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Guitar For Dummies
This newly updated guide offers expanded coverage on musical styles from blues to rock as well as a new chapter devoted to jazz. Guitar for Dummies 2E features new practice techniques -- from scales to full pieces. Guitar for Dummies 2E also includes updates to charts, illustrations, photos and resources. Guitar for Dummies 2E features updates on tuning as well as the latest information on buying a guitar and accessories. Plus an all-new interactive CD allows readers to listen, learn, tune, and play along. Perfect for beginner to intermediate guitar players seeking step-by-step advice and tips to play the guitar.
382 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1998
285 people are currently reading
1582 people want to read
About the author
Mark Phillips
146 books2 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
(8)music & verbal instruction
Phillips, Mark, 1947-
per Library of Congress website
(8)music & verbal instruction
Phillips, Mark, 1947-
per Library of Congress website
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
March 30, 2025
این کتاب نه خود آموزه نه متده و نه اتود. برای کسی که تازه شروع کرده فکر نمیکنم انتخاب مناسبی باشه. ولی برای کسانی که خود آموز و بصورت پراکنده از منابع مختلف گیتار یاد گرفتن منبع خوبیه که بتونن دانسته هاشون رو جمع بندی و تکمیل کنند
August 24, 2007
This is a decent book for those just starting out learning the guitar. But don't expect to go too far as many, many intermediate and advanced topics are not included. Once you are finished with this book, if it helped you, be sure to go on to the book How to Become a Guitar Player from Hell because it contains almost all the concepts this book leaves out, such as arpeggios, finger tapping, artificial and muted harmonics, exotic scales, modes, advanced chords, "outside" playing, and more. How to Become a Guitar Player from Hell also has never before published methods such as the "wah-wham" technique, unorthodox tremolo bar manipulations, and radical out-of-the-box thinking exercises. Google the title to find out more about that book.
August 23, 2016
I'm already an advanced enough guitarist that I didn't need this book for the learning aspects. What I did want was a good source on reading music, and the book doesn't disappoint. Rather than simply provide a reference to the symbols used on a musical staff, it walks you through the process of reading some simple tunes, and includes tablature for comparison.
Beginning guitarists would do well to pick this one up, though. This is my first "for dummies" book, and I found it funny and engaging. I will probably pick up a few others whenever I feel the need to clarify a subject, even one I'm fairly familiar with.
Beginning guitarists would do well to pick this one up, though. This is my first "for dummies" book, and I found it funny and engaging. I will probably pick up a few others whenever I feel the need to clarify a subject, even one I'm fairly familiar with.
August 12, 2018
Admittedly, I may have rounded up this rating if I didn't read The Idiot's Guide to Guitar Playing first. Reading them one after the other makes it hard to review them beyond comparing and contrasting.
Guitar For Dummies seems to be designed with the same audience in mind as most YouTube beginner guitar tutorials. It's relatively understandable and mostly focused on strumming songs in popular American and British rock and country music, which is likely what the average American beginner guitar player wants in their learning experience. Music notation is in the appendix rather than the main book--standard notation is often seem as an annoying obstacle on the way to actually playing. Most techniques are relevant to rock and country--techniques for less-popular genres were left out or briefly and ineffectively mentioned in a later chapters on folk, classical, and jazz. Not to make fun of the stereotype, but this is for the ol' fast and lazy American approach. Embrace it if that's what'll motivate you. I personally prefer the classical emphasis of the Idiot's Guide alternative. That said, I always enjoy picking up options in both series for kicks and catch whatever the other left out.
I would say the Idiot's Guide and Dummies have a 50% overlap in this case, so you definitely can't go wrong with trying either. Dummies is more mainstream genre and dummed down (of course!), whereas Idiot's is more nerdy, frankly. Wording wise, I have found the Dummies to try too hard to spell things out like a casually-spoken textbook while Idiot's has this more overarching understanding, which I tend to learn better from. Both books also use an almost completely different set of practice songs, furthering the fun of studying both. I just want it known that both are good books, but for my own style the Idiot's Guide shines and the Dummies was an expansion of content.
Guitar For Dummies seems to be designed with the same audience in mind as most YouTube beginner guitar tutorials. It's relatively understandable and mostly focused on strumming songs in popular American and British rock and country music, which is likely what the average American beginner guitar player wants in their learning experience. Music notation is in the appendix rather than the main book--standard notation is often seem as an annoying obstacle on the way to actually playing. Most techniques are relevant to rock and country--techniques for less-popular genres were left out or briefly and ineffectively mentioned in a later chapters on folk, classical, and jazz. Not to make fun of the stereotype, but this is for the ol' fast and lazy American approach. Embrace it if that's what'll motivate you. I personally prefer the classical emphasis of the Idiot's Guide alternative. That said, I always enjoy picking up options in both series for kicks and catch whatever the other left out.
