Editorial Review
Learn to play the guitar using this quick and easy guide. Whether you dream of playing classical guitar, a B.B. King lick, or just the opening bars to "Stairway to Heaven," this book can get you there. This easy-to-use guide introduces the beginning guitarist to all styles of playing, from classical to jazz and pop. Using basic exercises and a selection of popular tunes, it shows how to do everything from reading tablature and chord diagrams to performing simple accompaniment. This book is designed for the child or adult beginner who wants a "user-friendly" introduction to the most popular musical instrument. It contains numerous sidebars and illustrations, making learning the guitar fun and easy. Z Features exercises in all styles from classical to rock and jazz Z Includes checklists of popular books, videos and instrument dealers, and tips on purchasing and maintaining your instrument. Frederick Noad is an expert guitar teacher and author of dozens of guitar methods, including The Virtual Guitarist, Solo Guitar Playing and Playing the Guitar, all from Schirmer Books. He is the inventor of Speed Score, the computer notation software and is universally known as a master teacher of the instument.
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Customer Reviews
Great learning tool 
2008-07-13
Just starting with this but it is well-documented with background tidbits, and it is very easy to use.
it really is for idiot's but not in a good way 
2008-03-08
this book is is full of super basic information if you own a guitar and took 4 lessons you would be beyond this book. i expected it to go into more relevant playing styles but did not really happen. if you are an emo rocker want-to-be just picking up you very first guitar then by all means get this and sit alone strumming you little heart out, but if you are really trying to get beyond your fisher price my first guitar start some where else. it is not a bad book just very very slow moving and i would say that if if your guitar does not look like the one on the cover. DO NOT GET THIS BOOK. i would recommend it to my grand mother to please the shady-pines crew. i know she would find it her speed.
Idiots Guide for Guitar 
2007-11-02
Product received as described with disk intact. Am pleased with purchase and would buy again in future.
A Good Start 2007-09-24
I usually recoil from anything "Idiot's", but when I saw Noad's name on it I was curious. I own several of this famous guitarist/educator's books and thought it would be worth a look. This is a great book! It is appropriate for the absolute beginner; and is also useful to more experienced guitarists. It includes history and interesting guitar information to enhance and add context to the lessons. It does not create the false impression that anyone can learn guitar without hard work and practice; but it does move a student along quickly in simple fashion. I played a beautiful Gomez piece, "Plegaria" from a later chapter in the book (I have not found it anywhere else) at a music circle and it was very well recieved. The CD is also very helpful. I will continue use this book with my students and my own studies.
Great book for people who want to learn the basics of playing guitar. 2007-05-12
The book came in the mail and was in great condition. I have found the book to be very informational and easy to follow. I enjoy the information and I am on my way to learning the basics of guitar playing. Awesome book.
Not as useful as I hoped 
2007-01-04
Learn to play the guitar using this quick and easy guide. Whether you dream of playing classical guitar, a B.B. King lick, or just the opening bars to "Stairway to Heaven," this book can get you there. This easy-to-use guide introduces the beginning guitarist to all styles of playing, from classical to jazz and pop. Using basic exercises and a selection of popular tunes, it shows how to do everything from reading tablature and chord diagrams to performing simple accompaniment. This book is designed for the child or adult beginner who wants a "user-friendly" introduction to the most popular musical instrument. It contains numerous sidebars and illustrations, making learning the guitar fun and easy. Z Features exercises in all styles from classical to rock and jazz Z Includes checklists of popular books, videos and instrument dealers, and tips on purchasing and maintaining your instrument. Frederick Noad is an expert guitar teacher and author of dozens of guitar methods, including The Virtual Guitarist, Solo Guitar Playing and Playing the Guitar, all from Schirmer Books. He is the inventor of Speed Score, the computer notation software and is universally known as a master teacher of the instument.
A fine method for fine learners 2006-12-22
I received the book one week ago... however, I am still waiting for my LaPatrie Hybrid guitar ordered five months ago. Nevertheless, I feel strongly this method is made for me. The presentation is enjoyable (the book stays open when you need it does, layout is clean, etc), lessons are intelligently graded, not childish at all. CD's tracks cover a wide range of styles and gives the reader impulse to experiment much more than classic, the style usually associated with nylon-string guitar, the kind of instrument the book is (fortunately) oriented to. An excellent tool to learn flying your own wings. A well-cut gem.
Extremely useful; challenging for a beginner 2006-04-15
So I'm writing this a year after I got this book. I had never attempted to play anything on the guitar, and this book was the first of any guitar books that I have.
Its not perfect, but it was a great launch pad for what was ahead. There is a huge range of songs in here that provide even now, a fun challenge.
That being said, I'll be concise--pro's and cons'
Pro's:
It is wonderful to have a CD to play with.
There are huge amounts of varying level, and style, songs to try.
It is an EXCELLENT book, 5 stars, IF you can pick read around some of the seemingly overly difficult ideas for total beginners. Know when to skip pages!
Some really wonderful songs!
Con's:
When the mention of chords came in, 'oh my darlin', it said 'just do these'. It took *forever* to get those two chords comfortably moving to eachother. I tend not to continue in a book until I feel comfortable with what I've passed, but tell you what, I didn't feel like 'ohmyarling'ing' for hours on end, it drove me insane. So I moved on, thank god.
It seemed to me that the book was more full of theory than practical application. There was far far more theory than the beginner could get a grasp on because regardless of whether or not it mentions 10 or 40 chords--I didn't have 3 down by the time it was mentioning ridiculous amounts of them.
By far the most progress made was by playing. Not reading the endless amounts of dry theory. Now going back to this, a year later, it makes sense because I can apply it.
About half the songs were garbage to me. That may just be me though. When its frustrating to learn a starting song over 30 seconds or so, and you're playing the song and thinking 'this song kind of sucks'--there isn't much inspiration to continue. That being said, there were some songs I loved, particularly towards the end.
Anyway, I learned alot. A lot was useless. It more challenging than I expected for a beginners book but had enough content to keep me permanently busy. This book could be cut in half, or less. Still, I liked it.
Ethan
Made me feel like an idiot for buying 
2006-02-11
I usually trust this series and therefore did not spend 30 minutes reading in the store. Got it home and discovered that this is not a beginners book at all: the author spends 5 pages on the basics of playing and then jumps into 100 pages of advanced techniques and sheet music. I was totally lost immediately. I'm sure it's good reference for experienced players and music majors but not a beginner. I hope the store will take it back.
Tries to cover all music, not for beginner. 2005-03-13
This book absolutely will not teach you to play guitar.
It goes over some music theory, and discusses different playing styles (blues, flamigo, etc.). It tries to cover way too much material for a small book.
Interesting to browse, but not recommended.
