r/guitarlessons • u/Leftfieldcin • 2d ago
Question Book
Anyone use this instruction book? Thoughts?
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u/ModestMice3 2d ago
Great book helped turn me into an intermediate guitar player of 10+ years to intermediate guitar player of 11+ years.
But all jokes aside I wish I had this book when I started!
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u/uncontrolledsub 2d ago
I’ve been playing for over twenty years and have had this book for years. I see it every once in a while and think about starting it, I never have. I might start from the beginning tomorrow or at least as early in the pages as I can tolerate.
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u/iloosepicks 2d ago
I've been doing it for 8 weeks. It's been good and I think I'm progressing. Some of the exercises are a PITA, but that's good since it means I'm forcing myself to do something out of my confort zone and after some time practicing I can do some things I couldnt before. I play guitar since I was 13 years old (34 now), but never really practiced in a structured way, so it's been nice to see some progress and structure.
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u/magenta_daydream 2d ago
I’ve used it. It’s pretty good at forcing you to practice with purpose on things that you might not do on your own. It also has some really good exercises for developing finger independence which is super important for advancing beyond the beginner stage. I also recommend Rhythm 365 for breaking out of the first position in a logical way and learning other styles of rhythmic playing beyond pop/country.
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u/Dapper_Algae3530 2d ago
One of the better books I own. It’s not really theory based in any way. It’s just here, here’s 7 different ways to move your hand every week with backing tracks. I learned and developed a lot from this one.
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u/itsnotaboutthecell 2d ago
Great book, I own it too. Haven’t done every page but definitely have a few that I have in rotation over the years.
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u/Riff-Disciple1981 1d ago
Bought this book for added practice structure and I don’t regret it at all. At first, it’s hard to tell, but as you go through the exercises, after some time, you’ll notice that licks and riffs you thought were challenging actually feel doable. It also ingrained in me the habit of starting very slow on the tempo until I feel comfortable to push the speed a little more when learning new riffs. I didn’t realize it at first, but the online portal not only has the samples, but it has the drum tracks based on the genre. And on the topic of genre, you get to play outside your typically style of music, too.
SUMMARY: Worth every penny.
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u/Herodotus_thegreat 2d ago
Definitely want to have some known and skill before going into this from my experience
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u/avari1 2d ago
I'm on week 6 in this. Started playing guitar about a year ago. I wish I had this back then, as it has created a regular and structured exercise regime for me. Some of the exercises turn pretty difficult soon, so it can be frustrating. But overall a good collection of exercises!
Edit: would not recommend this to a total beginner.
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u/vonov129 Music Style! 2d ago
It's a decent catalogue for exercises but a terrible idea to follow the structure of an exercise per day
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u/1hubbyineverycountry 2d ago
I’ve got this one too, just draggin ass on buying a cd player for the backing tracks. Anyone know if they’re accessible online anywhere?
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u/Garcia_is_God 2d ago
There should be a download code in the book
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u/1hubbyineverycountry 2d ago
Maybe I somehow ended up with an older edition, there’s no download code. I’ll contact them and request one.
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u/DogoPilot 16h ago
They won't give you one, unfortunately. I have an older version of it as well and they said there's no way for them to provide me with a code, and the only option was to buy the book again.
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u/triffidsting 2d ago
There is some chap on YouTube who goes through each exercise. I found it more useful as the book is always clear , not for a beginner anyway.
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u/LungHeadZ 1d ago
I have it screenshotted from a previous post here so that I can buy it. Heard good things about
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u/Odd_Trifle6698 1d ago
Just use a metronome, I found the backing tracks frustrating, I also find a lot of the exercises are really damn hard but I’ll try and move to the next, figure I’ll do the book again and again
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u/RingAccomplished8464 1d ago
I use it though only started it recently. The exercises are good and will even advance intermediate players further imo. It helps having some concrete exercises. Though it is build like “1 exercise per day an eat long”. Which I would not take too seriously. There are variations of previous exercises. I’d say it is worth it
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u/Jwell0517 1d ago
As someone who just started watching attack on titan, this picture triggered me lol
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u/Only_Earth9033 2d ago
It’s okay, didn’t keep me motivated. Pehhead nation has kept me more motivated.
