Review: Play Great Guitar Rock

Our intern and aspiring guitarist takes a crack at Phil Capone and Paul Copperwaite's how-to guide

By Jordan Young
Published: October 22nd, 2010 | 12:15pm

Who doesn’t want to play great rock guitar? Play Great Rock Guitar: Jam, Shred, and Riff in 10 Foolproof Lessons has ten tutorials and an audio CD, which lets you hear the guitar riffs as you play along. Offering an overview of how to use the book, a quick background on guitar anatomy, and an explanation of effects, authors Phil Capone and Paul Copperwaite give readers decent basic understanding of electric guitar in this volume.

However, you may need some previous experience—or even a teacher—to fully master the techniques outlined in the book. The simple information on chords and scales with easy-to-read diagrams is definitely helpful to a beginner, but you are going to need to understand reading tabs and have a basic music background or comprehending the parts on keys and notes may read like a math book.

Keep in mind that Play Great Rock Guitar doesn't address the amount of time and discipline involved in becoming a great rock guitar player. For instance, to learn to play solos takes a lot of time, mastering scales and getting your fingers to move quickly and precisely. Capone and Copperwaite do explore the relationships between different styles of guitar playing and how—from blues to heavy metal—different types of playing influence one another.

This title is definitely geared toward males, but let’s face it: rock music is male-dominated. Sadly there is not a single mention or even photo of a female guitarist. So ladies, whether using this book or not, if you want to learn to play great rock guitar, stay focused and keep practicing, and let all of these underrated female masters inspire you.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Play Great Rock Guitar: Jam, Shred, and Riff in 10 Foolproof Lessons

Billboard Books; Pap/Com Edition

192 pages