The Guitar Grimoire: Progressions & Improvisation

by Adam Kadmon

This long awaited volume is the most thoroughly exhaustive compendium of chord progressions ever published. Literally filled with hundreds of exercises and thousands of diagrams accompanied by... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0825831970
• ISBN13: 9780825831973
• Release Date: January 1998
• Publisher: Metatron Inc. for Carl Fisher
• Length: 282 Pages
• Weight: 2.05 lbs.

Customer Reviews

15 steps to song creation using this book and its MIDI file

[...] My blog link above contains a very concise approach toward song creation by applying the contents of this book and it's supporting MIDI file that has examples of each progression type covered in it. This book is the work of a genius, and tapping it requires use of MIDI to make us adept at its application to the creative process underlying musical composition.

For all musicians

The greatest tool to make all you're musical ideas come to life. If you don't have it, then get it. !!A MUST HAVE!!

Grimoire Madness

For me, this book has been great. I am at a level that I am just starting to get into the theory side of music, and really interested in finding a way to explore improvisation without sounding like i'm just noodling or whatever. Anyways, as you've no doubt read in the other reviews, this book is not intended to be a stand alone piece. All of the books that kadmon has put out kinda go together, if you just need help in one certain area, you get just that one book, if you are trying to get a fuller picture of music as a whole, you probably need at least 4 of his books. Having said that; this book really clears up the possiblities of what keys are appropriate to play in with what chords, and vice versa.... The other two reviews here are pretty acurate, so I'm not going to go on and be repatative, but for me, this book was worth five stars. Kadmon has made a series that could make an excellent life long reference point for musicians of almost any level it would seem to me.

The last section was worth the $27.95 price

I agree with the reviewer who wrote:"The last section, which I found to be the most useful, are progression exercises. Although the author still refers the reader to the Grimoire Chords and Voicings book for all varieties of possible positions for each chords, the voice leading combinations presented here are excellent. In the words of the author, this section is practice for fingers, mind, and ear." Much of the rest of the book seemed off the subject.

targets beginners

I've heard much of the Grimoire series for guitar, and finally decided to give one of them a shot. This is the one I chose because I mainly wanted a source of reference for various progressions.Unfortunately, a lot of the book (first 150+ pages) is dedicated to the basic triads and chords founded on them, and similar material. For my level, having studied music since age 5 and playing guitar for close to four years now, I was not interested in this. On the positive end of the first couple of sections of the book, the author does present some basic concepts pertaining to chord progressions, which are useful insofar as they demonstrate his method of presentation.The author then pieces together basic forms of four chords (this is still with no alterations) and creates, in every key, various combinations of four-measure mini-progressions. He also explains several ways in which these can be pieced together to form songs, and uses this approach in his examples; however, for Mr. Kadmon (who is, self-admittedly, a completeness [person]) this isn't very exhaustive at all.This book also presents multiple scale patterns that can be used for each chord. Throughout, there are mentions of issues of compatibility of chords and substitutions, and there are a few charts in the appendices that outline, rather completely, these possibilities. The author, however, opts to refer the reader to his other Grimoire publications, as a way of avoiding redundancy.The latter portion of this book goes through a multitude of combinations of soloing patterns, including some really weird scales. This, once again, isn't very comprehensive.The last section, which I found to be the most useful, are progression exercises. Although the author still refers the reader to the Grimoire Chords and Voicings book for all varieties of possible positions for each chords, the voice leading combinations presented here are excellent. In the words of the author, this section is practice for fingers, mind, and ear.I would recommend this book for someone who is willing to expand his horizons, and has not had much exposure to music theory or the subject of the placement of notes on guitar. Also, it seems as though possession of the other three Grimoire books (Scales and Modes, Chords and Voicings, and Chord Encyclopedia) would be beneficial. Other than those mentioned above, and the author's poor use of English grammar (I'm not sure of his ethnic origin), the books is complete and accurate. Would definitely work for someone who's reached his limit in a stage of development.