5 comments about The Hal Leonard Acoustic Guitar Method: A Complete Guide with Step-by-Step Lessons and 45 Great Acoustic Songs.

1. One thing to note with this book is right on the cover it says "supplement to Any Guitar Method". This is a book for someone who has learned the very basics and wants to see how all those chords, scales and strumming patterns apply to real music. It does assume a basic level of competence with the guitar. If you are brand new to the guitar, get this book in 6 months or so.
   
   While browsing through the guitar section at a local bookstore, this book caught my eye because it shows real world examples of the techniques I've been currently practicing.
   
   Again this is not for the beginner nor is it intended to be. But if you have the basics down and want to push your guitar playing to the next level this book will certainly get you there.



2. I am a novice and this was not useful. I am keeping it around for when I get to the intermediate stages because there are some good information for once you know and understand the chords and how to read music.



3. I had seen this book in stores before I bought it, so I knew what I was getting into.
   
   I think, over all, it's a good buy. But if you're just learning guitar, I'd wait until you got through Hal Leonard' s guitar method books (1-3), or some other basic guitar method. After a brief review of stumming patterns, the book takes off quite quickly with difficult syncopated rythyms and fancy chords.
   
   The other thing is that, even though it boasts having a lot of songs,I think around forty-five, most of them are just a few measures and riffs from those songs. Only at the end of each chapter is there a complete song to learn.



4. Down-to-earth advice and a practical approach with real-song examples. These examples remind you that you're not dealing with the same old dull practices without even knowing what they're gonna be used for.
   Anyway the book remains pretty general, skipping fine details.
   
   If you're want to know how to play songs, check it out. However, I recommend The Complete Guitar method (vol 1,2,3) by Russ Shipton, which I find much more practical and detailed than this.



5. The book is not for beginners. You have to have a little more experience in notes before you take up this book. It is also not a step-by-step lesson. Basically it's a song book. It's good none the less.

5 comments about How to Play Guitar: Everything You Need to Know to Play the Guitar (How to Play).

1. I found this book to be useful as I'm a beginner to playing guitar. Near the back of the book there are pages with all the chords, so I can print songs off the internet, and have the chords available in the book so I can teach myself to play. The only negative comment that I would make is that although there are many sample songs in the book to learn, I didn't know many of the songs so I wasn't sure how they were supposed to sound - a little frustrating, but a good book nonetheless.



2. I think this will be a good book because I am trying to learn to play the guitar



3. I bought this book as a Christmas present for my husband. He has been too busy to try it out yet but is very happy about the general content. Only complaint is that the book arrived damaged due to a box cutter.



4. It's my first time to learn guitar, so finding a guide book is very important to me. This book is not expensive, but easy to read and follow.



5. I recently got back into my guitar hobby and this book has been invaluable to me. I agree with the others who appreciated the user-friendliness here. THe book skips the fluff and is concise, which I appreciate. It gives you all you need about finger position, how to pick, how to read notes, etc. Also has some great songs in there. Highly recommended as long as you're not an expert.

5 comments about The Guitar Player Repair Guide - 3rd.

1. Not much to say about it, if you play guitar and you care about details, you cannot go without it!



2. I was about 5- to 7-years-old when I watched Dan Erlewine and his band, The Prime Movers, rehearse in my basement and across the street in my neighbors' living room. Then, in 1969 at age 8, I started playing guitar and haven't stopped. Finally in April 2008, I bought Dan's books, "Guitar Player Repair Guide" and "How to Make Your Electric Guitar Play Great." Wish I'd had this information 30 years ago.
   
   Brilliant.



3. I waited for the most recent edition to come out, and I'm glad I did. This is THE repair guide to have for guitar. Covers just about everything (or at least points you in the right direction).



4. A great guide to guitar repair! Highly recommended to those who wish to learn more about the whys and whats of guitars and how to do your own modifications. If not doing your own modificiations, at least to know more
   about how they are done, what to look for and feel more confident when
   dealing with your guitar tech as you will be better educated and more informed with respect to the guitar and its components after reading this book.



5. You will not find a more comprehensive guide to guitar repair nor will you find a more knowledgable or experienced guide then Dan. You will not be disappointed.

5 comments about Hal Leonard Bass Method - Complete Edition: Books 1, 2 and 3 Bound Together in One Easy-to-Use Volume!.

1. This is great for beginners. My other favorites are Bass Grooves: Develop Your Groove and Play Like the Pros in Any Style, Bass Guitar for Dummiesand Slap Bass Bible. Totally recommend getting the Tascam MPB-T1 Mobile Bass Trainer - MP3with a leather case from ValetStand com. Just down load the cd to the Tascam trainer and you can practice anywhere.



