Customer Reviews

The Hal Leonard Acoustic Guitar Method: A Complete Guide with Step-by-Step Lessons and 45 Great Acoustic Songs

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

The title of this book is a bit misleading. This is not a method book with step-by-step lessons. This is a song book. It does tell how to finger most chords used, but that's the extent of the "lessons." This is not for beginners. This won't teach you how to play.

I purchased this book with the Complete Guitar Method series. This is an awesome supplement to that book. The included songs are fantastic, and the tab makes this very easy to use for those of you who don't read music. I've got mixed feelings as the title lead me to think this was something it was not. However, I am happy I have this book because I now have some great songs ready at hand when I need them.

I searched through OLGA and a few other tab sites for these songs, and the quality of the book shines. When you get tabs from the net you get someone's interpretation of a song. When you get this book, you actually get the song as it was actually written. Keep that in mind. I know it's not true of all tabs, but sometimes you should really consider a real book rather than what could possibly be a sloppy rendition from a tab site. Free tabs are great, but you can actually rely on this book to give the true song.

Buy this for the songs, not for the "lessons." It is worth the money just so long as you realize this isn't for the beginner.

One thing to note with this book is right on the cover it says "supplement to Any Guitar Method". This is a book for someone who has learned the very basics and wants to see how all those chords, scales and strumming patterns apply to real music. It does assume a basic level of competence with the guitar. If you are brand new to the guitar, get this book in 6 months or so.

While browsing through the guitar section at a local bookstore, this book caught my eye because it shows real world examples of the techniques I've been currently practicing.

Again this is not for the beginner nor is it intended to be. But if you have the basics down and want to push your guitar playing to the next level this book will certainly get you there.

I had seen this book in stores before I bought it, so I knew what I was getting into.

I think, over all, it's a good buy. But if you're just learning guitar, I'd wait until you got through Hal Leonard' s guitar method books (1-3), or some other basic guitar method. After a brief review of stumming patterns, the book takes off quite quickly with difficult syncopated rythyms and fancy chords.

The other thing is that, even though it boasts having a lot of songs,I think around forty-five, most of them are just a few measures and riffs from those songs. Only at the end of each chapter is there a complete song to learn.

I am a novice and this was not useful. I am keeping it around for when I get to the intermediate stages because there are some good information for once you know and understand the chords and how to read music.

I am writing this review of this book because i see alot of reviews decrying it because it isn't for beginners.this book is a SUPPLEMENT to the Hal Leonard guitar method which IS for beginners(it even says so on the cover!)this means that it isn't a stand alone course of study, it's meant to be studied in CONJUNCTION WITH the Hal leonard guitar method course which is excellent.i suggest studying the hal leonard guitar method books 1-3 or the complete edition with books 1-3 in one volume first, THEN this book to get best results.

The title of this book can be a little misleading. It doesn't give much of a step-by-step approach and it doesn't explain well enough to understand. This book is good for people who are a lot more advance and want more knowledge about their playing. And for those who want to learn some good acoustic songs, this book will be the right one for you. But I strongly suggest for those who are new, get a guitar instructor to teach you the proper way of playing these songs. Trust me; it will save you from struggling.

The book is not for beginners. You have to have a little more experience in notes before you take up this book. It is also not a step-by-step lesson. Basically it's a song book. It's good none the less.

"The Hal Leonard Acoustic Guitar Method" is a really good book for guitarist who want to learn different techniques to improve their playing. It covers basic strumming styles, finger picking, flatpicking, Blues slides, alternative tuning, and explains capo use.

The book includes many very helpful exercises with each section, and ends each chapter with a tabs and sheet music for popular songs. Riffs and intros for other songs are also included.

NOTE: This book is for people who already know the basic of how to play, and I believe it's intended for the intermediate/advanced level. Not a good choice for newbies.

I was disappointed that the CD didn't include more of the riffs from the book, but still think it's a nice learning tool.

i tried this book out as my first lesson book. i agree with most that you should check out true beginner books before this one. i feel that it is a very good book, just for the advanced beginner. go with the hal leonard guitar method course first and then use this as a supplement. best of luck

Billed as a "Complete Guide with Step-by-Step Lessons and 45 Great Acoustic Songs," this book is not anything like a complete guide to acoustic guitar techniques, nor does it offer 45 songs.

As opposed to being a complete guide, this slim volume offers a little bit of basic info on strumming patterns, fingerpicking techniques, uses for a capo, alternate tunings, slide use, etc.

As to the supposed 45 songs: only 7 songs are tabbed in full; the rest are actually just riffs or chord progressions--with little or no instructional material specifically pertaining to them. Many of the riffs and progressions are not even featured on the accompanying disc.

Of which, the 7 full songs are recorded as full-band tracks (minus vocals) at normal speed; there are no isolated acoustic guitar parts or slow versions. In other words, they aren't much good for helping you pick out the nuances. Song choice is problematic, too: "Name" is a fine tune, but why offer a song that requires restringing your guitar to accommodate a very unusual altered tuning? Why not offer a tune in the more common open G, for example?

Despite all these substantial flaws, there are bits and pieces of useful information to be gleaned for beginning and intermediate guitarists. Just don't expect too much. It's best to think of this volume as a seven-song tab book that also includes brief orientations to complex topics better treated in depth elsewhere.