Anytime I teach at banjo workshops - or spend time with serious beginner-to-intermediate pickers - I hear questions about the best way to learn something about music theory - the structure and “rules” that govern how we define musical tones as being in harmony with one another.

A new book from Wiley Publishing - the yellow Dummies books folks - may be just the ticket for bluegrass and acoustic musicians seeking an entry level guide to this topic.

Music Theory for Dummies was released earlier this month, and is described by the publishers as being…

Written for the nearly 30,000 college and graduate music students as well as working musicians and serious music buffs, this hands-on guide explains music theory concepts in plain English-from scales, intervals, tempos, and dynamics to chord progressions, phrasing, harmonizing, and arranging-and demonstrates how to apply them in compositions ranging from pop and rock to jazz and classical.

Music Theory for Dummies runs to 336 pages, and has a companion audio CD included with musical examples of the concepts described in the book.

The Wiley site now also shows Bill Evans’ Banjo for Dummies book with a July 2007 release date. Find out more about this widely-anticipated manual in an earlier post.