...

Before doing any of this, however, I suggest to read, read, read. Here are a few books to get your started:

​

The Study of Counterpoint - Johann Joseph Fux

https://www.amazon.com/Study-Counterpoint-Johann-Joseph-Parnassum/dp/0393002772/

​

Contemporary Counterpoint: Theory & Application - Beth Denisch

https://www.amazon.com/Contemporary-Counterpoint-Theory-Application-Music/dp/0876391838

​

Guide to the Practical Study of Harmony - Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky

https://www.amazon.com/Guide-Practical-Study-Harmony-Dover-ebook/dp/B00DGBMH06

​

Principles of Orchestration - Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov

https://www.amazon.com/Principles-Orchestration-Dover-Books-Music-ebook/dp/B00DGBMDNM

​

Essential Dictionary of Orchestration - Dave Black & Tom Gerou

https://www.amazon.com/Essential-Dictionary-Orchestration-Comprehensive-Orchestrators-ebook/dp/B00EUMY7LC

​

Treatise on Instrumentation - Hector Berlioz & Richard Strauss

https://www.amazon.com/Treatise-Instrumentation-Dover-Books-Music-ebook/dp/B00DGBMN8C

​

Arranging for Horns - Jerry Gates

https://www.amazon.com/Arranging-Horns-Jerry-Gates/dp/0876391455/

​

Another excellent resource is Bandestration - https://bandestration.com/

​

BONUS:

Another great read that is HIGHLY applicable to writing for marching music is:

​

Fundamentals of Musical Acoustics

https://www.amazon.com/Fundamentals-Musical-Acoustics-Second-Revised/dp/048626484X

​

If you are interested to explore interplay between wind/percussion arranging and electronics:

​

Acoustic and MIDI Orchestration for the Contemporary Composer - Andrea Pejrolo

https://www.amazon.com/Acoustic-MIDI-Orchestration-Contemporary-Composer/dp/113880150X/

​

u/Slab_Heap_Pout · 7 pointsr/WeAreTheMusicMakers

Northern Sounds has an interactive version of the classic Rimsky-Korsakov Principles of Orchestration. I often find myself referring to it when I'm arranging and/or orchestrating along with my hardcover Adler text.

u/MapleToothpick · 7 pointsr/composertalk

It helps to get a book on orchestration. I have Adler's and in it he examines each instrument and family. Helps familiarize yourself with their idiosyncracies.

Edit: Added link.

u/mrutssamoht · 7 pointsr/composertalk

Hey man,
Same thing happened to me a few years ago. I just started writing on paper with piano if I needed help with pitches. I'd write as many pages as possible and then put what I did on finale just to hear what I wrote. It seems like a good method because nothing really beats the formatting of a good notation program but as many of my Comp. Prof.'s have said, "Midi isn't real. It will trick you." I think that's the most important part of this whole process. Something you write on midi might be very impossible (or uselessly difficult). Also, feel free to bring some music to someone who actually play the instrument you are writing for and asking them to play through it. Most performers I know are always willing to do this if they aren't too busy already!

When I started composing microtonaly (year or so ago) this became an even bigger problem for me and I started having to rely on my ear and experimenting with different types of synthesizers to determine an approximate sound. It gets better as you write things out though. Just by working things out from your head to paper for a while you develop a stronger ability to compose without midi crutches.

Some benefits of doing this you might not have thought of:

  1. When composing on paper you have the opportunity to see a line through without being controlled by bar lines or staff division (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004FEF4CG/ref=oh_details_o08_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I use these). Often times I'll just compose rhythms and melodies without bar lines and then add them in later. This really helps me focus more on readability of a part (I've almost eradicated using too many time signature changes and my rehearsals/performances have gotten much better)

  2. You get to really step back and look at the overall image of what you have done. Just open up to a sheet and observe the aggregate image (much more difficult on a program).

  3. I get headaches looking at a screen for too long so if you have this problem this is great!

  4. It's easier to transport music you are working on.

  5. Composing can move faster because you aren't inhibited by changing note type and then clicking it into a spot etc.

  6. You focus much less on making your score look nice.

  7. You can interrupt a system with notes/visual representations of what you think might happen next (I use different shapes often)/commentary.

    Hope this convinces you this is a good idea.

    Make sure you have a strong hold on proper notation/orchestration (A useful resource - http://www.amazon.com/The-Study-Orchestration-Third-Edition/dp/039397572X, bit pricey though) And also, this site has been a miracle for me - http://www.music.indiana.edu/department/composition/isfee/. This will save you a lot of time.

    Best of luck! Also, just trust yourself and your ear. This stuff takes time, patience, and practice (like all things music).

    Edit: Some Trivia - many composers of the past (those without the miracle/curse of notation software) would just sketch things out and short hand things ("repeat this here", "ostinato bass" etc.) and then hand it to a publisher to put together when it was done. For example, Beethoven. I mean look at this crap - https://www.google.com/search?q=beethoven+hand+written+music&client=firefox-a&hs=fUD&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=fflb&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=8kpKUqyCL4fi2AXV0YGQBA&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAQ&biw=1600&bih=701&dpr=1#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=MP65Ypeh4KL_nM%3A%3B-WsvncUQEMICJM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fclassicalmusicblog.com%252F2007%252F09%252Fimages%252Fmvt1-facsimile-s.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fclassicalmusicblog.com%252F2007%252F09%252Fbeethoven-sonata.html%3B580%3B463. Think of the notation software as your robotic publisher. That's what I do.
u/Shawn_of_the_Redd · 7 pointsr/technology

That's fascinating; is your hearing impairment neurological in nature, or due to mechanical impairment of something in your ears?

I'm curious to know, because I read a really awesome book from which I learned that for most people, there is an area in the brain associated with sound processing where the neurons fire with literally the same exact frequency as the sound in the environment. E.g. a 440Hz perfect A note will produce a 440Hz firing of the neurons. Sound is thus a kind of direct perceptual access to the environment in a way that sight isn't, because sight involves a number of higher-order functions.

u/I_Have_Big_Melons · 7 pointsr/Bass

I just started doing the drills out of this book with a metronome. It seems to really be helping my playing. It's kind of a bitch at first though... My wrists were killing me after going through a few of these the first time.

http://www.amazon.com/Bass-Fitness-Exercising-Handbook-Guitar/dp/0793502489/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1449673805&sr=8-1&keywords=bass+fitness

u/medina_sod · 7 pointsr/musictheory

It's from this. My old roommate had it. It's worth getting.

u/Pelusteriano · 7 pointsr/Guitar
u/Bracket_The_Bass · 6 pointsr/Bass

Start off by listening to a ton of jazz. Afterwards, learn your major, minor, dorian, and mixolydian scales/modes. Check youtube, there's a ton of good tutorials if you don't know them yet. Then buy a real book and start attempting to follow along with the changes. Start with just the root notes and later add the 3rds and 5ths. Here's a book that I think explains walking basslines pretty well, and another one if you're interested in soloing.



Here's a list of jazz songs most students learn early on:

Afro Blue

All Blues

All Of Me

All The Things You Are

A Night In Tunisia

Au Privave

Autumn Leaves

Beautiful Love

Black Orpheus

Blue Bossa

Blue In Green

Blue Monk

Blues For Alice

Body And Soul

Cherokee

Cotton Tail

Don’t Get Around Much Anymore

A Fine Romance

Footprints

Four

Freddie Freeloader

The Girl From Ipanema

How High The Moon

How Insensitive

Lady Bird

Maiden Voyage

Misty

Mr. P.C.

My Funny Valentine

Oleo

Ornithology

Recorda-me

Red Clay

Satin Doll

So What

Song For My Father

Sugar

Take Five

Take The “A” Train

There Will Never Be Another You

Tune Up

u/Cat_Shampoo · 6 pointsr/Bass

Bass Fitness is, for me, the golden standard to which I hold all guitar practice books. It's a no-nonsense text that offers little in the way of guidance or assistence, but stick with it and you will notice a difference in your playing in due time. It's not perfect by any means -- in fact it is quite rough around the edges -- but it works.

For more general resources, check out 101 Bass Tips, which features of a plethora of different tips and tricks for the working musician -- everything from set-up and maintenance, to technique, to recording and tone, and much more. It's also accompanied by a CD with examples and practice songs you can play along to.

Once you've got the basics down and you're ready to move into the more advanced facets of bass playing, you might want to try out some books on musical theory. I suggest this, this, and these. Hope these help!

u/jtpinnyc · 6 pointsr/edmproduction

For guitarists, I would recommend Ted Greene's classic "Chord Chemistry" book. Ted was a bit of a far out hippy and the book is pretty "out there" but he was one of the all time chord masters and I learned so much about chords progressions, voicings, substitutions and voice leading from this book. http://www.amazon.com/Ted-Greene-Chord-Chemistry/dp/0898986966

u/betterthancigarettes · 6 pointsr/hiphopheads
u/krypton86 · 6 pointsr/Learnmusic

Who the hell told you counterpoint was easy to learn?

No, my friend, counterpoint is the pinnacle of composition. It's dreaded by every music major and even the theory/composition majors have a healthy fear of it.

I don't really know of any online source that can teach you what you need to know, either. Maybe some theory, but not counterpoint. You need to get a book and diligently work through the exercises. I recommend Study of Counterpoint: From Johann Joseph Fux's Gradus Ad Parnassum, Kennan's Counterpoint and Mann's The Study of Fugue for this. Check out both the Fux and the Kennan first and decide on one, then if you find that you want to go deeper go ahead and get the book on fugue study.

u/allemande · 6 pointsr/WeAreTheMusicMakers

For anything that involves advanced music theory, or more technical elements of music, your best bet (IMHO) is to stay clear from jazz/rock books or anything "popular" and read from traditional academic/classical composers. That is, if you're looking to understand music from a more historic point of view of how is was used, and how it worked for hundreds of years and how it still works today.

There are tons of good books out there, but off the top of my head I reccomend:

Regarding the art of counterpoint:


Preliminary exercises in Counterpoint - Schoenberg

Also, you could check out the traditional Fux's Study of Counterpoint, but I think Schoenberg's book is far more complete and incentive.

Regarding the art of Harmony:


For a long time I've always thought that books could educate you in any way, until I met my harmony teacher. After studying with her for a couple years I find it hard to believe how much information, technique, and art is missing from almost every book on the subject, some are exceptions, obviously, but my recommendation is that there is no better way of learning this but with personal intruction. Also, the teacher needs to be someone who has had a strong education in music from well-known masters of the past, as was my teacher.

Anyways, regarding harmony in the more poetical and theoretical sense I reccomend :

Rameau's Treatise on Harmony

and of course, Schoenberg's Theory of Harmony

For a more technical approach to harmony I haven't found any books I'm really fond of, but I do think that Paul Hindemith's book is a very good option.

For something in the middle I recommend this

Regarding form and structure in music:


Once again, I have never seen information and instruction similar to that which I received with my professors, however here are a few good picks...

Schoenberg's Fundamentals of musical composition

and 2 books that I found very useful were...
(these I didn't find on amazon.com)

from German composer Clemens Kuhn: "Formenlehre der Musik" (this is only in German)

and from Spanish composer Joaquin Zamacois: "Curso de Formas Musicales" (this is only in Spanish I believe)

Well, surely there are more books, but I think these are good options for you to start. However, always with a grain of salt

u/nicksnare · 6 pointsr/edmproduction

Also the 'Dance Music Manual' by the same guys covers all the fundamentals

u/TheLessonIsNeverTry · 6 pointsr/Bass

I don't know about the workout you are referring to, but Bass Fitness is a book of exercises to be drilled to a metronome for about 15-20 minutes per day with the aim of improving strength, speed, and dexterity.

u/Ratharyn · 6 pointsr/Bass

Sounds like you're going about it the right way. Speed is about muscle memory so there isn't a quick way to learn it. Start slow, with a metronome, and build up the speed when you've perfected the slower tempo. Muscle memory sticks with how you learn it, if you practice perfect slow technique then that's the technique that develops, if you fudge it to rush to faster tempos then that will be reflected in your technique.

I can highly recommend this book:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bass-Fitness-Exercising-Handbook-Guitar/dp/0793502489/ref=asc_df_0793502489/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=311325854090&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=12459488065697696982&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9045629&hvtargid=pla-450362569161&psc=1&th=1&psc=1

It's a great selection of finger twisters that will really help both hands.

u/TheKilla88 · 6 pointsr/Guitar
u/SuperRusso · 5 pointsr/WeAreTheMusicMakers

Mastering is more than just about applying compression, effects, etc...

Back in the days where people listened to albums as opposed to singles the mastering engineer usually was responsible for fade outs, fade ins, track ordering, space between tracks, etc...

Then there is the whole host of tasks related to digital managment, water marking and tagging, producing a DPP file to deliver to the repro house, generating cue sheets for a cd replicator, etc. I would highly suggest you read Bob Katz's book:

http://www.amazon.com/Mastering-Audio-The-Art-Science/dp/0240808371/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1407885142&sr=8-1&keywords=Bob+katz

It can tell you far more about mastering than most other people on the planet.

u/courage_wolf · 5 pointsr/hiphopheads

Can't Stop Won't Stop by David Chang. A GREAT look at hip hop's first years and cultural context. Highly recommended.

u/heythosearemysocks · 5 pointsr/hiphopheads

a lot of this is covered in the phenomenal Can't Stop, Won't Stop by Jeff Chang. i highly recommend it


u/plaidofficial · 5 pointsr/Music

We have some musical training but have learnt mostly through trial and error. To strictly define counterpoint would be best left to a music academic (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Study-Counterpoint-Jj-Fux/dp/0393002772) but for us we often tend to layer melodic patterns with their own time signature, 3/4 and 4/4 is an easy example to try. There is an interplay between the time signatures and patterns that form because of this.

u/Xenoceratops · 5 pointsr/musictheory

> Add the E flat clarinet to the piccolo if you want some extra punch/piercing/volume.

Does anyone really want "extra punch/piercing/volume" from a piccolo?

> Add the oboes or clarinets to the flutes if the flutes sound too thin. Consider doubling these in octaves. Harmony can serve a similar purpose and provide a different timbre than exact doubling.

Writing flutes and clarinets/oboes together definitely brings the flutes closer to the sound of the reed instruments. I'd think unison is the best bet. Octave doubling is an effect all its own, and shouldn't be used without purpose. However, if done, doubling should occur over the highest voice or under the lowest voice.

> Clarinets and violins or violas can sound almost identical if scored creatively. They blend very easily.

In my experience, clarinet gets masked by strings if they're in the same register. You're the clarinetist, though. What's your take?

> These are just a handful of ways to spice up your sounds. There are infinitely more, and you'll just have to experiment with them to figure out what you like.

"Experiment" is a strange word to use for an expensive ensemble that requires a lot of manpower and a huge amount of skill to write for. Assuming OP even has access to an orchestra, I would be incredibly surprised if the conductor or any of the musicians tolerated repeated experimentation with bad orchestration that wastes their rehearsal time. Better and cheaper is to get a couple of books on orchestration (Rimsky-Korsakov, Piston, Adler, Gerou/Black), do exercises, have a composer who knows what they are doing critique said exercises, and study the shit out of scores. And no, sound libraries are not the same thing as a real orchestra.

>Don't underestimate the value of letting an instrument stand on its own though. Don't double everything or else you'll get a machine instead of an orchestra. That said, the best way to figure out what sounds good is to pick up some scores you like, listen to them while you read, and figure out what sounds you like.

Solid advice. Overscoring is the most common mistake of composers unfamiliar with the orchestral medium.

u/m1stertim · 5 pointsr/musictheory

This is the standard orchestration text that will cover this stuff more in-depth.

u/subutai09 · 5 pointsr/Guitar

I've been playing for 17 years, and had my share of plateaus, but these days I can't wait to get home and practice, and I feel like I get better every time I pick up a guitar, even if its in a very small way.


I think this is partly because I am in a band again, and writing riffs and songs that will actually get played live. So I'm eager to make these songs awesome, then to take a break from working on songs, I'll just solo over something for a while for fun/technique.


Also, I recently quit drinking and smoking, so I have been channeling a lot of restless energy into the guitar.


I still feel the thrill, but I feel it more often when I have a sick drummer behind me and strangers in front of me.


I highly recommend the book Zen Guitar , it may sound a bit cheesy at times, but it really helps you to have a positive and practical attitude, and to forget about competitiveness and wankery and gear lust and other things that get in the way of you getting better. It also helped me realize that there is no such thing as 'the best'. He describes playing as a path with no end, and our goal is to always walk forward on it. Some people sit down on the path, others lose the way...

u/samuraiguitarist · 5 pointsr/Guitar

I really found zen guitar helpful with the more philosophical aspects of being a musician

u/DixonBass · 5 pointsr/Bass

Having just done an enormous essay as a critical evaluation final assignment at my last year of a BMus Jazz course on technique and hand/wrist troubles - i recommend you check out these 3 books, they completely changed my playing style, for the better!

Electric Bass technique Builder, Todd Johnson:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Johnson-Electric-Technique-Builders-Alfreds/dp/0739051555

The Bassist's Guide To Injury Management, Prevention and Better Health, Kertz, Randall D.C:
http://www.bassbooks.com/shopping/shopexd.asp?id=1229

Bass Fitness, An Exercising Handbook, Josquin Des Pres:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bass-Fitness-An-Exercising-Handbook/dp/0793502489

You may also want to look into 'The Alexander Technique' - as this gives great information about postures and stance and how you wear your instrument.

Also - has your bass been professionally set up? If the strings are too high you can get the action lowered, this greatly improves fretting ability.

u/squigglebelong · 5 pointsr/WeAreTheMusicMakers

Honestly, you could just be a freelancer, so you can have a lot of free time to work on music when you want to. I freelanced about 25-30 hours a week at peak "work" (still leaves a lot of free time for music) and these days I rarely take on clients now that the music side is paying off. :)

Also, if you're 17, and music is your first love, you should really consider a career in the industry. It's not a pipe dream like so many would have you believe. If you like pop music, especially. Get out to LA, learn to produce, write, or sing (ideally all 3) and, if you're good, you'll get hired. 6-7 digit salaries aren't uncommon in the music industry out here. Publishers will put a good composer/producer on salary, and royalties on a major hit pay very well (if you have a decent deal in place).

Also, outside of production & writing, you can get a job in the industry doing a whole lot of other stuff: A&R, management, publishing. Passman's book is a good starting place for learning about that stuff. Max Martin can be one inspiration on how to completely dominate the pop scene.

Also in the intersection of music + tech is Techstars Music Accelerator, a startup incubator for music industry ideas.

Seriously, don't discount how much money is in the music industry. Behind every rich artist is a huuuuge mass of songwriters, producers, managers, engineers, and publishers also getting pretty rich.

u/reneeyoxon · 5 pointsr/Songwriters

Check out this book: http://www.amazon.ca/Writing-Better-Lyrics-Pat-Pattison/dp/1582975779/ref=dp_ob_title_bk

There are tons of writing exercises to get your sharpen your creative writing skills. I just started reading it and it's already helped a ton. There are a lot of exercises that need to be done in groups or with partners. If there's interest I could start a subreddit for these kinds of exercises.

u/KuchDaddy · 5 pointsr/Guitar

I'm pretty sure that it's this book:

http://www.amazon.com/Beatles-Complete-Scores/dp/0793518326/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1381061668&sr=1-1&keywords=the+beatles+complete+scores

It has guitar and bass tabs as well as piano and vocal in traditional musical notation. It has more errors than it should and the font is fucking terribly hard to read, but it is a useful tool if you are into the Beatles.

u/Nav_Panel · 5 pointsr/LetsTalkMusic

> Therefore, the creation of music by these groups was not centered on live performance and the studio was the safest space to create music. So this has resulted in rock music generally favoring "authentic" sounds that mimic live performance, while pop sounds "synthetic" and often uses electronic instruments and many effects.
> I would argue that Disco, House, Techno, Hip Hop, etc... all were created under similar conditions.

Except, they weren't created for the conditions of domesticity. Disco came out of Philly Soul which was a live music. Add a drum machine to a soul band and you have Disco. Disco led to Garage, which was the name for what Larry Levan played at his club, the Paradise Garage -- diverse stuff, and the man Levan as the DJ was the driving force behind it.

A bunch of guys from Chicago, notably Frankie Knuckles, took Garage back to the clubs in Chicago, the most popular being called The Warehouse. When people were looking for dance cuts from the Warehouse, they'd eventually just start asking for "House" music.

Techno came from the affluent Detroit suburbs as a consciously-futuristic style of music inspired by Kraftwerk, etc.

Hip-Hop came about from a unique mixture of Caribbean "Dub" mobile sound system culture and "breaking" to the raw drum beats on funk/soul/disco tracks -- have a DJ loop the breakbeats back to back, toss on a dub/reggae MC, and you have hiphop.

I'd recommend a book called Last Night A DJ Saved My Life for more detail on the origins and development of these styles into contemporary dance music.

-------

The only one of these styles created as a conscious studio effort designed for domestic listening was Techno. The other styles are all specifically styles of dance music which doesn't even interact with the public/domestic dichotomy.

In fact, I'd suggest these styles of music were created for the third space of the nightclub -- fundamentally distinct from the first space of domesticity and the second space of the workplace i.e. public sphere. Similar to the idea of a "safe space" today but considerably broader, though often serving the same function.

> Disco, in all of it's joy and frivolity, was favored by those who had to navigate oppressive systems that sidelined lgbtq people, ethnic and racial minorities, and women.

This is a point I can potentially agree with. When I listen to tracks like Dreaming A Dream by the Crown Heights Affair, especially in the context of a mix, I feel a palpable desparation alongside the joy and exhileration -- almost like "this is your only chance to dance, make it count". This seems to agree with the ethos of Northern Soul, a very working-class style from the UK that would pillage American soul and r'n'b records and dance all night to them.

On the other hand, it could just be the tension inherent in good dance music: build, and release. This was very popular with Larry Levan -- tracks like Put Your Body In It seem to dragggg onn... until the euphoric chorus hits. And Levan was known for doing tricks like playing two copies of the same record offset, so when the audience expects the chorus to hit, he can cut away to a verse again and keep the tension building.

-------

We could also view this as a technological development in one area: drugs. My pet theory is that the history of popular music (in the broad sense of not-art-music rather than top 40) can be traced to the development and popularity of various drugs.

During the late 70s, MDA became popular in the clubs -- a drug similar to MDMA, but stimmier and less euphoric. Just as dope fueled jazz, speed fueled skiffle, and LSD fueled psychedelia, we can view MDA (or coke, if you could afford it) as fueling disco. You can see dance music change further in the late 80s when MDMA enters Ibiza and the UK (rave culture?).

u/djmantis · 5 pointsr/videos

When disco failed, two music genres rose from it's ashes, House music in Chicago and Techno in Detroit. These were the fore-fathers of EDM. Source.

u/AZZAMusic · 5 pointsr/LetsTalkMusic

Don't have much time or nearly enough knowledge to answer but you must read this book - there's a massive chapter on Northern Soul and a great deal before and after covered in the meat of this book. Fascinating stuff and definitely helps shed a lot of light on why some of the peculiar parts of the genre are embedded in both DJ culture and also seem so strange to us now.


https://www.amazon.com/Last-Night-DJ-Saved-Life/dp/0802146104

u/mosghost · 5 pointsr/guitarlessons

I would suggest the Guitar Grimoire for learning scales. It is the most complete scale book for guitar that I've found.

Getting into playing songs is pretty simple. Find some songs that you enjoy and look for tabs on Ultimate Guitar. Tremolo picking isn't too hard- just alternate pick as fast as you can.

u/PublicEnemaNumberTwo · 5 pointsr/Guitar

There are a couple of great books by Dan Erlewine, "The Guitar Player Repair Guide" and "How To Make Your Electric Guitar Play Great".

u/TheAlmightyFur · 5 pointsr/Guitar

I came up learning before the internet was big (like pre high speed where video wasn't a super viable option, and content wasn't so much in regular people's hands) and spent a lot of time reading books, articles, and message boards.

Dan Erlewine became my biggest teacher in books and This book was my bible for a while.

I originally started getting into it after getting the third degree by a mom-and-pop shop when I brought a bass in for repair that I didn't buy there, but when my friends in school would see the things I was doing, they'd ask me to work on their stuff too.

Been a while since I've actually had to wrench on anything guitar wise, but I still keep up with some of the new stuff coming out and browse new catalogs when I get them in the mail.

Edit: I also had the first edition of this book and it seemed to be more related to guys who play and are just getting into working on their own stuff.

u/NoLooob · 5 pointsr/Guitar

Short answer is with your wrist. You also want to ingrain good habits now, that will help you with string skipping, speed, etc, later. First, don't hold the pick between the tips of your fingers and definitely don't use your fingers to move the pick. The fingers hold the pick, your wrist is what moves it. The pick should rest between your thumb tip and the side of your index finger (not the tip). Tighten your grip by making a complete fist, rather than squeezing two fingers.

It's best to not anchor your pinky/ring finger onto the body of the guitar for stability. If you're making a fist, you'll be less inclined to do this. Try to train for accuracy without anchoring and it will pay dividends later. Ideally your only anchor should be your forearm against the guitar body's edge. Lightly anchoring the wrist against the bridge is OK, and sometimes actually necessary to mute strings, either to palm mute the string actually being played, or to silence the lower strings when playing the higher ones not being muted.


You should also be angling your pick on two separate planes. The more important of these being the string horizontal plane. That is, you don't want to hold your pick perfectly horizontal to the string, but rather angle it a bit so your downstroke strikes with the nut (headstock) end of the pick first (the other end being the bridge side). You also want to pick in such a way that your downstroke ends slightly under the strings and your upstroke ends slightly above. Not as important as the horizontal plane, but this second tip will help with moving from string to string.

