The Only Basic Guitar Instruction Book You'll Ever Need: Learn to Play--from Tuning Up to Strumming Your First Chords

by Jack Wilkins

Narratives on famous guitarists and the extra details on guitar history are fine, but that's not what readers need or want when they are eager to master their new guitar. The Only Basic Guitar Instruction Book You'll Ever Need jumps straight into teaching beginners note reading, hand positions, and other essentials, including how to hold their guitar properly and pick notes with their right hand; progress beyond the basics to integrate playing with both hands; shift positions, play harmony, and understand chord structures; and more! Although learning the guitar can seem intimidating, this easy-to-use, step-by-step guide is simple enough even for novices, who can start picking simple tunes and learn to play chords in no time.

Genres: Nonfiction

160 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Freya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Practical book but built a bit awkwardly. At first it's basic - even as a beginner, you probably already know how to fret or strum or how to hold a guitar; you've seen it done often enough. Then suddenly you get a chunk of condensed music theory. This was a tough nut to crack, even though I had some years of musical education as a kid. So: absolute beginners will be happy with the first part but not the second, whereas false beginners will be bored during the first part but get some use out of the second.
One specific but important point of critique: in chapter 3 the author says you should exert the maximum amount of pressure with your left hand (on the frets). At first I thought it was an unintentional mistake, but it wasn't: this advise got repeated further in the book. I think this is bad advise. You should exert the MINIMUM amount of pressure that still allows you to get a clean note. If you follow his advise, you will pick up a bad habit, straining your wrists, fingers, and eventually (I imagine) your shoulder(s) and neck. Also, keep in mind that by pressing hard, you don't get the chance to see where you could improve upon your technique. If the note is buzzing, it might be that your finger is positioned a wee bit too far to the front or the back of the fret, or that your finger isn't angled well. If you press harder, sure your note will sound better, but if you just correct your technical imperfections from the beginning, the notes will sound better while allowing you to play faster, with less effort, and with less pain (especially on acoustic guitar). This is just basic and - as far as I'm aware - undisputed guitar knowledge. Correct me if I'm wrong.