5 comments about Blues You Can Use (Blues You Can Use).

1. I have been very impressed with this book. I am a novice guitarist, but with 30 years experience as a pianist and a degree in music education, I am not your average beginner. So I can tell you this isn't a book for beginners, but you don't have to be very far along to benefit from it.
   My teacher, a friend from music school, was teaching me to play blues guitar, and I bought this book just to check it out. He was thrilled to find a book that uses the same method he has been teaching the blues for 20 years, but with the added benefit of some good songs to play. We immediately incorporated it into my lessons.
   The structure of the book includes short lessons including scales and chord progressions, followed by some nifty little blues numbers you can play to illustrate those concepts. The book takes you through each skill and concept step by step, and is really fun to play. If I had one suggestion to make, it would be to include backing tracks in addition to the demo tracks for all of the songs on the CD, so that you could play them by yourself instead of just with the recorded version. Otherwise, this is a terrific method and a lot of fun.
   I will defintely buy more of the books in this series.



2. This book is not really a beginner's book. Some of the licks require a dexterity level beyond what a beginner would be expected to do. This is one of the few books with a method presented in a logical format as opposed to a caffeteria style approach leaving you asking questions. For the most benefit, you should do the following:
   
   1. Get this book as well as the "more Blues You Can Use".
   2. Also get "Complete Rhythm Guitar Guide for Blues Bands" by Larry McCabe.
   3. Listen to the Rolling Stones' Beggar's Banquet and Exile on Main Street CDs.
   4. Listen to Kenny Burell's "Midnight Blue" CD over and over.



3. This is a nice introduction to blues guitar. With a good combination of theory and practice, each lesson builds on the previous material. The one confusing thing I've found so far is the fact that the author will introduce some chord forms for a given lesson, then in the practice exercise, a completely unknown chord form will appear. It isn't that the "new" chord is wrong - it just hasn't been covered in the lesson. Guess that keeps you on your toes, tho. The CD has some really nice "studies" that you can play along with. Bottom line - after about 4 weeks, I've gotten through the first four lessons and I'm having more fun with my guitar than ever. Your mileage may vary.



4. I found this book to be great for learning general techniques for playing the Blues. The book starts out with some simple riffs and graduates into more challenging routines while introducing new concepts used by the Blues masters such as progressions, bending, use of the Blues pentatonic scale, etc.



5. I am 61 years old and finally I can play lead (any key) over entire neck after going thru this book and taking time on each lesson to fully understand it. I have taken private Jazz lessons for a year before but something was missing. This book made it clear,I now see lead patterns when i hit a chord and can jump anyplace on neck and still be playing lead in the right key.

5 comments about My First Book of Classical Music: 29 Themes by Beethoven, Mozart, Chopin and Other Great Composers in Easy Piano Arrangements.

1. The book arrived in perfect condition. I am anxious to have my granddaughter try it out. It is one of her upcoming birthday presents.
   Thank you.



2. Even the right hand only player, can enjoy classics from these simple arrangements. The left hand is coming along with practice. This book makes learning the classics less intimidating. I would pay more for a spiral bound version.



3. I bought this book for my beginning piano students but am not thrilled with the arrangements. Keep looking.



4. It is excellent for melody but many of the songs are in the wrong key. Taht is the only reason for 4 stars. I will by it again.



5. When I bought "My First Book of Classical Music..." I was and still am amazed by how great this piano book has turned out to be. It has 29 themes by the true masters of Classical music. The songs are beginner level but the author Bergerac has to be commended for his great work to these classical piano songs !!! in bringing out the very best in each song. You will be playing each page from start to finish and loving each classical piece of music. I can't recommend this book enough - 5 stars *****

5 comments about The ABCs of Violin for the Absolute Beginner: Violin, Book 1.

1. I am 30 years old and never touched a violin in my life, but had always wanted to learn how to play. I ordered this book, along with her DVD, and have learned a lot! The ABCs of Violin for the Absolute Beginner - DVD The book teaches basic note reading, as well as warm ups and short songs. The DVD helps with knowing the parts of the violin, proper handling, and tuning. I recommend this book, but also some sort of video accompaniment. Youtube has a lot of free videos on violin basics, as well.



