5 Books That Changed My Guitar Playing

[@cinematicvoid1334]

I actually have had chord chemistry on my shelf for awhile and started diving into it the last few months, page by page of course, it quickly connected a lot of dots in my understanding of major scale theory which was very helpful and inspiring

[@mattfranceschini]

Amazing! It is an incredible resource to have kicking around!

[@davidsummerville351]

I did the Superchops book back in 1980 Those chord changes, playing them and recording every day for 20 weeks to a metronome was just as valuable as the single line playing. The other books are great as well.

[@mattfranceschini]

The voicings in that book are fantastic!

[@inksword6029]

Thank you so much for this video!

[@mattfranceschini]

You are so welcome!

[@patinaz6758]

I just received the Advancing Guitarist based on your recommendation and I can't thank you enough. I'm only a few pages in but its challenging everything I've been teaching myself over the past two years and I can already see how it will tie together so many things. I cannot wait to continue the journey!

[@mattfranceschini]

Really cool to hear you picked it up on my recommendation! It's a fantastic book that many greats cite as an important influence. Wishing you many hours of happy playing!

[@stratocumulusnimbostratus328]

Could you add links or a list

[@mattfranceschini]

Here's the list just typed out. A few are out of print so online pdf's may be the best way. The Advancing Guitarist - Mick Goodrick Chord Chemistry - Ted Greene Modern Chord Progressions - Ted Greene Super Chops - Howard Roberts Inside Improvisation Volume 2 - Jerry Bergonzi Amazon links here: The Advancing Guitarist: www.amazon.ca/Advancing-Guitarist-Mick-Goodrick/dp/0881885894/ref=sr_1_1?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.cWBMDhGbcEimutGGqqOu7Ij4rHgqnm-USHr4DgiQQTrhmLAzjESc8QSjC_fhq1nvIcfpCoEg9GJJVxalRlE4Yt8py3VkazGduEWPiZXKBbwQ1EShyt8O3GaV4pc1-k1OmUm98yYQC7MSRn78KwqgfK7SbOfm5Ozy3unOCO_r27SdlZrHAoEbT8Qi4Nia0ksqjid3TmWuyWCf1oEkC-jpbmsjMHocZ31CQMpm0RkWr4YiJhuxq7El8m9FQRKY7qU9s9EAXXbHZ1yu-mpTvrllxqLNpJ5jYiGo1F2UPxoQ9UA.zZ6XVeSVupa6gQylYCnG0KA2dGEEI-P1H8bjHLAfke4&dib_tag=se&hvadid=230014383731&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=1002604&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=2939787245349939276&hvtargid=kwd-297816098378&hydadcr=15418_10272529&keywords=the+advancing+guitarist&qid=1727715039&sr=8-1 Chord Chemistry: www.amazon.ca/Ted-Greene-Chord-Chemistry/dp/0898986966/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2Q08W35WM4LPS&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.EJ1ydAiJM7_mRBS-lM7loTctY7BpgnhbsnmOgXg1l7nuaZEqSsoqIDZzZ7GrRhQyuh_bL_aqHa-1cm-QtsV9ftjCIoA2sD7Quf4nIoQkEt8h9dPJm3aS5uApYXprICxPqwlULZWdxaVcR1ejkupObJgtyMYOJ1tMnMjh5wtXFqE.UGEuiw1_uUGiGEVhg0U5WBIGmnuHTcK_uJB0gYyl2gk&dib_tag=se&keywords=chord+chemistry+ted+greene&qid=1727715141&sprefix=chord+chemisty%2Caps%2C109&sr=8-1 Modern Chord Progressions: www.amazon.ca/Ted-Greene-Progressions-Classical-Voicings-ebook/dp/B00S6OSPK4/ref=sr_1_2?crid=M0KYDN6O8TPR&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.r08_sczZ3seU5a4y7iM42R6jsDQerlRteqGLr2_pZ1LgNbh__ewQH3wWxJWuTIHVMgBSLlrMvsuH6schFipFg3gB2D4OjHRqVw4CzbWanwy3KyMzNzyYtwoM6eLJEJk8weJcmCT7l3WWsn3RjTuiktGbcmB1fv1z8JfSDorBFmnzOxGMqX4h41YLgX2CZnIOLDYLoTAJWodjZ85nHbpKUWshko8K4HT6sEub1jm6hkk6Xwghx-jWac6xep2zZpVuq6rVLFGQH_CeQe42XMnaIoSYK7GepmuPjNGICJsK-T8.3mi4LH9PHoW9mO8oS_IMH_yxL5rGyNkCM6Uc0Pf0k-k&dib_tag=se&keywords=modern+chord+progressions&qid=1727715174&sprefix=modern+chord+progressions%2Caps%2C100&sr=8-2 Super Chops: www.amazon.ca/Super-Chops-Guitar-Technique-Weeks/dp/0899150101/ref=sr_1_1?crid=23DQC4A306VL6&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.TXZsKb7DrfAv2lF8pNXOGQ.wX_k2VnbdJ1SikccMGBjSWfPx0fq0Wn0odJQH3MVQes&dib_tag=se&keywords=howard+roberts+super+chops&qid=1727715195&sprefix=howard+roberts+super+chops%2Caps%2C103&sr=8-1 Inside Improvisation Vol 2: www.amazon.ca/Inside-Improvisation-Pentatonics-Jerry-Bergonzi/dp/B00EE5BKBU/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1OCJWCF6FUWZG&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.qfbt2Vcl0_w4F3jkf0O94ZhLZ1tMaiwR0AkrqF_5xTq3s3xQvaoS4l2tC7FDXfre.zgDT5976zNi3noNbZrjMfUPHIPeDay10fxcj8InkONg&dib_tag=se&keywords=inside+improvisation+volume+2&qid=1727715219&sprefix=inside+improvisation+volume+2%2Caps%2C96&sr=8-1

