Learning theory for lead guitar

Not sure which area of the forum to post this in but, seeing as it relates to technique...

I've decided to start putting some serious study into theory and am wondering if anyone has read this book: Modern Method for Guitar by William Leavitt

Here's the link:
http://www.berkleemusic.com/store/product?product_id=11250&category_id=3

I've been playing guitar for years and have developed my own style but I want to be able to take things to the next level. The book tries to get you to learn the fretboard through site-reading and contains no tab at all. This sounds tough but also really interesting. Let me know if you've read it and what you thought of it.
Thanks

is there a local community college near you? if so, I might suggest to take a beginning music theory class. it's what I'm doing and I'm learning plenty (I'm also one of the highest grades in the class... :D )

Originally Posted by: 6strngs_2hmbkrsis there a local community college near you? if so, I might suggest to take a beginning music theory class. it's what I'm doing and I'm learning plenty (I'm also one of the highest grades in the class... :D )

hey well what is music theory all about in school? im in highschool and im gonna take music theory after christmas but people say it doesnt teach much and it has nothing to do with guitar...

Originally Posted by: rawrockkillshey well what is music theory all about in school? im in highschool and im gonna take music theory after christmas but people say it doesnt teach much and it has nothing to do with guitar...

no, it really doesn't have much to do with guitar. the stuff we are covering is reading standard music notation, learning about time signatures, learning keys, learning how to construct major and minor scales, learning to sight sing, ear training, and things like that. it's not like they show you anything on a guitar, it is music theory, which can be put to use on any musical instrument, though when they need to use an example, they play it on a piano. I find the class to be very fun, and am actually considering being a music major now because I like it so much. (my school actually has 2 guitar classes, but I took this class first because it was a prerequisite for them)

Originally Posted by: 6strngs_2hmbkrsno, it really doesn't have much to do with guitar. the stuff we are covering is reading standard music notation, learning about time signatures, learning keys, learning how to construct major and minor scales, learning to sight sing, ear training, and things like that. it's not like they show you anything on a guitar, it is music theory, which can be put to use on any musical instrument, though when they need to use an example, they play it on a piano. I find the class to be very fun, and am actually considering being a music major now because I like it so much. (my school actually has 2 guitar classes, but I took this class first because it was a prerequisite for them)

well yeah reading and learning al that has to do with guitar so i guess ill be fine.... you think they would let you bring an acoustic for like "learning purposes"?

ive never learned much theory and all but ive gotten along fine without it-finding my own way about the guitar.

but i have lately been looking up more different scales and such...which this site works fine for.
i didnt enrol in the guitar classes at school just cuz it was a beginners class and it really wouldnt have helped ME much.....

Originally Posted by: rawrockkillswell yeah reading and learning al that has to do with guitar so i guess ill be fine.... you think they would let you bring an acoustic for like "learning purposes"?

lol, i don't know... I think I actually have to write a short song (my guess is no more then 30 seconds) on a piano sometime around the end of the year. I can't wait for that, since I've been songwriting for a while I should be able to blow everyone else in the class away. but, I don't know about bringing a guitar to class.

Originally Posted by: rawrockkills...it has nothing to do with guitar...

It's like the Karate Kid...wax on, wax off? Seems like it has nothing to do with it, but then one day, all is revealed. :D

I learned piano for about 6 years which gave me a fairly good groundng in overall theory but as was pointed out, that doesnt really relate to the guitar. After piano I started teaching myself guitar, I only ever learnt one scale and made the rest of them up by ear without thinking about keys etc. I found the translation from piano to guitar too confusing on a practical basis because of the selection of notes onthe fretboard. I'm older than most of you guys too so going back to college is not an option (I already have two degrees!). I'm just looking for a book or online course that I can study at home at my own pace. Berkleemusic.com also offers online courses for 6 months in modern guitar theory - scales and their application (modes, intervals etc etc). That sounds good but as they point out on their site, everthing is thought by musical notation, not tab, so a book might be better to get the basic groundwork in. That book I mentioned is on the Berklee reading list and starts from scratch right through to advanced improvisation, so I presume it is top quality, just wondering if anyone has read it?

Originally Posted by: SuperhumanI'm older than most of you guys too so going back to college is not an option (I already have two degrees!).

there are a few people in my class that are grey-haired, probably in their late 50's.

but anyway, umm, try outthis site and see what you think

Originally Posted by: 6strngs_2hmbkrsthere are a few people in my class that are grey-haired, probably in their late 50's.

I'm not THAT old!! I'm still a young fella just happen to be married now:-)

but anyway, umm, try outthis site and see what you think

Cool site, definitely worth further investigation, thanks for the link!

Originally Posted by: SuperhumanNot sure which area of the forum to post this in but, seeing as it relates to technique...

I've decided to start putting some serious study into theory and am wondering if anyone has read this book: Modern Method for Guitar by William Leavitt

Here's the link:
http://www.berkleemusic.com/store/product?product_id=11250&category_id=3

I've been playing guitar for years and have developed my own style but I want to be able to take things to the next level. The book tries to get you to learn the fretboard through site-reading and contains no tab at all. This sounds tough but also really interesting. Let me know if you've read it and what you thought of it.
Thanks

You don't need to site read to learn theory on guitar(although it is a great quality to have). Basically just learn theory...and know your instrument really well.

Originally Posted by: MikekalashehYou don't need to site read to learn theory on guitar(although it is a great quality to have). Basically just learn theory...and know your instrument really well.

I disagre, I think there is only so much you can learn from tab. I can site read piano for the piano and it makes such a difference to. Writing music by notation is a very logical process, it's like a creative approach to maths. I have recently written a few guitar parts by notation having worked them out on a keyboard first and they are so far apart from hat I would normally play that (in a good way), that I really want to explore this route to playing the guitar.
The roblem with applying site reading to the guitar (from a piano background) is the number of fret options for the individual note. That's why I have always found it very difficult, if not impossible to apply what I learnt for the piano to the guitar.
Everybody learns scales on the piano but you don't actually go into mixolydien, phrygien and ionian like you do on the guitar. It's more about being able to site read Bach and Mozart than anything else. So in short, I do feel site reading for the guitar is important for anyone who is "serious" about learning theory (not just about learning how to "play "rock guitar).

PS this is a complete turn around to all of the post that I wrote in the past. I was always a believer of "feeling" your way around the fretboard. This certainly brings out original material but the more seriously I study guitar the more I believe the abillity to apply both feel and theory provides the best results... There's my fretboard philosophy for the day out the way!