5 comments about Metal Lead Guitar/Book and Cd (Vol. 1).

1. The Troy Stetina series is definitely the best instruction books series you can find today. It is well-explained, you get great exercises and songs to play and you gradually feel your skills increasing. Highly recommended.



2. I have no idea about playing guitar. I bought this book as a gift for my nephew. He wanted me to order especially this (well known) book and said that it is very useful. Now he is very happy and he uses it a lot.



3. Great book to become an intermediate lead guitar player. It starts from the very beginning and covers scales (Minor pentatonic, blues, minor natural and dorian), speed exercises, intermediate techniques (natural harmonics, vibrato bar, tapping), timing up to sixteenth note triplets, basic theory and introduction to improvisation. It has good explanations, 171 exercises and 6 songs with full backing band to solo over that make you enjoy as you learn. Exercises and songs are demonstrated on the included CD.
   It uses TAB with standard rhythm notation to make learning easier.
   This book will be hard for absolute beginners because, although basic techniques (hammer-on & pull-off, bending, finger vibrato, palm muting, artificial harmonics) are explained clearly, the book includes only a few exercises for every basic technique and focuses on more advanced matters. They'd better start with a basic book as Metal Lead Guitar Primer to learn the basics.
   Remember Troy Stetina is acclaimed as one of the best instructors world wide.



4. I bought this for my 14yo, along with Speed Mechanics for Lead Guitar. They must be good because he leaves them all over the house after he's used them. They keep moving around, so he must be using them.



5. This is a great book. It walks you step by step through learning to play lead. I am doing thing I never thought I would be able to do on a guitar.

4 comments about Piano Pieces for Children (Everybody's Favorite Series, No. 3).

1. I have the 1934 edition. The pieces are graded from 1 to grade 4 and the quality and range of the music is fantastic, fair better than the rubbish simplified versions nowadays.



2. I started my piano lessons about 20 odd years ago...this book was what I played for fun and didn't underestimate my "talent". Sadly I lost my original copy about 6 years ago, what a joy to finally get it back...untouched.



3. Very good for beginner who want to start playing piano. Favorite and famous songs for all time.
   Fun to learn and play the music. Not only for children!



4. I have my original version from 1964 all tattered and torn. I will buy this book for my nephew who has taught himself to play piano. I could not give up my own version as it is too dear to me. It is a timeless reference in learning to play piano at any age.

No comments about Piano Adventures Theory Book, Level 3A (Piano Adventures).

3 comments about David Cerone Performs Suzuki Violin School (Volume 2).

1. Ordered the Book and CD together, received the book, but now over one month later am still waiting for the CD. It would be nice if could have had the CD with the music book.



2. Part of the Suzuki Method relies on hearing the music about 8000 times before the child graduates the particular "book". If you (and your child) do the method properly, you will have this entire cd memorised and may even be sick of it by then. It is well done, nicely clear for advanced beginners and has a clear piano part.



3. We own this cd and, well, one can hardly comment on the music without 1st having experienced working with the Suzuki method of helping their child learn to play an instrument and read music.
   The cd is most useful and my child learned very quickly by listening to this cd. There are other versions of the Suzuki books on cd and when your child advances you can see and hear the differences of each. The way your child plays, once having worked long enough, can reflect the style in which the artist plays. My son took to playing violin very quickly. And could choose which cd he wanted by book 3.
   He still listens to the old cd,s (he added the music to his ipod, btw) for refreshing his memory and improving his critique of music. He is 16 and loves all music.
   If you are considering this method for someone you love, remember musical literacy is a lifelong treasure and pleasure no matter what your talent level. You can't go wrong even if you just want to listen. Get the book if interested, because even if you want this for yourself you can read along and definitely help your own musical literacy skills.
   It's a whole other language and nothing can beat hearing the language of music.

5 comments about Sight-Read Any Rhythm Instantly.

