Guitar Instruction Books
There are instruction books for all kinds of guitar playing. The way the instruction is given varies between the different genres with the teaching of music theory for guitar remaining much the same for all styles.
A classical guitar instruction book will take the student from theory straight into simple pieces, graduating to more complex guitar music without learning chord shapes or improvisation. A jazz instruction book, on the other hand, will be chockablock with exotic guitar chords and scales. A rock or blues guitar instruction book will take you through such stepping stones to improvisation as the pentatonic scales and the CAGED chord system.
For the purpose of this article we will assume you are a complete beginner who wants to dip his toe in the cold and forbidding waters of guitar playing to eventually discover the warm currents of musical satisfaction.
Beyond Bedroom Guitar by Spencer Westwood is an introduction to guitar that immediately leads the student to a certain way of looking at guitar playing. This book is aimed at the medium or advanced guitarist and the beginner guitarist who has got to the stage of being able to strum a few chords. The guitar instruction is based on changing the way we approach learning in general and contains some techniques derived from the field of self-hypnosis. If you want your guitar instruction to be a life-changing experience, give this book a read.
The Only Basic Guitar Instruction Book You’ll Ever Need by Jack Wilkins and Peter Rubie starts at choosing your first guitar and moves to tuning and holding the guitar and guitar music theory. We then move onto some songs and chords plus basic fingerpicking. The book’s structure alternates between theory and practical guitar work, taking us into more advanced ideas and techniques as we practice what we have learnt from the previous chapters.
Guitar Lesson World: The Book by Patrick MacFarlane is compiled by the founder of guitarlessonworld.com which has been giving us free guitar lessons since 1996. The book is inexpensive and comprehensive and is backed up by audio files that you can find on the website. The only snag is that it is very much based in theory, so if you would rather learn chords and songs without the whys and wherefores, you should probably give it a miss.
Each of the three guitar instruction books I have listed in this article stand out for its unique approach to teaching guitar. They are aimed at guitar students who have already found a serious commitment in themselves to learning how to play guitar. If you are looking for something simpler or for a particular genre, there are many books that will get you started.
About the Author
Do you want to learn to play the guitar? Learn How To Play A Guitar For Free is a constantly updated blog which contains all the resources you need for: learning to play solo guitar, how to learn guitar chords, how to learn to read and play easy acoustic guitar tabs, finding a free online guitar tuner, looking for free guitar lessons online, and how to learn guitar scales.
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Neil Peart Taking Center Stage: Lifetime of Live Performances $24.05 Neil Peart – Taking Center Stage was filmed in various locations over the course of a year. In it, Neil Peart takes you on a behind-the-scenes look at Rush’s 2010-11 Time Machine tour. This includes rare and exclusive footage of Neil’s personal pre-tour rehearsals and backstage events at a Rush concert (including a visit to the soundcheck, and an unprecedented backstage interview as Neil warms up … |
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The Acoustic Guitar Method $22.35 These carefully graded starter lessons for the acoustic guitar are based on David Hamburger’s best-selling books, issued by the publishers of Acoustic Guitar magazine. Beginner guitarists will learn how to use a pick and form all the most important chords, while those with some guitar experience will learn fingerpicking styles and other essential playing techniques. More than two-dozen classic son… |
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Animusic – A Computer Animation Video Album (Special Edition) $13.47 Watching Animusic is like being mesmerized by the world’s most elaborate Rube Goldberg devices: You’re so astonished by their ingenuity that you can’t look away. This “computer animation video album” is the brainchild of Wayne Lytle, a progressive-rock keyboardist and 1988 graduate of Cornell University’s Program of Computer Graphics. Modifying techniques originally applied to the visualization of… |
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Fender Presents: Getting Started on Acoustic Guitar — A Guide for Beginners $12.57 Over 3 hours long with 50 interactive lessons. Covers tuning, essential chords and scales, music reference, practice tips, rhythm techniques, play-along tracks with a band, 3-D fretboard graphics, instrument care, and more. Includes 5 languages: English, French, Spanish, Japanese, and German. Hosted by Keith Wyatt of the Musicians Institute…. |
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Old School Bass Guitar Logo Men’s Tee Shirt in 12 colors Small thru 6XL Great looking 100% cotton shirt. Please refer to our sizing chart for measurements.This design also available as a women’s tee shirt, and a men’s hoodie and sweat shirt in our other amazon.com listings…. |
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Bass Player For Rent Men’s Tee Shirt in 12 colors Small thru 6XL Great looking 100% cotton shirt. Please refer to our sizing chart for measurements.This design also available as a women’s tee shirt, and a men’s hoodie and sweat shirt in our other amazon.com listings…. |
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Bass Player Inside Logo Baby/Infant Tee Shirt or Onesie Great looking 100% cotton Infant Wear. Please refer to our sizing chart for measurements. Tee is available in 6, 12 & 18 month sizes. Onesie is available in 6, 12, 18 & 24 month sizes…. |
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Arobas Music Guitar Pro 6.0 Deluxe Soundbank Edition $69.95 If you want to create your own guitar tabs, you need this awesome program. Guitar Pro 6 Deluxe Soundbank Edition by Arobas makes writing and editing guitar tablature super easy. Write your own original music by recording your guitar, laying down MIDI, or using the built in virtual fretboard or keyboard to enter in notes. Featuring a wicked sound engine that lets you play back your tabs, plus a bui… |
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My Violin $38.00 Research has proven that children who play an instrument do better in school, make friends more easily, are more creative, learn self-discipline and gain self-confidence. My Violin is the perfect way to introduce children to playing violin. Now it’s easy for kids ages 6 and up to learn how to play violin. In eMedia My Violin, an animated character named Val the Violin leads kids through lessons by… |
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Spectrum 54 Note Electronic Keyboard $46.02 Solid Body / Nickel Plate Pick Guard / 2 Volume / 2 Tone / 3-Way Pickup / Includes Tuner – Strap – Picks – Headphones – Cable – AC adapter – Cloth… |