Customer Rating: 
Summary: Good Package, Great Value
Comment: I own several other "easy to intermediate" level repertoire books, and this one has some good pieces not found in any of my other books. I tend to disagree with the reviewers who suggest that there isn't enough variety among these songs--I was actually pretty impressed with the selections here. The CD is very good, because Willard plays slowly enough to make it more helpful than if he was racing along at concert speed. I sure wish I'd had a book/CD like this 20 or 30 years ago! I've played guitar off and on for over 30 years, but just purchased this 2 months ago. I took lessons for a few months way back in 1980 to learn the basics of classical guitar, and have mostly played classical since. However, I haven't played consistently because of re-occurring pain in fingers/joints, and also what I perceive as a lack of talent. So I'm still not much beyond the "advanced-beginner" stage. Which leads to my final reason for recommending this package, and why, for me, one little thing was probably worth the 12 bucks I paid: Willard has slightly modified Tarrega's lovely Study in E minor (one of the best pieces in this book), making it easier by eliminating a bar chord that has always been hard for me to play smoothly--and hurt my wrist... And the change doesn't detract from the beauty of the song. I'm now playing it better than ever, and it doesn't hurt!!!
Customer Rating: 
Summary: Great pick-up-and-play repertoire!
Comment: This was my first ever classical guitar book, and I don't regret it for a second! The tablature with standard notation is definitely the way to go for beginners; also, the pieces, as other reviewers have stated, are simple enough for one not extensively versed in classical music to play. However, be warned that this is no method book, and the pieces are not exactly graded (I still have trouble with some of the songs toward the middle). I also agree with most of the other reviewers about the biographies and lack of spiral binding; it would have been better to have technical terms explained, and not force me to clip the book to my stand all the time (shifting those clips after each song becomes a major drag after a while). Problems aside, I love the fact that after the nonsensical biographies, there is nothing but pure repertoire for the budding enthusiast to dig in to. The CD also helps to give the player a better idea of how to play the songs, and can double as a nice addition to your casual listening music collection. When my friends ask me how they can get started making music like me, I always recommend Fifty Easy Classical Guitar Solos!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Beginner
Comment: I am a beginner and can play the first 5 songs perfectly. I like how the songs get progressivly more difficult. Great book. The CD is handy to preview how the songs should sound.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Fun, good tunes, easy, yet progressive
Comment: I recently decided to take up classical guitar on my own after playing piano most of my life and diddling around with electric and acoustic guitars. While this book doesn't give any instruction, it is progressive, starting out with extremely simple pieces and working up to easy yet more complex works. Half way through, the pieces require special fingering, and the tablature and notation help show how it's done. I'd give the book five stars since it delivers what its title describes, but I think the book could have been prefaced with some intro to fingerings and other beginner techniques. Nevertheless, there are many books that cover that issue. The songs in this book have mostly a nice Spanish sound to them, and I have really enjoyed working on them. I'd recommend this book to any beginner, hobbiest, etc.
Customer Rating:
Summary: disappointed
Comment: Ehhh, I'm truly disappointed in this book. It is truly for the very beginner and the songs are sub par. Many of the songs are very similar and just wasn't what I was looking for. I was hoping for something with more skill/technical. I would pass on this book if you have prior guitar experience.
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