Teach Yourself to Play Guitar (Book & Enhanced CD) [Paperback]

Ron Manus (Author), Morty Manus (Author), Morton Manus (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1992

This method for self-learners teaches everything you need to play from the popular TAB guitar folios of your favorite bands. - Chords, scales and licks for acoustic or electric guitar - A variety of styles including rock, blues, jazz & folk - Tablature and standard music notation, photos, and diagrams to help you grasp every concept

Product Details

• Paperback: 80 pages
• Publisher: Alfred Publishing Co., Inc. (June 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0882846795
• ISBN-13: 978-0882846798
• Product Dimensions: 11.8 x 8.9 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #158,236 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book for beginners!, May 25, 2005

By 

Angela Ralano (Johnson City, New York United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Teach Yourself to Play Guitar (Paperback)

This is an excellent guitar instruction book for beginners. I had never even picked up a guitar before, but thanks to this book I am playing songs on the guitar without the expense of lessons. This book will teach you how to read notes and also where they are located on the guitar, as well as what fingers to use on the left hand. This book also teaches tabulature for those interested in that. All around, this is a fantastic guitar instruction book for beginners.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great book!, October 28, 2004

By 

Jane Elizabeth "jane_elizabeth" (Chicago, Illinois United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Teach Yourself to Play Guitar (Book & Enhanced CD) (Paperback)

this is a great book if you are an absolute beginner! it made playing very easy, and was not discourging at all, like some other books i've tried that started out too hard or were too boring. i've finished it, and feel like i have a good foundation in guitar now.

40 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Why the hype???, January 10, 2007

By 

Some Reveiwer Guy "D.C." (Secret Location, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Teach Yourself to Play Guitar (Book & Enhanced CD) (Paperback)

I do not understand all the other reviewers who recommend this as a book for beginners. I have never played guitar, or any other musical instrument, and this book is not helpful.

It's only 80 pages long, and 68 of those pages require that you know how to read tablature. They only spend one page teaching you how to read tablature, which is completely inadequate for someone who is a complete beginner. There is minimal text in the book - everything is taught through tablature. There is almost no guidance on how to hold the guitar, and no guidance about hand positioning. No way is this a good book for an absolute beginner.

I recommend getting a DVD where the show you how to hold the guitar, position your hands, and strum. I assumed that would be on the "enhanced" CD, but it isn't. The CD is a joke - way too complicated for a beginner and poorly made. The CD would've been impressive 10 years ago, but it is very weak by today's standards. No video, small window size (it fills about 1/4 of my screen), and minimal explanation of what you're looking at. If you're a complete visual learner, this book and CD may be helpful. If you have been taught the basics, it might be helpful. As a beginner, it is pretty much worthless. The poorly produced DVD that came with my guitar is infinitely more helpful than this book and CD.