[1/2-Fast Player]

> I wonder why I haven't run across that name ever?

Probably because you never googled something like "guitar instruction book" or looked through music instruction books in a shop. It'd be hard to miss.


> Is mel bay the author or publisher?

Google is your friend.

Mel Bay - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[gtrdave]

Mel Bay and Hal Leonard are probably the two biggest names in music instruction publishing.

There's also this site:
Guitar at About - the place to find guitar tab and beginner guitar lessons

And I second the library as an avenue for getting books. I mean, it's a library...

[1/2-Fast Player]

> And I second the library as an avenue for getting books.

Yeah, but then they want 'em back, and they whine and complain until you return 'em. And if you return the books, you don't have them on hand when you want to look something up six months later.

Best to buy your books. Which is why my house has more of the darn things than the local county library. Next summer I think I'll have my son spend his summer vacation organizing my house according to the Dewey decimal system.

If you're cash-strapped, used books work as well as new ones. I regularly prowl the used book stores in the area.

[Rainer.]

I love the library. For guitar books, I usually check them out to see if they're worth my time, then buy them if they are.

Of course it doesn't hurt that the library system out here in the Seattle area is excellent (Wikipedia says it's the second busiest in the nation, and I'd believe it...).

[marshall gibson]

I looked in my local library. Wanna guess how many guitar books there were? Two. And all they taught were basic chords.

[northbayguitar]

Hello, lots ot good ideas coming out here. And yeah, "google" is a friend indeed.

I think many if not all can relate to your situation. I know when I started there was little by way of formal, written guitar instruction that didn't require a teacher. Mel Bay and Leonard books were around, not much else. They're good, however they work best when used by an instructor, as you need IMO a fair amount of ancillary material, like songs and technique (strumming, picking, etc.) to go with the basic material of chords and keys. Samples, examples, lots of them.

My instructor was my sisters' boyfriend and some binder paper, and his guitar which he'd loan me each week, an old flat top Silvertone. I'm left handed, so he'd show me a few chords, I'd keep the guitar and try to flip it over because it felt more comfortable that way, left handed. Then he'd come back the next week and we'd start all over. I was so desparate to learn to play I slept with it and worked out my own lefty versions of everything, which never really flew or sounded right. We couldn't afford a "teacher", so I finally switched back to right handed and scoured all the free sources I could find, including the library which basically had folk tunes and Burl Ives songs. For about a year I struggled until I was actually too ashamed to ask anyone for help, only to find once I met some other players that I'd figured out most of the basic stuff with the limited tools I had available.

Then I saw the "light". I started playing in bands, doing the songs I'd learned from the radio, tunes of the day and working things out with other people, asking questions, questions, questions, much as you are right now. I discovered it was all adding up, slowly but surely. Moral - if you want water you gotta go to the well. Just don't be ashamed if you have to make your own danged bucket. You won't be the first. Just get the water, y'know? And help comes when you persist and stay ready.

If you can, find another guitarists who will sit down with you and get you going with some material. There's lots of stuff on the internet that's free now, and it helps if you get some direction and face to face guidance. Check out your church - anyone there who has some time?

truefire.com has downloadable lesson, CD's an DVD's, and a whole series from beginner level on. There's also lots of free lessons and short 2 - 3 minute things you can get. I know it's on a PC but if you can swing it, it's great stuff.

As you progress, you'll learn a lot of the same stuff everyone else knows but you know what? It'll be yours, you learned it, worked for it and earned it. You'll own it and no one will ever be able to take that away from you. Ever. You can do it.

[marshall gibson]

Thanks man. You boosted my courage a lot. Now to put it to work. Thank you

[switchback]

Originally Posted by northbayguitar

Hello, lots ot good ideas coming out here. And yeah, "google" is a friend indeed.

I think many if not all can relate to your situation. I know when I started there was little by way of formal, written guitar instruction that didn't require a teacher. Mel Bay and Leonard books were around, not much else. They're good, however they work best when used by an instructor, as you need IMO a fair amount of ancillary material, like songs and technique (strumming, picking, etc.) to go with the basic material of chords and keys. Samples, examples, lots of them.

My instructor was my sisters' boyfriend and some binder paper, and his guitar which he'd loan me each week, an old flat top Silvertone. I'm left handed, so he'd show me a few chords, I'd keep the guitar and try to flip it over because it felt more comfortable that way, left handed. Then he'd come back the next week and we'd start all over. I was so desparate to learn to play I slept with it and worked out my own lefty versions of everything, which never really flew or sounded right. We couldn't afford a "teacher", so I finally switched back to right handed and scoured all the free sources I could find, including the library which basically had folk tunes and Burl Ives songs. For about a year I struggled until I was actually too ashamed to ask anyone for help, only to find once I met some other players that I'd figured out most of the basic stuff with the limited tools I had available.

Then I saw the "light". I started playing in bands, doing the songs I'd learned from the radio, tunes of the day and working things out with other people, asking questions, questions, questions, much as you are right now. I discovered it was all adding up, slowly but surely. Moral - if you want water you gotta go to the well. Just don't be ashamed if you have to make your own danged bucket. You won't be the first. Just get the water, y'know? And help comes when you persist and stay ready.

If you can, find another guitarists who will sit down with you and get you going with some material. There's lots of stuff on the internet that's free now, and it helps if you get some direction and face to face guidance. Check out your church - anyone there who has some time?

truefire.com has downloadable lesson, CD's an DVD's, and a whole series from beginner level on. There's also lots of free lessons and short 2 - 3 minute things you can get. I know it's on a PC but if you can swing it, it's great stuff.

As you progress, you'll learn a lot of the same stuff everyone else knows but you know what? It'll be yours, you learned it, worked for it and earned it. You'll own it and no one will ever be able to take that away from you. Ever. You can do it.

+1


Another great resource is a DVD called .....Fret board Logic by Bill Edwards...God Bless

[gtrdave]

Originally Posted by switchback

+1


Another great resource is a DVD called .....Fret board Logic by Bill Edwards...God Bless

I have the book and it's a worthwhile resource that teaches the "logic" of the fretboard: how the notes are laid out, common shapes in scales and chords, redundant patterns, etc...

[northbayguitar]

My pleasure. I've heard good things about Fretboard Logic too. Get some of the freebies off truefire if you get a sec. You might take a gander at Steve Zook's "guitarladder" samples on youtube, too. Met him at NAMM this year, wandering around the Aria booth. Passionate and articulate about the guitar and instruction. Very good player too.

[biged1780]

Originally Posted by marshall gibson

No sir, it didn't. Could you explain and tell me more?

do you live in usa? just curious when you said you searched the internet and didnt find anything if you live in the states then do you have a barnes noble bookstore close or a books a million book store?type in nate savage he has alot of free stuff on chords,modes,scales runs,etc do you by any chance have an I phone,if you do go to the app store and look for the blue gibson pick it is the coolest free app with tuner,metrodome,lessons,even shows how to set up your axe hope this helps

[BillSPrestonEsq]

Please do not ressurect dead threads!