5 comments about The Complete Idiot's Guide to Playing Bass Guitar.

1. Out of the 15 or so books I have bought about guitar and bass, this is the best by far.



2. This introduction to the bass guitar rushes the reader through the basics without spending enough time actually helping you learn the basics. The bass lines are dull too. However the "play along" tracks on the accompanyting CD are great and probably worth the price of the book.



3. The book is great the shipping was great. I am learning to play the bass guitar and the idiot's guide is just what I need!



4. This is a great book. You will learn not only to play the instrument but also to learn how to be a real bassist. You can also learn plenty of stuff about music. You may already see what other reviewers liked about the book. Some people complained that this book contained too much stuff on music, but I believe that you should know far more than that to be a bass player.
   
   However, there is one big missing thing I hope the author add to the next edition. The book does not contain any left hand fingerings at all. You are totally on your own when play the examples. This will be quite a job for a beginner. In addition, I hope the author would take more time to explain left hand techniques such as muting using 3-fret stretching.
   
   Even without details about the left hand stuff, this book is sure far bettern than the majority of other methods book. Overall I recommend this book to anyone.



5. THE BOOK IS GREAT. BUT THE CD THAT I GOT WITH IT IS NOT GOOD IT WILL NOT WORK. IT IS VERY SCRATCHY AND YOU CAN'T HARDLY HEAR IT . AND IT WAS NEW NOT USED.

2 comments about Bob Dylan: The 6 Chord Songbook, Easy Guitar Edition (Bob Dylan).

1. I am not very familiar with Dylan's works but I bought this book anyway because I thought the 6 chords used would be simple. This turned out to be true. The chords are simple and if you forget some, there is a chart of all chords used at the beginning of the song. Since I have never heard of some these songs, I had to improvise on how it is played. Compared to other guitar related books, this one is fairly simple. There are no tablatures or written notes, just the lyrics with the corresponding chords. If there was a CD as a reference, this book would be good for a beginning guitar player.



2. Advanced players stay away, but this is as good a beginning guitar book to learn to play and strum that there is. The chords are simple, so spending time with this book will really teach you to comfortably play G and C chord songs.
   
   Many of the songs are "dumbed down" or have had the key moved. Purists will be unhappy, as the songs lose a lot of that Bob Dylan funk, but, nonetheless, virtually every song in the book sounds good when played and is recognizable. Plus, for beginners, almost every song can be played with either a Carter-Style strum or a simple 1 2 3+ 4+ strum pattern.
   
   Within weeks, you'll be able to play Dylan songs recognizably and, if you have even been playing for 6 months, you'll be able to play many of these songs on the first run-through.

3 comments about Mel Bay's Deluxe Encyclopedia of Guitar Chords.

1. An educational book that's been in print since 1971 has gotta be good. This book basically taught me how to play guitar. I learned all of my chords and such from it. It's laid out very clearly with both diagrams and photos to show you how to make each chord. Definitely get this one.



2. I like this book simply because of its contents and layout. It shows many ways to hold each chord. It teaches the guitarist sometimes three, four, five and six string methods, so whatever type of guitar or muscic you play, there is a method that can best suit your needs. I recommend the spiral version because you can spread the book apart more easily.



3. I've owned this book for over ten years now. There are many great chord books out there but what sets this one apart from the others is the fact that it includes the actual intervals/notes along with the chord diagram. Most books leave this crucial info out. This way you learn excatly which intervals make up the chord. For example: it illustrates that a C major chord contains a root, a third and a five, and then goes on to illustrate that they are C, E, and G. C minor is Root, flat 3, and 5 which is C, E flat, and G.
   
   With this info included you really learn why a chord is what it is and how intervals make up the chord, which is basically what chord theory is. Armed with this info you will soon discover that you also have a good foundation of Arpeggios! Kudos to Mel Bay and William Bay.

4 comments about The Guitar Player Book: The Ultimate Resource for Guitarists.

1. This compendium really does represent the best of Guitar Player magazine. Includes interviews with the greatest players of all time, tips, tricks, and techniques, style overviews, and even a review of the best stomp boxes ever. If you like reading Guitar Player magazine, you will LOVE this book.



2. This book is nice, especially first (and long) section w one pager interviews w the best of 'em, and they all emphasize different issues.. one talks abt gear, the other abt recording, one abt live shows, etc..
   Definetely a good buy. Good gear info towards the end of the book.



3. I own Secrets from the Masters, a previous book filled with interviews with great players and it rocks. I thought Guitar Player Book was going to be similar, and although it is, I found it a little lacking in that respect.
   
   Dont get me wrong, it has great texts from Hendrix to Segovia and his hate for the electric guitar, and it ranges from you guessed it, 1966 to 2006. But I found some of the material maybe a little eclectic, maybe in their attempt to present variety, we got a headless collage of pretty short, one page interviews. Some of the interviews are just getting on with the talk, and then are suddenly finished, leaving you wanting to know more from the artist.
   
