Play Rock Guitar: Getting Started: Guitar Book & DVD

The material captures the directness of rock guitar: no unnecessary complexity, no jazz theory detours. You learn what players actually do, from the physical feel of bending a string to the rhythmic pulse of eighth-note grooves. The result is instruction that points toward sounding like a rock guitarist, not just practicing guitar exercises.

Guitarists picking up rock for the first time, whether they're complete beginners or musicians transitioning from other genres. This works equally well for independent learners and for teachers seeking a structured foundation course that combines book and video.

• Spend time matching the DVD demonstrations before moving forward. Seeing hand position and finger placement in motion prevents ingrained errors that become harder to correct later.
• Work through the open chords and power chords section repeatedly. These form the backbone of rhythm playing, and muscle memory develops through repetition rather than speed.
• Apply the lead techniques (hammer-ons, pull-offs, slides, bends) to scales you already know before tackling the solos presented. This builds confidence and control.
• Record yourself jamming over your favorite rock recordings once you've absorbed the groove concepts. Hearing yourself in context makes the material tangible.

Integrate this as a self-paced course for students who want to build rock fluency outside ensemble settings, or use sections of it in group guitar classes where foundational technique and genre-specific skills serve your program. The emphasis on jamming with recordings and playing with a band makes it a natural bridge between solo study and ensemble participation.

• Open chord shapes (major, minor) and power chords
• Eighth-note rhythm grooves and strum patterns
• Lead techniques: hammer-ons, pull-offs, trills, vibrato, bends, slides
• Major and pentatonic scale patterns and applications
• Tone control and amplifier use
• Unison and octave playing
• Solo construction and phrasing