How to Play Guitar : A New Book for Everyone Interested in the Guitar

By Roger Evans

Book Overview

Detailed, nontechnical instructions, clear diagrams, and helpful professional advice cover choosing the right guitar, tricks for tuning, fundamental chords, reading music and tablature, rhythm guitar, fingerpicking, key signatures, and transposition.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312396090
• ISBN13: 9780312396091
• Release Date: March 1980
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press
• Length: 124 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.3" x 0.5" x 7.2"

Customer Reviews

Good beginner's book

Starting with very simple tunes, this book teaches you the very basics of guitar playing and music reading. The explanations are excellent for self-instruction for the guitar. It focusses on strumming chords to accompany tunes, if you want to play classical guitar you may want to find a book dedicated to classical.

NO TECHNICAL JARGON IN THIS BOOK!

Most how to books for "beginners" are laced with technical jargon that only someone with a working knowledge of the subject could understand. Not so with this book. I have no knowledge of the guitar and can actually understand this book. A must buy for the beginner.

For the Absolute Beginner

I wanted to learn to play guitar but had no idea where to start. I didn't even know how to change the strings on my guitar. Luckily I found this book. This book teaches you everything you need to know including how to string, tune, and hold your guitar. I learned to play chords and finger picking faster than I ever thought possible. The slow, iterative approach builds upon previous lessons which give you the skills to tackle the next lesson. A lot of books I have seen throw you right into the deep end which can be frustrating for beginners. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn how to play a guitar. If not for this book I probably would have become frustrated and quit playing before I even began.

The best choice for anyone just starting--really!

I just happened upon this book by chance when first beginning my quest for literature on guitar instruction. Simply put, I didn't want to pay for lessons from the very beginning if all I needed were some basics (holding the guitar, tuning, learning the parts of the guitar, some basic tunes and chords, etc.) to get my feet wet. I was previously intimidated by guitars and guitar playing, sure it was hopelessly complicated. Evans' easy and approachable text, very good illustrations and slow, step-by-step instructions totally changed my outlook. I've learned so much already, and I barely play four chords well! Although most of the tunes you learn early on in the book aren't necessarily "popular" ones, they get the job done. Later on in the book you learn the skills to approach any kind of music. In my opinion, it's the best bargain out there. My only suggestions would be a spiral binding and accompanying CD for future editions.

Very easy to follow even for someone who has never played.

This book is helping me play notes and chords that sound good and I never have played anything.If looking for the perfect starter book this is it!