AUTHOR COMMENTS

"Quick" and "Easy" seem to be the buzz words for selling beginning guitar method books. From looking at many of these method books over the years I understand why so many of the students I get have so many problems. In their rush to give the consumer a "quick fix" many method books leave out important information or offer poorly explained techniques leaving the student to fill in the blanks as best they can. I find that when a beginning student is shown the proper ways to play and think of music their progress is remarkable. Music isn't a race to see who can play 3 chords the fastest, itŐs about making those chords sound like music, so that they are a pleasure for you to play and for others to hear. It means developing proper technique, understanding rhythm and music theory. This method book gives you a comprehensive start toward understanding these aspects of music and also points you in the right direction to other resources to develop your musical abilities further. While this book presents studies in music notation and theory, it is not necessary to master these aspects of music in order to do all the exercises. They are included so as you work through the book, you can refer to this information to understand what you are doing on a deeper level. Most beginning method books assume that you are not really interested in this information (that quick fix approach again!) so it is generally dealt with only superficially. But if you expect to grow with your instrument, and have faith in your own creativity, you should have the tools to reach your fullest potential. Developing your ability to express yourself with music can be one of the most rewarding things you will ever do, and an understanding of musical structure will help you do it.