Doug! Great to hear from you! Thanks for watching and commenting! I'd love to hear some about the process of working with Hal Leonard if you ever have a few minutes for an email - joemcmurrayguitar@gmail.com
Hey great review as per usual. I'm definitely gonna check this book. I'd like one of these days for you to review learn and master fingerstyle guitar by Steve krenz . I know it comes along with DVD or the other way around 😂. Anyways it'll be great to hear your thoughts on it.
Hey thanks so much for your comment and suggestion! I just looked into the Steve Krenz book/DVDs - I need to hold off on it until I see a less expensive used set ($120 is the cheapest I can currently find). Or if the author/publisher wanted to send me one then I'd be happy to review it! For what it's worth, it looks like the Steve Krenz book/DVDs are about learning guitar in general and not specifically fingerstyle guitar.
Hey - I have reviewed a few fingerstyle blues books on my channel, and I'm a fan of each of them for different reasons. Can you play any fingerstyle guitar yet?
@@JoeMcMurrayMusic Hi. Thank you for the reply. No I can't play any finger style yet. But I love listening to Robert Johnson and someday I would like to be able to play finger style blues. I'd be happy for a recommendation.
@@watchingyoutube7330 A few thoughts on this. 1) You should probably start with a general fingerstyle method book (see some of my other reviews, like Alfred's "Beginning Fingerstyle Guitar" [see Review #1]) or take some lessons (in person or video). 2) You could simultaneously work through Joseph Alexander's "Fingerstyle Blues Guitar" (see Review #8). 3) For repertoire you'll need to look up tunes (listen and transcribe, buy a book, search for chords/tabs online, or get lessons). 4) Learn that 12-bar form!!! Keep a steady monotonic bass line going and keep the melody simple at first so that your brain can focus on keeping the form straight.
Although I practice reading standard notation every day in my classical studies, for these book review video performances I honestly read from the TAB. HOWEVER, in books like this that provide both treble clef and TAB, they rarely have the rhythms notated in the TAB, so I read those rhythms from the treble clef while I'm initially learning a piece. I wish they would notate the rhythms in the TAB because it is easy to do with notation software...
Thanks for your comment! Does your 12 year old already have musical experience or training? That would make a big difference. My knee jerk reaction is that your 12 year old should take private lessons (in person, video lessons, etc.) and the teacher could help her work through one of these books. I've taught many children in that age range and they generally aren't as motivated to actually read the text and fingerings, etc. so they don't stay on course, they develop bad habits, and they lose motivation. Nobody needs lessons forever, but a period of guidance can get you moving in the right direction and make an incredible difference in the long run. However, if your 12 y/o is exceptional and wants to actually spend the time working through a book, then let me know what kind of music she wants to learn (within the umbrella of fingerstyle guitar) - does she want to play fingerstyle arrangements of modern popular music? Does she want to play fingerstyle blues, ragtime, folk, or Celtic tunes? Is she into modern percussive players like Andy McKee or Mike Dawes? Or is she drawn to classical guitar? There are different books that focus on these different sub-styles.
@@JoeMcMurrayMusic thanks for the response! I’m actually an elementary music teacher and a fingerstyle guitarist. I have taught her the ukulele and she’s pretty competent with rhythmic strumming and some basic uke fingerstyle. I’m looking for a great method book for her that I can do with her. This will be her first introduction to guitar. Everything we’ve done so far has been by ear. No written music learning.
@@churchhymnsandpsalms This book has great arrangements of popular repertoire and has some approachable examples, but it just doesn't have that many examples overall. The Alfred Beginning Fingerstyle Method has more practice examples and detailed content and is probably my favorite to teach with in general, but it may not be as appealing to a young student.
@churchhymnsandpsalms I continued thinking about this through the afternoon... Another book to consider is "Fingerstyle Guitar From Scratch" by Bruce Emery (Episode 6) - this book has a very gradual progression that might be really good for a 12 y/o. Lots and lots of practice examples that explore lots of arpeggiation/picking patterns! It's mostly focused on accompaniment, but the author also published a book called "Travis Style Guitar from Scratch" that I'm looking at purchasing as a teaching aid. Also, as a supplement, I love the solo arrangements in Michael Wood's "The Gigging Guitarist (Episode 5). The arrangements sound great and most are very playable for ~late beginners and onwards. These are all Celtic and Appalachian tunes. I haven't been through it, but the author also has a book of hymns and spirituals (from your TH-cam name, this might interest you!).
Thanks for the great review! Glad you liked the book. You sounded great on the examples!
