Customer Reviews

Mel Bay Learning the Classic Guitar: Part 1

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

 

 

This is the book used to introduce students to Classical Guitar technique at most reputable university programs. It is based on decades of research into hand anatomy and guitar virtuosity and is the landmark book on technique--his earlier book (Classic Guitar Technique-Belywn -Mills pub.) is useless for technique information being written prior to Shearer's break-through research and it was THAT book that was panned by Segovia (as mistakenly mentioned in another review), not this (Mel Bay Pub.) one. This one is an absoulte must for any fingerstyle guitarist, classical or steel string. You will improve your playing drastically if you employ its instruction. This, book I, has no music, but crucial instruction on the details of how to move the hands. This book would be as valuable to a long term player who already read music and played advanced pieces as well as to the beginner, its primary target audience.

I didn't realize until I got the book that it is meant to be used TOGETHER with Part 2. Part 1 provides the theory, Part 2 provides the music! Before buying the book, I finished Shearer's earlier paperback "Classic Guitar Technique Volume 1" which has been replaced by the "Learning" Series. There was so much in the new series that I missed on the first round, I am having to start almost all over again (a year later), but so far it seems like I have a deeper understanding of music, the guitar, and performance. Shearer's approach in this series is to get you working with performance-quality conditions (position, nail shaping, memorization) from day 1. The music provided is voluminous, building each specific skill up very slowly. He's also very focused on avoiding injury from day 1, and has you do a lot of work visualizing what you're playing. A bit intimidating to the learner, but so far seems to be worth sticking with it. My only recommendation is to get both Book 1 and Book 2 simultaneously, and read both from start to finish before starting so you can get a sense of where he's headed. I hope future editions communicate the ties between the two a bit better; a recommended map of lesson plans, using both books, would be great, for those of us who still (against Shearer's recommendations) prefer to study on our own (albeit in front of a mirror).

Years ago, Aaron Shearer suffered a debilitating case of tendonitis, robbing him of his ability to perform professionally. Since then, he has developed an entirely new approach to the classic guitar. His "Learning the Classic Guitar" series constitutes the most thorough, organized, and focused material I have seen for classic guitar study. It is very highly recommended for beginning or experienced players who want to develop solid, performance-quality technique and skill.

A well thought-out method of considerable value for the analytically-minded guitar student, or even for experienced guitarists.

There are three books in the method: Parts 1, 2, and 3.

Part 1 (shouldn't that be "Part One"?) is all about the mechanical aspects of guitar playing: How to hold the guitar, the best ways to place your hands and move your fingers, etc. (Many use the word "technique" to describe this aspect of musicianship, but I call it "mechanics." I got the idea from Vladimir Horowitz, who said that technique is something beyond mere mechanics. He said that "technique is the ability to get your point across." So, in Vlodya's world of music, it would be possible for a musician to have very inelegant mechanics, yet have a superb technique! Haven't we all heard such musicians?)

Part Two is the "workbook." It features lessons in the form of musical studies and original repertoire pieces, written in standard notation. Many of these are duets to be played with a teacher or a more advanced player. It also introduces the reader to the study of solfege.

Part Three discusses expressive playing and gives guidance on developing one's performance skills.

At the least, the three books comprise a valuable reference work for a serious guitarist or guitar student. There are other grand guitar methods in the world, of course -- Carlevaro's and Aguado's, just to name two -- but I can't think of any other that is as well-organized, as systematic (it progresses through thoughtfully designed stages), as comprehensive, and as coherent as Mr. Shearer's.

This is an excellent book for the beginner to use with/without (preferably with) the guidance of a teacher. It will properly build the students execution of basic techniques while enhancing their ability to read music. I highly recomend this book to any aspiring classical guitarist.

I bought this book recently..I own several solo/classic guitar playing books, including Noad's, and Shearer's previous books,which are also very good, but no other book I've seen spells out the mechanics of the fingers and body placement/positioning nearly as well as this one does. I plan on getting Part 2 soon, then possibly Part 3 as well. This book should obviously be used with beginning studies and a good teacher if possible.

One has to purchase at least Part 1 and 2 together to get the best benefit if you are a new student. I had to learn myself early on and used these books. When I could afford to start taking lessons, in Winston-Salem, I was pleased that my technique was not screwed up. Many of the musical pieces (book 2)aren't tough on the ear as you patiently work your way toward competency. Very well organized and thought out. If you are patient, you will be pleased.

As an amateur and needing instruction from the technical point of view, these books have been an excellent source. They are thoughtfully designed as an aid to the study of this most difficult instrument. A foundation of technique with thorough explanations as to the 'why' not just the 'how' to perform.
Mr. Shearer shows all the signs of an instructor of great experience, intelligence, research and a willingness to grow through constant study and development. He has written a series of books which reflect these qualities.

I bought this book assuming it contained some practical exercises for my students to use. It was only text. I can tell my students all that information that has been written about in this book while they use a book which gives them hands on practice. I read it all they way through and found it dry and rather boring. I made the plunge and bought book 2 but was not very impressed with it either.

IMHO, if you are wanting to learn how to play the classical guitar badly enough to try and sit through and read all this stuff, then you really need to hire a teacher. Method books are good up to a point, but they will never replace what a teacher can do. This book should have been cut in half and stuck to front of the 2nd book. I've had the book for a couple of years now and only occasionally refer to it. All the information is given in other method books that also include tangible exercises.

UPDATE: 8/28/08

I've been giving this book more thought. It is loaded with good classical guitar information though I don't always agree with it. Such as some of his right hand diagrams on page 25. I feel the right hand fingers and strings need to meet more on the left side of the fingers and not directly straight on. But, that's fodder for a live guitar lesson. If you are being "self-taught" then this book is a fairly adequate substitute for a real teacher. I would strongly suggest practicing his technical ideas using musical exercises from another book such as Christoper Parkening's, "Guitar Method, Vol. 1". The ideal situation would be for the student to read the information in Shearer's book and then hook up with a qualified classical guitar instructor so the student could fully assimilate the information into actual practice.

This book is not divided into lessons and Part 1 (theory) has little or no references to the exercises in Part 2. I find it impossible to use. It is useless for someone learning on his own and I would expect that even someone learning with a teacher would be too dependent upon the teacher. On the other hand, Shearer's earlier "Classic Guitar Technique" is a good choice for self study, as it does not have any of the shortcomings mentioned above. An even better choice is "Solo Guitar Playing" by Noad, the best I've seen so far.