   Some artists are missing, like Robert Cray (how?!) and some less unknown players are featured.
   
   It's no secret that although versatile, Guitar Players is aimed for the elite of players (The ones that can sight read) and you'll find yourself skipping the pages if you cant read notes, specially Frank Zappa's colum from the 80's. All other columns and tips are pretty much the same, and a CD would've been a great addition. (No, I'm not learning to read, I'd rather spend that time playing)
   
   The section on most famous pedal effects is great (Distorto!) and there are some valuable tips from players to further your technique of the instrument.
   
   In all, a very nice book for those that have been fans of the magazine, or those that like me bought it from time to time.



4. For the price, this collection of articles from Guitar Player magazine, is a great deal. I used to think Guitar Player magazine was just for kids. After coming back to guitar playing after 15 years, I have been surprised (pleasantly) by the high quality of the articles. Reading these articles is both informative and inspirational. I have been exposed to new styles, techniques, and players. Plus, my knowledge of guitar playing and the world of guitar has expanded.
   
   Note that this book is perhaps best suited for those who play rock, blues and metal, and perhaps less oriented towards jazz, country, and other styles. If that fits you, it's worth checking this out. Happy playing!

5 comments about Bass Bible.

1. Just when you think you know it all, flip through this book!



2. The bass bible is intimidating when you first open it up. there is alot of info. But i have thoroughly enjoyed learning the bass lines and progressions



3. If you're interested in bass, and not a pro yet, this is one of the few worth buying. If you read my other reviews you'll know I don't give out unearned compliments. If the book is a farce I will say so. There is no worthless drivel in this book, but 250 pages of bass lines showing different techniques.



4. i have just started reading this book and i'm already learning something. the quality of the recordings on the CD's is top notch and the font size is great(i only wish the book was spiral-bound). thank you Mr. Westwood for an invaluable source of inspiration. :)



5. Westwood's book is really quite the handy resource to have. If you have a question as to a musical style and how to play it on the bass, this is what to use. Having the standard notation, tabs, and audio to learn from will be helpful for beginners through more advanced players.
   
   One caveat I would bring to the potential buyer is that this is by no means a book on theory, it is a huge collection of examples. There is a small introduction describing techniques at the beginning of the book as well as a paragraph to a page or so introducing each various style, but even that is in more of a historical context. At the point that i bought this book, I really just wanted to find really cool stuff to play and I couldn't have cared less for any theory, and that indeed I received. Even after 4 years of having this book, I still find the riffs at the end of this book (progressive jazz) to be some of the most challenging and fun to play.
   
   In conclusion, this is a fine reference to have as it attempts to cover the myriad of styles out there...and it does a decent job.

5 comments about Best of The Beatles for Acoustic Guitar (Guitar Signature Licks).

1. This book is not meant to be a collection of solo acoustic guitar arrangments. Instead, this book provides complete and accurate transcriptions of all the guitar parts for each of the beatles original acoustic recordings. Since the beatles used a rhythm (John) and a lead (George) guitar there are two guitar transcriptions for most of the tunes. One exception is Blackbird, which is all Paul. In most cases you will need to merge the two to come up with your own solo arrangement, Wolf provides you with very accurate transciptions making this fairly easy to do.
   
   I got this book because it is the only one which provides a guitar transcription for the Beatles cover of Til There Was You. The transcription of this tune is perfect. I play Johns part to accompany a singer and then take George's break as an interlude. Note, on the original recording on With the Beatles they play in F, which is the key Wolf transcriped to. On the Ed Sullivan show their instruments are tuned down to Eb so they play this tune in E on that peformance, even though they use the same chords.



2. This is one of the best guitar-tutor books i have ever come across. The accompanying CD sounds really good and the transcripts are spot-on. Good work Wolfie!!!



3. I almost gave up on finding a good, easy to use chordbook for Beatles music until I bought this one. Even though there are a lot of funky chords in here, each chord in the song is included at the top of the songsheet, making for easy reference. The result is amazing == I have never played Beatles' songs that sounnded as close to the original. This book is a winner.



4. This Marshall book contains the music AND lyrics. Once you have his method of transcription down, the book is priceless. It does help to know the tunes and not be a beginning guitarist.



5. I'm a professor and have been playing for two years (inexpensive mid-life crisis.) This book is fantastic in terms of accurate breakdown and analysis of the songs. Its best attribute is the CD instruction which provides slow and up to tempo versions of the songs. Some of the songs are not for solo guitar, but others (e.g. Blackbird, You've Got to Hide Your Love Away) are. Learning just one very well is worth the price of the book. Keep pickin' readers!

2 comments about Mel Bay Ricardo Iznaola on Practicing: A Manual for Students of Guitar Performance.

1. This concise little book addresses perhaps the most important topic for any musician. Well-organised with a casual, readable style, the content ranges from common-sense reminders to truly insightful advice. Though written specifically for guitarists , I plan to recommend it to my piano students. Can be read in part of an evening, but worth re-reading regularly!



