Solo Guitar Playing: Bk 2 (with CD) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is the book I started with and I'm very glad I did! Noad is probably the most accessible guitar method author around. I'm self-taught and believe me there are many ways you can go wrong by being your own teacher. If you like the dummies genre of computer books you'll love this method. He doesn't assume you know anything to start with or try to impress with his advanced mastery. But he does have an intimate knowledge of what a beginner needs to know and how to impart that knowledge. His books one and two are an excellent example of what separates a great guitarist and teacher from just a great guitarist. But you need to read and re-read the text very carefully. There are subtle points, which if glossed over will cause untold pain and cursing later on. But it's all right there in the book. If you heed his advice and study twice as carefully as if you had an instructor who could catch those mistakes then you'll be ok!

All these guitar methods (including this one) have one glaring deficiency: Lack of enough and varied practice material. Maybe I'm a little dense but classical guitar is not easy. It takes time and a LOT of practice! One can only repeat the same few lines of notation so many times without getting bored to tears. So I solved the problem by getting just about every method book known to man. After the first couple of books it starts to flow and become fun! Each book goes over the same concepts in a little different way with of course different practice pieces. The flaws of one book are cancelled by another and it becomes exciting as you move faster and faster through each text. What was once arduous becomes smooth and pleasant! The Carcassi book is great once you are a little more adept. It's purportedly for beginners but is rather dry and pedantic and a tough slog if you're just starting. There's some great stuff in there however if you already have the basics of notation down. I found it very useful for learning the higher positions. The Christopher Parkening books are great. He starts right out and then keeps going with very easy, pleasant sounding practice pieces, which helps keep your enthusiasm high. But like most others (unlike Noad) he leaves out small but crucial details that leave one scratching ones head or throwing projectiles. But if you've done Noad first you just say AH! I know what that is! Jason Waldron is also good and straight forward, easy to understand. (Although I wish he would come out with his second method book already!) He has a whole gaggle of songbooks (6) filled with familiar folk tunes, some classical and including CDs. They are very pleasant, easy, confidence building practice pieces. But I prefer Baroque. Noad does a very excellent book of Baroque pieces. He also has a Renaissance book with some very pretty tunes. What a joy to read and play such beautiful music from hundreds of years ago! It's definitely worth the work!

Now, to end on a bit of a heretical note. I had to teach myself because I really don't like the sound of nylon strings on the classical guitar! I wanted to play baroque music on an electric or steel string acoustic guitar. Just like each person plays every piece a little differently and with his or her own interpretation, I wanted to be able to shape my own personal sound with electronics. Besides, I just like the sound of steel! So, I use a flat pick to replace the thumb and steel finger picks on the last three fingers. As an added bonus you don't have to fuss with all that fingernail growing, filing business! I like it and it works pretty well although I still haven't quite figured out how to do harmonics... but I'm working on it! Who knows, you might want to try it also? So, I hope you come to enjoy the classical guitar as much as I do. Persevere through the initial pain and you will never be sorry you did!

Addendum: Since writing this review, I have gone back to the Classical Guitar for playing Classical music. A good Classical Guitar has such subtlety of expression and range of expressiveness that just can't be coaxed out of a steel instrument. My Martin acoustic now lives for chords, at which it is stellar! But I still use the flat pick/steel finger pick method. I can curl my fingers up and play chords and lead riffs or unfold them and fingerpick. It's very versatile and I still like it a lot. My electric is for gouging out acid rock riffs with a little Baroque sprinkled in. But the one which most often brings a tear to my eye is that Classical Guitar.

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Product Description:
This second volume of the popular classical guitar method features instruction, graded exercises, practice studies, and a survey of the guitar repertoire. Volume Two develops technique, sightreading, and includes an advanced repertoire of thirty works.

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