Customer Reviews

Guitar Scale Guru: The Scale Book - Your Guide for Success! (Creative Concepts Publishing)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book is designed to unlock the secrets of playing guitar scales. If you are looking for a book to learn scales quickly, then you should look at this book.

Any book or magazine has a built in level of appeal.
Mass market Guitar Magazines for example are aimed at new & intermediate level players. In time, you'll notice much information is being repeated in a similar form.
Maybe one column to keep the advanced player interested.
That being said, this book is designed as a learning tool. Sure, a veteran player may say, I know this stuff. That doesn't make the book bad. A new or intermediate player will find this a nice tool.

The author presents the material of 'Guitar Scales', in a clear & concise manner. The scales are well organized. The explanations of theory are also straight to the point. Only information that is directly relevant to scales is presented.

I like that I can go thru the book quickly. That means that I can look up scales in any key fast. Helpful, as I am also learning chords too ! Also, I am able to choose to learn in order or skip around the book.

The point of the book is to teach & unlock the mechanics of guitar scales. It does this in an excellent presentation.

I also like the ; Circle of Fifths, Linking System, & the brief mention of who used certain scales in their playing styles.
Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page etc..

Sure, it only covers 5 of the most needed/popular scales.
It does repeat the scales in all the keys. This is done so a novice can see the relationships of the scales on the fretboard. If you were teaching a player, you'd have to demonstate how the scales move. But that's exactly what the author has offered.

A new player who is needing to learn guitar scales will be satisfied with this book. I have a pile of 'learn guitar' books.
This is one the I use often.

Highly Recommended !

The magic in this book is understanding scales - not just following TAB charts.

I have struggled with other books on scales and gotten no place.
Fretboard note charts never made sense. After just one hour with this book - I can play scales off fretboard charts. Its taught using a simple Do, Re , Mi method thats easily picked up. The circle of fifths is easily explained. Scales are clearly presented and explained. And standard notation is taught right with TAB!

Then get this book. I've been playing for years and I've bought a lot of books. This is THE best one I've ever bought. It explains things from a guitar players point of view. It makes sense. You know how it is when you get to where you can play alright and you just get lazy. This will re-ignite your desire to learn and practice. I'm about to order the chord version of this book. ( I just thought I'd write a quick review while I'm here. ) I'm serious guys. This one is worth the money.

Don't buy this book if you are looking for tab or examples of licks. Not what this book is about. Gives reader a good overall understanding of Scales... Major, Minor, Pentatonic, Blues... Great resource.... BUT!

Page 152 has a major typo in that it displays the TAB for G Major pentatonic - 9th position to be EXACTLY the same as that of G Major pentatonic - 7th position.

Granted, these things happen but, one can only wonder how many other typos will be found.

The best guitar scale book I have ever seen! Guitar Scale Guru has changed my life. Thanks Mr. Aranjo!

The author does a nice job of presenting scales in an easy to read, visual format. Of particular interest to a busy guitar player who wants to get the essentials quickly.

This is a good book for those unfamiliar with scales. In fact, it's the best one for teaching scales I've seen. It only covers the major, minor, and blues scales so if you're familiar with those you'll want to pass on this.

My big gripe - did the editor's even look at this book before publishing? Numerous times scale positions (in the same key on the same page) are repeated. So instead of five different positions for each key, one will be left out and another one shown twice. Just plain sloppy. I found similar errors in the chord guru book.

If you need to know how to play and use scales you need this book! ... especially if you want to learn fast and understand what you're learning

This has to be the ugliest guitar book in the world but it is my absolute favorite and the most insightful guitar book I have read. In a matter of days my guitar playing abilities quadrupled and I had a greater understanding of the guitar...it made playing a thousand times easier. I wish I would have had this book when I began playing guitar, I would be a guitar rock God by now! If you are a beginner or a self-taught player like myself then this is the book to get. Once you get passed the clip art you will be on your way to being a better guitar player, I PROMISE! Also, check out the Guitar Chord Guru by Karl, it's just as ugly and just as wonderful!

This book is very well written from the perspective of a teacher and student in mind. The diagrams initially look simplistic and you might be thinking that this book is not for you, but once you start getting into the material, you will notice that it follows a logical and well developed path to mastering scales.

The theory is kept to a minimum, but informative enough to answer obvious questions relating to the scales being used. Unlike many other books of this type, it keeps your interest longer than other scale books which means you are likely to continue using it whilst the other similar books are collecting dust in your bookcase. I especially liked the use of the linking system so that you can progress to playing around the fretboard. (and transpose to any key) Also the use of the CAGED system to associate the scales to chords is well presented. Another well implemented feature of this book is the use of a key symbol (which denotes important information that you must learn, in order to develop your musical knowledge and literacy). A very thorough modern technique.

If you are concerned about the authors credentials, he was educated by William Leavitt, who probably wrote the most quintessential guitar method every written, and an Alumni from the Berklee College of Music, this book takes those methods and organises them in a more digestible manner. The use of diagrams means there is less time reading and more time playing, whilst learning to play the guitar.

The only criticism is that in this modern day and age of CD/DVD, there are no backing tracks for the exercises in the book and the scales are not played as examples, so that you can hear the notes as well as trying to play along with them in time.

Highly recommended.