When it comes to beginning to learn guitar, visually oriented books are what ended up helping me the most when it comes to learning the basic concepts of guitar theory. I put together this list of the best beginner theory books based on what has helped me and people I’ve taught learn the fastest and easiest in the past based on almost 15 years of playing and off and on teaching through the years.
(Quick Personal Story)
Since I was young, I’ve always had to have things explained to me multiple times before understanding them. In fact, when it came to learning guitar theory I had more than four guitar teachers try to explain “simple” concepts to me and god bless all of them and their patience, but i didn’t get it no matter what they said.
Needless to say, I understand how important it is to have a book that not only breaks down Guitar theory into easy to handle bite size chunks, but also shows you the concepts visually as well.
If you want to learn the Fastest and easiest so you can start shredding and writing songs and jamming out like you’ve been playing for years, you need to get the correct book for your age AND level of understanding music.
Man, can I not stress this enough.
A lot of the guides I’ve read out there just have it completely wrong, if you want to learn the guitar super quick….you need to pick the right book to help you, not all books are created equal.
For instance, when I taught my sister how to play when she was itty bitty………..it was an ENTIRELY different experience than when I was teaching some of my band buddies how to play. They already had experience with instruments, and so most beginner guitar books would’ve gone over so many things that they simply did not need to learn, and teaching my sister I would try to go through lesson plans on books that simply were using way to much jargon and were way to confusing, and assuming that she already knew all sorts of things (which is of course not at all helpful to a beginner).
My Number One goal for this article is to provide you THE RIGHT books that will make learning guitar as simple as it can possibly be, and for you to be able to shock people with how fast you learned.
It’s really not difficult at all to learn guitar. With just a small amount of practice everyday, you can play literally thousands of songs.
Let’s get started…..
(Top 7) Guitar Lesson Books for Beginners
#1) Hal Leonard Guitar Method (Complete Edition)
This probably the best book out there for the 100% complete beginner. No experience? That’s perfect.
If you’re basically just looking for something that’s going to get you from a complete beginner to being able to play at an intermediate level, this is the one. It’s slightly dry, and some of the exercises are going to feel boring. But if you can get over that, you’ll be good to go.
Best thing about this book? It explains everything in the simplest possible way. You’re going to see an actual hand playing the chords, along with tons of diagrams and explanations that even young kids can figure out. You won’t get frustrated at all trying to figure out what something is telling you to do. Second Best thing? You might not care now, but they teach you the proper way to do things the first time. Simple stuff, that if you don’t learn now you’ll really wish you had later. Just trust me on this one.
I’m hesitant to recommend this one to everyone however. Why? It can be kind of dry at points. This is okay for some people, if you’re really wanting to learn guitar quickly you’ll power through some of the more boring songs the book puts together for you. For me, when I first started I actually just wanted to write my own songs. So, books like this weren’t very interesting to me. (If you’re the type of person who just wants to start writing songs as soon as possible…..skip to the Guitar Grimoire chord Encyclopedia. I wrote some stuff there on how you can be writing really catchy music fast.) If you’re really wanting to learn, and don’t care about having to deal with some slightly boring songs, this really is an incredible option.
All things considered, this is a great book. It’s also probably the most popular beginner guitar book out there, practically everyone who’s played guitar has read it or at least read one of the Hal Leonard books.
Here’s some other stuff you get:
- Online Access codes to hear how what you’re playing should sound (not all versions have this so check to make sure yours does
- CDs to play along with the songs (not all versions have CDs so check to make sure as well)
- Simple to follow exercises
- Comes in a spiral binding, so you don’t have to mess with the book to get it to lay flat
- Strumming Exercises
- How to read music
- Quick lessons so you can do one in ten minutes and then put it down
- Tons more stuff
That’s really just a small review of the book, you honestly get so much more. Now, on to the next choice……
#2) Guitar Grimoire Progressions and Improvisation
If you’re looking to instantly be able to write songs, this is going to be the book for you.
Warning: You’ll need to know how to play chords and have a good sense of rhythm for this one.
Why is this second on the list if it’s not a book specifically for beginners?
Honestly, I felt that this book was the least likely to be the one most people would be looking for. BUT, that being said this is the perfect book for the person who wants to start writing music quickly. Which is what I’ve found a lot of beginners are anxious to get started doing.
