Jon Chappell - Learning Guitar For Dummies (DVD)

Only a dummy wouldn't buy this This is the tutor I should have had when I started out learning 5 years ago. It's a little late for me now, though there are still some useful tips and some new tunes to learn. Delivered in a pleasant and easy to follow manner, within minutes of the first playing lesson starting (after the introductory stuff about parts and tuning etc), you are strumming along to a real song (albeit on one chord, but heh, even Lennon started out somewhere!). For anybody starting out playing, whatever age, this is recommended. I reckon obtaining the book probably wouldn't be a bad idea too.

Good DVD I bought this because I don't have time to go to classes and it has proved a very good investment so far. I have not got to the end yet but I recommend it to complete beginners as it spends some time going over really basic stuff like how to sit and hold your guitar - all good of course, but the more advanced may find it a little condescending. I liked that he does go into detail and it's worth learning so as to not to fall into bad habits. You get to play tunes fairly soon - although they could had been a lot better - like pop music instead of what amounted to nursery rhymes, but hey at least you get to play something!

Useful accompaniment to book I bought the Guitar For Dummies book when I got my guitar. I'm working my way through the book so thought this DVD would help - I haven't gone to an instructor (yet). It's not as in-depth as the book (there simply isn't enough DVD space), but it is very useful to actually see the strumming and finger techniques Chapell uses. I'd recommend you buy the book along with this DVD, that way you can continue to progress once you've gone the DVD lessons.

Best Buy for Beginners I bought a number of different “teach yourself” tools on a variety to media to get myself started on the guitar and this is definitely top of the bunch. Unlike many of the others, this DVD schools the learner in exactly the same way a (very expensive) private tutor would. It spends time on teaching not just the basic notes, but also different ways of strumming and finger picking (I’ve found that may of the other books, CDs, and PC CDROMs tend to ignore the right hand).The DVD progresses at a steady speed and allows the learner to stop and achieve competence in one area before moving on and, unlike some of the private music tutors that you run the risk of hiring from your local paper, this guy actually knows what he is doing. He can play AND teach! I can’t say enough positive things about this DVD – it does exactly what it says on the cover!