Customer Reviews

21st Century Guitar Method 1: Complete Edition

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I really grooved on this book and the CD that came along with it. The lessons were easy to understand even for a total beginner like I was. Lots of practice and going over the lessons again and again will teach the beginner a TON and help improve the skills of an existing player.

I'm a teaching assistant at the university level who's teaching a couple beginning guitar classes with around 10 students each. I was hoping for a book that would appeal to players who are looking for a well rounded approach to learning the guitar. This book was disappointing to the point where I almost want to apologize to the students who bought this book. Granted it's cheap, but this book has nothing that was popular in the last 20 years, which is ridiculous since it claims to be a 21st century guitar method book. It uses beginner folk song melodies that don't excite anyone, half-chords (I'm a firm believer in teaching students the full beginning chords with the exception of F), and it's explanation of blues and power chords is lacking.

What I do like about it is that it utilizes both guitar tabs and standard notation without tab, it includes chords and teacher accompaniment, and that there are a variety of concepts touched on (albeit nothing too in depth).

If you're looking for a cheap resource for the basics, this will do, which is why I didn't give it one star. But it's far from modern and it's explanation on chords and styles could be improved. Plus, it's short so it won't help players for very long. It lasted my class just 5 weeks, and I won't make them buy the second volume.

This series (Guitar Method 1, 2, and 3) has been the staple of my guitar lessons for many years. It works well with students who are in the 5th grade and above, providing material that builds on the prior lessons nicely as students move forward. The student will not only learn good technique but will gain a basic knowledge of music theory along the way. Using the CD helps the student to develop rhythm and learn how to play better in a group/band. My younger students (1st to 4th grade) do better with Mel Bay's "Children's Guitar Method" series for kids.

Learning music and how to play an instrument doesn't have to be hard or boring!

I've used this book for teaching from my studio and guitar classes in college for years with great results. It's one of the better guitar method books because it covers a wide range of musical styles and genres (thank you Aaron for using more contemporary songs besides "Three Blind Mice" or "On Top Of Old Smokey").

He does a very good job of explaining notation, which is one of the more challenging things for beginning guitar players, as well as other music concepts and playing techniques.

For students and teachers this series offers a well-rounded curriculum. It is flexible enough for teachers to customize lessons by adding songs from each genre that are not in the book or on the recordings. The supplemental material (theory & ensemble books) complements each book and makes it so that anyone starting or running a studio can have an integrated program instantly.

Whether you're a budding guitarist or a teacher looking for great comprehensive teaching material this book and the series are a great place to start (just steer clear of the DVD :-)! Be sure your book comes with an audio recording (optional way back when this series first came out).

From my 15+ years teaching guitar, using parts of several method books, this is the one I would have written if I had time to write a guitar book!

To your muscial success!!

I am writing to you to express disappoint in purchasing one of your books. I bought "The 21st Century Guitar Method", "GUITAR METHOD 1" about three months ago with the hope I could teach myself how to play the guitar. I hoped that this book would be written to address people who have never picked up a guitar before and to teach themselves some guitar basics. Well that did not happen. After three months I am still trying to understand music notes (that look like spaghetti to me) and the proper way to hold a guitar (hand placements). This book was not written for beginners. Who ever wrote this book may have had a working knowledge of playing a guitar but does not know how to teach beginning students how to play.

As you can tell I am very disappoint and I feel cheated in my purchase. If another book is written to teach people to play the guitar, writing the book with beginning students in mind would be a great asset especially to the students.

I would not recommend this book.

I reviewed the light blue-colored version of this book, and all my points are the same. I use this book exclusively for students, junior high or younger, because in integrates "Method 1," "Theory 1," and "Song Trax 1" books all into one, with some items excluded from the actual singular modules, at a much cheaper price than buying all 3 modules separately. The "Theory 1" section functions as a fill-in-the-blanks workbook that is great for younger kids to learn from. The "Song Trax" section provides the student pop songs that they can relate to better than the "old hat" standards your typical beginning guitar books incorporate, that you child never heard outside his 2nd grade teachers classroom.

Aaron Stang's method will not work with beginners who are children but will succeed with adults. The method is packed with instruction and requires the student to make some assumptions

I have used Alfred -in fact, I was taught using that method. But I really love this series by Aaron Stang. He is very methodical. The songs are fun and I love the CD. It's so much easier to learn when you can hear what you're trying to do and then copy it! My students really thrive in this series.

I also love that he teaches things like power chords and scales. These are things I never got from the other method books and they are such an important part of what guitar is all about. Yes, every student should learn to read notation - and the book certainly teaches that, but every student also needs to know how the guitar is used in music today. That means power chords and movable chords, scales and riffs.

This book/series covers it all.

My 11-year-old son is just getting started in guitar. This book with accompanying CD has been very helpful to keep his interest and help him with counting the notes. I would recommend this book highly. The lessons offered are a nice variation as well!

This is a silly DVD. It is clearly not intended for a beginner, and does require you to be able to read sheet music.

1) The first section is "How to tune your guitar". Stang asks you to "strum a G Chord" with the camera focused on his right hand, though he gives no indication where your fingers should be placed on the frets. The whole tuning piece is worthless.

2) The first lesson is playing notes on the 1st string. After showing you how to play 3 notes, Stang asks you to play along with a song. Sheet music shows up on the screen for songs you haven't even practiced yet. Same goes for the other lessons.

3) Stang is completely uninteresting and lifeless, and could easily suck-dry your enthusiasm for learning to play.

I'm not as mad at Stang as I am at the Guitar Store who sold me this DVD (for $30, rather than the Amazon price of $12.74) even after I told them I am an absolute beginner with no music background, and that I have no interest in reading music.

I'm hoping that "Learning Guitar for Dummies" is significantly better.