Guitar Quickstart: A Guide to Playing and Understanding Music Reading and Chord Techniques (Paperback)

by Mary Jo Disler (Author) "Because they are essentially handmade, it is relatively easy for guitar makers to experiment with design, and there are countless versions of guitars available today..." (more)
Key Phrases: acoustic steel string guitar, guitar fretboard, alternating bass, Aura Lea, Frere Jacques, London Bridge (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"a powerful logic and chronology about each chapter" Will there be a guitar under the Christmas tree this year? This is a wonderful gift for someone just learning. It covers all the basics but knows where to stop. It's organized based on 20 years of teaching experience (University of Michigan and private studio), so there's a powerful logic and chronology about each chapter. And, best of all, Disler instills just enough theory and fundamentals to ease the student into more difficult studies. Classic acoustic or steel-string guitar, this entry-level book sets the stage for more. No teacher in the neighborhood? That's okay. This book is designed for easy self-study. But Disler recommends one if possible. Either way, the student gets off to a great start. A discussion of guitar types, parts, how to hold it. The fretboard, the music staff, and how to convert tablature to notation. Some chord basics (and tips on memorizing them alphabetically) and quick start songs. Fingering exercises, basic theory and rhythm. Applying "alternating bass" to chords, how to freestroke with chords, songs for harmonizing with chords. Tablature is having a revival in many guitar publications, but "any serious student today must learn to read music." Disler makes it easy, helping students see the relationship between fretboard and notation. Ends with bonus stuff: guitar care and maintenance, how to tune it, popular chords, blank diagrams for practice. great for either private or self-instruction. -- the BOOK READER, Fall/Winter, 1999/2000

Will there be a guitar under the Christmas tree this year? This is a wonderful gift for someone just learning. It covers all the basics but knows where to stop. It's organized based on 20 years of teaching experience (University of Michigan and private studio), so there's a powerful logic and chronology about each chapter. And, best of all, Disler instills just enough theory and fundamentals to ease the student into more difficult studies. Classic acoustic or steel-string guitar, this entry-level book sets the stage for more. No teacher in the neighborhood? That's okay. This book is designed for easy self-study. But Disler recommends one if possible. Either way, the student gets off to a great start. A discussion of guitar types, parts, how to hold it. The fretboard, the music staff, and how to convert tablature to notation. Some chord basics (and tips on memorizing them alphabetically) and quick start songs. Fingering exercises, basic theory and rhythm. Applying "alternating bass" to chords, how to freestroke with chords, songs for harmonizing with chords. Tablature is having a revival in many guitar publications, but "any serious student today must learn to read music." Disler makes it easy, helping students see the relationship between fretboard and notation. Ends with bonus stuff: guitar care and maintenance, how to tune it, popular chords, blank diagrams for practice. great for either private or self-instruction. -- the BOOK READER, Fall/Winter 1999/2000, p.10

Product Description
Guitar QuickStart was developed in college classes over 20 years of teaching. It fills in the gaps left by many other basic methods, and has been highly successful. Students learn the fundamentals of music reading, tablature, and chord playing while playing music such as "Ode to Joy," "When the Saints Go Marching In," "Wabash Cannonball," "Aura Lee," "Greensleeves," andothers. Just enough theory is included to make music and the fretboard understandable, and to provide some shortcuts to learning techniques such as alternating bass. It is a perfect text for individuals or classes, with material and presentation suitable for either secular or religious schools.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 90 pages
• Publisher: Lyra House Music Pub (December 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0964222906
• ISBN-13: 978-0964222908
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 8.4 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #330,035 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Helpful, very easy to understand, September 27, 1999

By	[e-mail] (Michigan/New York City) - See all my reviews

I have to learn to play the guitar for a television project and as I was looking for a book suited for someone like me who had never even touched a guitar before, I found "Guitar Quickstart" and it is perfect! Some of the other books that I came across were way too hard to understand, but "Guitar Quickstart" brakes it down just right. It has very helpful "fill-in-the-blank" exercizes in the workbook that really makes learning the guitar fun. It's totally the type of book I was looking for! It has made me want to stick with learning the guitar after the project is over. Kudos to the author for writing such a wonderful book!!

Christopher Ewing, Emmy Award winning actor/producer

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very Good But Not Quite Complete, March 22, 2001

By	cjf (St. Louis) - See all my reviews

The book couldn't be better exept for one thing. There is some information lacking that should have been taught before you get to the part of the book that teaches chords. You all of a sudden come into contact with notations that you don't have a clue as to what their meaning is if you've never read music before. Dim means "diminished", but what does that mean? what does a "7" mean when it appears in the name of a chord. etc. Up until that part at the end though, I felt the book was doing a really good job.