2. This a very cool book, I've been playing guitar for a while and now I'm switching over to bass.
   Learned to play bass on my own but I learned some bad habits and believe me bad habits or difficult to unlearn! But I'm trying to unlearn them with this book.
   All by all great book with great basics!



3. Whether this is actually three books in one or just one full-featured book is up to the marketing department to decide. From an objective perspective, the Hal Leonard Bass Method Complete Edition is put together nicely and is capable of taking someone like me from the "complete beginner level" to the "almost intermediate level" as quickly as my practice schedule will allow. This is no small accomplishment for a do-it-yourself manual with three compact discs. Given its amazingly-reasonable price tag, the Hal Leonard Bass Method Complete Edition is a bona fide best buy. Bravo!



4. This book is the best I have seen for someone wanting to learn the Bass. With this book anyone can teach themselves to play and read music. The knowledge contained within the pages AND the CD's you'll be playing in no time at all, GREAT BOOK.



5. This book includes 143 jam-packed pages and two CD's into a great package for the self-taught and beginning-to-intermediate players taking lessons. The book takes a well-rounded approach to bass playing, giving attention to essential scales, triads, ergonomic issues, and several styles. The book also touches on specialized techniques such as hammer ons and pop-and-snap.
   
   Using this method at a slow and studied pace will equip the muscially-inclined bass player to hold their own in most pop-music settings. If you want to be the next Jaco Pastorius, however, the journey only begins here.

5 comments about Guitar For Dummies (For Dummies (Lifestyles Paperback)).

1. i have little to no musical talent and was able to learn from this method. it's simple, direct, and filled with pictures and diagrams. you'll def need something else once you get going, but it's a nice starting point.



2. I bought this for my Dad for Christmas. He's been plunking on a guitar for years.. and played well many years ago. He's been trying to get back into it, and was looking for some written instruction.
   He's never made any comment on it, so don't really know how to review this book.



3. This book is a guitar bible, it tells you everything not only about playing, but about caring and adjusting you guitar as well. I recommend.



4. If I could do it over, I would start with this book. I've been playing now for 7 months, usually for 30 mins to two hours a day and I have taken lessons online, via web experts etc - but I have to say that this book doesn't miss a thing. So many teachers and online experts do miss a thing or two - they just assume you know when you don't (a big peeve for me!) Jon went through learning to play guitar a long time ago and obviously didn't forget a thing to leave out. If you get bored you can skip ahead and start to apply what he just taught you. Finally, the songs you learn are a little corny - but you do learn the important basics of chording, rhythm and timing - which is exactly what you need to do to play your favorite songs!



5. This is for my boyfriend. He wants to learn the guitar and is really enjoying the book. Thank you very much.
   mydoggiepoo

5 comments about The Beatles Complete Chord Songbook.

1. I just have to start out by saying that the one for "blackbird" in this book is astonish. It's amazing, the exact chords on the recording and i reckon you can even use it to fingerpick! :-)!
   
   Ok now to the main point, this book might be a bit big and you can't put it standing up perfectly on your music stand, i know i know. With that in mind, I would suggest you be careful with it... because i kinda made a little tear on a few pages already. But this shouldn't downplay the book's intellectual and "inside of the cover" qualities, after it's a book...
   
   So on to the next pro. I know you can go on the net and get lots of tabs, but i guarantee you mate, this is the best! It's really in the exact keys as on the recordings!
   
   Be aware that if you want to play the songs on PLEASE PLEASE ME, you won't find "Baby it's you" "Chains" and a few others on there. That's for the reason that those songs were covers. The Beatles didn't write them. Hence if they didn't write them, they really can't have it on your sheet music catalouge...
   
   OVERALL, this book is great mate, get it if you're a beatles fanatic like me and many others out there. GOODLUCK WITH THE FAB FOUR!



2. This is a very easy to follow book of Beatles songs. I bought it for the lyrics so I could sing along and know every verse but realized that it is so easy to follow, I dragged the old guitar out and started strumming the chords a little. My brother does play guitar frequently and he took off with the songs!! So much fun if you love the Beatles!!



3. There is never enough time to go through this book... The Beatles Complete Chord Songbook is probably the best addition to anyone's piano bench (though it will likely not be put away there) or guitar book shelf. Obviously, since it is a chord book, not a tablature book, you won't find how to play the intricates like "Blackbird" or "Here Comes the Sun," (I think it warns you of this in the foreword), nor will you find any notes on a staff. I actually prefer the guitar chord boxes even though I've been playing it on piano because it just saves paper and is easier to look at. It is so much fun to go through and play any song that I want to, and play it right. This book is perfect for sing-alongs, parties, &c. I love you Beatles!



