Guitar For Dummies
by Jon Chappell, Mark Phillips
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Book Summary Information
Author: Jon Chappell, Mark PhillipsEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2005-10-14
ISBN: 0764599046
Number of pages: 408
Publisher: For Dummies
Product features:
- ISBN13: 9780764599040
- Condition: New
- Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
Book Reviews of Guitar For Dummies
Book Review: Pretty Meh.
Summary: 3 Stars
I decided that I'd get an electric guitar for my midlife crisis and picked up this book as a starting point. After about three months, I find that I've actually used it very little.
The good
1) A decent enough introduction to chords, strumming rhythms and a few scales.
2) The section on hardware and setup is fairly good, covering the basics for those who want to learn to setup a guitar by themselves.
3) The sections on different styles cover a wide variety of music
4) They do try to be funny. I'm not sure they succeed, but the attempt to liven up the material is welcome
The bad
1) The CD is godawful. Listen to one of the first songs they teach you to play- "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" Virtually everyone knows this spiritual- very, very slow and soulful. Now listen to the CD version- much too fast with a cheesy synth part on top drowning out most of the guitar. My wife couldn't even identify the tune when I had her listen to it.
2) Doesn't really have a good way to integrate everything. They'll show you the chords, but don't really have exercises designed to speed up chord changes, or hand strength exercises and the like
3) Beginner or not, I'm a bit unsure of some of the hand positions they show in photos. They don't show thumb position on the back and the hand in the photos looks far too collapsed for many chords- compare the correct and lazy techniques shown at http://www.guitarprinciples.com/Guitar_Technique/left%20hand%20shots.htm. This book is much closer to the lazy end.
The biggest reason I haven't bothered much with this book- there is far, far better available for free on the internet. There are multiple sites out there to teach beginners guitar technique, theory and songs, many with detailed videos or MP3s that break down the difficult bits into pieces. Consider going to the websites and then picking up some of the products they've developed, such as Jam Blues or Really Useful Play Along Tracks
Summary of Guitar For Dummies
Have you always wanted to play guitar? Who wouldn't? Think of Jimi Hendrix wailing away on his Stratocaster. . . Chuck Berry duck-walking across the stage to "Johnny B. Goode". . .B.B. King making his "Lucille" cry the blues. No doubt about it?guitars are cool.Guitar For Dummies 2nd Edition tells you everything a beginning or intermediate guitarist needs to know: from buying a guitar to tuning it, playing it, and caring for it, this book has it all?and you don't even need to know how to read music. Full of photo-illustrated exercises and songs you can play to practice the techniques discussed in each section, this step-by-step guide will take you through the basics and beyond before you can say "Eric Clapton." You'll learn how to:
- Match yourself with the guitar and equipment that fits your needs and budget
- Select the right accessories: amps, picks, pedals, capos, cases, and other goodies
- Pick and strum to produce a clean, clear, buzz-free tone
- Know whether you're really in tune
- Play melodies without reading music
- Perform basic guitar maintenance and repairs
- Build strength and dexterity while playing
- Play in different styles, including rock, blues, folk, jazz, and classical
- Make your guitar talk with bends and slides!
Fully revised and updated, with an all new interactive CD that allows readers to listen, learn, tune, and play along, Guitar For Dummies 2nd Edition is the perfect introductory guide for any novice acoustic or electric guitar player.
Note: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of eBook file.
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