1. I'm an intermediate level pianist, self-taught. I had very high hopes for this book. Rhythm is my weakness, particulary with sight reading. I require a combination of counting and listening to master complicated rhythms. At first, the approach of this book seemed great...counting beats instead of notes. The whole concept of "hit, don't hit" and rests being the same as carried notes was not intuitively a good fit for me, but then the author starts having you divide notes into beats by drawing boxes around them, without really explaining the "rules..." I really can't explain what he does here, it's a bit complex. Then, he uses the example of "twinkle, twinkle, little star" for mastery of 2 eighth notes in one beat and quarter notes. That worked...but he didn't follow up by using examples for all of the other rhythmic variations. By Chapter three he is telling you to memorize the sound of each rhythmic variation, but the only way to play it is by counting the notes, which he has told you not to do! It's quite maddening. If there were a CD to accompany it, or more illustrations of familiar songs, it would help. Still, it looks like this book works for other reviewers. It just did not work at all for me, and hopefully I can send it back and get a book with an accompanying CD. Perhaps if I already knew how to count all the rhythms, the book would work for changing the way I see notes, but as for teaching complex rhythms, it didn't work for me.



2. First I've been playing for over 15 years. I know how to read and I got this to help my students. (Extra Practice) My first complaints-no cd. A student needs reinforcement and will ask questions that could be answered with the compliment of a cd. 2nd. The teaching method is odd to me. It throws alot of stuff at you that should be better graded in difficulty-again thinking with the student in mind. This book I would give a D+ or C. Depends on your level of musicanship and determination to work through his explainations..i.e. labeling beats D U N just confusing jargon. Good examples of stuff you will see in music. NOt a bad book for extra broadening your mind. I would go with a slower graded method with a cd. It will help you faster and reinforce the positive techniques.



3. Sight Read any rhythm instantly means just that. Explains really well, and the content is the best; the author emphasizes on counting beats. None of that 1 e n a 2 e n a etc... that will only slow your learning.



4. Counting beats, instead of notes, in the beginning of this book is easy. Whenever the author starts to introduce eighth and sixteenth notes, his method of reading rhythms gets confusing. A CD would help to clear any confusion about what the rhythm sounds like.



5. This book delivers what it says. Combine it with some rhythm exercises such as "Encyclopedia Of Reading Rhythms", and you will be a monster rhythm reader in a matter of weeks.

1 comments about Alfred's Basic Adult Course, Christmas Piano Book 1 (Alfred's Basic Adult Piano Course).

1. Great selection of music, and not hard! I bought it particularly for "Oh Come All Ye Faithful", which is my favorite tune ever. I've also learned "We Wish You a Merry Christmas", and now am trying "Silent Night".
   
   It is really motivating me to practice piano more now that I have music I like. I stopped on page 57 of "Alfred's Basic Adult Piano Course, Level One", because I listened to the songs ahead of me and didn't like any... Now I'll probably keep going with this book of Christmas songs.
   
   Note that it does not have a CD, but I think the tunes are familiar enough that you'll be able to tell if you play something wrong.

5 comments about Charlie Parker Omni Book C.

1. Man, if Bird was god, then this is sure is the bible. If you got a horn, this is all you need, the only way to learn fully is to play Birds solos. Buy it and you'll never put your horn down.



2. If you want to play great bebop lines, you immitate the master. If there is a better way to immitate the master than working this book on the metronome, I haven't encountered it yet. This book has become the standard for Bird transcriptions. If you're serious about playing bop, you won't be disappointed by this book.



3. Whether you are a saxophonist trying to follow bird' s steps or a pianist wnting to improve your reading and improvisational skills, this book is a true jewel.



4. The transcriptions are spot on and a huge time saver for anyone who wants to learn Bird's patterns and doesn't have the proper equipment or time to transcribe em' his/herself. I learn more and more through this book every day. It's absolutely worth transcribing pieces on your own sometimes but to get a collection of this magnitude, and accurate as it is, would be really time-consuming. This Eb version is a necessity for any serious jazz alto players - personally i think the some version of it should be in EVERY MUSICIAN'S library.



5. I got this for my upcoming lessons in college and so far its great. I play alto sax and its alot of fun to be able to play along with bird. The only thing the book dosen't have is the recordings. Something from his verve years should cover just about everything though, I put a link on here for a cd collection. Theres some stuff that he recorded with savoy as well but most of it should be in the verve collection. The Complete Verve Master Takes Its some great stuff and the transcriptions are great. highly recommended

1 comments about Harmonica For Dummies (For Dummies (Sports & Hobbies)).