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u/Countofmontecrispy 2d ago
hook me up with a PDF
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u/DesiITchef 1d ago
For others who are looking, search the name on Google with pdf at the end. Many copies available
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u/SlightlyWhelming 1d ago
Great book! I went through it when I was a student and had several go through it as the teacher.
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u/Naphier 1d ago
Anyone do this on acoustic? I got a speed plateau pretty early doing this. Might go back to it soon to see.
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u/soclydeza84 17h ago
I have, it still works very well for acoustic, though I skip some electric-centric of the things like bending exercises, but that more because I dont do much bending beyond a 1/2 step on acoustic.
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u/Naphier 16h ago
Maybe I'll revisit. I got stuck on speed. Can't remember what exercises but it was in the first few weeks. Then I was advancing all but like 2 exercises. So it got weird.
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u/soclydeza84 13h ago
Yeah it got tough for me too, I've been playing for decades so could breeze through most of them but those sweep picking ones are something else... they ramp up way too quickly lol, could never get them at the tempo the book asks for. I think I'm going to revisit this book too.
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u/trippinonlyfe 1d ago
I have this book but ive yet to start it cause i was always so intimidated by it. I have small hands and i believe some of the exercises here had some very hand stretchy parts if i remember correctly but ive been learning music theory lately and its given me a new sense of respect for practicing. Even just knowing what notes you can play throughout a key can make you faster at deciding which notes you wanna play which in turn helps your fingers become faster. Almost like if they already know whats coming up so they prepare themselves. With that in mind i might just give this book another try and see just how faster my playing can be
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u/Nach0Maker 1d ago
I had this book 25 years ago! Or at least one that had the same types of lessons and nearly the same cover.
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u/Dapper_Algae3530 1d ago
The point is it trains your hands to memorize motions without getting lost in the brainy part. A valuable compliment to learning theory and song structure.
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u/No_Bad_8009 1d ago
This is a great book!
Teaches scales and triads in a cool repetitive way. If you do it daily for a year and read and understand what’s happening, you’ll have a strong music foundation.
Then learn from tim pierce Steve stine Marty music Justin guitar These guys are the best in my opinion.
Then
True fire - you’ll learn tons of songs
3 years you’ll be as good as any successful guitar player out there.
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u/ObjectiveContact6483 16h ago
I’m on week 4. I find I don’t need about 4 out of the 7 practices a week, but it’s helping me with alternate picking, string skipping and sweep picking which are a couple areas I’m trying to improve on.
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u/dimebag_lives 12h ago
The only one I did multiple times. Highly recommended.
Does anyone have suggestions on a similar one maybe a bit more theorical but that brings you to a journey? Most are just references
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u/ijustlikethecolors 9h ago
That book has been sitting in my drawer for about 15 years. Maybe I should open it
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1d ago
[deleted]
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u/OGGGrizzly 1d ago
why the down vote?
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u/Montucky4061 1d ago
Some people realize that a PDF circumvents the profit structure of the author and the publisher. Copyright law is what it is, so if you’re cool w someone stealing a song you might write or have already written then floating free PDFs should be NBD.
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u/OGGGrizzly 1d ago
I understand
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u/Montucky4061 1d ago
I’m all about giving it to the man, but seems silly to play that card on a $17 book.. especially one written by a dedicated musician and guitarist (Troy Nelson) who likely isn’t rolling in a yacht or private jet.
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u/Rahnamatta 10h ago
I'm reading the book.
To me, it's for very beginners... and if you are below intermediate, you could play at least 2 weeks of exercises in a day without any issues.
I mean, even for beginners there are exercises of strumming three open quarter note chords.
If you can play open chords and can play the simplest melody, this book goes from very easy to easy.
The first weeks is just 7 exercises with alternate things. If you go up on Monday, you go down the next Monday. You could easily, using your brain, create the variations by yourself.
I bet the hardest part for beginners is string skipping and sweep picking.
TL;DR: maybe for beginners. Beyond that, playing a song has more shit than 2 months of these drills
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u/juliec505 2d ago
My teacher has me going through this book. I work through it along with my other lesson book each week. I find it hard however satisfying when I master a lesson.