5 comments about 50 Classical Guitar Pieces - In Tablature and Standard Notation.

1. SINCE ORDERING THE PLAY GUITAR BY EAR BOOK,FOUR MONTHS AGO, I CAN PLAY AS GOOD AS ANY OF THE BOYS!!!!



2. This was the best music book that I have purchased over the past 25 years as a guitar player. I was hesitant to purchase a music book online and my expectations were low. Suprisingly though, it has provided a great selection of songs sorted chronologically by classical music historical periods together with those musicians with great influence on classical guitar. It was simple enough for a intermediate non-classical guitar player like myself and yet could be used by an advanced beginner or a very experienced guitar player. Today, I have learned 15 songs well and look forward to another 20 from this book in the coming year. Some of my best songs, from all styles of guitar playing, are now from this book. Many finger picking arrangements and styles are poor at best. The arrangements in this book are great. This book is well worth the money.



3. Best for an intermediate player even though includes tab. I like this book, it is a good book for an advanced beginner or intermediate player but has plenty of challenges. My only wish is that it could include a CD so I could hear how the music is supposed to sound. However, since these songs are classics most student probably have a cd or two with many of these songs.

   I am glad I purchased this book. Its also priced right.




4. I'm a self-taught guitarist who has played for 20 years and have mostly played lead guitar in pop/rock/blues bands as hobby. A few years ago I bought a nice classical guitar and decided to learn some pieces when I came across this book.
   
   Since then I have played almost every song in this book. There are a lot of short pieces that beginners will be able to play easily and some more challenging pieces for intermediate players.
   
   I highly recommend this book to anyone wishing to learn some classical guitar who doesn't read music (tablature is provided).



5. My brother loves this gift. Good to find a guitar book that has standard and tablature!

5 comments about Fifty Easy Classical Guitar Solos (Classical Guitar).

1. Ehhh, I'm truly disappointed in this book. It is truly for the very beginner and the songs are sub par. Many of the songs are very similar and just wasn't what I was looking for. I was hoping for something with more skill/technical. I would pass on this book if you have prior guitar experience.



2. I recently decided to take up classical guitar on my own after playing piano most of my life and diddling around with electric and acoustic guitars. While this book doesn't give any instruction, it is progressive, starting out with extremely simple pieces and working up to easy yet more complex works. Half way through, the pieces require special fingering, and the tablature and notation help show how it's done. I'd give the book five stars since it delivers what its title describes, but I think the book could have been prefaced with some intro to fingerings and other beginner techniques. Nevertheless, there are many books that cover that issue. The songs in this book have mostly a nice Spanish sound to them, and I have really enjoyed working on them. I'd recommend this book to any beginner, hobbiest, etc.



3. I am a beginner and can play the first 5 songs perfectly. I like how the songs get progressivly more difficult. Great book. The CD is handy to preview how the songs should sound.



4. This was my first ever classical guitar book, and I don't regret it for a second! The tablature with standard notation is definitely the way to go for beginners; also, the pieces, as other reviewers have stated, are simple enough for one not extensively versed in classical music to play. However, be warned that this is no method book, and the pieces are not exactly graded (I still have trouble with some of the songs toward the middle). I also agree with most of the other reviewers about the biographies and lack of spiral binding; it would have been better to have technical terms explained, and not force me to clip the book to my stand all the time (shifting those clips after each song becomes a major drag after a while). Problems aside, I love the fact that after the nonsensical biographies, there is nothing but pure repertoire for the budding enthusiast to dig in to. The CD also helps to give the player a better idea of how to play the songs, and can double as a nice addition to your casual listening music collection. When my friends ask me how they can get started making music like me, I always recommend Fifty Easy Classical Guitar Solos!



