FUQ (eff -yu - cue) - FAQ's with an EDGE

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Question:
I am looking for a good book or books to teach me how to play the guitar... I have one and I have went through it, but there is nothing I recognize in it, so it is tough for me to get into the groove... are there any Dead or Dylan intro to guitar books???

Answer:
Two most successful methods: 1. Make a deal with the devil ala Robert Johnson and Trey 2. Practice practice practice until your fingers bleed Guitar lessons, from a teacher, might be a good way to start. There are 2 Dead guitar books that I know of.  One is called - Anthology. Don't remember the other, but it has a blue and white swirly cover. They are not necessarily intro, but some of the songs are not that difficult. Dylan has quite a few books out too. a couple of links: http://www.rukind.com/ - Dead music http://www.harmony-central.com/ http://www.wholenote.com/ - this one is pretty awesome.  Has a tuner also. http://www.arlo.net/tablature/ - If you're into Arlo Guthrie http://guitar.about.com/library/weekly/aa041900a.htm - for printable, blank paper for music I know this sounds simple and easy but feel the music, and exercise your fingers with scale patterns, and chords, just play what you think sounds good, I recommend a guitar beginners video, that helped me more then a book, but it depends how you learn hands on, or by reading. I would definitely recommend weekly lessons...but use the books to practice during the week. This will sound corny...but try Guitars for Dummies I bought my son his first acoustic six months back, and this book.  He dove right in, never puts it down and amazes us daily.   Its the same series as Windows for Dummies, Finances for Dummies ETC...   I have to say that while this is a good way to learn chords to songs and such, it's also a good way to stall out at that.  The dead guitar books just have chords for the songs [poorly transcribed at that], and ... I guess my thing is, What ends up happening is you'll learn the chords, you'll learn how to play the songs with those chords, but in order to truly progress as a guitar player, you need to learn scales and such.  Get a book with scales and modes and learn the technical shit.  It's not as much fun as learning Uncle John's Band and playing it for your friends, but in the end you will be able to progress as a player much beyond just knowing the chords.  I took lessons for a couple of years when I was young, and while it was invaluable, my teacher sucked and would just transcribe songs for me. So as a result, I knew a ton of covers, but I couldn't tell you a major scale from a pentatonic scale for the life of me. This is absolutely crippling if you ever want to become a serious player, and it's a handicap that's taken me years to overcome.  And I'm still overcoming it.  In a sense I've had to re-learn the guitar, which I'm still doing.   Scales are the best way to learn any instrument.  I myself, couldn't stand to play them.  I just hated to practice though.  But it does help you out when trying to figure out songs.  I once sat down and figured out Janis Joplin's Bye, Bye Baby.  Couldn't have done it with out the knowledge of scales. After having a teacher that drilled scales into my head, I now only like to play rhythm.  All those years of lessons, down the drain.