2. I purchased this for my wife and she loves it. It is a nice violin starter guide with a great assortment of songs and instruction. I was very pleased with the incredibly fast shipping!!! Thanks! I'd highly recommend this item!!!
   -Mel



3. I've never played violin. I have a cheap one and just wanted to mess around and this book seemed like a good way to get started. There is a companion DVD that does not come with the book and unless you know something about playing the violin already, you need the DVD. They should either bundle the DVD with the book or stress that the DVD is required if you are really an "Absolute Beginner".



4. This book is really no good without also buying the DVD and CD. The book does NOT give any information about placement of the bridge (searched the web an I think it should be by the notches in the F holes, low end by E string) or how to tune or use rosin. The DVD gives some information about tuning and a little about finger placement. I don't have the CD, but think it is probably necessary so you can learn where to place your fingers to get the sound right.
   
   Edit: Well, I bought the CD and it does not have any commentary, or announcement of the song or enough pause to follow along. So I would downgrade this series to a 1 star. There are better choices. I feel like I really wasted the money, especially on the CD.



5. I was very disappointed in this book. The title ("The ABC's of Violin for the Absolute Beginner") really should have been something like "The Beginner's Violin Class Primer" and/or come packaged as a set with the CD/DVD.
   
   I am an absolute beginner at age 37 and was expecting a little more instruction about how to hold the violin and other basics. There was nothing in the Amazon "blub" about needing to purchase the separate DVD or Audio CD. I'm not expecting to become a 1st chair concert violinist at my age....I just wanted to learn a little about the violin and we live in a rural area where violin teachers are about as plentiful as hen's teeth.
   
   This really seems to be a book for students who have access to a violin teacher. The lessons also seem to move very quickly. So far I prefer the "Learn to Play the Violin" by Frank Cappelli that I got from our local library. The Cappelli book at least has photos and descriptions of how to hold the violin and bow (it's not great, but it helps) and has more exercises on learning to play the correct strings...which isn't easy at first! I'll keep the "ABC" book for the songs, which I know I'll enjoy when I become a little more proficent.
   
   Good luck to you all!

5 comments about Fretboard Logic SE: The Reasoning Behind the Guitar's Unique Tuning + Chords Scales and Arpeggios Complete (The Fretboard Logic Guitar Method Volumes I and II) (Fretboard Logic Guitar Method Ser).

1. 99% of books out there are written with a piano-centric bent and of all the books I own this is the first that is for guitarists as 1st class citizens!
   My only suggestions are: 1) You HAVE to get the DVD with it. While the book is GREAT there are some concepts that once you see on the DVD make easy sense while without it you can be left very confused. 2) is use supplemental books on theory (if you want a more in depth understanding). Bill teaches as if you are with him for personal lessons but it is impossible to tailor the teaching style to your learning style in a book or DVD. He does an excellent job of getting the information to you in a way 99% of people will understand.
   What's more is at the end of the first DVD he shows you some very simple leads that will have your friends and family amazed.
   The VERY best part of the whole series is the author himself. He will actually answer emailed questions and spend a ton of time helping you understand concepts in the book. I even had to call him (about an error with my credit card-I ordered direct from him) and he spent over an hour on the phone with me talking about theory, guitarists and how the series was developed. My point is that these books are written by someone who really cares about your improvement and didn't just do this to make money.
   
   He even let on that he is in the process of getting the vol III DVD together. Get the first two with the DVD so you will be ready for the vol III DVD and you will be 20 years ahead of where you are now in a year. I don't review many things but this is one that I truly believe in. My only regret is wasting 20 years before I found his series otherwise you would all know my name and mention me with the likes of EVH. Oh well, I'll work on that for next year :)



2. Item was a gift for my son on the opposite coast. He reports this book met all his expectations and is very happy with it. See also the third book in the series.