Start practicing your alternate picking on a single string, using just a single finger on your fretting hand, if necessary.

Use Amazon's "look inside" feature to check out the first exercise in this book. Once you can do that, you can progress to multi-string patterns. With multi-string patterns, you'll have to be more mindful of upstrokes and downstrokes, as they relate to the movement from string to string, but always try to stick to the up/down repitition and try to avoid throwing in consecutive down/down or up/up.

Use a metronome and start as slow as necessary to maintain accuracy. Once you can repeat a pattern flawlessly, bump up the BPM's, rinse, repeat.

EDIT: Fixed Link

u/Jongtr · 4 pointsr/musictheory

The only way to really get all that information is to find full sheet music transcriptions. But generally you only find those for the best known bands or classic songs.

E.g., the Beatles Complete Scores: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Beatles-Complete-Scores-Transcribed-Score/dp/0793518326/ref=sr_1_1.

There are general rules you can bear in mind, though.

Chord instruments (pianos, guitars) will all play the same chord, although they will typically play different "voicings" or "inversions". E.g., on guitar, there are all kinds of shapes for a "C" chord, anywhere you can find those three notes together. Sometimes one instrument will arpeggiate the chord (play the notes singly one at a time). I.e., even if the chord symbol just says "C", there are all kinds of creative ways that chord players can play those notes.

The bass will usually play the chord root on beat 1 of each chord. Sometimes (especially in rock music) it will just keep playing that note, but often it will move around, playing other notes in the chord, or playing riffs or "walking" lines (one different note per beat).

The lead vocal (or lead instrument) will play the melody, riff or whatever. Here is where the main variety is. The melody will be related to the chords, based on the chord tones. E.g., if the chord is C the melody will likely contain C, E or G notes, often quite prominently, but also other notes in passing from the scale of the key.

Sometimes the chord backing will also feature other scale notes, but - if these are consistent - they'll probably be mentioned in the chord symbol. E.g., 7ths, add9s, sus4s, etc. You can often improvise such additions - especially if you're playing the song solo (missing all the detail a band will provide). You might add a bass line between your strumming. You might fingerpick the chords. You might add 4ths, 6ths or 2nds to embellish the chord. That's all down to your understanding of the song, of the style of the song, and your technical skills.

Remember that the vocal melody and lyrics are the most important part of the song. The chords are just an accompaniment - they may not have to be interesting at all, if the tune and words hold an audience's attention.

u/PierreLunaire · 4 pointsr/Bass

The Evolving Bassist

Ray Brown's Bass Method

Building Walking Basslines

Constructing Walking Jazz Bass Lines - This book is part of a series that has 5 or 6 other books on different jazz bass techniques and methods.

u/Thewes6 · 4 pointsr/Bass

Semi-related, if you're looking to learn/improve your walking basslines, this book is what you want. It really is fantastic.

u/j0llysnowman · 4 pointsr/Bass

I watched a few videos of it on YouTube. It does seem pretty fun lol. I'm tempted to get a copy for myself.

On the other hand, you can get these four books for the same price, and take advantage of your existing knowledge in reading music:

u/finndumonde · 4 pointsr/todayilearned

If you're interested in that kind of stuff check out the book Last Night a DJ Saved My Life. Covers a crazy amount of history, from Jamaica soundsystem parties and dub plates, the rise of disco and house, Herc/Bambaataa/Flash, northern soul. From the first dude who set up two turntables so he could cue up a second record in advance up to modern day (the original leaves off around the era of Oakenfold, looks like this revised version covers more recent stuff).

u/SmilesCassidy · 4 pointsr/Beatmatch

save ur time and read this, it'll open ur mind to the history and you'll be able to hold a conversation with any DJ from the last 50 years
https://www.amazon.com/Last-Night-DJ-Saved-Life/dp/0802146104/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1522111040&sr=8-2&keywords=last+night+a+dj+saved+my+life

u/kaptain_carbon · 4 pointsr/Metal

> I'm a huge fan of Retro/Synthwave but i've never been attracted by their live show, what's the point of having a guy behind a macbook clicking Next every 3 minutes?

there is a great book called Last Night a DJ Saved My Life which gives a history of the DJ and also electronic music. One thing I learned is that many people judge electronic music from the perceptive of rock music where albums are the format released and concerts are there to see and appreciate the musician making the music. (this isn't helped by promoters / venues who advertise high profile electronic acts)

Electronic music is different as it is more about the party and dancing and uses the music as a backdrop. You can still have "personas" and be there to see a person and what they do. Mix Mag has this series that has famous DJs do a set with different music. This is Skream (original dubstep) spinning UK GARAGE which was the precursor to dubstep.

The problem happens when people begin to judge how other people have fun. These czech ravers seem to be having fun standing in front of speaker banks with no DJ in site. The raves and electronic shows I have gone to have all been of varying qualities with even some of the most fun times being of average music quality. there is a rock belief that music and the musician must be revered and worshiped like artwork where electronic shows are more communal with music as a backdrop.

u/captain_penis_hair · 4 pointsr/Guitar

Ted Greene's Chord Chemistry

For chordal stuff, he is one of the absolute greats and I cannot recommend him enough. This book contains pages and pages of shapes for every type of chord you can think of, but also goes on to teach you how you can apply them and reharmonise from a guitar point of view.

His website with lots of free lessons and chord melody tunes. You can get the gist of his stuff here. The book has also got all hand written chord boxes like the stuff on his site.

Example of his playing

Tommy Emmanuel talking about the book Bitches love Tommy Emmanuel.

u/the_emptier · 4 pointsr/jazzguitar

have you tried all inversion, every string set, all drop voicings, open string voicings, all altered/color tones. keeping the same note on top, moving the top note up or down by only steps (no skips). triad possibilities?

take a look at the sidebar > even though you're not working on chord melodies, barry galbraiths chord melodies have really great voicings, and they have chord symbols so you can just cop them all.

this book is good too

http://www.jazzbooks.com/jazz/product/BG3#.Vye2JaODGko

this lage lund DVD has been the basis of all of my chordal development lately, however, i will say it starts from a very advanced standpoint

ted greenes book is kind of convoluted but its got a million shapes to check out

http://www.amazon.com/Ted-Greene-Chord-Chemistry/dp/0898986966

http://jazzheaven.com/videos/how-to-play-jazz-guitar-lessons/lage-lund-jazz-guitar-chordal-vocabulary-masterclass/

duo albums to check out:

ed bickert fucking slays on this

http://www.allmusic.com/album/mutual-street-mw0000878202

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easy_Living_(Ella_Fitzgerald_album)

for ultra scary time here's a ben monder PDF

http://www.jazzguitarlessons.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/ben-monder-lessons.pdf

u/USS-SpongeBob · 4 pointsr/Luthier

Find a book or two about guitar building on Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/Make-Your-Own-Electric-Guitar/dp/0953104907 this one is pretty excellent) and read it. The book will not only tell you every step of building an instrument, but it will also list every tool and material you will need to complete the project.

The first step to take, though, is to learn basic woodworking skills. Without them (and without good hands-on guidance from a skilled woodworker), you will not build an instrument worth playing.

u/TheWoodBotherer · 4 pointsr/Luthier

Hi there!

I'd say that an important first step is plenty of research on the principles of guitar building, so that you have a good understanding of what you are trying to achieve before you start designing or building:

There are some excellent books on the subject, and also many resources on YouTube where you can watch the pro's at work and see how it's done....

Having some woodwork experience is a good starting point, and having the right tools for the job definitely helps, but many people have managed to achieve a first build on their kitchen table with just the basics....

Do you have an idea of what type of guitar you would like to build? I'm assuming a solid-body electric of some kind, which is somewhat more straightforward than say an acoustic guitar....

It's a good idea to base your first guitar on something which already exists, rather than trying to reinvent the wheel (some time spent trying out as many guitars as possible down at the local guitar store is always fun, until they get heartily sick of you!)....

Another good learning strategy is to acquire a couple of secondhand cheapo guitars to tinker with and take apart etc, without fear of ruining a decent instrument (also good for practice at soldering and wiring pickups, pots etc)...

You might also bear in mind that a kit guitar, or buying in components like a factory-made neck, or pre-slotted fretboard etc, can be a great starting point, and considerably less daunting than trying to make absolutely everything from scratch for a first-timer!

Nobody's first guitar is ever 'perfect' I'd say, so aim for something relatively simple and execute it really well, then save that triple-necked guitar with eighteen pickups and loads of exotic hardwoods you've always dreamed of (lol) for a future build, once you have mastered the basic skills... :>)>

Hope that helps.

PS - ask loads of questions as you go along, if something crops up that you are not sure of... that's what we're here for!

Best wishes,

Woody

u/MojoMonster · 4 pointsr/Guitar

Not a problem.

Just so you know, the TDPRI and MyLesPaul luthier section of their forums are an excellent resource for for DIY luthering.

Great example from TDPRI. Nut filing.

Melvyn Hiscock has a great book on building your first guitar. (Jeez, I just saw the prices... it's out of print, but I'm sure a local used book store can get it for you for less than $60)

My advice. Build that and give it to a deserving guitarist.

THEN build your guitar.

Dream big. Start small.

u/Nero_the_Cat · 4 pointsr/Guitar

For pure technique-building, check out the "Guitar Aerobics" book. It gives one short exercise to play every day for a year. Each day of the week focuses on a different technique, like arpeggios, alternate picking, sweep picking, bends, etc.

​

https://www.amazon.com/Guitar-Aerobics-One-lick-day-Maintaining/dp/1423414357

u/nate6259 · 4 pointsr/explainlikeimfive

I have spent some time in mastering studios, and I can try to shed some light on this to the best of my knowledge. As a precursor, master recordings usually exist on stereo analog tape whose mix has been bounced from the multitrack mix. That is, until you get somewhere into the 90's when elements started to be recorded either partially or fully in digital. That's why on eariler era CD's, you'll sometimes see "A/A/D" or "D/D/D" etc. on the back of CDs to signify whether it was recorded, mixed, or mastered via digital or analog means.


  • Mastering for the listening format: If an album was originally mastered for vinyl and/or cassette tape, then it would benefit from a remaster for digital formats, since the digital mastering process is very different from analog formats. Digital audio always has a very specific top threshold or "clipping" point (sometimes measured as 0dB full scale) and so it can give a mastering engineer the ability to push the compression and limiting (which can be a good or bad thing depending on the techniques used and your opinion on the digital "loudness wars"). I was fascinated to learn that an improper vinyl master can create a physical groove too big and cause the needle to skip.

  • A/D (Analog to Digital) conversion: The quality of conversion has come a long way over the past 20-30 years, and so it's not uncommon that an album may have been digitally transferred for CD replication back in the 90's, but could sound much better through more modern converters. The A/D conversion process has a huge effect on sound quality.

  • Overall sonic "enhancement": This usually comes down to EQ and compression techniques. Mastering engineers may utilize both analog equalizers (for broader tone shaping purposes), or more "surgical" digital equalizers to both enhance and/or clean up the sound more than earlier masters. This may also involve some form of noise reduction. More mix-specific qualities like reverb and other effects are usually not touched.

    Generally speaking, I have found that a remaster sounds cleaner and brighter, which I think is a combination of both the improved conversion, and processing to fit our modern sensibilities, since today's listeners are more used to a slightly "louder" (more compressed/ peak limited) sound, as well as added openness to the high end of mixes.

    Edit: For further reading, this book by Bob Katz is a bible on the process of mastering.
u/aderra · 4 pointsr/WeAreTheMusicMakers

Bob Katz's mastering book is pretty much the Bible of mastering techniques.

u/SiriusBeatz · 4 pointsr/WeAreTheMusicMakers

If you want to get into large ensemble stuff rather than chamber music, I strongly suggest you pick up a book on orchestration. Here is one that I've read and would recommend. It will teach you some of the typical textures that each section of the orchestra is known for and gradually work you into bringing them together, starting with solo strings, to ensemble strings, to the entire string section, and eventually the whole orchestra.

If you've written prog-rock before, then I trust you know your fair share of theory, or at the very least, some degree of harmony, so you're probably fine on that end. What's more, you likely have some experience writing outside of the typical, pop-oriented verse-chorus structure, though you might want to also study a bit of the traditional forms used in classical music.

Beyond that, as was mentioned before, listen to a lot of the big names in orchestral music and steal whatever you can get away with.

u/ReverendEntity · 4 pointsr/edmproduction
  1. It's already been said. I will say it again. Syntorial.
  2. I'm sure that once this post circulates a little more, there will be more people making recommendations, but in the meantime, here's an article on 10 headphones that are good for music production. The keys are flat frequency response and comfort.
  3. Also already been said, but Rick Snoman's Dance Music Manual is a good place to start regarding comprehensive coverage of the concepts you need to know. Mixing Secrets for the Small Studio is also good, as are Bobby Owsinski's books and Mixerman's books.
u/laughlines · 4 pointsr/edmproduction

So this is what you learn:
-How to create an 808 Kick
-How to arrange a track
-How to create a "lush sparkling mix"
-How to use reverb
-How to create a build up
-Basic sound design
-How to use distortion and compression

NOPE. Not for $40.
For mixing: http://www.amazon.com/Mixing-Secrets-Small-Studio-Senior/dp/0240815807/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1427666706&sr=8-1&keywords=small+studio+mixing

Sound design, arranging, etc.: http://www.amazon.com/Dance-Music-Manual-Tools-Techniques/dp/0415825644/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1427666724&sr=8-1&keywords=dance+music+manual

The first book I linked to is literally the bible of mixing. It's a truly great resource. The second is a great cursory overview of music theory, sound design, and several aspects of the big electronic genres: arrangements, keys, percussion. It even tells you settings for synthesizing kicks in each genre it covers.

u/Epicureanist · 4 pointsr/GetMotivated

Don't give up man. There's many ways to improve.


1.) My best advice, is find a good teacher that you like and feel comfortable around. Once you do you'll really begin to improve and like your sound.


2.) If you can't find a teacher there's plenty of online resources


3.) This is probably the best and hardest way to improve; it's very slow but the pay off is amazing. Transcribe everything. Start with the Beatles or CCR and transcribe simple chord songs and slowly (I mean after several months of doing this) move on to harder material.
This method is not recommended as it's hard, but it'll make you damn good.


Don't give up bro, I've played guitar for 5 years. I sucked for the first two, was mediocre the last 2 years and it's only recently that I've begun to get good. Just like anyone can learn algebra or learn to read anyone can play guitar.

Two Books to Recommend (On the Mental Aspect of Music):

Effortless Mastery - Liberating the Master Musician Within
by Kenny Werner. This book is simply awesome.

  • Download it here (It's a safe download, I uploaded it myself. Shhh!)

    Zen Guitar - Philip Sudo


    don't click me! :)

  • Even more awesome, it not only changed how I view music but also my life. This is personally better than Effortless Mastery, as what you read in the book not only affects your music mindset but spreads into your life. Buy It

    Two Final Tips

  1. Just get into the habit of practicing, even if it's only for 5mins everyday. Make sure it's at the same time.


  2. There's a cycle. Practice -> Improvement -> Motivation -> Practice -> Improvement - Motivation ->


    Occasionally you'll hit walls or plateaus at which point, watch Crossroads or listen to Zeppelin and remind yourself why you started playing, then go and practice.
    (-> = leads to)
u/kakaharoo · 4 pointsr/Guitar

zen guitar - more about a mindset then theory...

u/skyraiderofreddit · 4 pointsr/Bass

Always warm up before playing. Take 5 minutes to do a 1 2 3 4 finger pattern up and down the neck. Bonus points if you use a metronome.

Switch up the pattern for a good finger dexterity practice exercise. E.g. 1 3 2 4, 1 4 2 3, 4 3 2 1, etc...

Start by doing these across one string and then slowly start incorporating multiple strings.

This book is a great resource for these types of exercises.

Good luck!

u/EssMarksTheSpot · 4 pointsr/Bass

Just to add onto this if you're like me and enjoy having a physical book to work through: shout out for Josquin des Pres' Bass Fitness exercise handbook. The exercises in there start out with "simple" permutations on one string up and down the neck and then branch out into more complicated spider-type exercises. These exercises really aren't anything you couldn't find online, but I have a lot of trouble following a routine if it isn't already written out for me.

I've been working through the exercises for about a month and I can already see some progress when it comes to fluidity and crossing strings. Definitely recommend it!

u/MEATWALL-FARTOPOLIS · 4 pointsr/musicindustry

I've seen a few posts recently saying that A&R 'doesn't really exist anymore'. I have no idea where that comes from. A&R is THE main component of any record label, independent or major label. Not even sure how to address this sentiment, it's so incorrect.

Most people do not go to school for anything related to music. I did and I know maybe a handful of people who did but 80-90% of the industry went to school for something generic and unrelated (or didn't go at all).

There's two paths to getting into the music industry, one is DYI. Become an artist manager. You don't need a degree or experience or even connections early on (these come with time and work). Find bands you believe in and approach them - be real - and explain you're interested in helping them grow and build. Figure it out as you go along. Be prepared for their egos; every artist thinks they're bigger than they are. Other DYI routes are promoting parties (just putting on events), freelance marketing/PR, etc. MOST people starting out in this lane have NO experience and just pick it up as they go, build a portfolio (for lack of a better word) and snowball experience until it's substantial. This route is hard, there's little money in it for the foreseeable future, but if you're aggressive pursuing it and strategic with your trajectory then it can work. This is how some of the biggest figures in music have started.

The other route is more formal, closer to a normal job route. Get an internship or assistant position at one of the 4 traditional sub-industries: label, publisher, management, booking agency. These aren't hard to get you just have to have a nice clean resume - they don't expect a ton of experience - and present yourself well, have a savage work ethic, have thick skin and great attention to detail. I can tell you from looking at tons of resumes for entry level that having a music related education/major is a very small component of the process. If I see some kid who has been promoting parties in college, shows a proclivity to pursuing music, with or without my help, and seems like he's ripe to learn and grow then they often get a shot. Having a "music business" degree, for example, will do the same thing - it just gets you in the door. My point is it's not necessary. This path is long and the money sucks, just like the DYI path, but there's some structure in it and a path towards progressing. My colleagues at my current job all started as assistants and interns and are now running major parts of the company. My point here is that hiring managers want to see people who are already TRYING to do things on their own and seem to be the kind of person who will continue to make progress with our without the position in question.

The moving around a lot will be a huge hurdle. Unless you're in LA or NYC (or Nashville and Austin to a lesser extent) it's going to be VERY hard to make progress, I'm sorry to say. But now that you know that, perhaps you can work around it. Perhaps your path is a DYI one in the digital space where you build artist platforms, manage their social media and digital marketing, etc. Stuff you can do remotely. It'll still be hard as people really work with people they've personal relationships with but a quick productive trip to NYC or LA and you can shake enough hands to leave with a client or two hopefully. Just a thought. Or perhaps you work in local venues as marketing and talent buying.

Get Donald Passman's book: http://www.amazon.com/Need-Know-About-Music-Business/dp/1451682468

u/Edgar_Allan_Rich · 4 pointsr/WeAreTheMusicMakers

Mods, this shit should be on the sidebar. I've personally explained it here like 10 times over the years and I've read it explained by others in great detail dozens and dozens of other times and I'm not even on here that often.

If you give your own music away for free no one cares what you do.

If you sell your own music you are talking about two things: ownership of the recording and ownership of the composition. This is called publishing rights. You can be your own publisher (composition) and your own label (recording). It's smart to start thinking of it this way now to get your head around it. Start thinking like a business.

Labels sell the recordings they own. Publishers collect publishing royalties and they split them with the artists. The composition royalties get split between the publisher and the artist. The recording royalties get split between the publisher and the label, and then the label may further split that shit out to the artist if the artist is smart when they sign.

Back in the day there were publishers and there were labels and very rarely were they merged into the same company, but nowadays the idea of an indie label that acts as both, or a licensing company that does a little of both here and there, or an artist who does it all for his/herself is very common because lots of cool people and technology dudes and dudettes have made it so easy.

When you are in your situation, you can self-release to an aggrigator like CDbaby or TunrCore who distributes for you and collects a fee for offering this service. THIS IS WHAT I SUGGEST DOING. It's been a while since I've done this but back in the day you had to have a whole album to do it because it makes financial sense for them. That may be different now. There are other aggrigators that allow you to just release singles, but I don't know which ones are still around.

You can also self-release directly to iTunes but I think that's silly because using an aggrigator is so fucking amazing.

To bottom-line this, lets discuss business. In business, when you own something, you can do WHATEVER THE FUCK YOU WANT WITH SOMETHING YOU OWN. So it doesn't matter what you do as long as you aren't under contract with someone else. If you self-release and then somehow get picked up by a label (yes, labels have their own distribution who sometimes are just aggrigators like CDbaby) then they'll make you write up a contract with them and who cares? They certainly won't. You just pull your shit off iTunes and relist with them. Of course you'll want to read all the shit you sign with iTunes, etc. to make sure that that's possible to do before you self-release. I can't keep up with it.

Starting a label is easy. Getting attention is hard.

Read this like 5 times:

https://www.amazon.com/Need-Know-About-Music-Business/dp/1451682468





u/sixty_hertz · 3 pointsr/Guitar

Also there is this.

u/evilgenius815 · 3 pointsr/SquaredCircle

So then your theory -- based on your decades in the business, I suppose -- is that the WWE can get the music rights, cheaply, to all the music they want, to use however they want, "under their network" (whatever that means), but they're choosing not to.

Synchronization rights agreements for a piece of music do not always cover all formats. They just don't, especially when said formats didn't exist at the time the music was used. Watch some old TV show on Netflix or syndication, you'll see a lot of redubbed music. It's the same thing with WWE.

But why I am explaining this to you? You're a legend in the business, and I'm just a guy who's making shit up in my head.

(Also, dirt sheets. By which I mean books, like this one: http://www.amazon.com/Need-Know-About-Music-Business/dp/1451682468)

u/elemeno90 · 3 pointsr/Poetry

Get this book: https://www.amazon.com/Writing-Better-Lyrics-Pat-Pattison/dp/1582975779

Pat Pattinson is a professor of songwriting at Berklee College of Music. My friend studied with him and turned me on to the book. It includes a lot of exercises on how to get yourself thinking in terms of imagery/metaphors as you write, but it's specifically geared toward songwriting. The exercise my buddy often does as a warm up is a free-write. Pick an object like "Apple" and start writing a stream of consciousness about apples. Let your mind wander and just WRITE, it doesn't have to make sense. I'm typing this on a phone, but when I think of apples:

"old scraggly woman, arm outstretched offering tastes of her madness to beautiful girls; a snake winding up a tree, it's cold stomach scraping against bark as it sweetly whispers knowing hisses. Red but not round, paragon of fruits, mottled red and breaking like the earth cracks on a fault as the white teeth sink".

Lyrics and poetry are similar, but there are some nuances to lyrics. The number one I can think of is that people often write lyrics that are impractical to sing. The lines are too long (aside from meter, you'll run out of breath before you can finish the line), or include excessively complicated words (difficult to enunciate and control pitch at the same time). Think of a word like "splendiferous". Maybe you could write it in a poem, but you probably wouldn't want to sing it.

u/Johnjohnfm · 3 pointsr/legaladvice

IANAL, but you might want to check out Section 3 and Section 6 of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial Public License legal code.

A music industry attorney by the name of Donald Passman has an outstanding book that covers the complexities of music licensing, publishing, and practically everything else related to the business. It's really geared towards keeping artists protected.

u/UrinalPooper · 3 pointsr/WeAreTheMusicMakers

I know a few folks who swear by this particular book by Pattison: https://www.amazon.com/Writing-Better-Lyrics-Pat-Pattison/dp/1582975779

u/Forgery · 3 pointsr/Jazz

I found Building Walking Bass Lines helpful when I first started. Another must-have is The Evolving Bassist by Rufus Reid.

u/auntbabe · 3 pointsr/Jazz

My instructor (jazz guitarist and bassist) had me buy a copy of Ed Freidland's "Building Walking Bass Lines". Good place to start learning the basics along with the below suggestion to transcribe bass lines. (hint: get a copy of Audacity, use the bass boost, low pass filter, and slow the whole thing down to really hear the bass). (edited to add link)

u/LOLREKTLOLREKTLOL · 3 pointsr/Bass

Get a Hal Leonard Bass Method Book. It's fucking great. Definitely the best 15 dollars you can spend to help learn bass. You can read a lot of awesome information without actually owning the bass yet. Once you get your bass, every single page in that book has something for you to practice or learn.

u/ThatNolanKid · 3 pointsr/Bass

I've been suggesting this book recently, having started to go through it myself I can promise you'll learn a lot even by yourself. Book and YouTube can teach you only so far in your abilities, a professional bass teacher can sculpt your technique and evaluate your playing better than anything, but will cost the most.

Here's that book, I bought it digitally on Google Play for 13$

http://www.amazon.com/Leonard-Bass-Method-Easy-Use/dp/0793563836

u/twotoomanycats · 3 pointsr/Bass

Get this book. It's been a tremendous help to me.

I also recommend getting the free trial of Scott's Bass Lessons and going through the Bass Guitar Foundations course.

With learning any instrument, you have to learn to crawl before you can walk, walk before you can run. Having strong fundamental skills will save you a lot of frustration down the road.