4. The title of this book says it all...Complete Chord Songbook. If you love the Beatles and aspire to play their music on the guitar, I would highly recommend this book to you. If you know basic chords, you will be able to play many of the songs as soon as you pick it up. If not, each song has chord diagrams so you can easily figure them out. I can't speak for the professional musician, but if you want to play the Beatles, this is the only book you need to purchase.



5. I have several Beatles guitar books, most of which fall into two categories: 1) They are way beyond my level (I consider myself to be an intermediate level guitarist) or 2) They books don't use the right chords, so the songs sound just a little off. This book works well for strumming along with your favorite Beatle tunes. It contains every Beatle tune that I am familiar with plus many others. My only criticism is that the book is small and it is impossible to keep the book open to any particular page.

5 comments about Slash.

1. Book was received in good condition and on time but thought shipping was a little high.



2. Slash tells his story from his funny and adventurous childhood through his Guns N Roses days to his present work with Velvet Revolver. There have been many unofficial biographies of Slash and other GNR-related books, but finally we have something from the man himself.
   
   
   Besides, Slash is a really smart guy, so this is not just another average rock book. It's a captivating story. His style is honest and easy to read, his comments and conclusions are backed up by nice rare pictures. The guy sure has great sense of humor, too!
   
   It's one of the best books I've read this year. The top-hatted guitar hero has become a legend, played with many other rock legends and experienced the evolution of rock music from the 80s until present day. He's been there, done that and has a lot to tell about life and the music business. Here's our chance to hear it straight from the source.



3. Even if you are not a GnR fan, this book has alot to offer. I highly recommend!



4. Finally got aroudn to ordering and reading this book, and I am certainly glad I did. Being a big GNR fan, I've always wanted to know what the band was really like and why they fell apart so quickly. Until Axl writes his own book, this book will be the best one about Guns N' Roses and their rise & fall. Slash decribes his upbringing, first learning to playing a guitar, and how GNR came to be in fluid detail. The making of AfD also is described with the source of every song.



5. Slash
   Slash is very honest in his book. It was a real page turner. I bought this book for my hubby for christmas. He finished it in 3 days. Then I got it and finished it in a week. Love it!! I hope to read more from this author in the future!!

5 comments about Guitar Fretboard Workbook.

1. There's no substitute for knowing what you're doing when you are learning an instrument. This book will take you a long way but you must be willing to put in some time with it. Personally, I find it almost addictive with it's worksheets. My son calls them puzzles.
   
   Figure on taking a year to work through the material. Getting in a hurry will cause confusion and you'll just have to back up and start again. I find that for me I absolutely have to finish each worksheet several times before it really takes root. My routine is to spend maybe fifteen minutes or so a day in the Guitar Fretboard Workbook and then go on to my regular practice.
   
   This is highly recommended. If I had found it years ago I wouldn't be struggling with my playing now.



2. I bought Sololow's Fretboard Roadmaps, the Fretboard Logic SE book, and this workbook at about the same time. Of the three, this one was the most useful and best written. It would be even better if they released a software version so you could "drill" practice on the patterns. But for $15 I think this is a great resource and should be one of the first 5 things new guitarists put in their "library".



3. I have some of my advanced students use this book as a way to reinforce the fretboard and music theory.



4. If you ever wanted to see the neck as one topic, this is the book to have. If learning guitar was like basic training, this book would be your PT shorts.



5. I have made it through chapter 8 and I am learning more than I have during the past 20 years of playing. I wish that I had done this sooner but better late than never. This is a great book to go through before attempting to start the Music theory book by Tom Kolb, which I will start next.

5 comments about Music Theory for Guitarists: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know But Were Afraid to Ask.

1. I found this book extremely helpful. For the first time, I learned about a visual pattern on the fretboard that allows me to play a mayor scale on any key. Switching to a blues scale simply ammounts to removing certain steps in the major scale. This is a great work.



2. I should start by stating that I am a beginning guitar student. So please take my review in the appropriate light. The book "Music Theory" is a unique addition to my quickly growing guitar library. It is broken into 13 chapters:
   
   Chapter 1 - a detailed explanation of the fretboard. This was particularly useful for me, because it explained what every note on the fretboard was. Tuning and intonation are also briefly discussed. Everything in the book is also given in TAB as well as sheet music.
   
   Chapter 2 - covers the basics of reading music including the treble clef, musical alphabet (A-G), accidentals (flats, sharps, naturals), rhythm, time signatures, note values, beams, dotted notes, chords (stacks, names, and frames), repeat signs, and tablature.
   
   Chapter 3 - discusses the major/minor scales, key signatures, and the handy circle of fifths.
   
