There are so many tools for learning how to play guitar that you can get on the internet, it makes you wonder whether how to play guitar books have a place in the world of technology. When you used to have to learn to play guitar from a teacher you always had to have a book that you learnt out of. It was a way of making sure you and your teacher understood where you were in your guitar playing. And if you did not have a teacher you possibly learnt to play guitar by copying what you heard on the radio or on records. Even then you probably had to go out and buy a guitar tutor or at least a chord book.
The advantage of books is that the printed page is a record of information that you might learn today but need to refresh your memory at some time in the future. Video guitar lessons are a fantastic way to learn to play the guitar but the written word has its own way of expressing thoughts or helping you with your approach to music, and you do not have to go through the laborious process of fast forwarding through countless videos to remind yourself of something the teacher said. Also a book can be read when the power is down and you have to practice on an acoustic guitar by candlelight!
So let us look at a few really excellent how to books for guitar. An example of concise, easy to understand, useful guitar info is “The Guitar Book” by Chris Lopez. This book not only contains all the solid information you need to begin your life as a guitar player, you will find it is an inspiration to share in the author’s obvious passion for the guitar. This book has everything for the beginner guitar player: basic chords, changing from major chords to minor, chord progressions, playing blues guitar through to slightly more advanced but extremely useful stuff like transposing a chord progression if the original key is not right for your voice. If you are sticking with playing chords to accompany your singing or if you want to get into solo guitar, this book should be by your bedside.
“The Everything Guitar Book” by Ernie Jackson promises to have you playing like a pro in no time. It certainly contains all the basic information like some history of the guitar and the names of all the parts of the instrument, and all the basic chords. This is the kind of stuff you would expect to find in a how to play guitar book. You also have a reference guide for the information you will need to keep in your head as you learn how to play guitar. The circle of fifths is covered,as are scales and arpeggios. You are introduced to playing songs by getting to know what you can play on the treble strings first, then you are introduced to bass patterns.
“The Everything Guitar Book” also introduces you to guitar players you should know about in whatever musical genre you are interested in whether it is classical, jazz, blues, flamenco or whatever is in between. The book then gives you an intro to playing electric guitar, buying an instrument and finding a teacher. Like any book that covers everything, there are some spots that you will need to explore elsewhere but this is a good first book for a beginner guitarist.
Frederick Noad is a classical guitar player and teacher who wrote a famous classical guitar tutor called “Solo Guitar Playing”. He also wrote a book aimed at the wider world of guitar players called “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Playing the Guitar”. This book carries a heavy classical guitar orientation but it also gives a good start for playing blues and flamenco. So it is a book for acoustic guitar players, but it is by a guy who know how to get the best from his instrument without causing severe injury to his hands and back and without using amplification. If you are a rock guitarist, do not skip past this book. There is a bunch of stuff in here that will help you become a great guitarist, and you probably will not find this kind of material anywhere else. Get it.
Ricky Sharples
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{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Any good how to play guitar books for beginners??
Im just started out playing acoustic guitar and im looking for a good how- to book. there are just so many to choose from and i have no idea where to start! I would like it to be relatively easy to understand because im just starting out………….any suggestions??
guitars for dummies…..
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One of the best believe it or not is "Guitar for Dummies" It’s a really good book and has a cd with it that even has a track with tones for tuning.
The CD also helps with learning the tab that’s in the book.
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Taught myself the git
First speak with someone who already plays the guitar. You need basic knowledge before you can start. Conditioning your fingers is extremely important otherwise you could damage your fingers, and lose all interest very quickly. Here’s a few things you could look at in the mean time. Been playing since the 60s.
http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=free+beginners+guitar+lessons&fr=ush-ans
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M, RPO
Go somewhere like Sam Ash, they have more music than the Guitar Center…..ask one of the clerks what the best student book for guitar is…..their coming out with new ones all the time….it’s been a long time since I’ve checked them out so I don’t know what’s new on the market. I do know that some of the newer ones have Cd’s in the back so that you can see if your playing correctly. If you don’t have access to a music store call one of them and ask in their opinion what’s the best new book on the market for learning guitar….write it down and then see if you can find it at Hal Leonard’s site, they have just about every book that’s out, well good luck to you !!!!!!!!!!!
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