The Curious Guitarist
The Curious Guitarist is a 251-page comprehensive method book designed to guide students from complete beginner status to an advanced level of guitar playing. Written by Dan Dresnok, this course covers the physical mechanics of playing, music theory, and practical application using Guitar Tablature (Tab) and standard notation.
This book is organized to help you build a strong musical foundation. You will begin with the absolute basics, including guitar anatomy, how to change strings, warm-up exercises, and your first chords.
Core Guitar Skills This method focuses on five main areas of musicianship to ensure a well-rounded education:
Rhythm and Strumming: Learn how to count and read rhythm, tapping, picking, and strumming patterns. This section covers rhythm theory, Carter Style strumming, and chord walking.
Chords: Master a wide variety of chord types. The book covers basic open chords, barre chords, extended chords, scale chords, slash chords, and power chords.
Arpeggios: Understand how arpeggios work within music. You will learn fretboard shapes and positions for basic triads as well as extended and altered arpeggios.
Scales and Modes: Learn to map the fretboard for soloing. This includes major and minor scales, the 7 relative modes, pentatonic shapes, and how to connect these scales to specific keys and chords.
Song Repertoire: Apply what you learn with a song list of traditional folk, blues, and patriotic songs.
Music Theory and Technique Unlike simple songbooks, The Curious Guitarist connects physical playing with necessary music theory. You will learn:
The Nashville Number System: A standard method for charting and playing songs by ear.
Intervals and Keys: How to identify musical distances and find the key of a song.
Reading Music: A dedicated section on reading sheet music specifically for the guitar.
Ear Training: Exercises to help you identify sounds and pitches without looking at paper.
CAGED System: A method for visualizing chord shapes across the neck.
Advanced Concepts For players ready to move beyond the basics, this book includes detailed instruction on:
Blues chords and soloing techniques.
Harmonics and double stops (dyads).
Chord tones and tone clusters.
Pedal tones.
Soloing over complex chord changes.
Included Song List This book provides tabs and arrangements for the following songs to practice your skills:
Amazing Grace
Auld Lang Syne
Blackberry Blossom
Happy Birthday
Ode to Joy
Old Folks at Home
When the Saints Go Marching In
The Star-Spangled Banner
Whiskey Before Breakfast
Yankee Doodle
Whether you are teaching yourself or working with an instructor, this book provides the roadmap to master the guitar fretboard and understand the theory behind the music.
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