by Mage, NCTM, Musician & Teaching Artist

You may have read my article about books for beginners. Since there are so many books on that page, I decided to write some articles about specific books, and in this one we cover guitar method books for beginners. 🎸

What is a method book?

In music, a method book is a textbook that covers either a certain instrument or a certain style or genre of music. Method books are best used when studying with a qualified teacher as it can be challenging to self-teach without the valuable interactive feedback that a certified teacher or coach can provide you.

In This Article:

• Best Guitar Method Book for Kids
• Best Guitar Method Book for All Ages Including Kids
• Other Guitar Method Books
• An Interactive Guitar Community

Best Guitar Method Book for Kids

I would highly recommend Guitar Lessons for Kids – Book 1: How to Play Guitar for Kids by Progressive Young Beginner for children ages 4-8. It is available in both a digital Kindle eBook and a paperback. The eBook can be used on any device with the Kindle app. It starts young beginners with learning how to read the staff right away by introducing relatively easy to play notes. Students eventually get to learn rhythm, scales, chords, and techniques for playing the guitar.

Other Alternatives for Kids

Another very effective book is Guitar for Kids: Hal Leonard Method. It too is available in both a digital Kindle eBook and a paperback. It’s perfect for young beginners because of how it starts chords with only 3 strings and one finger at a time. Smaller hands that are still growing will ease into the stretching and development of finger coordination. The styles covered in this book are mainly popular and rock music, though there is “Ode to Joy” in there. Students will learn how to read standard notation–there is NO tablature (TAB) in this book. For those who wish to learn extra songs the Method & Songbook version of this book is also available.

With Frederick Noad’s First Book for the Guitar – Part 1: Guitar Technique, children can learn how to play properly and find it fun and engaging with Frederick Noad’s straightforward yet detailed approach to teaching the guitar. This has to be one of the best guitar method books for children, and a complete version is also available. The only downside is that this book is available in paperback format only, and there is no eBook.

Best Guitar Method Book for All Ages Including Kids

Solo Guitar Playing, Book 1, 4th Edition Bk/Online Audio by Frederick Noad is the most thorough method book on solo guitar. It has a logical approach that covers both the musical language and guitar technique. I would definitely recommend studying with a qualified teacher to ensure that you have the covered techniques down–that way you won’t develop bad habits. No sense in practicing mistakes! 😆

Other Guitar Method Books

In the guitar section of the books for beginners article that I wrote, I list other method books for specific guitar styles such as rock, jazz, classical, and more. You are welcome to check out the different books available and contact me with any questions about them.

An Interactive Guitar Community

Since reading books and watching videos is often experienced “1-way,” meaning that you get to consume the content but others don’t get to observe you, it is highly recommended to find a qualified guitar teacher or even join an interactive guitar community such as tonebase or a guitar society.

Visit tonebase.com and use coupon code MAGE-30 to receive 30% off your subscription!

At Mage Music, we recommend combining books, interactive guitar communities, and private or group guitar lessons with a qualified teacher in order to receive the fullest experience in learning guitar, and this goes for both beginners and experts alike. Yes, even advanced players still take lessons or at least study new concepts! After all, what’s the point in learning how to perform on the guitar when no one gets to hear or see you? 🎸👏🏽😎 Happy practicing, and feel free to drop me a line with any questions.

Note: As an Amazon associate I earn through qualifying purchases.