Teach Yourself Guitar » (Special Value)

Have you ever dreamed of being able to pick up a guitar and perform before an adoring crowd captivated by your talent, whether it be in the supercharged atmosphere of a rock concert or the moody ambience of a blues or jazz club? Guitar heroes are the stuff of modern musical legend...but even guitar heroes have to start somewhere, painstakingly picking out basic notes and simple chords as they take their first steps along the road to fame. This detailed, extensively illustrated book is the ideal guide to accompany aspiring guitarists on their journey of musical discovery.

Teach Yourself Guitar is a comprehensive beginners' introduction to steel-strung (acoustic and electric) guitar playing and basic musicianship. It tells you what to look for when choosing your first instrument and amplifier, demonstrates the techniques used to form and pick notes and chords, and shows how you can greatly extend your abilities by learning to read musical notation and tablature. There are chord diagrams and exercises to assist you as you practice, as well as up-to-the-minute information to help you select the right electronic effects and accessories, and advice on finding out more about particular playing styles that interest you. The book's step-by-step explanations are illustrated with more than 150 specially shot photographs, and its author, Nick Freeth, has over 30 years of playing experience.

Nick Freeth was born in London in 1956, and began playing guitar as a teenager. After a 20-year career in music radio production, initially at the BBC World Service and Jazz FM, and later as a freelance programmer, he wrote his first book, The Acoustic Guitar, in collaboration with Charles Alexander in 1997; The Electric Guitar, by the same authors, appeared the following year. Nick's subsequent work has focused on both music and American culture: it includes Icons of the Guitar (2001, with Cliff Douse), as well as highly acclaimed guides to Route 66 and the Pacific Coast Highway, and a history of the U.S. in the 1940s. A keen acoustic and electric guitarist, Nick's favorite players are Ry Cooder, Pat Metheny, Jerry Garcia and Frank Zappa.