Customer Reviews

Guitar Fretboard Workbook

5 star:		(109)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I have been using this book with my students since Barrett started putting together the opening chapters. I first used it with my advanced students, those who already had some experience with the 5 patterns of major scales. Immediately they returned saying that it helped them understand the scales and visualize the fretboard more easily.

Having my students walk in with diagrams of scales and intervals for me to check has been an incredible reversal of roles. Normally I would draw diagrams for them to study and play. Going over a chapter and sending them home to complete and play the exercises gets the student involved in a way that the normal draw, demonstrate, "see ya' next week" cycle never really reaches. It gives the student an opportunity to take home and digest the information that was normally only available during the lesson.

Teaching people to operate a guitar and teaching music on a guitar are almost completely different tasks. I found the first six chapters to be very helpful when initiating beginner and intermediate students into the world beyond the 3rd fret and power chords. There is something in this book for nearly anyone interested in knowing how to play the guitar.

If you are an instructor you will find the comprehensive, organized approach very thorough and focused. If you are self-studying the instrument or a student seeking more than just another tabbed-out solo this is a book you can keep coming back to throughout your journey. I highly recommend it.

Billy Burke

I have read countless testimonials about guitar books that guarantee results I never was able to achieve. This book actually delivered for me, and it has done so in a big way. My ambition, which previously eluded me entirely, has been to become fluent on the fretboard--to be able to improvise, follow changes, structure complex chords on the fly and the like. I tried so long in vain I decided I must just lack the necessary ability.

This book changed all that for me. I am doing things now I only dreamed of before. I don't know how the author figured it out, but he has come up with a way to communicate an understanding of music and the fretboard to both your head and, probably more important, your hands. Simple things like combining diagram exercises and playing, reinforced by having you speak the information out loud, really work to imprint the material on your fingers. The book walks you one step at a time, fairly painlessly, from simple to very complex. This thing is a gold mine. No kidding.

This is one of the best books I've ever read for guitar. I have always had trouble finding my way around the fretbaord, but after working with this book I have no trouble at all. There are so many helpful tips and exercises that you can't help but become ultra fluent on guitar. And unlike most books, the material in this book is presented in a manner that is easy to understand. It's all connected perfectly, instead of YOU having to piece things together. I would recomend this book to anyone.

The book was great going, till it hit chapter #7. Suddenly, without explaining as to how, it asked to create boxed major scale patters on root pattern theory , and i was all lost.

I would still recommend this book to everyone, as it really gives you confidence that you know something about theory, and gives you a feel for your fret board. But, be aware, that sections of this book might require some external personal lessons, or online research.

Tagliarino does something very few authors of guitar books have done - he puts the entire fretboard within reach of the guitar student. About 99 percent of the guitar players I know panic when they get beyond the fourth fret. But all of these players absolutely love the guitar and truly desire to learn the instrument - all the way to fret 12 and above. They have all kinds of musical notes and guitar riffs in their heads, but can't reproduce them on the fretboard. That is the worst kind of pain.

Fortunately, Tagliarino's method is the "wonder drug" that takes the mystique out of the guitar fretboard and makes it all come together. Please be advised however, that getting this book doesn't reduce the necessity of practice. What students should experience is an increased desire to practice more! My advice to any guitar player, or instructor for that matter - get this book and the boxed set of Fretboard Logic (with DVD) by Edwards - and get to work! Within six months: you, your friends, your students, your teachers - eveyone - will be absolutely amazed at your increased level of knowledge. Take the plunge and buy this book! You won't regret your investment!

This is a Big Message (Review) - Please read it - Its my honest opinion about the book...

I've been teaching myself Finger-style and Metal Guitar for the past 8 Months.

I have a habit of collecting a lot of Guitar Instructional Material (Books, DVDs etc) as my basic Aim is to become a Guitar Teacher. Out of all my books (and DVDs) this has been the best investment I've ever made for my Guitar playing ! I truly believe that this book deserves 10 Stars (or maybe more) :)

For the first time in my life I've thoroughly enjoyed a Instruction book(In terms of learning) and I feel I'm truly beginning to understand the Fretboard. I've completed almost 10 Chapters already and I must say I already feel like an achiever ! This book has cleared a lot of grey areas and has taught me all that I wanted to know - I'm sure that by the time I'll complete this book - I'll be a better player and I plan to start teaching as soon as I finish this book.

Also wanted to say that, as soon as I start teaching - the Only book I think, I'll ever recommend (or maybe buy) for my future-Students will be "Guitar Fretboard Workbook" by Barrett Tagliarino :) This is absolutely "No-Nonsense" pure Knowledge (and in a perfectly graded - in a gradually building manner)

Though I can play a lot of Guitar pieces and leads, (and I mostly figure things out by ear) - I have been having a desperate "Hunger" to understand the Guitar's Fretboard (which definitely is a Confusing maze !) - but this book made sense of everything and took me step-by-step, teaching me everything I needed to know so badly. I really cant wait to go deeper into the Book !