[@Deomedeö]

Really good list, dude. I feel that for a lot of modern self-taught guitarists, books are a severely underutilized resource, so thanks for the recs!

[@mattfranceschini]

I agree!

[@LorenzoDeprado]

I appreciate your thoughtfulness in this video. It does strike me that books allow us more into the "mentality" of the guitar player compared to videos (which often have me focusing on technique). In that sense I think they have their place.

[@mattfranceschini]

Glad you enjoyed the video! There's definitely a place for both videos and books as they each have their advantages and disadvantages as you've highlighted in your comment!

[@9outof10]

Books are so underrated. Those "fundamental changes" books with just pages of 100 licks etc are so good for learning a new thing quickly.

[@mattfranceschini]

Those fundamental changes books are great!

[@sylphus]

i really love your videos and i think that with a mic you could get a lot more subs

[@mattfranceschini]

Really glad you're enjoying the videos! There actually is a condenser mic being recorded separately in all of these videos.

[@sylphus]

@@mattfranceschini oops :')

[@inksword6029]

what do you mean? the audio sounds high quality and crystal clear to me

[@vexecutioner5907]

Just had to evacuate after Helene. Advancing guitarist, cc/mcp by ted greene were among the few I grabbed. Others include harmonic mechanisms 1-3 by George van Eps, Modalogy by Jeff Brent and Pentatonic and Hexatonic scales in Jazz Improvisation by Jason Lyons.

[@mattfranceschini]

Those George Van Eps books are amazing! I've heard of Modalogy and Pentatonic and Hexatonic scales in Jazz improv but haven't checked them out. Also, my heart goes out to you and everyone in Florida. Wishing you and yours safety and a return to normal as soon as possible.

[@ianlanceguitar]

Thank you, you just add to my life 30 years of guitar workout 😭

[@mattfranceschini]

Haha! I always joke with my students that music is like the best video game ever because you can never beat it!

[@joggerino3284]

Thank you very much for this information. If you had to start learning guitar again with the aim to become a generalist, versatile in all styles, and want to do this autodidactically by books, which books would you recommend and in which order? In my case, I learned classical guitar, but I want to be able to play blues, jazz, funk and learn to improvise and freely noodle along without being boring.

[@mattfranceschini]

From this list the advancing guitarist would be fantastic! For what you're looking to achieve I can't think of any super general books I've consumed but I would prioritize mastering pentatonic and diatonic scales, triads on all sets of strings and I'd work on memorizing and learning a ton of chord progressions so that you get comfortable using chords and improvising over them!

