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No Bull Music Theory for Guitarists: Master the Essential Knowledge all Guitarists Need to Know
Easy language. Music reading not required. Includes free downloadable audio!
Inside the 12 chapters of this guitar theory book you’ll learn about intervals, triads, major and minor keys, chord sequences - and understand how to apply them to your playing, improvising and songwriting. I’ll use diagrams and simple, non-intimidating language to teach you in minutes, things which confuse some guitarists for years.
This guitar music theory book is for you
What will this book teach you about?
In the 12 lessons you’ll find super clear explanations, practical examples and quiz questions
How will you learn and remember all this? Easy!
Each chapter introduces a new element of guitar theory. You get a clear but detailed explanation of the concept and multiple examples/practical exercises, FAQs and more to drive your understanding home. Test yourself using the quiz questions at the end of each chapter (answers supplied). To help you play certain practical examples there is also an appendix of common open chord shapes and barre chords at the back of the book. Plus, every chapter is also available to you (free) as an audio file so you can immerse yourself in guitar theory whilst at the gym or walking the dog! You'll find details for these in the book.
You Can Do This … and without all the bull!
I’ve taught the material in this book to thousands of musicians around the world both in person and via my website, and I can tell you Learning about music theory doesn’t need to be scary, confusing, difficult or something that you avoid doing because you don’t know where to start.
It's time to become the guitar player you know you could be!
Inside the 12 chapters of this guitar theory book you’ll learn about intervals, triads, major and minor keys, chord sequences - and understand how to apply them to your playing, improvising and songwriting. I’ll use diagrams and simple, non-intimidating language to teach you in minutes, things which confuse some guitarists for years.
This guitar music theory book is for you
What will this book teach you about?
In the 12 lessons you’ll find super clear explanations, practical examples and quiz questions
How will you learn and remember all this? Easy!
Each chapter introduces a new element of guitar theory. You get a clear but detailed explanation of the concept and multiple examples/practical exercises, FAQs and more to drive your understanding home. Test yourself using the quiz questions at the end of each chapter (answers supplied). To help you play certain practical examples there is also an appendix of common open chord shapes and barre chords at the back of the book. Plus, every chapter is also available to you (free) as an audio file so you can immerse yourself in guitar theory whilst at the gym or walking the dog! You'll find details for these in the book.
You Can Do This … and without all the bull!
I’ve taught the material in this book to thousands of musicians around the world both in person and via my website, and I can tell you Learning about music theory doesn’t need to be scary, confusing, difficult or something that you avoid doing because you don’t know where to start.
It's time to become the guitar player you know you could be!
- GenresMusicNonfiction
107 pages, Paperback
Published March 25, 2019
158 people are currently reading
35 people want to read
About the author
James Shipway
41 books17 followersJames Shipway - Making stuff up since 1992.
I was born and raised in Cornwall but have spent some time in London and Plymouth where I studied music. I typically read and write anything horror, sci-fi or fantasy, the more unusual the better. My favourite book at the moment is The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North, which was a big influence on my decision to take writing more seriously. I hope you all enjoy reading my first novel Thatcher's Tree, at least as much as I did writing it. If all goes well then I have many more stories to share.
https://www.facebook.com/jamesshipwayauthor/
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Thatchers-Tree-James-Shipway-ebook/dp/B01HSDYLNI
https://www.amazon.com/Thatchers-Tree-James-Shipway-ebook/dp/B01HSDYLNI
I was born and raised in Cornwall but have spent some time in London and Plymouth where I studied music. I typically read and write anything horror, sci-fi or fantasy, the more unusual the better. My favourite book at the moment is The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North, which was a big influence on my decision to take writing more seriously. I hope you all enjoy reading my first novel Thatcher's Tree, at least as much as I did writing it. If all goes well then I have many more stories to share.