I would say the Idiot's Guide and Dummies have a 50% overlap in this case, so you definitely can't go wrong with trying either. Dummies is more mainstream genre and dummed down (of course!), whereas Idiot's is more nerdy, frankly. Wording wise, I have found the Dummies to try too hard to spell things out like a casually-spoken textbook while Idiot's has this more overarching understanding, which I tend to learn better from. Both books also use an almost completely different set of practice songs, furthering the fun of studying both. I just want it known that both are good books, but for my own style the Idiot's Guide shines and the Dummies was an expansion of content.
July 27, 2022
This book is only good for learning chords. It's extremely obvious the authors never handed this book to a complete beginner and got feedback. It shows you some chords (which is actually well done) and then the very first songs in the book have NOTHING to do with what they've already taught you.
Why spend a chapter teaching using well-done guitar tabs, and then every song is only written in musical scale, that you haven't even bothered to show yet? Seriously, the editors failed big-time for this book.
Why spend a chapter teaching using well-done guitar tabs, and then every song is only written in musical scale, that you haven't even bothered to show yet? Seriously, the editors failed big-time for this book.
September 20, 2008
If I didn't learn to play, does that make me a super dummy?
February 13, 2023
It's a good thing libraries own these books. This is definitively a "what is a guitar?" book, taking you from your first step in the world of the guitar. If you know how to tune your guitar already, skip it. There is some theory, as well as some scales, chords, but it's the very basic stuff, and actually you don't need to read a book to learn chords, in other words, the time you invest reading could be better allocated into more advanced stuff UNLESS, you don't know anything of anything. The good: it gives some chord structures, it speaks of different types of music (blues, rock, folk, etc), and it mentions great guitar players.
September 1, 2019
This is a good book if you know absolutely nothing about acoustic or electric guitars. But, to be honest, you may be able to learn everything just by watching some Youtube videos about to start playing the guitar, the anatomy of a guitar, how to change the strings and so on. The only part that end up being useful for me was the last chapter on how to read music. But even this you can find on Youtube.
March 26, 2017
It is an excellent book. The writing is simple and the illustrations superb! Thank you!
June 3, 2020
Sin más
June 27, 2020
Not useful enough for dummies to learn how to play(With no instant interactive, no way).
The last two chapters are quite interesting, though.
The last two chapters are quite interesting, though.
April 19, 2021
Really helpful and interesting guide to learning some basics of the guitar!
January 8, 2023
Too much information about the complexity of a guitar but do applaud the author for his knowledge and humor. As for me, I need a book for dumber than dumb.
January 10, 2025
Great introduction to guitar, styles, exercises, and playing. It'll trash you how to teach yourself
November 22, 2011
Guitar For DUMMIES, 2nd Edition VS The Complete Idiots Guide To Guitar
I found the Guitar For Dummies to be more lighthearted, while The Complete Idiot's Guide To Guitar to be worded more serious and to the point. The Complete Idiot's Guide felt more like my old guitar teacher when I was a child, an old fart that made me play Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star a hundred times before he thought I had it right. Thank Goodness he was a sweet 70-year old, because it was creepy enough as it was, being in that little room with the dark paneling in that cellar of that quaint music store. As this older gentleman taught me how to tap my foot and strum my cheap wooden guitar that my father had purchased for me in the guitar shop above, I had great day dreams. In other words he bored me to death, yet he could have made a better effort at keeping my attention had he at least told me some funny stories, even if they were made up. Maybe then I would not have been day dreaming that I was on a beach splashing through the waves of salty sea water and collecting seashells and would have learned something. Maybe I would have become the next Johnny Rodriguez, who was a cousin of my fathers when I was a child, who actually had his own record albums then. Johnny Rodriguez came to visit one summer and that was it, that next week I was at the music store with my dad. God Bless his heart!
I really liked how the CD that came with Guitar for Dummies contains "Tuning" for your guitar right on Track 1. Track 1 that is perfect for someone like me who loses interest quickly. In Part II of Guitar for Dummies you will find "So Start: Playing the Basics, " three songs you can easily play as a beginner. My favorite is Kumbaya, and again I thank the good Lord that Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star is not included here or I would have stopped reading this book immediately, not kidding.
