The Guitar Handbook (Paperback)

~ (Author) "The musicians appearing here have all, in some way, made an original contribution to guitar playing..." (more)
Key Phrases: ninth spelling, seventh chord fingerings, guitar circuits, Les Paul, Van Halen, Jimi Hendrix (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The Essential Encyclopedia for Every Guitar Player! The Guitar Handbook is the complete guide to playing the guitar - from simple chords to advanced improvisations. Its uniquely devised learning program combines specially commissioned, step-by-step photographs with a chord dictionary containing over 800 easy-to-follow fingerings, and clear, concise text. It is also a comprehensive manual on guitar hardware and performance technology, sound equipment, special effects, and recording facilities. It examines every aspect of guitar maintenance, repair, and customizing, as well as highlighting over 20 world-famous guitarists. 43 pages with full-color photos and illustrations.

From the Inside Flap

The most comprehensive resource available for beginning and experienced guitarists alike, whether acoustic or electric. Completely redesigned and with many more full-color photos than the original, this new edition surveys recent models and profiles current masters, includes an expanded lesson section, and encompasses 10 years of technological change in recording and amplification.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Knopf; Rev Sub edition (October 20, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0679742751
• ISBN-13: 978-0679742753
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (78 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #62,573 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

70 of 72 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Have for Guitar Players at Any Level, January 24, 2001

By	T. B. Vick "Learn 2 Discern" (The Lone Star State) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

When I first started playing the guitar 2 decades ago, a friend had a copy of an earlier edition of this guide and he gave me the book to use while I was getting started. Using the book, and I mean really reading the book thru thoroughly, I learned a whole lot about the instrument itself and the music that could be produced from the guitar and that really helped my performance as I developed on the instrument.

The book begins with guitar innovators, those guitar players who have had a serious impact on the way the instrument is played, etc. This section was actually fun to read and was quite informative about several guitar players who had influenced my own playing.

The following two sections of the book cover acoustic and electric guitars. These sections detail how each instrument (acoustic and electric) are put together, how to set the action, the various types of each style of guitar, how pick-ups are put together, etc. This is a helpful and technical section which instructs the reader on the ins and outs of the make-up of his instrument.

From here, the book moves into actually playing the instrument. It begins with the beginner, teaching good practicing habits, what to practice, improving fingering, chord progressions, reading tablature, tuning, action, right and left-handed techniques, etc. Then this section moves into chords (with photos), three-chord theory, flatpicking and strumming and other various fingerstyles, barre chords, and even how to transpose songs. Inside this section there is also a sub-section on rhythm guitar, setting tempo, time signatures, using chord charts, time values, etc. Essentially everything you would need to know to be a well rounded guitar player is included (including slide guitar).

The final section deals with the maintenance of the guitar. This section teaches the reader/player all the things that are needed to know about the most difficult maintenance aspects such as how to customize an instrument, to the easiest such as changing your strings. For the electric guitarist, there is a guide to guitar electronics which includes pictures and lists of all the tools you will need, instructions on reading wiring diagrams, actual charts and photos of how an electric guitar is wired, pick-up circuits, etc.

Finally, at the back of the book is a fairly extensive chord dictionary with pictures of how each chord is fingered. This dictionary is very helpful to the player when trying to find the same chord but to know where it is elsewhere on the fret board. Overall, what can I say but that no guitar player, regardless of your experience should be without this definitive guidebook.

43 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Guitar Handbook Is a Keeper, October 26, 1997

By	Randall Black (Irvine, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

While refurbishing a used electric guitar (a Gibson Flying V), I needed circuit diagrams and a friend lent me his copy of The Guitar Handbook. After reading a few pages, I didn't want to give it back! The book's brilliance lies in its economical use of language, diagrams and photos. It's as though Ralph Denyer and his editors are telepathic; knowing exactly what the reader needs and wants to know about guitars and guitar playing. Every page is a gold mine, illuminating topics I thought would be boring -- for example, complex music theory. Truly inspirational, the book unveils the once-daunting mysteries of music, including technical vocabulary, and still manages to stay down to earth. Listen to this quote: "Many guitarists--especially those that are self-taught--are suspicious of scales and regard them as an unattractive and unnecessary discipline. This is untrue." I've been rocking for 20 years and now my 16-year-old daughter is teaching me to sight-read music! One word of advice: if you expect to keep your copy of The Guitar Handbook, don't lend it to a guitar player.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars AWESOME BOOK, November 30, 2000

By	Chris White (Lake Charles, LA) - See all my reviews

I got this book to learn more about theory and scales and things like that. I got this book for the right reason-this book has everything a beginner would need to learn about scales, modes, chord theory and construction, harmonics, guitar anatomy and more. This book outlines the basics of everything a beginner should know. Even learn about sheet music. I recommend this book to any beginner or intermediate player--for acoustic OR electric.