I'm not much of a pick player, but I've watched one of my favorite bassists who exclusively uses a pick, and she anchors her pinky finger below the bottom string on the body of the bass. I tried it, and I found it helpful. She (and, I believe, most pick players do this) also wraps her thumb over the top of the fretboard to mute the top string when she's playing the string beneath it, and when she frets a note, she uses that finger to mute the strings below it. Here's a video of her playing (it's an acoustic bass, but everything still applies).

u/Chili_Time · 3 pointsr/Bass

If you are looking for a method to use for self teaching the Hal Leonard Bass Method is what I am using. If you can already play bass your fretting and finger plucking won't slow your progress as you learn to read the musical notation. About $15 on Amazom for the book 1,2,3 combo with practice track CDs. Get the spiral bound books, not kindle. The kindle format is not good. I've learned a lot with these books and I had never read music before. The book cover more than just the notes & rests. Covers things like repeat, endings, coda notation, etc.


https://www.amazon.com/Leonard-Bass-Method-Easy-Use/dp/0793563836/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1481028149&sr=8-10&keywords=hal+leonard

u/Dallas_Stars_Fan · 3 pointsr/Bass
u/Bodhammer · 3 pointsr/rocksmith

I agree.
I have bought http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/0793563836

Check these out - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLImrzCNnL5PkSfa1gUpsGzSMELR31yW9h

I'm going to take a couple lessons a month from a local instructor but between the two above resources and Rocksmith, the only other thing I need is fretboard time!

u/SentientSandvich · 3 pointsr/deephouse

I was originally going to post this as a reply to a comment, but it might be more appropriate as a top level post...

If y'all are interested in reading more about history of the lgbt / outsider side of dance music, check out this piece from Luis-Manuel Garcia, and hosted by RA. It's really well done.

Last Night A DJ Saved My Life is also pretty good if you're hungry for more. It's a weighty tome that covers DJing more generally from like... the 1920s or so up to the present.

House music stands for love. :-)

ed.: also if anyone has suggestions for more pieces about the roots of the music we love, I'd like to hear them. :)

u/novt · 3 pointsr/electronicmusic

'Last Night A DJ Saved My Life' has always been one of my favorites. Less of an electronic music history and more of a history on DJing, but still makes for a very interesting read.

FACT has an article on this though.

u/AILDMisfits · 3 pointsr/metalguitar

Like blackfiremoose said, Guitar Pro and slow the song down along with turning on the metronome. It will help you immensely. You can look up cover songs on youtube to see how someone else plays too, to get an idea of how to play the song. Use those two together and you'll learn how to play tightly/cleanly.

As far as breaking down technique, it might be better to take a couple lessons. Plenty of metal guitarists offer lessons and will help you one on one. I know for sure that Dave Davidson from Revocation and Reese Scruggs from Havok do them. I also recommend getting The Guitarist's Grimoire. That will teach you all the scales and modes you'll ever need.

u/RiffWizard · 3 pointsr/Guitar

start small and work your way up. Elementary Rudiments of Music. Learning theory is about learning music, not just guitar. http://www.amazon.ca/Elementary-Rudiments-Music-Barbara-Wharram/dp/1554400112

For learning guitar, I like fretboard logic.

And as a reference guide and rut breaker the Guitar Grimoire

u/dagaboy · 3 pointsr/Guitar

Just get this book, a set of radius gauges, an 18' straight edge and an action gauge. You should be fine.

u/kiteandkey · 3 pointsr/gratefulguitar

Based on the description of your Strat, it sounds like it has the vintage 7.25" fretboard radius. String bending, especially in the higher registers, is know to be problematic on that fretboard radius for exactly the reasons you describe.

Essentially, you need to do a proper setup to try and lessen the problems you're describing. If you're unfamiliar, doing a setup on a Strat involves adjusting things like the truss rod for neck relief, the bridge/claws to determine how you want your tremolo setup, the action, the intonation, and the nut. In essence, everything that your strings touch that can affect how they function mechanically.

You can learn how to do this yourself even if you have no experience. Dan Erlewine has a great book to tackle just this sort of stuff called How to Make Your Electric Guitar Play Great and you can snag a used copy on Amazon for the price of a new set of strings, practically. StewMac, the company where he works and that sells supplies for guitar building, has also started releasing some very helpful YouTube videos on different aspects of the setup. You can also poke around r/Luthier for any tips you can find there (though there's a lot of shorthand that would be tough for a beginner to get into).

My advice to you would be to buy the book, read it over a weekend (it doesn't take long to get from cover to cover), buy a few tools to get the job done and learn how to setup your own guitars so you'll always be able to make sure they're in perfect playing condition and won't have to rely on your local Guitar Center.

Basic tools you'd need include either a pre-assemlbed kit if you want to go the expensive route or a few of the individual components from elsewhere:

  • My advice would be to get the StewMac String Action Gauge (it's worth it going for this specific brand name here since it's higher quality and has better makrings than the ones you'll find on Amazon),
  • Some small screwdrivers and wrenches that'll fit what you need (again, this set from StewMac is pricey but it's very good for its purposes, you can certianly find all the hex wrenches, etc elsewhere for less) if you don't have them,
  • Some radius gauges (here's the set I have)
  • A straightedge (not necessary, since you can use a string on the guitar and calipers or even an old guitar string to measure relief--but the straightedge does make things a lot easier)

    If you can install a stereo, hang a picture and put together a puzzle, you can set up your own guitar.
u/tmwrnj · 3 pointsr/Guitar

You'll certainly need a truss rod tweak and might need to slightly adjust the intonation. It's not difficult to do yourself - check out Dan Erlewine's book for full instructions on how to do your own setups.

u/ewall09 · 3 pointsr/Guitar

Firstly, I never recommend going to GC for a setup...GC is the WalMart of guitars. Instead, I highly recommend going to your local guitar shop where there are people dedicated to setting up guitars, and do so on a daily basis.

Knobs are usually just 'push on, pull off' toppers, so it is very possible the plastic 'head' of the control knob simply wasnt tight, or the threading on the pot itself was stripped, therefore not gripping that knob as well. If you bought it at GC, it is possible it was a recurring problem since before you bought it.

Note that there is a difference between 'acoustic' buzz (unplugged) and 'electric' buzz (plugged in). It is okay for a little bit of fret buzz on an unplugged electric guitar...this doesn't necessarily mean that the action is poor. However, if that fret buzzing passes through to your amplifier, you need to adjust your action.

Alternatively, if you are getting very terrible buzz, you may need to adjust the bridge itself (where the 'thumbscrews' you mentioned are) and raise the action. It is not very difficult, but if you don't feel confident take it to a guitar tech.

Here is an article going through a setup (albeit slightly more advanced) of a Les Paul guitar.

Here is a basic YouTube video discussing various pieces and how they affect action on a Les Paul.

In this video, Joe Walsh does a pretty decent job explaining the basics of a setup on a Les Paul.

Also keep in mind that thicker strings on a guitar = more tension on the neck.

Don't be afraid of your guitar! You only learn from adjusting it yourself. It can be intimidating at first, but once you do it several times you will feel much more confident. Like I said, don't be shy about taking it to a trained technician at a local guitar store.

I hope this information was helpful.

EDIT
Also, for some quality reading material, check out Dan Erlewine's 'How To Make Your Electric Guitar Play Great'....very useful to have sitting around

u/guitarnoir · 3 pointsr/Guitar

When I was first starting out, way back in the last century, there were few places to go to learn this type of thing. And those that had the knowledge were usually less then excited at the thought of sharing their knowledge with you, so that you could become their competition.

But times have changed, and we have this Internet thing, and everybody is sharing everything. Maybe it isn't the Info Age, as much as it is the Era of Sharing, and sharing means a lot of crappy stuff gets thrown in the mix.

So choose your trusted sources carefully, and see who their trusted sources are.

For a good primer in guitar electronics, I recommend reading this book. It's dated, but it's basic info is good, and it's free to read in your browser (takes some time to load):

https://www.scribd.com/doc/2154081/Craig-Anderton-Guitar-Electronics-for-Musicians

I'm anticipating another book on guitar electronics from a source who's previous work I like:

https://hazeguitars.com/completeguitarwiring

This is a good video to understand shock hazards associated with play the electric guitar:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xS_5K5YEYv8&feature=youtu.be

When it comes to other aspects of guitar adjustment, Dan Erlewine has been the go-to source for decades. His books on guitar repair and maintenance are the gold standard. This first book I've linked is more for the guitar repair professional, and might be a bit much. But the second book I've linked should be must-reading for anyone curious about adjusting their guitar to play it's best:

https://www.amazon.com/Guitar-Player-Repair-Guide-3rd/dp/0879309210

https://www.amazon.com/Make-Your-Electric-Guitar-Great/dp/0879309989

Although I haven't actually read any of the books by John Carruthers, I studied under him and on the basis of that experience I would recommend anything he's involved in:

https://www.musiciansfriend.com/books-sheet-music-media/alfred-teach-yourself-guitar-repair-and-maintenance-book?src=3soswxxa

There are a bunch of John Carruther's videos on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9C05D39374BFA9B1

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLB7631EF18F62E16D

I like this book because it's illustrated so well:

https://www.amazon.com/Players-Guide-Guitar-Maintenance/dp/0879305495

Dan Erlewine is a consultant at the guitar tools and supplies seller Stewart-MacDonald. They are a good resource for not just tools and supplies, but they have educational videos, some of which you can get via email, and some of which can be seen on YouTube:

https://www.stewmac.com/

Many of the boutique pickup makers have blogs on their sites, where they talk about pickup design and characteristics.

Just learning good practices on installing strings on various types of guitars is an important starting place:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfK8lQZaq_8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hW0d9bBzUao

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvTFtHLOQvk

And if you can master the secrets of floating tremolo set-up, you can impress your friends and strike fear into the heart of your enemies:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYcGmMJnX0M&feature=youtu.be&t=213

There are so many more good sources, but that should give you a start.

u/kasakka1 · 3 pointsr/Guitar

You need to pinpoint where the buzzing happens. Anywhere on the neck could mean action is too low. On the first few frets could mean that the nut is too low and needs to be replaced. In the middle of the neck could mean that there is not enough relief to the neck so trussrod should be adjusted. Remember to adjust truss rod in only a 1/4 turn at a time. Leaving the wood to settle for some time is a good idea too.

An easy way to check for relief is to hold a string in the middle of the neck at the first and last fret and then tap the string around the middle of the neck (takes a bit of dexterity or use a capo on the first fret). There should be about a credit card's thickness between the string and the fret.

Sometimes the fretwork on a guitar is not very good, a fret might have lifted from its slot, worn unevenly etc so you end up with some buzzing no matter what. Then you should take it to a pro for fret leveling.

I highly recommend you pick up this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Make-Your-Electric-Guitar-Great/dp/0879309989

It has tons of info on setup and repair.

u/2FishInATank · 3 pointsr/guitarlessons

Yep, this was the first book I had - even before my first guitar!

However, although it's very good and informative, I found that this book really opened my eyes...to the extent that I've still not explored all the way through it despite having had a copy for longer than I care to remember.

It's also one of only a couple of books that I've had to re-buy after lending to people and them not returning them - the other being Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman.

u/_Occams-Chainsaw_ · 3 pointsr/musictheory

> Mick Goodrick's "The Advancing Guitarist" is a fantastic resource for this.

QFT, and to add an Amazon link for convenience. TAG had a huge effect on my playing and indeed whole approach to music.

It's also the book I've bought most copies of because I keep lending it to people and one way or another they end up keeping it.

The next book on that list is Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman.

u/Jesusthe33rd · 3 pointsr/Guitar

The Advancing Guitarist by Mick Goodrick. Excellent, excellent book filled with tons of ideas on how to take your playing to the next level and think outside the box.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Advancing-Guitarist-Mick-Goodrick/dp/0881885894

EDIT to add:

The Guitarist's Guide to Composing and Improvising by Damian John.

http://www.amazon.com/Guitarists-Guide-Composing-Improvising-Book/dp/0634016350/ref=pd_sim_b_16?ie=UTF8&refRID=0V593FDV2H8756D7K3DK

u/integerdivision · 3 pointsr/musictheory

From my experience, ear training and visualization should be your focus, not theory. I learned a shitton of theory, and it did not do me much good without practice. It’s like how I know a lot about baseball, but I don’t play baseball, so knowing that what to do in certain situations won’t actually help me do it if I have to process it like it’s a math problem—there simply isn’t a way to transform thought into kinesthetic movements without taking the time to “lay down the tracks”.

The theory will come from practicing, both with guitar in hand and when you are out and about by visualizing chords changes or melodies or the Circle of Fifths or whatever. Then, as you look through theory for things to practice, you’ll likely already have a place to put the names of the things in your head. I should add, try singing the notes you try to play, even if your voice sucks—practice will make your voice better.

The point of theory is music. To that end, I recommend doing what I didn’t do, practicing the exercises in The Advancing Guitarist by Mick Goodrick. Also, really play with the Circle of Fifths and the brightness/darkness implicit to it.

u/SomedayVirtuoso · 3 pointsr/Guitar

Links!

Chord Chemistry - Ted Greene

The Advancing Guitarist - Mick Goodrick

Mickey Baker's Complete Course in Jazz Guitar: Book 1

Also, remember that 85% of odd jazz chords that come about, you should be able to work out. -Maj7? Min7 chord with a sharp 7. 7b5? 7 chord with a flat five. Chords with tensions can generally be played without the tensions, so G13 can easily be G7. However, you will loose some nuance. As for jazz solos? Totally not a jazz guitarist. My rock soloing didn't go well with my jazz teachers. However, I was given some fantastic advice: Even if you don't play a style, solo in it like you would normally because that is where you are comfortable. If you find the groove, you'll fit.

u/CodeDomination · 3 pointsr/Guitar

https://www.amazon.com/Ted-Greene-Chord-Chemistry/dp/0898986966

This book is pretty much the chord bible.

u/rsm5068 · 3 pointsr/Guitar

A good starter book on chords: Chord Chemistry by Ted Greene. Recommended to me by a former teacher, I still use it all the time and will probably never stop.

u/Drinkos · 3 pointsr/Guitar

Read This It's widely known as the bible for guitar making. Find your local lumberyard for wood - don't get 'luthier wood' from eBay, it's much more expensive. The other questions you asked can't really be answered without a day long conversation to find out what you like. I'd personally go for something pretty simple for my first build - think bolt on, Telecaster simplicity. Getting the simple stuff right first is more important than being able to carve a perfect Les Paul top for example

u/grahamvinyl · 3 pointsr/Luthier

Make Your Own Electric Guitar is a good one.

I also got a lot of inspiration and good ideas from Jeff Miller's step-by-step pictures online.

u/Naked_Otis · 3 pointsr/Luthier

Recommended Books:
Electric Guitar and Bass Design: The guitar or bass of your dreams, from the first draft to the complete plan https://www.amazon.com/dp/3000296425/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_taa_HT7nDb2JCC3CP

Electric Guitar Making & Marketing: How to build and market high-end instruments, from your workshop's setup to the complete business plan https://www.amazon.com/dp/1514353083/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_taa_ZS7nDbZQR4RFH

Make Your Own Electric Guitar https://www.amazon.com/dp/0953104907/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_taa_mV7nDb4C88PQ7

Build Your Own Electric Guitar: Complete Instructions and Full-Size Plansby Oakham, Martin
(This one is hard to find)

u/benjorino · 3 pointsr/Guitar

Verdelet gives good advice!
All I would add is the age old advice of "measure once, cut twice"

I also recommend Make Your Own Electric Guitar by Melvin Hiscock. The book is considered the "Bible" of guitar making, and is an excellent guide/ reference.

I'd also recommend reading plenty. Project guitar is great. MIMF is another good site. By reading about mistakes others have made you can avoid them yourself ;)

u/polishedbullet · 3 pointsr/Guitar

I posted a picture of a guitar I made not too long ago. Here it is. The link to the entire build should be in the comments.

People say to just build your first guitar from a kit and keep it relatively simple. Personally, I say do whatever you want with your guitar. It is YOUR own guitar after all.

My tips would be:

  • Be prepared to spend more money than you expect. There is always something that goes wrong that will need replaced.

  • If you have little/no experience in woodworking, make sure you know someone or multiple people who are. They will prevent you from making an irreversible mistake.

  • Find a good forum to ask for help on. I used the Guitar Building and Customizing forum on Ultimate-guitar.com. Watching some of the professionals on there build is really eye-opening and extremely helpful. They are more than willing to help you and answer your questions.

  • Buy a book that you can bring with you to wherever you will be working on the guitar. I used this book.

    If you have any more questions, just PM me!
u/TheWordFromMars · 3 pointsr/Luthier

I used this one, and this one. The first one is good to read before you start designing/building. It describes what makes a good design and what doesn't. The second is more of the actual building information. It even includes info on bass building, which is why I got it. You'd probably be looking more for the second book I listed, but it can be hard to find. Good luck!

u/Rogue-Rage · 3 pointsr/Guitar

This book really helped me - there's an exercise a day for 52 weeks, focusing on alternate picking, arpeggio, sweep picking, string skipping, legato, rhythm and bends.
20 minutes a day slowly building up the speed of the exercise with a metronome really helped me improve!

Troy Nelson Guitar Aerobics (Book & Cd) Gtr Book/Cd https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1423414357/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_4q4IxbVKK1XFC

u/stripmyspurgear · 3 pointsr/Guitar

I really enjoyed this book, the rest in the series are a bit blah, but this stood out as helping me a lot.

https://www.musicroom.com/product-detail/product332583/variant332583/guitar-springboard-technical-workout/

Also the popular Guitar Aerobics book might be what you want. I dont own this one, but I will buy it eventually, some friends have it and seemed to really improve when they stuck with the 52 week thing,
When i borrowed it i just went through it at my own pace which might not be best, as I cant remember most of it.

https://www.amazon.com/Guitar-Aerobics-One-lick-day-Maintaining/dp/1423414357

u/astrosoldiers · 3 pointsr/ableton

Awesome article. Thanks, very clearly written.

If anyone needs more info on gain staging, read the SOS article link he provided.

Below is link if you missed it. I recommend reading the article above first, as it does a good job summarizing the topic.

http://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/gain-staging-your-daw-software

Also see - Bob Katz

https://www.amazon.com/Mastering-Audio-Science-Bob-Katz/dp/0240808371



u/hightrancesea · 3 pointsr/audioengineering

> You are wildly incorrect. Never before has a compression plugin been too fast for the sampling rate. A compressor would have to have an attack time of 0.00002267573 seconds for this to even make sense.

Compressors multiply the incoming signal by a time-varying gain signal; the total bandwidth of the ideal output signal is approximately the sum of the two. So if you have an input signal at 10kHz, any compression gain signal with a bandwidth over 12.05kHz will alias without additional oversampling in the compressor plugin, which not all plugin manufacturers implement. For any attack time below 1 millisecond, a 12.05kHz-bandlimited approximation of the compressor gain signal will look pretty terrible, but without bandlimiting of the gain signal, you'll get aliasing. Hence, the need for oversampling.

> Furthermore, there is plenty anti-aliasing filters built into DAWs and converters to prevent just the type of distortion you describe.

Anti-aliasing filters are used to prevent aliasing when you start from a higher sampling rate, whether that's infinity (analog) or for an oversampled signal. I don't see how building them into the DAW or an ADC/DAC do anything for the aliasing that occurs inside a plugin.

> You get no advantage bouncing at a higher sampling rate if your plugins over-sample.

And I heartily agree with you on this as can be seen in my original reply. Unfortunately, not all plugins over-sample.

> You have a very incorrect view of how digital audio functions. I highly recommend this book:
> https://www.amazon.com/Mastering-Audio-Science-Bob-Katz/dp/0240808371
> It goes into great detail about just how this sort of things work.

Thanks for the recommendation, but for the basics of digital audio, I instead recommend Oppenheim and Schafer's Discrete-Time Signal Processing for the mathematical theory as well as JOS's series of digital audio processing online books for more application-oriented concepts.

u/Gwohl · 3 pointsr/realdubstep

If you haven't made much music in the past, I would recommend learning how to DJ while also studying the principles of audio synthesis and music theory.

DJing is a really good way of understanding what elements of a tune make it danceable and exciting - particularly as far as rhythm and harmony are concerned. Digital music production requires a pretty solid understanding of not just computer software but also a few fundamentals, including the physics of sound, the science behind audio synthesis, and then technique things such as editing, signal flow, etc.

A few books I would recommend for getting started are The Computer Music Tutorial and Musicmathics. As far as mixing and mastering is concerned, which are other essential aspects of the production process, I would recommend checking out Robert Katz's Mastering Audio.

Psychoacoustical considerations are probably what most blatantly separate the men from the boys. My recommended starter for this is Music, Cognition, and Computerized Sound by Perry Cook, who is a professor of Computer Music at Princeton.

EDIT: Also, if you don't already, start listening to and appreciating classical music - particularly stuff made after the Renaissance - in order to get an understanding of the emotional impact things such as dynamics and voicing have on the listening experience. Electronic music heavily borrows from the classical music tradition in this context. Digital music production essentially makes you a computerized Mozart, in that you can control dozens of musical voices, but with even more micromanagement potential than the typical classical music conductor can offer. You will not have a complete understanding of these musical concepts from pop/rock music alone, or even from more 'sophisticated' musical practices such as jazz.

u/B_Provisional · 3 pointsr/edmproduction

The guide I just linked, despite being written for a specific commercial product, has lots of good conceptional information that be applied to whatever tools you have at your disposal to work with. It is a widely recommended resource for learning the fundamentals of mastering techniques.

Besides, I think your expectations for what people will put into reddit posts is a little screwy. Mastering is a huge topic. Its is an art form in and of itself, not a simple procedure like side-chain compression or programming a specific synth patch. Introductions to the art of mastering take up hundreds of pages. If you want to understand a huge topic, read a book. If you want a few pointers, tips, or tricks, ask people on sites like reddit.

u/sumsholyftw · 3 pointsr/hiphopheads

One of the best papers I've read on this topic that gives a comprehensive review on the policy, history, and urbanization of racial ghettos is this one (its really really dense and goes in depth on a lot of material but its extremely comprehensive).

On general matters of race and civil rights, you can't go wrong with The Autobiography of Malcolm X.

If you want a more hip hop based approach, I recommend Jeff Chang's Can't Stop Won't Stop . This one is more of a history on the hip hop generation in general but gives a great background on how hip hop rose out of racial conflict.

u/LocalAmazonBot · 3 pointsr/hiphopheads

Here are some links for the product in the above comment for different countries:

Amazon Smile Link: Can't Stop Won't Stop: A History of the Hip Hop Generation


|Country|Link|
|:-----------|:------------|
|UK|amazon.co.uk|
|Spain|amazon.es|
|France|amazon.fr|
|Germany|amazon.de|
|Japan|amazon.co.jp|
|Canada|amazon.ca|
|Italy|amazon.it|
|China|amazon.cn|




To help donate money to charity, please have a look at this thread.

This bot is currently in testing so let me know what you think by voting (or commenting). The thread for feature requests can be found here.

u/greeneyedkt · 3 pointsr/suggestmeabook

For a book about hip hop culture, you might want to check out Can't Stop Won't Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation by Jeff Chang.

u/hmbse7en · 3 pointsr/Anthropology

Only one book is necessary to get you pointed in the right direction: Can't Stop Won't Stop by Jeff Chang

u/nastierlistener · 3 pointsr/classicalmusic

Try Theory of Harmony by Schoenberg and The Study of Counterpoint by Fux. If you don't mind reading somewhat dated texts these could work well.

u/I_luv_harpsichord · 3 pointsr/musictheory

I took an arranging course for my music degree and I really love the textbook they made us purchase. It's this! http://www.amazon.com/Study-Orchestration-Third-Samuel-Adler/dp/039397572X/
I personally think it's very helpful. :) I know it's expensive, but I think the investment is worth it.

As for counterpoint, I like Joseph Fux! There was a textbook that I used, but unfortunately I don't remember it. (It's at home and I live at an off-campus apartment) http://www.amazon.com/Study-Counterpoint-Johann-Joseph-Parnassum/dp/0393002772

I hope this helps :) But if you want somethiing free there's this .... http://imslp.org/wiki/Principles_of_Orchestration_%28Rimsky-Korsakov,_Nikolay%29

u/MDShimazu · 3 pointsr/musictheory

If you would like to end with Chopin, you only need to study tonal theory. So twelve tone topics are not of any use since that topic is 20th century, after tonality.

