Any publications that you recommend for a beginner?

[RABid]

I've picked up the occasional issue of Guitar Player but honestly, there is not much there for the beginner. If not periodicals, any recommendations for books with accurate tabs and easy but not too easy songs?

[desertbluesman]

My advice is to take lessons from an experienced player. I did that even after I was a decent pentatonic (blues) scale player. I learned from some really smokin players. And to this day I use most of what they taught me back in the 1970's. it was worth every penny. Just pick a player who teaches the style you want to learn.

[Caevan O’Shite]

Chris Juergensen's Lessons book, The Infinite Guitar, is a FANTASTIC resource for info that would augment learning and playing for any player, beginner or advanced. One of his lessons in that book, on two-note Chord fingerings and progressions, had a huge impact on my developing style and sound and my own pieces of music; I flipped the lower and higher voices from his examples, and occasionally throw in a root or other 'slash' bass-note underneath, for my favorite two and three note grips...

 

He's also on YouTube these days, look 'im up; you could subscribe to his videos there. Facebook, too, and probably other platforms and media.

 

He might be up for online or video lessons if you contact him, too. I'll add that he's a really nice fella, a great guy all-around. Please tell him that Kevin Miller aka Caevan O'Shite recommended him to you.

[Larryz]

YouTube has a lot of good lessons and teachers on board. Most of them have their own private site and are just doing an intro which lets you see if you can learn from any of them. There are sites that have many very good teachers and styles in one location that you can choose from if you sign on to their electronic zoom type lessons. A lot of them have downloads of TAB as well. If you find someone you like from searching around YT, you can subscribe to their channels/web sites/books/ etc.

[Sharkman]

Here are three great websites that I highly recommend: www.ultimate-guitar.com (tons of songs in tab form); www.scalerator.com (loads of scales in every key, including some scales you never knew existed); and www.chorderator.com (thousands of chords).

[KuruPrionz]

Go to the thrift store and purchase a random selection of song books, make sure they have guitar chords in the charts. They should be cheap!

 

Then try to play those songs. Just learning the songs you want to learn will limit you.

I've played a TON of songs I've never heard before or did not like the original version much. I learned many important lessons regarding chord structure, moving lines within the chords, modulating to another key, beginnings, endings, etc.

 

So, instead of going "Ewwww!" and running away, see what you can learn from an arrangement. These days we are working on Wichita Lineman, that is an interesting set of chords!

 

Dive in!!!

[RABid]

My advice is to take lessons from an experienced player....

 

Tried that but it is not working out. A new music store opened in my small town and I signed up for weekly lessons, switching between guitar and bass every other week. In a 30 minute lesson I get about 10 minutes of instruction, 10 minutes of watching the teacher show off playing the instrument, and 10 minutes of waiting while he answers the phone or helps a customer. And while he will spend 10 minutes of my time with customers, he is not willing to go a minute over the schedule. Think I will go back to online lessons for now, but I will check to see of any church musicians might be giving lessons. In fact, I may talk to a couple of churches about doing senior citizen music programs which would include lessons and maybe forming a senior church band.

[Caevan O’Shite]

My advice is to take lessons from an experienced player....

 

Tried that but it is not working out. A new music store opened in my small town and I signed up for weekly lessons, switching between guitar and bass every other week. In a 30 minute lesson I get about 10 minutes of instruction, 10 minutes of watching the teacher show off playing the instrument, and 10 minutes of waiting while he answers the phone or helps a customer. And while he will spend 10 minutes of my time with customers, he is not willing to go a minute over the schedule. Think I will go back to online lessons for now, but I will check to see of any church musicians might be giving lessons. In fact, I may talk to a couple of churches about doing senior citizen music programs which would include lessons and maybe forming a senior church band.

 

That's terrible! Practically a scam! LAME.

[Larryz]

+1 Caevan, That was a scam! RABid, There may be a player in your area willing to get together and teach you with some lessons. Run an ad or post a request on a social media site or at your local music store, bulletin boards, etc. Don't let one bad experience sour you on taking lessons. DVD lessons are available on-line until you find a teacher. I have a couple DVDs and can print TAB from them and can watch the teacher demonstrate how that TAB should sound. They also provide backing tracks to play along with... Keep at it and have fun!

[Winston Psmith]

I've picked up the occasional issue of Guitar Player but honestly, there is not much there for the beginner. If not periodicals, any recommendations for books with accurate tabs and easy but not too easy songs?

 

This - The Guitar Handbook

 

It's not a songbook, but it's possibly the most useful overall guide to the Guitar that I've found in one volume. Not recommending you shop on Amazon, as such, you can probably find it elsewhere, but it's well worth having.

[Caevan O’Shite]

I've picked up the occasional issue of Guitar Player but honestly, there is not much there for the beginner. If not periodicals, any recommendations for books with accurate tabs and easy but not too easy songs?

 

This - The Guitar Handbook

 

It's not a songbook, but it's possibly the most useful overall guide to the Guitar that I've found in one volume. ...it's well worth having.

 

Agreed 1,000%!! That's a GREAT reference book with a fantastic lessons and music section. Some of the REST of the books contents may seem outdated, regarding equipment and various musical artists, but the lessons, playing 'how to', music theory and application sections are SPOT-ON and EXCELLENT.

 

If you got that book for its lessons content, and Chris Juergensen's Lessons book that I recommended above here (The Infinite Guitar), you might never need another such book other than specific song material and books like KuruPrionz suggested.