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Garage Band Theory

Tools the Pros Use To Play By Ear

Like love, music is a universal language — a melodic dialect everyone would like to speak fluently. Yet for many, the grammar — music theory — has stood between the desire to read, play and improvise music and fluid “conversational” expression. Until now.

Professional musician, teacher and improvisational master Duke Sharp has written the definitive manual on what he calls “Garage Band Theory” — an accessible vernacular text for beginners and proficient players alike. As he puts it: “The music theory I describe defines words, phrases and concepts that will enable you to communicate with other musicians and allow you to think clearly and conceptually about music." In other words: it will help you learn to speak music.

Garage Band Theory was written for musicians who want to understand and apply relevant concepts to their favorite tunes without slogging through the muddy depths of academic theory.

The classically trained player speaks a different language than the blues guitarist, but they’re all thinking about the same stuff.

 Sharp not only understands how musicians think about music, he succinctly conveys how they do it — and inspires confidence that you can do it, too. With a little discipline, you can acquire the chops to make people get up and shake their bones!

Complete with practical exercises and detailed diagrams, Garage Band Theory is a one-stop shop for anyone who teaches a stringed instrument, plays one or wants to. Sharp has done your homework. After searching universities, libraries, stores and online databases, he’s put pieces of the puzzle together to create a logically structured, overarching gestalt of things accomplished musicians know and use every day. He demystifies music theory, insisting that anyone who really wants to can learn (or teach) the vocabulary and techniques needed to improvise and play by memory.

Garage Band Theory will help you:

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  Fill in gaps in your understanding of music theory (painlessly!)

  
  


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  Learn the two aspects of playing by memory: coordination and comprehension of what you’re doing

  
  


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  Analyze what your favorite artists are playing

  
  


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  Play any song in any key

  
  


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  Anticipate ‘what’s coming next’ — the crucial skill in improvisational prowess

  
  


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  Take your current ability to the next level

  
  


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  Figure out any chord on your own and play basic progressions for any musical genre

  
  

By offering both technique and content simultaneously, Sharp is able to bring diligent readers / students to a level of fluency in months instead of years. Building on a musical vocabulary that includes notes, scales, chords, and intervals, the student progresses to lessons on versatility, moveable scales, chord qualities and progressions, musical notation, tablature, melody, harmony, dissonance, modulating and transposing, arpeggios, fingering, picking, tunings, and much more.

Though written primarily for guitar, everything translates to mandolin, mandola, violin, viola, cello and tenor banjo, and more. In fact, Garage Band Theorists are encouraged to try out the exercises on at least two instruments. There are tabs for guitar and mandolin, as well as standard notation for keyboards, brass, and woodwinds. Students/readers will incorporate jazz, rock, blues, folk, classical, Country Western, Celtic, Rock and roll, be-bop, children’s’ songs, Olde English Tudor, famous hits and unforgettable standards — even ska and reggae! Inspirational quotes and chapter quizzes ensure you stick with it and master the material.

 There are literally millions of musical ideas written down — this book is the key that will allow anyone to open the door and explore that vast musical library.

Advance praise for Garage Band Theory ($49.95)

Whether you’re a novice, know a few words (notes), are chord conversant) or are well on your way to fluency (you’re jamming with the best of them), there is something in Garage Band Theory for you. – Cynthia Logan, Writer

”Written for novices, wannabes, working musicians and zen guitar masters, Sharp’s versatile manual is a must-have, and is worth its rather significant weight in gold.” - Rich Robiscoe,, Musician

“This book is like sitting down with a friendly, down-to-earth master who wants to transfer years of practice and experience to you. In addition to excellent lessons, he weaves in history, anecdotes and sound advice for playing professionally or just for fun. If you own a guitar, you will want this book. If you’re serious about playing guitar, you’ll miss it when it’s elsewhere, and you’ll pick it up regularly when it’s nearby. Write in it. Draw on it. Read the text, Practice the drills, study the diagrams and take the quizzes. Sleep with it. Shower with it. Then go audition for a garage band. You’ll rock. – Andrea Lea, guitarist, songwriter

“Students would have to buy at least five books to cover this material. Parents won’t have to buy another chord or scale book – ever. - Kyle Brenner, Studio Teacher

“Just leafing through, I learned a way to tune my guitar that’s better and easier than the method I’ve used for 20 years!” - Andrea Lea, guitarist, songwriter

“Multi-instrumentalists will appreciate that they need not purchase several books and will enjoy exploring the relationships between different instruments.” - Mike Parsons

“For the intermediate to advanced musician in a rut, a hundred hours with this book will help players with good dexterity to study any style of music and interpret any page of music.” 

”Learn the stuff in this book. It will save you thousands of hours.” - The Author