2. Aaron Shearer is the traditional elementary guitar publisher. Teaching fledgling players the rudimentary aspects of study. Himself, an accredited educator at university. His lessons have taken me from the beginning to the level of entry intermediate. Subsequently, Ricardo Iznaola, another university educator of the guitar has published works with a different emphasis. Professor Iznaola's work reinforces the ideas put forward by Shearer. Iznaola's booklet How to practice Guitar tell's of professional coaches of performance arts, Stanislawski, etc. and what is important to perform comfortably and confidently. Iznaola's work is a must for continuing to develop proficiency on the guitar.

5 comments about Mel Bay Jazz Guitar Standards Chord Melody Solos (Book & CD).

1. I received this book, I bought because I'm learning jazz music, I'm really satisfied with the book it has excellent jazz chord progressions used in the music solos, we can use to practice in companion of the CDs, Melodies interpretation are excellent too.



2. This book clearly gives a starting point for jazz standards that are needed in any player's repertoire. Of course knowledge of music helps, but the material is easy to understand. It covers the chords, melody, and with the 2 cds it provides ideas for improv. A virtual mountain of information any guitarist can benefit from. Just what the doctor ordered.



3. This book is not for the beginner. I wanted to learn some good "old" time songs,jazz solos, some new chord voicings, and see how the jazz greats of yesteryear played. The book is very challenging and for me, it's a good place to work. The cds have good sound quality, for listening to exactly what is being shown in the music.



4. great for learning the standards. I found the included cds to be especially useful to hear the feel and movement of the songs.



5. I've had this book for about two weeks and have found about a six arrangements that I like. However, some of the songs that I am familiar with including "Night and Day", "I've Got You Under My Skin", "A Foggy Day" and "I Could Write a Book" are played much slower than I am used to. I DJ Ballroom Dance and these are all foxtrots that are played between 27-33 measures per minute. Maybe the arrangements are played at a tempo that are closer to what the composer originally wanted.

2 comments about GUITAR DVD + BOOK + CD Total Scales Techniques and Applications.

1. This is a wonderful book if you are serious about playing guitar. It's way better if you have at least some previous knowledge about music theory. If not, you'll gain knowledge anyway. However, if you're too anxious to go ahead and start skipping sections -specially those fundamentals at the beginnig (which may be a little tedious for the guitar rookie) it might become a bit senseless. Over all, this is a very good study on scales and, combined with discipline, it shall take you further on your desire to become a good musician. If you get the Book/CD + DVD deal you will save money and enjoy the experience even more.



2. I have just learned to play guitar and I find this book the perfect place to start. If you desire to learn to solo, this is the book for you. It also has plenty of scales that even some of my pro friends don't know!

5 comments about Evolving Bassist.

1. I came to bass playing in my late 30s after a lifetime of playing mainly guitar, banjo and mandolin, and I went through a lot of books looking for a clear and solid foundation for upright jazz playing.

   Of all the methods out there, Reid's is the one that has really stood the test of time, and for good reason. He starts the reader off with basic scales and simple patterns for playing over changes. From there it's on through more complex scales and patterns and finally, soloing, illustrated with a number of transcribed classics.

   Combine this book with the Simandl book for basic technique (and a good library of jazz albums), and you have just about everything needed to guide the beginning bass player through the intermediate stage. For a player who already had a basic classical technique, this book alone is just about all that's needed to learn to play jazz.




2. This book plus the dvd is a must to the beginning double bassist. I havent found much on the subjet and when I came across this book and dvd I was totally mesmerized. Excersizes r great the way its set up is really cool. A very inspiring methode. Rufus Reid is very clear in what he says and teaches.
   If you think its expensive well its worth the investment.



3. I first bought this book in 1979 and have been using a version of it since then with my bass students. This new edition is very good and the DVD isa great asset. Rufus is an understanding teacher and if you get a chance to attend one of his master classes, don't pass them up.



4. Rufus Reid's revised edition of the classic "Evolving Bassist" is a literal tour de force and a must have for all bass players regardless of what level of proficiency they play at. The companion DVD (available separately and highly recommended) is a gem in which Rufus jams with two of the finest contemporary musicians illustrating various aspects of the text. The DVD is worth the price just as a performance video.
   
   While loosely defined as a method, the "Evolving Bassist" is really more of a well thought out approach to playing the instrument. The skills taught follow several threads of theory and practice, but it's not a beginner tutorial even though very early players will benefit from the material...and continue to benefit throughout their playing career. If one is desirous of a more basic text in the jazz genre then you must get "The Michael Moore Bass Method", probably the best tutorial currently available; the classical "Simandl" material notwithstanding. The two books and the "Evolving..." DVD really are complimentary and easily stand at the forefront of a limited field. Highly recommended.



5. I think this is a good book for those already able to find their way around a bass fingerboard. This book has lots to offer for those interested in improving their jazz technique. However, I needed to take lessons in order to learn correct fingerings/positions before getting into this book.