It was perfect for me. I honestly loved this book when I first got it. My goal was to write music, and I didn’t know which chords would fit and sound right with other ones. I remember my first song ever actually was just a G chord and a D7 chord voicing played back to back. Didn’t sound good, but I bet I’m the only person who’s ever wrote a song with that progression. lol.
If you want to be able to write a song in five minutes, you’ll be able to do so with this book.
This book literally is the most comprehensive book ever written on chord progressions. There’s not another book out there with more variations of progressions in the world (literally, not an exaggeration). Simply choose a progression (there will be diagrams in the book on how to play each chord) and strum and sing your heart out. It’s that easy.
Note: There’s a special place in my heart for all the Guitar Grimoire books. I got them when I was younger and beginning guitar, I’ve read almost all of them (no I have not memorized all the progressions and voicings and scales, that would be nuts!).
The reason I want you to know this, is that I am slightly biased towards these books I think, really any book on chord progressions should probably work for the aspiring songwriter. I think I loved them so much, because there were just so many options to choose from (this particular one is 287 pages).
#3) Essential Elements for Guitar (Comprehensive Guitar Method) Book 1
On the fence? Not sure if you’re reaaallyy going to stick with guitar? This is the one.
Reason I say this? Well…..there’s a few. For one, this book is super inexpensive. Much less than all the other ones. Second, this book is extremely interesting. It has tons of fun, hit songs that you learn quickly so you don’t end up bored. Last, the book isn’t confusing at all. You won’t get frustrated reading this.
This is another one that’s written by Hal Leonard, so you know it will be good. This one isn’t as popular as the Hal Leonard Guitar Method, which is probably because they don’t have a complete edition. Which is a bonus for someone that isn’t sure if they’re going to stick to it because they won’t have to commit to buying a whole set.
This book is pretty similar to the “Hal Leonard Guitar Method”. It shows the easiest and hardest ways to play different chords, and will also teach you the right way to play them. You get everything broken down into nice bite size chunks, so it’s all very easy to learn.
All in all, this book seems very geared towards someone who wants to just have fun learning popular songs. All while learning guitar at the same time. I do have to admit, it is nicer than just learning songs like “Mary had a little Lamb” which can be a drag.
#4) Guitar all in one for dummies
This book is a monster. 648 pages. 6 books in one. Yes, 6.
This book is best for the beginner who wants to get from beginner to borderline advanced.
You’re getting 6 “for dummies” titles thrown into one with this one. You Get:
- Guitar for Dummies
- Guitar Theory for Dummies
- Guitar Exercises for Dummies
- Rock Guitar for Dummies
- Blues Guitar for Dummies
- Classical Guitar for Dummies
So, what’s the Catch?
Honestly, I think this book is a steal. But only for the right player, there’s is an insane amount of information jammed and crammed into this thing. It’s not 684 pages of fluff, it’s all great information. Which I think can be daunting for a lot of people.
That being said, it’s also an incredible deal. The “For Dummies” books are actually surprisingly good. (Some are written by Hal Leonard surprise surprise) They’re very helpful, the only problem is that I do think having something like this might make you want to skip ahead, and that could end with you being very confused.
I’d say this is especially good, if you want to learn some playing styles as well. The other books on this list do get into how to play the different styles a little bit, but not nearly as much as this one (Except for the Gibson Boxed set, but we’ll get to that). So if you want to learn how to play some Rock songs and techniques and some Blues or classical, this one would be good to look into.
Note: This option is also great for those who maybe know a few chords and are already a beginner of sorts. Learning stuff from this book will give you the edge to play even better.
#5) Guitar For Kids: Hal Leonard Guitar Method (Hal Leonard Guitar Method)
Well, this is the perfect ones for YOUNG kids.
I’m going to repeat myself: If you’re looking for the perfect book for someone younger, this is the one. Do not pick this up if you are older than the age of 8. Unless you like playing songs like “The Hokey Pokey” and “This Land is your Land”.
This is a fantastic book for younger kids with not as great attention spans, it’ll actually be fun for them. Don’t really expect them to learn a ton quickly from this book, expect them to take a few months. This is a perfect pace for a kid to really absorb all the info you need to play an instrument.
I should repeat, from my own experience…..kids really do need to learn at a slower pace to soak things in. I remember when I was very very young, my mom had me in a drum class where the instructor acted like we were in our teens. Needless to say, that turned out awful and we didn’t really learn anything (you should’ve seen how bad the recital was at the end of the class).