I have found that both books give you the basics in learning how to play guitar, although The Complete Idiot's Guide has a slower approach in teaching those basics. I found both books to be easy to read and understand and the diagrams clear. But If you are looking for a guide for your E-reader, I can tell you right now The Complete Idiot's Guide To Guitar is not available on Kindle or Nook, however the Guitar For Dummies 2nd Edition is. If an E-reader edition is not your purpose, and instead you are easily irritated by jokes or any non-serious style of learning when it comes to a book, and have lots of time on your hands then go with The Complete Idiot's Guide To Guitar, otherwise grab the Guitar For DUMMIES and have fun with it.
I found the Guitar For Dummies to be more lighthearted, while The Complete Idiot's Guide To Guitar to be worded more serious and to the point. The Complete Idiot's Guide felt more like my old guitar teacher when I was a child, an old fart that made me play Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star a hundred times before he thought I had it right. Thank Goodness he was a sweet 70-year old, because it was creepy enough as it was, being in that little room with the dark paneling in that cellar of that quaint music store. As this older gentleman taught me how to tap my foot and strum my cheap wooden guitar that my father had purchased for me in the guitar shop above, I had great day dreams. In other words he bored me to death, yet he could have made a better effort at keeping my attention had he at least told me some funny stories, even if they were made up. Maybe then I would not have been day dreaming that I was on a beach splashing through the waves of salty sea water and collecting seashells and would have learned something. Maybe I would have become the next Johnny Rodriguez, who was a cousin of my fathers when I was a child, who actually had his own record albums then. Johnny Rodriguez came to visit one summer and that was it, that next week I was at the music store with my dad. God Bless his heart!
I really liked how the CD that came with Guitar for Dummies contains "Tuning" for your guitar right on Track 1. Track 1 that is perfect for someone like me who loses interest quickly. In Part II of Guitar for Dummies you will find "So Start: Playing the Basics, " three songs you can easily play as a beginner. My favorite is Kumbaya, and again I thank the good Lord that Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star is not included here or I would have stopped reading this book immediately, not kidding.
I have found that both books give you the basics in learning how to play guitar, although The Complete Idiot's Guide has a slower approach in teaching those basics. I found both books to be easy to read and understand and the diagrams clear. But If you are looking for a guide for your E-reader, I can tell you right now The Complete Idiot's Guide To Guitar is not available on Kindle or Nook, however the Guitar For Dummies 2nd Edition is. If an E-reader edition is not your purpose, and instead you are easily irritated by jokes or any non-serious style of learning when it comes to a book, and have lots of time on your hands then go with The Complete Idiot's Guide To Guitar, otherwise grab the Guitar For DUMMIES and have fun with it.
February 25, 2014
This is a great introduction to the ins and outs of learning to play guitar. Well-written like some of the other dummies books I've read, this one does a good job of explaining jargon, describing a bit more chord "theory" than other guitar books I've seen, pointing out the essential differences in playing various styles (rock, blues, folk, etc), and buying and maintaining the instrument. This book clarified my mind on a couple of issues, and I'd recommend it as an up-front overview to anyone considering the discipline.
August 29, 2007
This books is excellent for guitar nit-wits. I honestly haven't touched it in years (nor did I finish it), but it really gives you a solid foundations if you've never played guitar before. The lessons seem promising if you stick with it.
April 2, 2009
It gives you all the basics and then some just like all the other "Dummies" books. They are great for building a base of knowledge for something you know nothing about or to expand on the very little knowledge you may know.
August 12, 2009
It was a pretty awesome book to get you started and see if you want to play guitar, but if you are really into it you need to get a teacher. It has a couple cool songs in it such as Kumbuya. It walks you through purchasing your next guitar, the basic chords, and proper form.
December 31, 2007
How to play a G7 cord
Read
February 18, 2010We'll see, have decided to learn the guitar this year for an interesting even next new year's eve.
September 1, 2012
For someone who wants to learn guitar basics, great book to begin with.
Read
July 2, 2015very helpful. did not realize there were so many things to look for in a guitar. will need to refer to this book often.
August 28, 2011
It lacked some things, but it's still a good reference. Will have to look up other books though.
August 22, 2013
Genious!
February 9, 2014
The perfect complement to RockSmith 2014 for finally learning how to play guitar :).
Read
May 29, 2018decent book but the b ook suffers from the binding. as a player my hands will be on the guitar not trying to keep the book open.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews