Product Description

1st Steps presents you with all the information you will need to get started on the guitar. All the chord forms you will need to play your favorite songs whether they be rock, folk, or country are here.

The book contains clearly illustrated and easy to understand pictures, and our website offers hundreds of free videos and files to supplement your learning. A picture or (a movie) is worth a thousand words so if you learn best through actually seeing and hearing someone demonstrate what they are teaching, then 1st Steps is your best choice; it's like getting a book, Audio CD and DVD all together for one great low price.

Because these Audio and Video files are on line they grow each week. We are always updating our files to give you more information or to share some fascinating aspects of the guitar with you.

Here's what you get with First Steps:

1. All the most commonly played guitar chords (Major, Minor, Dominant 7th ) along with videos on how to tackle the typical problems students have with learning them.

2. Both Open and Barre Chords with practice chord progressions and the strumming directions which most books do not include. Each chord progression is presented with strumming patterns of various difficulties so that you can start making music as quickly as possible. All chord progressions have online video and audio files presenting the material at different speeds. These will get you playing along right away, and students who have difficulty strumming and changing chords will find this immensely helpful.

3. Videos demonstrating chords with special added notes (used by such artists as Jimi Hendrix) show you how added notes and phrases can take a strumming pattern from run-of-the-mill to exciting.

4. The easiest fingering patterns for both chords and scales along with tips on the common problems you will encounter -- this really speeds learning. Videos present you with common alternate fingerings, muting, and alternate chord forms so you can sound better with more variety in your playing.

5. The scratch method: This will get you switching between chords more fluidly and make your songs sound like music right away.

6. A Video on the popular CAGED Method for learning chords with a discussion of the pros and cons of reliance on this unique aspect of the guitar.

7. Information on how to tune the guitar is found both in the book and on line with audio files so you can hear what the correct pitch for each string sounds like. There is also an online movie on how to change strings on a steel string acoustic guitar.

8. Music Theory information in the book is accompanied by on line video so you can understand each part of music theory and prioritize what to learn first and what can wait until later.

9. The book contains a note chart showing you all the notes found on the guitar fretboard so you won't be guessing which note you are playing and you can quickly find the note you need in your favorite piece of music.

10. Ever wonder why certain chords go really well together? The book and on line videos show you which chords go together the best (and why!) so you can really understand what you love about your favorite songs and begin to make up your own.

11. Hammer-ons, Pulloffs, Slides, Bends, Vibrato-- these are some of the essential techniques of the guitar, and our videos show you exactly how to play these cool effects to enhance your playing. These small but useful tools make all the difference, and you'll start to sound like a professional in no time.

12. Learn through the online videos how to add notes into chords to give them more interesting sounds, and to build your understanding of chord theory. Examples from real music help you understand and learn this essential aspect of playing. 13. And more but no more space to tell you about it....

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #131054 in Books
• Published on: 2001-01-01
• Released on: 2004-09-24
• Original language: English
• Binding: Spiral-bound
• 52 pages

From the Author
"Quick" and "Easy" seem to be the buzz words for selling beginning guitar method books. From looking at many of these method books over the years I understand why so many of the students I get have so many problems. In their rush to give the consumer a "quick fix" many method books leave out important information or offer poorly explained techniques leaving the student to fill in the blanks as best they can. I find that when a beginning student is shown the proper ways to play and think of music their progress is remarkable. Music isn't a race to see who can play 3 chords the fastest, it's about making those chords sound like music, so that they are a pleasure for you to play and for others to hear. It means developing proper technique, understanding rhythm and music theory. This method book gives you a comprehensive start toward understanding these aspects of music and also points you in the right direction to other resources to develop your musical abilities further.

From my many year of teaching I have found that every student learns differently and is interested in different things. To help provide you with a rich resource I have included the following formats to help you learn guitar.

Text
Video
MP3
MidiFiles

There are many approaches you can take to this book to compliment your learning style and I believe all the resources will provide you with a intriging and fun enviorment in which to learn. I'm also available via our FAQ pages to answer any question you might have so feel free to read our FAQs and if you can't find the answer to your question I'd be happy to help out.