   Chapter 4 - focuses on intervals (distance between two notes).
   
   Chapter 5 - covers the major and minor triads (chords which are a third interval apart).
   
   Chapter 6 - discusses harmonizing the major scale.
   
   Chapter 7 - a study of chord construction - both in theory and on the fretboard, covering major, minor, power, suspended, sixth, six/nine, seventh, extended, altered, slash, and poly chords.
   
   Chapter 8 - discusses harmonizing the minor scale.
   
   Chapter 9 - talks about key centers (something I must admit I haven't quite figured out yet).
   
   Chapter 10 - covers the 12-bar blues progression, the major and minor pentatonic scales, and parallel pentatonic scales.
   
   Chapter 11/12 - discusses modes, modal harmony, other scales, and chord/scale relationships.
   
   Chapter 13 - covers chord substitutions and reharmonization.
   
   My impression of the book is "Wow!" There is a tremendous amount of information in this book. As a beginner, I really benefitted from the first five chapters, but quickly lost my way as I pushed further ahead. But I fully expect that as I gain more experience, I will continue to consult this very valuable resource.
   
   Written by Arthur Bradley, author of "Process of Elimination" - a cool erotic thriller that pits a martial artist against a world-class sniper.
   
   As always, please be kind enough to indicate if reviews are helpful.



3. I am mostly an intuitive guitarist who actually does fairly well as a performer. I was hoping this was the book that would help me along, but it was not what I hoped. It's still pretty technical and fails to link riffs, patterns, and fretboard relationships into music that you can recognize and use. A few bits were OK, but it's back to doing what I do best- listening and playing along, and teaching myself.



4. This book will provide good information for a beginning guitar player. I still have a long way to go in what appears to be a long process.



5. You know how when you go into a guitar shop you see racks full of pamphlets with nothing but chord and scale diagrams? Well thats what this "book" is. Customer reviews on Amazon have helped me find a lot of cool books, but this is one time where I got suckered. This pamphlet is 103 pages long, and has very sparse amount of text between diagrams, which you will only understand if you already have a working knowledge of music theory.

5 comments about Hal Leonard Guitar Method, Complete Edition: Books & CD's 1, 2 and 3.

1. My teacher recommended me to go for this book and i dont regret my decision of buying it. I wanted a book for learning chords. This book has everything i wanted. The CDS that come with the book are damn useful. There are lots of songs that put the beginner guitarist's skills to test. 3 book in one package is a sweet deal. I'm sure i will spend lot of months trying to master the songs in this book.
   The song selection is also great. Starts of easy and then turns the heat up after few songs so it keeps the reader interested and also coming back for more.
   The chord exercises are great and i'm making good progress playing them.
   
   If you are a beginner and want to learn some good tricks quickly go for this book.



2. A very good primer for the beginning guitar student. Well written and easy to understand.



3. Its red,who doesnt want to own a red book!
   
   but seriously:
   downs:
   has tab
   information saturated compared to qty of music material
   the 4,5,6 strings are basically glossed over yet any student i teach needs this in qty, especially ledger line notes
   slow and fast versions of a track are on 1 track number
   
   ups:
   the backing tracks,they rate!
   amount of information presented
   the binding is spiral!no more fantasy where publishers dont expect the books to be opened
   
   summary
   any teacher of young students will need the easy pop melodies and easy pop rhythms series to complement this (or other stuff).
   this book is a lot less value without the cd's,rather minimal on its own,the written musical material doesn't give much joy.
   why does it have tab? why does the guitar student continue to be treated like a special citizen.get rid of it.
   throwing in some pictorial reminders of left hand techniques and other things like this would make a huge difference, even more so to anyone attempting this book on their own.
   and the chords begin in a strange manner: c & g7,practise the 1 finger version then do the real one.its a big step using those chords as examples, especially when the bass notes of those chords have not been dealt with yet.



4. Never played a guitar in my life, but after 3 days I was reading music and by the end of the first week, playing 3 strings. It's a great book for the beginner, even if you're only 50!



5. This book is reasonably priced and good for beginners in general. The only thing I found to be lacking is the short number of songs which go with each "lesson plan". It seems that by page 25, you are expected to play at an intermediate/pro level. To me, I would have preferred that the author included several more practice songs at each level of progression. Also, with the CD they have songs at a slow pace, and then a fast pace. Well, the slow version is easy to learn to play along with, but then the fast versions seem almost impossible to keep up with. Again, this book is very good and I recommend it. The only way to have made it better would to have been to include more practice songs at each level of progression. Best of luck, and remember this: learning to play the guitar is very difficult and requires time and patience. If you think you will play like Jimi Hendrix in 2 weeks, then think again and just keep playing those stupid video games.