Guitar Music Books Compare Prices And Buy

Review by Brian:

I actually own this book. I am a beginner, and was looking for a book of more engaging songs that the usual campfire fare, that I could actually play. The selection in this collection is pretty good. A number of them seem to have chords that are rather difficult to play (at least for me). But there are also some that are quite approachable for a beginner. Also, if you substitute easier-to-finger chords for some of the more exotic variations listed, you can still play. The chord boxes are shown right above the musical staff, which is also very helpful for a beginner.

My only complaint is that there is no Tablature. I would have loved to try out the riffs in some very familiar songs, but I don't read music.

Review by Chris A. Uebelhoer:

I am a beginner. Know most of the open chords. Ordered this book even against the other review mentioning it isn't for beginners. Put it the most simply...for someone of my limited playing level...there is NO way I can play these songs. Nice format. great songs. just not EASY by any stretch

Review by Martin R. Fullington:

If you're used to getting Beatles chords from the internet, save yourself a lot of time, effort, and printing and get this book. Its format is excellent, and the fact that the original keys are used makes the song sound right from first chord. There are almost no errors in placement of chord symbols, and the chord diagrams before each song means you're going to be playing the right form of each chord listed.
All that could be added to make it absolutely perfect would be the signature licks or intros, but often you can work these out from the intro chords given.
I have worn this book out, figuratively. It's the best value for the buck I've ever come across. It even helps you appreciate more the creativity the Beatles showed in their songwriting.
There is no way to be disappointed as long as you understand that this one if for chords and singing the lyrics; it only does that but it does it perfectly.

Review by Allan H. Goodman:

Apparently the publisher has realized that the format used on the internet for posting lyrics and guitar chords is one that customers will buy if published in a book. Each song is arranged with chord diagrams at the top of the page and chord designations are placed appropriately above the lyrics. Since there is no "piano music," most songs are completed in one or two pages, so you don't have to turn pages in the middle of a song. The downside is 1) there are no leads or riffs included; 2) some of the early songs that were not written by the Beatles (Slow Down, Honey Don't - by Carl Perkins) are not included; and 3) some songs appear unnecessarily to be transcribed for the use of a capo, so those who hate the capo (like I do) must transpose. This book is a tremendous value for a relatively small price - 400 pages in a small paperback format. Buy it - you'll be glad you did!! Hopefully, the publisher will produce similarly formatted books for other artists.

Review by TPattersonWALKERS@compuserve.com:

As a new player, I found this book to be an excellent playing guide. It's wide variety of pieces makes the playing more fun and keeps you interested in the guitar. Includes sections on: Full recorded versions, Easy Guitar with Notes and TAB, Easy Guitar full songs, Chord Melody, Classical Guitar, Fingerstyle Guitar, and Guitar Riffs. Most of these pieces are very popular and timeless classics(i.e. Here Comes the Sun, Mission Impossible Theme, Yesterday, Misty, Crazy)....with a few newer pops, rock, and country (i.e. Takin' Care of Business, Friends in Low Places, T-R-O-U-B-L-E, Layla). This is only a very short list of the 110 songs! A Very Good Book

Review by John W. Crockett:

This book has a little something for every guitarist - novice and expert. Some of the songs are easy enough to play for beginners. Others are more challenging. Of particular interest is the way the book is divided into sections allowing the reader to pick and choose the easy or hard songs to play. Songs in the book are from a variety of genres, including classic rock, country, metal, and religious. This book is perfect for someone who has been playing for only a few months and wants to build his/her song list.

Review by Dr. Matt Navarre:

I'm quite pleased by this book - it has a great list of songs - some classical, folk, rock, christmas, and even has Amazing Grace. The layout of Tab and notes makes it a great tool to learn to read music. Special chord fingerings are listed at the top of each song (bonus) and the print is large enough to read easily.

Review by ScarlattiEGB:

I bought this book as a teaching tool for some of my beginning students, since I have one that wants to go rock, one classical, and one jazz. The arrangement for Fur Elise was a nice piece for a quick-learning beginner to study accidentals, and the arrangements for "All the Things You Are" and "Misty" have been helpful in beginning some jazz studies. Otherwise, I agree that a lot of the arrangements are off, and while there is a large variety of songs, I find that there are a lot of them that I would not have chosen for a book that presumes to call itself "The Greatest". As a teacher, though, there are a few things in here that I have found useful...although, I would prefer that the book didn't have tablature.

Review by Erika Mitchell:

This is a collection of the Eagles' early hits, all made easy for beginner guitarists. It includes:
--Already Gone
--The Best of My Love
--Desperado
--Doolin'-Dalton
--Heartache Tonight
--Hollywood Waltz
--Hotel California
--James Dean
--Lyin' Eyes
--One of These Nights
--Outlaw Man
--Peaceful Easy Feeling
--Saturday Night
--Take it Easy
--Take it to the Limit
--Witchy Woman
As with all books in the Made Easy Series, chords are shown in full diagram form, showing you where to put your fingers, which strings are open, and which strings aren't played. Strum marks are also included to let you know how many times to strum each chord. Only the melody line appears together with the lyrics, so you can't really play these songs on the piano- -unless you know your piano chords real well.Some of the songs in this collection are a lot easier to play, learn, and sing than others, perhaps because their melodic structure is more linear, or whatever the musical term is. More difficult pieces include Doolin' Dalton, Hotel California, and Heartache Tonight. Beginning guitarists may not be able to play every song in this book, at least not right away, but the book puts many old favorites within their reach.

Review by Lisa Villa:

I've only been taking guitar lessons for 4 months but I was getting bored with the songs in my lesson book. I wanted something more fun to play, but it had to be EASY. Some books claim to be easy; this one really is! Lots of fun, familiar songs that a beginner can handle.