Rock Guitar for Dummies (For Dummies)

Firstly, the sections on hardware, maintenance, and general info about electric guitars. I bought this book expecting not to use this section at all, but has since proved invaluable. It's great for answering all those questions you had about guitars and equipment but felt too stupid to ask in the shop (the sections on amps and effects pedals is brilliant), and the maintenance bit contains all the essentials and more for keeping your guitar in top nick. Full marks for this bit.

Secondly, the (more important) tuition part. I was expecting the rhythm guitar section to explain in depth rhythmic timings and power chords, i.e. things important to ROCK guitar. However it concentrates on traditional chords and even barre chords, virtually irrelevant for a distorted rock guitar (the author himself even says so on page 73!!). The lead guitar section is where it all falls apart. It only concentrates on the pentatonic scale and nothing else, which i have since realised is only good for old-shool rock/indie and not much more. I remember finding this section particularly baffling as a beginner, not because it was too fast paced, but because the author tries to teach this scale without mentioning 2 very important things: a) what the pentatonic scale actually is and how it is formed, and b) what you're actually supposed to do with it once you've learnt it. In fact, a continuing moan throughout this book it that the author tries to teach without explaining the theory behind things, which would make it so much clearer.

Overall, this book is probably worth getting for the technical side alone, but you may find yourself skipping over much of the tuition section and as a result it won't last more than a month or two. You may as well start with 'guitar for dummies' then go on to more specific tuition books.


Really helpful, you can genuinely learn with this   April 28, 2003
 8 out of 8 found this review helpful

Brilliantly written, particularly good at explaining things you feel you really ought to have already known. Great chapters on hardware, amps and effects; as well as actually *playing* rhythm and lead. The style is just right, not too dry and not too full of "humour".

I'm not sure a total beginner could work through this without a lot of work, but if you've played a few chords, have a helpful friend who plays or are coming from another instrument, you really could find yourself playing rock guitar with this book and plenty of practice and dedication.


Good book, but maybe not what you expect...   November 18, 2002
 37 out of 37 found this review helpful

As with all 'Dummies' books 'Rock Guitar for Dummies' follows the same standards and humour as other books in the range. However, don't buy this book on the understanding that it will teach you how to the play the guitar from scratch, some prior knowledge is needed. This book acts as a guide to help develop your guitar playing into a rock sytle rather than teaching you from scratch. I'm guessing 'Guitar for Dunmmies' will cover the area's I expected to find in this book! Overall the book is well written and provides a wealth of information on all things 'rock guitar', 50% of the book is actual guitar playing, while the other 50% is theory behind the equitment etc...

Last Words: Not a beginners guide.


Great   October 2, 2002
 3 out of 9 found this review helpful

This book's great, I really wanted to learn how to "Rock Out" so I bought this book, started reading it and a couple of weeks later I was jammin with my mates. Great Book!