Bob Morris/Jeff Schroedl/Chris Woods
Hal Leonard : 30 pages
This is the first of a number of books helping children get into the guitar (hopefully) the right way, namely, reading music, knowing how it all works on paper, without, as can sometimes be the case with certain tutor books, going from step 1 to step 28 , without the others in between.
This book goes very carefully indeed, so that there are many pictures, usually large ones, with carefully explained instruction, step – by step, so that no children who are willing to stick to the instruction will find it hard to understand. After Holding the Guitar, which incidentally shows the kids holding the guitar on the right leg (!), the next page is Hand Positions, and then we find ourselves doing three string chords of C and G7 with some pages of little strumming pieces after that, accompanied by the teacher’s melody. An Em chord then gives the pupil 3 chords to play, before the next leap; namely letting the pupil read the E top string note on the stave, followed by the F and the G, and many of the rules that go with it.
3 notes on string 2 follow, and then chords of G and D with several pages of pieces, still with the teacher playing the melodies. Then at string 3 the roles reverse, so that the pupil learns the G and the A on string 3, and then begins playing melodies with the teacher strumming the chords. A final chord of A and some slightly harder pieces, takes the pupil to the end of book 1
As for the pieces used, they are, surprisingly, often old pop tunes, namely I’m a Believer, Hound Dog, Brown Eyed Girl, Love Me Tender and Eleanor Rigby, to name but 5, which does say something for today’s melodies, I feel!
I can see this book being useful to many young beginners who can sometimes find other tutor books a bit dry and therefore hard to digest. This book (and I assume its companions) goes out of its way to try to make the process as interesting as possible, and for that I can recommend it as one to try for your pupils.
Chris Dumigan