Jazz Theory Book by Mark Levine Topic: Books/Tab: Theory/Fundamentals

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Reviewed on 5/1/00 by Chris Tarry (1903) Rating: This is a vast, easy to understand book for every level and style of player. The way it's written makes it a joy to read and an inspiration to learn from. Suitable for all skill levels of bassists

Reviewed on 5/2/00 by Christopher Sung (550) Rating: This is a method book that covers both the theory of jazz harmony, and how to practice the application of these concepts in your playing. I listed it as suitable for intermediates because you should know how to read music and have an idea what a scale, chord, and interval are before even getting in the same room with this book. This is perhaps the most comprehensive resource for those wanting to play jazz. Mark Levine is a pianist, I believe, and he covers all the basic ground that you would expect - intervals, triads, modes, common jazz progressions, chord-scales, and such, but each topic has numerous examples from real players. Not only that, but Mark provides exercises and practice ideas to guide you in how to absorb these concepts into your playing. Even as a simple reference guide, it's incredibly thorough. By the way, I got permission from Mark and Sher Music Co. to post an interactive excerpt from this book on WholeNote.com. This particular lesson covers the use of 7th chord sequences. Check it out, and you'll see what I mean about how thorough and applicable the examples are - and this excerpt is just 3-4 pages out of a 500 page book! Suitable for intermediate bassists

Reviewed on 5/2/00 by Steve Vincent (255) Rating: I agree fully with the above reviews. I bought this book on C.T.'s advice and I couldn't have been happier. It's chock full of practical examples and has been the best source of theory I have ever encountered. Three thumbs up! Suitable for intermediate bassists

Reviewed on 5/3/00 by Kerry Galloway (907) Rating: I completely agree: this is THE book for jazz theory students. Don't be put off by the "theory" word. Some truly awful jazz theory books exist, and have soured many people on the study of jazz. "This is so obscure, how could I ever understand this?" Not this book. Trust us! Suitable for all skill levels of bassists

Reviewed on 5/8/00 by Abe Mathews (84) Rating: It's still a little over my head, but it's a great book. Exercises are written in standard notation (NO TAB!) so be aware before you purchase. Suitable for intermediate bassists

Reviewed on 11/15/00 by Richard Thomas (331) Rating: I have found this book to be one of those books you keep coming back to. It is a bit more for the advanced or possibly more schooled player but anyone can work their way thru it and benefit from a better understanding of the therory behind the music. A nice aid to the book would be a companion CD with recordings of the examples cited in the book. Although most examples are must own recordings for any student of jazz music. Suitable for intermediate bassists

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