Have you always wanted to play guitar? Who wouldn't? Think of Jimi Hendrix wailing away on his Stratocaster. . . Chuck Berry duck-walking across the stage to "Johnny B. Goode". . .B.B. King making his "Lucille" cry the blues. No doubt about it—guitars are cool.

Guitar For Dummies 2nd Edition tells you everything a beginning or intermediate guitarist needs to know: from buying a guitar to tuning it, playing it, and caring for it, this book has it all—and you don't even need to know how to read music. Full of photo-illustrated exercises and songs you can play to practice the techniques discussed in each section, this step-by-step guide will take you through the basics and beyond before you can say "Eric Clapton." You'll learn how to:

• Match yourself with the guitar and equipment that fits your needs and budget
• Select the right accessories: amps, picks, pedals, capos, cases, and other goodies
• Pick and strum to produce a clean, clear, buzz-free tone
• Know whether you're really in tune
• Play melodies without reading music
• Perform basic guitar maintenance and repairs
• Build strength and dexterity while playing
• Play in different styles, including rock, blues, folk, jazz, and classical
• Make your guitar talk with bends and slides!

Fully revised and updated, with an all new interactive CD that allows readers to listen, learn, tune, and play along, Guitar For Dummies 2nd Edition is the perfect introductory guide for any novice acoustic or electric guitar player. 

Note: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of eBook file.

Customer Rating:
Summary: Good Buy
Comment: This is a good book for guitar players who have some knowledge of the instrument. Even if it starts with the basics it is a good idea to know the basics before you buy this book. It is user friendly and has a good mix of theory and song playing.

---

Customer Rating:
Summary: Decent Jump-Start
Comment: I bought Guitar for Dummies among three different books for guitar beginners, and this one is in the middle of the pack. The attached CD is not useful at all, since it's entirely too fast to keep up with (particularly for a beginner). Another reviewer had stated that this book is good for a "camp counselor" and I agree. Basically, the book will teach you basic cords, and you will be comfortably putting cords together as accompaniment. I would recommend this book if you are just starting out, and want to learn basic cords ONLY. Also, the cord reference "cheat sheet" is very useful and is possibly the best part of the book.

---

Customer Rating:
Summary: good
Comment: Perspnally not the book I wanted to start out with. But is very good either way.

---

Customer Rating:
Summary: Review
Comment: Package arrived as stated in New condition, cd brand new / I find I am pleased with item. Like I always say, the ladies are gonna be lining up to talk to PeNName cuz I look gorgeous reading my Guitar for Dummies.It is very informative!!!

---

Customer Rating:
Summary: There's something to be said for brand loyalty
Comment: I'm going to start right off by saying that no guitar book is going to teach everything in a way that everyone can benefit from. I used it to start myself off, and after laying down the guitar for several years I'm using it again to refresh my memory. It's good for me because I have ADHD and could never grasp sight reading; it's oriented to tablature and ear players, which makes it perfect for people like me. Although it touches on the basics of classical guitar, it is definitely NOT for someone already proficient in music theory. But that's why there's so many other guitar books on the market; the Hal Leonard Guitar Method, for example, provides for that market. There is nothing wrong with any of this.

That said, the necessities are all here. Not only is there information on both rhythm and lead guitar, but there is quite a lot of information on maintenance, guitar internals, trivia, and history. There's enough information on different styles of play to get you started on them and help you figure out where to go from there. That said, it's a perfectly reasonable choice for your first book on the subject, but don't be surprised if it's not the last, especially if it doesn't work for you. Such is the world of music education, and you still can't give up practice time.

---