HUB HILDENBRAND
The Concept
Who is the Advanced Guitar Book for?
The Advanced Guitar Book is aimed at advanced guitarists with a solid foundation, the ability to read music, and a capacity for independent learning – and who seek to grow further on a high artistic level.
In both depth and scope, this work goes far beyond what is typically offered in a university-level music program.
Its aim is to help you discover, expand, and deepen your own musical language.
This work does not claim to teach basic playing techniques or music theory – for those, there are already numerous publications that do an excellent job.
Musical Elements Through the Lens of Cultures
Music is made up of fundamental elements: rhythm, melody, timbre, harmony. These are present – in different forms and emphasis – in every musical tradition.
When we immerse ourselves deeply in one specific musical culture, we often encounter one of these elements in its most highly developed form – a dimension that exists in all other traditions as well, but may play only a secondary role there. Experiencing these elements in different cultural contexts, and relating them to one another, allows for a more nuanced and comprehensive understanding of music.
This book draws on that richness. By engaging with different musical traditions, it focuses deliberately on one particular element – experienced in that culture with exceptional refinement, clarity, and expressive depth. These cultural vantage points become signposts – guiding our exploration through the landscape of musical elements.
Key examples of this approach:
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Western harmony opens a view into vertical structures, functional relationships, and polyphony
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Indian classical music offers a highly developed system of rhythm and time (Tala), reaching far beyond Western concepts
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Turkish makam music provides access to subtle, microtonal inflections – far beyond the limits of the Western tempered system
Engaging with a single tradition not only deepens our understanding of the musical element it emphasizes – it also sharpens our awareness of that element across other traditions. The result is a more differentiated perspective – and a deeper sense of the unity of music.
Content
The Advanced Guitar Book is the essence of my musical path – formed over three decades as student, guitarist, composer, ensemble leader, and researcher. Writing it has accompanied me throughout these years, and it reflects the underlying thought structure of my music.
From this foundation emerged a comprehensive, thematically structured compendium – spanning European harmony, improvisation, Indian classical music, and Turkish makam. It illuminates core aspects of these traditions in detail – always from the perspective of the guitar.
Rather than revolving around a single style, the book invites advanced guitarists to explore music from multiple angles – with music itself at the center.
It brings rarely addressed topics to the foreground – often overlooked even in academic settings – while also presenting familiar concepts in a more systematic and far-reaching way than is usually the case.
Each topic is delivered as a self-contained PDF lesson, explained and deepened through a corresponding video. Most chapters offer extensive material that takes time and focus to absorb – but in return, they open new levels of understanding far beyond conventional curricula.
At the core of this book stands the improvising, exploring guitarist – someone who has questions and is seeking their own answers.
You can find a full overview of all topics here:
The Aim
The goal is not to master the music of other cultures. To do so, one would likely have to be born into the culture itself – as music is always a reflection and expression of lived experience.
This book takes a different path: it invites you to see music in its wholeness – through the lens of multiple cultural perspectives, in awareness of its rich diversity, and with the aim of shaping a voice of your own.
It’s about finding yourself in music – and shaping a personal language: nuanced, intentional, and authentic.
The material offered here is meant as building blocks: tools, vocabulary, structures. They are there to help sharpen your vision – and give shape to your path.
The journey is not linear. You are invited to follow what resonates. Your own curiosity becomes the compass.
Life is too short to fully understand anything. Like the human being, music is a process – a becoming. But with every new perspective, understanding deepens. You may never see the whole – but you begin to sense the greater whole. And that glimpse is truly profound.
This journey takes time – and it will never be finished. Music is the most exalted of the arts. May the guitar be a beautiful means of expression for all that matters to you.
I hope the Advanced Guitar Book can accompany you on this path – and that you will find something of value at every stage of the journey.
I warmly invite you to embark on this inspiring exploration.