5. I own several other "easy to intermediate" level repertoire books, and this one has some good pieces not found in any of my other books. I tend to disagree with the reviewers who suggest that there isn't enough variety among these songs--I was actually pretty impressed with the selections here. The CD is very good, because Willard plays slowly enough to make it more helpful than if he was racing along at concert speed. I sure wish I'd had a book/CD like this 20 or 30 years ago! I've played guitar off and on for over 30 years, but just purchased this 2 months ago. I took lessons for a few months way back in 1980 to learn the basics of classical guitar, and have mostly played classical since. However, I haven't played consistently because of re-occurring pain in fingers/joints, and also what I perceive as a lack of talent. So I'm still not much beyond the "advanced-beginner" stage. Which leads to my final reason for recommending this package, and why, for me, one little thing was probably worth the 12 bucks I paid: Willard has slightly modified Tarrega's lovely Study in E minor (one of the best pieces in this book), making it easier by eliminating a bar chord that has always been hard for me to play smoothly--and hurt my wrist... And the change doesn't detract from the beauty of the song. I'm now playing it better than ever, and it doesn't hurt!!!

2 comments about Andres Segovia - 20 Studies for the Guitar: Book/CD Pack.

1. An endless source of inspiration to most aspiring guitarists, Fernando Sor was instrumental in shifting the late-18th/early-19th century's perception of the guitar as little more than a pub instrument used to accompany bawdy lyrics. In this regard, Sor was enormously successful, and his contributions to the world of guitar literature remain largely unsurpassed. His collection of etudes are a wonderful mixture of didacticism and high musical achievement which add vigour and precision to a student's guitar work and are a fundamental component to further advancement and study. Andres Segovia gleaned the best and brightest etudes from Sor's extensive canon to form this edition, and his interpretation of Sor's work remains the benchmark. A diligent study of this work has shown to improve a guitarist's technique immeasurably, and the musical content serves to encourage the guitarist to return to these etudes for continual polishing and improvement.



2. Any level guitarist will find something here to stretch their skills.
   
   The essential Sor studies are found here. The CD alone is worth the price.
   
   However, no tableture. But still a great collection.

4 comments about Taylor Swift (Piano/Vocal/Guitar).

1. My youngest daughter loves Taylor Swift and her songs, and this book has renewed her interest in practicing the piano. What more could a mother hope for? Not only does it have the complete piano arrangement, but it also has all the guitar cords, too.



2. This is an excellent book for the many fans of Taylor Swift. The notes are easily readable for the advanced and the beginner pianist.



3. IF you want to learn how to play Taylor Swift music then this book is great..moderate playing level was perfect! (good for beginners as well)



4. The piano perfectly matches up with the tune, the vocals are 100% accurate. I don't know about the guitar part, but I can imagine that is correct as well. If your looking to play the TUNE of the song, this is a great book, The piano is can be a little tricky with timing at times, but once you get the main beat of the song, it's a real fun book to play!

5 comments about Pumping Nylon.

1. As stated by previous Reviewers, Pumping Nylon seems to be focused on increasing muscle control, tendon flexing and stamina. Mr. Tennant has consolidated the works of Abel Carlevaro into a more delightful, logical and efficient manner of developing one's technique. Segovia described Carlevaro as "one of his best students." The Carlevaro works to wish I refer are the 1966 Serie Didactica Para Guitarra (Barry Publishing, Buenos Aires/Montevideo), published in four Cuadernos. No. 2 is for the right hand; Nos. 3 and 4 are for the left hand. Mr. Tennant has reduced these Carlevaro Cuadernos to a minimum number of pages without the loss of effectiveness. While Calveraro did wonders for the didactics of technique Tennant has taken the exercises to new levels of effectiveness. Pumping Nylon is highly recommended for what it was written - helping us all learn how to use our hands to make music come out of a wood box using stronger more flexible tools.



