Product Description

The "First Stage" Guitar Book is for the anxious beginner who desires a direct no frills method to learning how to play guitar without pages and pages of reading before you start putting your fingers on the strings and begin strumming some music right away; it is also a great reference guitar book for those who already play some. Recently revised and updated with more easy to understand guitar learning information.

All instructions are boldly and clearly illustrated in the most easiest to understand finger shapes.

This must have guitar book is a generous welcome addition to better understand all other guitar books you may already have in your learn how to play guitar collection.

The "First Stage" Guitar Book introduces and guides you to learning:

* Clear and bold illustrations of the most commonly played guitar chords for every key in the easiest to play Open & Barre chord shapes, for example, Major, Major 7ths, Major Dominant 7ths, Minor, Minor 7ths, and 9ths

* The absolutely must have Chord Combination Chart which clearly illustrates which chords go with chords in the same key. Practice chord progressions galore in every key. You will enjoy putting your own creations together with this indispensible chord chart

* Simple techniques of changing one chord to other chords of the same root note names by just lifting a finger or two

* Transposing any chord progression to the key that is the most comfortable for your voice

* Power Chords

* How to read and write in Tablature (Tabs)

* A simple method to maintaining a steady rhythm while strumming

* Clear illustrations of every note on the guitar neck fret board and where each note is located in standard notation and sheet music

The coil bind format allows the guitar book to remain flat for easy viewing of both the left and right side of each page.

Special Note: Both The "First Stage" Guitar Book and The "Guitar Book" (red cover) contain the same learning information. Here you have a choice of which cover art you prefer. This text refers to both the Coil Bind and Paperback Editions.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #23740 in Books
• Published on: 2006-01-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Spiral-bound
• 98 pages

Review
"Finally, an enjoyable method to learning to play guitar. Chris Lopez makes the complex appear simple." -- Russ Hucek - Kradle Guitar Picks- July 2001

From the Publisher
READING MUSIC AND PRIOR EXPERIENCE PLAYING THE GUITAR NOT REQUIRED...Want to learn how to play the guitar EASILY and QUICKLY? This great book by Chris Lopez will jump start your musical development in the right direction. You will find what the beginning guitar player has for so long been looking for, for starters, a guitar book filled with complete and easy to understand illustrations on how to play the most commonly played chords - both open and barre forms. Areas covered include Major, Minor, Dominant Seventh, Dominant Ninth and Major Seventh chords. Includes easy to understand chord reference chart on related chords by key, and information on transposing chords and a great deal more that would have you looking forever in other guitar books for the simplicity, all presented in clear and boldly illustrated diagrams. As it has been said before, there is no magic to learning how to play the guitar, only the desire to learn and self-scheduling practice time and before you know it you will be playing the guitar to your favorite songs and imagine this, also be able to start creating your own songs.

From the Author
For all the years I have been playing a guitar, I have never seen a "learn how to play guitar" book that provides a means of learning how to play a guitar in an easy to understand format which provides for the beginning guitar player plenty of clear and bold illustrations. So I thought it was about time to make available such a guitar book. I truly believe a picture tells a thousand words and this explains why I believe it doesn't take hundreds of pages of words to show someone how to play a guitar. I decided to present a guitar book which contains less words and more of what I like to call SEE & DO so that you won‘t spend a great deal of your time reading but spend a greater portion of your time with your hands on the guitar.

You will discover that this learn to play guitar book will not overwhelm you with more than you need to know at this early stage of learning to play guitar, however will provide you with only the must know basics, learning techniques about getting started on the guitar and only the essential guitar chords, presented in simple to understand illustrations. You will find that by focusing and learning the most commonly played guitar chords and how they work together. With the information provided in this guitar book, you will be on your way to playing the songs you enjoy as well as your own creations a lot sooner.

On another note, you may also wish to get a copy of a handy and quick reference guitar chord chart: The "First Stage" Guitar Chord Chart – Learn How To Play The Most Commonly Played Guitar Chords!

Customer Reviews

The "No Fluff" guide to playing the guitar
I like many others, own many 'how to play guitar' books. The vast majority of these books are either overly technical for the beginner, or present incomplete information that demands prior knowledge of guitar theory. This book presents chords (open and barre) in easy to read diagrams, along with progressions that take the guess work out of what chords sound good together. Of the many books I own, this, along Chris'other book,"The Next Stage Guitar Book", are my favorites. Rather than reinventing the wheel and taking years to learn the information presented in this book by trial and error, I'd suggest buying this book. It's like a treasure map that will simplify the guitar, and more importantly, allow you to have some fun rather than drown in years and years of theory before being able to play anything.

Another truly refreshing approach.
As with "The Guitar Book" this book also, with it's easy to see diagrams steps the beginner through the basics of the guitar from the proper positioning, tuning and the first few basic chords one begins to sense an immediate feel of accomplishment from the basics of strumming and finger placement.

The charts showing chords in the open and "barre" combinations, in my opinion, takes this knowledge to a level that any student can expand with to the best of their current ability. The availability of this "BUILDING BLOCK" feature paints a bright picture where as other books pile this information in following chapters.

From the easy to read diagram explanations, transposing and "tips along the way" the potential here is something that not only will the beginner find useful but many a player I'm sure will find resourceful. From the majors, minors, flats, sevenths and ninths this book by far is the best I have seen anywhere.

I doubt anyone will find this too elementary.

A Definite 5+ *****

Getting Started Made Easier Than Ever!
I got the book and discovered this guitar book is just what I wanted. The chords are easy to understand and given in both "open" and "barre" finger forms. It has other helpful learning information such as the individual notes on the guitar and how they relate to written music. The illustrations are large and clear. It is much simpler now since everything I needed to get started is in The "First Stage" Guitar Book.

I am pleased that it is a spiral bound book, the pages stay flat making it easy to practice. It is a valuable guitar book for a beginner like myself.