Book – Campfire guitar: Guitar strumming and picking patterns for more than 1,000 songs

Author – Christian Pahlke

Amazon Link – https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01GG3BWU6

About

Author, Christian Pahlke claims to show you the easiest way to play fantastic strumming patterns on guitar. He claims to know how it feels when you have a song which you would like to sing but you have no rhythm for – and importantly he offers the solution to fix this.

 

What I liked about the book?

The author is clearly an experienced guitarist and teacher and one who has some interesting ideas that when taught in person would no doubt help many beginners.

I found it interesting to read the viewpoint of someone who is a more old school strummer, (one who clearly enjoys the alternating bass style of strumming). The author shares some good insights into strumming and gives some useful pointers for those looking to evolve their strumming skills.

 

Is there an audio cd and is it any good?

No, and this is a huge loss for a book like this (as explained below).

 

What I don`t like about the book?

Unless you are an experienced musician who can read rhythm, you have to hear how the strum patterns should sound.

This goes for every strum pattern, melody, riff or whatever. Any time someone talks about rhythm but offers no audio explanation, you are best off walking away and finding a resource that does offer some audio so you can hear the rhythm.

In this digital day and age, when recording and uploading audio is easy, there is no reason not to do so!

Apart from the above, the book is also a bit sloppy in terms of formatting and spelling. The formatting is a big one as there is some good information in this book but it is not that easy to digest or go back to when in need of refreshing. The book is almost like a rough draft really.

 

Conclusion

With more time and effort this could have been a really good book but instead, it is a disappointment. This is a real shame as the author clearly has some great ideas but due to a lack of audio, they won`t make much sense to most readers.

 

Rating

5/10

 

Book – Accelerate Your Learning: Practical Strategies to Learn Faster, Sharpen Memory, and Explode Your Personal Expertise and Knowledge in No Time

Author – Pollux Andrews

Amazon Link – https://www.amazon.com/Accelerate-Your-Learning-Practical-Strategies-ebook/dp/B07L76QDY8/

 

About

The author claims “Accelerate Your Learning” is your essential guide and a practical toolbox to bust all your myths and will put you on a fast track to improve your learning skills.

This is not merely a regurgitation of all the theories scattered across thick books, rather it’s a sincere effort to put highly effective and powerful techniques together to trigger action.

 

What I liked about the book?

This is actually the first non-guitar related book I have reviewed for an Elite Guitarist Inner Circle book of the month review and it is the sort of book I have wanted to review for a while. As musicians, we are expected to learn a huge amount of information, and often in a short period of time. It can be very difficult to process it all.

The book makes you understand that the way you learn is a choice, and you can improve your style of learning so that you process and retain information faster than you ever have done. This means you will spend your time much more efficiently as a musician and improve faster because of it.

The author lays out 7 key areas of learning and explains each one thoroughly – these range from “Chunking” (something I have been a big advocate of for a long time) to Mnemonics, Imagery, learning new ideas on top of old ideas and more. All of these ideas are practical, clearly stated and backed by Scientific research.

 

Is there an audio cd and is it any good?

No, but as it is NOT a guitar related book this isn`t necessary.

 

What I don`t like about the book?

There isn`t a lot to not like about the book but some of the ideas might seem a little underwhelming as they are not particularly ground-breaking. You may even have come across some or all of these ideas before but don`t let that put you off. There are many great nuggets to help you learn faster.

The book takes quite a bit of time to get to the good stuff. When I read books like this I want the information as fast as possible but there is a lot of “setting up” in the book before we arrive at the interesting information.

 

 

Conclusion

Even though it is not a book aimed at guitarists, I believe every guitarist should own a book like this. The information in it is practical, interesting and backed by scientific research.

All the ideas presented are applicable to music too, but some you might have to think a little about how to apply to music and your music related learning. That being said, apart from the fluff, it is a really useful guide on learning faster.

 

Rating

8/10

Book – Lead Guitar Tactics: The Basics Of Playing Lead Guitar

Author – Bob Murnahan

Amazon Link – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lead-Guitar-Tactics-Basics-Playing-ebook/dp/B00VD2X3XA

About

Lead Guitar Tactics is a book that will help you improve and get started learning lead guitar the right way. The author, Bob Murnahan, is a player of over 40 years and teacher of over 28. He makes no false claims about learning something or mastering lead guitar in just a few days and he quite rightly emphasises proper practice as a means of success.

 

What I liked about the book?

