Can learning music theory from "Music Theory for Guitarists Volume 1" by Bruce Arnold teach me enough to start composing?

Question

I am a guitar and bass player who has played pop/rock/blues for 15 years. Like a lot of other users I am music illiterate. I am a fan of Frank Zappa, Grateful Dead and am interested in composing rock music with a jazz/music literate influence. After a lot of reading reviews, I bought the book "Music Theory for Guitarists Volume 1" by Bruce Arnold.Although I had read the reviews, I must say that it is a challenging book. It has about 100 pages of exercises of filling in chords. I have finished upto the diminished triads exercise, and then I wondered if I was wasting my time, or if this is the path to being music literate.1. If I were to finish all the exercises in the three volumes in this series, does that give me a good foundation in music theory to start composing?2. Is this book more aimed at someone who wants to read/play sheet music (semi-) professionally?Typically I want to be able to able to have enough musical knowledge to understand and compose at the level of Frank Zappa at the beginning of his career (say early 70s). 3. To achieve that knowledge, what is the minimum number of books (and which ones) that I need to read/practise?I do not have access to music teachers but I can buy online courses.

Answer 1

i won’t comment on a specific method for teaching theory or composition. But, let me offer a general response.

Five ways to learn theory.

1). Use a textbook or method that attempts to organize the information for you.

2) Learn songs and pieces and study them to learn why they “work” musically.

3). Study musical environments (keys, scales) to determine the musical possibilities that a built into those environments.

4) work with a teacher to learn music, your instrument and how to absorb the information in a meaningful and usable way.

5). All of the above.