Now, you’ll have to use your own judgement to figure out if this is the right book for your child (or whoever you’re buying it for) of course. This wouldn’t be a great book for a super achiever child who would probably find this boring.
Something you should be aware of. The book is very short. Only 32 pages. After a few months, you’ll probably need to move on to something a little harder, going from this one to the Hal Leonard Guitar Method would probably be your best bet. You might have to give the kid some guidance though when you switch the books up.
#6) Guitar For Absolute Beginners (for Guitar) New York City guitar school
This one is probably the best option for visual learners. It’s extremely entertaining, however I do feel like it’s shorter than it should’ve been. It’s only 100 pages long. Which means you don’t get as much information as you do in the other books on this list. The good part? There is a sequel. The next book is “Guitar for Near Beginners”.
Why so good for Visual Learners? Well, apart from visual diagrams in this book………..you get videos on youtube as well. You can even sign up for their online courses to.
What ages are good for this book? Just about any learning age is fine, however it does seem more geared towards young adults.
A word of Caution however: I feel like this book requires more concentration than the others, I’m not sure why this is. Just know that it’s not as broken down as the Hal Leonard books (is it obvious I love their methods yet?) It’s also not as jam packed with information like the others. There are things that I would’ve liked to see more of in this book, a lot more exercises and some theory. Stuff like this can be boring, but there should be at least a small amount of it in a beginner guitar book.
All in All, this is an incredible book. Much better than most other options out there by far. Definitely worth looking into.
#7) Gibson’s Learn & Master Guitar Boxed Dvd/CD Set Legacy Of Learning Pap/Com Edition
THE GOLD STANDARD.
This will take you through everything you need to know. Yes, I know…..technically this is a workbook along with a DVD set, but I just felt like I HAD to include it. Why?
Because there really isn’t something like this in a book form, this course has absolutely everything you’d want to go from a beginner to intermediate and farther. The only stuff this doesn’t cover is the really super advanced stuff that honestly, you’ll need to hire a teacher or go to a site like jamplay.com
The downside? this is the most expensive option on this list by far. I guess when you win awards for your product, you feel like you can charge more.
Still better than taking classes though, or hiring a guitar teacher. (Honestly, there are tons of guitar teachers that aren’t even that good. I think I taught my second one more than he ever taught me.)
Sidenote: Since we’re on the subject of getting lessons from teachers, I’d just like to say that taking courses from books like these are almost always better than hands on learning with a teacher (from my experience). It’s not that most guitar teachers are bad at the guitar. Most are pretty good, it’s just that most of them are really not that great at teaching.
Most of my guitar teachers asked me the same question almost every session. “What do you want to learn?” Like uh, you’re the teacher. You tell me.
It’s very frustrating, having courses like this put together is seriously so helpful. Simply follow the lessons and you learn how to play. Anyways…….sorry about the rant! lol. Back to the main subject…..
Here’s What You Get with the course:
- Jam Along CDs
- Play Along DVDs
- Lesson Book
- Free online support site
- Hours and Hours of Content
BONUS: JustinGuitar Beginner’s Songbook: 100 Classic Songs Specially Arranged for Beginner Guitarists with Performance Tips
I wanted to add an extra one on here, because this is an absolutely fantastic book for any beginner once he’s learned a few of the really simple chords you learn in the beginning of all of these books.
This book is something that’s been needed for a long time, there are other books out there like this…….but they’re just not done well. On top of that, they don’t have as many songs as this book has.
So, why is this book so great for beginners?
Number one thing, is definitely the confidence boost. I mean just think about it, after a few hours of learning chords…….you’re already able to play tons of different songs that you couldn’t just a few hours before. It makes you really feel like you’re getting somewhere, and keeps you from feeling bored and wondering when you’ll actually be able to play real music.
Seriously though, being able to play some of the songs in this book is an absolute blast. Justin did a great job of picking the songs for this book.
Songs from Marley, Cash, The Beatles, Mumford & Sons, Nirvana……all great hits that everyone knows.
Justin is probably the world’s best known guitar teacher, and he did an absolutely phenomenal job with this book. If you’re going to get a second book to accompany whichever beginner guitar book you choose, this is definitely the one.
Some Obvious (and not so obvious) tips for buying your first beginner Guitar book.
#1) It might be a good idea to get more than one.
Not to brag, but I do think I did a great job here at coming up with the best list for you of guitar books. That being said…..