It`s obvious Bob is good at playing and teaching lead guitar. His examples are direct and right to the point. The first example teaches you the minor pentatonic scale which is what most rightly start off with, and then in the next example, he gives you a great lick/exercise to get you going.

Most other books and teachers gloss over the basics but this book does a good job of giving you technical pointers and teaches you some very important and useful licks right from the off.

 

Is there an audio cd and is it any good?

No, and this is a big blow for a book like this. Most readers won`t be able to read the rhythm shown in the standard notation diagrams (there is tab too but the tab doesn`t show rhythm).

Therefore, you really do need to hear the examples in action while learning them.

 

What I don`t like about the book?

Apart from the above, there is not a lot to dislike about the book. I`m not a fan of the amateurish look of the cover and the proofing needs some work as I spotted a few spelling mistakes right away.

It could also be formatted better to break up each sentence and highlight the important points the author is making.

 

Conclusion

It`s a very practical no frills book that actually gives technical pointers to a student, but it lacks audio and could be a little more professionally edited.

 

Rating

7/10

 

 

Book – The Beginner Classical Guitar Method: Master Classical Guitar Technique, Repertoire and Musicality

Author – Ross Trotier

Amazon Link – https://www.amazon.com/Beginner-Classical-Guitar-Method-Repertoire-ebook/dp/B079MD2QW2/

 

About

As described by the author, The Beginner Classical Guitar Method is a clear, concise guide to perfecting classical guitar technique. Included are helpful warm-up exercises, including melodies and arpeggio work-outs.

After working on technique, readers are guided through a series of etudes, examples illustrating specific techniques and over 30 complete pieces to play.

 

What I liked about the book?

The book is structured nicely and contains lots of really interesting classical pieces. The problem with many classical study books I have found is that the repertoire is either full of boring pieces that really don`t do a lot for me (usually it`s the super simple pieces) and/or they are totally unrecognisable pieces.

Now, this book isn`t full of totally recognisable pieces but the choices are great. They are generally interesting to listen to which is key.

I like how the book builds as it goes along too. The early chapters start off with basic technique and arpeggios before later building up to more challenging pieces using techniques such as grace notes, parallel intervals and tremolo picking.

 

Is there an audio cd and is it any good?

There is a 74 track downloadable mp3 collection which sounds great and is well recorded. Some of the early pieces are very short and could possibly do with some repeats and slower versions to play along with.

 

What I don`t like about the book?

The biggest problem with this book is that it is all about repertoire and there is hardly anything on technique. Good technique is absolutely paramount to fingerpicking and classical guitar.

For example, tremolo is a very difficult skill to learn and do well. If your technique is not precise from the off, then, when you try to increase speed you will struggle, and as you go faster you will probably learn bad habits.

This is a major flaw with the book and it seems to be something the author has neglected.

 

Conclusion

Although the repertoire side of the book and the progressive nature of it is excellent, the lack of technical details means it loses marks.

If you already have great classical technique, are learning from a good quality online resource or have a great classical teacher, this book will aid you, but if not, beware of learning the materials without learning proper fingerpicking technique.

 

Rating

7/10

Book – Chord Tone Soloing for Jazz Guitar: Master Arpeggio-Based Soloing for Jazz Guitar

Author – Joseph Alexander

Amazon Link –  https://www.amazon.com/Chord-Tone-Soloing-Jazz-Guitar-ebook/dp/B00XIB2MEA/

About

This book, by popular Amazon author, Joseph Alexander, claims to help you to quickly learn how to solo over the 13 most essential chord progressions in jazz guitar using arpeggios, substitutions and chromatic approaches.

He states it will help you to learn the best arpeggios to use over the thirteen most common chord sequences in jazz and bebop guitar playing.

 

What I liked about the book?

I`m a big believer that when a lead guitarist gets to a certain level that having the ability to use chord tones and arpeggios to strengthen a solo and make it extra melodic is a great skill to have.

This book takes this approach and teaches you from the ground up how to do this in jazz (this is super important in jazz) and he does it well.

The author takes you from the very beginning of learning the arpeggio shapes to being able to use them over a variety of typical jazz chord progressions. He introduces the important ideas of chromaticism, arpeggio extensions, and more, and he gives you a massive amount of examples to use.

 

Is there an audio cd and is it any good?

There is an audio download section but I have struggled to download the correct files which is frustrating.

 

What I don`t like about the book?

