There are so many ways to learn guitar these days, but nothing better than sitting down with a great acoustic guitar book. however, with so many options available, it can be difficult to find the exact acoustic guitar book you’re looking for that suits your goals.
Some acoustic guitar books cover music theory, fingering, technique, etc. maintenance essentials, will guide you through choosing a guitar and provide you with the best resources to immerse yourself in technique and theory.
You are reading: Acoustic guitar books for beginners
In the list below, I will reveal the best books to learn to play acoustic guitar for both beginners and experienced players. I’ll give you all the details on each book, so you know exactly what you’re getting into, and I’ll give you a link where you can pick up the book ASAP on Amazon.
by the way, if you don’t have time to read an entire book, I use audible all the time to learn while multitasking, and there are tons of great guitar books out there. you can get a free trial of audible here.
now…let’s get started!
1. learn to play the guitar by yourself: a quick and easy introduction for beginners
in learn to play guitar yourself, david brewster has put together a great guide that doesn’t require any prior knowledge of music theory. the book is mainly tabulation or tablature, a quick and easy style of notation specific to the guitar, and very easy to learn.
The book covers a number of techniques, including: power chords, barre chords, open position chords and scales (major and minor), and single note patterns and fills. teaching you to play guitar also includes sample lessons and song excerpts in a variety of musical styles, including rock, folk, classical, country, and more. this means it’s a great choice no matter your stylistic preference!
2. hal leonard guitar method – complete edition
the hal leonard guitar method is designed for anyone just starting out on acoustic or electric guitar. this super convenient complete edition features the new and improved method books 1, 2 and 3 spiral bound together, available as a three-cd book.
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hal leonard is one of the most famous names in guitar instruction books, and for good reason. the company has decades of experience publishing amazing books that teach new guitarists of all ages to fall in love with the instrument. The Hal Leonard Guitar Method is very comprehensive and an amazing resource for learning to play guitar from a book.
3. Acoustic Guitar Buying, Care and Maintenance: The Ultimate Guide
While previous books focused on technique and music theory, this book is more concerned with helping you with all the other essential details of owning a guitar, things that took me a decade to learn on my own, as they are scattered. randomly on the internet or rarely discussed at all.
In this book you will discover:
- how to choose a guitar
- (including what to look for in tonewoods, guitar body styles, how to get a good price, whether to buy used or new, etc.)
- also includes a curated guide to the top 10 acoustic guitars for beginners
- fretboard care
- should i use fretboard oil? how often?
- where to learn it… aka how to learn yourself for free
Read more about my maintenance and end buyer’s guide.
4. guitar scales manual: a step-by-step guide to 100 lessons on scales, music theory, and fretboard theory
If you want to delve deeper into music theory, scales, and understanding of the fretboard, then the Guitar Scales Manual is your best bet on this list. covers a lot of theoretical ground in a way that remains fun, interesting, and understandable for guitarists of all levels.
Like the other books on this list, you don’t need to know how to read music. The new edition of the Guitar Scales Manual has over 200 lessons, guitar licks, exercises, streaming videos, and scaled chord concepts. Used by thousands of professional guitarists, students, and teachers, this manual even includes a streaming video course to take your guitar playing to a whole new level.
5. 50 first songs you should play on acoustic guitar
I always felt like I learned some of the best things about guitar by learning songs. to this day, it is one of my favorite ways to practice and progress on the instrument. That’s why I think you can’t go wrong with Hal Leonard’s guide to the first 50 songs you should play on acoustic guitar.
The Top 50 Songs You Should Play On Acoustic Guitar provides a combination of tabs, chords, and lyrics for the most popular songs beginning guitarists want to play on acoustic guitar. some of the best songs include: against the wind * barely breathing * boulevard of broken dreams * champagne supernova * crazy little thing called love * every rose has its thorn * fast car * freefall * hey there delilah * ho hey * i won you don’t give up * layla * let her go * bad * one * ring of fire * signs * stairway to heaven * trouble * wagon wheel * wish you were here * yellow * yesterday * and more.
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If you’re looking for a free alternative to this book, I’ve written a complete guide post on my 50 favorite songs for beginning acoustic guitar players, complete with tabs and video lessons. you can check it here!
Aren’t you a bookworm? | other ways to learn
Hey, books aren’t for everyone, and there are plenty of other ways to learn acoustic guitar. if you prefer to learn through videos, there are still plenty of great options! I recommend:
- Audiobooks! Audiobooks are great if you’re short on time or prefer to read while doing other things (doing laundry, driving, doing the dishes, gardening, exercising, etc.). etc) I use audio all the time to learn through audiobooks. you can get a free trial here.
- by subscribing to the official youtube channel of the acoustic world… where I give out tons of great information for free every week
thanks for reading and, as always, happy choosing!
ready to get better at guitar, faster?
When you’re ready to take your guitar playing to the next level, check out some of my favorite resources below:
Best Acoustic Guitar Strings – A unique polymer coating makes these guitar strings last for months or even years at a time, making them an exceptional value. they provide the perfect combination of boom, range, vibrancy, and brilliance that acoustic music is known for. — click here for more information
best acoustic guitar: loved by everyone from paul simon to gordon lightfoot, the martin d-18 is one of martin’s most legendary guitars…it’s an excellent premium acoustic guitar quality for bluegrass, country, folk, rock and more. this is also what i play myself: click here for more info
chords, tabs & 100 Epic Songs Video Lessons: This free guide I created for other guitarists gives you chords, tabs and video lessons of the 100 best songs to learn to play guitar… I spent many hours putting this guide together for help you get better at guitar, faster. — click here to get it for free
Fingerpicking or Fingerpicking Guitar: Learn which style of playing is right for you by exploring examples, history, and popular performers of each style. discover the essential techniques and the pros and cons of each approach. — click here to get it for free
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