Fretboard Logic

Hello? C'mon, somebody must have gotten at least one of these books. I just want to know if they are worth getting, and what level book 1 starts at so I know which to start with. Any help?

I have all three in one book. It's a good reference. When I first started and didn't have a teacher I bought the book but since then I've had two teachers and they don't teach the CAGED method so I haven't used it much.

There's no drills, exercises or anything about playing, it's just a fretboard map and a way to learn the fretboard.

To me it's a good reference tool. I'm glad I have it even though I don't use it much.

Hey, thanks cnev. I appreciate the feedback. 8)

I found the first volume very informative. I've never looked at the others. I hear that the first one is the best of the three, but that's hearsay. It's inexpensive. It can't hurt to buy the first one -- about $10 US and check it out. It will get you thinking about the fretboard and chords in a different way.

Like Chris, I have all 3 in one book. I read if a few times and it's a cool reference book. I don't do scales but I wanted to read about it. Was it worth the money? I think most books are because you always pick something up. Besides, it may make your head spin!

I just bought the Fretboard Logic combo pack that includes all three books and the DVD companion for books I and II. That's everything in the series.

This series is for the player that wants to not only play but fully understand the instrument. [Hold on while I get on my soapbox] I think guitar players in general fail to learn their instrument, unlike other string, brass, or woodwind musicians. I suppose it's because most other musicians learn by reading music, and guitar players usually learn by tab, by ear, or from friends. This series will clearly explain how to connect music theory to the fretboard. It does not tell you to learn this, this, and that, then cut you loose. It gives you the ability to play what you want. For example: if your friend is playing a chord progression comprised of G, C, and D - he's playing in the key of G, right? If you learn fretboard logic, you will be able to play a solo anywhere on the neck in any type of scale [pentatonic, major, minor, harmonic minor, Aeolian, Ionian, Dorian, whatever] EASILY! BUT you have to create the solo.

It does not teach you anything different than any other method, it's only different in the way it teaches. After using it, I now know why people say learning modes is useless. You learn the modes in fretboard logic, but you don't really know it because the author calls them something else - which I think is way better and much less confusing.

The bottom line is that this series is for the person that wants to gain total command of the guitar. If you only want to learn simple cover songs, this book is not necessary. This series is good for the absolute beginner to the advanced person that knows hundreds of songs. It's not a theory book nor a music reading course. It does take lots of memorization, but you memorize only stuff that you will actually use every time you play.

Nice write-up. Now I'm gonna have to go back and read that book again!

I feel that I must make one disclaimer. The series demands that you memorize 5 patterns. Some call them positional patterns, some call them box patterns. Nevertheless, they are the 5 ways to play a pentatonic scale in a given key across the entire neck. Before I bought this series, I already knew these patterns by heart, plus I already knew the corresponding major scale patterns by heart. Therefore, I already knew how to solo in either a major or minor pentatonic scale or a major or minor scale in five different places on the neck, in any key. This book gave me a better way to reference the positions using chords, so I don't get lost, and I can switch scales easier. If you don't learn to anchor your postition, you will have to rely solely on memory. And that's a lot to ask if you plan on being able to cover the entire neck in every key.
Thus, the point I'm trying to make is that even the newest newbie can learn tons by this method, but he or she must learn the five patterns cold before they see any real benefit. It's not hard to do. The best way is to find a jam track to practice to. Use an E blues track to practice the E scales, etc.

Hello everybody.

Can anyone comment on the Fretboard Logic DVD and say what it adds to the books?

Thanks

My own complaint against the CAGED system is that it itself is a simplification.

In any key there are 8 possible scale notes that could start as your scale/mode root on the 6th string in one of 4 finger positions.

CAGED skips a huge number of these.

Joe Pass recommend learning the 8 basic scales to start with, and move on from there. Don't learn them as patterns. Learn them as notes in scales.

Somehow I have a feeling Joe knew more about playing than Bill Edwards.

Sorry to revive an old thread - what are the 8 basic scales?

Thanks!