If you didn't do voice leading (SATB harmony): Are you interested in voice leading? If you want to get to the more advanced topics of tonal theory, you'll need to cover that. If so I would suggest this book:

https://www.amazon.com/Musicians-Guide-Theory-Analysis-Third/dp/0393600491/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1535936804&sr=1-1&keywords=clendinning+theory

Have you done species counterpoint? Species counterpoint will be very helpful in dealing with just about all music. I would recommend Fux's book:

https://www.amazon.com/Study-Counterpoint-Johann-Joseph-Parnassum/dp/0393002772/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1535936929&sr=1-1&keywords=fux+counterpoint

If you've already done species counterpoint: For more advanced counterpoint (not useful for Chopin, but necessary for anything with fugues in it, obviously) I would suggest Mann's book:

https://www.amazon.com/Study-Fugue-Dover-Books-Music/dp/0486254399

For a complete discussion of forms I would suggest Berry's book:

https://www.amazon.com/Form-Music-2nd-Wallace-Berry/dp/0133292851

For an in depth and modern discussion of sonata theory (remember that symphonies are also often times in sonata form), I would suggest Hepokoski's book:

https://www.amazon.com/Elements-Sonata-Theory-Deformations-Late-Eighteenth-Century/dp/0199773912/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1535937360&sr=1-1&keywords=hepokoski+sonata

If you already know species counterpoint and voice leading you can study Schenkarian Analysis. For this there's two books I would suggest:

https://www.amazon.com/Analysis-Tonal-Music-Schenkerian-Approach/dp/0199732477/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1535937496&sr=1-1&keywords=schenkerian+analysis

https://www.amazon.com/Tonal-Analysis-Schenkerian-David-Damschroder/dp/0393283798/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1535937488&sr=1-2&keywords=schenkerian+analysis

​

If you're interested in composition, that's the other side of the coin and so all the above are of limited use. Let me know if you want books for composition.

u/eaglesbecomevultures · 3 pointsr/classicalmusic

Sure! Here are a few that have helped me out:

The textbook that my school uses for beginning theory classes is The Complete Musician by Steven Laitz. It is a pretty comprehensive look at tonality, covering the very basics through 19th century theory. Isn't too pricey either: http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Musician-Integrated-Approach-Listening/dp/0199742782

Fux's Gradus ad Parnassum is a great place to begin working on counterpoint: http://www.amazon.com/Study-Counterpoint-Johann-Joseph-Parnassum/dp/0393002772/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1368896313&sr=1-1-spell&keywords=gradus+ad+parnasam+fux

Samuel Adler's The Study of Orchestration is my current go to book when researching the basics of different instruments and orchestration techniques: http://www.amazon.com/Study-Orchestration-Third-Samuel-Adler/dp/039397572X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1368896395&sr=1-1&keywords=samuel+adler+orchestration

Lastly, once you feel you have developed a solid foundation with your theory knowledge, I can't stress enough the importance of studying/analyzing scores. It is (in my opinion) the best way of learning how to compose. One can learn so much from one score!

u/keakealani · 3 pointsr/musictheory

Ahh, that makes sense, sorry \^\^;

There are books on a huge variety of subjects in music, so it does depend a little bit on what you are interested in specifically. For a broad overview, I liked A History of Western Music - the current edition is the 8th, but much of the materials from the 7th edition are available online. Another book I recommend is Harold C. Schonberg's The Lives of the Great Composers. It is less in-depth, but is written in a more narrative style while still hitting on a lot of the "who's who" in classical music from the Baroque to the 20th century (although it's maybe a tad outdated in the later 20th and 21st century).

Besides those two, I actually don't have any others on the top of my head that are good overviews. /u/m3g0wnz does have a guide to music theory textbooks on the sidebar that details out some of the main texts in that area. And, of course, there are books that specialize on a variety of subjects within music theory and history - Ebenezer Prout's book on fugues is one such example that I've looked at, as well as both the Kennan and Adler on the subject of orchestration. (Actually, Kennan also wrote a book on Counterpoint.)

On the subject of sight-singing, I've used both Rhythm and Pitch and A New Approach to Sight Singing in my aural skills classes - I like the Berkowitz a little better in the way it's organized, but both offer plenty of examples for practice. Alternatively, picking up a hymnal is possibly an easier alternative to sightsinging that gives you lots of tonal material for practice.

With most of my other suggestions, though, you don't really need a book. Print out some scores on IMSLP or pick up a cheap study edition (like this one of Mozart piano sonatas) and work through a harmonic/formal analysis.

With transposition, I think probably just working through some scores on IMSLP would be a good start, as well - I can't think of any other better way to get exercises for that. It's one of those topics that's pretty easy to quiz yourself with as long as you keep yourself honest. :)

Edit to add: As far as specifics of literature, that is obviously pretty instrument-dependent. I am a vocalist, and I usually choose language first and then begin exploring pieces that might work with my current technical goals. I know a lot of instrumentalists treat genre/time period the same way. So depending on your instrument, you may have a different approach, but it helps to narrow things down to a few composers you might like to explore for your instrument, and then seeing if anything works for you. Although be wary - for me I end up getting so involved in lit studies that I have a list a mile long of pieces I want to study in the future. It's a double-edged sword for sure.

u/Rhaps · 3 pointsr/musictheory

It's interesting, but it's getting a little old now...

Of course, it's still important as a historical document, but some of the informations are outdated (some of the techniques, registral qualities) since orchestras, and instruments themselves, have changed since Berlioz wrote his treatise.

I, personally, use Adler's Study of Orchestration, which I think the best orchestration book for modern orchestras.

u/frodokun · 3 pointsr/reasoners

If you're in to dance music, The Dance Music Manual is densely-packed, but still easy to read and fun.

Reason 101 has a "visual guide to the Reason Rack" that's really good. PM your address and you can have mine. The type is too small for my eyes to read.

u/JamesTheHaxor · 3 pointsr/WeAreTheMusicMakers

> BTW, that wiki song structure article is a mess

Agreed. I linked to that wiki article without even really looking. Personally, I like the following books that go into a lot more detail in regards to production and EDM:

u/jkb83 · 3 pointsr/askscience

Dan Levitin, a psych prof in my department, has a pretty good book on music and the brain, and he discusses this issue a little bit.

I'd recommend you check it out if you are generally interested in music - why it is important to us, how it is processed in the brain, etc.

u/nuzzle · 3 pointsr/Music

That is because you acquire your primary musical taste usually before you finish with puberty. This acquisition is apparently also dependent on social factors, such as peer group. There is a book that discusses this and similar things in a non-eggheaded way, namely this

u/JeremyEye · 3 pointsr/fffffffuuuuuuuuuuuu

It's not just where you live, but just because someone doesn't have much technical knowledge doesn't mean they're not good musicians.

Now, I'm not trying to be a douche, but just try to look beyond that, it might help you enjoy music a little bit more - I used to have a similar mentality but when I stopped that I enjoyed listening so much more.

But since you're a musician and into the technical side, check out This book =) Currently reading it, it's outstanding.

u/i_love_younicorns · 3 pointsr/askscience

This book also explains this phenomenon in great detail.

u/cameronm · 3 pointsr/Music

I'm really enjoying This Is Your Brain On Music at the moment. Really easy to read for non-sciency and non-musiciany but goes in to a lot of depth too!

u/manaiish · 3 pointsr/neuroscience

Yeah, there aren't too many of us. Hell, this is the direction I'm going now, who knows what I'll end up being.
I ordered Your Brain on Music the other day after hearing a lot of reccomendations. I'll let you know how it is when I get it

u/themusicgod1 · 3 pointsr/science

Firstly, this isn't the start, nor the end of this debate. Depending what you call a 'computer' and what point you draw the line towards something being a 'brain' will determine how you answer the question of whether a computer is a brain, or how similar they are. In general there is a spectrum of ways to look at it; of four positions I'm somewhat familiar with include Mindhacks, Andy Clark which would tend to come to conclusions close to the headline, and Levitin and Hofstadter might come to different ones. And their different conclusions, and the conclusions of the author really don't contradict eachother; they merely depend on the initial construction of the problem; what is a brain? What is a computer?

Secondly, computers do change what they are connected to quite often. Actually the computers themselves don't tend to make the change...but I have yet to see a reason to believe that neurons change themselves in this way, too. Since the 2000s it is quite normal for computers to be connected to various different networks(ie, other computers) within their lifetime. So in this sense a computer isn't the same thing as a brain...but might be closer in character to a collection of neurons. A small, somewhat discrete unit of mind could occur at both low, but not neuron levels of the brain and computers, properly programmed.

> To put this in perspective, the entire archived contents of the Internet fill just three petabytes.

Citation needed. Google alone must have more than that, and it's on the internet. Also, these numbers might seem impressive but keep in mind; back in the 80's, a 100mb hard drive was a Big Deal; a large, energy intensive, slow thing that cost a lot of money. Nowadays, a fairly highspeed 1gb device can fit into the size of a dime, for basically free, and we're starting to see >1TB drives; that's 4 orders of magnitude. If the rate of technological development continues at this pace, we will hit singularity level tech at some point.

> This projection overlooks the dark, hot underbelly of Moore’s law: power consumption per chip

If you actually read kurzweil, he doesn't overlook this. He provides plausible technological ways around it, and also predicts that when the heat/power becomes a problem we will start using some other way of getting the exponential increase, by dna computing or whatever---but some other paradigm will take over. I think we're starting to see this with parallel architectures, imho.

I'm reminded of something I read earlier (from the 70's? 60's?) who suggested that by now, computers would be so hot that they'd boil the oceans instantly, and there'd be only a few dozen of them. Technology has gotten more heat-efficient, computers have gotten smaller, and in general, we don't have that problem. Sure heat is a problem, but we're dealing with it, just as we're dealing with the problems inherent in any large, complex, parallel system.

> which often requires fast responses to complex situations.

Which if you're not adapted for, you aren't going to be able to act meaningful towards. That's the thing; biological systems fail ALL THE TIME. Only sometimes do they succeed---on evolutionary timescales, we have done miracles with computers. Given another billion years? We'll have fast responses to complex situations, too.

u/cymbalrush · 3 pointsr/AskReddit

This is Your Brain on Music has a chapter on this. Essentially, its learned.

u/THE_PUN_STOPS_HERE · 3 pointsr/AskReddit
u/Aireroth · 3 pointsr/Bass

In addition to /u/redditsmcgee's solid advice, try and slow the song down a bit (with Reaper, for example). Or practice it to a metronome at a slower pace. Once you get it down at a lower tempo, start increasing it. Try and put in the conscious effort to play relaxed as well.

There are also a variety of exercises out there to help build up your strength and stamina, e.g. Bass Fitness

u/JJ_JJ_JJ_JJ · 3 pointsr/Bass
u/GuruGita · 3 pointsr/Bass

I play anyone the exercises from this book for 5-10 minutes with a metronome.

https://www.amazon.com/Bass-Fitness-Exercising-Handbook-Including/dp/0793502489

u/BungalowDebill · 3 pointsr/beatles

This is what you're looking for. It has all the chords and much more.

u/cyancynic · 3 pointsr/Guitar

I would like to direct you to “Songwriting Secrets of the Beatles” for a lot of really good info on various tricks and techniques employed by the Fab 4 in building fresh sounds. “[Beatles Complete]()http://www.amazon.com/The-Beatles-Complete-Scores/dp/0793518326” is a more or less obligatory companion volume.

There are a lot of ideas to try out with various Beatles songs cited as examples.

u/maestro2005 · 3 pointsr/Learnmusic

If you're interested in Beatles music, I highly recommend this book. It has complete transcriptions of everything the Beatles ever recorded.

u/pianolorian · 3 pointsr/piano

Hi! I don't know about videos, but The Beatles Complete Scores has note for note transcriptions of all instruments in each and every Beatles song. There are a few mistakes here and there, but overall, it's pretty solid. It is admittedly a little pricey unless you're a huge Beatles fan. Their transcription of Let It Be is spot on.

On a personal note, this is the book that got me to start learning how to play piano.

u/lilwing98 · 3 pointsr/musicians

The first thing to do is look for a copy of The Beatles: Complete Scores. Here's the Amazon link. That will help a lot with the other tips that have been given.

u/portnux · 3 pointsr/Bass

If you like The Beatles you might enjoy this.

u/MangoSauce · 3 pointsr/AnimalCollective

It's on my bucket list to write The Beatles: Complete Scores but for AC. I've transcribed some parts of songs that I thought would be difficult so far. Along with notes hypothesizing about how certain sounds were made, equipment, etc, since those questions are constantly asked here.

But then again, demystifying their music has always seemed a little against the band's wishes.

u/bag_of_puppies · 2 pointsr/WeAreTheMusicMakers

Bob Katz - Mastering Audio is a fantastic book on this subject. Content ranges from audio fundamentals to advanced technical material, but is never overwhelming.

u/OwenTheGeek · 2 pointsr/edmproduction

Have you read Mastering Audio by Bob Katz?

This would be the best place to start learning about mastering, in my opinion: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mastering-Audio-Science-Bob-Katz/dp/0240808371/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

For videos, Streaky's channel on YouTube is the best I've seen (although I don't necessarily agree with 100% of his opinions): https://www.youtube.com/user/StreakyMasteringTV

u/hob196 · 2 pointsr/WeAreTheMusicMakers

From memory, I believe that is The Mixing Engineer's Handbook by Bobby Owsinski.

Another staple read about this is Mastering Audio: The art and the science by Bob Katz

u/WanderingMayor · 2 pointsr/futurebeatproducers

I realize you said mixing, and this is for mastering, but I figured it might be relevant as well. By Bob Katz http://www.amazon.com/Mastering-Audio-The-Art-Science/dp/0240808371

A pdf is easy to find online, or you can support by buying the paperback

u/aeon_orion · 2 pointsr/audioengineering

Mastering is a mysterious art form that takes practice and a good ear to be able to do well. The only plugins I would recommend for doing this you've already tried so I doubt you're gonna get anything better. A few things you could try though is mixing the track at a higher volume before using ozone or an L2 on the track or make a new session in your DAW import your mixed track on one channel and then a commercial track on another that is at the volume you want your track to be and then tweak the settings on the L2 or Ozone while doing an a/b comparison with the commercial track to try and get it sounding similar.

If you want to learn more about mastering though this is a fantastic book on the subject.

u/da_ballz · 2 pointsr/hiphopheads

Another great one is Can't Stop Won't Stop: A History of the Hip Hop Generation. Basically starts in Jamaica with Herc and ends in the late 90s/early 2000s. A bit lengthy but a great read.

u/SoulSonick · 2 pointsr/hiphopheads

I highly recommend this book; lots of historic Hip Hop related photos, interviews etc. Can't Stop Won't Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation

u/syorebellion · 2 pointsr/culturalstudies

Jeff Chang's Can't Stop Won't Stop might be a good place to start http://www.amazon.com/Cant-Stop-Wont-History-Generation/dp/0312425791

There is actually a decent amount of academic literature on hip-hop culture here in the States

u/CRMannes · 2 pointsr/classicalmusic

Gradus ad Parnassum. Know it, love it, make it your friend.

u/zaccus · 2 pointsr/WeAreTheMusicMakers

Any melody can be accompanied by an almost endless number of chord changes, so there's no one "correct" way to do it.

The oldest way to do this is a technique called counterpoint. Long story short, you first write a bass part under your main melody, favoring contrary or oblique motion over parallel motion, and avoiding parallel 5ths and octaves as much as possible. The bass part should make sense as its own melody, ideally.

Then fill in a middle voice, again its own melody, observing the rules of counterpoint with respect to the other 2 melodies already written. When you're done with the 3rd voice, you have a basic chord progression.

You might want to repeat with a 4th melody or more after that, but you'll find that subsequent melodies are less interesting because your options are pretty narrow at that point. That's why alto parts tend to suck.

If this seems interesting to you at all, I highly recommend the classic Study of Counterpoint. It's been out for almost 300 years but it has a unique narrative-style approach and is a lot of fun to work through. Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, et. al. would have been familiar with it.

OTOH, if this seems like overkill, then just sit down with a piano or guitar, pick a key, start with something structured around I-IV-V-I or I-vi-ii-V-I or something, and go from there. Again, there's no one correct chord progression. Just find something that tastes good in your ears.

u/astrobeen · 2 pointsr/composer

Great job! Everything I wrote when I was 17 was shit, so congrats on being awesome!

Nice resolutions and voice leading! Try to avoid the parallel resolutions between the vln2 and cello that pop up from time to time. A good mental discipline is that every time a voice resolved to a root or a fifth of a harmony, make sure it’s contrary.

I’m not sure if you’ve been exposed to Fux Modal Counterpoint, but you should learn it and live by it if you want to compose in the Baroque, classical, or romantic idioms.

https://www.amazon.com/Study-Counterpoint-Johann-Joseph-Parnassum/dp/0393002772

Best of luck!

u/r2metwo · 2 pointsr/composer

This is a classic counterpoint text (might be a little dry)

The Study of Counterpoint: From Johann Joseph Fux's Gradus Ad Parnassum

https://www.amazon.com/Study-Counterpoint-Johann-Joseph-Parnassum/dp/0393002772/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=species+counterpoint&qid=1554356336&s=gateway&sr=8-1

u/singlefrequency · 2 pointsr/WeAreTheMusicMakers

If she doesn't have it already, I highly recommend Samuel Adler's "Study of Orchestration" book - http://www.amazon.com/Study-Orchestration-Third-Samuel-Adler/dp/039397572X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1323789264&sr=8-2 If she's going to school for music composition, she'll more than likely need this any way. Might be good to get her a head start!

u/warriorbob · 2 pointsr/edmproduction

I learned most of these by googling. After a while, I felt like I wanted to learn more so I got a book and read it. And so and and so forth, trying to learn something each time I didn't understand a term. After a while the terminology is second nature.

The book a lot of people seem to like is "The Dance Music Manual" by Rick Snoman, and the google a lot of people seem to like is Google.

u/incredulitor · 2 pointsr/edmproduction

The Dance Music Manual is a great resource for this type of analysis of other genres:

http://www.dancemusicproduction.com/index.php/dance-music-manual-3rd-edition

http://www.amazon.com/Dance-Music-Manual-Tools-Techniques/dp/0415825644

I don't think the book contains anything specific to progressive house. There's a DVD for it though. I have not watched it but I would trust it based on their other stuff:

http://www.dancemusicproduction.com/index.php/tutorials/genre-tutorials/progressive-house

The advice to just experiment isn't wrong but it also doesn't seem to acknowledge that you have to start by imitating something, and it helps to know what you're imitating. I think this is a good question.

u/js52589 · 2 pointsr/edmproduction

I recommend looking into some books on production. There is so much more information crammed into the better books than you will find in a week's of searching forums and youtube tutorials. For books on mixing, I say you can't go wrong with Bobby Owinski's The Mixing Engineer's Handbook or Mike Senior's Mixing Secrets for the Small Studioand for general production I recommend Rick Snoman's Dance Music Manual just be sure to get the latest edition, it includes chapters that cover everything from basic theory the popular genres (trance, dubstep, DnB, Techno, House, and Ambient/Chillout), it covers the electronics and science of acoustics, MIDI, DAW's and everything that come's along with them (instruments, effects, samplers, etc) and promoting and distributing your music. I can't say enough about this book and what a great way it was for me to see the "big picture" of what was ahead of me when I was starting out.

u/BaintS · 2 pointsr/WeAreTheMusicMakers

give the dance music manual a read. it will teach you the fundamentals of what everything does regardless of what program you are using.

if you want to learn how to use ableton or FL studio, look up tutorials or read the manuals for the programs.

u/Mefaso · 2 pointsr/FL_Studio

Not a video, but this book was extremely helpful for me:

http://www.amazon.com/Dance-Music-Manual-Tools-Techniques/dp/0415825644/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1412538316&sr=8-1&keywords=dance+music+manual

It costs 30$ as a paperback but it teaches you about Music theory basics, synth, fx, master, mixing basics and also gives you an overview of almost all current EDM genres.

u/gtani · 2 pointsr/WeAreTheMusicMakers

I like to scan reviews by SOS, gearslutz, Keyboard mag and some of the EDM oriented site s like createdigitalmusic.com, attackmagazine.com to get clues about synth features: http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/may02/articles/rolandsh32.asp (they say the manual's not the greatest)

Also, from the sidebars of /r/synthesizers, /r/edmProduction etc:

http://www.amazon.com/Refining-Sound-Practical-Synthesis-Synthesizers/dp/0199922969

and http://www.amazon.com/Dance-Music-Manual-Tools-Techniques/dp/0415825644/

u/ToTheHopelessMusic · 2 pointsr/WeAreTheMusicMakers

Here's the book I started going through when I was trying to learn electronic music. I didn't make it very far (I was only learning electronic because I didn't have a guitar... then I got a guitar again), but from what I did get through it was a nice introduction to music theory, compressors and EQs, etc.

I was scared of music theory before I started going through that book because it seemed scary, but the book made it pretty easy to pick up!

u/penguinrider · 2 pointsr/ableton

Read the ableton manual, seriously. Even though you know nothing right now, it will at least let you know the scope of the software. Read this book http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0415825644/ref=redir_mdp_mobile/190-8299723-7853348# I got a minor in music in college with an audio tech concentration, I've had hours of classes. This is the best beginner book I've ever read. It's not just for beginners, it's so all inclusive I can't believe how short it actually is. I would bet anything that it will answer every question you could possibly think of.

u/CallerNumber4 · 2 pointsr/IAmA

How large is your music library? (In songs and GBs)

What traits or habits of songs, that come up often, do you like the least that the less trained ear might not notice?

Have you ever read this book? (I personally really enjoyed it, it's a great introduction to the terms of music for the beginner, and very indepth and interesting observations of other aspects of how it reacts with your brain. Like if a piece of music is memorized bit by bit in your brain like a recording, or if it has ways that it fills in the gaps. Or how modern society doesn't associate singing and listening to music as akin as highly undeveloped ones do.)

Do you believe that over time the overall quality of music has increased/decreased/stayed roughly the same. (the size on which you are basing this is up to you, early chamber orchestral pieces of the middle ages, or within the last century/decade).

u/sandhouse · 2 pointsr/askscience

I read a book that had some science of music in it. "This is Your Brain on Music". I don't remember the specifics of it so I won't try to repeat it here because I'll probably say something inaccurate. That book isn't the only one of it's kind (good book by the way). If you are really interested in the subject I'm sure you can find some interesting information.

http://www.amazon.com/This-Your-Brain-Music-Obsession/dp/0525949690

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1400033535/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_2?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=0525949690&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=02HTPTSMBADCZZE5BDMV

u/clockradio · 2 pointsr/bestof

This idea is certainly not new. Though OP concentrates more on predictability and short-changes its tension with novelty.

Dan Levitin goes into considerable detail about it in his book from a decade ago, This Is Your Brain on Music, particularly interesting to me was the portion where he discusses why only some people like Jazz.

u/kilowatt · 2 pointsr/reddit.com

+1 on the DNA through the eyes of a code article, that was the shit.

Semi related, I just bought a book for a class called This Is Your Brain on Music that (I think) is going to try to explain the neuroscience behind why people have loved music for as long as there have been people. Music theory grounded in biology—it looks fun.

u/toastspork · 2 pointsr/science

The best book I've read recently on understanding music is This Is Your Brain on Music, by Dan Levitin. It is a fairly comprehensive look at how we perceive music, both physically and psychologically, and how our tastes form. And it's got references to lots of great examples that let you hear what he's describing.

He gets a bit into Western vs. non-Western perceptions, but mostly he admits to writing from what he know, which is Western.

u/agency_panic · 2 pointsr/Music

Read this and this

Edit: Additionally, everyone has a natural frequency they resonate at. When you wake up in the morning, hum a note. What comes naturally is usually your natural resonance. Due to sympathetic vibrations in the harmonic series, certain harmonies and sympathetic tones can physically interact with your "personal frequency"

In other words, music fucking rules

u/Jose_Monteverde · 2 pointsr/CollaborativePsych

This is your brain on music

or this

Musician here, I hear music all the time. Post your thoughts when you're done reading the book

u/Huge_Metal_Fan · 2 pointsr/mentalhealth

Disclaimer: This post is in reference to thatCrazyGuitarGuy's post, but not a direct response


Metal is not solely about the music. Theres a part in A Headbanger's Journey where the guy interviews a adolescent bass player that explains his reasons for listening to metal (not-so-nice home life, sense of belonging, etc) and it was something that resonated with me to this day.

Yes, i love metal music, but i also love the metal community. Its a place where its alright to run around screaming at the top of your lungs and letting everyone know
exactly* how much you feel. Where you can hop into a mosh pit, into the maw of hell (at the good shows at least), get thrown flat on your back, and be helped up immediately. Its a place where respect is paramount and necessary, but is defined by every negative emotion that the majority of society tells us to ignore.

Well, i dont want to fucking ignore it. I want to scream it to the world from an inch in front of your face. And its perfectly alright, even encouraged, in that kind of atmosphere. Its exhilarating and is, in my opinion, a major source of the psychological comfort that extreme music povides.

I whole-heartedly recommend Sam Dunn's documentary, but also if you haven't read it check out Your Brain On Music

u/iamelroberto · 2 pointsr/Guitar

Try checking out the book zen of guitar.

https://www.amazon.com/Zen-Guitar-Philip-Toshio-Sudo/dp/068483877X

It should help get you out of your head and into the guitar.

u/casull · 2 pointsr/Jazz

I second the jazz piano book, jazzadvice.com, and all the rest of this advice.

My two favorite music books are Victor Wooten's The Music Lesson and Philip Toshio Sudo's Zen Guitar. They contain wisdom that a lot of other music education misses.

As far as playing the piano goes, I recommend really exploring the piano as an instrument. Find the piano's strong and unique points, and be pianistly (in this sense). Conversely, target the piano's weak points, and learn to imitate other instruments: playing long unbroken lines like a sax will make you "light on your fingers" and help you to decompartmentalize fingering patterns you have learned.

I'm a big fan of this video right now. Download the pdf too, and practice the scales listed. The idea of chords being fragments of larger scale families (and being able to hear the entire scale families going by) is important. This is easiest to wrap your head around by playing modal chords on a C major scale. Allan holdsworth explains it better. This also ties into the "find which notes can be added to round out the standard chords" thing- if you hear the entire scale, then extrapolating which notes can be added is fairly intuitive.

Also, listen to great players. I like powell, monk, tatum, george shearing, and marian mcpartland, Mccoy Tyner, Kenny Barron, Esjborn Svensson Trio, Keith Jarrett, and Bill Evans. These are just a few mainstream examples. Also, learn from other instrumental traditions. If you like something, try to extrapolate a principle or lesson that you can bring with you from that song, and likewise if you dislike something, articulate what it is you dislike, then you can learn to play the opposite. John Hartford says "style is based on limitations", so choose carefully how you learn to play. If you don't like something, don't learn to play like that just because it's part of the jazz aesthetic cannon or some nonsense.

