The phrase “I am a self-taught guitarist” is without a doubt really hip to use at gatherings. But if you want to use it to wow someone during the next get together, you’ll have to be certain that your plucking technique is adequate.
Investing in beginner guitar books is one method to do that. Make sure the book you are investing in teaches you how to sing and play on the guitar, apart from the usual lessons.
I’ve shortlisted 10 books that will help you learn guitar with a perfect start!
Being a self-taught guitarist, I have spent years setting the stage for my guitar skills by consulting these books. These books are priceless if you’re serious about mastering the guitar.
Guitar Books Or YouTube Videos?
During my practice, I’ve seen many ambitious guitarists who want to study the instrument but are unsure about where to begin or how to approach it properly. I’ve also seen an equal amount of newbies who are dissatisfied with YouTube guitar lessons since they believe that they only present partial or limited notions.
Guitar books follow a clear and thorough teaching path as compared to YouTube videos. Beginner guitar books build each chapter before switching to the next one. They follow a straightforward and a clear structure.
Say no more if you nod in agreement with any of the statements above. I’ve got your back.
10 Best Beginner Guitar Books
Owning a few of the books listed here will allow you to develop your talents steadily. I am sure these will motivate to pick your guitar straight away and start learning.
1. Greg Koch and Will Schmid’s Hal Leonard Guitar Method
One of the most widely read beginner guitar books is the Hal Leonard Guitar Method, which has been around for a while.
The two authors of the books are Will Schmid and Greg Koch. Will Schmid was a renowned music book editor for many years who had a particular fondness for rhythm education. Greg Koch is a guitarist who has written several web evaluations of guitar accessories.
Hal Leonard Guitar Method is established among well-tested guitar syllabus. Many guitar teachers still stick to and insist their students adopt the strategies mentioned in the book.
The web audio that comes along with the book will help you to monitor your progress.
Find out The Names and Functions of Different Guitar Parts
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2. Charles Kim’s Teach Yourself Visually Guitar
Awful title, but an excellent book!
Teach Yourself Visually Guitar is one of the finest beginner guitar books available on the market.
You know the primary motive of this book is to make guitar playing easy because of the detailed description of the instrument. It walks you through learning guitar in a way that leads to a pleasurable playing experience.
The writer, Charles Kim, is a renowned professor at Chicago’s Old Town School of Folk Music, the country’s most significant community music school.
This book includes a chord vocabulary, photographs, and diagrams showing all the data you need to understand to play.
3. Jon Chappell’s Guitar All-In-One for Dummies
This beginner guitar book will keep you hooked for a long time while you pursue your musical interests.
The author of Guitar All-In-One for Dummies, Jon Chappell, is a traveling musician.
Although it is a vast collection of information, the content is simple to understand since it covers topics such as choosing a guitar that best suits your musical preferences. It also walks you through the basics before moving to advanced guitar lessons.
Once you know what interests you, there is a tonne of additional notations to help your practice since this book is supported by digital video and audio content.
4. David Brewster’s Teach Yourself to Play Guitar: A Quick and Easy Introduction for Beginner
Teach Yourself to Play Guitar: A Quick and Easy Introduction for Beginners is a compact, quick handbook that will help you get going immediately.
David Brewster, the writer, is a traveling guitarist and instructor who has penned articles for top guitar magazines.
You may take up this book at the exact moment as your guitar because it is mainly written for complete beginners with no previous musical training.
This beginner guitar book has written descriptions of images and visuals that will help you to get you started.
5. Daniel Emery’s Guitar for Absolute Beginners
Guitar for Absolute Beginners is an excellent read and a more thorough introduction to playing the guitar than the other books on the list.
The writer, Daniel Emery, is a guitar instructor and the creator of the New York School of Guitar. His knowledge of the classroom is evident in the text.
This book is structured to teach you to play guitar within 10 weeks. Be it a simple guitar introduction or ways to play a tune, this book will teach you everything you need to know.
