No Bull Music Theory for Guitarists: Master the Essential Knowledge all Guitarists Need to Know

The book starts at a very basic level - the musical alphabet - which I knew from band in high school, but was still helpful as I proceeded through the book. It lays out everything in clear, easy to understand language and is envouraging without being condescending at every step. Just bought the next two in the series!

If you want to learn music theory simply and efficiently - and every guitar player should - this is a fantastic starting point. No nonsense, everything explained with clarity and examples. I’ve been playing “campfire guitar” for years and finally decided to study the instrument with some depth. This book has been a HUGE help. Take your time with it - don’t breeze through it, even if you think you already “know” what he’s talking about. Pay attention, take the quizzes, go through it time and time again until you know it inside and out, and you WILL reap great benefits!

This book covers essential music theory in a very simple manner. Even though I already knew some theory, this book is teaching me key points and their application to the guitar. I like that the book has tests. Only negative is that the author treats you like a child. Updating my review! Upgraded to five stars. This really is a great book. I have started Volume II and decided to go back through Volume I first. The way James describes how the chords of a given key are built and result in either a major or minor chord is wonderful. I've not seen this in any other theory book. I've studied theory for a while but this book has begun to bring it together for me. I lay awake traversing keys and intervals, think, "ok, that's why it's a minor interval" and stuff like that. To save my hands and back, I use an app to manage my practicing, five minutes on , one minute off for an hour plus a day. I study the theory in my one minutes off, so about 5-10 minutes a day. These books are my main resource.

what I really liked about this book is that it's geared so well toward adult learners who have been missing that crucial link between theory and how to look at the fretboard. I started taking private lessons at 13 years old and I'll never forget the day the teacher looked at me, about 1 year into lessons and said, "You DO know where to find the roots of all your chords, right? Show me now which finger is pressing the D note of the D chord..." Wow! I was like a deer in the headlights. So...my guitar playing friends...don't be like 13 year old me! I was resistant to learn the things I SHOULD have learned so that I could understand the guitar better. Do it- take the step now. This is a great starting book, highly recommended. ***Note - not for the experienced guitarist who already knows a good bit of fretboard theory. This is for folks who play but don't really know how or why or what they are playing.

Great book if you really want understanding what you are doing with the guitar. So much more than just playing a few chords. I love this book. I finally feel like I am getting it and the way the author breaks it down makes it so easy to understand. Definitely worth it!

Great book that delivers straight to the point. Already learning a lot.

I have looked long and hard for a music theory book or online class that I could understand. That taught in a progressive manner building upon prior concepts AND would quiz my understanding. I’ve purchased many a book and many an online class. All started out simply enough, but then moved so rapidly or jumped to concepts I didn’t grasp so quickly that I would always end up frustrated. This is the first and ONLY book I have found that presents the information in understandable bites and then quizzes you to test your understanding. I highly recommend this book….so much so that I have shown it to two of my guitar teachers and they think it is fabulous as well and will be recommending it to other students of theirs. I have enjoyed his first book so much that I have already purchased ALL of his other books as well. Do yourself a favor if you are wanting to learn music theory particularly as it pertains to guitar and buy this book. I know this sounds like high praise and so therefore perhaps hype from a friend or student of his, but I promise you all of this is true. I just stumbled upon his books in my never ending search and I am very glad I did!

This book was about at straight forward as you could hope for with a nice approach to the information. It had nice small tests after each chapter to check and see if I was retaining what I had read and it put the info in direct language which meant I did not have to read a lot of the writers thoughts and theory's just the info on music theory I was trying to learn. Also the language he used was direct and just the facts! I use both the Audible and Kindle version because of a learning disability I haver had all my life and my only disappointment was only book 1 is available in Audible. I sent an email asking about time frame of other 2 book to be put on Audible but have not heard back from him. I hope he replies because if not it would be the only negative in an otherwise wonderful transition.

must have book for all the guitarists who wants to understand music theory in detail yet in Layman terms! Thank you James. :)

Amazing Book that helps you to learn in a few hours with fun, what has taken me years of reading and guitar lessons. ABSOLUTELY RECOMMENABLE!

Great book, well worth the money! This book covers the basics, like keys, major scales, minor scales, chord progressions and a lot more. Also really easy to follow and suitable for complete beginners.

This book is brilliant! James explains everything very simply and in a straightforward manner. I have been playing pentatonic scales for a long time but now I understand where they come from. This book helped me understand chord progressions and scale variations so much better; it's given me more confidence in playing the guitar. James teaching style is so encouraging in his Total Guitar Lab (which I also thoroughly recommend), and that encouragement is all over this book.

As a self-taught guitarist, I’ve always struggled with music theory, but No Bull Music Theory for Guitarists makes it so much easier to grasp. The book breaks down complex ideas into bite-sized, understandable sections without overwhelming you with technical jargon. What I appreciate the most is how practical it is—everything you learn is directly applicable to playing, whether you’re improvising, composing, or just trying to make sense of scales and chords. The examples provided in the book are relevant and help reinforce the theory concepts. It’s not just about reading; the exercises encourage you to pick up the guitar and apply what you’ve learned immediately. I’ve already seen improvement in my playing, particularly when it comes to understanding how scales work over chord progressions. While it’s great for beginners, intermediate players like myself will also find value in it. Some sections felt a bit basic, but that’s not a bad thing—it was a good refresher on topics I might have overlooked. If you’re looking to fill gaps in your understanding of music theory without getting bogged down in unnecessary details, this is the book to get. It truly lives up to its “no bull” promise!