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How to Play Guitar: Everything You Need to Know to Play the Guitar Paperback – December 10, 2001

by Roger Evans (Author)

204 customer reviews

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In How to Play Guitar guitar players of all levels will find a wealth of instruction and inspiration. Whether you want to play pop, folk, country, rock, blues, jazz, classical, or any other style of music, you will pick up the basic techniques without tedious drills and exercises. Using real music and a step-by-step approach, How to Play Guitar will teach you about:

· Choosing and buying a guitar
· Tuning your instrument correctly
· Reading sheet music, guitar music, and tablature
· Playing melodies with chords
· Fingerpicking
· Mastering left-hand techniques, including sliding and bending notes
· Transposing melodies from one key to another and much more.

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Teach Yourself to Play Guitar: A Quick and Easy Introduction for Beginners by David M. Brewster Paperback $6.99
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About the Author

Roger Evans has helped nearly half a million readers learn to play an instrument on their own. His other books include How to Play Piano and How to Play Keyboards

Series: How to Play
Paperback: 128 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin; Revised edition (December 10, 2001)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0312287062
ISBN-13: 978-0312287061
Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 0.4 x 9.1 inches
Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 204 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #208,588 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #371 in Books > Arts & Photography > Music > Theory, Composition & Performance > Techniques
- #570 in Books > Arts & Photography > Music > Instruments > Guitar
- #1426 in Books > Arts & Photography > Music > Theory, Composition & Performance > Instruction & Study

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Reticent Pragmatist

The Perfect Instruction Book for Beginners

January 24, 2011

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

I've been attempting to play the guitar on and off for the past five years. During which, I've received casual instruction from friends, and have taken expensive private lessons from guitar teachers.
This book is better than them all!

Yes, this book is basic. It teaches guitar as if you've never come across one before: from the parts of a guitar, to how to position your hands, to how to purchase your first guitar, and how to keep your nails before playing. It also teaches how to read sheet music and tabs, and offers advice on how to practice (a little each day, never in front of others). This might be a negative for those who already know these things (in which case, 20% of the book isn't useful to you), but I thought I knew these things only to discover my form was off (e.g. position the strumming hand slightly behind the sound hole) and that I should learn to play with my fingers before using a guitar pick.

This book is incredibly comprehensive, with one lesson building on the next. You'll learn basic and barre chords, brush stroking, 3 types of finger picking, and a little bit about hammer ons, pull offs, note bends, and harmonics. What's more, you'll learn how to take care of your guitar (ex. what it means if there are buzzing noises; how to travel with your guitar).

My only tiny complaint is that there are a few exercises with songs I've never heard of, so there was no way to know whether or not I was playing them correctly (ex. Tum Balalaika - Yiddish Folk Song, or Early One Morning- English Folk Song; Yankee Doodle I knew).

If you're a beginner like me with minimal exposure to guitar playing and music theory, this book is for you. Certainly use this before taking lessons (which, from personal experience, is a waste of money until you can't go any further on your own).

Thanks to this book, I am currently at the height of my guitar playing prowess. I will be going back to it for a long time.

Comment 28 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?

Yes

E. L. Mullenax

Very great book (review from a complete and utter beginner).

September 1, 2013

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

I have been practicing the guitar for three days now and this book has been an absolute help. I had never picked up the guitar prior to this, but I already know how to play the first couple of lines to "Ode to Joy", "Skip to my Lou" and "Tell Aunt Rhody" (I know, lame songs, but starting with these basic tunes will probably lead to greater things later. Plus it teaches you to stay on beat and switch between chords more fluidly). I now know correct posture, thumb position, how to tune and clean my guitar and I'm already beginning to play chords; G7 and C to be precise. I would absolutely recommend this book to a beginner, such as myself, and I can say that it is positively worth every penny.

An addition a fair time later (added 4-26-2015):

I was looking at my Amazon reviews and decided to do some followup on this book. I've been practicing guitar for awhile now, and I'm now fairly competent! I stalled with this book when it started on the theory, but that's a character flaw more than anything. After using online resources primarily for some time I still reference this book on occasion to see what it has to say. It's still a really trusty reference for me, and I'm happy with the techniques that it introduced fairly early on.

Starting with a 7 chord in the initial set that it teaches is very unconventional, but I can't disagree. 7 chords are versatile and play well in large progressions, especially when used accentually. You'll look cool to the other newbs if you know a 7 chord, though I suggest you look up the more traditional "beginner chords" as well, all of which this book eventually covers.

The classical positioning that is suggests is great for lead guitar (though hardly used by modern rockers) because it allows for easier finger movement up and down the board. I now use more of a hybrid style, but if I were a dedicated lead, I'd definitely stay with the suggested classical positioning (minus the knee-up on the stool, I'm talking hands here).

Overall, still a five star book and a great reference. It should be found in any guitarist's library!

Comment 2 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?

Yes

WAHJ78

October 5, 2017

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

Book is crisp, clean just as advertised - New
Haven't begun to read the book yet, but I am
looking forward to it.
Thumbing through it, it looks like the written instruction and the examples provided are easy to follow and will be
conducive to learning.
Thank You. 5 Star plus!!!

CommentWas this review helpful to you?

Yes

ewoh46

Helpful book

September 30, 2008

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

This book helped me out within five minutes of opening it. I have no time in my life for taking guitar lessons so I had been using the internet as a resource for learning to play as well as another book that I have. I had some basic skills, two scales, and a few chords in my arsenal but had been struggling mightily forming the C major chord. I was getting frustrated and thinking maybe my hands were too small and my fingers too fat to play this basic chord (and more complicated ones as well). One look at the drawing (from the player's perspective- rather than the front of the fretboard- of the left hand fingering of C major and I realized that I was going about it all wrong. My wrist angle was too perpendicular. I copied the drawing, and presto- C major. So I was quickly encouraged again.
There is nothing flashy about this book, but I have been having FUN going through it- which is pretty important when practicing and the whole point of playing the guitar I think. Rather than just show you where the notes are on the fretboard (which it does in the back as a reference) you learn them by playing simple songs like Beethoven's Ode To Joy. Very cool and I'm already impressing my wife even though it is pretty easy. I also like that it teaches you to read sheet music which I can't wait to learn (once I master the skills deemed necessary to get to that point). So buy this cheap book and have fun!

Comment 14 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?

Yes

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Amanda Stephens

Five Stars

it helpehelped me out

Published 6 months ago

xiomara

Is not useful for me

Not what i expect it, Is not useful for me

Published 11 months ago

David ayoub

Five Stars

GREAT PRODUCT

Published 11 months ago

Jerry dempsay

Great started tool!

Love it. Learned more in a day than I did with other books. They did start at the beginner level.

Published 11 months ago

Dorothy Browner

Five Stars

I'm still reading and trying to play. Explain very clear

Published 1 year ago

Chriscastro

Never again

I fit this book to learn how to play the trumpet and I was not successful

Published 1 year ago

josielina

Not for beginners

I assumed this book was for beginners, but it is not. It is mostly about reading sheet music and very difficult to digest as a beginner.

Published 1 year ago

ohemp

Awesome Book

Outstanding. This is the 2nd copy of the book that I've ordered.

Published 1 year ago

Elliot Johnson

Five Stars

Very good starter book.

Published 1 year ago

S. Dillon

Best Beginning Guitar Book Ever!!!

Am a very beginning guitar player. I started this month, again. This book is the best I have ever seen. Lots of instruction and why and how to.Read more

Published on April 14, 2016

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