Also, play with someone. Play with bandinabox, which is easy to steal and fairly cheap to buy, and has many many many song files freely available online. Play with a metronome, at least.

Learn to adjust your technique to different pianos. Not every piano you play on will be good or even fair, so being able to get a feel for a new instrument and its limitations quickly is a great skill. On your home instrument, focus all the more strongly on finding technique compatible with that instrument. On a related note, let your mind step back and lead with your hands, letting fingerings and reflexes show you the way forward. On the other hand, let your technique fade into the foreground and practice bringing out the ideas in your ear, even if they navigate unfamiliar territory (do this slowly or it won't work and you'll revert to reflex) Both modes have their merits, and the more you get comfy with both, the less of a distinction there is between them.

Also, practice singing and playing. Meld your understanding of harmony on the piano with your ear and voice. Also, practice thinking big (long musical fragments, specific complex voicings, etc, etc) at & away from the instrument. If you can't think big, your creativity will never have good macro structure & flow. I really believe that our creative impulse is a divine gift, but it often builds on our existing experience and abilities.

u/baldylox · 2 pointsr/Guitar

This book absolutely changed my life, and took my playing to a whole different level:

www.amazon.com/Zen-Guitar-Philip-Toshio-Sudo/dp/068483877X

u/MadMelvin · 2 pointsr/AskMen

Try this book, it really helped me to look at my instrument and my music in a new way.

u/holeshot1982 · 2 pointsr/Guitar

I was about to reply with the same response. lol

I'm curious how someone can rate themselves beginning/intermediate/advance, I mean is there some magical guideline I haven't found somewhere?

OP might want to start here.

https://www.amazon.com/Zen-Guitar-Philip-Toshio-Sudo/dp/068483877X

u/Aquaren · 2 pointsr/WeAreTheMusicMakers

Your frustration is perfectly natural. The same questions and doubts arise in all of us at all levels. The standard answers you noted are true, but only in your context and when you are at the right place in your journey.

A few things come to mind that might be of use.

Seek out a mentor. We all need guidance and teachers. Find someone who has had the type of succeses you are looking for. Ask questions and learn from the wisdom of their experience.

Seek out a collaborator. One of the most rewarding aspects of what we do is sharing it with others. Sharing the creative process and bouncing around new ideas with someone else is fun and creates an environment where new ideas and avenues can flourish.

Take time to be introspective without being reactive. Be real with yourself. What are your goals. Really think about the why and the outcome you hope see. Successful people are not successful by accident. They work incredibly hard to achieve their success - we are only seeing the end result.

Sometimes the best thing to do is take a break. Walk away from it and give your mind and spirit a rest so when you return it is with renewed exuberance. As odd as this may sound, when I take a break, my brain tells my it's time to come back through dreaming about playing and being on stage or jamming with others.

Something else you might consider is [Zen Guitar] (https://amzn.to/2IO4IfU) or [Victor Wooten's The Music Lesson] (https://amzn.to/2GbuyJf), both of which are fantastic and inspirational reads.

I hope this helps my friend!

u/sektorao · 2 pointsr/Bass

Check out Bass fitness book, you can download pdf here.

u/TimLoz · 2 pointsr/expertinayear

This is a great book once you get technique down. I've been playing professionally for about 8 years now and this book really took me to another level about 4 years ago, I wish I'd known about it sooner.

But first and foremost is technique. Learn good habits and everything else will be a lot easier.

u/alexbrain · 2 pointsr/Guitar

I think you're thinking of this book http://www.amazon.com/dp/0793518326

u/WeAppreciateYou · 2 pointsr/Guitar

> I think you're thinking of this book http://www.amazon.com/dp/0793518326

Nice. I really think that sheds light on the subject.

Reddit is lucky to have a user like you.

u/SygnusSightsSounds · 2 pointsr/Guitar

Not a fake book but in my opinion one of the best song book purchases I've ever made: http://www.amazon.com/Beatles-Complete-Scores/dp/0793518326

It's pricey but it has the score for every Beatles song. It's not 100% accurate but it's pretty good a lot of the time.

u/frederick_the_wise · 2 pointsr/beatles

I have the Hal Leonard sheet music book. The layout is cumbersome but it's very accurate.

The Beatles: Complete Scores (Transcribed Score) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0793518326/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_YLxGDbSPDHS6F

u/philipmat · 2 pointsr/Guitar

How about this: The Beatles - Complete Scores: "over 1100 pages with full scores and lyrics to all 210 titles recorded by The Beatles"?

u/digital19 · 2 pointsr/WeAreTheMusicMakers

+1 for Beatles
http://www.amazon.com/Beatles-Complete-Scores/dp/0793518326/

The print in this book is WAY too small, but you can always photocopy and enlarge the pieces you want to play.

It has the piano parts. Not perfect, but fairly accurate to how it was played.

u/iamkyledean · 2 pointsr/Songwriting

On songwriting specifically, Writing Better Lyrics by Pat Pattison

On harmony and melody, Writing Hit Songs by Jai Josefs
You may need to know basic theory for that one though

u/rides_bikes · 2 pointsr/Guitar

I would second this, I also read the books the guy who teaches that course wrote, it's a worthwhile perspective on the topic, this book in particular http://www.amazon.com/Writing-Better-Lyrics-Pat-Pattison/dp/1582975779/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1406294784&sr=8-1&keywords=writing+better+lyrics

u/Malice4you2 · 2 pointsr/Guitar

I would suggest you pick up:

http://www.amazon.com/Guitar-Aerobics-One-lick-day-Maintaining/dp/1423414357

Its an awesome practice regime for building chops. It covers alternate picking, string skipping, legato, rhythm, sweep picking, string bending, arpeggios. By the end of the year schedule you should be one bad ass mofo. I've been doing it for a couple weeks now and have already noticed an improvement.

For my practice schedule currently:
I use this book for 15 mins,
Practice chord switching for 15 mins,
Work on a song for a 1/2 hour

The last 2 will switch up but the book with remain a daily activity. I'll add in this book in about a month. That should take me to a crazy skill level with the right focus on my part.
http://www.amazon.com/Rock-Discipline-John-Petrucci/dp/1576234746/ref=pd_sim_74_2

u/timtampimpam · 2 pointsr/WeAreTheMusicMakers

Dude check out the free courses on coursera:

https://www.coursera.org/learn/songwriting-lyrics
https://www.coursera.org/courses?languages=en&query=music

The guy who teaches the songwriting course has a few books with lots of good exercises in. I'm currently reading https://www.amazon.co.uk/Writing-Better-Lyrics-Pat-Pattison/dp/1582975779/ and doing the daily "object writing" exercise. It's opening a lot of stuff up for me.

u/BenSasso · 2 pointsr/Songwriting

This book was pretty helpful for me in creating more descriptive, tangible strings of words, along with a ton of other wildly helpful ways to create more meaningful lyrics:
https://www.amazon.com/Writing-Better-Lyrics-Pat-Pattison/dp/1582975779


This one, which I've only read a few chapters of, has been pretty helpful in getting me out of my own way. If we just tell the truth about our experience as a person (the real truth, the one we usually just think), we'll be saying things that mean more, and are more universal than any surface level or constructed truth:
https://www.amazon.com/Writing-Poetry-Save-Your-Life/dp/1550717472

u/Isthiscreativeenough · 2 pointsr/WeAreTheMusicMakers

Buy the book Writing Better Lyrics by Pat Pattison off Amazon. Do everything he says. I just finished it, and I found it thoroughly insightful.

https://www.amazon.com/Writing-Better-Lyrics-Pat-Pattison/dp/1582975779

u/righteouscool · 2 pointsr/IWantToLearn

I've been writing songs as a hobby for years now. Music comes pretty easy to me so I can just sort of hum or write melodies with ease, but I could never get lyrics + melodies to fit and create a great song. Then I read "Writing better lyrics" by Pat Pattison and have very little issues now. His methods are genius and honestly made lyric writing MUCH easier for me. I have read countless songwriting books and that is the single greatest one I've ever come across. If you want to write great lyrics, learn how to structure them melodically, and learn the intricacies of songwriting please read that book. He's also got a songwriting class on coursera.


http://www.amazon.com/Writing-Better-Lyrics-Pat-Pattison/dp/1582975779

u/juniejuniejune · 2 pointsr/NaSoAlMo

Lyric writing, like any type of writing, has to go through rewrites and rewrites and rewrites... and even then it might not be good. But it's the practice that counts!

This is what song #2's lyrics look like for me: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B2DzuQtCAAAiaV2.jpg

If you want to read about lyric writing, I actually took an online course for it... not that I ever finished it, but the book that the course recommended (and that was written by the teacher), is Writing Better Lyrics. And if you're a poor, underemployed sap like me, there are other ways of acquiring that book, hint hint. I thought it was a great breakdown of song structure, how to tell a story within the short span of a song, etc... Worth a look, if you continue to have trouble.

u/Fuckitall2346 · 2 pointsr/rocksmith

Guitar Aerobics by Troy Nelson is a book I picked up to supplement my playing with Rocksmith. I do a daily technical exercise from it (it has 365 of them that cover a variety of techniques, starting at an easy level and working up to an advanced one.)

I'm noticing it help me with my overall playing ability and would recommend it to anyone interested in boosting their chops, regardless of level :)


Guitar Aerobics: A 52-Week, One-lick-per-day Workout Program for Developing, Improving and Maintaining Guitar Technique https://www.amazon.com/dp/1423414357/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_vhcgvb0BKS7SR

u/6745408 · 2 pointsr/indie

The biggest struggle you'll have with your style of hip hop is that it's less marketable for television and movies.

For the typical indie artist (rock, pop, etc), you can get in with a good publicist who will get your music into television and movies. You've obviously got talent, I think a good mentor would help push you to that next level.

If you're into some reading, check out All You Need to Know About the Music Business by Donald L Passman. It's golden for musicians in your spot.

u/mikeyk55 · 2 pointsr/Guitar

I bought this a couple of months ago and whilst it's mainly pretty simple stuff, it really does help! Just pick a couple of exercises and just repeat them for an hour and go through the book. Really helped me move quicker around the neck and get a better picking rhythm, all basic things but stuff that makes the difference when you realise how much easier things are to play http://www.amazon.co.uk/Troy-Nelson-Guitar-Aerobics-Book/dp/1423414357/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1412696309&sr=8-1&keywords=guitar+aerobics

u/fairlyoffensive · 2 pointsr/casualiama

Alright, ideally my dream job would be a music supervisor, but those are few and far between. I wouldn't mind doing some sort of analytics or PR, and I realize all my options are pretty different. I've got two book recommendations for you. Cool Jobs in the Music Business and All You Need to Know About the Music Business. All of my mentor type figures have recommended these to me, and It really helps to clarify the different careers and definitely helped me get a hold of the language of the music industry.

u/JamesBellefeuille · 2 pointsr/Entrepreneur

Personally I think branding depends on who you are when it comes to the music business, you are the brand. Define you you are and live it, show it to your fans. For everything else, I recommend this book.

https://www.amazon.com/Need-Know-About-Music-Business/dp/1451682468

u/johnaldmcgee · 2 pointsr/Guitar

Get yourself a book with short exercises like this one. And then do them every day so you focus on different stuff to stay sharp.

u/blessembaker · 2 pointsr/audioengineering
u/LatinoPUA · 2 pointsr/Guitar

If you're looking to improve your technique (chops), i HIGHLY recommend checking out guitar aerobics

Its broken down into daily 5-10 minute segments. Really easy to get through it, since it comes accompanying audio tracks that progressively pick-up the BPM. The lesson itself has both notation and tabs (so you can use what you're comfortable with, or try to pick up reading some notation)

Starts of real basic, so in the first two days I did the first week or two. In two weeks I improved so much more than I had in the 6 years I'd been playing up to that point. Forcing you do a technique PROPERLY at slow BPM is just as important as being able to do it quickly.


Best $20 I ever spent on guitar.

u/LittleHelperRobot · 2 pointsr/beatles

Non-mobile: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0793518326/ref=pd_aw_sim_b_3?refRID=161X8NKFKBWZ6SVHP5WJ

^That's ^why ^I'm ^here, ^I ^don't ^judge ^you. ^PM ^/u/xl0 ^if ^I'm ^causing ^any ^trouble. ^WUT?

u/blackmarketdolphins · 2 pointsr/Bass

this book is a great starting point. Make sure you're learning notes and not just shapes. The shapes are good to know, but once you forget the notes in them, you're in for a bad time (which is what I'm fixing in my bass/guitar playing right now).

Scales: Major, Nat Minor, Harmonic Minor, and Melodic Minor and their modes. Whole Tone, Diminished (both whole-half and half-whole), and the blues/pentatonics scales (which is where most people start). You really need to know your major scales inside and out, as well as the major, minor, and dominant chord for each note.

Chord Progessions: major and minor 2-5-1, and acknowledging that a dom7 chord function as a V7, a m7 will function as a ii7 before a vi7, and a maj7 functions as a Imaj7 before a IVmaj7. Just get in the habit of thinking in iim7-V7-Imaj7 and ii7b5-V7-Imaj7/im7. A lot of jazz is based on that pattern, often with a bit of modulating. Also learn the rest of the cycle of 4ths, ii-V-I is just the end. Rick Beato has a good video on it, and you can see the normal ii-V pattern and it plus modulation.

Beginner pieces: Autumn Leaves, All the Things You Are, Blue Bossa, Lullaby of Birdland, and Giant Steps (kidding)

u/Dr_Poop69 · 2 pointsr/Bass

Real books are great. When you feel comfortable find a jazz jam in town, playing with people will help.

Here’s a book I enjoyed:

Building Walking Bass Lines

You should also get this book:



The Improvisers Bass Method Book

The improvisers bass method book is an industry standard. The beginning may be things you already know, but it does a great job providing you with practice techniques that will actually help translate knowledge to playing. I’d highly recommend both in addition to going through the real book. Outside of that just listen to some jazz. A lot of the key is listening. Go put on some Bill Evans or Miles or Mingus and listen to their bassists

u/guerogrande · 2 pointsr/Bass
u/dexterity_scrapple · 2 pointsr/JazzPiano

Check out Aimee Nolte's series on youtube, "Accompany Yourself", I think she does a great job of explaining the basics and then showing the mechanics of how to fit it into a real song. Another source I've been using is a book called Building Walking Bass Lines. It's written for electric bass players (I started playing bass since my jazz group was all piano), but the concepts in it are very helpful for piano players as well.

u/Zebra2 · 2 pointsr/Bass

What you probably want is this. There are very few written bass lines in jazz. It's almost entirely improvisational work. Start by finding resources for walking bass.

u/gmstudio · 2 pointsr/Bass

This book makes the whole thing dead-easy to learn and understand.

http://www.amazon.com/Building-Walking-Bass-Lines-Instruction/dp/0793542049

u/blackb1rd · 2 pointsr/Bass

It's called a dominant[0] resolution and it's one of the most common harmonic techniques you'll find in basslines. Going to the fifth (i.e. the dominant chord) creates instability which wants to be resolved by going back to the root; it's a way of creating tension and release.

You've probably noticed chromatic resolutions coming up a lot as well, i.e. playing a note one-half step either above or below the note you're about to play.

Generally, you want to place the note you're resolving to on a strong beat of the bar (usually the first or the third beat) so try playing around with creating basslines or fills that put a note a fifth above or below the root, or a note one half-step above or below on the 4th beat of the bar or the '4 and' of the bar. You could try this on the 2 or the '2-and' too.

For more information like this check out Ed Friedland's 'Building Walking Bass Lines'. It doesn't sound like a walking line would be appropriate for the music that you're listening to right now but the information in this book absolutely is.

When I'm playing this I'll typically use the same finger to fret the note across two strings and roll the finger across the two notes to play each one. This didn't come naturally to me, I had to work at it a lot. I played major /minor scales in ascending/descending 4ths to practice it [2]. I find that if you can play these with the same finger (rather than one on each string) you can playing some pretty sick sounding fast pentatonic runs.

I'd be happy to clarify any of this if you'd like me to.

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dominant_(music)
[1] https://www.amazon.com/Building-Walking-Bass-Lines-Builders/dp/0793542049
[2] http://faculty.spokanefalls.edu/InetShare/AutoWebs/dannym/Jazz%20Improv%20II/Exercises/3_Major%20Scales%20in%20Fourths.pdf

u/Dyspeptic_McPlaster · 2 pointsr/Bass

Building Walking Bass Lines by Ed Friedland is a great book for learning to walk.

u/SubstanceOfMemories · 2 pointsr/Bass

I think the best thing I can recommend, and I know this isn't what you wanted, is for your child to either

a. Read method books, this Hal Leonard one is pretty good (https://www.amazon.com/Leonard-Bass-Method-Easy-Use/dp/0793563836)

b. Because your child can read bass clef (he played piano so I'm assuming he can), he already has a huge advantage as a player. Have him learn how the notes relate to the frets (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ui66iADgzo), and he can begin to read transcriptions and play pretty much whatever he wants

Definitely get a teacher, and just encourage him to practice. That's about it.

u/belly917 · 2 pointsr/Bass

I picked up a used mint condition Ibanez SR500 after seeing it constantly recommended here.

I've been playing piano (poorly) for 30 years and always wanted to play bass.. so here we go.

My wife picked me up 2 books to start learning:

Hal Leonard Bass Method - Complete Edition: Books 1, 2 and 3 Bound Together in One Easy-to-Use Volume!

First 50 Songs You Should Play On Bass

I also picked up a Vox Bass headphone amp to practice while the kids are asleep.

Finally, my late grandfather played bass in many jazz bands, both electric and upright. My father still has all of his instruments. But I just inheirited his Polytone Brute Mini III amp.

So, I'm all set with equipment, now I just need to learn & practice!

u/XVI_Carlos · 2 pointsr/Bass

During my student teaching semester, I was faced with a task of teaching students how to learn bass to be in the 3rd Jazz Ensemble. I had 3 students and with all of them I used the Hal Leonard Bass Method. It taught them the basics of rhythm and individual notes and positions. It wasn't until I purchased the book that I realized I didn't know how to start beginners and teach certain methods, but it benefited myself and my students. 3 books in 1 and it goes to more advanced techniques in books 2 and 3 from playing above the 4th fret and introduction to funk(pop/slap).

u/stonistones_ · 2 pointsr/Bass

Take private lessons! I teach privately and there’s something so awesome about working WITH someone directly (vs learning thru YouTube or something) — also if you don’t know how to already, learning how to read music would definitely give you a leg up as a musician in general and might give you a different perspective to things you’re already doing well now.

I love the Hal Leonard book for bass, the wound one has books 1-3 in it and is very affordable ($15):

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0793563836/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_g4zZDbV1NR8R4

There’s so many gigs I can say YES to because I know how to read music, so if you can play by ear already learning how to read music will definitely make you a more well rounded musician.

u/henryoak · 2 pointsr/Bass

No tabs, that's the worst advice you can get, it's a huge crutch and you'll be handicapping yourself for the rest of your life. Reading tabs is like reading a book without any punctuation. Not to mention the fact that you'll be stuck reading grade school material for the rest of your life. I recommend you try the http://www.amazon.com/Leonard-Bass-Method-Easy-Use/dp/0793563836 book. I'd go through that book then look at some private instruction for a few months.

u/BallPuncher2000 · 2 pointsr/WeAreTheMusicMakers

/u/PelleSketchy is right. A beginner bass is a beginner bass etc. There isn't really such thing as a 'light weight' bass though. You'll have to go to a music store and literally pick some up and see which one feels best. I play a six string these days so weight doesn't really factor into it for me. You want to go more on ergonomic feel; bass player's back is no joke.

I recommend this book for method. But if you find you're the kind of person to get bogged down by that just get thee to YouTube and start learning songs you like.

I do recommend against selling that piano though. It's a valuable instrument to have in your mental arsenal and quite a few of us actually compose our bass parts on piano first. You may find you're one of those people. You can get a used Ibanez or a Squier for under $100 if you try hard enough.

u/smashedguitar · 2 pointsr/Bass

Get these two books.

u/addsubtract · 2 pointsr/DJs

I hardly thought that expecting people to know the biggest name in the biggest genre of dance music was being snobby, but hey maybe you're right.
If you (or anyone else) would like further education on the history of house, be sure to check out Pump up the Volume, and for history of the craft, recommended reading is Last Night a DJ Saved My Life and The Record Players.

edit: bad grammars

u/ViennettaLurker · 2 pointsr/edmproduction

For Jamie XX and Four Tet at least, going into dance music history could help. Going deep and trying to find inspiration from all over, in that nerdy/connoisseur way, can help. In Colour always struck me as kind of love letter to dance music. Not just listening, but reading more and researching dance music in an academic way, might bring you a similar vibe.

Try this book, Last Night A DJ Saved My Life, if you're looking for some more detailed material. I haven't read it in a long time but I remember enjoying it.

u/DJSamedi · 2 pointsr/Music

How did I get into it? I started as a DJ. Next logical step I suppose.



Advice/tips?



Read up. Here are some of my favorites, and I do recommend buying them as you will probably refer to them often.


This would be my top pick: http://www.amazon.com/Dance-Music-Manual-Tools-Techniques/dp/0240521072


This is one on psychoacoustics, which I've found had some helpful knowledge: http://www.amazon.com/How-Music-Works-David-Byrne/dp/1938073533



And this is one on the history of electronic music, which I personally LOVED reading. Great information, and if you truly respect the scene as a whole, you should 100% read this: http://www.amazon.com/Last-Night-DJ-Saved-Life/dp/0802146104/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1419810859&sr=1-1&keywords=last+night+a+dj+saved+my+life



As far as software goes, they are all kind of a personal thing. Some offer things that others don't. My recommendation is to try before you buy, especially considering production software is expensive.




In addition, there is also a large choice of hardware you can use for production. You should look into getting a keyboard and some good monitor speakers at a bare minimum. If you stick with it, I would suggest you buy yourself a drum machine/step sequencer. My personal recommendation is Native Instruments 'Maschine.'



EDIT: A word.

u/dj_soo · 2 pointsr/DJs

This book is really good for the early days of dance music:

https://www.amazon.com/Last-Night-DJ-Saved-Life/dp/0802146104

In terms of hip hop, this is a good one: https://www.amazon.com/Groove-Music-Art-Culture-Hip-Hop/dp/0195331125

Lots of movies to check out - Scratch is one of my favourites for a primer on hip hop djing and its roots: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gp-5BBxeMWw

This is an excellent documentary about house music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogspER2e7h0

That should get you started.

u/hashtagPLUR · 2 pointsr/House

Think about it like this: you're job is a writer covering dance music and you HAVE to produce articles on a weekly basis sometimes daily so what do you do? Write up on a "new" genre and hope the term would catch on. According to Frank Broughton's essential book "Last Night DJ Saved My Life" Techno was a term created to differentiated the new proto-disco sounds of Chicago called House music so to sell CDs some labels focused on the industrial history of Detroit and the fact that the local producers relied more on sampling p funk rather than disco.
I'm not totally shitting on the American public though, Europe is certainly ahead on its musical knowledge but they too can make mistakes for example in the U.K. Vocal House was called "Garage" because many believed House music started at the Paradise Garage in NYC and that genre begat Speed Garage, another subsect that branched from Drum N Bass with house music. We didn't even touch upon Italio Disco! Lol

u/zigzagmang · 2 pointsr/Guitar

Guitar Grimoire hands down

u/musiqman · 2 pointsr/Guitar

Don't give up. Learning ANY instrument is frustrating as hell. I remember my first days of scales and wanting to chuck my brand new guitar across the room (been playing for 8 years). I'm glad I was stubborn and kept at it - in about a year's time I was working my way through Satriani riffs by ear.

Practice SLOWLY. I don't care who you are, but you can't just pick up a piece and expect to play it perfectly the first time through - ask ANY of the performers from ANY G3 how they started a song, they'll answer "slowly." As EMG81 said: "Perfect practice makes perfect," and he couldn't be more right. If you practice something fast and sloppy, guess what? You'll play it inaccurately and sound like you have drunk fingers - you don't want that. The sign of a guitar god is clean fret fingerings and string pickings.

Practice alternate picking. I will never forget the day my teacher showed me how to do alternate picking. Until that day I'd been playing all down strokes or upstrokes on my scales - a REALLY GOOD WAY TO START - but when he showed me alternate picking and how to do it properly I thought "eh, that's not too hard." It was THE most frustrating part of learning the guitar.

I've mentioned them several times now: learn your scales. I recommend picking up this book for quick fingering references. I've learned the sweep patterns in that book and it's made soloing and writing riffs so much easier.

Finally it's been said several times by others, but learn what you like. After you get your fingers used to the neck and fretboard just have fun - the rest will come in time if you stick with it.

u/ThunderInSask · 2 pointsr/musictheory

get (or pirate) "the guitar Grimoire" https://www.amazon.ca/Guitar-Grimoire-Compendium-Forumlas-Scales/dp/0825821711

Then rock out in some crazy Hungarian gypsy stuff

u/etor · 2 pointsr/WeAreTheMusicMakers

drop out of school/society, stop bathing, smoke tons of other people's herb and do nothing but play guitar all day. seriously, it's the only thing that works. also, buy this.

u/Cuddles6505 · 2 pointsr/Guitar

Fuckin Done Link

u/Anolin · 2 pointsr/Guitar

This is one of the best resources for this subject:

http://www.amazon.com/Make-Your-Electric-Guitar-Great/dp/0879309989

u/KleyPlays · 2 pointsr/Guitar

>If you were to pay for someone to restring, intonate and adjust your guitar how much would you be willing to pay for it?