2. This is not a method book about learning to play the classical guitar. It's aim is to refine and re-examine how one can approach a specific technical challenge, for example, tremelo. I find Scott Tenant's ability to view a particular technical challenge from an almost psychological perspective and understanding, to be a great aid in overcoming the mental barriers we place on ourselves. Many of the greatest guitarists have found methods to overcome these self-defeating attitudes and Scott Tenant is one of them. He is an absolutely amazing guitarist and musician for whom I have tremendous respect. He's also a very likable guy and very willing to share what worked for him with the rest of us.
   
   It is best to use this book in conjunction with a qualified classical guitar teacher if you are relatively new to classical guitar. I teach classical guitar and will refer to this book to improve my own playing skills. He doesn't include complete musical pieces but gives plenty of drills which when mastered will act as a catalyst in propelling the student to new level of guitar playing on whatever selections they choose. I also like that he included the 110 Giuliani right-hand studies that most other books omit.



3. I'm sure I'll enjoy this book.I liked the fast shipping, and I would do business with this seller again.



4. This is a great book for the beginner classical guitar player. It is worth every cent for the information within the book.



5. Best overall technique book i've ever read, and i used to work at a music store for 2 years. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to straighten out their bad habits or learn new good habits in order to improve your coordination, speed, and reduce tension while playing all while improving your sound and of course, strengthening your fingers.

2 comments about High School Musical 2 (Piano/Vocal/Guitar).

1. My 13 year old daughter is at an intermediate piano level (level 3-4) and wanted to play something more contemporary than the piano methods, or classical scores, or the NYSMA selections. She liked the songs from High School Musical 2 better than the first, and asked me for the music. This songbook sounds authentic. The transcriptions play nicely and sound like that used in the movie. My daughter is pleased that she can now play songs that her schoolmates recognize and can sing along with.



2. I bought this for my 14 year old son, who is taking piano lesson's, and loved the movie's. He was very pleased with and is playing from this song book.

5 comments about Classical Guitar Making: A Modern Approach to Traditional Design.

1. The author starts the budding luthier with the construction of molds and jigs. The order in which this is presented is excellent: by the time you get to the construction of the solera, you should be quite proficient at cutting the outline of the guitar in MDF (medium density fiberboard) with a 14" band saw. My solera turned out very well. A note on materials: John notes that the material for the molds will require two 4' x 8' sheets of 3/4" MDF and 1/2 of a 4' x 8' sheet of 1/2" MDF. 4' x 8' sheets of MDF are VERY HEAVY and impossible to work with in a small shop. I purchased 2' x 4' sheets instead and the results were great. Also, a 2' x 4' sheet 5/8" thick should be substituted for one of the 3/4" sheets, for the lining bender jig. This will save a bit of planing.
   
   One should note the typo on page 51: under "Cutting the Pieces," "10 inches wide and 20 inches long" should be "10 inches wide and 24 inches long." On page 58 where John specifies "six pieces 24 1/2 inches x 10 1/2 inches," pieces only 24" x 10 1/2" will do very well. The plan for the caul on page 123 is missing. The author says it was accidentally cut out of the book, and he wrote, "The laminations are masonite thinned down to about .090 to make them easier to bend. I use about four of them. The outer one has sixteen pieces of 3/4 MDF glued from top to bottom along the length as shown on page 123. The pieces that go over rounded areas must be shaped to fit flat on their entire surface."
   
   The author will offer printed plans for the guitar at some point in the future.
   
   Overall a very nice book. I've just finished bending the sides according to John's instructions and I look forward to the next steps in this very interesting project.



2. Very well written and presented, although I agree that there's nothing truly 'modern' here; a formal presentation of lattice bracing or composite tops (10 year old technology) would be needed to earn the 'modern' moniker. But for traditional style building (with interesting personalized wrinkles) it's an excellent text. Highly recommended, and the first true competition for the Cumpaino.



3. This book is an example of passion with the guitar. It's well written, beautifully photographed covering all steps of classical guitar construction that follows a high grade standard. Even if you don't want to build a guitar, buy it just for the beauty of its pages. I have bought a lot of books about lutherie, but this is one is far the best.
   It makes evident in every detail how Mr Bogdanovich loves what he do. Seems to me he had a very good time written it. Go deep!