3. This is not a music theory book.
   Fretboard Logic describes the Fretboard patterns that are a direct result of the guitar's unique tuning. The patterns discussed are essentially scales and chords covering the entire fretboard.
   There is some occasional theory necessary to teach the subject and no more.
   It may be too much for many beginners to grasp the importance of what the author is teaching but, that certainly does not mean you can't benefit by learning something new such as pentatonic scales and full bar chords (that's the first 27 pages.)
   I could not play full bar chords when I bought the book. You know what you do to cure that? Practice playing them 10 minutes a day and then go onto something else.
   I was thrilled when I bought HOB Blues DVD #1 and recognized the scale patterns and realized I could start APPLYING what I learned from this book. No, you will not be a better guitar player after reading this book just because you know some chords and scales. But you will have a solid foundation that will help you APPLY the information in this book as you learn music theory and it will all be a little easier.
   I can't say it as a fact since I don't play with others often but, I really doubt this book would do anything but help you when playing with other guitarists and instruments regardless of their knowledge and how they learned it.
   I would recommend a yellow Gripmaster (to help warm up and increase hand strength) and a metronome to go along this book.



4. I'm finding this book more effective than any other method I've tried to learn and re-learn and practise the basics. I've been playing a few years now and this brought me back down to basics for a refresher. The instructions are conversational and they make sense. Everything is explained in detail, but no too much detail - and all the topics covered are tabbed on the same page.
   I've never come across a more comprehensive way to learn or refresh oneself on the basics of playing guitar. It's a must have for any guitar player.



5. I am very impressed with the content of Fretboard Logic. I am a beginner so actually playing the way presented seems overwhelming right now. I can make my hands stretch to barre with a lot of effort, but it will be a while before I can do it effortlessly. That's why I'd recommend this book for intermediate to advanced, someone who can put the information into practice right away. Beginners need to start with easier stuff. That said, it is a great resource to explain the logic of the fretboard that you may not find elsewhere.

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

1. 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.



2. 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.



3. 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.



4. 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.



5. I had been playing guitar for 5 years before I dug into classical studies. A local classical guitar instructor recommended this book to me, to get me started. I had a fairly brief knowledge to reading standard notation, but the finger notation was completely new to me. Noad went into great detail about which fingers to use where, and how the notation is ment to be read. I am now a guitar instructor myself, and I recommend my classically interested students to this book.
   
   It starts off slow, and to new standard notation readers, this is a huge plus. Even the easier exercises sound great and are fun to work out, and are easy to figure out. Then we get into the collection of wonderful solo guitar pieces presented in this book. It has a very wide varaitey of different musics, which will help students get an idea of the defining characteristics of each genre (baroque, classical, spanish, etc). There are tons of great songs with their each own little challenges to overcome to well round your playing. This will take you from a beginner classical player to intermediate, and you will have fun while doing it. It has helped me become a better reader (classically, I do notice that my reading of jazz lines have not improved, but this book is not for that. I just kind of thought it would help with that too (for what ever reason I don't know :P ).
   
   I am a jazz major in college, and I have a greater appreciatation of classical music, and the classical style, because of this book. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

5 comments about Suzuki Violin School: Violin Part, vol. 1 (Suzuki Violin School, Violin Part).

1. So many other violin instruction books become dull and boring with their scales and two-line practices. Suzuki, however, is fun. It teaches you to play the violin through songs instead of through hundreds of exercises on boring items. Exercises are provided, of course, but they are icing on the cake.
   
   I began violin with a different method that nearly turned me away. I didn't see the fun in playing a hundred and fifty repetitions of "hot cross buns." I did see the fun in playing Minuets, however, when a new teacher had me switch to Suzuki.
   
   I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone. The method is fast, fun, and head-over-heels better than those...other books.



2. There are only 17 songs in this entire book! NO fiddle music. All the notes are much smaller than all the other books, hard to read. There are finger numbers above all the notes, so you don't learn to read the notes, you read the numbers and make mistakes because you don't know which string you should put the finger on. The accompanying CD is way too fast to play with! The other books give you more to play, to read and contain twice the melodies which are from all different styles.
   
   Just don't get what all the fuss is about with this method if you don't learn to read right and don't play any worthy exercises.



