Customer Reviews

Play Classical Guitar

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This excellent tutor will take you from beginner to intermediate status in short order. The exercises are a cut above the ordinary. The explanations are clear, firmly anchored in musical theory without being overwhelming. There is a very nicely produced cd included.

I am an adult beginner. This is the sort of material that I have been looking for since I first laid finger to string. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wishes to get "there" from "here" elegantly, competently, and happily. Enjoy!

David Braid's hardcover and spiral bound book is one of the best tutorials I've found for a moderately experienced guitar player who wishes to learn classical style of play. It is definitely a book for self taught adults however, and does present some shortcomings for the absolute beginner.

First of all, the book covers a rather broad territory and moves the student into upper positions on the fingerboard in a relatively short period of time and without a great many of the repetitious examples ("studies") found in most of the other method books. Additionally, the writer is British and uses terminology that is somewhat foreign to American ears ("quavers", "semi-quavers", etc.). I would recommend using a supplemental exercise book to insure one develops certain requisite skills. Finally, the CD which accompanies the book and plays ALL of the exercies and examples in the book is not of the highest audio quality and only plays each excercise at "concert" speed. However, given all the that, I still give the book five stars for what it does well and the overall value it represents.

There is no TAB in this book and the author correctly surmises that the student will have to learn to read music as he/she learns the left and right hand techniques necessary for play. The author incorporates effective note recognition into basic studes while allowing the student to play pieces incorporating both bass and treble and, hence, sounding like "real" music, almost from the very beginning. The exercises are progressive and effective in developing the skills the author is shooting for. Additionally, the overall quality of the package and ease of use, owing to the hardcover and spiral binding, make this an excellent intro to classical guitar.

I recommend it highly along with the more traditional (Book 1 & 2) series from Scott Tennant and Christopher Parkening. Tennant's supplemental books ("Pumping Nylon" and his two "repertoire" books) are also highly recommended.

Unlike "the Noad book" (which seemed to turn learning guitar into a chore,) Play Classical Guitar starts fast and teaches quickly. After only a few lessons, I already found myself playing pleasant little tunes.

Excercises quickly get more difficult, but reward you with songs that you're proud to play for friends. The included CD also helps you compare yourself to "the right way."

I heartily reccomend this outstanding book -- except for the fact that you need a lot of will-power to put it down!

This is a beautifully put together book. It includes a CD with all the exercises pieces. It starts by discussing general posture and body position for playing. It then presents carefully organized studies that incrementally develop playing skills. These exercises integrate music theory with techniques for right and left hand in such a manner that it provides a very pleasurable learning experience. This book is the product of careful thought. It is well organized and clearly presented. It moves the student along at a reasonable pace and keeps the student's interest. I very highly recommend it.

I have to say when I first bought the book I didn't have a clue that I would be playing as well as I am now. Its like when you hear certain pieces played and you say "One day I may play like that" Well with this book you do. Its a very easy read,and the only true test is finding time to play. For me, I never want to put the book down. You learn to play, to read and to understand music. Well worth the small price.

The book teaches music theory along with the guitar lessons. The information is given in easily digestible segments. The purpose of each exercise is clearly spelled out. I appreciate the spiral binding that keeps it flat without any struggle. It has a CD to demonstrate how the exercises and pieces should sound. The book includes a section on buying a guitar. It's nicely illustrated and fun to use.

This book starts at the beginning covering posture, notation, timing, dynamics, etc. There are exercises in each lesson segment. Each section builds upon a previous exercise. Of course, you are going to want to get supplemental material to build further upon your skills. Giovanni's 120 Right Hand Studies is a good book to help give an extension of finger picking.

I recommend this over many other books out there.

Im a beginer in classical guitar although I've been a rock guitarist for 4 years now and this book realy helped me cross that wide gap. This book will keep you interested and it's lesson can be easily understood. It covers theory, techniques, and notation. Its all you need to play the classical guitar. it comes with a CD too.

This is a beautifully put together book. It includes a CD with all the exercises pieces. It starts by discussing general posture and body position for playing. It then presents carefully organized studies that incrementally develop playing skills. These exercises integrate music theory with techniques for right and left hand in such a manner that it provides a very pleasurable learning experience. This book is the product of careful thought. It is well organized and clearly presented. It moves the student along at a reasonable pace and keeps the student's interest. I very highly recommend it.

Ok I will agree with most of the other reviewers that this is a nicely produced book, the paper quality, the spiral bound, the pics and annotations are top notch! The CD can be very misleading since in order to fit all the examples in just one CD forced the author to play everything in an inedequately fast tempo. This by itself can be a real problem when you are starting out. As most of you know (or should know) playing classical guitar is learned not rushing through the notes but SLOWLY and then building up speed. So even when you try to listen to the example in order to understand rests and other issues of musical notation, it is just too fast...On the other hand if you have a professor guiding you along with this and other pieces of study you will find it very amusing.