Recommended Guitar Books

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• reading music
• intermediate and advanced books
• jazz guitar books

Beginning Guitar Books

Fast Track guitar method is nice in that you get some rock music to learn and has a CD of examples you can jam with. COOL.

FastTrack Guitar Method - Book 1 Written by Blake Neely, Jeff Schroedl. Instructional book and examples CD for guitar (electric or acoustic). With instructional text, instructional photos, guitar tablature, standard guitar notation, chord names and guitar chord diagrams. Series: Hal Leonard Fasttrack Music Instruction. 48 pages. Published by Hal Leonard. ISBN 0793573998.
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FastTrack Guitar Method - Book 2 Written by Blake Neely. Instructional book and examples CD for guitar. With guitar tablature, standard notation, chord names, guitar chord diagrams, instructional text and instructional photos. Series: Hal Leonard Fasttrack Music Instruction. 48 pages. Published by Hal Leonard. ISBN 0793574110.
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FastTrack Guitar Method - Chords & Scales  Written by Blake Neely. Instructional book and examples CD for guitar. With guitar chord diagrams, standard notation and instructional text. Series: Hal Leonard Fasttrack Music Instruction. 64 pages. Published by Hal Leonard. ISBN 079357417X.

The Mel Bay Modern Method for Guitar Volume 1 is often used by guitar teachers for very beginning students.

Mel Bay's Modern Guitar Method - Grade 1 Written by Mel Bay. Instructional book for guitar. With instructional text, illustrations, standard guitar notation and chord names. 48 pages. Published by Mel Bay Publications, Inc. (MB.93200)
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Mel Bay's Modern Guitar Method - Grade 2 Written by Mel Bay. Instructional book for guitar. With instructional text, standard guitar notation and chord names. 48 pages. Published by Mel Bay Publications, Inc. (MB.93201)
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Mel Bay's Modern Guitar Method - Grade 3 Written by Mel Bay. Instructional book for guitar. With instructional text, standard guitar notation, chord names and fingerings. 48 pages. Published by Mel Bay Publications, Inc. (MB.93202)
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Reading Music

The Berkelee series is often used but not for the faint of heart. It consists of A Modern Method for Guitar by William G. Leavitt in volumes 1, 2 and 3. Also, do not forget to pick up Reading Studies for Guitar by the same author because its a good challenge.

William Leavitt: A Modern Method For Guitar - Volume 1 Composed by William Leavitt. Instructional book and examples CD for guitar. With standard guitar notation (no tablature), guitar chord diagrams and instructional text. 125 pages. Published by Berklee Press Publications. (HL.50449404)
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A Modern Method For Guitar - Volumes 1, 2, 3 Complete Written by William Leavitt. Instructional book for guitar. With standard guitar notation (no tablature), instructional text, chord names and fingerings. 408 pages. Published by Berklee. (HL.50449468)
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Melodic Rhythms For Guitar Written by William Leavitt. Instructional book for guitar. With standard guitar notation (no tablature). Series: Hal Leonard Guitar Method. 70 pages. Published by Berklee. (HL.50449450)
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Reading Studies for Guitar (Guitar) By William Leavitt. Guitar Solo. Size 9x12 inches. 110 pages. Published by Berklee Press Publications. (50449490)
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If you are intimidated by the Berklee books, or want to start at the very beginning then go for the Mel Bay Modern Method for Guitar mentioned above.

Intermediate and Advanced Guitar Players

The Advancing Guitarist by Mick Goodrick is the perfect book for those who have played for a while and are stuck in a rut. Probably the best guitar book ever. Its really great for every style, not just jazzers. Did you get it yet? What are you waiting for?!? But it now. It really is insightful and inspirational and everything you have been looking for in a guitar instructional book, probably none of which you have encountered before.

The Advancing Guitarist Performed by Mick Goodrick. Reference. Size 9x12 inches. 120 pages. Published by Hal Leonard. (603009)
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Jazz Guitarists

Joe Pass Guitar Style - never has so much wealth been crammed into so few pages. Not for beginners and get your reading chops up because there is NO TAB.

Joe Pass Guitar Style by Joe Pass. For Guitar (All). method. Jazz. Level: Intermediate-Advanced. Book. Size 8.75x11.75. 60 pages. Published by Mel Bay Publications, Inc. (94106)
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The Sal Salvador Jazz Guitar Series: Chordal Enrichment and Chord Substitution - unfortunately its out of print. Check around and good luck.

The Jazz Theory Book by Mark Levine - for all instrumentalists and its the only theory book you need, IMHO.

The Jazz Theory Book Written by Mark Levine. Format: instructional book (spiral bound). With instructional text, musical examples and black and white photos. Theory and Jazz. 522 pages. 9x12 inches. Published by Sher Music Company. (SR.JTB)
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The Real Book - C Edition (Sixth Edition) Fakebook (spiral bound) for C instrument. With melody, standard notation and chord names. Series: Hal Leonard Instrumental Fake Books. 462 pages. Published by Hal Leonard. (HL.240221)
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