https://www.facebook.com/jamesshipwayauthor/
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Thatchers-Tree-James-Shipway-ebook/dp/B01HSDYLNI
https://www.amazon.com/Thatchers-Tree-James-Shipway-ebook/dp/B01HSDYLNI
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
April 17, 2025
I’ve always wanted to learn music theory especially for guitar, I had very little knowledge about music theory before reading this book. Before I could probably only tell you what notes are in the C major scale, but now I understand what notes are in every major scale and minor scale, and what chords make up each key and why. It was a very helpful book and it helped a lot of things click in my head that I’ve wanted to learn about! If you want a simple understanding of music theory especially for guitar I’d recommend reading this book to start
August 15, 2021
Excellent book
I greatly enjoyed this book. I played basic guitar when I was young and am now taking it up in my older years. I could play all the basic chords and simple songs but felt just like James described his own feelings when he was young - I have always had a musical inferiority complex. When I played in a group such as for church I never knew what the "real" musicians were talking about. This book was an excellent introduction to understanding the guitar. I wish I would have had this 40 years ago.
I am not sure that it would be great for someone completely brand new to the guitar, but if you know basic guitar chords and have been strumming simple songs for awhile, this book is excellent.
I greatly enjoyed this book. I played basic guitar when I was young and am now taking it up in my older years. I could play all the basic chords and simple songs but felt just like James described his own feelings when he was young - I have always had a musical inferiority complex. When I played in a group such as for church I never knew what the "real" musicians were talking about. This book was an excellent introduction to understanding the guitar. I wish I would have had this 40 years ago.
I am not sure that it would be great for someone completely brand new to the guitar, but if you know basic guitar chords and have been strumming simple songs for awhile, this book is excellent.
February 21, 2022
Great start to music theory
I think this book is exactly what it claims, a no bull music theory for guitarists book. There isn't anything complicated to grasp and it's really a great help for things that have had me confused for years. I will definitely read this again and again.
I think this book is exactly what it claims, a no bull music theory for guitarists book. There isn't anything complicated to grasp and it's really a great help for things that have had me confused for years. I will definitely read this again and again.
April 29, 2024
This book is excellent!!!! I’ve grasped music theory by leaps and bounds while reading this book. I borrowed the ebook from my library, but it’s so good that I bought this one along with volumes 2 & 3 before I returned the one I borrowed. On to volumes 2 and 3!
September 6, 2024
I have been playing guitar for over 50 years and I learned music theory in college over 40 years ago. This audiobook and pdf workbook reintroduced me to music theory focused on the guitar. It’s well done and read by the author James Shipway. He’s really engaging and good.
May 17, 2025
Wish I had this stating out.
Great tool for learning fundamentals and understanding guitar and music in general. If I had this as a young man, I believe it would have helped save me some time and pain.
Great tool for learning fundamentals and understanding guitar and music in general. If I had this as a young man, I believe it would have helped save me some time and pain.
September 3, 2022
Fun, good and simple!
June 20, 2024
no Bull music theory
Excellent book, well worth reading, I learnt a lot, thanks
Good value for money, and easy to follow and understand
Excellent book, well worth reading, I learnt a lot, thanks
Good value for money, and easy to follow and understand
December 17, 2025
Updated review bumps up to 4 stars from 3 stars, and it's right around there. Maybe 3 stars for a brand new beginner and 4 stars for intermediate beginner.
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It's tough to nail an audiobook like this, or even a book like this, because people's reading speeds and their learning speeds are different. There's a reason classes are classes and not just... read this book. So there's a lot of good information here, and it'll be worth revisiting, but the latter third of the book was kinda a whoosh for me, because I'm still processing the considerable amount leading to that point.
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It's tough to nail an audiobook like this, or even a book like this, because people's reading speeds and their learning speeds are different. There's a reason classes are classes and not just... read this book. So there's a lot of good information here, and it'll be worth revisiting, but the latter third of the book was kinda a whoosh for me, because I'm still processing the considerable amount leading to that point.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews