I have a friend who has never played guitar before, but is planning to learn. He wants to learn on an electric guitar, which appeals the most, and I guess just envisages learning general skills, maybe the usual chords at the bottom of the neck everyone starts on, and then moving into general rock and pop guitar playing, perhaps working over backing tracks and that kind of thing. He's intending to order a Shine SIL-510 shortly in fact, which I will help set up.
Anyhow, he's looking to get a good tuition book, which would be sympathetic to someone with no prior experience in music or playing an instrument, but with good depth as well, and which will take him a reasonable distance. I do remember something being mentioned before a lot on this forum, but for the life of me, I can't remember the title or the author. So any recommendations folks?
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I think others use the Learn and Master Guitar series by Steve Krenz.
I supplement this with the Rock School books. Your friend would obviously need the Grade 1 book to start off with and then move on at his own pace.
Graham
For a total beginner who wants to learn guitar properly and wants to learn to read music then "Gibson Learn and Master" is the way to go. Comes in two sizes. The standard version with book, 10 DVDs and 5 CDs and the complete version with 20 DVDs.(You can start with the standard version and buy the extra "Bonus Resource" DVDs separate, as I did) The bonus resource pdf is a free download and is worth a look at for anyone unsure of whether to buy or not. See the Learn and Master site/bonusresource.
Are you thinking of 'The Guitar Handbook' by Ralph Denyer? That's the one I used to start with. I'm almost evangelical in my praise of this book...
Cheers,
Mark.
I think the one I was trying to remember may well have been the Ralph Denyer "The Guitar Handbook".
If it was totally down to me to choose, I think I might well get my friend onto the Gibson "Learn and Master" program, assuming it does start from the very beginning, assuming absolutely no previous knowledge of music or guitar. I do have the impression it is both well written and thorough.
I don't know if my friend would really want to go in for the Rock School graded approach, good though that undoubtedly is.
Just to explain, when I started guitar, I was lucky to have a copy of an old Corgi paperback: "Guitar" by Dan Morgan (first published late 60s-ish I think). This was well written, aimed at the total beginner, and a really friendly, understanding book. The author knew and remembered how hard the early stages of learning could be, and anticipated difficulties and hurdles along the way sympathetically. There was always an encouraging word at every stage, and helpful advice. It wasn't just "this is a C major chord - learn that" then "now learn this G7". There was always a paragraph or 2 after each chord box, which understood what the learner would be going through trying to get their fingers to do this seemingly impossible task. The book also went on to more advanced chords, plus a bit about single note playing, and did head in a somewhat jazz direction lol, possibly one reason I now play that style. It would now be somewhat out of date though.
So I'm kind of looking for the nearest modern equivalent to that, if it exists. A really friendly, understanding book, aimed at the total beginner, but which can also take them a reasonable way along, and be inspiring. Does "The Guitar Handbook" not have a good enough beginner section? It sounds like a very good book otherwise, but just going on what you're saying Jocko, maybe not enough depth in the beginner bit...
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gibsons-Learn-Ma...xpanded+edition
On Amazon the poorest review is 4 stars!
There are Steve Krenz video lessons on the net somewhere. Worth a search see if the style suits and as I say download the bonus resource pdf file for a look at the layout.
Personally I found the Hal Leonard books too difficult/cumbersome, requiring previous knowledge.
If too much initial outlay, I'll have to have another think - maybe the Ralph Denyer book, with me able to help out also in the early stages, or perhaps the Justin Sandercoe stuff...
Thanks again for all the advice everyone!
One attraction for me to the course was that the resale value is high, so if I decided it wasn't the course for me there was very little to lose by selling the course. As it is, I am sticking with it.
I also picked up guitar electronics for musicians......i dont know what this could mean
Cant you tell it was payday yesterday!
And congrats on the LAMG course purchase - I wasn't trying to sell anything to anyone with this thread lol, but it seems this forum does have a way of inducing purchases...