Customer Reviews
Graet Method Book 
2007-11-04
A very good method book for the beginning classical guitarist. I teach Classical guitar and have used this book many times and some of my students own it as their primary method book. Well written, easy to understand and many opportunities to practice what it's talking about. The CD is invaluable. It has all the songs recorded which are in the book. A favorite piece I usually ask all of my beginning students to learn is the, "Malaguena". It's really great that they can hear the actual piece being played by the author of the book EXACTLY as it is written in musical notation in the book.
It is absolutely LOADED with pertinent guitar information. It's more than a beginner's book, but starts off very logically and doesn't rush into more information too soon. Great pictures, diagrams, hints and musical discussions. I can't say enough good things about this book.
If you want to try learning Classical guitar on your own without a teacher, this is about the only book I've found that will help you do it. I've had one student hire me for lessons after he started this book on his own, and I was impressed at how well he understood the information and his technique was not bad at all!
A Good Place to Start 
2007-10-11
I am enormously fond of Fredrick Noad for making the classical guitar accessible. However, the number of competent and successful self-taught classical guitarists in the world could easily be counted on the fingers on one hand, and this book is useful only in as much as the new guitarist seeks qualified instruction at the outset as well as this book's counsel.
This book is a good place to start for those who wish to have a taste of the classical guitar, but a sure path to failure and frustration for those who rely on this book exclusively for their instruction. This is the book's one failing: assuming that the manifold technical possibilities of a classical instrument can be gleaned, and mastered, from a book. When used in conjunction with a qualified instructor, the lessons are well laid-out, and the emphasis on reading notation at the outset is exemplary. Where the student will encounter difficulties, however, is with the selection of repertoire studies. The music ranges from the banal, to pieces, and tempo indications, far beyond the limited means of most struggling new guitarists. The book also suggests that advanced pieces like, El noi de la Mare by Llobet, are a fitting and successful conclusion to his introductory volume 1!
There is no such thing as a one trick pony, and in order to make great strides with the instrument, there is no bypassing the time-honored methods of endless scale practice, and endless etudes.
Used in conjunction with a qualified instructor, and in combination with a book of scales, this book should successfully see you through your introductory period with the guitar (six months to a year for most). In order to progress beyond the introductory level, you have to lay Noad's book aside, and pick up the Sor, Aguado, Guiliani, and Carcassi studies.
Frustrating book but Very good material 
2007-09-19
I have been playing guitar since I was 14 but only recently I started a systematic study of classical guitar. Once I got the book I was surprised at how thorough it is. The exercises are very well built and the progression seems to be very natural. Actually the exercises sound like pieces of music. I was playing them once and a friend of mine thought I was actually playing a "piece." Speaking of pieces, they are very well selected, in my opinion. I study the notes and then I get to it. The CD helped me tremendously: once I get the piece down, I have the tendency of speeding up. I tried to play with the CD and I am getting better at keeping the tempo stable.
Two negative things though: The binding of the book is not good for this kind of books. The book doesn't stay open on the music stand. Also, the layout needs to improve. Both the exercises and the musical selections are often printed in a way that you have to turn the page. That in itself is annoying but considers also the fact that the book doesn't stay opened flat. The result? A lot of frustration !
Guitar learning book for beginners 2007-07-20
This is indeed a very excellent book for the beginners. It teaches very good techniques, how to read music, different bits. One can learn a lot just by going through the book. The CD provided with this book is additionally helpful for the people who are learning by themselves. However, it is always advisable to take some initial lessons from a professional.
Classical guitar 2007-04-11
As someone completely new to guitar this book is very intensive and easy to understand.
Great Book If you have a teacher helping you. 2008-02-18
This book is great if you have a teacher who is helping you. If you are trying to go through this book by yourself you will probably fail and become frustrated with the guitar. I do not recommend you use this book by yourself if you are starting out. Otherwise I love this book. I have a good instructor and I am learning alot. The book does not have tabs so you will be forced to read music (which is good) but harder. Buy the book with the CD so you can hear how the songs are played. I would have liked to see him include a DVD so that every musical section can be heard by the student, this is especially helpful to know if you are playing each section correctly and for the student who is trying to learn on their own.
I've owned a copy of this book for 30 years! 2008-02-11
I stumbled onto this book as a teenager trying to teach myself to play the guitar. I found it both easy to understand and rewarding. Eventually I went on to minor in jazz guitar in college and spent several years as a union musician. A few years ago I returned to this book (I finally replaced my old copy with a new version) when I wanted to venture into classical guitar. Almost thirty years later I found it equally as captivating and rewarding as it was in my first encounter.
Recently I decided to learn to play the English concertina, but found that there were no quality tutorials readily available, so I turned, once again, to Mr. Noad. The exercises presented in the book have been very helpful and have allowed me to feel an increasing sense of aptitude on the concertina as I step through the lessons!
Solo Guitar Playing is built on a clear, accessible methodology and a well-paced progressive learning system that stands the test of time! If you could only have one guitar instruction book, this would be the one to consider.
Moderate opinion 2008-02-11
I bought the book with hopes I could learn to play solo guitar without reference to notes and conventional music notation. However, this book, although very instructive and thorough (and fast) in its design, still relies on the reader's understanding of proper music notation.
I hate notes. I started playing guitar by the ear only and still play complicated chords by the ear. I wanted to see some important techniques, not exercises, of playing solo.
The good thing though is that it comes with a CD to accompany some 40 exercises in the book.
If you are keen on notes and promise to sit and train 2 hours a day, you will play solo guitar freely after one year with this book. If you are like me and like to improvise on the guitar without any proper musical education this book will be too boring.
In either case, the key to playing guitar is practice anyway! So no matter what you play, spending some time with the guitar every day will yield the fruits sooner or later, with or without any book.
Classical Guitar 2008-01-12
this book was used in my college classical guitar music class, and once you learn to read the music, this has great songs, most of them sound more renaissance but Romaza/romace is in the book which is a famous classical song, the cd really helps you when you start reading the notes.
Excellent Content, but a few faults still unresolved..... 2007-12-01
Prior to Mr Noad's passing, there had been various updates with each revision. The content of this book is superb. The exercises are well thought out. The only true negatives of this book in my opinion are First: It needs a spiral bound edition. The book is almost impossible to put on a music stand comfortably without bending it back so that it lies flat. The copy I have was so damaged from doing this that the pages began falling out. This led me to remove all the pages, punch holes in them and replace them in a binder which allows easy page turning. Many others have noticed the same issue in some of the reviews, but the publisher still has not remedied this.
Second negative is the CD. Again, the content is excellent, but there is no listing of the CD contents in the book anywhere. A simple CD Icon next to the work outlined in the book would be appropriate.
I agree with many of the reviews. The book gradually moves the guitarist through exercises which move from position 1 on the fretboard through Position 2.