It can get a little dry at times and the depth is probably too much. Some of the concepts are for the super dedicated jazz guitarist and not enough emphasis is placed on learning and developing these ideas by ear.

Many of the jazz greats had a great ear in addition to their theoretical skills. The author doesn`t give enough attention to this.

 

Conclusion

It`s a very in-depth book and one that really requires some time and effort to fully appreciate.

It loses a mark for making the audio difficult to get and although it could have been more fun and liberating, it will teach you a lot on how to play lead in jazz guitar.

You can take these ideas, simplify them a little for other styles and your lead guitar playing will be better for it!

 

Rating

8/10

Book – The Golden Age Of Jazz

Author – Wise Publications

Amazon Link –  https://www.amazon.co.uk/THJE-GOLDEN-JAZZ-Jack-Long/dp/0711973334/

 

About

This is a pretty rare book full of over 90 classic jazz tunes ordered by decade. There are songs that feature from the 1920`s, 30`s, 40`s and 50`s all with chord diagrams, lyrics and the melodies. It features songs written by big jazz artists such as Duke Ellington, Oscar Hammerstein and Dizzy Gillespie.

 

What I liked about the book?

It is a no-frills book full of really interesting jazz songs. If I`m honest most of them I don`t know but since I bought the book a few years ago I find it quite an interesting little exercise to pick up the book and learn one of these songs and then have a listen on YouTube to how it was originally played.

This is a great exercise for your sight reading and really opens up your chord vocabulary as well as helps to improve your jazz guitar playing.

 

Is there an audio cd and is it any good?

Nope

 

What I don`t like about the book?

It is a very old school book in the sense that it doesn`t feature tab or any notes on the songs themselves. It is actually quite a big book showing the full arrangements of the songs. It is definitely a reference type book where you will want to go back to it meaning you can`t really read it as a book. The lack of notes will hinder a beginner to jazz as there is no guidance apart from the music itself on how to play the songs.

To get the most out of the arrangements you will also have to be able to read music. If you can`t you can follow the chord diagrams but reading music is a useful skill for the intermediate and beyond guitarist. Of course, this lack of tab will hinder beginners though.

One of the other issues with songs like these that often have multiple versions is matching up the song you are listening to, to the arrangement in the book as jazz is often about making the song your own.

 

Conclusion

This is a good challenge/inspiration type book, where you can challenge yourself to learn something out of your comfort zone or find some inspiring ideas to add to your playing on a rainy day. It certainly won`t be most guitarists first choice of book on their bookshelf but it can and will help those who want to dabble in jazz!

 

Rating

7/10

Book –  Guitar Fretboard: Memorize The Fretboard In Less Than 24 Hours

Author – Guitar Head

Amazon Link –  https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07D18S71W/

About

This book claims to be able to teach you how to unlock the fretboard in 5 easy steps. There are 35 exercises that will help you get this understanding and get it quickly.

What I liked about the book?

Learning the notes on the fretboard is one of those skills that many find difficult. In reality, it is not hard as long as there is a system in place. Too many guitarists use a scattered approach to learning the fretboard and this book helps with that. Instead of going through the fretboard fret by fret, the author uses a similar method to me where he first goes through the notes.

Once the notes are learnt, then he teaches you where the important `marker` notes are, then begins to fill in the gaps with patterns, useful logic and handy diagrams.

 

Is there an audio cd and is it any good?

Nope

 

What I don`t like about the book?

Although the book teaches you how to learn the notes on the fretboard, I`m a massive believer that you should also be taught how to put this to good use. I was interested to see the `mastery` section and thought there might be some practical examples.

This helps you to cement and understand why you are learning the fretboard and helps you to digest the ideas better. It is a shame he gives you the information in a really good manner but doesn`t give you anything with it.

 

Conclusion

It`s a great book at teaching you the fretboard but just be sure to learn the method and apply it as much as possible so you don`t forget this knowledge which is common. With some practical examples it could have been a great book, but as it is it is a very good book.

 

Rating

8/10

Book – Guitar Pentatonic Scales

Author – Dan Amerson

Amazon Link – https://www.amazon.com/Pentatonic-Scales-Fretboard-Technique-Improvisation-ebook/dp/B018UQN8FO/  

 

About

Guitar Pentatonic Scales is a free book I downloaded from the Amazon store. I wanted to check out the quality of some of the free books on Amazon and see if they are actually worth getting. Sounding like a pro in one hour is always a bold claim. Let`s see if the author is for real on this.

