Guitar Skills for Music Therapists and Music Educators Spiral-bound – October 1, 2010

I have played guitar for around 14 years and took guitar lessons for a few years when I was younger. My guitar teacher was a good teacher but he focused on learning songs as oppose to learning the technique and theory behind guitar playing. I am a pretty good guitar player but I have developed some apparent strumming habits and a lack of theory in reference to the guitar. I have taken years of music theory so I understand the theory behind music but havent really had an opportunity to apply both theories. This book does a great job improving your competence as a solid guitar player and a "guitar theory for dumbies" approach to learning. It is an easy to follow book and it doesnt matter the skill level of the musician. I recommend this book to any aspiring guitarist and therapist that is trying to improve their skill level.

The organization of the book seems okay; however, it is impossible to read the finger numbers on the Tab examples as well as in the chord charts. Why they chose to use an illegible pseudo-handwritten font is unfathomable to me. It makes the book almost impossible to use.

As a music therapist in private practice, I have the need of being able to play a wide variety of songs in a wide variety of styles. My guitar skills definitely need improving and this book will help me get there.

Broken down into comprehensible, practical methods for learning functional skills to be applied in clinical work - great!

This book really helps with basic guitar skills and the DVD is very helpful. I am happy with my order.

Its a great guitar book, but has no more pertinence to Musical Therapy than any other guitar book(s) so I felt a bit mislead.I am comfortable with guitar, and will return this book since it never mentions anything related to Music Therapy except for in it's title.

Great info!

Guitar skills for Music Therapists and Music Educators will help you improve your guitar skills...PERIOD! Interested in putting your guitar playing skills into immediate hyper-drive? This book meets you at your skill level and takes you further. It was written by Music Therapists for Music Therapists and Music Educators. Not a Music Therapist or Music Educator? FRET NOT! This book has got you covered. It has precisely what a growing, intermediate, or advanced guitar player needs and then adds more to that. It starts out with the very basics of knowing the Keys, progresses to Embellishments, The Chuck, Palm Muting, and guitar "beats" that establish a groove (similar to drumming on the guitar) that will allow you to play with RHYTHM! As a seasoned drum set, perscussionist, and rudimental player myself, Guitar Skills for Music Therapists and Music Educators allowed me take the drumming skills that I already possessed and immediately apply them creatively to the guitar. Furthermore, as a Music Therapist, I wanted to set my music therapy clients up for success in an improvisation intervention. This book pointed out that the best way to do that was to present the improvisation in either Dorian or Lydian modes because in these modes, there are no "wrong" notes. In addition, the book covers: Fingerpicking, Flatpicking, Barre Chords, Power Chords, The Blues (A MUST!), Music Therapy Techniques, Jazz Guitar, Funk Guitar, and finally a chapter on Guitar Maintenance. Another great feature is that this book comes with a DVD for visual learners or if you had questions about how the exercises should look or sound. Exercises in this book are to the point, coherent, and applicable to immediate playing. As a Music Therapist, Music Educator, or guitar player, this book absolutely MUST be on your shelf!

Just what I expected and wanted, well written and packaged, as a musician having a piano background this book made it pretty easy for me to pick up the guitar and learn the basics and since I aspire to be a music therapist it's content and purpose is perfect. Barcelona publishers for those who are interested only have books related to music therapy.