Customer Reviews

Playing The Guitar: A Self-Instruction Guide to Technique and Theory, Third Edition

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I own (and still study) the first edition of this book. It was first published in 1963. It was a tresure then as it is now. A well writen book is never outdated. This is a book that every guitar player, beginer or experienced needs in his library. Bad habits are easily picked up and hard to loose. This book helps keep one on the path.

Be advised this book only covers classical and flamenco playing. It is of much less use for acoustic steel string or electric players.

Nevertheless, one can't properly play any guitar without a basic study of the classical. This book is complete--it covers construction styles to look for, proper woods and finishes for good tone, judging the condition of a used instrument, and basic hold and technique (that so many "rock" players abandon for the sake of slinging an axe low and looking cool, while damaging their wrists and hindering their playing).

I agree with other reviewers that it moves VERY fast--there are tricks such as tambor and percussives discussed in here, along with octave harmonics and complex chords that are beyond most beginners. I'd recommend learning a few basics before picking up this book, and using it in concert with other texts to keep perspective. Do bear in mind that Noad is biased toward the classical guitar--I don't agree, for example, that a radiused fingerboard makes no difference to playing and should be avoided. This is traditional wisdom about a gut or nylon strung instrument, and absolutely false with regard to steel string or electric, the latter of which sometimes have compound radii and staggered frets to improve action and play.

A good book not despite but because of its focus on the classical.