Customer Reviews

The Hal Leonard Guitar Superbook

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

 

 

I think that if you have a basic understanding of music theory (eg. reading music) then this book is great for you. It goes through the basics of guitar playing step by step and the cds are useful as well. I bought a couple of other beginner guitar books, but this book took me farther in 5 days than others did in 2 weeks. Also, the fact that the book contains 4 other books with real songs to play and not just guitar method is a great deal.

This is a very comprehensive book--not perfect, but very useful. I am a music teacher and plan to use this to teach a guitar class. I really just wanted to clear something up with some of the comments about the music being an octave too high. If you compare guitar music to the pitches on the piano, you will find that all guitar music in standard notation is written an octave higher than it actually sounds when compared to the piano. It is done that way so the notes can fit on the staff without a lot of ledger lines and is thus easier to read. The notes on the guitar actually lie on both the bass and treble clefs so writing the one octave higher allows the notes to fit more onto one staff without having to use two such as piano music requires. Someone trained to read music on a guitar would never notice until they tried to play their music on the piano and discovered the discrepency. So it is not a mistake that was overlooked by the publisher as one reviewer suggested--that is just how it is done for very practical reasons. This is a perfectly good method book.

This is a great book for people who have a basic understanding of music theory. Beginning Guitar Superbook has a nice layout, and a step by step method that is easy to follow. The CD's are helpful, and give you a good reference for the lessons. CleverJoe.com three thumbs up!

Very useful and helpful book for kids as well as for adults.

This is the book I use for my beginning guitar class - not because it is the best instruction book out there, necessarily, but because it introduces a wide variety of styles and the CDs support the student's continued learning after the class ends.

I just dug this book out of my closet and a bunch of memories came rushing back. When I was like 8 or 9 (im 14 now) I got a REALLY crappy guitar and this book. And I practiced for hours upon hours at a time. I mean I just would play and play. Beginners it might not be the best. But its better than a crappy guitar teacher (trust me i have had one of those). Until I took guitar lessons this book taught me how to play on my own. It was great. Though some of the transcriptons arent the best and some of the songs sound awful. It still is preatty good. Its a fun book just to mess around.

And now with my new Strat and amp. When I play these songs it is kinda fun. Like blues suade shoes was so fun. I had it down when I was little. And I could BARELY play along with the C.D. And now the C.D. is too slow for me to play along.

I would reccomend this book to someone who could play a bit of guitar. Mabye a couple chords or something. Because its not very helpful when it come to Technique (I cant spell) or holding down frets or stuff like that. If you have a neighbor or friend who plays guitar (In my case it was my Dad) this book is good. But if you dont know anyone I would reccomend lessons first.

Oh and someone in another review mentioned that it was all one octive too high. I have to agree and it did give me trouble when I was ready to play harder stuff. But it worked out ok. Mabye beginners should have a second book to.

Oh well.

Peace Out

I find this book to be incredible as it has in one book all the items I had thought I would need to buy individually. Also, in a day where not alll have heard of the songs before, there are CDs to listen to and accompay you as you play. From the scales to the Beetles. Th actual Beetles, not some Joe Smoe group pertending to be them.

I highly reccommend this book both for teaching others and for teaching yourself.

Or have they corrected this book recently?

First off, I am a pianist AND guitarist with over 30 years of experiance. I was looking for a book that would be a good starter for my girlfriend's son...

I am NOT buying this book at this time, but I looked at the "see inside" link. Take a CLOSE look to page 12, see anything amiss?

Everything is transposed 1 OCTAVE higher than what it SHOULD be!

If something as simple and basic as that is wrong... what else did they miss?

I would keep an eye out for this book in stores and see if they have revised it before I were to buy it here.

Wow this is a very good book for any good guitar enthusiast. I would recomment as many people to read this .