 

What I liked about the book?

For a free book, the author covers a lot of ground. He teaches you all about intervals, the CAGED system, playing scales vertically (up and down one string) and horizontally (across the strings in a box position).

There is a lot of information here to digest.

 

Is there an audio cd/download and is it any good?

No, which is a shame.

 

What I don`t like about the book?

First off, the author`s method of teaching is very confusing. I have played for a long time, know a lot about music theory, and have written a book on it, but his way of teaching the theory behind all this makes no sense to me. For a layman or a newbie, this is extremely off-putting.

The author also doesn`t teach you how to sound like a pro in one hour as the cover states. It will take you one hour just to decipher some of the things he`s talking about. There is no practical advice to actually make you sound like a pro. He just gives you the building blocks to be able to do so – albeit in a confusing way!

 

Conclusion

This book is a shame. It was written by an author who clearly knows his stuff but my guess is he is not that experienced at teaching this kind of thing or hasn`t developed a fun or practical method for teaching it.

It could have been a very cool book instead it is very poor in my opinion.

 

Rating

2/10

Book – The 5 Day Guitar Method (For Beginners) Learn Everything You Need to Know to Play Your Favorite Songs by the Weekend

Author – Damien Peters

Amazon Link –  https://www.amazon.com/Guitar-Beginners-Everything-Favorite-Weekend-ebook/dp/B00BA72MPS/

About

This book is aimed at the complete beginner. According to the author, it is divided into four easy to read chapters which contain all the information needed to get you started on the road to guitar mastery.

 

What I liked about the book?

The book is short with little filler and the author gets right to the point. It is a book that is suitable for those who have a guitar but haven`t done a lot on it or those that have played for a few months and need a refresher.

He talks a lot of sense and goes through the basics of buying a guitar, reading chord diagrams, some simple strumming and similar stuff.

It`s all pretty basic but useful to the beginner.

 

Is there an audio cd and is it any good?

No, but as is usually the case when there are tab examples, an audio CD or some audio download would be ideal.

 

What I don`t like about the book?

The author claims “With this book, you can literally start learning on Monday and PLAY A SONG you love on the guitar BY THE WEEKEND.”

Well, we hear these sort of statements all over the web but unfortunately, they are usually nonsense. Of course, you can start learning a song right away, but it might take months before you can play it. Don`t be fooled by this sort of hype.

The author could have made a much better book by expanding and going into much more detail on the subjects he discusses. Unfortunately, it feels like a freebie book, but that is due to the lack of detail more than anything else.

 

Conclusion

It`s basic but concise. It will help those in the really early stages but that`s it. There is nothing in the book that you can`t find on the web, but having it in a little guide is useful and will save some browsing around.

 

Rating

5/10

 

Book – How to Play Guitar: In 1 Day

Author – Preston Hoffman

Amazon Link –   https://www.amazon.com/How-Play-Guitar-Exercises-Chords/dp/1979776326/

About

Wow, this book has a really ambitious title. Learning guitar in just one day is a huge ask and one that anyone who has ever played before will no doubt think is total B.S. Still, it has good reviews on Amazon so let`s check it out.

 

What I liked about the book?

Well, it became immediate to me that this book was promising a lot but not really delivering anything new. The content will not get you playing the guitar in one day but it will help you get started – over time.

There isn`t much fluff in the book and the author gets right to the point which is always good. He discusses how to play a variety of things such as scales, chords, barre chords and how to read tab.

It is a good general guide that you can go back to as you improve.

 

Is there an audio cd and is it any good?

No, which is disappointing as the book talks about rhythm, scales, chords and other important things which having the audio to helps with – especially with rhythm as not many people can read rhythms very well unless there is an audio example to help.

 

What I don`t like about the book?

Part of me likes the content in the book as it is delivered in a no-frills way and the information on offer is a good general varied guide on the essentials of guitar.

The trouble is, the author doesn`t really delve deeply into any topic and doesn`t really mention important things such as technique.

I actually thought when I read the title the author was literally going to teach you one thing in a super simple way to get you playing something right away. In fact, it is the opposite –  it`s just a general guide on guitar playing and there are many like it.

 

Conclusion

The title is misleading and the content is not very original but if you are looking for a decent general guide on guitar playing and something to help you fill in some blanks with your playing this might be useful but if it was called Learn guitar in 1 year it might have made a more accurate title

 

Rating

6/10