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You are reading: Guitar books for intermediate players
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Intermediate players often have a common problem: they don’t know what to learn next to approach advanced skill level.
on the other hand, books can get you from a to b to c relatively quickly. And when it comes to learning to play the guitar, it’s rare to get organized help from an expert for as affordable a price as what comes with the books.
In this article, I reveal my favorite books for intermediate players. With these, advancing your guitar playing is much easier and easier. I also reveal some runners-up who missed the top 5.
Let’s get started!
5 best guitar books for intermediates
best overall: fretboard logic se
This book is the best overall because no matter what genre or style you like, it helps you understand how the guitar really works. how the notes work on the fretboard and the unique tuning used on the guitar and how to build on this understanding in your playing.
For me, this book is a game of chance.
i like book teaches you by separating the pages into 2 parts. one for text and one for images. this makes reading this book and learning from it much more enjoyable.
still, the text editing could be a bit simpler and more modern. use shorter paragraphs and highlight key elements.
But overall I like the format of this book and the information between the covers is truly groundbreaking material. great option no matter what style you prefer.
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advantages
- clear and easy to understand format with pictures
- the information is really useful and will definitely improve the skills of most players
- manages to explain well the key concepts</li
- entertaining reading
- works no matter what style you like
cons
- would prefer an even simpler text format
- not all things will necessarily sink in with just 1 full read
for improvisation/if limited to the pentatonic scale: pentatonic patterns – the essential guide for all guitarists
This book is a great resource if you feel like getting stuck. helps you unlock the full potential of the guitar fretboard.
Personally, I’ve gotten pretty stuck inside just a couple of scale patterns, but this book can definitely help connect familiar patterns and allow for much more confident playing.
Please note that the book’s author recommends gaining a basic understanding of the minor pentatonic scale before reading this book.
This book teaches you to play thinking in reality. you get nice licks to learn, plus online audio access for backing tracks etc. this greatly adds to the practicality of this book.
Pentatonic patterns are worth studying for musicians who want to start improvising effortlessly and want to better understand the pentatonic scale.
See Also: The 10 best cycling books | Sport and leisure books | The Guardian
advantages
- hands-on (teaches via online audio access and playback)
- can “unstuck” your progress
- teaches how scale patterns link together each other
- licks are pretty good
cons
- You must first gain a basic understanding of the minor pentatonic scale
best exercise book: guitar aerobics
I think every guitarist should read this book. he helps you insert a practice habit into your life and gives you something new to learn every day.
This book gives you 356 different licks to master. these cover a wide variety of different techniques suitable for different types of styles. from rhythm guitar to sweep plucking.
and if the introduction is left out, the interactivity of this book is excellent and learning a new lick every day is very easy.
Overall, this is one of my favorite guitar books, and the online audio that comes with this book makes learning easy.
See Also: The 10 best cycling books | Sport and leisure books | The Guardian
advantages
- does what it’s supposed to do really well
- the book covers a wide variety of different genres and techniques
- easy to use
- years of practice the material for this price is really affordable
- can improve your skills quickly
- online audio tracks available
cons
- the introduction is a bit dry for the generation that is used to getting information from blogs and youtube
- the companion app would make learning more fun and motivating
ideal for acoustic musicians/features different styles: full acoustic guitar method: intermediate acoustic guitar
The Complete Acoustic Guitar Method does a very good job of introducing different styles of acoustic guitar playing. from bluegrass to delta blues. this helps you expand your repertoire and introduce new patterns and picking techniques into your playing.
The exercises presented in this book are easy to understand with the audio material, but I wish there were a bit more of them in the book. I would love to delve a little deeper into the different styles. but still, there are enough exercises to help you become familiar with different styles.
personally, what interests me the most is the bluegrass style at the moment. being good at flatpicking would be really awesome.
I also love that this book teaches you some basics of acoustic soloing. after playing mostly rhythm parts and fingerpicking, this can become very valuable.