I'd buy this book and learn to do it myself. Actually, that's exactly what I did years ago.

>Guitar center is a bit cheaper but the dude has dicked me over on repairs once before already.

Wouldn't go there. Find a guy you feel like you can trust. A significant part of this type of service is that you as the customer feel like you are getting value for what you're paying. A setup is not necessarily a one size fits all stagnant concept. The way I setup my guitars is very different than a friend of mine. Just different preferences. You want to be able to communicate well with this person and trust that they'll take your guitar in the direction you want it to go in terms of playability.

u/m37a · 2 pointsr/Guitar

Tuners probably aren't your issue with staying in tune. If anything a new nut or possibly bridge saddles could help if the strings are getting stuck when bending or using the trem bar. After that, for me would be pickups/electronics.

I don't know much about starcasters, but a newer squire affinity series would probably be a step-up and can be found used very cheap, at or around $100.

Also, nothing beats a good setup by a qualified tech or use some of your money to buy this book and tech yourself the basics.
https://www.amazon.com/Make-Your-Electric-Guitar-Great/dp/0879309989

This will help you figure out exactly how to figure out what is going wrong with your instrument and how to fix it.

u/slickwombat · 2 pointsr/Guitar

Great points. For radius, I got a set of stewmac metal under-string ones as a gift; an even better idea for most would be picking up this great book, which actually has a set of plastic radius gauges included.

For tuners, also true. Biggest protip there is probably checking your hole measurements before you buy replacements, I'll never make that mistake. Again. :/

u/72skylark · 2 pointsr/WeAreTheMusicMakers

Two things, check out what David Lynch has to say about meditation and inspiration, he talks about how when he started meditating his creativity just skyrocketed.

Also depending on what type of musician you are, simply exploring theory, chords, scales, etc. can open up all kinds of inspiration. For example the Mick Goodrick book The Advancing Guitarist is basically just a bunch of exercises that multiply out into hundreds of different positions and iterations. I can never mess with a book like that for longer than twenty minutes before I'm spinning out all kinds of ideas based on the raw material given.

u/warriorpostman · 2 pointsr/musictheory

I started reading (and practicing with) Mick Goodrick's The Advancing Guitarist a year ago, and he mentioned an interesting anecdote: A bassist he knew would go home at night, turn on the TV and watch bowling with the sound off, and a metronome in the background. Goodrick doesn't specifically recommend or even rationalize the practice in the book, but he seemed to imply that there might be something to it.

The book itself is very non-prescriptive and simply proposes a lot of guided experimentation, and the metronome anecdote might just be another instance of that theme.

Book link: https://www.amazon.com/Advancing-Guitarist-Mick-Goodrick/dp/0881885894

u/byproxy · 2 pointsr/Guitar

This is the one to start with, I'd say: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0876390114/

Might have a bit of redundant theory for you, but should get you going technique-wise, at least.

Also of note : https://www.amazon.com/dp/0881885894/

and

https://www.amazon.com/dp/3892210195/

u/NotGoing2Say · 2 pointsr/Guitar

Chord Chemistry is a great book. It's my guitar bible. I'm always coming back to it. It was written by one of the best guitar players ever, Ted Greene.

I've heard The Advancing Guitarist is quite good but I've not read it.
One last suggestion. If you can find a book called SuperChops by another legendary player (Howard Roberts) you'll be set. It's a great 20 week course that'll take your playing to new levels. Howard was one heck of a jazz player, teacher and nice fella. It's out of print (now) so it may be a struggle to get a copy but once you do...hold onto it.

u/aeropagitica · 2 pointsr/Guitar

Pure theory alone will not improve your technique on any instrument, but will enable you to understand the mechanics of the music being played, and communicate it to another musician. You might consider applying your knowledge to extended chords and harmonies available in Jazz. Books by the following would be useful:

u/IsaacOH · 2 pointsr/Guitar

This!

Also, everything the man's ever written.

u/whiskers138 · 2 pointsr/Guitar

Make sure you get a neck with the proper scale length to match the body. On the flip side, if you have a body with pre drilled holes, make sure the bridge holes are in the proper place for the scale length to match the neck.

Also I would very highly recommend this book:
http://www.amazon.com/Make-Your-Own-Electric-Guitar/dp/0953104907

I've gone to school for guitar building and the core of what I learned there is covered in this book. Comprehensive, easy to read, good illustrations, etc.

u/HJBones · 2 pointsr/Luthier

You may have to look around for it, but I can’t imagine a better book than this one. You can do so much with just this book, and it gives you a great starting place and foundation to build on.

https://www.amazon.com/Make-Your-Own-Electric-Guitar/dp/0953104907

u/rrawlings1 · 2 pointsr/Luthier

I have 2 books. One that nobody likes is by Melvyn Hiscock. Admittedly its a bit dated, but gives a pretty good idea of the principles of guitar design. It is not a woodworking book however, so it assumes you have some knowledge of woodworking techniques. I say nobody likes it because anytime its mentioned, someone will complain that they bought the book but couldn't build a guitar.

I have this booklet as well, and I also have his booklet on how to make a 5 string banjo. I think its pretty good as well.

Honestly though, there is enough information online about making guitars in this day and age, that I think you can do just as well by watching a bunch of videos and reading a bunch of online articles. Also, there are some really good people on this subreddit that can help answer questions in great detail.

u/coffeefuelsme · 2 pointsr/Luthier

I make enough from guitar building and repair to be able to fund it as a hobby in itself. You're looking at a significant initial investment in tools, workspace, and marketing in a market that's pretty saturated with factory guitars and independent builders. I hope someday to build up a customer base large enough to make this a career, but until then I enjoy it as a hobby and an art that pays for itself. As an art, I'd suggest picking up a couple of books:

Guitar making tradition and technology and Make your own electric guitar.

Both of these will give you a great background on how to build an instrument. The links in the sidebar will be very helpful to you as well.

One thing that has been helpful to me is engaging in your local music community. I live in an area of the US with lots of churches and worship pastors that need their guitars worked on. I work on their guitars and every now and then do builds for them that meet the needs they're looking for. I don't know what your community looks like, but engaging with musicians where they're at and building up a report is the beginning to a self-sustaining hobby and hopefully will carry you to a business.

Best of luck to you!

u/joffa101 · 2 pointsr/rocksmith

Not theory, but "Guitar Aerobics: A 52-Week, One-lick-per-day Workout Program for Developing, Improving and Maintaining Guitar Technique" is a good supplement to RS.
https://www.amazon.com/Guitar-Aerobics-One-lick-day-Maintaining/dp/1423414357

u/FinsterFolly · 2 pointsr/rocksmith

Check out the book Guitar Aerobics on Amazon. It is a great beginner excersize book. If you are tight on cash, look at the free preview. The lesson for Saturday is what I used to build up strength for hammer ons and oull offs. You also learn one of the most basic pentatonic scale patterns at the same time. Once you get the hammer ons down, do the same excersize but start with the high note on each string and do pull offs.

http://www.amazon.com/Guitar-Aerobics-One-lick---day-Maintaining/dp/1423414357/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1407603235&sr=8-1&keywords=Guitar+aerobics

u/koooch · 2 pointsr/Guitar

Also this book have a lot of really cool exercises for picking (alternate-picking, string-skipping etc.)

u/Nazeeh · 2 pointsr/Guitar

www.guitarzoom.com. Look for the course "Music Theory for Life". It's a 12 week online course by Steve Steine. Very good. You can also find many of his videos online that talk about music theory in shorter form but still more than enough to get you started. Here's a good series to follow by him: https://www.lessonface.com/absolute-fretboard-mastery-steve-stine

The other thing that really helps is playing every day. This really helped me get through solos that previously I never even attempted to play because i thought I would never be able to. I use an app on my phone called "habit" to track that. I mark every day I play and end up with a streak. I never want to break that streak so I play every day. I started with a wall calendar where I crossed off the days. After a while, you have a nice long line of days and you will feel really bad breaking that line.

Now comes the question of: "Ok... I can play everyday, but what should I play?" I had that issue. So I went ahead and bought this book: http://www.amazon.com/Guitar-Aerobics-One-lick-per-day-Developing-Maintaining/dp/1423414357/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1462400123&sr=8-1&keywords=guitar+aerobics

This book is basically a year's worth of every day licks to play and practice. Priceless. It will give you something to do every day by default. No thinking required. It starts off easy and builds up. It will teach you usable licks straight away from different music styles. It will also teach you how to play in time since you should be using a metronome (or the drum tracks they provide).

I use the book when I am not in the mood to practice a song I am working on that day. I make sure I am playing some "challenging" song since it's fun to end up with a song you've been wanting to play. I give it time... no hurry. I've been having fun learning "Hangar 18" for like 2+ weeks now. I am taking it slow and making sure I am not rushing through parts.

Good luck!

u/thepathlessfollowed · 2 pointsr/Guitar

I think you should get this book and practice the exercises for 15-20 minutes a day. Done daily, this will develop both your technique, theoretical knowledge and riff vocabulary. If you're not going to practice daily, then just don't bother getting the book - it won't help you.

Edit: You'll need a metronome to use this text properly, but you can download them for free onto your smartphone, so no big deal :)

http://www.amazon.com/Guitar-Aerobics-One-lick-day-Maintaining/dp/1423414357

u/getinthevan · 2 pointsr/Guitar

this book helped me improve my picking technique...I can still improve with my speed and dexterity but I feel I'm much better than before I started with this book

u/arturoman · 1 pointr/beatles

It's great, huh? Once you get some lead guitar going, then this book is pretty much the ultimate.

http://www.amazon.ca/Beatles-Complete-Scores/dp/0793518326

It's not without the wrong note here or there, but the level of transcription is pretty much beyond what you get in most books. Every guitar part, every piano part, bass guitar, drums, embellishments. It's pretty much all there.

This is what you'll see:

http://jaygoodmanbass.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/somethingpg1.jpg?w=497&h=321

u/jamescaspiar · 1 pointr/beatles

If you love the Beatles music with a passion to learn the intricacies of it all, I highly recommend this book. I typically refer to it as my Beatles Bible. And yes, it's expensive, but well worth it.

Edit: HOLY CRAP! I didn't realize it was only about $60. When I bought it as a teenager in 1995, it was about $250. Buy this book! You won't regret it.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0793518326?pc_redir=1414140432&robot_redir=1

u/bucklaughlin57 · 1 pointr/Bass

Yeah, I'm reading his walking basslines book, features jazz blues.

http://www.amazon.com/Building-Walking-Bass-Lines-Builders/dp/0793542049

I'm guessing at these blues jams nobodies gonna call out for a jazz blues.

u/Kinetic_Static · 1 pointr/musictheory

So to a beginner bassist I would recommend two different study materials.

First buy this DVD, Groove Workshop. It's basically a lecture with exercises on the different components of music as it relates to the bass. One of the largest take-aways is that the notes you play are WAY less important than how you play them. They don't have the clip on youtube, but here is him doing something similar live. On the DVD it's just incredibly well done. He lists all the notes in a G major scale, then only plays the "wrong notes" (notes not in the scale) as Wellington lays down a chordal pattern in G. He then switches to playing in G major and the moment he does this, the G major sounds terrible. When he was playing out of key it was aesthetically pleasing, but when he switches to in key he changes how he's playing and it sounds more discordant.

Second, buy this book on building walking basslines. It's a great introduction to walking bass lines. The point here isn't to remember the notes, but rather the patterns and the feel of "walking".

But for more immediate tips do this. Play the root on the kick, the 5th on the snare, and embellish with the octave and 7th in time with the drummer's fills. You can move up to the 5th by hitting the 4th and down from the 7th with stops along the way at the 6th and the 3rd. If you really want to outline the chords play the root 3rd 5th, but be warned this sounds tired very fast.

The above is just my opinion and is provided merely as a quick outline to start getting the feel of moving around a chord.

u/maroonblazer · 1 pointr/Bass

Fundamental to jazz bass is being able to play/compose/improvise a walking bass line. Building Walking Bass Lines by Ed Friedland was a huge help to me in learning to compose and play walking bass lines.

u/anderfin · 1 pointr/WeAreTheMusicMakers

There's a book called "building walking baselines" that opened my eyes on the subject. I forget the author. I'm on mobile so I'll try to find it later and post the details. The basic idea is using chord theory to decide how to approach and leave each main note.

Edit: here's the amazon link:

building walking bass lines

u/el_tophero · 1 pointr/Bass

This has a bunch of easy standard tunes with everything, including the bass, written out:

http://www.shermusic.com/new/1883217156.shtml

Plus it'll give you scales and arpeggios for all the chords for each tune.

Here's a sample:

http://www.shermusic.com/samples/cold-duck-time.pdf

It's great for getting a handle on how Jazz works and also for starting up a combo.

Also, Ed Friedland's excellent book can help you:

http://www.amazon.com/Building-Walking-Bass-Lines-Builders/dp/0793542049

u/skipsinclair · 1 pointr/doublebass

“Building Walking Bass Lines (Bass Builders) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0793542049/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_Z8qNDbFB7YZWN

There’s a second volume that goes deeper, but this is about the best intro level book I’ve found. Ed Friedland FTW. Great backing tracks, too.

u/Beastintheomlet · 1 pointr/musictheory

I can say as a fellow bassist that my big first step into undstanding and using theorywas when I got Real Book and started doing walking bass lines between chords. Walking basslines are really one of the places where understanding chords is really important on bass because we are playing more than just the root or the fifth.

When it comes deeper understanding of harmony and chords, it kills me to say this, it's helpful to know how to play just a little guitar or even better some piano as you can start to connect the sound and movement or chords better by playing them. Bass, while being the supreme instrument, isn't a chordal instrument. We can play chords on bass but it's really not the same as how they sound on chordal instruments.

If you need help on how to get to started on walking bass lines I've heard good things about the Book Building Walking Bass Lines.

u/TheNinjaLord · 1 pointr/Bass

Lessons help A LOT, especially when first starting, but also books can help you get a feel for things also, I recommend this one. Some easy songs to start with are ones by the Arctic Monkeys (Do I Wanna Know?, Why's You Only Call Me When You're High) the Beatles (Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band, Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds) and the Red Hot Chili Peppers (Otherside, Californication)

u/Gefiltefish1 · 1 pointr/Bass

Since you seem to enjoy working through things on your own, I'd suggest working from front-to-back with a good bass method book, like Ed Friedland's 3-volume set. You'll be able to move through the early material easily, but it will force you to read. Reading is essential to moving forward and you can't really develop a complete understanding of theory if you can't read.

As others have said, joining a band is a great idea for moving past your plateau. In addition, you can use playalongs (music with all the instruments except for bass) from youtube, the web at large, or through programs like Band-in-a-Box or apps like iRealb. These are all good for working on rhythm and developing your own lines.

u/elbows2nose · 1 pointr/basslessons

A little late to the party but you sound just like me dude, was playing tabs and could do a few scales, but when I wanted to start playing triads and stuff, I needed to learn sheet music. I bought this book off Amazon and sat down 10 hours a week going through it. It does a good job of going string by string, showing you the notes applied to actual sheet music. There’s some tab examples but after a month or so I didn’t need them anymore. It really helps if you say the note you’re playing as you play it too.


Hal Leonard Bass Method - Complete Edition: Books 1, 2 and 3 Bound Together in One Easy-to-Use Volume! https://www.amazon.com/dp/0793563836/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_C.xyCbV7M9AWF


u/AzraelVerusLucifer · 1 pointr/Bass

if you are self taught,i would highly recommend the book hal leonard bass method,with that you can learn how to read music and pretty much all the theory you need (well for now at least,after this book feel free to explore other things) like learning the fretboard ect and if you just wanna read tabs the second book (theres 3,but you can buy one that contain all 3) include tabs as well as regular notation and you can skip some things in the book to learn scales and such.
https://www.amazon.ca/Leonard-Bass-Method-Easy-Use/dp/0793563836/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1480454305&sr=8-1&keywords=hal+leonard+bass+method

u/Nohoshi · 1 pointr/Bass

There are a lot of ways. To learn theory, you can ask your teacher, or, if you're self taught, look for some books. Ed Friedland has some great books and I suppose most books and DVD's from Hal Leonard are great too. Berklee Press sells awesome books as well. You can find a lot of lessons online, but it's a lot harder to find valuable material, in my opinion.

The best way to learn about genres is listening to enough music and play as much as you can. When you learn enough songs, you'll automatically learn to apply that when you're creating your own lines. Starting from a book may be a good way to get you started, but the knowledge you learn will be too limited. Learning the songs by ear is a good way to train your musical ear, but there is no shame in buying some songbooks too.

The most important thing is to apply everything you learn. Try to create your own bass lines, loop some chords and play around with your scales, maybe analyze some songs, stuff like that.

u/Dr_Blowfin · 1 pointr/electronicmusic

One of the most influential Berlin night clubs of the past 2 decades, which holds similar ideals today much like most of the well known clubs that were born around techno music in Germany:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berghain

The birthplace of House music in Chicago "The Warehouse was patronized primarily by gay black and Latino men":

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warehouse_(nightclub)

Recommended books you can read to learn about the history of music:

https://www.amazon.com/Klang-Familie-Felix-Denk/dp/3738604294

https://www.amazon.com/Techno-Rebels-Renegades-Electronic-Painted/dp/0814334385

https://www.amazon.com/Last-Night-DJ-Saved-Life/dp/0802146104/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

https://www.amazon.com/Energy-Flash-Journey-Through-Culture/dp/1593764073/ref=pd_sim_14_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1593764073&pd_rd_r=S1TWN7HDAJJY3Z2QN4BG&pd_rd_w=Zk210&pd_rd_wg=Dqe5r&psc=1&refRID=S1TWN7HDAJJY3Z2QN4BG

https://www.amazon.com/Electrochoc-Laurent-Garnier/dp/1906615918

A snippet from the above book by Laurent Garnier regarding Detroit, the birthplace of Techno music:

"Like Manchester in the early 1800s, during the golden age of the British Industrial Revolution, Detroit also became the great American city of industry. Several thousand blue-collar workers came from all over the US to work at the Ford automobile plant, while the black workers were confined to the foundries.

In 1959 Motor Town gave birth to Motown, the cultural pride of the black community. Then the battle for civil rights broke out in the US, and in July 1967 Detroit experienced three days of bloody rioting. The white community fled to the suburbs and the ghetto grew bigger and bigger. And finally, in the 1980s, there was an explosion in drug abuse, especially of crack, in these same ghettos.

Detroit techno music tells the story of all of this hardship. And within this music one can feel the life force that refuses to be put down. Words are of no importance. Everything is expressed within a few notes, repeated ad infinitum. Detroit techno is made of metal, glass and steel. When you close your eyes you can hear, far off in the distance, then closer and closer, the echo of crying. Like in jazz and blues, Detroit techno transfigures suffering. This authenticity of spirit has no price.

'In 1981, a record – "Sharevari" – was released that would play a pivotal role in the history of Detroit techno. "Sharevari" is the very first techno record from Detroit, but as yet nobody had used the term "techno," it simply didn't exist.

Mike Banks, alias Mad Mike, is the true soul of Detroit techno. He is an urban guerrilla, a man haunted by the suffering of his city. Mike has chosen music to fight against the problems of daily life and takes his inspiration from the Afro-American struggle of the 1960s

Through his record label Underground Resistance, Mike Banks spreads a guerrilla philosophy whose targets are the major record labels, the American segregationist system, and despair in the ghetto.

Mad Mike pursues his causes – to get young people away from crime and drugs, to rally against the economic disaster that is Detroit – and music.

UR is the continuation of a long struggle and we chose existing technologies to make this struggle move forward. Through UR, we wanted to express everything through sound; no need for pictures. We were against everything you have to accept in order to be famous.

We were just coming out of the 80s, a time when many black artists had had their noses done or their skin whitened. Fuck that! If a guy doesn't know what you look like, he won't care, as long as he likes your music. It's Detroit and the whole black experience in America that gave birth to Underground Resistance.

We both had experience of deals with majors in which we had been swindled. That is where the name Underground Resistance came from. Literally, to create a resistance to the "overground."

What's really remarkable is that I have to go out of my way to explain and showcase all of this to you, when this is something that is known amongst most fanatics of electronic music.

Much like Germany had its own sub-culture tied to political movement, so did Chicago and Detroit.

It's like I'm talking to a person saying "The sky is blue" while said person refuses to look up and constantly spews things like "No! Wrong! Wrong! It's green! Prove it!"

Why do you think Punk Rock is named after a whole sub-culture, just out of pure coincidence? It's laughable that I have to explain such a simple concept to someone so ignorant. It's like you talk about things that are 100% obvious and make yourself the clown of the room while genuinely refusing to acknowledge it, it's very cringeworthy.

I'm going to block you now because you're a prime example of the kind of people /r/edm is filled with and why no electronic music fanatic actually wants to remotely even deal with people of your kind, you've demonstrated that point very well. It's laughable how you refuse to educate yourself in any way and then you come on these boards with a hostile attitude dismissing things that have been known for multiple decades because of how dense and ignorant you are, from people who have a much better understanding of what they are saying. Electronic music is 40 years old now, do you genuinely think that nobody has touched on these subjects beforehand? Have a look at the list I linked to you and do yourself a favor and stop being hostile with your replies as long as you remain ignorant, you're really embarrassing yourself and most other EDM listeners with your example.

u/NakedSnack · 1 pointr/Guitar

Fretboard Logic is a pretty good place to start in terms of learning how theory applies to the guitar. Guitar Grimoire series is a pretty good reference tool for scales and chords. I'd definitely check out the videos too, the books are pretty much strictly reference but the DVD is pretty thorough in how to actually use it for practice.

Of course you can get pretty much all of this information for free online if you're willing to sift through forums and youtube videos, etc., but if you don't mind shelling out a few bucks these tools really do pack a lot of information into a simple package.

u/Stargaters · 1 pointr/Music

The Guitar Grimoire is the closest to this I know of personally. Most of these motifs have to do with scales, or standards. It's less about specific moods, but obviously, the blues scale has a feel to it, and a jazz scale has a much different one. As for any work on the psychology of music (i.e. instilling a certain feeling), I've not come across this but it's possible that it's out there (I've not looked).

u/xeqtioner0 · 1 pointr/Guitar

I've been using this book and it's been amazing.

u/YouLuckyAsshole · 1 pointr/guitarlessons

The Guitar Grimoire: A Compendium of Formulas for Guitar Scales and Modes https://www.amazon.com/dp/0825821711/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_AjiNDbG7RNZBY

u/Killybee · 1 pointr/Guitar

Hey there. While it is not exactly "online", I can only recommend to spend some money for this book:

https://www.amazon.com/Guitar-Grimoire-Compendium-Formulas-Scales/dp/0825821711

I did buy this about 3 years ago when I also wanted to go more into theory, understand why scales are there, why Chords are in the shape they are etc, and this book is full of answers.
It helped me alot in understanding why I do stuff, which helps alot if you want to Play at a Jamsession or just with other musicians. Knowing why you do what or why a chord works with another chord/Scale opens the world for experimenting with this and making your very own music.

The book is not really "theory for dummies" simple, however if you are able to put a bit patience in it, and read it carefully, it will open a new world, and stuff will make sence that you currently have not even noticed its there.

u/MyVeryOwnRedditAcco · 1 pointr/WeAreTheMusicMakers

I learned from a teacher for like 5 years and used a wide variety of texts. The Standard Guitar Method was my preferred series of lesson books, while The Guitar Grimoire is probably the most useful single book if you know how to use it. Cheesy as it may be, a subscription to Guitar World magazine is great because it provides you with fresh material every month, at least some of which will be useful (both in terms of technique and sound). The Alchemical Guitarist was my favorite column back in the day, it provided me with a lot in terms of solo improvisation and theory. It warped my entire approach to the instrument, because I became so much stronger in lead roles.

u/PunkJackal · 1 pointr/musictheory

I know more by heart than you do. I also know how to use them.

You should check out The Guitar Grimoire series. This particular book has every mode of every 5, 6, 7, and 8 toned scale in context, in staff and tab, with the scale overview at the beginning of each scale section broken down into how the modes fit together and how they're created with super easy to translate charts and a list of chords each scale and mode works over.

It's tremendously comprehensive, as is the rest of the series. What's more, it directly shows how each example can be used in real music, because the author knows a lot of traditional theory as well as having explored set theory in a more comprehensive way than you have. He's also got books for chords, one for common chord progressions, one for exercises and more. It's a great series and highly recommended.

Edit: OH YEAH! He also relates everything from guitar back to a piano overhead shot so you can see how it lays out on the piano roll, so in a way this single book doubles for both guitar and piano.

u/Neztok · 1 pointr/CoFmachine

I'm self taught and I explored anything I could come up with. I like math, therefore a Matrix like webpage inspired me to work on scales.

1+1
http://i.imgur.com/TaN53.png
means 1st of Dorian. The major scale's intervals are known as 1 2 3 4 5 6 7. You'll pretty much see this noted in any scale reference book. The Guitar Grimoire is a good example. http://astore.amazon.com/themachiguita-20/detail/0825821711

The Dorian mode has a flat 3rd and 7th. 1 2 b3 4 5 6 b7

In short, a whole column would go where the red arrow is in the following pic. http://i.imgur.com/KxEb4.png The other columns would go where the other 6 highlighted arrows are.

Therefore, it's best just to learn CoFmachine Chart 1. Same thing.

u/zuldar · 1 pointr/Guitar

Thanks. I have some on his books on my Amazon wishlist. Do you happen to know how the book you suggested compare to this one of his?
http://www.amazon.com/Make-Your-Electric-Guitar-Great/dp/0879309989/ref=dp_ob_title_bk

u/sosomething · 1 pointr/Guitar

Buy this book, read it, and don't look back.