There is no supplementary music available digitally. But but it consists of youtube links where clips of the courses are available.
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6. David Hodge’s Idiot’s Guides: Playing Guitar
This comprehensive guitar book is aimed at beginners and contains a wealth of knowledge on guitar.
Author David Hodge teaches guitar and ukulele in Massachusetts and has written for Acoustic Guitar magazine. He has also published additional Idiot’s Guides that are about music.
What differentiates Idiots Guides: Playing Guitar book from the competition is its easy-to-learn rhythm teaching methods.
Many beginner guitar books struggle to provide content for complete newbies. But this book has an approachable and welcoming manner. Many would say that this is the hallmark of the book.
7. Troy Nelson’s Guitar Aerobics
Although this is not a comprehensible guitar guide, it is beneficial and will support you through complex guitar practices.
The writer, Troy Nelson, is the former editor-in-chief of the excellent Guitar One magazine.
With each new activity in this beginner-friendly book, you will learn a new skill to apply to your daily practice regimen.
The audio that goes with Guitar Aerobics acts as a metronome to aid rhythm development and provides instructions for daily practice.
8. Adam Kadmon’s The Guitar Grimoire: The Exercise Book
The Guitar Grimoire: The Exercise Book is jam-packed with exercises that will improve your skills.
This book was not written keeping beginners in mind. However, anybody looking to improve their precision, skill, and speed must use the different exercises mentioned in this book.
The simple tabs are easy-to-follow for beginners and advanced players alike. Additionally, a DVD is attached to this book.
After purchasing this one, you won’t need another guitar practice book for a very long time.
This beginner guitar book is for you and those who have just realized their passion for guitar.
9. Tim Pettingale and Joseph Alexander’s Complete Technique for Modern Guitar
This beginner guitar book is a great addition to learning any technique. Complete Technique for Modern Guitar focuses on how to play, whereas other books discuss what and when to play.
One of the contributors, Joseph Alexander, is a guitar teacher. Jazz musician Tim Pettingale also writes books on the subject.
There are two hundred drills in this book that will help improve your rhythm and skill while you play.
You can download the additional play-along audio that will be easier for you to follow.
10. Phil Capone’s Guitar Chord Bible
This beginner guitar guide has a detailed chord encyclopedia. Every guitar player knows the importance of a chord encyclopedia. It will help expand your chord knowledge.
The writer of this guitar teaching book is also the author of the column ‘Guitar Player’.
It is natural to want to play your favorite melodies once you start learning the guitar. But not every song’s chord is readily available. Guitar Chord Bible consists of an exhaustive list of songs with chords that you can learn after mastering the basics.
Trust me when I say this book is your ally in that situation.
FAQs
Can I learn guitar from a book?
Yes, you can learn guitar from books. But choose your book wisely. Pick a guide that has detailed directions for you to follow since you will not have a teacher alongside to fix your finger patterns.
Is one year enough to learn guitar?
If you are a committed university kid, enough practice throughout the summer holidays will be enough for you to learn guitar. On the other hand, if you are a working professional, it will require 10 months to get the same result if you practice only 30 minutes daily.
Which guitar brand is the best?
Gibson, Fender, and Ibanez make the greatest guitars. A guitar’s general fineness and playability should be kept in mind when choosing one. I will strongly recommend Ibanez JSM100 for its performance and flexibility.
Is it better to start with electric or acoustic?
It is better to start with an electric guitar since it is simpler to play. But you must learn the acoustic guitar as it strengthens your finger movements.
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Conclusion
To get off on the right foot, all you need is one of these beginner-friendly books and a good quality guitar. However, most crucially, you need to have the drive and discipline to put in the effort constantly.
You’ll be surprised by how far you go with these little practices! Oh, and I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to practice with a metronome. I hope this post helped you narrow down your book choices.
If you ask me, I like things a bit more traditional. Any day, books beat the web!
The books mentioned in the list will provide you with a step-by-step guide to guitar playing. Learn with a Guitar teacher to take your music learning to the next level.