Music Principles for the Skeptical Guitarist by Bruce Emery

In the First Approach, we see how major and minor chords are grouped into keys (chord families) according to the 1 - 4 - 5 and C-A-G-E-D Systems, with examples from popular music.  Topics include the Big Fifteen chords, using the capo, finding the starting note, tuning, the Rhythm Changes and secondary dominant chords.

In the Second Approach, we start over from the beginning and fill in the details of how to use Major Scales to generate the five C-A-G-E-D chord families and how all 12 key are related through the Circle of Fifths, the cosmic nutshell of the entire musical universe.  Topics include transposing from key to key, dominant seventh chords, triad spellings, the jazz turnaround, back cycling through the Circle, and relative minor keys.  Plenty of examples.

As a guitar teacher here in Raleigh, NC, I had spent a fair amount of time searching for a comprehensive, easy-to-read, user-friendly treatise on music theory written specifically for the guitar.  Failing that, I wrote my own. I have tried to design a series on guitar music theory that is as much of a page-turner as possible, given the technical nature of the subject matter, using a narrative, story-telling approach.  You'll find a variety of examples, exercises and worksheets to reinforce the concepts.

-Bruce Emery