4. This book is the ultimate guide to building your own guitar. The numerous color photos are of excellent quality. The book is well laid out and clearly written. A moderately skilled woodworker should be able to build a guitar from the information in this high quality book.



5. If it weren't for the fact that this is a step-by-step manual, the causual observer could be forgiven for mistaking this for a coffee-table book. It's almost too nice for a workbench! At the risk of sounding like an advertising blurb, the same passion and craftsmanship Bogdanovich displays in his guitars shows in nearly every page. He knows what he's doing, and it shows; the color photography is excellent, and the text is a pleasure to read - informative and concise without being dry at all.
   
   The beauty of this book is it has something to offer to experienced and aspiring luthiers alike. While the text deals with building a classical guitar almost entirely from scratch, much of the information given is pertinent to those attempting to go the kit route.
   
   This volume picks up where the classic Cumpiano/Natelson text leaves off, as far as the classical guitar is concerned. There are a few typos in the text that should have been caught by the editor, but they are obvious and not likely to cause trouble to anyone building a guitar from the book. All in all, Bogdanovich has kindly shared his skill and knowledge in a very timely, informative volume that I for one am proud to own!

5 comments about The Ultimate Guitar Songbook.

1. This collection contains easy songs for guitar players. Some old favorites that I recognize and new songs my daughter enjoys.



2. Need some expierence to use this book, not desigined for new beginers. Good song selection and fun to work with. Easy to follow and understand.



3. First of all, before I say anything about the songs contained within this book, note that 98% of all the songs are in standard notation. I realize that most experienced guitar players this is not an issue but for beginners or those that have been taught to read tablature only this will not do anything for you.
   Now, as for the selection of music, I have to say that it is an interesting collection and not quite what I thought it would be. It has the Addams Family and Munsters theme songs, Auld Lang Sine, the theme to Mission Impossible, etc... If I wanted to play theme songs, I would download the music off the internet for free (sorry, I have an issue with playing theme songs).



4. I gave this to a grandson who was getting an electric guitar. It was easy for him to read and there were many genres and skill levels of songs.



5. Yes, a wide selection of tunes to choose from. Easy to use. Overall good value but not brilliant.

5 comments about Guitarmaking: Tradition and Technology: A Complete Reference for the Design & Construction of the Steel-String Folk Guitar & the Classical Guitar (Guitar Reference).

1. I just finished spending two weeks building a guitar with William Cumpiano in his shop and I have to say it was a great experience and produced a great guitar, which I believe you can do directly from this book in a similiar way. I love the depth of information here and the care with which it's presented, a direct reflection of the authors' personalities. When working with just the book you need to go slow, be sure you understand exactly what you are doing before you do it, and stay alert to what is going on with your guitar as it evolves. A wonderful book that distills a lifetime of experience and I can say for a fact that the methods described work perfectly.



2. A very good book that covers Acoustic and Classic guitars building in the same book, this is VERY useful and smart.
   You can learn the differences and also to really understand how to make each one of them.
   I gave him 4 stars because I would love to see color images! Not old black and white low quality photos
   Thanks,
   Yaron.



3. This must certainly be the perfect book for anybody interested in the construction of a guitar... - or any stringed instrument, really. The text is obviously written by someone with expert knowledge. I've never read anything as thorough as this. It seems every detail and troublesome process has been covered. The illustrations could be better, though. But it isn't a new book, so I guess we've just grown accostumed to colour photos.
   
   I bought it because I wanted to get started building my own instrument, but now that I have a much better idea of the difficulties I'm facing, I'm not so sure I'll take on the challenge. I could spend the time playing my instrument instead. :-)
   
   But at least, if I do start building, I won't be disappointed if I fail. It isn't easy! Even with my new book close by.
   