Doug! Great to hear from you! Thanks for watching and commenting! I'd love to hear some about the process of working with Hal Leonard if you ever have a few minutes for an email - joemcmurrayguitar@gmail.com
Hey great review as per usual. I'm definitely gonna check this book. I'd like one of these days for you to review learn and master fingerstyle guitar by Steve krenz . I know it comes along with DVD or the other way around 😂. Anyways it'll be great to hear your thoughts on it.
Hey thanks so much for your comment and suggestion! I just looked into the Steve Krenz book/DVDs - I need to hold off on it until I see a less expensive used set ($120 is the cheapest I can currently find). Or if the author/publisher wanted to send me one then I'd be happy to review it! For what it's worth, it looks like the Steve Krenz book/DVDs are about learning guitar in general and not specifically fingerstyle guitar.
Hi. Do you have a favorite Beginning Fingerstyle blues book?
Hey - I have reviewed a few fingerstyle blues books on my channel, and I'm a fan of each of them for different reasons. Can you play any fingerstyle guitar yet?
@@JoeMcMurrayMusic Hi. Thank you for the reply. No I can't play any finger style yet. But I love listening to Robert Johnson and someday I would like to be able to play finger style blues. I'd be happy for a recommendation.
@@watchingyoutube7330 A few thoughts on this. 1) You should probably start with a general fingerstyle method book (see some of my other reviews, like Alfred's "Beginning Fingerstyle Guitar" [see Review #1]) or take some lessons (in person or video). 2) You could simultaneously work through Joseph Alexander's "Fingerstyle Blues Guitar" (see Review #8). 3) For repertoire you'll need to look up tunes (listen and transcribe, buy a book, search for chords/tabs online, or get lessons). 4) Learn that 12-bar form!!! Keep a steady monotonic bass line going and keep the melody simple at first so that your brain can focus on keeping the form straight.
I was wondering if you were reading standard notation or tabs while you were playing.
Although I practice reading standard notation every day in my classical studies, for these book review video performances I honestly read from the TAB. HOWEVER, in books like this that provide both treble clef and TAB, they rarely have the rhythms notated in the TAB, so I read those rhythms from the treble clef while I'm initially learning a piece. I wish they would notate the rhythms in the TAB because it is easy to do with notation software...
@@JoeMcMurrayMusic
Thanks.Good info.
What’s the best fingerstyle book for a 12 year old girl who is highly motivated to learn fingerstyle?
Thanks for your comment! Does your 12 year old already have musical experience or training? That would make a big difference. My knee jerk reaction is that your 12 year old should take private lessons (in person, video lessons, etc.) and the teacher could help her work through one of these books. I've taught many children in that age range and they generally aren't as motivated to actually read the text and fingerings, etc. so they don't stay on course, they develop bad habits, and they lose motivation. Nobody needs lessons forever, but a period of guidance can get you moving in the right direction and make an incredible difference in the long run.
However, if your 12 y/o is exceptional and wants to actually spend the time working through a book, then let me know what kind of music she wants to learn (within the umbrella of fingerstyle guitar) - does she want to play fingerstyle arrangements of modern popular music? Does she want to play fingerstyle blues, ragtime, folk, or Celtic tunes? Is she into modern percussive players like Andy McKee or Mike Dawes? Or is she drawn to classical guitar? There are different books that focus on these different sub-styles.
@@JoeMcMurrayMusic thanks for the response! I’m actually an elementary music teacher and a fingerstyle guitarist. I have taught her the ukulele and she’s pretty competent with rhythmic strumming and some basic uke fingerstyle. I’m looking for a great method book for her that I can do with her. This will be her first introduction to guitar. Everything we’ve done so far has been by ear. No written music learning.
@@churchhymnsandpsalms This book has great arrangements of popular repertoire and has some approachable examples, but it just doesn't have that many examples overall. The Alfred Beginning Fingerstyle Method has more practice examples and detailed content and is probably my favorite to teach with in general, but it may not be as appealing to a young student.
@churchhymnsandpsalms I continued thinking about this through the afternoon... Another book to consider is "Fingerstyle Guitar From Scratch" by Bruce Emery (Episode 6) - this book has a very gradual progression that might be really good for a 12 y/o. Lots and lots of practice examples that explore lots of arpeggiation/picking patterns! It's mostly focused on accompaniment, but the author also published a book called "Travis Style Guitar from Scratch" that I'm looking at purchasing as a teaching aid.
Also, as a supplement, I love the solo arrangements in Michael Wood's "The Gigging Guitarist (Episode 5). The arrangements sound great and most are very playable for ~late beginners and onwards. These are all Celtic and Appalachian tunes. I haven't been through it, but the author also has a book of hymns and spirituals (from your TH-cam name, this might interest you!).
@@JoeMcMurrayMusic thank you so much! I have Wood’s hymns! They’re fantastic!