I truly dont know how much to stress - This is the Best Book ever written (IMHO) on "Understanding" the Guitar (I'm not saying playing the Guitar) - but I always believe - If one doesnt know Why and How things work on a Guitar - playing a song or a piece is just a "Temporary Pleasure" (IMHO) which fades very quickly...

I say all this from the heart, and according to my experience with this book only. I really-really want to thank Mr.Barrett Tagliarino for writing such a Master-Piece and Amazon.Com to have given me access to this wonderful material (as I'm in India).

Another very important thing is the way this book approaches the concepts - unlike other books and methods - it not only teaches or gives information about a particular topic, but it makes sure the student has got firmly fixed into his mind, by using the unique 3 step system of permanent memorization.

I must say the Author is a "Master-Teacher" and I envy (in healthy spirit) all students of him - who've had the 'Blessing' of to be able to learn from such a teacher. Though I've been self-taught, I take this book as my Teacher and I'm sure this will help me getting nearer to my Goals (becoming a good Guitarist and teacher)

I hope this helps you all.
Take care and Have a Good Day !
Regards and Care
Kush

I'm a "middle aged" student that has been playing cowboy chords for years, but never got much beyond first position. I've wanted to learn scales, arps, triads and other techniques to bring out more expression and to be able to solo anywhere on the neck with confidence. I started and stopped several other guitar courses because at some point the author made leaps or assumptions I simply wasn't ready for. This is by far the most logically designed and naturally progressing course I've seen for learning the fretboard. It's very well written and very clear in communicating the unique structure of the guitar. I would strongly recommend this to any beginning or intermediate student--or even those who have been playing awhile--but want to go back to basics and relearn it the way it should be learned. There's a lot of material here, so don't expect to complete it in anything short of many months to a year. I'm about six weeks into it and have already learned basics about root and chord positions, scales and theory that other courses--and several teachers--have not been able to make clear to me. I don't know if it's a function of age, limited practice time or sensory overload from job and household duties, but retaining a lot of abstract information does not come as easy as it used to. But using the author's methodical way of learning this material, it gets dialed in pretty quickly and it stays there! Highly recommended!

Do you associate street signs by what they say or by the shape of the sign?

If shapes find a way of embedding themselves in your mind better than just a bunch of numbers, then this book will be extremely helpful to you. I have purchased countless books on guitar playing. Most of them will teach the things you need to know, but it is all done in TAB. While I can read TAB just fine, my poor mind just can not process the information as fast as simply seeing a shape. This book breaks down root notes into very basic shapes and just starts adding to it. In a few short weeks, you should be able to understand the basic shape of a major scale. After a while you will be able to play the different scales in whatever key you are looking for.

If you know and understand movable chords, then think about taking just five basic shapes and being able to move up and down the fretboard. Again, for me, this was a lot easier to do than to memorize countless pages of guitar TAB to learn just a few scales.

My one disclaimer would be, and the only reason I give this 4 stars rather than 5 - I would recommend having at least a small amount of musical knowledge before getting started. Get to know your guitar and learn a few chord shapes and songs. This will give you something to fall back on and still enjoy, should you get frustrated when you just can't figure out what the relative minor scale is to the D major scale.

I have an entire bookcase full of music theory books and how to play the guitar. Not one of them has approached the topic like this book does. I would not recommend this book for beginners who don't have a teacher or mentor. Sort of like trying to visualize driving a car by looking at the mechanical pieces. You need a foundation for it to really start turning the gears (IMHO). But for people like me who have played for 25 years but are tired of memorizing the different scales and chords and feeling "boxed in", now I can 'go anywhere I want', this book was absolutely FREEING for me.

I now can choose any note, make it my root (regardless of the key), know where all the other roots are and create a scale (Major, Minor, Pent etc) on the fly and even alter or bounce between them! I no longer care (or even know) what key I am in, everything is a half or whole step or several combined for interval playing, but everything sounds good and related and I can change direction on any note. This has been the 'lightbulb' for me.

The Fretboard IS laid out with a logic and a purpose that I never fully understood until reading this book. Like the author pointed out, each string is like a keyboard with all the notes laid out. We need to understand how one string relates to the next. I look at the neck very differently and can now see the notes that are related to the one I am playing and make a choice depending on feel and emotion I want to impart, I am not 'limited' to the scale, and everything makes sense! Highly recommended.

If you are a guitarist, beginner or advanced, this book will take your playing to another level. In addition to being easy to read (with a little humor thrown in), it may reinvent the way you think about the fretboard. If you are a guitar teacher, it will be an invaluable tool for your students. I've been playing for 16 years, and this book helped get me off the plateau I've been on for a long time. I plan on buying more of this guy's books.