   Don't be discouraged. You couldn't ask for a better guide than this. "Courage!!" - as the French say.



4. Excellent book not just for beginning luthiers. An enjoyable read. Discusses not just the technique but also the history and theory. This is a great book to get if you are serious about guitar making. It is not just about putting wood together to make sound, it's about feeling the music as it grows from the wood and strings.



5. I bought this book because I wanted to build my own Flamenco guitar from one of the many preformed and precut kits out on the market. But after reading it I decided not to go for a preformed kit and build it from a basic kit where I do all the work, that is how much information is in this book. Now don't get me wrong this book won't make you a professional luthier overnight, but it will give you a good base and starting point. All you need is the wood.

5 comments about Solo Guitar Playing/Book 1 with CD (Classical Guitar).

1. Prior to Mr Noad's passing, there had been various updates with each revision. The content of this book is superb. The exercises are well thought out. The only true negatives of this book in my opinion are First: It needs a spiral bound edition. The book is almost impossible to put on a music stand comfortably without bending it back so that it lies flat. The copy I have was so damaged from doing this that the pages began falling out. This led me to remove all the pages, punch holes in them and replace them in a binder which allows easy page turning. Many others have noticed the same issue in some of the reviews, but the publisher still has not remedied this.
   
   Second negative is the CD. Again, the content is excellent, but there is no listing of the CD contents in the book anywhere. A simple CD Icon next to the work outlined in the book would be appropriate.
   
   I agree with many of the reviews. The book gradually moves the guitarist through exercises which move from position 1 on the fretboard through Position 2.



2. this book was used in my college classical guitar music class, and once you learn to read the music, this has great songs, most of them sound more renaissance but Romaza/romace is in the book which is a famous classical song, the cd really helps you when you start reading the notes.



3. I bought the book with hopes I could learn to play solo guitar without reference to notes and conventional music notation. However, this book, although very instructive and thorough (and fast) in its design, still relies on the reader's understanding of proper music notation.
   I hate notes. I started playing guitar by the ear only and still play complicated chords by the ear. I wanted to see some important techniques, not exercises, of playing solo.
   The good thing though is that it comes with a CD to accompany some 40 exercises in the book.
   If you are keen on notes and promise to sit and train 2 hours a day, you will play solo guitar freely after one year with this book. If you are like me and like to improvise on the guitar without any proper musical education this book will be too boring.
   In either case, the key to playing guitar is practice anyway! So no matter what you play, spending some time with the guitar every day will yield the fruits sooner or later, with or without any book.



4. I stumbled onto this book as a teenager trying to teach myself to play the guitar. I found it both easy to understand and rewarding. Eventually I went on to minor in jazz guitar in college and spent several years as a union musician. A few years ago I returned to this book (I finally replaced my old copy with a new version) when I wanted to venture into classical guitar. Almost thirty years later I found it equally as captivating and rewarding as it was in my first encounter.
   
   Recently I decided to learn to play the English concertina, but found that there were no quality tutorials readily available, so I turned, once again, to Mr. Noad. The exercises presented in the book have been very helpful and have allowed me to feel an increasing sense of aptitude on the concertina as I step through the lessons!
   
   Solo Guitar Playing is built on a clear, accessible methodology and a well-paced progressive learning system that stands the test of time! If you could only have one guitar instruction book, this would be the one to consider.



5. This book is great if you have a teacher who is helping you. If you are trying to go through this book by yourself you will probably fail and become frustrated with the guitar. I do not recommend you use this book by yourself if you are starting out. Otherwise I love this book. I have a good instructor and I am learning alot. The book does not have tabs so you will be forced to read music (which is good) but harder. Buy the book with the CD so you can hear how the songs are played. I would have liked to see him include a DVD so that every musical section can be heard by the student, this is especially helpful to know if you are playing each section correctly and for the student who is trying to learn on their own.