[@joggerino3284]

@@mattfranceschini Thank you.

[@daniel2530]

Hey, do you have some recomendations on rythm books for guitarrists?

[@mattfranceschini]

I don’t have any that are specific to the guitar but in university for awhile I was practicing playing chords to rhythms from simple snare drum études. “Elementary Snare Drum Studies” is a book I can remember sifting through!

[@daniel2530]

@@mattfranceschini thanks man 👌👌

[@rakzo7133]

Can u make a video of how to make robotic scale playing to musical phasing I just learned pentatonic and blues scale. playing with backing track and noodleing around. It always sounds robotic scale playing. Alot of ppl advice to just noodle around it will get better. I get their point .but my problem is i dont know if im progressing or not.

[@mattfranceschini]

This is a good video idea to revisit! I've touched on this subject in an earlier video you can check out here in the meantime! - kzbin.info/www/bejne/b4Omn2mQea13fMU

[@alchemysticgoldmind4164]

Jazz cells Oz Noy...

[@TheTommyData]

Which Modern Chord progression book? There are at least two by Greene

[@mattfranceschini]

I'm told that both are fantastic however I only own a copy of the first one!

[@Rubeneides246]

What kind of strat is that? I have never seen one with those amount of switches.

[@mattfranceschini]

It is a modified to death partscaster! Here's a video breaking down everything that has been done to it kzbin.info/www/bejne/e3q9qoOOf7msbZo

[@adambull5181]

What is books?

[@adambull5181]

Proper question re so called “books” …do you need to read music to benefit from any of them. I have so many books that I can’t use for that reason 😢

[@mattfranceschini]

Sadly notation reading is needed for 3/5 of these books. The Ted Greene chord books are all diagram based however so there's hours of fun to be had there. I've recently been thinking about doing a video series on reading music on the guitar and maybe even putting together a book of material specifically designed to walk guitarists through reading music so maybe I'll get my ass in gear and work on getting that material together and I can use you as a guinea pig as part of our weekly lessons if that's of any interest!

[@adambull5181]

@@mattfranceschini great idea, I’ll happily be the Guinea pig. 🐹

[@alchemysticgoldmind4164]

1.Dave Eastlee Jazz chords..Ted Green is very talented .book Chord Chem is overrated Those chords are beautiful but unusable on a gig.Mike Carueso the Natural approach..Got my me playing all over the neck.The interrelationship of chords and scales..author..?but taught Vernon Reid and the dude from 3.Rock Guitar Secrets..🔥4.Barry Galibrath chord melody arrangements 5. Victor Wooten the music lesson and Effortless mastery Kenny Werner Pat Martino's Linear expressions

[@mattfranceschini]

I think the trouble with chord chemistry is that it is an exhaustive list which makes it have several impractical and less usable chords within its pages. However, it is also a gold mine if you're willing to sift through it every now and then!

[@alchemysticgoldmind4164]

@@mattfranceschini I Agreed but don't think it's necessary for the beginner or for commercial wedding band bar band type giging its more Artistic and advanced..more Gorumet than Meat and potatoes .an excellent book and selection never the less

[@ScottEltringhamMusic]

My list 1. William Leavitt’s Modern Method for Guitar 2. Chord Chemistry 3. Guitar Grimoire ‘The Exercise Book’ 4. Steve Vai’s 10 hour/30 hour guitar work out 5. The Real Books Bonus: Complete Book of Harmony Theory and Voicing by Bret Willmott

[@mattfranceschini]

Fantastic picks! I'm familiar with all except for Steve Vai's, may have to check that one out!

[@ScottEltringhamMusic]

@@mattfranceschini Steve Vai’s book isnt extensive on content, although there is some great exercises in there. Its more so how to design a practice routine that covers everything. So the exercises are not as dense such as a method book, but you can extrapolate your own. There is some great commentary from him that is insightful and funny. Every time I reread it I get new ideas to practice, and he certainly knows how to use his time effectively.

[@ScottEltringhamMusic]

@@mattfranceschini great video by the way

[@mattfranceschini]

Thanks!

[@russell2910]

The best guitarist are not always the best teachers, true. But some are,for example...me. i am great at playing guitar but i can also teach stupid people and even one deaf mentally damaged.