Rating: 
Summary: Not for the visual learner
Review: Well this must be a decent book, with all the praise it receives; however it didn't do much for me when I began playing guitar. I only had this to learn from, and I gave up guitar in frustration.I just got the ambition to try guitar again, but this time I bought eMedia Guitar Method computer software, and I've gotten farther in two days with that than I did the two weeks with Guitar for Dummies book. It seems they do have a Guitar for Dummies DVD out with instruction, that probably would be something you'd want to get in conjunction with this book to help you learn better. I believe that this book cannot stand on it's own as a good learning tool for the beginner.
Rating: 
Summary: Perfect!
Review: This book is full of great info. Also chech out "The Advancing Guitarist", "Bebop Blues", and "Getting Into Jazz Fusion Guitar", (by different authors).
Rating:
Summary: Great learning tool!
Review: Prior to this book I didn't know anything about guitar playing. By the end of the book I could see myself developing into a competent musician. The included CD makes learning how to play a guitar on your own an achievable goal. This is a great book for the beginner and for the performer looking to expand his range of styles.
Rating:
Summary: By far, the best guitar overview.
Review: This is a great guitar overview but I'm puzzled that so many beginners rate this so highly. I started with Ernie Ball method books and can't imagine using this particular book as a single substitute. For example, unless you're a natural, you're not going to go from playing in open position to playing in other positions in one paragraph. I think the best package for beginners would be this book AND a progressive method AND some lessons. If you are an intermediate player, you can enjoy reviewing things in this text that you've already learned as well as getting quick concise information about particulars, be it string bends, double double stops, power chords, or whatever. This book is a great buy as it saves you from acquiring a whole shelf of guitar books to find out all there is to explore. Once you find a particular topic of interest, seek out a more specialized book. The CD is unbeatable as you can immediately associate what you hear in different types of music with the musical notation. If you're a Rock bigot, note that there is a Rock Guitar version. However, this one is my favorite. If you're going to be a rolling stone, you gotta be well rounded, right?
Rating:
Summary: Don't really have to be a dummy
Review: This book is well written with clear instruction. Also has a generous sprinkle of good humor that will encourage even the most timid of folks to try the guitar! Don't be shy, give it a try!
Rating:
Summary: If you buy this book, buy the dvd/video as well....
Review: I must say that I bought this book about 2 1/2 weeks ago. At first I was loving it. I read up to Chapter#4, then after that I found that I was starting to get stuck by it. I didn't know if I was doing it correctly. Also it seemed like too much at one time(I was starting to lose focus). But just two days ago I happened to stumble upon the video/dvd on Amazon.com. So I bought it too,in hope of pushing me on to pursue my interest. Well it paid off, I found that the video is a better way of showing you how to do it!! I'm not saying that you can't learn from just the book alone, but if you get stuck like me, the video is out there too!! (Together they both help you out) I don't think that anybody mentioned the video here before but if they did, nuff respect due. Thank you Jon Chappell for making this video, it really helps out a lot. And folks do remember to have "FUN" learning your guitar!! Peace
Rating:
Summary: A beginner's GODSEND!
Review: This book is awesome, it covers absolutely everything a newbie needs to learn to play guitar!
Rating: 
Summary: Start me slow, and I can fake the Rest
Review: I am quick to praise the For Dummies philosopy. People these days assume too much. I want to be met on my level, and trained from there.
Guitar for Dummies is great in that respect. I mean, it doesn't even assume that you own a guitar! It teaches you how to take care of your guitar, how to tune it, and how to play it. The method is great. The songs aren't that hip. I mean, you'll never play Micheal row your boat ashore for that group of attractive members of the oppisite gender at the beach. But hey, you teach me the chords, the technique, and I'll dig up some tab or sheet music. And the cool thing about guitar: you might not be good right away, but after only a short time, you can start faking it! Have fun.
Rating:
Summary: Far from the best beginner's book - frustrating!
Review: I purchased this book hoping it would establish a sound foundation for guitar playing and lead the reader in a systematic organized method to learn the guitar. This book tries to cover way too much material. It really never goes into any depth on anything but instead glosses over the subject.
It is disorganized and frustrating to use.
I also purchased this book because it advertised learning how to play the guitar without needing to learn how to read music. Well, that's great but the songs are your worst nightmare from a '70's Mel Bay method book - "Turkey In the Straw", "Aura Lee", geez.
This book is not a beginner's best choice.
Rating:
Summary: I used to be awesome
Review: Now I'm still awesome. I learned some things.
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