From the Back Cover
The guitar is the most popular instrument in the world yet most students of the guitar are self taught. "1st Steps for a Beginning Guitarist" is a comprehensive method for guitar students who have no prior musical training. Whether you are playing acoustic, electric or twelve-string guitar, this book will give you the information you need, and trouble shoot the various pitfalls that can hinder the self-taught musician. The author knows from over 20 years of teaching experience that students form most of their good and bad habits in the first six months of practicing. It is therefore extremely important to use a method book that clearly and concisely covers the important subjects of proper playing technique, tuning, picking, strumming, music theory and rhythm. Furthermore, the only way a student can remember the information learned is to apply it. The hardest part of learning the guitar for a student is switching between chords. This unique method book contains chord progressions using both "open" and "barre" chords that gradually take a student from a beginning level to an advanced level. The publisher's website also has mp3 and midifiles to be played along with, for developing the strumming, time and feel for each chord progression. The chord progressions presented are commonly found in hard rock, rock, folk, blues and country, giving the student a solid harmonic foundation in all these styles. A picture is worth a thousand words and this method book not only gives you pages of pictures but also gives you access to video clips that can be downloaded from the publisher's website to demonstrate these playing basics in action. The Muse-eek Publishing Company believes the education of a student shouldn't stop with the purchase of a book, therefor our website, offers a FAQ page where students can write in to the author with questions that may arise as they work their way through the method. It also offers a free "member's section" where students can download other learning materials to further their education. We are committed to making your experience with the guitar as positive as possible and hope you will give us a chance to prove it.

About the Author
Guitarist Bruce Arnold has developed an extensive reputation as a composer educator and guitar virtuoso. He has created a unique signature sound that stems from his combination of jazz techniques and 20th Century compositional methods. He has played with such diverse musicians as Stuart Hamm, Peter Erskine, Joe Pass, Joe Lovano, Randy Brecker, Stanley Clarke, the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Arnold is also deeply devoted to music education and had written more than 60 music instruction. He heads the guitar departments at NYU and Princeton University and is the director of the New York University Summer Guitar Intensive He has taught at some of the most prestigious music schools in America, including the New England Conservatory of Music, Dartmouth College, Berklee College of Music, New School University, and City College of New York.

Customer Reviews

Just the ticket!
I purchased this book after buying a couple of the "best sellers." I have to say the first thing that struck me about this method book is the depth that Mr. Arnold goes into about each aspect of playing the guitar for a beginning student. For instance the other books I purchased spent one page on how to hold the guitar, pick the strings, and the placement of my hands on the guitar, they also had very few pictures or visual aids. 1st Steps gave me a detailed explanation of each aspect of physically playing the guitar along with pictures, videos, and a host of audio files (mp3 and midi) to help me learn correctly. I even can e-mail Mr. Arnold through the FAQ page at their website if I can't figure something out. So far the book is so well put together that I haven't needed to. If you are a beginner like me this book is the ticket.

Finally, a guitar lesson book that does the job!
I've been using this book with my students for about six months and I would like to say that Mr. Arnold's method makes my job so much easier. You can tell that this guy is an experienced teacher. Any guitar teacher knows that for beginners, changing from one chord to another in time is a big problem . Mr. Arnold's 3-step etude process is clever and great for students with coordination hassles. I used to have to record my own progressions for students to play along with between lessons, but "1st Steps" already has them on-line.. These are not boring "Michael Row Your Boat Ashore" tunes - when we play them, you should see my students' faces light up..... they really want to learn them! The website also has midifiles which are great for people who need to take their chords more slowly. The progressions get a little bit harder for right and left hand playing each time so students can gradually get more coordinated on their own. the "music theory" and "how to read rhythm" sections really helped my students learn basic theory and how to read music. I appreciated the pro tips section too. I recommend this book for other teachers but its also perfect for people who just got a guitar and are not sure what to do next.

Ground Zero
If you just walked in the door with your new guitar, buy this book. There are guitarists and there are guitarists who think they can teach. Bruce Arnold has a knack for conveying a feeling of knowing what you are thinking as a guitar novice. This book makes you feel comfortable with your awkwardness of your decision to marry yourself to this instrument.