It's all in there and the author does a fantastic job of explaining everything. Basically the guitar setup bible. Excellent resource and very highly regarded.

I recommend getting this one and sticking to it (rather than, say, watching bunch of YouTube videos) because there is a ton of misinformation out there from well-meaning but misinformed people that will waste your time at best and jack up your guitar at worst.

u/EarhornJones · 1 pointr/Guitar

I always recommend dropping $25 on this book.

It's an easy read, and gives you a great understanding of intonation, string height, truss rod adjustments, etc. The more you know about your instrument, the better you can make it suit your needs.

u/TelevisionAntichrist · 1 pointr/Guitar

In lieu of a big spiel, buy this book.

The Advancing Guitarist

u/bighoooz · 1 pointr/Guitar

The Advancing Guitarist will be useful to you from beginning to end. Everything is explained in a concise, easy to understand way.
That being said, it is probably best used in combination with a method book.

u/Entasis · 1 pointr/Guitar

The Advancing Guitarist by Mick Goodrick

u/slimjimcharles · 1 pointr/Guitar

If you can somehow find a way to work through The Advancing Guitarist you will be well versed in theory and soloing. It is a tough read though so take everything with a grain of salt

u/Wild_Blue_Skies · 1 pointr/Guitar

Hell yeah. There is a reason why a lot of metal guitarists also get into jazz (eg, Marty Friedman).

Here are my recommendations:

The Advancing Guitarist

You'll need to learn how to read musical notation for this, but it's worth it.

Victor Wooten: Groove Workshop

It's a bass video and it's not even about technique, in particular. But it's filled with incredibly insightful advice for musicians of any kind. Highly recommended.

u/NotRightMusic · 1 pointr/Guitar

Thinking about your original post more this might not be the book you're looking for.
For straight up the best in guitar theory I'd recommend:
https://www.amazon.com/Advancing-Guitarist-Mick-Goodrick/dp/0881885894
This is the book all the guitarists went nuts over while I was at Berklee.
Even before that I would suggest Effortless Mastery: http://kennywerner.com/effortless-mastery
This book is essential for anyone getting serious into playing music and looking into theory.

u/flowm3ga · 1 pointr/Guitar

I'm not crazy about his music, but I got a lot of mileage out of "Rock Discipline" by John Petrucci and, more abstractly, check out "The Advancing Guitarist" by Mick Goodrick.

Oh, and you're looking for something a little more free, I'd recommend GuitarCardio.

u/rufusdog · 1 pointr/Guitar
u/Russia-On-Ice · 1 pointr/Guitar
u/mtg4l · 1 pointr/musictheory

I gather you're on guitar? Two great books by Ted Greene come to mind

Chord Chemistry will give you tons of ideas for new and exciting progressions.

Modern Chord Progressions will show you how much can be done with simple progressions. This one has something like 300 examples for a I vi ii V progression for instance, and they all sound very different. It's a little intimidating at first with the finger stretching but really eye opening as to what can be done on the fretboard.

u/Bbaily · 1 pointr/Guitar
u/andystructible · 1 pointr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

I know the contest is over... but if your friend is really into guitar:

http://www.amazon.com/Chord-Chemistry-Ted-Greene/dp/0898986966/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1368203141&sr=8-1&keywords=ted+greene

It's a book that guitar legends like Tommy Emmanuel recommends. Here's a clip of Tommy:

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

u/jrcoop88 · 1 pointr/woodworking

I responded to your post in /r/luthier about buying tools. From what i remember you have access to the school wood shop but for limited amounts of time. I’m going to try and take you through some of the major steps in building a guitar and what tools you could use.

  1. Dimensioning- taking rough lumber to surfaced. Three options are buying presurfaced, using a jointer and planer, or using hand planes. For this step I would go with buying rough lumber and using the jointer and planer at school to surface the wood to size. Presurface lumber would be my second option. It would save you time but be more expensive. While I love hand planes I feel like for buliding a guitar your money could be better spent elsewhere.
  2. Laminating- both the body and neck. Wide boards are more expensive so the body you would probably end up laminating. The neck might also be as well depending on your preference. Get some clamps(you’ll need them) and do the glue up on your own. Just make sure you have enough.
  3. Cutting out the body- options are band saw, router with template, jigsaw, or turning saw. If it were me I would make a template at school then roughly cut out the shape on a band saw at school I would then buy a router and flush trim bit to get the guitar to the exact shape at home. You could do it with just the band saw or jig saw if you are careful. Frame saws are great but will cost more than a jig saw.
  4. Routing pick-up cavities- like the step suggests a router is best for this. If you get a router make sure it has a plundge base. This is also best done with a template to get exactly what you want. You can do this step with chisels which might be cheaper but as the next step will show you should probably get a router.
  5. Routing the neck pocket- This step should really be done with a router. It will give you the most precise cut and you dont want to mess up the neck angle because then you will have issues with the action. Chisles could be used but I still don’t trust myself with chisles enough to do that.
  6. Shaping the neck- here is where hand tools shine. Either spokeshave, rasps or both. finish with sand paper.
  7. Headstock- it is a bit more difficult to tell tools without knowing if you want a fender style vs gibson. You could do any of the shaping with a coping saw though. For the tuners it would be best to drill the holes with a drill press. Brace and bit could be used if care is taken.
  8. Shaping the body. There are some options for the body’s edge i.e. round over, binding ect. but if you want any countour for the arm or belly it will be spoke shave and or rasp again.
  9. Finger board inlay- drill press, hand drill, or brace for round. Chisles for trapezoids
  10. Fretting- Quality back saw would be your best bet. Making a jig for accuracy would help.

    Alright this isn’t a comprehensive list but I’m running out of steam. And some of these are out of order I was too lazy to fix it. As you can see a router would do a lot for you. I know you were thinking of hand tools only but if you could find a way to make the router work it would be the best bang for your buck. I recommend reading this book and figuing out what tools you can buy and use in your situation. There are also look at stuff on Youtube to get ideas.
u/jczik · 1 pointr/Guitar

I did exactly what you're explaining with my dad. The process takes a long time. I'd recommend starting with designing the body. If you want to design your own body, sketch it out, and GIVE VERY EXACT MEASUREMENTS ON THE STENCIL.

This includes the center line. EVERYTHING ON THE GUITAR IS BASED ON THAT CENTER LINE. The neck, pickups, and bridge all have to be exactly on that line.

Also you have to factor the scale of the neck you're planning to get. I got my neck from Warmoth. It's a great neck and I can't be happier with it, but a finished neck is around $250.

Back to the body: What wood do you want to use? Are you going to book end the wood if you're going to use a translucent finish (burst, dye, etc.) or are you going to just paint it? I dyed my guitar and used layers upon layers of laquer (~15 to be exact of museum quality finish).

Hardware is something else to consider. Stewart-MacDonald is a great site for that. Think pots, switches, tuners, bridges (stopbar too if you're doing a Gibson-style bridge), pickup rings if you're not using a pickguard, pickguard, neck plate for bolting the guitar on, etc.

Basically, there's a lot to consider when building a guitar. It's not easy at all, but if you have fun with it, you can build a hell of a guitar. I recommend buying a couple books on guitar building. This is one of the books I got. It's really good and I highly recommend it.

Good luck!

u/GrandMasterC · 1 pointr/Guitar

Did this about 12 years ago. Bought most stuff from StewMac.com I would heavily suggest buying their premade neck-fretboards. I did, and it turned out pretty awesome. I bought the maple neck/ebony fretboard for through neck type construction, an alder body blank, bridge, pickups, wiring, and paint all from them. Cut out the body sides and use them as clamping cauls when you glue the sides to the neck. I bought the book "Build Your Own Electric Guitar" and it was a great help. TAKE YOUR TIME!!! DO IT THE RIGHT WAY!!!

u/6stringnightmare · 1 pointr/Luthier

Many of us started with this book:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0953104907/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_O83MAbMWV71PJ

Nothing you can't find on the internet, but this is one of those areas where there's just too much information out there.

u/diabeticninja · 1 pointr/Guitar

The best way to start, IMO, is to read. Get as much info as you can on the subject. There's a couple of books that are pretty good; This One or This One are good places to start. Another thought is to check out websites like projectguitar.com. They've also got a forum with lots of tips and such.

Finally, it's going to be a big asset if you already know your way around some various woodshop machinery, if you plan on doing it all from scratch. Knowing how to solder helps too.
One final thing. Do't expect to be able to build something utterly incredible your first time around. Start simple; it's easy to bite off more than you can chew. You will make mistakes; it's pretty much guaranteed. Don't worry about it. When you finally finish, you'll have an instrument that you can be proud of.

Good luck!

EDIT: Almost forgot, there's also an /r/luthier subreddit as well.

u/MrCaptainJorgensen · 1 pointr/Guitar

So far the book "make your own eclectic guitar" has helped me a lot.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0953104907/ref=redir_mdp_mobile

I suggest building from a kit to start out. The shop I work for is an AllParts dealer, so I really like them, an I'll bet if you emailed the boss he'd cut you a deal, but Stewmac.com is good too.

The book I suggested it's really vague on finishing, so I suggest looking up an online tutorial specific to what finish you're doing, YouTube has been a big help, but Stewmac.com has some good tutorials on their site. be sure your clear coat, paint, and sanding sealer all work together I had to start over because no one will give me a clear answer about how to finish an ash body with a stain.
Here's a link to the StewMac videos.

http://www.stewmac.com/online_video.html

u/rambopr · 1 pointr/Guitar

last year i bought like 3 guitar books. two were mostly theory, but my favorite one was Guitar Aerobics. Its basically a book full of riffs, broken down into 6-7 categories of different mechanical skills (alternate picking, barre chords, rhythm strumming patterns, sweep picking) spread out every week, with backing tracks and sample sound banks of the riff being played. Every day you have something different.

it starts off basing everything on the Am pentatonic and starts building on complexity as it progresses
I didn't really stick to it daily, but i really think it still improved my mechanical abilities a lot. I was basically only using downstrokes to pick but now i find myself naturally alternate picking even across strings.

my favorite aspect of it is that if you don't know how to practice, amd at a certain point in time you only have 10 minutes can open up the book to where you left off, do one of the exercises.

at <15$ on amazon it's cheaper than a guitar lesson but works great for supplementing your spontaneous "i have to learn this song" moments by helping you get the chops to handle harder stuff

u/CopRock · 1 pointr/Guitar

I've only been playing for a year, but two things are head-and-shoulders over the rest: the beginners course on justinguitar, and the book Guitar Aerobics.

u/beatdriver408 · 1 pointr/edmproduction

Well, I'm sitting here loading 23 dvd's of my new sample library, so I have some time to write :)

First of all I'm going to cite ITB gain staging honestly in digital you don't have to gain stage unless your effects plugins have an assumed range... slate (which does make input level assumptions) really hammered this home to me on the first project I did.

Gain staging is boring and takes a bit of time (and you have to revisit it if of you put in lots of piano or fortissimo sections after you set it initially), but it makes the mix go a lot faster. It also solves the issue of "crap this VST patch is way loud!"


I use live, so track routing may be specific to that.

Source (either audio, or instrument) -> sonalksis freeg to bring source to -18db RMS -> slate vtm -> slate vcc channel -> (optional side chain compression) -> (optional instrument compression, like to make a snare sound different)-> (optional effects like reverb or eq) -> output routed to a bus or group


bus or group -> slate vcc bus -> compressor for that instrument type / group (like FG-Grey for drums, FG-Red for synths) -> hybrid static/dynamic EQ here (which is really a mutliband compressor/expander)

bus or group always also goes to a dummy track (with no output) that has an instance of MMultiAnalyzer on it (for finding collisions and/or relative loudness of the groups). I do this on a dummy track so you can see the level after the output of the groups or bus's fader, ie, what the level is going into the master channel.

when mixing I first set the loudness within a group, and the ride the faders/automate levels among groups to balance the mix.

master chain
freeG-> slate vtm -> slate vcc -> MAutoDynamicEQ -> compressor 1 (usually slate fg-mu) set to barely move the needle off of -1db -> compressor 2 (usually fg-red) -> very fast compressor (built in or stillwell the rocket) at 1.5 ratio ~-9db to -12db threshold (for the fast stuff, think of it as the knee before the limiter) -> ozone (limiting and dithering only, with no gain and -0.30 for target) -> MLoudnessAnalyzer (for LUFS EBU R128 loudness for final mix check)

So to answer your question, since I almost always do my main compression via glue / bus compression on a group or bus, I would eq on the individual channel, before the compressor, if I considered it "part of changing the noise of that instrument." Compression for "make it fit in the mix and make it louder" is always handled on a bus, and The Glue compressor as well as VBC are really good for that -- a lot of people don't seem to know that's what "the glue" is made for.

Also, yes, that's three compressors in a row on the master chain. The reason is for the reaction speed differences, and coloration.

I don't use a limiter for the final gain stage, it's just there to prevent clipping. I try not to let the limiter hit more than 1.5 or 2db -- at 3db or more it's definitely hurting the mix even with IRC III or Elephant

I think you can see this all in action on a project here:

https://blend.io/project/540cfff496123d1970002907

Books I can't recommend enough:

Bob Katz
Mike Senior
Rick Snoman


TL;DR There's more than one way to do it, but after I read some books I tried a new way (to me) that I used on my most recent project and thought it was great for producing a nice loud (but not sausage) master.

My PC is high end though, on my older pc I couldn't run all this stuff at the same time.

u/onairmastering · 1 pointr/audioengineering

That's why MEs are important, but I would say "master" one, then compare the rest to the first one. That is simplistic, assuming all songs sound the same (all songs are the same exact song)

Psychoacoustics take a more prominent role here, since, for example, you can have a song "mastered" at XYZ, and the following at the same XYZ, but if the intro of the next song is not cohesive (starts with the same magnitude), song B will sound less loud than song A, even thought they have the same "mastering" settings.

"Mastering Audio" is a good investment, if you are going to forgo an ME and have someone else take a look at your tracks.

u/nphekt · 1 pointr/edmproduction

http://www.amazon.com/Mastering-Audio-The-Art-Science/dp/0240808371 is a pretty good resource. But the best way to learn is working together with someone who knows the tools and uses them well.

u/Wilde_Cat · 1 pointr/audioengineering

Mastering Audio By Bob Katz. It's the most informative and accurate book on audio I've ever came upon.

u/Kdnce · 1 pointr/makinghiphop

I watched this video - the music is cheesy sorry - a few months back and applied the advice. After hunting down the free VST counterparts to the plug-ins used in the video, I tried the techniques out and feel that I have had some success with my amateur mastering techniques. I know I will never master as well as Bob Katz like this, but considering this technique is free the results seems pretty solid.

Speaking of Bob Katz if you want to really dive deep into the art of mastering this book is really nice on the whole topic.

u/eno2001 · 1 pointr/WeAreTheMusicMakers

I read Katz's "Mastering Digital Audio". Great book with lots of really good info about properly using a computer for mastering. http://www.amazon.com/Mastering-Audio-Second-Edition-Science/dp/0240808371/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1334684096&sr=8-3 If you haven't read it and you're trying to learn how to master, this is a great place to start.

u/mrtrikonasana · 1 pointr/ableton

Learn your DAW, the built-in ableton tutorials are an excellent place to start. Then start learning from the masters. These books are pretty good.
http://www.amazon.com/Mastering-Audio-The-Art-Science/dp/0240808371
http://www.amazon.com/Mixing-Engineers-Handbook-Second-Edition/dp/1598632515/ref=pd_sim_b_4

u/daxophoneme · 1 pointr/edmproduction

I would recommend Bob Katz book on mastering. It covers all the main techniques and has beautiful diagrams. http://www.amazon.com/Mastering-Audio-The-Art-Science/dp/0240808371

u/cmolsenn · 1 pointr/hiphopheads

Yeah
I want to recommend Jeff Chang's "Can't Stop Won't Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation". It's about the origin of hip hop https://www.amazon.com/Cant-Stop-Wont-History-Generation/dp/0312425791

u/nustiuboss · 1 pointr/Romania

Ca mi-am amintit, recomand asta, are ditamai capitolul despre PE. Bine, continutul e la fel ca documentarul bun despre rap de pe Netflix dar care nu mai stiu cum se cheama...

u/Quetzythejedi · 1 pointr/todayilearned

Plugging Can't Stop Won't Stop as it's one of the best chronicles of the origins of the movement/music/culture. DJ Kool Herc was definitely the father of it all.

The book even traces the exact day he took to the turntables at a dance hall for his sisters birthday. Hip Hop history is truly amazing.

u/competitionroolz · 1 pointr/vinyl

I'll check it out, thanks. I'm reading this right now and really enjoying it.

u/amliebsten · 1 pointr/WeAreTheMusicMakers

I'm a composer by trade (now working toward a PhD in Composition) and I don't know one book that introduces composing well, or at all. I got started in high school, just writing little pieces for myself and friends to play. I just kept at it all these years, through college, grad school and now.

What I found helpful along the way was to learn and be the pro at music theory. After all, music theory is a bunch of rules formulated based on what other people people from long long before have written. One thing to work hard on is counterpoint. It's a step by step on how to write good lines, good secondary lines and basically gives you a very rough idea of what works and what doesn't work. Of course, this is based in the tonal tradition. This is my recommended book. It's written in the socratic style, so just beware. Otherwise, this is what people use in school today.

Again, orchestration is important if you want to write for acoustic instruments. See my comment below~

My advice would be to JUST START WRITING! If its bad, you will know it is and why it's bad. Sometimes, you need a little help. PM me if you want me to look at some things you've done.

u/Greg_Willis · 1 pointr/composer

I would suggest this book https://www.amazon.ca/Study-Counterpoint-Johann-Fux/dp/0393002772 to help with making baselines- Basically, you bass line must be in 'Counterpoint' with the melody, usually below the melody- If better voice leading would entail moving voices in the same octave- do it. It is all so that the melody remains principle.

u/heroides · 1 pointr/musictheory

I believe anyone studying counterpoint should read Johann Fux's Gradus ad Parnassum, nowadays published as two separate volumes translated and edited by Alfred Mann, namely The Study of Counterpoint and The Study of Fugue.

u/georgiapeanuts · 1 pointr/EDM

https://www.amazon.com/Study-Counterpoint-Johann-Joseph-Parnassum/dp/0393002772

This book is one of the best for laying out the rules and reasoning as to how you build counterpuntal melodies, and build harmonies in musically sound way.

Things like avoiding parallel fifths etc.

u/Ekvitarius · 1 pointr/Baroque

Ars nova has a really nice entry level text on their website if you’re just getting started. For a more complete introduction, check out the book “Music Theory ” by George Thaddeus Jones. That’s the one I started with, and while it’s very thorough in its discussion of musical concepts, its treatment of counterpoint is not my favorite. Something is definitely lost when the inner voices are treated as mere filler. Amazon and goodreads both gave it 4 stars. I feel like the ars nova text holds the readers hand a bit better and has the added bonus of being able to hear the examples. It also includes a chord progression game based on root movement principles). Though it’s missing some information here and there, so definitely check both texts out (yes, even though you probably understand some of their contents anyway) And of course, there’s the Gradus as Parnassum, the Bible of counterpoint that Bach praised and practically all subsequent composers learned from (though the rules presented there are über-strict!). It’s written as a dialogue between a student and a master which is absolutely brilliant.

If you’re looking to compose in the baroque style, there’s a good textbook called “Baroque Counterpoint ” by Peter Schubert and Christoph Niedhöfer, though the introduction says that you already need to know scales, figured base, 4-part voice leading, how to harmonize a melody, how to use non harmony tones, and some basic keyboard skills. It mostly (but not entirely) focuses on fugue and imitative counterpoint in general. So, it’s intended for the musically literate. Don’t go there until you’ve got a good framework to build on.

You also ought to have a collection of Bach’s chorales on hand as they are good examples for beginners to analyze and model on. Here’s 40 of them. Remember- analysis consists of more than just labeling chords; it involves INTERPRETING how all the different musical features contribute to the piece.

As a final note, remember- you don’t HAVE to fallow the rules all the time in your own music, but they’re still worth learning.

u/DoctorWalnut · 1 pointr/musictheory

> Was it to simply introduce something more melodically interesting?

I can only assume so. The bass's independence is thematically necessary since it's where the opening motif is repeated. It gives meaning to the G-E-D-G-E-D line. If a line has structural/thematic significance, it should remain independent so the listener can pick it out.

I can't tell if the vocals or the instrumental was written first, sorry. Reading material on this subject would be any harmony/counterpoint book you can find. You seem pretty knowledgeable about those topics already though, so maybe it's just getting the style down. Books like [this] (http://imslp.org/wiki/Guide_to_the_Practical_Study_of_Harmony_%28Tchaikovsky,_Pyotr%29) and this. You may have read those already as they're pretty popular. If you haven't, you can most likely find them for free somewhere.

u/Baron310 · 1 pointr/musictheory
u/9rus · 1 pointr/WeAreTheMusicMakers

Well the first issue you talk about-- the assignment of notes in your chords to instruments of the orchestra-- is orchestration. Here are a couple of good textbooks that cover that:

u/john_rage · 1 pointr/composer

[The Study of Orchestration by Sam Alder] (http://www.amazon.com/The-Study-Orchestration-Third-Edition/dp/039397572X/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1396568479&sr=8-5&keywords=orchestration) is a good one, although a bit expensive.

Fundamentals of Composition by Arnold Schoenberg is one I really enjoyed, and goes from simpler forms and melodies to much more advanced areas.

u/dmajoraddnine · 1 pointr/musictheory

Forget all the other books: Sam Adler's is the one you want to read & reference. Highly comprehensive, and it uses a ton of examples (not just Rimsky-Korsakov works). Plus, the third edition is updated for 20th century writing.

u/GermanSeabass · 1 pointr/WeAreTheMusicMakers

Try it out. Dive in, see what works, what doesn't. Back it up with theory. I'm fond of these as resources:

u/vanillaholler · 1 pointr/Composition

If possible, look into taking a class at a local college.
Otherwise, check out an orchestration textbook like https://www.amazon.com/Study-Orchestration-Third-Samuel-Adler/dp/039397572X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1467290384&sr=8-1&keywords=the+study+of+orchestration+samuel+adler

That's what a lot of schools use when teaching orchestration. This will help you learn how to write for specific instruments and covers many techniques. Another great way to improve your orchestration is to study scores. If you are looking for a specific "rich sound" like what you hear in whomever's symphony no. 2, then get a score for it and listen to it! I advise listening to it once without a score or listening but not looking too closely at it and following along.
Stick a page marker in the book on a page you find interesting or when you hear a sound you like, then come back to it and try to figure out what you like about it! The textbook will help a lot because it can inform you of a technique you may be unfamiliar with: what it's called, and how to notate it correctly. If you get a copy of the book with CDs you can hear some examples of everything in the book.

Another way to help if you can't find or afford the book is to find someone who plays the instruments you're writing for and go to them with pen and paper and ask them "show me every interesting trick or technique you know how to play." have them spell out whatever it's called and show you how you would notate it as well.

And like composing any new thing, the more you do it, the better at it you'll be.

u/elektra25 · 1 pointr/classicalmusic

I love the Adler but only because I'm a huge geek

u/musiktheorist · 1 pointr/musictheory

That's the best one for instrumentation. Very thorough.

EDIT: Here's the amazon link to the book

u/NeverxSummer · 1 pointr/TwoXChromosomes

Do it!! And dude, high five for being a jazzer.

Composition resources... I have a few things that I enjoy using: The Thesaurus of Scales and Melodic Patterns (sidenote: the best shed dictionary ever), an orchestration book or wikipedia the instrument you're looking for a range on, IMSLP also known as "so that's how that works", and jazz theory/harmony... though I don't have a book to recommend on that one, as I learned it in a trial by fire sort of way. As far as notation software goes, I'm a big Finale junkie, though there's little advantage to Finale over Sibelius until you get to doing weird things with the software. I've heard some really good things about Reason, though haven't tried it personally because my computer doesn't spec for it. Since you're probably more theory minded, I'd suggest starting with jazz and reverse engineering yourself a tune/chart from a progression you like. It's sorta like writing a solo, but with an eraser. //rambling...


Theremin?! That's so awesome.


Yeah. I totally hear you on that one. I have like nothing to add to a discussion about some fancy new microphone or being in a cover band.

u/SocialIssuesAhoy · 1 pointr/composer

An orchestration book sounds like a VERY good idea... is this the one you're talking about?

There's a fair chance that no one will ever have to touch the stuff I've written. We did our performances (for the shows we didn't get an orchestra together so they were just piano/keyboard/guitar), and we're wrapping up studio recordings of the show, which is what I created the orchestrations FOR since I had the chance to have them be heard (digital orchestrations, yay!). Anyway, I'm putting together a master score at this point mostly for my own education and satisfaction. There's a slight chance that perhaps the show will be rented out someday, but who knows. Either way I'd like an accurate score of everything :). Thanks!

u/Suneson96 · 1 pointr/edmproduction

If you don't mind reading abunch there is a book covering alot of the main things about EDM. It had really improved my producing, it is little heavy reading though. :)

Link to book

u/benprunty · 1 pointr/gamemusic

Thanks!

Congratulations on getting into computer music! I would search on YouTube for instructional videos on using Cubase.

For composing, try coming up with a couple of chord progressions, the simpler the better, and then put them one after the other. Then put a melody on top of that. Then add whatever other accompaniment you feel like. Hell, even one chord progression is fine. My song Love Story from Chromatic T-Rex is just one four-chord progression repeated throughout the entire song.

