Guitar for the Absolute Beginner, Book 2: Guitar Book & Online Audio

Susan Mazer knows how to meet beginners exactly where they are. Book 2 assumes nothing about prior knowledge while moving past the absolute fundamentals, introducing blues and rock improvisation without overwhelming students who are still building finger strength and muscle memory. The combination of chord work, fingerstyle patterns, and melody playing ensures students see guitar as a versatile instrument, not just a rhythm tool.

The journey from basic strumming to blues changes and fingerstyle patterns opens up real musicianship. Students experience the satisfaction of playing melody lines cleanly, understanding how blues progressions work, and experimenting with their own ideas over backing tracks. Suddenly guitar becomes a conversation, not just an exercise.

Guitar for the Absolute Beginner, Book 2 suits students who have completed Book 1 and are ready for richer musical content without technical complexity. This method welcomes learners of any age who want to play recognizable music quickly while developing the fingerstyle and improvisation skills that unlock multiple genres.

• Download or stream the audio tracks before your first practice session. Hearing the examples makes the printed notation click faster, especially for chord progressions and strumming patterns.
• Work through new chords slowly, playing each one separately until your fingers land cleanly, then practice switching between them using the online play-alongs at a comfortable tempo.
• When exploring the improvisation sections, use the backing tracks to build confidence over changes rather than worrying about perfection. Mistakes in a solo context become learning moments.
• Return to earlier exercises frequently. Fingerstyle patterns and chord changes improve through repetition, and reviewing solidifies foundation work before advancing further.

Use this book as the core method for group beginner lessons or to support private students transitioning beyond foundational material. The online audio keeps practice sessions engaging between lessons, and the variety of styles (folk fingerstyle, rock strumming, blues) helps students discover which direction excites them most.

• Barre chords and expanded chord vocabulary
• Alternating bass and fingerstyle patterns
• 12-bar blues progressions and chord changes
• Basic improvisation over chord progressions
• Melody playing on single strings
• Rhythm and tempo control using online backing tracks