Some of these books are just not going to be the right one for you. You might go through and learn everything about each of these, and then finally decide on one, only to find it boring and hard to figure out. It happened to me when I started, and I chose these making sure to leave the really boring ones out……..but what I chose might simply not be right for you.
For instance, every so often I teach my friend Chris how to play Guitar. He is simply not cut out to learn guitar the way any of these books teach him. They literally bore him to tears. Not only that, but when I teach him simple chords and scales he literally almost instantly forgets. It’s a serious problem.
What was the solution? We simply changed what he was learning.
For him, I figured out that if I taught him how to play songs he liked he was able to learn much much faster. He would remember scales because of what songs that they went with.
Not only that, but I wouldn’t have to repeat again and again the same lessons over and over (that was getting old pretty quick). Super easy fix.
So, what’s the lesson you’re trying to teach me?
In short, try more than one book. Make sure both books have different teaching styles. Maybe try a book with an audio disc, and a chord progression book. Or maybe a beginners book along with the book I mentioned in the bonus section from JustinGuitar that has a 100 easy beginner songs.
Whatever you do, just remember the golden rule……………
#2) The Golden Rule
If you’ve ever in your life tried to learn something, you’ll know this to be true.
I touched on this point earlier, but I want to go into more detail and really drive this point home.
The Golden Rule in a nutshell is: “Make it fun or you won’t do it at all” there is a little more to it though..
When I started playing, and teaching people how to play this became very apparent. Honestly, this is probably the reason I played guitar more than any other instrument.
If you’re not interested you won’t do it. Plain and simple. I remember when I was younger, there were tons of other instruments I wanted to play………but I lost interest in them very quickly when I got a teacher that was boring and couldn’t teach me the fun stuff! (keep in mind when I first started playing different instruments I was 10, so cut me some slack lol)
These teachers killed my creative passion by only teaching me things I wasn’t interested in, they would have me play scales on the piano over and over (boring) and one teacher barely ever let me drum, most of the time he just taught me how to read drum notation (why he did this I will never know).
Thankfully, when I met my first guitar teacher…..I had self taught a little so I knew some things beforehand and knew what I wanted. Not only this, but he was a blast of a teacher, he knew how to make every single technique more fun and if something was getting boring, he’d switch over to something else. He sparked my creativity in ways I never knew. (Thanks Luke, wherever you are) I ended playing one of the songs he taught me in front of my high school years and years later.
#3) Set Goals
This is a great way to not get burnt out, and keep yourself practicing. Achieving goals always feels awesome, but on a guitar even more so. (at least for me!)
Try short term goals that you know you’ll feel good about achieving, like learning three new songs this week or figuring out a new strumming technique, memorizing the fretboard……whichever you feel like will make you proud.
I personally make my goal to learn two new things each week. There is always something new to learn on guitar, there’s no end to how many different techniques and songs are out there.
If you keep doing this week after week, you’ll be surprised at the results. You would be absolutely amazed how far people can come in a year. Practice enough and you can definitely go from beginner to advanced in a year very easily. It’s not as hard as people think at all.
Watch this progress video I found on a years progress. Mind blowing.
#4) Books are better than courses
This is only for now, at the beginning stages you will save so much money. If you simply buy books instead of courses. Books are so much better for beginners, you don’t have to constantly pause and try to figure out what they’re doing.
Courses don’t usually cover everything for beginners, they skip over certain important information that will bug you and leave you feeling clueless and like you missed something. This is because for some reason, most of the courses out there use tons of jargon that beginners don’t understand and because they feel like you should know stuff already (which makes absolutely no sense)
On top of this, most of these courses are just way to expensive for what they’re offering. Especially when you can get a beginner guitar book at literally a fraction of the price, they just don’t make sense to buy.
Conclusion:
I hope you enjoyed reading this! If you have any comments, suggestions, or really any feedback at all PLEASE leave a comment! I beg you!
I really enjoyed writing this post, and if there’s any way I can help let me know.
Just remember, wether you’re buying this for someone else or for yourself…..
Playing a guitar is EASY. It’s really not that difficult. Simply practice a little bit every day and you will get there.
Just remember the Golden rule on learning instruments…..which is to have FUN. Don’t sabotage yourself by doing boring stuff and putting the guitar down altogether.
I’m going to repeat myself again….
Please leave a comment! I’m dying to know how I can make this post better, and I love to get feedback. And again thanks for reading!!