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advantages
- introduces you to different playing styles and techniques
- exercises are fun, but still challenging enough to keep things interesting
- teaches you things from playing the rhythm to soloing
- also teaches playing with different tunings and fretboard mapping
cons
- the book could go even deeper into the specific styles and offer more exercises
- don’t expect this book to cover everything (only 96 pages)
best theory book: guitar theory for dummies
first, if you already know all the theory basics, check out the finalists section’s “most advanced theory book” recommendation.
I’ve noticed that a lot of intermediate level players are “quilty” to one thing, so have I. I started learning my favorite songs and definitely got better and better while doing it. but I skipped the theory entirely.
There’s a reason I said “theory”… you don’t need to learn theory if you don’t want to. but learning the basics can definitely help you progress faster and gain a better understanding of guitar playing.
enter: guitar theory for beginners
teaches you all the basics. things like:
- how music works
- why some songs are so good
- how to build on basic understanding of music in your own performance
- gives you songs to learn (supports your theoretical learning)
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Some concepts may still seem a bit confusing to understand. even after reading parts that touch on that specific concept a couple of times. but I wouldn’t let this bother me too much, because that’s what it’s like to learn things that are “worth learning”. you don’t understand everything with just 1 full read.
If something feels confusing, use the world wide web. for example, this video explains music theory very well in just 16 minutes.
See Also: The 10 best cycling books | Sport and leisure books | The Guardian
advantages
- teaches all the basics of theory
- has tons of information
- helps you put what you learned into practice
- most most of the things are easy to understand
- has video and audio material online
- doesn’t focus only on things for beginners
cons
- some concepts may seem a bit confusing to understand
- quite a long book on guitar book standards, some people may prefer a shorter read
buyer’s guide
Are guitar books worth it?
yes. guitar books are worth it. I delve deeper into the matter in this article.
But here’s why they’re worth it: You need proper systemization when learning any new skill. this is where quality guitar books can help you. the experts have arranged the topics in the correct order and present things in an easy-to-understand way (usually).
So, you don’t have to buy guitar books, but they can definitely be very helpful in learning to play.
what makes a great intermediate level guitar book?
a couple of things.
- The book should be written by someone who has experience on the subject (this is often the case). but just because something is done by an expert doesn’t mean it’s good and has a big impact.
- the book also teaches you by playing
- the book and the lessons in it have It must be well structured so that the reader has a clear roadmap
- images, tabs and chord charts help a lot
- the information is easy to put into practice</li
- the book doesn’t force readers to read 50 pages of dry, boring theory before putting them into action
The books mentioned in this article fit these standards very well. and the knowledge contained in each book mentioned here is definitely more valuable than the price.
how to choose the right guitar book for you?
It’s time for some ruthless self-analysis. what are your weaknesses? a book can be a great guide to strengthen the weak aspects of your playing.
also, think about these questions:
- what do you want to learn now?
- What style or technique are you most interested in?
- What limits your current playing style? (linked to their weak points)
- Are motor skills such as alternative picking, hybrid picking, manual timing, etc. at a good level?
These types of questions can guide you to the right book.
for example, if you feel your theoretical knowledge and understanding of guitar playing is at a good level, but your playing in general is a bit lacking, a book like guitar aerobics will suit you.
on the other hand, if you are relatively good at soloing, but lack improvisation skills and knowledge of the fretboard…using fretboard logic and/or pentatonic patterns are good options.
you get the point. I’m sure you’re ready to pick the book that will take you to the next level!
advantages of guitar books
- affordable
- structured information written by experts (there may be some bad books too, but I haven’t heard much about them)
- handy, you can just grab a book and start learning
- easy to flip through and find the right section
- easy on the eyes
- reading books improves your imagination and focus
- easy to borrow from a friend (remember to ask them to return the book)
disadvantages of guitar books
- not always very visual
- the audio element is missing (sometimes books have some kind of audio plugin)
- some people just can’t stand reading (always you can learn to love reading)
- prone to burnout
conclusion
The books are amazing! they also go well with learning the guitar. the book is a guided roadmap that can take you anywhere you want as a player.
I hope this post has helped you choose your next guitar book. If you have any questions, go to my youtube channel and ask in the comments.
I wish you all the best. keep reading and rocking!
teemu
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