In my previous post, I have mentioned that it is important to learn to read and write music notations. Now, I am here with a suggestion of three guitar books/series with notations which are suitable for beginners.
1. Guitar Playing Made Easy for Everyone 1-5 by Joseph M Estella & George Roberts
This series is a collection of very simple and easy to learn songs. Step by step, they introduce you to chords too. Every book contains around 30 pages and each book costs around Rs. 120. So if you want to have some fun by learning old songs with accompaniment this book is best bet! This book won't cover many scales and advanced concepts, but it can give you a good start.
2. Mel Bay - You Can Teach Yourself Guitar
From the house of Mel Bay comes this gem. It is a single book with 110+ pages. It starts from explaining types of guitar, how to buy a guitar, how to hold it etc. So this book is like a music master with you. If you don't even know what is guitar, then you should buy this book. But don't underestimate this book due to the way it begins. This book has a collection of classic songs with chords. It also contains TAB notation. Though I am not a great fan of TAB notation, some guitarists prefer it. Even the TAB notation used here goes with timing notations, so you won't miss anything. It also teaches advanced concepts like arpeggios (broken chords), bending, hammer, alternate picking etc.
3. A Modern Method for Guitar 1,2 & 3 by William Leavitt
This is a hybrid book. It starts very simple and builds complexity with every lesson. When you enter the third volume, you will be a well known guitarist in your friends circle. More than 400 pages of lessons will squeeze every drop of music within you out! This book is full of advanced concepts, music theory and various scales. So this book will make you an expert. This is a must have if you are really serious about guitar playing
Conclusion:
These books are in no way a replacement to a music master. You still need to join a good class if you want to learn everything correctly. These books can serve as extra learning for you during leisure. Also don't waste your time on these books if your music class is following a different syllabus. Just practice what is taught by your music school first and as an "extra-curricular" activity, use these books. If your class follows any of these books as syllabus, don't try to look in to lessons ahead of time. That will do more damage than good. So wait till your master giving you a green signal for next lesson. Try to manually copy the lessons in to a staff paper. That will improve your music writing ability and register the notes to your mind too. Happy learning!
1. Guitar Playing Made Easy for Everyone 1-5 by Joseph M Estella & George Roberts
2. Mel Bay - You Can Teach Yourself Guitar
From the house of Mel Bay comes this gem. It is a single book with 110+ pages. It starts from explaining types of guitar, how to buy a guitar, how to hold it etc. So this book is like a music master with you. If you don't even know what is guitar, then you should buy this book. But don't underestimate this book due to the way it begins. This book has a collection of classic songs with chords. It also contains TAB notation. Though I am not a great fan of TAB notation, some guitarists prefer it. Even the TAB notation used here goes with timing notations, so you won't miss anything. It also teaches advanced concepts like arpeggios (broken chords), bending, hammer, alternate picking etc.
3. A Modern Method for Guitar 1,2 & 3 by William Leavitt
This is a hybrid book. It starts very simple and builds complexity with every lesson. When you enter the third volume, you will be a well known guitarist in your friends circle. More than 400 pages of lessons will squeeze every drop of music within you out! This book is full of advanced concepts, music theory and various scales. So this book will make you an expert. This is a must have if you are really serious about guitar playing
Conclusion:
These books are in no way a replacement to a music master. You still need to join a good class if you want to learn everything correctly. These books can serve as extra learning for you during leisure. Also don't waste your time on these books if your music class is following a different syllabus. Just practice what is taught by your music school first and as an "extra-curricular" activity, use these books. If your class follows any of these books as syllabus, don't try to look in to lessons ahead of time. That will do more damage than good. So wait till your master giving you a green signal for next lesson. Try to manually copy the lessons in to a staff paper. That will improve your music writing ability and register the notes to your mind too. Happy learning!
