Play guitar in 10 easy lessons A simple, structured approach to learning guitar

Worldcat lists more than 300 titles devoted to playing the guitar, so any new book on the subject needs to bring something new to the mix. For Cappelli, a children's recording artist and active member of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, this means a basic approach that stresses fun along with consistent practice for best results. Budding guitarists are projected to play chords by page 20 and complete their first song soon after page 33. Unfortunately, poor illustrations of chording mar the instruction. Although rendered in color and clearly focused, the photos are improperly composed: in some cases the fingerings are obscured, and in others arm placement is incorrect and proper playing posture is not captured. For beginning guitarists, the chief audience for Cappelli's book, this drawback not only confuses but also potentially limits their ability to master the instrument. British guitarist Buck takes a better approach, using more fret-board diagrams that are both numbered and color-coded for each string and each finger. The chording photographs here are shot in proper playing position, and each is matched to a diagram of the chord with the numbered and colored dots to illustrate fingerings. However, Buck covers a lot of ground quickly and at the two-thirds point is well into material geared to an intermediate player. This isn't necessarily bad; it makes the book more useful over a longer time period, and it allows the inclusion of material such as slide playing, finger tapping, and chord extensions. Finally, there is an analysis of modern guitar equipment, which has grown over the years to include electronics on traditional acoustic guitars and a wider range of amplification and sound reinforcement products. Buck's book is a better choice and a useful adjunct to the recreation or music library sections.-Eric C. Shoaf, Brown Univ. Lib., Providence (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.