- 144 pages
- Size: 12″ x 9″
- Composer: Greg Koch
- ISBN: 634047019
Product Description
The Hal Leonard Guitar Method is designed for anyone just learning to play acoustic or electric guitar. It is based on years of teaching guitar students of all ages, and reflects some of the best teaching ideas from around the world. This super-convenient Complete Edition features the new and improved method books 1, 2 and 3 spiral-bound together, available as a book only (00699040) or book with three CDs (00697342)!. . . More >>
Hal Leonard Guitar Method, Complete Edition: Books & CD’s 1, 2 and 3
Other Guitar Resources
- Hal Leonard Guitar Method: Jazz Guitar | Jazzguitars.net
- Truth In Shredding: Greg Koch: Guitar Clinic | Fresh Archive
Related posts:
I’m a guitar teacher who has been teaching beginning guitar since 1983 to a multitude of young start-ups learning the instrument. This has always been the main book I use for beginners. This book’s target audience is 12 to 19 year olds. Students 8 to 11 have used the book with me but struggled, as the note reading and strumming is a little difficult for them. Students under 12 need a book more dedicated to 3 and 4 string EZ chords played on the high strings (like Alfred’s Kid’s Guitar Course) as opposed to full 6 string chords. This book progresses into lengthly 7 and 8 line melodies pretty early on and children under 12 can’t maintain a high level of concentration for that long without soon becoming frustrated and impatient. (Maybe Hal Leonard will release a “Guitar Primer” as a preliminary to this book someday).
But it’s perfect, like I said, for the 12 to 80+ year olds. This age group has the maturity, finger strength, and the self-discipline to diligently practice the material slowly without giving up too soon. Dedicated practice time is the secret to success using this book or any other method book. The lessons are progressive, meaning each chord sequence you learn uses chords from the previous lessons and the notes you play for melodies contain sharps and flatted notes from previous lessons.
The song selection is nice because there are all styles, time periods, and ethnicities represented. There’s rock songs, folk songs, Christmas songs, traditional African American spirituals, fiddle tunes, classical pieces, and what I really enjoy as a teacher – 2 part duets! Book one covers the rudimentary chords and 1st position note playing. Book 2 gets you into finger picking, Carter Style, and alternating bass notes with open string cowboy chords. Book 3 gets into rock playing and improvisation using pentatonic scales. There are also “jam sessions” in book 3 that give you, the student, the chance to sit in with the band and apply what you’ve learned.
The book is authored by Will Schmid, past president of MENC, a national music organization that sets the national K-12 standards for music education. The book’s overall strength comes from Schmid’s insight into professional guitar education. This is a method book with a curriculum and a design.
This book is a revision. The revisionist being rock star celebrity Greg Koch. Greg Koch, although a little wacky (but in an entertaining way) can cover any genre of music to stylistic perfection. His performances have been professionally recorded with a full band of studio musicians. The tracks have a slow version to practice along with and a up-to-tempo version to hear what it should sound like up-to-speed. The CDs will be very helpful for those without the benefit of a guitar teacher. The audio tracks will help facilitate your learning because you can pop the CD into your boombox and listen to the lesson material as if Greg Koch himself were giving you a private lesson. (wouldn’t that be zany and fun!)
Rating: 5 / 5
I have been playing guitar for several years, and even play on the worship team at church. So far I have learned by just chords or playing by ear. I picked this book up to learn how to read music and take my musical ability to a new level. AND this book definetly does it!!
This book starts of at square one of how to hold a guitar and proceeds very logically through into more advanced topics; reading music, building chords, music theory, advanced fingerings, all main key signatures, etc. This book will help practically anyone who plays guitar, to play better. (Unless you are already a Pete Townsend or Eric Clapton, but if so why are you looking for a new book on how to play guitar?). This book comes with 3-CDs that play nearly every song within the book covered allowing the guitarist to develop perfect timing, playing with other instruments, and knowing how the song should sound. This book is great for any beginner, amauter, and even the intermediate players will be able to pick something up. Especially since it’s less than $25 bucks make this a 5-star buy for any guitar player.
Rating: 5 / 5
This is a great system for learning the guitar. The instructions and photos are clear and this gets you reading music and playing tunes quickly. (Includes TAB in the second book) – since all three volumes of this serires are bound in one terrific spiral binding – this is an excellent value. I am a pianist and like this system because it gets into reading notes immediately. I tried another system that did not explain what notes were where on the guitar and found it frustrating since I knew where they were on the piano, I wanted to know where they were on the guitar – not just where to place my fingers. This is a great book!
Rating: 5 / 5
The 3 book/3 CD compilation of the HL Guitar Method is where I began and what I use to teach students how to master the guitar and to become. . . musicians. The book methodically relys on learning to read actual music (later in the book the tab method is introduced) and slowly, patiently develops the student’s fingers, ears, and appreciation of harmony and melody. Theory is introduced ever so subtley and enjoyably.
The CD tracks are excellent and make quality self-study feasible. Many of the songs or exercises are presented in slow and up tempo versions.
This is a treasure chest for the teacher and student or the student who is teaching himself. There are excellent supplemental books (pop and rock melodies, rhythm books, riff and lick books, etc. )and I recommend them all.
Rating: 5 / 5
I bought this book based on the overwhelming positive reviews here at Amazon, and was left quite disappointed. The book is ultra-simplistic, and each section has a small bit of information followed by a large chunk of sheet music. If one were browsing in a music store, and picked up this book and casually flipped through it, it would come across primarily as book of sheet music.
The book is heavily focused on learning to read actual music (staffs, notes, clefs, etc), and tablature is almost an afterthought.
As best I can tell, the accompanying CD’s are simply the music bits played, with absolutely no verbal instruction.
This book may be fine for many (and apparently is) but it is definitely not the best way to learn guitar for everyone. I downgraded it to 3 stars, not because “it’s just not for me”, but because I actually find the instructional material to be quite sparse. A large chunk of the print is going to be sheet music, which you can find online for free anyway.
Rating: 3 / 5