Product Description
Ever wanted to play like a famous guitarist? Now’s your chance! This entertaining and accessible guide to emulating the legends features: notation for more than 65 classic riffs from “Stairway to Heaven” to “Smells like Teen Spirit” * clear, step-by-step annotated photographs showing how to play each riff * full-color features on more than 30 artists, their guitars, and equipment * hints and tips from expert musicians. Color photos throughout the 256 pages of this book!
So I picked up this book based on what it advertised (which, I realise, is what most people do when buying a book, but bear with me here) and I was let down to an unimaginable degree. This book, “Learn to Play Like the Guitar Greats” is totally misleading. If you are expecting to actually LEARN some guitar riffs, guess again. This book is more of an abridged guide to some (and buy some, I mean only a select few) of the greatest guitarists around. Or is it? For some reason, the extremely un-talented Jack Black of the White Stripes made it into this book, yet Eddie Van Halen, Ted Nugent, Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Tom Morello, Frank Zappa, Yngwie Malmstien, Randy Rhodes and Eric Johnson (to name only a few) were omitted. As for actual guitar riffs, the list grows shorter still. The book talks about some of the greatest guitar riffs written by Jimmy Page such as “The Song Remains the Same” and “Heartbreaker” as well as a look at his amazing double-neck SG, but when it comes to the guitar tab, we get a very weak selection of songs-”Kashmir” and “Stairway to Heaven”-both of which, like all the other tablature in this book, contain only the opening riffs. A better title for this book would have been “Learn About the Most Overplayed/Recognisable Guitarists and a Few Simple Riffs that They Wrote”. In all seriousness (with my apologies to Amazon for discouraging the purchase of this book) I cannot stress enough what a waste of money this book is. I would have given this book a 0/5 rating, but apparently, that doesn’t exist. Besides, how can you possibly take a book like this seriously if they claim the guitarist behind Black Sabbath is Tony Iommi (it’s TOMMY, for those who weren’t sure).
This book does not make you a pro.Nor will it make pros better it’s a book that supplies alot more factual information on guitars then it does playing skills.They break it down to rock and blues.Every so many pages it will show a new guitar hero and why they were big and their trade mark sounds and riffs.Even their guitar set ups and effects (very helpful if you are a David Gilmore person).It does teach you some chords ans some songs but mainly easy begginer chords or intros to songs.The musicians picked are fantastic but some make you wonder (why is Kurt Cobain or Jack White in their?.The biggest problem is theirs no Van Halen!They skip many good guitarist because they are not innovative Eddie Van HAlen was excluded why ? I have no clue or the matser of power chords…Angus Young.Though atleast the selection that is available in this book does portray many rock and blues staples.The song selection is decent and the tips to palying them are very helpful.A must have for a guitar lover or a begginer with high hopes of being in a book like this soem day.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Fascinating info on the greatest ROCK guitarists
This is a must-have book for anyone interested in the greatest rock guitarists of all time; the true innovators.
August 24th, 2009