3. Suzuki is a collection of some classic pieces of music which many of us violin players grew up on. It has exerpts from many famous composers (presented progressively in terms of skills level) which can be perfect for performances. However, it needs to be supplemented by other method books which allow more practice, especially in order to develop pitch, sight reading, and techniques.
   
   For those starting out, volume 1 may not have a clear enough presentation of the basics of reading music. I usually start my students on "String Builder," which gives a more step-by-step instruction and offers a whole lot more pieces to practice on (and it also has short duets to play together).



4. I have played the viola for 5 years and started with Suzuki. Most of the songs are the same in both books. I am now in viola book 4 and it is great. I have been making it into All-County Orchestras by starting with the book!



5. I ordered this book back in April 30 the impression from the website that was in stock and hence could be shipped out immediately. However, I wasn't given notice that it was shipped until MAY 8 and they have not yet arrived by MAY 11! Who knows about the book itself, since i have not yet received it, butI am NOT satisfied with this order. BEWARE - consider ordering from another music or book website.
   
   Suzinne

5 comments about Bass Guitar for Dummies.

1. This is a great book for finger exercises and getting your hands in shape to play. In addition, I found that the discussions on theory really helped me to understand how bass player created their riffs. The only weak spot is there are not alot of songs to play with, but you can find those everywhere.
   
   I highly recommend this book.



2. BOOK AND CD ARE A GREAT LEARNING TOOL BOTH WERE VERY GOOD.I RECOMEND IT FOR ANYONE JUST STARTING OUT LEARNING BASS GUITAR.



3. I simply love the "For Dummies" book series. So, as a beginner in playing the bass, I had to purchase this book immediately and I found out that it's exactly as I expected: an introduction to the world of bass guitar, written in a funny manner, without the usual boring details that a "normal" guide would provide.



4. I'm a new bass player and this book is great -- I actually sleep with it, hoping to absorb even more through osmosis. I love Patrick's straight-forward approach and sense of humor. While I haven't looked at many other bass guitar books, I like how this one uses music, tabulature and the grid to show what to play. The initial/basic exercises are great for a beginner like myself, and make of lot of sense in the learning process. The CD is helpful, but it keeps playing straight through from one example/track to the next. I might need to change the settings on my computer or CD player, but I think it would be better if it stopped after each track so I could manually play the tracks, one-by-one, and look at the book at the same time to see exactly what is being played. Hopefully, when I become a great bass player, after using this book and practicing a lot, I will be quoted on the cover :) right up there with Adam Clayton.



5. Usually I have nothing but praise for the "For Dummies" guides. Not this time. I suspect the fatal flaw here centers on the "Bonus Audio CD!"--conjuring up associations with a prize in a Cracker Jack box. About halfway through the book it dawns why the material is flying over my head.
   
   The CD is not incidental to the book. It's essential. "Bass Guitar" seems built around the CD. Kick out the CD prop and you'd have no book. I'm afraid the author assumed that a shiny piece of plastic would so dazzle that readers wouldn't notice the indifferent writing. It's a slight-of-hand that simply does not work.

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

1. 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).



2. 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.



3. 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.



4. It is an "alright" book but there are a couple of procedures that I wouldn't do the author's way. I string differently than his method and find it just fine. There are other things he advises in his book that I was taught never to do by a luthier that I trust.



5. This has to be the best book of it's kind. Guitar set-up procedures are for individual Guitars, and are taken from the various manufacturers. The author goes into great detail in his explanation of the various procedures of everything from repairs to modifications. I refer to the book almost on a daily basis. He also gives his opinion on different bridges, and other Guitar parts. It's a "Must have" book for every Guitarist.

No comments about Alfred's Basic Piano Library: Lesson Book Level 1A (Alfred's Basic Piano Library).

1 comments about 2008-2009 Annual Supplement to The Piano Book: Buying & Owning a New or Used Piano (Annual Supplement to the Piano Book).

1. Great book if you are shopping for a Piano. It gives you a wealth of information regarding pianos, piano manufacturers and the whole industry. This is the supplement to The Piano Book - so it has the updates on manufacturer reviews (lots of changes in the last 5 years due to Asian manufacturing, company mergers, and ones that are no longer in bus).