The New Guide to Harmony with LEGO Bricks

**bobsguitars09** · 05-29-2010, 12:12 AM

Has anyone on here read this book yet? cheaper on the authors site.
Looks really interesting.

http://www.amazon.com/New-Guide-Harm.../dp/0951579533

**FatJeff** · 05-29-2010, 08:04 AM

Nice price:

1 new from $192.47

**derek** · 05-29-2010, 01:22 PM

My mom threw out all my Legos years ago. So I would have to buy new Legos and a book? No thanks.

**BigDaddyLoveHandles** · 05-29-2010, 01:42 PM

I have some Lincoln Logs -- can they be used to learn country music?

**larry graves** · 05-29-2010, 04:01 PM

Laugh on my friends. But this [silly titled] book is the best approach to jazz harmony ever written,and the simplest. A friend of mine gave me a copy about 20yr's ago, I was puzzled by the title at the time but not for long.
In over 50yr's playing guitar and owning about every guitar chord book. This and "Eric Kershaws Dance band chords for Guitar" are all you would ever need to excel in this business, acquiring them is another matter.
I'm lucky to own them both. It's a pity they're not easily available anymore..LG..

**derek** · 05-29-2010, 04:19 PM

Originally Posted by larry graves

Laugh on my friends. But this [silly titled] book is the best approach to jazz harmony ever written,and the simplest. A friend of mine gave me a copy about 20yr's ago, I was puzzled by the title at the time but not for long.
In over 50yr's playing guitar and owning about every guitar chord book. This and "Eric Kershaws Dance band chords for Guitar" are all you would ever need to excel in this business, acquiring them is another matter.
I'm lucky to own them both. It's a pity they're not easily available anymore..LG..

Maybe, maybe not, but the point is moot, as it is unavailable. As a visual learner, I imagine it would be pretty useful for me.

**gersdal** · 05-29-2010, 07:49 PM

New edition for sale at jazzwise for £ 25

Conrad Cork: A New Guide To Harmony With Lego Bricks (2008 Edition) - Jazzwise.com

**derek** · 05-30-2010, 04:20 PM

Cool. Thanks for the link.

**rabbit** · 05-30-2010, 04:41 PM

Stuff I discovered:

Dropback.co.uk Home

from (at bottom of short thread):

http://www.saxontheweb.net/vbulletin...ks-Conrad-Cork

**gersdal** · 06-12-2010, 09:41 AM

I received the book yesterday. Looks great. In the introduction it is mentioned that backing tracks can be obtained from the publisher for free, although not in very good quality. Anybody got these on mp3 to save me the trouble? It is stated that the backing tracks can be freely shared with others, so there should not be a problem with it...

**rabbit** · 06-12-2010, 10:43 AM

Good luck with this & please keep us posted.

I really don't have any idea as to what constitutes
the core of this approach.

**P.J.** · 06-16-2010, 06:06 AM

Originally Posted by BigDaddyLoveHandles

I have some Lincoln Logs -- can they be used to learn country music?

Lincoln Logs are only good for learning rhythms and time signatures.

PJ

**larry graves** · 06-16-2010, 11:16 AM

Originally Posted by P.J.

Lincoln Logs are only good for learning rhythms and time signatures.

PJ

Did'nt Les Paul have a penchant for logs?. LG..

**bleakanddivine** · 06-16-2010, 11:22 AM

There's a further book which refines the original approach, and goes on to give a Lego analysis of 200+ standards available from http://www.dropback.co.uk

Jonathan

**bobsguitars09** · 06-16-2010, 12:21 PM

Dropback Roadmap

I am going to order soon I think..

**gersdal** · 06-20-2010, 02:36 PM

Originally Posted by bleakanddivine

There's a further book which refines the original approach, and goes on to give a Lego analysis of 200+ standards available from http://www.dropback.co.uk

Jonathan

I ordered an e-book version of John Elliots book Jazz Insights today. I'm looking forward to digging into it. Lots of great stuff from the first look.

**jaelliott** · 06-20-2010, 05:05 PM

Hi Guys,

I am not a regular on this site, but please contact me if you are interested in the LEGO approach and have any questions on my book. We have a Google Group to discuss the method with lots of free material and shared experience. You can join at the bottom of this page here:

Dropback Overview

My web site has free audio downloads of the bricks. And free weekly podcasts discussing and demonstrating aspects of the method.

Dropback.co.uk Podcasts

As pointed out on this thread, my book is available as e-book PDF from my site for £12 whereas the print book is sold for £25 at Jazzwise. If you buy the print book, you get the first 70 pages printed and bound and the remaining 300 pages of song roadmaps are on a CD as a PDF.

Conrad's book is available both from his web site or from Jazzwise, and only as a print book.

Amazon.com is notoriously difficult for small publishers to supply. If you are in the US, your best bet it to use the author's or the Jazzwise websites.

The playalong tracks to go wth Conrad's book are available free from 4shared.com. Just do a search for 'lego bricks' and the 77 tracks are contained in four zip files which are easily downloaded.

I hope that helps.

Best regards

John

Dropback.co.uk Home
john@dropback.co.uk

**jsepguitar** · 06-26-2010, 11:56 AM

Originally Posted by gersdal

I ordered an e-book version of John Elliots book Jazz Insights today. I'm looking forward to digging into it. Lots of great stuff from the first look.

Gersdal, are you getting a lot out of this book? I've listened to the podcasts and I'm thinking of buying it and I value your opinion.

Thanks

**gersdal** · 06-26-2010, 12:45 PM

Originally Posted by jsepguitar

Gersdal, are you getting a lot out of this book? I've listened to the podcasts and I'm thinking of buying it and I value your opinion.
Thanks

I was inspired by this book! That's a good thing

I haven't finished it, and I think it will keep me occupied for quite a while longer. A bit to much about the problems of forcing the Wester European Art Music (WEAM) theory to understand jazz, but that could be me being in the middle of WEAM

I've also bought "Insight to Jazz" by J Elliot (cheap if you boy the pdf).

So far I've concluded that the Lego(R) bricks can be useful for:
- Learning and remembering tunes (that's the purpose of the book, as I understand)
- Knowing what the typical and most used bricks are (more than ii-V-I), and use them for practice - both improvisation and comping voicings.
- Know a few of the tricks in the bag when I compose.

In a years time I may have other ideas, but that is it so far ...

**jaelliott** · 06-26-2010, 06:54 PM

Originally Posted by jsepguitar

Gersdal, are you getting a lot out of this book? I've listened to the podcasts and I'm thinking of buying it and I value your opinion.

Thanks

In case it helps, here is feedback from a recent buyer of my book:

Jazz Theory: Insights In Jazz & A New Guide To Harmony With Lego Bricks

J

**GuyBoden** · 03-20-2023, 01:14 PM

I've got Harmony with Lego Bricks, somewhere, I bought it about 20 years ago, but never really utilised it, but I've just ordered the Insights in Jazz book for inspiration. I liked the concept.