Best book for the fingers and body that I've seen..

books:


	• Mel Bay Learning the Classic Guitar: Part 1 Aaron Shearer Mel Bay Publications, Inc., 1990 - 154 pages average customer review:based on 12 reviews view larger image
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Great way to get started...

One has to purchase at least Part 1 and 2 together to get the best benefit if you are a new student. I had to learn myself early on and used these books. When I could afford to start taking lessons, in Winston-Salem, I was pleased that my technique was not screwed up. Many of the musical pieces (book 2)aren't tough on the ear as you patiently work your way toward competency. Very well organized and thought out. If you are patient, you will be pleased.

Loving the Classic Guitar

A well thought-out method of considerable value for the analytically-minded guitar student, or even for experienced guitarists.

There are three books in the method: Parts 1, 2, and 3.

Part 1 (shouldn't that be "Part One"?) is all about the mechanical aspects of guitar playing: How to hold the guitar, the best ways to place your hands and move your fingers, etc. (Many use the word "technique" to describe this aspect of musicianship, but I call it "mechanics." I got the idea from Vladimir Horowitz, who said that technique is something beyond mere mechanics. He said that "technique is the ability to get your point across." So, in Vlodya's world of music, it would be possible for a musician to have very inelegant mechanics, yet have a superb technique! Haven't we all heard such musicians?)

Part Two is the "workbook." It features lessons in the form of musical studies and original repertoire pieces, written in standard notation. Many of these are duets to be played with a teacher or a more advanced player. It also introduces the reader to the study of solfege.

Part Three discusses expressive playing and gives guidance on developing one's performance skills.

At the least, the three books comprise a valuable reference work for a serious guitarist or guitar student. There are other grand guitar methods in the world, of course -- Carlevaro's and Aguado's, just to name two -- but I can't think of any other that is as well-organized, as systematic (it progresses through thoughtfully designed stages), as comprehensive, and as coherent as Mr. Shearer's.

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Useful but Not Necessary

I bought this book assuming it contained some practical exercises for my students to use. It was only text. I can tell my students all that information that has been written about in this book while they use a book which gives them hands on practice. I read it all they way through and found it dry and rather boring. I made the plunge and bought book 2 but was not very impressed with it either.

IMHO, if you are wanting to learn how to play the classical guitar badly enough to try and sit through and read all this stuff, then you really need to hire a teacher. Method books are good up to a point, but they will never replace what a teacher can do. This book should have been cut in half and stuck to front of the 2nd book. I've had the book for a couple of years now and rarely, if ever, refer to it. All the information is given in better method books that also include tangible exercises.

But, the reality is......THERE IS NO PERFECT METHOD BOOK. And really, no more method books need to be written for a long, long time since so many are out there.

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Best book for the fingers and body that I've seen..

I bought this book recently..I own several solo/classic guitar playing books, including Noad's, and Shearer's previous books,which are also very good, but no other book I've seen spells out the mechanics of the fingers and body placement/positioning nearly as well as this one does. I plan on getting Part 2 soon, then possibly Part 3 as well. This book should obviously be used with beginning studies and a good teacher if possible.

reviews: page 1, 2, 3

Learning the Classic Guitar is a new direction in guitar instruction. Many ideas in these books break new ground. In developing this innovative method, Mr. Shearer adhered to the following concepts: 1) How and what students practice is as important as how much they practice. 2) Give information only when it is immediately useful. 3) Start with the easiest skills. 4) Approach challenging skills gradually. Part one focuses on technical development and explains the most efficient approach to study and practice. Part two should go along with part one and it presents the elements of music and procedures for developing ability to sight-read and memorize. It also introduces the visualization concept. Part three teaches the student to form clear and accurate concepts of music expression. It also teaches the guitarist how to perform in public with accuracy and confidence.

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