Guitar Education Book Study Recommendations

Q: I browsed your site and read about several of Bruce Arnold’s books on amazon.com. I’ve been playing the guitar for a little over 2 years. I took lessons for about 8 months, but my teacher left the state and I’ve been floundering since then. Your books look interesting and get rave reviews, but I don’t know which one to try.

I know lots of chords, can play a few barre chords–not well, but can play them, and I have a great memory for chords and little pieces I learned in lessons. I know nothing about theory, and can’t figure out the strumming patterns of songs even when I know them like the back of my hand, can sing them, and have the tabs for them – I can play the chords, but that’s it. I love music and playing is a joy, but I have found myself very unmotivated the past 6 months or so and hardly playing at all (even losing my calluses). So, to summarize: not a rank beginner, know lots of chords, great memory, no music theory, no “ear”, no sense of figuring out strumming patterns, sad because I have lost direction and motivation.

What book would you recommend I buy?

A: Thanks for contacting me. For Guitar Education Book Study Recommendations I would recommend you work in 3 different directions. My recommendations would be based on a 1 and 1/2 hour practice time per day. Hopefully a little more on the weekends. It would also be figuring that you have time to do ear training or music theory when commuting to work/school. This could also take in to account other small 5 to 10 minute time intervals throughout the day that you could do a little music practicing without the guitar.

First, I think 1st Steps for a Beginning Guitarist will be a good starting place for you. This book will show you the proper technique you need to use when playing the guitar but will also help you with your rhythm and chord changing problems. There are important scales to learn in the back of the book
Second, I’d recommend getting the Jam Tracks Volume One so that you can apply these scales your are learning in a musical way.
Third, I’d also recommend getting the MetroDrone so when you are playing the scales in each position that your ear stays in the right key center.
Fourth, I would recommend Music Theory Workbook for Guitar Volume One. A completely “not fun” book, but is a very valuable book to work through to learn some basic music theory. This book will help you memorize all chords both in you head and your hands. This will be very useful information when you start to process and understand the music theory aspects of each scale or chord progression you might learn. This is a workbook where you fill in answers to music theory questions. It is an excellent book to work on when you have breaks throughout the day or when commuting etc. You could also consider getting the Music Theory Workbook Video Course. Sometimes students prefer this because it gives you many videos to help you understand music theory and also what are the most important factors in learning from this book
Last, I would recommend Ear Training One Note Complete. This will improve your ear so you are more “connected” with music and will in the long run help you to learn music directly from CDs and to hear and understand what others are playing. Once again this book and CDs are excellent tools to practice when commuting or during any 5 to 10 minute down time throughout the day.

That should take you about 10 weeks to complete the chord progressions in 1st Steps for a Beginning Guitarist You should also be close to finishing the scales in that book too. So then it is time to move on to:

Chord Workbook for Guitar Volume One teaches you all the chords you need to know to be a professional guitarist. There are 36 chord progressions in the back of the book which you should learn.
When you are practicing the chord progressions I want you to use the MP3s found in the Complete Blues Comping Both Major and Minor.That will really help to build up your groove, ability to play in time, feel a form and develop the beginnings of soloing.
Depending on how your ear training is going you may want to add in some of the Direct Application CDs. If you are getting around 50% right answers add the Major and Minor Direct Application listening for a 5 minutes a few times a day.
Essential Scales will teach you all the scales you need to know to play over chord progressions. It also has a whole section of modal sequencing which will help you find cool melodic ideas to play as you apply each scale to the Jam Tracks.
Last, I would recommend getting started with the Scale Analysis book. This will teach you how to think and chord progressions by teaching you the scales that go with the chord progressions you are learning in the Chord Workbook for Guitar Volume One. It will also help you to tie in the ear training with all the scale and chord practice.

Hope this helps with you Guitar Education Book Study Recommendations. Let me know if you have questions.

It is also recommended that you read Bruce Arnold’s Blog at his artist site. It contains more discussion of the musical topics found in these FAQs as well as other subjects of interest. You will also find the “Music Education Genealogy Chart” located here which shows you the historic significance of the music education products found on the Muse Eek Publishing Company Website.

Guitar Education Book Study Recommendations

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