1. Winslow Yerxa's book "Harmonica for Dummies" should be titled "Everything You Need to Know About Harmonica"
   Winslow is one of the most highly respected members of the nation's harmonica community. He has forgotten more about harmonica than most of us will ever learn. As I told him, if this book had been available 30 years ago when I started playing harmonica, I would be a real player now. Anyone interested in harmonica will not find a book with more information, and concise, easy to understand instruction, than this gem.
   If you have any urge at all to learn how to play this fascinating little instrument, this will be the best money you have ever spent.
   I play harmonica in a band and I can find all kinds of things in this book that will keep me learning.

5 comments about Led Zeppelin Classics (Authentic Guitar-Tab).

1. All I have say is "Wow" this book is incredible. I've been playing guitar for about 3 months now, and I'm a HUGE Zeppelin fan so I decided to get this book. I think I might have bit off a little more than I can chew. I can play the riffs from a few songs, but that's about it. But, as they always say "Practice makes perfect." If you're experienced with a guitar, I would HIGHLY recommend this.



2. I only wish this book contained ALL the songs! The tablature is outstanding and truly what any major Zeppelin guitarist fan is looking for. The solos are included, and unlike "Led Zeppelin Complete," this is a reliable, well-put-together arrangement of GREAT Zeppelin songs. The only bad thing about it is that the fabulous maker of the book did not transcribe MORE songs! At $15.72, this is the best deal for classic Zeppelin tabs, BELIEVE ME! "Dazed and Confused" is soooo intricate, giving me MORE than I asked for! And when I flipped to "What is and What Should Never Be," I realized just how much sense this book really makes. Definitely for experienced guitar players with ears "experienced" in the sound of LED ZEPPELIN. This book will help you to better understand the music behind the madness of this quartet. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED--grab this gold before it is gone!!



3. The delivery was great .The book was ok but needed the guitar scales to play lead the music, if you read music which i don't know how, and taps are not complete on how to play the songs like they did .



4. This is a good reference for assisting in the composing many of Led Zeppelin's works. There is music notation for vocals, lead guitar and rhythm guitar. The accuracy is questionable in many areas but it does a fairly good job as a starting resource.



5. What can I say. I got this book for my wife and she loves it. Even her guitar instructor wanted to steal it. A book two with other of the Led Zeppelin's songs would be nice :-)

5 comments about Drum Set Warm-Ups: Essential Exercises for Improving Technique.

1. Every drummer should have this book in their library. Rod Morgenstein is an incredible drummer, instructor (and human being). This book is the real deal.
   
   I feel this book is for intermediate players and not beginners. Beginners are better off learning new beats and feeling encouraged by being able to keep steady time and grooving to songs. This book isnt about that.
   
   This book disects the drumset and gives you tons of mechanical exercises on how to move around the set with control, dexterity and endurance. Its much more than just licks for warming up actually... its designed to make you a more proficient technician. Once you can play basic beats, this book can help you take your playing and technique to the next level - more control, power and speed.
   
   In contrast to the previous book by Rod which is extremely musical and targetted at beginners, this one is focused on mechanics only and is better suited to intermediate players.
   
   I highly recommend this book!



2. I am so glad I got this book. It is loaded with exercises to build accuracy, independence, and endurance on the drum kit. And like Joe Morello's Master Studies, you can just flip to a page and work through an exercise or an entire page of exercises. Work through them all and see which ones you need improvement on, or just pick a few to warm up with before playing. It's helped my accuracy in hitting the drum in the middle, my speed and coordination . . . all in a short time. Enjoy!



3. My experiance with Amazon service was just great!
   I completed the process whithin 10 min and received the item ehead of schedule and in great condition.



4. This book will help drummers of ALL skill levels. If you want to improve your speed, timing, coordination, and just all around technique, this will get you to where you want to be. I don't know of any other publication with such a wealth of drumming knowlege for so little money. Rod Morgenstein took drum text books to a new level with this one. A MUST HAVE FOR ANYONE WHO WANTS TO BE A BETTER PLAYER!



5. Simply put, I love this book. I do some of the exercises for about 15-20 minutes before every practice and every gig, and it's exactly like doing calisthenics before a workout. It gets all the limbs loosened up and really improves coordination. No matter what type of music you play, and regardless of your skill level, this book is for everyone. My advice is to add it to your library.