For this new edition, the authors provide expanded coverage of guitar styles--including a whole new chapter on jazz guitar--as well as fresh practice pieces and techniques, an all-new play-along CD, and updated charts, illustrations, photographs, and resources.

This 500,000-copy bestseller, is now revised with 25 per cent new material and an all-new interactive CD. Guitar sales are on the rise, jumping from 1.7 million sold in 2000 to nearly 2 million in 2003. Now revised and updated, this is the perfect introductory guide for all those novice acoustic and electric guitar players. It offers easy, step-by-step instructions on fingering chords, strumming and picking, using specialized techniques like the slide, and playing in a wide range of guitar styles - from rock and blues to folk and classical - plus tips on selecting the right guitar, maintaining it, and finding the best accessories. For this new edition, the authors provide expanded coverage of guitar styles, including a whole new chapter on jazz guitar - as well as fresh practice pieces and techniques, an all-new play-along CD, and updated charts, illustrations, photographs, and resources. Mark Phillips (Bayside, NY) is a guitarist, arranger, and editor with more than 30 years in the music publishing field. Phillips has served as Director of Music and Director of Publications at Cherry Lane Music, where he has edited or arranged the songbooks of artists, such as John Denver, Van Hal

...offers everything the beginner to intermediate guitarist needs in an irreverent and accessible format... (Harborough Mail, 17th November 2005)

• Introduction.Part I: So You Wanna Play Guitar.Chapter 1: Guitar 101.Chapter 2: Turn On, Tune In.Chapter 3: Ready, Set ... Not Yet: Developing the Tools and Skills to Play.Part II: So Start Playing: The Basics.Chapter 4: The Easiest Way to Play: Basic Major and Minor Chords.Chapter 5: Playing Melodies without Reading Music!Chapter 6: Adding Some Spice: Basic 7th Chords.Part III: Beyond the Basics: Starting to Sound Cool.Chapter 7: Playing Melodies in Position and in Double-Stops.Chapter 8: Stretching Out: Barre Chords.Chapter 9: Special Articulation: Making the Guitar Talk.Part IV: A Cornucopia of Styles.Chapter 10: Rock.Chapter 11: Blues.Chapter 12: Folk.Chapter 13: Classical.Chapter 14: Jazz.Part V: Purchasing and Caring for Your Guitar.Chapter 15: Perfectly Good Guitars.Chapter 16: Guitar Accessories.Chapter 17: Getting Strung Along: Changing Strings.Chapter 18: Staying Fit: Basic Maintenance and Repairs.Part VI: The Part of Tens.Chapter 19: Ten Guitarists You Should Know.Chapter 20: Ten Guitars You Should Know.Part VII: Appendixes.Appendix A: How to Read Music.Appendix B: 96 Common Chords.Appendix C: How to Use the CD.Index.