Hal Leonard Country Guitar Method Survey This is the first Country guitar method book I've bought. I have other guitar method books for rock and I can't say that I am overly impressed with them, however this book has really taught me how to play something and make it sound like an actual song! I find the CD very helpful. The examples are very professional sounding but aren't played so blazingly fast that it leaves beginning and intermediate players in the dust. You'll be learning to play some of the most popular country records from the 50's to the late 90's. I have to admit that I've only mastered 5 songs so far (after 4 months) but atleast that's 5 songs more than I use to be able to play :-) I highly recommend it! In this beginning to intermediate manual, Mr. Koch does a great job of spelling out, playing, and building on the basics. Travis picking, hammer-ons, pull-offs, bends, vibrato, scale runs, sus chords, double stops and chickin' pickin' are all introduced and presented in several forms. He peppers the manual with licks at each stage and provides several backing tracks on the CD you can solo over. Its progression is very intuitive and baby-steps-walk-before-you-run driven. Most of the material is very accessible to the beginner although some selections like Sugerfoot Rag at 234 bpm and the Jimmy Bryant licks will confound you. For this reason he provides a slow version which is still pretty fast. I used the Amazing Slow Downer to slow everything down and would come up to tempo using this software. Otherwise this manual is a very straight-forward, succinct introduction to country guitar. My basis for comparison is Michael Hawley's 'Red Hot Country Guitar' which is more advanced and develops some of the basic motifs like single note soloing in composite/blues scale, double stops, bends in much more detail. I would recommend Hawley's manual after completing Mr. Koch's. Both books will take approximately 3 months to thoroughly digest with a moderate (20 hour/week) practice schedule. I've been playing guitar for about a year and I practice about 2 hours or more per day. I purchased this book/CD about 9 months ago. Of the dozen or so lesson books/CD's that I've purchased, this one is the best. The book is about 60 pages (9" x 12")and it's loaded with information about playing country guitar in particular. There is enough theory to explain why you do things a certain way and enough practical advice and tips to show you how to do it. It's really quite comprehensive and covers a lot of different things such as scales, chords, and double stops. There are also many techniques presented and explained such as slides, string bending, hammer-ons, pulloffs, vibrato, grace notes, etc. Of course, there are numerous riffs, licks, and song examples to provide practice for these techniques. Not all of the songs listed are complete songs in the book. Some are just the intro or a few lines, but some are complete. All of the lessons are in TAB as well as standard music notation. The TABS are good sized and easily read. All of the riffs, licks, etc are played on the CD so that you can hear what it's supposed to sound like. There is some instruction on Travis picking, Carter picking, and hybrid picking but about 85% of the material is intended for flatpicking. I would not suggest this book/CD for someone for their first lesson book on guitar, but if you've been playing a few months and have digested a few of the basics, then this would be an excellent book for you. I would say that this material is best suited for a medium Beginner to an early Intermediate skill level. If you're already a skilled Intermediate player, then you probably already know most of what's in this book. I find that the book is also an excellent reference source since I keep referring back to it all the time. I give it five stars. This is really good source to learn and even teach other how to play country. Basic to detail you will, you will be able to play up to any different genre out of this country. At first, I though the coutry music is only for those with oldy ears, but I totally regret and found the country is the source and the origin when you master the guitar. Well described with play along CD that help a lot!!! I recomment this lesson book to those who know a guitar only a litte or have few experience with it. Begginer
might feel little hard to start with, but only if you try. Great Material, written so anyone can understand it. Improved my plaing the very first time I opened the book. Thanks
http://gradebit.com/1390