Also check out the Dance Music Manual: http://www.amazon.com/Dance-Music-Manual-Tools-Techniques/dp/0415825644/

I haven't read it but I hear good things about it. :) Hope this helps!

u/MomoiroKaichou · 1 pointr/edmproduction

Obligatory mention of the Dance Music Manual: https://www.amazon.com/Dance-Music-Manual-Tools-Techniques/dp/0415825644

edit:/ the latest edition specifically goes more in depth on the "music theory" aspects of EDM production

u/mage2k · 1 pointr/TechnoProduction

You missed a Rick Snoman's Dance Music Manual.

u/frgtmpsswrd · 1 pointr/reasoners

A few purchases I made recently after few days of researching and asking for recommendations.

Mike Stavrou - Mixing With Your Mind

Rick Snoman - Dance Music Manual, 3rd Edition

Bob Katz - Mastering Audio: The Art and the Science

Bobby Owsinski - The Mixing Engineers Handbook: 4th Edition


Edit: ...and I just checked out the ableton book recommended by /u/NeiloMac and now it's on its way.

u/marbles24 · 1 pointr/AskReddit

This may be a lot more complicated of an answer than you are looking for, but there is a whole book about it. It goes into why and how the human brain is affected by music, and it's a really really interesting read, if you are interested enough to read an entire (fairly technical) book about it.

u/Fearan · 1 pointr/philosophy

You may be interested in the book This is your Brain on Music

It discusses in depth the implications of music on the brain and its link to language. I loved reading it.

u/dragonbuttons · 1 pointr/books

If you're a musician or like music and science a lot, I'd recommend this book, which I read this summer. Levitin is a decent author and he's changed the way I understand music. I might not know what a perfect fifth is but I do know why I enjoy certain songs more than others now.

u/pjgeorgejr · 1 pointr/Music

As a guitarist and parent of three musicians (piano, piano and guitar) I really feel for you!! I almost cried watching you sit there and take that crap from your mother. Hey mom! Did you know that studies have shown music improves mathematical abilities? It improves creativity and cognitive development across the board!

http://www.vh1savethemusic.com/benefits
http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/exchange/node/1869

Get this book!
http://www.amazon.com/This-Your-Brain-Music-Obsession/dp/0525949690

u/acScience · 1 pointr/cogsci

For anyone interested in this subject, I suggest reading This Is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession by Daniel J. Levitin.

u/bluecalx2 · 1 pointr/AskReddit

I had to look up the title again because I loaned the book to someone a while ago. It's called This Is Your Brain On Music and it's pretty easy to find actually. I felt like there was no real central point other than "Here are some interesting facts about music" but it was still an entertaining read.

u/Goat_man436 · 1 pointr/Music

I love how you used the word, "brain hack". I think that sums it up perfectly. Your brain interprets different changes in pitch and rhythm as emotional cues, and music is an exploit of that.

There's a book called This is Your Brain on Music that delves into the neuroscience and psychological explanations for music. Very interesting stuff.

u/bewareofmolter · 1 pointr/AskMenOver30

Read Zen Guitar.


Listen to OnBeing with Krista Tippett and Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend .


Dig into your Why? with gentleness and love.

u/betaleg · 1 pointr/Guitar

Buy this book.

Read it once a year.

u/VernonDent · 1 pointr/guitarlessons

You need to consider why you want to learn guitar. That will answer some of your questions in itself.

For instance, do you intend to become a professional, virtuoso concert guitarist? If not, what difference does it make if you won't be as good as you could have been if you'd started earlier?

If you're like me, and you play for the pleasure of playing, for the joy of making music, how good you are doesn't really matter. I play because I love playing and I always have, even when I was just starting out and awkwardly struggling through my first chords. Practicing is never work for me because it's fun.

That's not to say that I'm not constantly trying to get better -- I certainly am. But this isn't a job or competition for me, it's something I do for fun and enjoyment. Let yourself have fun with it and the rest just doesn't matter. So if you're having a hard time learning to play something, but you're enjoying the learning process, it's all good. If playing the guitar is a chore for you, why bother? It's supposed to be fun.

So I say to you, go try it. Try to enjoy it. Find your way of making music with a guitar. If you love playing, keep it up. If it's just drudgery to you, let it go. There are no guitar police out there who will throw you in jail if you "aren't good enough" or you don't learn the "right way". There is no "right way". If you are enjoying making your own music then you are good enough and you're doing it the right way!

This is a wonderful book on the subject.

u/space_owl · 1 pointr/Guitar

I think I know what you mean. I have been playing for 3 months, for the past month I have played maybe 2 or 3 days of the week for less than an hour a day. It's not because I don't have the time, I could play 6+ hours if I really wanted to. I sure did when I first started playing.

I don't think I'm losing interest in guitar because I have been reading books, watching videos and browsing forums related to guitar. I think I'm just feeling down and downright lazy as fuck right now. It might be that I'm afraid of playing because I know I'll put myself down when I can't play something right.

That said, I have been reading the book Zen Guitar. It gives an interesting outlook on how you should approach playing guitar.

u/dnicholsonjr · 1 pointr/Design

I read this book when I was in high school, over a decade ago. I really dug it then. Seems to fit here.

https://www.amazon.com/Zen-Guitar-Philip-Toshio-Sudo/dp/068483877X

u/Fendersocialclub · 1 pointr/Bass

I started at 19, but came from a musical family and came off of tinkering with guitar for 13 years prior and a steady gig in school on the trumpet. Got my first bass at 19 as it was the mid 90's and grunge was hot and there were so many opportunities to be in a band but nobody wanted to play bass.

Don't get discouraged! Ask anyone here; playing bass is not only a lot of work but it's a "growing" experience. Unless you're Mozart people just don't pick up the unwieldy instrument and become proficient over night. Notwithstanding the muscle training just to get past that awkward stage where you have to stop and think about where you put a single finger on a string, there's the whole emotional aspect, as well as the mental, academic and spiritual components of bringing music to life. The only way to become an "experienced players" and gain "experience" is to experience the journey; if you can get into a band quickly do it. Your playing will advance exponentially.

Check out the book called Zen Guitar. It's very easy, short and enlightening as well as watch some of Victor Wootens teaching vids. He has some great concepts that will change how you look at bass and music.

Good fortune to you.

u/happy_noodle · 1 pointr/Guitar

This reminds me of a book I read recently called Zen Guitar. At first it seems kind of hokey but then you realize that there is some really good ideas there.

u/diggerB · 1 pointr/Guitar

A lot of most excellent recommendations here, BUT before you even get started on technique, I highly recommend you have a read of this:

http://www.amazon.com/Zen-Guitar-Philip-Toshio-Sudo/dp/068483877X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1375205950&sr=1-1&keywords=zen+guitar

u/YouFuckingRetard · 1 pointr/Guitar

The books I recommend for guitarists and musicians aren't so much instructional as they are tomes of wisdom.

The first is Zen Guitar, which is helpful in shaping your attitude towards playing guitar, improving, and interacting with others.

The other is The Music Lesson by Victor Wooten. Kind of new-agey, but also a ton of advice that isn't really taught in instruction books.

If you're just looking for instructional books, however, William Leavitt's books are good, as are Troy Stetina's books.

u/dirkdice · 1 pointr/Bass

It sounds like you're doing everything right to set yourself up for success. As someone else mentioned, you can use one finger (many of the greats did), but if a pick works, stick with (many of the greats did this, too). I personally have to recommend this book: http://www.amazon.com/Bass-Fitness-Exercising-Handbook-Guitar/dp/0793502489 . It's boring, but if you start slow and build up you speed with these exercises, you'll get the dexterity you're looking for.

u/Belgand · 1 pointr/Bass

Both Bass Aerobics and Bass Fitness are aimed at helping with these sorts of things.

Fitness can be very dry and is more of an exercise book with, in my opinion, lots of basic patterns then stretched out. Personally I don't need tab/score to say "play 1-2-3-4, 1-3-4-2, etc. until you go through every possibler iteration of fingering across every string", but it has that sort of exercises along with others.

Aerobics, on the other hand, is trying to be much more musical. Each etude is intended to be both exercise along with actually sounding like something. So, for example, it starts off by using pieces that consist of a lot of chromatic runs. The problem is that the speed and difficulty tend to ramp up pretty fast and it devotes what I feel is far too much space to slap. The later chapters are far more challenging than I feel is necessary. I'd suggest more of a low-stress, high-rep approach personally.

Oh and to get back to what I mentioned earlier one of the exercises I keep coming back to is to go through every iteration of fingering in a one-finger-per-fret position, e.g. 1-2-3-4, 1-3-4-2, 1-4-2-3, 2-4-3-1, etc. then start moving those across the strings with first one and then multiple fingers always playing on one string while the others move up and down:

E --1--2--3--4--1-----------1---------
A -----------------2--3--4------------
D -----------------------------2--3--4
G -------------------------------------

Work through this and eventually you'll have covered every possible fingering. As always use a metronome to keep your timing consistent starting slow to build up muscle memory and then slowly increasing the speed.

u/andresonbass · 1 pointr/Bass

Check out Bass Fitness. I scanned this a while ago, but I dunno if I still have the file around. Pretty awesome for finger strength and independence.

u/HeyGirlsItsPete · 1 pointr/Bass

If anybody here is looking for a good list of warmups and exercises to do to build up speed, accuracy, and finger strength, I strongly recommend checking out this book.

u/jdch28 · 1 pointr/BassGuitar

Short answer: Practice.

​

Not so short one: Practice. Practice. Practice.


The Spider exercise: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6qAay10W8g

​

There are like a trillion variations for The Spider, but that'll give you an idea. That kind of exercises are great for training fingers, just make sure to practice them slowly (with a metronome, dammit) and to avoid taking your fingers off the fingerboard once you fret the next note on a string (that will avoid two things: flying fingers and that karate chop thingy you mentioned). Notice how the guy in the vid is fingering them.

​

I also recommend the Bass Fitness book for training those fingers.

u/ZombieRitual · 1 pointr/Bass

I wouldn't normally recommend a book, but Bass Fitness has the perfect exercises for getting your left hand fingers to get used to moving independently. If money's tight, just take a look at the first few pages on amazon and you can get an idea of what the exercises are. Play even just those first few chromatic patterns up and down the neck again with a metronome and your motor control should start to shape up pretty quickly.

u/pianoboy · 1 pointr/piano

See this thread for why sheet music rarely matches what was originally played. However, some publishers are starting to publish accurate transcriptions of the originals for those people who want them. For the Beatles, someone in that same thread posted a link to The Beatles: Complete Scores which is supposedly quite accurate.

u/sebastianmay · 1 pointr/Music

If you are a musician, pick up a copy of the Complete Scores. It's about 80 bucks (53 on amazon!), and contains the sheet music for every instrument for every song they ever recorded.

http://www.amazon.com/Beatles-Complete-Scores/dp/0793518326

u/BrianWulfric · 1 pointr/beatles

http://www.amazon.com/Beatles-Complete-Scores/dp/0793518326/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1323857349&sr=1-1

I have this one. It has the complete score for every Beatles song except for maybe Free as a Bird and Real Love. The only problem I have with it is that it's very thick because it's got 200+ songs on it. There's a lot on the page because it's got string arrangements/guitar tabs so that might not appeal to her if she only wants the piano music. It's worth checking out though.

u/JBFedora · 1 pointr/WeAreTheMusicMakers

Seconding the suggestion to just play through as much material as you can. I also learned a lot about orchestrating by doing transcriptions, and you could do the same with The Beatles. I'd recommend picking a few of your favorite songs and trying to write out exactly what you hear without looking at a score of any kind (rather than just playing out of a fake book.) Then check your work and correct any mistakes: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0793518326/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_UE.9wbEM9B55C

u/digitalmediaworld · 1 pointr/transcribe

I don't know about websites but here are two books for The Beatles and Queen that may be good for your purposes.

Beatles: https://www.amazon.com/Beatles-Complete-Scores-Transcribed-Score/dp/0793518326

Queen: http://www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/best-of-queen-transcribed-score-sheet-music/5679977

u/duckandmiss · 1 pointr/musicians

As always it starts with playing something very simple and singing over that... playing quarter note chords on the piano with a few chords and figuring out a melody with your voice is a great way to start... watch some videos of people playing and singing at the same time, you'll notice that the parts they play will sometimes get simplified when they are singing, and then become more intricate when they can focus on just the parts.

I would like to point out that many piano books aren't actually the exact way the artist plays the song, in fact most of the songbooks include the melody line in the right hand that should be sung, and not played...

If you were to get the Beatles Score Book, you'll quickly realize that a lot of the melody lines are sung over a chord progression that is much easier than playing the chord progression and the melody line while singing the melody line as well...

u/cr38ed4dis · 1 pointr/Songwriters

https://www.amazon.com/Writing-Better-Lyrics-Pat-Pattison/dp/1582975779/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1541606392&sr=8-1&keywords=write+better+lyrics


This is one of the best things I've done to enhance my lyric writing. If you follow the exercises in this book, you will surely see quick improvement. It will not be all you need, however. You still need to put in hard work before you will be able to write songs you really feel proud of. Good luck mate.

u/Conquestadore · 1 pointr/Guitar

Give guitar aerobics by Troy Nelson a try, the book has lot's of structured lead guitar exercises suitable for all levels.
https://www.amazon.com/Guitar-Aerobics-One-lick-day-Maintaining/dp/1423414357/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

u/TheCraftyWombat · 1 pointr/Guitar

Buy the book Guitar Aerobics, as shown here. It's got everything you need to keep loose, build up skillz, sharpen your technique, etc. Just a few minutes per day (EVERY DAY!), and you'll see rapid progress.

u/4-string · 1 pointr/WeAreTheMusicMakers

There can be A LOT of thought behind the inner structures. Pat Pattison's book may give you a lot of insight:

http://www.amazon.com/Writing-Better-Lyrics-Pat-Pattison/dp/1582975779/

There's a free online course with him somewhere, too.

u/levirphillips · 1 pointr/WeAreTheMusicMakers

Two things I'm finding extremely useful:

LinkedIn Learning course with Julian Vengard: https://www.linkedin.com/learning/music-theory-for-songwriters-the-fundamentals


Writing Better Lyrics by Pat Pattinson: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1582975779


Some people will say "write from your heart" but I'm learning that great songs have SO much more technique and theoretical wizardry applied throughout the process.

These two resources are just excellent. I've been a musician for 20 years and I forced myself to watch all the videos on the LinkedIn course - I learned useful things I wish I'd known years ago.

u/noobucantbeat · 1 pointr/Guitar

get Guitar Aerobics and practice that shit every day!! I've been doing it for the past 6 weeks and i'm loving it, can really see some improvement. LEarn music theory and all that jazz too

u/SexThrowaway1125 · 1 pointr/IWantToLearn

You have two options.

Option 1: Buy and read this book, approach various video game companies until you get interest (perhaps through /u/TheApothecaryAus's method), get a lawyer to help draw up a contract, and licence your music.

Option 2: Buy and read this book, approach a label with a lawyer (go to Universal Music Group first to take advantage of the right of first refusal), and have them market you to video game designers.

The book in question is on the shelf of every music exec at UMG. I mean it - all of them.

u/OnWingsOfWax · 1 pointr/WeAreTheMusicMakers

Mechanical royalties are set by Federal law, though most major label contracts pay 75% or so of the statutory rate which is 9.1 cents per song under 5 minutes in length. Performance royalties depend on the artists contribution to the song in question. You can see the percentage each writer gets for some songs in the BMI/ASCAP databases but you won't get actual payment information.You won't find a database of this because it's based on individual contracts.

This book will tell you as much as you need to know about the regulations and customs: https://www.amazon.com/Need-Know-About-Music-Business/dp/1451682468

But you're not going to get individual dollar amounts.

u/kuikka · 1 pointr/edmproduction

Don Passman's All You Need To Know About The Music Business has the answers to pretty much all of your questions and it's very well written and funny. Link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1451682468

That said, it's extremely hard to get signed by a major unless you have a big following or very good connections in the industry - and it might not be wise either since they're most likely gonna fuck you over when negotiating the contract since you will have little or no bargaining power.

For example, Porter Robinson only recently signed to a major (Astralwerks). All in all a lot of big name producers are delaying signing as long as possible to build up their name to get clout that can get the best possible deal. All the majors are looking for is money, and the more you and your brand can (seemingly) offer them, the better off you will be when negotiating.

So it might be best to concentrate on building up your name, because when you have good music, proper branding and a decent following, industry people will get interested. Personally, I'd first look into getting a manager that can get you remix jobs at majors and at the same time get your stuff released at the right places. The best way to find one is either to know somebody or - surprise - being a big enough deal so that somebody wants to work with you.

Hope this helps! I have a couple of years of experience with the industry so please let me know if there's anything in particular I can help you with.

Edit: thought I'd add a little personal story too - a friend of mine had been sending stuff to a big EDM-centric branch of a major label. He sent them things three times and never even got a response (and the music was absolutely amazing). Then, he puts out an EP on a small label and all of a sudden gets a message from the head of the major saying that he loves the EP and would like to sign him. So I guess moral of the story is, keep on both sending and releasing good stuff and something will happen eventually.

u/MaiLaoshi · 1 pointr/IWantToLearn
u/themusicbiz · 1 pointr/WeAreTheMusicMakers

All You Need to Know About the Music Business, book by Donald Passman
http://www.amazon.com/Need-Know-About-Music-Business/dp/1451682468

Tickets to SXSW music conference
http://sxsw.com/music/conference/about

This Multi Track Looping Recorder
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gKWfvd-chA

Good luck!

u/HashPram · 1 pointr/musictheory

The way I learned to write songs was literally "learn to play what you hear on the radio, then try and do it for yourself" and that's still largely what I'll do if I find there's something interesting about a track I've heard.

However, I did buy some books to give myself a bit more focus. Those books were:

"6 Steps to Songwriting Success"
"The Craft and Business of Songwriting"
"Writing Better Lyrics"

In the first two books I found some sections helpful, some sections blindingly obvious and some of no value. So, y'know, caveat emptor.
The last book is just excellent and I'd recommend it to anyone who wants to be any kind of songwriter.

If you're after a quick leg-up, what I'd suggest is:

Pick one song.
Work out the chords.
Work out the structure (e.g. verse/chorus/verse/chorus/bridge/chorus), noting how many bars for each section.
Throw the chords away.
Write your own chord progressions for the sections you noted above.
Write melody.
Iterate over the last two steps until you have something you're happy with.

Last point. It's hard to write something original, but if you start by writing unoriginal trash then (a) you're not worried about being original so you can work faster and (b) you get to grips with "what does writing a song involve". The more practice you have of writing songs the easier it will get and the more you'll feel able to experiment with playing around with form/progressions/melodies and so on.

u/dpholmes · 1 pointr/Songwriters

I have typically gone for #2 (at least those are the lyrics that have aged best for me).

I found the book "Writing Better Lyrics " by Pat Pattison to be immensly helpful when I set out to rethink my approach to lyrics.

u/drewthomas · 1 pointr/Music

this is really good man! if you would like this link is to a book that i used to help me write better. it really works
http://www.amazon.com/Writing-Better-Lyrics-Pat-Pattison/dp/1582975779/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1331524881&sr=8-1

good luck!

u/slimuser98 · 1 pointr/WeAreTheMusicMakers

Hey I actually managed a rapper for a few months so I do have some experience. In terms of DIY and independence I highly recommend you buy this book before doing anything major.

All You Need To Know MBUS

I myself own a copy and was recommended by a mentor and it’s kind of like the Bible in terms of knowing the main ins and outs of the business side.

Tunecore vs CD Baby Publishing

Digital Distro Comparison Chart

I’m sure other people will have more info. But once again that book is golden.

u/Alybank · 1 pointr/Music

Hold up! I have a music business degree and work in the music business. First off I suggest reading This book it's American based, but still relevant.



The long of the sort of it with manager is, they get 15-20% of whatever you make, that they're a part of, which is usually about everything. So you make $1,000 for a show, they get between $150-$200 of that. You never pay them up front. Same with agents, but agents get 10%. The difference between an agent and a manager is, a manger is a part of everything you do, while an agent just books shows, and route tours(so booking multiple shows) with smaller bands the manager and agent can be the same person. Bands I work with(Which is might be specific to my genre, not sure) usually pay managers 15% of live(because agents) and 20% of recorded + deals or whatever else.



OH also labels...labels give you money, not the other way around. The only label that I know that asks for money is Thirty Tigers, but they're adamant that they're not a label they're "label services" and signing a label contact is something that requires a lawyer. I feel like I need to repeat IF YOU WANT TO SIGN TO A LABEL GET YOUR OWN LAWYER. They are worth the $300-$500 it will cost.

If you have any other questions let me know, but really you should read the passman book.

u/Loitering-inc · 0 pointsr/Guitar

I started guitar really late in life and as such, my hand dexterity was really shit. Guitar Aerobics is helping out a lot with increasing my fretting accuracy and speed. I still struggle with the max speed in the individual exercises, but i have noticed improvement week over week.

It's not a cure all and while it may expose areas where you have technique deficits, it won't really be able to tell you what to do to correct it. On the other hand, it's a good addition to and a good warm up in a longer practice session. It's well structured and covers a different technique each day of the week, each week building on the last. It's was definitely worth the $15.

I ripped the CDs that come with it and put them on my phone which made it much easier to use them too. The play along drum tracks are a nice alternative to a metronome.

u/NemoDatQ · 0 pointsr/technology

You do realize that every recording contract is different and each artist has the opportunity to negotiate their deal right? It's not difficult to pick up Donald Passman's book and know exactly what you are able to get and exactly what little tricks a label may or may not try and pull. At the end of the day, if an artist doesn't like the deal being offered, they can just not sign it!

u/padraigf · 0 pointsr/Guitar

I'm working through Troy Nelson's Guitar Aerobics at the moment, and it's really excellent. What makes it is the structure: 365 exercises, one for each day of the year. The techniques repeat on each day of the week. e.g. Monday is always an alternate-picking exercise, Wednesday is always a string-bending exercise, etc. The exercises build on each other, they start off easy and get progressively more difficult. But they do so in an incremental and logical way so you don't feel lost (at least I'm not so far, 6 weeks in).

I'm finding it great to help nail the various techniques....you practice a 2-bar hammer-on lick for half an hour, you'll get the technique pretty well down. Whereas if it was part of a longer song, it'd be easy to half-ass it and move on to the next bit before you'd really got it right.

The structure of the book, where you have your practice plan laid out for you for the next year, is a good motivator too.

u/c3dries · 0 pointsr/Guitar

I am 21 (well, almost) and I've been playing guitar for two years now. This is how I went about it. I am in no way claiming this to be the best or most efficient way to learn though. First, I learned the major chords: D, A, G, F, E, and so on (I just googled "major chords"). I constantly played them whether it was while watching TV or sitting down and focusing on it. At the same time, I looked up tabs to music I enjoyed. One of the first pieces I learned was "Green Eyes" by Coldplay. It's a great one because it's got pretty much all the basic chords (and a lady killer if I may say so ;). Also if you take a look at the top 100 tabs on Ultimate-Guitar, those are some good pieces to learn not only because they are good songs, but you'll learn a lot about playing guitar in the process. After about six or so months of this, I really wanted to jam, so I began learning scales. I began with a natural scale, then moved on to memorizing the pentatonic scales. I'm still working on that actually! I recently also ordered this book to help get more comfortable as well as a theory book. At the same time as learning all the scales and things I'm constantly looking up tabs, trying to pick up pieces by ear, and all around fiddling with my guitar! If I ever get frustrated, I put that bad boy down and do something else. Been playing for two years now almost every day and I love it. Just take it slow and easy.

Edit: Grammer

u/cpk33 · 0 pointsr/Guitar

its important to learn fundamentals first... know where every C is on the neck and D and so on... then learn how the major scale maps onto the fretboard and slide it around for different keys and modes.

From there you can make up your own arpeggios and improvise using them instead of copying what others have done.

I highly recommend The Guitar Grimoire. It can get redundant, but there's a lot to learn in that book.

u/Angrycrow · 0 pointsr/musictheory

The guitar grimiore really opened my mind to music theory for the guitar.
http://www.amazon.com/books/dp/0825821711
It has charts for scales that you will never need and the opening chapters go over music theory in a really dry and simple fashion. I found mine at a used book store. The best thing about it is understanding intervals by mainly focusing on half steps. This book isn't good for other instruments. But if you stick to the charts you get a real good feel for how these arrangements of intervals sound AND good muscle memory practice for your fingers.

u/ateamm · 0 pointsr/Luthier

This is a great reference for setups How to Make Your Electric Guitar Play Great I just got kindle on my phone and bought it for $10. It has general factory setups and setup of some famous players.

u/Big-Baby-Jesus · 0 pointsr/hiphopheads

If anyone wants to learn more about hip hop being created in the South Bronx in the 70s and 80s, check out this fantastic book-

Amazon Link

u/demontaoist · -1 pointsr/musictheory

Aside from this, from performing arts high school, throughout Juilliard's theory program, and because conservatories are assholes about transferring, once again at Curtis, I've never even seen a music theory text book.

Staff paper. Examples from music literature. DIY practice/homework sheets. Save everyone $.

u/AtlasAtlasAtlas · -12 pointsr/videos

Pretty clear you know nothing about the music industry (or you're a teenager), take some time and read these:

http://djbooth.net/news/entry/young-thug-trapped

https://www.amazon.com/Need-Know-About-Music-Business/dp/1451682468

and watch this:

Thirty Seconds to Mars, had one of the most biggest tours of all time and were millions in debt:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2370718/