Customer Rating: 
Summary: great alternative learning style
Comment: Okay so the pictures of the guy in white sneakers are super dumb- but the book IS very helpful for a beginner; It comes with small stickers to place underneath the strings to practice fingering per different color stickers numbered 1-5 indicating 1st, second, third... fingering- you get the idea; I wrote on the stickers the letter of each note so I wouldn't have to remember which colors indicated which notes; and the stickers come off clean with no residue; this is just an added bonus- b/c I initially bought this book over others- b/c it shows pictures of a players' hand with fingers on the correct frets along with the actual chart; Personally, it is much easier for me to look at a picture of someone playing the note rather than a chart with dots.And as I said the stickers make it a breeze- I don't have to look down every time I want to play a note to see if my fingers are in the right place. Also the book comes with a pic and a full length poster labeled "notes and scales" to refer to for all of the notes.I haven't really read through the book- I'm a scimmer anyway- and the first chapter is all about positioning and tuning- which I already know; But if you are a visual learner- and have had trouble in the past- get this book to start with; It's definitely learn at your own pace- and doesn't remind me of a boring text book- other authors should be as innovative;
and yes it seems he numbers the strings backwards -but to each his own I guess- and with the stickers and pictures for reference, this has not confused me.
I have been trying to learn guitar for forever- but the sheer boredom of most teaching styles has turned me off- this is straight to the point- no "hot cross buns"- and perfect for an ADD brain like mine to scim and take what information I need to build a foundation and learn my own way.
Customer Rating:
Summary: The String Diagrams are 100% correct, great book
Comment: I'm am an instructor and I am considering using this book. The string numbering convention is no different from any other guitar book. This book provides a structured schedule, cd examples, a chord poster and jam tracks. More books should be like this one.
Customer Rating:
Summary: String numbers 1-6?
Comment: The guy that wrote that the book had it all wrong about string numbering (which is string #1 vs string #6)...well, the standard way of noting which string is which, for the last, I dunno, couple hundred years, is this: if you are playing the guitar normally (right handed) then the book is absolutely correct: strings are numbered from 1-6 with number one being the string of highest pitch and which is the one closest to the floor...number six would be the lowest pitch bass string, the one closest to the player's thumb or you could say closest to the player's head. I have a degree in classical guitar performance, but that isn't necessary, as it is something learned in the first lesson.
Customer Rating:
Summary: You are never to old to learn something new
Comment: I played acoustic guitar for a couple of years and recently started to play electric as well (Les Paul). For me, this book gave me a very good start showing the basics of playing electric guitar. Yes, the method used in the book is not the most usual one, but - hey - it is consistent and easy to understand if you are open minded ... and still easier than to learn notes in detail.Summary: Not the best book ever written, but good value for this price.
Customer Rating:
Summary: THIS IS A TERRIBLE BOOK.
Comment: Please don't buy it.I'd been hacking guitar myself trying to teach it to myself for the last few months.
The diagrams run THE EXACT OPPOSITE, of what a real guitar chord chart is supposed to look like.
I'm telling you whoever said this was a confusing book was right on target.
I've since been jamming with friends, learning on my own, and taking lessons..
and had to unlearn months worth of work, because the guitar strings in the book are the "opposite" of what you would think that they are..
For example, string 6 is the string that is closest to you in the book.
string 1 is the string that is closest to you using a regular chord chart.
This book sucks.....
IF the diagrams had been right, the book would have been right on....
but the diagrams will confuse you so badly that the book is hardly worth the purchase..
go buy a video, or find a tutor rather than purchase this book.
