EXCERPT 1

If you have just purchased a guitar or received one as a present it is important to first understand some basic general information that will help you get off on the right foot. The concepts presented here are really the most important thing you will ever learn on the guitar. It is sad but true, that with most of the new students I receive, I usually spend the first year correcting problems. Nine out of ten times these problems were caused by not knowing the proper technique to use on the guitar or not understanding the right way to process music both intellectually and aurally. This book will help you get started in the right way so you can develop to your full potential.

A picture is worth a thousand words so for many of the concepts presented here you will find pictures on pages 51-2 and short videos on the muse-eek.com website either under the book title information or in the "member's section." As an owner of this book you have free access to this "member's section." I urge you to take advantage of this because the information given at this site helps to clarify many of the techniques presented in the book. Some exercises can also be found as midifiles or MP3 files, just like a teacher would demonstrate in a lesson, so you can hear what the exercise should sound like and see the techniques discussed with your own eyes. I urge you to download these pictures and videos to your computer so you can examine them closely and refer back to each file for further refinement of each technique presented.

The first step in playing the guitar is to learn such basic information as how to tune a guitar, hold your pick properly and position your hands and body in relationship to the guitar to help you play correctly so as not to develop any repetitive stress injuries. We will also discuss some of the basic concepts of strumming the guitar and where notes are located on the guitar neck. A music theory section is also included to get you started thinking about music in a structured way. This theory section will be quite challenging for the beginning student. Don't feel like you have to master the music theory before moving on to the chords and chord progressions. If you have problems with the music theory just take it slow and keep rereading it until it makes sense to you. The important thing is that in this book you have all the information to get you started in the right direction.

This book can't cover every subject at the depth you will need. Along the way I will recommend other books for study which will help you correct problems or enrich your understanding. Don't automatically figure you are untalented if you run into a road block. If you have a particular problem try using some of the books or e-books I recommend for further study. You could also check the FAQ section for this book and see if others have had similar problems, or contact me and I will make suggestions to help you get on the right track again.